She's Crazy, I Love Her - Chapter 7

The next morning, as expected, Qi You saw Qi Shouye in the dining room.

The household staff visibly tensed, standing at full alert. Even the slightest footstep was inaudible in the early morning quiet. Zheng Yue sat rigidly upright, daring not to make a sound.

“Morning,” Qi You greeted casually, taking her seat at the table.

Qi Shouye set down his tablet, glanced at her, and frowned.

He had been thirty when he married and thirty-three when Qi You was born. Now, at fifty-five, he showed no signs of aging, but his years in positions of authority had given him a perpetually stern demeanor. Even among family, he rarely smiled.

“What’s that on your face?” Qi Shouye asked. “Were you out gallivanting again?”

“Just didn’t sleep well last night,” Qi You replied.

Qi Shouye scoffed, clearly unconvinced.

Qi You didn’t bother explaining further. She waved for a servant to bring her a glass of warm water.

Seeing Qi You turn to speak to the servant, Qi Shouye fell silent and placed his tablet on the table.

Zheng Yue, still in her school uniform, darted her eyes between the two.

The kitchen staff quickly filled the table with breakfast.

The meal proceeded in complete silence, broken only by the occasional clinking of spoons against plates.

Zheng Yue ate quickly. After finishing her milk, she wiped her mouth with a napkin, slid off her chair, and said, “Dad, I’m off to school.”

Qi Shouye nodded. “Go ahead, but don’t wander off.”

Zheng Yue obediently replied and shuffled out in small steps. Only after she was completely out of the dining room did the sound of her running footsteps become audible.

As soon as Zheng Yue left, Qi Shouye put down his chopsticks and said, “Qi You, the Pei Family’s patriarch will turn eighty next year. They’re celebrating his birthday early in a few days. You’ll come with me.”

Qi You nodded. “Okay.”

Qi Shouye continued, “There’s a younger member of the Pei Family named Pei Yi, a few years older than you. He recently returned from studying abroad. Have you two met before?”

“No,” Qi You replied.

“Then this will be a good opportunity to meet him and get acquainted,” Qi Shouye said.

“Okay,” Qi You agreed.

Qi Shouye paused, eyeing Qi You suspiciously. Her unusually docile demeanor clearly struck him as odd.

Qi You met his gaze steadily.

Suddenly, Qi Shouye’s expression hardened. “Stop hanging around those shady places. You’re still a child—staying up all night is no way to behave.”

Qi You had checked her reflection that morning. There were no noticeable changes, but her thin under-eye skin made even slight sleep deprivation obvious. In the past, she had always worn full makeup, even at home, but now that she was barefaced, her complexion appeared noticeably duller by comparison.

Qi Shouye continued, “It’s fine to be lazy at home, but you can’t be so sloppy when you go out. Remember to dress up for the Pei Family’s banquet and cover those dark circles. Make a good impression.”

Qi You hummed in acknowledgment.

Qi Shouye slammed his hand on the table. “What’s with the ‘hmm’? Did you even hear me?”

Qi You stared at him for a moment before replying, “You want me to meet Pei Yi at the Pei Family’s birthday banquet, right?”

Qi Shouye hadn’t expected her to be so perceptive, nor had he anticipated her reaction. He froze, lowered his hand, and mumbled an affirmative. After a long pause, he added defensively, “It’s just to get acquainted. You’re still young, no need to take it too seriously.”

“Okay,” Qi You replied.

They resumed eating.

Qi You could sense Qi Shouye’s gaze on her from the corner of her eye, but she pretended not to notice, maintaining her composure.

After multiple reincarnations, even without the System’s prompts, Qi You knew that meeting Pei Yi was a crucial plot point. Without this encounter, she couldn’t become the male lead’s fiancée. And without becoming his fiancée, how could she escalate the female lead’s “crimes”?

Of course, she also had her own reasons for wanting to attend.

He Wen followed Qi You’s instructions and only got out of the car after the digital display counted down from 59 to 00.

It was an old apartment building with a creaky elevator. Inside, an advertisement for a cosmetic product was plastered on the wall, its lower left corner peeling slightly. He Wen was surprised. Though Chi Yue wasn’t a top-tier celebrity, she had undeniably broken through into the mainstream. Given the exorbitant salaries in the Chinese entertainment industry, unless there was some hidden reason, she shouldn’t be living in what was clearly employee housing.

He Wen walked to the door at the end of the corridor and paused, hearing faint sounds of arguing inside. After a few seconds, she raised her hand to knock. A man opened the door, his anger still simmering on his face.

“Who are you looking for?” he demanded.

“I’m here for Chi Yue,” He Wen replied.

The man sized her up. “What do you want? What’s your relationship to Chi Yue?”

He Wen frowned. “We’re friends.”

As she spoke, she glanced past the man into the apartment and saw Chi Yue rising from the living room sofa.

The man persisted, “What kind of friend?”

When Chi Yue saw her, a momentary flicker of confusion crossed her face, but she quickly regained her composure.

He Wen said directly to her, “President Qi asked me to deliver something to you.”

Chi Yue visibly panicked, stammering, “Oh, oh,” before realizing she should open the door. “Please, please come in.”

He Wen stepped past the man and entered, discreetly surveying the room. It was a one-bedroom apartment with the bedroom door closed. A vanity and wardrobe occupied a corner of the living room, making the space feel cramped.

