When Lisa opened the car door, it was to see Little Bun was sitting there in the backseat with his arms and legs anxiously stretched out towards her.
"Mommy, Mommy, come to me quickly! I will protect you!" he said seriously. He clung onto her torso tightly, refusing to let her go.
Once the family was settled in the car, Little Bun scooted to sit between Lisa and Jungkook. He even went so far as to push his father towards the window seat. He stretched out his chubby little finger and drew an invisible line in the air. "Big devil Daddy, don't you dare lean over. Mommy will get scared."
Jungkook nibbled his lips, then reached out and patted his little butt. "Sit down and don't make trouble in the car." Then he motioned for the driver to drive.
Little Bun sat still, immobilized by Jungkook's firm hand. He pouted the entire time, but refused to surrender. He wriggled like a little caterpillar until he was close enough to Lisa to say into her ear, "Mommy, what did Daddy do to you just now? Tell me about it," as Little Bun spoke, he glanced at his father in disgust, "Let men solve men's problems. Mommy, don't be afraid." He looked as though he were about to start searching for online classes to show to his father again.
Lisa chuckled when she heard what he said. She turned around, hugged her son, and kissed his little cheek. "Thank you, baby! Mommy just met a beautiful young woman. She called your father 'Big Brother Jeon', and Mommy was asking your father why she called him that."
"Huh?" Little Bun tilted his head, a look of obvious confusion on his face. "Dad has a little sister now? Why did I not know that? I don't know her."
Jungkook touched his nose. "I don't even know her, this has nothing to do with me."
Little Bun tilted his head to the other side, looking even more confused. "Daddy, why does a girl you don't know call you 'Big Brother'? How can you so easily have just discovered a little sister?" He didn't know how the confusing and messy world of adults worked. He only knew he couldn't get any siblings when he looked forward to having one, but his dad had got himself a younger sister by just leaving the house.
He just didn't understand.
JeonRui frowned heavily. He turned to Jungkook and grabbed his sleeve. "Did grandma give birth to a younger sister for you? When? Just now?"
Jungkook's face went passive for a moment. His son really did have a vivid imagination. He hadn't heard from his mother in ages. She had lost contact with the family years ago. But not only that, it was impossible for her to bear children at her age.
"Nonsense. JeonRui, don't jump to conclusions so easily," he said.
The problem was that the little boy could be very serious, even if he was talking nonsense. If strangers heard him carrying on like this, they were likely to believe him.
"Daddy doesn't know this girl. She wasn't thinking right, and she called me the wrong thing. But we will never meet up again. Don't worry," Jungkook squeezed Lisa's hand as he spoke to reassure her.
Unfortunately, JeonRui badly misunderstood the situation. He hadn't been listening properly and had only heard the last sentence. He took it to mean that his father was going to say goodbye to this girl. He frowned even further. "Daddy, I never call any girl I don't know in kindergarten, 'Little Sister'. Daddy, you're just too careless sometimes. If you didn't call her 'Little Sister', why would she call you 'Big Brother'? And now that she has called you her brother, you don't even want to see her anymore. You're so cold hearted."
Jungkook's eyebrows drew together, and he made a grab for his son to give him a smack.
Knowing that his butt was in danger, Little Bun shrunk closer to Lisa for safety.
Lisa held him against her, laughing the entire time. "Our baby is right. Darling, no one ever called me 'Little Sister."
Little Bun immediately agreed with Lisa, "Right! I also don't have a little sister."
Jungkook felt a headache coming on. He took out his phone as a distraction.
This Ling Shuang... It might just be better for everyone to have her permanently banned.
"Don't worry, she won't ever show her face near us again," Jungkook said with a note of finality in his voice. He pinched his eyebrows to try and ease his impending headache.
Before Lisa said anything, Little Bun had already grabbed Jungkook's hand and moved his little head to read the message he'd just sent. There were only a few words he didn't understand, but that didn't affect his comprehension skills.
Lifting his chubby face, he patted Jungkook's arm with a serious expression. "Dad, it's good that you're admitting your mistake."
Jungkook thought it in his best interests to not reply to what his son had said. If he did, he ran the risk of making his headache even worse.
Little Bun stretched out his tender hand and shook it in front of his face. "So, Daddy, you should write another 500 word reflection essay," as he spoke, he tugged on Jungkook's arm, making him lean in closer. Then he leaned near his ear and said innocently, "Daddy, I will help you plead for Mommy's forgiveness once you've finished writing it. Mommy will forgive you as soon as I say something nice about you."
"Plead forgiveness for me?" Jungkook was so angry that his mouth was crooked. "JeonRui, I think you're getting a little too big for your boots."
Lisa was still holding onto Little Bun, but she was now doubled over with mirth. Through her laughter she said, "Darling, I want to read it too... I want to see your reflection essay."
Jungkook was totally speechless.
***
A few days later, Guo Li called Ling Shuang to tell her how much she had made. After they had deducted the assistant fees, carriage fees and the broker's share for the role filmed, she had made a dozen Yuan that had already been credited to her account.
Ling Shuang almost vomited blood in anger.
She finally saw how Chen Jiao planned to enact his revenge.
How cold-hearted was Chen Jiao? Even if she had been wrong, she'd been with him for so many years already. How was it that he was content to destroy all her efforts and torture her in every possible way in the span of a single night?
Ling Shuang knew she wouldn't get any benefits if she continued like this.
She became even more furious when she remembered how Jungkook had sent her downstairs to peel walnuts. He'd been absolutely indifferent to her suffering; he clearly didn't care.
"Big Brother Jeon, do you know that I like you? I've liked you for so many years..."
In those years back when Chen Jiao had discovered her, she'd heard about the great Jungkook over and over again. She'd been able to read the chat record between the two of them. Whenever they met, she'd deliberately left the first move up to him so she could listen to their conversations.
Jungkook was handsome, smart, and rich. And she could tell at a glance that he was the kind of man who had been educated by the elite. He was extraordinary. Every time he'd talked with Chen Jiao, he'd been so full of wisdom and knowledge that it had dwarfed Chen Jiao's.
She had never known that a person could be so charming. He was like the hero of a plot from some movie, garbed in glistening armor as he descended to earth via colorful clouds.
She was obsessed with him. She'd secretly stalked every aspect of him, and liked him silently from the moment she'd seen him. She'd even entertained the thought of asking Chen Jiao to introduce them if she went to university.
