novelraw Chapter 491: Ominous Signs
Chapter 491: Ominous Signs
Knock knock knock—
The door to the break room was gently knocked.
“Come in.”
With Secretary Jin’s cool reply, Shangguan Qiuya hurried in.
“Chairwoman Jin, there’s been an incident.”
She walked quickly to Secretary Jin’s side and lowered her voice. “It’s about Su Yu.”
Secretary Jin’s hand paused briefly. She glanced up at Zhao Yue and said softly,
“Qian, wait for me a moment.”
With that, she rose to her feet and calmly led Shangguan Qiuya toward the inner room of the tea lounge.
“What happened?”Shangguan Qiuya placed her phone in front of her, her expression slightly strange. “Su Yu just posted this on Weibo ten minutes ago. It’s already causing a huge stir online. Some media outlets are even spinning a CP angle...”
She paused, choosing her words carefully, then continued,
“And a lot of fans and influencer accounts are pushing the narrative that there’s something... unusual between the two of you.”
Secretary Jin took the phone, her eyes sweeping across the post on screen.
Words like “influenced by her,” “very charming,” and “magnetic” stood out. Her eye twitched almost imperceptibly, but she quickly returned to her usual calm.
A faint, icy smile tugged at her lips.
“Tell Mo Xiangwan to get this handled before 6 p.m. tonight. And remind her to keep her artists in check—don’t go chasing after heat they shouldn’t be chasing.”
“Understood.” Shangguan Qiuya nodded immediately. “The Group PR department is already moving. They’re contacting platforms to take the topic down from trending and preparing official statements to steer the narrative.”
As Jin Meixiao’s most trusted aide, she knew exactly what that meant.
With Su Yu’s influence and public standing, if she really used her Weibo to announce her relationship with President Tang, there was a high chance Tang would be forced to acknowledge her status publicly.
That was a red line for Chairwoman Jin.
Back when the Tang Jin Family Office refused to let Su Yu in, she had used that very thing to threaten Secretary Jin.
The image of Su Yu in that manic state was still deeply etched in Shangguan Qiuya’s mind.
She quietly lifted her gaze, her eyes lingering a moment on Secretary Jin’s exquisitely sculpted side profile.
To be honest, both Jin Meixiao and Su Yu were stunning in their own right—
One elegant and noble, the other ethereal and otherworldly.
If they really formed a CP...
She quickly cut off that dangerous train of thought.
If President Tang ever found out, he might actually kill her.
Secretary Jin nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the screen showing a photo of the two women together. Her gaze glinted as the curve of her lips deepened.
Shangguan Qiuya lowered her eyes without speaking further.
She knew very well—Secretary Jin was about to start applying pressure from every angle on that actress.
Just then—
Bzzz bzzz bzzz
Her phone buzzed. A name flashed on the screen: 【Ouyang Xianyue】.
With her slender fingers, Secretary Jin gently swiped across the phone screen, seemingly in thought.
After a moment, she furrowed her brows slightly and said in a low voice,
“Shangguan, go handle the matter with Lin Muxue first.”
“Yes.” Shangguan Qiuya gave a knowing bow and turned to leave.
In the hallway, her brisk voice soon rang out:
“Hello, President Mo, about Su Yu’s Weibo post…”
Film Set, Magic City Film Base
Tap tap tap—clack clack clack—
A flurry of urgent footsteps broke the rhythm of the shoot.
Producer Xing Qichen jogged through the crowd, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his face full of anxiety.
“Cut! Everyone, hold up, we’re taking a break!”
He shouted, his voice echoing through the soundstage.
The set instantly fell quiet.
Assistant Cheng Xiaoxi quickly made her way to Su Yu’s side and bent down to whisper,
“Yu-jie, President Mo is here. She’s waiting in the lounge.”
Su Yu nodded slightly and stood up slowly, her expression unreadable.
Spacious Private Lounge
The door opened.
Mo Xiangwan, standing by the window, turned abruptly, her face a complicated mix of emotions.
Su Yu walked in and spoke calmly, her voice cool and detached:
“Sister Xiangwan, you’re here.”
