The commotion dispersed.
Cao Bo and Manager Guan were deep in thought, Yu Tianlin’s words having left an impact.
Pan Li was unfit to be Xu Mei’s assistant, and Professor Fang was indeed unsuitable to continue as her manager.
“I’ll help clean this up,” Manager Guan said before hurrying off.
It wasn’t just Wen Ying’s group who had the firsthand gossip. When Professor Fang was grappling with Pan Li, Manager Guan clearly saw several TV station staff peeking and eavesdropping.
Gossip spreads faster than a winged bird. If Manager Guan didn’t step in to quell it, the incident would sweep through every corner of the station in no time!
With Manager Guan gone, Cao Bo offered a few perfunctory pleasantries, urging Xu Mei to stay with Professor Fang.
Xu Mei had felt sympathy for Professor Fang earlier, but after Yu Tianlin’s words, she felt uneasy.
Professor Fang was truly unfit for the entertainment industry.
She could handle being a judge on a talent show, relying on her expertise, but as a manager, she lacked the ability.
“Sister Fang, let’s leave this place,” Xu Mei said.
This time, Professor Fang didn’t resist, following Xu Mei’s lead like a puppet without a will of her own.
But what was the use? The scandal, witnessed by so many eyes, couldn’t be extinguished by Manager Guan alone acting as a firefighter!
The gossip spread rapidly, one to ten, ten to a hundred. Since Deputy Station Chief Duan wasn’t their boss, Hunan TV staff had no qualms, recounting the tale vividly, sparing him no face.
Sneaking to someone else’s turf for an affair and getting caught red-handed by his wife.
Deputy Station Chief Duan sure knew how to play!
Who was he cheating with?
Xu Mei’s assistant.
Pan Li wasn’t a big deal, less notable than Xu Mei. At first, people mentioned she was Xu Mei’s assistant, but as the story spread, it got twisted, and the scandal’s protagonists became Deputy Station Chief Duan and Xu Mei—poor dashing Cao Shao, cuckolded?
Poor Cao Shao.
Xu Mei, what a player!
Cao Shao, receiving a condolence text from an ex-girlfriend presenter: …Should I let out a curse or not?
…
After Wen Ying’s trio returned to the celebration, they parted with Director Fan, only to be intercepted by Yuan Fenghui.
Yuan Fenghui stopped Wen Ying, bluntly seeking confirmation, “I heard Professor Fang caught Deputy Station Chief Duan and Xu Mei in the act?”
“…!”
Wen Ying was exasperated.
She knew Teacher Yuan had informants at Hunan TV, but this time, the gossip was distorted. Wen Ying found it odd: Yuan’s “spies” shouldn’t be this sloppy.
“It wasn’t Xu Mei, it was Pan Li, her assistant. You remember her, right?”
Yuan Fenghui thought for a moment, then smiled confidently, “I see. Yu Tianlin’s unhappy with Xu Mei taking a major supporting role and wants to replace her.”
Wen Ying never thought herself a genius, but she considered her intelligence above average.
Yet, listening to Yuan Fenghui, she understood every word, but the combined meaning was baffling.
Recalling the details, Wen Ying wasn’t sure if she’d missed something critical, “Yu Tianlin did publicly say Professor Fang’s unfit to be Xu Mei’s manager, but how do you know he wants to replace Xu Mei too? Cao Shao’s whole point in pulling strings for this drama was to promote Xu Mei. He’d be the first to object to replacing her.”
Cao Shao didn’t have the deep pockets of Boss Jin or the corporate backing of Manager Guan, but he had his strengths, acting as the glue that held everyone together, forming the crew.
Kicking out Xu Mei would mean kicking out Cao Shao too, wouldn’t it?
Wen Ying thought her reasoning was at least on the fifth layer, but Yuan Fenghui’s thinking soared in the stratosphere!
“You don’t understand Yu Tianlin. He doesn’t care about Xu Mei’s manager. He only bothers when it affects his interests. As for whether Cao Bo would agree to replace Xu Mei… you’re too young. Adult ‘true love’ isn’t worth much. If the benefits are enough, Cao Bo would drop Xu Mei faster than anyone.”
Wen Ying knew the adult world had little room for “true love,” but she was more optimistic than Yuan Fenghui. She believed “true love” existed among adults, even if not between Xu Mei and Cao Bo, then surely elsewhere.
This thought didn’t quite fit her past life as an elite lawyer.
The old He Zhen would have been surprised at Wen Ying’s naivety.
He Zhen didn’t believe in “true love” among adults.
“True love,” overriding all external conditions, might exist briefly, driven by pheromones, but when passion faded, reality’s problems remained.
“Suitability” was better for adults than “true love.” Passion fades, but suitability endures, ensuring a more stable, lasting relationship!
Knowing He Zhen’s views, Wen Ying never fretted like other girls when dating him, obsessing over whether her boyfriend loved her.
Not mentioning it didn’t mean she was fully swayed by He Zhen.
Yes, He Zhen greatly influenced Wen Ying, shaping her personality from ages 26 to 31 in her past life.
But influence aside, Wen Ying remained an independent individual, often at odds with He Zhen, their relationship a balance of seeking common ground while respecting differences.
Take now, for instance: Yuan Fenghui claimed adults had no “true love,” but Wen Ying disagreed.
Deep in her heart, a small part remained soft, keeping her passion alive across two lifetimes, driving her to reclaim her teenage dreams, to save Xie Qian’s tragic fate… Saving Xie Qian stemmed from teenage admiration, while saving “firefighting hero” Yang Xi was purely altruistic.
She fought for the benefits she deserved, never yielding an inch.
But she didn’t refuse small acts of kindness within her reach.
Inexplicably, Wen Ying turned to Xie Qian, subconsciously seeking validation, wanting to know she wasn’t alone.
Xie Qian, unaware of Wen Ying’s rebirth, couldn’t read her inner turmoil, but when she looked at him, her eyes shimmering with unspoken emotions, like a pitiful hamster seeking support, he knew she cared. Though he didn’t care who Yu Tianlin wanted to oust, since Wen Ying did, he had to think.
A scholar’s mind, rarely swayed by emotion, cut straight to rationality, demanding evidence before conclusions.
Yuan Fenghui undoubtedly knew Yu Tianlin best.
Her judgment, if not 100% accurate, was at least 90% reliable.
“I don’t know what kind of person Yu Tianlin is, but he showed up too quickly. We stumbled upon Professor Fang’s family drama by chance, but Yu Tianlin’s timing was too perfect. Appearing with Director Fan was odd, like he dragged Fan along as a witness… As for Xu Mei and Cao Shao, their relationship was always transactional. Teacher Yuan, using ‘true love’ to judge them insults the term.”
Director Fan didn’t even like Yu Tianlin.
Given the choice, Fan would rather chat with Wen Ying than deal with him.
In just a few words, Xie Qian leapt to Yuan Fenghui’s level, pulling Wen Ying along and resolving her confusion.
Wang Shuang was utterly lost from start to finish.
—Wasn’t it just gossip?
—Was he the only one who tasted a sweet melon, while Yuan, Xie Qian, and Wen Ying savoured a complex mix of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty?