Every day throughout her teenage years, she had fantasized that Jungkook would someday pursue her and fall in love with her.
But who would have thought that in the end the very woman she'd been impersonating would marry the man she loved? Lisa had taken away her perfect man.
Just the thought of this made Ling Shuang cover her face and cry tears of heartache.
She never should have coveted Chen Jiao's handsomeness, shouldn't have coveted Yu Xinjie's pocket money, and she shouldn't have impersonated Lisa. Lisa had taken away both her Big Brother Jeon and her brother Jiao, all because she had impersonated her.
This was fate's punishment.
After Lisa and Jungkook had gotten married, Ling Shuang had cried for an entire week. And when she had finally managed to stop crying, her heart was repeatedly stabbed when Yu Xinjie kept sending her pictures of that day.
Ling Shuang opened the photo album on her phone now. She scrolled up to the top, to the very first photo of the wedding. Her own face had been edited onto Lisa's body. Jungkook was holding her around the waist, looking extremely handsome in his wedding clothes, and she was smiling brightly.
"Big Brother Jeon..." Ling Shuang sobbed as she stared at the photo, "Don't you know how jealous I am of Lisa? I want to be with you so desperately... But because I couldn't control my own desires, I ended up doing so many bad things. It started with Yu Xinjie. I befriended her bad sister and enlisted her help in coaxing Lisa to commit suicide so I could have you... I abandoned my morals and values, all because of how much I wanted you," as she spoke, her tears ran down her cheeks and dripped to the ground.
She knew that her ambitions had failed and that she would never get what she wanted. All her dreams were completely dashed.
"If I had a second chance at this..." Ling Shuang raised her tear-stained face, "I wouldn't impersonate Lisa. I would return Chen Jiao to her. I would return him to her. I only want you! If only Lisa would give you back..."
Ling Shuang's heart hurt so badly that it was more than a few hours before she was finally able to get up. She picked up her phone and called Guo Li, "I want to terminate the contract."
She wanted to leave Chen Jiao. She couldn't let him torture her anymore. What she had done was wrong, but she had been punished enough. She couldn't afford to let him carry on torturing her and wasting her time.
"It's up to you," Guo Li sneered, "Since you have breached the contract, I expect you to have the money ready."
Ling Shuang bit her lips then said, "Give me a few days grace period, just until I find my next company."
She was beautiful, she knew this. That was something that Lisa couldn't take away. She was sure she could find other entertainment companies that would hire her; she still had value.
She wiped away her tears and walked confidently to the dressing table. But when she looked up in the mirror, she screamed.
When had she picked up this much weight!
She'd spent the past few days crying and hadn't bothered to look in the mirror. But now... This single glance had completely freaked her out.
On her previously slim waist, that she had always been so proud of, was now a 'floatation device.' Her perfectly V-shaped face had lost all its sharp lines. If she looked close enough, she could swear she could even see a double chin.
"What's wrong with my face!" Ling Shuang wailed.
She had originally thought that her swollen face was because of her lack of sleep, due to her hectic day and night filming schedule. She had even thought it might be because of the beating she had gotten. But that should have all disappeared with a few days of rest at home.
But... This wasn't swollen; it was fat.
Surely that was impossible? It had only been a few days! How could she have gained this much weight in just a few days?
"What were you feeding me? You intentionally did this to me!" she yelled angrily at Guo Li over the phone.
With Chen Jiao ignoring her completely, the food and drinks, mainly vegetable salad, she had been sent recently were brought to her by two bodyguards. She hadn't thought much of it at first.
Guo Li's devilish voice came over the phone saying, "I don't know anything about that. Brother Jiao said you might know though."
Ling Shuang's face paled, and she collapsed to the ground in horror.
Hormones!
She used to ask Yu Xinjie to put them in her sister's meal when she came over for dinner. I caused her to rapidly gain weight. That way she would lose her beauty and viability for commercial shots. And not only this, but she had hoped that Jungkook would stop loving her.
This must be Chen Jiao's doing. He was taking revenge on her with the same methods she had used to try and destroy Lisa.
Yu Xinjie had betrayed her!
Ling Shuang threw her head back and screamed. She slammed her phone down on the sofa, but then frantically picked it up again. She sent a text to Yu Xinjie's WeChat, demanding to know what she had told Chen Jiao. She got a sarcastic response to her question:
Didn't you say that we are best friends and that we should share our blessings? Since I'm in hell right now, you should be in hell too! Hahaha!
Ling Shuang let her phone slide to the ground where the screen smashed to pieces.
She was ruined.
This time, she was utterly destroyed.
It would take two months for her to lose all this weight. After that, who would remember her? Unless... She could connect herself with a more powerful boss.
Ling Shuang's eyes lit up at this thought.
But that evening, a new hot search appeared on Weibo that shattered her last hope:
#A former hot star is now as fat as a ball. She was rejected by up to six crews!#
Lisa just happened to find the hot search about Ling Shuang's weight gain while she was at home scrolling on her phone.
She clicked on the article that displayed a photo taken by reporters of Ling Shuang's round, pudgy face. In the photo, Ling Shuang looked dispirited, the shell of the human she had once been.
Lisa was very shocked. How could she have gained this much weight in just a few days?
All the netizens in the comment area shared the same sentiment as Lisa.
'Is she overeating because she's given up on herself? I knew she wasn't a good person, but now she has lost her beauty! The inside matches the outside. I wonder if the fans that were defending her left the fandom! This picture really is shocking! She's even fatter than me! No wonder the cast kicked her out. I mean, I wouldn't even want this fat woman to be my girlfriend. This poor, overweight, ugly girl," Lisa thought to herself.
With shock written all over her face, Lisa turned to Jungkook to show him the photo. "Darling... She has changed so much."
This was crazier than those ridiculous plots in the novel. The exposed truth of her tricks must have hit her hard.
Just how much did she eat! How can a person become so fat in just a few days?
But her expression suddenly changed halfway through her train of thought, suddenly becoming tearful.
Jungkook casually finished scrolling through the hot search. His expression darkened the moment he read Ling Shuang's name. Thanks to her calling him 'big brother' for no reason, he was now being tortured by his wife and son. He'd even had to write a 400-word self-reflection essay...
