WBSGVS Chapter 253 Part 1

Chapter 253

For Qing Li’s eighteenth birthday, the pile of presents filled an entire room. But what truly delighted her most was the news of Jiang Zheng’s death.

In modern society, she followed the rules.

But in her past life, she would never forget what Jiang Zheng had done to the original her.

Originally, she had planned to wait until she had fully risen to power before settling accounts one by one. She never expected that on this very day, Jiang Zheng would die.

By the time his body was discovered, it had already gone cold. The police arrived quickly after a bystander reported it. Strangely, the perpetrator hadn’t even fled the scene. He was penniless, had been surviving on odd jobs, and had nowhere to run—so he was caught almost immediately. But the dead cannot be brought back to life.

The killer turned out to be the very director who had targeted the original her.

He acted out of desperation, driven only by pure hatred.

Back then, the director was sentenced to a year and a half in prison. Because Qing Li hadn’t been physically harmed and his livestream had only lasted a few days, with minimal profit, the sentence could have been just a few months. But Jiang Xi had hired a team of top lawyers who found past season guests who hadn’t signed contracts, had refused to participate before, and were now willing to testify. By attacking from multiple angles, they managed to get him sentenced to over a year.

As for why his family broke apart—well, the scandal had blown up far too much.

With today’s internet, the incident became known to almost everyone, especially around the director’s social circle. The judgmental stares from relatives and friends were unbearable for his wife, who didn’t want their child to have such a notorious father, so she filed for divorce.

Most of the couple’s assets went to Qing Li and several other victims. The only remaining property was an unwanted house. His wife sold it when she left, so when the director was released, he had nowhere left to stay.

When people are pushed to the edge, they often do the unthinkable. Especially for someone like him—his entire skill set was limited to filming, but the entertainment industry had shut its doors to him. His wife and child had vanished, and he was alone. He already blamed Jiang Zheng for ruining his life, so in a moment of rage, he struck.

It was a revenge killing—deliberate murder—and he succeeded. If the death penalty hadn’t been abolished, he’d already be gone himself.

Now, the two people who had nearly destroyed the original her in her past life were dead. Qing Li could feel the resentment lingering in the original body fading significantly. As for Grandpa Jiang, who had enabled them, he was being kept under control. When news of Jiang Zheng’s death reached him, he likely wouldn’t take it well.

That left only Jiang Xi.

Just as she was thinking about this, Qing Li prepared to go to sleep. Someone knocked on the door.

It was Jiang Xi.

Compared to when she’d first met him, he seemed much gentler now. After falling ill, he’d been consuming a lot of health supplements, and without high-intensity training, the once sharp and cold lines of his face had softened. When he smiled, there was even a touch of fatherly warmth.

“Ali, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” Jiang Xi said, finding a seat.

Qing Li sat beside him with a bright smile. “What is it?”

He hesitated, feeling like her smile was just like his own had been before—more of a mask than true emotion. But then again, it did look genuine. The thought passed quickly. He asked softly, “I heard you’ve been doing film and television investments and writing scripts?”

“That’s right! I want to earn some pocket money.” She blinked innocently. “Why?”

“You know, my health might not be good enough for me to remain as chairman of Jiang Group. I’m thinking of passing the position to you. But the responsibilities will be heavier than your tasks over the past six months. If you continue with those side projects, I’m afraid they’ll distract you. Sometimes, hobbies can be put aside for the time being—you can pick them back up when you’re my age.”

He spoke with genuine concern for her and the company.

He’d never been directly involved in show business, but people around him inevitably were, so he knew the industry could make money. Still, Jiang Group was no less profitable, and there was no need to split focus. For an eighteen-year-old to become the chairperson of a large corporation was unprecedented. If Qing Li hadn’t performed flawlessly so far, he never would have dared entrust it to her.

“Don’t worry,” Qing Li said with a grin. “My focus will be on the company. I’m going to surpass you!”

Jiang Xi chuckled. “You’ve grown up. I can’t lecture you like before. Just take my words as advice—how you act is your choice.”

“Got it.” She nodded.

Looking at his daughter—poised, beautiful, already blossoming—he suddenly regretted not paying attention to her sooner, never following her growth. Now, he didn’t even know how she had grown up so quickly.

Sometimes he wanted to look back at her childhood photos, but after much searching, he could only find pictures from before she was three years old. After that, there were only a few scattered ones.

His father, who had raised her, was careless and elderly, not tech-savvy. He only cared that the child grew up safe and healthy, and rarely thought to take photos.

Regret lingered in Jiang Xi’s heart, but he didn’t say it out loud. Too proud, he simply sighed, then reached out to gently ruffle her hair.

“All right, it’s late. You have to go to the company tomorrow. Get some rest.” He stood to leave.

“Goodnight, Dad,” Qing Li said sweetly.

He smiled faintly.

But just as he stepped out of the room, a sharp pain stabbed the back of his head. He froze for several seconds before recovering and continuing. Strangely, he couldn’t quite remember what he had been thinking inside the room just moments ago.

Life went on as usual after that—at least, on the surface.

The only exception was that the day after hearing of his beloved grandson’s death, Grandpa Jiang suffered a brain hemorrhage and never left the hospital again.

When Jiang Xi transferred part of his shares, Qing Li officially became an adult and began to truly have a say in company matters. True to her word, she also opened an entertainment company, producing all kinds of TV dramas for profit—not just to help her friends, but because it was highly lucrative.

Half a year later, Qing Li had been in power for a full year without any major mishaps. Jiang Xi finally let go completely and went to a health retreat.

With full control, Qing Li began consolidating her influence in the Jiang Group.

Those two years happened to be the golden era for hit online dramas, and every single one of them was written and produced by “Jiang Qing Li.” The industry was stunned. The company’s market value skyrocketed in a short time.

At twenty, Qing Li saw the elderly Grandpa Jiang finally succumb to illness.