Superstar Assistant [GL] - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Luo Na was also extremely surprised by Li Ziyu’s request. “You are currently in a rising phase. If your hiatus is too long, people will forget who you are. It will be much harder to regain today’s level of popularity later than it was to get here in the first place.”

Li Ziyu replied, “It’s not that I won’t work at all. I just hope that during this period, I won’t have schedules like TV dramas or movies that require long periods to complete. I can still take on some commercial performances and other events.”

Luo Na rubbed her forehead. “The hiatus I’m referring to is specifically for TV dramas. Their production cycles are inherently long. Of the two dramas you filmed previously, My Youthful Days, which we shot last summer, is scheduled for the summer break, and The Legend of Yuannü will likely be set for early next year. This keeps you on screen once every six months. If you don’t film for a long time, the gap after The Legend of Yuannü will be too large, affecting the audience’s familiarity with you.”

Li Ziyu frowned but remained silent, clearly unwilling to back down.

Seeing the stalemate between Luo Na and Li Ziyu, Zhou Tiantian spoke up. “Sister Luo is telling you this because she likely has a very good script in hand. Why don’t you reconsider?”

Luo Na looked at Zhou Tiantian appreciatively. Zhou Tiantian was right; she did have an excellent script, which was why she was so persistent in persuading Li Ziyu.

Li Ziyu turned to Zhou Tiantian, her expression full of disapproval. “And let you give birth alone?”

Luo Na was confused. “Why does Zhou Tiantian giving birth require you to accompany her…” Then, memories of how the two interacted on a daily basis flashed through Luo Na’s mind, and she realized Li Ziyu was indeed very special toward Zhou Tiantian. “Are you two…” It couldn’t be what she was thinking.

Li Ziyu remained firm and admitted her relationship with Zhou Tiantian. “Sister Luo, you are my agent, and I shouldn’t keep these things from you. The child in Zhou Tiantian’s belly is mine, so I cannot let her enter the delivery room alone.”

Luo Na felt like her entire world had been hit by a shockwave. “Wait, what did you say? The child in her belly is yours?” Shouldn’t it be that Zhou Tiantian was abandoned by some scumbag and then fell in love with Li Ziyu, with Li Ziyu acting as the “step-parent” to raise the child together?

Listening to the conversation, Zhou Tiantian began to panic, but Li Ziyu firmly told Luo Na, “Yes. Weren’t there news reports a few years ago about research into same-sex reproduction? Tiantian and I are essentially ‘test subjects.’ Sister Luo, don’t tell anyone; it involves research secrets.”

Luo Na nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. “I’d have to be insane to tell anyone! If I did, you wouldn’t just be the headline of the entertainment section; you’d be the headline of the entire internet! And why do you tell people so casually while demanding they keep it a secret?!”

Luo Na was on the verge of a breakdown; her usually calm and steady image was completely shattered by Li Ziyu.

Li Ziyu felt quite relaxed, even finding Luo Na’s reaction amusing, and couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s because I trust you, Sister Luo. And since you’re my agent, I should obviously tell you about my affairs.”

Luo Na rubbed her temples, feeling entirely out of sorts. If the child was indeed Li Ziyu’s, her wanting to take time off for the birth was understandable.

But…

“You two are dating on the company’s dime!” she shouted, slapping the table so hard her hand hurt. Knowing Li Ziyu was immune to both soft and hard tactics, she turned to Zhou Tiantian. “Not only are you taking the company’s money and dating while on the clock, but you’re also using the company’s PR department to help push your ‘shipping’ tags!”

Zhou Tiantian immediately sat up straight, feeling wronged. “The ‘shipping’ was started by the fans themselves. I… I only posted a few videos to clear Ziyu’s name when she was accused of mistreating her assistant.”

Luo Na’s chest heaved with anger, but she wasn’t actually targeting their relationship… forget it, she didn’t even know what she was angry about anymore.

The office fell silent. After calming down, Luo Na looked at the two of them and finally sighed. “I give up on you both. The fact that you’re together must absolutely not be leaked. Although the country has become very tolerant of same-sex relationships in recent years, Ziyu, you are in a rising phase; it’s not suitable to expose your personal life.”

Li Ziyu nodded. “So, Sister Luo, will you approve my leave?”

Luo Na gritted her teeth. “If I don’t approve it, am I supposed to accompany her to the operating table instead?”

Li Ziyu smiled. “That wouldn’t do.”

Luo Na let out a deep sigh. “Zhou Tiantian’s maternity leave will follow national regulations. During this time, I will try to arrange short-term schedules for you. As for the assistant vacancy during her leave…”

“Sister Luo,” Zhou Tiantian’s voice was much softer than both Luo Na’s and Li Ziyu’s, but her softness no longer implied cowardice. “I will handle Ziyu’s work just as before. Except for the one month of postpartum recovery, I can continue just like I always have.”

Luo Na hesitated, being a woman herself. Li Ziyu was even more pained by the thought.

But Zhou Tiantian had her own insistence. “I know many women who work right through their pregnancy and return to the office immediately after their leave. I can do it too. I know my own body; it’s no problem.”