Originally, he had only instructed the directors to ban Ling Shuang. But after he'd finished writing the essay he'd decided to talk to several more directors and investors to cut her scenes in the films she'd starred in. He'd also told Chen Jiao to make her disappear from the city as fast as possible, warning him that he never wanted to see her again.
"I don't care what happens to her," Jungkook said as he returned the phone to Lisa. He didn't want to look at the article anymore.
But he was shocked to see Lisa was sobbing. His couldn't hide his surprise as he said, "What's wrong? Don't you hate her?"
He thought Lisa would be happy.
Lisa nodded pitifully, but then quickly shook her head. She reached out and tugged on Jungkook's sleeves with her small hands. Her face had traces of fear and a faint blush as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Darling," she said in a soft voice.
Jungkook raised his eyebrows, "Huh?"
"I didn't listen to you and Xiao Yiyi before when I was overeating." Lisa lowered her face as she spoke, as if she was ashamed.
Jungkook's mouth opened and closed. He decided to stay silent.
As expected, she kept talking when he didn't interrupt her. "You two warned me that I would get fat if I kept eating too much. I never believed you. I thought that a thin person couldn't get fat, but..." Lisa looked at her phone screen in horror as she said this. "It turns out that even a thin person can get as round as a ball!"
Ling Shuang had lost her originally pretty V-shaped face, and the only thing she could fit into was a pair of sports pants. One of her arms was thicker than Lisa's thigh now.
This terrified Lisa!
"If I'm going to get this fat, then I won't eat.... Any strawberry flavored pudding!" She struggled to pick which of her favorite treats she wanted to give up. After that slight hesitation, she finally decided on the strawberry flavor.
Jungkook laughed when he heard what she said. He took her slender, fair arm and studied it carefully. He could hold her upper arm in one hand. There wasn't a single trace of fat on it. "You are not fat. Because you exercise every day, you burn off a lot of energy and calories."
Even though she was still worried, Lisa gave a serious nod. "I'm going to add an extra 30 minutes of running to my exercise plan."
"Yeah, don't worry so much. You only gained 20 pounds when you were pregnant with JeonRui."
Lisa's entire face transformed into a look of utter shock and horror. Hesitantly she asked, "And when was he born?"
"You lost most of the weight. There were only about six pounds left."
"What!" All that weight was still on her body! This was the first time she'd actually thought about this problem. "Darling, I suddenly feel like it's a better idea not to have too many kids. Forget about the idea of giving birth to a football team. I think we'll just have like, two or three kids."
"Sure." Jungkook smiled, but he could feel a headache pounding behind his eyes.
He'd become a very troubled father recently. JeonRui had only started becoming more and more ridiculous. A football team meant 11 kids like JeonRui... It felt like his head was going to explode just thinking about it.
But finally, his wife's strange ideas about children were gone. Wonderful!
"Why don't we have a look at some other news?" he asked, changing the topic.
Lisa readily scrolled down to other news. And just like that, her attention was diverted from the topic of Ling Shuang.
"Darling, do you remember the movie, 'Allure'? The one that bankrupted you and withdrew your investment? The shooting is over, it's entering the post-production phase. They have found some of the best special effects companies in the United States to work on it. They seem awfully confident in this," she said with a click of her tongue. "Oh, freaking gangster Chen is playing as the third lead actor. He almost put in an additional investment to fill the gap in the cost of special effects for film production."
Jungkook raised his eyebrows. "I was not bankrupt."
"Oh," Lisa said and quickly finished reading through the comments.
It seemed that the market was very much looking forward to this movie, since both the male and female lead actors were famous. The movies they'd starred in always got very good results. Not only that, but the director of the movie had also won awards for his work. Coupled with the special effects and Chen Jiao's additional investment, a bright outcome was foreseen for the release of the movie.
Lisa carefully glanced at Jungkook. She knew he just couldn't let go of the fact that he'd actually gone bankrupt. She slid her arm around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "It's okay, Darling. You're making money, you don't have to be afraid. My movie will also make money for us. If you really did go bankrupt, I'd be able to support you."
A trace of heat surged through Jungkook's chest. He gave her waist a gentle squeeze to stop her from spiraling into her fantasies. "I am not short on money. Yesterday, I asked Chen Lin to transfer 30 million to your account. Let me know if you need more."
Lisa was just about to ask why when a soft, sweet voice said, "Daddy," Little Bun rolled over, "won't you go bankrupt if you keep giving 30 million, then another 30 million, and another 30 million? Daddy, are you staying at home lately because you have gone bankrupt from giving Mommy all the money? Why are you staying at home all day and following Mommy everywhere? You don't even go to work. How shameful!"
Jungkook stared at his son in shock for a moment, then his expression went dark. He grabbed the little boy and easily picked him up. This kid needed a beating!
He couldn't listen to another word the child said.
***
The next morning, Lisa woke up and left JeonRui sleeping in the bed where he'd been lying next to her. He'd cried so much the previous day when Jungkook had spanked him. Her husband had moved too fast for her to stop him.
JeonRui had cried the whole night. There had been nothing she could do but endure it. Jungkook had refused to let her interfere while he was educating the child. But he hadn't smacked him hard. He hardly ever hit his child, so JeonRui would cry regardless of whether it actually hurt or not.
Finally, Little Bun had confessed to his faults under Jungkook's stern expression. He said that he would not interrupt his parents' conversations, and he would no longer talk nonsense that he knew nothing of. Only then had he allowed the child to plunge into Lisa's arms.
Little Bun cherished that moment. He held Lisa's hand all night and refused to let it go. He finally stopped crying and went to sleep with the help of her repetitive, soft comforting.
But Lisa was having a dilemma of her own since she had to join the crew that day. She didn't want to wake Little Bun because he'd try and follow her to set, but she knew he would cry if he didn't get to see her when he woke up.
In the end, Jungkook wrapped the sleeping Little Bun in a coat, picked him up and followed Lisa to the nanny car.
"Something would have happened sooner or later if he kept being this naughty. I had to teach him a lesson," Jungkook said.
Last night, Jungkook hadn't been able to defend himself because of their son's presence. But now that his son was asleep, he could have a frank discussion with Lisa about their child's education.
"It's alright if he was just roasting me." Jungkook's mouth twitched as he spoke. "But once he leaves the house, he will meet friends, teachers, fall in love and meet his girlfriend's parents. He can't be this lawless as he grows up. If I don't teach him a lesson now, he will be worse off with others if he carries on like this."
