I'm Rich - 31
Chapter 31
Two days later, the new drama wrapped. Guan Zhiyi posted on Weibo to say goodbye to her latest role.
Not long after the post went up, fans flooded the comments, but everyone was clearly still stuck on that last smear campaign.
[Stay strong, baby! Don't listen to the hate. Just keep working hard, that's all that matters!]
[Yixing, can you please give our Zhiyi some actual protection?! Do you have any idea how hard she's had it?!]
[Everyone report the anti-fans, let's go, let's go!]
[Wuwuwuwu our poor girl, she finally starts making a little money and people already come for her]
[I hope my idol makes a TON of money today! Get out of poverty in the entertainment industry!]
[Don't be too frugal either, stop flying economy from now on! Remember, people recognize you now, we need to keep up appearances!]
[Yixing, act like a real company for once, give my idol a bigger cut]
[Yiyi, stop cooking at home all the time, it's exhausting. Tell Mao Mao to go buy you something good!]
[Hahahaha I'm a fan of someone else, I just came to check out all you worried moms, you guys are hilarious]
[Friend, we're not joking around, we're dead serious!]
……
When Guan Zhiyi checked the comments shortly after posting, she found her fans fretting over her life with the intensity of a worried family. Apparently… her tragic, broke image had really sunk deep.
But the truth was, she'd recently taken on a variety show and wrapped a drama, so the money had already come in. And after Qi Chengyan took over Yixing, he'd renegotiated the contracts with all the artists under the company, her cut was now much bigger than before.
At this point, she could live comfortably on her own.
Still, she was genuinely touched that her fans cared so much. So after the wrap party, she said a quick word to Liu Yun and started a livestream.
It wasn't her first, but it had been a long while since the last one.
Once she got home, Guan Zhiyi plopped down on the couch and went live right away: "Hey everyone, long time no see."
Her popularity was sky-high lately, before long, fans and non-fans alike were pouring into the stream.
[Ahhhhhh! You haven't livestreamed in so long! Missed you!]
[Did the new drama wrap today?!]
[Get some rest, remember~]
[Looks like no makeup? Your skin is so good~]
……
Guan Zhiyi read the comments and said, "Yeah, it's been a while. I've been busy filming. Mmm… actually, I came on today to thank you all. Thank you to everyone who's stuck by me and believed in me."
[Don't worry! We'll always be here!]
[I love you so much, you were amazing on Wandering the World! I bow to you!]
[Sweetie, please rest properly, don't burn the candle at both ends]
[Money is secondary (not that we have any), health comes first!]
……
"Mhm, I know. After this wrap, I won't be joining another production for a while. Also, I want to tell you that I've actually been doing really well. My life is comfortable, so don't worry!" Guan Zhiyi watched the comments scroll by at lightning speed, saying a little sheepishly, "I'm not poor now, and I wasn't poor before. It's just… when I first entered the industry, things were tough starting out, so I was just being frugal. I…"
[Ahhhhh our girl is SO thoughtful, she went through so much and won't even tell us anything! Now she's comforting US!]
[This is our Yiyi! She never passes her negative energy on to us]
[It's okay, it's nothing to be ashamed of. We've got real talent, we'll be rich someday!]
Guan Zhiyi stared blankly at the comments, none of which believed her: "…No, I'm serious. I'm really not poor."
[Okay baby, we believe you (we don't)]
[You don't have to be strong in front of us]
[I heard that after Qi Chengyan took over Yixing, the artists really do get better benefits]
[Sending love to President Qi! You saved our girl from the fire!]
[Work hard and rest well, okay? We're only happy when you're happy!]
It seemed like no one was going to believe her… Guan Zhiyi trailed off mid-sentence. A celebrity repeatedly insisting she wasn't poor on camera was just weird. In the end, she gave up and just chatted with her fans, sharing some funny stories from set before finally ending the stream.
Not long after, her phone rang. Guan Zhiyi picked up: "Hello? Ge?"
Guan Yuanbai: "You at your little apartment?"
"Mm."
"Come down. I'll be there in a minute, waiting outside."
She'd made plans with Xiao Ran earlier to go to his housewarming today, Guan Yuanbai was probably picking her up to head over together.
But… wasn't he usually too lazy for this kind of thing?
Guan Zhiyi asked, "Where's Chengyan-gege? Why is it you coming to get me?"
Guan Yuanbai paused. "Guan Zhiyi, should I take that tone as a complaint?"
Guan Zhiyi immediately denied it: "Of course not, I'm just surprised. You're so busy, Ge. You usually don't have time to come pick me up."
Guan Yuanbai: "Well, I have time today. Come down."
"…Okay."
