"Are you a couple?!"
The end of her voice cracked with surprise.
"Ah," he said, awkwardly touching his nose. "Don't I look like one?"
She had intended to keep it a secret, but everyone at the company knew.
Only Sister Rui didn't know, which felt strange.
So, she confessed.
"It's not a matter of looking like one or not," Qiu Rui glanced at her. "You two really know how to play."
She hadn't noticed at all.
And she had been foolishly worried if the other person was in danger.
"Cough," Wen Tingxue coughed uncomfortably. "We had a bit of an argument today, so that's why..."
She spread her hands. "It's just as you see it."
After sending the verification message, Jiang Yi kept wanting to check his phone.
But there was no notification of it being approved.
"Sigh."
Dejectedly, he tossed his phone aside, rubbed his messy curly hair, and flopped onto his bed.
The hard wooden bed hurt when he landed.
He let out a pained gasp, then a wry smile tugged at his lips.
The competition was brutal. Players with low popularity could only sleep on beds like this.
As for those favored by fans, they naturally had it more comfortable.
Not only were their beds softer and bigger, but their rooms were also more luxurious.
How could he only notice such an obvious disparity now?
If he had known it would be like this, he should have gotten involved with her back then.
Unfortunately, there was no regretting in the world.
"Sister Wanqing, hello."
With damp palms, he obediently replied. Lin Wanqing immediately responded, "I'm very busy lately. Let's talk again in two weeks."
In two weeks, it would be too late. She must have known that.
Jiang Yi dejectedly lowered his hand.
This was a polite rejection.
It made sense.
Lin's Records was very selective when signing artists. With his talent, if it weren't for Brother Yu's connection, he probably wouldn't have gotten through via WeChat.
"Sigh."
Jiang Yi lay down again. Even so, he still wanted to cry.
Actually, he thought his skills were decent...
Tears escaped the corners of his eyes uncontrollably.
One by one, they fell onto the pillow.
Staining it with patches of wetness.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly wiped away his tears forcefully.
He used his sleeve, and his already red eyes immediately turned even redder.
He couldn't give up like this.
Jiang Yi stared resolutely into the void.
People with worse talent than him could debut. Why couldn't he?! He was not convinced!
Qiao Xixi held her face in despair. "I've been in the capital for so long, and I haven't found a suitable company. The few that were somewhat decent didn't even care for my popularity."
"Because of this, the quality of my videos has dropped recently, and my follower count isn't growing much. I feel like I've hit a bottleneck, and I have no creative inspiration at all."
She sighed deeply, not even bothering with the delicious food in front of her.
Except for the time she was madly chasing Mu Chen, Wen Tingxue hadn't seen her like this in a long time.
"Xixi."
She reached out and covered Qiao Xixi's hand, gently coaxing, "The reason you can't produce good work isn't that you're incapable, but that your mind isn't fully on it right now. You're distracted by other things."
"Huh?" Qiao Xixi shook her head. "It's not like that. I'm really trying, but the results just aren't... good."
Wen Tingxue didn't rush to refute her but said, "Do you remember when you were most popular? Back then, almost everyone had a goal to strive for. Xing Jiahe and Chi Zerui were busy with competitions all over the world."
"Mu Chen was busy studying with his master, and Xin Xin was busy with tutoring. I was shuttling between the studio and Xing Ear. Only Yu Wenli could do nothing.
"To be honest, his mindset was already very good, but he still told me that he couldn't write anything during that period. Even if he wrote something and was satisfied with it at the time, when he looked back later, he found it to be very poor."
"So, if even someone with his strong heart couldn't handle such a drop, it's normal for you to be affected. And I think you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself."
"You're still young. There are so many choices in the future. You don't have to rush to sign with a company."
"But," Qiao Xixi bit her lip, "you know my grades. I don't like studying. If it weren't for chasing him, I definitely wouldn't have gotten into A University."
"Now I'm almost at the bottom of my major. During the autumn recruitment, no company will want me. Besides, I don't like the nine-to-five office life. I just want freedom."
"Making videos perfectly meets my requirements and also brings me quite a bit of income. So, I really think, while I'm still in school, I should sign with a good company."
"With some packaging, maybe I can find a direction that suits me better. Honestly, I'm not asking to earn a lot, just enough to support myself and not worry my family."
This was the first time Qiao Xixi had such a clear vision for her future.
She genuinely wanted to continue on this path.
Wen Tingxue nodded in understanding. "I understand what you mean. Then, you can try to relax your mindset. For example, set a goal for yourself. Which company do you want to sign with? Go and learn about it."
"Their company's requirements and direction, then try to find an agent and have a chat. I always believe that having a goal is more motivating than having no goal."
"Besides, who knows, maybe when you reach your goal, a better company will come looking for you."
The implication was that her current priority was not to find a company, but to improve herself.
But Wen Tingxue didn't explicitly state it. Some things were best left implied.
Qiao Xixi understood. "Okay, I'll try to relax and see if I can produce satisfactory work. However, I still have to visit two companies this afternoon; I have appointments."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Wen Tingxue was worried about her state.
Qiao Xixi smiled. "I've already been to several places, I'll be fine!"
"Alright then," she had a packed schedule today and could barely spare any time. "Call me if you need anything."
Qiao Xixi nodded.
After lunch, Wen Tingxue returned to the company to continue her work.
Qiao Xixi took a taxi to the scheduled company.
The agent she had chatted with on WeChat was waiting for her at the entrance. Her attitude was warm, and her words were pleasant.
Qiao Xixi followed her in. After looking around, she thought the company seemed decent.