Chi Yue’s outfit was mismatched: a hooded sweatshirt paired with pajama pants. She looked weak, her long hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, her face pale, and her eyes slightly red-rimmed.

“Are you feeling unwell, Miss Chi?” He Wen asked.

“Mm, just a bit of a cold…” Chi Yue mumbled, quickly rallying to introduce the man beside her. “This is our company’s talent agency director, President Sun Zhiping.”

“President Sun, this is President He from Wenhui Media. The other night at Huayue—” she paused, her tone becoming strained—”President He was there too.”

“President He!” The man, who had been standing to the side, immediately extended his hand. “Nice to meet you! I had no idea you knew Chi Yue.”

He Wen’s fingers brushed against the other man’s before withdrawing, his tone polite. “There’s no need to call me ‘President.’ I’m just President Qi’s assistant. You can call me He Wen.”

He Wen explained, “Miss Chi’s phone was mistakenly delivered to President Qi by the hotel. He asked me to bring it to her.”

“Ah, I see. That’s very kind of President Qi,” Sun Zhiping interjected before Chi Yue could respond. “To remember such a small matter and even send you all the way here. I was wondering why I couldn’t reach Chi Yue at the company. I was worried something might have happened to her alone, so I had to come check on her myself.”

He Wen handed the phone to Chi Yue, offering Sun Zhiping a polite smile.

“Thank you again to you and President Qi,” Sun Zhiping repeated.

“It was no trouble at all,” He Wen replied.

Sun Zhiping chuckled. “It’s too early to say that. If the Hua Fangfei project gets finalized, Chi Yue will need President He’s support in the future.”

Chi Yue stood with her eyes lowered, numbly listening to their polite exchanges. The living room was small, and the presence of three people made it feel even more cramped.

Sun Zhiping, acting as the host, urged Chi Yue to fetch water.

He Wen didn’t refuse.

Sun Zhiping, possessing the emotional intelligence required for his profession, immediately understood that He Wen’s gesture meant she wasn’t planning to drop off the items and leave immediately.

“Then I won’t interrupt your conversation,” Sun Zhiping said after exchanging business cards with He Wen. He turned to Chi Yue and reminded her, “Rest well if you’re sick. Come to the office tomorrow if you feel better.”

Chi Yue nodded.

The door closed, and the room fell silent, the boisterous man gone.

Yet Chi Yue didn’t relax. She stiffly invited He Wen to sit down.

He Wen smiled politely and gestured to the bag. “Everything should be inside. Miss Chi, please check if anything is missing. If so, I’ll contact the hotel again.”

Chi Yue opened the bag, then her purse. Her expression flickered slightly when she saw the hairpin.

“Everything’s here,” Chi Yue said, forcing herself to remain calm. “Thank you.”

He Wen chuckled. “If you want to thank someone, thank President Qi. I’m just running errands.”

Chi Yue pressed her lips together. “Then please thank President Qi for me.”

He Wen took a sip of water, set the cup back on the coffee table, and asked, “May I ask what President Sun came here to have you do today?”

Chi Yue said, “It’s nothing. They just couldn’t reach me and came to check on me.”

He Wen replied, “That’s good. President Qi was worried that Zhao Ming’s injury might cause trouble for you at your company.”

When Zhao Ming’s name was mentioned, Chi Yue’s expression suddenly became tense. She quickly said, “Thank you for President Qi’s concern, but I can handle this myself.”

“That’s good then,” He Wen said.

A moment of silence hung between them, each lost in their own thoughts.

He Wen, who was doing this for the first time, only moved when the atmosphere became awkward. He turned and pulled a document from his briefcase.

It was a management contract.

“President Qi asked me to bring this to you as well,” He Wen said, taking a deep breath. “He has high hopes for Miss Chi’s future development and would like to invite you to join Wenhui. You can review the specific terms in the agreement.”

Chi Yue stared at the bold, enlarged font on the cover, motionless.

“The contract can be signed for an initial three-year term, covering both management and recording agreements,” He Wen said, opening the document. “You’ve probably heard about our company’s upcoming production, In the Alley. The role of the second female lead is still open. If you’re interested, President Qi can help you secure it.”

“After signing, our company can assign Zhang Mu as your agent. Currently, Zhang Mu only manages Teacher Zeng Yonghong, the reigning Best Actress. He doesn’t have any other young actors under contract, so you won’t face any competition for resources.”

“You can review the terms carefully. If you have any additional requests, I’m authorized to add them.”

Chi Yue remained silent. He Wen continued, “Oh, and if you need to terminate your contract with Ji Mei Entertainment, our company will provide legal counsel and cover the breach of contract fees.”

Only then did Chi Yue look up. “What are the conditions?”

He Wen’s smooth flow of words faltered, a hint of guilt flickering in his eyes.

After a long pause, he said, “President Qi… she’s very fond of you.”

He left it at that.

Chi Yue clenched her fist.

“Miss Chi, you don’t need to worry too much. President Qi’s desire to sign you to Wenhui isn’t meant to pressure you. You can treat her as any other admirer.”

He Wen softened his tone, trying to reassure her. “Whether you ultimately accept or decline is entirely up to you. President Qi won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

As Chi Yue listened, Qi You’s image flashed through her mind—

Miss Chi hasn’t made up her mind yet.

Dominant, aloof, and uncompromising.

She wondered blankly, Is this what they call “not forcing”?