Turns out I Was the CEO's White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 19

The embrace was light, as if afraid he might get angry just a brief brush against the corner of his clothes before quickly pulling away.

Shen Yelin’s body stiffened slightly.

He stared at Xie Yun, who had taken a few steps back with an unchanged expression, and moved his lips, ultimately deciding against asking.

Though unlikely, he sincerely hoped Xie Yun hadn’t been dragged into rebirth by the system. After all, that wouldn’t be good for either of them.

He still wanted to live quietly for a few more days.

Just then, the car sent to pick him up arrived at the entrance. Shen Yelin didn’t say anything more, simply nodding at Xie Yun. “I’ll head off now. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yun watched with a smile as Shen Yelin lowered his head and got into the car, disappearing behind the dark door. The bitterness in his heart was finally quietly replaced by sweet joy.

That embrace just now he hadn’t been rejected.

Nor had he shown any sign of disgust.

So, did that mean he was gradually being accepted, and one day, he could stand by his side as an equal?

Xie Yun waved at the figure behind the car window and silently made up his mind.

Senior, don’t worry. This time around, I won’t let you face it alone again.

Things were progressing smoothly between Yaoyu Entertainment and Hengjia.

With the boss personally overseeing the matter, no one dared to be careless. Everyone was fully focused, meticulously engaging in the lengthy negotiations with Hengjia.

After all, Xie Yun was a rising star at the peak of his popularity, holding the title of Best Actor. The process of terminating his contract and leaving was naturally more complicated than for an ordinary celebrity. News of his contract expiration and plans to leave Hengjia had been circulating for a while, and every company wanted to secure this cash cow, making the competition even fiercer.

The two strongest contenders in this race were Yaoyu Entertainment and Yue Lin Entertainment.

The former was an established entertainment company in the industry, with countless well-known artists under its banner and a unique knack for promoting talent. A partnership with them would undoubtedly elevate Xie Yun’s career to new heights. The latter, though new to the entertainment industry, had a solid background, ample funding, and a strong presence in the internet sector. While its current development might not match Yaoyu’s, it had the potential to catch up and even surpass it.

As for Xie Yun’s future, many eager onlookers were already waiting with bated breath, anticipating a dramatic showdown between the two sides. After all, most top stars’ departures from their former agencies ended in messy disputes. And given that Hengjia was no pushover, leaving smoothly would likely come at a heavy cost.

To be honest, if Xie Yun ended up tarnishing his reputation over this, it would be a real shame.

After all, most idols these days would market themselves as “dedicated” just for filming a scene in water. Someone like Xie Yun, who works tirelessly, takes acting seriously without causing drama, and excels in both acting and looks, is truly rare. Not to mention, he has a good personality, strong values, no bad habits, and never bullies others.

Every high-quality star is precious, and fans can only hope Hengjia does the right thing.

As for Xie Yun’s fans, they were already buzzing with heated discussions.

Our own idol hasn’t been treated well at Hengjia his current status was entirely earned through his own talent and relentless effort. The fandom has long been dissatisfied with Hengjia. Now, finally able to bid farewell and being fiercely pursued by several major companies, everyone finally feels a sense of vindication. But as much as they’re thrilled, the issue of resources and future development after the idol’s contract termination is even more important than their own happiness.

After careful consideration, only Yaoyu and Yue Lin are barely worth considering. The others? What kind of trash are they?!

As for these two companies, which one to choose has sparked fierce debate within the fandom.

As everyone knows, Yaoyu is a massive enterprise with many long-established, highly popular artists. Even though Xie Yun is currently considered a top-tier A-lister in the industry, joining them would only place him in an awkward, middling position. After all, they can’t prioritize a newcomer at the expense of their established stars, right?

But Yue Lin is different.

Yue Lin has only been involved in the entertainment industry for a few years and has very few popular artists under its banner. They desperately need a pillar like Xie Yun to bolster their reputation and would certainly not treat him poorly. Moreover, Yue Lin’s future development is clearly promising and unlikely to falter. Joining Yue Lin would be mutually beneficial.

If even fans can see this, how could the person at the center of it all not realize it?

Fu Jianyi thought the same.

However, on top of that, he had an additional layer of personal motive.

Yue Lin’s contact with Xie Yun happened before Fu Jianyi met Shen Yelin. Now, with memories from five years later, he already knew that Xie Yun wouldn’t accept offers from any company this time but would instead choose to establish his own agency. This made him even more concerned about Xie Yun’s destination.

Their brief encounter last time was enough to make him realize that Xie Yun was not to be underestimated. Such a person was best kept under his own control, closely monitored, to prevent him from becoming an obstacle in his plans.

Thus, after returning, Fu Jianyi instructed his subordinates to sign Xie Yun to Yue Lin at all costs no matter the price.

He didn’t want to find himself undermined by some kid halfway through his plans.

So, he had to block every possible path in advance to avoid any unexpected setbacks that could ruin everything.

Xie Yun was smart and knew exactly which choice was most advantageous. In his previous life, Yue Lin hadn’t shown enough sincerity, so it was understandable that Xie Yun chose to go independent. This time, with all sincerity on the table, Fu Jianyi refused to believe Xie Yun would still choose to strike out on his own and take on Hengjia alone.

