213: Chapter 212 Jiang Fan's Unspoken Rules

It was unclear how much time had passed when Su Yuyan let out a muffled groan. Her body shuddered a few times before she slumped against the sofa backrest, completely still.

Jiang Fan shifted back a few steps and reached over to pull two tissues from the box on the coffee table.

At the edge of his vision, a pale blue system panel appeared.

[Lifespan Value gained: 2000 points. Deep exchange × 1]

[Current Lifespan Value: 93800 points]

Jiang Fan wiped himself off and tossed the tissues into the trash can nearby.

Su Yuyan's white long skirt was still bunched up at her waist.

Jiang Fan reached out, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and pulled it down to cover her exposed legs.

"Want to take a shower first?"

Su Yuyan turned her head, her cheek pressed against the leather sofa, her bangs soaked with sweat.

"I have no strength left." Her voice was weak and slightly raspy. "Carry me."

Jiang Fan walked around to the front, bent down, and swept her up into his arms.

Su Yuyan instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

The two walked into the bathroom.

In the bathtub filled with hot water, Su Yuyan leaned against Jiang Fan's chest.

The warmth of the water helped her recover a little bit of energy.

She opened her eyes and traced her fingers across the surface of the water.

"There are so many female characters in 'journey to the west'. Which one do you think I should play?"

Jiang Fan leaned against the edge of the tub, his hand resting on her waist, his palm stroking back and forth.

"You're a diva. You want to play a supporting role in a TV series?"

"I've bet my entire fortune on this gamble." Su Yuyan raised her head, looking at his chin.

"If I don't show my face to boost the ratings, I won't be able to answer to the shareholders. Besides, the female characters you wrote have brilliant roles; it wouldn't be beneath me."

Jiang Fan looked at her. Su Yuyan had a vibrant, striking beauty, with slightly upturned eyes and a supple figure.

"I think you should play the White Bone Demon."

Su Yuyan froze for a few seconds.

"Why the White Bone Demon?" She seemed a bit displeased. "With my looks, wouldn't Chang'e or the Queen of the Daughter Kingdom work?"

"Chang'e is too cold and aloof, and the Queen of the Daughter Kingdom is too dignified. Neither suits you." Jiang Fan's hand pinched her waist under the water. "The energy you have in bed is only matched by the White Bone Demon. Specifically, one who drains the essence of men."

Su Yuyan's face instantly flushed bright red.

Gritting her teeth, she pressed her hands against the edges of the tub and lifted her leg to straddle Jiang Fan.

"I'll drain you dry today."

The water in the tub sloshed violently with her movements, spilling over the edges in waves, splashing onto the floor tiles with a loud, splashing sound.

Forty minutes later, the splashing in the bathroom stopped.

Su Yuyan hung completely limp on Jiang Fan, lacking even the strength to lift a finger.

Jiang Fan grabbed a bath towel to dry them both off, carried her out of the bathroom, and placed her on the bed in the bedroom.

Su Yuyan face-planted into the pillow, and once she touched the sheets, she didn't move again.

——

The next morning at 8:00 AM, Times Media released an official announcement on both their official Weibo and website.

[Times Media has reached a strategic partnership with Qitian Culture and obtained the exclusive film and television adaptation rights for 'journey to the west'. The total projected investment is 500 million yuan.]

At 9:15, the stock market opened.

In the top-floor conference room of Times Media.

Su Yuyan sat at the head of the table, with seven or eight company executives and shareholders seated along the sides of the long conference table.

Those who had raised objections yesterday were now all staring at the large screen on the wall.

The screen displayed the real-time market data for Times Media.

The very first second the market opened, buy orders flooded in frantically.

The red line shot straight up, and within thirty seconds, the buying volume hit the daily limit.

A few ragged breaths echoed in the conference room.

The bespectacled shareholder sitting in the first seat on the left had his hands crossed on the table, his thumbs rubbing against each other incessantly.

He turned his head to look at Su Yuyan.

"President Su." He stood up, his tone completely different from yesterday, carrying a clear note of sycophancy.

"This move of yours was incredibly precise. Based on the current hype, we might even hit five consecutive daily limit increases."

The female executive on the right chimed in as she opened the folder in her hand.

"President Su, the production team is already being assembled. You will still be the nominal project lead, and we have tentatively selected Director Yang, who has filmed three hit historical dramas, as the director."

Su Yuyan leaned back in her chair, picked up the teacup in front of her, and took a sip of water.

When they were signing the gambling agreement yesterday, this group of people was still plotting how to swallow up her shares at a low price.

She set the teacup down, the bottom clinking softly against the table.

The conference room went quiet; everyone looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Regarding casting, except for the lead roles where Jiang Fan has veto power, all other supporting roles will be selected from within the company." Su Yuyan looked at the female executive.

"Tell the talent agency department to rank a list based on seniority and potential. Who gets the part depends on their own ability."

No one raised any objections.

The bespectacled shareholder even took the initiative to chime in: "President Su, you have full authority over casting. We trust you completely."

Su Yuyan's gaze swept across his face.

Did you trust me yesterday? That's not what you said yesterday.

——

In the evening in Rongcheng, the backstage dressing room of the sports center.

Xu Qingya sat in front of the vanity, her assistant Lele standing behind her with a curling iron, styling the ends of her hair.

Xu Qingya held a tablet, the screen displaying a financial news push notification: Times Media hits daily limit at opening.

She opened Weibo, and on the trending list, #Times MediaJourneyToTheWest# was firmly in the number one spot, with its popularity still climbing.

Below it were several related red trending topics.

#JourneyToTheWestTVSeriesCastSpeculation#

#500MillionInvestmentToCreateDomesticMythologicalMasterpiece#

Xu Qingya stared at the screen for a while.

Su Yuyan had secured the film and television rights for 'journey to the west'.

This meant that all of Times Media's upcoming resources would be poured into this series.

Su Yuyan's status in the industry would definitely rise another notch.

She flipped the tablet over, screen facing down, and placed it flat on the table.

Lele's curling iron paused in mid-air; she looked at Xu Qingya's expression in the mirror and didn't dare to continue.

"Sister Qingya, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Xu Qingya looked at herself in the mirror.

Her current popularity was indeed high, with over 100 million followers, firmly ahead of the others.

But with this series as a foundation, Su Yuyan would catch up very soon.

Tang Yingxue wasn't staying quiet either.

Xu Qingya reached for the lipstick on the table, twisted open the tube, and carefully traced her lip shape in the mirror.

After applying the lipstick, she picked up the phone nearby, opened WeChat, and found Jiang Fan's name.

"Is there a role for me in the 'journey to the west' TV series?"

She clicked send.

She placed the phone on the table and stared at the green chat box, waiting for a dozen seconds.

No reply.

Lele turned off the curling iron and packed the tools into the makeup case.

"Sister Qingya, the segment in front is almost over. It's time to go wait in the wings."

"Mm."

Xu Qingya stood up and checked herself one last time in the mirror.

She reached for her phone, stuffed it into her jacket pocket, and turned to walk out the door.

Just as she reached the door, the phone in her pocket buzzed.

Xu Qingya stopped and took out the phone.

"Come back and try out the acting first."

Xu Qingya stared at these words on the screen.

She knew all too well what Jiang Fan meant by "try out the acting."

Thinking back to the last "tryout," her legs still felt a bit weak.

She pursed her lips, controlling her facial muscles, but the corners of her mouth still curled upwards.

She pressed the lock button and stuffed the phone back into her pocket.

As she walked out again, her steps were much lighter than before.