pertwk Chapter 183 Four Century Eggs
Chapter 183 Four Century Eggs
In December, the sea breeze in Hong Kong is slightly cool.
Inside the duplex mansion with a garden on the first floor of Banshan Aoxuan, Yang Mi leaned lazily against the soft cushions.
Her protruding belly reveals the confidence she now enjoys as the "number one sister of Haofeng," thanks to her child.
Beside her, Song Qian, who once enjoyed immense popularity on the Korean stage, was now kneeling on the carpet like a well-behaved maid, holding a small bowl of peeled and seeded grapes. She carefully used a silver skewer to pick up a grape and offered it to Yang Mi's lips.
"Sister Mi, please try this. It's Shine Muscat grapes that were just air-freighted from Japan today. They're sweet and sour, perfect for your current taste." Song Qian's tone was full of flattery and humility.
Yang Mi slightly opened her mouth, filled it with green grapes, and chewed them gently a couple of times.
Looking at the humble Song Qian in front of her, Yang Mi naturally understood why Song Qian was so devoted to her.
This unfortunate fellow's arrival at the table was a product of that Secretary Zhang's attempt to show off his power.
A newcomer who is neither loved by his maternal grandmother nor his paternal uncle will find it difficult to move forward without any support.
Just when Song Qian was at her wit's end, Yang Mi reached out and pulled her under her wing.
Zhang Xinyu is very powerful; she is the boss's most favored "head maid," wielding the power of life and death.
But so what?
Yang Mi gently stroked her belly, her eyes and brows radiating pride.
She is now pregnant with a "dragon's seed"!
No matter how much Zhang Xinyu acts arrogantly outside, she would never dare to put her hand on Yang Mi's stomach!
This is the boss's flesh and blood. Even if Zhang Xinyu had ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare to provoke her at this critical juncture!
"Any news from back home lately?" Yang Mi asked casually, swallowing a grape.
"Honey, these past two days, the Chinese internet is flooded with press releases about 'Let's Get Married' and 'Ode to Joy.' The company has poured all its best publicity into these two shows."
Song Qian quickly reported truthfully: "The year-end 'Weibo Night' is about to begin. With the momentum of these two dramas airing simultaneously, Liu Yifei's votes have stabilized. In addition, you haven't made many appearances in Hong Kong recently... This year's 'Weibo Queen' is basically hers."
Upon hearing this, Yang Mi's eyes darkened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
Her due date is next April, so she definitely won't be able to make it to this year's year-end gala.
Giving that diamond-encrusted throne to Liu Yifei was a foregone conclusion.
"Let her be smug for a few months."
Yang Mi sneered, secretly plotting in her mind.
"Once I give birth to my baby in April, with my current condition, a month of recovery should be enough. I'll make a strong comeback then, just in time for the 'Four Little Actresses' selection next June!"
"What's missing one gala? As long as I have the boss's kids in my hands, I can still snatch back the throne of popularity next year!"
However, although strategically she could strategically forgo a trophy, Yang Mi never relaxed her tactical sense of crisis.
She knew that the cards she was dealt were not particularly favorable.
Because she got pregnant a step later than Liu Yifei, she is now in a situation where she is constrained at every turn.
Their talent pool is also subtly outmatched by Liu Yifei's.
Yang Mi mentally reviewed the cards she had in her hand: Dilraba, Song Qian, Li Yitong, and Zhu Xudan, who was practically useless.
"Zhu Xudan played her hand terribly back then."
Yang Mi gritted her teeth in annoyance.
She thought she was being clever, trying to learn from the methods used in ancient imperial harems to secure favor by sending Zhu Xudan to the boss for a taste, and even wanted to make decisions for him.
And what happened? Not only was he thrown out of the manor, but he was also punished by the boss with a whole night's sleep!
Looking back now, besides my own overstepping the line, the most fundamental reason was that Zhu Xudan wasn't pretty enough!
That level of beauty wouldn't be considered stunning in the boss's eyes, which had been spoiled by delicacies!
Look at Dilraba!
That aggressive, exotic charm didn't even need Yang Mi's help behind the scenes. The boss only glanced at her and naturally put her on the table. Now she's become his strongest trump card!
"However, Liu Yifei's side is also incredibly strong right now."
Yang Mi originally thought that, given Liu Yifei's aloof and arrogant nature, he would disdain forming cliques.
However! Zhao Liying's defection changed the landscape of Haofeng's harem!
Zhao Liying, with her round face and crazy energy, is on a meteoric rise!
Her talent was just right to go head-to-head with Dilraba!
What's even more troublesome is that Zhao Liying also conveniently pulled Mao Xiaotong into Liu Yifei's camp.
Although Mao Xiaotong looks well-behaved, she is now a woman who has actually sat at the table!
"Liu Yifei has two cards right now, sitting right on the boss's table!" Yang Mi said, glancing at Song Qian, who was massaging her legs.
Mao Xiaotong's level isn't much of a threat, so Song Qian can be used to keep them in check.
