Chapter 47: This All Belongs to Chen Yu

Jiang Zhiyun’s heart sank sharply.

Just as she expected.

"Dad," she said, her voice slightly strained. "Those songs were written by Chen Yu. He gave them to me."

"Giving them to you is the same as giving them to the Jiang family, isn't it?"

Jiang Shicheng’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of reprimand. "Zhiyun, do not forget that your surname is Jiang! Everything you possess right now was given to you by the Jiang family! Your company is currently facing difficulties. If not for the backing of the Jiang Group as a towering tree, do you think you could have lasted until today?"

"Now, isn't it only natural for your husband to make a contribution to the group? This will solve your company's crisis and simultaneously add brilliance to the Jiang Group's entertainment industry. It kills two birds with one stone—what on earth are you hesitating for?"

It was happening again.

Once again, this familiar form of plunder and control was being masked under the guise of "doing this for your own good."

Before Jiang Zhiyun's eyes, scenes from the past twenty-odd years resurfaced, where no matter what she did, she was always forced to place family interests above all else.

In her father's eyes, her dreams and her career were merely chess pieces on the Jiang family's commercial chessboard, to be utilized or sacrificed at any moment.

In the past, she would have compromised and backed down.

But this time...

A flash crossed her mind: Chen Yu’s relaxed smile when he handed her the manuscript papers, alongside his remark, "Consider it paying off my debt with my body."

He did all of this for her, for Jiang Zhiyun, and for this household—not for some bullshit Jiang Group.

An unprecedented surge of courage welled up from the depths of her heart.

"Dad."

"The ownership of these songs belongs to Chen Yu. He granted the usage rights to my company, not to the Jiang Group."

"You!"

Clearly not expecting her traditionally obedient daughter to talk back, Jiang Shicheng’s voice was laced with fury. "Jiang Zhiyun, have you grown bold wings now? Do you really think that just because some good-for-nothing husband of yours wrote a few songs for you, you can now stand on your own? Let me tell you this: without the Jiang family, you are nothing!"

"Perhaps so," Jiang Zhiyun said softly. "But I want to find out whether or not I truly am nothing without the Jiang family."

Without waiting for Jiang Shicheng to roar further, she hung up the phone.

A dead silence filled the bedroom.

This time, a conviction solidified within her mind.

She would establish her own corporate group—one that belonged entirely to Jiang Zhiyun, rather than remaining an appendage of the Jiang family!

Once this notion took root, it grew like wild, untamed grass, impossible to restrain ever again.

The live-streaming room's comment section erupted into chaos once more as Jiang Shicheng’s telephone call had been picked up by the audio feed.

[Holy crap! What a blood-sucking vampire of a father! He offers no help when his daughter is in trouble, but the moment his son-in-law produces a treasure, he tries to snatch it outright?]

[This PUA technique is practiced to absolute perfection! "It's all for your own good," "Without me you are nothing"—all the classic quotes have made an appearance!]

[My heart goes out to President Jiang! It's so tough for her! Fortunately, she grew a spine this time!]

[Chen Yu! Now that is a peerless good man! Not only is he insanely capable himself, but he also empowers his wife to become stronger! This is a powerhouse alliance right here!]

[I hereby declare that from this day forward, "Brother Yu" is the absolute standard for the ultimate national husband! Who agrees, and who objects?]

Meanwhile, inside another luxury villa.

The popular actress Lin Weiwei was wearing a facial mask, staring blankly at the live-stream playback on her tablet computer.

Upon seeing Chen Yu pull out that thick stack of manuscripts and witnessing Jiang Zhiyun's speechless, shocked expression, she bolted upright from the sofa, nearly sending her face mask flying off.

"Holy crap..."

She turned her head to glance not far away at her husband, Zhao Kai, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses while sipping red wine and casually browsing short videos of dancing influencers.

An inexplicable blaze of fury flared up instantly.

They were both participating in the "Dad" reality show, and both had husbands—why was the gap between them so vast?

Aside from spending money, playing around, and irritating her, what else was Zhao Kai even good for?

And yet Jiang Zhiyun's "slacker husband" spoke not a word until he startled everyone with a single feat! This wasn't just startling; it was a psychological nuke!

The more Lin Weiwei thought about it, the angrier she grew. She snatched up her phone and dialed Jiang Zhiyun's number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered.

"Zhiyun! My good sister!" Lin Weiwei went straight to the point, her tone laced with exaggeration. "Confess honestly, which temple did you invite that deity of yours from? Hurry up and impart some of your experience to me; I want to send the useless piece of trash in my house back to the furnace for remodeling!"

On the other end of the line, Jiang Zhiyun fell silent for a moment, her voice carrying a trace of exhaustion. "He... is just like that."

"Just like that?!"

Lin Weiwei shrieked. "Sister, you are humble-bragging! Do you know that the entire internet is practically praising Chen Yu as a god right now? He can cook, he can take care of kids, he dotes on his wife, and now he’s even exposed as a top-tier music producer! You’ve struck gold! Tell me, where on earth did you pick him up? Off the street?"

Clutching her phone and gazing out the window, Jiang Zhiyun answered with a frank truth, driven by some inexplicable impulse.

"Mm, pretty much. Picked him up off the street."

"You!"

Lin Weiwei choked. Assuming Jiang Zhiyun was deliberately showing off and trying to rile her up, she grew slightly displeased and let out a cold snort.

"Fine, fine, fine. You're amazing, your husband is the most badass, happy now? I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm getting a heart attack!"

"Weiwei."

Sensing the displeasure in her tone, Jiang Zhiyun let out a helpless sigh and softened her voice.

"Don't be mad. Let's talk business. Didn't you say before that you hadn't found a suitable theme song for your new drama?"

Lin Weiwei was taken aback. "Yeah, I've consulted several big-name producers, but none of them could write the exact vibe I'm looking for. Why?"

"I have something here..." Jiang Zhiyun glanced at the briefcase resting on her bedside table. "It might just be what you're looking for. I can ask for Chen Yu's opinion. If he agrees, the copyright can be given to you for free."

"...What?"

Lin Weiwei was completely stunned. Her previous trace of annoyance vanished instantly, replaced entirely by profound emotion.

"Zhiyun... you... this... this is a golden-egg-laying goose we're talking about! Are you really willing to just give it away?"

"It's just a song," Jiang Zhiyun said calmly. "Friends are more important than money."

A long silence hung on the other end of the line before Lin Weiwei’s voice came through, laden with complex emotion.

"Zhiyun, thank you. But... a friend's husband is not to be coveted. I still understand that much."

"I want the song, and I will pay the proper price for it. But now I'm even more curious: just what kind of divine entity is this Chen Yu of yours?"

Jiang Zhiyun offered a bitter smile. What could she possibly say?

Tell her that she had hired him with money, only to accidentally hire an actual deity?

Who on earth would believe that?

Meanwhile, back on Chen Yu's end.

After playing a few rounds of games and thoroughly crushing a few opponents in exhilarating fashion, Chen Yu stretched lazily and felt refreshed.

He scratched his head, cast a glance at the stack of manuscripts Jiang Zhiyun had left inside her briefcase, and began calculating in his mind.