Lisa hugged Little Bun when Jungkook put him back in her arms, but she knew Jungkook was right. "Ok, Darling. I will correct Ruirui in the future. We can teach him slowly. He is very sensible. He will understand if we speak to him. You should use less violence."
Jungkook raised his eyebrows. Just talking about this gave him a headache. "I barely touched him yesterday. He was already howling and crying, and I'd barely touched his ass! This acting skill..." As he spoke, he looked at Lisa with a worried expression on his face.
He acted just like his mother! Their tears could come and go whenever they wanted.
Lisa blushed when he looked at her.
She was afraid that Little Bun would be bullied by the others, so she told him to cry when someone harassed him, especially if that person was stronger than he was. This would force his assailant to let their guard down when they saw how pitiful he was. And another advantage was that it would give a clear signal to those around him that he needed help.
In short, he needed to do whatever he could to make himself look pitiful.
And yes... She'd taught him to do that.
She pressed her red lips together tightly. Jungkook must not know about this! If he knew, she had no doubt he would beat her ass as well.
Fortunately, they quickly arrived at their destination.
Lisa immediately breathed a sigh of relief and handed Little Bun, who was sleeping soundly in her arms, to Jungkook. "I'm going to work, Darling. I'm leaving our baby in your care."
But as soon as she pushed the car door open and looked up, she saw a proud, slender figure standing not too far away. She immediately pulled her foot back into the car again. "Darling, Darling!" she said in shock, turning to Jungkook. "Freaking gangster Chen has come to the crew again!"
Was this guy really coming to cause a scene?
Jungkook, who had originally planned to stay in the car, frowned and got out with Little Bun held against his chest.
As a family of three that consisted of a handsome man, a beautiful woman, and a cute baby, they quickly attracted the attention of everyone around them.
Chen Jiao had been talking to his assistant, but he turned around when he sensed that someone else had just arrived. His previously bright eyes, that had been glittering under the sun, suddenly dimmed when he saw how affectionately Lisa was holding onto Jungkook.
"Teacher Lisa, Mr. Jeon, you're here," Director Zhu Junfei greeted them enthusiastically. Then he turned and waved in Chen Jiao's direction. "This is Chen Jiao; I think you all know each other. His sister is a big fan of the screenwriter. He begged me to arrange a temporary group role for him, and he wants to get the screenwriter's autograph for his sister before he heads home later. He really does dote on his sister..." Director Zhu Junfei explained to Lisa with a smile. But as he reached the end of his explanation, he suddenly realized the atmosphere was dark and unpleasant.
Usually, when Jungkook accompanied his wife to set, he'd simply sit quietly in the corner and watch the filming. He never aired his pride of being an investor, and the people around him didn't feel pressured to act a certain way because he was present. If someone were to greet him, he was polite and put a warm smile on his seemingly indifferent face. He always tried his best not to make people feel alienated.
But today, Zhu Junfei felt a chill creeping down his neck even before he'd finished speaking. He turned his head and looked over at Jungkook. He was shocked to see that his dark eyes were eerily cold.
And Lisa, who was always friendly with everyone, no longer had a smile on her beautiful, delicate face.
Zhu Junfei's heart skipped a beat. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. "Um, Brother Chen Jiao is a group performer. He's only got one or two lines for today." That oppressive atmosphere only got worse after he said this.
He was doomed!
He'd seen the news that Chen Jiao had left Guangxin. At one time, he'd felt that Chen Jiao's relationship with Mr. Jeon would be broken, and that they would never work together again. But then he'd seen Jungkook's interview with the reporters. He said that he was neither surprised nor angry to see Chen Jiao set up his own company, given his characteristics... It was Chen Jiao who'd taken the initiative to request a chance to do a group performance. He'd wanted to show his face and have a few lines as his way of supporting the screenwriter, as well as the lady boss of his old company.
Chen Jiao also said that he was willing to cameo for free. They wouldn't need to pay him a penny.
It was no wonder Zhu Junfei thought he was still on good terms with Guangxin after he left. Chen Jiao had even gone so far as to thank his old company. But now it seemed that Jungkook and Chen Jiao were at odds.
"The famous actor seems to have a lot of free time of late." Jungkook shifted his sleeping child in his arms and went to stand in front of Chen Jiao, staring coldly down at him.
Chen Jiao didn't try and avoid his stare, and his dim eyes once again danced with light when he saw Lisa. "Even the busy Mr. Jeon has time to accompany his wife. Of course, I will make time to do something for my sister."
His words made Jungkook tighten his thin lips. "I trust you know who the main investor in this drama is?"
As an investor, he had the right to veto the director's selection of the actor.
Director Zhu Junfei started sweating bullets when he heard this. Never had he expected Mr. Jeon to object so harshly.
This was just a group performer role. Yesterday when Chen Jiao had contacted him, he'd felt flattered. Especially since he was a new director. Since the role had very few scenes, he hadn't told the investors beforehand. He'd only given the screenwriter a heads up.
Zhu Junfei stammered for something to say. Surely it would be more merciful to beat himself to death. How was he supposed to fix this awkward situation?
On one side was the main investor. On the other was a famous actor.
Lisa never interrupted once, but she was covering her face in surprise. Her cheeks had even turned a little red.
Chen Jiao had looked at her when he'd said he wanted to help his sister.
She'd told Jungkook a few days ago that no one ever called her sister... She'd even made a fuss about it with Little Bun and asked Jungkook to write a 400-word self-reflection essay... This was awkward.
Chen Jiao was such a wicked man... That single sentence felt like a solid slap on her cheek.
She blushed in embarrassment, and carefully glanced at her husband's gloomy expression. Then she noticed that more and more people had started gathering around them. As a famous actor, Chen Jiao's arrival had already caused a bit of a scene, and now the possible conflict between the actor and the investor made the staff even more curious.
Lisa's brain quickly got into work. "Darling, since the actor is so free and loves his sister so much, just let him be," she said as she hurriedly stepped forward and shook Jungkook's arm.
There was a flash of ecstasy in Chen Jiao's eyes.
"His sister has been so miserable recently. Wasn't she just on the hot search? She has gained so much weight, and she has been dismissed by several crews. Gosh, I wonder how much she had to pay for breaching her contracts. And I know gaining weight is like falling into hell for a girl."
