The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 56

56:

Chu Yue Entertainment wasn’t located in the city center, but it was situated in a high-end business district with excellent surrounding amenities.

There was a street full of restaurants, another lined with tea shops—everything was neatly arranged, satisfying even the most obsessive-compulsive eye.

The office building where Chu Yue was housed had thirty-one floors. Its exterior was sleek and modern, pleasing to the eye at first glance.

Chu Yue occupied two of those floors, the 21st and 22nd.

Aside from office spaces, there were recording studios. The training facilities were in the suburbs, combined with the trainee dormitories.

The décor of Chu Yue was strikingly fashionable, with a touch of playfulness.

It was much like Chu Zhao herself—cold and aloof on the surface, but her mind often brimmed with quirky ideas, creating an intriguing contrast.

Zhou Lan had thought coming to Chu Yue would mean running into Hua Qiao and exposing her identity as Ming Xiao Zhou.

Truthfully, she didn’t mind the exposure. What intrigued her more was how Chu Zhao would react upon learning she was Ming Xiao Zhou.

Would it change Chu Zhao’s opinion of her? Would she see Zhou Lan as someone reliable?

Outwardly, Zhou Lan followed behind Chu Zhao, eyes forward, but her thoughts had already wandered far ahead.

The employees at Chu Yue were all busy with their tasks. No one spared more than a glance at the person their boss had brought in, nor did they gossip.

Working in the entertainment industry, they’d seen plenty of attractive people. Even so, Zhou Lan’s looks could easily rival those of celebrities.

Today, Zhou Lan was dressed entirely in white wide-legged white pants and a white blouse. Her tall, poised figure and refined demeanor made it hard to look away.

But in an industry accustomed to beautiful faces, the staff merely glanced at her before quickly returning to their work.

Once in Chu Zhao’s office, with the help of the company’s legal team, Zhou Lan swiftly signed the contract.

She quite liked Chu Zhao’s office—the guest seating area, the workspace, every decorative piece clearly chosen with care.

Chu Zhao was a meticulous person. Even the aromatherapy diffuser emitted a light, soothing fragrance.

She’d been to Chu Zhao’s home before, and it was much the same.

A clean, detail-oriented person could leave a good first impression even without striking looks.

And Chu Zhao was striking—exceptionally so, outstanding in every way.

What Zhou Lan admired most was the tenderness in Chu Zhao’s heart. Despite all the cold shoulders she’d endured, she still approached the vulnerable with kindness and maintained compassion for the world’s injustices.

Chu Zhao was a gentle person. The thorns on her surface were just armor. The more Zhou Lan saw of this, the more she wanted to share some of Chu Zhao’s burdens.

After signing the contract, Zhou Lan should have left. But she was worried about Chu Zhao’s health.

“Let me schedule a prenatal checkup for you.”

“Huh?”

Chu Zhao looked up sharply, taking a moment to process what she’d just heard.

Zhou Lan mistook her hesitation for reluctance and pressed on.

“Pregnancy is a long process. There’s no telling what complications might arise, and the baby will draw nutrients from your body. Without regular checkups, forget the baby—your health could suffer.”

“Whether for your own well-being or the child’s, you should make time for these exams.”

“What if something happens to you?”

She’d rambled on, but the truth was, she didn’t care about the baby. She cared about Chu Zhao.

If Chu Zhao intended to keep the child, prenatal care was non-negotiable. No matter what, Chu Zhao’s health came first.

“You want me to have this child that badly?”

Chu Zhao stared straight at her, her mind unreadable. She just wanted to hear Zhou Lan’s answer.

Zhou Lan paused. She didn’t understand why her opinion mattered so much.

But she answered honestly. “No.”

“I don’t want you to have this child, Chu Zhao. I like you. Sincerely.”

“It’s someone else’s child. Of course I can’t say I want you to keep it.”

“But if it were yours, I’d accept it…”

Here, she laughed self-deprecatingly. “Not that my acceptance matters to you. I just want you to know—whatever role you’d let me play in this child’s life, I’d take it.”

“Not for any other reason. Simply because I like you.”

Her explanation sounded feeble, hardly convincing.

Zhou Lan smiled wryly. “Never mind. It’s just my wishful thinking. Sorry for barging into your life again.”

She’d known all along Chu Zhao despised her. Unless she stopped being the original Zhou Lan, that prejudice would remain.

She stood, steadying herself. “Chu Zhao.”

She called her name, meeting Chu Zhao’s gaze without hesitation. “What if I told you I’m not Zhou Lan? Would you believe me?”

“What?”

Chu Zhao didn’t understand.

Zhou Lan had originally planned to let Chu Zhao discover the truth herself. After all, firsthand realization carried more weight than being told.

But the more she’d spoken just now, the more wronged she’d felt. Why should she take the blame for the original Zhou Lan?

The original was trash, but she wasn’t.

Especially in front of someone she liked, she wanted to be seen as her best self—not as garbage.

