Only if Mr. Xuan had given the order forbidding Shen Que from appearing again would they have the nerve to actively breach the contract.
Hearing the name “Mr. Xuan,” Shen Que curled up slightly, recalling the awkwardness during dinner the previous night.
He also remembered the scent of Nuo Feng’s pheromones lingering on him.
A sudden, bitter smile crossed his lips. Indeed, between Nuo Feng and himself, Mr. Xuan would always side with Nuo Feng.
“Nuo Feng has been with Mr. Xuan for two years. Perhaps it was Nuo Feng’s request,” Shen Que said slowly.
These words were not only meant for Dong Xiangyu but also for himself.
He didn’t even have the right to be angry with Mr. Xuan.
Dong Xiangyu didn’t respond, vaguely sensing that this matter had nothing to do with Nuo Feng.
When they arrived at the door of the reserved private tea room, a group of men in black suits stopped them.
“Who are you?”
Dong Xiangyu frowned. “We’re here to see Director Wang.”
“Young Master Chen is inside. Please wait.”
“You’re from the Chen family. Are you trying to control who enters and exits the television station’s offices?”
Seeing that Dong Xiangyu seemed to recognize them, Shen Que didn’t dare to interject.
“Mr. Dong, please don’t make things difficult for us.”
Before the words had fully left their mouths, the door to the director’s office was pushed open from the inside, and a tall, slender omega stood before them.
Chen Dan? Shen Que was taken aback.
Chen Dan glared coldly at the expressionless men in black.
“Get lost.”
“Mr. Chen has tasked us with ensuring your safety.”
“Get lost—”
Chen Dan let Shen Que and the other man into the room and said indifferently to the group, “If you’re Mr. Chen’s dogs, bark at him. Don’t bother me.”
Chen Dan slammed the door shut and returned to his seat.
Shen Que was utterly confused. Could Chen Dan be the young master of some wealthy family?
The “Mr. Chen” he mentioned was likely Chen Yan’an, the head of the Chen family—one of the three major families in Jinbin, on par with the Sheng family.
He had met members of the Chen family at the Sheng residence before but had never heard of Chen Dan.
“Please, have a seat.”
Shen Que and Dong Xiangyu found empty seats and sat down. Chen Dan then spoke up, “If Shen Que wants to stay, let him take my place.”
Shen Que was stunned. Why was he suddenly being brought into this?
The director coughed lightly. “Chen Dan, don’t make things difficult for me. If you withdraw, I won’t be able to explain it to Mr. Chen.”
“My decisions won’t cause Chen Yan’an to trouble you.”
True to his name, Chen Dan spoke with a calm tone, his eyes as placid as still water, showing not a hint of ambition.
“Think it over carefully. Your performance this season has been quite good. Compared to…” The director glanced at Shen Que. “Compared to others, it’s been relatively smooth. Plus, you’ve benefited from the Duan Ruirui CP hype. Leaving suddenly now would be cutting off your own path forward!”
Chen Dan shook his head. “This kind of variety show is boring, and I don’t need to be famous.”
The director was in a difficult position. Chen Yan’an was the second-largest investor in “Beautiful Life,” after Mr. Xuan. If Chen Dan couldn’t be kept on and Chen Yan’an withdrew his investment, the production budget would be slashed dramatically!
Listening from the side, Shen Que began to understand the situation. Chen Yan’an wanted to promote Chen Dan, but Chen Dan simply refused to comply.
The director listed many benefits, but Chen Dan remained unmoved, insisting on withdrawing.
Unable to persuade him, the director finally said, “The breach of contract fee is astronomical…”
“Hmph,” Chen Dan chuckled. “The contract was signed under Chen Yan’an’s name.”
The director was left speechless.
Chen Dan stood up, hands in his pockets, and turned to Shen Que. “You’re on the same show as your love rival, yet you hold nothing back? You deserve all the criticism you’re getting.”
Shen Que was inexplicably looked down upon, and what shocked him even more was that Chen Dan actually knew about his affair with Mr. Xuan.
Chen Dan pulled out a small USB drive and casually tossed it toward him. “Don’t be foolish in the future.”
Shen Que stood up and caught it, but before he could ask what was inside, the private room door was abruptly pushed open. A tall, well-dressed alpha in a suit walked in.
Shen Que saw Chen Dan’s brow instantly furrow, his eyes finally showing a flicker of emotion.
“Director Chen,” the director and Dong Xiangyu both stood up to greet him.
Shen Que had only seen Chen Yan’an from a distance before and didn’t recognize him at first.
Chen Yan’an reached out to grab Chen Dan, but the latter dodged him.
“Chen Yan’an, show some respect.”
Chen Yan’an’s face darkened. “Don’t call me that in public.”
Chen Dan rolled his eyes, sidestepped Chen Yan’an, and left the tearoom.
Before leaving, Chen Yan’an specifically warned the director, “Don’t agree to let Chen Dan quit.”
The director nodded and bowed in agreement, thinking to himself that this show had really gathered a nest of troublesome figures.
Once the noisy footsteps outside faded away, the director confirmed they had left and finally relaxed, sinking back into his chair.
Dong Xiangyu poured himself a cup of tea and asked curiously, “I’ve never heard before that Director Chen had someone under his care.”
“You mean Chen Dan?” The director, seeing no outsiders in the room, spoke without restraint. “Old Director Chen remarried two years ago, and his new wife brought Chen Dan with her. The Chen family only had Chen Yan’an as the sole heir, so Old Director Chen didn’t mind having another omega son. He changed Chen Dan’s surname and took him into the Chen family.”
“Director Chen seems quite attentive to his younger brother,” Shen Que added.
Both the director and Dong Xiangyu glanced at him, realizing he hadn’t grasped the true nature of their relationship, and could only smile helplessly.
Shen Que thought he had said something wrong and quickly fell silent.
“Let’s not talk about him,” the director said, pulling out a contract and sliding it in front of Shen Que. “Due to the recent public opinion issues surrounding you, the production team has decided to temporarily suspend our collaboration.”
“I never intended to bully Nuo Feng,” Shen Que explained.
The director shook his head. “What good does explaining do? In the entertainment industry, explanations are the least useful thing. Either provide evidence or bear the consequences.”
These words might intimidate Shen Que, but they didn’t faze Dong Xiangyu. “This has nothing to do with public opinion. What you really want is attention and buzz.”
“Old Dong, don’t make things difficult for me. You know who doesn’t want Shen Que on the show. I’m just following orders.”
Shen Que knew that person was Mr. Xuan.