Chapter 223 (Bonus Chapter)

223:

He Yao met Qiu Lu not long after he entered the entertainment industry.

At that time, he was taken by his agent to a cocktail party, where Qiu Lu happened to be there as well.

Although He Yao was not as strikingly handsome as Mu Shaowu, who was unforgettable at first sight, he had a delicate and refined appearance, which suited Qiu Lu's taste perfectly.

So Qiu Lu gave him his business card, and afterwards, she would meet him every few days to give him things.

However, these invitations and gifts suddenly ended before the Lunar New Year this year. At that time, He Yao felt a sense of loss that he couldn't quite explain, thinking that these young masters were indeed unreliable.

During the New Year, Qiu Lu neither sent him New Year's greetings nor made any plans to meet him. He Yao had considered deleting him, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it and let Qiu Lu's WeChat remain in his WeChat contacts.

Later, in late March, Qiu Lu sent him gifts again.

He Yao did not accept them and returned them all.

Soon, Qiu Lu asked to meet him, which He Yao naturally refused. At this moment, Qiu Lu explained to him that he hadn't contacted him before not because he didn't want to, but because some things had happened at home and he was too busy and didn't have the energy to deal with them.

Hearing his sincere tone and seeing that he had indeed lost some weight, He Yao guessed that he hadn't lied to him and finally forgave him.

He's not blind; of course he could see that Qiu Lu wanted to pursue him.

But Qiu Lu's family background was much better than his, so He Yao didn't know if he was serious or just wanted to play around with him, so he didn't reply and just kept things ambiguous.

During this time, Qiu Lu did not care about his career, and He Yao wanted to maintain his self-respect in front of him, so he did not tell him about his work-related matters—fearing that he would think he was implying that he wanted him to help him.

This includes recording a variety show with Mu Shaowu.

Two weeks ago, before the variety show started filming, Qiu Lu happened to be on vacation abroad.

Therefore, he was unaware that He Yao and Mu Shaowu were on the same variety show, let alone the online uproar today.

He had just gotten off the plane and into his car, ready to take a shower, meet He Yao, and flirt with him.

Unexpectedly, He Yao said that he had been set up.

Hearing the grievance in his words, Qiu Lu thought to himself that this was a good opportunity. It was rare for He Yao to take the initiative to ask him for help. If he helped him now, He Yao would definitely be moved and grateful, and his goodwill towards him would increase dramatically.

"Who dares to be so bold? I'll teach him a lesson for you!" Qiu Lu said without hesitation.

He Yao immediately spoke up: "Mu Shaowu! Mu Shaoting! Mu Shaoyan!"

Qiu Lu: !!!

Qiu Lu: ...

Qiu Lu felt his wounds, which had already healed, starting to ache again.

No, how did he offend these three people?!

"Why would they scheme against you?!" Qiu Lu asked.

He Yao said, half-jokingly, "I meant well by speaking up for Mu Shaowu on the show, hoping that his son, who is not related to him by blood, would be more understanding of his adoptive father. But just because I said 'adoptive father,' they said I was reopening old wounds for the child. Mu Shaowu forced the production team to make me leave the show and even threatened to blacklist me!"

"Mu Shaoyan chased me to my house and beat me up!"

"Brother Qiu, I don't want to quit this show," He Yao said, feeling wronged.

Qiu Lu: ...

Qiu Lu felt a headache coming on.

How is this related to Ye Qingxi again?!

Was this child born to bring misfortune upon them?!

He wondered how He Yao could have offended all three of them at once; it turned out it was all because of this kid!

Qiu Lu is now truly afraid of Ye Qingxi.

Because he broke Ye Qingxi's cake, Ye Qingxi got a small cut on her hand. The Mu family has been in such a mess that they haven't recovered yet, and he even spent the New Year in the detention center.

Qiu Lu had never suffered such a loss in his life. Even while he was in detention, he was thinking that once he got out, he would make his parents kill that Duan Yi!

When he went out, he was greeted by a mess at home. His mother was lying in bed, and his father was yelling at him to kneel down, then beat and scolded him.

He contacted his former friends, but they had already deleted him from their contacts.

He wanted to buy a new car, but he only had a little over a million in his account. He went to his father to ask for the money, but his father showed him the company's accounts and told him, "All of this is thanks to you!"

Then, his card was suspended.

Qiu Lu never dreamed that his slap would turn his life into this.

His only happiness was that Qiu Yue had left and would no longer compete with him for the family fortune, but it seemed that their family fortune was almost gone.

From then on, he developed a fear of Ye Qingxi.

Adults have the ability to protect themselves; they will only fight against you on their own.

Children lack the ability to protect themselves, so the adults behind them will stand up for them.

Unfortunately, Ye Qingxi has many powerful backers, including a professional thug like Mu Shaoyan.

After he was released from the detention center, he was beaten twice more by Mu Shaoyan, who said it was to teach him a lesson for daring to lay a hand on Duan Yi and Duan Yi's mother.

Qiu Lu: ...

Qiu Lu was truly impressed by him.

Why does he always step in to protect every single person's head?

Do they really think they're some kind of champion of justice?