Lisa's words suddenly shattered Chen Jiao's newly raised joy to pieces. It felt like his eyes were going to bleed as he watched her lean coyly on Jungkook's shoulder, looking cute and weak as she pleaded with him.
"Darling, just forget about it. Since his sister is so miserable, we should let Chen Jiao act this role. Later on, we could let the director edit the piece for him, so he can bring it back for his sister. I'm sure she'd like to watch it as a break from her crying and grieving. It might help get rid of her depressed mood and get her to stop thinking about doing extreme things," Lisa said as she waved to the screenwriter next to her.
"Xiao Xiang, come here! The actor's sister wants your signature! Did you give it to him yet? I'll give you pen and paper. Now, the name is Ling Shuang. Sounds like a name that belongs to a pathetic person, ripe for execution..."
Chen Jiao's body started shaking. It felt like she was plunging a knife into his chest over and over again.
"Oops... What a poor choice of words. How could I have said that? Guess I'll have to read a few more books then..." Lisa covered her red lips as she smiled. "I didn't really like reading in the beginning."
Jungkook couldn't help but smile. He added onto what Lisa was saying. "Then I suppose Actor Chen has to star in the movie, and we will make sure he gets good results."
Lisa really was getting sharper and smarter. She'd just turned Chen Jiao's desire to build a closer relationship with her down in the savviest way.
News that the two of them were at odds would be widely covered by the media as soon as they found some evidence. Now that they were openly confronting each other on set, the paparazzi would no doubt be only too happy to report it.
But she'd solved this problem in an easy way.
Of course, Jungkook wouldn't even consider the fact that Lisa's wit was only sharp so she could avoid having to write a self-reflection essay.
Lisa only had two thoughts:
If the famous actor wanted to shoot, it wouldn't be bad for them either. Given how popular he was, he'd no doubt attract more viewers. Which could help her husband save up some money to employ some other actors.
And, she was of course, was not his sister. She refused to be backhanded with what she'd said a few days ago. If her husband realized that she was the 'sister' Chen Jiao was talking about, she would end up pulling out her own hair trying to explain herself in her self-reflection essay.
This freaking gangster!
She might have been in deep trouble if it weren't for her cleverness just now!
When Lisa finished speaking, she glanced at the staff and Director Zhu Junfei, all of who'd been watching the show. "Let's get to work early today. Director, brief me about today's play."
Director Zhu Junfei breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Lisa gratefully. If it weren't for her, today would have been awkward.
"Sure. Have a seat first, Lisa. Today, we'll be shooting the scene where you try to escape school over the wall but are caught red-handed by your senior."
"Senior?" Lisa looked at Chen Jiao keenly.
The director wiped his sweaty forehead and said, "Yes, because Chen Jiao joined, we changed the class monitor to senior at the last minute... We've also changed two lines accordingly. I have printed them out. You can take a look at them."
Lisa frowned. What a gangster! But she said, "Okay, let's get to it!"
After she'd changed into a fresh, youthful school uniform, she walked back to stand under the cameras.
Chen Jiao had also changed into a navy-blue suit-style school uniform. In his eyes, there was already a glimmer of appreciation for her girly appearance.
With an 'action', Lisa slapped her palm twice, put her foot on the wall and bravely started to climb. Her movement was smooth and neat. She didn't look weak or waver in any way.
Chen Jiao looked like a noble's son. He looked up and he frowned when he saw her climbing the wall. A trace of pain flashed in his eyes.
"Ling Shuang. Do you have to act like this? If your mother was still here, she would wish for nothing more than for you to pursue that dream of yours... Just like when you were younger..."
According to the script, the senior was her past brother next door.
He tried to awaken her memories before she sank further into her degenerate state. He wished that she would quit being a gangster and stop disappointing her deceased mother.
But Lisa felt that this sounded disgusting. She rolled her eyes and said in a low voice, "In the past? When I was younger, my ass! Eat shit!"
Chen Jiao's face paled. That was not in the script.
She should be saying that she wanted to be herself because the person who used to care for her was no longer here. Then, he would say, "No. There must be someone else in this world who cares about you."
But now she wasn't even giving him a chance to say his line!
When he refused to leave after she'd finished speaking, Lisa waved impatiently down at him from the wall. "Don't act smart. Get the hell away! If you attract people's attention, I'll twist your head off your shoulders later!"
Chen Jiao stood there in a daze.
Although they were both absorbed in the play, he couldn't believe that the good girl from the past had become so rude. But he knew it was Lisa who had caused his heartache.
She had changed. She was no longer his girl, and she didn't even want to look at him anymore. She wasn't even trying to hide her disgust and impatience towards him. It was breaking his heart.
Was it time to let her go?
He'd let her go once, but after so many years, he'd found her again.
This was God giving him a second chance!
How could he let her slip away again!
Chen Jiao put one hand in his pocket, and his gaze became strong and invulnerable, covering up the pain he felt.
The director cried out excitedly, "Ok, Teacher Lisa, Teacher Chen. The scene is over. Your expressions were very good."
Lisa cried out happily and climbed down from the wall.
But Jungkook came over and personally took her down when she was halfway down.
Speakers blared when his eyes collided with Chen Jiao's as he turned around.
"You will only head towards destruction if you keep being so stubborn. I was able help a person up back then, I could just as easily throw him down again."
Jungkook didn't specify who the person was, but Chen Jiao understood.
"I am no longer the same person I was back then; the person who had nothing. See you, Mr. Jeon." Chen Jiao quickly left the crew after filming the clip. He remembered to ask for the screenwriter's autograph before he left.
But as soon as he walked off set, he threw the autograph into the trash can.
Back at the crew, Lisa hugged and kissed her gloomy-faced husband. "Darling, think of how bloody it would have been if the two of you kept on fighting. Ignoring him is the best revenge we can get."
Lisa finished her filming for the day in a quick and timely manner.
When she returned to her longue, she found Little Bun sitting on the sofa, holding his tablet tightly and looking seriously down at it. He was sitting very far away from Jungkook, as far away as he could get in fact.
Jungkook had his head lowered as he read over a document with an expressionless face.
It seemed like father and son were in the middle of some type of conflict. They were sitting on opposite sides of the sofa, refusing to speak to each other.
