Demands for Change

The producer and the director didn't immediately understand what "Biluochun" meant, but sitting before them were two cups of tea. The water was a clear, vibrant green.

The producer knew his teas well. After all, schmoozing with the heads of big companies required understanding their tastes. Many executives liked to appear cultured, and offering them tea was an easy way to break the ice.

One glance at the tea's color and clarity, and the producer could tell that it was indeed Mingqian Biluochun, as Qin Ran had said—a tea that wasn't cheap.

Since Qin Ran had mentioned it, he had no choice but to shoot the director a glance, then gently cradle his tea cup, sipping lightly. After savoring a few sips, he put the cup down and began praising the tea's quality.

"President Qin, this is truly excellent tea. Even before tasting it, you can smell the strong floral and fruity fragrance—it's refreshing and invigorating. The tea's color is a bright, clear green, without a hint of cloudiness, and the person who brewed it did a fantastic job. As for the taste, it's simply outstanding—sweet aftertaste and lingers in the mouth."

In contrast, the director was more like a cow chewing peonies. He merely took a few sips and then, with some effort, praised it: "Yeah, it's good." But to truly explain what made it so good? He couldn't articulate that like the producer had. The fact that he could even muster a simple "good" was already impressive for him.

Qin Ran smiled. But the next words out of her mouth froze the room.

"Why else do you think I've served this tea twice now? You left so quickly the first time you didn't even take a sip."

The smile on Qin Ran's face was laced with barbs. The producer, hearing this, shot the director a desperate look: You didn't tell me about this! If he had known, he wouldn't have dared to drink the tea in the first place.

And he certainly wouldn't have dared to lavish praise on it. The more he praised the tea now, the more it highlighted how rude the director had been earlier. It wasn't just a minor lapse in manners; the director had been served an expensive tea by his host, and not only had he left without drinking it, but he had also left Qin Ran and the tea hanging.

At that moment, the producer felt that Qin Ran's real issue with them might not even have been about Yu Shuman. Instead, it was probably because the director had insulted her last time by not drinking the tea. Maybe she had already been looking for a reason to take him down, and when she saw how poorly he was treating her friend on set, she decided to settle both old and new scores at once.

The producer's mind raced, but he couldn't know that Qin Ran didn't care at all about being snubbed. Her real concern was how the director had treated Yu Shuman.

The room fell into silence. After a long pause, the director finally spoke, his voice full of defeat. "President Qin, I was wrong before. I've been arrogant, looking down on people, which is why I behaved that way."

His head lowered, and he muttered an apology. Qin Ran chuckled lightly. "It seems, Director, that your temper needs some refining. It's all too easy for you to offend people. But I'm not one to hold grudges. Since you've apologized sincerely, I'll accept it."

The director breathed a sigh of relief. However, the producer started to panic. Qin Ran had accepted the apology, but she hadn't said anything about continuing their investment. He knew they couldn't leave things at this stage; otherwise, they wouldn't get the funding they so desperately needed.

"President Qin! President Qin…" he called out anxiously, his hands clenching his pants. When Qin Ran finally looked at him, he awkwardly brought up, "About the investment…"

"Oh," Qin Ran responded, as if suddenly remembering. With a smile, she looked at the producer. "I trust you and the director understand my position. Right now, 99 Entertainment's funds are stretched thin. We have several projects awaiting investment, and everyone's in need of money. I have no choice but to prioritize the more promising projects. I hope you understand."

"Of course, of course…" The producer nodded, then hurriedly pulled the director away. The director didn't want to leave, still eager to say something, but the producer dragged him out of the room. In the hallway, the director looked confused.

"Why are you pulling me away? We haven't secured the investment yet."

"Are you an idiot?! It's obvious that President Qin is watching how we perform. If you shape up and direct properly, there's no need to worry about funding! You can't just waltz in and ask for money without showing anything in return. How did I not see how obnoxious you are before?!"

The director was so thoroughly scolded by the producer that he could barely lift his head. He murmured, "I get it. I'll try to change."

"It's not about trying—you must change. The fact that President Qin accepted your apology means she's not planning to replace you just yet. But if you keep acting like this, who knows if you'll even have a future in this industry! How can your emotional intelligence be so low?!"

The director, who usually spent his time berating others, was now the one with his head down, getting reprimanded by the producer.

