Chapter 5: This is a War

There’s a saying often circulated within the entertainment industry: male artists shouldn’t be paired with female agents.

While it’s common to see male artists followed by female agents, it’s rare to encounter female artists accompanied by male agents unless they’re relatives or the very person who discovered and promoted them.

This unspoken rule naturally exists to avoid scandals. Scandals between artists and agents might be seen as charmingly roguish for male stars, but for female stars, they could mean the end of their careers.

Wang Yuan, however, is an exception.

Because he is openly gay in the industry.

The man has a decent appearance, already past middle age, with eyes as sharp as an eagle’s. As a mid-to-upper-level agent at Lingshuo Entertainment Company, the resources he holds, while not the most abundant, still rank within the top ten.

Originally, Bai Tian’er’s debut was to be handled by Wang Yuan, who had taken a liking to her unique aura at first sight. But then LINK snatched her away forcefully. Now that they’ve ruined her, they want to return her. It’s not that simple. Everyone was waiting to see Bai Tian’er become a laughingstock, yet surprisingly, Wang Yuan agreed.

This time, however, he made an agreement with the company.

For the next three years, he alone would be responsible for Bai Tian’er, with no further changes of agents.

The company was already struggling with how to handle this artist who had gained a bad reputation even before her debut. Hearing such terms, they readily agreed. But as a result, rumors began to spread.

Some said Wang Yuan wasn’t purely gay but bisexual; otherwise, why would he have specifically wanted Bai Tian’er back then? Now that the girl’s reputation was in tatters, how could he set aside the artists he had already signed to help Bai Tian’er instead?

The most unfortunate part was that these rumors originated from Shi Wen, the girl who shared a dorm with Bai Tian’er. She vividly described how Bai Tian’er usually bullied others relying on her connections, was shameless, stayed out all night, and even hooked up with Wang Yuan.

When Bai Tian’er heard such news, she simply laughed it off. After all, Wang Yuan had originally intended to sign Shi Wen but abruptly broke the contract to sign Bai Tian’er instead. Feeling guilty toward Shi Wen, Wang Yuan recommended her to a more resourceful agent one who never took on newcomers but made an exception out of respect for Wang Yuan.

Unfortunately, due to this incident, no one was willing to take Shi Wen on anymore.

Unaware of all this, Shi Wen continued to flaunt her superiority over Bai Tian’er in the dorm, venting all her frustration about not having an agent onto Bai Tian’er.

Since the agent-switching incident, the two had completely torn off all pretenses or rather, Shi Wen could no longer contain her jealousy.

“Bai Tian’er, who do you think you are? Just because you have a fox-like face. And acting all innocently doesn’t make me laugh. It’s so disgusting it makes me want to vomit.”

“Is that so?”

Bai Tian’er applied her eyebrow makeup in front of the mirror. To be honest, her face was perfectly gifted. Whether with heavy or light makeup, she could pull it off flawlessly. In the entertainment industry, where success is seventy percent looks and thirty percent effort, she was already halfway to winning.

“Slut, you’re nothing but a slut. Don’t think I don’t know you only got where you are by sleeping your way up. That ad you’re shooting today was negotiated by Wang Yuan too, right? It’s hilarious. I heard it’s from the same chewing gum manufacturer as before. Do you really think they’d use you? They’re just planning to humiliate you. Don’t flatter yourself, you slut!”

“Are you finished?” Bai Tian’er stood up, her expression calm, her eyes gentle like a lily slowly blooming, pure and fresh.

“Bitch!” The more composed Bai Tian’er appeared, the more intense Shi Wen’s jealousy burned.

“Look at yourself.” Bai Tian’er held a small mirror from her purse before Shi Wen. “You have a beautiful face and a clear voice, yet you spew such filth. Look at the distorted face in the mirror is that really you?”Shi Wen stared at the fierce reflection, her anger flaring as she slapped Bai Tian’er’s hand away.”

“Who are you to lecture me? What do you think you are?”

“I am indeed nothing special. Everyone walks their own path. If you only focus on making others stumble while you watch mockingly, you’ll never get far.” Bai Tian’er put the mirror away. “Harming others ultimately harms yourself. Think it over carefully.”

