Chapter 11
News has leaked out that the young heir to Ou Hua Corporations, Ou Chen, has been sent to the hospital, suffering from severe stomach pains! However, while at the hospital, Ou Chen suddenly changes his mind about Luo Xi’s contract, retracting his previous decisions and claiming that Ou Hua Corporations is actually very pleased with Luo Xi’s peformance. The board of the company is immensely relieved as they had feared losing their financial contributors and suffering from their own economic loss.
On the other hand, Luo Xi is wary of what Ou Chen is planning and still bitter on how high-handed this Young Master thinks he is to interfere with someone else’s life. Although Jie Ni and Luo Xi’s other a.s.sistants are celebrating over this latest development, he broods in silence.
If Ou Chen loses Luo Xi’s partic.i.p.ation and his legions of fans, how will Ou Hua Corporations handle the consequences? He wants to see who will really suffer from Ou Chen’s decisions!
The others are horrified that Luo Xi is contemplating refusing to go back to filming. While they understand Luo Xi’s reticence towards Ou Hua Corporations, they fear what would happen as retribution should Ou Chen decided to retaliate. Luo Xi cannot afford to get on Ou Hua Corporations’ bad side!
“I’ll return on one condition. That Ou Chen holds a press conference and publicly apologizes!”
There is no possible way that Young Master would consent to such a demand, Xi Meng thinks as he relates the latest news to Ou Chen. Young Master despises being in the public eye and then to issue a formal apology to a mere entertainer? Impossible. However, Xi Meng is surprised when Ou Chen not only takes the report calmly but smiles.
“I’ll do it.”
*******
The day of the press conference, reporters are all gathered around to catch the moment. Ou Chen is calmly waiting at the front of the room when Luo Xi strolls in casually. Catching sight of Ou Chen, Luo Xi smiles his trademark smile and starts walking towards him. Ou Chen returns his demeanor in kind.
Ou Chen issues a formal statement that Ou Hua Corporations is very pleased with Luo Xi and that filming will resume immediately. At the reporters’ insistence, the two men firmly shake each other’s hands. Luo Xi smiles cheekily at Ou Chen, who coolly returns the smile.
The next day of filming, Luo Xi is riding high and in a great mood; everything is going perfectly for him right now. However, as he is strolling through the set, occupied with typing on his cell phone, Luo Xi freezes as he happens to glance up.
Ou Chen smiles back at Luo Xi but the smile does not reach his eyes. This time, Luo Xi’s expression remains impa.s.sive.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m visiting the set, of course.”
Luo Xi regards him with mild suspicion. And then smiles. Ou Chen does not offer any more and neither does Luo Xi ask for more details. However, when Ou Chen turns to leave, Luo Xi’s arrogant statement stops him in his tracks.
“Last night’s press conference must have been hard for you; I’m sure it was the very first time you ever had to publicly announce in front of other people.”
“I believe you’ve misunderstood the situation.”
“Oh really?”
“Your partic.i.p.ation to the series is meaningless. To Ou Hua Corporations, you are meaningless. To me… you are even more meaningless.”
“So even such a meaningless person as myself could cause the great Young Master Ou Chen to give up his self-respect and apologize to the public world? Now this is surprising.”
“You think I did it for you? I’m only upholding my end of an agreement. Someone came to me to ask a favor, and so now I’m just following through.”
“What are you talking about? What agreement??”
You and are I are of two worlds now… So we can’t go back…
Is that really so? Ou Chen seethes – so she and Luo Xi are of the same world then? So they can be together because they are the same kind of person? Sometimes too similar people are more p.r.o.ne to distrust though because they cannot believe in anyone else besides themselves. Let’s just see how deep their mutual trust really is!
Ou Chen smiles innocently. “I’m only visiting the set today to make sure that my end of the bargain is kept. Good bye.”
And Luo Xi is left standing there, frozen, watching Ou Chen walk smugly away. Remembering that picture he saw while in j.a.pan… the one of Xia Mo carefully tying the green scarf around Ou Chen’s wrist, the two looking so much like a couple in love.
*******
Xia Mo is busy working in the kitchen that night, while Xiao Cheng watches over her. Xiao Cheng muses that he is usually the one who makes the dinner, and Xia Mo comments that she wanted to do it herself today. Xiao Cheng nods his head knowingly – Brother Luo Xi must be coming over tonight then. Xia Mo smiles in response and then asks Xiao Cheng if he likes Luo Xi; she’ll only be with someone who meets with his approval too.
Although Xiao Cheng is a little jealous that someone else is able to obtain his beloved sister’s affections, his feelings are mitigated by the fact that at least it is the brother whom Xiao Cheng has always admired. Additionally, if it is someone whom Xia Mo cares for, then Xiao Cheng will also find a way to accept him too.
