Xu Gui woke up to a loud banging on the door. She groggily sat up and went to open it, only slowly waking up when she saw her manager, Kuang Ming's, face.
"Ha..." Xu Gui yawned sleepily and greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Kuang."
Kuang Ming, seeing her like this, almost laughed in exasperation.
He tapped his watch, indicating, "Wow, this early?"
Xu Gui blinked, instinctively reaching for her pocket, but couldn't find her phone.
She turned to go back to her bedroom to get it, and on the way, she saw He Yuan, who had just crawled out of her bedroom because of the knocking, looking disheveled. He Yuan
also looked exhausted, yawning constantly, clearly having not slept well.
"Good morning," Xu Gui greeted her casually.
He Yuan watched her go back to the bedroom with a blank expression: "...Okay, good morning."
When she saw Kuang Ming entering the room, she greeted him politely.
When Xu Gui got her phone, she realized it was indeed late; it was already 1 PM. She touched her stomach and pondered seriously: No wonder I felt hungry when I woke up.
Hungry, Xu Gui took her phone and walked out of the bedroom, only to see Kuang Ming standing by the living room window, opening it.
Seeing Xu Gui come out, he looked up at her and asked, "Did you drink last night?"
Xu Gui: "No."
Kuang Ming sneered, "If you didn't drink, why does the room smell so strongly of alcohol?"
Because it was hot and the air conditioning was on, Xu Gui and the others hadn't opened the windows, so the smell from last night was trapped inside, which is why he smelled the alcohol as soon as he came in.
Xu Gui explained, "I didn't drink, but He Yuan drank a little last night... We had a late-night snack together."
"So, that's why you slept until now?" Kuang Ming asked leisurely.
"..." Xu Gui chose to change the subject, "Mr. Kuang, is there something you need from me?"
Kuang Ming: "..."
Clearly, Xu Gui had completely forgotten what he had said yesterday.
He took a breath and said, "I remember telling you yesterday to come to the company early this morning so we could discuss the contract."
But when he arrived at the company early in the morning, he sat in his office waiting and waiting, but no one came. Finally, he couldn't help but come over, only to find that this person looked like he had just gotten up... no, not even gotten up yet, but had just been woken up by him and had just crawled out of bed.
"Do you know how many times I called you this morning?" he questioned Xu Gui.
Reminded by him, Xu Gui chuckled dryly and said somewhat guiltily, "I know, twenty-three. I have missed call notifications on my phone." It happened to be the number "23".
"Is this the point?" Kuang Ming sneered, crossing his arms as he asked, "So, why didn't you answer any of my calls?"
Xu Gui explained, "I usually put my phone on silent when I sleep, so no calls will disturb my sleep."
Kuang Ming: ... He probably guessed that Xu Gui's phone was on silent, but he didn't expect her reason to be so simple and honest—just to prevent calls from disturbing her sleep?
Kuang Ming could only be thankful that he was emotionally stable, so he wasn't too angry when he heard Xu Gui say that.
"Okay," he said, "The show filming just finished yesterday, I should have known you needed to rest more..."
He glanced at the time and said, "Then, how about this afternoon? After you wash up, I'll take you to eat, and we'll talk about the contract afterward."
Xu Gui was looking at her phone at this moment and said, "I don't have time this afternoon."
Kuang Ming: ?
Xu Gui looked up.
"I have to go to the orphanage this afternoon..."
Xu
Gui went back to the orphanage because of Wang Xingxing. Wang Xingxing was going back to his hometown with his grandmother that afternoon. The orphanage staff wanted them to stay a little longer, but Xingxing's grandmother was in a real hurry to go back.
Despite her age, she was incredibly capable. She raised pigs, chickens, and even two ducks and geese, making her a prominent livestock farmer in the village.
With so many mouths to feed, even though they had asked relatives and neighbors to help look after them, it wasn't good to keep troubling them.
When Xu Gui arrived at the orphanage, they were just about to leave for the train station.
Seeing Xu Gui, Wang Lingxing, who had been looking out frequently and appearing somewhat silent, suddenly brightened up, his face lighting up with excitement.
As soon as Xu Gui approached, he eagerly called out, "Sister Little Turtle!"
Xu Gui smiled at him and turned to talk to his grandmother.
Grandma smiled and said, "...The livestock at home can't be left unattended, so we have to go back as soon as possible. Miss Xu, thank you so much for Xingxing's situation. It's all thanks to your help in getting him out of the Wang family."
She looked tenderly at her grandson beside her.
