Chapter 451 - Villa (2/2)
“Yes, you’re correct. I was the one who made them do this.”
A hoarse, gritty voice could be heard. Then Yang Yuanzhong, donning a suit, walked down from the spiral staircase in deliberate steps. His hair was neatly combed backward, with three deep wrinkle lines visible across his forehead. His eyes looked really sharp, and even without any trace of anger, an aura of foreboding rage could be sensed emitting from his entire body.
The moment they saw him coming down the staircase, the two black-dressed men reacted in an alert and synchronized way, placing their left hands on their chest to show their respect toward him.
“CEO Yang, what is the meaning of this?”
Su Li forcefully calmed herself down and attempted to talk to Yang Yuanzhong, like how she would normally speak. Since she was an artist signed under “Huangpu,” Yang Yuanzhong could be considered her boss.
Yang Yuangzhong did not reply to her question directly, but instead walked toward the memorial tablet and burned three joss sticks before sticking them in the altar urn. A framed black-and-white photograph of a woman was placed before the memorial tablet. Yang Yuangzhong turned to Su Li, and in a soft voice, he spoke, “Let me introduce you. This is Zhi-er’s mother. Thirteen years ago, she cheated on me with another man. I killed both her lover and her, and I built a wall to place their dead bodies in there.” Then, he pointed toward the wall that was right behind Su Li. “That’s correct. It’s that wall right behind you,” he declared.
Yang Yuangzhong spoke casually, in a matter-of-fact way, but what he had mentioned cast a frightening light on the kind of man that stood in front of Su Li.
Su Li gasped, and a chill ran down her spine instantly. Her entire body turned cold, and a cold sweat started to break out on her forehead as she breathed heavily all of a sudden.
Yang Yuanzhong appeared as if he was living in his own world. “She was Zhi-er’s mother after all, so it’s not like I left no room for compassion. I have made sure her memorial tablet has been well taken care of for the past thirteen years, and since today is Zhi-er’s happy day, I invited her to this hall so that she can also witness the most important event of Zhi-er’s life,” he said.
Su Li’s body began to tremble uncontrollably as she finally understood why Yang Yuanzhong had her kidnapped and brought here. “CEO Yang, it is impossible between Yang Hongzhi and I. I can’t…” She cried.
“Hush…”
Yang Yuanzhong gestured, signaling for her to keep quiet.
Under Yang Yuanzhong’s menacing gaze, with stern-looking eyes warning her to abide, Su Li compliantly kept her mouth shut. He was a terrifying person, and those eyes of his were too frightening.
Yang Yuangzhong nodded his head in satisfaction, patted her shoulders, and walked back and forth in the hall. “Miss Su, all the success that you have now, apart from your own personal hard work and effort, was due to the company. I think you have to admit that the company has been treating you exceptionally well. You have a pretty-looking face and a really sexy body, and when you pick up a microphone and sing, there are barely any guys out there who won’t fall for you. The spark that you ignite is not merely accidental. It is inevitable,” he said.
“You must be very familiar with the rules of the entertainment industry. Women, especially women who are good-looking and aiming to climb higher, have to give up something equivalent of value if they wish to succeed. These include giving up your body since there is no shortage of sleazy men in this world, which is even more prevalent in the entertainment industry. But in your case, since your debut till now, nobody has even hinted at these unspoken rules. Have you never wondered why this was so?”
Su Li’s heart thumped a little more as she unconsciously turned her eyes toward Yang Hongzhi.
Yang Yuangzhong laughed and said, “Seems like you are clear that it was all because of Zhi-er. Zhi-er has been desperately in love with you all this while. He has been protecting you from the rules of the entertainment industry. Take a look at the entire country. How many out there will not do things for the Yang family’s sake. I guess you could say that, on your path toward success, Zhi-er was the one who was escorting you along that road.”
His eyes turned cold, and his facial expression became ferocious. “If that were not the case, do you think you could still have a pure and innocent body? A good-looking leather bag like you would have already been worn and torn by thousands of people out there. Zhi-er has done so much for you. Forget marrying him. It won’t be too much to ask for you even to be his slave for the rest of your life!” he roared.
Su Li was surprised and filled with fear from within. The version of Yang Yuanzhong right in front of her now was unfamiliar and frightening. Like an evil spirit ripping through human skin, he was rude and vulgar, and his tone was really aggressive. It was as if he could devour someone and leave no bones behind.
But Su Li’s innate self-esteem and arrogance did not allow her just to take things lying down. She lifted her head and sneered in response. “If Yang Hongzhi was really that in love with me, then he wouldn’t change girlfriends that quickly just like he was changing clothes. I can’t deny that the fact that I have never faced any trouble thanks to the Yang family, but the one who really protected me all this while wasn’t the Yang family, but my best friend Shen Qingyan!”
These words were largely true, for when some male directors or investors showed interest in her, Shen Qingyan came out and helped her reject all of them. Shen Qingyan even personally invested in her and paved the road to her success. The amount of help that Shen Qingyan had given her was incomparable.