Having been reborn into this life was no easy feat. She didn’t want to make enemies, but the other party refused to yield.

“Slut, I don’t need your preaching! You’re just a whore who slept her way to the top. What right do you have to judge me!”

Turning away, Bai Tian’er’s expression gradually darkened.

If others offend me, I’ll show courtesy once. But if they repeat the offense… it won’t end with mere elimination.

She had no desire to provoke others, but she was no longer the timid soul from her previous life.

Shi Wen, I gave you a chance. If you insist on this path, next time you’ll learn what it means to reap what you sow.

Before leaving, Bai Tian’er said softly, “Shi Wen, I’ll be moving out of the dorm tomorrow.”

As the door closed, screams and endless curses erupted from inside. To Shi Wen, that single dorm room should have been hers, stolen away by that bitch Bai Tian’er.

“Bai Tian’er, you bitch! Just wait! Your luck won’t last forever!”
Inside the company van, the stern-faced Wang Yuan awaited Bai Tian’er. Contrary to public speculation about their relationship, Wang Yuan was more serious than any manager.

“This is your only chance to debut or get shelved by the company. The opportunity is yours to seize.” Wang Yuan spoke rapidly, his gaze devoid of warmth. “If you fail, I’ll terminate your contract immediately.”

“I understand.” Bai Tian’er asked no further questions, nor did she show resentment.

In her view, Wang Yuan securing this opportunity for her was already an achievement.

“Blue Lotus primarily produces chewing gum. They originally planned to invest heavily in this advertisement for prime-time broadcast, which would have boosted your fame. But due to your past performance, the opportunity went to another debut trainee. I managed to secure you an audition for their mouthwash commercial.”

“Does Blue Lotus produce mouthwash?”

A flicker of appreciation crossed Wang Yuan’s face her question proved she’d done her research.

“They’re indeed launching its newly. The first three quarters will focus on promotional buildup, so they won’t invest heavily, relying more on their chewing gum line to drive mouthwash sales. This means the commercial will likely air on lower-viewership local channels. You probably won’t achieve instant fame.”

Bai Tian’er nodded, her expression serene and unaffected by his words.

“Just having this opportunity is already something I’m grateful for.”

“No, opportunities are something you must fight for yourself. All I’ve done for you is arrange an interview.”

After saying this, Wang Yuan handed the script to Bai Tian’er, then leaned back in his seat and pretended to nap.

No instructions, no guidance – everything depended entirely on Bai Tian’er’s own understanding.

This hands-off approach was rarely used with newcomers.

Newcomers were practically synonymous with cluelessness, often making mistakes repeatedly in a single scene. The driver couldn’t help glancing at the two through the rearview mirror, wondering to himself: Wang Yuan was an experienced agent, so why was he being so irresponsible? And that girl – why wasn’t she asking more questions?

But when he caught sight of Bai Tian’er’s face, he couldn’t help but gasp.

The girl looked like a goddess descended from mythological tales, so exquisitely beautiful. Earlier outside, he had only seen Bai Tian’er wearing sunglasses, not her full face. Her aura alone had been stunning enough, but now seeing those pure, spring-like eyes, the driver could hardly look away.

So beautiful…

Yet such beauty could sometimes become an obstacle during filming.

Could Bai Tian’er really handle it?

“Teacher Wang, we’ve arrived.”

Though he wanted to keep looking at Bai Tian’er, the driver dutifully parked the car in the advertising company’s garage. Wang Yuan nodded without opening his eyes, then suddenly spoke.

“Bai Tian’er.”

“Yes?”

“This is a war.”

This is a war… A flash of determination crossed Bai Tian’er’s eyes.

Indeed, this was a war, the first step in her revenge. If she lost, the company would sideline her permanently, with no chance of rising again. Only by winning could she successfully debut and enter the entertainment industry.

The girl’s pale, nearly transparent fingers gripped the car door handle, then resolutely pulled it open.

This battle could only end in victory, not defeat.

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Zephyr Yizelle

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