Ding Jie’s successive failures, exacerbated by Ding Yao’s deliberate provocations, successfully threw him off balance, driving him to take a desperate risk.
Ding Jie spent a huge sum to hire people from the underworld, instructing them to make Ding Yao disappear, no matter the method, ensuring he vanished from public view. Ding Jie took deliberate detours, terrified that the scheme would be exposed and traced back to him. But Ding Yao had long anticipated this move and had hired five private detectives to keep an eye on him. The moment Ding Jie made a move, Ding Yao knew about it.
When the moment of crisis arrived, the fear surprisingly lessened. Ding Yao took a deep breath and secretly met with the ten exorbitantly priced bodyguards he had hired—all of them Soldier King level—at Yang Anni’s place. He only asked them to do one thing: ensure his safety and protect him from harm.
He even considered offering ten times the price to buy off the men Ding Jie had hired, but he was afraid they would leak the news to Ding Jie, after which Ding Jie would devise new schemes. Ding Yao agonized over it, constantly feeling uneasy. In the end, he drove to the Fu family residence overnight to find Xu Ziyan.
Xu Ziyan followed a health regimen and didn’t stay up late. Being woken up gave her a serious case of grumpiness, but after hearing him out, she was shocked. “You’re saying you discovered Ding Jie is planning to harm you?”
【I haven’t even found a chance to warn him yet, how did he find out?】
Ding Yao explained, “I had people watching him, so I found out. What do you think about me turning his scheme against him? Nothing will go wrong, right?”
Xu Ziyan sucked in a sharp breath, completely failing to understand his train of thought. “You encounter such a huge danger, and instead of going to the police, you want to turn his scheme against him? What if, while they’re beating you up, they sever the tendons in your hands and feet with one move? Wouldn’t you be crippled?”
“The police?” This was indeed a path Ding Yao hadn’t considered. Ever since he started hearing Xu Ziyan’s inner thoughts, all he could think about was the original plot. Neither Xu Ziyan nor the Fu family had gone to the police in that story, they all solved things themselves, didn’t they?
Xu Ziyan stated firmly, “You have evidence from the private detectives monitoring him. You can make the police believe you. Of course you should report it. Moreover, this matter involves people from the underworld and even selling someone abroad. Who knows what kind of force is behind it? This is absolutely not something an individual can resolve. Only the police can guarantee your safety.”
“But… if it’s really investigated clearly, Ding Jie will be sent to prison, right?” This was also one of the reasons for Ding Yao’s hesitation. Didn’t Xu Ziyan and the system say that if the plot deviated too severely, the world would collapse? He would be very happy to send Ding Jie inside, but if the impact was that great, he was willing to turn a blind eye.
Xu Ziyan had, of course, also considered this problem. She sighed inwardly: 【The original plot has already progressed seventy or eighty percent. The remaining parts, like the Fu family’s tragic downfall and Ding Jie obtaining the Ding Group, are simply impossible to happen now. If the world is destined to be destroyed, then it will be destroyed when the time comes. What difference does it make whether Ding Jie is in prison or outside? A lawbreaker like him deserves to be in prison, doesn’t he?
Consider it getting revenge for everyone before the collapse. Anyway, I’ve lived this much longer and enjoyed so much already, I’ve gotten my money’s worth.】
Ding Yao thought about how so many people’s lives had almost been ruined by Ding Jie. Even now, when trying to escape this crisis, he still had to worry about plot deviations. It was truly infuriating. Xu Ziyan was right, a person like Ding Jie deserved to be locked up!
Xu Ziyan advised, “With Ding Jie’s personality, he won’t stop. If he fails this time, his methods next time will be even more despicable and impossible to guard against. It just so happens you’ve caught him red-handed this time. Of course you should counterattack fiercely, making it so he can never do anything again.”
Ding Yao nodded. “You’re right. I’ll have people organize the evidence right now and go to the police!”
