Lin Xiaoman decided not to leave. However, she was just a minor celebrity, without the ability to resist the talent agency. The signed advertisement could not be refused.
Lin Xiaoman thought for a moment and sent Xiao Bai a WeChat message: “Send me a copy of tomorrow’s schedule.”
After a while, Xiao Bai sent a document showing a train after eleven at night, arriving in City C the next afternoon, with a shoot at three in the afternoon. It was a night sleeper train, Lin Xiaoman guessed.
Since Lin Xiaoman arrived, she hadn’t interacted much with him, but she had heard from company people that Xiao Bai was particularly stingy and would withhold payment from artists. Many artists he had previously managed had fallen out with him for various reasons, but because he was the nephew of a senior executive, things were always suppressed. This made him act with impunity.
For example, a place that could be reached by plane in just one or two hours, he would choose the cheaper train to save money.
Lin Xiaoman saw through Xiao Bai’s intentions, but she didn’t want to call and argue with him. Instead, she blocked his phone and booked a flight from City A to City C at noon. Afterward, Lin Xiaoman contacted Qiao An, informed her of her arrangements, and apologized in advance on Weibo and fan groups: due to scheduling issues, she would end the signing event early in the morning and expressed her apologies.
That night, Lin Xiaoman slept well. The next day, arriving at the signing hall, she saw Xiao Bai with bloodshot eyes, looking particularly haggard.
Lin Xiaoman ignored him completely and walked straight ahead.
Xiao Bai, full of anger, rushed in front of her and questioned her furiously: “What are you doing?! Why couldn’t I reach you all night?! Didn’t we say there’s a schedule today? Are you going to violate the contract?!”
When Xiao Bai returned to the hotel, he found he couldn’t contact Lin Xiaoman. Not realizing he was blocked, he went to her room only to find she had checked out.
He hadn’t figured out what happened, thinking they had missed each other, and searched the lobby for a long time without finding her.
Only then did he realize Lin Xiaoman was probably deliberately avoiding him.
