Chapter 46: As You Are Now, You Are Not Worthy of Working with Me!

All along the way, Zhou Yanran didn’t say a single word to Su Bai. More than once, Su Bai couldn’t help but ask what they were supposed to discuss, but Zhou Yanran remained silent. Several times, Su Bai wanted to demand they stop the car, but Yang Mengke shot him a warning look, stopping him.

It wasn’t until they arrived at a café that Zhou Yanran finally spoke. “Do you know why I helped you?”

Su Bai thought, at last, they were getting to the main topic. He shook his head, waiting for what Zhou Yanran would say next.

“Because we share a common enemy.”

A common enemy? Isn’t Xingyue Media owned by Huisi Capital? They even fired Song Liang directly for Huisi Capital’s sake. Where does a common enemy come from?

“That’s right. Liu Siyian’s Huisi Capital is now my enemy as well,” Zhou Yanran said. “Although Huisi Capital is the second largest shareholder in Xingyue Media, she is still my enemy. Do you understand what I mean?”

Su Bai was speechless. She hadn’t really said anything; how was he supposed to know why Liu Siyian was her enemy? But considering she had helped him, and the topic was about the person he most wanted to deal with, he held back.

“Huisi Capital is currently colluding with other shareholders, trying to sideline the Zhou family. Tell me, isn’t she my enemy?”

Upon hearing this, Su Bai suddenly understood, though he still had doubts. “Then why did you…?”

Zhou Yanran answered seriously, “If I didn’t do what I did, how else could I keep that old woman Liu Siyian at bay? If Song Liang hadn’t left, Liu Siyian would have already made trouble for Xingyue Media. But lately, I’ve noticed her actions are becoming more frequent. If I keep pretending not to know, if I don’t make any moves, it might soon be too late.”

Su Bai, still confused, asked, “But what does this have to do with me? I can’t help Xingyue Media in any way.”

Zhou Yanran looked at Su Bai as if he were an idiot. “Are you stupid? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If you can make her flustered, she’ll have no time to bother with Xingyue Media. Meanwhile, I can take care of the turncoats in my family.”

Su Bai understood perfectly well what Zhou Yanran meant. “I’m just a newcomer. How can I possibly make her lose her composure? Besides, if things come to a head, you know better than I do what I’ll be facing.”

Zhou Yanran looked at Su Bai as if he were a fool.

“Su Bai, do you really think that if you keep hiding, she’ll let you off? Do you know why she keeps smearing you again and again? Each time she does, your reputation suffers. Now, even the Palace Museum is hesitating to choose your song because they’re questioning your character. Why else do you face so much skepticism so soon after debuting?”

Hearing that the Palace Museum was doubting his character, Su Bai felt a chill in his heart. So Liu Siyian’s rumors online had caused such a far-reaching impact? Even though he’d explained everything clearly each time, the negative effects hadn’t been fully erased. But how did Zhou Yanran know all this?

Seeing Su Bai fall silent, Zhou Yanran pressed on. “Do you think that as long as you explain things clearly each time, everything will be fine? Do you think that if you stay defensive, others will leave you alone? Don’t be naive. If that’s your mindset, I suggest you just go back to delivering takeout. The entertainment industry isn’t for you, truly.”

“Why did the ancients always say, ‘If others don’t offend me, I won’t offend them. If others offend me, I’ll pursue them no matter the distance?’ No one will pay for your cowardice. Playing the victim won’t earn anyone’s pity—only greater cruelty. If you had fought back fiercely the first time Liu Siyian smeared you, maybe there wouldn’t be repeated attacks now.”

“Pure defense will never defeat your enemy. It only makes your territory shrink, until there’s nowhere left for you to hide. When your enemy has set their sights on you, it means there’s no coexistence—no matter how much you yield, it won’t help. Because she wants to swallow up everything that belongs to you, not leaving a scrap. Only by taking the initiative do you have a chance.”

After speaking, Zhou Yanran’s alluring eyes flashed with a sharp light, staring straight at Su Bai, as if trying to see if the partner she’d chosen in desperation was worthy of trust.

Zhou Yanran had no other options, which was why she picked Su Bai, a man with no foundation. She knew well that a newcomer could easily become cannon fodder—beaten without the strength to fight back, yet still dreaming of peaceful coexistence. She was provoking Su Bai, trying to see whether there was any fierceness in him.

If he turned out to be nothing but a sheep ready to be slaughtered, Zhou Yanran would immediately abandon him and move to her backup plan.

At that moment, a storm raged in Su Bai’s heart. He realized he’d been trapped in a misconception all along. When Yang Mengke had nearly been ruined by a setup, he’d thought only of biding his time, waiting until he was strong enough to seek revenge. But now, he saw his mistake. If he kept shrinking back, his progress would only slow. If the enemy struck again, he’d have no power to fight back. It was better to forge ahead and grow quickly. Perhaps, just as Zhou Yanran said, if he’d responded firmly the first time Liu Siyian targeted him, he wouldn’t be so passive now.

“If you’ve come to me, that means you already have a plan to deal with Huisi Capital. You want me to be your blade, to confront them head-on. I can be the knife that pierces their defenses. Tell me, what do you want me to do?”

Watching Su Bai shift from doubt to resolve and finally determination, Zhou Yanran smiled. She knew she’d found a temporary partner who could buy her time and distract the enemy. How effective he would be depended on his future performance.

“There’s a prerequisite to working with me—you’re not qualified yet.”

Hearing Zhou Yanran’s words, Su Bai’s heart skipped a beat.

“You need to break the shackles holding you back. Once you’ve done that, come talk to me. But I won’t give you much time—three days, only three days. If the online opinions about you remain as they are now, you’re not worthy to know my plan.”

“That’s all I have to say. Goodbye.”

Watching Zhou Yanran’s departing figure, Su Bai unconsciously clenched his fist.

He had been underestimated.