After picking up Rong Guang’s grandmother, Tang Yuan was especially warm toward her.
In her eyes, Rong Guang was just a young girl of eighteen or nineteen, taking care of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, and struggling all by herself since she was young. It was truly not easy.
Especially after she learned that Rong Guang’s father had passed away long ago and her mother had remarried, leaving only her and her grandmother, plus Chacha, that feeling of pity and affection became impossible to hide. Because of this, when dealing with Rong Guang, she showed a lot of extra personal care, treating her like a child and feeling the need to remind her about everything.
Although sometimes Rong Guang seemed much more mature than her.
However, despite Tang Yuan’s warmth, it was her first time meeting Rong Guang’s grandmother, so there were some things she couldn’t say too much about.
After getting in the car, Xu Mingli temporarily dropped the subject of Rong Guang liking someone and didn’t ask any more questions.
Rong Guang’s eyes curved, thinking to herself that her grandmother was a particularly wise little old lady.
Although Xu Mingli wanted to protect Rong Guang by not discussing her private life too much, she was still a very talkative person. She never stopped talking the entire way, and the car was filled with laughter and cheerful voices.
For some reason, Tang Yuan and Chacha always found something to talk about together. Chacha also really liked this kind older sister who was so good to her. She kept cracking witty remarks along the way, making Xu Mingli laugh so hard her face hurt.
After arriving at the residence, the four of them carried their things upstairs.
When she got her grandmother’s suitcase, Rong Guang lifted it with a bit of effort. It wasn’t heavy. Clearly, Xu Mingli wasn’t like most old ladies who, stubbornly trying to save a dozen or so yuan on shipping fees, would choose to lug over a bunch of heavy things in large and small bags.
Rong Guang smiled. Xu Mingli happened to see this subtle little action of hers, and her eyes curved as she chided affectionately, “You silly child.”
Rong Guang took two steps forward and hugged Xu Mingli, acting spoiled. “Grandma, I was just worried you’d try to save money by stuffing the suitcase full and insisting on bringing it all yourself…”
Xu Mingli knew Rong Guang was concerned for her, so she naturally wouldn’t get angry over something like this. She gently scraped the bridge of her nose and then entered the house to look around.
Before picking up her grandmother, Rong Guang had already cleared out Chacha’s room. The entire room was well-arranged, and she had even thoughtfully placed non-slip mats on all the stairs. It was a perfectly considerate touch.
Xu Mingli looked around and showed a slightly pensive expression, as if she had thought of something, but she didn’t say much to Rong Guang. No one noticed her abnormality in those few seconds.
After settling Chacha and her grandmother in, Rong Guang and Tang Yuan left the house, planning to go to the company to handle their next matter of business.
On the way there, Tang Yuan had taken great care of Rong Guang. Rong Guang thanked her before bringing up the main topic, “What exactly is the matter over there?”
“It’s about the farewell performance at the end of this month.” Tang Yuan pursed her lips, glanced at Rong Guang, and said in a low voice, “They plan to use this to threaten you, forcing you to renew your contract according to the old version. Otherwise, they’ll start spreading negative press about you—and they’ll start with the other three members of your group, using your years of friendship as leverage.”
After hearing this, Rong Guang had a general idea of the situation. She let out a soft laugh and said, “After all these years, Star Cluster still only has this many tricks. They can’t come up with anything new.”
The old version of the contract was completely exploitative.
If Rong Guang wanted to make an issue out of it, Star Cluster itself wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences. She didn’t know where they found the courage to bring this up again.
Tang Yuan looked at Rong Guang with some surprise. “This is what you call ‘this many tricks’? Have they treated you like this before?”
Rong Guang nodded, then shook her head. “Similar methods, but the nature was different. You know, for a girl group to last a long time, it needs buzz. And the easiest way to get famous and be talked about isn’t how harmonious the group is, how popular their songs are, or how stunning and dazzling their stage performances are. It’s always internal scandals and negative news. Of course, this isn’t limited to girl group members. For all artists, these are the things that most easily stir up topics and discussion, nine times out of ten.”
