Turns out I Was the CEO's White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 18

Xie Yun looked at his face in the mirror and took a deep breath.

He casually grabbed a few tissues and wiped away the water droplets rolling down his cheeks, letting his slightly damp hair cling to his forehead. He forced a smile at his reflection he had always been good at practicing fake smiles. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have outshone many talented actors at such a young age and earned the title of Best Actor so early.

In five years, Shen Yelin would die in a car accident.

Perhaps Xie Yun was the last person to learn the news back then. When the accident happened, he was busy filming in another city. It wasn’t until paparazzi reports flooded his phone that he discovered the person he deeply loved had suddenly passed away without his knowledge. And he hadn’t even been able to see him one last time.

The original plan of taking things step by step was clearly no longer suitable for the present. He had to act quickly, to prevent the other from repeating the same tragedy.

Lost in thought, Xie Yun had already walked back to the private room.

During his absence, the waiter had served the dishes they had ordered. However, because Xie Yun had been gone for so long, Shen Yelin had been waiting for him. Seeing him finally return, Shen Yelin felt slightly relieved.

After all, Xie Yun’s complexion had been terrible when he left earlier. As friends for several years, he couldn’t help but worry about him.

Shen Yelin carefully observed Xie Yun as he entered the room, noticing his lips were still somewhat pale, and the water droplets on his forehead hadn’t been fully wiped away, leaving him looking rather disheveled. He handed over a few napkins and asked, “Here, wipe yourself off. Your hair is wet.”

Xie Yun said “thank you” and sat quietly in his chair, drying his hair. After a long while, he suddenly looked up and spoke hesitantly, “Senior, actually, the reason I invited you out today… is because there’s something I wanted to say. But this matter might trouble you quite a bit, so I’ve been hesitating whether or not to bring it up.”

At this point, Xie Yun paused, his tone tinged with bitterness. “I don’t know what you thought back then, but when I first mustered the courage to speak to you, I didn’t consider too many things. I just wanted to be friends with you, without any regard for your background or family. But now, here I am, asking you to use your connections to help me. It’s really…”

Shen Yelin raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Xie Yun’s face, urging him to continue.

Seeing this, Xie Yun let out a long sigh and showed a relieved expression. “My contract is about to expire.”

“So?”

“Originally, I planned to go solo after my contract ends and start my own studio.” Xie Yun gave him an awkward smile. “But you know my abilities well, Senior. I’m not really good at things outside of acting. So I’ve been hesitating about whether I should really go independent. Besides, several companies have been approaching me recently, wanting to sign me…”

Shen Yelin’s heart stirred, vaguely guessing what Xie Yun hadn’t yet said.

He still remembered from his previous life that after Xie Yun’s contract expired, he decisively terminated it, went solo, and established an entertainment company centered entirely around him. It gradually grew into a force to be reckoned with in the industry, taking a significant share of the market from Yao Entertainment.

Because of this, he had been nagged by his subordinates for several years, who were quite resentful that he hadn’t managed to sign Xie Yun to Yaoyu Entertainment.

So, was Xie Yun here to ask about his future career direction?

But Shen Yelin clearly remembered that in his previous life, the other party had never asked him such questions.

“Maybe it’s because of your rebirth that the worldline has changed,” the system whispered. “Look at Fu Jianyi and Ji Wencheng, didn’t they also…”

If the system hadn’t brought this up, it would have been fine. But as soon as it was mentioned, Shen Yelin felt a faint headache coming on again.

He pressed his temple and said to Xie Yun, “Don’t overthink it. Just do what you love. Sometimes, following your heart can lead to good results. Believe in yourself.”

The speaker may have meant nothing by it, but to the listener, the words instantly took on a different meaning.

Xie Yun felt his heart tremble at these words, and he instinctively clenched his hand.

So, his choice was right after all. Even he had indirectly expressed support.

In that case, he might as well go all out.

“Senior,” he said in a serious tone, looking at Shen Yelin, ” could you, on behalf of Yaoyu Entertainment, sign me?”

Shen Yelin paused as he lifted his teacup.

Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Xie Yun’s expectant gaze and slightly furrowed his brow.

This plot development didn’t seem right.

He had thought Xie Yun suddenly brought this up to ask for encouragement. But he never expected the other party to abandon the idea of starting his own business and instead seek to sign with Yaoyu Entertainment through him.

Although it would be a good thing for Xie Yun’s long-term development if he could join Yaoyu Entertainment, Xie Yun now had everything going for him the right timing and favorable conditions. Why would he go out of his way to work for someone else and let others reap the benefits? Wouldn’t it be better to be his own boss?

