WBSGVS Chapter 217 V2

But his health never fully recovered. Over the past five years, he was supposed to have released another show, but because of his condition, he hadn’t directed a single drama in that time.

Online, people were starting to wonder—some even said he was washed up.

Trying to prove them wrong, Huo Tianzhuo finally decided to dust off Phoenix Kill.

The script came from a novel titled Phoenix Kill, written by Su Qingli herself. She had serialized it on a publishing platform years ago, and it blew up while it was still ongoing. Over the following years, the fanbase kept growing, with countless readers begging for a screen adaptation.

Huo Tianzhuo had always wanted to adapt it. But the story was set in the inner court and full of palace intrigue—completely different from the genres he was used to. Knowing it had the makings of a hit, he didn’t dare make a move lightly.

But now, feeling the pressure, he brought it out—hoping to prove he hadn’t lost his creative edge.

Because they had high hopes for it, he and Su Qingli invested ¥50 million into the production, using the script rights and cash as capital. They became the show’s largest investors.

And yet…

Qingli could only rub her temples in frustration. She had no emotional attachment to any of this, which made it all the more obvious just how uneven things were.

The Phoenix Kill script had been written entirely by Su Qingli—it belonged solely to her.

That ¥50 million? Half came from her. At the very least, she contributed two-thirds of the actual value.

And that’s not even counting the awards, the fame, the money Huo Tianzhuo earned off her work over the years.

They had many joint investments after getting married, and on that front, Huo Tianzhuo had made no preparations for separation.

He knew the truth: given his condition, if he ever ended up with another woman, his… limitations would be exposed. That’s why divorce never even crossed his mind.

As for the original Su Qingli, she wasn’t the type to plan for a divorce. After all these years, their assets had long since become thoroughly entangled.

And now? Everything she’d worked for was about to benefit Zhao Muyun.

Just thinking about it made Qingli clench her fists in rage.

—

Qingli’s stance was firm, leaving the producer with a splitting headache.

He didn’t want to let Zhao Muyun go. The actress had done an excellent job so far—she truly understood the original material, even adding new layers to it. More importantly, she had great on-screen chemistry with Huo Tianzhuo.

Her acting wasn’t perfect, sure, but that could be coached.

This production was aiming for top-tier quality, every detail refined to perfection.

But now, the screenwriter was suddenly pulling rank.

After hesitating for a long time, the producer finally called Huo Tianzhuo to explain the situation.

“Director Huo, what exactly did you and your wife fight about?” he asked. “Is it because she thinks you and Zhao Muyun are too close? But isn’t Su Yan around all the time? He’s your nephew—would she think you and Zhao Muyun have something going on?”

Huo Tianzhuo’s face darkened further, and he rubbed his temples, sighing heavily. “I’ll handle it. Don’t worry about it. Zhao Muyun stays.”

The producer immediately relaxed. “Got it.”

Once the call ended, Huo Tianzhuo’s lips tightened into a thin line as he pondered how to handle the situation.

Compared to five years ago, he was a changed man. No longer the slightly pudgy middle-aged director—he’d lost a lot of weight. That old injury had aged him rapidly, just like what had happened to Su Qingli in their last life. He wasn’t even fifty yet, but he looked it—and then some. His frame was thinner, but the roots of his hair were streaked with undeniable white.

His eyes had lost their former sharpness and intensity.

Annoyed, he lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a plume of smoke. Then, as if struck by an idea, he picked up the phone and called Su Yan.

Su Yan was Su Qingli’s nephew. Since she never had children of her own, she’d treated him like her own son, putting a great deal of time and energy into him. Qingli always listened to Su Yan’s words.

Unfortunately, Huo Tianzhuo’s timing wasn’t great.

It was evening, and the filming had wrapped early due to smooth progress. Su Yan—who had a crush on Zhao Muyun—had taken her out to dinner.

The two of them, along with their assistants, were in a private dining room discussing upcoming scenes when Su Yan’s phone rang. Seeing it was Huo Tianzhuo, he answered without hesitation, assuming something had gone wrong on set. “Uncle!”

Huo Tianzhuo chuckled and said gently, “Su Yan, listen. Your aunt’s upset with me today. She’s insisting on replacing the female lead. Could you talk to her for me? The show’s already started filming—if we switch leads now, the internet will tear us apart.”

Su Yan was sitting directly across from Zhao Muyun. The atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Both assistants fell silent.

The moment those words came through the phone, everyone’s expressions shifted.

Su Yan and Zhao Muyun locked eyes, and he quickly gave her a calming look. Then he said into the phone, “Uncle… did you do something to upset my aunt? Why would she suddenly want to replace the lead actress?”

Huo Tianzhuo gave a bitter laugh. “What else could it be? That thing from five years ago… I fooled around a bit, and your aunt’s the type who can’t tolerate any speck of dust in her eye. She’s never let it go. It just so happens that Zhao Muyun’s aunt was there that night. Your aunt recognized her, got suspicious, and got upset.”

He conveniently skipped over the worst parts. The incident had been messy, to say the least—they’d spent a lot of money to bury the news. And to be fair, Huo Tianzhuo hadn’t technically cheated. It could be spun as a minor issue, and that’s how he framed it.

Zhao Muyun, listening to every word from the other side of the table, couldn’t help the twitch in her eyelid. But hearing his light tone, she calmed herself, gave Su Yan a helpless smile, and resumed eating, pretending not to care.

Su Yan furrowed his brows, gave her an apologetic look, and said with a sigh, “Auntie is too much sometimes. She’s holding onto this forever. It’s not like you cheated. Haven’t you done enough to make up for it? I can’t believe she’s still stuck on this!”

Huo Tianzhuo sighed. “There’s not much I can do. But we can’t let Zhao suffer for nothing, can we?”

Su Yan nodded quickly. “Of course not. I’ll talk to her. If she insists on replacing Zhao Muyun… then I’m not acting either.”