Not only was Ding Jie no good, but those underworld figures and the people trying to send him abroad were also no good. They all deserved to be sent inside. Once Ding Yao saw things clearly, he felt a surge of passion, convinced he was doing a righteous deed. He wasn’t afraid at all.
Before leaving, Ding Yao entrusted Xu Ziyan with one thing: if he failed and something happened to him, he hoped Xu Ziyan would take care of Yang Anni, sending her to another city or abroad, far away from Ding Jie’s sphere of influence.
Xu Ziyan thought about how she knew Yang Anni, had become her close friend, had indirectly fueled the conflict between Yang Anni and Song Jie, which led to Ding Yao acknowledging Yang Anni as his official girlfriend. Things had developed all the way to today, where the three of them partnered to run an entertainment company. Their relationship was much better than with others, and she even got to ship the couple up close!
This was different from the original plot. She didn’t know how many people her butterfly effect would affect—like the Fu family’s ending, Ding Yao and Yang Anni’s relationship, the career development of people like Yuan Bin, the company’s benefits, etc. In any case, the people around her were all developing in a positive direction. It seemed the wings flapped by her, this little butterfly, were doing okay.
That was enough! Everyone was doing much better than their original predetermined paths. She had also enjoyed a life she wouldn’t have dared to dream of before. No matter how many days were left in this lifetime, she was satisfied. She no longer had any plot to follow. From now on, she would treat every day as her last and enjoy it to the fullest!
Xu Ziyan took a few days off and took the company’s four new talents to Paris to see a fashion show. Two girl group idols and two boy group idols—exceptionally beautiful and handsome. They had just had bad luck before, never hitting it big, but their character was good and they were willing to work hard. Yang Anni had poached them. Most importantly, Xu Ziyan wanted those with high looks, and they happened to fit the bill.
Even when they were less popular before, these four still had quite a few fans who loved them for their looks. Their faces were truly too striking. Xu Ziyan’s face was in no way inferior to theirs, and she had a unique aura—the demeanor of someone wealthy, leisurely, and carefree—that made her particularly captivating. When the five of them appeared together in a frame, they were the center of attention wherever they went. They were still abroad watching the show, but photos were already flying all over the internet back home. They quickly made it onto the Hot Search, sparking heated discussion across the web.
[Who are these people? I need all their information in three minutes!]
[Isn’t that the Fu Corporation’s Second Young Miss? Yang Anni’s close friend and boss, the one who helped her tear into Song Jie!]
[Just looked it up. These four little idols joined Xu Ziyan’s company. Oh right, Ding Yao is also a boss. The two bosses are loaded. Are they planning to heavily promote them?]
[Oh my god! Capital finally likes pretty kids. Please, stop promoting those unattractive kids anymore, it really hurts our eyes. If you’re going to promote someone, promote these high-value looks. Even if their skills are a bit lacking, I can tolerate it.]
[Whispering: one of them is my bias. His singing and dancing are pretty good, his acting is also decent. Just had bad luck and got shelved by his old company. I’m really happy he escaped that old company. Just not sure how the new company is.]
[Taking them to see a show and giving them resources seems pretty good. Even if it’s a patron, this patron is too beautiful. I’m willing!]
Netizens said all sorts of things, but at the end of the day, it was a feast for the eyes. Just looking at those faces was pleasing. Xu Ziyan was hailed as the boss with the best taste. Their company hadn’t even entered its promotional period yet and was already this hot, leaving a strong impression on everyone.
Ding Jie was now living at Bai Qingqing’s place. After the incident at the birthday banquet last time, Bai Qingqing took the initiative to admit her mistake. Ding Jie also knew he shouldn’t blame Bai Qingqing. Add to that being kicked out and Song Jie not being in the country, he simply moved in with Bai Qingqing to alleviate the loneliness and fear in his heart. However, a slight estrangement had developed. He spent most of his time studying the project plan he had stolen, immersing himself in work, with Bai Qingqing taking care of his daily needs.
