"The food is quite amazing, isn't it?"
"It's tasty," Bai Liyue nodded with a smile. Eating tasty food improved her bad mood. She quickly forgave Yuan Li for being late and thanked her for inviting her to this restaurant. "So..... why did you suddenly invite me out to dinner?" she asked.
Yuan Li shrugged with a smile, "I just wanted you to get some fresh air. I know you have been couped up in your house for two months."
"Well, it's not like I can roam around the city with my bad reputation...." Bai Liyue chuckled. "Moreover, since I am suffering from memory loss, I don't know any places that well...."
"Yeah, I almost forgot about your memory loss," Yuan Li sighed. "It must be a weird feeling, right? Meeting people who know you and recognize you but you don't know them well...."
"Not really after all, like you said that I have been cooped up in my room," Bai Liyue answered. "I did not get the opportunity to meet anyone. So, you said that you wanted to talk about something. What was the important thing that you wanted to talk about?"
"Oh yes! I almost forget, " Yuan Li let out a small chuckle and smacked her forehead lightly. "Umm... after everything that happened, I mean now that you are fine, the company wants you to work again. They have already informed me to look for several shows where you can appear for your comeback. And also, they are planning to do something special for your next album. Isn't that exciting?"
Bai Liyue listened to her words calmly. Compared to Yuan Li, there was no excitement on her face. She was sure that if the real Chen Ziyue had heard this news, she would have been excited but not her. She wanted to quit the singing industry and work towards her dreams.
Yuan Li noticed Chen Ziyue's calm face and couldn't help but frown. "Ziyue what's wrong? Aren't you excited?"
"Cancel my contract with the company."
"Huh? What!!!!" Yuan Li yelled loudly, earning her a lot of gaze from other people. Realizing the situation, her cheeks turned red and she blushed from embarrassment. Shrinking in her seat, she coughed lightly and bit her lips. "Ziyue, you are kidding, right?"
Bai Liyue shook her head. "No."
Yuan Li was shocked. "What!!!! Are you serious? You want to quit? Why??? I mean, it was your dream to become the top singer in the country and that company is one of the best companies that can help you to achieve that dream. Why do you suddenly want to cancel the contract?"
Suddenly, her eyes condensed and a realization struck her. She let out a small sigh. "Is it because of this incident? Or is it because of the online hate you've been getting? Ziyue, this is normal for an artist. One day they are loved, and the next day they can be hated by the same people. But this doesn't mean that you have to quit your dreams. Moreover, didn't you say in your post that you would make a comeback?"
"I am," Bai Liyue said lightly.
"Huh?" Confusion filled Yuan Li's face. She couldn't understand what Chen Ziyue meant. How can someone cancel the contract and make a comeback at the same time? Taking a deep breath, she looked at Chen Ziyue for an explanation. "Ziyue, I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Bai Liyue didn't answer. Instead, she asked another question. "Didn't the company plan to abandon me?"
Yuan Li nodded. "Yes.... but that was before the post."
Bai Liyue's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who's post? Mine or my father's?"
"Both," Yuan Li answered hesitantly. "Look Ziyue, you are my friend as well as my artist. I won't lie to you. Initially, the company was indeed planning on hiding you, after all, your reputation among the people was extremely terrible. On top of that, since your family never reacted to the incident, they were rumors that the Chen family abandoned you and they have cut ties with you, and so on."
"The company thought that you have lost your big background and hence, they were planning to hide you. But, now everything is different. After your post, the company is confident that you are the victim in the situation. Along with your father's post, they are pretty sure that you would turn things around for good."
"And if I don't?"
"T-then.... then they... might...."
"Abandon me, hide me again like they wanted to do earlier, right?" Bai Liyue inquired, with a look of mockery in her eyes.
Yuan Li nodded. She placed her hand on Bai Liyue's palm to comfort her. "Ziyue, that's the harsh reality of the entertainment world. If you are doing well, then the company would put you up. But if you don't, then they abandon you."
"I know."
Yuan Li bit her lips nervously. "So are you still going to -"
"Yes," Bai Liyue answered calmly. "Cancel the contract."
Yuan Li's face paled. Chen Ziyue was her cash cow and if she quits the industry, then what will happen to her? What about her money? What about her life of luxury? No, she didn't want Chen Ziyue to quit. But, looking at Chen Ziyue's stubborn stature, she knew that it would be impossible to change her mind.
What to do?
How to stop Chen Ziyue from canceling the contract?
Suddenly, something clicked in her mind and her eyes lit up. That's right! Money..... how could she forget this? To cancel the contract with the company, they needed money and Chen Ziyue didn't have the amount of money with her. A look of victory flashed through Yuan Li's eyes and she said, "Chen Ziyue, I respect your decision but you don't have money. How are you going to pay the company for canceling the contract before it ends?"
"My father will pay," Bai Liyue said simply.
Yuan Li smiled. "Why would he pay for you? I mean, since you left your home, you haven't contacted him."
Bai Liyue looked at Yuan Li for a second. She could understand Yuan Li's unwillingness to let her cancel the contract, after all, she was a greedy woman who loved money. Her move was equal to making her lose a lot of money. But that was Yuan Li's problem and not hers.
With a sigh, she said, "Yuan Li, you don't have to worry about that. My father will be more than willing to pay the money. Have you forgotten? He never wanted me to be in the industry in the first place."
Yuan Li's eyes sank.
Dammit!!! How could she forget? Chen Ziyue's father would definitely be jumping with joy if he knew that his wayward daughter wanted to quit the singing industry.