Chapter 1985: Gamble or Not

“As for this future, if I want it, I’ll take it. If I don’t want it, I won’t. I’m laying it out today: if my darling is innocent, you must publicly apologize for the baseless slander against her, and must exit the entertainment industry just as I would. Conversely, if she truly did those things to you, I will withdraw and never return!”

Chu Yao faced the camera head-on, “How about it, do you dare to bet?”

Song Yuan was stunned, gritting her teeth, “Sister Chu Yao, isn’t this unnecessary? We’ve all had a hard time getting this far. Let’s not ruin our future over a couple of angry words. Besides… why must we fight against each other?”

The implication was, who stands to gain the most.

Chu Yao picked up on the insinuation. She wasn’t one to hold back, turning to Nan Jiaojiao and saying, “She’s mocking you, implying you might take advantage of this exposure to make money in the entertainment industry.”

“Oh,” Nan Jiaojiao’s eyes were sincere, “Sorry, I’m not interested in your circle.”

Song Yuan: “… Perhaps it’s too early to say that.”

“I really am not interested. I lack neither money nor enjoy the intrigues of your circle. I can’t stand certain despicable people, and I swear I won’t take this opportunity to enter the entertainment industry.”

Chu Yao laughed, “My darling is truly honest.”

She again asked Song Yuan, “So how about it, dare to bet?”

Song Yuan could always fall back on the family fortune if she failed in the entertainment industry. Throughout the years, she hadn’t missed leveraging that “rich beauty” narrative. Yet even if the Song family’s assets were divided, her portion wouldn’t be significant, with no role in the company; at most, only annual dividends.

She talks big about not wanting fame, but honestly, she craves it desperately. Only by achieving success so eye-catching that her family can’t overlook her can she truly hold her head high.

No way would she easily agree to the challenge of leaving the industry.

She bit her lower lip, her face feigning helplessness and showing an expression of forced grievance, “Sister Chu Yao, I don’t have your level of confidence. You have the entire Shengjing backing you, I have so little, I’m begging you, spare me…”

But Chu Yao raised the stakes again: “How about this, I’ll withdraw from the industry, never return, Shengjing will close, and also leave the entertainment industry.”

Song Yuan shot her gaze up in disbelief, “You… you can only represent yourself. How could you possibly represent the whole company?”

Chu Yao replied calmly and confidently, “I have the final say.”

Song Yuan was genuinely scared of this woman; she was too crazy!

“Oh, she’s chickened out,” Chu Yao scoffed. She didn’t know where she pulled a small cake from, opened a fork, scooped a piece to feed Nan Jiaojiao, then used the same fork to eat a piece herself, without looking at the camera again, “Come on Miss Song, wasting time will do no good. You have twenty minutes left, a chance for a transparent self-defense. If you’re not guilty inside, why panic?”

Song Yuan increasingly felt breathless, the sweat on her forehead no longer forced out by acting, she was genuinely nervous and panicked.

It was only now that she realized she had been cornered, with no easy way to gracefully back down.

How on earth would she break out of this predicament?

Sister Lai returned pushing a wheelchair, accompanied by a doctor. Together, they helped Song Yuan onto the wheelchair.

When her hand rested on the armrest, Song Yuan deliberately clutched Sister Lai’s hand, asking with her gaze.

Yet Sister Lai’s expression was complicated, seemingly instinctively wanting to avoid her eyes, but Song Yuan pressed too hard. She had no choice but to grit her teeth, facing the difficulty head-on, and nodded.

Hopefully, she managed to notify Mrs. Song in time, and Mrs. Song could make it.