After the divorce, I started to transfer

Zhang Yuxi's seemingly resolute words sounded quite serious, as if she were truly determined to use a house to completely sever her ties with her second uncle's family, especially her so-called kinship with her cousin.

But Chen Feng knew in her heart that as long as her second uncle's family wanted to bleed her dry, they would always find ways to make her submit.

The root cause is that Zhang Yuxi has invested too much effort and money in her second uncle's family, especially in her cousin, creating a sunk cost that is difficult to sever. She herself has admitted that she will buy her cousin a luxury car and a wedding house in the future, and promised to do her best to help him as much as she can.

It is not hard to see from this that her help to her cousin was almost without any bottom line.

Therefore, when she said that she would buy out her relationship with her second uncle's family with a house, she may have been sincere at the moment she said it.

However, when the time comes, things will likely be very different. If her second uncle, and especially her beloved cousin, resort to their old tricks and play the family card, she will most likely soften her heart and repeat the same mistake, continuing to be endlessly exploited by this family.

To truly free her from the fate of being continuously exploited by this family, perhaps it will only be possible when she forms her own family and has her own children. At that time, her maternal instincts might lead her to protect her own family, and even if she cannot completely sever ties, she will at least retain some ties with her cousin's family.

Or perhaps, unless her cousin's family does something that truly breaks her heart, it might prompt her to make the decision to completely sever this somewhat distorted family bond.

Out of consideration for her being his woman, Chen Feng, despite his impatience and reluctance to continue the conversation, couldn't help but remind her, "Your cousin isn't your biological brother. There's always a difference between you. Even if he were your brother, you can't keep helping him endlessly, right? Besides, as an independent woman and public figure of the new era, you can't have those outdated, sexist ideas. After all, you are a woman yourself."

Zhang Yuxi had always been obedient and well-behaved in front of Chen Feng, but upon hearing his words, she couldn't help but frown and retort, "I'm not sexist, it's just that I only have one younger brother. And from childhood to adulthood, my second uncle has always treated me like his own son, sometimes even more so than his own biological daughter. Every time he goes on a business trip, he remembers to bring me back local specialties and novelties, and he's always showering me with gifts. Since he genuinely loves me like his own daughter, I naturally treat his son, my only brother, as my own brother. And my brother has always been especially close to me since childhood, even closer than to his two older sisters..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng had completely lost the desire to listen further, so he immediately raised his hand to interrupt her: "Alright, I know you and your brother have a deep bond. I won't interfere in your family matters anymore."

As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. As an outsider, even if he is both the boss and the mistress, he cannot interfere too much. Moreover, judging from Zhang Yuxi's situation, it is obvious that she has been instilled with certain ideas since childhood and has been thoroughly brainwashed, becoming an absolute "brother-supporting demon".

It's unrealistic to expect her to change her mindset and completely wake up overnight.

Chen Feng had no intention of getting too involved in her family affairs. In any case, as her boss and lover, he had already given her the necessary reminders.

Zhang Yuxi sensed that Chen Feng likely disapproved of her heartfelt kindness towards her second uncle's family, especially her cousin. She tried to defend herself, saying, "I know you mean well, but you probably don't understand the deep bond I've built with my second uncle and my brother since childhood. Of course, if my second aunt were to unreasonably seize this house and my second uncle and brother stood by and did nothing, I would definitely sever all ties with them. Don't worry, I'm not ungrateful. If they really only know how to take advantage of me and leech off me, I won't be foolish enough to let them do whatever they want. My willingness to help now is based on long-term considerations; I hope my brother can receive the best education and have a successful future. Maybe when he grows up, he'll earn more money than I do."

Chen Feng patiently listened to her finish speaking, but he was unconvinced. To avoid another pointless argument, he immediately changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about your family anymore. You've been working non-stop lately, aren't you tired? If you're feeling tired, ask the company to reduce your schedule. After all, health is the most important thing."

“I’m not tired.” Zhang Yuxi immediately shook her head and refused. “I’m in great health. While my popularity is still good, I want to schedule more appointments and appearances to earn more money.”

If Chen Feng hadn't known that Zhang Yuxi was a "brother-supporting demon," he might have genuinely thought she was a hardworking, ambitious, and inspiring employee after hearing her words.

But precisely because he knew of her "brother-supporting demon" nature, and the thought that most of the hard-earned money she worked so hard for would eventually end up in her second uncle's family, especially in the pocket of that bottomless pit of her cousin, he was speechless.

