She had always been stubborn and persistent, yet made him unable to let her go.
When Lin Xiaoman first got into trouble, he realized he couldn’t ignore her or let her leave.
When he first discovered these thoughts, he felt uneasy, but quickly rationalized that it was because he saw her as a substitute for Tang Feifei, momentarily unable to distinguish between them.
He was determined to keep her by his side.
But Ji Zhixian didn’t wait for Lin Xiaoman; instead, he received a press release from Yue Ding that smoothed over the kept-woman incident.
He never expected that Lin Xiaoman still held such crucial evidence.
Thinking carefully, he always said Lin Xiaoman was nothing like Tang Feifei, but actually, they were both incredibly proud, never bowing to anyone and never admitting defeat.
With the company treating her this way, how could she obediently compromise?
Although it was unexpected and he should be angry about Lin Xiaoman’s unilateral action, risking further danger by angering the management company, the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted.
“Mr. Ji,” the office door was knocked, and Zhang Chengxu walked in, “The information is traced. It’s the Ning family.”
Ning Yumei didn’t expect that after they had painstakingly found a way to expose Lin Xiaoman’s weakness, Yue Ding would suddenly appear, seemingly willing to be cuckolded and cleaning up the entire situation.
“Damn!” Ning Yumei angrily threw her phone to the ground, her expression distorted, “I’m so angry! So angry!”
She grew more furious, smashing all the bottles and jars on her makeup table to the ground.
The door was pushed open, and an elegant mature woman approached her, softly saying, “Are you this upset over such a small matter?”
“How is this a small matter?” Ning Yumei was so excited her eyes were red, “We finally found a way to discredit her, but she easily resolved it. When will we get such a good opportunity again?”
“Who says she resolved it?” The mature woman smiled charmingly, “Nothing can be resolved so easily. You’re still too naive. No matter what you do, you must always keep a backup plan.”
Ning Yumei was puzzled, “Mom, do you have another method?”
“Although Yue Ding said he rescued Lin Xiaoman, he doesn’t actually have a house in Tiansha Jindi,” the mature woman slowly explained, her expression triumphant. “As long as we release photos of Lin Xiaoman at Jinsha Tiandi, what do you think people will think?”
“Right, how could a runaway girl afford to stay in Tiansha Jindi? Isn’t this proof she’s being kept by someone?” Ning Yumei also started laughing, “As expected of my mom, you’re amazing.”
“You’re grown up now and should learn to be more steady.”
“But I have you,” Ning Yumei hugged the mature woman and acted coquettishly, “Lin Xiaoman’s mom is no match for you, right, Mom?”
Ning Yumei’s expression became complacent. This time, she was determined to destroy Lin Xiaoman and ensure she could never recover.
After Lin Xiaoman ended her livestream, she received a call from Wei Qinghuan. The young girl was extremely worried. Lin Xiaoman comforted her for a long time, telling her not to act impulsively online, which made her feel relieved.
Because she had nowhere to go and couldn’t go to Ji Zhixian’s place, she directly found a hotel to stay in. Xie Chi and Xiaobai were worried about her and also stayed nearby.
“Xiaoman, the online sentiment has started to change,” Xiaobai said, constantly monitoring online dynamics. Seeing the crisis was averted, he was slightly more at ease.
“Several artists have already come out to criticize the company’s tyrannical clauses. Everyone is pointing the finger at the company, and you’ve become a victim.”
Lin Xiaoman was not surprised by this development. The company was not only harsh on her but likely treated other artists the same way. Now that she dared to be the first to speak out, some of the artists who had been mistreated would certainly stand up as well.
Although the force was small, with public opinion’s power, the company wouldn’t dare to act rashly, especially since she had audio evidence. As long as netizens continued to dig, they might uncover even more explosive dirt.
However, this meant she would have a falling out with the company and would inevitably terminate her contract. This was something she had long anticipated and hoped for.
“Xiaobai, I will terminate my contract with the company.”
“Definitely. After this, staying with them would be crazy.”
“You’ll leave the company with me.”
“Definitely.” Xiaobai agreed quickly and decisively.
Lin Xiaoman was somewhat surprised. She knew Xiaobai was different from before, but leaving the company wasn’t a decision made on a whim based on friendship.
“Think carefully. After I leave the company, I won’t have a contract, and after this incident, no company might be willing to sign me.”
“Doesn’t matter. As long as someone is willing to support you, you’ll definitely become famous.”
“I won’t go to Ji Zhixian, don’t even think about it.”
“Then I’ll stay with you.” Xiaobai had already thought this through. He couldn’t continue working with a terrible company that exploited people. Xiaoman was the most suitable person for the entertainment industry and the one he most wanted to support. “Without Ji Zhixian, there’s still me. I’ve been in the entertainment industry for years and have some connections. Rest assured, as long as you continue to appear on camera, you’ll definitely become popular.”
He spoke with absolute confidence, without any hesitation.
Lin Xiaoman smiled slightly and extended her hand: “Please take care of me from now on. Don’t worry, I definitely won’t let you down.”
After confirming Xiaobai’s intentions, Lin Xiaoman looked at Xie Chi. Before she could speak, he said, “I can work without salary or even pay you, as long as you let me stay…”
His voice carried a hint of pleading that softened hearts.
“I need you,” Lin Xiaoman interrupted him. “So please definitely stay.”
Xie Chi looked at her joyfully, his starry eyes sparkling like a child receiving a gift. The curve of Lin Xiaoman’s mouth unconsciously deepened, her voice warm and firm: “As long as you’re willing to stay, I will never abandon you.”
Even if she was currently surrounded by enemies, she firmly believed that one day, she would return to her rightful position. And her companions by her side, she would never let them down.
The next day, Lin Xiaoman was preparing to go to the company to terminate her contract, but as soon as she woke up, she saw “Lin Xiaoman is kept” trending again.
Someone had released photos of her entering and leaving Jinsha Tiandi, pointing out the extremely high housing prices and that the entire complex was sold out last year, and that the Ning and Yue families had no property there.
With these few pieces of information, netizens began speculating whether Lin Xiaoman was being kept.
Xiaobai jumped in anger. “It seems these people have been watching you for a long time.”
The first person Lin Xiaoman thought of was “Ning Yumei”.
However, now was not the time to investigate responsibility. She needed to first address why she appeared at Jinsha Tiandi. Direct denial wouldn’t work, as the photos were clear.
She had no wealthy friends living in Jinsha Tiandi. The only person she knew who lived there was Ji Zhixian, but even if it was him, getting involved would only complicate matters.
This situation seemed unsolvable. Lin Xiaoman’s only thought was to let it naturally cool down.
But this would always be a stain on her reputation.
While Lin Xiaoman was feeling troubled, her phone rang.
It was Ji Zhixian.
★ Chapter Forty-Five: Rescue
“I’ll come back and solve this.”
The voice on the other end of the phone was Ji Zhixian’s usual cold tone.
