Chapter 342: President Mao begs for my return
Hua Jing asked with a soft mocking smile.
Mao Li’s smile froze for a second. He adjusted his glasses again — a habit he had whenever he was about to say something serious. When he lifted his eyes again, they were sharper, colder.
"Are you going to make a comeback?" he asked.
For a brief moment, silence stretched between them.
Then Hua Jing laughed. A low, clear, melodic laugh that echoed faintly in the quiet room — but there was no mirth in it.
Mao Li ignored the laughter completely. "If you are," he continued, his tone firm, "then you should come back with us. Everything is ready. Say the word, and I’ll have the contract sent to your place immediately. You don’t even need to come to the company."
He leaned slightly forward, his voice softening as though offering her something precious. "Blue Entertainment still believes in you. I believe in you."
It was a well-rehearsed line — one he had used on countless artists before. But to Hua Jing, it sounded almost comical.
She studied him quietly. The man who once abandoned her the moment she fell. The man who replaced her without hesitation, who smiled as she was erased. And now, he dared to act like he was giving her the most generous opportunity in the world.
She smiled faintly — a slow, knowing curve that didn’t reach her eyes.
Mao Li, mistaking her silence for consideration, continued speaking. "You must understand, Hua Jing... after your performance, the company’s name soared overnight. The stocks rose. The collaborations you brought in that one night were worth more than anything we’ve achieved this year. Everyone wants to work with you again — brands, producers, even international agencies."
He exhaled softly, pretending to sound regretful. "I admit, we made some mistakes in the past. But business is business. Let’s move forward."
Business.
That single word made Hua Jing’s smile widen — cold and mocking.
She knew exactly why he was here.
After the Blue Awards, the market had shifted sharply in her favor. Every major brand that approached Blue Entertainment refused Hua Ling and demanded her. They didn’t want the "replacement." They wanted the real thing.
And that terrified Mao Li.
Because Blue Entertainment couldn’t afford to lose her again — not after realizing just how valuable her name still was.
So here he was, setting aside his pride, lowering his head to the very woman he had once discarded.
Hua Jing let out a soft, humorless laugh. "So," she said at last, her voice calm but edged with frost, "the great President Mao actually came all this way just to beg for my return?"
The words were sharp — deliberate.
For the first time that evening, Mao Li’s smile faltered.
His fingers tightened around the stem of his wine glass, and he forced a short laugh. "You misunderstand," he said. "This isn’t begging. This is business — a mutually beneficial opportunity."
But Hua Jing only leaned back again, eyes glinting with amusement.
Inside her chest, her heart was steady. Her expression was serene. Yet beneath that calm surface, there was something else — something dangerous.
Her lips parted, ready to deliver her answer.
But instead of speaking, she only smiled — the kind of smile that made the man across from her feel a chill down his spine.
The silence that followed was deafening.
So Hua Jing quickly asked, her tone light yet laced with hidden mockery, "What about the star of Blue Entertainment? What does she have to say about this?"
Mao Li immediately knew who she was referring to. He straightened in his chair and adjusted his rimmed glasses, hiding any flicker of emotion from her. "She doesn’t know about our meeting today," he said smoothly.
Hua Jing almost fell off her chair laughing. The audacity of the man! Hua Ling — the so-called star of Blue Entertainment — had always schemed behind the scenes, securing her contracts and claiming Hua Jing’s awards during her absence. There was no way she would have let such a meeting happen without knowing every detail. Hua Jing’s laughter rang out, light yet sharp, echoing across the private room.
She calmed slightly and asked, her voice still tinged with amusement, "Doesn’t know about it, Hua Ling? President Mao, who are you trying to fool?"
Her mind briefly wandered to the events that had transpired over the past year. The day of her accident had coincided with the day her contract with Blue Entertainment expired. She had been set to sign a new, lifetime deal — a contract that would have guaranteed her resources, exposure, and top-tier projects. But the accident prevented that, and in her absence, Hua Ling had stepped into her place, claiming the Lifetime Achievement Award meant for Hua Jing and cementing her position as the company’s "eternal star."
All this had happened without her consent, yet now Mao Li had the audacity to ask her to return. The absurdity of the offer almost made her laugh again.
"I see," Hua Jing said finally, leaning back with a soft sigh, her smile calm but sharp. "So, you’re asking me to come back... to work under her shadow. To act as if nothing happened in the past year, as if she hadn’t taken everything I earned."
Mao Li forced a small smile, attempting to maintain control of the conversation. "You will, of course, get all the projects and resources you desire. She will remain the star of Blue Entertainment, but whatever you want to do, whatever projects you want to take on, we will ensure you get them. All I ask is that you sign and return under our management."
Hua Jing’s laugh rang out again, louder this time. She could hardly believe the audacity, the naivety, or perhaps the desperation in his words.
"You think I’ll come back under her shadow?" she asked, her tone calm but biting. "You think I’ll stand quietly while the woman who stole my award, my recognition, my place continues to exist as if she never wronged me?"