“You should’ve told me before posting on Weibo!”
Mo Xiangwan rushed up, keeping her voice low. “Xiao Yu, you were too impulsive!”
“Was I?” Su Yu smiled faintly, settling into the seat in front of the vanity mirror. “I don’t think so.”
“You—” Mo Xiangwan’s brow twitched, words catching in her throat.
After all, Su Yu was no longer just a regular celebrity.
As a major shareholder and board member of Tang Zong Entertainment, she held more sway internally than even Mo Xiangwan.
If it weren’t for the years of sisterhood between them, Mo Xiangwan wouldn’t even dare speak to her like this.
She sighed and softened her tone.
“Xiao Yu, I’ll have Xingyun International and the PR team manage the heat and redirect the narrative. But you’ll need to cooperate. Have your studio post a new statement clarifying things.”
Su Yu didn’t respond. She sat casually in her chair, gazing at herself in the mirror.
Mo Xiangwan moved to sit beside her, continuing to gently persuade,
“What you did will only backfire. It’ll not only provoke Chairwoman Jin, but could also damage your career.
You know how harsh the online climate is right now. If things spiral, it’ll be a disaster.”
“I don’t care.” Su Yu’s voice was cold and resolute.
“But…” Mo Xiangwan bit her lip, her voice softening, “Doing this will put President Tang in a tough spot. What do you think he’ll make of it?”
Su Yu’s body tensed slightly, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.
Mo Xiangwan quickly pulled her into a comforting hug.
“Okay, okay, don’t cry. I take it back, alright?”
Moments later, Su Yu composed herself again. She lifted her chin, eyes glinting with defiance.
“I want to piss off Jin Meixiao. Why does she get to sit up there on her high horse?”
Mo Xiangwan was silent for a beat before murmuring,
“Xiao Yu, you know how important Chairwoman Jin is to President Tang. You already made a mistake once with Liu Qingning. This isn’t the right move.
You’re now a beneficiary of the Slover Trust. That’s President Tang acknowledging you. Why risk it all again?”
Su Yu pressed her lips together, unlocked her phone, opened a chat, and handed it to Mo Xiangwan.
“She messaged me this morning. Take a look.”
Mo Xiangwan blinked, then quickly took the phone and scrolled through the messages.
There were a few photos taken at Yanjing Tiancheng, and several brief but oppressive messages:
【The Demon Queen】: “Put away your petty ambitions. Be content with joining the Slover Trust. Don’t even think about using public opinion to pressure him. And don’t dream of anything more.”
【The Demon Queen】: “I’m giving you a chance—bow your head and be a good little canary. Maybe I’ll forgive your past mistakes.”
【The Demon Queen】: “Remember, he was mine first. The one he truly loves is me.”
“This...” Mo Xiangwan inhaled sharply, her expression shifting.
As Su Yu’s former agent and closest friend, she knew full well the tangled feud between her and Jin Meixiao.
Back then, Tang Song practically treated Su Yu like the center of the universe.
Not only did he personally write songs, scripts, and variety show plans for her, but he also often gifted her clothing and jewelry he designed himself. He poured all his resources into pushing her to the top of the entertainment industry—and even transferred shares of Tang Zong Entertainment to her.
In the network that Tang Song built, whether it was Wu Kezhi, Zheng Qiudong, or Ouyang Xianyue, they all proactively reached out and formed ties with Su Yu.
2018 was arguably Su Yu’s peak.
It was also the year her conflict with Chairwoman Jin completely erupted.
Back then, Smile Holdings and Chairwoman Jin weren’t as formidable as they are today. Su Yu still had enough leverage to hold her ground. When Chairwoman Jin suppressed her, she fought back fiercely, often with biting sarcasm.
Their relationship fully collapsed, leading to numerous intense clashes that made big waves.
The situation only began to settle once Tang Song started distancing himself from Su Yu.
After all, what the two women were really fighting for was Tang Song’s stance.
Later, Tang Song’s attitude became more ambiguous. He stopped paving the road for Su Yu with meticulous care, and he no longer showed interest in Tang Zong Entertainment.
