059 Aunt Gan Xingzhu

"Big Sis, do you know where Yao Yao is living now?"
"She blocked me..."
Gan Xingmei, who was in the midst of quitting drinking, stared longingly at the fifty-two percent liquor on the shelf in her ex-husband and his new wife’s second convenience store. She craved it desperately; she loved nothing more than the dizzying oblivion of drunkenness.
In the past, she would go out drinking whenever she pleased, but now things were different. Her ex-husband, with his new wife’s father, seemed to be doing well, while her own family was a complete mess.
Her father and second sister were both locked away, and she didn’t even know when the verdict would come down. There wasn’t much left to their name that could be sold or pawned.
Her third sister, Gan Xingzhu, though a half-sister, had always been close to her since childhood and got along well with her daughter too. So, she had become a temporary haven for her younger sister, who was still very young.
"What? Yao Yao even blocked you?"
Gan Xingzhu looked utterly shocked.
"She blocked your brother-in-law, too, and even her own grandfather. In short, she blocked everyone on this side. She’s living her little world with her husband now."
"...”
“Yao Yao’s husband seems to be quite rich."
"What good is money if he’s not spending it on us?"
Gan Xingmei, who only cared about herself, didn’t give a damn what kind of person her daughter found. She had originally planned to ask for three million as bride price.
After all, the man her daughter found really knew how to make money—he shot a children’s film and earned over ten million.
But in the end, she didn’t dare speak her mind, because her ex-husband’s new father-in-law, Su Yongzhi, had come over—rarely enough—and warned her: if she affected her daughter’s life in any way, she would pay with her life.
Su Yongzhi even had a detailed plan for dismemberment ready.
Not wanting to end up as dumpling filling, Gan Xingmei had no choice but to grudgingly run the courier station, while trying to squeeze whatever she could from her ex-husband and his new wife.
Unfortunately, Su Jianping was just as insignificant in their daughter’s heart as she was.
A total failure.
If only she were eighteen years younger, she’d have snatched Su Mengyao’s husband for herself.
She’d become the lady boss of a rising industry star.
Alas, such beautiful daydreams only came to her when she was drunk.
She needed a drink!

When she was drunk enough, she had everything.
But just as she reached for the bottle, her third sister stopped her: "Sis, hold on. If you quit drinking, you’ll have the confidence to speak up for yourself in front of Yao Yao. I saw on Weibo that her husband even starred in a Spring Festival comedy film. He’s bound to become a big star."
"Sigh..."
Gan Xingmei let out a long sigh; her craving was intense.
Right now, all she wanted was a drink!
The withdrawal made her unbearably uncomfortable, her skin crawling as if covered in ants. She relied on chewing gum just to get by each day.
But her sister was right—only by quitting drinking could she put on the façade of a "good mother" again, and then rightfully ask her daughter for a generous monthly pension of eighty or a hundred thousand.
A hundred thousand a month was plenty.
She wondered how much money Su Mengyao had now. With her daughter’s looks, how could that orphan raised in a welfare home not be hopelessly in love?
Her daughter was probably already driving a luxury car worth millions, and at seventeen or eighteen, she couldn’t quite carry it off. But she, having been a wealthy lady for years, could pull it off perfectly.
With that thought, Gan Xingmei’s eyes sparkled. She said to her sister, "Little Sis, Yao Yao’s husband goes to Jianye Academy of Art. Why don’t you go and see what you can find out?"
"Is that really a good idea?"
"As long as you don’t tell Yao Yao, what’s there to be afraid of? Just take a look. I heard from your brother-in-law that her father-in-law was invited to inspect their company before. Probably for some councilor election. Go check out how big the company is."
"Shouldn’t we at least tell brother-in-law first?"
"He doesn’t know anything. Asking him would be a waste of time. You’re about the same age as Yao Yao. If you go to Jianye Academy, people will just think you’re a student."
"Alright then..."
Gan Xingzhu reluctantly agreed. She was a bit afraid of Su Mengyao, but after her eldest sister transferred ten thousand yuan to her phone, she set off gladly.
Dressed in a white one-piece down jacket and oversized sunglasses that covered half her face, she headed straight to Jianye Academy of Art.
It wasn’t hard to get information about Li Jie, because everyone in the Performing Arts Department knew the Media School had produced a legendary talent: his godfather was the "Never-Aging Pine" Director Ai Shoujin, and he had written, directed, and starred in the children’s series "Masked Gourd Hero." As a bonus, he made a cameo as "White Dog God Howl" in Director Lu Xiaoguan’s debut film "Fairy Ape."
Gan Xingzhu was astonished. Yao Yao’s luck had turned!
She’d been worried the Su family was finished, but now it seemed the Su family’s comeback was just around the corner!
Knowing where the "creative talent" was, things were simple. Gan Xingzhu hailed a "Cao Bandit Ride" and headed straight for the Canglong District’s Riverside Warehouse and Logistics Park.
There were plenty of old warehouses and factories there. When she arrived, she saw the bustling "Shake Shake Handicrafts Factory," and immediately realized this must be Su Mengyao’s "living expenses."

