As soon as Huang Yi heard this, his heart began to throb with excitement. He figured that if the boss forced Song Yuanxi out of the industry, there would be no one left to compete with him. At the same time, he felt a lingering fear—luckily he hadn’t crossed the boss, or his own end would have been just as miserable.
Manager Wang, however, looked at Weibo with some lingering concern. “Boss, look, Liang Han posted to speak up for Song Yuanxi. What’s the situation there? Do you think he’ll actually help him when the time comes?”
Huang Yi listened intently as well. He still wanted to join the cast and didn’t want to offend Liang Han.
The boss shook his head. “No. Liang Han isn’t the type to meddle in others’ business. He has his own way of doing things in this circle and is actually quite ‘chill,’ except for his high standards for work. This post is clearly about protecting his own reputation. How could it be about helping Song Yuanxi?”
At this point, the boss swept a glance at Huang Yi. “It’s your own lack of talent. You didn’t perform well enough, otherwise why would Liang Han say that? If you were better than Song Yuanxi, he wouldn’t have said a word!”
Huang Yi’s face turned sour, but he didn’t dare speak.
The boss didn’t have the patience to keep lecturing him. He instructed Manager Wang: “Alright, go back and send Song Yuanxi away first. Let him hang for a few days. I’ll decide on the specific arrangements later.”
Manager Wang led Huang Yi out. Once outside, he saw right through Huang Yi’s thoughts and advised: “Since Liang Han has spoken like that, you definitely won’t get into this cast. Stop thinking about it. Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to other scripts.”
Huang Yi nodded, keeping his face down and remaining silent.
…
Song Yuanxi didn’t know what Manager Wang and the Huanhai boss were talking about for so long. Even without hearing it, he knew it wouldn’t be anything good. The last time he rejected the “pimping” offer, the boss had cursed him out horribly. Now that he wanted to terminate his contract, it would only get worse.
He glanced at Manager Wang’s assistant and stood up to walk toward the door. Fearing he would run out and cause a scene, the assistant hurriedly stood up to block him. “Yuanxi, sit for a bit longer. Don’t worry, the boss is very busy, it might take a while.”
Song Yuanxi gave him a look but said nothing, turning back to sit on the sofa. He knew he was being watched. A pity, he thought, it would be great if I could record what the manager and boss are saying.
He pulled out his phone to contact the lawyer: 【They haven’t come to talk to me yet. I feel like it’s going to be troublesome.】
The lawyer was much steadier than him: 【That’s to be expected. Since you want to leave, they’ll definitely drag their feet. You must endure it. Don’t be rash, especially don’t get into physical altercations. Don’t do anything that could jeopardize the termination! Although we want to finish this quickly, we aren’t in a rush for this specific hour. ‘A sharpened blade makes for fast wood-cutting.’】
【Our goal is to collect as much evidence of their breach of contract as possible. When they show up, don’t proactively propose terms. Let them propose them. No matter the condition, don’t agree. Just delay. Say you need to think and discuss it, then come back so we can study the terms item by item.】
Hearing the lawyer’s words, Song Yuanxi felt more at ease and found a sense of direction. Since he had nothing else to do besides the termination, he would just wait at the company. He had the patience to wait for three or four days at the bottom of Liang Han’s building; he could wait even longer for his freedom.
