Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

At nine o'clock, Wen Yun had just gotten off the plane, hurrying back after landing at Xinghai Airport.

After leaving Cloud Wing, she utilized her years of connections. She had been flying around almost everywhere during this period, as many people needed to be visited in person.

On the other hand, she now focused entirely on managing Lin Wanzhou alone. The young girl had a lean foundation; all her works were left at Cloud Wing, and now she needed to establish new resources.

The only thing that gave her peace of mind was that Lin Wanzhou was very obedient and professional.

After Madam Guan Jin passed away, Lin Wanzhou's performances on stage were still beyond reproach. But off stage, she became a different person, sitting motionless, lost in thought.

Despite her condition, Cloud Wing was only focused on making money, even intensifying her schedule. Most of these were rejected by Wen Yun; the ones she couldn't refuse due to the contract had to be honored.

From that time on, Wen Yun harbored thoughts of leaving Cloud Wing with Lin Wanzhou but never found the right opportunity.

That opportunity was delayed until the contract was nearly ending. Wen Yun sensed the company had no intention of terminating the contract, which only increased her dissatisfaction. At that time, Lin Wanzhou insisted on participating in a romance reality show, and Wen Yun let her be.

Latterly, when she got "The One I Miss" from Xu Qingyan's hands, to say she was taken aback would be an understatement; it was a revelation that stirred a storm within her.

Over the years, she had seen many talented singers rise to quick fame. Yet very few singers could remain popular for a lifetime. Choosing the right path was more important than simply working hard.

The path Wen Yun was waiting for was none other than Xu Qingyan.

A singer's confidence comes from their work. After understanding the relationship between Lin Wanzhou and Xu Qingyan, Wen Yun made a decisive move, immediately choosing to terminate Lin Wanzhou's contract with Cloud Wing Entertainment.

More than a month had passed, with many incidents, both big and small, occurring in the meantime.

In the taxi, Wen Yun took out her cell phone from her bag. The cold light of the screen fell on her face, revealing a certain maturity and barely visible crow's feet at the corners of her eyes.

With a buzz, Qi Ting sent her a video. The cover was an interview with Xu Qingyan, the background was a recording studio, and the title was "Listen to the Bells."

"Hmm? Xu Qingyan gave an interview?" Wen Yun was somewhat surprised.

Her understanding of Xu Qingyan was not extensive, mostly from bits and pieces shared by Lin Wanzhou and some negative news that had emerged. In any case, she had a fairly positive impression of him.

In Wen Yun's view, Xu Qingyan was a measured man with a strong sense of purpose. In desperate times, he could be fierce and had a rough background.

He was a bit reckless, but extremely kind to those around him.

What mattered most was Xu Qingyan's knack for songwriting, which, she knew, would shine sooner or later wherever it was placed. It was a coincidence that Lin Wanzhou knew him; were such serendipitous things even possible in this world?

With these factors combined, Wen Yun turned a blind eye to his and Lin Wanzhou's little antics. She chose not to meddle in their affairs anymore, ignoring what she could.

"He lays low after becoming famous, waiting for an interview to cleanse his public image, huh?" Wen Yun murmured.

Having held sway in the entertainment industry for many years, she had seen more than most in the industry. By comparison, her insights were sharper and more critical.

Xu Qingyan, despite his sudden fame, had made no moves, and the first step he took was to accept an interview. Clearly, he intended to set the record straight before making another move.

Simply put, he was whitewashing his image.

Whitewashing doesn't necessarily mean going from black to white. If an artist or celebrity was inherently controversial, being proven wrong countless times, then whitewashing would be futile.

It applies to removing some of the audience's fixed impressions of an artist, such as being greasy, having low EQ, or being lazy.

For example, if an artist has been smeared as a domineering CEO figure by the media, their team might use clarification or self-deprecation to change the public's impression.

This is a very common tactic in the entertainment industry, minor in terms of altering perceptions, major in terms of public relations.

What truly surprised Wen Yun was that while Xu Qingyan was not part of this industry, he had this awareness in mind, which is what people call "talent."

With a sense of curiosity, almost as if driven by a ghostly force, she clicked on the video.

The screen dimmed, and it seemed the video had been edited, with the progress bar indicating only ten minutes even when pulled all the way to the end. It began with Xu Qingyan singing "Clear Sky," then moved on to the main topic.

The questions were somewhat sharp, but Xu Qingyan did not evade them.

Wen Yun watched unenthusiastically, slowly dragging the progress bar to find parts she found interesting. Hearing Xu Qingyan's explanation of his relationship with Pei Muchan, she couldn't help but curl her lips in disdain.

Men, is there one who doesn't want what's in the pot while eating from the bowl? Good men in this world are almost extinct; Xu Qingyan was no exception.

She continued watching, pausing when Lin Wanzhou was mentioned.

"Your latest song is called 'Fragrance of Rice'; I made a point of listening to it. I quite like it personally. May I ask what inspired it?"

"Be true to life," Xu Qingyan paused for a moment, gazing downward momentarily, "This song is actually for Lin Wanzhou, but she asked me to record it, and then release it."

"A gift? Without payment?"

"That's right," Xu Qingyan laughed, "How can I take money for a gift? It's mainly because of some special childhood experiences, I guess. We grew up in the same place."

"So, would you say you are childhood friends?"

"Perhaps we are, perhaps not," Xu Qingyan laughed again, then added, "I wrote this song hoping she could relax a bit. A person's value doesn't need others' affirmation."

As Wen Yun listened to Xu Qingyan's smooth talk during the interview, she initially wanted to laugh, thinking these were just clichés. But as she kept listening, her expression changed in an instant.