On the day of the car launch event, Zhōu Shíyì left for the company early in the morning.
When he left home, Zhōng Yì was still asleep.
She knew what day it was but didn’t ask a single question, and naturally, he didn’t insist.
Leaning back in his chair, gazing out the window, he massaged his right arm to relax the muscles.
No one had rested their head on it for three years; after a few nights of doing so, she still wouldn’t let him move during the night, leaving his arm a bit sore.
Not long after arriving at the office, he received a call from Zhōng Yì.
Zhōu Shíyì was reviewing the launch event schedule and asked, “Are you awake?”
Zhōng Yì responded with a hum through her nose and complained, “I just woke up and turned over, and my waist almost broke.”
“Can you not sleep so long next time?”
Zhōu Shíyì coaxed her, “Okay.” Then he asked, “Are you up yet?”
“No.”
Zhōu Shíyì glanced at his watch. “Then sleep a little longer. I’ll come back as soon as the launch event ends.”
Zhōng Yì had already finished washing up and changed clothes, getting ready to head out.
She slowly slid on her ring. “Will you still be home with me in the afternoon?”
Zhōu Shíyì flipped through the schedule and said, “You can come keep me company too. Today’s the last day of your wedding leave; tomorrow, you’ll be busy.”
Zhōng Yì agreed, “Okay.”
After hanging up, she hurried downstairs.
Her own sports car was still at her parents’ place, so she drove the SUV Yang Jiayuan had given her and rushed to the launch event.
On the way, she got a call from Jì Fánxīng: “After the worst comes the best. Sister Cen just called and said Lù Chéng accepted my script.”
Zhōng Yì congratulated her, “The movie will be a hit. I’ll definitely book the whole theater when it comes out!”
Jì Fánxīng finally laughed. “I knew you loved me the most.”
She confessed, “But Sister Cen accepted the script on one condition.”
“Is it to stuff newbies into the movie?”
“No, that’s not the condition. Another artist under her management, Feng Ming, was exposed with a scandal. Sister Cen said he’s not as low-key as Lù Chéng.”
“The friends around him are unreliable; he was set up by them and can’t defend himself. The condition for her taking the script is that I help suppress the trending topic.”
In this industry, after years of experience, being envied and having dirt thrown at you after becoming popular is nothing new; she was used to it.
Like all the so-called scandals about Zhōng Zhuóhuá over the years—most were malicious fabrications.
Suppressing the trending topic was difficult.
But for Old Ji, it was just a matter of making a few calls and using some connections.
***
After attending Zhōng Yì’s wedding, Old Ji changed his attitude about her becoming a director. Maybe it was touched by San Shu’s words: “Luckily, my daughter is shining in a field she loves.”
Old Ji no longer pressured her to return to the company to take over but reminded her not to forget her original intentions in anything she does.
Zhōng Yì comforted her, “No matter what, you finally got to work with who you wanted.”
She used herself as an example: “Look at the Kuncheng Project. I first approached my dad, then asked Zhōu Sùjìn to join.”
“With the four parties developing it together, the Kuncheng Motors board finally approved the plan. Seeking benefits and avoiding harm is human nature.”
Jì Fánxīng’s voice was hoarse, “Thank you.” Before this, she was happy but always felt a bit blocked in her heart. “Now that you say it, I feel much better.”
Zhōng Yì said, “Everything will go smoothly.”
Jì Fánxīng thanked her again and said she would invite her out to eat after her wedding leave ended.
Zhōng Yì replied, “I probably won’t have time this year. I have to focus on the project starting tomorrow.”
“No problem. I’ll come see you at Jinghe. I heard the Jinghe cafeteria is pretty good. Let’s try it.”
After chatting for a while longer, Jì Fánxīng hung up.
Zhōng Yì then notified the company’s legal department to draft the contract.
The script had been accepted by Sister Cen on her own accord, without Lù Chéng’s knowledge.
But the contract signing was imminent; it couldn’t be kept a secret.
On the way to the launch event, she planned to explain the situation to Lù Chéng.
Lù Chéng was reviewing the event schedule, going over the interactive questions again to be fully prepared.
“How many times have you gone through this?” Sister Cen broke the silence inside the car.
Lù Chéng replied, “I’m just killing time anyway.” He glanced at the agent sinking into the seat, dark circles under her eyes.”
“The Feng Ming situation had left her overwhelmed, unable to sleep at night. “You don’t have to come to the launch event. Go back and rest.”
Sister Cen said, “I can’t sleep even if I go back.”
Feng Ming’s rise had taken away too many resources from other artists. She hadn’t figured out who was secretly stirring up trouble, trying to drag Feng Ming down.
She looked at Lù Chéng.
“The company suppressed Feng Ming’s trending topic, but it barely had any effect. The opposing side clearly has strong backing. With no other option, I accepted Jì Fánxīng’s script for you. Her dad will handle the Feng Ming matter.”
Lù Chéng was usually gentle but couldn’t help losing his temper now. “Why didn’t anyone ask me first? I said no! I don’t want to bother her; she’s got only that one friend! Cancel it now!”
“Lù Chéng, calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! You know what kind of relationship Jì Fánxīng and she have! You’ve known she has no friends all along…” He suddenly didn’t want to say more.
Sister Cen’s headache worsened; she had no patience left.
“Lù Chéng, you can’t be so selfish! Have you forgotten how much the company has invested in you over the years? Feng Ming just got popular, and the company hasn’t even recouped their investment. Even for the company’s sake, you should accept this script!”
“Here’s something you won’t like to hear: their powerful circle doesn’t care about exes. Otherwise, Zhōu Shíyì would still be demanding a concert for his mother.”
“They’re their own people; I’m me; Zhōng Yì is Zhōng Yì.”
Sister Cen pressed her throbbing temples and spoke slowly, “Maybe you don’t know, the company originally wanted to use your relationship with Zhōng Yì to suppress Feng Ming’s trending topic.”
Lù Chéng opened his mouth but only managed a weak smile.
Sister Cen continued, “Anything related to Zhōng Yì will explode as a topic. For you, having this first love out in the open will bring more positives than negatives.”
“Everything about you—whether it’s Zhōng Zhuóhuá mentoring you despite the downgrade, Zhōng Yì keeping her promise and attending your concert, or the song ‘Yì’ you wrote for her—each is a marketing highlight.”
“You won’t have to worry about heat anymore. And since you won’t renew the endorsement contract with Kuncheng after it expires, why not make good use of it?”
She paused deliberately. “The company wanted to do this, but I didn’t agree.”
Lù Chéng wasn’t stupid. “It’s not that you didn’t agree. They want to use this as leverage to negotiate with me.”
Sister Cen didn’t argue.
Zhōng Yì was his weakness, so she dared to accept Jì Fánxīng’s script without permission.
Afterward, the car fell into silence.
They didn’t speak another word until they arrived at the launch event.
Before he got out of the car, Sister Cen notified him, “Jì Fánxīng’s side has already started drafting the contract.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not a bad film or a small production. I won’t let you down with the script. Filming starts early next year.”
That would be right after the tour concert ended.
Lù Chéng didn’t respond. He put on his sunglasses and pushed open the door.
All his weak spots were tightly held by Sister Cen.
He had no way to refuse.
Outside, the organizers and staff were already waiting.
The passageway was lined with fans who had been waiting for him a long time.
When he stepped out of the car, the venue immediately erupted in excitement.
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