Her eldest sister’s online shop was selling "Masked Gourd Hero" merchandise, and the latest batches were being produced, packaged, and shipped from "Shake Shake Handicrafts Factory."
But her attention was drawn not to the factory, but to the adjacent filming site. Whether indoors or out, there was plenty of equipment and no sign of inactivity.
A crane camera was capturing a motorcycle stunt: a black bike, a figure in a black bodysuit, soared through the air, and when the customized bike landed, the suspension nearly flattened under the force.
"Cut! Good, that’s a wrap!"
Chen Bosheng climbed down from the crane, full of confidence as he walked excitedly to the stunt rider. "Boss, that shot was incredible—absolutely awesome! With your skills, you could make fifty grand just as a stunt double!"
"Make sure the drones we ordered for aerial shots are ready soon. It’ll be a lot easier and more cost-effective."
"Don’t worry, boss. As soon as the programming’s done, I’ll report back to you!"
Shooting anything else was dull, but filming Li Jie’s stunts, with all those outrageous, flashy shots, made Chen Bosheng feel alive.
"All that’s left is the music. With a little post-production, we won’t even need much special effects."
"I’ll handle the score. I’ll bring it in a couple of days."
"Great!"
Rubbing his hands, Chen Bosheng’s spirits soared. His boss shot scenes with amazing efficiency. After all, acting skills aside, this new project, "Black Cat Vigilante," was all about a dark, stylish vibe.
The lead’s job was simply to look cool from start to finish.
Just a few days ago, the costume shoot had featured a black leather bodysuit and cape. If not for the vice mayor in charge of cultural industries swinging by for an inspection—bringing with him an African cultural development delegation eager for international collaboration—the first episode would probably already be done.
But with international cooperation, the script outline had to be reviewed to see if it fit African values. If so, the African partners planned to import the show.
Currently, Jianye City had twelve such film and TV works: eight films and four series. One of the series was "Masked Gourd Hero: Red of Power," which the African business delegation tentatively planned to import as "GourdMan: Red Of Power."
Since New Year’s, they’d seen all the available footage and were satisfied, but they wanted more. Unfortunately, the city’s other children’s content was lackluster and unpresentable, so they sought out "Creative Ability" again, promising lucrative returns if the deal went through.
Which was why Boss Li was shooting stunt scenes, with their African guests watching.
Standing on tiptoe, Gan Xingzhu watched a group of black guests clapping and cheering with gleaming smiles, when suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and nearly jumped out of her skin.
It was Su Mengyao, coldly fixing her with a stare. "Auntie, what are you doing here?"
As she spoke, Su Mengyao gripped a tailor’s scissors in her hand—the blade so sharp it could split a hair in two.