Private Room, A Restaurant in City S—
The room was tastefully decorated, but the air hung heavy with a strange, uneasy tension.
Across the table, Nan Zhi's mother fidgeted nervously with her hands, casting uncertain glances at the young woman sitting opposite her.
"Auntie, have some tea." Zhou Yuqing leaned forward, pouring the tea herself with a warm smile. "You don't look too well lately… have you been worrying too much about the family?"
Nan Zhi's mother sighed deeply. The lines on her face etched with weariness and sorrow. "Isn't it obvious… That wretched girl has grown wings now. Not a penny from her. And her brother… his side is pressing hard…" Her voice trembled slightly as she mentioned her son — and the loan sharks.
A flicker of contempt and calculation passed through Zhou Yuqing's eyes, gone as quickly as it appeared. On the surface, she wore nothing but sympathy.
"Ah… Sister Nan is a big star now," she said gently, "Maybe she's just… being more mindful of her image. So many eyes watching her, after all." Her tone shifted, as though suddenly recalling something. "Oh, by the way, Auntie—did you know? Nan Zhi's new film starts shooting tomorrow. It's going to be a huge event."
"Starts… shooting?" Nan Zhi's mother looked up in confusion.
"Yes!" Zhou Yuqing leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. "All kinds of A-listers and big-shot investors will be there. And tons of entertainment reporters, cameras everywhere! It's a golden opportunity, Auntie."
"O-opportunity?" Nan Zhi's mother still hadn't caught on.
"A perfect chance to ask Nan Zhi for money!" Zhou Yuqing said it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Her eyes widened with a sincerity that masked the venom beneath. "Think about it—what's most important to Nan Zhi now? Her reputation. With so many prominent people and the entire media watching, do you really think she'd dare refuse you in public?"
Nan Zhi's mother hesitated. "But… isn't it wrong? In front of so many people…"
"Oh Auntie, what's wrong about it?" Zhou Yuqing interrupted her swiftly, her tone urgent, persuasive. "You're not causing trouble. You're just a desperate mother whose family is facing a crisis, turning to her daughter for help! Just cry a little, say your son—no, say someone in the family is gravely ill and you've sold the house for treatment… the more tragic the story, the better! Sister Nan is obsessed with saving face—do you think she'd dare turn you away in front of all those cameras? She wouldn't want the next day's headlines to read: 'Top Star Nan Zhi Heartlessly Abandons Her Ailing Mother, Family Left in Ruin', right?"
Her words slithered like snakes, wrapping tightly around Nan Zhi's mother's wavering heart. The older woman's eyes flickered—she was clearly shaken.
Yes… that damn girl's all glamorous now, but the thing she fears most is embarrassment. She had the guts to throw her out in private—would she really dare humiliate her own mother in front of flashing cameras?
"But… what if she really does…" Nan Zhi's mother still harbored some fear, haunted by the memory of Nan Zhi's cold, unfeeling eyes the day she tore up that insurance policy.
"It'll be fine! Trust me, Auntie!" Zhou Yuqing patted her chest confidently. Her smile was sweet—coldly so. "The reporters will swarm around you. Just a few tears, a little drama, and she'll have no choice but to give in. For your son, you have to go all in this time! Or would you rather sit and watch him get dragged away by those debt collectors…?" She trailed off, letting the silence conjure up something more terrifying.
At the thought of her son's possible fate, whatever hesitation remained in Nan Zhi's mother vanished. Her wrinkled hands clenched the fabric of her coat, and a fierce glint flashed through her clouded eyes.
"You're right, Miss Zhou…" she muttered, drawing a shaky breath. "For the sake of this family… I'll throw away whatever pride I have left. Tomorrow… tomorrow I'll go beg my 'beloved daughter' for our lives."
Zhou Yuqing watched the resolve settle over her face, her lips curling into a cold, satisfied smile. She lifted her teacup, sipping slowly with elegance and venom.
Nan Zhi, aren't you the golden girl now? So clever, so poised.
I'd love to see how you handle your darling mother tomorrow—when she turns into a wolf before all your peers.
This show… I can't wait to watch it unfold.