Chapter 65 – Hype

Upon receiving the news that Cheng Yishu had landed safely, Lin Xiaowen finally broke into a joyful smile, humming a little tune as she busied herself with her work. Perhaps she had listened to it so many times on repeat that the melody had etched itself into her mind; unconsciously, the songs she hummed were always Cheng Yishu’s.

At Stellar Entertainment—

After disembarking from the plane, Cheng Yishu was immediately notified of an urgent company meeting. Only when he arrived did he realize it was nothing of the sort; it was a small, impromptu meeting convened by the upper management to discuss his current projects.

Wei Guoqiang, still rotund and moving with difficulty, sat in the spot with the most authority in the conference room. Beside him were several planners from other company departments—familiar faces whose names Cheng Yishu couldn’t quite recall, all sharply dressed in clean, tailored suits.

He glanced back at his own weary, travel-worn team, exhausted from the journey. Truly, same people, different fates.

He took off his cap and tossed it onto the long conference table, slumping into a chair without so much as acknowledging Wei Guoqiang’s scrutinizing gaze. Instead, he addressed Da Lingzi and the others, saying, "You all should go and rest for a bit. Looks like we won’t be getting to work today anyway. After all, when the big boss calls a meeting, it’s never a trivial matter—it’s bound to take a while."

Led by Da Lingzi, the group hovered by the doorway, unsure whether to advance or retreat. Wei Guoqiang didn’t even spare them a glance, so they had no choice but to leave, closing the door behind them and leaving a room thick with tension.

Wei Guoqiang narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, clearly exerting great effort to steady himself before he spoke. "Yishu, your trip to Japan must have been taxing."

"It’s my duty. Work is work; there’s no need to talk of hardship," Cheng Yishu replied, curling his lips into a slight smile as he met the businessman’s gaze, curious what tactics or words Wei Guoqiang would use to persuade him to cooperate with the company’s press release.

"Well… since you put it that way, I assume you’ll cooperate with the company’s press release? After all, it’s all part of the job," said Wei Guoqiang, his fleshy cheeks gleaming with an oily sheen.

Cheng Yishu looked away in disdain, his voice cool and detached. "I’ll cooperate to promote the new drama, except for fabricating a romance."

"Cheng Yishu, are you new to this industry? Isn’t the audience glued to their screens hoping for some romantic rumors between the leads?" Wei Guoqiang’s temper flared, unable to contain his frustration in the face of Cheng Yishu’s indifferent, unconcerned demeanor.

Despite being his own company’s artist, Wei Guoqiang always felt overshadowed by Cheng Yishu’s presence, as if he, the boss, barely existed in the room.

"Of course I’m not new. But I’ve never condoned or used such tactics for drama promotion before. The audience isn’t stupid; they can see what’s real and what’s fake," Cheng Yishu replied steadily, fixing his gaze on Wei Guoqiang.

"The young actress isn’t nearly as opposed as you are. I can’t figure out why a grown man like you is making such a fuss… What, you think An’an isn’t as popular as you? Think she’s riding your coattails? Don’t forget, An’an is about to become the leading star at her company too. You shouldn’t be so short-sighted."

Wei Guoqiang’s voice grew louder and louder, making even the two department managers beside him shift uncomfortably in their seats.

Cheng Yishu remained composed, calmly replying, "You’re so optimistic about An’an? Then go create rumors with her yourself."

"You—"

Wei Guoqiang, agitated, shot to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at Cheng Yishu, looking every bit the frustrated patriarch. "You… Did you hear what nonsense he just said? Me, create rumors with her—"

The two beside him couldn’t help but stifle their laughter, quickly composing themselves as they realized it was inappropriate.

One man grabbed Wei Guoqiang’s arm, gently soothing him, while the other leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Only then did Wei Guoqiang snort and sit back down.

"Ah, sorry, there was a bit of traffic so I’m late… Yishu, was your journey smooth? I meant to pick you up at the airport, but something came up at the last minute… So, did you get mobbed by fans on your way back from the airport? I specially arranged for a few extra bodyguards for you," Chen Kai rattled off as he entered, his words firing like a machine gun. Settling into the seat beside Cheng Yishu, he then nodded to Wei Guoqiang and the other two as a perfunctory greeting.

"Let me ask you, did you authorize that press release?" Cheng Yishu asked tersely, pinning Chen Kai with a sharp look.

Chen Kai paused for nearly half a minute before forcing a smile. "You mean the one from Japan… the street photo?"

"You know exactly what I’m talking about," Cheng Yishu’s gaze was icy. "Did you know about it beforehand?"

"Well…" Chen Kai mumbled, searching for words, but the previously silent manager from the planning department spoke up. "Actually, the contract you signed clearly stated that before the new drama airs and during its broadcast, you are required to cooperate with all necessary publicity efforts—including, but not limited to, shooting promotional material, stimulating audience engagement, guiding trending topics, and so on…"

"Does ‘and so on’ include deceiving the audience and misleading the public?" Cheng Yishu’s anger morphed into a bitter laugh as he stared at each of their faces. "I don’t object to proper publicity, or the audience’s own interpretations. Frankly, they’re free to imagine whatever they want about the show—that’s none of my concern. But I refuse to use my private feelings to help the company with its operations."

"What do you mean, help the company’s operations?" Wei Guoqiang retorted, his beady eyes narrowing. "The drama is yours; shouldn’t you do everything you can to help yourself? Private feelings? Right now, new rumors are your lifeline…"

Cheng Yishu’s keen eyes narrowed abruptly, the veins on his forehead pulsing faintly.

"Er… Well…" Chen Kai hurriedly grabbed Cheng Yishu, who was about to stand up, and forced a laugh. "This was my oversight—I should have communicated better with Yishu beforehand. Sorry about that… Yishu just got back, he’s tired. Why don’t we head home? I have some other things to discuss with you, and you can get some rest and a shower first. We’ll talk about work later, all right?"

Wei Guoqiang let out a breath, no longer looking at the artist who always opposed him.

Beneath the table, Chen Kai’s hand gripped Cheng Yishu’s wrist tightly, refusing to let go, though his face remained calm and smiling.

"Let’s go then. My car just came back from maintenance—I’ll drive you myself today. That’s special enough, isn’t it?"

Cheng Yishu watched Chen Kai’s composed expression, deliberately ignoring his own anger and annoyance, yet the strong grip under the table seemed to silently urge him to hear Chen Kai out before making any decisions.

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