Hearing the "ding-a-ling" of the phone ringtone, Yu Qiao Qiao, who was excitedly talking with Chen Yan, suddenly stopped speaking.

Chen Yan picked up his phone and saw it was a call from Yang Rou.

He gave Yu Qiao Qiao an apologetic smile, then patted her head and said, "I need to take this call."

Yu Qiao Qiao looked at Chen Yan with her big eyes and obediently responded with a soft "Hmm~".

Then Chen Yan pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear, "Hello. Sister Rou, what's up?"

Though he had used the earpiece, the elevator was so quiet that Yang Rou's voice still echoed, "Chen Yan. There's been an issue. I need to talk to you about it."

Hearing Yang Rou's words, Chen Yan glanced at Yu Qiao Qiao and vaguely asked, "What kind of issue?"

Yang Rou replied, "It's related to 'Wandering Planet'."

Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, his relationship with Yang Rou was getting better, and occasionally she would call to chat about personal matters.

With Yu Qiao Qiao by his side, he didn't want her to realize something was off.

So, he said, "Okay. Give me a brief rundown. I'll come over and discuss it with you later."

Yang Rou, unaware of Chen Yan's unusual behavior, simply thought he might be busy, so she succinctly said, "I've received some tips from a few friends."

"They said Director Zhang seems to be orchestrating something."

"I have some clues, but I can't figure out if this is a good or bad thing."

As she finished, Yang Rou herself chuckled lightly.

Hearing Yang Rou's words, Chen Yan was stunned for a moment.

Director Zhang was orchestrating something; it was definitely not something favorable for him, yet Yang Rou laughed...

Hmm.

Was something off with Sister Rou?

Since it wasn't the right time for a detailed discussion, Chen Yan, still puzzled, chatted briefly with Yang Rou and confirmed that he would meet her later to discuss further before hanging up.

After ending the call, Chen Yan was still pondering why Yang Rou had laughed.

By the time he snapped back to reality, he suddenly noticed Yu Qiao Qiao gazing up at him curiously. Her large eyes were filled with curiosity.

Chen Yan coughed and asked, "What's wrong? Qiao Qiao. Is there something on my face?"

Yu Qiao Qiao shook her head and then quietly said, "No."

"I was just wondering... When Sister Rou was talking to you, she sounded so gentle..."

Hearing Yu Qiao Qiao's words, Chen Yan was startled.

He had been so focused on making sure Yang Rou didn't mention anything that might tip off Yu Qiao Qiao that he forgot about Yang Rou's tone and demeanor.

In front of others, Yang Rou was always stern, a cold beauty.

But since Chen Yan had opened "her heart" twice.

Privately, her attitude towards Chen Yan had become as warm as a melting iceberg.

Chen Yan was initially surprised, but gradually he got used to it.

However, he forgot that while he was used to it, others might not be.

Chen Yan thought that perhaps some people who occasionally saw them interacting might also have some doubts or suspicions.

With that in mind, Chen Yan's mind raced to find a suitable excuse to brush it off.

Before he came up with a good one, Yu Qiao Qiao continued, "But that's to be expected~ Chen Yan, you're such an outstanding person, and you're so nice to the people around you. If I were Sister Rou, I would also treat you differently."

Chen Yan felt a chill down his spine.

But he didn't know if Yu Qiao Qiao had an ulterior motive or if it was just an innocent comment.

Fortunately, after chatting about this for a bit, Yu Qiao Qiao seemed to really not think much of it, and switched to talking about some interesting encounters she had during charity work.

Thus, the two of them continued talking and laughing all the way to the 15th floor.

Chen Yan accompanied Yu Qiao Qiao back to her office and chatted with her briefly, confirming that once the matters about "Wandering Planet" were settled in a few days, they would arrange a meeting together.

Yu Qiao Qiao obediently agreed, then told Chen Yan to take care of his health and not be too busy.

Chen Yan nodded, and after expressing his concern for her a few times, he left her office.

