Magnate Tycoon: How Did Simply Enjoying Life Make Me a Male God?-Chapter 629 - 429: Escalation_2

Seeing Yang Xiaoxiu remaining silent, even though everyone else had already responded, she still acted as if she hadn't heard anything, concentrating on her food.

Zhang Fuqiang's brow slightly furrowed, his gaze growing cold.

Before he could speak, the underling sitting on the other side immediately understood and, with his oily slick back hair, moved, catching the light:

"Teacher Xiao Xiu, Brother Qiang just mentioned that it's his birthday tonight, and he's having a party, inviting everyone to come. Everyone's agreed, so, did you not hear, or are you pretending not to hear?"

"Exactly!"

Another underling chimed in immediately, "Teacher Xiao Xiu, are you now such a big star that you look down on Brother Qiang's birthday party, or what?

Brother Qiang has gone to great lengths to invite you to dinner and then to his birthday party tonight, but you aren't even acknowledging him. Isn't that a bit too inappropriate?"

The two of them kept speaking, deliberately creating an aggressive atmosphere.

With their challenging words, Zhang Fuqiang, seeing his underlings speaking on his behalf, gave a slight smirk, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, looking confident, waiting for Yang Xiaoxiu's response.

Meanwhile, everyone else's expressions tightened, knowing that the real climax was about to unfold.

Particularly, two of the actresses instinctively held their breath, secretly observing Yang Xiaoxiu with eyes full of worry and curiosity, unsure of how she would handle this difficult situation.

Noticing all eyes on her, Yang Xiaoxiu finally set down the spoon she was using to drink her soup.

Seeing this, everyone assumed she was about to reply seriously, but then she picked up her chopsticks again, taking a bite of food, slowly chewing.

After savoring it, she leisurely wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue and then said, "I'm busy tonight, not going."

Though it was just a short sentence, it instantly froze the atmosphere in the room, the air seemingly solidifying.

Zhang Fuqiang's expression visibly darkened, the veins on his neck slightly throbbing; his two underlings widened their eyes in disbelief;

The others exchanged looks, some instinctively covering their mouths, a sound of a sharp breath intake clearly audible.

Some thought Yang Xiaoxiu would reluctantly agree, some thought she might find an excuse to brush it off, while others believed she would find a way to tactfully decline.

But no one expected Yang Xiaoxiu to refuse so bluntly, without even a hint of an explanation, as if rejecting an insignificant stranger's invitation, completely disregarding Zhang Fuqiang.

As soon as Yang Xiaoxiu finished speaking, the expressions on Zhang Fuqiang's two underlings changed dramatically.

Especially after seeing Zhang Fuqiang's face darken, they abruptly stood up, the scraping sound of chairs harsh against the floor as they were about to slam the table, but Zhang Fuqiang suddenly raised his hand, fingers drawing a halt gesture mid-air.

This action plunged the private room into dead silence, everyone's breath seemingly halting, all eyes drawn to the two, now tense with confrontation.

Everyone vaguely suspected that an even more intense argument was about to erupt, holding their breath, not a sound from clinking cutlery, for fear that any noise might draw them into this storm.

Zhang Fuqiang stared at Yang Xiaoxiu's face, calm as still water, then suddenly leaned back and chuckled, a chilling, sinister laugh: "No wonder you're the rising little star right now."

He deliberately prolonged the tone, his fingers rhythmically tapping on the table, making a dull sound, "I, a mere actor, indeed can't invite such a big star to grace us with her presence."

As he spoke, his gaze, like a poisoned needle, fixated on Yang Xiaoxiu's lowered eyelashes, but she continued deftly taking another spoonful of soup with a silver spoon, the clink of porcelain particularly clear.

As time ticked by, Yang Xiaoxiu still gave no reply, not even a glance in his direction.

The smile on Zhang Fuqiang's face gradually stiffened, the curve of his mouth becoming twisted, though earlier his tone sounded like he was smoothing things over, his gaze grew increasingly darker.

Yang Xiaoxiu's reaction clearly took others by surprise too, whispers of gossip faintly audible in the corners of the room.