Tang Yuan nodded. Of course, she knew that too.
Ever since Jiang Ruyi became famous for her first villain role, she hadn’t landed any successful roles for many years. Even her commercials and endorsements were few and far between because the public image she had built was too negative.
But even so, the reason the public buzz and topic discussions about her never died down was that her company had crafted a “love-to-hate” path for her.
Feuds, scandals, and relationship hype.
As long as these things didn’t go out of style, she could keep using them for publicity.
A bad reputation in the industry didn’t matter. There were plenty of people who needed traffic over quality, desperate to carve out a path for themselves in this torrent.
Rong Guang continued, “Back then, NO.1 debuted with a high ranking, but we were actually always lukewarm. Because I debuted with a huge lead over the others, the company promoted me for a while. But a place like Star Cluster couldn’t produce any hit songs of the year, nor could they afford to hire any famous songwriters or producers to tailor-make songs for us. Most of them were just bubblegum pop songs and some obscure, niche songs written by us within the group.”
At this point, Rong Guang’s voice lowered slightly. “There was one song that, by some fluke, became a minor hit for half a year. The company’s chief decision-maker at the time decisively sold it for a high price, using our group’s status as the original creators and singers to ride the wave of popularity. But later, the heat quickly died down, and it didn’t rise again for a long time.”
Tang Yuan keenly sensed that what came next might be something Rong Guang had never mentioned before and didn’t particularly want to touch upon.
Rong Guang said, “There was a young girl in the group named Yi Chun. She was pretty, and she had that delicate, pitiful look that was popular at the time, which was very popular with otaku fans. She was the one the company was heavily promoting. Later, they wanted to use me to build up hype for Duan Nong and Yi Chun, creating a kind of feud atmosphere to let them gain mainstream recognition for their images, win some sympathy, and attract another wave of fans.”
Tang Yuan nodded, turning the car onto a small road.
Rong Guang glanced over, casually picked up an unopened bottle of mineral water from Tang Yuan’s car, and took a couple of sips before continuing, “I wrote that song back then. Many fans knew, and at first, we didn’t expect it to get popular, so the company didn’t suppress the news. Later, the company wanted to use this to strip me of the credit as the original creator and give it to Duan Nong, which was unfair to me. Plus, the song had become popular and was in the spotlight, so the company didn’t dare use me as a stepping stone for Duan Nong and Yi Chun anymore. They gave up on me and chose to use Tang Shi instead.”
Tang Yuan was speechless for a moment before saying, “I heard… Tang Shi has severe depression and anxiety.”
Rong Guang glanced at her, a little surprised that she even knew about this, but on second thought, she realized it wasn’t a secret anymore.
Back then, Tang Shi had attempted suicide several times due to her depression and had been ordered to be hospitalized for treatment multiple times. Many people in the company had wrung their hands in despair over it.
Later, because of the rapid turnover of employees, this news became half-truth, half-rumor. An order was issued not to spread rumors anymore, with the threat of immediate dismissal. Eventually, no one talked about it anymore.
As for Tang Shi herself, the company had initially planned to give up on her completely, but the other three of them had forcefully saved her.
Knowing this past, Tang Yuan felt a chill in her heart. Her voice was a bit hoarse as she said, “They just burn the bridge after crossing it like that…? In your first year of debut, all you young girls lost over ten pounds, becoming skin and bones, flying all over the world, with back-to-back variety shows and interviews. I heard Yi Chun was exhausted to the point of needing IV drips at the hospital several times, and one time they made you cross four provinces in one night to attend various galas. After all these years of ups and downs… this is how they treat you?!”
Rong Guang nodded and said lightly, “Yes. But we managed to get through it. This time, their goal is probably the same. If I don’t compromise, they’ll start trying to find ways to threaten me.”
Tang Yuan held back for a long time but couldn’t resist cursing fiercely, “Those bastards.”