As for the remaining useless cards like Bailu, Songtie, and Li Yitong that haven't been "served" yet, it all depends on who's lucky enough to be the first to get into the boss's bed.
But what truly kept Yang Mi awake at night, besides Liu Yifei, was another powerful force!
"Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, and their gang's so-called 'peaceful and quiet life'!"
This is the biggest hidden danger!
Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, Ni Ni, Li Xin, Gulnazar!
These five women are all women who have "been at the table"! Not only have they all been at the table, but three of them have firmly occupied the top five spots on the company's resource ranking list!
If such a united force were to launch an attack, both Yang Mi and Liu Yifei would face considerable pressure!
Thinking of this, Yang Mi lowered her eyes and looked at Song Qian, who was kneeling at her feet and gently massaging her legs.
"Song Qian," Yang Mi spoke softly, "Have Liu Shishi and Tang Yan's group made any moves lately?"
Song Qian quickly stopped what she was doing and respectfully reported to her supervisor: "Sister Mi, those people usually claim to be 'peaceful and unassuming,' and they like to do everything together. I recently heard that they've also started raising a few pet cats together, and they even post pictures of their cats on Weibo when they have afternoon tea. They call themselves the 'Cat Sisters Group' in private, and they seem to have a really close relationship."
"A cat-themed sisterhood?"
Upon hearing this address, Yang Mi couldn't help but scoff, "That's all? Tell me something others don't know."
Sensing the displeasure in Yang Mi's tone, Song Qian's heart tightened, and suddenly an idea flashed into her mind.
"Oh! By the way, Honey, there's something small, I don't know if it counts..."
Song Qian said cautiously, "Li Xin recently got a new personal assistant, I heard her name is Sun Yi."
"The strangest thing is that the girl named Sun Yi... looks exactly like Li Xin!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Mi, who had been lazily leaning against the cushion, sat up straight!
"So that's how it is..."
Yang Mi couldn't help but clap her hands and chuckle: "This little girl has grown up, she knows how to start accumulating trump cards for herself."
Song Qian was completely confused, her face blank: "Grown up? Sister Mi, isn't it because she's narcissistic or needs a body double that she hired an assistant who looks like her?"
"A body double? How did you even come up with that?"
Yang Mi shook her head. Perhaps it was the estrogen secretion during her pregnancy that made her desire to confide and express herself particularly strong at this moment. She was unusually interested in giving this country bumpkin who had returned from South Korea a political lesson on the harem of the Chinese entertainment industry.
"Do you really think their so-called 'catgirl group' is a united front?"
Yang Mi sneered, meticulously dissecting this layer of hypocrisy:
"In their little group, the core members are Tang Yan and Liu Shishi. Tang Yan seems like a naive and innocent girl, but she's actually more cunning than anyone else. Liu Shishi, on the other hand, is a complete fool, carefree and thoughtless."
"These two have complementary personalities, they're sure to stay together forever."
"However, the three that follow next might be a different story!"
"Li Xin's face doesn't suggest she's a peaceful person! Ni Ni is even more untamed, she can't hide her wildness. Of those five, I guess only Nazha, who doesn't seem to have much ambition, might end up with Tang Yan and the others."
"Ni Ni wants to start her own business, but she's not capable enough. Her national recognition is too low, and her film credits aren't popular in this era of internet celebrities. She's only moderately favored."
"And what about Li Xin?"
Yang Mi snorted coldly: "This perennial fifth-place finisher only barely made it into the 'Four Little Actresses' group this year because Liu Yifei wasn't around. She has the weakest foundation among them; once Liu Yifei returns, she'll be kicked out of the core circle at any time!"
Song Qian listened intently, then asked, seemingly understanding but not quite, "What does this have to do with her hiring that assistant who looks like her?"
"It's a huge deal!"
Yang Mi pieced these faces together in her mind and discovered an absurd pattern!
"Think about it."
"Liu Yifei specially signed Bai Lu in order to guard against Tang Yan and the others."
"I'm holding another Li Yitong in my hand."
"Now, Li Xin has brought in another one, Sun Yi!"
"If we include Li Xin himself..."
Yang Mi found it increasingly comical as she spoke: "Li Xin, Sun Yi, Bai Lu, and Li Yitong! These four women, who not only look alike but also have similar temperaments, have somehow ended up together at Haofeng Film and Television without us even realizing it!"
"Interesting, very interesting."
Yang Mi gave Song Qian an analogy: "Song Qian, have you ever played poker?"
"If we were to say that in this company, Liu Yifei, Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, and I are the 'Ace' in a poker game!"
"That Li Xin, at best, is just a preserved egg!"
"In terms of looks and charm, she can't even compare to Ni Ni!"
"A single preserved egg won't really cause much of a stir at the boss's poker table."
"but!"
Yang Mi's eyes narrowed suddenly: "One preserved egg isn't big, but if four preserved eggs are put together... that's a bomb!"