Instead, his focus shifted to tech, the internet, and AI. His relationship with Jin Meixiao grew increasingly close. Together, they established the Tang Jin Family Office and Qingning Technologies.
In the years that followed, Su Yu wrote countless songs for Tang Song and portrayed many characters he once praised. She sent him tickets to every one of her concerts—but never got a clear response.
After graduation, Tang Song officially settled in the Imperial Capital and spent more and more time with Jin Meixiao and Liu Qingning. Su Yu’s presence gradually faded from his life.
Back then, Chairwoman Jin had once privately told Su Yu that if she ended up with Tang Song in the end, she would never allow Su Yu to appear in his life again.
It was that one sentence that completely broke Su Yu’s emotional defenses.
To regain Tang Song’s attention, she didn’t hesitate to use Tang Yi Precision and Gathering Stars Entertainment to force Liu Qingning’s company out of Yancheng.
But unfortunately, Tang Song still didn’t acknowledge her.
Now, with Chairwoman Jin living at Yanjing Tiancheng and receiving a public confession from Tang Song—it’s no wonder Su Yu acted so impulsively.
She knew she and Jin Meixiao were like oil and water—and what she feared most was being “abandoned” again.
After all, in this entire world, the only person who could break her down like this had always been Tang Song.
Mo Xiangwan looked at Su Yu’s stubborn expression, her heart a storm of emotions. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
Unless… Tang Song himself could calm Su Yu down.
The lounge fell into silence.
Mo Xiangwan finally put down the phone. “So... you’re using public opinion to pressure Chairwoman Jin, to force President Tang to show up?”
“I want to see him. I miss him. I really, really miss him.”
Su Yu’s red lips pressed together as she lowered her gaze.
“President Tang is in Wushan right now, attending a team-building retreat with Someré Apparel’s staff. That’s why Chairwoman Jin is in Yancheng.”
“I know. Wen Ruan already told me.”
“Hoo—” Mo Xiangwan let out a long breath. She finally understood.
Chairwoman Jin’s provocation had triggered Su Yu’s deep insecurity, so she used this incident as a pretext to stir up public opinion.
That way, Tang Song would definitely find out.
Truth be told, over the years, Su Yu had tried countless ways to grab Tang Song’s attention.
The Liu Qingning incident was just one of them.
There was even a time, in a moment of breakdown, when she considered faking a scandal with another male celebrity.
Because even if she was just a “canary,” Tang Song wouldn’t tolerate anyone else coveting her—he’d definitely react.
But all of that had been crushed by Chairwoman Jin, who not only intervened but issued strict warnings and countermeasures.
After thinking for a long while, Mo Xiangwan suddenly stood up.
“I’m making a call!”
Su Yu blinked, surprised by her tone, her face lighting up with hope. “Tang Song?”
“Yeah.” Mo Xiangwan sighed, a little helpless. “Let’s hope he’s willing to indulge your impulsiveness this time.”
“Thank you, Sister Xiangwan. I… I just want him to call me. That’s enough.”
“Wait for my news,” Mo Xiangwan said and quickly walked out.
Watching her disappear through the door, Su Yu’s face showed a rare glimmer of anticipation. She waited anxiously.
A few minutes passed.
The door opened, and hurried footsteps sounded.
“Well?” Su Yu clenched her hands tightly.
Mo Xiangwan pursed her lips, looked into her eyes—and then suddenly broke into a bright smile.
She waved her phone and said,
“President Tang just said personally—he’ll be visiting the Magic City film base in a few days.”
“Visit the set?” Su Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief, her voice trembling. “He’s coming to visit me?”
“Of course! Absolutely!” Mo Xiangwan nodded firmly, her tone carrying a rare warmth. “This wasn’t my idea—President Tang brought it up himself. He said he hasn’t seen you in a long time and really misses you. He’ll probably come during the National Day holiday. He didn’t give a specific time—he said he wanted to surprise you.”
Su Yu stood frozen, dazed, her eyes gradually filling with tears.
She had dreamed, over and over again, of Tang Song suddenly appearing at her set, giving her a warm hug or even just a simple hello.