Actually, their offices were so close, there was really no need for Chen Yan to accompany her downstairs.

But, as lovers, they always liked to do some meaninglessly sweet things.

It seemed that only in this way could they show how close they were.

And thus, relationships in love were built, one little event at a time.

However, that day, this approach clearly did not have the intended effect.

After Chen Yan left, Yu Qiao Qiao sat in her office, her hands propped against her cheeks, staring fixedly at the doorway, her eyes filled with confusion and doubt...

After a moment, she thought for a while, then picked up her phone and opened WeChat.

She aimlessly scrolled up and down her WeChat list for a while.

Yu Qiao Qiao's slender index finger eventually stopped on a user named "Big Fish Stewed Begonia."

The user's profile picture was a cartoon girl that looked quite goofy.

Yu Qiao Qiao hesitated for a moment, then clicked in and sent a message,

"Sister Man Man. Are you there? I'm a bit confused about something and need to ask you..."

Lu Man obviously wasn't busy, as she replied almost instantly,

"Qiao Qiao Qiao Qiao Qiao~~ What's up?"

Yu Qiao Qiao,

"Today, I was downstairs with Chen Yan, then Sister Rou called him, and... her voice was very gentle, completely different from usual. Chen Yan was fine, but do you think Sister Rou could like Chen Yan?"

Lu Man,

"...."

....

At this moment, Chen Yan did not yet know that due to Yang Rou's call, Yu Qiao Qiao's "discovery" process had been propelled forward significantly.

After chatting with Yu Qiao Qiao and seeing there were no problems, Chen Yan entered the elevator and headed to the 17th floor of Chenlu Film Company.

On the way up, he greeted the employees, who were excited about the sales of "Wandering Planet" and arrived at the president's office.

The film company had been reorganized, but because of the "Wandering Planet" issues, the office area hadn't changed yet, and Yang Rou's office just had a new sign.

He knocked on the door, and Yang Rou's cool voice came from inside, "Come in."

Chen Yan pushed the door open, and Yang Rou was sitting behind her desk, marking documents.

This woman in her thirties showed no traces of the years on her.

Moreover, perhaps due to Chen Yan's influence during this period, she even appeared younger.

After marking a few more notes, Yang Rou glanced up and saw Chen Yan at the door, her eyes and brows immediately softened.

Women need love.

A woman in love is at her most beautiful in life.

Before, Chen Yan already knew Yang Rou was beautiful, but seeing her iceberg melt recently revealed a beauty emanating from her bones.

It was an innate charm, with every move displaying the tender and gentle beauty of Chinese women.

After all... once ice melts, it becomes water, it's flawless.

Moreover, the name "Yang Rou," "Rou" being her name.

While distractedly imagining this, Chen Yan closed the door behind him and asked, "Sister Rou. Are you busy?"

Yang Rou glanced at Chen Yan with a smile, not quite smiling as she said, "Even if I am, I'd have to take a break for you now."

With that, she closed the document she was holding and came around from behind the desk.

Knowing the purpose of Chen Yan's visit, she poured a cup of water for him while smiling, "You know, when I heard from my friend, I was almost unable to react."

"I almost thought Director Zhang had taken the wrong medication to dare do such a thing."

Chen Yan's curiosity was piqued so high that he asked, "What is it exactly? What's he planning?"

Yang Rou placed the water in Chen Yan's hand and leisurely said, "My friend mentioned that Director Zhang has contacted many celebrities in the industry, first and second tier, planning a big move."

"Big move?" Chen Yan was perplexed.

Yang Rou nodded, "Yes. He really believes in his film. Seeing the poor reception, he's quite angry."

"He thinks we're behind it, maliciously giving him bad ratings."

Chen Yan: ??

Chen Yan was puzzled.

He asked, "Did you do it?"

Yang Rou spread her hands, "Of course not. I never resort to such tactics."

Chen Yan said, "It couldn't possibly be me either. I don't have time to deal with film company issues. The film industry is so small..."

