Lin Yu briefly shook Bai Bing's outstretched hand before letting go. His speech was polite and his behavior gentlemanly; he certainly had the air of a successful person.
Of course, it is very deceptive to those who do not know Lin Yu's true nature, but for Lin Xiaoxiao, she really exudes a disgusting aura from the inside out.
"And who is this?" Lin Yu asked, looking at Lin Xiaoxiao, who was wearing a baseball cap.
"I'm just here for a free meal, don't mind me." Lin Xiaoxiao waved her hand and sat down first without any politeness.
He waved to the waiter, ordered what he wanted, took out his phone and started playing a game, acting as if to say, "You guys do your thing, just pretend I don't exist."
Bai Bing's eye twitched. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lin, my friend is usually very easygoing."
"It's alright, it's alright." Lin Yu smiled gently, seemingly not minding Lin Xiaoxiao's rudeness at all. Although he felt that the person's voice sounded familiar, he couldn't remember where he had heard it before, so he didn't pay any attention to it.
"Mr. Lin, the main reason I came here today is to talk to you about Tang Xue. I believe you know that in our industry, the most important thing is not to be in a relationship. This is a very important thing for artists."
Bai Bing sat down and got straight to the point. After speaking, she turned to look at Tang Xue with a serious expression, "Tang Xue, you should be well aware of this as well."
"I know." Tang Xue tightened her grip on the cup. In the past, she didn't have to worry about her relationship problems or that they would be exposed.
But now, Tang Xue tightened her grip on the cup again. "Sister Bai, I'll be careful and won't get photographed."
Having roles to play and winning the Best Actress award is Tang Xue's dream. The Best Actress award was the goal she strived for during her four years of university, and the reason she persevered even when she was suppressed and sidelined.
She had no chance to realize it before, but now that she has the opportunity, she is naturally unwilling to give it up.
"May I ask how long Mr. Lin and Tang Xue have been talking?" Bai Bing didn't respond to Tang Xue, but looked at Lin Yu instead.
“We haven’t been dating for very long, but I’ve been pursuing Xue’er for a year.” Lin Yu looked at Tang Xue with tenderness.
"I know there are many restrictions in your line of work, so I will be careful and will definitely not cause Xue'er any trouble."
Bai Bing adjusted her glasses. "Mr. Lin, you need to know that some things can't be avoided just by being careful. Tang Xue is now one of our company's main artists."
Soon, she will star in a drama directed by Lee Jin, which means she will become famous immediately. Whether she was dating or had a boyfriend before was none of my business.
But now, for the sake of her future career, your relationship is a hidden bomb. I don't want an artist I've painstakingly cultivated to have their relationship exposed before they even bring any profit to the company.
"I told you, I'll be careful." Lin Yu's smile disappeared, and his tone was no longer as gentle as before.
"Sister Bai, I know the company doesn't allow artists to date, but I'm currently..."
"Mr. Lin, right? Didn't you say you didn't have a girlfriend? Didn't you say you and Tang Xue were just friends?" Tang Xue was interrupted by Lin Xiaoxiao, who had just finished drinking her porridge.
Upon hearing Lin Xiaoxiao's words, both Tang Xue and Lin Yu frowned instantly, but Tang Xue did not look at Lin Yu, but instead looked at Lin Xiaoxiao.
"Who are you? Why are you saying such things to slander me?" Lin Yu's face was cold, and his tone was as if it were covered with a layer of ice.
"Mr. Lin, you really have a bad memory. Can't you even recognize my voice?"
Lin Xiaoxiao took off her baseball cap and flashed her bright white teeth at Lin Yu. "It's me, Lin Xiaoxiao. Mr. Lin, do you remember me? We just met not long ago. Mr. Lin, you can't be that forgetful, can you?"
Lin Yu's eyes widened, and his face instantly turned extremely ugly. How could he have forgotten that Tang Xue worked at Lin Xiaoxiao's company?
He only learned about this recently and hadn't paid enough attention to it yet. Moreover, he didn't expect to run into Lin Xiaoxiao, who had come along, when he invited Tang Xue to dinner today.
Lin Yu wouldn't have known about Tang Xue signing a contract with Lin Xiaoxiao's company if he hadn't run into her last time. Lin Yu had also heard Tang Xue talk about her work at the company before.
At the very least, she and her boss, Lin Xiaoxiao, could never be so close that they would go out to eat together. But who would have thought that this would happen today?
"It seems Mr. Lin is not happy to see me." Lin Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hand, looked at Lin Yu, and smiled innocently. "Then I'm really sorry to have made Mr. Lin unhappy."
"How could that be? Mr. Lin, you've misunderstood." Lin Yu quickly composed himself and put on a gentle smile again.
"I'm not denying my relationship with Xue'er, it's just that we've only been in a relationship for a month. Before that, we knew we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend."
Lin Xiaoxiao blinked. "But how come I remember asking Mr. Lin this question two weeks ago?"