After they left, Qin Ran sat alone in the reception room, finishing her cup of Biluochun. She didn't particularly enjoy the feeling of using money to pressure others, watching them lower their heads before her. It felt beneath her. But that was how simple the world was—money gave you the power to look down on others.

In the original novel, the reason Yu Shuman had met her tragic end was simple: she had no money, no power, nothing. She was just a poor, struggling woman. But things were different now. Yu Shuman still didn't have money, but Qin Ran did.

But what would Qin Ran have done without Yu Shuman? She knew exactly: if not for Yu Shuman, she wouldn't have come this far. Qin Ran wouldn't have wasted time slowly putting the director and producer in their place, wouldn't have waited for them to come and apologize. She wouldn't have given them the chance. Qin Ran didn't like using money to suppress people, but it was the most efficient method. She would've simply replaced the director, then leaked news that he was blacklisted, ensuring he never saw the light of day again.

Perhaps the director would've ended up holed up in some dingy underground apartment in Beijing, peeking through a tiny window to catch a glimpse of sunlight, regretting how arrogant he had been.

And Qin Ran wouldn't have felt anything about destroying him. She would've been sipping champagne at high-society events, mingling with other powerful elites. She wasn't any different from those capitalists, after all. Even if she didn't like it, her actions would've been the same: either follow or be crushed. Eventually, she would've lost herself in the power that money brought. In her past life, Qin Ran had been this kind of person, no different from the likes of Pei Qi or Brother Ling.

But Yu Shuman was the reins that kept her grounded. Yu Shuman restrained Qin Ran's actions, anchoring her to something more human. Money itself wasn't bad; it was how you used it that mattered. Because of Yu Shuman, Qin Ran was willing to spend the time to teach the director a lesson, to rein in his arrogance, and to treat others with respect.

In a way, it was the same for Qin Ran herself. She hadn't known the meaning of respect before. At her core, she wasn't that different from Ling Miaohan—appearing polite and humble on the surface, but in truth, she had looked down on everyone.

The term "approachable" itself was flawed. It stemmed from the idea that someone was "above" others, and only those with higher status could be described as approachable. If everyone was on the same level, the term wouldn't apply. The very fact that someone was called "approachable" meant they were already separate from others.

Qin Ran didn't think it was a compliment at all.

After finishing her tea, Qin Ran tidied up the table. Ever since she had started living with Yu Shuman, she'd become more accustomed to doing things herself, rather than waiting for someone else to serve her. Some tasks could be left to her assistant or housekeeper, but small things, she could handle on her own. Why trouble others?

Of course, Qin Ran was still pretty lazy. Tidying up for her meant simply moving the cups from the coffee table to a nearby side table. After seeing her do this, Wu Special Assistant quickly stepped in to help, and within minutes, the coffee table was spotless.

Once everything was cleaned up, Qin Ran was ready to head home.

Meanwhile, the director and producer had boarded their flight back to the filming location. During the flight, and every moment they were alone, the producer kept lecturing the director about reining in his temper. To be fair, the producer shared some blame for the director's current attitude.

He had seen the director's talent early on and had produced several of his works, reaping the benefits along the way. Because of this, he had always covered for the director, even when he made mistakes, and had been the one to smooth things over. The investors they'd dealt with before were all fairly easygoing, and the producer had been able to clean up after the director without much trouble.

In turn, this made the director feel like he was indispensable. After years of working together, the director had grown more and more arrogant, and it was the producer who had enabled this behavior. The director had also gained a following online, with fans praising him for his work, which only fed his ego.

When Sister Li had shown interest in their script and offered to invest, the producer had felt validated, thinking: I knew this director was worth it! Even 99 Entertainment is willing to throw money at us. Little did he know, the director's attitude would lead to a series of events that left them both facing the consequences.

The producer remembered how he had struggled to find more investors after 99 Entertainment intervened. Companies that had previously treated him with warmth now avoided him like the plague, some even looking at him with disdain. While trying to secure more funding, he had even overheard other company executives chatting in the bathroom.

"Who does he think he is? There are thousands of directors in this industry who know how to behave. If this one doesn't fall in line, 99 Entertainment can easily replace him."

The producer had finally wised up after that. When he returned with the director, they had both humbly apologized to Qin Ran, with the director's arrogance thoroughly extinguished.

By the time they got back to the set, the director had visibly mellowed out. He no longer lashed out at people, and his demeanor had softened considerably.

Yu Shuman even called Qin Ran, surprised at the change. "I don't know what happened while the director was away, but he's like a different person now."