The event lasted for a total of two hours while Tiffany displayed her greatest appeal as a spokesperson. After the commercial was released, the pre-sales of the luxury cosmetic brand's new season foundation, exceeded all its previous achievements and reintroduced demand for the brand.
Tiffany's endorsements never disappointed. This made the advertisers extremely happy and reaffirmed Tiffany's popularity as well as her professionalism as a model.
At the end of the event, Tiffany even received a set of jewelry from the brand.
Afterwards, she knew she had an interview, so she was in no rush to leave. Instead, she waited until all the other guests left before she stepped out to face the reporters.
The advertisers were aware of Tiffany's situation, so they let her borrow the venue for her interview - fully expressing their love and support for her.
The reporters were pleasantly surprised to find that they didn't need to hold the interview in an open-air environment, especially since Korea was currently in its rainy season and the outside of the venue was already wet.
The reporters quickly rushed into the venue. Seeing Tiffany already standing on the stage, they immediately made their way to their seats.
As they looked at the Tiffany that was usually aloof from the world, the reporters felt an inexplicable sense of awe that they had never felt before. But, apart from awe, they were more curious. In everyone's eyes, she was an artist that was always on the brink of expiration, yet she somehow came up with unlimited surprises and gave everyone one face slap after another...
It was like she would never allow herself to lose.
"OK, we don't have much time, I still have a little rascal at home to feed, I hope everyone can ask their questions as quickly as possible. Of course, I will refuse to respond to any malicious speculations. If I encounter anything like that, I will directly skip it," Tiffany said as she glanced down at her diamond-encrusted watch. "Please begin..."
Raising hands and waiting for turns was an industry rule, so the reporters scrambled to raise their hands first before Tiffany chose who to answer.
"I would like to ask if you honestly gave up on 'Concubine Ning' because of the script and not because your lead role had been stolen from you?"
"I would like to ask for your thoughts regarding the multiple headlines that Kang Yong-Ji has been producing over the past few days?"
"Kang Yong-Ji has 'spoken on your behalf' on multiple occasions. What do you have to say about this?"
"I would like to know the gender of your baby!"
"Boy," Tiffany replied immediately after hearing one of the reporters ask about her babies.
However, did that mean, Tiffany had directly skipped 3 questions?
But, the reporters had come here specifically with these questions in mind. If Tiffany didn't plan to answer them, then there was no practical purpose to the interview.
"Actually Tiffany, I am your fan. The question I want to ask you is a sensitive one, but I hope you can answer it because, in my heart, you are not worse than anyone." At this time, a female reporter stood up and said something sincerely to Tiffany.
Every fan of Tiffany's wanted to see her slap Kang Yong-Ji in the face and shut her fans up.
Tiffany understood this well...
So, in the end, she lifted the microphone to her mouth and said, "Firstly, I gave up on 'Concubine Ning' because the script had been revised. Otherwise, I would have looked forward to acting alongside Kang Yong-Ji. I've always considered a script based on the script itself and not on the people I am acting with. As long as the script is good, I would be happy to accept either role of lead or secondary lead. My identity as an actress exists for the sake of acting."
"Secondly, whether Kang Yong-Ji is an ordinary actress or an international award-winning actress, she has the right to like and dislike people; I respect that. As for the so-called suppression, I did not take any of it to heart because I know for myself that I'm nothing like the rumors say I am. So, there's no point feeling unsettled over the distorted truth. More importantly, comparison allows people to clearly see the differences in people. Fans may have found 3 similarities between us, but that must also mean that we have thousands of other features that cannot be replicated."
"As for the words that Kang Yong-Ji has said, it is her personal freedom. I cannot determine another person's sincerity or falsehood; I can only focus on doing my best."
"Finally, in regards to who has the higher EQ, I think there's no point discussing this topic in detail because our views are different, so our methods are different. However, I would like to point out, from the moment that I announced my comeback, I have always said that I'm not a nice person. I will never forgive those that have bullied me from the shadows. I will respect those that respect me."
