Chapter Nine: The Blind Date

After reading, Sang Yijia exited Weibo and quietly gazed at the night scenery through the bay window.

After a while, she called her agent, Mo Yani. “Check who else is spreading rumors on Weibo, screenshot everything, and file lawsuits.”

At this point, any statement would be futile. Those people wouldn’t care; they’d only get more brazen, shouting, “Come on, who’s afraid?” Only when the consequences land on them will they truly be afraid.

Sang Yijia didn’t want to waste her time and energy—she would go straight to the final step.

On the other end, Mo Yani drew in a sharp breath. “Jiajia, did you see Qiyue’s response?”

“Yes. Her approach is effective—worth learning from,” Sang Yijia replied.

Mo Yani was silent for a few moments before finally agreeing. “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”

“Jiajia, what’s going on with you?” Mo Yani sensed something was off. Normally, by now, Sang Yijia would have switched through dozens of accounts to argue with those people online.

“Nothing,” Sang Yijia said, glancing at the sea of lights outside her window. “I just don’t want to keep going on like this.”

“I’ve figured things out.”

Mo Yani found it hard to believe, but didn’t argue. After a pause, she decided to wait and see. “That’s good.”

While she was at it, Mo Yani brought up the upcoming schedule. “The dating show will start filming the day after tomorrow. Rest well tomorrow, and the day after, we’ll begin. We haven’t received the exact location yet. We should know by tomorrow, but…”

Mo Yani unconsciously tightened her grip on her phone, her fingertips pale as she continued anxiously, “This season’s dating show seems a bit different from the previous ones.”

“It’s fine,” Sang Yijia didn’t care and changed the subject. “After the variety show, I’d like to take a break.”

Her contract would last until next year. Sang Yijia had never been good at acting, and neither had her predecessor, so it was best to avoid it for now.

Mo Yani wasn’t surprised. Sang Yijia was the type to work for a month and rest for half a year—not here for fame. “Alright, I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Thank you,” Sang Yijia said softly. Seeing there was no further response, she hung up.

At the same time, listening to the busy tone, Mo Yani pinched her cheek hard in disbelief, only accepting reality through the pain that brought tears to her eyes.

Had Sang Yijia really changed?

—

The next morning, there was no trace of any “Sang Yijia whitewashing” news on the trending topics, nor could it be found through search. Yet, people were still cursing under her latest Weibo post.

Sang Yijia glanced at it, unconcerned, and simply disabled Weibo notifications on her phone.

After washing up, she prepared herself breakfast—ham sandwich and hot milk.

The new day officially began. Having returned late last night, she hadn’t yet taken stock of her predecessor’s belongings. Tidying up, she gathered all the personal items, packed them in a box, and sealed it with tape.

What if, one day, she left and the original owner returned?

Sang Yijia thought, the original owner surely wouldn’t want someone else to see her secrets.

With that done, she bought personal necessities online, along with a tablet, a laptop, and a phone for work.

Additionally, she got herself a diary with a lock, planning to write down the events of each day—just in case.

Once everything was set, her phone rang.

The caller ID showed her eldest brother, Sang Qiwen.

Somewhat puzzled, Sang Yijia answered, “Big brother, do you need something?”

“Your birthday is next month. I plan to give you a car,” Sang Qiwen got straight to the point. “Take some time to think about what color you want, and I’ll arrange it.”

As for the car’s performance, Sang Qiwen was sure Sang Yijia wouldn’t understand or care. He’d handle all that.

“Green,” Sang Yijia answered without hesitation. “Easier on the eyes.”

Sang Qiwen expected as much and couldn’t help but rub his forehead. A green car was hardly soothing—if anything, it was a bit flashy. But since it was her favorite color, he agreed. “Alright, noted.”

“Your third brother wants to buy you a house. Take a look at the neighborhoods and pick one you like.”

Sang Yijia blinked, surprised that on her second day here, she’d already secured a house and a car. “I don’t have many requirements, just good security.”

“You like night views, so see if there’s a penthouse available,” Sang Qiwen suggested, adding, “Renovations might take some time.”

“If you want to stay at home, I’ll arrange a driver for you. Once the new car arrives, we’ll assign a permanent driver. How about that?”

Two years ago, Sang Yijia had suddenly decided to join the entertainment industry and chase after a man, which Sang Qiwen and Sang Zheng had opposed. In anger, she moved out and cut ties with the family.

It wasn’t until last year, when Sang Yijia almost faced a casting couch situation, that things eased a bit—though a complete reconciliation never happened.

Last night, Sang Yijia made herself clear. This farce needed to end.

Sang Qiwen didn’t want her to suffer anymore and wanted to make it up to her.

Thinking of all this, his tone softened, “If there’s anything you want, don’t hesitate to ask your brothers, understand?”

“Mm,” Sang Yijia nodded obediently. In this moment, she genuinely wished they were her real family. Smiling, she asked, “Then what’s Second Brother getting me?”

Sang Qiwen hesitated, frowning slightly. The old Sang Yijia would never have asked; she always wanted surprises. The only reason she called today was to confirm the car’s color and avoid changing it later.

Now, he found her behavior odd, but he answered honestly, “I’m not sure yet.”

“But if you want something, you can tell him.”

“Alright,” Sang Yijia replied. “I’ll let Second Brother know once I decide.”

“And thank you, Big Brother.”

“You’re welcome.” After hanging up, Sang Qiwen stared at his phone, brows furrowed. He felt his little sister had suffered a huge blow—her thoughts and attitude had changed so drastically.

He called his assistant. “Find out what’s happened to Yijia lately.”

If anyone dared to bully his sister, Sang Qiwen sneered to himself, they’d have to answer to him.

—

It was a rare weekend, and Lu Wenchuan hadn’t gone to the office early, choosing to work from home.

When the old master saw him come down for breakfast, he glanced over. “Tomorrow’s the dating show filming. You’re not planning to stand me up, are you?”

Lu Wenchuan was silent for a moment, then sat across from him. The servant quickly brought breakfast. Picking up his knife and fork, Lu Wenchuan replied coolly, “Grandfather, I’m not one to go back on my word.”

“Then who was it that backed out at the last minute last time?” The old master had arranged no fewer than ten blind dates for him, and not once had Lu Wenchuan actually met the woman.

“And the time before that?”

“And the time before that?”

Lu Wenchuan coughed lightly, looking a bit embarrassed. “Grandfather, those were all accidents. The company had emergencies I needed to handle.”

“Hmph,” the old master scoffed, not buying it. “You think I’ve never been to the company?”

“Filming is fine, but don’t you dare actually bring back a wife from the entertainment industry.” Suddenly serious, the old master continued, “After this show, no matter how busy you are, you must make time to meet the Ming family’s daughter. Even if it’s just one evening.”