While setting the table, Xia Mo notices how much weight Xiao Cheng seems to have lost of late; has he been visiting his doctor and taking his medicine regularly?? Xiao Cheng brushes off Xia Mo’s concerns and a.s.sures her that he is feeling fine and yes, he is still seeing the doctor. Much to Xiao Cheng’s chagrin, Xia Mo decides that she will accompany him to his next doctor appointment and he is saved from arguing with her by the sound of the doorbell.
As the three settle down, Xia Mo eagerly places a chicken wing – her main dish – into both Xiao Cheng and Luo Xi’s bowls. Xiao Cheng receives his sister’s offering with enthusiasm and although Luo Xi smiles at her, his eyes convey a completely different message. Halfway through dinner or so, Xia Mo realizes that Luo Xi only eats his white rice while the chicken wing remains untouched the entire time. Trying to draw him into conversation, Xia Mo asks him how filming is going and Luo Xi responds with half-hearted answers.
The uneaten chicken wing continues to sit in his bowl.
Oblivious to the tension between the two, Xiao Cheng excuses himself to give them some alone time. When Xia Mo and Luo Xi quietly finish their dinner, she clears away the dishes, noting the untouched chicken wing in his bowl and the plentiful leftovers.
“Is something bothering you?”
“No.”
“Luo Xi…”
“Have you cleaned everything away?”
“Yes. Did the director criticize you during filming today? You seem put out.”
“No.”
“Were you stuck in bad traffic coming over?”
“No.”
“Was the dinner awful?”
“It was very good.”
“If you don’t want to say, then I won’t force you. But I ask of you, if you don’t want to talk about something in the future, then try not to let other people know that you’re upset. Considering your acting skills, it shouldn’t be that hard for you.”
Luo Xi freezes. Yes, he doesn’t want to tell her what Ou Chen said to him as he clearly knows that this is Ou Chen’s way of undermining his relationship with Xia Mo. And yet, he is filled with fear and uncertainty as he remembers that Xia Mo once said to him that if the situation was because of her, she would take care of it for Luo Xi. He wants to demand of her, did she agree to some kind of a bargain with Ou Chen? If so, what did she promise him?? Did she seek out Ou Chen on her own?
“Ou Chen came to visit the set today… he told me the reason for why he requested me to return again… Do you know what that reason is?”
“What reason?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It was an exchange. Because you agreed to his condition and so he is upholding his end of the bargain. What I want to know is… what did you agree to? Did you go find him? You did, didn’t you?! You begged him, didn’t you?!”
Xia Mo clearly explains to Luo Xi that she did agree to any bargain with Ou Chen; however, neither does she tell him that she had sought out Ou Chen. Calmly talking to Luo Xi, Xia Mo says that this way works the most in favor of Ou Chen. He gets Luo Xi back in his series, Ou Hua Corporations will greatly benefit financially and at the same time, he can sow discord between Luo Xi and Xia Mo. What does Luo Xi think she agreed to? Sleep with Ou Chen? Get back together with him? If Luo Xi did have to leave the series, she highly doubts that it would have destroyed his career!
“You’re… not lying to me?”
Frustrated beyond belief, Xia Mo turns to leave but then is stopped by Luo Xi’s cool grip on her hand. Hugging her from behind, Luo Xi whispers in a cracked voice.
“I believe you.”
“Luo Xi, you and I live in a world that is constantly surrounded by whispers and gossip. If we can’t trust in one another, then the obvious consequence will be us breaking up.”
“I will learn to believe you.”
*******
Xia Mo had thought that things would calm down after that day. However, as she is leaving the recording studio to meet up with Zhen En, who has come to pick her up, Zhen En’s frantic expression confuses her. Did she know already??
“Luo Xi has quit the series!”
The newspaper blaring the headlines is currently gripped in Zhen En’s hands; she couldn’t believe her eyes when she first saw it! Didn’t Ou Hua Corporations already issue a formal apology to Luo Xi and didn’t Luo Xi accept it? How can Luo Xi offend such a huge corporation? What is going on here? Taking the newspaper from Zhen En, Xia Mo quickly scans the article but nowhere does Luo Xi give a direct answer for his decision, only that Ou Hua Corporations should clearly understand why.
So like a child… that he would actually make such a choice…
Luo Xi smiles winningly in the picture and Xia Mo instinctively pulls out her phone and starts punching in his number – but then changes her mind. What is the point when Luo Xi has already obviously made such a drastic decision? There is no way to go back now.
“If it makes him happy to do so, then this is his choice.”
