Liang Dan was a rather plump woman.
Not particularly beautiful — without her career’s prestige, she’d blend into a crowd, unremarkable in the entertainment industry filled with handsome men and stunning women. Standing next to Manager Guan, she looked a few years older than him… but this woman was formidable, the dominant force in their marriage.
Young Master Cao stood up, but Manager Guan remained seated, his back instinctively straightening.
For a grown man to stand and greet his wife felt somewhat humiliating — Manager Guan hesitated but chose to stay seated.
Xu Mei set down the microphone and walked over, sweetly calling, “Sister Liang.”
Liang Dan smiled at Xu Mei and shared news: “Professor Fang will be here soon — I just spoke with her; she’s on her way.”
What?
At this hour, in such a private gathering, what was Professor Fang doing here?
Young Master Cao’s mind worked quickly, grinning as he asked Liang Dan, “Sister Liang, is there something behind Professor Fang’s visit?”
Liang Dan nodded, “You sly fox.”
Liang Dan, a media veteran, had a quick, leaping mind — those unaccustomed might struggle to keep up. One moment she was talking to Young Master Cao, the next she informed her husband of her decision: “Professor Fang will join the company — I’ve agreed.”
Clearly, Liang Dan wasn’t consulting her husband — she was notifying him.
Manager Guan paused, “Didn’t you reject her before?”
“That was then — this is now. Nothing stays the same forever.”
Professor Fang was backed by Station Director Duan.
She might lack ability, but her husband was influential.
The stalled endorsement deal had new progress thanks to Director Duan’s push. Through personal connections, he learned the dairy giant rejected Xu Mei because her image and temperament didn’t match their upcoming flagship product.
“Who do they think fits?” Manager Guan asked, a bad feeling rising.
“Li Mengjiao,” Liang Dan said coldly, chilling the room’s atmosphere.
Xu Mei’s face paled.
Li Mengjiao again?
Would it never end?
Manager Guan stayed silent, sensing Liang Dan was dredging up old grievances.
Honestly, though he’d suppressed Li Mengjiao for Young Master Cao’s sake, he’d also wanted to sign her and win over Yuan Fenghui. But Yuan Fenghui, stubborn as ever, quit abruptly, and signing Li Mengjiao became a lost cause.
Neither Xu Mei nor Manager Guan spoke — only Young Master Cao reacted quickly, smoothing things over: “Sister Liang, bringing up Li Mengjiao now is pointless — she’s practically done for. How could she be fit for an endorsement?”
Liang Dan didn’t respond.
Done for, perhaps, but not entirely.
If it were next year, the dairy giant might forget Li Mengjiao’s name — but not this year. Her album’s shelving wasn’t that long ago.
Letting Li Mengjiao slip was the company’s loss. A company banking on one star wasn’t unheard of, but that star needed massive fame to carry the whole operation. Normally, a company needed diverse talent to seize opportunities like this.
Though regretful, Liang Dan knew to value what they had — with Li Mengjiao gone, they had to back Xu Mei. Patience — after the next contest, they might find new talent.
“We’re lucky the other side’s divided,” Liang Dan said. “They think Li Mengjiao fits their product better, but as Xiao Cao said, she’s nearly washed up — the dairy group has concerns. Plus, it seems Li Mengjiao’s side is clueless about this — or Yuan Fenghui would’ve jumped on it already. Let’s lock this down fast — even if they catch wind, it’ll be too late!”
Yuan Fenghui, a Taiwanese, had her connections there — in Xiang Province, Liang Dan held sway. Suspecting the dairy giant’s delay, Liang Dan had kept the news tightly under wraps to block Yuan Fenghui.
But the industry was small, and with auditions looming, every day without a signed contract made Liang Dan fear the deal would slip away.
Liang Dan subtly observed Xu Mei.
The company had packaged Xu Mei as “refined,” but the dairy giant wanted a sweet, cute image.
Temperament wasn’t fixed — styling could shift it. Xu Mei, young enough, could pull off sweet without seeming forced.
The issue was, since dating Young Master Cao, Xu Mei’s refined image had gained a touch of womanly allure.
This inner transformation wasn’t something the company could fabricate — it stemmed from Xu Mei’s experiences in the industry, no longer the pure ivory tower.
Liang Dan felt a slight headache: Young Master Cao, ever the impatient playboy.
And those hyped-up rumors for the TV drama.
Had they known the dairy giant wanted a sweet, clean ambassador, those rumors were a misstep.
Liang Dan told Xu Mei to meet her early tomorrow for a new styling session.
“You’re still young — show some vibrancy!”
After some talk, Professor Fang arrived with her assistant, Pan Li.
With Professor Fang set to join Manager Guan’s company and aiding the endorsement deal, Xu Mei naturally treated her warmly without prompting from Liang Dan or Manager Guan.
In the room, everyone except Young Master Cao fawned over Professor Fang, who basked in it.
Though Manager Guan and Liang Dan had once seemed ready to burn bridges, they hadn’t — their friendship endured. Professor Fang now saw things clearer, realizing the warmth wasn’t solely for her talent but for her husband, Director Duan.
Beyond recommending students for TV internships, she’d never leveraged her husband’s influence before.
Recent events showed her how vast the gap was between a music professor’s network and a deputy station director’s — no wonder her son had said divorce would harm him.
Xu Mei had left the ivory tower for the gritty entertainment world — hadn’t Professor Fang done the same?
Grateful to avoid marital strife, she glanced at Pan Li.
Pan Li sat on the sofa, somewhat distracted.
Though Professor Fang was joining the company, she couldn’t commute to Xiang Province daily.
She had a solution, and seizing the lively mood, she introduced Pan Li, saying she’d be stationed in Xiang Province.
“Xiao Pan’s young and has much to learn, but she’s diligent — feel free to assign her tasks.”
Pan Li stiffly raised a glass, “To everyone — I’ll drink first.”
From Professor Fang’s personal assistant to a formal job in Xiang Province, Pan Li’s career had advanced significantly — yet, for some reason, she seemed less than thrilled.
