Chapter 390 Parting and Union

"Senior, what do you want to do here?"

Lu Yanhe did not agree immediately.

Of course, he would love to nod immediately and say he was very welcome.

Just kidding. A graduate of Zhenhua University, and someone like Senior Sister Helan who is familiar with, capable, and talented, would be a top choice for any employer.

But Lu Yanhe still wanted to find out the details.

He needed to know what Senior Helan was thinking in order to determine which department she would be better suited for.

He Lan said, "I don't know exactly what to do. Does that depend on your arrangements? My strengths lie in my writing skills and expression. Of course, my English is also quite good."

Lu Yanhe said, "Okay, senior, do you have a resume? I'll ask Siqi to take a look. She's currently in charge of the specific work for 'Jump Up.' I don't really manage it much anymore; she's more familiar with it."

He Lan agreed, "Then I'll send you the electronic version of my resume."

Lu Yanhe suddenly frowned.

"What's wrong?" Helan asked when she saw Lu Yanhe's expression suddenly change.

Lu Yanhe frowned and spat the food from his mouth onto the plate.

There's sand inside.

Helan: "Huh? The vegetables weren't washed properly?"

"Yes," Lu Yanhe said. "After eating in the cafeteria for so long, this is the first time I've ever tasted sand."

“It’s not clean enough, is it? Write it in the feedback book later,” He Lan said.

"Oh well, it was their first time eating it, they probably just didn't notice."

-

How extreme can celebrities go to maintain their figures? Even Lu Yanhe isn't immune.

When such a sensational news headline appeared in front of Chen Ziyan, her subconscious reaction was: Which unscrupulous media outlet is stirring up trouble again?

There was nothing she could do; her artists were too outstanding, so Chen Ziyan's first reaction to negative news reports was that they were all rumors.

That feeling was completely different from when I was mentoring Chen Bige.

Chen Bige was really good at causing trouble back then.

Therefore, whenever such reports come out, Chen Ziyan's first reaction is, "What trouble has Chen Bige gotten into now?"

The mindset is completely different.

When Chen Ziyan clicked on the news, she discovered that there was also a short video of about seven or eight seconds.

In the video, Lu Yanhe took a bite of food, then frowned and spat it out.

There's video evidence to prove it.

Many people in the comments section criticized Lu Yanhe for wasting food.

Chen Ziyan quickly called Lu Yanhe.

But no one answered.

Looking at the timetable, oh, it's time for class.

Chen Ziyan didn't wait and quickly logged onto her social media platform, posting directly: I saw the video, saying that Yan He eats one bite and then spits it out to maintain his figure. Although I haven't been able to contact Yan He yet—he's in class and I'm waiting for him to finish—Yan He is definitely not that kind of person. Please calm down. If you really say that Yan He eats one bite and then spits it out, don't just post a video of him spitting out that one bite. Just post a video of how many bites he spit out. If I eat something that doesn't taste good, I'll spit it out too.

As Lu Yanhe's agent, Chen Ziyan's statement naturally carries significance.

At least Lu Yanhe's fans seemed to have received a unified instruction and began to flock to the media outlets that released the video: "Just release all the information about how many times Yanhe vomited!"

It was posted in a flash, and the comment section was almost completely taken over.

I waited for an hour or two, but no new video came out.

After class, Lu Yanhe called Chen Ziyan back. After learning about the misunderstanding caused by spitting out a mouthful of food after eating sand at noon, he explained to Chen Ziyan in a speechless manner.

Chen Ziyan: "...I knew it."

Lu Yanhe said, "I'll also explain it on Weibo."

“Okay, go ahead and explain,” Chen Ziyan said. “We have to respond to these kinds of inappropriate accusations.”

Lu Yanhe then went on Weibo to explain why he spat out that mouthful of food.

It is also said—

I get secretly filmed while I'm eating. Can't you give me some privacy? I don't want to have a camera secretly following me everywhere I go.

No sooner had it been sent than Helan called again.

"Senior," Lu Yanhe answered the phone, "Are you calling to ask me about the trending topics?"

“No,” Helan said. “I just found it strange that someone would film you spitting out that piece of food and post it online, so I asked a friend to check the cafeteria's surveillance footage.”

"ah?"

"The person who secretly took your picture from that angle was a classmate of yours."

"ah?"