The lawyer reminded him again that the recording pen must stay on and the recording must be continuous. Song Yuanxi hummed in agreement. He turned his back to check the device, confirmed it was working, and then replied to Xu Rao: 【Resolved!】
Xu Rao, who had nothing to do, had already spent ages browsing Weibo. He was someone who never missed a piece of gossip, but since he didn’t know Song Yuanxi’s situation at the company, he hadn’t reached out. 【Saw your post. Saw Liang Han’s too. It was handled well! But… I didn’t expect Liang Han to speak up for you so directly. It’s a bit surprising.】
Song Yuanxi sent a smiling emoji: 【Right? I didn’t expect him to do that either. It was so cool. He really is a good person.】
He then couldn’t help but share what happened earlier: 【Did you know? I messaged him to explain it wasn’t my doing, and he said he knew and didn’t suspect me! He was even prepared to handle the situation for me!】
Xu Rao went silent for a moment. 【Oh… then why didn’t he handle it in the end?】
Song Yuanxi didn’t think much of it: 【I refused. This controversy was caused by me after all, so I had to solve it. Otherwise, what if he got angry and didn’t lend me money? I just didn’t expect him to post that Weibo to help me afterward.】
Song Yuanxi couldn’t help but sigh: 【No wonder you told me before that he was more suitable as a boss than Shen Yu. He really is kind, steady, and powerful. Very suited to being a boss. His mind is very broad and generous.】
Xu Rao: 【…Is that so? I don’t even remember how I praised him before.】
Song Yuanxi: 【No way? Forgot that quickly? You told me before that Liang Han is exceptionally upright and reliable! Now it seems that’s definitely true.】
Xu Rao replied calmly: 【Oh, I remember now. I did say that.】 Then he added: 【But I didn’t expect him to go this far. Don’t you think he’s looking after you a bit too much?】
He couldn’t help it; the suspicion in his heart was resurfacing. He truly had no “filter” for men in this industry, especially since he ran into Shen Yu on set today, who still looked as “pure as the moon and wind” as ever. Shen Yu greeted him politely and even behaved with great grace. Truly, you can know a person’s face but not their heart!
Song Yuanxi didn’t feel it: 【Really?】
Xu Rao stated firmly: 【Yes! You aren’t an artist under him. Even if he wants you in the cast, it’s not like it has to be you. Lending you money to terminate a contract is already surprising enough; there’s no need to exert so much effort on such minor details. Plus, he has so many people working for him; letting his staff handle it would be enough. Why post on Weibo himself? A retweet would have sufficed. He’s being way too attentive. It’s not that I think you aren’t good, I just think his behavior is a bit excessive.】
Song Yuanxi raised an eyebrow. If it were before, he might have suspected something too, but now he felt Xu Rao was overthinking. 【I don’t think he’s being too attentive to me; he just has an incredibly strong sense of responsibility. Didn’t you say before that his requirements for crew members are famously high? He must hold himself to an even higher standard. This scandal affected him more severely, after all. It’s normal for him to clarify. Besides, Huang Yi’s fans were talking about him it’s normal for him to want to push back.】
Xu Rao snorted, clearly unconvinced. 【Maybe.】
Song Yuanxi laughed, knowing what Xu Rao meant. 【He just can’t stand a grain of sand in his eye. It doesn’t mean it’s purely because of me. Don’t think of me as too important. Even though there are many gay people in the industry, it doesn’t mean Liang Han is one, and it certainly doesn’t mean he’d take a fancy to me.】
Xu Rao went silent. Maybe he was overthinking, but he felt it wasn’t impossible: 【That’s not necessarily true.】
Song Yuanxi felt he was just being stubborn: 【He’s straight. Are you saying he just met me and I ‘bent’ him? I don’t have that much charm, do I? There are so many handsome guys in the circle, am I that special?】
Xu Rao: 【…I think you’re quite special. It would be normal for someone to like you.】
Song Yuanxi: 【…】
Song Yuanxi wasn’t that confident; overconfidence was just conceit. Luckily, Xu Rao didn’t continue the debate and shifted his concern: 【Fine, let’s not discuss him. What does your company say about the termination?】
Song Yuanxi breathed a sigh of relief: 【I’m waiting for them to give me an answer. Since I talked to the manager, they haven’t come back. I don’t know what they’re planning.】
Xu Rao guessed: 【They’re definitely going to open their mouths wide for a massive payout! Or they want to drag you out so you don’t have the chance to join the cast and build popularity. The more time is delayed, the greater the impact on your future development.】
Song Yuanxi thought so too. Just as he was about to reply, there was noise at the door. Someone was coming. He apologized to Xu Rao, put his phone in his pocket, and got ready. “Manager Wang, what did the boss say?”
