Chapter 43: The Banquet
“Stay here, the company will cover the room. Wang Huan, watch him—don’t let him run off. Paparazzi are out looking for you right now.”
Sister Bai didn’t pay much attention to Jiang Yu’s words. Once Wang Huan arrived with luggage, she left with Sun Haoxuan.
Jiang Yu didn’t wait long at the new hotel. That night, Kou Dehai released the full hotel footage, showing clearly that they parted ways at Jiang Yu’s door.
It was also explained that they were filming in the same crew, staying on the same floor of the same hotel.
Qi Sheng brought the entire cast to vouch for Kou Dehai and even took the chance to promote the film.
Kou Dehai then issued a real lawyer’s notice, just like Han Cheng had before, suing twenty-eight of the most outrageous media outlets that had shared the story.
Jiang Yu shared the notice and gave it a big thumbs up.
The twenty-eight media outlets quickly reversed course, issuing apology letters one after another. Without a court ruling, Kou Dehai had won—the scandal with Jiang Yu was resolved easily.
That evening, Qi Sheng sent someone to bring Jiang Yu back to the hotel for the crew, and he returned to room 508. The hot water setup from the morning was still in place, as if he had only been out filming for a day.
Someone knocked. Jiang Yu opened the door to see Kou Dehai outside, smiling: “Welcome back.”
“Thanks to you, Brother Hai. If it were just me, the paparazzi would still be chasing me. Come in,” Jiang Yu said, stepping aside.
Kou Dehai shook his head, pointing down the hall to the surveillance cameras: “Better not. We just clarified earlier—if we go in now, there’s no footage to confirm.
Go freshen up. The director wants to treat us to dinner, to clear the bad luck. A few investors are coming tonight—they were worried the gossip might hurt the movie.
If they say anything unpleasant, don’t worry. I’ll handle it. This mess is my fault, I’ll take responsibility.”
“Brother Hai, don’t say that. I also angered Zhao Chen—this mess is partly my fault, can’t blame you entirely.”
“And I’m not just a vase. I can handle ordinary situations. Even if they go too far, I’ll just refuse the role. I’m leaving the entertainment industry anyway, so Brother Hai, don’t worry about me offending any investors.”
“You really want to leave the industry?”
“Yes. I’m average at singing, average at acting, and my back is injured—I can’t overexert myself. Leaving the industry is something I’ve planned for a long time.
Plus, there’s too much scheming here. It takes too much energy and brainpower, and I might not even beat others. With my brain, I’ll last longer if I quit.”
“Actually, you sing very well. I’ve heard you sing ‘Wind and Rain’—I even added it to my playlist for a while. If you don’t enjoy acting, you could focus on singing.
Our company has good singer resources. Once your contract with your current company ends, if you want to sing, you can join us. I can recommend Dong Zhangchuan—he recently earned the title of Song King. He’s got solid talent.”
“I think I’ll pass. I’m too lazy. Right now, I just want to finish this film and go home to rest for a few months, to heal my back,” Jiang Yu politely declined.
Kou Dehai’s company was indeed reputable, and Dong Zhangchuan was a highly respected music talent. But in the entertainment industry, even the best company must respect the influence of Han Entertainment.
Jiang Yu had thought about escaping Han Entertainment, but reality was harsh. In this industry, it’s all Han’s world. He had failed. Now that Han Cheng was finally willing to let him go, all he wanted was to leave the entertainment industry far behind, without going through another company or living under Han Cheng’s shadow.
“All right, then. Hurry and get ready. Go to the third floor of the Binhau Hotel. I won’t go with you to avoid any rumors. Oh, and check the trending topics tonight—Zhao Chen’s about to be finished,” Kou Dehai said, smiling proudly, walking off in a good mood.
Jiang Yu checked the trending list—no news about Zhao Chen yet. He wasn’t sure when Kou Dehai would start, but he was curious to see.
