The song "The Actor" at the beginning stunned me with its portrayal of the aloof school be

Jiang Che turned and walked away, his back view showing no sign of pausing.

Lin Wei was left standing there, her face pale and ashen.

He knew very well what kind of influence Shengda held in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Resources, connections, and channels are intricately intertwined.

Many newcomers who want to climb the ladder have to start by having to deal with companies like Shengda.

It can stop things from happening with notices, it can cut off resources for you, and it can help you steer public opinion.

Offending it will indeed make things difficult.

But that's how it applies to other people.

If it were an ordinary newcomer without any trump cards, facing such a behemoth, they might really have their legs go weak and wouldn't even dare to breathe.

Jiang Che wouldn't.

His mind was filled with the artistic treasures of an entire era from his previous life.

That's something countless top creators have poured their life's talent into.

Lyrics, music, arrangement, vocals—one song after another, as vast as the ocean.

To put it bluntly, he alone is equivalent to combining the top creators in the entire music scene from his previous life into one person.

What can Shengda rely on to suppress him?

Relying on resources? Everything he needs is in his own mind; it's inexhaustible.

Relying on his works? He can casually pick out a song and leave the other person breathless.

Can you really ban someone who can keep writing hit songs?

This confidence is ingrained in their very bones.

Others' confidence comes from the company providing it little by little.

His confidence comes from himself.

So when Lin Wei brought up Shengda, he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

What others see as a behemoth, he doesn't think it's that important.

The rules in this circle are set for those who lack ability.

It doesn't apply to him.

All he had to do was take out the songs from his head, one by one.

If he brings it out, the circle will naturally make way for him.

By then, he will never be the one who needs to read people's faces.

Lin Wei's attempt to scare him with Shengda was like trying to block a mountain with a piece of waste paper.

It's both laughable and pathetic.

Jiang Che shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and turned back to his dormitory.

This little incident wasn't worth his attention.

……

Shengda Media, Agent's Office.

Lin Wei returned to the company looking dejected.

She originally went to extend an olive branch to Jiang Che.

Instead of extending an olive branch, he was shut down by the other party's words, leaving him with nothing but a sliver of face.

When Liu Lin heard that Jiang Che had refused outright, her face immediately darkened.

"Ungrateful."

She slammed her pen on the table, both angry and annoyed.

"Shengda's contract was handed to him, and he's already acting all high and mighty?"

"A student who rose to fame through a variety show, does he really think he's some kind of genius?"

"So many people would kill to get into Shengda, they can't even get in if they beg."

"He's really something, he doesn't know what's good for him."

After berating Jiang Che, Liu Lin turned her anger on Lin Wei.

"And you."

"An ex-boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend I dated for two years."

"I asked you to say a few kind words and persuade them to come over, and you can't even handle such a small thing?"

"Others are begging to get into Shengda, but with you, they can't even get a step up."

"You're useless at everything."

Each sentence was harsher than the last.

Lin Wei was already holding back a lot of grievances, and after being provoked like this, she couldn't hold back any longer and retorted on the spot.

"Is this my fault?"

"If the company hadn't explicitly forbidden its artists from dating, would I have broken up with him?"

"It's written in black and white in the contract, what can I do!"

She spoke with such self-righteousness, as if her dignity over the past two years was entirely due to the company's pressure.

It's as if she, too, was a victim who had no control over the breakup.

But Liu Lin sneered after hearing this.

That laugh was laced with utter sarcasm.

"That clause is in the contract."

"But did you really break up with him because of this?"

……

Lin Wei's rebuttal got stuck in her throat.

Liu Lin stared at her and spoke slowly, word by word.

"The company clearly gave you a solution back then."

"You forgot?"

"It was you who insisted on cutting ties completely."

"I personally presented this proposal to you."

"You didn't even glance at it before pushing it back."

"You told me you didn't want a boyfriend who would hold you back."

You said he wasn't good enough for you in the future.

"Now that something's gone wrong, you're blaming the company?"

Liu Lin's words came one after another, leaving her no way out.

These words were like a needle, precisely piercing the facade that Lin Wei had maintained for so long.

Her face turned deathly pale instantly.

Because she knew better than anyone else that Liu Lin was telling the truth.

The company's original proposal was never to have her break up with her boyfriend.

Instead, they should have Jiang Che sign a confidentiality agreement to keep their relationship a secret.

The two continued to be together, and no outsiders knew, which did not hinder her from going ashore in the slightest.

This road is clearly passable.

Walking steadily and gracefully.

But she didn't choose it.

That night, the plan was presented to her, but she didn't give it much thought.

She thought Jiang Che was a useless burden with no future.

She felt he wasn't good enough for her, who was about to sign with Shengda and become a star.

She feared that this hidden relationship would become a stain on her career and a handle to use against her in the future.

She even thought further ahead: what if she became famous in the future and people found out she had an ordinary college student boyfriend? That would be so degrading.

So, in order to get ashore and for that seemingly more respectable future, she chose to cut ties completely.

Clean and efficient, leaving no room for compromise.

She even remembered Jiang Che's expression on the day they broke up.

He didn't argue or make a scene; he just quietly watched her for a long time.

Finally, I wished you a bright future.

At that time, she only felt relaxed.

I feel like I've finally gotten rid of a burden and can move forward with a lighter load.

She never imagined that the person she considered a burden would turn around and trample the entire music industry underfoot.

She never imagined that one day she would regret that choice so much.

The contract forbidding her from dating was, from beginning to end, just an excuse she used to absolve herself.

A fig leaf.

She'd been wrapped in this cloth for so long that she was almost convinced of it herself.

I believe I am also a pitiful person, forced to let go by the rules.

Now, this fig leaf has been ripped off by Liu Lin in front of everyone.

Regret surged up like a tide, one layer after another.

But this regret came too late.

Jiang Che had already walked to a place where she couldn't see him even if she looked up.

But the knife she used back then severed more than just a relationship.

It was only later that she realized it was a path that could have been easier to take.

……

The office was deathly silent.

Looking at Lin Wei's pale face, Liu Lin didn't bother to say another word.

If this matter is botched, Shengda will be unable to reach Jiang Che, this coveted prize, for the time being.

Lin Wei, this pawn, had quietly lost some of her importance in her heart.

How useful can someone be if they can't even handle their ex-boyfriend and let things slip?

The already fragile trust between Shengda and Lin Wei has cracked.

This crack will only get bigger and bigger in the future.

Lin Wei walked out of the office, looking lost and confused.

For the first time, she began to doubt whether her once-proud choice was right or wrong.

She recalled the two years she had spent at Shengda.

Working tirelessly from dawn till dusk to attend events, putting on a smiling face to socialize, they are treated by the company as a pawn that can be replaced at any time.

She thought she had reached the shore.

What kind of shore can we reach?

And what about Jiang Che?

He had no company, no team, and worked all by himself, yet he became an internet sensation in just one month.

When the two paths are placed side by side, the superiority of one over the other is immediately apparent.

Standing in the corridor, Lin Wei felt for the first time that the knife she had used back then might have cut off the best luck of her life.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life.

She turned and left, her steps much heavier than when she arrived.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Jiang Che was completely unaware of the turmoil within Shengda.

He was even more unaware that at the same time he rejected Lin Wei...

Another, more influential company has quietly extended an olive branch.

The person who handed over the branch was surnamed Lin.

He is the head of Tingxian Entertainment.

This time, what was handed out was a contract that even top-tier artists would have to look up to.