Chapter 7: Unlikely Alliances

After her sudden rise to fame online, Emily received numerous offers from top-tier magazines and celebrity studios, all eager to work with the talented and beautiful photographer. Without an agent, Jessica's studio temporarily managed her affairs. Jessica, knowing Emily's tastes well, presented her with the next project. When Emily saw the photo of the upcoming model, she screamed with joy and grabbed Jessica for a celebratory spin.

It was Ryan!

Her favorite idol!

Emily was ecstatic. "I'm going to photograph my baby boy!"

"The face that even he can't kiss himself will be captured by me!"

"If my camera kisses his face, that's basically the same as me kissing him!"

"Four out of five means we're basically married already!"

For a fangirl like Emily, nothing was more exciting than getting close to her idol. And nothing could beat the joy of photographing that mesmerizing face up close. This wasn't just any fan shot—this was a professional shoot, where Ryan would look directly into her lens, posing just for her!

Just imagining his eyes focused on her, winking, smiling, and striking all sorts of cool, cute, and charming poses, made Emily's heart race. The thought of such a VIP experience made her want to cry from happiness.

She spent hours studying Ryan's past photos, brainstorming countless ideas for the shoot, fueled by her love for him. After all, he had to look his best in her photos—handsome, striking, and absolutely captivating, the kind of photos that would go viral and leave people screaming, "I can't even!"

After a long afternoon of planning, Emily walked into the bathroom with a satisfied smile. In a great mood, she didn't even mind that Jessica's place didn't have a hot spring. She filled the bathtub with bubbles and sank into it, humming a tune.

Her phone buzzed, and a notification popped up:

**[Your account ending in xxxx has received a transfer of 8,000,000.00 RMB.]**

Emily: "?"

She counted the zeros twice, perplexed. What was going on? Was today her lucky day? First, she got to photograph her idol, and now she was getting showered with money. Could she have turned into a human good-luck charm?

As she wondered about her sudden fortune, more notifications buzzed in:

**[Your gold card ending in xxxx has been upgraded to a black diamond card. Unlimited spending, exclusive privileges!]**

**[Ms. Clarke, thank you for your purchase. The limited-edition blue Birkin bag with gold hardware will be delivered to your residence tomorrow. We look forward to serving you again!]**

Emily: "…"

This kind of thing could only be one person's doing. Was he trying to bury her under a pile of cash?

A sense of unease crept over Emily. **—When someone offers unsolicited kindness, it usually means they're up to no good.**

As she muttered to herself, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and nearly dropped it into the water.

Four words flashed on the screen: **"My Sweet Husband."**

Emily cringed in disgust, unable to believe she had once been so sappy.

"Hello?" she answered.

"It's me," Ethan's voice came through, deep and calm.

Emily responded with a curt "Mm-hmm." "What do you need?"

"Next Sunday is my grandfather's 80th birthday banquet. I'll send a car to pick you up at ten in the morning."

Emily: "…"

She was genuinely puzzled. Why did this man always speak with such authority, as if everyone around him was just an employee to be ordered around? He might as well tattoo "I'm rich, so I make the rules" on his forehead.

"Chairman Harrison, considering our current relationship, I don't see the need for me to attend the banquet," she replied slowly, adding, "Please pass on my birthday wishes to your grandfather. May he live a long and healthy life."

She was in a good mood that day. If Ethan had been a little nicer, maybe complimented her, she might have been generous enough to play along. But was this how you ask someone for a favor?

Ethan paused for a couple of seconds, surprisingly not angry. He simply asked, "Are you busy that weekend?"

"Yes, I'm very busy," Emily replied dryly. "If Chairman Harrison wants to know my schedule, why not ask my assistant?"

No, I don't actually have an assistant. I just wanted to throw your words back at you.

Ethan knew exactly what she was doing, but instead of arguing, there was silence on the other end, filled with only a faint hum of static, creating a tense and awkward atmosphere.

Finally, his voice came through, low and restrained: "Emily."

Just her name, but it carried a mixture of frustration, irritation, and a warning.

"Don't push it too far."

Emily rolled her eyes where he couldn't see. "Too far? Buddy, you've got the wrong idea. Let me show you what that really means."

Stretching her legs in the tub, she shifted into a more relaxed position, her voice turning soft and playful. "Hey, do you really want me to go with you?"

There was a slight pause on the other end, followed by a reluctant "Yes."

"Sure," Emily said cheerfully, unable to hide her amusement. "Then beg me."

**

Emily spent nearly an hour in the bath, laughing for at least half of it.

Pure joy.

Of course, Ethan didn't beg her. He just hung up abruptly, but that only made Emily laugh harder. She could easily imagine his expression on the other end—probably grinding his teeth in frustration.

The fact that he was so angry only made her happier.

She grabbed her phone, deleted the cringe-worthy contact name "My Sweet Husband," and replaced it with a simple "Ethan," adding a little dog emoji next to it for good measure.

Satisfied, she then scrolled through her contacts with a mischievous smile.

**

Ethan flicked his expensive pen onto the desk with a loud snap, then pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to calm the anger surging through his chest. It wasn't like him to lose his temper; usually, he maintained a calm, collected demeanor. But right now, he was seething.

He rubbed his temples for a while before finally lowering his hand. "Jason," he called out.

No response.

Ethan frowned. Usually, his assistant was quick to respond. He'd even heard the noise when he threw the pen. Where was Jason?

Suspicious, Ethan quietly walked out to the outer office.

There, Jason sat at his desk, white earbud wires trailing from his collar. He was engrossed in something on his phone, completely oblivious to Ethan's presence.

It was a rare sight. Jason was the ultimate workaholic, the kind of person who considered the company his home. Ethan had never seen him slack off like this.

