Fortunately, although Guo Wenyuan was a little carried away when he saw the goddess, he still retained some rationality. After entering the crowd, he stopped talking to Tang Wanjun to avoid attracting onlookers.
However, in Shen Huai's view, this was of no use.
Because Guo Wenyuan was worried that someone might bump into Tang Wanjun, he spread his arms out to protect her, but to outsiders, this gesture was too bizarre and attracted a lot of strange looks.
However, Guo Wenyuan never cared about other people's opinions. It was just that Shen Huai, who was standing to the side, was in a bad mood. He really wanted to stay away from the man and the ghost so that he wouldn't be mistaken for one of them.
We finally arrived at the restaurant.
Guo Wenyuan made a point of clearing out an empty chair and asked the waiter to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables, specifically instructing them to wash them thoroughly.
When the fruits arrived, he respectfully placed them in front of the empty chair, muttering something unintelligible.
Yu Fan and Shao Ning exchanged a glance. Guo Wenyuan's actions seemed to be a memorial service for someone. Many people in the film and television industry are somewhat superstitious, but this kind of thing is usually done before filming begins. Isn't it a bit too early?
Not to mention, during the meal, Guo Wenyuan frequently glanced at the empty chair and occasionally revealed a mysterious smile.
After everything that happened today, Yu Fan had originally thought that Guo Wenyuan was a reliable person, but seeing the current situation, he silently took back his words.
Shao Ning, however, didn't have many reservations and turned to ask Shen Huai, "Mr. Shen, what is President Guo doing?"
Shen Huai said expressionlessly, "...Just be a fan."
Shao Ning and Yu Fan: "???"
-
This meal left Shen Huai feeling utterly exhausted. Guo Wenyuan was completely out of his mind with his idol worship. Shen Huai even thought that if he presented him with the transfer agreement for Guanrui shares right now, Guo would probably sign it without even looking at it.
After finally finishing their meal, Shen Huai gave up on discussing Song Yimian's contract with him and decided to contact him via WeChat after they got back.
He had just gotten into the car when he heard Tang Wanjun in the back seat let out a long sigh of relief.
"I've been letting loose for so long that I'm almost not used to pretending anymore."
Shen Huai: "..."
He couldn't help but say, "You no longer need to appear in public; there's no need for you to wear a mask."
Tang Wanjun paused, her hand pounding her shoulder. She looked down at herself and suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Yes, I've already left the stage, so why should I pretend anymore?"
Shen Huai remained silent.
In order to break through the fierce competition in Hong Kong's entertainment industry, Tang Wanjun could only wear this sweet and lovely mask and be the beautiful and sweet-voiced queen of love songs.
So even if she was unwilling, she couldn't relax in front of others. Over time, she couldn't take off the mask anymore. Whenever she appeared in front of others, she would subconsciously put it on.
Or, to some extent, this has become part of Tang Wanjun's personality.
Just then, Shen Huai felt a knock on the car window. He rolled down the window and saw Guo Wenyuan handing him a box of cherries: "These are fresh cherries I just had someone buy. Take them back and give them to Tang... cough, you can eat them together."
Shen Huai: "..."
Guo Wenyuan squeezed in halfway and said to Tang Wanjun, "Miss Tang, I'll head back now. Please let me know if you need anything."
Tang Wanjun smiled reservedly and remained silent.
Guo Wenyuan was already satisfied, and then pulled Shen Huai aside: "Brother Shen, let's talk in private."
Shen Huai: "..."
Shen Huai almost choked on his saliva at that "brother." To prevent Guo Wenyuan from saying anything more outrageous, he had no choice but to get out of the car and walk to the side with him.
Guo Wenyuan rambled on to Shen Huai, saying, "Brother Shen, please take good care of Miss Tang from now on. She's quiet and gentle, and loves art. She's been all alone and helpless all these years, and I don't know how she's managed. It makes my heart ache just thinking about it. If she ever asks for anything, just tell me. Make sure she's happy..."
Shen Huai: "..."
He finally understood what "mother's filter" meant.
He suddenly wanted to tell Guo Wenyuan the truth: your goddess is actually a tomboy who loves to eat fatty intestines and enjoys watching silly variety shows and horror movies, but a last shred of reason stopped him.
