Young Master Fu's Incredible Real Heiress Chapter 1017 - Ending (2)

“Much better.” Jing Ya avoided Shi Jin’s gaze entirely.

“Is the hospital stay fee still sufficient?” Shi Jin inquired further.

“It—it should suffice.”

Jing Ya recognized her fault and whispered her response.

Her manager appeared uneasy as well.

!!

With a calm smile, Shi Jin remarked, “Brother Yao mentioned your budget remains quite strained. If funds are that scarce, why splurge on numerous trending topics?”

Neither Jing Ya nor her manager dared refute it. For matters like this, securing a spot on trending searches without buying them proved extremely challenging. After all, the public remained largely unaware of Jing Ya’s situation. Her fame and standing hadn’t reached the point where searches for her trended naturally.

After composing herself briefly, Jing Ya stated, “Shi Jin, my injury is real, and I simply seek fair compensation to recover without disturbance. No one foresaw this mishap, so I…”

“So you aim to extract both compensation and boosted popularity from me, correct?” Shi Jin questioned.

Speaking for Jing Ya, the manager replied, “Shi Jin, that’s not a fair way to put it. No one recovers from an injury without hardship. Show some empathy. Unlike privileged folks like you, Jing Ya struggles to make a living. Consider it a kind gesture. Five million yuan means little to you. I know you prefer avoiding scandals. It’s merely a trivial amount. Surely you wouldn’t quibble over it when you donate casually to causes, right?”

“So you assume five million is insignificant, that we won’t contest it, and thus you’d rather escalate the issue to claim what isn’t yours, is that it?” Shi Jin pressed.

Embarrassment flushed the manager’s face. “It’s not exactly unearned money, is it? Let’s stay rational. Jing Ya truly got hurt, and it stemmed from your side. Shi Jin, we only seek modest compensation. Nothing complicated. You dread the hassle, don’t you? Hand it over, and all problems vanish.”

Though her voice begged, the implication rang clear: without payment, they’d persist in stirring chaos.

They had ample time to drag this out against Shi Jin anyway.

Shi Jin smiled faintly. “We’ll settle strictly per the contract terms.”

“Shi Jin, you’re making this harder than necessary…”

“You made it plenty hard by purchasing those trending searches against me.”

“Shi Jin, we’re just a minor artist from a tiny agency, truly strapped for cash. Must you push us like this? Why not drop it when it’s effortless for you, like spilling water?” the manager pleaded with a mix of resentment and vulnerability, embodying the plight of the underdog.

Calmly, Shi Jin responded, “Had you approached me sensibly right after the incident instead of scheming for morning trending buys, any required sum wouldn’t have been an issue. But that chance has passed. Publicly own up to your error, and I’ll overlook it. Compensation follows the contract alone. Persist in defiance, and…”

“Shi Jin! Isn’t this just because you’ve got powerful support? What offense did our little agency commit to cover for your errors? Without our injuries, Jing Ya could’ve shot ads and landed interviews by now. Why bicker endlessly with you here?”

Shi Jin fell silent at those words, then turned to Fu Xiuyuan. “Let’s leave.”

Fu Xiuyuan cast a frigid glance at the manager before departing alongside Shi Jin.

His icy look sent shivers through the manager, cold sweat beading on her skin, yet she held her tongue.

Once outside, Shi Jin remarked evenly, “I never suspected it. Their team always sounds so mild-mannered, yet their actions cloak ruthless tactics in feigned fragility.”

“The harder they act frail, the more pathetic they appear,” Fu Xiuyuan observed coolly.

Shi Jin grinned. “Initially, I figured Jing Ya might become an ally. Notice her hands?”

“Veins protruding like varicose ones.” Fu Xiuyuan’s sharp eyes had caught it without effort; even without focusing on Jing Ya, he’d noted her hand’s state.

“Exactly. It shocked me spotting that on a hand model’s hand. Intravenous varices prove tough to cure. She likely can’t model hands anymore. Perfect timing for her injury too—claims from insurance and us both, plus breach fees for that delayed wristwatch shoot,” Shi Jin explained. “This morning, something felt off. Without their harassment, I’d have ignored the cash, but now? Uncertain.”