"In the end, I can only invest my sincerity and time into those that I care about. Whether you conclude that I am arrogant or cold, I refuse to waste my time on people that are completely unrelated to me. So, from now on, whether someone wants to make comparisons or create headlines, I will continue to shrug it off with a smile, because I know the path I want to take and the person I want to become..."
"Thank you to those that have given me their attention. I simply want to tell everyone that Tiffany is well and truly back!"
As soon as Tiffany's words landed, the reporters had mixed reactions.
Because, within the industry, it was hard to find a straightforward person like Tiffany.
She may not be nice to some people, but she wouldn't play fancy tricks on them either - because she would never waste her time on them!
She was well aware of her identity and value. She never overvalued herself, but she never lowered herself for the sake of others; she would never interrupt her own progress because of another person.
This was Tiffany...
_"What Tiffany means is that she's never taken Kang Yong-Ji to heart, right?"
_"The meaning of Tiffany's words are obvious. She doesn't want to be compared to others because she has her own path to take!"
_"Kang Yong-Ji's words have suddenly become a little awkward..."
_"Within this industry, not many artists know how to think for themselves, so Tiffany is a rare kind. On the other hand, Kang Yong-Ji simply knows how to copy the path taken by others. If you compare them like this, you can immediately see the difference."
Those that said Tiffany was leeching off Kang Yong-Ji were about to turn red in embarrassment. Because, the truth was, Tiffany didn't even care about Kang Yong-Ji, Kang Yong-Ji simply thought too highly of herself.
As for those that said Tiffany was showing off her EQ, Tiffany was merely speaking her mind, she never intended to make comparisons with Kang Yong-Ji. The fact that Kang Yong-Ji spoke on behalf of Tiffany during her interviews was just based on her own assumptions.
In other words, Tiffany's main message was that no matter what Kang Yong-Ji did or said, it had nothing to do with her. She simply wanted to peacefully focus on her acting.
While Kang Yong-Ji thought she was creating threats for Tiffany, Tiffany was unaffected and skillfully deflected everything that was thrown at her.
_"Haha, Kang Yong-Ji must be so embarrassed. She self-scripted and self-directed her own show, only to be disregarded by Tiffany."
_"I want to give Tiffany full points for her response. As an artist, it's not necessary to act perfect in front of everyone. Otherwise, the audience will highlight their shortcomings. You should all just wait and see; as soon as Kang Yong-Ji has a scandal, it will definitely be the worst of the worst. On the other hand, Tiffany is different. She's said from the start that she's not a nice person and the public has already understood this point. Even if she has another scandal in the future, everyone will understand her choices and consider if someone has stepped over her bottom line."
_"Kang Yong-Ji, you should just play by yourself. Tiffany doesn't want to play with you."
Indeed, Tiffany's every step was extremely practical. No matter how others tried to interfere with her life, she would insist on her own path. So, there was no need to care about other people's comparisons.
After the interview, the reporters slowly exited the venue. Everyone walked out with a satisfied expression. Even while they were walking, they couldn't help discussing what had happened,
_"Aiya, this Tiffany is really hard to hate. No matter how much hostility we approach her with, we end up feeling her sincerity."
_"For the time being, she is indeed the least pretentious person I know. Look at Kang Yong-Ji and how much time she's spent focused on others. How would she have time to practice her acting? Her words may sound good, but she feels so sly..."
_"Who cares about her? Tiffany's already said that she hasn't taken Kang Yong-Ji to heart, so why should we make a fuss about nothing? As long as we have news to write about, that's all that matters!"
_"That's right! Although Kang Yong-Ji cooperates during all her interviews, there hasn't been a single time where she hasn't gone in circles with her answers. On the other hand, even though Tiffany doesn't always cooperate because she likes to keep a low profile, every word that she says to the media is exactly the answers we want to hear. I feel I have no choice but to side with Tiffany."
