The Fake Daughter Want to Be Villainess - Chapter 6

Jiang Shu heard a knock at the door before going to bed.

She jumped out of bed, her bare feet touching the carpet as she went over and opened the door just a crack. “Auntie, you don’t need the milk tonight… Huh? Dad?”

Jiang Shu opened the door wider and took a small step back, feeling a bit nervous. “Is something wrong?”

Since she turned ten, Father Jiang had basically stopped visiting her at night. The last time he knocked was because she had secretly changed her university application, switching from the Finance program at Beijing University to the Acting program at the Beijing Film Academy.

Raising her hand in a gesture of innocence, Jiang Shu said, “I’ve been very obedient lately.”

Father Jiang glanced at her and chuckled, “You seem a bit guilty, like a thief.”

He didn’t enter Jiang Shu’s room, just paced back and forth in the hallway for a couple of laps before lowering his voice. “Shu Shu, isn’t your birthday coming up soon?”

This was clearly a leading question. Jiang Shu tilted her head, a bit puzzled. “Huh?”

Father Jiang pulled out a document from behind his back, waving it in front of Jiang Shu as if presenting a treasure. “Look!”

“The film and television industry has been booming in recent years, and our company is trying to dabble in it this year,” Father Jiang explained. “Coincidentally, a production team needed a regular guest, so I recommended you.”

He lowered his head slightly. “Consider it a belated birthday gift for you.”

Jiang Shu was stunned for a moment.

Last year on her birthday, she had argued with her family over her academic choices. Although Father Jiang ultimately conceded, he didn’t give her a birthday gift to express his displeasure.

Jiang Shu gently pressed her lips together.

Father Jiang seemed a bit nervous, subconsciously fiddling with his tie, and pressed on, “You’re not planning to turn down this gift, are you?”

Jiang Shu reached for the document. “You can’t return a birthday gift!”

She tugged at the document but couldn’t pull it from Father Jiang’s grip.

Looking up curiously, she asked, “Dad?”

Father Jiang cleared his throat, sounding a bit timid, “This is an investment contract.” He pulled the document away from Jiang Shu, speaking in a lower voice. “If you accept, I’ll give your contact information to the director, and the production team will reach out to you tomorrow to sign the papers.”

Jiang Shu remained silent for a moment, looking at Father Jiang with suspicion as she tentatively asked, “Dad, I’m not taking someone else’s spot, am I?”

Father Jiang immediately straightened up, filled with confidence. “Of course not! You’re an extra spot I paid for!”

As soon as he said that, he realized what he had just blurted out and fell silent, lowering his head to exchange glances with Jiang Shu.

With a sigh, Jiang Shu leaned against the door, looking at Father Jiang for a moment before lifting her head and smiling. “Thank you, Dad.”

Jiang Shu said.

The contract signing went very smoothly.

It couldn’t have been otherwise, as the investment contract was signed alongside her program contract.

The director was a middle-aged man. Although he had gained some weight, his hair was still glossy and dark.

Once the contract was signed, the director and the secretary began to shake hands and chat. Jiang Shu propped her head up with her hand, glancing at the contract in front of her.

The legal department had reviewed the contract, so she signed without hesitation, not even reading the terms.

Jiang Shu flipped through a couple of pages of the contract before turning to the Legal Assistant standing nearby with a sweet smile. “Sister.”

She pushed the contract towards her. “Could you explain it to me?”

The Legal Assistant seemed a bit taken aback, then glanced toward Father Jiang. When she saw him nod, she walked over to Jiang Shu, took the contract, and began explaining while flipping through the pages.

“The program is called ‘Let’s Reconcile,’ and the filming format includes both recorded segments and a small amount of live broadcasting.”

She turned to the contractual section: “Most of the live broadcast time is tentative and will be arranged by the production team—however, during the filming’s initial phase, there will be about an hour of live broadcasting.”

“Additionally, the cameras will not be turned off during the recording of the program, so if there are any private matters, you need to be mindful of covering them.”

