The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 205p2

Chapter 205: There’s a Fox Here (Entertainment Circle) Part 18(2)

Tu Xue’s car had access to Yu Shuangjiang’s complex, and she drove directly to her building.

Getting out of the car, she looked up, seeing the lights on in a certain apartment.

Four years ago, she had taken on Yu Shuangjiang, both of them at a low point in their careers, everyone mocking them, saying they were a perfect match, two failures together.

Her former company had been rife with internal power struggles, and Tu Xue, a neutral party, had always avoided them, advising her artists to do the same.

But her artists, ambitious, had all chosen sides, eager to leave her.

She had been betrayed, one of them even writing a long post accusing her of exploitation.

Detailing how she had overworked them, restricted their freedom, forced them to attend social events, a year of constant exposure…

This betrayal had been unexpected, followed by another artist’s post, then another.

A manager’s number of clients wasn’t fixed, and Tu Xue had three, all of whom had publicly condemned her.

They were B- and C-list celebrities, not as famous as A-listers, but still relatively well-known.

Their combined fanbase was enough to ruin Tu Xue’s reputation, drowning her in a wave of online criticism, unable to defend herself.

She had sensed something amiss, but hadn’t realized the extent of their betrayal.

Later, she had even questioned the third artist, whom she had personally mentored since his debut, not involved in any power struggles, why would he do this?

Had she wronged him in any way?

Without her, he would still be an unknown, struggling to debut, then disbanding, then debuting again, a never-ending cycle.

His answer: “I joined this industry to make money and find love, your constant restrictions and demands, no time for even a break, it was annoying.”

Tu Xue, having prepared herself for various reasons, hadn’t expected this, finding it absurd.

The company wouldn’t help her, three artists accusing their manager of exploitation, a public relations nightmare.

The outcome was predictable, they won.

Tu Xue left the company, joining Yiwen at a friend’s invitation, no longer the renowned manager who had nurtured a Best Actress.

A renowned manager, unable to even prevent her own artists from betraying her, just an empty title.

Such betrayal, from people she had treated sincerely, was infuriating, but there was nothing she could do.

At her new company, the talented artists were already taken, only the mediocre ones remaining.

Tu Xue, still resentful, wasn’t in the mood to start over, wanting to prove herself, determined to nurture someone even more successful than those who betrayed her.

After much searching, she hadn’t found anyone suitable, then a manager suddenly resigned,

Leaving Yu Shuangjiang behind. After a few days of observation and planning,

Tu Xue, with a script and the contact information of an acting coach, knocked on Yu Shuangjiang’s door.

Yu Shuangjiang, ridiculed as a has-been, a former child prodigy, was at home, looking at the imposing figure before her, puzzled.

After a long stare-down, Yu Shuangjiang finally asked, “Who are you?”

Tu Xue handed her a business card: “Tu Xue, your former manager resigned, I’m taking over. I’ve reviewed your situation, and you have two choices, find a new project, or work with an acting coach.”

Yu Shuangjiang, understanding immediately, said, “I’ll do both.”

Back to the present, Tu Xue tapped her cigarette, ash falling, and exhaled a stream of smoke.

Having worked with Yu Shuangjiang for years, she knew her personality, a determined and hardworking person who never disappointed her.

She had never heard Yu Shuangjiang mention any relationships, having subtly discouraged her artists from dating or having scandals during their rise to fame.

She had almost forgotten that Yu Shuangjiang was twenty-seven, with both emotional and physical needs.

But there was one thing she wasn’t sure of, how Yu Shuangjiang would react to a relationship.

She had PTSD from her artists’ love lives.

Like the actress she had meticulously nurtured, who one day announced her marriage, her husband forbidding her from working, so she was retiring.

Handing Tu Xue a wedding invitation, a complete shock.

Tu Xue had almost put poison in the red envelope, Damn you and your love-struck brain.

Retiring at the peak of her career, after only three films, beautiful and talented, choosing to become a housewife?!

She extinguished her cigarette, her mind made up as she walked towards the building.

If Yu Shuangjiang did the same, she would declare war on all lovebirds in the world!

—

Upstairs, Yu Shuangjiang was clearing the table, unaware of someone approaching her apartment.

The doorbell rang, and she turned around, puzzled: “Who is it, so late?”

She hadn’t ordered any takeout, and people usually called before visiting, in case she wasn’t home.

Tao Ning stood up: “Should I get it?”

“No, no, I’ll go.” Yu Shuangjiang stopped her, pushing her back down onto the sofa. “Just stay here, pause the movie, I’ll see who it is.”

Yu Shuangjiang walked to the door, and looking through the peephole, she saw a familiar face, her heart sinking.

Why is she here?

As if impatient, the doorbell rang again, a persistent sound that made Yu Shuangjiang’s heart pound.

“Ding-dong! Ding-dong!”

Tao Ning, peeking from the living room, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Shuangjiang hurried over: “It’s my manager, she must have found out something, she’s here to check on me.”

She grabbed Tao Ning’s hand and pulled her towards the bedroom.

“Where are we going? What’s wrong with your manager?” Tao Ning, puzzled, let herself be dragged along, not understanding but cooperating.

