<h4>Chapter 56: Chapter 51: Am I Right, Miss Jiang?</h4>


    Every word in the conversation was aimed at her.


    Jiang Ruan’s expression changed slightly as she held her drink and looked at Rong Cheng with a sardonic smile, neither humble nor afraid: "Director Rong, what do you mean by that?"


    "If I remember correctly, this should be the first time we’ve met, right? I don’t know how I might have offended Director Rong?"


    Rong Cheng sneered, "Just what it sounds like,"


    The two were evidently at odds.


    Those present couldn’t help but exchange nces.


    They wondered how Jiang Ruan had offended this Director Rong. Hadn’t it been said this was their first meeting, or was there some past grievance?


    The director saw things weren’t right and quickly tried to smooth things over, saying good words: "Director Rong, Jiang Ruan is the lead actress of our crew. Don’t mind her young age, she’s not only beautiful but also talented, and very popr among fans. If she has upset Director Rong in any way, I apologize on her behalf."


    "How about this, I’ll drink three sses myself to liven things up, okay?"


    With that, the director gantly downed three sses in a row.


    Three sses of white liquor quickly went down, the director drank vigorously.


    Alcohol raised to his face, his cheeks were directly red.


    Holding up the empty ss, the director smiled.


    "I drank it all, Director Rong."


    Everyone watched, secretly admiring the director’s protectiveness over Jiang Ruan.


    The director bitterly smiled inside, he had no choice but to protect her.


    If he didn’t, someone would trouble him.


    That would be a greater loss than offending Rong Cheng.


    Li Xin watched enviously, clenching her fingertips under the table, coldughter echoed in her heart.


    The director personally protecting Jiang Ruan?


    Ha.


    Protection won’t help.


    Sure enough, Rong Cheng nced at him, then aimed his criticis toward Jiang Ruan again: "No matter how good the acting, you have to first learn how to be a person. Relying on being young and pretty and using underhanded means to climb up, even the best acting is useless, the public is not blind."


    "Am I right, Miss Jiang?"


    In front of everyone, Rong Cheng showed no reservation.


    So straightforwardly targeting Jiang Ruan.


    The room was extremely quiet.


    No one dared to speak, they could only watch.


    You could even hear a pin drop.


    Jiang Ruan’s face turnedpletely cold, her fingers gripping the ss were turning white.


    Looking at this fat, balding, and pot-bellied old man.


    Jiang Ruan was so angry she lost her temper, ready to retort on the spot.


    "Director Rong, your words..."


    Just because he’s a director, doesn’t mean he can talk nonsense, right?


    Did she provoke him? Or did she dig up his ancestors’ graves?


    Why target her like this the first time they meet? Is he sick?


    Before she finished, Bai Yi stopped her.


    Seeing she was angry, Bai Yi quickly held Jiang Ruan’s arm, interrupting her gently: "Jiang Ruan."


    Jiang Ruan looked at him, her eyes filled with anger.


    Bai Yi signaled her to bear with it.


    After all, he is a director, an official in Beijing, even if not involved in the entertainment industry.


    But it’s known that businessmen and officials appear unrted, yet secretly cooperate.


    For the sake of momentary satisfaction, ruining her own future, it’s not worth it.


    Jiang Ruan bit her lip, feeling utterly aggrieved.


    Once she calmed a bit, Bai Yi gentlemanly released her, then picked up a bottle of white liquor and poured it for himself.


    "Director Rong, Jiang Ruan is young and naive, but I can guarantee her character, she is definitely a kind-hearted and upright youngdy."


    "The inte is a ce for rumors, please don’t be misled by online words, I also toast you three sses."


    "Bai Yi bro." Jiang Ruan tried to stop him: "You don’t have to..."


    She didn’t want them to drink on her behalf, these are all favors.


    "It’s okay, don’t talk."


    Bai Yi was faster than her, directly grabbing the bottle of white liquor, forcibly pouring himself a full ss, drank down three sses in no time.


    "Director Rong, I’ve not left a drop of these three sses, surely you’ll give me this face?"


    Bai Yi said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.


    Seeing both the director and Bai Yi speaking up for Jiang Ruan.


    Artists present were green with envy.


    They thought this would satisfy Rong Cheng, and this affair would pass.


    Unexpectedly, Rong Cheng sneered, derisively saying again: "One is a director who hasunched countless big stars, the other is a red-hot movie king in the entertainment industry, Jiang Ruan, what kind of charm do you have that can make these two big figures lower their status for you?"


    "And you say you didn’t use improper means to rise, do you really take me, Rong Cheng, for a fool?"


    The words inside and out were belittling Jiang Ruan.


    Implying she had relied on her means to rise.


    The director’s face changed.


    Just as he was about to speak, Rong Cheng said, "Shut up."


    "I’m talking to Jiang Ruan, not you."


    The director’s face was unpleasant.


    He thought it was over.


    He could only turn his gaze to Jiang Ruan.


    Suddenly thinking of something, he took out his phone.


    Sent out a message.


    Bai Yi also watched her worriedly, signaling her to endure, patience for peace.


    But Jiang Ruan had reached her limit, she stood up abruptly, looking at this balding old man, her fingertips clenched tightly, her cheeks stiff from smiling, she questioned: "Director Rong, may I ask how I have offended you?"


    "If I remember correctly, this should be the first time I’ve met you, right? I don’t know how I, Jiang Ruan, have offended you, Director Rong, that you target me so much today."