Chen Feng didn't bother to persuade him any further, and simply shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of concern: "Alright, you need to know your limits and not push yourself too hard. I feel you've become even thinner since the last time we met, and your chin looks even sharper."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuxi subconsciously reached up and touched her chin, asking with some concern, "Really? Then... I won't become ugly, will I?"

Chen Feng chuckled and said, "It's not that you've become ugly, but anyone with eyes can see that you've had a very busy schedule and have been working quite hard lately."

Zhang Yuxi gave an awkward smile: "It is indeed a bit tiring, but I can still manage. I usually pay attention to interspersing rest and exercise, and once this busy period is over, I should be able to relax properly."

"In short, you need to have a clear understanding of your own situation," Chen Feng said, his tone becoming more serious. "You absolutely cannot sacrifice your health for the sake of making money. You must pay attention to the balance between work and rest, otherwise you will really ruin your health, which will be a loss."

Zhang Yuxi smiled playfully and replied, "Thank you for your concern, boss. I'll remember it. Once this busy period is over, I promise I'll take a long vacation and get some rest."

After a moment's thought, Chen Feng returned to the main topic: "Besides, once your second uncle's family moves in, I think it will be inconvenient for you to live under the same roof with them again. Why don't you find another place to live? I can help you arrange it, or you can have your agent, Sister Hua, find a more suitable upscale neighborhood."

Zhang Yuxi hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement, saying, "If my second uncle and the others come over, it will indeed be very inconvenient for me to continue living here. In that case... if you want to come and see me, it won't be easy to avoid them since they're always at home."

Chen Feng paused upon hearing this, then said with a wry smile, "That's not what I mainly meant. Okay, even if that's part of the reason, it's really inappropriate for me to come over and meet you secretly now that you're all living together as a family."

Zhang Yuxi smiled and said obediently, "I'll follow your arrangements. Let Sister Hua help me find it; there's no need for you, the big boss, to personally handle these trivial matters for me."

“Okay, then have Sister Hua go check out the ‘Family Compound’ area and rent a place there,” Chen Feng suggested again. “Family Compound? Are the houses there really that nice?” Zhang Yuxi pressed. “But didn’t you say the villas there cost 30 million? The rent must be expensive too, right?”

Although Zhang Yuxi now earns a considerable income, she comes from an ordinary family and her thrifty values ​​are deeply ingrained. Asking her to come up with 30 million yuan in cash to buy a villa would be a huge financial burden for her, not to mention she's reluctant to spend the money.

Not to mention, Yang Ziying's villa in "Shijia Dayuan" is worth as much as 35 million yuan, which is far beyond Zhang Yuxi's reach and impossible for her to afford in full.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Feng proposed a surprising solution: "How about this, you don't need to rent anymore, just take out a loan and buy a place over there. I'll pay the down payment for you, consider it an advance bonus and benefit from your boss."

Zhang Yuxi's eyes widened in surprise, but she was overwhelmed with gratitude. She stammered, "This...this is too much! A villa worth 30 million, the down payment must be close to 10 million!"

Chen Feng's lips twitched slightly as he explained, "You already own one property. If you take out a loan to buy a second home, according to the policies here in Xiuzhou, the down payment ratio must be at least 70%. For a 30 million house, the down payment would be 21 million."

Zhang Yuxi was utterly speechless upon hearing this. She was truly stunned for a long while before she finally recovered from the shock. For a moment, her eyes were filled with indescribable emotion, and her gaze towards Chen Feng was filled with deep affection.

Chen Feng's move was truly astonishing, far exceeding the description of "spending money like water." Even those billionaires with assets of tens of billions would rarely treat their lovers with such generosity.

However, her gratitude and joy didn't last long before Chen Feng's next words poured cold water on her: "I'll pay the down payment in the company's name and then help you get a 20-year loan. Of course, there's a condition: after your five-year contract expires, you must renew it with the company for another five years. Is that a good enough requirement?"

Burdened with a massive loan spanning twenty years, even if her second uncle's family coveted it, getting their hands on the villa would be no easy feat. Unless Zhang Yuxi herself had truly "lost her mind" and was determined to give it to them for free.

Zhang Yuxi's expression froze instantly, and the emotion and deep feeling that had just ignited in her eyes quickly cooled and faded away.

