CHAPTER 91

Zhu Ehua wore a white double-breasted Chanel jacket, her long legs wrapped in black velvet, and a pair of pearl earrings from the same brand.

The last time they faced each other like this was when Wei Zhuang was 12 years old.

"I've gotten so old, haven't I?" Zhu Ehua suddenly laughed.

Wei Zhuang raised her eyes and carefully looked at her.

Her hair was still jet black, her skin relatively firm, though with many fine lines and a few spots. But her beauty was in her bones, the wrinkles and spots couldn't diminish her charm, instead adding to her allure.

Wei Zhuang simply looked at her without saying a word.

Usually, when people say they're old, whether it's a polite remark or a genuine feeling, others would say, "No, no, you're still very beautiful, time hasn't diminished your grace," or "Who doesn't get old? I'm old too," or something similar.

But Wei Zhuang said nothing, not taking the bait.

Zhu Ehua was also observing her. Her emotions were muted, and her gaze seemingly meaningful yet not. The corners of her lips naturally curved upwards, a trait she shared with herself. If she smiled, they would look even more alike, but her whole demeanor was aloof, carrying a kind of arrogant disdain for everything.

Zhu Ehua suppressed the genuine emotions that had welled up within her. At this moment, Wei Zhuang spoke.

"If you came here for this," she tapped the crystal table with her slender fingers, "then let me be frank with you. Tonghua will not invest in this project."

Zhu Ehua's expression remained unchanged, and her smile remained. "I know you won't invest in this project, and I'm not here to see you as your biological mother. I'm here as the actress Zhu Ehua to seek investment from President Wei."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating quality, a testament to an actress's vocal skills, making even ordinary words sound like they held a story.

The air stirred with this sentence.

Wei Zhuang lowered her eyelashes, her gaze unreadable.

"It's not exactly about the investment," Zhu Ehua said with a smile. "The full script hasn't even been finalized yet. Lao Xu is being stubborn, insisting that this can't be changed and that must be kept. So the writing team is really struggling, and the producer is even more stressed. Warner is also worried that if they allocate the funds now, the project might get stuck in the approval process later and never make it to air. That would waste a lot of people's hard work."

"So Warner is really eager to collaborate with Tonghua."

After all, Tonghua had connections built over generations. Since Wei Zhuang personally took charge of Tonghua's cultural group, one of its four major conglomerates, the focus has been on developing the film and television group, extending the political and business connections accumulated by the Wei family over generations.

For "Deep in the Palace" to be filmed according to Xu Shumin's "minor revisions" to the script, it would require extraordinary public relations skills to break through the approval barriers at the top.

And only Wei Zhuang had that capability.

Furthermore, Jinku, in which Tonghua held a significant stake, was also an excellent broadcasting platform.

In the end, Warner didn't need Tonghua's investment, they needed Tonghua's resources.

"Are you here for Xu Shumin?" Wei Zhuang asked calmly.

Zhu Ehua sighed with a smile. "No, it's for Xiaoxu, Xiao Muyi."

Xu Muyi, Xu Shumin's newly graduated, inexperienced son. Lao Xu, in his eagerness to promote him, told Warner he wouldn't take a salary if they let his son direct.

This was also one of the major risks Warner assessed.

Wei Zhuang frowned. Xu Shumin was one thing, but even Zhu Ehua...

Her expression suddenly changed, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "Is he your son?"

Zhu Ehua was first surprised, then burst into laughter. "No, no, hahaha, I don't have a son."

Wei Zhuang stared at her.

Zhu Ehua shook her head, her tone wistful. "Once is enough."

Their gazes briefly met in the air. Wei Zhuang's was indifferent, while there seemed to be a hint of tenderness in Zhu Ehua's eyes.

"My decision won't change." Wei Zhuang looked away.

Zhu Ehua fell silent.

Wei Zhuang stood up and went to the liquor cabinet beside her, selecting a bottle and pouring a drink.

"This series has few episodes. Here's the script for the first three episodes. You should still take a look," Zhu Ehua smiled. "There are one or two roles that would suit your little girlfriend quite well."

The wine glass in Wei Zhuang's hand hit the glass door of the cabinet, making a clear, crisp sound.

Her eyes stared straight at the cabinet door, the smooth mirror reflecting Zhu Ehua's face on the sofa. After a moment, Wei Zhuang pushed the cork back into the bottle, picked up the glass, took a sip, and turned around. The light in her pupils remained cold.

Her tone showed no obvious fluctuation. "How did you know?"

Zhu Ehua was momentarily taken aback, then pursed her lips and smiled. "So it really is your little girlfriend?"

A shadow of something indescribable crossed Wei Zhuang's brow. She didn't directly answer the question, instead frowning and glancing at her. "Was it Xiang Zhishi?"

Zhu Ehua denied it. "No, how could it be? He's not that kind of person."

She said, "Although Xiao Shitou and I are friends, he's more protective of his sister."

Wei Zhuang said coldly, "I don't care about any dealings you have with Xiang Zhishi."