    Rong Cheng: "Whether you offended me doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what I’m speaking now, does it?"


    "Did I say something wrong?"


    "I heard you came from Jiang City. It’s already something rare for someone from that backwater ce to get into college. And you graduated from a third-rate university, a performing arts student without identity or background, graduating from a third-rate college, and in just a few years, you’ve managed to climb to your current status in the entertainment industry."


    Rong Cheng snorted, "Miss Jiang’s capability is enough to instantly outshine ny percent of Beijing’s top performing students."


    "To say she didn’t use connections or offer anything else, I, Rong Cheng, wouldn’t believe even if beaten to death."


    These words were like putting Jiang Ruan on a grill.


    If she backed down, it would mean she admitted to rising through improper connections.


    If she didn’t admit it, then she’d only have the option of resisting this stubborn old man back then.


    Tears welled in Jiang Ruan’s eyes, feeling suffocated with frustration.


    Damn it.


    Was it that she didn’t check the almanac before going out today?


    She must have dug up this old coot’s ancestral grave, for him to target her like this.


    How she rose up was none of his damn business.


    Absolutely absurd.


    "As far as I remember, Director Rong doesn’t seem to be overseeing the entertainment industry, right? So, you surely don’t pay much attention to entertainment matters. I, Jiang Ruan, have been an extra since college. I’ve yed dead bodies and stunt doubles in at least eighty, if not a hundred, scenes. Getting to where I am today is entirely due to my own hard work, step by step."


    "Yes, I’m indeed not from Famous University. I don’t deny there’s an element of luck, but I, Jiang Ruan, have lived and worked with a clear conscience, so I don’t ept what Director Rong says!"


    Jiang Ruan looked at Rong Cheng with a calm face, speaking each word with rity.


    These words were equivalent to directly countering Rong Cheng.


    The director was so scared that cold sweat appeared on his forehead,


    Oh my, your courage is too big.


    This is a director.


    Not some regr small official.


    Bai Yi also looked at Rong Cheng anxiously.


    Afraid he would get angry.


    Sure enough, Rong Cheng’s face instantly darkened. When had he, as a director, not been praised, not been humored, when had he been confronted like this?


    Truly daring.


    Rong Cheng let out a snort, sneering, "Miss Jiang truly has a sharp tongue."


    "I, Rong Cheng, am truly impressed."


    "You won’t acknowledge it, huh? Fine, I, Rong Cheng, will see who in the entire Beijing still dares to offer you, Jiang Ruan, a role in a movie after offending me."


    These words were tantamount to verbally cklisting her.


    Rong Cheng is a director in Beijing, with great power and authority.


    Who dares to offend him, not giving Rong Cheng face.


    If he says not to work with Jiang Ruan, who would dare to risk offending him to work with her?


    The director never imagined that a dinner, originally meant to foster good rtions,


    would end up harming Jiang Ruan.


    He also couldn’t understand why Rong Cheng was targeting Jiang Ruan, whom he didn’t even know.


    Jiang Ruan was so angry she could hardly breathe, she simply chose to break the pot instead of mending it: "Director Rong, you’re being unreasonable."


    "I’ve never offended you, yet you do this to me, you’re just bullying with power!"


    "Jiang Ruan!" Bai Yi shouted, already unable to stop her.


    Jiang Ruan had been in the entertainment industry for a few years, enduring many grievances, yet she had put up with them.


    But today’s grievance, she couldn’t bear it anymore.


    After speaking, tears welled in Jiang Ruan’s eyes again, feeling wronged and helpless.


    Images of Bao Ye crossed her mind, wanting to find him to pour out all her grievances.


    Yet she felt embarrassed.


    With a "bang," Rong Cheng’s palm mmed onto the table angrily: "How bold of you to say I’m being unreasonable."


    Rong Cheng sneered, "I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice, little girl, who gave you the guts to criticize me here?"


    The atmosphere in the private room was tense.


    "Director Rong, please don’t be angry, don’t be angry, Jiang Ruan didn’t mean it like that."


    The director lowered himself, cajoling and pleading.


    "Then what did she mean? Saying I’m bullying with power, everyone here heard it."


    "What’s wrong if I’m bullying with power?"


    "What do you think you are? To put it frankly, just an entertainer in the industry, daring to behave presumptuously here?"


    Rong Cheng scolded loudly.


    Bai Yi’s face had turnedpletely dark, what Rong Cheng said wasn’t just about Jiang Ruan anymore.


    Everyone present was from the entertainment industry.


    ording to Rong Cheng’s words, does that mean they are all entertainers for amusement?


    These words were a personal insult.


    Sure enough, everyone’s face in the room looked displeased.


    Rong Cheng’s words seemed to have insulted each and every one of them.


    Next to him, Li Xin was also startled by what she heard.


    She had never seen Rong Cheng so angry, yet actually, she found it quite satisfying.


    This is precisely what she wanted.


    Seeing Jiang Ruan’s red-rimmed eyes and her trembling with anger while trying to hold it in,


    Li Xin couldn’t feel more pleased.


    She couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of her lips.


    Aren’t you so great, Jiang Ruan, isn’t everyone praising you?


    I just want to put you in your ce.


    Today is just the beginning, just an appetizer.


    In the future, I want to keep you beneath my feet, so you’ll never rise again.


    Never think of being a leading actress ever again.


    Li Xin thought maliciously.


    Just then, an abrupt ringtone broke the frozen atmosphere of the private room.