Chapter 6 — From Green Tea to Palace

9. I have liked Tan Tu for a very, very long time. The day the university entrance exam ended, I gathered all my courage and wanted to confess my love to him. But... before the words could even leave his mouth, he spoke first: "He He, I'm about to go film." At that moment, I stood still, looking at him as if I was seeing a completely different path from everything I imagined about the future. He smiled, his voice gentle but determined: "People say I'm very suitable for the role, but I also want to... try a different life." I tightened the love letter in my pocket, hid it deeply, then tried to act calmly: "What a coincidence... I also plan to confess to someone... someone I've liked for a long time." Having finished speaking, I turned around and ran away, afraid that if I stood another second, my tears would fall. In front of him, I always feel inferior. As soon as the slightest "impossible" appears, I will immediately let go and withdraw. After that, everything was as I predicted. His first movie won a great victory in Cannes, taking a step towards the throne of international cinema. In addition, with his sophisticated, angular face, he quickly became the "dream lover" of women around the world. From the easily reachable neighbor's brother, he turned around and became the brightest star in the sky. By the time I graduated from college, he had been famous for four years, even completing his studies and passing the graduate school exam - such a perfect talent that everyone looked up to him. In everyone's eyes, he is the most brilliant genius, the unreachable peak. My mother was afraid that it would be difficult for me to find a job after graduating, so she advised me to take the civil service exam to become a stable teacher. But in my heart I was still a little unwilling. Knowing that Tan Tu's company was recruiting actors, I didn't think much and signed up. Thanks to my bright appearance and beautiful qualifications, even though I did not major in acting, I was still accepted and was able to participate in advanced training courses. Even luckier, I signed with the same company as Tan Tu. I thought to myself: "From now on, you are no longer a star far away in the horizon. You... are in my sight again." But in reality... After I debuted, I flopped miserably. Even though the company tried its best to market and create a "black and pink" route for me, I was still black and black, without a single red spot. This collaboration, next to me is Lam Tu Nhuoc - the female lead actress "media darling", making me standing next to her look like a small farce. I never dared to think that one day my name and Tan Tu's name would be placed next to each other on hotsearch. Furthermore, he appeared as a "younger child", and was even labeled "being pursued by Emperor Qin Ying". I sat looking at the screen, my heart pounding like thunder, my brain like a bomb exploding. Really... happiness fell from the sky, I was stunned and couldn't believe it. 【Bang ——】 It was as if there was an explosion in my head, my whole body sat stunned. The phone that I put in the microwave the other day, this time... it really exploded. I was pulled straight from the rosy dream back to a stressful reality, hearing the manager trying to advise Tan Tu on the phone: "This movie is airing! If you do that... it's a big loss!" "The company has invested a lot of money, waiting for a big hit. This is an idol movie, if it doesn't create a couple, how can it sell it?" “Now is the important stage for you to change your name fame into money, because of a flop actress like her... absolutely not worth it!” The manager advised until her throat was dry, but on the other end of the line, Tan Tu was completely silent - neither agreeing nor refuting. Waiting for her to finish speaking, he just asked one question: "To He He... is next to you, right?" The manager was stunned: "You... how did you know?" Tan Tu's voice on the other side was low, carrying a cold, sarcastic laugh: "If things are this noisy, if the company can't suppress public opinion, they will definitely find someone to take the bullet. The company only has a few familiar songs - with He He's condition, breaking the contract, then throwing her out to get cursed. Isn’t it… always this scenario?” Clearly... Tan Tu understands the company's tricks very well after all these years of working in the world. The manager glared at me, then angrily shoved the phone into my hand: "To He He! Why don't you answer his phone?!” I felt angry and mumbled an explanation: "This time... my phone really blew up..." ... Some sentences, saying them out loud, will cause harm later. I vow to keep my mouth shut from now on. After hearing what I said, Tan Tu on the other side laughed softly. His voice was low and gentle, like a spring breeze passing through his ears: "Be good, wait for me to come pick you up. I just finished filming.” This movie was filmed at a nearby film studio, from there it was about a two-hour drive to the hotel. And he... drove there alone. Two hours later, while I was still waiting nervously, the hotel room door was pushed open. Tan Tu appeared, holding the signed dissolution contract, and also carrying... a brand new phone. He stood in front of everyone, his voice calm and clear: "He He and I... will leave here together." The manager was so shocked that blue veins appeared on her forehead, her voice almost screaming: "Tan Tu! Do you know the consequences?!” “To He He is a flop actor. Breaking her wish was so simple. But you… you are the backbone of the company! Commercial contracts, signed filming schedules... You go, who will take care of it?!” “Also… Do you know how much compensation you have to pay?!” I curiously leaned over and looked down, my eyes glancing at the number clearly printed on the contract. Fine for breach of contract: 3 BILLION!!! Me: “…” Manager: “…” My brain: the screen immediately turned blue. 10. Tan Tu joined the company since debut, the amount of money he has earned over the past few years must be three times this number of 3 billion. Yet, the contract only has one year left, if you want to terminate the contract... you have to pay 3 BILLION in compensation!? Truly... a classic trick of the "blood-sucking capitalist" world! I immediately raised my hand, my voice firm: "Let me pay!" Manager: “…” “Ancestors, what does this have to do with me?!” She looked at me, then at Tan Tu, her eyes as if she were looking at two paranoid children. “It's been a few years since I debuted, don't you know how much I have left in my pocket? My father is a teacher, where do you think we can find three billion for you to burn? Me: “…” Hesitating a bit, then replied in a low voice: “But… my family is actually… quite wealthy.” Really quite wealthy. My mother was originally a rich lady, on the outside she looked like a "gentle and simple" teacher, but in reality... she held tens of billions of assets. She did not like the competitive market, so she let the executives manage, and every year there were still tens of billions of profits reported to her door. As for my father... even though he lives abroad, he is not an ordinary person. He is a famous lawyer throughout the United States, his income is measured in dollars, so much that you can hear it dizziness. The two of them actually loved each other deeply, but that year they divorced... just because of an impulsive anger. After the divorce, both of them regretted it, but neither of them refused to go down, so until now, neither of them has remarried. I am the only child of two people, raised in complete love, and have a very good relationship with my parents. To be honest... three billion to me is just pocket money for a year. It's just... my dad was busy across the ocean and didn't have time to care about showbiz, so he didn't know that I debuted a few years ago and was scolded by netizens for a few years. If you knew... the defamation lawsuit would have been flying around Weibo a long time ago. I took a deep breath, looked up at the manager, and said firmly: "Don't worry. I can pay you. That's enough." The manager sighed, turned to look at Tan Tu, her voice full of helplessness: "Tan Tu, have you thought carefully? What if you can settle the contract violation fee? But what about the future?" “Are you going to personally throw away everything you've worked for ten years to get?” I was extremely tense listening, my eyes quietly looking at Tan Tu. I know... when he first entered the world, he just tried it out of curiosity. But after so many years, he persistently studied acting and fell in love with this profession more and more. You're someone who doesn't easily let go of your dreams... But now, you're standing between me and my ten-year career...