Zhu Ehua looked at Wei Zhuang and chuckled softly, "Dealings? Hahaha, there really aren't any." She wasn't angry, instead, she let out a light laugh. "It doesn't matter how you see me. I just don't want you to misunderstand Xiao Shitou's character. The bond between him and his sister is deep, and your prejudice might affect your relationship with Xiang Xiaoyuan."

Wei Zhuang's expression darkened, a flicker of anger in her eyes that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"It was Jiabao who told me." Zhu Ehua said proactively.

Wei Zhuang stood quietly for a few seconds, her expression returning to indifference, and walked back to the sofa, sitting down.

"He called me before the New Year. He's studying directing, and for his final project, he needed to shoot a short film. He asked for my help."

"That little rascal, always so cheeky, so I agreed."

"Later, he got drunk and angry, spilling some drunken words to me. He said you, his own mother, never cared about him, but you were very attentive to another woman."

"I asked who it was, and he said it was Xiang Xiaoyuan."

Zhu Ehua couldn't help but laugh, thinking of Wei Jiabao's pale face at the time. "I was just trying to test you earlier, I didn't expect it to be true."

Wei Zhuang raised her eyelashes and looked at her. "You've been in contact all along?"

Zhu Ehua replied, "We talk on the phone occasionally, and I've only met him twice."

The corners of Wei Zhuang's lips slightly curved, forming a smile devoid of warmth, offering no further comment.

Zhu Ehua hadn't intended to say much about Wei Jiabao, but seeing Wei Zhuang's mocking attitude, she sighed and looked at her. "The first time we met, he came to find me."

"He was 16 or 17 at the time. He thought he had finally found the birth mother of his 'sister' and came to confront me."

"I told him, 'I am indeed her mother, but you are not her brother.'"

These sentences were spoken calmly, but the information hidden within them felt like a tidal wave crashing down, sharp and jagged stones flying at her face, leaving a stinging pain.

Wei Zhuang closed her eyes briefly and said slowly, "I never knew who told him. So it was..."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"I didn't even tell him, what right did you have?"

This back-and-forth exchange made Wei Zhuang's eyes darken. A fierce flame seemed to sizzle within her, a long-buried pain finally finding its moment to emerge when her defenses were down, baring its fangs.

Wei Zhuang's eyes sparkled with anger as she spoke deliberately, "He didn't need to know for the rest of his life."

For the first sixteen years, he had been happy, carefree, and spoiled rotten. He could have lived like that forever, with everyone loving and caring for him.

The Wei family's fortune was vast, and whether he was the heir or not, he was destined for a life of wealth.

When his stepmother turned fifty, she quit her job as a doctor and stayed home with his father. The two of them took Jiabao under their wing, teaching and accompanying him, showering him with affection. They even took him abroad to meet Wei Ting and his wife.

Before adulthood, Wei Jiabao was lively and outgoing, making friends wherever he went. He knew his limits, was polite, and had a sweet tongue.

Every time he saw her, he would always smile and come up to her, calling her "Big Sister, Big Sister."

Later, he became rebellious and troublesome, always causing trouble. It was all to get her attention, more like a stress response.

"Why did you tell him?" From the space between her brows down to her jawline and neck, the cold, porcelain-like skin revealed sharp, angular contours.

"Do you really think you can hide it from him forever?" Perhaps provoked by her attitude, Zhu Ehua retorted, "Then why did you give birth to him in the first place?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them, letting out an exasperated sigh.

A deathly silence followed.

Wei Zhuang's ears buzzed as if something had crashed into the depths of her memory. After the noise subsided, faint scenes from many years ago began to surface.

The debutante ball, family gatherings, her father urging her to mingle with the sons of their business partners, suggesting she consider one of them as a future husband.

Arranged marriages, alliances between powerful families—such practices were commonplace in their world.

To be a dutiful wife, raise children, and support her husband's career—a life of wealth and stability, free from unexpected turmoil. But what was sweet nectar to one could be poison to another. The mere thought of such a life suffocated Wei Zhuang, making her feel like a doll in a game of make-believe, devoid of any vitality of her own.

She objected, declaring that she would join the family business and become the heir. Only by reaching a certain stature, by attaining her father's position, could she free herself from being controlled by others.

Wei Ting, her brother, was even more furious. Standing by her side, he loudly accused their father of being a feudal parent who enforced arranged marriages. He reiterated that he would not take over the family business—he wanted to become a doctor.

Their father was enraged and rejected both of their aspirations.

Wei Ting, bolder than her, had grown up surrounded by love and freedom. He pursued whatever he desired and fought for his ideals. To defend his stance, he ran away from home that very night.

Though he was found and brought back the next day, he began a hunger strike.

After nearly three days without food or water, their father finally relented.

Wei Zhuang knew deep down that if she had gone on a hunger strike, no one would have cared. It would have ended with her giving in and eating quietly. If she had run away, no one would have searched for her, and she had nowhere to go.

She could only negotiate with her father.

......

Wei Zhuang closed her eyes, pulling herself out of the memories.

"Leave."

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