According to Mr. Lin, you and Tang Xue should have already established a relationship by then. Could it be that Mr. Lin has lost his memory?
Lin Xiaoxiao looked innocent and worried. "Mr. Lin, if you're sick, you should see a doctor. The worst thing for a patient is to delay seeing a doctor. This minor illness can easily turn into a serious one."
"I'm not sick." Lin Yu's face darkened, but when he glanced at Tang Xue out of the corner of his eye, his expression softened. "President Lin, the reason I said those things back then was just to avoid causing trouble for Xue'er. As you all said, Xue'er is an artist, so I said those things to protect her."
Lin Xiaoxiao moved closer to Tang Xue and said, "Your boyfriend is so considerate. He thinks so much about you. I really envy you."
Lin Xiaoxiao expressed envy, but her eyes held a faint mockery and coldness. Although she spoke to Lin Yu, Lin Xiaoxiao was actually looking at Tang Xue.
Tang Xue frowned slightly. The mockery and coldness in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes were clearly meant for her to see, but before Tang Xue could investigate further, Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze had already shifted to Lin Yu.
"Mr. Lin, you heard what Sister Bingbing said just now. Our company is going to give Tang Xue a big push this time. I will pour the best resources into her, which means that she will become famous very soon. Do you know what this means, Mr. Lin?"
"President Lin, why don't you just get straight to the point?" Suppressing the disgust in his eyes, Lin Yu reminded himself once again that he was in front of Tang Xue.
He couldn't let Tang Xue notice anything unusual about him, so after silently repeating this dozens of times, Lin Yu looked at Lin Xiaoxiao with a fairly polite attitude.
"I'm not that heartless, and I don't want to do anything to break up a couple. Since Mr. Lin is now Tang Xue's boyfriend, he needs to sign a contract with us."
Mr. Lin must promise that if your affair is exposed, he must compensate our company for its losses—not much, just one hundred million.
Lin Xiaoxiao's casual mention of one hundred million was as simple as saying a penny or two, but to others it was undoubtedly like a huge boulder being thrown into a lake, shocking Lin Yu into wide-eyed disbelief.
"Lin Xiaoxiao, are you crazy? One hundred million? How dare you say that?" Lin Yu already loathed Lin Xiaoxiao, especially when they were alone together.
Lin Xiaoxiao always treated him with a fawning attitude, but today she not only dared to look him in the eye, but also dared to threaten him.
The contrast was too great. Lin Yu had been able to endure until now, which was truly his limit. Now, upon hearing Lin Xiaoxiao's threat, he couldn't bear it for even a second longer.
"Lin Xiaoxiao, you don't think I'll give up on Xue'er because you're threatening me, do you? Let me tell you, you can forget about it. Even if all the women in the world died, I would never like you."
"Thank you." Lin Xiaoxiao maintained her smiling expression, seemingly unaffected by Lin Yu's words. "So, Mr. Lin, will you sign this contract?" Lin Xiaoxiao turned to look at Tang Xue. "Would Mr. Lin sign it for Tang Xue's sake?"
Chapter 18
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Silence fell, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense. Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't in a hurry. She found a comfortable position on the sofa and waited quietly. After some time, Tang Xue looked at Lin Xiaoxiao with a complicated expression. "President Lin."
"Hmm?" Lin Xiaoxiao looked at her, her voice gentle and her expression obedient.
Tang Xue was stunned by Lin Xiaoxiao's innocent and harmless expression. She couldn't seem to connect the person in front of her with the one who had just asked for 100 million.
After regaining her composure, Tang Xue said, "President Lin, your request is indeed a bit unreasonable."
Tang Xue really couldn't understand what Lin Xiaoxiao was trying to do. Lin Xiaoxiao's attitude towards her had clearly changed, so why was she making such an excessive request at this time?
Although this contract only stipulates compensation after their relationship is exposed, who can guarantee that their affair will not actually be exposed?
She didn't have many works before, so when she was with Lin Yu, she naturally didn't try to hide anything. If someone wanted to dig into it, they could always find some clues.
"Is this asking too much?" Lin Xiaoxiao laughed. "As far as I know, one hundred million is not something Mr. Lin cannot afford. Mr. Lin, do you really think my request is excessive?"
Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't asking for 100 million yuan from Lin Yu. She wasn't just asking for a random amount. The amount Lin Yu had received from Lin Xiaoxiao alone was more than 100 million yuan. Was it too much for her to ask for 100 million yuan?
In Lin Xiaoxiao's opinion, it was not only not excessive, but she was already very kind. Not to mention, it was just a promise, and she had no intention of exposing Tang Xue's relationship. Even if she wanted the scumbag to pay back the money, she would not drag Tang Xue down with her.
"Mr. Lin, let's not make jokes like this, which aren't funny at all." Lin Yu clenched his hands on his knees, his eyes flashing a warning as he looked at Lin Xiaoxiao.
