Chapter 27
Zhang Yang sat upright, occasionally stealing glances at Yuan Fei across from her.
Yuan Fei’s fame in the entertainment industry surpassed that of even some third-tier celebrities. She was a finance prodigy from Peking University, worked on Wall Street, and ended up in the entertainment industry by a twist of fate. Over the past twenty years, she had thrived, rumored to have influential connections in high places. Despite openly and covertly criticizing Yuan Fei in the past for the sake of Shengshi’s interests, Zhang Yang couldn’t help but admire her cunning and abilities. She never imagined that one day they would be sitting in an inconspicuous milk tea shop like this.
Yuan Fei’s personal involvement undoubtedly meant that something significant was at stake. Zhang Yang’s heart raced unusually fast.
“‘Sheng Li Fei Yang,'” Yuan Fei pronounced Zhang Yang’s online alias. “I’ve known about you for a long time. You’ve done well on your Weibo.”
“…Thank you,” Zhang Yang replied.
“It’s a pity that you left the industry,” Yuan Fei continued.
Zhang Yang awkwardly remained silent. She had deceived the fans of Shengshi, embezzling two hundred thousand yuan from their crowdfunding campaign. Naturally, she felt guilty in the presence of Yuan Fei.
“Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to blame you. I actually need your help,” Yuan Fei said.
Zhang Yang looked at her and asked, “How can I help you?”
“Not me, but Shengshi,” Yuan Fei replied with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You can do a big favor for your brother.”
Zhang Yang had already guessed it. After all, she had nothing left except…
“I know about the custom-made products,” Yuan Fei said casually, elegantly flipping open her lizard-skin Birkin bag and taking out a pack of cigarettes. She offered one to Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang’s mind was in turmoil, and she shook her head stiffly.
Yuan Fei lit her own cigarette, the swirling smoke obscuring half of her face, making her appear mysterious and profound, like a mountain hidden behind the clouds. She spoke, “Some things are much more complicated than what an innocent girl like you knows. Think about it, this act that goes against humanity and morality, the cover-up isn’t particularly tight, and many people already know about it. Why hasn’t anything happened so far?”
Zhang Yang’s hidden hand beneath the table clenched tightly.
“Because the waters run deep, involving many influential figures. Even if something were to happen, ordinary people wouldn’t know. Beneath the surface, there are hidden monsters, while the surface remains calm,” Yuan Fei flicked the cigarette ash gently. “You really shouldn’t have entered this circle.”
“Does my brother…know?” Zhang Yang asked with a trembling voice.
Yuan Fei shook her head. “He’s not qualified to know yet.”
“Then why did you come to me?” Zhang Yang instinctively felt a sense of fear toward Yuan Fei, a powerful and oppressive woman. She knew how weak she was in front of her.
“‘Phoenix’s Journey’ was taken off the schedule, you know that, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“This drama was Shengshi’s turning point. They invested eight hundred million yuan, and it was exceptionally well-made. With its current removal as a temporary measure, but because of previous events, the TV station wasn’t eager to air it. We made a lot of efforts and concessions to reach this point. If it gets returned by the TV station, not only will Shengshi have no hope of turning things around, but they will also face substantial compensation,” Yuan Fei calmly looked at Zhang Yang, exhaling smoke rings. “Calling it a life-or-death situation wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”
“What can I do then?”
“There’s a key person involved in this matter,” Yuan Fei said with a smile that seemed almost sinister. “They specifically asked for Shengshi’s company.”
Zhang Yang’s face contorted in disgust.
Disgusting, absolutely disgusting! Why did these people have to use sexual desires as bargaining chips to coerce others?
“Shengshi absolutely refuses, but I’ve put in so much effort. I can’t just watch him go down,” Yuan Fei’s eyes flashed with determination. “So, I thought about custom-made products. That person has met Shengshi many times, and giving him low-quality imitations won’t work. It has to be a one hundred percent authentic custom-made item—one in your hands, and one in the hands of the person I dare not approach.”
And so, this was the favor Shengshi needed from her.
Zhang Yang weakly leaned against the back of the chair, her face pale, her gaze empty.
“I won’t ask for your help for nothing. I’ll give you two hundred thousand yuan,” Yuan Fei said.
