The news of Yuan Xi signing with Xingyao Entertainment didn’t stay a secret for long; soon, the entire company was buzzing with speculation about who the lucky newcomer was.

Fu Yushen, meanwhile, still had a pile of documents to deal with. Fortunately, the overseeing secretary understood his abilities and didn’t pressure him to complete all the tasks immediately.

Exhausted from the workload, Fu Yushen wanted nothing more than to get a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, before leaving, Fu Yunzhou reminded Yuan Xi to stay home and wait. At 9 a.m., someone would come to take him to his lessons.

Yuan Xi obediently nodded, then turned his attention to the business card Fu Yunzhou handed him, beginning to discuss matters with his new agent, Chen Yang.

Apparently, Fu Yunzhou had already briefed Chen Yang about the lessons. During their conversation, Chen Yang repeatedly emphasized the importance of studying hard, learning diligently, and even mentioned how incredibly skilled Yuan Xi’s teacher was.

However, since Yuan Xi was unfamiliar with this world and its people, Chen Yang’s remarks elicited only one thought:

“Oh, so my teacher is really amazing, huh?”

With a new talent under his wing, Chen Yang shifted out of his idle state and became motivated, determined to stir up some waves in the industry.

Xingyao Entertainment had no shortage of agents, including three or four star agents who were renowned for their resources and networks. Each had their unique personality, which set them apart in the company’s competitive environment.

Chen Yang was one of Xingyao Entertainment’s star agents, alongside Bi Yingying, who also held the title of a top agent.

In addition to these two, there was another agent who was far more laid-back. While his roster of high-profile talents rivaled Chen Yang’s and Bi Yingying’s, his personality was considered peculiar in the entertainment industry. He wasn’t competitive, avoided power struggles, and was almost unnervingly lazy. Yet, top-tier opportunities always seemed to find their way to him. His artists were all highly capable, which only added to the mystery.

While this third agent maintained his unbothered stance, Bi Yingying and Chen Yang were locked in a fierce rivalry.

Chen Yang was known for his steady and methodical approach. The artists he groomed often enjoyed sustained, long-term success. Bi Yingying, on the other hand, had a more aggressive and fast-paced style. She prioritized quick wins, focusing on how to rapidly package and promote her artists.

Their contrasting philosophies also extended to their management strategies, making them frequent adversaries. As a result, many of Bi Yingying’s talents achieved meteoric fame but often came with hidden risks or vulnerabilities.

Chen Yang’s strong relationships with his artists added another layer of tension.

While Bi Yingying had successfully launched many stars, her connections with them often remained superficial. Securing resources from these artists was a complicated and frustrating process for her. In contrast, Chen Yang could easily obtain opportunities through his solid rapport with his talents. Though these resources weren’t always top-tier, they were enough to make Bi Yingying envious.

So, when Bi Yingying heard rumors that Chen Yang had signed a new artist, she immediately began scheming ways to challenge him once more.

Meanwhile, Qi Yunrou, upon hearing whispers about Chen Yang’s new recruit, was initially skeptical. It wasn’t until Bi Yingying confronted her directly that she started to believe the rumors.

“How could Chen Yang suddenly sign a new artist? I didn’t hear that he went to the trainees to scout someone.”

A hint of jealousy flashed in Qi Yunrou’s eyes. She had once been under Chen Yang’s management, but his steady, slow-paced style didn’t suit her. After a year and a half under his guidance, she had barely accumulated much popularity.

Meanwhile, Hong Xue, who joined the company around the same time as Qi Yunrou, had skyrocketed in popularity under Bi Yingying’s management, with her fame far surpassing Qi Yunrou’s.

At first, Qi Yunrou could manage her feelings of inferiority and jealousy, but as Hong Xue’s resources and fame continued to grow, her jealousy started to intensify.

This was why, when Bi Yingying approached her with an offer, Qi Yunrou didn’t hesitate to switch sides, agreeing to break her contract with Chen Yang and join Bi Yingying’s team.

Even after switching managers, Qi Yunrou still found herself envious of the resources Chen Yang controlled.

“I heard the new person isn’t a trainee, but someone from outside. I’ve already asked around, and no one in the company has seen the person Chen Yang signed.”

Bi Yingying glanced at Qi Yunrou, her eyes glimmering with satisfaction. Qi Yunrou was a victory in her ongoing rivalry with Chen Yang, and her temper suited Bi Yingying perfectly. This had led Bi Yingying to offer Qi Yunrou extra resources.

“By the way, even though you’ve broken your contract with Chen Yang, how are your relationships with the artists under his management? Some of them are film emperors, film queens, and pop stars. If you manage to get close with them, I could direct some resources your way, and you’ll soar to the top.”

Not knowing who the new artist Chen Yang had signed was, Bi Yingying didn’t dwell on it, instead turning her attention to Qi Yunrou with a tone of suggestion.