Although Lin Yu didn't know what Lin Xiaoxiao was up to, based on his understanding of her, he figured it was nothing more than her finding out about his relationship with Tang Xue and throwing a tantrum.
Lin Yu felt that as long as he gave her a warning, Lin Xiaoxiao would naturally restrain herself, given her affection for him. This was because what Lin Xiaoxiao feared most was being completely rejected by him.
"I'm not joking." Lin Xiaoxiao crossed her legs. "Does Mr. Lin think one hundred million is too much? Then let me do the math for you."
I asked director Li Zhen to come out of retirement and buy the rights to the hottest novel right now, "I Want to Become a Demon." Mr. Lin, you should know that to complete such a film, I've invested far more than 100 million.
If your relationship is exposed, Mr. Lin, can you help me calculate how much I'll lose? So, is one hundred million really a lot?
"I told you, we will be very careful and won't let this happen." Lin Yu gritted his teeth, his words sounding like they were squeezed out from between his teeth, and his eyes looked at Lin Xiaoxiao as if he wanted to devour her.
“Since Mr. Lin is confident that your affairs will not be exposed, then…” Lin Xiaoxiao looked up, her eyes calm and her tone indifferent.
"The contract Mr. Lin signed is a contract that will never be valid, so what exactly is Mr. Lin worried about?"
"You..." Lin Yu stood up, leaning on the table. "Lin Xiaoxiao, don't push your luck."
Lin Xiaoxiao ignored Lin Yu and turned to Tang Xue instead, saying, "Tang Xue, your boyfriend is no good. He can't even be willing to spend a little money on you."
If anything happens, he'll be the first to run away. Take my advice, this guy is unreliable. Why not just dump him and focus on your career?
Tang Xue was taken aback, and her hand at her side unconsciously tightened its grip on her clothes. One hundred million—a lot. For Tang Xue, this was perhaps an amount she could never earn in her lifetime. But what shocked her even more was Lin Yu's attitude.
When Lin Xiao told him he could come up with 100 million, he didn't refute it, which meant that Lin Yu really had that ability. But the Lin Yu she knew was just a low-level employee in a company.
When she learned that Lin Yu knew Lin Xiaoxiao, she felt that something was not right.
But she still believed Lin Yu's explanation. However, now she felt as if she was getting to know this person she had known for several years for the first time.
"Didn't you say you were just a low-level employee in a company?"
"What?" Tang Xue's voice calmed Lin Yu down from his rage. "Xue'er, listen to me, that's a hundred million! How could I possibly come up with that? Don't listen to her nonsense."
She said that to sow discord between us. I've told you before, she likes me and has been clinging to me. She's saying this now to make us break up. You have to believe me.
"Mr. Lin, I'd like to know how long you've known each other." Tang Xue wasn't sure whether she should believe Lin Yu, but she always remembered Lin Xiaoxiao's dislike for Lin Yu. She couldn't see any liking for Lin Yu in Lin Xiaoxiao.
"When did you meet?" Lin Xiaoxiao stroked her chin, recalling the plot in her mind, "A month before you signed a contract with our company."
"Is President Lin's attitude towards me also related to him?" Tang Xue asked again, naturally not believing a word of Lin Xiaoxiao's previous explanation.
Lin Xiaoxiao turned to look at Tang Xue, her dark eyes filled with seriousness, "If I said no, would you believe me?"
"I believe you." Tang Xue nodded. She didn't know why she nodded. She only knew that when she saw the twinkling smile in those eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
"It has nothing to do with him." Lin Xiaoxiao said this without hesitation, with utmost sincerity and self-righteousness.
Anyway, she didn't do those things, and she didn't lie, so how could she not be righteous?
Seeing the slightly surprised look in Bai Bing's eyes when she looked at her, Lin Xiaoxiao smiled even more sincerely, "Are you still wondering if I like him?"
Tang Xue pursed her lips and finally nodded gently, even though she already knew the answer in her heart.
"I don't like it." Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Lin Yu, her face showing undisguised disgust.
"Tang Xue, although it's said that it's better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage, I still want to say that when looking for a boyfriend, you must keep your eyes open and not pick one out of the trash heap."
"Lin Xiaoxiao!" Lin Yu roared, for he had to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor because Tang Xue was still there.
All the talk about not being able to reveal more about himself and Lin Xiaoxiao in front of Tang Xue was completely wiped out by Lin Xiaoxiao's comment, "Don't pick up a boyfriend from a garbage dump."
Lin Xiaoxiao reached up and picked at her ear. "I can hear you. Mr. Lin, please maintain your composure and don't disturb others."
"Lin Xiaoxiao..."
"Lin Yu, let's break up." Lin Yu, who was originally about to lash out at Lin Xiaoxiao, looked at Tang Xue with disbelief upon hearing these words. "You want to break up with me? Why? Just because my existence is becoming a stumbling block to your career?"