Chapter 77: The Treacherous Woman

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Cunning Woman

“Have you finished your work?” Mo Qi forced herself to remain calm as she put away her phone, turning back with a smile.

“It’ll take a bit longer. I just came down for some water,” Shen Yijue glanced at her, then turned and walked toward the kitchen.

With Shen Yijue’s domineering and unyielding nature, the fact that he could act so composed probably meant he hadn’t seen it, right?

Mo Qi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and called out toward the kitchen, “Then you carry on. I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

Shen Yijue came out of the kitchen holding a glass of water, his handsome face expressionless, his sharp black eyes narrowing dangerously.

Mo Qi slept soundly through the night. When she awoke, Shen Yijue had already left at some point.

Today, the production team would begin recording the theme song for "Let the Dream Take Flight." The ten contestants would each sing a couple of lines, working together to complete the song.

Mo Qi quickly tidied herself up and prepared to take a taxi back to the dormitory.

The taxi had barely driven a short way before her phone rang in her pocket.

The caller ID was an unfamiliar number.

Mo Qi answered, “Hello?”

“Is this Mo Qi? I’m Long Jia.”

“Director Long,” Mo Qi immediately guessed what the call was about when she heard it was Long Jia.

Sure enough, Long Jia said, “About the matter between you and Wang Min, are you able to come to the company now?”

“Of course. I’ll head over right away.” Mo Qi hung up, a cold smile curving her lips.

This incident had not only placed Wang Min at the center of public scrutiny but had also implicated the production team. Their intervention was well within Mo Qi’s expectations.

A predetermined champion, was it? She was curious to see what reasonable solution the production team would offer.

“Driver, please turn around and head to Yinglian Company on North Construction Road.”

“This is a one-way street. I’ll have to turn left a ways ahead and circle around.”

“No problem,” Mo Qi replied with a smile.

The taxi driver looked at Mo Qi through the rearview mirror. Earlier, with her mask and hat, he hadn’t seen her clearly. Now, as she answered the phone and removed her mask, he found her increasingly familiar.

“Ah!” The driver suddenly slapped his forehead with exaggerated surprise, startling Mo Qi.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re one of the contestants from ‘Let the Dream Take Flight,’ aren’t you? Mo... Mo Qi! That’s right, Mo Qi. My daughter really likes you.”

“Really? Thank her for her support,” Mo Qi replied sincerely.

The driver chuckled awkwardly, “Well, Miss Mo, I won’t charge you for the ride if you can give me an autograph.”

“Of course,” Mo Qi rummaged through her bag and looked up apologetically, “I don’t have any paper or pen with me.”

“That’s fine, I have a pen.” The driver pulled a gel pen from a small box and handed it over. Not finding any paper, when they stopped at a traffic light, he simply took off his T-shirt, “Sign here, please. I’ll give it to my daughter as a gift for her university admission.”

“All right,” Mo Qi laughed, accepting the shirt and spreading it across the back seat.

She hadn’t designed a signature yet, so she simply wrote her name as she saw fit.

“What’s your daughter’s name?” she asked.

“Chen Miaoyin.”

“What an elegant name.”

“Heh, her mother loves things with ancient charm,” the driver replied, a smile filled with pride and happiness.

Mo Qi smiled and carefully wrote a message of blessing.

“Miaoyin, I hope you study well and face your future with diligence and positivity. Wishing you happiness every day and a joyful family.”

After finishing, Mo Qi drew a cute cartoon stick figure winking at the end.

“All done, driver.” Mo Qi handed back the pen and T-shirt.

“Thank you! Thank you so much. My daughter will be thrilled.”

Mo Qi smiled lightly, not saying anything more.

“Miss Mo, we’ve arrived.” The driver stopped outside the small plaza of Yinglian Company.

Mo Qi handed him the fare, but he firmly refused to accept it.

“Driver, the autograph is my way of thanking Miaoyin for her support, but this is your job. They are separate matters. If you really won’t take it, then just drive me back to where I got in, please.”

Seeing Mo Qi’s insistence, and knowing she had business here, the driver didn’t want to waste her time over twenty yuan, so he reluctantly accepted, “Alright. Miss Mo, here’s my phone number. If you ever need a ride, just call me directly. I’ll come pick you up. It’s always a bit inconvenient for celebrities like you to hail a taxi, so I’ll be your dedicated driver from now on.”

“Great! Thank you, Driver Chen.” Mo Qi took the number and finally got out of the car.

Driver Chen waved to her before driving off.

Mo Qi glanced at the phone number written on a piece of tissue, smiled, and saved it in her phone.

A gesture of genuine kindness—though she might never have need of it, there was no harm in keeping it.

After saving the number, staff from the production team had already arrived to escort her.

“Mo Qi, you’re here. Director Long is waiting for you in the conference room on the seventh floor. Come with me.”

“Thank you.” Mo Qi nodded with a smile and followed the staff into the elevator to the seventh-floor conference room.

“Director Long is inside. Please go in.” The staff member opened the conference room door and invited Mo Qi inside.

Mo Qi thanked him, then stepped into the room.

Not only was Long Jia present, but Deputy Director Hu Zhong and Wang Min as well.

Wang Min looked awful, her eyes swollen and red, apparently from crying yesterday—her face still hadn’t recovered.

Mo Qi walked forward, smiling as she greeted, “Director Long, Director Hu,” and completely ignored Wang Min.

“Mo Qi, you know why I called you here. Let’s not beat around the bush,” Long Jia said. “About that anonymous recording online—are you the one who released it?”

Everything had been triggered by that anonymous recording!

“Director Long, are you referring to the recording that revealed Wang Min plagiarized my script?” Mo Qi glanced at Wang Min, her tone calm. “I wish it were me—at least then I’d feel some satisfaction.”

“Mo Qi, this concerns the entire production team. How could you act on impulse and release a recording without authorization?” Long Jia’s expression was grim.

“Director Long, you may have misunderstood. When I said ‘I wish it were me,’ I didn’t mean that I was the one who did it.” Mo Qi replied, “The competition for ‘Let the Dream Take Flight’ must go on. If the recording were in my hands, I wouldn’t ignore the reputation and interests of the production team by releasing it. After all, the program’s interests are tied to mine. The better the show, the more valued its contestants become. I understand that.”

Hu Zhong was skeptical, “Are you saying you really didn’t release the recording?”

“Because of King Shen, Wang Min has always been hostile toward me, making things difficult at every turn. Everyone in the production team knows this. But have I ever retaliated?” Mo Qi’s smile faded. “I’m here to compete, not to play petty games.”

“You’re lying!” Wang Min pointed a trembling finger at Mo Qi, her voice hoarse with fury. “You clearly threatened me before! This whole thing was orchestrated by you—you cunning, deceitful woman!”