“It’s just the nature of businessmen,” Rong Guang said, propping her chin on her hand and looking outside. She thought for a moment and added, “A small workshop’s vision will always be this limited. That’s something I only learned after being in this industry for so many years… It’s better to be the tail of a phoenix in a big company than the head of a chicken in a small one. In a small company, you’re constrained at every turn. The upper and lower limits are completely different. Big companies care about their reputation and image, and so do their artists. They all cherish their reputations. No one would throw away their face for such petty gains.”
“You’re right.” Tang Yuan pursed her lips, wiped her face, and suddenly said, “I just thought of something—didn’t we work with Big Dipper before? This time, even if we have to fight to the point of mutual destruction, we absolutely cannot stay in this place any longer. It would only ruin your future. If you don’t leave, the new contract they make you sign definitely won’t be for just three or five years. They might even force you to sign for ten. If this goes on, you’ll be dragged down sooner or later. Once your fame fades in the later stages… if they want to maliciously shelve you, it’ll just be a matter of a few words.”
Tang Yuan paused, then continued, “If… and I mean if, things really get to the worst-case scenario, I’ll try to see if I can get Big Dipper’s PR team to help us.”
“How are you going to ask them?” Rong Guang was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. She was well aware of her current position. “Look at me. Even though I’ve filmed The Eldest Princess, it hasn’t been released yet. It’s scheduled for the summer break a whole year from now. I’ll be dragged down by then. When the scandals start fermenting, with no new company to go to and abandoned by my current one, what can I do? No money, no power, no influence. Why would Big Dipper help me?”
Her series of questions left Tang Yuan speechless.
She took a moment to compose herself, stopping at a red light. “Just based on the drama The Eldest Princess. I’ve seen the entire script and the clips and edited versions the crew gave me. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes a huge hit. And as for Star Cluster… they might not be completely shameless. Don’t forget, you have your own fans, and you’re currently in the spotlight. The idea that things will reverse when they reach an extreme has always been a bit of a mystery.”
Rong Guang raised an eyebrow. “Just based on this small number of Weibo followers?”
Tang Yuan choked, only managing to say after a long pause, “Although your number of followers isn’t large, their loyalty is the highest among all of you. Besides, you have a very good public image. The reason your Weibo numbers are low is entirely because the company took it over. Look at it. What have you ever posted yourself? It’s just ads day in and day out. And even with the ads, there are no pictures, just pure text…”
The more Tang Yuan spoke, the more she felt that they couldn’t stay at this damn company any longer.
She put down her phone, saw the green light, and restarted the car in a fit of anger. “When the time comes, you don’t say a word. Leave it to me. At worst, we’ll fight. It’ll just be a fight between internal staff, and it won’t have anything to do with you. If they want to blow it up, let them. If a manager who was just transferred to your side can’t stand it and starts a fight with them, I don’t believe they can still find a way to sling mud at you!”
“That’s a suicide attack,” Rong Guang said. At this point, she didn’t know if she felt more touched or amused.
She pursed her lips, but she also knew the situation was urgent and she had to prepare for the worst.
This matter was actually a bit beyond her expectations. She hadn’t thought that just by participating in The Eldest Princess, she would make Star Cluster this anxious.
There must be another reason, Rong Guang frowned.
Otherwise, given Star Cluster’s current strength, it was impossible for them to be in such a hurry to pressure her alone just to hold on to her contract.
Just then, her phone suddenly buzzed.
A new friend request notification.
Rong Guang was taken aback. Ever since she left the film set, very few new people had added her on WeChat. It had been quiet for a long time.
Besides, most people who wanted to contact her had to go through the company and Tang Yuan first; there was no way to contact an artist directly.
She subconsciously tapped it open and saw a super cool profile picture.
A white square with the character “肆” (Sì) written in a very unrestrained cursive script.
Without even looking, Rong Guang knew who this was.
After all, she had added her as a friend for work reasons in her past life, and she had supposedly used this profile picture for over a decade without changing it.
In Rong Guang’s memory, it had never been changed either.