Following Luo Xi’s decision to withdraw from Ou Hua Corporations’ series, Xing Dian Talent Agency’s head honcho, Boss Xia, publicly announces that they will be moving forward with their own series, Tian Xia Sheng Shi with Luo Xi as their male lead! The script has been completed for some time now and they were only waiting for Luo Xi’s schedule to clear up. Boss Xia believes that Luo Xi must have his own personal reasons for withdrawing from Ou Hua Corporations and affirms that Tian Xia Sheng Shi will be a huge success. Additionally, the female lead will be none other than – Shen Qiang!
*******
Xi Meng discusses with Ou Chen that the probability of them getting Luo Xi back is highly unlikely now. However, since Luo Xi broke contract first, they can request financial payment on his end although considering how much Luo Xi is worth these days, the sum would essentially be pennies for him.
“Take the amount out of my personal account to pay the company back. You can handle all the logistics.”
“Young Master!”
Xi Meng is shocked although he knows better than to continue to argue with Ou Chen. The entire situation seems to have been a personal vendetta for Young Master although he continues to remain clear and level-headed in terms of other business matters, and so his position of authority has not been adversely affected. Xi Meng reminds Ou Chen that they will also need to start finding someone else to replace Luo Xi; however, since the series was specifically scripted for him, that may be rather difficult.
Reporters have been waiting with abated breath to see the formal reaction of Ou Hua Corporations since Luo Xi has unceremoniously backed out of his contract with them. Since Ou Hua Corporations is such an influential and powerful company, people are expecting a huge lawsuit to occur with months of media folly to keep them occupied. Therefore, they are stunned when Ou Hua Corporations not only excuses Luo Xi’s actions and also declines to seek any financial compensation. Additionally, they plan to cancel the filming of the series.
Luo Xi becomes occupied with filming for Tian Xia Sheng Shi and barely has any time to see Xia Mo. In fact, they are lucky if they are able to exchange a few words on the phone. It is during this time that Xia Mo realizes how much she has come to truly care about Luo Xi. She who used to go out of her way to not care about other people’s business now finds herself unable to NOT care about anything that has to do with Luo Xi.
After announcing the cancellation of Luo Xi’s series, Ou Hua Corporations suddenly announces that they will begin immediately filming a new series, Golden Dance. In fact, this series will not only utilize the same director as before but will also be even grander. According to the filming schedules, Golden Dance will be released at the exact same time as Tian Xia Sheng Shi. It is obvious that although Ou Hua Corporations took Luo Xi’s departure very gracefully, the release of Golden Dance is clearly meant to rival his new series.
Because Golden Dance will be focused on a strong female character, many agencies are pushing their female stars for the role, hoping to be able to gain an audition into the elusive Ou Hua Corporations. However, Ou Hua Corporations does not even hold any auditions before announcing who that lead will be – Yin Xia Mo!
Although Yin Xia Mo did receive the Best Newcomer Award and did surprisingly well in Innocent Love Song, her star power comes nowhere close to Luo Xi’s allure. However, since Yin Xia Mo is Ou Hua Corporations’ star, it only makes sense that they would be promoting her right now. Additionally, her well-known relationship with Luo Xi gives her an edge that no other female star would have as fans will at least want to watch her out of initial curiosity. In fact, this is actually a smart move on Ou Hua Corporations’ part.
At this time though, a hospital employee accidentally lets it slip that on the night Ou Chen was delivered to the hospital for stomach pains, it was Luo Xi’s girlfriend, Yin Xia Mo who brought him! And in fact, a fan had been nearby and taken a picture of the two – a picture that showed Ou Chen laying on the bed with a deeply concerned Yin Xia Mo guarding over him.
No wonder – !
How can Yin Xia Mo do such a thing to the Luo Xi who once helped her, just to get the lead role of Golden Dance? That kind of a woman… Headlines of newspaper are now running – YIN XIA MO GIVES UP LUO XI FOR ANOTHER! LUO XI AND YIN XIA MO OFFICIALLY SEPARATED! YIN XIA MO USES SEDUCTION TO WIN GOLDEN DANCE’S LEAD ROLE!
*******
The cell phone continues to ring, showing “Xia Mo” repeatedly on the screen. Luo Xi stares fixedly at that name as it continues to flash on his phone. Not long after the phone becomes silent, it rings again and again flashes the same name!
Luo Xi reaches out hesitantly to pick it up – but then stops himself, his mind replaying that picture of Ou Chen lying motionlessly on the bed, while a seemingly distressed Xia Mo hovers anxiously over him…
She… lied to him… She may not have agreed to a bargain with Ou Chen but she still went to find him! She sure knows how to play word games! He wanted to believe her and yet she still chose to lie to him…
Suddenly laughing crazily, his eyes filled with harsh coldness, Luo Xi rips out the battery to his cell phone and hurls it angrily at the wall!