WBSGVS Chapter 217 V1

“The child is… innocent?”

So, Su Qingli should agree to a divorce—for the child’s sake?

But wasn’t it Huo Tianzhuo who originally insisted on being child-free?

If it hadn’t been for that, she would’ve had a child years ago.

Why wait until she was thirty-three, get stabbed, and lose the ability to have children forever?

And now he suddenly wants a child? And since she can’t give him one, he just found another woman to have it—and then dares to say, “The child is innocent”?

She didn’t even need to look closely—the child’s features were a carbon copy of Zhao Rongrong’s.

The original Su Qingli had already been mentally tormented by false accusations of plagiarism, unable to defend herself. The online harassment had driven her to the edge, and this final blow pushed her over it—she completely snapped and tried to kill both Huo Tianzhuo and the child.

But she failed.

A mentally unstable, severely underweight woman was no match for a man like Huo Tianzhuo, even if he was holding a baby.

The result? Su Qingli was pushed down the stairs. She hit her head. Though she didn’t die, it was close—she suffered severe brain trauma and ended up in a vegetative state.

And Huo Tianzhuo? Since his actions were ruled as passive self-defense, and Su Qingli’s family—her brother’s household and her parents—agreed to a settlement, he never served jail time.

—

After reviewing all of the original Su Qingli’s memories, Qingli rubbed her temples. Thank goodness she’d avoided that whole mess the last time she came back—otherwise, Huo Tianzhuo would’ve gotten off completely scot-free!

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calmly assess the current situation.

This time, Su Qingli had discovered the connection between Zhao Muyun and Zhao Rongrong, and told Huo Tianzhuo she didn’t want Zhao Muyun playing the female lead in her script.

But Huo Tianzhuo, completely taken with Zhao Muyun’s talent, had flat-out refused.

The argument that followed ended with the two of them storming off in opposite directions.

According to the original storyline, this would be followed by Huo Tianzhuo giving her the silent treatment. After two days, he would return, act all gentle and contrite, promise to make Zhao Rongrong leave, but say that since the show had already been filming for nearly a month, it would be too difficult to replace the female lead now.

Then, the second male lead in the drama—Su Qingli’s nephew, Su Yan—would come and plead with her.

And once again, the original Su Qingli would cave.

That moment of weakness would allow Zhao Muyun to ride the wave and rise to fame.

Qingli picked up her phone and dialed the producer.

The moment the call connected, the other party chuckled awkwardly: “Hey, sis-in-law, I heard you and Director Huo had a fight? Want me to help smooth things over and see where he stands?”

Qingli smiled. “Thanks, but no need. I’m calling to inform the production team that, as per the contract, I have final veto power over the lead cast. I’m exercising that right now—I want the current female lead replaced.”

The producer broke into a cold sweat. “Come on, sis-in-law, don’t do this. We’ve already shot so much! Canceling the contract now means a huge payout…”

Qingli’s voice was firm. “If you refuse, then I’ll terminate the agreement from my end. I’ll pay the penalty, but the script will no longer be available for use.”

Producer: !!!

Her threat landed hard.

Unlike many small-time screenwriters in the entertainment industry, Su Qingli was a major name. She kept a low profile, so people outside the industry didn’t know her, but within the circle, her pen name, Liuli, was legendary. Just hearing that she’d written a script was enough to get audiences glued to their TVs.

She was box office gold.

All rights to her scripts remained with her. She wasn’t short on money. Because her husband was the director, they’d deliberately kept outside investors at bay to maintain creative control. They were the main funders, and the script’s copyright was entirely theirs—it was only licensed to the production team.

If either party broke the contract, they’d have to pay heavy damages. But Qingli, as the screenwriter, had enormous influence over the cast. If she didn’t approve of Zhao Muyun as the lead, and the producer refused to replace her, that would count as a breach too. Who owed whom in the end would be up for legal debate, especially since the original agreement didn’t specify that the lead cast couldn’t be changed once filming began.

These days, actors come with risks. If one ran into a scandal, replacements were inevitable.

So Qingli was well within her rights to make this decision.

The producer, hearing her tone, quickly changed his tune. “Alright, alright, no need to get upset. Let me review the contract again, okay? After all, Zhao Muyun’s pretty hot right now—lots of buzz—we can’t afford to get burned.”

Qingli agreed and hung up cheerfully. But she didn’t put her phone down. Instead, she started looking into the assets belonging to the original Su Qingli and Huo Tianzhuo.

There wasn’t much on the phone. Most of it was locked away in her memory.

Once she finished sorting through it, she nearly had a heart attack.

But it made sense.

Not every woman values career over everything, dismissing men as mere distractions. Thanks to years of social conditioning, many women instinctively put more emphasis on family. By the time Su Qingli had been married to Huo Tianzhuo for ten years, she’d invested too much—emotionally, financially, and mentally—to simply walk away.

It’s like investing money: the more you put in, the harder it is to cut your losses.

That’s why she didn’t file for divorce when she should have. And during the five years that Qingli had been away, the original Su Qingli—unaware of everything-had—had received apologies and promises from Huo Tianzhuo. Though she was suspicious for a while, in the end, she gave in… because she couldn’t harden her heart.

That stab five years ago had hit Huo Tianzhuo where it hurt—but hadn’t finished the job.

He’d undergone surgery, stayed in the hospital for months, and spent a fortune on recovery. Though he didn’t fully return to normal, he appeared close enough.

The couple hadn’t touched each other since then. That, at least, brought Qingli a bit of comfort.

Huo Tianzhuo had been injured and kept it a secret from everyone, hiding it so thoroughly that he completely reined himself in. Though he still socialized with investors at private clubs, he no longer let women sit on his lap or crossed any obvious lines. He came home on time every night, which put Su Qingli at ease. After two years of doubt and wariness, she gradually returned to her role as the devoted wife.