A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

Bai Weiwei lifted the teapot, and the fresh tea leaves fell into the rough earthenware cup, while roasted rice swirled and floated to the surface.

Gu Qingshang placed his phone on the table and opened the memo app.

"Do you still have the electronic version of the contract?"

"I have backups in my email. I have three copies: two in the cloud and one on my hard drive."

"Chat history?"

"Not deleted."

"Work schedules, settlement records, notifications to stop pushing apps, threatening recordings?"

"They're all here."

Gu Qingshang typed a few lines and handed the phone to Ye Xingyu.

"Start organizing tomorrow morning. Save the original files separately, and number the copies by date."

"Create a directory for each of the following: contracts, schedules, production logs, company instructions, and recordings."

Download the complete source file via email, don't just keep screenshots.

Ye Xingyu looked at her: "You're going to help me?"

"I know lawyers who handle entertainment agency contracts."

Gu Qingshang took back his phone. "First, verify the validity of the contract, then check the settlement and performance. Handle the money issues based on evidence. Don't let the other party give you a number first, and then you just carry that number with you."

Su Niannian put the spatula on the table: "I'll pay half of the lawyer's fees."

Bai Weiwei raised her hand: "I don't have much money, but I can provide meals."

"Keep an eye on her too," Chen Lang added. "After Boss Gu finishes riding the Black Knight, she gets tonight's and tomorrow morning's meals."

Gu Qingshang looked at him: "I remember the details of the transaction very clearly."

"Failure to record outstanding debts can easily damage a company's reputation for cooperation."

Bai Weiwei couldn't help but laugh, and Su Niannian also grabbed a tissue and wiped the tea off the old cardboard.

The oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard dissipated considerably.

Chen Lang spun the spade card in his hand once and then put it back into the deck.

"Just two days ago, he was sending friendly messages in private, but today he issued a warning in front of 160,000 people. Wang Rui has acted rashly this time."

Gu Qingshang locked his phone screen.

"He proactively tied the company and the contract together."

Chen Lang tapped the edge of the table with his knuckles.

"This line is worth fishing on. Don't send out the termination notice yet."

Ye Xingyu nodded: "I'll listen to you."

Listen to yourself.

Chen Lang picked up her work phone, without unlocking it, and simply placed it with the microphone facing upwards.

"Your decision to leave is yours. The lawyer will review the contract, Boss Gu will organize the resources, and Su Dapao will make sure you don't storm into Xingyao Building with a spatula."

Su Niannian glared at him: "Then what are you responsible for?"

Chen Lang looked at Wang Rui's name on the screen, a casual smile playing on his lips.

"I'm in charge of getting those who should speak up to say a few more words."

Wang Rui's voice call popped up at that moment.

The cell phone ringing penetrated the courtyard wall, drowning out the croaking of frogs outside.

Ye Xingyu looked at Chen Lang.

Chen Lang didn't make a decision for her; he simply raised his chin.

"It's up to you whether you accept the call or not."

Ye Xingyu took a breath, pressed the answer button, and then turned on speakerphone.

"Star Language".

Wang Rui's voice came through the receiver; there was no questioning, no anger, and it was even gentler than usual.

"I watched the live stream. Don't get agitated. If you have any grievances, you can talk to the company directly."

Su Niannian frowned.

Just moments ago, three messages were warning Ye Xingyu about leaking business information, but now that the call has connected, Wang Rui seems like a completely different person.

Ye Xingyu stared at her phone: "I've been talking for so long, and only now does the company realize I'm wronged?"

All that could be heard on the phone was breathing.

"The company was not aware of the specific agreement between you and Young Master Long before," Wang Rui sighed.

"It was Young Master Long who took a liking to your account, and he personally negotiated the contract."

"Your paper contracts, supplementary agreements, and subsequent performance arrangements have always been kept by his people."

Gu Qingshang looked up, his finger hovering over the memo.

Wang Rui continued, "Strictly speaking, you were signed by Young Master Long. He directly instructed me on many things, and I was only responsible for relaying them."

"I've never heard of the drinking parties, private filming, and so-called 'material that you can hold onto' that you just mentioned before."

Su Niannian sneered: "They knew everything when they were passing on the message, but now that something's happened, it's the first time they've heard about it?"

Wang Rui acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"Xingyu, I understand how you feel right now. But Long Shao's personal actions do not represent Xingyao. The company will not protect anyone who harms its artists."

"If what you said is true, we can assist you in obtaining the information and can also arrange for legal counsel to intervene."

"Call the police if necessary, and hold those responsible accountable. Xingyao will not side with Young Master Long."

The courtyard fell silent.

The live stream chat was scrolling even faster.

Cutting has begun.

[A simple "I didn't know"—is all the blame being shifted to Young Master Long?]

[They were just asking for the replays to be deleted, and now they're trying to protect their artists.]

[This PR response was incredibly fast.]

Ye Xingyu looked at the three messages that had not yet disappeared on the lock screen.

"Since the company was willing to help me, why did they make me delete the replay within five minutes?"

Wang Rui remained calm.

"Because the information in the live stream was not verified, and it also involved contracts and third-party privacy."

