Chapter 26: Gradually Drifting Apart Part 2

As for the matter of Xi He’s father, Zhou Ling had a bellyful of frustrations he didn’t even know where to start venting about: “The cash-out methods for bad-credit individuals in the circle are pretty much the same. He and another person set up a three-layered shell company, with two sub-agencies underneath. One does art exam training, the other does outsourcing business over at the film city.”

This was the official explanation, of course.

In reality, one supplied male and female companionship, the other entrapped contracts and resold breach-of-contract penalty fees.

The people getting scammed were men and women desperately trying to worm their way into the industry.

It’s hard to say how long Xi He’s father had his eye on her, but what was certain was that the moment he discovered there was profit to be made from Xi He, he immediately took measures. Using seemingly crude and reckless tactics, he effectively put pressure on all three sides:

Either placate me well, give enough benefits.

Otherwise, when this blows up in the future, we all die together;

Or, sign Xi He’s contract over to me, with self-restraint as the exchange condition.

Both option A and B were pitfalls within pitfalls, impossible to choose.

“Is that company of his also registered in P City?”

“Oh, it’s not registered in P City, it’s in K City.”

Because of Mistwater Film City, K City was also a popular tourist city in G Province.

Li Tingzhou took a deep breath. Before making that decision, he intended to first ask for Xi He’s opinion. In any case, he couldn’t sacrifice her kin for the greater good in her place.

As if by telepathy, Xi He called.

“Little Ting, you know by now too, right?”

Li Tingzhou stepped away to avoid the others. He answered: “I know.”

“I didn’t dare tell you before, because these things are indeed quite disgraceful.”

He could tell Xi He was struggling to organize her words.

“I asked Sister Lusi what would happen if I insisted on going on that show.”

“In the early stages, with the title ‘Mengmeng’s girlfriend,’ I might get extra attention. But with so many guests, each having their own strengths, maybe with luck I could stand out. But the greater possibility is that the more attention on me, the more skepticism. This is both what I expect and what I fear.”

Li Tingzhou breathed slowly. He realized the words Xi He was about to say would definitely change something.

“Not long after I was born, my mom discovered his affairs.”

“That feeling was like falling from heaven into hell. All happiness and joy turned to bubbles. She didn’t continue to enjoy it all with a clear conscience, nor did she dare collude. She quickly got a divorce and raised me alone from then on. I clearly have no infant memories, yet growing up, I still fell into that shadow countless times. It took me a long, long time to understand how much courage that decision took for Mom…”

“Sis, if you want to truly resolve this matter, I—”

“Little Ting, listen to me first. This is something I’ll have to face sooner or later.”

This was Xi He’s second preamble.

Her thoughts were almost about to spill out.

Li Tingzhou had a premonition; his throat constricted: “You want to break up with me?”

“Things between us have always been very pleasant. Every single day with you, I was full of anticipation. It’s almost been the happiest period of my life. But it was just too good, so good that I was afraid to wake up and find it was all a dream.”

Xi He let out a long sigh: “So let me say the words.”

Cutting ties while feelings are at their peak is indeed hard.

The difference was, it was much easier for her than it had been for her mom back then.

“Today he could approach President Zhou; tomorrow he’d dare to stretch his hand out to you directly. I truly can’t imagine how you’d view me if such a thing really happened. Just consider it as leaving me a little face, Tingzhou. Let’s break up.”

For more reasons, the two of them actually knew perfectly well.

Xi He absolutely couldn’t just prioritize her own feelings and expose Li Tingzhou. She was willing to face it, to bear it, because children can’t escape blood ties.

But Li Tingzhou shouldn’t be affected.

He wishes me well, and I wish him well too.

~

By the end of this call, the two of them were becoming increasingly clear-headed.

When Liu Lusi came to hurry him up for work, Xi He still comforted his emotions in turn: “Don’t worry, I’ll follow your advice. I won’t be soft-hearted enough to underestimate his malice. It’s been very hot these past few days in G City, make sure to watch out for heatstroke. When you get back…”

Li Tingzhou held his breath. Liu Lusi also stopped in her tracks.

“Forget it, let’s just not meet for now. It was just starting to feel like something, wasn’t it?”

What did she say?

Liu Lusi asked in a whisper.

Li Tingzhou hung up the phone and silently turned his face.

The expression on his face was the same dejected, half-dead look she’d seen before.

Th-this… is it over?

Xi He was that efficient?

“I swear to the heavens I didn’t say any harsh words to her. Why should a woman make things difficult for another woman?”

“You know she’s always been thoughtful and considerate, very good at thinking for others.” Liu Lusi immediately made a swearing gesture, “But her scumbag father is truly a piece of work. If it only affects her, we can start from the family ethics angle. Anyway, evidence like the divorce certificate and lack of child support payments is readily available. If you get dragged in somehow, who knows which direction things would worsen.”

Li Tingzhou didn’t answer. Instead, he found a business card in his contacts and pushed it towards Xi He.

“Okay, your consideration is more thorough.”

Zhou Ling happened to walk over: “I thought you two were arguing…”

Liu Lusi laughed it off: “How could that be?”

