Mad Dragon gets out of prison and marries a beautiful CEO.

Chapter 114

In the footage, Su Wan has returned to her seat, her profile clearly defined under the studio lights.

Before the second round of recording began, there was a break-in period where staff adjusted stage props and artists returned to their seats one after another.

When Su Wan sat down, she looked up and glanced in a certain direction in the audience, then looked away and noticed someone standing next to her seat with a cup in their hand.

She is Ling Wei, an artist under Lin Xiao.

She was three years younger than Su Wan, wearing a bright white short skirt, with exquisite makeup. She was holding a water glass, looking down at Su Wan, with a faint smile on her lips.

"Sister Su, that song you sang just now was so good, I almost forgot to clap."

Su Wan leaned back in her chair, turned her head to look at Ling Wei's face, made polite eye contact, and said:

"Thank you. Your dance was also very good, the power was on point, but the breathing control could be improved."

Ling Wei's smile froze for a fraction of a second, her fingers holding the cup tightened slightly, and then she smiled again:

"Sister Su is right, I'll go back and practice."

"By the way, someone backstage just said that this show has off-site resources paving the way for you. Do you know any powerful people, Sister Su?"

Su Wan looked up at Ling Wei, who casually mentioned off-site resources, but underneath was a test and a provocation. She wanted Su Wan to be caught off guard by the words in front of the camera, and even a half-second hesitation would be captured and magnified.

Without hesitation, Su Wan picked up her cup, took a sip of water, and as she put the cup down, looked into Ling Wei's eyes and said:

"Do you think I'm standing here because others paved the way for me?"

"Then you should go back and ask your team if you're qualified to stand in front of me without their help."

Ling Wei's smile completely vanished. She stood there for two seconds, then turned and walked back to her seat.

Su Wan sat down again, placing her hands on her knees, her gaze fixed on the stage ahead, her lips devoid of a smile, yet showing no emotion whatsoever.

Chen Guodong, backstage, spoke to the director on set through his earpiece:

"The seventh camera just captured Su Wan and Ling Wei's conversation. Is there any sound?"

The on-site director replied:

"I didn't receive any audio, but the picture is clear enough."

"Keep it," Chen Guodong said. "To cut out the fluff."

The recording ended close to 10 p.m. that day. After the ten artists finished their final group shot on stage, they were led off by their staff.

Tonight's performances were all excellent, but the most outstanding was Su Wan's.

Among those present were representatives from major media outlets and GG (Girls' Love) groups, who keenly observed that Su Wan was being heavily promoted and would soon become even more popular, causing her GG fees to skyrocket.

Therefore, even before she arrived backstage, numerous endorsement contracts were already on the way.

Some were happy while others were sad; the artists and staff of Li Family Entertainment Company and Xiaoran Entertainment all looked increasingly unpleasant.

This is not just a loss of face, but also a loss of a large number of GG endorsements, performance invitations, and status within the industry.

When Su Wan came out through the backstage passage, Sister Hong was waiting at the exit and handed her a coat.

Su Wan took the coat and put it on, pulling her hair out from the collar as she walked. "If Mr. Chen is free tomorrow, I'd like to invite him to dinner. He must have been busy all day today."

Sister Hong paused for a moment, then took out her phone: "Let me ask."

Shortly after, Sister Hong received a message from Chen Li and replied, "Mr. Chen said he's free, you can set a time."

……

Bihu Longting Villa.

Just as Chen Li finished replying to the message from Sister Hong, his phone received a call from Ye Qinglian.

What she cared about was nothing more than the power struggles within the Juxian Chamber of Commerce.

As soon as the call connected, she couldn't wait to say:

"Lin Xiao canceled all her plans tonight. She didn't go to the Qinglong Hall headquarters or the company. My people saw her go alone to that old villa on Qingxi Road. She went in and didn't come out. The lights were on."

