Chapter 352: Lingering Ties |
"OK, the first step of the plan is a success!"
Ye International, first floor.
At this moment, Yan Huan was taking out a new mobile phone he had just purchased from the counter, intending to use it as his "work phone."
As long as he had two mobile phones, and one of them did not have the App downloaded on it, he could avoid being under surveillance by Ye Shiyu at certain times.
Although he still couldn't completely break free, he at least had a chance to catch his breath...
The series of actions he had just performed in front of Ye Shiyu was intended to achieve this exact purpose.
Secondly, playing along with Ye Shiyu for now to hold steady the situation was also a good idea.
Yan Huan thought his previous series of actions were seamless and that he had achieved his goal.
Or rather, it should have been that way.
Having successfully activated the mobile phone, Yan Huan downloaded Plane, registered a new account, and took the opportunity to organize and group some of his work group chats.
But just as he finished organizing them, someone suddenly tagged him in a work group chat on Plane.
"Student Yan, there seems to be someone looking for you at the front desk. It's a girl named An Le."
"!!"
Looking at that message, Yan Huan couldn't help but blink.
Yesterday, An Le hadn't actually stayed at his place. Her father had returned to the Luoqiao District from the wellness center, so she went back to stay there for a day.
And seeing her again today, she had run straight to Ye International?
Moreover, she hadn't even sent him a message on Plane...
'Could it be that An Le really had a problem with the abstinence and is coming over to cause trouble for Ye Shiyu?!'
Yan Huan hurriedly stood up and rushed toward the front desk on the first floor.
At this moment, he had the distinct illusion of going to court in the capital, only to have his legitimate wife show up at the door to file a complaint.
A bizarre image inexplicably surfaced in Yan Huan's mind: An Le covering her face and weeping, recounting her grievances in the grand hall.
"Who stands below the hall? State your name."
"This concubine is An Le, a resident of the South Ward in Linmen. I have lived with my beloved Yan since childhood. We share profound sincerity and secretly pledged our lives to each other early on..."
"So it is childhood sweethearts... Speak, who do you wish to accuse?!"
"My beloved Yan's sworn older sister, Ye Shiyu!"
"What is your accusation?!"
"Ye Shiyu has committed heinous and unforgivable crimes! She dared to use hypnosis to rob my beloved Yan of his manhood, bringing me immense suffering... Your Honor, I beg you to bring justice to this concubine!"
"So that is how it is..."
Then, stepping forward from the shadows of the dais, the red-robed "Your Honor" revealed the terrifying, expressionless face of Ye Shiyu.
"How bold... You dare accuse this official? Guards, strictly apply hypnosis to her, and drive her out of the capital!!"
"..."
Yan Huan's face darkened involuntarily as he looked at the Ye International building towering into the clouds before him, the feeling of déjà vu growing stronger and stronger.
It didn't take long for him to run to the entrance.
Seeing An Le standing at the front desk in a white dress, Yan Huan hurriedly called out,
"An Le!"
"Xiao Huan..."
An Le turned around, hurriedly walked over, and looked at Yan Huan.
"You didn't even mention on Plane that you were coming..."
On his shoulder, the completely green and still-poisoned Myau-chan also revealed its form, clearly still suffering from the poison's effects.
It looked like it was ready to act as Yan Huan's translator at any moment.
"Sorry, my mobile phone ran out of battery, Xiao Huan..."
An Le took out her mobile phone and spoke to Yan Huan with an apologetic tone.
"I originally planned to borrow a charging cable from Teacher Miyake once I got to the Golden Lion Group. But I happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd come see you, Xiao Huan."
"Going to the Golden Lion Group?"
"Mhm... didn't I send you a manga link this morning, Xiao Huan? It was the link to the previous Golden Lion Entertainment Comics Magazine... Yesterday, Teacher Miyake told me that their studio was suddenly invited by the Golden Lion Group to sign a contract, and they wanted me to participate too..."
An Le nodded. As she spoke, noticing Yan Huan's blank expression, she puffed out her cheeks and asked with some resentment,
"Xiao Huan, could it be that you didn't even read the message I sent you?"
He didn't answer this. Instead, the green Myau-chan next to him burped, exhaling dark green mist as it said,
"No, he read it, but he thought it was your sexual innuendo, meow... So when you came here, you scared him to death. He thought you were coming to cause trouble for Ye Shiyu."