It was normal for a manager to visit, why was Yu Shuangjiang so nervous?

Pulled into the bedroom, Yu Shuangjiang opened the largest closet, pushing aside the clothes to make space.

“Just hide here for a bit, I’ll deal with her,” she said anxiously, the doorbell still ringing.

Seeing her panic, Tao Ning assumed her manager was very strict, perhaps even having a “no dating” clause in her contract, and she decided to cooperate.

She was about to suggest another solution: “Actually, I can…”

The closet door slammed shut.

Tao Ning, trapped in the darkness, surrounded by Yu Shuangjiang’s clothes: “…”

A nine-tailed fox being hidden in a closet, unheard of.

After the third ring, the apartment door finally opened.

Yu Shuangjiang stood there, wiping her hands, feigning surprise: “Tu Jie? What is it?”

Tu Xue entered, her gaze sweeping across the paused movie, the leftover food on the coffee table, and the two half-empty glasses.

She said, “I have something to discuss with you, why didn’t you answer the doorbell earlier?”

In her panic, Yu Shuangjiang, experiencing her first relationship, had forgotten about the extra glass, only remembering to wash her hands and pretend she had just been in the bathroom.

She also noticed the glasses, her acting skills preventing her from revealing her panic, casually explaining that she had poured two glasses to avoid refilling them repeatedly.

Yu Shuangjiang: “I was in the bathroom when you rang, I just washed my hands.”

She gestured towards the living room: “What did you want to talk about, Tu Jie?”

Tu Xue changed her shoes, her gaze lingering on the shoe rack, noticing a missing pair of slippers.

Yu Shuangjiang’s apartment was a two-bedroom, the other room used to store fan mail, filled with shelves, nowhere to hide, and the kitchen was open-plan, easily visible from the living room.

So the only hiding place was her bedroom.

She straightened up: “Didn’t you leave a dress here before your trip? The brand emailed us today, asking for it back, I’m here to retrieve it, I’ll have Xiao Jia send it back tomorrow.”

Yu Shuangjiang, remembering the dress: “Then wait a moment, I’ll go get it.”

Tu Xue, not falling for it: “No need, I’ll get it, you said you weren’t feeling well, it’s in your closet, right?”

As her manager, Tu Xue had been to Yu Shuangjiang’s apartment countless times, almost as familiar with it as her own home.

Unable to stop her, Yu Shuangjiang watched as she walked into the bedroom and opened the closet.

The closet, filled with clothes, was empty, no one hiding inside.

Yu Shuangjiang’s heart pounded: “…?”

Tu Xue retrieved the dress from a corner, checked it, then zipped up the garment bag.

Yu Shuangjiang stared at the empty closet, puzzled, she had definitely hidden Tao Ning there.

Where did she go?

Not finding anyone, Tu Xue didn’t stay long, assuming Tao Ning had already left, there was no point in staying, so she said goodbye.

Yu Shuangjiang, confused, saw her off: “Be careful on your way back.”

Tu Xue turned around: “And if anything happens, remember to tell me, so I can inform the company, don’t try to handle it yourself.”

Having seen Tao Ning, she wondered if her strict rules were the reason her artists were so obsessed with love.

If they just dated normally, not rushing to announce it, not suddenly handing her a wedding invitation and announcing their retirement, she wouldn’t mind.

Her words made Yu Shuangjiang feel even more guilty, and she agreed readily.

Like a student promising their teacher to study hard and not cause trouble anymore.

She hadn’t known a teacher’s aura could be inherited, but Tu Xue was becoming more and more like her younger sister, a high school teacher.

Tu Xue, her manager, would, when drunk, declare herself a member of the “FFF团,” vowing to destroy all lovebirds, then rant about the artists who betrayed her, making Yu Shuangjiang swear she would never date, prioritizing her career.

FFF团 is a popular internet slang term originating from Chinese online culture, particularly among anime and manga fan communities. It comes from the anime/manga series where a group called the “FFF Inquisition” punishes characters for immoral behavior (like forming romantic relationships).

-In Chinese internet usage, “FFF团” refers to a self-deprecating or joking “cult of singles”

Yu Shuangjiang, also drunk, had indeed sworn, after all, she had just recovered from her career slump, who would have thought about the future then?

Telling Tu Xue now would give her some time to adjust, but being caught would infuriate her.

After seeing Tu Xue off, Yu Shuangjiang returned to her bedroom, opening the closet door wider, but it was truly empty.

She even checked the top shelf: “Where are you? Did you leave already?”

“I’m here,” a voice, ethereal and otherworldly, came from behind, and Yu Shuangjiang turned around, seeing the small, delicate fox figurine on the dresser suddenly move.

It jumped down, its body growing larger, transforming into a beautiful white fox.

Its nine tails swaying gently, it walked towards Yu Shuangjiang, a flash of white light, and a slender human figure stood before her.

Tao Ning asked, puzzled, “Why were you hiding from your manager?”

Yu Shuangjiang didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on the empty space behind Tao Ning, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

If only the tails were still there, I wanted to touch them.