_"I hope to interview more people like Tiffany. That way we can live up to our identities as entertainment reporters!"
In any case, Tiffany's skillful deflection worked wonders.
This made Tiffany's fans quite proud.
No matter what the Kang Fans said about Tiffany, it didn't matter, because the Fany Fans weren't going to play along with them anyway. After all, the big brand endorsement, the best script and the most powerful management agency and man, all belonged to Tiffany.
Kang Yong-Ji's fans were furious, but their attacks were like punches on cotton; soft and weak. They were obviously dying with anger, but there was nothing they could say to the Fany Fans to vent their frustration.
As for the fans that previously opposed Tiffany's participation in 'The Forensic Concubine', as soon as they saw Tiffany make a powerful comeback with a figure that was better than before coupled with a strong mental state, they couldn't help but feel defeated by her.
_"Another face slap! Little Miss Tiffany, you don't need to understand the ways of the world, we can act as your reinforcement. You simply need to focus on being your concubine."
_"Tiffany will be fine, three cheers for the concubine!"
_"The other person is about to get crushed. Our concubine is amazing!"
Plenty of people expected Tiffany to complain about Kang Yong-Ji during her interview. But, if that had been the case, she would have been a real disappointment...
Instead...
...she was indifferent as she stared at everyone blankly:
Oh, she wants to compete with me? She can do as she pleases...
Does she want to speak on my behalf? I never asked her to do so...
She tried to suppress me with headlines? I never knew about that...
According to the conclusion of netizens, all that was missing was for Tiffany to roll back her eyes and think to herself: I really don't want to play with you!
At a moment like this, silence spoke louder than words...
...
Kang Yong-Ji watched a recording of Tiffany's interview at home, threw her computer aside and held her head as she paced back and forth.
Tiffany looked down on her!
She had never thought anything of her from the start!
In fact, Tiffany didn't even consider her an opponent!
Kang Yong-Ji was almost pushed over the edge. She had never felt so humiliated, yet helpless, in her life.
How was she to face the reporters tomorrow?
"Sis..."
"Get out," Kang Yong-Ji yelled ferociously at Kang Jung-hwa who had just stepped into the room to look for her. But, Kang Jung-hwa couldn't handle this kind of treatment. So, she turned around, teary-eyed, and ran out of the study room. As she stepped out of the front door of the house, she stumbled into the arms of Kang Yong-Ji's husband.
"Jung-hwa, what's wrong?"
"Brother-in-law...you need to stick up for me," Kang Jung-hwa said to Kang Yong-Ji's husband as tears rolled from her eyes.
"Come, let's go into the living room and you can explain everything to me."
Kang Yong-Ji's husband was a true American man: he was tall, built, mature, handsome and once made frequent appearances on the catwalks. Later on, he became a director and actor and played many roles in Hollywood, resulting in a slight amount of fame. When he first met Kang Yong-Ji, it was love at first sight. As a result, they were married within half a year.
In Kang Jung-hwa's subconsciousness, she had never been comforted by a man throughout her entire childhood. So, as soon as Kang Yong-Ji's husband displayed concern for her, she hugged him affectionately and wouldn't let go.
"Brother-in-law, sis bullied me!"
"It's fine, tell me what happened."
One didn't think much about the relationship between opposite sexes and the other was an open-minded American man, so the sister and brother-in-law didn't notice how intimate their actions appeared at this moment.
Kang Jung-hwa explained how Kang Yong-Ji had yelled at her to her brother-in-law and the man immediately said in a comforting tone, "Your sister is in a bad mood. From now on, if you have any issues, you can tell me about it, I will stick up for you."
"OK, you're the best."
After speaking, Kang Jung-hwa hugged the man even tighter.
The man was mesmerized by the scent of this young woman, and only at this moment did he realize the physiological response that his body made. However, he did not reject it. Because, after marrying Kang Yong-Ji for so long, she had never satisfied him intimately...
So, Kang Yong-Ji had no idea, while she was focused on winning against Tiffany, her family was about to fall apart...
