Chapter 55 Chapter 55

The culprit, An Jiuyue, hid in a corner of the recording site, hiding among the logistics team.

The scene was orderly and the lights were dazzling. She breathed a sigh of relief, silently guessing that perhaps it would be alright.

The other sponsor representatives were not as difficult to deal with as the rich young lady. Most of them sat in their seats and listened attentively for a while until their own brand appeared. They were polite when giving suggestions.

The other two pairs of guests made clear and encouraging progress, and the observers' interest soon fell on the new guest Zhong Xinwu.

Uncle artist: "Male guest No. 4 has a captivating charm, especially his eyes. They remind me of my adorable golden retriever."

The female artist agreed: "He seems a bit vulnerable. Just looking at him makes me want to hug him. Male guest No. 4 should be a clean-cut boy with an elegant temperament."

Another female artist said: "I think he still has a hint of mystery and a very rich inner world."

A relationship blogger poured cold water on the idea: "It's a typical artistic temperament. But be careful, the more charming something is, the more dangerous it is."

Everyone was very interested: "How do you say it?"

A relationship blogger analyzed: "As we just discussed, their inner worlds are very rich, which makes them more difficult to understand. Male guest No. 3 also has a lot on his mind, but he's probably the type with a clear and open mind, with nothing to hide. Although he doesn't show it easily, in-depth communication can slowly test his bottom line of self-esteem.

"In comparison, artists have more complex personalities and characters, perhaps even more difficult to explain. They are like abysses, bottomless pits, like swamps teeming with flowers, drawing you in, seeking to save them, to protect them, but ultimately, nothing is left but a mirage, with no way back..."

The emotional blogger turned to the camera and spoke earnestly, "Life advice: Don't try to save an artist. They may be poisonous roses, wild thorns, and only in the wilderness can they grow flesh and blood and burst forth with inspiration. Your overflowing sympathy may only lead to moths to a flame, destroying both you and the artist."

The two female artists looked at each other.

The audience on and off the stage were also silent.

The uncle artist took the lead in applauding: "Well said!"

He has been in the entertainment industry for many years, so he naturally knows that every word he just said is precious and thought-provoking.

"Cut!" Director Wu called for a stop.

An Jiyue crossed her arms with a feeling of sympathy, thinking that if this segment was really broadcast, the Lijiang Group would probably ban the entire Huayi Interactive Entertainment Group.

Although she vaguely felt that the emotional blogger's words made some sense, Zhong Xinwu had only been on a live broadcast and recorded an interview. No one knew what kind of person he was, so it was inappropriate to label others casually.

Moreover, with his cousin as a role model, Zhong Xinwu's gentle and calm demeanor, as well as his friendly and polite behavior towards others, impressed the entire "Last Day Lovers" production team.

He even had some expectations - after all, he was the only one who had openly stated his ideal partner, and that person was none other than Zhu Ling, the most popular and eye-catching guest of this season's show.

After the show went online this week, a new round of popularity is already expected. The publicity team is sharpening their knives, producing endless topics and accompanying images, ready to fight a good battle.

During the short break, the colleague next to An Jiuyue continued to chat with her from time to time.

"Hey, have you heard? Director An might be leaving."

An Jiyue's eyes narrowed and she raised her eyebrows: "No way, hasn't she already started working?"

A colleague waved his hand, "It's all just a facade. The boss hasn't officially announced her return to work, has he? There was even news just now that Director An was called into the office and scolded!"

An Jiyue: "..."

She didn't scold him harshly, did she? She quickly and calmly recalled the situation. It was just that the Vice President of the Interactive Entertainment Division suddenly gave her a fatherly lecture, a long, drawn-out lecture, while Director Zhang spoke up for her, both overtly and covertly.

An Jiuyue considered herself a newcomer, so she turned a deaf ear to her leader's preaching and politely declined the request for an apology, just putting on a calm smile.

Her heart tightened, and she asked, "Are you going to fire her? Or is this about the Lijiang Consortium?"

"No, no, I guess she wants to resign on her own."

My colleague perked up: "You weren't there that day, were you? Actually, many people saw it."

"What did you see?"

"Male guest number 3! He and Director An definitely have a special relationship. He even fed Director An snacks with his own hands."

An Jiyue was petrified. She was so focused on reasoning with Zhong Xinli that she forgot about this matter.

"Could it be, could it be that Director An is not feeling well, perhaps because he's holding something..."

She steeled herself to explain on behalf of "Director An," but knew it was futile. That day, in front of everyone, Lu Ye and her actions were intimate and natural, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell they had been secretly working on this for more than a day or two.

Bah, what's the secret crossing of Chencang? She justified it in her heart, it was clearly love at first sight, a special affection, and they finally got married!

Her colleague frowned, as if she was not very smart. "You must be joking. It's not like they're missing any limbs... And you forgot, there was news that they were already hooking up."

An Jiyue knew it was pointless to argue further, so she got back to the point: "So what does this have to do with Director An's resignation?"

"With such a promising boss, who would still want to endure humiliation and work hard?" A colleague sighed with envy, "Director An dared to go against the sponsor that day, most likely because he had Lu Ye as his backer.