After all, as an agent, he knows all too well how devastating it is for an idol's image to collapse in front of fans.
Let's leave Lao Guo with one last glimmer of hope.
Chapter 122
After saying goodbye to Guo Wenyuan, who was full of worries and reluctance, Shen Huai and Tang Wanjun returned home. However, before Shen Huai could even have a sip of water and rest for a while, he received a call from Mingwei.
Xue Chengge is in trouble!
Xue Chengge was originally a music academy student. He worked as Ye Cang's assistant for a period of time. Later, he decided to pursue his own music career and signed with Ye Cang's studio. He recently participated in "The Coming One 2".
In an interview segment of the show, he mentioned that the behavior he hates most is plagiarism.
Almost a week had passed since the incident, but today Zhuo Feiyang's fans suddenly attacked Xue Chengge online, saying that he was subtly mocking Zhuo Feiyang, and there were even conspiracy theories that he said those words at Ye Cang's suggestion.
Subsequently, within just a few hours, Zhuo Feiyang's fans flooded the Weibo comments of Xue Chengge and Ye Cang. Xue Chengge and other members of the same program were even hit with eggs and plastic bottles while boarding the bus after filming.
Fortunately, the production crew reacted quickly, immediately sending Xue Chengge to the hospital and calling security guards to take the overly aggressive fans to the police station.
But this matter is still developing.
Zhuo Feiyang has a huge following, and his fans are notoriously difficult to deal with. In the past, they caused several major disturbances that forced him to leave the entertainment industry.
Let alone Xue Chengge, a newcomer with no reputation, even Ye Cang, who attracted a large number of fans this year with his strength, was still somewhat unable to resist the organized and planned attacks from the other side.
Shen Huai returned to the company immediately after hearing the news.
Mingwei quickly reported the current situation to him: "...Xiao Xue is fine. I have already asked my assistant to take him home to rest, and I have also communicated with the production team. As for Ye Cang, he just got off the plane and is on his way to the company."
Mingwei handled the situation very quickly, but Shen Huai knew that this matter actually had nothing to do with Xue Chengge. The other party was targeting Ye Cang, and Xue Chengge was just implicated.
Shen Huai felt somewhat guilty, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply said to Ming Wei, "Let Xiao Xue rest well and tell him that the company will help him get justice this time."
Mingwei also realized that while it appeared to be Zhuo Feiyang's fans tearing into Xue Chengge, it was actually Huayu Records targeting Chenxing. She was somewhat worried but didn't want to say it in front of Shen Huai, so she could only say, "Zhuo Feiyang's fan group originally relied on professional fans to lead the charge. This time, the other side came prepared, and we were caught off guard. Although we've taken remedial action, it doesn't seem to be very effective so far..."
Shen Huai had already opened Weibo, and the comments under Xue Chengge and Ye Cang's Weibo posts were full of vile insults. Although the company's public relations department had been reporting and deleting them, it still couldn't keep up with the speed at which they were being posted.
[Trash, you just want to ride the wave of popularity and become famous! Why don't you jump off a building and commit suicide to get attention? I'll definitely get you trending on social media.]
[So vicious right from the start, I hope you flop completely in the future]
What's wrong with cyberbullying? This kind of trash should be taught a lesson.
Go back and lick your master's boots, maybe he'll even get you a Columbus Award or something [vomit][vomit][vomit]]
I used to have a good impression of Ye Cang, but I never expected him to be such a dark person. I'm disappointed and I'm no longer a fan.
[So talent ≠ character. What good is winning the Columb Award if you're still fundamentally low-class?]
Mingwei glanced cautiously at Shen Huai and, finding him silent, asked, "Mr. Shen, what should we do now?"
Shen Huai closed Weibo and said, "Let's hire bodyguards to follow Xiao Xue for a while, in case any extreme fans attack him. Also..."
Mingwei nodded repeatedly.
Just then, there was a knock on the office door. Before Shen Huai could say "Come in," Ye Cang had already pushed the door open and strode in.
Shen Huai looked up, and the two of them asked almost simultaneously, "Are you alright?"
Ye Cang learned of this news while he was at the airport, about to board his plane.