"You're too kind..." Xu Gui said, then asked Grandma what her plans were.
Grandma sighed, "We'll take it one step at a time. Fortunately, I've saved some money over the years, and I'm still quite healthy and can do
some work. Supporting Xingxing and me shouldn't be a problem." Besides, Wang Lingxing is an adult now, a nineteen-year-old boy, capable of many things.
"Yang Ai also promised to send money every month, but this money... I plan to use it for Xingxing's medical treatment."
She clearly had a clear plan for the future and was still thinking about Wang Lingxing's treatment.
Hearing this, Xu Gui felt relieved.
"If anything happens, you can call me."
Xu Gui had saved her phone number in her grandmother's phone, and also asked Wang Xingxing and his uncle to add her contact information. That way, even if one of them lost contact, the other two could still reach her, and neither side would lose touch. Besides
, the orphanage was right there; even if they lost contact, Wang Xingxing should be able to find her.
Xu Gui then looked at Wang Lingxing and smiled, "Wang Xingxing, from now on you'll be living with your grandmother. You're an adult now, so remember to take good care of yourself and your grandmother, okay?"
"If you encounter any difficulties, you can also call me."
Wang Lingxing had been looking at her, his eyes swirling with a deep, complex emotion. Suddenly, he reached out and hugged Xu Gui.
The hug was tight; he held her very tightly.
Xu Gui hadn't expected him to do this so suddenly and was momentarily stunned.
"Sister Little Turtle, thank you so much for saving me! Thank you for taking me out of the Wang family, and thank you for calling my grandma... If it weren't for you, I might have jumped off the building and died that day." He said softly, his voice sounding muffled because he had buried his head in Xu Gui's shoulder.
He said, "I'll remember you for the rest of my life, so please don't forget me either, okay?"
Kuang Ming, who had brought Xu Gui over, stood to the side and, upon hearing this, his gaze shifted, suddenly turning to the boy Xu Gui had always called "child."
He suddenly realized: this child named Wang Xingxing, though called a child, was actually an adult. To be precise, he was only three or four years younger than Xu Gui.
Kuang Ming's expression became somewhat strange.
"Ha."
Xu Gui chuckled, reaching out to pat Wang Lingxing's head—Wang Lingxing was quite tall, but due to his poor appetite in recent years, he looked very thin, like a skinny stick growing straight out of its natural shape.
Xu Gui had to raise her hand slightly to pat his head.
"The way you're talking makes it sound like we'll never see each other again." Xu Gui found it somewhat amusing. She said, "With transportation so convenient these days, if you want to come see me, the director, Xueya, and everyone at the orphanage, you can come anytime, anywhere."
So, there was absolutely no need for reluctance.
"Pfft!" Kuang Ming turned his head and chuckled softly.
Wang Lingxing: "...That's true."
Xu Gui's words instantly lessened the sadness of parting. Wang Lingxing then said goodbye to Wu Xueya, Zhao Di, and the others at the orphanage.
As the saying goes, even a thousand-mile journey must end in parting. Although Wang Lingxing was reluctant, he still left with his grandmother and the others.
"Waaah, Brother Xingxing..." Some children in the orphanage sobbed and wiped away their tears, very reluctant to see Wang Lingxing leave—Wang Lingxing was very popular with the children in their orphanage.
Now, seeing him leave, the older children were okay, but several of the younger ones were already teary-eyed and couldn't help but cry.
As for Zhao Di and Wu Xueya, they were naturally also heartbroken. Although they were four or five years younger than Wang Lingxing, in just a few days, the three of them had successfully built a very deep friendship and become very good friends.
Of course, they were disappointed when their friend left.
"It's okay, we can call Xingxing whenever we're free," Wu Xueya comforted the downcast Zhao Di. "Didn't we save his phone number?"
Zhao Di nodded.
…
After seeing Wang Lingxing and the other two off, everyone returned to the orphanage.
It was the first time the director and the others had met Kuang Ming. After learning that he was Xu Gui's future manager, everyone was initially surprised but then warm and welcoming. Even five- or six-year-old children passing by smiled at him, which made Kuang Ming, who wasn't usually popular with children, feel quite flattered.
"...Our Xiaogui is a very, very good child. The reason she entered the entertainment industry to become a star is to earn money to subsidize the orphanage and make life better for the children there," the director sighed. "In the end, it's all because of our incompetence as elders that she's already worrying about the orphanage's basic needs at such a young age."