"..."
Hearing this, An Le's face flushed red, taking on an adorable look that seemed to say, 'What kind of person am I in your eyes?'
But the very next second, remembering the matter, her eyes turned hollow as she looked toward the adjacent Ye International.
On her shoulder, Little Finger flicked its tongue and spoke up faintly on her behalf,
"That's right, speaking of that person Ye Shiyu..."
"Smack!"
But the very next second, Yan Huan pinched her cheeks, forcing her to turn her head back.
"It's fine, An Le. I've already broken Ye Shiyu's hypnosis, meow!"
"Really?"
An Le's eyes lit up, and she immediately started making plans.
"Perfect. Dad left at noon today. Tonight I'll go buy some delicious food, and then..."
'This is way too impatient...'
"...But the surveillance on the mobile phone hasn't been removed yet, so we might still have to wait a while..."
The adorable smile brimming on An Le's face stiffened slightly. Soon after, her cheeks filled with resentment again, puffing out bit by bit.
"Alright..."
Having finished the topics that couldn't be revealed to Ye Shiyu, they could now speak freely without relying on the Modifier's avatars.
The two of them sat on a bench at the entrance of Ye International and chatted about the details of the comics magazine.
"Is that comics magazine very famous?"
"Yes, it's the most famous one in Linmen. It has mainstream content as well as titles in the adult entertainment industry... But usually, only large studios are invited to sign contracts. Surprisingly, they invited us this year..."
"I see..."
'Hm?'
While listening, Yan Huan caught the scent of something unusual.
'Could there be something fishy going on?'
"Could it be that the signed studios get to work at the Golden Lion Group?"
"Xiao Huan, how did you know? Teacher Miyake already started moving the equipment to the Golden Lion Group yesterday..."
"..."
Right. He could already feel the heavy hand of capital.
Yan Huan rested his chin in his hand, looking helpless.
'However, Aruiya, Sakuramiya, Bai Yi, and An Le are all over at the Golden Lion Group, leaving me here all alone to battle wits with Ye Shiyu...'
'It really is lonely.'
Over here, Yan Huan and An Le were chatting. On the adjacent seat, Little Finger looked at the completely green Myau-chan and couldn't help but tease it.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you, is this really necessary? Look how swollen you are..."
Myau-chan patted its bulging belly and meowed,
"Hmph, these are the fragments to upgrade Yan Huan's Modifier, meow!"
"Heh, I don't care about yours anyway... Except for the Index Finger, these things are useless to anyone else who takes them."
Little Finger flicked its tongue and cast a glance at Myau-chan, its words filled with mockery.
As it spoke, it couldn't help but glance at Yan Huan, revealing a confused expression.
"However... does that budget knock-off Modifier on Yan Huan really need this many fragments to upgrade?"
Hearing this, Myau-chan immediately puffed up in anger, threw a Meow-Meow Punch at Little Finger to interrupt its thoughts, and cursed in passing,
"Shut up! It's not like I would ever do anything detrimental to Yan Huan, meow!!"
"You damn cat! You're poisoned and you still dare to be arrogant?! Take this!!"
"Meow! Yan Huan, save me, meow!!"
Approaching noon. Golden Lion Group, Golden Lion Entertainment.
The afternoon was the official start time for the variety show's filming, so compared to yesterday, there were many more staff members at the venue today.
Staff members from the camera, lighting, and props teams were moving back and forth. The director team over there was constantly allocating resources, striving to present the best possible outcome for this popular IP.
In contrast, the artists had it the easiest.
"Oh, Yiyi, relax a little in the afternoon, understand? You were always like that in the past, overly tense on stage..."
Inside the lounge, Bai Yi held a piece of sheet music, softly humming the melody written on it.
In front of her, Zuo Jiangqin, who had been talking, saw that her daughter was absent-minded and immediately reached out to press down the sheet music.
"Did you hear me?"
"What are you doing?!"
Having her sheet music pressed down, Bai Yi immediately got angry.
This was her newly written song. The basic melody and lyrics were finished, and she had already sent it to the staff at Golden Lion Entertainment to have it arranged.
It could be said that it culminated all of her blood, sweat, and tears from this recent period.
"Isn't the song already written? What's the point of constantly staring at it?
"The afternoon! The afternoon is the key! You're a new guest, and it's your first time making an appearance...