But what could he say? Circumstances were beyond his control, and he himself had done things that involved bullying others, so he could only accept it.

Qiu Lu is thinking the same way now.

Whether He Yao's so-called "adoptive father" had malicious intent is not the point; the point is that Ye Qingxi is involved, so we have no choice but to accept it.

Otherwise, if things get out of hand, Mu Feng can even chase after their family and beat them up, let alone a little He Yao?

"Forget it," Qiu Lu advised him. "There are so many variety shows every year, you don't necessarily have to go on this one. Why don't you choose another one?"

He Yao:? ? ?

He Yao simply couldn't understand what he was saying. He said forget it, and even asked him to choose another one?

Who was it who just said, "I'll teach him a lesson for you"? Wasn't it him?!

"But my persona on this show is one of growth. I'm still in the initial stage where I don't know anything, and netizens don't like that. If I don't continue recording, I won't be able to salvage my reputation."

Qiu Lu: ...What can he do?

If he had any other choice, he wouldn't have spent the New Year in the police station!

"Brother Qiu, please help me, I beg you." He Yao rarely put aside his pride.

Qiu Lu: ...He really can't help!

He could still think of ways to deal with the other people, but the Mu family... he really dared not touch them again.

If they touch him again, his family will probably lose everything they have now.

His dad would really beat him to death!

"Xiao Yao, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I really can't. This matter involves Ye Qingxi, so there's no point in saying anything now."

“You don’t know,” Qiu Lu sighed, “the two people in the Mu family who are not surnamed Mu are the most dangerous to offend. One is Mu Shaowu’s son, Ye Qingxi, and the other is Mu Shaowu’s brother’s son, Qin Cheng. The Mu family only has these two children, so they will not let anyone who offends them get away with it.”

"But Ye Qingxi is Mu Shaowu's adopted son, not his biological son. I didn't say anything wrong!" He Yao defended himself.

“This isn’t something you said correctly. This is just how things are right now! It’s getting late, so get some rest and don’t think about it anymore. Talk to your agent another day and ask him to get you a different show. You can rebuild your persona and become popular again.”

After Qiu Lu finished speaking, he hung up the phone.

He didn't truly repent and turn over a new leaf; he just felt he had made a mistake back then.

He certainly harbored hatred and resentment towards the Mu family.

Even now, when Qiu Lu thinks back on it, he still feels frustrated, pained, and angry. If he had the chance, he would want to repay Mu Shaoyan and Mu Zheng a thousand times over for what he had gone through.

The problem is, there's no opportunity.

So if he doesn't want to fight to the death with the other party, where it's a lose-lose situation, he has no choice but to accept it.

At that moment, Qiu Lu felt as if he suddenly understood the hardships of adulthood.

Sometimes, it's not that people don't want to, but that they simply have no other choice.

He Yao never expected Qiu Lu to be so useless!

Before I knew it was Mu Shaowu, he said something like "Who is so bold?" Once I found out, I felt like a coward!

And he still has the nerve to pursue him?!

He Yao angrily threw his phone aside.

But he quickly picked up his phone again and called his agent.

However, his agent did not answer his call.

He Yao sent a WeChat message, but his agent didn't reply.

He Yao angrily said, "If you don't reply to me, I'll tell everyone that you made me do this on the show, that you made me create this 'growth-oriented' persona, which I never wanted to do in the first place."

The agent then replied: [Don't make baseless accusations! It was clearly your own poor performance that led me to give you this advice, and I only did it to salvage your reputation. How is it my idea that you did it? I told you to meet with He Lei beforehand and prepare properly, but you didn't listen to a word, and now that things have gone wrong, you're trying to shift the blame onto me?!]

He Yao: [Finally you answered me, huh? Why didn't you answer my calls?!]

Agent: [He Yao, you're too agitated right now, calm down.]

However, He Yao felt that he was already very calm.

He Yao: [Why did you change my Weibo password? Why won't you answer my calls? Why won't you defend me against the negative comments? Are you giving up on me?]

His agent did not reply.

He Yao said anxiously, "Speak up!"

But there was no response!

He Yao was going crazy. He couldn't take it anymore; he couldn't bear the fear and anxiety he felt.

He couldn't stand his agent's sudden change in attitude, and he couldn't accept the consequences that this attitude might bring, which he simply couldn't face.

He Yao grabbed a hat, put on a mask, rushed out of his house, and went to his agent's house.

But the agent's room was dark, and the person he was looking for wasn't home.

He Yao had no choice but to go to the company the next day.

He met his agent at the company.

The agent was shocked to see him like this. What happened?!

However, before he could even speak, He Yao preemptively questioned him: "Why didn't you help me fight back against the online attacks? Why did you change my Weibo password? Do you want me to become universally hated online?! Are you planning to abandon me?!"

The agent sighed.

He said, "He Yao, I've done everything I could for you, and I have a clear conscience."

Hearing his words, He Yao felt as if the anxiety that had been hanging over him all night had completely died.

"Why? Just because my reputation is bad right now? Or because Mu Shaowu said it's either me or him?! He might not be a top star forever! One day, I'll crush him under my feet! I'm still young, I still have hope!"

