“Yu Tianlin and Hu Man!”
Yuan Fenghui repeated it tirelessly, and Wang Shuang rubbed his ears vigorously.
Alright, he hadn’t misheard. Yu Tianlin and Hu Man were stirring up a scandal.
Bloody hell, Liang Dan and her crew really had some wild ideas!
Wang Shuang had no prejudice against age-gap relationships, but the issue wasn’t just the age difference between Hu Man and Yu Tianlin. Hu Man was a singer that Mrs. Wang had once admired, a whole generation older than Yu Tianlin!
If those two were truly together, Wang Shuang would be shocked, sure, but once the shock wore off, he might even think it was true love, able to bridge the age gap and withstand society’s odd looks. Even if their stances differed, Wang Shuang wouldn’t use such a thing to attack them.
But if it was for publicity, for some reason, Wang Shuang’s stomach churned, and he felt sick to his core!
Is this what the entertainment industry was like?
For ratings, to outdo rivals, a male star could stir up a scandal with an auntie-level senior actress.
Didn’t these people find it disgusting?!
From Yu Tianlin and Hu Man’s affair, Wang Shuang’s thoughts drifted to Li Mengjiao.
The idea that Li Mengjiao might one day have to create a scandal with some random male star for clout made Wang Shuang’s physical and mental discomfort surge.
Of course, Wang Shuang wouldn’t find Li Mengjiao disgusting. He felt sorry for her.
If that day ever came, it wouldn’t be Li Mengjiao’s fault, but his own failure to protect her from such humiliation!
A strange emotion surged in Wang Shuang’s chest, almost breaking free from his body’s restraints.
Despite such intense emotions, Wang Shuang didn’t make a fuss as he usually would.
Young people mimic adult behaviour, pretending to be mature, thinking there’s a clear divide between maturity and immaturity, expecting some earth-shattering ceremony when transitioning to maturity. Little do they know, growth often happens in an instant, quietly, without fanfare. A qualitative change sparked by accumulated experience, a shift in mindset and mentality. Would shouting solve anything? No, so Wang Shuang kept his mouth shut. Since Yuan Fenghui valued Wen Ying’s opinion, he decided to listen carefully to her perspective.
Learning leads to imitation, and imitation opens the door to surpassing.
Wang Shuang underwent a subtle transformation, unnoticed by Yuan Fenghui or Wen Ying.
Wang Shuang found it unbelievable, but Wen Ying, after a brief moment of shock, quickly zeroed in on the key point. “Did Yu Tianlin agree to Liang Dan’s plan?”
Yuan Fenghui nodded. “He did. Yu Tianlin is someone who weighs pros and cons carefully.”
Wen Ying thought for a moment and then smiled. “Teacher Yuan, I think this is a good thing. Yu Tianlin isn’t just calculating, he’s also extremely proud. Back when he worked with Xu Mei, he found her status too low and squeezed her out. Now he’s willing to stir up a scandal with Hu Man? That means he’s scared!”
Scared of what?
Scared that despite all his scheming, snatching schedules, and sabotaging *Starry River and You*’s deal with Hunan TV, he’d still be overtaken in ratings by *Starry River and You*!
Nothing boosts morale like the enemy’s acknowledgment.
Yuan Fenghui thought the same.
But excitement aside, since the opponent had made a move, Tianjiao needed to respond.
“Alright, let’s not pat ourselves on the back. What’s your take, Wen Ying?”
Both Wen Ying and Wang Shuang were shocked by the news, which meant Liang Dan’s plan was feasible. A scandal pairing like Yu Tianlin and Hu Man would stun anyone. With periodic updates on the scandal based on media and public reactions, Yuan Fenghui could foresee how wild the media and public would go.
It was a dirty move, but a clever one.
Liang Dan was a pragmatic and capable woman!
“Before I came to the company, Xie Qian reminded me not to let Liang Dan and her crew lead us by the nose. I agree with him. They have their publicity tactics, and we have ours. We can’t control what others do, but we can decide what we do. Yu Tianlin agreed to the scandal with Hu Man, and Hu Man starred in *Starry River and You*. As Tianjiao, who worked with Teacher Hu Man, sending our blessings right away makes sense, doesn’t it, Teacher Yuan?”
Wen Ying shared her thoughts earnestly, and Yuan Fenghui burst out laughing.
“Great minds think alike!”
Wang Shuang’s mind raced, but instead of blurting out questions as usual, he pondered and analysed.
Hu Man didn’t secure the theme song for *Starry River and You*, so she held a grudge against Tianjiao. That explained why she’d agree to Liang Dan’s scandal plan, to help Yu Tianlin’s new drama outshine *Starry River and You* in ratings. Wang Shuang understood the logic.
Hu Man didn’t care about *Starry River and You*’s ratings and wanted to see Tianjiao fail, yet she had starred in the show. Once her scandal with Yu Tianlin heated up, Liang Dan’s crew could exploit it, but so could Tianjiao!
Wang Shuang could only think this far. He didn’t understand why Wen Ying suggested sending blessings right away.
Should he ask or not? Wang Shuang hesitated.
Yuan Fenghui, unusually considerate of Wang Shuang’s feelings, explained, “Hu Man’s feud with Tianjiao can’t be made public. The industry knows we fell out, but the public doesn’t. If Hu Man dares to say it openly, I’ll expose why we clashed. She’s been in the industry long enough to know that wouldn’t benefit her. Since the public doesn’t know our feud, we can use that. The moment Yu Tianlin and Hu Man’s scandal breaks, if Tianjiao sends blessings right away, confirming their scandal, what do you think will happen?”
Celebrity scandals draw attention because they’re half-true, half-false.
Whether the romance is real or fake, most stars deny it in front of the media.
On one side, the stars deny it. On the other, vague clues fuel public curiosity, sustaining attention.
Wang Shuang was new to this game, but Yuan Fenghui was a pro, and Wen Ying, with her adult mindset and two lifetimes of perspective, was no stranger to it either.
Growth isn’t instant. Despite Wang Shuang’s transformation, he still needed to build experience.
After Yuan Fenghui’s nudge, Wang Shuang finally got it. “…Then no one will care about the follow-up?”
Yuan Fenghui and Wen Ying exchanged a glance and laughed heartily. “It’s more than that!”
The scandal wouldn’t just boost Yu Tianlin’s exposure. As the female lead in the scandal, Hu Man would also gain massive attention. Tianjiao’s immediate blessings wouldn’t just confirm the scandal, they’d also siphon off some of the buzz.
Why? Because Hu Man starred in *Starry River and You*!
Despite their falling out, Yuan Fenghui had spent three million to cast Hu Man. Cutting her scenes would be throwing money away. Not only did Yuan Fenghui keep Hu Man’s scenes, she even restored some that were meant to be cut.
Hu Man wanted to stir up a scandal with Yu Tianlin?
Great!
Tianjiao would not only send blessings right away but also release a Hu Man-centric trailer to grab a share of the buzz.
This was free publicity handed to them by their rivals. Tianjiao would be remiss not to take it.