So, she inquired about the company's direction.
The agent smiled and said, "Our company mainly focuses on live streaming business; we don't create much content."
"Oh," Qiao Xixi sounded a bit disappointed. "Is that so."
The agent said, "I know you want to focus on content creation, but the market for content creation is very competitive now. Live streaming is relatively easier. Our top streamers can earn millions a day, much more than content creation."
"Really?" Qiao Xixi seemed skeptical.
The agent quickly showed her the backend earnings. "See, one stream last night was 1.27 million. This is normal. It's even more during holidays. You, as a university student, are also beautiful. Honestly, you're even prettier than our top streamer. After signing, you'll definitely earn more than her."
"Oh my god! That much money." Qiao Xixi was stunned by the daily income of a million.
The agent saw her waver and immediately tried harder, speaking enticingly.
Just as Qiao Xixi was about to be swayed, someone entered the door.
"Oh my goodness, why are you here? If Mr. Han Si finds out, we'll be in big trouble!"
The agent's body went cold. "You, you, you know Mr. Han Si?"
"Huh?" Qiao Xixi was confused.
Du Lun smoothly walked in. "Not only do I know him, but she's also a good friend of Miss Han Qi. Mr. Han Si is quite fond of her."
This ambiguous and vague sentence sparked the imagination.
The agent swallowed and said, "You two chat. I'll go get something."
Du Lun smiled and nodded. After she left, Du Lun immediately led Qiao Xixi away.
Taking the elevator down, Du Lun scolded her, "Are you crazy? You're thinking of signing with a company like that!"
"Is there a trap?" Qiao Xixi finally understood.
Du Lun was Xing Jiahe and Wen Tingxue's model agent. They had met several times before.
Qiao Xixi had a good impression of him and knew he wouldn't harm her.
"A trap?" Du Lun snorted. "That's hell!"
A chill ran down Qiao Xixi's spine. "What do you mean?"
She still didn't quite understand. The company looked quite normal.
Du Lun sighed. When the elevator reached the second basement level, he took her to his car and then said:
"That company's main business is live streaming, but do you know what they stream?"
"Singing and dancing?" Isn't that the most basic?
Seeing his displeased expression, she added, "Or, playing games?"
"Hmph," Du Lun sneered. "It's selling flesh."
Qiao Xixi's eyes widened. "Selling... Oh my god."
"Otherwise, why do you think they earn so much in one night?" Du Lun asked, steering the wheel.
As the car drove out of the underground parking lot, the light suddenly became brighter.
Qiao Xixi felt a sting in her eyes. "Good thing I didn't sign."
Du Lun said, "If you had signed, they wouldn't have made you do anything borderline right away. They would have catered to you first, let you do the content you liked, and then, step by step, they would have suppressed and manipulated you, saying that you have a pretty face but no substance, and no one watches your content."
"They would say that you have no other way out but to sell your body. In such a situation, you would slowly accept this so-called fact and let them control you."
"Every industry has a hierarchy. In the internet celebrity circle, the lowest are those who engage in borderline content, looked down upon by everyone. Foul language is common. No matter how much money they earn, the company always takes the lion's share. It's not worth it."
Du Lun advised her, thinking she was short on money.
Qiao Xixi slumped in the passenger seat. "I didn't intend to sign with such a company. I wanted to focus on content creation. I just want to make videos seriously and accumulate fans bit by bit."
Perhaps scared, she spoke slowly and a little indignantly.
Du Lun slowed down the car. "If you really want to pursue this path, we can collaborate."
"?" Qiao Xixi looked at him in confusion. "Collaborate? Aren't you a model agent? No, that's not right. Why were you at that company today? Are you changing careers?"
"Yes," Du Lun said helplessly. "The two hottest models I have, one went to play games, and the other went to an advertising company. What else can I do? The short video industry is booming now, so I'm going to make some money."
"Make some money..." Qiao Xixi admired his description. "So you went to that company just now to apply for an agent?"
"No," Du Lun shook his head. "I saw you go in and was afraid something would happen to you, so I followed you in. I wouldn't consider a small company like that."
Qiao Xixi: "..."
"Thank you." She was truly grateful.
If it weren't for him today, she would have been in grave danger.
Du Lun smiled. "No need to thank me. Are you interested in being my first signed artist?"
"Which company are you with?" Qiao Xixi trusted him quite a bit.
Qiao Xixi rolled her eyes. "Is it okay to do that?"
Du Lun shrugged. "What's the big deal? They'll be interviewed sooner or later. Having you as their first artist will be good exposure for them too."
"Alright, I'll consider it." After all, it wasn't a decision for one person.
Qiao Xixi decided to ask Mu Chen about it when she got back.
-
After school started, there was a lot to do, and Wen Tingxue was swamped.
She also had to handle company work every day. Although it wasn't much, the pressure was still there.
A busy week passed by.
Finally, it was Friday. Wen Tingxue washed up and went to bed early.
She was exhausted.
Song Ruining wanted to tell her not to worry, but felt it was useless.
He sighed and said, "On the way back, a car suddenly swerved to block us, and then..."
A car?
"Was it intentional?" Wen Tingxue had a bad feeling.
Song Ruining nodded. "It should have been."
"I'll go out first." Song Rui realized he shouldn't be here and got up to leave.
Wen Tingxue stared at Song Ruining. After a few seconds of silence, he confessed.
"The day after Lan Shuo was detained, the Lan family approached us, saying that Lan Shuo specifically requested us to be his defense lawyers. But when we went there, he said nothing, only telling us one name."
"Mo Yichen?" Wen Tingxue guessed.