“It has nothing to do with Mu Shaowu,” the agent said. “It’s because the boss feels that too many resources are being spent on you.”

“He Yao, the company has only so many resources, and the agent has only so many resources. I have already given you a lot, but there has been no return. You are young, but there are people even younger than you. So the boss hopes that I will spend the resources on them.”

The agent looked at him and gently advised, "Go back."

“I want to terminate my contract,” He Yao suddenly said. “Since you’re going to sideline me, then I’ll leave you, find a different agent, and switch companies.”

"Okay, the termination fee is 80 million."

He Yao:! ! !

"I've never even earned 80 million myself!" he exclaimed angrily. "Why should you ask me for 80 million?!"

"This is a written contract, and you signed it back then," the agent reminded him.

That's because back then he only thought about how easy it was to make money in the entertainment industry, so he wanted to enter the circle, sign a contract, make money, and make a name for himself, which is why...

He Yao gritted his teeth in anger and said bitterly, "I'm going to sue you! Eighty million? You're practically robbing me!"

“Sure,” the agent said calmly. “The company will have someone to handle things with you then.”

He Yao:......

He Yao looked at his agent and felt a sudden emptiness, as if the world had gone quiet.

He's really giving up on him, really going to sideline him.

He was really determined.

"Go back now," the agent said again. "I have other things to do."

He Yao stood there, unable to move his feet for some reason.

He concluded by asking, "Why do you suddenly feel like too many resources have been spent on me? Why this particular time? Why me of all people?"

“Because you’re too self-centered.” The agent looked at him. “I’ve advised you many times, but you just won’t listen. You’re stubborn, unwilling to back down, and only act according to your own ideas. You only live in your own world. He Yao, after you posted those three questions and tagged the company’s official Weibo account, you should have known that the company would no longer tolerate you.”

“You’re an adult. Adults shouldn’t be so impulsive, radical, and reckless, especially since you haven’t contributed anything to the company. If you can’t bring profits to the company, you shouldn’t put the company in such a precarious position. What company would dare hire you like this?!”

He Yao listened for a long time before finally leaving in silence.

He walked out of the company building in a daze. The summer sun was shining brightly, so bright that he could hardly open his eyes, but he felt cold and his eyes were stinging.

He Yao slowly walked back, but even though it was the same way he came, he felt like he couldn't see the road ahead.

Does he still have a way out?

Where does his path lie?

Netizens have been enjoying the gossip for two days, having a wonderful time.

This time, the gossip is plentiful and exciting, involving one celebrity after another, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, one after another.

When it was finally discovered that Ye Qingxi was actually Shao Xi, everyone's surprise reached its peak. In an instant, the number of views for Mu Shaoting's final video and Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaowu's recording of "Look the Daddy" skyrocketed.

Xiao Xi is getting cuter and cuter the more you look at her.

I really don't understand how He Yao could harbor such a cruel heart towards such a lovely child.

As expected, talented people attract attention whether they show their abilities or not.

[I just remembered someone actually thought Shao Xi must be ugly to wear a mask, hahaha, they were proven wrong!]

[Thank goodness she wore a mask, otherwise, wouldn't everyone have known that Shao Ting is Mu Shaowu's sister right after Xiao Xi recorded "Look the Daddy"?!]

[Xiao Xi is so young, yet she already knows to cooperate with her aunt's wishes, but He Yao directly exposed her identity! Ugh, I really want to beat him up!]

[Yes, Xiaoxi even changed her name! What a thoughtful baby!]

[Xiao Xi is becoming more and more lovable and adorable the more you learn about him. I really hope my future baby will be just like him.]

Who has such an angelic baby?! Oh, it's Mu Shaowu!

[It seems like Mu Shaowu wakes up laughing every night from his dreams!]

Mu Shaowu, who wakes up laughing every night from his dreams, is currently discussing the house layout and various arrangements for Ye Qingxi's sixth birthday with his younger siblings.

"The desserts and birthday cake are all yours." He looked at his sister. "Is that alright?"

“Of course.” Mu Shaoting replied without hesitation.

"The toys and amusement park rides are all yours." He looked at his younger brother. "Is that okay?"

"You're underestimating me." Mu Shaoyan said confidently.

"Leave the house furnishings to me, and leave breakfast, lunch, and dinner to Aunt Zhang. That should be all."

"Yes." Mu Shaoyan nodded. "This is Xiaoxi's first birthday celebration at our house."

"That's right," Mu Shaowu said with emotion. "In the blink of an eye, Xiaoxi is already six years old, and it's almost been a year since she came to our family. Time really flies."

Mu Shaoting nodded, "I still remember when Xiaoxi first came to our house, she was so small and didn't talk much."

"Do you remember when I bought Xiaoxi a cake back then?" Mu Shaoyan said. "The bear that Xiaoxi is lying in the sun now is the one I bought for him back then. I bought two of them."

"Of course I remember. I even asked my second brother what to write on the cake, and he said 'Welcome home.' Now that I think about it, isn't it just 'coming home'?"

"This is Xiaoxi's home."