"Asking you to stop spreading the virus is a normal risk control measure and has nothing to do with shutting up."

"The company needs time to investigate and also to protect you. Making a big fuss about this will not benefit your account or your personal reputation either."

Gu Qingshang tapped his fingers on the memo, pushing the lines of text toward the center.

"We do not accept being sidelined or being coerced."

"Delete the replays to protect the artist."

Chen Lang leaned back in his chair, the spade card between his fingers coming to a stop.

Wang Rui's few words of severing ties are textbook examples.

The contract was pushed onto Young Master Long, and the violation was blamed on an individual. With just a few words, they wanted to pull Xingyao out of the mire.

Chen Lang scoffed lightly.

The abacus beads are almost tipped to the top of Cangshan Mountain.

Ye Xingyu asked, "Was the two-month hiatus from broadcasting and promotion also arranged by Young Master Long?"

"We need to investigate who specifically gave the order."

"What about the penalty for breach of contract?"

"I don't have the contract and settlement documents, so I can't give you an irresponsible answer right now."

"Who asked you to send me the supplementary agreement?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Wang Rui quickly replied, "The documents were provided by Young Master Long, and I'm responsible for forwarding them. As for whether the terms are legal and whether they represent the company's official opinion, the legal department will re-examine them."

He took every question, then passed it back to Young Master Long exactly as it was asked.

Gu Qingshang typed a line of text on the screen and showed it to Chen Lang.

"He's disclaiming responsibility."

Chen Lang glanced at it and tapped the corner of the card next to that line of text.

Ye Xingyu gripped her phone tightly: "When can I get my contract back?"

"I'll contact Young Master Long for you tomorrow," Wang Rui said. "If he refuses to return it, the company will step in to mediate."

"Xingyu, you've worked at Xingyao for so long, the company doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"Turn off the live stream first, and we'll resolve this privately. If you're willing to cooperate, the company can help you hire a lawyer and suspend all legal proceedings."

Gu Qingshang put down his teacup, typed a few words on the memo, and pushed it toward Ye Xingyu.

"Suspending accountability is tantamount to restarting it at any time; hiring lawyers for the company means being under control."

Ye Xingyu stared at the words on the screen, her gaze fixed.

Two years ago, she would have eagerly caught the rope.

But now, she pulled her phone half an inch closer to her.

"Thank you for the company's kindness," Ye Xingyu said into the microphone. "I will find a lawyer myself. Please provide the contract, settlement records, and work instructions in writing."

Wang Rui lowered his voice: "Xingyu, do you not trust the company?"

"I only believe the evidence that remains."

No one spoke at the table.

Ye Xingyu looked at Hongxinjiu and continued, "Tomorrow morning, I will formally send the document retrieval request. Until we receive a reply, all communication will be conducted via email."

"As for the live stream, I won't turn it off."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

When Wang Rui spoke again, his tone remained gentle.

"Okay. Take a night to calm down. The company respects your choice."

"There's one more thing I hope the viewers in the live stream can hear."

"Whatever Young Master Long has done, it only represents him personally. As long as the evidence is true, Xingyao will never stand on his side."

The call was disconnected.

The phone screen went dark, and the croaking of frogs in the yard once again echoed over the wall.

Su Niannian stared at her phone: "Has he completely absolved himself of any responsibility?"

"They're setting a trap." Gu Qingshang closed the memo. "They're preparing to make Young Master Long take all the blame."

Bai Weiwei frowned: "But Xingyu has been working at Xingyao all along."

"Office location, account operation, business settlement, and suspension of broadcasting orders—if any one of these involves Xingyao, it cannot be separated from the 'individual behavior' statement."

Gu Qingshang looked at Ye Xingyu, "But from now on, they will definitely reorganize their story and may also transfer data. Make a backup tonight."

Chen Lang picked up his work phone and opened the call log.

Wang Rui didn't say a single unnecessary word.

He still had that nonchalant smile on his lips, his eyelids half-closed, obscuring his gaze.

"The contract is in Young Master Long's hands, and the person was signed by Young Master Long. Xingyao is willing to help, and will not cover up any problems."

Chen Lang tapped his knuckles on the table.

"It sounds like they're passing a ladder, but actually they first push Young Master Long down the stairs, then stand downstairs and shout for help."

Su Niannian gripped the spatula: "So what do we do now?"

Chen Lang placed the phone back in front of Ye Xingyu.

"If you want to terminate the contract, we'll help you gather all the evidence and get through the process."

Ye Xingyu lowered her head, her sleeve brushing against the corner of her eye.

"it is good."

The fire in the charcoal stove was being quickly pushed into the ash.

Bai Weiwei added two new pieces of charcoal, then picked up the copper kettle and refilled everyone's teacups.

The heat rose to the side of the lantern, obscuring half of the stone table.

Ye Xingyu picked up the freshly poured tea and looked at Shen Qingci through the steam.

"Qingci."

"Um?"

If you could go back to one day, which day would you choose?

The sandalwood beads on Shen Qingci's wrist struck the rim of the cup.

She did not answer immediately.

Chen Lang turned his head and saw her gaze pass over the lantern and fall into the deeper night outside the courtyard wall.

She never mentioned that day to anyone.