Chapter 24

Chapter 24: 024 – Someone Behind Her

After a night of fermenting, the online storm around the awards ceremony only grew fiercer.

Director Liu and Xu Shu Jing were the first to be hit. Both their social media accounts were swarmed by furious commenters. The smugness they’d shown yesterday made the backlash look even uglier today.

Then the digs started.

Someone unearthed old rumors about Director Liu using casting-couch tactics on actors in his productions—more than once. Footage followed, showing him with his wife, the two of them looking like a couple in name only.

As for Xu Shu Jing… she’d debuted less than a year ago. Everyone had expected her to win the newcomer award. Not only had she failed to win, she’d been dragged straight into a scandal so public it left no space to breathe.

The most lethal part was what she’d done onstage yesterday—deliberately misleading the crowd, making people think the rumored male lead had nothing to do with her, but was connected to Qiao Qing Yan instead.

“Wu Lan, what the hell did you do?” The company’s voice came through the phone like a slap. “I told you to go to the Capital and settle those two matters. This is your solution?”

The caller didn’t pause long enough for an answer.

“Can you handle it or not? If you can’t, then get out!”

Since last night, Wu Lan had been buried under nonstop calls. On top of that, after Xu Shu Jing returned, she’d shown suicidal tendencies more than once. Wu Lan didn’t dare leave her alone for even a minute.

One sleepless night later, Wu Lan looked worn down to the bone.

“Sister Lan…” Xu Shu Jing’s voice was hoarse from crying. She stared up at Wu Lan with wet, pleading eyes, pitiful and helpless. “I’m sorry. I caused you trouble.”

She grabbed Wu Lan’s sleeve, knuckles white. “Why don’t you just give up on me and pick someone else? I don’t want to drag you down anymore.”

Wu Lan’s anger faltered. It always did, when Xu Shu Jing looked at her like that.

Xu Shu Jing sniffled, voice trembling with fragile sincerity. “If Sister Qing Yan hadn’t quit, it would’ve been better. Maybe she could’ve made a comeback. Then Sister Lan wouldn’t be in such a hard spot.”

Her lashes fluttered, and she forced the next question out as if it hurt to say. “Sister Lan… was Sister Qing Yan’s retirement something she prepared in advance?”

Right now, the online focus was split between Qiao Qing Yan’s Best Actress win and the scandal tied to Xu Shu Jing and Director Liu. For the moment, the heat around Qiao Qing Yan quitting hadn’t climbed as high.

But the instant Wu Lan heard Qiao Qing Yan’s name, something hard rose in her chest.

“No.” Wu Lan’s voice sharpened. “If she announced her retirement like that on her own, she’ll have to pay a huge breach-of-contract fee.”

“And she didn’t win that trophy fair and square.” Wu Lan’s mouth tightened. “There’s nothing to regret.”

If Qiao Qing Yan had won with real ability, Wu Lan might have felt a pang. With a trophy like that, a comeback wasn’t impossible.

But Wu Lan knew it wasn’t…

Xu Shu Jing stared at her, stunned, disbelief flickering across her face.

Wu Lan softened again—because Xu Shu Jing always looked like this when she was genuinely hurt. Because she was usually obedient and hardworking. Because last night’s explosion had left her so unstable she’d nearly tried to kill herself more than once.

Wu Lan stepped forward, pressed a hand to Xu Shu Jing’s forehead, and spoke in a soothing, practiced tone.

“You don’t have to envy her. She quit the industry because someone behind her helped her. Otherwise she wouldn’t have gotten that award. And quitting was the condition that person set.”

Wu Lan wasn’t stupid. She didn’t dare mention the Wang family directly. She was afraid Xu Shu Jing would collapse if she understood what kind of opponent they were facing.

“Work hard,” Wu Lan said. “In the future, you’ll win more trophies than her.”

Xu Shu Jing lowered her eyes, voice small. “But with my situation now… I’m afraid…”

A shaky breath. A helpless whisper.

“I’m afraid it’ll be hard for me to stay in this industry.”

Wu Lan pressed her fingers to her own forehead. She hadn’t expected things to spiral like this.

Yesterday afternoon, she’d been cautious. She’d already had someone delete the hotel surveillance footage. So how had it ended up being played at the awards ceremony anyway?

Did the Wang family have the power to predict the future?

In Wu Lan’s eyes, the answer was obvious: everything had to be the Wang family’s doing. She didn’t believe Qiao Qing Yan had the ability to pull off any of it.

If it was the Wang family… then it made sense.