Yang Rou rolled her eyes at Chen Yan and continued, "Right. This small pond is not even enough for you, the dragon king, to turn around."

Chen Yan: ...

Chen Yan felt there was something odd about that phrase.

Did the dragon king need to turn around?

Shoving aside these thoughts, Chen Yan asked, "So what is he planning to do?"

Yang Rou covered her mouth and laughed, "He's planning to organize actors from the first and second tiers to post on Weibo, saying his movie is good."

Chen Yan: ...

Chen Yan was bewildered, "Has he gone mad?"

"Isn't this just picking a fight with the audience?"

Yang Rou replied, "He doesn't think he's picking a fight with the audience; he believes he's using all these celebrities to salvage the film's reputation, telling the majority of the ordinary viewers that his film is good."

Chen Yan: ...

"Amazing..." After a moment, Chen Yan slowly uttered two words.

He really couldn't understand Director Zhang's thought process.

How much confidence must one have to make such a foolish move?

However, as he pondered, Chen Yan suddenly thought of Xu Zhaorong.

He paused, and then frowned, deep in thought.

If this was Xu Zhaorong fanning the flames, maybe, just maybe, Director Zhang would really do something foolish.

After all, Xu Zhaorong was Director Zhang's most important partner, and he had always been known for his sharp vision and tactics.

If he supported Director Zhang in this endeavor, then Director Zhang might actually continue down this reckless path.

Thinking this, Chen Yan felt somewhat exasperated by Xu Zhaorong's ruthlessness.

This guy, to secure his own retreat, really cleaned house completely.

He threw his old buddy of over twenty years, who helped him conquer various challenges, right into the fire without blinking.

Chen Yan really wanted to hand him a microphone and interview him about his feelings.

While Chen Yan was lost in thought, suddenly, both his and Yang Rou's phones rang with the "ding-a-ling" sound.

Chen Yan and Yang Rou looked at each other, then both picked up their phones and answered the calls.

The call on Chen Yan's side was from his assistant.

Over the phone, the assistant sounded quite surprised and anxious, saying, "President Chen! You have to check Weibo! There's big news over there."

"Director Zhang implied on Weibo that we gave him low ratings, then said his film is actually much better than the rating suggests."

"Many first and second-tier celebrities have reposted his Weibo post."

Chen Yan was shocked for a moment, not expecting Director Zhang to be so decisive; he really didn't think through the consequences before making the Weibo post.

He hung up the call and couldn't help but look at Yang Rou.

Yang Rou nodded, succinctly saying, "It's about Director Zhang."

After both confirmed the content of their calls, they each opened their phones and checked Weibo.

The top trending hashtag on Weibo was #Director Zhang Says His Movie Is Good, and He Likes It#.

Chen Yan clicked on it, and the top post was Director Zhang's Weibo,

"A movie's quality cannot be determined by its rating."

"Especially when, in this case, there might be malicious smearing by competitors."

"Art should lead the public, not be led by the public."

"A movie should be closely dissected and savored, like a strong cup of tea, bitter yet sweet on the finish."

"The Ferryman, ferrying others, ferrying oneself. I like it."

One had to say, Director Zhang, true to his intellectual persona, crafted his words well. Chen Yan "tsk-tsked" twice, then continued scrolling.

Then, he discovered that dozens of top-tier celebrities and many more second-tier ones, along with a bunch of lesser and unknown celebrities, had reposted the message, with only a few exceptions. The post was bustling with activity, each celebrity uniformly adding the phrase "I like it too."

Chen Yan watched the long list of names and mentally compared it with the evidence he and Yang Rou held, feeling... well, that they could pretty much move forward.

Thinking this, Chen Yan clicked on the comments under these posts.

As expected, the comments were all critical.

After all, Chen Yan really hadn't manipulated his ratings. The low score was genuinely earned.

The audience's eyes are sharp.

Whether a movie is good or not is instantly noticeable.

Now, with Director Zhang rallying so many stars from the entertainment industry to "storm the palace," the audience naturally burst out!

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