Manager Wang walked back in. This time Huang Yi didn’t follow. Manager Wang said with a smile: “Yuanxi, I just looked around but couldn’t find the boss. I called him and found out he’s busy with things these next two days and has to go on a business trip. The boss already knows about your request to terminate.”
He stepped forward to grab Song Yuanxi’s hand, but Song Yuanxi dodged again. “The boss feels it’s such a pity to terminate! He told me to ask you what requirements you have. We still hope to continue cooperating. Don’t worry, if you have requests, just raise them. I’ll help you!”
His tone was exactly the same as when he first persuaded Song Yuanxi to sign. Unfortunately, facts proved that these people’s words couldn’t be trusted. They spoke nicely, but who knew what traps they were setting? It was clearly a stalling tactic.
Song Yuanxi shook his head. “I don’t have any other requirements. I just want to terminate my contract.”
Manager Wang looked at him and saw not a single ounce of softening in his eyes, so he nodded without getting angry. He had long known Song Yuanxi’s temper wasn’t easy to persuade. He simply said, “Since your attitude is so serious, I understand. I will discuss it properly with the boss to determine the termination terms. But as I said, the boss is quite busy these two days. Why don’t you head home first, and once we’ve discussed things here, I’ll contact you?”
Song Yuanxi didn’t leave immediately. He asked, “When is ‘then’? I need a specific time.” Otherwise, they might delay him until next year. Liang Han’s production couldn’t wait that long. They were likely planning this to prevent him from joining the cast.
Manager Wang’s expression remained smiling. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “I’ll definitely give you a result before the end of this week.”
Although it felt a bit long, Song Yuanxi estimated the time couldn’t be compressed any further, and this wasn’t something that could be changed by making a scene. It was only a few days. Song Yuanxi agreed. “Fine, I’ll wait until the weekend.”
…
Leaving the company building, he prepared to head home. Halfway there, he unexpectedly received a call from Shao Dong. “Teacher Shao Dong, is something the matter?”
Song Yuanxi thought there was a problem with the production. Instead, Shao Dong said, “It’s nothing. I’ve arranged a few people to help you handle the contract termination.”
“…”
What? Help him handle the termination?
Song Yuanxi didn’t react for a moment. Why would Shao Dong think to help him with this? Did Teacher Shao Dong see the trending search and have a sudden surge of kindness too?
Song Yuanxi said, “There’s no need, Teacher Shao Dong. Teacher Liang Han already helped me find a lawyer. I don’t want to trouble you too much.”
“…” Shao Dong sighed. If it weren’t for Liang Han’s request, he wouldn’t have bothered. “Liang Han was the one who asked me to find these people for you.”
“…Oh.” Song Yuanxi was stunned again. He remembered that Shao Dong used to be Liang Han’s manager, so it was normal for him to follow Liang Han’s orders. But he didn’t quite understand: “Is a lawyer not enough? Why do we need other people?”
And… he remembered what Xu Rao had just said. Teacher Liang Han really did seem to look after him a bit too much.
“Mm. Terminating a contract isn’t just about legal clauses and lawsuits. When fighting a big management company like Huanhai, one lawyer isn’t enough. If it’s just the two of you talking, who knows how long it’ll drag on! And it’s easy to make mistakes.”
Although Shao Dong was a bit confused about Liang Han’s motives and behavior, he didn’t intend to reveal that to Song Yuanxi. He found a very good reason: “Our production will start filming in three months at the latest. Therefore, your termination must be completely resolved within three months. Not a single moment can be wasted.”
The worry that had just risen in Song Yuanxi’s heart vanished instantly. The timeline was indeed tight; it was reasonable for them to do this. He had been overthinking. He also felt that if he wanted to leave the company quickly, relying on himself wasn’t enough he needed more help.
Song Yuanxi immediately dismissed his other thoughts and straightened his attitude. “Oh, okay. I understand. I’ll follow your arrangements.”
“Mm. Don’t worry and don’t be nervous.” Shao Dong pushed several business cards to him, asking him to add them on WeChat. “Among these people, besides the lawyer, there are people in charge of PR and public opinion, financial planning and analysis, and someone to handle your daily affairs. They will reorganize your situation into termination materials. Remember to communicate with them more. They should be told about all contact with the company.”