“I—”

Before Zhou Lan could continue, Chu Zhao’s assistant rushed in. “Boss, there’s trouble with CYC.”

“Explain.”

CYC was Chu Yue’s girl group, currently competing in a survival show. Thankfully, the show was filmed in the capital city, so issues could be addressed promptly.

The assistant spoke rapidly. “After splitting up CYC, the show’s producers plan to rig Cheng Ji’s ranking—eliminating her at 29th place.”

“But they’d promised all CYC members would advance.”

“Besides, Cheng Ji’s popularity is in the top ten. All our CYC members are in the top ten—they could easily take the nine debut spots.”

“This is just bullying.”

The assistant was clearly furious. Last-minute changes like this left Chu Yue no time to react.

Chu Zhao remained calm. She turned to Zhou Lan. “Wait here. I’ll handle this.”

Internally, though, she was still puzzled over Zhou Lan’s words.

The interruption had cut her thoughts short. Business came first.

Zhou Lan didn’t press further. “Text me if you need anything. I’ll head out first.”

Chu Zhao was at work, with countless tasks demanding her attention. Zhou Lan could leave for now. There’d be other chances to talk.

Chu Zhao opened her mouth as if to stop her, but ultimately said, “Mm.”

As Zhou Lan left, she overheard Chu Zhao asking, “What’s their manager saying?”

“The manager leaked the news to the fans. The fan club will tally their votes first, then pressure the show online.”

“Right now, the manager’s probably negotiating with the producers. But I doubt fan efforts can change the voting results.”

“As for CYC’s manager, this is her first time handling such a situation. She might not manage it well. The head of management is in Luoan, swamped with work. She can’t return immediately.”

“More importantly, Orange Sun Entertainment is behind this. They’re pushing their own trainees. Remember that resource we clashed over before? Who knows what they’ve promised the show to get their artists ahead of our CYC.”

If this were normal competition, the manager could handle it without involving Chu Zhao.

But with an entire company pulling strings, it was beyond a manager’s pay grade.

“Understood.”

Chu Zhao nodded. “Has CYC’s new song been finalized?”

The assistant shook her head. “That track Ming Xiao Zhou gave them boosted their popularity, especially the MV. With the show airing, CYC’s now the hottest girl group.”

“You’d said you didn’t want CYC to debut through the show, but as an independent group. The music director has a few demos, but President Hua isn’t satisfied with any.”

Chu Zhao frowned. “Why not?”

“None are as good as Ming Xiao Zhou’s.”

The assistant sighed. “President Hua requested a budget to commission another song, but finance rejected it.”

Chu Zhao nodded. “I’m aware. There’s still a month until the show ends. Keep looking.”

“About the show, set up a meeting with President Luo from Guangshi Media.”

The assistant nodded. “Right away, Boss.”

Noticing the untouched tea on the desk, the assistant recalled the woman who’d just left. “Boss, was that Ms. Zhou earlier?”

“The one your mom’s always talking about? Her daughter-in-law?”

The assistant had been the one to pick up Chu Zhao’s mother last time. Zhou Lan had kept asking after the older woman’s health, and the two still kept in touch.

Initially, the assistant hadn’t known their relationship. But Chu’s mother kept mentioning her “daughter-in-law,” and connecting the dots led to Zhou Lan.

Learning the boss was married had been a shock.

But after meeting Zhou Lan, the assistant thought they made a striking pair. Zhou Lan seemed like a good person, too.

The assistant smiled. “Ms. Zhou is very gentle, and she treats your mom so well. Some in the company were disappointed you are married so young, but if they knew Ms. Zhou was your partner, they’d probably just ship you two as the perfect match.”

Some things couldn’t stay hidden. Chu Zhao hadn’t been to the office in a while, nor had she bothered to conceal her marital status. The news had spread naturally.

The assistant, handling many tasks for her, knew more than most.

Chu Zhao froze. She realized she’d never once introduced Zhou Lan to anyone.

“Get back to work. Update me immediately if there’s any news about my mom.”

The assistant’s phone was on 24/7. If Chu Zhao missed a call from home, the assistant would notify her.

“Got it, Boss. I’ll go now.”

Having worked with Chu Zhao for so long, the assistant recognized her reluctance to discuss this and quickly excused herself.

Instead of diving into work, Chu Zhao stared at Zhou Lan’s untouched cup, her mind fixated on one thing:

What had Zhou Lan meant by not being Zhou Lan?

Zhou Lan… wasn’t Zhou Lan?

Suddenly, she thought of Zhou Lan’s recent changes.

The original Zhou Lan’s despicable behavior wasn’t just rumor—Chu Zhao had verified it herself, not to mention their month of living together.

She might not have known Zhou Lan well, but certain facts were undeniable.

When did Zhou Lan start changing? It seemed to be that night.

She suddenly remembered Zhou Lan struggling to sit up, swaying as she approached to ask, “Hello, where is this?”

At the time, Chu Zhao had been too agitated to respond, immediately lashing out instead.