“Ji Qianxing,” Helan said.

Lu Yanhe's heart skipped a beat.

ah? -

Lu Yanhe and Ji Qianxing haven't been in contact for a long time.

We only occasionally attend classes together.

His relationship with Ji Qianxing was terrible, probably because things started off badly, and Ji Qianxing made sarcastic remarks about him in front of the whole class several times afterward.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.

At this point, it had been about ten minutes since get out of class ended.

Two phone calls, and another Weibo post.

Most of the students in the classroom had left, with only a few scattered around studying or reading.

Ji Qianxing is still here.

She sat in the second row, writing something with her head down. From behind, sunlight streamed in through the window, and she appeared upright, slender, and beautiful, giving off a sense of tranquility.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath. He walked over.

Ji Qianxing raised her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression, her face unconsciously showing disgust and rejection.

"What's up?"

"Do you know that there are surveillance cameras in the cafeteria?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Ji Qianxing was taken aback at first, then her expression became somewhat flustered, but she forced herself to calm down.

What are you saying?

"Do you need me to release the footage of you secretly filming me on the surveillance camera?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Ji Qianxing's expression changed, she gritted her teeth, and stubbornly denied it, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine, since you don't know what I'm talking about, just wait and see."

Lu Yanhe turned and left.

“Lu Yanhe!” Ji Qianxing immediately stood up.

Her shout startled everyone around her, who looked over in surprise, clearly unaware of what had happened, and stared at them all in astonishment.

Lu Yanhe stopped and turned around to look at Ji Qianxing.

"Apologize?"

Ji Qianxing's face turned ashen.

One second.

Two seconds.

Ji Qianxing finally whispered, "I'm sorry."

Lu Yanhe glanced at her indifferently.

"We did have some unpleasant things happen before, but we were classmates after all, there's no need to become enemies or adversaries. Let's not do it again."

Lu Yanhe said this in a voice only Ji Qianxing could hear, gave her another warning look, and then left.

Ji Qianxing pursed her lips, remaining in a daze for a long time.

The side of Lu Yanhe that he just showed was something Ji Qianxing had never seen before.

It made her feel unfamiliar and uneasy.

-

—Yan He, today's trending topic is ridiculous. Do you think we should arrange an exclusive interview for you on YeMai.com to talk about the topic of celebrities' fitness and dieting? I think it's a great topic, and it can also prevent people from being influenced by these erroneous reports online, making them think that celebrities can't eat properly.

—Thanks, Brother Qiao, but I won't bother with that for now. I've seen similar discussions in many media outlets lately, and I think everyone's probably tired of it. Besides, there are indeed many people using unhealthy methods to lose weight and maintain their figure. I'll just focus on doing my own thing.

...

Upon seeing the news of Lu Yanhe's return, Liu Qiao took a deep breath, feeling a sense of powerlessness.

Lu Yanhe's unyielding attitude left him truly at a loss as to where to begin.

It's already the end of October.

When they dug out the contract, they discovered that "City Travelogue" had never signed any long-term cooperation agreement with Lu Yanhe, and that Xin Zixing had personally invited him for each episode.

The collaboration between "Jump Up" and YeMai.com is also on a one-year contract.

However, when they went to discuss the renewal of the contract for "Jump Up" with Xin Zixing, she only said, "I have brought it up with them several times, but they have not agreed. They only said that they need to study it further, so there is nothing I can do."

Xin Zixing's current attitude suggests that she's too lazy to care about anything.

Although Xin Zixing kept denying that she would leave, Liu Qiao saw a different answer in her demeanor.

Liu Qiao sent a message to Xin Zixing: Zixing, don't forget to have dinner together tonight.

Xin Zixing: Okay, I'll remember.

-

That evening, as soon as Liu Qiao met Xin Zixing, he asked, "Tell me the truth, Zixing, are you planning to leave Yemai.com?"

"Mr. Liu, I get asked this question almost every day. It seems like I have no choice but to leave now, given the current atmosphere."

Xin Zixing smiled nonchalantly, her tone casual and nonchalant.

In the past, Liu Qiao would definitely have refuted such arguments—why do you have to leave even if you don't want to? Listen to what those people are saying.

But he no longer wants to repeat these meaningless platitudes.

Xin Zixing's words and attitude have already explained a lot.