He knew very well that Shen Huai, though seemingly cold and aloof, was actually extremely responsible. He would definitely think that it was because he hadn't considered things in advance that Xue Chengge had suffered collateral damage. Even if he didn't show it on his face, he was definitely very concerned.
Seeing that Ye Cang was unharmed, Shen Huai's expression softened: "I'm fine." He then looked at Ming Wei and the others, "You can go out now."
Mingwei secretly glanced at the two of them, somewhat curious about their relationship, but she didn't dare to pry into her boss's private life. So, as soon as Shen Huai spoke, she left with her men, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
Ye Cang quickly asked, "How is Xiao Xue?"
Shen Huai said, "He wasn't injured, but he was definitely affected emotionally. He's going back to rest now."
Ye Cang breathed a sigh of relief; as long as everyone was alright, that was good.
But then he angrily retorted, "What exactly do they want! If they're after me, they can just come directly. Why drag innocent people into this!"
In fact, ever since the Cologne Awards, Shen Huai and Ye Cang knew that they were irreconcilable enemies with Huayu Entertainment and would inevitably clash sooner or later. Ye Cang was not afraid at all, but he never expected that Huayu Entertainment would set its sights on Xue Chengge.
Shen Huai remained silent, but Tang Wanjun, who had been observing from the sidelines, said coolly, "This is just a test. Otherwise, if the method is too straightforward, wouldn't it be easily exposed?"
"Testing the waters?"
"Isn't the Zhuo Feiyang plagiarism scandal making headlines lately? So they're using this to divert attention, shifting the focus from his plagiarism to the rivalry between the old and the new, all to drag you down with them. He's been famous for a long time, while you've just risen to prominence with great momentum. As long as the public perceives it as just a fight between the two of you, it can completely cover up his plagiarism, and incidentally, it also hurts you—a win-win situation."
Ye Cang was stunned.
After this incident, Shen Huai had figured out the cause and effect and was preparing to tell Ye Cang in a tactful way, but Tang Wanjun said it directly.
Tang Wanjun added, "The best thing to do now is to ignore him and let him do his own thing. As long as you ignore him, he won't be able to drag you down with him."
"What about Xiao Xue?" Ye Cang asked.
Tang Wanjun was stunned, and after a pause, she said, "Then he can only blame his bad luck."
Ye Cang refused without even thinking about it.
Tang Wanjun frowned and spoke faster: "You need to understand that the most important thing right now is to protect you. As long as you're alright, we can find a way to help him later."
This time, before Ye Cang could speak, Shen Huai calmly said, "My attitude is the same as Ye Cang's. Even if Xiao Xue wasn't just implicated, as long as he hasn't done anything wrong, he's still an artist under my management, and I won't give up on him."
Tang Wanjun was stunned.
She suddenly remembered something from a very long time ago.
At that time, she had just signed with the company. Although she was beautiful and had a lovely voice, the company had signed many girls like her, and she was not the most special one among them.
At first, they were just backup dancers for their senior colleagues, running errands to buy drinks, and sometimes playing minor roles in obscure dramas. But even so, Tang Wanjun was still very happy. She had always loved singing and dancing, and she was already very satisfied to be able to earn money from it.
At the time, Tang Wanjun was the most hardworking person in the company, always arriving earliest and leaving latest. Her dreams were simple: to release her own album and buy a house for her family.
One day, she finally gained the appreciation of the company's senior management through her own efforts and got the opportunity to sing a song at the party. She practiced day and night for this opportunity and looked forward to stepping onto the stage. However, the day before the rehearsal, she was told that her program had been cut.
For Tang Wanjun at the time, this news was like a bolt from the blue. She felt wronged and sad, and cried in the bathroom for half an hour.
Just as she was composing herself and getting ready to leave, she overheard a conversation between her agent and the show's director.
She then realized that it wasn't because she was bad, but because she had performed too well before, stealing the spotlight from the company's senior management and arousing the jealousy of her seniors.
The two were under the same manager, but she was a nobody who hadn't even debuted yet, while the senior had already achieved some success. So the manager chose the senior without hesitation and gave up on her.
In that instant, Tang Wanjun felt as if her heart had fallen into an ice cave.
She will never forget the show's director saying to her agent with some regret, "Isn't this girl too pitiful? I heard she practices very late every day, she must really value this opportunity."