“There’s no need for someone to handle daily affairs, right?” Everything else made sense—he wasn’t a professional, so financial and tax issues were better handled by pros, and PR definitely needed management. But… Song Yuanxi was confused. “I can take care of myself.”
“You can, but you definitely don’t know the regulations. In case you accidentally do something minor that violates the contract terms, it would be a loss that outweighs the gain. Having them there is insurance. ‘Better safe than sorry!'”
Shao Dong’s words left Song Yuanxi with nothing to argue. True, just in case. “Okay, I’ll pay attention!”
Shao Dong hummed. “Let’s leave it at that for now. Remember to communicate if there are problems.”
After hanging up, Song Yuanxi added each friend and discussed the situation. After finishing, he remembered to reply to Xu Rao, telling him roughly what Manager Wang said. He hesitated but decided not to mention that Shao Dong had found more people for him, to prevent Xu Rao from becoming suspicious again.
Xu Rao sighed: 【…Terminating a contract is such a hassle.】 Song Yuanxi agreed: 【Yeah.】 That explained why Liang Han wanted to find more people to help.
Xu Rao suddenly remembered to remind him: 【By the way, you have all your social media accounts in your own hands, right? Don’t let the company take them.】
Song Yuanxi wasn’t worried about that: 【Yeah, I organized them in advance. I have all the accounts.】 After offending the boss, although he hadn’t planned to terminate yet, he had become cautious. He had changed all the passwords and the linked phone numbers back then. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to use Weibo to clarify today.
Xu Rao was relieved: 【That’s good. Your account has a lot of fans. If the company takes it, it’ll be a hassle to get back, and they might use it as leverage to ask for more money.】
Song Yuanxi agreed. However: 【The studio account isn’t in my hands.】 That wasn’t an account he created; it had always been with the manager.
Xu Rao: 【Don’t count on that one. Just build a new one later. Since it’s not your personal account, the impact isn’t big. Just make sure the studio doesn’t talk nonsense online.】
Song Yuanxi was reminded. He hadn’t checked the studio’s status yet to see if they were talking nonsense.
Also, the mention of fans made him realize that since he posted the clarification, he hadn’t gone to check his own Super Topic. Song Yuanxi hurriedly logged into Weibo to take a look.
Fortunately, the studio account hadn’t posted anything. The fans in the Super Topic had been quiet for half a year and many had left, but some were still there. They were now surfacing to speak up for Song Yuanxi and express their heartbreak.
[No wonder Huang Yi has so many activities lately while our Yuanxi has none! He was blacklisted by the company!] [Yeah, I was wondering. I messaged the studio about his schedule and never got a reply. Blacklisted! Yuanxi is too pitiful!] [He used to post on Weibo and share work plans often, but nothing for the last six months! What a trash company Huanhai is! Give my son back his work!] [On what grounds did they blacklist our Yuanxi? Just to make way for Huang Yi?]
There were many “Mommy fans”; Song Yuanxi was used to it and didn’t mind their nicknames. After thinking about it, he posted a comforting Weibo in the Super Topic to express his gratitude: 【Thank you, babies. Don’t worry too much about me, I will work hard to resolve the issues. Wait for me, I won’t let your love down!】
After posting, he was about to exit the Super Topic when he saw a newly refreshed post in the public square.
【[Liang-Song CP Super Topic] has been opened! Come quickly! Liang-Song CP fans have a home now!】
“???”
Song Yuanxi was surprised. He knew he had a few drama-related CP Super Topics created by fans when he had some popularity before; he never bothered with them. Previously, his manager didn’t let him interfere either, saying it could increase his popularity. But he didn’t remember ever having a CP Super Topic called “Liang-Song.”
And these CP fans were bold, promoting it right in his personal Super Topic. Just as he thought that, the post was blocked by the administrator.