Guan Zhiyi's neighborhood wasn't anything fancy, Guan Yuanbai's white Bentley parked outside stood out like a sore thumb. When she spotted it from a distance, she glanced around for a good while, making sure no one was nearby before darting over.
Guan Yuanbai glanced at her. "Why are you sneaking around like that?"
Guan Zhiyi pulled off her hat. "How could I not? What if someone sees?"
Guan Yuanbai: "So what if they do?"
Guan Zhiyi's eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean, so what? Didn't we agree that in this industry, I have nothing to do with our family? I'm just following our rules."
"No need to follow them anymore."
"Oh… wait, what?!"
Guan Yuanbai told the driver to go, then repeated calmly, "I said no need to follow them anymore. Whether you keep living here or move back home, either is fine. I take back what I said before."
Guan Zhiyi stared at him in shock, taking a few seconds to process before blurting out: "Ge, does this mean you're… fully on board with me being an actress?"
Guan Yuanbai looked at her. "Whether I'm on board or not, you're going to keep doing it anyway, aren't you? Or are you actually going to honor that two-year deal with Dad and quit after two years?"
Guan Zhiyi: "Of course not…"
"Exactly."
Her dad listened to her brother more than anyone. If her brother had caved, her dad would basically be fine with it. The thought that she'd never have to feel miserable about her family not supporting her career again filled Guan Zhiyi with a burst of happiness.
"Thank you, Ge!" She scooted over and latched onto Guan Yuanbai's arm like an eager puppy.
The corner of Guan Yuanbai's mouth twitched upward. He reached over and pushed her head away. "Just remember what you said. Don't let outside noise get to you. Just be yourself."
"Mm! I will!"
**
The car drove for nearly an hour, eventually circling a stretch of open land before turning onto a wide avenue and finally stopping.
In front of them was a European-style gate. Guan Zhiyi got out and looked around. "This is Xiao Ran's new place?"
Before Guan Yuanbai could answer, a voice came from inside the gate. "Of course it's my new place. So? Isn't it nice?"
Xiao Ran had been waiting for them inside. To her surprise, Qi Chengyan was already there too.
The moment she saw him, her instinct was to run over. But the second she moved, the memory of what she'd deliberately done at his place that day flashed through her mind… Her heart skipped, and she stopped.
Still, she kept her expression perfectly composed, not letting a hint of nervousness show.
Whatever, she thought. He hadn't reacted anyway.
"Is this even a house? It's huge. You could probably bring horses in and race them on that front lawn." She deliberately looked away and spoke to Xiao Ran instead.
Xiao Ran said in surprise, "Huh? How'd you know I brought horses in? I've got three."
Guan Zhiyi: "…"
"You know I love horses. This place has the space for it." Xiao Ran said, "Alright, stop standing at the gate. Come in and eat something first. I'll show you my horses after."
Guan Zhiyi: "…Fine."
Guan Yuanbai chuckled. "These days people raise all kinds of things. Guan Xi went through a phase a while back and kept a crocodile."
"Guan Xi? That's your cousin, right?" Xiao Ran asked curiously. "But how do you even raise a crocodile? She's certainly creative. Did her family agree to that?"
"It's not like she kept it at home. Though honestly, even if she did, I doubt it'd be a problem with how much her dad dotes on her."
"That's wild. Your cousin sounds fun, you should bring her out sometime."
Guan Yuanbai smirked. "Trust me, once you actually meet her, you won't think she's fun anymore."
"Oh? Why?"
……
Xiao Ran and Guan Yuanbai chatted as they walked inside. Qi Chengyan walked slower, naturally falling into step beside Guan Zhiyi.
"Gege." Guan Zhiyi mustered her courage and tugged at his sleeve.
Qi Chengyan blinked and turned to look at her.
Truthfully, his mind wasn't on anything. These past few days, his thoughts had been a mess.
He could feel something was off with himself lately, and because he could feel it, seeing Guan Zhiyi now made him feel unspeakably strange.
Anyone who suddenly developed feelings for the "little sister" they'd watched grow up would, unless they were a complete degenerate, spend a good while feeling like a piece of garbage.
"What is it?" Qi Chengyan smiled, trying to act normal.
Guan Zhiyi said, "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to say thanks. For the online stuff."
"Don't mention it." Qi Chengyan finished speaking and habitually patted her head, but the moment he did, he froze, quietly pulling his hand back.
"Even if I were just your boss, handling these things for you is only right."
Guan Zhiyi didn't notice anything off. Her smile was still bright. "But you didn't do it because you're my boss."
Her glistening eyes, like dark jade brushed with silver light, were clear and luminous, as if he could see his complete self reflected in them.
Qi Chengyan looked at her smiling face, and his heart gave a faint throb.
Before, he'd found it cute. Now… he feels he shouldn't be looking at all.
---
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