She pulled at Chen Jiao’s sleeve lightly. A trace of disgust flashed across Chen Jiao’s face. She just looked crazy in that moment, and desperate.

“Enough!” he yelled and pushed her hand away. “If it is bothering you so much, you shouldn’t have been impulsive at that time. It is too late to complain. Even if it was Yu Yaoyao for some reason, Shen Yichong can still be persuaded by her and ban you from the movies he invests in.”

Ling Shunag had grown too impatient, and impulsive. The girl who was soft and timid had grown into a reckless person who did things without thinking. He felt a loss but didn’t try to think about it.

“Soon, Yu Yaoyao will rise to greater heights if she succeeds in Director Qi Hang’s film,” he continued, “Very likely, she could win an award for the Best Female Supporting Role.” Ling Shuang raised her lowered head, miserably at his words.

“If you wish to surpass her, then you must let go of this obsession with Guangxin,” he said sternly, “And work harder to find other films to build your success. I know a female director who is making her own literary film. The theme is Mountain Teacher. You can audition for the role of the second female lead. You must take a step back and really think. Work on yourself.”

Ling Shuang bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Yes,” she nodded, “I will beat her to it.”

She did as he asked. She auditioned for the role and even got it. She wanted to surpass Yu Yaoyao. She put her every waking hour in preparing for the role. She read the script fanatically and spent a month as a teacher in preschool to hone her acting skills.

Meanwhile, Yu Xinjie also received a warning from Shen Yichong. The trading company owned by the Yu family suddenly encountered a crisis. Their number of customers and orders experienced a steep drop. Yu Jianghai learnt from some inner circle of his friends that his youngest daughter had offended someone important, so his business was targeted. When he returned home, he got a call from his son-in-law that he had had no contact with for almost five years.

“Father-in-law,” said Shen Yichong, “Please ask your younger daughter to not create difficulties for my wife. If she continues this, she might have to re-study her degree. The trade industry has recently been very volatile. For the sake of Yu family, it is better…to have stability.”

Yu Jianghai was unaware of what Yu Xinjie did, but he dared not refute when his son-in-law had called personally. The Yu family trading business had been in jeopardy five years ago. Yu Yaoyao’s marriage to Shen Yichong had saved the family business from debt. His wife and youngest daughter had borrowed a lot of money from Shen Yichong in the past, but he had never asked for it back. Being warned by Shen Yichong was no small thing, Yu Jianghai was worried.

Before dinner, he called Yu Xinjie to chastise her. “Did you bully your sister again?” he asked, sternly, “Don’t push your luck. I have never treated any of you differently. I have tried to give you even more than Yu Yaoyao. What are you so dissatisfied with? Stop messing with your sister and learn your boundaries!”

After being reprimanded by her father, Yu Xinjie raged in silence. But she did feel a little guilty. Did Shen Yichong discover her message that she secretly sent to Gu Qianqian? It shouldn’t be. Gu Qianqian had not replied to her, but she had been at odds with Yu Yaoyao, and she wasn’t part of Guangxin.

When Yu Jianghai returned to his room, she threw away her chopsticks and turned to her mother. “Did you see that, mommy? She threatened me!” she seethed, “She obviously doesn’t care about us. She didn’t even come to visit you and dad and now she is demanding the money back. And now, she has threatened dad to turn against me. I am sure it was all Yu Yaoyao, she had brother-in-law call dad and scold me!”

Zhao Mei felt sorry for her daughter. She was furious as she listened to the conversation between her husband and her daughter. “I know Xioajie,” she said, “You have my full support. Yu Yaoyao has surely forgotten her roots. Send a text message to Yu Yaoyao and tell her to come over and apologize to her father. Tell her that if she refuses. I will let Shen Yichong know about her numerous scandals with various guys in high school!”

Yu Xinjie nodded, wiped her tears, and headed to her room, smiling as though she had won.