But Song Yuanxi wasn’t at ease. Feeling a bit worried, he searched for it and clicked into the Super Topic. He was shocked. It was actually a CP Super Topic for him and Liang Han. No wonder it was called “Liang-Song” it was a combination of his and Liang Han’s surnames.
The pinned post in the Super Topic was the two clarifications he and Liang Han had posted. It looked like the Super Topic was only created today. Wait… in such a short time, they even built a Super Topic?
There weren’t many fans yet, only a few hundred. Below were all the newly surfaced CP fans.
[No way, for real? I just saw in the gossip group that a Super Topic was opened and thought anti-fans were joking. I didn’t expect so many people here once I came over!] [Earlier it really was anti-fans making a scene after the trending search exploded, but they didn’t expect this CP to actually be so ‘shippable’! We’re really shipping it now!] [Mainly, the clarifications from both of them are so ‘shippable.’ I was just watching the drama, but once the clarification Weibo was posted, I got serious! I think there’s a spark!]
Song Yuanxi wanted to scream. He posted the clarification to clarify, to prove there was no ambiguous relationship, not to let them ship the CP! Ahhh!
[Incredible, Song Yuanxi actually has CP fans with Liang Han!] [It’s normal for Liang-Song CP to appear! We have a massive trending search!] [Who told Liang Han to never acknowledge a single CP in all these years? This is the only one where he not only didn’t come out to debunk it, but personally helped speak up. If this one isn’t real, which one is?!]
“…”
That’s not right, didn’t he clarify? How can you say he didn’t? Song Yuanxi didn’t understand the logic of these people.
[Oh, this Super Topic is so lively! I’m shipping it while it’s fresh and hot!] [Never expected the day would come when I’d ship a Liang Han CP! Liang-Song is real!] [Haha, and it’s a BL CP!] [So satisfying, I watched this ‘house’ being built with my own eyes! I want to be a veteran member!] [Only 400 people, too few. When will it become 40,000 or 400,000?] [No rush, I’ve already invested. We will definitely make them a ‘top-tier’ CP!] [I’ve decided to go to all the major forums to post links and recruit people.] [Stay low-key, stay low-key. Liang Han’s fans are very fierce; we can’t make too much noise here. Let’s not promote the Super Topic on Weibo for now. Everyone goes to other platforms to promote and pull people in. Today’s trending search is very hot; the heat should last quite a while. We should be able to build the Super Topic to tens of thousands. Let’s take it slow, no rush, the day will come when it takes flight!]
Song Yuanxi: “…”
So you guys know Liang Han’s fans are fierce and that you need to be low-key, yet you still dare to ship me and Liang Han together! Such big guts.
Internet freedom is one thing, but please consider his life. He had finally clarified things, and now it felt ambiguous again. The key was that these CP fans were looking forward to “taking flight.” When the time came, wouldn’t Liang Han’s fans think he was the one pushing things behind the scenes?
Song Yuanxi really wanted to log on with his main account to persuade them to stop, but he worried it would backfire. If he accidentally promoted it by exposing it, that would be even worse. He’d be misunderstood as the instigator.
But he couldn’t just let it go. If it were before, when the studio was in his hands, he could have had an assistant contact the Super Topic administrator to communicate and ask them not to cause trouble. But now he had no one, only the people Shao Dong arranged for the termination. He couldn’t let them handle this sort of thing. They weren’t here for that.
Song Yuanxi thought about it, logged out of his main Weibo, switched to a side account, and entered the Super Topic. He decided to go “undercover” in the Super Topic first to monitor the situation. If anything happened, he could find out in time and explain the situation to Liang Han. He absolutely couldn’t let anyone misunderstand.
Because of this, Song Yuanxi’s days became quite tiring. On one hand, he had to keep an eye on the company and communicate with the termination team; on the other hand, he had to quietly observe the movements of the CP Super Topic.
He thought the company would drag it out until Sunday to contact him. The termination team was already preparing to submit the termination application but unexpectedly, they called him on Saturday.
Manager Wang’s tone was very gentle this time: “Yuanxi, do you have time this afternoon? The boss has finally made time to meet you and talk about the contract termination!”