Chapter 53 Part 1

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The internal struggles at Wanbang Group still impacted its stock price, causing it to drop about three points after the market opened on Monday.

However, Special Assistant Wan and Liu Qingqing had countermeasures ready. They immediately announced the activation of internal company procedures to repurchase the shares held by Lu Bo and Lu Su. They then followed up with a series of equity incentive measures.

In this way, the two of them pulled Wanbang Group’s stock price— which had slid during Monday and Tuesday—back up smoothly over the next three days, keeping it at a relatively high level.

Without any water army pushing negative narratives from behind the scenes, Lu Wuqi and Lin Qingxu’s relationship as a couple didn’t attract any bad reviews. On the contrary, after they posted a photo of themselves holding hands while wearing rings, their CP fans propelled them onto the hot search, and the two gained another wave of fans.

However, this touched on certain people’s interests. Marketing accounts began sporadically spreading rumors that Lin Qingxu had been involved in a casting couch situation, claiming the two weren’t in a real romantic relationship at all—it was just a money-for-sex transaction.

Others said Lin Qingxu was merely Lu Wuqi’s chosen shield, and announcing their relationship at this timing was just to divert the public’s attention.

Fans familiar with the two wouldn’t believe such obvious rumors, but beyond the fans, there were far more casual passersby who didn’t know the full story. They wouldn’t bother digging into the details and would just believe whatever they scrolled past.

–

“Boss, after our analysis, the best way to deal with the rumors is for Teacher Lin and you to join another reality show—ideally a live-streamed one,” Director Dai said as she pushed up her newly bought anti-radiation glasses.

“Of course, if you could also plug our company and the web drama we’re prepping along the way, that would be even better.” Director Dai added with a beaming smile, “Teacher Lin needs some exposure too. What do you think, Boss?”

“Isn’t Xuxu’s main drama still airing?” Lu Wuqi looked at the documents in front of her, feeling a deep aversion to live reality shows from the bottom of her heart.

She couldn’t help it—Lin Zhi from before had truly disgusted her. She really didn’t want to waste time appearing alongside someone of such low character, let alone pretend to be friends with him.

“That’s true, but the drama’s reception has been mediocre. Its main audience is middle-aged and elderly viewers; young people aren’t that interested,” Director Dai said honestly.

“Do you have the relevant connections?” Lu Wuqi shifted her gaze from the documents to Director Dai.

As the former head of Dahai Entertainment, Director Dai was surprisingly young—only a year older than Lu Wuqi. More importantly, she had no family backing; her initial startup funds had all been saved up by herself.

“Boss, you really understand me.” Director Dai smiled. “I mentioned Director Gu to you last time—do you remember?”

“Director Gu? The one who shot to fame last year with that dating variety show?” Lu Wuqi raised an eyebrow slightly. “You want me and Xuxu to join a romance variety show together?”

“It’s not a romance show. Director Gu wants to break out of her comfort zone and film a variety show with an all-female cast. The style will lean toward relaxed and leisurely—just eating, drinking, and having fun together, with no tasks designed to stump the guests.”

Director Dai paused for a moment. “Since Director Gu doesn’t want to manufacture drama artificially or use scripted lines, she’s having trouble securing investments right now. Boss, you could consider investing and joining the production.”

Lu Wuqi tapped her fingers on the desk. “For a variety show short on funding, how can you be sure it will get Xuxu the attention she needs, rather than just wasting our time?”

“Boss, to be honest with you, I’m not entirely certain either. But when Director Gu was shooting her dating show, things were pretty much the same—no investments, no one optimistic about it—and the final result exceeded everyone’s expectations,” Director Dai said, spreading her hands.

“As for attention, if you and Teacher Lin confirm your participation, won’t that generate the buzz? It’s a win-win all around. You can clear up those false rumors, Teacher Lin gets exposure—not only will your fans be thrilled, but the investment might yield big returns and benefit the company too!”

Director Dai rattled off her points with animated emphasis, and it actually started to sway Lu Wuqi.

With all these benefits laid out, it felt like she’d be missing out big time if she didn’t invest and participate.

“Is ours the first season?” Lu Wuqi asked.

“Yes, tentatively six guests. If you invest, Boss, you can decide on four spots,” Director Dai said. “I’ve discussed it with Director Gu—five million gets us a 60-40 split: us six, her and her team four.”

“Give me a detailed proposal. If it checks out, we’ll invest under Dahai Entertainment’s name. Also, finalize the on-camera guest list soon,” Lu Wuqi said, placing her hand on the documents. “Preferably artists with good reputations. I don’t want any issues in the first episode.”

“Got it, Boss. I’ll pass your instructions on to Director Gu,” Director Dai nodded in agreement.