Rong Guang glanced at the friend request message on her phone. It was just as cool, with only three words: Chu Siyue.
At this point in time… why was Chu Siyue adding her as a friend?
Rong Guang carefully recalled the only time in this life she had a direct encounter with Chu Siyue—it was that one time on the film set. Other than that, there was nothing else.
And nothing bad had happened that time either.
She scratched her head.
Could it be because of the Star Cluster matter?
But what connection could a small workshop like Star Cluster have with an industry leader like Big Dipper?
Despite her thoughts, Rong Guang quickly accepted the friend request.
After the notification “I have accepted your friend request. We can now start chatting” appeared, Rong Guang stared at it for a while, but there was no message from the other side.
She thought for a moment and sent a message first: Sister Chu?
She had addressed Chu Siyue the same way in her past life, but after they became familiar, she gradually dropped the “Chu” and just called her “Sister.”
It was still different from how she addressed Chu Feiliang…
She called Chu Feiliang “Sister.”
Thinking of Chu Feiliang made her face turn a little red again. For some reason, she thought of that love letter that still hadn’t materialized, and she thought to herself that on the way back later, she had to buy some nice stationery. At the very least, she couldn’t treat it differently.
Maybe after she started writing, she could forget about all the dirty business with the company.
Rong Guang thought Chu Siyue might be in a meeting. After waiting a little longer, she was about to put her phone away.
The company was just past the next intersection.
Rong Guang frowned and said nothing.
Tang Yuan’s reaction was the same as hers. She parked the car at the corner, took several deep breaths, and was unwilling to go upstairs.
After a moment, Tang Yuan said, “Rong Guang, you know what my dad does, right?”
“I know.” Rong Guang’s phone vibrated again, and she answered casually, “A lawyer… I hear he’s invincible, practically a legendary textbook case in our circle. Many people were disappointed when they heard you didn’t continue in the legal field and became a manager instead.”
Especially since the artist she took on was her.
Rong Guang sighed with emotion.
A cold glint flashed in Tang Yuan’s eyes. “That’s right. I was serious about what I said just now. Later, you don’t have to say anything. Leave it to me. Even if I didn’t actually become a lawyer, I still studied law for so many years and have worked at this company for a long time, so I’ve had contact with a lot of high-level work… If they really don’t want to save face, then we don’t have to give them any. In a fight of mutual destruction, it’s always the side with more dirt that gets hammered into oblivion. Star Cluster has ruined so many young artists over the years, the fans remember.”
When these words came out, even Rong Guang was stunned.
She smiled, thinking to herself that Yuanyuan was indeed her kind of person.
If others don’t mess with me, I won’t mess with them.
If others mess with me, I will mess with them until they’re dead.
Just as she was about to reply, she saw several messages pop up on her phone screen.
Chu Siyue: Was busy just now, didn’t see my phone.
Chu Siyue: Are you free right now? Let’s meet. I’ll send you the address in a bit. I want to talk to you about signing a contract.
Immediately after, Chu Siyue sent a location.
Rong Guang was very familiar with this location. It wasn’t even Big Dipper’s company headquarters, but the home where Chu Feiliang and Chu Siyue were currently living.
The two sisters were still living with their family and hadn’t moved out on their own, though they both had their own residences. Plus, they were usually very busy with work and rarely came home, so they had even less time to meet. Only when Chu Feiliang took a vacation after finishing a drama could the whole family get together.
The fact that Chu Siyue was at home now, rather than choosing the company, clearly meant she intended to just talk with her first, not sign a contract directly.
She was approaching her with great caution.
A thought sparked in Rong Guang’s mind.
After Tang Yuan finished her rant, she had already restarted the car and was backing up.
Rong Guang pressed her hand down and looked ahead, just in time to see a familiar person standing at the intersection ahead.
She narrowed her eyes, her thoughts racing, and said, “Yuanyuan, see that person at the intersection ahead?”
