Chapter 89 A Meeting of Minds She was anticipating his arrival in the South City…
“Unfair treatment, what does that mean?” Yang Qing pointed to the “statement of facts” on the lawyer’s letter.
Agent Anqi stood in front of the table, her hands unconsciously twisting together, her knuckles turning white.
She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound steady: "President Yang, there might be some misunderstanding here. However... it's true that Shuangqing's resources have never been very good; we haven't landed a single S-level leading role in a drama yet."
"She's only been in the industry for a year and a half, mainly focusing on variety shows, and she wants to be an S-level female lead as soon as she starts working in film and television? She can have it, but her skills need to be up to par. Last year, with Director Wang's film, she failed to seize the opportunity because she herself wasn't good enough; who else can she blame?"
Yang Qing pressed his temples, feeling utterly overwhelmed. "I have no objection to terminating the contract. But using 'unfair treatment' as a reason is untenable."
His gaze shifted to Li Ran, the head of the legal department, who was waiting quietly to the side. "The legal department will follow the normal procedures. If necessary, we will proceed directly with the litigation process."
Li Ran was about to nod in agreement when An Qi spoke first, clearly anxious: "President Yang! There's definitely room for negotiation; it really shouldn't come to the point of litigation! Shuang Qing is young; she might have acted impulsively, I..."
"Anqi." Yang Qing looked up, her voice cold. "Feelings are feelings, and work is work. I hope you can distinguish between the two."
The office fell silent once again.
Everyone present knew perfectly well that Mu Shuangqing's lawyer's letter was simultaneously posted online. Although the letter did not mention Zhu Qingzhi, "Chaoxing Entertainment" and "Zhu Qingzhi" were already regarded as one entity by the outside world.
With Zhu Qingzhi already in the eye of the storm, Mu Shuangqing's move was tantamount to publicly accusing the company of giving all its resources to Zhu Qingzhi and using everyone else as stepping stones for her.
This is not just a contract termination; it's a blatant betrayal and kicking someone when they're down.
Anqi was extremely anxious, feeling like she was being roasted over a fire. She knew that Mu Shuangqing's actions were extremely unethical. If she wanted to terminate the contract, they could talk about it. Chaoxing had never been harsh in this regard; as long as the demands were reasonable, they usually parted amicably.
There were countless paths to choose from, yet Mu Shuangqing insisted on taking this one without even informing her. She must have been out of her mind or been completely deceived. Anqi cursed inwardly.
Seeing that the situation was clear, Li Ran from the Legal Department took the lawyer's letter, said, "Received," and then left the office.
Angie remained standing in place, while Yang Qing had already lowered her head and continued working, as if the incident had never happened. This absolute calmness was more stressful to Angie than rage.
“President Yang.” Anqi licked her dry lips, trying to make a final effort, “This matter with Shuangqing is my fault for not managing her well. I am responsible. Can I talk to her again? The lawsuit will not benefit the company, Shuangqing, or... Madam.”
Yang Qing didn't even look up: "From the moment Mu Shuangqing sent the lawyer's letter, she had already made her choice. It's unnecessary and meaningless for you to defend her."
"But......"
“No buts.” Yang Qing finally raised his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering. “What you need to do now is immediately assess the impact of this matter on your wife and come up with a solution. I don’t want topics like ‘Chaoxing’s resource monopoly’ and ‘Zhu Qingzhi’s resource star status’ to remain on the trending searches for more than two hours.”
Mu Shuangqing's "betrayal" is a fact, so her value instantly becomes zero. At this moment, the only important thing is to minimize the harm she causes to Zhu Qingzhi.
Angie's throat tightened, and she could only lower her head in the end: "...I understand, Mr. Yang. I'll take care of it right away."
She turned to leave, her steps unsteady. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, Yang Qing's deep voice came from behind her again: "Anqi."
She turned around abruptly, a faint glimmer of hope still lingering in her heart.
Yang Qing was seen signing his name with a smooth motion, his tone remaining calm: "Those who can't figure things out won't go far in Chaoxing."
Angie's heart sank completely.
These words were not only spoken to her, but also marked the end of Mu Shuangqing's future in Chaoxing.
"I understand," she replied softly, opened the door, and went out.
Outside the office, the sunlight was blinding. Angie leaned against the cold wall, took a deep breath, and barely managed to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
She took out her phone; the screen showed two missed calls and several unread messages, all from Mu Shuangqing.
She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, the warmth that once belonged to "Sister Angie" had been replaced by calmness.
She didn't call back.
*
Zhu Qingzhi remained silent when she saw the news.
[The Ballad of Yunshui] has only been filming for a month, but she has already had more news about her than she has in the three years since her debut.
Wen Qi told her not to worry, that Yang Qing would handle it properly, so she didn't take it too seriously.
It wasn't until Mu Shuangqing's contract termination that Xiao Tang was dragged into the matter, and then this afternoon Zhao Zhixun visited the Nancheng film crew, that the inside story of "Zhao's Entertainment" making a large investment in "Yunshuiyao" was revealed.
Less than half an hour after he left, the keywords "Zhu Qingzhi," "Xiao Tang," and "Zhao's Entertainment" triggered a trending topic, "[The few things about Zhu Qingzhi and the young master of the Zhao family]", which topped the hot search list.
Wen Qi had warned her about this matter beforehand and even intervened in advance, and many times the topic was shut down by public relations just as it was gaining traction late at night.
But things are ever-changing, and someone can always find a loophole. For example, there's the photo of her and Cho Chikun together. It should actually be a group photo, but someone with ulterior motives cropped it out and made it look like a sweet picture of the two of them.