Lisa sighed when she saw the scene.
Although Little Bun was still very young, and he usually preferred to spend more time with her, his characteristics were very much like Jungkook's. When he was angry, his small face became serious, just like a miniature version of Jungkook. Fortunately, the cold expressions on their faces melted away when they saw her.
"Mommy!" Little Bun exclaimed when he looked up. His eyes lit up at the sight of her, and he opened his arms for a hug. "You're back!"
Jungkook also raised his handsome face, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He reached out to hug her around the waist.
Lisa paused. She looked between the two of them, at their eager, outstretched hands; the sight brought on an immediate headache.
Little Bun looked at her expectantly, and Jungkook was looking at her affectionately.
Then, father and son glanced at each other, and silently looked away, still unwilling to look at each other.
Was this some type of cold war they were locked in?
Lisa touched her nose as she considered her options. Finally, she stretched out one hand to Little Bun, who couldn't wait to rush into her arms, and took Jungkook's hand with the other. "Aren't you two tired of waiting? I'm done with work. We can go home now."
"Mummy, have some juice!" Little Bun held her hand, kicked his short legs, and slid his chubby body slid off the sofa. He reached forward and picked up the strawberry juice they had brought from home.
"Drink warm water instead. Juice lacks fiber and will make you pick up weight." Jungkook turned around and picked up the thermos next to him. He poured her a cup of hot tea and offered it to her.
Lisa smiled awkwardly between the two cups.
Little Bun pouted again and looked at his father. At the same time, Jungkook looked at him. Their gazes locked.
Little Bun ended up lowering his hands. For the sake of his mommy's health, he gave up and stepped back with his head lowered. "Mommy, drink the warm water."
Lisa was touched, but at the same time, she didn't know whether she should laugh or cry at the secret rivalry between her husband and son.
Jungkook had just had a confrontation on set with Chen Qiao, and now he was fighting with his son?
Lisa took the tea and took a sip. Fearing that they'd start fighting again, she quickly put her coat on and said, "Let's go home."
Little Bun and Jungkook both stood up immediately, each of them sticking close to their respective sides of Lisa's body. Little Bun wanted to hold her hand, and Jungkook wanted to drape his arm over her shoulders.
Lisa was speechless.
When they returned home, she sent Jungkook to the gym, telling him to go and exercise. She took Little Bun to the children's room.
Little Bun was acting as if nothing had happened, and wanted to show her the block castle he'd built, but Lisa patted the small bed and sat down. "Baby, come and chat with Mommy."
Little Bun hesitated for a moment before he walked over. "Mommy, I don't want to talk about Dad." The man had spanked him yesterday. In front of a girl; his mommy. While the actual smack didn't hurt, his father had damaged his dignity in front of a girl. He didn't want to talk about his dad, and he wouldn't want to talk about him for the next few days either.
Little Bun shared his thoughts with his mother. He even pursed his lips after speaking, expressing his stubborn resolve.
Lisa couldn't help but smile. She kind of understood the little guy's way of thinking. It reminded her of the olden days. She'd ignored the breeder for three days when he'd forgotten to give her one meal. She refused to reconcile with him so quickly after that!
"Okay, Mommy understands." Lisa hugged her son and patted him on his soft back. "Baby, you have grown up so much. Mommy respects your opinion. Your father spanked you, and you're feeling a little emotional about it. It's quite normal to not want to talk about him. But don't keep this up for too long and make him feel terrible. He's your father, after all. Can you do that for me?"
Back then, she'd let her anger take over, and the end result of that was that she was starved even more.
Whether it be man or snake, one had to be smart. Lower your head when you have no other choice. When the other party lets their guard down, you can take everything back.
As soon as Little Bun heard what his mommy said, his eyes lit up.
Most of the loneliness and shame that had been on his serious face before was now gone. He hadn't expected his mommy to be so understanding. It seemed like she knew exactly how he felt. His mommy had really changed. Now, she not only loved and protected him, but she was also super cute, gentle, and nice.
"Mommy," Little Bun said as he stretched out his hand and grasped her firmly. He hugged her tightly, refusing to let her go. "I understand. I won't talk back to Dad again. But... I still feel a little uncomfortable..."
Lisa nodded her head understandingly. It would be awkward if he was suddenly affectionate with his dad after he'd just been spanked. "It's okay, baby. We can talk about this in a few days' time. Let Mommy tell you something. I think you can really learn from your father here. He is a man who can get angry as quickly as he can calm down. Look, when your father does something wrong, he always coaxes Mommy and writes me a self-reflection letter. If Mommy is upset, he writes me those ridiculous essays to cheer me up, even if he doesn't want to. He is a very versatile man."
"Right." Little Bun gave it serious thought as he listened. What his mother said sounded reasonable. "Dad is cheeky. I should learn from that."
Lisa blinked in surprise, then stretched out her hands and pinched his soft cheeks. "Your father would smack you again if he heard you say that."
Little Bun covered his mouth immediately as he looked to the door of the small room. "I'll only say this to Mommy..."
Lisa lowered her head and gave him a kiss on his tiny face. "Sometimes you can best others just by being cheeky! Now, show Mommy your castle! Wow, it looks awesome! How did you make it so spectacularly? The color scheme is very beautiful."
Little Bun's chubby cheeks were blushing red from her praise. His unhappiness and depression from earlier had totally disappeared.
And outside the door of the small room, Jungkook was standing against the wall listening to the educational conversation between mother and son. He'd come up here to change his clothes and had been attracted by the sound of their talking. A warm smile appeared on his face. He stood listening for a little longer, then he left.
Having a smart and capable wife at home was a man's greatest blessing. He remembered his father had said this to him, but up until today, he hadn't fully understood what he'd meant.
***
Lisa stayed with Little Bun and played with him for a while. As she was scrolling on her phone before eating, she suddenly received a text message from Director Zhou Zhuan. The message was to tell her that the movie 'Chaos', in which she'd starred, was due to be released soon. The premiere date was set for the beginning of the next month, and the director was hoping she would have time to attend. He also asked her to share the movie trailer on Weibo to help promote it.
This film was a work of absolute sincerity. From the screenwriter to the actors, from the set to the editing, the whole crew had put in a lot of effort.
Zhou Zhuan had even personally sent text messages to confirm whether the main actors and actresses could attend the premiere. This showed just how much he valued the work.