Soon after, Crown Empire announced that 'The Forensic Concubine' was to hold auditions for their male lead. Taeyeon was indeed the President of Crown Empire, so his judgment was direct and precise. Apart from Chang-wook and Yuri, the other two actors that were well-received in Korea were Long Xing and Lu Yiling.
Both men were popular candidates for Best Actor, so Taeyeon's mission was to select the most suited one between the two.
Of course, Taeyeon's preference was leaning more towards Long Xing. Compared to appearance, he had always paid more attention to a person's capabilities. But, what if Tiffany managed to ignite Lu Yiling's acting skills while they worked together?
Unfortunately, when the day came for the auditions, neither Long Xing nor Lu Yiling turned up.
One rejected the invite because his schedule was full, and the other was taking a 6-month break due to health concerns.
The two top choices actually found excuses to reject Crown Empire!
Even when the managers came to give their explanations, they were helpless, "It's honestly impossible for our Long Xing to change his schedule. We are so sorry, Assistant Sooyoung. Long Xing wanted to take part in the drama, but, as an artist, he can't go back on his words and reject jobs that he's already agreed to. So..."
"Assistant Sooyoung, these are Yiling's physical examination results. Due to an overload of work, his stomach and liver have been struggling to push forward. As a result, our agency has arranged for him to take 6 months off work. After all, nothing is more important than one's health. We are extremely sorry to do this."
Although Sooyoung didn't know the real reason why these two men rejected Crown Empire, he did not expose the lie behind their excuses. After all, no one knew what their real stories were.
"President, that's pretty much what happened. The managers for the two men came one after another to apologize. From the looks of it, they honestly don't want to offend Crown Empire, but they have no choice." Sooyoung placed some information on Taeyeon's desk and continued,
"I've verified this information and confirmed that it's true what the managers have said. However, we both know that stuff like this can be forged."
"Compile a new list of actors for me and lower the requirements," Taeyeon instructed without lifting his head.
"We are currently at a stage where there are not enough experienced fresh blood to take over from those that have been around for a long time. Yuri and Chang-wook could be taken into consideration, but both of them have worked with the Madam before and Yuri doesn't look good in ancient costume. If we take that into consideration, there's practically no other actor that can take on the responsibility."
"In such a big industry, we can't even find a few qualified actors..."
"There are, of course, actors that aren't very famous but look decent on the outside. However, when it comes to actors that can't seem to get famous, I don't want to take the risk," Sooyoung handed the information for the other actors to Taeyeon, "You can take a look when you have time."
It didn't take long before Tiffany heard how the two male lead candidates didn't turn up at the auditions. But, who did they think Crown Empire were? Someone actually dared to reject them? Obviously, someone with bad intentions had given them a more attractive offer.
What other reason could there be to prevent the auditions for male lead? As a result, there was temporarily no actor in the industry that satisfied the high standards of 'The Forensic Concubine'.
Everyone knew that it was important to select a good cast for a good script. This was one of the deciding factors for the success of a drama...
After Tiffany coaxed the two babies to sleep, she picked up the script for 'The Forensic Concubine'. In actual fact, the way things panned out was actually a good thing for her...
...
Everything started from the moment that Kang Yong-Ji heard Long Xing and Lu Yiling were possibly taking part in 'The Forensic Concubine'.
Since Taeyeon and Tiffany had their eyes set on these two men, she had to think of a way to take them away.
So, she met with Long Xing and Lu Yiling separately and lured them with her words.
"'The Forensic Concubine' is a female drama. In the end, the only person to shine will be Tiffany, while you will simply waste your time. It does not benefit your chances of winning Best Actor at all. You must know that Tiffany is Taeyeon's precious gem. If you partake in this drama, do you think you'd have any rights left on set?"
"However, if you sign with my agency, things will be different. After all, we have a foot in Hollywood. If you join us, we can act as a bridge between you and the international market. Did you think Crown Empire would be able to do that for you?"