Thinking back to Xie Yun’s earlier reaction, Shen Yelin guessed that the system had probably dropped the ball again.

He rubbed the rim of the porcelain cup and remained silent for a long while.

Seeing his silence, Xie Yun’s heart tightened with anxiety. In all the years they had known each other, he had almost never asked Shen Yelin for anything, fearing he might cross a line and upset him. This was the first time he had dared to step over that boundary, testing just how far he could go. And this reaction felt like a heavy blow to his heart.

Shen Yelin was hesitating.

For him, this was both good and bad.

It proved that his place in the other’s heart was a bit higher than he had estimated. But it also showed that when he made overly bold moves, Shen Yelin would still feel displeased. He hadn’t truly entered Shen Yelin’s heart.

“Tell me the reason,” Shen Yelin said calmly after thinking it over. “Although I know they’ve been in contact with you, Yaoyu Entertainment is nothing more than a mediocre option for you. It’s not worth much, but you’d regret giving it up. There’s no need for you to sign with Yaoyu.”

“I want to know, what made you give up the idea of starting your own company?”

Xie Yun answered without hesitation, “Senior, you’re mistaken about one thing. I haven’t given up the idea of starting my own business. It’s just that I feel I’m not mature enough yet to independently run a company. So, I wanted to ask you to sign me to Yaoyu Entertainment and have my studio operate under Yaoyu’s umbrella.”

At this point, he blinked at Shen Yelin and smiled gently. “After all, with you here, Senior, I don’t have to worry about being forced into an unfair, exploitative contract, right? And when terminating my contract with my current company, there’ll be fewer troublesome disputes.”

That was certainly true.

The saying “it’s easier to rest in the shade of a big tree” had been a timeless truth since ancient times.

But these reasons alone weren’t enough to fully convince Shen Yelin. Or rather, they could only persuade the ambitious half of him the other half remained skeptical.

Still, overall, Xie Yun’s request didn’t pose any harm to Shen Yelin, so agreeing to it was fine.

After a moment of thought, Shen Yelin gave a slight nod. “Alright.”

Hearing the reply, Xie Yun immediately broke into a happy smile. “Thank you, Senior!”

“No need,” Shen Yelin said calmly. “It’s just signing a contract. If anything, I should be thanking you for saving us a lot of trouble. After all, your agency contract has probably been eyed by various companies for quite some time.”

“Not that long,” Xie Yun replied. “They’ve only made some preliminary contact. Most of them are afraid of offending Hengjia.”

Shen Yelin hummed in acknowledgment.

Hengjia was Xie Yun’s current company. Though not as dominant as the rising star Yaoyu Entertainment, it had a solid foundation and was a major player in the industry, ranking among the top entertainment companies. If Xie Yun caused any friction with Hengjia during the contract termination, smaller companies wouldn’t dare take him on, even if he was currently a top-tier star.

After all, investing money to build up a top star was far easier than being relentlessly targeted and cornered by a top-tier industry giant.

When the dinner ended, Shen Yelin took a moment to call Qiao An.

He relayed Xie Yun’s intentions and asked Qiao An to find someone reliable to handle the negotiations, aiming to bring Xie Yun out of Hengjia smoothly and intact. Qiao An agreed promptly and then asked how they should approach Xie Yun’s agency contract whether to follow Xie Yun’s preferences or prioritize Yaoyu Entertainment’s interests.

This was a subtle probe into Shen Yelin’s intentions:

Are you doing this for profit, or to support this person?

Shen Yelin raised an eyebrow and simply tossed back, “What do you think?” leaving the other to interpret the meaning behind his instructions.

But it was understandable why Qiao An might overthink things. It was rare for their boss to personally intervene and specifically assign someone to handle an actor’s agency contract. Even if the actor in question was famous, it was hard to explain such unusual behavior even if the two were friends.

To some extent, it was also about clarifying the true nature of their boss’s relationship with this “Emperor Xie” in advance. That way, if paparazzi ever snapped photos and fabricated sensational headlines, handling the PR fallout would be easier.

Seeing that Shen Yelin didn’t intend to elaborate further, Qiao An said, “In that case, I’ll communicate with Emperor Xie to understand his preferences. We can draft a few proposals and let you decide?”

“Mm.”

The other end obediently hung up.

Shen Yelin put away his phone and walked over to Xie Yun. “I’ve already informed them about this. As for how the contract will be structured, you can discuss it directly with them. If you’re not satisfied with the terms, you can come to me.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yun nodded, then suddenly stepped forward, giving him a quick hug before swiftly stepping back again.

“Thank you, senior,” he said earnestly, looking at Shen Yelin. “I’ll work hard, don’t worry.”