Just as she hesitated about whether to agree immediately, Chen Feng seemed to see through her thoughts, smiled, and added, "By doing this, I'm giving the company and Mengting and the others a reasonable explanation. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for me to buy you a villa out of the blue, both professionally and personally. What do you think?"

Zhang Yuxi thought about it and realized that it made sense. She immediately took the opportunity to back down, smiled again, and nodded, saying, "Yes! To be honest, I was really shocked when you suddenly offered to spend so much money to buy me a villa. I was both surprised and scared, and a little apprehensive. I was just thinking about how to refuse. But since you said it's a company reward and a condition for contract renewal, then I'll accept it without hesitation."

Chen Feng nodded and continued, "I know that many other companies have been trying to poach you recently. After all, you only signed a five-year contract with the company, and now there are only three years left. In addition, the company has indeed been under-resourced towards you recently. So, my decision is also a way of compensating you in advance."

Zhang Yuxi quickly said, "Boss, I swear, I've never had the thought of switching jobs. However, quite a few companies have indeed contacted me, especially some professional agencies. To be honest, our company's artist management business is really just so-so. Most of my gigs and resources were secured for me by Sister Hua working tirelessly outside; the company itself hasn't provided much support. Therefore, everyone in my studio, including Sister Hua, has a lot of complaints about Hu Rui, the manager of the artist department. I think she may no longer be competent for the position of artist department manager."

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng couldn't help but ask with some curiosity, "Did you and Hu Rui have a falling out?"

In his memory, Zhang Yuxi had always been obedient and docile in front of him. This was the first time she had spoken so frankly about the company's veteran employees.

“I don’t have any deep-seated grudge against her personally,” Zhang Yuxi said frankly, no longer hiding anything. “But a little over a month ago, Sister Hua had a huge argument with her over commercial advertisements for two brands. One of these brands is an internationally renowned shampoo brand, and the other is a high-end makeup brand of lipstick. Both are very high-quality resources, and they had originally intended for me to be their spokesperson. But Hu Rui, I don’t know if she received any bribes behind the scenes, actually strongly recommended Zhang Jingwen to these two major brands. The brands were also shrewd, and they used the competition between Zhang Jingwen and me to drive down the price back and forth. Originally, in order to save face, I had already lowered my offer very much, and they were about to sign a contract with me. But then, at that critical moment, Zhang Jingwen suddenly rose to fame because of that so-called 'sexual harassment' incident in Singapore, and her popularity skyrocketed overnight. Suddenly, she became a superstar. And then… those two major brands chose her as their spokesperson without hesitation. Boss, do you think I wasn’t angry?”

Chen Feng was genuinely unaware of the complicated details involved, and had never heard Ren Ziyu, Wu Mengting, or Sun Xiaorui mention it before. Looking at Zhang Yuxi's indignant expression, he felt a pang of sympathy and understanding, but also a sense of guilt. Because it was he, her boss, who had orchestrated that "sexual harassment" incident, rapidly boosting Zhang Jingwen's popularity and status.

In this matter, he, as the boss, was clearly unfair and secretly favored Zhang Jingwen. Otherwise, given Zhang Yuxi's momentum at the time, Zhang Jingwen might not have been able to snatch these two important endorsements from her.

This back-and-forth resulted in her losing at least tens of millions of yuan in endorsement fees out of thin air.

No wonder she hesitated for a moment when Chen Feng proposed the renewal terms.

Judging from the current situation, in the "battle between the two Zhangs," Zhang Jingwen has clearly overtaken her and her popularity has surpassed hers. Coupled with the favoritism of Hu Rui, the artist management manager, and even the apparent bias of the big boss Chen Feng towards Zhang Jingwen, her future at Fengmang Film & Television seems increasingly uncertain.

However, after weighing the pros and cons, she ultimately chose to trust Chen Feng. After all, this boss was willing to spend over 20 million yuan of real money to buy her a villa; his sincerity and generosity were genuine.

"Have you told Ren Ziyu and Wu Mengting about this?" Chen Feng asked, frowning slightly.

Zhang Yuxi said helplessly, "Sister Hua went to President Ren to report the situation, and President Ren also talked to Hu Rui about it. But Hu Rui denied it to the end, saying that the two major brands deliberately sowed discord in order to lower the price and framed her. We can't really find the representatives of the two major brands to come and confront her face to face, so in the end, this matter can only be left unresolved."

In the end, Zhang Yuxi was clearly still angry, her hands unconsciously clenching. (End of Chapter)