Lisa instantly agreed to his request.
She liked her role as Sheng Ji, a tragic but beautiful character.
As soon as she got on her Weibo, she found that she was @-ed by countless enthusiastic fans and netizens.
The crew of the film had already released the trailer. Director Zhou Zhuan, Gu Qianqian, and the other main cast members had reposted it. The movie 'Chaos' had become the hot topic of the day, and it had aroused enthusiastic discussions among a group of movie fans.
Lisa watched the edited trailer. She discovered that her scenes, from the beginning, middle, and end part of her role were being included in it. In fact, all the clips of her role flashed over the screen in a grand total of less than 10 seconds.
But her fans were all screaming excitedly in the comment section after watching the footage:
[She's so handsome that I'm crying! Gosh, this outfit made my sister look so good! And her gaze while she faces Gu Qianqian in the end... It was absolutely amazing. I'm getting goosebumps!]
[My Lisa's acting has improved! From the initial girlishness to the mid-stage gorgeousness, and now the final scene of bravery. Gosh!]
[Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! My husband's face fits the big screen so well. Flawless!]
[Can't believe my husband is just a supporting role! When are you going to play the leading role? I would definitely blow Box Office up watching that movie!]
[I'm going to the cinema to watch this, just because of this trailer!]
[Excellent. That's my idol! I'm bringing my parents to watch this with me. I'm so proud of my Lisa sister!]
Lisa was so happy after looking at the comments. She immediately reposted the trailer. She also interacted with the director and lead actress, Gu Qianqian, on Weibo.
After Gu Qianqian had helped her, they talked from time to time and had a proper chat once in a while.
Because Lisa hadn't been active for a long while, her repost got a lot of attention from the netizens. Many of her friends in the field came forward to help her promote her new film.
[RenSitongV: Husband Lisa, I fainted in your cool gaze. I asked my man to get in line tomorrow morning to buy the tickets for the premiere! I'll definitely come support you! Muacks and good luck on the sales!]
[WeiMingV: I'm very curious about how you remarked the script? Your gaze proved that this is going to be a great movie. I will call @QiuChengV so we can watch it together.]
[QiuChengV: @ZhouZhuan, my dude, may I get an invitation to the premiere please?]
[CaiWenfangV: @Lisa, you have improved again. Amazing!]
Lisa had a lot of close friends, and almost all her fans knew this. No matter what she did, she always ended up gaining a lot of new friends by the end of it.
But it wasn't until today, with her repost, that the fans really discovered her peculiar ability to attract friends.
From her earliest 'Prosperity' crew to 'Stage', to 'Wife' variety show, and then 'Seven Years'; from photographers to makeup artists, from minor supporting roles to leading actors, almost all of them helped her repost the trailer and were praising her.
All her fans admired her.
Among them, there were fans who were introverted in their lives, there were some that were having a hard time, there were some that didn't have many friends. But today, they all felt the wave of positive energy that their idol conveyed to them.
Do things seriously and treat others sincerely. Stay enthusiastic about everything, and you will eventually make friends!
They could feel the strong charm that Lisa exuded, even through their phones.
[I want to learn from Lisa husband.]
[The next time I'm afraid to communicate with people, I'll come here to see my Lisa's friendly smile.]
The comment section quickly changed from a place of praise, to one of learning and growth.
Now that the date for the premiere was fixed, Lisa needed to plan her outfit for the event.
She was no longer an actress that no one knew, not to mention that her role of Sheng Ji in 'Chaos' was also very distinctive. She also came from a very wealthy family; it was doubtless that the media would focus on her.
"Sis, I have talked to Gu Qianqian's manager. She is going to be wearing a solemn lavender and white dress by Chanel. It's quite suitable for formal occasions," Ni Yi reported after his research. "The other actresses in attendance are mainly going to be wearing pink and light green. We can't choose these colors, and we can't choose colors that are too bright. We don't want to steal the spotlight from the leading actresses."
There were many rules when it came to the entertainment industry. Not only did seniority matter, but juniors were also expected not to snatch the spotlight from their seniors. It was only reasonable, especially if the supporting actress and leading actress were on a good terms. It was like a wedding, where a bridesmaid was expected to not steal the limelight away from the bride.
"Sure. Whatever you want. My beauty no longer needs the support of clothing to attract everyone's attention," Lisa said confidently.
Ni Yi nodded and showed her some pictures on his phone. "These are some everyday outfits from ADOLE. If you like them, I'm sure they'll sponsor you."
Lisa looked through the items until she came to a low-key, dark colored dress.
Maybe it was the experience in her previous life, but she had always been particularly fond of clothing that showed her slender legs.
The pure black dress by ADOLE was also very suitable for formal occasions. The neat, round neck design was flattering, the form-fitting cut would show her waistline, and the fluffy, wavy mid-thigh length skirt would showcase her legs perfectly.
"This is the one."
Black would also be very low-key at the event, since many men usually wore black blazers and suits for formal occasions. This way, she wouldn't be stealing the spotlight from any of the female actresses.
"I'll be humble. After all, colors can't suppress my beauty."
Ni Yi thought this dress was too low-key. But he swallowed his opinion when he heard what she said. "Then I will contact them and have them send it ASAP so you can try it on."
Jungkook, who had been helping Little Bun with his mathematics class in the living room, couldn't help but listen in. Hearing what they said, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. He turned his head to glance at his confident wife.
Since she was at home, Lisa was wearing comfortable clothes. On the front of her shirt was a big pink Peppa Pig, and she was wearing light green cotton pajamas bottoms. Her pretty, energetic face was pinkish, making her cheeks look like small apples. She looked like a young girl enjoying a rest day in her pajamas. But even in such casual clothes, she was eye-catching.
Jungkook couldn't help but smile slightly. Anything she wore would be stunning on her. She would attract the attention of any man near her. He decided that her choice to go low-key was a wise one. As he turned his gaze away, he noticed that his son, who was sitting next to him, had also become distracted by the conversation.
Little Bun had poked his round head out from under Jungkook's arm and was staring at his mother.
Jungkook could clearly see the curiosity on Little Bun's face when he lowered his head to look at him. It looked like he was trying to stay silent. His little cheeks were bulging, and his dark eyes were sparkling wildly. Even though he wanted to speak, he was resisting the urge because of the lesson he'd learned.