The restaurant was filled with a lively atmosphere that was both reserved and luxurious, with everyone chatting and laughing amidst clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

However, they remained incompatible, maintaining a state of mutual silence.

Liu Qiao suddenly said, "When you applied for the job at Yemai, I asked you a question. Do you remember it?"

"You ask me why such a beautiful girl like me would jump from a fashion magazine to work for an artsy website that has nothing to do with fashion. You say that with my resume and achievements, I could have gone to a better platform."

After Xin Zixing finished speaking, she looked into Liu Qiao's eyes and asked, "Do you remember what I answered back then, Mr. Liu?"

Liu Qiao said, "You know, because this is a company that is on the rise and developing, there is room for you to make great strides, and the future holds unlimited possibilities."

Xin Zixing smiled slightly and nodded, "President Liu has a really good memory."

“You used to call me Brother Qiao or Editor-in-Chief.”

“You’ve been promoted, so of course I’ll call you General Manager Liu. It wouldn’t be appropriate to use any other title.” Xin Zixing looked at Liu Qiao, a faint smile appearing in her eyes, a smile so detached it was almost indifferent.

Xin Zixing heard her phone vibrate twice.

She picked it up and glanced at it.

It was a message from Huang Kairen: I've decided to still act in "Rouge".

-

"I want to act in this movie."

Huang Kairen said to Lian Xun that this time, he was not speaking to Lian Xun in a consultative tone.

He is very serious and has made up his mind.

Although Lian Xun had expected this, he still found it somewhat hard to accept at this moment.

“If you’ve made up your mind to act, what can I say?” Lian Xun said. “I’m just your manager; the decision is yours.”

Huang Kairen knew that Lian Xun did not want him to take this role.

"Lian Xun, how do you see me? What kind of actor do you think I should be in the future?"

“My assessment of you will always be that you do what you’re supposed to do at each stage,” Lian Xun said. “You’ve already taken on several serious dramas, all of which have received high praise and good feedback. Among the same batch of male actors, you’ve had the most successful transition. You don’t need to take any risks at all. You just need to continue acting steadily along your current path, and you’ll definitely win Best Actor. However, if you were to act in ‘Rouge,’ it’s very likely that this one movie would make all your previous efforts go down the drain, and completely destroy your image in the eyes of the audience and even your fans.”

Huang Kai-ren: "I don't need to repeat these reasons. I've heard them too many times. Lian Xun, I just want to ask you, if I told you that I absolutely have to act in this drama, would you support me?"

Lian Xun fell silent and did not speak.

This silence is the answer.

Huang Kairen nodded, "Alright, then I'll just go ahead and do it my own way."

A hint of annoyance also welled up in his heart.

What he wanted to hear was certainly not silence.

Let's leave aside the others, Lian Xun has been his manager since his debut until today, and has never changed.

Huang Kairen always thought that if he had put his words to this extent, Lian Xun should at least support him.

Still not.

Can they still be considered friends?

Why can't people who have fought side by side with him for so long understand his feelings and support him without resorting to rational analysis?

Huang Kairen took a deep breath.

He left somewhat dejectedly.

Back at the house, he was somewhat surprised to find that the main lights were not on; only a floor lamp was lit on the table near the balcony.

Xin Zixing sat there, a glass of red wine on the table, drinking alone.

"What's wrong with you?" Huang Kairen asked Xin Zixing.

“I laid some things out with Liu Qiao.” Xin Zixing smiled and looked down. “Thinking back on the past few years, fighting alongside him for so long, I thought we could continue to work together, but I didn’t expect that we had drifted apart without even realizing it.”

Huang Kairen: "Really? He knew you were leaving?"

“I didn’t say it outright, but he’s probably convinced.” Xin Zixing shook her head. “I’m too lazy to play along with him.”

Huang Kairen went to get himself a glass and poured some whiskey into it.

He said, "It's quite a coincidence that our situations have come together."

"What's wrong with you again? Did you have a fight with Lian Xun because you're going to take on 'Rouge'?"

That's roughly the idea.

Huang Kairen gave Xin Zixing a bitter smile.

Xin Zixing gave him a bitter smile.

It has a sense of being fellow sufferers in the same boat.

-

I have something important to do tomorrow and won't be able to write, so I'll use the rest of the time to write tomorrow's update.

Please forgive me.

(End of this chapter)