Although Kang Yong-Ji's actions were extremely underhanded, Long Xing and Lu Yiling both had to admit that there was nothing wrong with her analysis.
Yes, they would gain popularity from featuring in 'The Forensic Concubine', but...they no longer lacked popularity. What they needed now was acknowledgment, and working overseas was the best way to put them in an advantageous position. After working overseas and returning to Korea, they would be international superstars. By then, it would be hard to imagine how many levels their careers would have advanced.
So, they rejected the auditions for 'The Forensic Concubine'.
Causing them to no longer have any suitable male lead candidates.
Taeyeon and Tiffany were perfectionists. Even if they had no choice but to settle for second best, they would try their best to aim for perfection rather than casually picking someone to take the role.
...
7pm. Taeyeon returned home to find Tiffany cooking dinner in the kitchen. He immediately approached her from behind and hugged her.
"Why are you so tired? Are you worried that I don't have a male lead to act with?"
"Crown Empire's not at the point where they can't even find a male lead," Taeyeon replied in a deep voice.
"Then, why don't you look happy?"
"I want to give you the best."
In the blink of an eye, Tiffany put down the pot in her hands and turned around to face Taeyeon, "If you truly want to give me the best, I think I have the most suitable person in mind. I'm just not sure whether you would agree to it."
Taeyeon looked deep into Tiffany's eyes and roughly guessed what she was thinking, but he shook his head, "I can't act."
"Don't lie. Grandfather already told me that you could ages ago..." Tiffany immediately rebutted. "I've spoken to grandfather. If you're willing to film this drama, grandfather will return temporarily to manage Crown Empire. You don't need to worry about the operations at Crown Empire."
"I've never thought about doing something like this. My heart is resistant to it," Taeyeon replied honestly.
In the end, Tiffany nodded her head and said comfortingly, "It's fine. If you don't want to do it, then forget about it. We will find someone else. I just think it's a shame. I'm sure you would pleasantly surprise everyone in your ancient look. It's too bad you don't like it."
Taeyeon did not say a word as he gripped Tiffany's hand tighter.
"It's fine. It's honestly fine. It's my fault for forcing you to do something that you don't want to."
"I wouldn't go that far. How about I promise you that if we really can't find a male lead, I'll be the substitute."
"How could you be considered as a substitute...?" Tiffany refuted.
"But, I really can't act..."
Tiffany thought for a moment and nodded her head, "Fine, I guess there's finally something that President Kim can't do..."
But...deep down, she didn't believe him at all!
Sooyoung compiled a new list of male candidates and placed them on Taeyeon's desk. He also placed the one's that he personally thought were the most suitable on top.
"While selecting these actors, I came across one that is slightly arrogant, but has decent acting. His name is Huangfu Shuo. He looks like a typical rich heir type and is similar to the type of actor we are after. Although he is quite reckless, he has never made any major mistakes. Perhaps, we can train him a little. Most importantly, he is quite an interesting character..."
Taeyeon flipped open Huangfu Shuo's portfolio and asked Sooyoung, "Have you contacted him?"
"Yes I have. His manager said he is currently having a break, but he is ready to commence work at anytime," Sooyoung nodded.
"Let me see his previous works and help me find more information on him. It's best if you be as comprehensive as possible," Taeyeon instructed in a deep voice as he threw aside the portfolio.
"I've already made preparations. His information is on your left. You can take a look at it when you have time. Most importantly, this actor isn't easy to invite. If the President acts on it personally, I'm sure you will be able to succeed."
In some respects, Sooyoung quite liked Huangfu Shuo's unrestrained character.
This male artist simply relied on his talent to survive and didn't have much of an ambition. But, whenever he was working, he was extremely dedicated to his work. The only problem was, he was quite flirtatious and often tried to gain cheap verbal pleasure from actresses.
Sooyoung had seen a few of Huangfu Shuo's interviews. They were generally good and did not humiliate his identity as an actor.