Two hundred thousand yuan again. Ke Yao was truly valuable. He required six million to be obtained, and he could earn up to two hundred thousand in one night. Such a person, who produced nothing and couldn’t even leave his home under normal circumstances, was far more capable of making money than most people, as long as he found the right method.
Custom-made products seemed to never escape the fate of selling their bodies. After all, most of them were born for that purpose.
“That’s not all. I’ll also help you find a lawyer to handle any kickbacks, as long as you haven’t left any substantial transaction records, the police won’t be able to touch you.”
Zhang Yang’s body grew increasingly weak. It seemed as though even the solid wooden chair beneath her slender weight couldn’t support her. She stared at Yuan Fei’s crimson lips colliding with each other, but the information she could grasp through her hearing became intermittent, sometimes distant and sometimes close. Even thinking became a difficult task.
Yuan Fei paused and silently observed Zhang Yang.
After a long while, Zhang Yang replied, “Does my brother know?”
“I haven’t decided how to tell him yet,” Yuan Fei said. “But he will find out.”
“What if my brother can’t accept it…?” Zhang Yang asked.
Yuan Fei chuckled. “What can he not accept? He would be thrilled.”
“He can’t accept… the existence of a clone who looks exactly like himself.”
“Yes, for a normal person, it would indeed be a great shock.”
“But, but…” Zhang Yang lowered her head. “He’s becoming less and less like himself. He has gained some weight, often stays up late with a bad complexion, and even gets acne. He looks messy all the time. It’s very likely that he’ll slip up.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll find a way,” Yuan Fei said with a fake smile. “Are you reluctant?”
Reluctant? Zhang Yang questioned herself, but it seemed like she wasn’t.
The first time she handed Ke Yao over to Mina, she felt jealous and resentful. But now she accepted that it was Ke Yao’s only value. Perhaps, if it was for her brother, it would even be Ke Yao’s honor. She replied, “No.”
“He looks exactly like Shengshi, he can easily pass off as him.”
“No,” Zhang Yang stared into Yuan Fei’s eyes with sharp intensity. “They are not the same at all. My brother is unique.”
Yuan Fei was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. “Disillusioned, huh?”
Zhang Yang’s expression changed slightly.
“I was thinking, those fans of Shengshi who joined the company and shaved their heads, they will soon lose their obsession and become normal people. When you’re with someone day in and day out, the illusion fades away,” Yuan Fei said casually. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
Zhang Yang emphasized her words, “Ke Yao is not Shengshi. He only has the same face.”
“Shengshi is the same,” Yuan Fei smirked. “I don’t mean to say that he’s bad in any way. He’s just a person. Admiration and understanding are almost two completely opposite mental states. The idol you admire is a symbol created through our packaging and your own imagination. Once you get close enough to see the real person and find out that he’s not what you imagined, you’ll be disillusioned, maybe even harbor resentment because he didn’t live up to your ideals.”
Zhang Yang was repulsed by every word Yuan Fei said, including her condescending tone. “I told you, Ke Yao is not my brother.”
Yuan Fei smiled. “I genuinely can’t understand why you bought him.”
“Because you can’t understand my feelings for my brother.”
“We study fan psychology year-round, and I may understand what you’re thinking better than you do.”
“Do you understand or not?” Zhang Yang grew impatient.
“I know why you’re doing this, but it’s a foolish move, and that’s the part I can’t understand.”
Zhang Yang glared at Yuan Fei, her gaze almost filled with hostility. Every word Yuan Fei spoke felt like a sickle striking her heart, harvesting her self-esteem.
Yuan Fei used her slender fingers to extinguish the cigarette butt in the ashtray. The sparks reflected in her pupils dimmed. “Don’t chase after stars, because once you pluck them, they become broken stones.”
Zhang Yang slammed the table, interrupting Yuan Fei’s sarcasm. “I want 500,000 yuan!” She wanted to leave Beijie penniless, to make that bitch suffer.
Yuan Fei raised an eyebrow. “Fine, but you have to cooperate with me until this drama airs. Can you control Ke Yao?”
“He listens to me.”
“Very well, then…”
“I have one more request.”
“Speak.”
Zhang Yang gathered her courage and said, “…I want to see my brother.”
Yuan Fei restrained her laughter, but the contempt in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. “You truly love Shengshi. No problem. If you keep your promise, I’ll arrange for you to meet him privately after everything is done, fulfilling your dream of being a fan.”
