Chapter 31: Rumors Repeated Become Reality

He casually bit down on his cigarette, faint smoke curling upwards, shrouding his delicate features in a hazy veil.

“The company hasn’t noticed my moves yet. They still think they’ve got control over us. But once I finish handing over these artists’ work, they’ll probably start to get the picture.”

At Years of Flowing Light, they were indeed overly optimistic about Yu Mozhi. They assumed that Yu Mozhi had been tightly controlled by the company over the years. And it was true that in the past two years, his resources had noticeably declined. But they hadn’t heard a single complaint from him.

So they immediately shifted Yu Mozhi’s endorsement deals to Jiang Nianyue. If they eventually realized that Yu Mozhi intended to leave and start his own studio, the storm brewing online wouldn’t just be about seizing the opportunity—it would escalate into something far more vicious.

After all, the company’s current smear tactics were mainly meant to promote Jiang Nianyue and better control Yu Mozhi. They hadn’t truly intended to destroy him—after all, no talent agency would want to discard such a lucrative money-maker. But it was rare to see a company like Years of Flowing Light treat one of their most profitable and publicly presentable artists like this, just because he had a good temper.

“Yue Han’s contract is about to end too. The company hasn’t been paying much attention to him either, so things should go smoothly with him. But your case is a bit more complicated. There’s still over a year left on your contract. Although we have evidence that the company breached terms first, dealing with a big corporation is always messy. I’ve consulted several law firms—based on the evidence we have, there’s no issue with terminating the contract. But when it comes to the company’s deliberate attempts to slander you, we might not be able to do anything about it. And after the termination, it’ll probably get even worse. Plus, now there’s the issue of that little one—Xiao Mianmian. That gives them even more dirt to exploit.”

Unmarried fatherhood, entangled relationships, accidentally getting someone pregnant—if they really wanted to destroy Yu Mozhi, they could even accuse him of sleeping with a minor. At that point, even if he explained, who would believe him?

Rumors repeated over and over eventually become reality.

This wasn’t a joke.

“And then there’s the work at the new studio. Your endorsement deals were snatched away, and for scripts, we have to negotiate ourselves. I’ve already looked into the directors we previously worked with. You’ve probably reached out too—either they’re already filming, or they’ve wrapped up and are doing promotions. Given the time of year, most awards shows are either at the end of the year or mid-next year. There really aren’t any good scripts available. The only thing I’ve heard is that Director Kong is planning a new shoot. But for casting, he sends private invites, checks for chemistry, and tests acting skills. No one can pull strings with him.”

Liu Wu frowned in frustration. “I’ve sent Director Kong a message, but we’ve never worked with him before, and he’s known for his notoriously eccentric personality. Whether he even checks his messages depends entirely on luck. And your luck—well, let’s just say I’m not optimistic.”

No kidding. From the moment he was born, Yu Mozhi never had a lucky break. Getting into university was turbulent. Choosing this agency? Even worse. If not for his solid acting skills and professionalism, who knows where he’d be now—probably starving somewhere and chewing on husks.

The more Liu Wu thought about it, the more troubled he looked as he stared at Yu Mozhi’s face.

He was worrying himself sick over him.

But Yu Mozhi simply exhaled a puff of smoke, his pale fingers pinching the cigarette. His gaze drifted slightly, and his other hand subconsciously touched the side of his face.

(End of Chapter)