But, most importantly, he had a complex relationship with Kang Yong-Ji...
"He is indeed interesting..."
"Huangfu Shuo has no faults, everything he does depends on his mood. He hates it when people try to flatter him and prefers the excitement of a challenge," Sooyoung explained seriously.
"Meet with his manager and discuss our cooperation. Most importantly, arrange an audition for Huangfu Shuo."
Taeyeon had heard of this actor. He was often involved with scandalous gossip, but it never scared him. He simply continued minding his own business in the industry. But, he did have one notable feature: his approach to acting. His professionalism was no less than any of the big name actors.
Of course, if Crown Empire wanted to use an actor like this, it was quite a big risk.
One wrong move and the entire production would fall apart.
But, who were they dealing with?
He was Taeyeon.
As long as he was in the industry, there was nothing he couldn't control.
...
"Have you guys heard that 'The Forensic Concubine' still hasn't found a male lead yet?"
The crew of 'Concubine Ning' gossiped during their spare time. But, their tone obviously showed that they were taking pleasure in others misfortune. After all, they were competitors and Tiffany had rejected them in front of everyone. So, due to their childish nature, they couldn't help but laugh as soon as they heard that the progress of 'The Forensic Concubine' was at a standstill.
"After insulting someone, she deserves retribution. This is what you call karma."
"Tiffany is so arrogant, let's see what she'll do this time. I heard both male lead candidates rejected the role. How satisfying!"
"How could a rubbish production like that be compared to us?"
As Kang Yong-Ji finished filming, she overheard the staff gossiping and couldn't help but smile. This was exactly her intent.
Afterwards, Kang Yong-Ji and her assistant left the studio and returned to the hotel organized by the crew. But, when she thought about how she previously yelled at her sister, she decided to give her a phone call to apologize.
But, unexpectedly, the person to pick up the phone was a man.
"Who are you?"
On the other side of the phone, as soon as the man heard Kang Yong-Ji's voice, he immediately hung up. Kang Yong-Ji thought it was a man that Kang Jung-hwa had met while fooling around, so she called again, "She's absolutely hopeless!"
"Yong-Ji unnie, don't be angry, Jung-hwa is still small."
"Small...?" Kang Yong-Ji returned disappointedly to her hotel room without having any suspicions towards the male voice that was on Kang Jung-hwa's phone.
After having a shower, Kang Yong-Ji gave her husband a phone call. The couple said good night to each other as usual and Kang Yong-Ji quickly fell asleep afterwards. But, she had no idea that the man she trusted with all her heart, was currently heading to a hotel with his arms around her drunk sister.
"Brother-in-law, you're so handsome...Brother-in-law."
Kang Jung-hwa wasn't in her right mind, but her subconscious still knew who she was with.
The man leaned Kang Jung-hwa against his shoulder. After pulling out the room card, he helped Kang Jung-hwa into the room and placed her on the bed...
"Jung-hwa...do you like me?"
Kang Jung-hwa wrapped her arm around the man's neck and laughed out loud, "Yes, I like you. But, I don't like it when you are nice to my sister..."
"How about I treat you nice from now on?"
The man asked seductively.
"OK..." Kang Jung-hwa nodded. But, after realizing the man's true intent, she lay frozen in bed, unable to move.
As they looked into each other's eyes, the man suddenly stopped and asked patiently, "Why don't you give yourself to brother-in-law? From now on, I'll only be nice to you. But, if you're not willing, we can pretend nothing happened and I'll immediately send you home."
Kang Jung-hwa's mind turned blank... Her heart raced thinking about the words that the brother-in-law she admired had suddenly said. How was she to still consider whether he was her sister's husband or not? So she threw herself directly into his arms. As a result, the couple crossed the line. They ended up spending an intimate night in the hotel, completely disregarding Kang Yong-Ji's existence.
...
The next morning, Tiffany found out through Sooyoung that Taeyeon had arranged for Huangfu Shuo to attend an audition. Although she felt it was quite a shame, she respected Taeyeon's decision and decided to go check out Huangfu Shuo's acting.
