Chapter 36: Compensation

Qiao Jiu’s attitude was far from friendly, yet Song Wan did not seem to mind in the slightest. She even laughed aloud, “I’ve heard from Ah Zhou before that Miss Qiao is straightforward in nature. Now that we’ve met, I see it’s true.”

Qiao Jiu’s face remained impassive. “Miss Song, could you get to the point?”

Song Wan took a breath. “Do you follow entertainment gossip?”

Without waiting for a reply, she continued, “There are plenty of reports about me in the tabloids, most of them negative. They say my acting is poor, I have no real talent, and even the awards I’ve won were thanks to backdoor deals with wealthy patrons. They claim I’m undeserving of my position.”

She laughed at herself. “Honestly, they’re not wrong. I don’t have the ability to land those endorsements or awards on my own. Everything I’ve achieved is because Ah Zhou poured money into me; he forced me into the spotlight.”

Qiao Jiu had no idea why Song Wan was telling her all this, and her impatience grew more obvious.

Song Wan seemed to notice, pausing before she went on. “Miss Qiao, I know you were at a disadvantage when you divorced Ah Zhou. Matters of the heart and marriage are truly only understood by those involved. I have no right to comment, but as a fellow woman, I can empathize with you.”

Her voice became even more sincere. “I’m willing to do everything I can to compensate you on Ah Zhou’s behalf. That’s why I came to see you today.”

“On his behalf?” Qiao Jiu laughed. “How considerate of you. But does Lu Fengzhou know about this?”

Song Wan was candid. “He doesn’t. If he did, he surely wouldn’t agree.”

She shifted the conversation back to Lu Fengzhou. “You say Ah Zhou is a bad person, but he’s not evil. He’s simply too clear about who’s close and who’s not, so his attitude differs drastically.”

Qiao Jiu stared at her, understanding that Lu Fengzhou treated her as an outsider, which explained his ruthlessness—no mercy spared. Song Wan, on the other hand, was considered one of his own, and he would give her everything.

Qiao Jiu curled her lips. “Since you know I lost out in the divorce, you should also know how Lu Fengzhou came to possess everything he has now.”

She looked Song Wan up and down. “To be blunt, Miss Song, I’m the one who elevated you. Everything you have now came from me. So tell me, on what grounds can you compensate me?”

…

The car stopped in the underground garage. The driver waited for a moment before turning around. Lu Fengzhou was leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

Hesitating, the driver spoke softly, “Sir, we’re home.”

Lu Fengzhou didn’t open his eyes, but he replied, “I know. You can go.”

His voice was cool and clear; he hadn’t been sleeping at all.

The driver dared not ask further and hurried out of the car. In the adjacent parking space was another vehicle, the one he usually used for daily errands. After getting into it, he couldn’t help but glance back at Lu Fengzhou’s car.

Lu Fengzhou’s mood was bad—he could sense it clearly.

The driver didn’t linger, quickly driving away.

Lu Fengzhou remained leaning back with his eyes closed. A few minutes later, in the quiet car, a buzzing vibration suddenly sounded.

He finally opened his eyes, sharp and clear.

Lu Fengzhou fished out his phone, glanced at it, and answered, his tone indifferent, “Director Zhou.”

The caller was clearly cautious. “Mr. Lu, am I disturbing you?”

“Speak,” Lu Fengzhou said as he straightened up and reached for the door.

Director Zhou explained, “It’s like this—previously, you instructed us to look after Miss Song, so we haven’t scheduled her scenes too tightly. Today she finished filming early, but one scene needed a last-minute change. I tried to contact her to reshoot, but… I can’t reach her.”

Lu Fengzhou’s voice grew cold. “What do you mean, you can’t reach her?”

Director Zhou quickly replied, “She and her assistant, as well as her manager, aren’t at the hotel. All their phones are off. I asked around the crew; someone saw her leaving the hotel with her team. I wanted to check if she’d gone to see you?”

Lu Fengzhou frowned, then seemed to realize something, his gaze gradually turning icy. “I understand. Push that scene back; she’ll return tomorrow.”