The effect of the scandal exceeded Liang Dan’s expectations.
Though Yu Tianlin enjoyed high popularity, he had never experienced such intense attention since coming to the mainland.
Reporters’ interview requests overwhelmed Yu Tianlin’s assistant, who could barely keep up. Many calls even reached Yu Tianlin’s agency in Taiwan. His new romance was too sensational, and the media were eager to get a definitive statement from him.
Was he really dating the diva Hu Man?
The scandal propelled Yu Tianlin’s popularity to its peak, but it also threw his agency into chaos.
Yu Tianlin had not consulted the agency beforehand. Such a thing would have been unthinkable when Yuan Fenghui was managing the Miracle Group. Let alone stirring up a scandal with another star, if any member of the Miracle Group so much as exchanged a glance with a woman at an event, sparking the slightest hint of romance, Yuan Fenghui would know.
Everything was under Yuan Fenghui’s control, ensuring the agent was never caught off guard and could handle any situation with ease.
By ousting Yuan Fenghui, Yu Tianlin and the others gained significant freedom from the agency. This time, Yu Tianlin acted first and informed later, leaving the agency in a highly awkward position.
The vice president, nominally the manager of the Miracle Group, was nearly apoplectic with rage.
The Miracle Group was the agency’s biggest cash cow. In the power struggle between the agency and the group, Yuan Fenghui became the sacrificial lamb. Yu Tianlin and the others reached a mutual benefit agreement with the agency. The vice president usually turned a blind eye to Yu Tianlin’s antics, but for Yu Tianlin to make such a major decision on his own was utterly disrespectful!
Did Yu Tianlin, as a contracted artist, have any sense of duty to the agency?
No matter how much of a cash cow he was, showing such disregard for the agency set a bad example for other artists, making it hard to manage the team.
Suppressing his anger, the vice president asked Yu Tianlin over the phone how he planned to handle the fallout.
Yu Tianlin was nonchalant. “After the drama airs, Hu Man and I will issue a joint statement. Whether it’s true or not, we can brush it off. This is fake anyway.”
Yu Tianlin had initially resisted Liang Dan’s plan, fearing she would pair him with a less prominent scandal partner.
Hu Man’s status was higher than his, though she was considerably older. Yu Tianlin never fancied older women; otherwise, faking it for real with Hu Man wouldn’t have been a bad deal.
Stirring up a scandal to gain attention, then clarifying to appease fans—Yu Tianlin was no stranger to such tactics.
Yuan Fenghui handled it effortlessly, so how hard could it be for others?
He only had himself to blame for Yuan Fenghui’s exceptional competence and her tendency to take charge of his messes. Yu Tianlin only enjoyed the spotlight without dealing with the aftermath, oblivious to how much of a headache this would be for an average agent.
The vice president was on the verge of exploding.
“A joint statement? How much do you know about Hu Man or Liang Dan? If you issue a clarification, what if they refuse to go along?”
What loss would Hu Man face?
Hu Man had a rich romantic history, even rumoured to have a child with a tycoon. A scandal with Yu Tianlin was no loss for her. Yu Tianlin was much younger, and if the scandal couldn’t be clarified, he would merely be another shining badge in Hu Man’s “collection.” Yu Tianlin, however, stood to lose much more. Even if he were to announce a relationship, the woman could be less prominent but needed to be young and beautiful, fitting the public’s expectation of a dominant man and a delicate woman!
Tied to Hu Man, how could Yu Tianlin maintain his idol image?
Female fans idolised male stars with some degree of fantasy.
Yu Tianlin’s fans were generally young. How could they relate to Hu Man?
They couldn’t.
Unable to accept that Yu Tianlin’s partner was an “older sister” like Hu Man, more than a decade his senior, his female fans were heartbroken and could only abandon him!
The vice president, who usually spoke kindly to Yu Tianlin, scolded him harshly for the first time. Without waiting for a response, he declared he would rush to Hunan Province and hung up.
Yu Tianlin’s expression flickered between dark and light.
The assistant didn’t dare make a sound, but at that moment, the phone rang again. Seeing the caller ID, the assistant nearly dropped it.
“Whose call?”
“Sister Hu Man’s.”
Yu Tianlin took a deep breath to steady himself, then took the phone from the assistant. “Sister Man, yeah, I saw the report. I’ve received tons of interview requests. As we agreed, I won’t respond to any. You want to meet? How about at Sister Dan’s place?”
“Of course, I’m all ears.”
On the phone, Hu Man’s voice was brimming with delight.
This scandal not only boosted attention for Yu Tianlin’s new drama and indirectly targeted Tianjiao, but it also greatly benefited Hu Man herself.
Hu Man had once been immensely popular but had since faded.
Having tasted the heights of fame, who would willingly fall from grace?
Today, Hu Man was not short of money. She wanted to reclaim her glory, to be remembered forever. To achieve this, she was even willing to stoop to stealing roles from newcomers. A scandal with Yu Tianlin was hardly a sacrifice!
With the scandal’s exposure, the attention Hu Man received was no less than Yu Tianlin’s, if not more.
Given her bold and passionate image, reporters believed Hu Man was more likely to admit to the “relationship” than Yu Tianlin.
As a seasoned veteran, Hu Man wouldn’t easily confirm a “relationship” even without an agreement with Yu Tianlin. The longer the matter dragged on, the greater its impact and the more attention it brought her. Such delightful exposure was best prolonged!
Hu Man was positively radiant.
Before heading out, she received a call from Huang Yongjuan.
Huang Yongjuan asked Hu Man to confirm the truth of the scandal.
Yu Tianlin and Yuan Fenghui were at odds, and both had new dramas airing. Was it a coincidence that a scandal between Yu Tianlin and Hu Man broke now?
Huang Yongjuan read the report but didn’t believe it at all. What talk of meeting, knowing, and falling in love? As a close friend, how could he know nothing?
“If it’s true, so what? If it’s false, so what?”
Hu Man, too familiar with Huang Yongjuan, knew he would indulge her and felt a bit emboldened.
“Manman, Yu Tianlin is all show. Others may not know what happened between the Miracle Group and Yuan Fenghui, but we do. If you get involved with him, I won’t feel at ease. I’m afraid he’ll stab you in the back someday!”
Huang Yongjuan pleaded earnestly, but Hu Man was unfazed. “Come on, I’ve been in the industry for years. Would I trip over a young upstart? Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.”
Before leaving, Hu Man even touched up her makeup carefully.
When Hu Man broke through the reporters’ encirclement to reach Liang Dan’s office, Yu Tianlin hadn’t arrived yet. Liang Dan stood to greet her.
Hu Man was glowing, but Liang Dan didn’t seem as thrilled as expected.
“Director Liang, has something happened?”
Hu Man asked casually. Liang Dan’s expression was somewhat grave. “Something feels off. It’s been two days since your scandal with Tianlin hit the papers, and there’s no reaction from Yuan Fenghui’s side. That’s not her style!”
