006 Make Su Yunjin Give Up!

"Hmm?" Pei Xuan stopped in his tracks.

"Come here, have a seat."

"Hehe, Lu, have you finally come around?" Pei Xuan walked back and sat down opposite Lu Yiqing, a cheeky grin on his face as he crossed his legs.

Lu Yiqing rolled his eyes and ignored Pei Xuan's antics. After a pause, he asked, "What does the old man want this time?"

"What else could it be? Of course, he wants you to marry this Su Yunjin." Pei Xuan replied carelessly, then as though something had just occurred to him, he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. With a smirk, he added, "But I don't think Uncle Lu is quite so insistent this time."

"Be specific," Lu Yiqing said.

"How should I put it? From what I know of Uncle Lu, if he truly wanted to force the two of you, he'd have made you register the marriage already. And over at Seven Peaks, they don't seem all that anxious either. If they were, don't you think they would have made us visit long before now, since it's been ages since Su Yunjin graduated from university? Even this time, if Uncle Lu hadn't sent Zhang Zhichang to fetch her, the elders over there probably wouldn't have let Su Yunjin leave the mountain."

"So you're saying the old man would agree if I called off the engagement?"

"In your dreams," Pei Xuan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "If Uncle Lu wanted you to break it off, why would he bother having Su Yunjin brought here? My analysis is that neither Seven Peaks nor Uncle Lu are eager to force you two together. Besides, Zhang Zhichang said Su Yunjin isn't even aware of the engagement. So..."

"So all I need to do is drive Su Yunjin away, right?" Lu Yiqing narrowed his eyes and a sly grin played on his lips, making him look like an old fox.

"I don't think it's that simple," Pei Xuan replied, pressing his lips together. "Since Uncle Lu had Su Yunjin brought here, he obviously wants to show some gesture to Seven Peaks. If you force Su Yunjin out, things won't go well for you. Besides, have you forgotten about Yi Hong? The only reason he's made it this far in the past ten years is because of that miracle doctor at Seven Peaks. Su Yunjin is their treasure. Those seven old men have no children of their own and they've passed everything they know on to her. If you lay a finger on her, you'll be making an enemy of Seven Peaks."

"Who said I was going to harm her?" Lu Yiqing retorted, exasperated. Pei Xuan usually seemed shrewd, but now he seemed to have lost his mind. As much as he wanted out of the engagement, he wouldn't dare do anything to Su Yunjin. Not only was it unnecessary, but Seven Peaks was not an opponent the Lu family could contend with.

How could he be foolish enough to act against Su Yunjin? Even if the Lu family could stand against Seven Peaks, his younger brother Yi Hong still depended on that miracle doctor.

Back then, when Yi Hong was kidnapped at age eight, the doctors said that from the moment he became a vegetable, he was essentially a growing corpse. His body would mature, but everything else would remain frozen at eight years old. Yet, thanks to the miracle doctor, his central nervous system has developed with his age. Ten years ago, he even showed signs of perception after Lu Yiqing accidentally played the song "Wildfire." For both emotional and practical reasons, harming Su Yunjin was out of the question.

"So what are you planning?"

"How could you not get it? The old man won’t let me call off the engagement, but that doesn’t mean Su Yunjin can’t. As long as I can make her give up on her own, isn’t that enough?" Lu Yiqing leaned back slightly, raising his brows. He wouldn’t lay a finger on Su Yunjin, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make her retreat.

A woman who has spent her life either at school or in the mountains—what does she know about the dangers of the world?

"And how do you expect to make her give up? She doesn’t even know you exist."

"That's exactly why she can be made to retreat. Those seven old men have only taught her their limited skills. This time, since they’ve let Su Yunjin come out, they must think that with those abilities, she’ll be just fine. But those old men live in seclusion—how much can they possibly know about the outside world, let alone the entertainment industry? If Su Yunjin is representing Seven Peaks, then let her see that what she’s learned is nothing special!"

Lu Yiqing’s gaze turned cold. He then ordered, "Have Zhang Zhichang bring me the audition tapes for the contestants. I want the most difficult, arrogant ones, the ones with the biggest egos! And inform the other four mentors that there will be a meeting at six in Conference Room 2!"

As for the so-called heir of Seven Peaks, he refused to believe he couldn’t force her back up the mountain.

...

"Hey, what do you think is going on with this Su Yunjin?"

"Who knows? Maybe she’s crossed Lu somehow."

"But I heard a rumor that the producer himself went to fetch her."

"Yeah? So what?"

"Honestly, do you understand the implications? Someone from the backwoods, and the producer personally brings her in—what kind of relationship do you think that is?"

"You can’t be serious..."

It was half past eleven. The weary members of the C-Position Girl Group production team filed out of the meeting room one after another. After a long day, they chatted as they left.

That afternoon, Pei Xuan had suddenly called a meeting for all staff. Lu Yiqing had given direct orders to re-screen the contestants for the group’s C-position. This time, the focus was on the intangible cultural heritage section, especially seeking out the most difficult, unruly contestants to place in the first episode. Officially, the justification was that since they had a cultural heritage representative, she should be given opportunities.

But everyone knew the real reason: they were deliberately making things hard for Su Yunjin. Out of the five mentors for the C-Position Girl Group, only Su Yunjin represented intangible cultural heritage. And her sudden appointment as the lead mentor baffled not just outsiders, but even those on the inside.

Originally, they’d wanted Dawn Dew, the young pop queen with both works and looks, a solid fanbase, and the ability to bring in huge traffic. Negotiations with her team had already begun. But almost overnight, an unknown Su Yunjin had replaced her as C-position mentor.

Rumor had it that Su Yunjin was Zhang Zhichang’s protégé. People had been skeptical, but now, seeing the current situation, it seemed more and more likely.

Some staff who had no opinion of Su Yunjin now mentally marked a big "X" next to her name. In the entertainment industry, they looked down most on women who used backdoor connections to get ahead.

While the staff gossiped, in another corner, Luo Zizhen and Zhang Chuchu were chatting. Champagne in hand, they stood on the hotel balcony, sharing a knowing look.

"Hmph, I thought Su Yunjin was some big deal. Turns out, she’s nothing special. Zhang Zhichang may have her back, but clearly, Young Master Lu doesn’t care," Luo Zizhen sneered.

That afternoon, Lu Yiqing had openly mocked Zhang Zhichang in the meeting. If not for appearances, he might have outright scolded him. They’d seen it all—Zhang Zhichang hadn’t dared utter a word.

"Zhenzhen, women like her are so short-sighted. She thinks a producer’s support makes her untouchable in the industry, but she doesn’t realize there’s always someone stronger," Zhang Chuchu’s eyes were cold. She had a grudge against Su Yunjin. That afternoon, Su Yunjin had made sarcastic remarks at her expense—she wouldn’t forget that.

"Exactly, Chuchu. This is our chance for payback," Luo Zizhen said with a cold laugh.

Zhang Chuchu snorted, gritting her teeth. "Just wait. Once the show starts, Su Yunjin won’t have any good days left."