Bai Qingqing felt miserable and somewhat worried. If Ding Jie already cared less about her now, would he really marry her after returning to the Ding family? And with Xu Ziyan still wedged between them, she had no sense of security at all.
When she saw Xu Ziyan on the Hot Search, Bai Qingqing felt a flicker of delight and immediately showed it to Ding Jie.
When Ding Jie saw the photos of the two handsome men standing beside Xu Ziyan, he laughed in anger. He was going through such a major crisis, and Xu Ziyan didn’t show a shred of concern. Instead, she was taking two handsome men abroad for fun? And they weren’t even the same men from the birthday banquet. Just how many people had her company taken in? Was she running an entertainment company or selecting a harem?
Ding Jie called Xu Ziyan over a dozen times before she picked up. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “What’s going on with you and those little celebrities? Have you shifted your affections?”
Xu Ziyan frowned. “Are you sick? Aren’t you cohabiting with Bai Qingqing? What do you mean by questioning me like this?”
Ding Jie hadn’t expected her to know about him living with Bai Qingqing. His imposing aura instantly deflated. “You’ve misunderstood…”
Xu Ziyan scoffed coldly. “I’m single. Who I fancy is none of your business. Stop bombarding me with calls. It’s annoying. I’m blocking you.”
Ding Jie suddenly realized something and asked sinisterly, “You’re looking down on me now because I’ve been kicked out of the Ding family, powerless and without influence, right?”
“If you say so. Now that you mention it, I really haven’t seen any capability in you. From the moment we met until now, have you successfully accomplished even one thing? What about you is worth anyone looking up to?
Don’t say I’m underestimating you. You, you simply can’t go back to the Ding family. You might as well go abroad to find your mother. Live a honest life on the money old man Ding gave you.” After saying this, Xu Ziyan hung up and blocked all his contact methods.
001 was puzzled: 『Host, didn’t you say you didn’t want to deal with him anymore? Why did you say all that to him?』
Xu Ziyan: “To provoke him. It was a convenient thing anyway. My luck is so good right now. What if he has a brain fart and does something that lets me follow two more plot points? Might as well take a swing and see if anything comes of it.”
With so many skill points added to luck, Xu Ziyan’s luck was truly excellent now, a stark contrast to before. Like when she poached these idols, she happened to discover some leverage against their old company, so she didn’t have to pay the penalty for breach of contract. Wasn’t that lucky?
This trip to see the show was mainly to relax and take the four beauties on a trip. Unexpectedly, a brand designer saw them and said the four of them perfectly matched his new designs—youthful Eastern elves. He invited them to participate in the fashion show as brand friends.
This was a fashion resource many people begged for but couldn’t obtain, and it just fell into her lap. Wasn’t this luck good?
Therefore, Xu Ziyan decided to give Ding Jie a little poke for good measure. What if her luck surpassed the male lead’s and she gained some benefit? Saying a few more words wasn’t a loss. However, she didn’t have high expectations either. She took the four beauties everywhere to play, experiencing the most pleasant vacation of her life.
Ding Jie was indeed provoked. He smashed his phone violently, startling Bai Qingqing so much she didn’t dare to speak for a long time. Ding Jie stared fixedly at the photo where Xu Ziyan was linking arms with two handsome men, finding it unbearably glaring. He had never liked Xu Ziyan, but recently, for some reason, he had started caring about her attitude towards him.
He couldn’t accept Xu Ziyan treating him with such casual disdain. Before, her eyes were full of him, willing to betray the Fu family for him. What was this now? Opening an entertainment company for those little celebrities? Spending money and effort to promote them? Giving up him, this one tree, for an entire forest outside?
He originally wanted to wait a while longer, to study the project in his hands thoroughly, but now he didn’t want to wait. He would rely on this project to return to the upper echelons of the Ding family. He’d see then whether Xu Ziyan would regret it!