She looked at Kuang Ming and said, "She's kind-hearted and has no guile. Ever since she became a star, I haven't been able to put my mind at ease, afraid she might suffer some injustice... Now Mr. Kuang is her manager, so we'll probably have to trouble you to take care of her more in the future."
"If our Xiaogui does anything wrong or doesn't do something right, we hope Mr. Kuang can be more understanding and not get angry with her," the director said sincerely.
Kuang Ming: "Dean, you're too kind."
He showed great respect for the dean, saying, "You can rest assured about that. As Xu Gui's agent, my fate is intertwined with hers. Her well-being is my well-being, so even for my own sake, I will take good care of her and ensure she doesn't suffer any injustice."
Hearing this, the dean smiled faintly and casually remarked, "Our Xiao Gui's previous agent said the same thing." She looked at Kuang Ming with an awkward yet polite expression.
Kuang Ming: "..."
He cursed inwardly: Damn Rong Yi! Others plant trees for future generations to enjoy the shade, but he dug a pit for future generations to fall into, and he's the one who fell in.
Kuang Ming tried to calm himself down.
"...I'm not like Xu Gui's former manager," he explained to the dean. "Xu Gui is incredibly popular now, with a bright future ahead of her. I'd be crazy to do something that would ruin her future."
He didn't say anything about how good he would be to Xu Gui; after all, anyone could say that, and until the very end, no one would know if what you said was true. So, Kuang Ming simply explained to the dean and the others what Xu Gui's current immense fame represented.
Although Xu Gui didn't have any recent works, her current fame was in no way inferior to that of first- or second-tier stars. In this world where popularity reigns supreme, if managed properly, her fame could quickly translate into huge profits.
Kuang Ming explained clearly and methodically, "To be honest, I've received many invitations to collaborate with Xu Gui, with the highest fees reaching seven figures... She's an artist in our company now, our interests are intertwined. For me and our company, she's a goldmine."
He looked at the director, "Do you think our company would treat an artist who can bring us huge profits badly?"
It has to be said, Kuang Ming's thinking was correct; his words truly resonated with the director. Compared to those vague promises, the word "profit" was more convincing.
"Besides..." Kuang Ming added, sighing, "With Xu Gui's abilities, what can our company do to her? Perhaps, in her case, the weaker party is our company." The director thought
: How true!
She had forgotten that compared to when she was still in the orphanage, Xu Gui was much more cunning now. With her abilities, it was easy for her to bully others, but it wasn't so easy for others to bully her.
After the dean figured things out, she was completely relieved. Her gaze towards Kuang Ming softened, and Kuang Ming knew that only now did the dean truly consider him one of her own. A short while after Kuang Ming
finished talking with the dean, Xu Gui arrived, carrying a plate of fried yogurt. She offered it to Kuang Ming and asked, "Manager Kuang, what were you and our dean talking about?"
Kuang Ming took one from the plate and said, "Your dean was worried I might cause you distress, so she talked to me about your situation. She cares about you a lot."
Xu Gui replied matter-of-factly, "She's the dean, of course she cares about me."
Kuang Ming nodded and then got down to business with Xu Gui—the contract.
"The company has agreed to your request," he said. "The contract period has been changed from eight years to three years. After three years, your contract with the company will automatically expire."
Hearing this, Xu Gui looked at him in surprise and said, "Your company agreed to such an outrageous request?"
"It's our company. Have you forgotten? You already signed a contract with our company. This is just a contract change," Kuang Ming corrected her mistake, and then said, "If it were someone else, of course we wouldn't agree to such an outrageous request, but you're different."
Xu Gui looked at him suspiciously.
Kuang Ming revealed her "differentness."
"You're not someone to mess with," he said.
Upon hearing this reason, Xu Gui almost choked on her own saliva.
This reason… is truly simple and blunt, and it's really unexpected.
Kuang Ming shrugged and sighed, "There's no other way. You're different from other artists. You can tell fortunes. Rather than offending you, our company would rather be on good terms with you and maintain a friendly relationship."
That's right, be on good terms. You could say this contract is a stepping stone for [Star Sea] to maintain a friendly relationship with Xu Gui, and also to make up for previous mistakes—the contract Xu Gui signed with Rong Yi had many unreasonable parts.
Xu Gui generously said, "I'm not that petty."
Kuang Ming then asked, "Then if the company offends you, will you retaliate?"
"Of course." Xu Gui answered quickly.
Kuang Ming smiled at her, and Xu Gui said embarrassedly, "I don't like to be wronged."
