Hu Man is not good at handling people. She had good luck for so many years. Now turning from prosperity to decline is quite normal.
Wen Ying was just sighing a couple of sentences. She would not really worry about Queen Hu. Even if Wen Ying wanted to overreach and worry for the diva, with Hu Man’s status, she did not lack sycophants. Someone like Wen Ying would not even rank.
Hu Man’s best friend, music producer Huang Yongjuan, learned that Hu Man had tangled with Manager Guan again. His heart sank halfway!
When Yu Tianlin’s scandal broke and his persona collapsed, Huang Yongjuan immediately advised Hu Man to go abroad to avoid the storm.
Hu Man was panicked at the time and, unusually, listened to Huang Yongjuan’s advice once. She packed her bags and left the country right away.
Unexpectedly, Yu Tianlin was too shameless and refused to let Hu Man go. He tracked her down abroad and said he had some precious “audio-visual materials” saved. Anyway, Yu Tianlin saw no hope for his own comeback. If Hu Man did not meet his demands for money, he would expose those “audio-visual materials”.
Because of this, Hu Man got entangled with Yu Tianlin again.
Unable to shake off Yu Tianlin’s harassment abroad, Hu Man simply returned to the country.
Huang Yongjuan was baffled. Why come back to stir the muddy waters after having avoided it?
Faced with Huang Yongjuan’s questioning, Hu Man hemmed and hawed that Yu Tianlin had leverage against her.
What kind of leverage could threaten a Chinese diva?
Huang Yongjuan was only prone to being unprincipled with Hu Man, not stupid. He understood everything at once.
Over the years, Huang Yongjuan had watched Hu Man go through one relationship after another.
Each one started sweetly. Huang Yongjuan would step back, stay out of sight, and bless them. Perhaps heaven gave Hu Man excellent career luck but poor romantic fortune. Her sweet romances all ended miserably. When Hu Man was heartbroken, Huang Yongjuan was always her staunchest support and backing.
Above friends, below lovers. That was Huang Yongjuan’s positioning of his relationship with Hu Man.
Each time Hu Man sought solace from him after heartbreak, Huang Yongjuan wavered.
Should he make it clear?
After hesitating for so many years without speaking up, Huang Yongjuan had his own concerns.
If unspoken, they could always be good friends. If spoken and Hu Man rejected him, they could not even be friends.
Even if she did not reject him, it did not mean they could live happily ever after. Huang Yongjuan was a music producer himself and knew how bumpy relationships in the industry often were. He cherished his friendship with Hu Man too much to risk even a little.
He never imagined the person he cherished so much did not cherish herself at all.
It did not matter who she dated. A good ending or not was not the point. The key was the sweetness during the time together.
But Hu Man actually chose to be with Yu Tianlin. Huang Yongjuan’s heart shattered instantly!
After learning Hu Man and Yu Tianlin’s romance was fake hype, Huang Yongjuan’s shattered glass heart mended.
Who knew Hu Man dealt him another heavy blow: the romance was indeed hype and fake, but she and Yu Tianlin must have crossed the line. Otherwise, Yu Tianlin would have no leverage to threaten Hu Man.
Man Man actually with Yu Tianlin… Huang Yongjuan’s heart broke a second time.
Poor Huang Yongjuan was still healing when Hu Man’s wounds had not even scarred over, and she forgot the pain again, running off to invest in Manager Guan’s new drama. Huang Yongjuan instinctively wanted to advise against it. He picked up the phone but did not dial.
Would advising work?
He could talk himself hoarse with earnest words, but Man Man still would not change her mind.
Huang Yongjuan suddenly felt very lost.
In that instant, he doubted his years of perseverance.
Had Hu Man ever remembered all he had done for her?
Huang Yongjuan valued his industry reputation but had broken principles for Hu Man, withdrawing midway from producing the “The Galaxy and You” soundtrack album. This planted a crisis for his career.
Without Huang Yongjuan, the “The Galaxy and You” soundtrack still exploded in popularity. It was not Tianjiao missing out on Huang Yongjuan, but Huang Yongjuan missing the opportunity.
Middle-aged now, Huang Yongjuan had little creative passion left. Losing his reputation as a music producer, his recent developments had been lacklustre.
Perhaps he should think about his own path ahead.
No longer revolving around one person, Hu Man. Go live a life truly his own.
Huang Yongjuan’s obsession with Hu Man had lasted years. He used to be unable to let go, but now the thought of giving up did not hurt as imagined. It was more like removing a huge stone pressing on his heart.
Huang Yongjuan handed off his handful of ongoing work at top speed. At the airport, he bought a ticket for the next flight and went abroad to adjust his mood.
On Hu Man’s side, she was waiting for Huang Yongjuan to sing the usual counter-tune. Waiting and waiting, she signed the contract with Manager Guan’s company, and Huang Yongjuan still did not come to dissuade her.
Hu Man was puzzled.
She rarely took the initiative to call Huang Yongjuan, but it did not connect.
She had her assistant inquire and learned Huang Yongjuan had rushed abroad.
“What is wrong with Old Huang? Dropping the ball at a crucial moment!”
The 5 million for investing in the drama required Hu Man to put up real cash. She had been extorted by Yu Tianlin several times, so scraping together 5 million at once was not easy. She had been planning to borrow some from Huang Yongjuan.
Over the years, Hu Man had never failed to borrow money from Huang Yongjuan.
Sometimes she did not even need to ask. Huang Yongjuan would proactively offer help if he knew she needed funds.
Now that Hu Man truly needed money, Huang Yongjuan went abroad without a word and lost contact, leaving her in a very passive spot.
After complaining a few times, Hu Man still approached a familiar boss for the funds.
With Queen Hu’s 5 million hitting Manager Guan’s company account, Manager Guan sprang into action, poaching Tianjiao’s talent with high salaries.
Mrs Wang wanted to hack Manager Guan to death with a 40-metre sword.
“That dog thing surnamed Guan.”
Yuan Fenghui was not angry at all.
Manager Guan wanted to poach Tianjiao’s team. These people were used to working comfortably with Tianjiao and had no desire to move unless necessary.
Unfortunately, Tianjiao was not large enough, shooting only one or two dramas a year. Working exclusively with Tianjiao barely covered living expenses. To live comfortably, they needed more gigs. So besides helping Tianjiao, these people took outside jobs.
Yuan Fenghui did not restrict them either. Those wanting fixed salaries signed contracts. Those who did not preferred flexible cooperation. Anyway, when Tianjiao had projects, they prioritised Tianjiao.
Tianjiao’s production team members were mostly freelancers. In theory, Yuan Fenghui did not restrict them. They could take any jobs they wanted. But upon hearing Manager Guan’s name, they instinctively refused.
That was Tianjiao’s arch-rival!
If they took Manager Guan’s jobs, what if they lost Tianjiao’s cooperation later?
Unexpectedly, Yuan Fenghui was extremely magnanimous and sincerely urged everyone to go if they wanted. “How can you turn down money? Go all of you. Remember to ask for more pay. You deserve high rates!”
Yuan Fenghui left everyone baffled.
So magnanimous?!
Wen Ying heard Mrs Wang’s retelling and burst out laughing. “Teacher Yuan is indeed very magnanimous.”
It was good if they went to work for Manager Guan.
It saved Tianjiao the trouble of finding them work.
Manager Guan was footing the bill to help Tianjiao raise people, posing no real threat to Tianjiao anyway… After all, “Crown of Thorns” would never get made!
