The Bait Cage [Showbiz]

▲ A powerful man at the top x an ambitious actress ▲ A profit-driven businessman x a stunning, rebellious little traitor ▲ Princess, please add this to your collection! Completed novels: "Jealous Hound" and "Outlaw Game." Next up: "Fei Fei," a Beijing circle playboy x a university student 1. When Wen Ying saw Jiang Mingzong again, she was already one of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry. He showed up uninvited at her father's birthday banquet. In an instant, the stage performance ground to a halt, the guests fell silent, the Jiang family avoided him like the plague, his own elder brother teetered on the verge of a breakdown, and the birthday boy almost had a birthday that turned into a death anniversary. As his elder brother's adopted daughter, she had no choice but to step forward, smooth things over, and escort him to his seat. Jiang Mingzong watched her with a half-smile. After a long moment, the man who showed no consideration for anyone else was willing to say to her alone: "Little niece, show me the way." Wen Ying sometimes thinks back to that night. Six years earlier, before she became the Jiang family's adopted daughter, some thugs cornered her in a dark alley at night. Just when she was at the end of her rope, Jiang Mingzong appeared right on cue, as if he had stepped straight out of a hero-rescues-beauty story. But unlike the story, he pressed a dagger to her delicate throat and said, "Do something for me." After that, she became Jiang Mingzong's "niece" and "swore loyalty" to him. Wen Ying did her utmost to deceive the Jiang family for his sake. Then she deceived him for her own. 2. Only the people closest to Jiang Mingzong know how much thought he put into this little niece of his. He wanted to raise a bird with strong wings and a steady flight, one capable of breaking through any cage that stood in the way of her future, even a cage he had built with his own hands. But in the end, Jiang Mingzong had to admit that the one he wanted to cage was her, for the rest of her life. He also had to admit that he had raised a wolf. One that bit him hardest of all. All his schemes had only landed him in her cage instead. [Survival Guide] ○ This is not an adoption, they are not on the same household register, and they are not related by blood. ○ Ten-year age gap, both virgins, but not each other's first love. The heroine has someone she loves. Neither is exceptionally powerful, and this is not a strong female lead story. ○ The hero is a genuinely evil man, though not toward the heroine. He is the sort who doesn't care if people live or die. A character's values do not represent the author's. ○ For specific content warnings, see the author's note in Chapter One. ○ Five or six updates a week. The author has a great track record, so read with confidence. ★ Blurb for "Outlaw Game" ★ The first time Huo Shaopeng saw Yu Baoyi, he had stepped out midway through a dinner party. Before getting into his car, he spotted a man and a woman arguing in the shadows, beyond the reach of the restaurant's wall lamps. The woman's voice was gentle, clear, and sweet. She spoke at an unhurried pace, unlike Hong Kong's office ladies, who seemed to cram three sentences into one. Even when arguing, she had a natural, sweet, vulnerable air that made it hard to scold her. But the man was completely oblivious to her charms. Huo Shaopeng glanced over. The deep night shrouded the woman's figure, making it hard to see her clearly. She stood tall and graceful, but he could clearly make out the elegance she was struggling to maintain. The man complained that she was always making a mess of things, that she was late even delivering a piece of clothing, and that Mr. Huo had already left. Oh? There was only one Mr. Huo in all of Hong Kong whose leaving early could make a man lose his gentlemanly manners. He remembered now. The man's name was Shen Jingcheng. He wanted to build on a plot of land owned by Huo's group. Knowing Huo wasn't interested in a construction company of that scale, a friend had deliberately made things difficult for Shen Jingcheng by spilling a glass of wine on him. And yet Shen Jingcheng had still swallowed his pride, bent over, and smiled apologetically. As shameless as a dog. Later, Shen Jingcheng won the contract, and Mr. Huo thought highly of him. He began attending more business dinners and gatherings, bringing Yu Baoyi along and struggling to navigate a world that wasn't his. On one occasion, he held a bouquet of roses and publicly declared his love for his girlfriend of many years. Once the project got underway, he planned to propose. Hidden behind the crowd, Huo Shaopeng's gaze passed through the cheers and locked onto the woman smiling shyly, her delicate features brimming with bashful charm. His eyes were brazen and greedy, like those of a vicious wolf. Later on, he played a little trick. On the night Shen Jingcheng successfully proposed, one mishap after another occurred. He had no choice but to ask Mr. Huo, who happened to be passing by, to take the drunk Yu Baoyi away. In the middle of the night, Yu Baoyi woke with a start. As she watched the video on her phone, the light slowly faded from her bright eyes. When she could no longer hold back and began crying into her blanket, Huo Shaopeng chose that golden moment of the hunt to emerge from the darkness. He told her Shen Jingcheng had abandoned her. The man pulled her into his arms. Her hot tears soaked his shirt, and a damp mist seemed to settle over his heart too. The woman's ring dug into his back. Huo Shaopeng held her tighter, the veins at his neck bulging with restrained emotion. He did his best to make his voice sound like a gentleman's tender reassurance: "Babe, don't cry." "You still have me." Theme: Love is the surrender of free will