"Are you out of your mind? Do you want to ruin your career in this industry? In such a short time, you’ve lost nearly ten million followers on Weibo, eight out of ten endorsements have been canceled, and the leading role I worked so hard to get for you is gone too.
Jin Xue, are you tired of living too comfortably and looking for trouble and hardship? Huh?"
In the conference room at Tianyu Entertainment, Li Jing pointed at Jin Xue's nose and roared.
Jin Xue, with no energy to retort, lowered her head and mumbled, "We need to focus on public relations now. Yelling at me won't help."
"You have the nerve to talk back?" Li Jing’s anger flared. She opened Weibo and casually clicked on a recording, playing it.
"Listen to this, listen to yourself! Are these human words? You were forty minutes late, and you’re blaming the school for not waiting for you? Do you think the school is your backyard, where you can do as you please?
Even if you were late, you were still shameless. You even dared to have your fan club stir up trouble, saying that 'nine' stole your speaking slot. Don't you feel ashamed saying these things?"
Jin Xue, also angered by the scolding, retorted, "How would I know there was a recording? Could I have predicted it? Besides, I'm a top star. Waiting for me is only natural. Everyone waited, so why can't they?"
"You're full of crap about being a top star. If it weren't for your fans supporting you, what would you even be? Do you think all fans are idiots? When you said those things in front of those people, did you ever consider the consequences?" Li Jing was furious to the point of dizziness.
"So what do we do now? It's already happened. Can yelling at me solve the problem?" Jin Xue was speechless.
"I'm yelling to wake you up, and also to remind you that if this incident isn't resolved, it won't just be a period of silence for you. Prepare to pay the breach of contract fees and quit the entertainment industry," Li Jing said, no longer yelling, but issuing a direct ultimatum.
Jin Xue finally panicked, her tone softening. "Sister Li, I still have so many fans, and I still have commercial value. How could I possibly quit the entertainment industry?
It's just acting like a diva. Don't all divas have a bit of temper? I haven't done anything heinous. To be held accountable for such trivial matters is too harsh."
Li Jing scoffed, "Yes, just acting like a diva. You've acted like a diva many times before. But your stupidity lies in deliberately escalating the situation, twisting right and wrong, and distorting values.
Now, your recording is all over the internet. You can find it with a simple search. Do you still think this is a small matter? You lost a third of your fans in half a day. I predict you'll be back to square one by tomorrow."
Losing nearly ten million fans in an instant still pained Jin Xue deeply. Those fans had been accumulated slowly, tens of thousands at a time, and it had taken her a long time to reach this point.
"What about public relations? Is there no other way? Can't we buy the recording?" Jin Xue pressed.
Li Jing chuckled, "Others might have a chance to buy it, but you were caught by Wei Tao. That guy is impossible to deal with, neither soft nor hard. He deliberately waited for things to reach their peak before releasing your recording. Don't you understand his intentions? He's deliberately trying to ruin you."
Jin Xue was now completely flustered. "Sister Li, the company can't just abandon me, right? I still have commercial value. Giving up on me now won't benefit you either. You have to help me, Sister Li."
Li Jing said impatiently, "Now you're scared. When you were causing trouble, why didn't you think of these consequences?"
Jin Xue looked at Li Jing pitifully.
Li Jing let out a long sigh and said to the public relations department, "First, issue an apology. For something as undeniable as this, there's no other way but to admit fault and apologize."
Then she turned to Jin Xue and said, "You also need to personally apologize to the school to avoid having your lecturer qualification revoked. Otherwise, you'll truly be finished. If the school is still willing to forgive you, it at least shows you're not beyond redemption."
Thinking of having to deal with those students, Jin Xue complained resentfully, "I knew I shouldn't have become that darn lecturer. If it weren't for the lecturer position, things wouldn't have turned out like this."
Li Jing immediately got angry. "Do you think that's all that's being said online? Directors you've worked with have all posted saying you're difficult to work with. I'm telling you, you must secure your lecturer position at the school. This is also your last public appearance. After the training camp ends, you will suspend all commercial activities for six months. If the controversy hasn't died down by then, be prepared for a long period of inactivity."
"Six months?" Jin Xue exclaimed. "Suspending for six months, what chance will I have of staying in the top tier?"
"Right now, pray that you can still make a successful comeback after six months," Li Jing said impatiently, then left.
Jin Xue stared blankly for a long time before murmuring in a daze, "How could this happen."
Her assistant glanced at the time and urged, "Get some sleep early. If you're late again tomorrow, you'll truly be finished."
Jin Xue looked at her assistant, who was completely different from before, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The assistant said coldly, "Before, I indulged your every whim and was willing to be bossed around because you had traffic and money, so I didn't care.
But now that you've been suspended, I certainly won't follow you anymore. After the training camp lecturer duties are over, I'll move on to other celebrities. As for you, good luck."
Jin Xue watched her assistant leave, her stomach aching with anger.
...
After hanging up Wang Feifei's call, Quan Jiu went online and saw that, as Wang Feifei had said, "Jin Xue" had already posted an apology. The apology even mentioned her.
Of course, with public relations handling it, the words were naturally pleasant, and all the necessary apologies were made.
Quan Jiu stopped paying attention to Jin Xue and went to the parking lot, preparing to go home.
However, from a distance, she saw someone standing in a conspicuous spot.
They still hadn't left.
Just as Quan Jiu was considering abandoning her plan to drive home, their eyes met.
Chu Rong smiled and strode over to Quan Jiu, his voice very gentle, "Did you have fun at the class reunion?"
Quan Jiu's expression was blank. "Mr. Chu, a busy man like yourself, really doesn't need to concern yourself with whether a small fry like me is happy.
Besides, as a dropout medical student, seeing my classmates all graduate successfully and find jobs, how could I possibly be happy?"
Although this wasn't the sole reason, it was undeniable that she was truly upset tonight.
However, Chu Rong took her words to heart.
His expression dimmed slightly, and after a pause, he said gently, "Get in the car, I'll give you a ride home."
"No need to trouble you, Mr. Chu," Quan Jiu said with a slight smile, distant and polite.
Chu Rong's heart clenched tightly. He took a shallow breath and, without further ado, scooped Quan Jiu up and placed her in the passenger seat. His voice, though gentle, brooked no argument, "Driving at night is dangerous. I'll take you home."
Quan Jiu, already upset, was now being forced. The anger she had suppressed all evening could no longer be contained. Her face darkened, and she roared, "Chu Rong, ask yourself honestly, I don't owe you anything.
Yes, in the past, I was shameless, chasing after you every day, bothering you. From when you proposed marriage to when I was a blood bank for your Jiang Mengran for two years, I admit, you didn't force me. I was out of my mind and willing.
But now I've woken up. I don't love you anymore. I give up. I'll step aside and fulfill your wishes. Why are you still relentless?
What do I owe you? Even if I interfered when you and Jiang Mengran were in love, I've already repaid what I owed. I haven't taken a single cent from your Chu family. What more do you want from me?"
Her voice echoed in the quiet parking lot.
Chu Rong gripped the steering wheel tightly. After a moment, he said slowly, "I'll take you home."
"I don't need you to. If you have any conscience left, then from now on, stay far away from me and never appear before me again," Quan Jiu said, glaring at him.