Although Gu Shi Entertainment was suppressing the public opinion online, the more they tried to suppress it, the more proactively netizens discussed it.
Friday night directly turned into a new round of carnival, with all sorts of bizarre comments emerging.
Xia Qingtian, wanting to avoid trouble, decided not to look at the online comments and thus found peace and freedom.
"Sister..." Standing at the door, Xia Qingyu was unsure if she should disturb Xia Qingtian, but she genuinely couldn't put her mind at ease.
"Qingyu?" Xia Qingtian turned her head towards the door. "What's wrong? Is there something?"
"It's nothing, I was just looking around," Xia Qingyu replied in a muffled voice.
"Why do you seem like the one retiring from the industry and not me? You look more dejected than I am," Xia Qingtian couldn't help but say upon seeing Xia Qingyu's state.
"If you don't want to, then just stay in the entertainment industry. Do whatever you want!" Xia Qingyu looked at Xia Qingtian and said earnestly, "I'll work hard to earn money, and you just do what you love. You don't need to worry about money. I, I'll support you!"
It was the first time Xia Qingtian had heard the usually proud Xia Qingyu say something like this, and her heart warmed.
She walked over to Xia Qingyu and gently stroked her head. "Then you'll have to work hard."
"Mhm!" Xia Qingyu nodded vigorously. She would.
After finally managing to send Xia Qingyu away, Xia Qingtian felt a bit embarrassed.
She was the older sister, after all, and her current savings were nowhere near the point where she needed Xia Qingyu to support her.
"My being an older sister is truly... a failure..." Xia Qingtian clasped her arms and shook her head with a sigh.
Just then, Xia Qingtian's phone on the table vibrated. Glancing at the caller ID, Xia Qingtian answered and said, "Sister Ning, are you done?"
"Yes, almost," Wen Ning felt a bit of a headache. If possible, she really didn't want to take Xia Qingtian's call.
"I've caused you trouble, and I'm very sorry," Xia Qingtian said seriously. "Actually, I was thinking... maybe I should retire from the entertainment industry. Of course, I'll diligently complete any work I've already accepted, and I'll also handle the contract compensation fees..."
"It's just a small problem, there's no need to retire from the industry at this time," Wen Ning interrupted Xia Qingtian. "We will resolve it properly."
"It's not because of this, I..." Xia Qingtian quickly said, "Actually, it's me..."
"Qingtian, I have high hopes for you," Wen Ning interrupted Xia Qingtian again. "You are the most compatible artist I've worked with in my many years in the industry."
Xia Qingtian's mouth twitched. How could she possibly say anything more?
"I will pretend I didn't hear your nonsense today. Tomorrow is Saturday, so you should rest well first. We can discuss things further after this issue is resolved." With that, Wen Ning hung up the phone without giving Xia Qingtian a chance to speak further.
Holding her phone, Xia Qingtian shook her head helplessly. It seemed it would be better to explain things to Wen Ning in person next week.
Just as she was about to put her phone down, Xia Qingtian received another call from Li Xiaoxiao. "Sorry, Xiaoxiao, I was supposed to celebrate you becoming a contract intern at Gu Shi Entertainment today..."
"That's not important right now~" Li Xiaoxiao sighed. "It all happened too suddenly, and I didn't even realize what was going on. Teacher Wu and the others seemed to be afraid I'd worry, so they didn't say anything. It was only after I got home that my brother told me... Qingtian, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, don't worry. It's all just rumors," Xia Qingtian said softly.
"Sigh... Of course, I know it's all rumors. But why do people online say it with such conviction? If Uncle Xia hadn't attended your parent-teacher conference, I might have believed it too!" Li Xiaoxiao found it terrifying to even think about it. "It's clearly fake, but they make it sound so real. It's really scary..."
"That's how this industry is," Xia Qingtian comforted Li Xiaoxiao. "Don't take it to heart. Since you've already received the offer, let's celebrate happily."
"Speaking of which, my parents were supposed to be back today, but I don't know why they're not here yet," Li Xiaoxiao complained as if she just remembered something. "You know, one of them is a middle school chemistry teacher, and the other is a high school math teacher. How come they're traveling more often than the aunt and uncle next door who work in marketing and purchasing? One teaches a junior high exam class, and the other teaches a college entrance exam class. Is that really okay?"
"Perhaps it's because your aunt and uncle teach so well, and the school and educational authorities place great importance on them. After all, it's difficult for other teachers to get the opportunity to travel on behalf of the city's education bureau, right?" Xia Qingtian said this, but in her heart, she couldn't help but recall the system's previous prompts and Li Xiaoxiao's prodigy brother.
If Li Xiaoxiao's parents weren't ordinary teachers, then both the potential kidnapping Li Xiaoxiao might face and Li Xiaozhong concealing his incredible talent would make sense. But...
Who exactly were Li Xiaoxiao's parents?
Xia Qingtian couldn't be sure. Before she died in her previous life, she only knew about the prodigy Li Xiaozhong. She hadn't bothered to learn about his parents.
"You have a point," Li Xiaoxiao pouted before continuing. "By the way, are you coming to school tomorrow?"
"I'd like to, but given the current situation, it's better for me to stay home and lay low," Xia Qingtian said with a wry smile.
"Then you shouldn't go. Safety first," Li Xiaoxiao said. "Really, it's Saturday, why is school starting? Shouldn't school start on a Monday?"
"Heh heh," Xia Qingtian only smiled at this. After finishing her conversation with Li Xiaoxiao, Xia Qingtian sighed heavily.
It wasn't just because of the [Golden Button Organization]. Just the matter concerning Li Xiaoxiao made Xia Qingtian feel that her decision to retire from the industry was the right one.
She had many things she needed to do now, but her time was very limited.
She didn't want to lose anyone important to her again.
Her phone vibrated. The name on the caller ID made Xia Qingtian's heart tighten. After a brief hesitation, she answered the call. "Hello, Mr. Gu."
"You want to retire from the industry?" Mr. Gu asked directly.
"Isn't that what you wanted, Mr. Gu?" Xia Qingtian retorted. "In any case, the difference between being frozen and retiring isn't that big..."
"Do you have some misunderstanding about me?" Mr. Gu furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing this. Xia Qingtian had said something similar before. "Why would I freeze you?"
"Isn't it because..." Xia Qingtian was about to say that she had seen through Mr. Gu's scheme and recognized his lies, and then Mr. Gu, either out of shame or because everything became meaningless, would discard her... but it was all her own conjecture. Saying it now really didn't hold much ground.
"Whatever the reason, I think we need to have a good talk," Mr. Gu said. "I have another meeting. Tomorrow at 10:30 AM, I will have someone pick you up from the Xia residence, and we can discuss it in person."
"Hey, aren't you being too presumptuous? Why should we meet just because you say so?" Xia Qingtian frowned.
"Because I am still your boss. Is that reason enough?"
"..."