In this life, thanks to Li Ziyu’s “feeding,” her physical constitution was much better than in her previous life.

Luo Na couldn’t help but look at Li Ziyu, since she was Zhou Tiantian’s partner. Suddenly, Luo Na felt she was being too passive—why did Zhou Tiantian’s work schedule have to depend on Li Ziyu’s mood!

As expected, Li Ziyu disagreed. “This is a critical time for you. Why are you in such a hurry to work? What if you exhaust yourself? You should rest properly for half a year.”

Zhou Tiantian’s heart skipped a beat, but her eyes held a firm resolve. She instinctively leaned back against her chair, creating distance between herself and Li Ziyu to signal her stance. “Ziyu, I am currently being accepted by others in the industry. People no longer look at me as just a celebrity’s assistant. If I rest for half a year and then return, who will still know who Zhou Tiantian is?”

Even someone like Li Ziyu faced popularity issues; Zhou Tiantian was just an assistant. By then, even fewer people would remember her.

“But your current condition…” Li Ziyu suddenly had a feeling that the present Zhou Tiantian was no longer as obedient as she was in high school.

Sure enough, just as Li Ziyu had firmly demanded no long-term schedules, Zhou Tiantian told her, “My current workload isn’t actually that heavy. Since you won’t have much work during this period, I’ll be quite relaxed too. I don’t want to just stay at home doing nothing.”

“Wait, Zhou Tiantian, are you refusing to listen to me now?” Li Ziyu looked at her in disbelief. Zhou Tiantian’s face was still so sweet; last night when she teased her, she had shyly hidden under the covers; her voice was still so soft—so why wasn’t she listening?

Zhou Tiantian nodded firmly. “Yes. I have my own thoughts and my own career.”

At this, the frustration in Luo Na’s heart finally dissipated. She had finally found someone who could keep Li Ziyu in check. Zhou Tiantian was truly wonderful.

Li Ziyu watched Zhou Tiantian in silence, beginning to release an intimidating aura to make her compromise. However, having been with her for so long, Zhou Tiantian knew that while Li Ziyu could be fierce and scary, she would never actually do anything to her. Facing the aggressive Li Ziyu, she felt no fear.

Finally, Li Ziyu yielded. She turned to Luo Na and said, “Sister Luo, I think my workload needs to be reduced even further.”

Luo Na countered, “I will hand over full responsibility for your work to Zhou Tiantian. She will decide what and how much work to arrange for you based on both your situations.”

Li Ziyu had been checkmated. Now she was the one who was angry.

Zhou Tiantian wasn’t afraid when Li Ziyu glared at her again, meeting her gaze calmly.

Ultimately, Li Ziyu let out a defeated sigh.

Seeing her finally compromise, Zhou Tiantian brought up the second matter. “Sister Luo, I have one more thing I want to discuss with you and Ziyu.”

As they both looked her way, she said, “I hope the company can follow the Japanese and Korean models to establish an official fan club for Ziyu. Firstly, it makes managing fans easier, and secondly, we can deepen fan loyalty through various official activities.”

Luo Na hadn’t considered this angle, but she knew that official fan clubs in Japan and Korea offered many benefits.

Luo Na said, “I think your proposal is viable. Have you had this in mind for a while? When can you send me a formal plan? I’ll decide after reviewing it.”

Zhou Tiantian’s eyes lit up instantly. “Yes, I’ll send the proposal to you later.”

From the moment they left the company, Li Ziyu entered a semi-vacation state. Zhou Tiantian went over the upcoming schedule with her. “You need to go to G City tomorrow to film a variety show to promote My Youthful Days.”

“Are you coming with me?” Li Ziyu asked.

Zhou Tiantian said as if it were obvious, “Of course. It’s not like I’m immobile.”

Li Ziyu sighed deeply.

Just as Zhou Tiantian was about to comfort her, her phone rang. Seeing Han Ping’s name, her heart skipped a beat. The event she had been both dreading and anticipating was finally coming.

Zhou Tiantian glanced at Xiao Xu and the driver in the front. Inside Li Ziyu’s luxury van, a dark glass partition suddenly rose between the front and back seats.

Zhou Tiantian looked at Li Ziyu, who slightly raised an eyebrow. “Take the call. Or do you mind me hearing the conversation?”

Zhou Tiantian steadied herself and answered. She heard Han Ping sobbing on the other end. “Tiantian, what should I do? Your father owes so much money to loan sharks, and now those people have come to the house. Your father wants me to ask you for money to pay the debt.”

Zhou Tiantian could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It wasn’t nervousness or fear, but a sense of excitement. She instinctively grabbed Li Ziyu’s hand, yet couldn’t stop her fingertips from trembling slightly. Fortunately, her voice sounded very calm. “How much does he owe?”

Han Ping couldn’t stop crying. “He owes nearly a million! Where are we supposed to get that much money?!”

Seeing Li Ziyu looking at her with concern, Zhou Tiantian actually smiled and said to Han Ping on the phone, “It’s okay. I’ll handle it.”