A hint of awkwardness flashed in Qi Yunrou’s eyes, but she quickly masked it with a gentle smile. “I know, but I’ve been quite busy lately, so I haven’t had as much time to catch up with a few of the seniors. I’ll make sure to build a better relationship with them soon.”

Bi Yingying didn’t notice the subtle shift in Qi Yunrou’s demeanor. After hearing her words, she nodded in satisfaction and then said with a serious tone, “Xiao Rou, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Xiaoxue recently, but you don’t mind, do you? Once Xiaoxue finishes filming this movie, I’ll make time for you.”

“Of course, Sister Yingying I don’t mind.” Qi Yunrou smiled but as she turned her head, a flash of coldness passed through her eyes.

Hong Xue, Hong Xue, always Hong Xue!

Even after Qi Yunrou joined Bi Yingying’s team, this woman still favored Hong Xue! Was she, the girlfriend of the CEO, not as important as some small-time woman with no background!

After a few more words, Bi Yingying stood up to leave.

Once the room was empty and Qi Yunrou was alone the warm smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a dark and terrifying expression

“Chen Yang! How could you sign someone else! Even if you’re no longer mine, you can’t give the resources I should have to someone else! And Bi Yingying—”

Qi Yunrou’s face twisted with rage as she gripped a cup from the table and threw it to the ground, shattering it, her anger spilling over.

Staring at the broken glass and scattered water on the floor, Qi Yunrou suddenly thought of Yuan Xi.

She hadn’t heard from Fu Yushen in several days. Ever since their phone call, there had been no updates. With her career not going well, she couldn’t afford to let Fu Yushen, her trump card, be jeopardized.

Fu Yushen had repeatedly used work as an excuse to avoid her, but Qi Yunrou decided to personally visit the top floor to see just how much work Fu Yushen still had left! And while she was at it, she’d check whether Yuan Xi, that little schemer, was still trying to seduce Fu Yushen!

With that thought in mind, Qi Yunrou decided to stop by the company, hoping to also find out who the new person Chen Yang had signed was.

Meanwhile, Yuan Xi, who was being obsessively thought about by Qi Yunrou, was sprawled out on the sofa, watching the time slowly pass by as he idly counted sheep in boredom.

At exactly 9 o’clock, the sound of a horn echoed outside the Fu family mansion. Yuan Xi immediately jumped up, rushing to the window to peek outside at the car. Before he could clearly make out the license plate, Fu Yunzhou’s call came through.

“The car’s here to pick you up. Once you get in, they’ll take you directly to the destination,” Fu Yunzhou spoke before Yuan Xi even had a chance to reply.

Yuan Xi dazedly acknowledged, then quickly changed clothes and headed out. Upon seeing the black sedan parked outside the gate, he double-checked the license plate number with Fu Yunzhou.

Once confirmed, Yuan Xi got in the car.

Yuan Xi didn’t know much about car brands and hadn’t paid attention to them before. However, once he was inside, he immediately felt that this car wasn’t as comfortable as Fu Yunzhou’s. Still, it was far better than a taxi.

After all, Yuan Xi was poor, and the cars he had ridden in before were very limited.

The teacher Fu Yunzhou arranged for Yuan Xi was a well-known figure in the industry, an older senior who was already in his sixties. Many people in the entertainment industry had sought to learn from him, but the senior had a difficult temperament. No matter how famous someone was, if he didn’t like them, he wouldn’t accept them.

Fu Yunzhou, who happened to know the senior, had managed to win him over by offering various gifts and favors, which eventually softened the senior’s attitude.

The senior’s name was Xu Guoyi, a veteran actor from the world of theater who had played numerous iconic roles. He was a respected figure in the entertainment world, and like most of his peers from the theater background, his acting skills were exceptional.

The vehicle brought Yuan Xi to a villa. Looking out the window, Yuan Xi could have easily mistaken it for a tourist attraction if he hadn’t known it was someone’s home.

The community was beautifully landscaped with lush greenery, and the air was fresh and clean. Yuan Xi could even see several birds and cats and dogs roaming around.

When the vehicle stopped, Yuan Xi got out.

The villa in front of him was a two-story traditional Chinese-style building with a well-maintained garden full of flowers and plants. As soon as Yuan Xi got out of the car, an auntie came out from the house and immediately approached to open the door when she saw him.

“You must be Mr. Yuan Xi, right? Please come in. The master is waiting for you in the living room,” the auntie said, opening the door to let Yuan Xi inside.

Yuan Xi nodded awkwardly and followed the auntie inside. The villa was exquisitely decorated, with a single detached design. The garden was well-maintained, and as Yuan Xi glanced at the bushes, his eyes met with a plump orange cat.

The fat orange cat stared at Yuan Xi for a moment before waddling over to his feet and lying down on the ground.

Yuan Xi: …

Fat orange cat: Meow.

Yuan Xi: Are you trying to scam me?

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Fat orange cat: Meow~

Yuan Xi: Scamming?

Fu Yushen: Meow~

Fu Yunzhou: Are you feeling mischievous?