Now that dream had come true. All the grievance, frustration, and heartache suddenly felt irrelevant.
Mo Xiangwan gently took her hand and spoke with quiet resolve,
“Xiao Yu, President Tang said he really misses you, and made special arrangements to come see you. He even asked about the crew’s situation—he wants to check on your new drama’s progress.”
As she spoke, tears rolled down Su Yu’s fair cheeks.
Under the lights, the shimmering drops looked like shattered stars—so beautiful it hurt to see.
After a long while—
Seeing that Su Yu had finally calmed down a bit,
Mo Xiangwan softly said,
“Xiao Yu, the public backlash is very intense right now. If we let this keep snowballing, not only will it make things harder for President Tang, it could cause a much bigger crisis. We need to act fast.”
Su Yu nodded slowly and took a deep breath.
“I understand. I’ll work with the PR department to post a statement and help cool things down.”
“Good. Leave the rest to me.” Mo Xiangwan let out a sigh of relief.
Su Yu lowered her gaze, her eyes flickering. “Sister Xiangwan… do you think Tang Song’s mad at me? Thinks I’m forcing him?”
“No. If those tactics actually worked on him…”
Mo Xiangwan stopped herself before finishing the sentence.
Tang Song was never someone easily swayed by outside pressure.
To be blunt—he was cold, in many ways.
Everything Su Yu had done over the years was more like a search for emotional balance.
Just then, Su Yu suddenly looked up, her eyes thoughtful.
“Bei Yuwei is still filming in Wushan, right?”
“Yeah,” Mo Xiangwan replied. “But didn’t we already get to the bottom of that? Let her finish her scenes for now.”
Bei Yuwei might be clever, but her little tricks didn’t escape their investigation.
They’d already dug up everything about her.
She was just posturing, trying to latch onto a backer. She and Tang Song had no real relationship.
Still, even so, Su Yu had gone out of her way to resolve all the trouble Bei Yuwei caused—
And of course, the girl wouldn’t go unpunished.
Su Yu’s eyes glinted, and she said softly,
“Send me her contact info. I have something I need her to do.”
Mo Xiangwan hesitated, then nodded.
“Okay.”
Yancheng. Read full story at novel⚑fire.net
“Goodbye, Ms. Lin, Ms. Zhao.”
“Bye-bye~ See you!”
As they walked out of the clubhouse entrance, Lin Muxue took a deep breath, feeling like she’d just emerged from another world.
She instinctively touched her cheek, trying to confirm if everything that had just happened was real.
“Watch the steps, the car’s over here.” Zhao Yaqian gently held her arm, voice full of concern. “Are you really okay, Xiaoxue? Should we go to the hospital?”
“No, no! I’m fine. Just… need a bit of time to process.” Lin Muxue quickly shook her head, forcing an awkward smile.
Before coming here, she had sworn she’d have Zhao Yaqian’s back, stand up for her. But the moment they met, she got completely suppressed—figuratively flattened.
She’d performed even worse than the time she ran into Su Yu at Gathering Passion Holdings.
Now she felt like she’d never be able to face her beautician again.
“Ugh—” She slumped into the luxurious Mercedes G-Class, resting her head against the leather seat and shutting her eyes. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Zhao Yaqian hesitated, then couldn’t help but ask,
“Who exactly is
that Smiley姐... You looked terrified of her.”Lin Muxue curled her lips into a bitter smile. “You’ve heard of Smile Holdings, right?”
“Uh…” Zhao Yaqian blinked. “Yeah, I’ve heard of it. Brother Song’s company in the Imperial Capital is part of it, right? It’s pretty famous.”
“Right.” Lin Muxue looked at her and said slowly,
“The founder and executive director of that company is Jin Meixiao. People in the industry call her Chairwoman Jin. Rumor has it her nickname is ‘Smiley,’ and Smile Holdings was named after it.”
“Ah!” Zhao Yaqian suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes wide. “Wait—I remember now! She’s that... that...”
“World’s richest woman. TIME magazine cover. Business world goddess.” Lin Muxue absentmindedly rubbed the gift bag in her hand, her voice complicated. “She’s got too many titles to list. We’re not even in the same universe.”
