Rong Qiao emerged from the club in a daze.
She could hardly believe her luck, like pie falling from the sky.
Because Mrs. Lu had promised to help her resolve her contract issues and grant her freedom.
She had long wanted to leave the company, but the exorbitant breach of contract fees had kept her from even suggesting it. If she didn't terminate the contract, the company would keep dragging its feet, preventing her from making a comeback. By the time her contract expired, she'd be long past her prime.
She had signed a five-year contract with the company, with another year and a half remaining.
If Mrs. Lu were willing to help, it would be nothing short of ideal.
"I don't want to owe anyone. You helped me once, I'll grant you one wish, how about it?"
"Do you still want to stay with this company? If not, I'll have them set you free."
These words from Mrs. Lu came out so effortlessly. What she had longed for, someone else could accomplish with a mere word. This was the difference between the wealthy elite and ordinary people, wasn't it?
Rong Qiao was stunned, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Honey, what do you think?" After making arrangements with Rong Qiao, Mrs. Lu turned to the man beside her for his support.
Lu Yanbei, holding her hand, uttered a single word. "Good."
Afterward, Rong Qiao was politely shown out.
Standing under the scorching sun, Rong Qiao finally sobered up, excitement immediately following.
She finally had a chance to turn her life around!
Just then, her phone rang.
It was Qiao An'an calling. "Rong Qiao, you betrayed me!"
"Miss Qiao is joking. We were never on the same path, so how could there be betrayal?" Rong Qiao replied with a charming smile.
The voice on the other end roared in exasperation, "You tipped off Su He, didn't you?"
"If you say so, then so be it." Rong Qiao no longer cared. She had what she wanted, and Qiao An'an, even with her powerful connections, no longer posed a threat.
"Rong Qiao, you've been abandoned by the company, what are you being so proud about! Believe me, with a single word, I can make things even worse for you?"
"Qiao An'an, you'd better pray for yourself!" Rong Qiao, tired of listening to her hysterical curses, hung up the phone directly.
When Qiao An'an called again, her phone was already turned off.
Having resolved one source of annoyance, Rong Qiao was in a good mood and entered the mall with her bag.
Tomorrow, tomorrow she would be free!
***
Su He kept her word and quickly resolved Rong Qiao's contract issues.
Of course, Lu Yanbei's assistance was instrumental in this.
However, it was Xu Jing, a top agent from Su He's studio, who negotiated with the other company.
"For you, Rong Qiao is a discarded piece. All her resources have already been divided among other artists, so keeping her has no value. It's better to terminate the contract amicably, and you can still collect a substantial termination fee."
"Although Rong Qiao hasn't made a public appearance in a while, she's still a B-list or C-list celebrity..."
"So what? The entertainment industry changes so rapidly. A few months of inactivity and fans will have already moved on! Or, are you planning to re-promote her?"
The company representative was silent for a long time, still reluctant. "The company spent a lot of money to cultivate her. Terminating the contract like this would be a significant loss."
Xu Jing chuckled. "I know the industry rules better than you do. How much you spent to cultivate her and how much you earned from her, we all know. Here is a five-million termination fee. Either sign the contract termination or wait for her popularity to completely dwindle and for her to become a nobody. You choose."
Xu Jing had the upper hand in terms of assertiveness. Coupled with the backing she had, the company representative reluctantly signed.
Upon receiving the termination contract, Xu Jing didn't meet Rong Qiao but instead mailed the contract directly to her.
Su He had once asked her if she wanted to sign Rong Qiao to Qinghe Entertainment. Xu Jing retorted, "This woman has been rumored with your Mr. Lu several times, aren't you jealous?"
"I trust my husband," Su He replied confidently.
Xu Jing nodded with a smile. "Rong Qiao is indeed good, but the company has too many similar artists. Adding her won't make much difference, nor will subtracting her. Besides, she's too straightforward and prone to causing trouble."
Su He's expression immediately showed understanding. "You have a point."
Rong Qiao had considered Qinghe Entertainment but ultimately abandoned the idea.
Firstly, they might not necessarily be willing to take her in. Her popularity had declined significantly recently, and her commercial value had shrunk. It would likely be difficult to recover to her previous state in a short period. Frankly, they were running a company for profit. Mrs. Lu's act of paying five million to terminate her contract was already exceedingly generous.
Secondly, she was still somewhat afraid of Lu Yanbei. She could tell that Lu Yanbei did not want her to have too much contact with his wife.
Based on these two points, she would not sign with Qinghe.
Upon receiving the contract, Rong Qiao was overjoyed and specially announced the good news on her social media platform.
She still had quite a few loyal fans, and they were very happy for her upon hearing about her contract termination.
"Congratulations to Xiao Qiao for escaping the sea of suffering! So happy!"
"Scumbag company, it's the right decision for Xiao Qiao to leave!"
"Should have done this long ago!"
"No matter where you go, we'll support you!"
Scrolling through the comments below, Rong Qiao finally felt a weight lifted from her heart.
Just as she was contemplating whether to invite some friends out to celebrate, her former agent showed up.
"Rong Qiao, when did you get in good with the Lu family? You didn't even tell me."
Rong Qiao glanced at her indifferently, too lazy to engage.
When everyone was pushing her down, she hadn't seen her do anything for her. In fact, she had even transferred her assistant to serve other artists. Hah! And now she remembered her.
"It has nothing to do with the Lu family. I just helped Miss Su with a small favor." Rong Qiao dared not mention Lu Yanbei again, lest this gossip run her mouth off and spread it everywhere later.
"Miss Su? You mean Mrs. Lu...?" The agent's eyes darted around, and she forced a smile, trying to be ingratiating. "Isn't Mrs. Lu also associated with Mr. Lu? You're still saying it has nothing to do with the Lu family?"
Rong Qiao rolled her eyes, utterly speechless. "Whose connections I have seem to have nothing to do with you, right?"
"How can it not be related? Actually, I've wanted to quit for a long time. If you're going to sign with Qinghe, I can go with you and still be your agent."
Rong Qiao was amused by her words. "I wouldn't dare trouble Sister Zhao! I'm just a washed-up celebrity now, with an uncertain future. I can't hold you back!"
Sister Zhao's smile froze on her face. "Look at what you're saying. We've worked together for so many years, you know my character."
"Precisely because I know it too well," Rong Qiao said, her gaze cold.
Sister Zhao's heart pounded under her stare, and her smile finally faltered.
She said indignantly, "What are you so proud of! Don't think you can go back to how things were just because you've climbed onto a high branch! Someone like you, who betrays their own, won't have a good ending!"
"You don't need to worry about what kind of ending I'll have!" Rong Qiao curtly kicked her out and slammed the door shut.