Seeing her reaction, Kuang Ming was even more convinced that the contract had to be changed. After all, he didn't want their company to be exposed online and ruined, and even ruined reputation might be a good ending. He was afraid that in the end, their company would be "destroyed."
"Let's sign the contract when we get back to the company!" he said directly. "I also have other work to discuss with you."
Because of their work, the two didn't stay at the orphanage for too long. After sitting for a while, they returned to the company to avoid any unforeseen complications. Once there, Kuang Ming took Xu Gui to his office and had her sign the contract.
After watching Xu Gui sign, Kuang Ming took the contract, glanced at it, and, after confirming the signature was correct, placed it on his desk for filing later.
As for Xu Gui's previous contract with their company, it would naturally be destroyed later.
With the contract signed, the next step was to discuss work.
Xu Gui had become a sensation on the program "360 Trades," and with her soaring fame came countless offers to Kuang Ming.
These included scripts, endorsements, magazine offers…
"Although I received many scripts, after looking at them, none of them were very good," Kuang Ming shook his head.
Although Xu Gui has gained fame now, she lacks substantial work, so most of the scripts she receives are subpar. A few decent scripts, however, are only offered minor roles to capitalize on her current popularity.
Nevertheless, even a minor role in a good drama would be a significant achievement for Xu Gui, whose career is currently blank.
"This, this, and this!" Kuang Ming picked out three scripts in quick succession. "These three are all good in my opinion—one modern suspense, two historical romances… Take a look and see which one you think is better."
Xu Gui took them, and while she flipped through the scripts, Kuang Ming discussed other work.
"…Although several brands have invited you to be their spokesperson with good offers, I think you don't need to rush into it."
Kuang Ming had researched the brands that had invited Xu Gui; they were all small brands, some even lacking any brand recognition or reputation. Besides offering generous sums, they were utterly useless and wouldn't benefit Xu Gui's career in any way.
"As for endorsements, it's better to wait until you're more famous and have a more stable position in the industry," Kuang Ming said. "Besides, you already have an endorsement, so there's no rush."
He was referring to [Miaoyu].
At this, Kuang Ming's expression became somewhat subtle.
It wasn't that he disliked [Miaoyu], but the pet industry was simply too niche, and aquatic pets were even more so.
Looking across the pet industry, you rarely see celebrities endorsing pet brands. After all, the target audience for pets is the pet itself; customers are more accepting of the pet itself endorsing the brand than a human.
Therefore, celebrities and "pet endorsements" are basically unrelated. But Xu Gui, she had actually broken into such a niche market as pet endorsements.
Kuang Ming couldn't help but recall the contract he saw Xu Gui signed with [Miaoyu] in Rong Yi's office after Rong Yi's incident, when he was called in by the company to clean up the mess left by Rong Yi's subordinates.
When he saw the contract, he had only one thought: ...Sure enough, the longer you live in this world, the more you see. He even saw a pet company hiring a human as a spokesperson.
And the price they offered was so high.
He guessed that [Miaoyu] approached Xu Gui because they were interested in Xu Gui's current fame and the popularity of the program "360 Trades."
They had essentially opened up a new market.
"I've looked into [Miaoyu]," Kuang Ming continued. "Although it's a small company that's only been established for less than two years, its background is very clean. Their products have received a very good response in the market, and the boss, Ji Kaiming, is from the Ji family, a jewelry dynasty..."
"So, this collaboration can continue."
As for the rest, they could observe and wait until later; there was no need to rush.
"Finally, this!" Kuang Ming's eyes lit up as he got to the main point, "An invitation to be featured on the cover of 'Fashion' magazine!"
"Fashion," which translates to "fashion," is a sub-brand of the high-end luxury brand [Denla], mainly dealing in clothing, jewelry, shoes, and bags.
Its business concept is: young, fashionable, targeting young people under thirty, and it's very popular among today's youth, undoubtedly a high-end luxury brand. The
autumn issue of *Fashion* magazine is coming up in August, and they've invited Xu Gui to be their cover model.
Xu Gui: "According to you, this brand is very powerful, and many celebrities want to work with them, so why did they choose me?"
Kuang Ming also said that although Xu Gui is famous now, her fame is superficial because she doesn't have any substantial work to back it up. So why did *Fashion* magazine choose her? Kuang Ming
smiled and said, "I was curious about that too, so I asked around and found out that it wasn't *Fashion* magazine that chose you, but rather *Fashion*'s chief photographer who took a liking to you!"
"Mommy Bell, *Fashion*'s chief photographer!"
"He strongly requested that you be the main subject of *Fashion*'s new issue!"