"Why does everyone in the company know that you're going to take over Lan's position?" He Yong's face darkened. "Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut and not say a word about this?"
Jiangxing looked aggrieved and said, "I just let it slip while drinking. Who knew they'd spread it so quickly?"
"You're still feeling wronged, huh?" He Yong couldn't maintain his composed demeanor in front of his cousin and angrily scolded him.
"Cousin, I know I was wrong in this, but what exactly happened? Why isn't Lan leaving anymore?" Jiangxing asked. "Didn't you want me to keep an eye on Zoe? Lan is already difficult to handle."
"But she's not as dumb as you!" He Yong snapped.
Jiangxing didn't dare to speak again.
He Yong loosened his tie, exhaling sharply. "This matter is settled. Stop bothering me about it. You're giving me a headache. Get out."
Jiangxing still wanted to argue. "Cousin—"
But He Yong had already put on a look that clearly said he wasn't going to entertain the conversation any further.
Feeling helpless but intimidated by He Yong's commanding style, Jiangxing knew it wouldn't do him any good to linger. He walked away reluctantly.
After Jiangxing left, He Yong lifted his head, staring at the door his cousin had just exited through. In his mind, the scene of Zoe visiting him yesterday played out vividly.
He Yong had to admit, Zoe was the clearest-headed artist he'd ever met.
"Mr. He, I believe my recent performance has made you very satisfied. In truth, there are no fundamental conflicts between us, or between me and the company—especially since you were the one who scouted me and brought me into the company. Maybe it's presumptuous for me to say this, but I think our interests are aligned. You need me to make money for the company, to move up to the second or first tier, to become another star you personally discovered and promoted. And I need your support to climb higher, to turn my current popularity into something concrete and become a true first-tier artist."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I need Lan to stay. Please help me keep her here."
"And why should I agree?"
"Because you need me now—and you'll need me even more in the future," Zoe said. "Chengqian Entertainment is male-dominated. Female first-tier stars are leaving too quickly. Whether Ruxue renews her contract or not, you'll need a new Ruxue. You can't bet everything on one person. And right now, I'm the most suitable and promising candidate. Don't forget, I've only been signed to the company for a year. There's plenty of time ahead."
He Yong chuckled.
"Zoe, I've always liked treating my female artists like princesses, leaving the messy behind-the-scenes matters to their managers. You're the first artist to have the guts to come to me and negotiate after just one year with the company."
Zoe smiled faintly.
"So, are you willing to agree to my terms?" Zoe was certain that He Yong would agree.
Why had He Yong signed Zoe in the first place?
And why had Ruxue seen Zoe, a newcomer who had just signed, as a thorn in her side?
Some things had always left clues. The only thing that remained unpredictable was the winds of opinion online.
That night, as Zoe and Lan resumed their collaboration, the company followed through with its prearranged plan and released a wave of Zoe-related content, sending it up the trending charts.
Trending Topic: "How Beautiful is Zoe Without Makeup?"
The material came from Zoe's early days with the company, during a training session. As usual, someone had been filming, recording everything. One clip captured Zoe after a dance session, wearing black pants and a white shirt. Her tall, slender figure was graceful and curvy. She twisted open a water bottle, took a sip, and turned her head, noticing the camera. She smiled at the lens—her face free of makeup, her porcelain-like skin slightly flushed, with beads of sweat glistening faintly. It was as if a refreshing spring had burst forth, or sunlight had pierced through the clouds.
The girl in the lens was so radiant it felt as though an arrow had struck the viewer's heart.
The 12-second clip was turned into a GIF and posted by several influencers.
These weren't typical marketing accounts but rather verified ones with established collaborations with Chengqian Entertainment, all presenting the clip as an "unexpected discovery."
The posts gained traction, with retweets and comments steadily building momentum, pushing the topic higher on the trending list.
The campaign wasn't as covert as some "planted" trending topics, but insiders could detect traces of data manipulation. For the general public, however, it wasn't so obvious.
In the GIF, Zoe smiled so brightly that her beauty alone seemed to justify the hype. The campaign produced a "nationwide crush" effect.
When Zoe saw the trending topic, she was amused.
"Where did they dig up this video? I don't even remember filming it," Zoe said.
Lan explained, "The marketing team created a database of all your material. They cataloged every piece of content related to you and used specific tags set by Director Hong to find suitable clips."
Zoe was stunned. "That's terrifying. They even made a database?"
"It's standard practice for big companies. Artists often disappear into filming for months, and without exposure, brands start complaining. Companies have to keep topics alive to maintain visibility," Lan explained.
"But haven't I been trending too much lately?" Zoe expressed her concern. "Too much is just as bad as too little. People are already criticizing me."
"Most of your trending topics have been about Song. That's why we need to shift the narrative and diversify public perception of you."
"I thought you'd be happy to see rumors about me and Song."
"We are, but if the public's impression of you becomes solely tied to being Song's girlfriend, your image will become increasingly limited."
"Fair enough."
"I've already discussed this with the company. They'll try to tone down your and Song's joint exposure moving forward."
"Will the company agree to that? All my resources come from this connection," Zoe said skeptically.
Lan replied, "Even if the company disagrees, Song will insist. I've heard Yuhu has already slammed the table twice in meetings with Hong."
"Yuhu's working with us now?" Zoe was surprised. "When did that happen?"
"A few days ago. He came to discuss follow-ups to the joint statement with Hong," Lan said. "He looks at me like I'm his mortal enemy these days."