"Sigh, you need to maintain a good image, especially when it comes to building relationships with your 'seniors' on the same show. Especially that Lemon, it seemed like you two had a pretty good chat yesterday?
"Building a good relationship with her will bring you endless benefits in the future, understand?"
Bai Yi rolled her eyes, then got up and left.
"Endless benefits, yeah right. With so many people getting cyberbullied on last season's variety show, I'd be lucky just to make it out safely..."
"Hey, how can you say that? As long as you pay attention..."
"...I'm going to the restroom." Too lazy to bother with Zuo Jiangqin's nagging behind her, Bai Yi walked out into the quiet lounge corridor.
Saying she was going to the restroom was just an excuse; she actually wanted to take a walk, get some fresh air, and avoid listening to Zuo Jiangqin nag in the room.
"Let's go, Vice-President Sakuramiya. Take these stairs to go down and catch the elevator. This whole floor belongs to Golden Lion Entertainment, and it's hard to catch a ride when there are so many people at noon..."
"Ah, okay."
Just as mentioned before, several floors above Golden Lion Entertainment were connected by an open-concept atrium, so naturally, there were many connected stairs going up and down.
Hearing that familiar voice, Bai Yi subconsciously looked over, almost unable to believe her eyes.
'Is that...'
'Sakuramiya Hitomi?'
Today's Sakuramiya was still wearing a plain work uniform, but her aura had completely changed.
'Is it because of her hair?'
Her long hair was tied into a short ponytail with a hydrangea hairband, draped over her shoulder and resting right at her chest.
Her originally sickly-looking face finally had a bit of color, and even her usual formulaic smile had transformed into a naturally flowing gentleness.
It contained both youthful immaturity and a sense of happiness bursting from the inside out...
'It's just...'
'Why does it seem like she's walking so slowly, limping a bit?'
At this moment, holding onto the handrail, she was slowly making her way downstairs to eat lunch alongside Yabashi Ki and Ashley.
"Ah, speaking of which, the President and Yurianna haven't come to see us either. I wonder how things are going on their end..."
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's face flushed slightly red, as if she had recalled something.
She raised her small hand and placed it in front of her lips, pausing for a second before whispering,
"Actually... the President did come to see me yesterday..."
"Ah, that's so nice..."
"Forgetting your brothers once you have a girlfriend... President, you bastard..."
'Huh?'
'What's with that look of an officially recognized girlfriend that everyone seems to implicitly accept?'
'Is this what it feels like to officially announce a relationship in the broad daylight?'
'It's exactly the same as the relationship she had previously fantasized about and tried to achieve with Yan Huan...'
'Except, the person in the lead role isn't me.'
"..."
Behind them, the corners of Bai Yi's mouth stiffened slightly as she watched Sakuramiya Hitomi slowly walk downstairs.
Originally, she had wanted to come out to clear her head, but for some reason, her heart felt even more congested.
"..."
Bai Yi once again transformed into a Pink Pufferfish, puffing up in anger as she turned her head away, pretending she hadn't seen or heard anything they said.
'I'm completely done with Yan Huan anyway. How he's doing now has absolutely nothing to do with me!'
'That's right!'
Fuming, she turned and went to another secluded, deserted edge of the building, leaning against the railing and looking down at the scenery of Linmen outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Golden Lion Mansion.
Meanwhile, the melody of the new song she had just written continued to echo in her mind.
"Here, later at this restaurant, I booked a window seat. It should be easy for you to snap pictures..."
'Hm?'
'This voice...'
'Teacher Lemon?'
Hearing the sound of conversation coming from behind a nearby pillar, Bai Yi turned her head and blinked.
Over there, the conversation sound continued.
"Don't worry, Brother Chen already talked to me. I know he's cooperated with you many times, Teacher, and that you might be uneasy suddenly switching to me this time...
"But since Brother Chen let me come, you can trust me, Teacher... I've been a paparazzi at the agency for years. Providing a one-stop service for candid shots, headlines, and reports is no problem for me."
'What does this mean?'
'Is this...'
'Is Teacher Lemon privately collaborating with Linmen's media to create trending topics?'
"You'd better be..."
"Of course, I know how to guide public opinion, and I'll keep you completely out of it, Teacher. The story about 'a poor student from the South Ward orphanage relentlessly pestering his childhood sweetheart who grew up to be famous' is definitely something everyone will pay close attention to..."
'Are they...'