Once Xie Yun joined Yue Lin, he would be easy to manage.

Fu Jianyi planned meticulously, and his subordinates worked diligently. However, as the saying goes, man proposes, but God disposes. Just a few days after he issued the order, his subordinates nervously knocked on his office door to report that Xie Yun had temporarily rejected the terms offered by Yue Lin.

“Rejected?” Fu Jianyi frowned. “Why?”

“They said they need more time to consider the terms we offered,” the manager hesitated before replying. “Although we immediately responded, saying we could continue negotiations if they found anything unsatisfactory, they don’t seem interested in further discussions.”

Fu Jianyi held the contract handed to him by the manager, his fingers tightening around the edges, leaving small creases in the paper.

He had skimmed through the contract and could already tell it was the best offer the industry could provide. Even if they were trying to poach the most popular veteran star, this contract would make their heart skip a beat. Fu Jianyi didn’t believe Xie Yun couldn’t see how many benefits he could gain from Yue Lin once he signed the contract. Yet Xie Yun still refused it, which could only mean one thing

Either a better contract was already laid out before him, or he had other motives.

Yao Yu wasn’t lacking in artists who could carry their own weight, so they definitely wouldn’t make such significant concessions like Yue Lin. Shen Yelin wasn’t the type to let personal feelings interfere with business, and the others at Yao Yu naturally wouldn’t go out of their way to help Xie Yun just because of his relationship with Shen Yelin. That ruled out the first possibility.

So, the only possibility left was the latter.

Was Xie Yun planning to join Yao Yu to get closer to Shen Yelin?

Under the same roof, no matter how busy they were, there would always be chances to meet. It might not seem like much in the short term, but with Xie Yun’s skills, accumulating over time could become something terrifying.

Fu Jianyi still remembered the information he had gathered about Xie Yun. It clearly stated that Xie Yun and Shen Yelin met at a celebration party. And at that gathering, only Xie Yun managed to strike up a conversation with Shen Yelin, gradually becoming familiar with him afterward.

Or rather, it was Xie Yun who made all the effort to get close to him.

Fu Jianyi knew Shen Yelin’s personality well: too enthusiastic would backfire, too cold would turn them into strangers. Crossing the line would annoy him, but if you always kept a comfortable distance, you’d never truly get close to him.

Yet Xie Yun had persisted, and even done quite well. Shen Yelin’s indulgence toward him had once made Fu Jianyi, five years later, jealous to the point of heartache.

Xie Yun must not be allowed to join Yao Yu.

Realizing this, Fu Jianyi’s expression darkened.

He expressionlessly set down the contract, looked up, and stared at the nervous person in charge. “Since we can’t sign him, forget it. Some things just can’t be forced.”

The person in charge secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, “Mr. Fu, you don’t need to worry too much. The company has several other promising artists. With a bit more promotion, they can definitely step up and carry the weight. We don’t necessarily have to sign Xie Yun”

“No need,” Fu Jianyi interrupted. “As long as he can’t sign with Yao Yu.”

“Huh?” The person in charge was stunned.

“Since he won’t come to Yue Lin and can’t stay at Heng Jia”

Fu Jianyi pushed the contract into the shredder and said calmly, ” Then he shouldn’t even think about joining Yao Yu.”

“This…”

“My request isn’t high,” Fu Jianyi said. “If you can’t sign Xie Yun, then make sure Yao Yu can’t sign him either. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

The person in charge hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “No problem.”

He had thought his boss suddenly saying they’d spare no expense to sign Xie Yun meant he had taken a liking to him. But now, he was turning around and saying they’d ruin his career… Was this a case of “if I can’t have it, no one can”?

Thinking about it, it made sense. After all, the pie was only so big, and the more people fighting for it, the less each person got. If Xie Yun managed to join Yao Yu, it would inevitably cause some losses for Yue Lin in the future.

Truly worthy of being the boss always thinking several steps ahead!

The manager thought with genuine admiration.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

The manager glanced awkwardly at Fu Jianyi, who responded with a slight nod. Relieved, the manager stepped out of the office to take the call. After a while, he returned with an expression that was hard to read somewhere between delight and worry and cautiously said, “Mr. Fu, the PR department just sent a message asking you to check the trending topics.”

Fu Jianyi shot him a glance and, under the manager’s awkward smile, casually opened the webpage.

Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

At Yao Entertainment headquarters.

Shen Yelin sat alone in the empty conference room and casually unlocked his phone.

At the top of the notification bar, a latest push notification from Weibo floated: “Shocking revelation about a popular young actor secretly kept by a wealthy patron while lying about being single and misleading fans!”

He tapped into it and saw the self-proclaimed “gossip exposé” Weibo post, along with the attached photos.

In the dimly lit corridor of a restaurant, the two individuals involved in the scandal were shown in an intimate embrace, clearly both men. The slightly more passive one had his back to the camera, revealing only a slender neck and a slightly tense jawline. The other, who was holding him, showed a small part of his face, beaming with a joyful smile a face easily recognizable to the gossip-loving public.

Shen Yelin’s brows furrowed deeply.