WBSGVS Chapter 218 V2

After all that effort, she had finally secured the breach-of-contract fees.

Zhao Muyun was a newly popular actress with a relatively low salary—and thus a low penalty for breaking contract—but it still amounted to several million. Qingli had no desire to pay that herself.

Su Yan, however, was a different story.

Just his salary alone was 20 million yuan. And that was only because the drama was produced by his own family’s company—his aunt and uncle’s company—so there were no agency cuts. That meant if he broke the contract, he’d be responsible for the full penalty.

Which came out to at least 40 million yuan.

Forty million! After compensating Zhao Muyun, the drama would still have over 30 million left. That money could go straight into promotion!

—

After calling He Tianzhuo, the producer had been waiting anxiously. Though a bit uneasy, he wasn’t truly worried.

He had seen how Su Qingli treated He Tianzhuo over the years. They fought, they made up, and everything returned to normal. This would blow over too.

He just hadn’t expected this night to turn into a complete nightmare.

Returning from a business dinner, the producer received a call from the male lead. Su Yan’s voice was unusually tight:
“If Zhao Muyun’s out, I’m out too.”

And with that, he hung up.

The producer stared at his phone for several seconds before snapping to. He frantically dialed He Tianzhuo.
“Director He, something’s happened. Looks like Su Yan couldn’t talk his aunt down. They got into a fight. Now Su Yan’s saying that if Zhao Muyun leaves, he’s quitting too!”

He Tianzhuo shouted, “What?!”

He was completely caught off guard and felt a chill run down his spine.

The producer urged, “Exactly. You’d better come back and apologize to your wife. It’ll probably take you stepping in to fix this!”

He Tianzhuo stood up—he couldn’t sit in that bar for another second. As he stepped outside, a pounding headache hit him.

It had been five years since he last felt like this—back when Su Qingli had gotten so angry at something he did that her outburst caused his injury to reopen. The memory still haunted him.

Thirty minutes later, he and the producer arrived at the hotel room.

But when he opened the door and found the place empty—only his clothes casually thrown across the sofa—he froze. He had no choice but to call her.

Qingli had been waiting for this call.

She picked up and said flatly, “8127. Come here.”

The producer didn’t catch what she said, so he asked, “What’d she say?”

He Tianzhuo’s face darkened, and he shook his head. “Nothing. Just follow me.”

The two of them rushed to the door of the new room. He Tianzhuo mentally braced himself before knocking.

The door opened. Instinctively, he plastered on a smile.

But the woman inside didn’t even look at him. She opened the door and walked back inside.
“Come in,” she said.

He Tianzhuo noticed the utter lack of emotion in her expression. That same dread from five years ago came rushing back. His steps grew heavier, and pride be damned—he softened his voice:
“Ali, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said all that. I was just angry. Please don’t take it to heart…”

It had been five years since the last time he apologized.

Back then, Su Qingli had been so cold and unyielding that he had no choice but to admit fault.

After that, she’d gone back to being her softhearted self, and even when he messed up again, she never asked for another apology.

Men always take for granted the kindness they’re used to.

Now, five years later, He Tianzhuo could feel once again that she wasn’t someone to be crossed. His usual arrogance evaporated.

Qingli looked up at him casually, then deliberately chose a seat on the opposite side of the room.
“I’m not saying you’re wrong,” she said slowly. “Let’s say I’m just being unreasonable. Let’s say Zhao Muyun is suffering because of her aunt, Zhao Rongrong. But this is my script. I’m the investor. So this time, we do things my way. Now—what’s your decision?”

He Tianzhuo’s voice softened. “Do you have to go this far? Su Yan said if Zhao Muyun gets dropped, he’s leaving too. It’s such a minor thing. What if I talk to Zhao Muyun and ask her aunt to stop coming around the set?”

Qingli ignored him and turned to the producer.
“You remember what Su Yan’s breach-of-contract penalty was, right? Four million yuan? He’s free to leave—as long as he pays.”

Producer & He Tianzhuo: “???”

They were both stunned speechless.

This was turning out to be even harder than they expected. The producer broke into a cold sweat.
“Sister-in-law, isn’t that going a bit far? Su Yan’s your nephew. If he has to pay up, it’s your own family’s money. Four million isn’t a small amount!”

Even though Su Yan made a lot, there were agency fees, taxes, and team salaries to think about. His cut wasn’t as big as it seemed.

Paying four million out of pocket would hurt a lot.

Qingli frowned slightly, her face calm but now showing a quiet authority.
“Even blood brothers keep their accounts straight. He throws a tantrum at me over a woman he’s only known for a month, and I’m supposed to go easy on him? Let me be clear: I asked you two here to inform you, not to negotiate. Or you can cancel your contracts with me. But if you do, it’s not just the script walking—it’s the 25 million I invested as well.”

The producer paled and said nothing.

He Tianzhuo’s face turned red with fury. He growled, “Su Qingli! What the hell is this supposed to mean? Are you trying to destroy the whole production?!”

Qingli’s voice was icy.
“I don’t see a problem. Su Yan’s four million can cover Zhao Muyun’s penalty. Add the 20 million salary we’d save, and we can hire two great actors. It’s a great deal.”

He Tianzhuo finally understood—she was serious this time. He stood abruptly and barked:
“Fine! You’re calling all the shots here. Then I’m out too. Film it yourself!”

He glared at Qingli, betting she’d back down.

But Qingli looked at the producer and said,
“You see that? The director’s quitting too. Go calculate his breach-of-contract fees. Tomorrow, we start over with a new team.”

The producer: “……”

He Tianzhuo’s face darkened completely. He clenched his jaw, turned, and stormed out.

Let’s see, he thought.
Without him, without Su Yan, without Zhao Muyun—how was Su Qingli going to film this show?