“This is…” Zhao Yaqian’s face turned pale. She gripped Lin Muxue’s hand tightly. “Xiaoxue, how could she be Brother Song’s girlfriend?”
Even with limited knowledge, Zhao Yaqian could understand the weight behind those titles.
We’re talking about someone at the pinnacle of global power—someone who usually only appears in news headlines.
Who would've thought they’d meet her like this?
“How would I know? Didn’t you see how scared I was?” Lin Muxue rubbed her flushed cheeks, staring out the window as her mind started spinning.
But seriously—how the h*ll was President Tang so powerful, he actually landed the legendary Chairwoman Jin?
Wait a sec… That means she, Lin Muxue, slept with the same man as Chairwoman Jin?
So by extension, that would put her on the same level as Chairwoman Jin?!
The Empress Muxue just went up a whole tier in value!
Her, Jin Meixiao, and Su Yu—this lineup could straight-up suppress all the gods of the multiverse!
Even the Great Dao itself would have to bow down and disintegrate!
Just thinking about it made her feel the urge to pee.
Right at that moment, Zhao Yaqian suddenly let out a shriek, scaring Lin Muxue out of her skin.
“What’s wrong, Qianqian?!”
Zhao Yaqian held up her phone, stammering, “I just tried to search Smiley姐… and the whole internet’s flooded with posts about her… and Su Yu. It’s a mess, totally chaotic.”
“What?! Su Yu? Let me see!”
Lin Muxue snatched the phone and scrolled rapidly.
The screen was filled with all kinds of exposé videos, think pieces, and hot takes about Su Yu and Jin Meixiao.
The more she read, the more shocked she became—her jaw practically hit the floor.
What the h*ll?! Su Yu publicly confessed to Jin Meixiao on Weibo? Lesbians?
No freaking way.
As she kept reading, eating up all the gossip like a pro, the Empress Muxue’s imagination went wild. Her expression turned increasingly weird.
She muttered under her breath,
“Wait… wait… could it be…
Tang Song conquered Su Yu first, and then bagged her CP partner Chairwoman Jin too? Fake couple setup?
Otherwise, someone like Jin Meixiao—how could she possibly agree to share a man with another woman?
Maybe she came today to warn us on Su Yu’s behalf?”
w(Ⅱ)w !
Zhao Yaqian was dumbfounded. “Xiaoxue, this is way too messy!”
“Heh.” Lin Muxue gave an awkward laugh, her expression a little stiff.
Honestly, that whole analysis was just her way of relieving stress.
Because someone like Jin Meixiao—just standing there—was enough to make it hard to breathe.
At that moment, a Weibo notification popped up:
【Su Yu posts a clarification statement】
Both of them cried out and quickly tapped in to check.
Su Yu: “Regarding the misunderstanding caused by my previous Weibo post, I’d like to clarify—what I expressed was simply admiration for Chairwoman Jin. There was no other special meaning, so I hope everyone won’t overthink it. I’ve always had a good relationship with Chairwoman Jin.”
At the same time, Su Yu’s studio attached a photo of her on set for a new drama.
She wore a clean-cut business suit, with flawless makeup, and was seen discussing a scene with the director—completely professional and focused.
With the release of this statement, online discussions immediately shifted gears.
Even the gossip accounts driving the narrative started pulling back.
The two of them continued snacking on drama in the car for a while longer.
The Mercedes G63 slowly pulled out, heading toward Yanjing Huating.
Lin Muxue leaned back in the passenger seat, still a bit out of it.
Having Su Emperor hanging over her was already stressful enough. Who knew an even more terrifying, “unnameable, unseeable” Jin Meixiao would show up too.
Now the mighty Empress Muxue had become today’s comic relief—humiliated beyond belief.
E=(0~*)))喉
Still, thinking about it…
If she’s the Empress, and Su Yu is the Heavenly Empress, then what’s Jin Meixiao?
Emm...
Let’s just call her Jin Omen.
Even the great Empress Muxue would end up cursed by merely brushing shoulders with her—breaking out in red fur by nightfall.