Chen Li stood beside the stone lantern in the courtyard, watching the warm yellow glow fall on the lawn, and thought for a moment before saying:

"She's doing the accounting."

"Settle the accounts?"

"Perhaps she's weighing what Lu Changgeng gave her against what she gained from me. Her silence, lack of expression, and inaction tonight are a way for her to figure out which side she's truly on by being alone."

Ye Qinglian was silent for a few seconds: "Then which side will she stand on?"

"I don't know. If she's smart, she should know that with the Black Tiger branch gone, the Vermilion Bird branch is now on the opposite side. As the leader of the Azure Dragon branch, she plays a decisive role in the success or failure, and it's also her best opportunity to gain the greatest benefit."

Chen Li hung up the phone and pushed open the door to go inside.

"Isn't Lu Changgeng wary of her?"

Ye Qinglian understood the deeper meaning, but how cunning was Lu Changgeng to make such a basic mistake?

"I don't know about that."

The living room light was on. Seeing him come in, Xiaoyu poured him a glass of warm water. He picked up the glass, took a sip, put it down, and said:

"However, there are no eternal enemies or eternal friends in this world, only eternal interests."

After hanging up the phone, Xiaoyu asked:

"Mr. Chen, shall we fill the bathtub with water now?"

Chen Li waved his hand and said:

"No need yet, I have an appointment later. If you're sleepy, you can go to sleep first."

Since the villa has many rooms and it's inconvenient for Xiaoyu to travel back and forth, it's better to let her stay and take care of the villa on a regular basis.

"Okay, then I won't bother Mr. Chen any longer."

Xiaoyu guessed that he was probably on a date with some beautiful woman; she wouldn't choose to go on a date with a man at night.

Seeing that it was almost time, Chen Li changed into a suit and drove to the place Su Wan had chosen.

There's a private restaurant called "Tingchao" by the river, hidden at the end of an old alley along the river. The storefront is so small that you might miss it if you're not looking carefully.

The restaurant's unique feature is that it retains the old-fashioned charm of alleyways from decades ago, and the dishes are prepared in the traditional way. You need to make a reservation one to two hours in advance to eat here, firstly because seats are limited, and secondly because cooking takes time and effort and requires advance preparation.

Chen Li parked his car in the designated parking lot, walked out and entered the alley. In the distance, he saw the words "Listening to the Tide" written on a swaying red lantern. People were going in and out of the red-lit entrance, and a particularly slender figure waved to him.

"Mr. Chen, over here."

Su Wan's voice was pleasant and clear, and she seemed much more familiar with him than when they first met.

Chen Li shook his head in response.

The two went upstairs and sat down by the window.

The waiter was busy pouring tea and checking the order number and dishes for any errors. Su Wan tilted her head and listened attentively to what he was saying.

At this moment, Chen Li sipped his barley tea and looked out the window. A gentle breeze from the river was blowing in, making it exceptionally refreshing.

The river surface shimmered with a grayish-blue light in the twilight, while the lights on the opposite bank shone brightly. The streetlights along the riverside avenue stretched out in a line, like a long dragon extending towards the sea.

"I also love the scenery here. The atmosphere is especially great at night, which is very relaxing."

After the waiter left, Su Wan smiled and said to Chen Li.

"You're a big star, you must get asked for autographs all the time when you come here, right?"

Chen Li asked with a smile.

"Yes, but not often. I usually dress up simply before going out, so almost no one can tell."

As Su Wan spoke, she took off her gold-rimmed glasses. Tonight, she was a cool and meticulous lawyer, exuding a mature and sophisticated aura.

Several men at the next table glanced at her and whispered among themselves, probably thinking she looked like the celebrity Su Wan, but they weren't sure, and they discussed it as they ate.

The food was served, and it looked, smelled, and tasted delicious.

Chen Li ate little that evening, but the night breeze stirred up his cravings, and the two of them, without exchanging pleasantries, began to feast.