Tang Yuan ground her teeth, looking like she wanted to rush over and take a bite out of her. She said hatefully, “I’d recognize her even if she were turned to ashes. Isn’t that Cai Xiang? What’s she doing downstairs, drinking the northwest wind in the middle of winter?”
“Waiting for us, I suppose.” Rong Guang glanced at the time and said with a smile, “The appointed time is almost here.”
Tang Yuan glanced at her. “We can stand them up today. After all, before your negotiations, when everything is still an unknown, they won’t do anything, nor would they dare. They might end up trying to steal a chicken only to lose a handful of rice.”
“Mhm. We’re not going to see them today.” Rong Guang nodded, typing on her phone’s keyboard to reply with an “okay,” while slowly saying, “We’re going to another place.”
“But before we go to that other place…” Rong Guang’s words trailed off. When Tang Yuan looked over in confusion, she smiled, revealing a set of white teeth, and said, “Let’s let off some steam first, shall we? Want to?”
“Yes.” Tang Yuan’s eyes lit up.
After all, she wasn’t that old, and after being exploited and maliciously targeted at the company for so long, it was impossible to say she didn’t have any resentment in her heart.
To be able to let off some steam and feel good for a moment, why not?
Rong Guang pointed at Cai Xiang ahead and said, “It’s a pity Chacha isn’t here today, otherwise she could have made Auntie Cai mad enough to die again. Come on, Yuanyuan, it’s time to show off your driving skills. Let’s see if you can scare Auntie Cai.”
Tang Yuan immediately understood what Rong Guang meant. She licked her lips and said, “Then hold on tight!”
With that, Tang Yuan slammed on the gas pedal, and the small car shot forward like a kite with a snapped string!
Rong Guang gripped the seatbelt, still shouting, “Be careful, don’t speed—you’ll get a ticket if you’re caught on camera!”
“Don’t worry!” Tang Yuan probably hadn’t done anything this exciting in a long time either. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, but she didn’t let up on the gas, pressing down hard and charging forward!
Cai Xiang, who had just turned her head, was startled by the rapidly approaching car. She had no time to react and instantly fell to the ground. Her hat hung precariously from her hair, held on by a hairpin. The contents of her bag spilled all over the ground, a messy jumble of things. She looked disheveled and scattered.
Tang Yuan slammed on the brakes just in time. She was still a bit shaken, her lips faintly pale and her fingers trembling slightly.
However, she quickly composed herself, taking a deep breath.
Rong Guang slowly rolled down the right-side window, rested an arm on the frame, and smiled leisurely at Cai Xiang on the ground, revealing a set of clean teeth. “Auntie Cai, hello there.”
“Rong Guang?!” Cai Xiang finally found her trembling voice, Rong Guang’s form of address not even registering in her mind.
However, perhaps because the scare just now was too much, she couldn’t get up from the ground. Her legs were weak, and she even instinctively shuffled backward for a moment, seeming to retreat out of fear of Rong Guang and the car she was in.
Seeing her like this, Rong Guang couldn’t help but pout, a little disappointed that Chen Changping hadn’t come down with her. She nodded, “It’s me.”
“You—” Cai Xiang’s lips trembled with anger. She finally managed to prop herself up, her voice unsteady with rage. “Are you crazy? You almost killed me—!”
“What did I do just now?” Rong Guang gave her an innocent smile, cutting her off directly. “Yuanyuan said she had an appointment with you all. She was afraid of being late, so she drove a little fast. Looks like it gave you a scare?”
Cai Xiang finally managed to grab the hat hanging from her hair. In her fury, she pulled it down without paying attention to her strength, yanking out a lot of hair in the process.
Rong Guang winced just watching, feeling the pain for her.
“Chen Changping had you wait for us here to give us a show of strength, right?” Rong Guang stated, then shook her head regretfully. “What a pity. We don’t plan on going upstairs today. We have other business to discuss. You can go up by yourself. After you go up, remember to think carefully about what to say. Otherwise, if he blames you, don’t say I didn’t warn you—Star Cluster hasn’t been doing too well recently, has it?”
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