But there he was, fully absorbed in whatever he was watching, his expression strangely focused.

Perhaps sensing Ethan's intense gaze, Jason eventually turned around, only to freeze when he saw his boss standing behind him. He quickly yanked out the earbuds and stood up. "Chairman Harrison."

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized his assistant. "What were you watching?"

Jason hesitated, clearly uncomfortable.

Ethan glanced at the still-lit screen of Jason's phone and instantly recognized the familiar layout of a social media app—and Emily's profile picture.

Without another word, Ethan pulled out his own phone.

Jason raised a hand, opening his mouth to protest, but no words came out.

Ethan rarely checked his social media, but when he opened it, the latest post at the top of his feed was from Emily, posted two hours ago.

She had shared a song titled "Gotcha," with the caption: **"Here's a song for a certain someone. Enjoy."**

Ethan couldn't help but take it personally. He pressed play, and the upbeat, punk-style music filled the office:

**You mocked me, laughed at me, looked down on me,

You put me down, trampled me, pushed me aside,

Now I'm fighting back, stronger than ever,

Thanks for waking me from my lazy dream,

Now I'm not here to please anyone anymore,

Even if I'm crawling, I'll keep moving forward,

No one can beat me now, the world is my playground,

Surprised, aren't you? Surprised? Hahaha!**

Jason closed his eyes in despair as the song continued, while Ethan's expression grew colder by the second.

**

Ryan's schedule was packed, so the cover shoot was scheduled for after his filming wrapped up. They worked until two in the morning, but Emily, who usually insisted on her beauty sleep, had no complaints. She was on cloud nine, describing the entire shoot as "a dream come true, totally worth it!"

Ryan was charismatic on camera, but off-screen, he was introverted and composed, not at all like a typical twenty-year-old. When he met Emily, a flicker of surprise crossed his features before he smiled warmly. "When I first saw you, I thought you were the model I'd be working with. I didn't expect you to be the photographer."

Emily maintained her practiced smile, though inside she was floating on air. She threw a quick glance at Jessica, who instantly understood the silent message: **OMG, I'm dying!**

In front of her idol, Photographer Emily was at the top of her game.

Emily was a natural talent, with a keen eye and unique style. Her mind worked faster than the camera's shutter, and the moment she saw the model, she had already envisioned the shots.

Ryan's shoot was no different. Emily didn't need a complex setup or even extra lighting. Sometimes she didn't even

use a reflector or additional light sources.

For Ryan's shoot, she didn't even need an assistant. Just her and the camera, she clicked away for two hours and was done, delivering the raw photos on the spot.

Ryan looked at the photos for a long moment, his eyes reflecting admiration—and something else. Finally, he smiled, a bit of a tease in his tone. "I hope we get to work together again, Alisa."

"Ryan called me 'Alisa!'" Emily exclaimed as she clung to Jessica's arm, sharing her joy. "I've never heard anything so wonderful!"

"I'll love him forever!" Emily squealed before rushing to her laptop, eyes gleaming as she started typing away.

Jessica peeked over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Rebuilding my fan site."

Emily had once managed a popular fan site for Ryan, back when she was one of his early supporters. After getting married and focusing all her energy on Ethan, she had drifted away from her fan activities.

But after seeing Ryan again, Emily felt a renewed passion and was ready to dive back in. "Look, Ryan and Emily even have matching names! We're meant to be!"

Jessica laughed. "If we're talking about names, your husband's matches yours better. Emily and Ethan, sounds like a perfect match."

The smile vanished from Emily's face. "Why ruin my good mood by mentioning him?"

She scoffed. "Same name? More like he's 'Ethan.'"

Jessica's laughter was cut short by a phone call. She stepped away to answer it and returned with a serious expression.

"Good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

Emily hesitated. "Good news?"

"We're scheduled to shoot the anniversary cover for *MegaZine*, and your husband is the cover star."

Emily: "…"

Emily: "And how is that good news?"

"The editor-in-chief just called and said Ethan's team suddenly backed out of the interview."

Emily perked up. "That's the real good news!"

Jessica shook her head. "Emily, you don't understand how important this anniversary issue is for *MegaZine*. The editor-in-chief worked hard to secure Ethan for the cover. They've reserved the biggest space for him, and if he doesn't show, the magazine will be in serious trouble."

Realization dawned on Emily. "That's definitely a problem."

Jessica sighed. "The editor has been a great help to my studio. She supported us when we were just starting out, helping us gain recognition in the industry…"

She paused, looking at Emily with a new intensity.

A sense of dread washed over Emily.

**—It was the kind of look a madam gives her top girl.**

She pulled back cautiously. "What do you mean?"

Jessica grabbed Emily's sleeve, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, Emily! Save the editor! Save the magazine!"

Emily: "…"

Her face was a picture of reluctance. "You're asking too much…"

Three days ago, I slammed that door shut when I said, "Beg me."

Now it's sealed tighter than ever—probably bolted the windows and chimney too.

"You know our relationship is practically nonexistent. We're just a plastic couple."

Jessica clung to Emily's arm like a lifeline. "No, I believe you two still have something! At least some… fireworks?"

Emily: "…"

**After learning the hard way about the perils of marriage, Emily finally understood the consequences of befriending the wrong people.** :）

**

After a good night's sleep, Emily was still conflicted.

She genuinely didn't know how to broach the subject.

The joy of saying "Beg me" was now haunting her, leaving her in a state of frustration.

With a sigh, she unlocked her phone and opened her social media. To her surprise, she saw a notification she had never seen before.

She clicked on it and found that Ethan had liked the post where she shared the song "Gotcha."