–

After leaving Mingxin Building, Lu Wuqi headed to the address her psychologist had given her for her first proper in-person session.

The psychologist assigned to Lu Wuqi was a seasoned expert in her fifties, with an aura that felt incredibly approachable. She was the type who made ordinary people want to pour out their troubles just by sitting beside her.

“Ms. Lu, you look like you’re recovering well,” the psychologist greeted her with a warm smile.

“I’m here for the final assessment,” Lu Wuqi said as she settled relaxedly into the sofa chair. “I’ll cooperate fully with the doctor.”

“Good. I’d like to ask you a few questions, Ms. Lu. I hope you can share your true inner thoughts,” the doctor’s voice was very gentle, carrying no hint of pressure.

“Sure, go ahead, Doctor,” Lu Wuqi adjusted her posture slightly to ensure she was fully relaxed.

“How much time have you been spending painting lately, Ms. Lu?” the doctor asked.

Lu Wuqi thought back. “I’ve been handling company matters these past few days, so I’ve only done some sketches—nothing with a high level of completion.”

“And is there anything you’ve particularly wanted to do recently? Not limited to any specific thing,” the doctor continued.

“There isn’t anything I particularly crave, but plenty I want to get done.” Lu Wuqi paused. “Make Dahai Entertainment bigger and stronger, become a force to be reckoned with in the industry, and provide solid backing for Xuxu.”

“Wanbang Group’s development needs to advance further—ideally to become the undisputed industry leader.”

“My second art book is nearly finished too. Pick a time to design the layout, and it can go to print.”

Lu Wuqi had thought she didn’t have that many things she wanted to do, but listing them out one by one, she realized they added up to over ten items.

“What are some things you’re regretting right now, Ms. Lu?” The doctor’s smile deepened.

“There’s nothing to regret. Regret isn’t something I need—if I make a mistake, I correct it. If I can’t correct it, I make amends. If I can’t even do that, I face it head-on and accept it,” Lu Wuqi said calmly.

The psychologist nodded slowly, then asked Lu Wuqi some lighter questions. The follow-up ended like a casual chat.

“If everything you’ve shared today reflects your true inner thoughts, then I can tell you your condition has stabilized. You can stop the medication,” the psychologist said as she wrote the assessment report in her neat medical script.

“That said, there’s still a risk of relapse. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself—go with the flow,” she added when delivering the results.

Lu Wuqi nodded. Though she hadn’t been 100% honest earlier, over 95% of it was her genuine thoughts, so she trusted the assessment.

Why not 100%? Some things were just too private for Lu Wuqi to share outright.

Was she supposed to tell her psychologist that she still wanted to cuddle with her girlfriend every day?

–

“Sounds good. We can share the news of your recovery with the netizens too, and make all those doubting voices vanish,” Lin Qingxu said approvingly upon hearing about the live variety show invite for her and Lu Wuqi.

“Director Dai makes a solid point. If we can kill multiple birds with one stone, we’re golden.” Lin Qingxu clutched the diagnosis report, reading it over and over as her smile grew brighter.

“Then I’ll have the person in charge reach out to Director Gu. Once the other four guests are locked in, I’ll give the final go-ahead,” Lu Wuqi said.

“Sure. I want to invest in Director Gu too. When Dahai Entertainment steps in, add another million from me,” Lin Qingxu said.

“Then we’ll both be investing and joining the production together,” Lu Wuqi replied with a smile.

Director Dai moved quickly. Once Lu Wuqi confirmed the investment, she went and negotiated hard with Director Gu, securing a 65% profit share. They got four spots in the first episode, with two spots per future episode reserved for Dahai Entertainment to decide.

Once the investment funds arrived, Director Gu’s team got energized. They subtly hinted at Lu Wuqi and Lin Qingxu’s participation while sending invites to their shortlisted guests.

About three days later, the other four guests were announced. Setting aside personal relationships, two of them were people Lu Wuqi and Lin Qingxu knew: Zhu Zixuan, appearing as a singer-songwriter, and Chu Xiao, who had debuted through a talent show and was now mainly active in the film and TV scene.

When they saw Chu Xiao’s name on the guest list, Lu Wuqi and Lin Qingxu both frowned. Lu Wuqi immediately messaged Director Dai.

Lu Wuqi: Why is Chu Xiao on the list? Didn’t I say I don’t want to appear with disgraced artists?

AA Dahai Entertainment: Boss, Chu Xiao was shoved in by another investor—it’s a hard condition from the streaming platform for promotion. I suspect the people above Chu Xiao traded favors with the platform to let her use this reality show to wash off her anti-LGBT label.

AA Dahai Entertainment: If you can’t accept it, Boss, I can negotiate with Director Gu to switch platforms. But that might delay filming by half a month.