Zhang Ciqiu was momentarily stunned, but quickly reacted, his deep, dark eyes lighting up with excitement.

Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, he understood its tricks well. To achieve good results and high ratings, a show needed a gimmick, a topic to spark interest. If they didn’t have one, they’d certainly resort to post-production editing to create a conflict between guests that seemed almost irreconcilable.

After the boss lady casually pointed it out, Zhang Ciqiu was instantly enlightened. He had initially only thought about using the popularity of the boss, Young Master Zhong, but now he slapped his forehead in realization—what about Zhu Linyun? Everyone online knew about the recent scandal where the rising star Zhu Linyun allegedly angered Orange Entertainment’s head, Zhong Ce, and got banned. If they invited her to the show and teased the segment about Young Master Zhong’s variety debut with his wife, wouldn’t that serve as free publicity?

Just a moment ago, he had been dry-mouthed and speechless.

Now, the problem was solved—no, actually, it was solved twice over!

With that, the two guest groups could be confirmed!

The weight on his chest lifted, and Zhang Ciqiu instantly smiled, but his grin only lasted two seconds before it faltered.

He sneaked a glance at “Zhong Ce,” pressed his lips together, and asked, “But didn’t Mr. Zhong say that he severed all ties with Zhu Linyun?”

This was another invitation, wasn’t it? Wasn’t he just slapping his own face?

Cheng Susu didn’t speak, but raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

It was the boss lady who, understanding the situation, took over the conversation.

“That won’t happen,” Zhong Ce replied, still smiling. He sat down, one hand resting on the desk, rhythmically tapping on it. After a while, he slowly explained, “Since Miss Zhu clarified on Weibo that the heart emoji was for her boyfriend, there’s no reason for us at Orange Entertainment to keep pursuing it. Otherwise, we’d look petty.”

He paused, then tilted his head, resting it on Cheng Susu’s shoulder.

Cheng Susu ignored him, but he didn’t let up, reaching out to turn her face toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Zhong Ce winked mischievously, “Right, darling?”

Cheng Susu: “…”

You’ve said it all, don’t ask me anymore.

I’m just a powerless “puppet of Zhong Ce.”

“If you’re happy, then fine,” she sighed.

She suddenly saw things clearly and no longer saw any reason to object. After all, she didn’t have to lift a finger.

Satisfied with her answer, Zhong Ce smiled, “You’re the best, darling.”

Cheng Susu: “…”

Can you just be quiet for once?

Zhang Ciqiu was shocked.

He hadn’t expected the boss to indulge the boss lady like this.

He was completely different from the tough man he’d been just moments ago. Now, Zhang Ciqiu felt a bit sour.

He sighed deeply, then subtly shifted his gaze back to the boss lady. After sizing her up for a moment, he stood up, preparing to take his leave.

“Wait.” Zhong Ce twisted back around, sitting up straight, exuding a theatrical flair as he pulled out a nail clipper to trim his nails. Once he was done, he pouted and blew on them. “Miss Zhu is currently facing reputation damage, so using her in the show is a risk. When the director goes to talk to her, remind her that the pay is very low.”

“If she’s willing to come, then fine. If not, so be it.”

“How low?” Zhang Ciqiu swallowed nervously, sensing something ominous.

Zhong Ce smiled and flashed a “peace” sign. “Two hundred a day.”

Zhang Ciqiu: “…”

Cheng Susu: “…”

After sending Zhang Ciqiu off, Zhong Ce seemed to collapse into his chair as if his bones had turned to jelly. He lazily squinted his eyes and, after a moment, couldn’t suppress his pleasure any longer, curling his lips into a grin and even humming a little tune.

Cheng Susu gave him a speechless look.

After a long silence, she finally asked, “Did my mom call to plead for mercy?”

Zhong Ce pursed his lips. “Mmhmm.”

The Cheng family had nothing to do with the entertainment industry.

Even if they wanted to get involved, with Orange Entertainment in the picture, it wasn’t something that could happen overnight. The best option was for them to beg Zhong Ce for mercy.

As long as Zhong Ce didn’t apply any more pressure, Zhu Linyun would still have a chance to make a comeback.

After all, Zhong Ce was the son-in-law of the Cheng family. With that connection, Zhong Ce would likely give them some face. In the world of business, unless personal interests were at stake, it was always better to have more friends than enemies.

What Zhong Ce didn’t know was that now he had started to resent the Cheng family as well.

He was a petty man at heart.

And he was prone to overthinking.

After a few words with Cheng’s mother on the phone, he began to feel that Cheng Susu, the honest woman, must have had a rough time back at her parents’ house.

Cheng Susu was his wife, his woman. How could he let anyone bully her? Not even her own parents could get away with it.

Zhong Ce sneered sarcastically, “She’s still my mother-in-law. I’ll give her a bit of face, but whether they can handle it is another matter.”

In any case, the past was the past.