"Male guest number 3, Lu Ye, not to mention his dazzling professional skills, just that elegant and refined appearance alone, who wouldn't be tempted? Even that ill-tempered lady from the Lijiang Consortium, a blind man could tell she had ulterior motives towards Lu Ye. Director An must have gone to war with her just to assert his sovereignty."

"I heard that the higher-ups are still hesitating to give Director An a clean bill of health, and she's not in a hurry. To put it bluntly, she's just lying down and ready to quit at any moment and go to City S to find Lu Ye."

An Jiyue's eyes almost popped out.

This set of well-organized reasoning made her feel wronged, ridiculous, and... actually somewhat reasonable.

She felt wronged because that day she was clearly standing on the side of all her colleagues in the program crew, openly standing up and confronting Zhong Xinli head-on.

She laughed, because she had worked tirelessly on "The Last Days Lovers" since joining Huayi, and she thought her passion needed no words. But in the eyes of ordinary colleagues, she was still willing to be Lu Ye's adorable wife.

She thought it made sense, as she was so busy meeting the replacement guests that day and then so angry that she had never noticed Zhong Xinli's feelings for Lu Ye. With this hidden affection and overtures, coupled with some rumors, it was not surprising that people imagined a drama of two women competing for one man.

After eating melons at home, An Jiyue was speechless for a long time, her body stiff, and her knuckles turned white as she folded her arms. Her breathing was trembling and irregular, causing the colleague who "kindly" shared the gossip to support her with concern.

"Hey, are you okay? Is the air conditioner too cold?"

Her colleague helped her out of the dimly lit and air-conditioned scene. As soon as she went out, Xu Mu ran towards her.

"Director An, the personal information for male guest number 4 has finally been sent. The male guest team and the screenwriter team are already in the conference room, waiting for you to come over and discuss the script ideas."

He finished speaking in one breath, breathing slightly, and suddenly realized that the atmosphere was wrong.

An Jiyue was dazed and confused, seemingly distracted. The colleague next to her suddenly changed his expression, and the hand holding her arm suddenly let go as if it had received an electric shock.

The kind colleague looked at An Jiyue, his face pale with embarrassment, cold sweat trickling down his neck. He opened and closed his mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a word.

An Jiyue closed her eyes helplessly, and comforted with a wry smile: "It's okay, it's really okay. We are in the entertainment industry, how can we not take a joke?"

She followed Xiao Xu to the meeting room. She glanced back at her trembling colleague and said, "Don't take it personally. Maybe I'll really quit someday."

She wanted to make a joke to lighten the mood, but it didn't work. An Jiyue sighed.

An Jiyue was feeling depressed and couldn't help but take out her cell phone before entering the meeting room.

An Jiyue: It's been spreading around our company, saying I argued with CEO Zhong to assert my sovereignty, and that I'm going to resign and move to City S for you.

The dialog box was silent. She was used to Lu Ye's usual busyness. After clicking send, she stuffed her phone back into her handbag, regained her spirits, and walked in through the door with light steps.

-

Lu Ye's calls came one after another. After sending An Jiuyue to the company, he turned off the Do Not Disturb mode, so he didn't have time to get out of the car for a long time.

As usual, Lu Ye responded to those who came to him to ask for his market opinion. Although he was on suspension, he could not completely abandon his professional qualities and reputation.

After the morning rush hour, the incoming calls were redirected.

First, the chairman of his former company personally asked about his well-being and told him not to resist any problems he encountered and that he would not sit idly by and watch him go.

Several more people came in one after another. They were either old classmates or business friends he met after entering the industry. They tried to test his attitude in some ways and seemed to casually put forward some price conditions.

Lu Ye was confused at first, but eventually things became clear. The purpose of these calls was the same: to dig him out.

At about the same time, he felt the same as An Jiuyue that the current situation was ridiculous.

Lu Ye was not explicitly asked to suspend his work, but his immediate superior Qin Jianhe criticized him tactfully but harshly for being "ignorant" and "unsympathetic", and asked him to go home and rest for a few days.

Just because of this, the news of his discord with the company's top management spread overnight.

The speed at which gossip spreads in the financial circle is no less than that in the film and entertainment circle.

Compared to An Jiyue who was unwilling to accept the misunderstanding of her original intention, Lu Ye felt that the so-called suspension was meaningless.

He had this straightforward and stubborn personality before he joined Company Z. He could be flexible in dealing with people but he could not lose his principles. Otherwise, he would not be able to make friends, let alone do business.

Back then, it was his polite concession that allowed a major order to be transferred to Company Z, which had approached and signed a letter of intent first. This in turn earned the chairman's liking for him, who then promised to hand over the new public offering to him. Just as his current project was nearing completion, he transitioned to Company Z.

If Company Z really wanted to breach the contract or even force him to resign because he was not "considerate" enough towards Zhong Xinli, then he could just leave.

Lu Ye is full of talent and has always been very confident.

He personally developed the strategy for new public offerings, and he would follow the same path regardless of which firm he joined. He possessed a strong sense of integrity, and within the industry, he built numerous connections and established a stable network of relationships.

Just in case, as long as there is a guarantee, he can take a break and work for his girlfriend's company, Anshi Capital, for free. It's also good.

Lu Ye politely declined another job offer, his dark eyes were as clear as stars, his thin lips were raised, and his smile deepened.

In between the ringing and the sound of messages, he began to look for nearby restaurants and bistros.

What should I treat Mr. An to today?