“Good you didn’t. Time’s about up. Shiyu can’t stall on her own any longer. Let’s get ready and head to Wave Tower quickly.” Zhou Ling still had to stand his last shift for First Sister. Once he returned to Whale Film & TV Business Department in the future, who knew if he’d find such easy-to-manage people, such easy-to-handle matters again…

In the car, Li Tingzhou remained expressionless.

Liu Lusi was very afraid he’d carry that look in front of the cameras, so she kept talking about other things to distract him.

“You went home last night? Never heard you had a home in G City.”

“Mm.”

“After today’s recording, the call-to-action starts. Think about who you want to contact.”

“Okay.”

Sitting in the middle row, Mao Maoyu and Dai Jier looked at each other, neither daring to say a word.

Liu Lusi kept a straight face and continued: “There’s news about that composition you submitted early this year. A brand, together with B Magazine, is shooting a big autumn ad campaign. The director went through several rounds and finally picked your piece, but it needs to be revised—major revisions.”

Li Tingzhou reluctantly summoned a sliver of interest: “What kind of revisions?”

“Trim the excess branches and leaves, keep only the beautiful structure.”

“Let’s talk later, I don’t have time now.”

Liu Lusi nodded: “True, this episode’s recording is a bit more troublesome.”

She knew Li Tingzhou wouldn’t be too interested. This kind of work usually had many demands and little pay. What “big ad campaign”? Once it leaves the promotional sphere, no one cares. Rather than spending that time satisfying the client’s one thousand eight hundred demands, it’s better to run a few more commercial gigs.

But this time, the efficiency was truly different.

At 9 AM, they replied to the email; at 10 AM, a director’s assistant came to make contact.

At that time, Li Tingzhou was recording the show. His emotional dip was overly obvious compared to yesterday. The human spirits on set could almost all tell, and without prior arrangement, they all chose to be tolerant.

Unbelievable—such a harmonious scene was actually happening on Night Heart Seven, where there were arguments every episode.

And the key to this harmony was only because Mengmeng seemed to have just been through a breakup.

~

[When to Criminalize Lip-Syncing and Fake Playing | The Annual Night Heart Call-to-Action Tournament Begins]

————

My circle might be small and a bit of a flop, but every single one of them is a good soldier.

A certain Candy, a certain Cookie band have already actively reposted Mengmeng’s Weibo.

Honestly, Zheng Bing and Junko kind of surprised me. Do they have such a good relationship with Mengmeng? Just attending a couple of music festivals together? Or is there brotherly sympathy among music boys?

[Screenshot of Zheng Bing’s Weibo]x1

[Screenshot of Junko’s Weibo]x1

[Mengmeng’s call-to-action repost zone overview]x2

1L: These two even reposted the Night Heart Seven stage (waving hand emoji)

5L: The First Sister fans in the big group still look down on this small volume from the music circle, saying splitting half the venue for First Sister’s group could easily fill it. I replied to her, “In your dreams.” She instantly blocked me (eye-roll emoji)

11L: Junko posted a coffee Mengmeng treated him to on his Moments.

13L: Excuse me, he posted it on Moments but not Weibo? Treating us as outsiders?

18L: Thinks he has a special place in Mengmeng’s eyes. Don’t know what Junko’s so proud of. Acting like he’s so special.

25L: Look, more like Mengmeng’s trying to get close.

35L: Okay, some girl group idol also reposted, now both sides are getting flamed.

51L: Wait, why the hate? Mengmeng wrote songs for their debut album. That super hot DJ remix snippet on Douyin came from that song.

62L: Over on First Sister’s side, it’s an even more chaotic mess.

68L: Any insiders willing to spoil and reveal the setlist?

72L: Nope. The confidentiality this time is unprecedentedly tight. You can’t even pinpoint those two raid singers from the daily flights into G City.

81L: Mengmeng’s solo Weibo repost section is super lively.

112L: @Original Poster, you can update with new pics now. It’s getting chaotic.

117L: What are idol fans so proud of?

They could train for another 10 years and still not be good enough for Night Heart Seven, and they have the nerve to mock Mengmeng…

119L: Someone accidentally liked a post then quickly unliked it.

…

291L [Original Poster]:

Deleted all comments with full names. Stop bringing them up, otherwise, when their Regular Army arrives, I’m the first one running. You’re on your own.

299L: Why would he unlike it? Can celebrities and actors not listen to music?

305L: Not liking the stage, liking a sarcastic Qiaoqiao reaction pic?

309L: What does that mean?

312L: Men helping men.

Otherwise, I can’t understand why he’d like that.

316L: I’m literally laughing Mount Fuji into an explosion. What a bizarre turn of events.

319L: 【System Notification: A new power has entered the melee!】

321L: [Qiaoqiao sticking out tongue.JPG]

Alright, everything is as Great King Qiaoqiao wills.

345L: Ahahah can’t stop laughing

#CuiLinLikesQiaoqiao#

#WhoIsQiaoqiao#

#IsQiaoqiaoNeutered#

368L: The in-site hot search is way too hilarious…

371L: What a rollercoaster of a night (wiping sweat emoji)