Taeyeon looked at Tiffany, who remained quiet throughout breakfast and knew what she was hoping for. But, he had to first get rid of all obstacles in their way.
"You didn't eat much for breakfast. How is that nutritious enough?"
Tiffany shook her head and refused to eat, "The weather is too hot. I don't have much of an appetite."
"Are you wondering why I decided to choose Huangfu Shuo and not myself?"
"No," Tiffany denied.
"You will know the reason later on," Taeyeon did not explain things clearly, but he had a plan.
"I'm going to go feed the babies breakfast," Tiffany nodded; she had complete trust in Taeyeon. Even though Taeyeon didn't say it, Tiffany had a rough idea. After all, Taeyeon never did things ambiguously. This husband of hers, never kept secrets from her.
Moreover, Taeyeon was an outstanding decision-maker.
Taeyeon patted Tiffany gently on the head and stood up to look at the babies. Afterwards, he left for work. Huangfu Shuo was to visit Crown Empire today...
He did indeed have the intention to sign a contract with Huangfu Shuo, but...he did not intend for him to be male lead...
To prevent the same situation that happened with Long Xing and Lu Yiling from happening again, it was necessary to create an illusion.
"President Kim, are you asking me to play the secondary character?" Huangfu Shuo asked in disbelief as he pointed to himself while sitting in Crown Empire's meeting room. "Me? Secondary?"
"I've seen your previous works. Giving you this role is a decision I came to after analyzing your acting ability," Taeyeon said with an attitude befitting of the King of Entertainment as he negotiated with Huangfu Shuo. "You may have played a male lead before, but do you honestly think you were up to standard?"
"President Kim, everyone in the industry knows that, I, Young Master Huangfu, will only act based on my mood. I'm not used to the way you're talking to me." Huangfu Shuo was a handsome man. He had the type of look that drew people in with one glance. But, a quick change in his appearance and he'd give off a completely different vibe. It was evident how flexible he was. However, his attitude..."I don't want to play this rubbish."
"You debuted at 17-years-old. At that time, you were still a good little boy. But, because of underhanded schemes, you suffered a lot of setbacks. At that time, there was a woman that gave you a lot of encouragement. However, she ended up abandoning you in the end. So, from that moment on, you created an image of a player for yourself..."
"Aren't you curious why she abandoned you?"
After Huangfu Shuo heard this, he immediately put away his casual attitude and became slightly angered, "I see that Crown Empire likes to dig up other people's private matters."
"She ended up in a relationship with a singer. But, that singer only had a small moment of fame and was quickly unheard of again. So, she had an abortion, flew overseas and ended up marrying a slightly famous actor in Hollywood."
"How ruthless!" Huangfu Shuo scoffed.
"I've looked at your audition. It's really good. So, are you going to sign with us or not?" Taeyeon changed the subject calmly. "I know you actually want to question her and attract her attention, that's why you act so seriously. But, unfortunately, her status is too high and you can't reach her. Crown Empire is giving you a chance; if we announce that you have newly joined the cast of 'The Forensic Concubine', I can guarantee that Kang Yong-Ji will look at you in a different light."
"Do you think that I would want that?" Huangfu Shuo sneered.
"You may not want that. But, you can always transform in front of her and make her feel regret."
"Can we really achieve what you've said?"
"I'm sure you must know that Kang Yong-Ji has been openly trying to go against my wife," Taeyeon said straightforwardly. "How do you think she would feel if she found out that the lover she once abandoned, ended up acting with her enemy?"
That would be super satisfying!
Huangfu Shuo was tempted.
Although he had already matured a lot, there was nothing wrong with being childish every once in a while.
"What else can I say? Of course I'll sign with you...I wish for an enjoyable cooperation, President Kim," Huangfu Shuo returned to his usual casual attitude. Tiffany had encountered a lot in the past, but the best way to describe Huangfu Shuo would be to say that everyone had secrets that they couldn't talk about. And these secrets were like thorns, embedded deep within their hearts.