After freshening up, putting on a small suit and fixing his hair, Jiang Yu looked presentable. Wang Huan gushed over him for a while, then led him to the banquet hall on the third floor of Binhau Hotel.
The hall was already filled with many people, all glamorous. Some Jiang Yu recognized, some he didn’t, but everyone looked dazzling tonight.
As one of the subjects of the scandal, all eyes turned to Jiang Yu as he entered.
Unaccustomed to so much attention, Jiang Yu scanned the room, looking for familiar faces.
“Jiang Yu, come over!” Qi Sheng waved at him.
Jiang Yu walked over and saw that the main cast members were here—except Zhao Chen, and there was a new young boy.
A few strangers also eyed him with suggestive looks.
“Let me introduce everyone. You probably all know Jiang Yu—another victim of the recent incident,” Qi Sheng said, pulling Jiang Yu beside him and introducing him to the group of investors.
The investors smiled at Jiang Yu, some scrutinizing him from head to toe. His appearance was good, and their approving, suggestive looks were anything but subtle.
The brazen stares made Jiang Yu uncomfortable. He forced a smile and moved closer to Kou Dehai.
Right now, the only reliable person he felt was Kou Dehai. Qi Sheng’s fawning smiles to the investors made Jiang Yu feel like merchandise about to be sold.
Since debuting, Jiang Yu had been under Han Cheng, rarely seeing other investors, and seldom having to socialize. Although restricted by Han Cheng, it had been a kind of protection.
Now, in this setting, Jiang Yu was uneasy and more determined than ever to leave the industry.
“Jiang Yu, come meet them. These are the investors for our film: Wang Shiya, owner of Shiya Construction; Zhao Dangjian, owner of Fishman Entertainment; Liu Shidao…And this is Wang Mingyu, who’s taking over Zhao Chen’s role.”
Qi Sheng introduced each person one by one. Jiang Yu smiled professionally and shook hands with everyone.
But the subtle, lingering touches on his hand made him irritated, though he maintained a cordial exterior.
“Mr. Jiang, I heard you debuted six years ago. I haven’t seen much of you on TV—did your company not provide enough resources?”
The investors were clearly pleased with him. The last investor shook Jiang Yu’s hand but refused to let go, pulling him closer. He touched Jiang Yu’s waist, grinning with big teeth like a wolf about to eat Little Red Riding Hood.
Fortunately, this investor was hygienic, and his teeth were white, though his face was full of wrinkles when smiling.
Jiang Yu thought of his great-uncle in his village, who sat under the old willow every day for thirty years, smiling at everyone—his face wrinkled just like this investor’s.
Jiang Yu admired him. Despite his age, he still had a strong desire for women. This old man’s kidneys must be good.
“Boss Fang, if we’re talking about resources, Fishman Entertainment is best,” Zhao Dangjian said, letting go of Qiao Miao’s waist and grabbing Jiang Yu’s other hand, pulling him away from the old man.
He wrapped his arm around Jiang Yu’s waist, pinching slightly in a way that made Jiang Yu uneasy.
Zhao Dangjian leaned close, examining Jiang Yu’s face, and said satisfactorily: “Jiang Yu, I’ve known about you for a while and that you’re single. In this industry, you can’t succeed without backing.
Your singing is good, acting not so much. Join our company. As long as you obey me, I can make you a top singer.”
Zhao Dangjian blew in Jiang Yu’s ear, his hand moving downward.
The blatant flirtation made Jiang Yu frown. He had no intention of finding a new patron.
As he moved to pull Zhao Dangjian’s hand away, Kou Dehai was faster. He grabbed Jiang Yu’s arm, pulled him close, and warned Zhao Dangjian with a smile: “Jiang Yu is still a Han Entertainment artist. Mr. Zhao, if you want to poach him, you need to ask Mr. Han first.”
Kou Dehai tilted his chin toward the door. When everyone looked, they saw Han Cheng walking over with Ji Xu, both smiling.