However, clearly, Yang Xiaoxiu was unaffected, continuing to eat her meal. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

This disregard made Zhang Fuqiang feel as if sitting on pins and needles, increasingly embarrassed and angry, the scene descending into the awkwardness of him muttering to himself.

Zhang Fuqiang suppressed his surging anger, lifting a wine glass to guzzle the contents, letting the red wine spill over the white tablecloth, sneering:

"Anyone who's been in our line of work long enough knows," his deliberately low voice carried a threatening undertone.

"Today you're at the top, tomorrow a small mishap might have you fall off your pedestal, from top trend back to being a nobody. The ups and downs in this circle are more thrilling than a roller coaster."

Saying this, he turned to Director Liu, a meaningful smirk playing on his lips: "Director Liu, we've both been muddling through this scene for over twenty years, am I wrong?"

Startled by the sudden naming, Liu Cheng looked stunned, nearly knocking over the teacup beside him, quickly plastering on a strained smile:

"Right, right, only those who laugh last are winners."

Upon hearing this compliance, Zhang Fuqiang nodded in satisfaction, but when his gaze returned to Yang Xiaoxiu, he still saw her engrossed in eating, not even sparing him a glance.

This nonchalance completely ignited his anger, veins at his temples pulsing.

He had originally thought that Yang Xiaoxiu's acceptance of the dinner invitation was a sign she was ready to yield, but unexpectedly, she turned the tables on him.

Past grudges and new enmity surged in his heart, he abruptly loosened his tie, a cold laugh escaping through gritted teeth:

"Since Teacher Yang is so in demand, I suppose you wouldn't take interest in the second female lead role in our production? After all, with your current status, aren't you picking the scripts you want?"

His words were like a bombshell, stunning everyone.

In the hum of the air conditioning, one could distinctly hear the sharp intake of breath, two minor roles' faces slightly changing, while Liu Cheng's hand adjusting his glasses trembled slightly.

Everyone was acutely aware of what this project meant for Yang Xiaoxiu.

It wasn't just a crucial stepping stone for solidifying her popularity but also a turning point for establishing herself as a serious actress.

Zhang Fuqiang's remarks were clearly intended to use his connections in the production circle to directly strip her of the role.

At this moment, the oppressive atmosphere in the box was nearly palpable, everyone understood that Yang Xiaoxiu had thoroughly angered Zhang Fuqiang, the conflict between them fully ignited.

Though everyone wasn't sure if Zhang Fuqiang truly had the absolute power to replace Yang Xiaoxiu, the significance of this production was beyond obvious.

It's not only a key opportunity for Yang Xiaoxiu's career advancement, but also a coveted role for many other actresses.

The film and television circle is always full of undercurrents, if Zhang Fuqiang schemed from behind the scenes or fabricated some scandals, affecting the casting judgment of the director and producers, Yang Xiaoxiu's role might be handed to someone else at any moment.

After all, among the competitors eying the role, there were many established actresses, and should Yang Xiaoxiu make the smallest mistake, this role would become someone else's prize.

Although Zhang Fuqiang wanting to shake Yang Xiaoxiu's position wasn't an easy task, it would require substantial costs, yet the tense atmosphere in the private room already indicated the resolve his anger had incited.

Originally, Zhang Fuqiang hadn't intended for things to become so disagreeable, but Yang Xiaoxiu's repeated ignoring and refusal thoroughly inflamed his wrath.

Now, even if it meant expending connections and resources, he was determined to teach this overly bold woman a lesson.

The two had thoroughly torn away any facade of cordiality, leaving no room for reconciliation, the occupants in the private room silent as if in a chill, even the usually tactful assistant director held his head low, afraid of being dragged into the dispute by Zhang Fuqiang.

Yang Xiaoxiu also knew that from the moment she said "not going," her relationship with Zhang Fuqiang had completely fractured.

She finally set down her chopsticks, raising her head, her delicate features appearing even more vividly enchanting under the crystal chandelier.

This close-quarters stare unexpectedly stirred a strange tremor in Zhang Fuqiang's heart, his underlying greed and possessiveness growing like rampant weeds.