One may disregard these thorns as being small and insignificant; unable to cause much damage. But, as soon as someone touched them, the pain would be unbearable.
Some people, for example, Tiffany,would end up being cured by others.
But, the majority would continue to carry this burden with them...
...
"I heard you already signed a contract with Huangfu Shuo, is that right?" Tiffany asked during dinner, "Have you already confirmed it?"
"Uh huh," Taeyeon nodded.
Tiffany lowered her head. This was perhaps the first time that Taeyeon made a decision without first consulting her.
"But, I don't think Huangfu Shuo can handle the male lead. It's not his scandals that I'm worried about, I'm concerned about his acting..." Although Tiffany tried to control herself, she couldn't help but speak her mind. "Don't you think you've made this decision too recklessly?"
As soon as Taeyeon heard this, he stopped eating and pulled Tiffany towards him, placing her on his lap, "Did you think you're the only one that knows that and I'm oblivious to it all? It's because I know that he's not up to standard, that's why I merely signed him for the secondary character, silly."
"The secondary character?" Tiffany finally responded after being shocked for a while.
"I chose him because he was Kang Yong-Ji's first love and was abandoned by her. Since Kang Yong-Ji is so arrogant, let's see if she is shameless enough to approach Huangfu Shuo," Taeyeon said in an extremely vengeful tone. This was Taeyeon, the black-bellied Taeyeon. As long as someone tried to bully Tiffany, he would find a way to strike back at them. Even though, this time, Sooyoung was the actual one that deserved credit.
In an instant, Tiffany understood Taeyeon's intention and pinched him on the thigh, "I really don't know what to do about you. In that case, what's happening with the male lead?"
"For an important character like that, the mystery will be revealed at the end."
"Fine. You are killing me with anticipation." After she was done talking, Tiffany wanted to stand up, but Taeyeon hugged her tightly around the waist and pleaded in a low voice, "Don't go..."
"Huh?" Tiffany was puzzled.
"I don't think I've made love to you on the dining table before, have I?" Taeyeon said as he lifted his handsome face.
This time, Tiffany was truly shocked...
"I've already paid you back for all that I owed."
"No. It's my turn to pay you back..." Taeyeon said before he placed Tiffany on top of the dining table, ignoring everything else. At this moment, all he wanted to do was connect with Tiffany to the depths of her soul. He wondered how such a mysterious woman existed in this world? A woman that made him love her more by the day; a woman that he wanted to possess more and more...
...
The next day, 'The Forensic Concubine' officially had a new member and Huangfu Shuo was confirmed as this strong addition to the cast. However, Crown Empire did not announce which character he'd be playing.
So, the public couldn't help but speculate that he'd be playing the role of male lead.
The fans of the novel didn't know whether to agree or disagree. They couldn't completely disagree because Huangfu Shuo was extremely handsome, he looked good in ancient costume and, most importantly, his acting was decent. But, they also couldn't agree because he had too many scandals. However, even though he had a lot of relationships, he wasn't the promiscuous type.
As soon as the news was released, the most shocked, of course, weren't the fans. After all, Taeyeon's aim was not to attack the fans, but to attack Kang Yong-Ji.
So, as expected, Kang Yong-Ji's face turned pale as soon as she read about it.
If she hadn't seen his name with her own eyes, she probably would have forgotten that she had a history with this man.
Did Crown Empire actually get Huangfu Shuo to play their male lead?
Huangfu Shuo?
Was he worthy?
Kang Yong-Ji wondered if Crown Empire knew something? If not, why would they pick Huangfu Shuo out of all people?
She had never admitted to her relationship with Huangfu Shuo. She was confident that if Huangfu Shuo remained relatively unknown, things would be easy to control. But, if he became famous and revealed that she had abandoned him for the sake of moving up in her career...then...
*********
(what's next?😏😏)