After the trio finished their discussion, General Manager Guan finally noticed Xu Mei. But it wasn’t genuine concern for her plight; he used her situation to remind Station Chief Duan of the significant opportunity Xu Mei had lost to help quell Duan’s scandal. Her loss was the company’s loss.
“We’ll need to properly compensate Xu Mei later,” Guan said pointedly.
Duan, of course, agreed readily.
As for how this compensation would be delivered—or if it would truly reach Xu Mei herself—the two men shared an unspoken understanding.
Professor Fang finally remembered she was still Xu Mei’s agent. “Is the company going to issue a clarification statement for Xu Mei?”
Guan nodded. “Of course!”
Xu Mei, like a marionette, forced a stiff expression of gratitude. “Thank you, Sister Fang and General Manager Guan.”
These people had hurt her, only to toss her a bone and expect her to be grateful!
Leaving the office, Xu Mei drifted down the hallway like a lost soul.
She suddenly wanted to go to the rooftop to feel the breeze.
The elevator doors opened, heading down, but Xu Mei, dazed, didn’t notice and stepped inside.
In the elevator, she ran into two new signees from this year.
They’d just finished dance practice and were planning to grab a nice meal. Seeing Xu Mei, their chatter stopped abruptly.
They knew she was caught in a scandal.
They didn’t know the truth.
But Xu Mei seemed like a gentle person.
One of the new girls, mustering courage, offered comfort. “Sister Xu Mei, don’t let those netizens get to you. They don’t know who you really are.”
This small act of kindness nearly brought Xu Mei to tears.
These two had no idea what she’d been through!
But what did her struggles have to do with them?
They were just new to this industry, innocent, like she was last year.
Xu Mei nodded at them. “Thank you.”
The elevator reached the first floor. The two girls got off, but Xu Mei stayed, riding it back up, her face blank.
The new girls, noticing her odd demeanor, grew worried.
“Will she be okay?”
“Don’t jinx it!”
After hesitating, they couldn’t ignore it and reported it to their agent.
“Sister Xu Mei didn’t look right. What if she does something rash?”
The girls meant well, but the agent’s temples throbbed. The new girls didn’t know what the company had done, but the agent was well aware.
If Xu Mei was pushed too far, she might actually—
Of course, she couldn’t say that to the new girls. It’d scare them and could tarnish the company’s image.
If Xu Mei really did something drastic, wouldn’t it look like the company drove her to it?
“She’s probably fine, maybe just upset from a fight with her boyfriend. The company’s dealing with some stuff that doesn’t concern you, so stay out of it, okay? I’ll call her boyfriend and alert security. You two go on with your day.”
The agent hung up quickly.
But the girls weren’t reassured.
Sometimes tragedy strikes in an instant. If they were wrong, it’d just be a misunderstanding. But if they were right and hesitated, failing to save a life, they’d live with guilt forever.
Exchanging a glance, they scrapped their plans to go out and took the elevator back up.
…
Xu Mei, like a ghost, reached the top floor.
The elevator didn’t go to the rooftop, so she climbed the stairs.
The company’s rooftop wasn’t locked; employees sometimes came up to smoke and relieve work stress.
The breeze hit Xu Mei, and the suppressed pain overwhelmed her.
She pulled out her phone, wanting to call her parents. They still resented her for dropping out of school. She hadn’t contacted them in ages—every call ended in arguments.
Her parents couldn’t help her career and always criticized her, clueless about her pressures.
Tears streamed down Xu Mei’s face.
She didn’t call them. Instead, she dialed a number she’d deleted from her contacts but couldn’t erase from her memory.
“Beep, beep, beep…”
No answer.
Xu Mei gave a bitter smile.
Fair enough—what right did she have to call him? Some people, some things, were gone for good. She walked to the rooftop’s edge, her skirt fluttering in the wind, as if she might drift away.
“Sister Xu Mei!”
“Stay calm, Sister!”
She turned to see the two new girls from the elevator.
Waving them off, she said, “I just want some air. Let me be.”
Xu Mei murmured, but the girls were frantic.
Where was security? Where was her boyfriend? Should they rush over and grab her?
To Xu Mei’s surprise, after the call went unanswered and disconnected, he called back.
“Qin Yi.”
Tears poured down her face.
On the other end, Qin Yi’s voice was unchanged yet somehow more mature.
“I saw those posts online,” he said bluntly.
Xu Mei rushed to explain, “No, it’s not like that. The posts aren’t true—”
This industry was so ugly, its people so vile. She didn’t want Qin Yi’s last impression of her to be tainted too.
She hadn’t done those things!
“I believe you. I know the posts are false. You’re not that kind of person,” Qin Yi said gently, his voice soothing her heart.
“I saw them days ago and wanted to check on you, but I wondered if it was your company’s publicity stunt, like those messy rumors when you filmed *Emerald Forest*. Xu Mei, I’m an outsider and can’t guide your career, but I always thought relying on such tactics won’t take you far. You used to sing so beautifully—do you still sing?”
“If not, that’s fine. If you want to act, hone your craft. Don’t rush. You’re still so young.”
“If it’s too much, take a break. Have you thought about going back to school?”
Out of Qin Yi’s sight, Xu Mei was sobbing uncontrollably, covering her mouth to hide her cries.
“Even though we’re not together, I want you to be okay… Xu Mei, did you call because you need help?”
Qin Yi wanted to help her!
He urged her to return to school.
Xu Mei understood his hint.
A ten-year contract, hefty penalties—Qin Yi was willing to help.
But how could she take his money?
They’d broken up. She ignored his advice, signed with the company, and walked herself into this mess.
It was a huge hole, and Qin Yi owed her nothing. He shouldn’t have to fill it.
Xu Mei was silent for a long time, calming herself, masking her sobs.
“Thank you for believing me.”
Gripping the phone, she said, “You’ve already helped me. I’m truly grateful. Don’t worry, I won’t let this crush me. If I ever hold a solo concert, I’ll send you front-row VIP tickets. By then, you’ll probably have a girlfriend, maybe be married. Bring her or your wife to the show. I hope I’ll be someone you can proudly tell others was your ex-girlfriend. I’ll work hard to not embarrass you!”
On the other end, Qin Yi laughed. “Alright, that’s a promise. I’m looking forward to that day.”