Gu Qiao's first comment on the matter was: "My goodness, Zhao Zhixun looks quite handsome in this photo..."
Zhu Qingzhi: "..."
The second opinion is: "What's going on? Wen Qi isn't doing well. I'll go and debunk this rumor for you."
Before Zhu Qingzhi could even speak, she received a notification on her phone that she was receiving special attention.
[“I don’t eat buckwheat noodles when I’m trying to lose weight: Fake! People who spread this rumor should swallow a thousand needles.”]
Zhu Qingzhi clicked her tongue twice, expressing her admiration for her courage: "You want Zhao Shiyan to swallow a thousand needles?"
After a brief silence, Zhu Qingzhi noticed a comment under Gu Qiao's post: "[Specifically referring to marketing accounts.]"
Zhu Qingzhi: "...?"
You admired her for nothing.
The two chatted for a while, and Zhu Qingzhi left Wen Qi a message as usual: 【Are you coming back next week?】
In the past few days, Wen Qi rushed over to deal with a problem that arose at the overseas branch, and the two were separated by an 8-hour time difference.
Zhu Qingzhi's work hours are irregular, so apart from Wen Qi staying up late to wait for her to make a short video call, the two usually communicate through messages.
It was already 3 a.m. on the other end. Zhu Qingzhi was surprised that Wen Qi replied so quickly: [Okay, if nothing unexpected happens, I'll reply next Monday.]
Zhu Qingzhi frowned: [Aren't you asleep yet?]
As soon as she sent that message, Wen Qi's video call request popped up.
The film set was noisy and bustling with people, so Zhu Qingzhi didn't try to hide it too much, but she still found a slightly quieter place.
As soon as the video call connected, Wen Qi was still wearing his shirt, but it was a little messy. The light outlined his figure, making his fatigue even more apparent.
Zhu Qingzhi bit her lip, then noticed the coffee cup beside him, still steaming, and scolded playfully, "Drink less coffee! How many cups is this today?!"
A faint smile appeared in Wen Qi's eyes. She obediently pushed the coffee cup away from her, her movements carrying a hint of submissive obedience: "Okay, I won't drink it."
His voice came through the headphones, sounding a little hoarse from staying up all night.
Zhu Qingzhi looked at the pale blue circles under his eyes, and her heartache overcame the annoyance she felt from seeing the trending topic earlier: "Is the matter very difficult? It's almost this late and you're still busy."
"It's alright, the project is almost finished." Wen Qi said casually, but his gaze lingered on her face, as if checking her condition. "How about you?"
He didn't say it explicitly, but Zhu Qingzhi knew what he was asking.
She smiled and tilted her phone camera slightly to include the busy background of the film set: "That's how it is, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Gu Qiao just made a fool of herself..."
She told the story of Gu Qiao's sudden cowardice as an amusing anecdote.
Wen Qi listened, the corners of his lips curving slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
He looked at Zhu Qingzhi's feigned relaxed smile on the screen, and his heart felt like it was being entangled by a fine thread, tightening slightly. He knew her too well; the more nonchalant she appeared, the heavier the pressure she was probably under inside.
"Zhao Zhixun's side..." Wen Qi had just started to speak when Zhu Qingzhi interrupted him.
She shook her head, her eyes clear: "Yang Qing and Dani are already investigating the source of the leaked photos, and Director Zheng is also coordinating a solution. Don't get distracted!"
Wen Qi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he did not answer immediately.
If he hadn't made the last-minute decision to go abroad to handle this thorny issue at the branch office, and if he had been in the country, he would have been able to grasp all the developments immediately...
How could those people possibly have the opportunity to exploit this loophole?
How could that maliciously cropped photo have been released and caused such a stir?
He could even imagine how silent Zhu Qingzhi would be when she saw that trending topic.
She was always like this, appearing calm, suppressing all her emotions, unwilling to cause trouble for others. The more she acted this way, the deeper his guilt became.
He thought he had everything arranged perfectly, with Yang Qing in charge and a public relations team on standby. But he forgot that schemes lurking in the shadows are impossible to guard against, and the biggest variable was that he wasn't by her side.
Zhu Qingzhi noticed his hesitation, softened her voice, and said with a hint of coquettishness, "I can't keep letting you block my way forever, can I? Besides..."
She paused, a sly glint in her eyes, and feigned seriousness, "I'm not someone to be trifled with, so don't underestimate me!"
As Wen Qi watched her on the screen, deliberately wrinkling her nose to appear "fierce" yet utterly intimidating, the self-reproach and helplessness that had been welling up inside her subsided slightly.
“Okay,” he said in a low voice, finally giving in with boundless indulgence, “Fine. Do it your way. But promise me, if you need anything, tell me immediately.”
"Go to sleep!" Zhu Qingzhi gave the order, but then asked indirectly, "By the way, are you going straight back to Beijing next week? Or do you have other plans?"
Her topic changed so quickly that Wen Qi was taken aback: "First, we'll land in Beijing. The government has an investment project waiting for us to sign a contract."
"Oh, oh." Zhu Qingzhi responded, then suddenly her gaze fell on something not far away, and she waved her hand in the air, indicating that she was ready to continue filming.
"Okay, you busy person! You should get some rest, I need to go filming too!"
She waved to him and quickly hung up the video call before he could say anything more.
The screen went dark.
Wen Qi held his phone, his brows slightly furrowed. For a fleeting moment, he seemed to have caught a glimpse of...disappointment?
A thought clearly surfaced in his mind.
Is she... hoping he'll go to Nancheng?
-----------------------
Author's note: Kiyoshi [winking]: Haha.
Wen Qi [shyly]: Hehe.
[Crying] Ah Mei: I missed it...
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