Jungkook couldn't help but feel relieved. His son had finally kicked his bad habit. He was progressing, and as his father, it was his duty not to be too harsh on him.
"What do you want to say?" Jungkook touched his son's fluffy hair as a sign of encouragement.
JeonRui's face lit up once he was granted permission to speak. He stretched out his hand towards Uncle Ni Yi. "I also want to see what Mommy is going to be wearing." As he spoke, he looked between the big Peppa Pig his mother was wearing, then down at the little Peppa Pig on his shirt. His eyes narrowed as he smiled. He and Mommy were wearing matching outfits! "Daddy, do we have tickets for the premiere? I want to watch Mommy's TV show too."
"It's a movie," Jungkook corrected. "It's going to be a very long day, and you usually go to bed at 8 o'clock. There will also be a lot of people on the scene, so you won't be able to talk to Mommy. You'll only be able to watch from the audience seat."
Little Bun blinked and pouted in disappointment. But he refused to give up that easily. "Can I sleep there? Maybe, I will wake up halfway through my rest and see Mommy on the screen."
The most important thing to him was to wear an outfit that matched his mother's.
Usually, only his father and the grandmas who helped with cooking at home saw their matching outfits. They'd seen it so often that they no longer said it was cute, nor that he took after his mother in appearance; even when they were wearing the same outfit!
But if he went out, there would be other people who'd see it. They'd see he was his mommy's baby!
While he was talking, Ni Yi walked over with a gentle smile and showed his thoughtful young master the black dress on his phone. "This is it."
Little Bun was even more delighted when he saw it. It was a simple, pure black dress. He also had black clothes! Just last week, Mommy had bought him a new black T-shirt.
The perfect matching outfit! He could wear it at the premiere with Mommy!
Little Bun's thoughts disappeared into his own imagination. He was smiling so widely that even his gums were exposed.
Jungkook had no idea that his son's imagination had already begun to run wild. All he knew was that when he saw the dress, he had a vastly different opinion to everyone else.
"The neckline is too low." Jungkook frowned. He knew his wife's figure best. The model in the photo wasn't as plump as Lisa. Their upper bodies were the same. But Lisa would look very... sexy in this. His frown deepened as he inspected the rest of the dress. "The skirt is too short."
Ni Yi paused. He'd just been about to leave. "Hmm? It looks fine to me."
Lisa pouted.
But Little Bun moved his gaze over to the picture again as Jungkook spoke. He nodded in agreement with his father. This truly was a rare occasion. "Too short." He poked his chubby finger at Ni Yi's phone screen and nodded.
"Ah..." Lisa hummed, starting to become a little bit uncertain of her own vision. Even her son was disagreeing. "Alright then, I'll leave it up to the two of you to choose for me."
Jungkook and Little Bun nodded at the same time.
Little Bun knew that he had no skirts, only pants. Still clinging onto the idea of wearing a matching outfit with his mother, he desperately started searching for an outfit with trousers.
Jungkook, on the other hand, felt that his wife no longer needed to try a get people's attention by selling her long-legged figure. The more conservative her outfit, the better.
In the end, the outfit father and son decided on was mutually agreed upon.
"Oh... Okay," Lisa said after she'd taken a look.
***
On the day of the premiere, Lisa wore her husband and son's choice of clothing. It was a light blue pantsuit and a stylish coat. In a showy contrast to her image on screen, she'd swept her hair up into a high ponytail that revealed her delicate face and forehead. Overall, she looked professional, beautiful, and neat.
As soon as she arrived at the scene, a group of reporters started taking nonstop pictures of her.
After sending her off, Jungkook and his son entered through the back door so they could stay low-key. Jungkook walked into the theater wearing a dark blue, custom-made suit, while JeonRui wore a light blue suit of the same make. They were smiling, feeling both happy and proud.
A husband-and-wife outfit. A couple's outfit.
Their happiness only lasted until a bunch of fans and movie fanatics started pouring in.
When Lisa stepped onto the stage with Gu Qianqian, who was dressed in a lavender colored dress with matching high heels and her hand her pocket, a part of the audience near the corner started screaming, "Ah! Lisa husband!"
Jungkook suddenly froze in his seat.
Little Bun frowned.
Lisa heard the fans' shouting from the stage. She paused and looked towards the corner when the noise had come from. She slid one hand into her trouser pocket and with the other, she drew a heart in the air. She was smiling in a way that made her eyes crease at the corners.
The fans immediately started screaming again. The Lisa fans who'd managed to get tickets to the premiere were so excited that they sounded like they were about to explode.
"Oh, my goodness! I'm dead!"
"God! My husband's evil smile! My heart..."
"My husband is so handsome in this light blue suit. Did anyone take a picture? I'm going to use it as a screensaver!"
Jungkook already had a terrible headache, and his wife had only been on stage for a minute.
Director Zhou Zhan also heard the cheering. He took advantage of the situation to make a joke, "Maybe I can consider you as the male lead in my next movie. Lisa, would you be interested?"
Everyone present laughed.
Jungkook helplessly lowered his head and pinched his eyebrows.
"Daddy," Little Bun said, gently pulling his sleeve and leaning in to speak in a secretive manner, "Mommy is a woman, can she also be a husband?"
Jungkook made no response.
The crew of 'Chaos' had invited many famous celebrities in the entertainment industry to the premiere. Those who hadn't been invited had stayed up all night to buy tickets.
One of the guests there who hadn't received an invitation was Chen Jiao. He'd asked his assistant to stand in line all night and buy him a ticket. Currently, he was sitting out of sight in a corner. To try and stay low-key, he was wearing a cap and a mask. But the reporters still noticed him and were taking pictures of him.
Chen Jiao didn't want to steal the spotlight from anyone, and he didn't he want to spoil Lisa's moment. He left early, just after the scene where Lisa jumped off the building and took her own life.
He left the theater and got into the nanny car. Once he was inside, he was safely away from everyone's sight. Then he took out his phone and dialed a number he hadn't contacted in a long time. "Teacher Xu Hong, I heard about your current situation from your manager. Mr. Jeon opposed many of the investment plans you posed in Guangxin. Including the 'Allure' movie project you've been following up on for the past three years. So, let me just come out and say it; are you interested in working with me? I think you and I are heroes with the same idea."