Tang Li raised her eyes slightly. "Am I that vicious?"

Director Wang said with some exaggeration, "Oh, you really are. Back in the day, everyone called you a she-devil, Li Zi. Do you know what they call you now?"

Tan You tilted her head. "Abbess Miejue? The Tyrant Queen? The Hegemon-King?"

Director Wang was thoroughly impressed by the titles Tan You rattled off. "Alright, you win. You’re something else."

Tan You said, "Sounds like they have too much time on their hands. I don’t care what they call me, as long as they get their work done. By the way, since everyone’s working so hard, their salaries and bonuses should keep pace, right?"

She couldn’t stand employees slacking off, but if they were putting in the effort, Tan You wouldn’t let their hard work be in vain. That’s why it felt so natural for her to bring up raises and better compensation with Director Wang.

Director Wang was refreshingly direct. "Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken with the finance department. Your project team’s base salaries have all been increased. And if the show’s reception is good, the company will issue bonuses on top of that."

He chuckled. "But seriously, Ning Yao is remarkably composed. So many people have been coming to see you, yet there hasn’t been a peep from her. She’s incredibly steady."

Tan You said, "She has this genuinely zen-like, carefree air about her. A lot of people try to market that ’aloof as a chrysanthemum’ persona, but you can’t fake that kind of temperament. You can always see the ambition and competitive drive in their eyes. But not with Ning Yao. She’s the real deal—truly zen."

"And it’s not the apathetic, ’just-give-up’ kind of zen. I really admire that attitude."

Director Wang remarked, "You have a very high opinion of her."

Tan You nodded. "Of course. Anyway, let’s not talk about her. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to get back to my work."

Director Wang took the hint and stood up. "Right, you’re busy. I’ll head back to my office." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Jingling his keys, Director Wang returned to his office in an excellent mood. ’It’s great to have such a capable subordinate. It means I can finally relax a bit.’ He mused, ’Speaking of which, with a subordinate this capable and effective, shouldn’t I find a way to tie her to the company for good?’

’What if she decides to focus on screenwriting full-time? Where would I ever find another employee this outstanding?’

Tan You, of course, had no idea Director Wang was already mulling over how to tie her down with company shares. She wasn’t one to be idle, either. She opened the main group chat for the project team and sent a message: "Is the team finalized? We’re heading out tomorrow evening. Are all travel preparations complete?"

The moment the message went out, someone replied instantly, "Director Tang, all the tickets have been booked. We’ll all meet at the airport."

Tan You: "Alright, let’s meet at the airport at 8 PM tomorrow. Also, is the on-site doctor in the chat? Please have the standard medical supplies ready."

The doctor popped up: "Roger that. All common medications are packed and ready."

After exchanging a few more messages in the group, Tan You put her phone down. ’Now that I’m going to be filming on location with the crew, I won’t be able to keep an eye on things back home. I should probably contact the old folks from the Tang family, shouldn’t I?’

’If Li Lanzhen finds out I’m not at the company and won’t be home for two months straight, she’ll definitely go behind my back and move Li Wanjun into my house, won’t she? I can’t underestimate the true nature of a woman obsessed with coddling her younger brother’s family. She’s capable of anything.’

With these thoughts in mind, Tan You called her grandparents from the Tang family. A kind, elderly woman’s voice came from the other end. "Li Zi, dear, isn’t it work hours? Why are you calling me now? I hope it’s not interrupting your work."

Tan You leaned back in her chair, her expression softening. "I have something to tell you ahead of time..."

"I’m going away to film on location for a while. I probably won’t be back for over two months... so I won’t be able to keep an eye on the house."

Her grandmother laughed immediately. "Don’t you worry. We’ll definitely help you look after the house, no problem at all."

"That’s the main issue," Tan You said deliberately. "Mom told me a few days ago that she wanted her nephew, Li Wanjun, to come stay at the house for a while. I shut her down completely."

"I doubt she’s given up that easily." Hearing the silence on the other end of the line, Tan You continued, "I’ve already asked Auntie Liu from next door to keep an eye on the place for me and let me know if Li Wanjun moves in."

"But Auntie Liu can’t watch the place around the clock. So, how about this? If it’s convenient for you and Grandpa, you could stay at my place for a while."

Tan You laid out her true purpose. "The people from the Li family are like leeches. Once they latch on, you can’t shake them off. If Li Wanjun moves in, he definitely won’t leave without a fight."

Grandpa Tang’s voice boomed like a great bell. "Done. Your grandma and I will pack our bags tonight. We’ll move in this evening."

Her grandmother was also displeased. "That house belongs to our Tang family. Your mother’s family is so obsessed with getting their hands on property it’s driven them mad. Instead of earning money to buy their own place, they just try to leech off everyone else."

"Don’t you worry, Li Zi. Grandpa and I will guard that house for you."

Tan You said, "I have complete faith in you and Grandpa. There’s one more thing..."

As she spoke, she glanced out the window and, sure enough, saw Fang Xiang furtively peeking around again. "You two should also be careful. Those people trying to talk you into buying wealth management products or insurance policies are almost all scammers. And who knows, they could be connected to the Li family."

Her grandfather was very sharp. "You... you’ve run into someone like that?"

"Yes. A man started at my company last month. He’s quite handsome." Tan You lowered her gaze. "I only recently found out that Li Wanjun sent him."

"How outrageous!" The old couple on the other end of the line were furious. "I’ve never liked your mother. We can understand her wanting to help out her side of the family, but she can’t go this far..."

"What do you call this? Huh?" Her grandmother was so angry she started to tremble. ’If her granddaughter fell for this man’s tricks, wouldn’t she end up losing both him and her money?’

Tan You soothed her. "Don’t get so angry you make yourself sick. In any case, he didn’t actually manage to trick me. And please, don’t say anything to Mom. Just pretend you don’t know. All I need is for you to guard the house for me. We can deal with everything else after I get back from filming."

Her grandfather was calmer. "You go focus on your work. Don’t worry about things at home. We won’t let anything slip to your mother, either. Just be careful yourself while you’re away on this trip."

"Our family can’t afford to take another blow."

Tan You replied, "Don’t worry. Besides, I’ll be with my colleagues the whole time. I absolutely will not go anywhere alone."

Her grandfather chuckled. "I know you’ve always known how to handle yourself. When your parents are unreliable, you have no choice but to rely on yourself. It’s been hard on you, having a mother like that."

Tan You smiled. "It’s not so hard. You and Grandma are wonderful to me. Anyway, that’s settled. You have the keys to the house, and I have faith in your and Grandma’s fighting spirit. You definitely won’t let the Li family’s schemes succeed."

Her grandmother, having composed herself, gritted her teeth. "You go focus on your work. Your grandpa and I are no pushovers. This is a Tang family house, and no one is going to scheme their way into taking it!"

With her grandparents’ guarantee, Tan You finally hung up the phone. ’So, Li Lanzhen, Tang Li’s birth mother... when you’re facing your parents-in-law, I wonder if you’ll be as tough as you are with Tang Li?’

’Too bad I’ll already be away for work. I won’t get to see the show.’ Tan You was a little disappointed. She absolutely loved watching that kind of family drama unfold.