“The first episode’s filming is scheduled for this Saturday, and about the penalty for breach of contract—” The Legal Assistant paused before stating seriously, “You don’t need to worry about that.”

Jiang Shu raised her eyebrows and smiled. After thanking the Legal Assistant, she waited a moment until the director and the secretary finished their conversation before speaking up. “Director.”

She waved the contract. “Is this program set up for pairs?”

The director nodded. “Yes, there is another regular guest paired with you.”

Jiang Shu blinked. “But isn’t the theme of the program reconciliation? I don’t know this other guest.”

“But you’re both regulars,” the director laughed. “You can just make something up; no one will know anyway.”

Jiang Shu: “…”

That made too much sense.She looked at the director again. “Can you give me a hint about what’s been planned?” She made a small gesture with her fingers. “Just a little bit will do.”

The director raised an eyebrow, glanced at Father Jiang not far away, and then shook his head. “No, that’s not possible.”

He smiled and said, “This is confidential information; you’ll know when we start recording.”

The director thought about what Father Jiang had told him earlier and struggled to suppress his laughter. “I’m really looking forward to your recording!”

True Young Master and False Young Lady! Secrets of the wealthy! Goodness! It would be a crime if this program didn’t go viral!

Jiang Shu was also looking forward to the recording.

This anticipation had her waking up early on the day of the recording.

She spent quite a while in her room and, right on time, headed to her usual makeup and styling shop to get ready before hopping into the car.

The car was from the Jiang Family.

Sitting in the back seat, Jiang Shu reported the address to the driver as per the message on her phone.

“The address has been kept under wraps, and all the guests are expected to find their own way there—”

Jiang Shu turned to her assistant beside her. “I have a feeling the director is holding back something big. Is there a surprise in the guest list?”

The assistant had been sent by Father Jiang a few days earlier. Jiang Corporation was newly expanding its business into the entertainment industry; although it hadn’t fully matured yet, there were still quite a few assistants.

The new assistant didn’t speak much, merely nodded. “It’s possible.”

Jiang Shu took out her phone and scrolled through the program team’s Weibo. “There’s nothing about the cast on Weibo either.”

She frowned slightly. “Aren’t they going to create some buzz or publicity?”

The assistant thought for a moment and said, “It could be that they want to coordinate with the live broadcast later.”

Jiang Shu nodded. She leaned against the car window for a while; her initial excitement faded, and the fatigue from waking up early swept over her again.

She pulled a blanket over herself, leaned back in her seat, and had just started to doze off when she heard her assistant calling her. “Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Shu sat up suddenly and turned to look out the window.

Outside was a vibrant blue sea, with a small group of people already standing on the beach. There were four or five cameras facing them. The group didn’t stand too close together, and their expressions didn’t look great. The director was among them, looking serious.

It was the program team.

Jiang Shu quickly opened the car door and hurried over. “Am I late?”

The director shook his head at her but didn’t speak.

The others were also silent; although they had formed several small groups, everyone wore stern faces, keeping physical distance as if they could create a Mariana Trench between them.

Jiang Shu blinked in confusion.So what’s with this strange, solemn, and tense atmosphere that feels like a standoff?

She glanced curiously at the others and inhaled sharply.

Having studied performing arts and being familiar with most artists in the entertainment industry, she recognized nearly everyone standing in this circle of recording guests.

One pair claimed to be lifelong enemies, publicly sabotaging each other for years; another couple had just broken up not long ago, trending on social media for their drama; and yet another couple had been divorced for four or five years.

Jiang Shu: “…”

What a brilliantly crafted lineup.

She quietly sighed in admiration, found a corner to stand in, and began observing the other guests with all her attention, becoming an onlooker.

It wasn’t until she heard the sound of brakes that she suddenly realized she was there to film, and it seemed her ordinary partner had yet to arrive.

Jiang Shu looked hopefully toward the newly stopped car.

Then she saw Pei Wang step out.

Author’s note:

Jiang Shu: The drama is actually about me.