'Talking about Yan Huan?!'
Hearing this, Bai Yi's eyes shrank involuntarily, instantly recalling the sight of Lemon and Yan Huan together yesterday.
'So this was Lemon's scheme all along?!'
As she listened, Bai Yi's expression shifted slightly, and she subconsciously recalled the time Yan Huan had deceived her feelings.
As well as the day he unhesitatingly chose Sakuramiya Hitomi over her.
Just thinking about this made her angry all over again.
"Hmph, scumbag man, serves you right! Who told you to lose the ability to walk whenever you see a pretty girl? Let's see how you handle this!"
Saying that, she fumed and pretended she hadn't heard anything, crossing her arms and intending to leave.
"Don't use definitive statements. Suspicion is enough."
"It doesn't matter, Teacher Lemon. How many people on the internet actually care about the truth? As long as the emotional groundwork is laid well, everything is OK."
Meanwhile, their faint words continued to fall into Bai Yi's ears.
"When the time comes, all the media outlets under our umbrella will publish it together. With an audience of your size, Teacher, it'll quickly ignite a trending discussion...
"As for the money, Brother Chen should have already discussed it with you."
Hearing this, Lemon nodded and said softly,
"Yes. Since that's the case, head over there early. I'll be leaving soon too."
"Alright."
Saying that, the paparazzi before her turned and left from the other side of the pillar.
Lemon, meanwhile, stroked her chin and revealed a sweet smile.
By handing this matter over to a third party accustomed to such tasks, even if the trending topic ended up affecting Yan Huan, she could pretend ignorance and apologize to him.
Then she could put on a show by speaking out on the internet, urging her fan base not to attack Yan Huan...
Oh my, the popularity would probably reach a whole new level, wouldn't it?
"..."
Thinking this, she was just about to hum a song and turn away.
When suddenly, a stunningly beautiful young girl appeared before her, glaring at her angrily.
The stunningly beautiful girl was panting slightly, as if she had just run back.
"Bai Yi?"
Lemon was slightly taken aback but recognized the newcomer.
Bai Yi furrowed her brows, looking at Lemon in front of her, and spoke softly,
"Yan Huan... isn't he your childhood sweetheart? Do you have some kind of grudge against him?"
"..."
Hearing this, Lemon instantly realized that the girl in front of her had overheard their conversation.
She didn't answer the question, instead glancing at Bai Yi's attire.
Bai Yi was wearing the Western-style dress meant for the afternoon's variety show shoot. There wasn't a single pocket on her, and she certainly didn't have a mobile phone in her hands.
Because Bai Yi had run out to hide from Zuo Jiangqin, she naturally wouldn't have brought her phone to get bombarded with messages by her.
In other words...
She had no ability to take an audio or video recording.
"...No."
Realizing this, a faint smile appeared on Lemon's face as she responded.
"Then why are you doing this? Do you know that with your level of fame, once you do this, he'll most likely be cyberbullied?! Isn't he your former childhood sweetheart?"
"What about you? Didn't you say yesterday that you didn't know him, Bai Yi?"
"I..."
Bai Yi was slightly startled, while Lemon smiled faintly, stepping forward to look at her.
"Oh, even if you do know him, you definitely have some romantic grievances with him, right? Yesterday I saw him getting intimate with another girl who had pink-and-black gradient hair..."
"..."
Hearing this, Bai Yi's fists involuntarily clenched tighter bit by bit.
"Alright, let's not dwell on that, Bai Yi... You don't have any evidence anyway. Once you walk out this door, even if you say this, no one will believe you."
Saying that, Lemon gave a sweet smile and reached out her hand toward her.
"But if you pretend you didn't see anything, we might be able to become good friends afterward. You know, becoming my friend comes with a lot of benefits, right?"
"..."
"Between an... ex, and your future, you should know how to choose, right?"
"..."
However, looking at the hand Lemon extended toward her, Bai Yi took a deep breath.
Immediately after, she slapped Lemon across the face.
"Slap!"
This slap completely stunned Lemon.
"You..."
"Even if Yan Huan is a scumbag man, and I have absolutely nothing to do with him right now... that matter is entirely separate from this!"
Before her eyes, Bai Yi gripped her pocket watch tightly, still puffing out like an angry Pink Pufferfish. Staring straight at her, she declared bluntly,
"You can go ahead and try! Let's see if you can succeed this noon!!"