Zhang Yang felt a pang in her nose. In just a few minutes, she had made up her mind. After it was all over, she would take the money and leave Beijing with Ke Yao, going to a small city, buying a small house, finding a job, and starting anew.
She would no longer chase after stars. She would make an effort to forget Ke Yu, no longer resent Ke Yao, and start afresh.
But before that, she would do everything in her power to help Shengshi. Not just out of indebtedness, but also to put a complete end to her four years of passion, fulfilling it without any regrets. To meet Shengshi face-to-face and express her true feelings, just as Yuan Fei said—to fulfill her dream, and then leave without any attachments or regrets.
After finalizing the agreement, Yuan Fei immediately transferred a deposit of 100,000 yuan to Zhang Yang and requested to inspect the goods. So Zhang Yang brought Yuan Fei back to her home.
Yuan Fei surveyed the cramped little rented house. Although she maintained a composed expression, Zhang Yang could sense the same air as when Mina entered the house—reluctance to move around, as if trying to avoid letting her Louboutin shoes touch the cheap floor tiles.
It wasn’t until Ke Yao came out that Yuan Fei’s expression changed. She stared at Ke Yao in awe for a while, showing a pleased look, and exclaimed, “So alike, it’s frightening.”
Zhang Yang looked at Ke Yao, but the more she looked, the less resemblance she saw. Shengshi was dazzling, but Ke Yao looked haggard. “Are you sure?”
“Your brother often neglects his appearance when he’s not working, just like he is now,” Yuan Fei walked over with graceful steps. “Otherwise, why would he spend a year’s salary of an average person on his grooming? A star’s refinement is built on money.” She looked up at Ke Yao and smiled faintly.
Ke Yao stood there indifferently, as if used to being observed and evaluated.
“Very well, tidy up. Everything is fine,” Yuan Fei said to Zhang Yang. “You wait for my notification, and I’ll send someone to pick him up.” She hesitated for a moment and asked, not entirely reassured, “Are you sure he’ll cooperate?”
“He’ll cooperate.”
After Yuan Fei left, Ke Yao asked, “Fang Yang, who is she, and why did she want to see me?”
“I need you… to cooperate.”
“Do what?”
Zhang Yang hesitated to meet Ke Yao’s eyes. It was one thing to ask him to accompany Mina, who was at least a young and beautiful woman, but this time, she was asking him to accompany an older man. When she agreed with Yuan Fei, she appeared confident on the surface, but deep down, she was anxious. She had no idea if Ke Yao could or would do it. What if he messed it up?
Well, it couldn’t be worse than it already was.
Zhang Yang hesitated to say, “Ke Yao, as I told you before, I’m unemployed and broke. We need money for food, rent, and even playing games on our phones. You like eating potato chips and going to the supermarket, all of which require money.” She looked at Ke Yao. “Right now, I need you to go and earn some money.”
Ke Yao looked at Zhang Yang, not understanding.
“You need to…” Zhang Yang found it difficult to articulate. “When the time comes, you’ll accompany the lady I just met. She will instruct you on what to do, and then we’ll get the money.”
“Are you asking me to do what Ke Yu did?”
Zhang Yang was shocked. “How… How did you know?”
“Ke Yu told me.” Ke Yao’s expression was calm, making it impossible to guess whether he understood the implications of the matter. “He didn’t want to, but Sister Bei asked him to cooperate.”
Zhang Yang blushed instantly, realizing that she was no different from Bei, who forced Ke Yu to sell himself.
She had always considered herself a victim, but now she had become the perpetrator.
But what choice did she have? She couldn’t not help her brother, and she desperately needed money. She didn’t want Ke Yao to keep doing this; she just needed to help her brother through this difficult time and get the 500,000 yuan. Then she would take Ke Yao and start a new life, far away from these disgusting people and things. She would mend their relationship and start anew.
Yes, everything was for a fresh start.
Zhang Yang grabbed Ke Yao’s sleeve and said gently, “Ke Yao, listen to me. All of this is for us. After a while, I will take you away from here to another city, where we’ll live in a better house, eat more snacks, and you can go out more often. But all of this requires money. With money, we can live much better than we do now.”
Ke Yao nodded. “I understand.”
Zhang Yang forced a smile. “You need to cooperate, do whatever they ask you to do. It’s that simple.”
Ke Yao smiled faintly. “Okay.”