Zhan Yangyi did not pursue the topic further, instead falling silent again.
Since the video incident was dismissed by Zhan Mohan, his relationship with Chen Yutong had been in a delicate state.
He had already formed suspicions in his heart about the entire matter, but these were merely guesses. Even now, neither Zhan Mohan nor Wei Yumeng had revealed the truth.
Zhan Yangyi didn't know if their silence was to protect their relationship or for some other reason.
Seeing Zhan Yangyi's silence, Chen Yutong kept glancing at him furtively.
She was unsure of what Zhan Yangyi was thinking. Now that things had reached this point, if Zhan Mohan truly ended their cooperation, Chen Yutong would only have Zhan Yangyi as a way to get closer to Zhan Mohan.
Losing Zhan Yangyi would mean losing her path to Zhan Mohan.
The thought made her clench her fists. Things had come this far, and she had no intention of turning back now.
“Yangyi, I know this happened at a terrible time, and neither of us wanted it,” Chen Yutong said, lowering her head. “I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, but there are some things I need to make clear. My feelings for you have been sincere from the very beginning, and I hope you won’t doubt our relationship because of these events.”
Hearing this, Zhan Yangyi felt a pang in his heart. He wished he could pretend that nothing had happened, but some things, once realized, weren't easily forgotten.
However, seeing Chen Yutong’s expression, Zhan Yangyi still felt a pang of reluctance.
He had developed genuine feelings for Chen Yutong and, no matter what, he truly hoped their relationship could continue.
Finally, Zhan Yangyi sighed, “I’m sorry, my words might have been inappropriate earlier, but I hope you understand something. You need to clarify your identity now. You are whose girlfriend, and don’t let such things happen again.”
Chen Yutong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. At least it meant Zhan Yangyi had let her off the hook this time.
“Don’t worry, I promise I won’t let the same thing happen again.”
Even as she said this, she never considered the consequences.
Chen Yutong was only thinking about how to placate Zhan Yangyi at the moment.
Chen Yutong returned to her residence and took a shower to calm herself down. The recent events seemed to have spiraled out of her control and were trending in a negative direction.
Although she appeared to have accepted Zhan Mohan’s decision to terminate the contract on the surface, she was unwilling to do so in her heart. If there was any way to reverse the current situation, she would do anything.
Just then, her phone rang. It was her agent.
“Hello? What is it?” Chen Yutong felt annoyed as soon as she saw her agent’s name. She knew without a doubt what he was calling about.
“Yutong, what’s going on? Why are they replacing you out of the blue?” the agent asked cautiously, knowing that Chen Yutong was probably not in the mood to discuss this topic.
Although Chen Yutong held little hope, she asked somewhat stubbornly, “Is there any way to stop the contract termination?”
The agent paused for a moment, then suddenly said, “There is a way… it’s just not easy?”
Chen Yutong’s spirits immediately lifted upon hearing there was a possibility. She was willing to do anything to hold onto this opportunity now.
“How so?”
“Even Zhan Corporation, when terminating contracts, will consider the project’s investment. Since the project is already at this stage and the financial investment from them and our company is substantial, to minimize the impact of termination, their current approach is to replace the person, not the company…” the agent hesitated before continuing, “The company has already arranged for someone else to take over your work.”
Chen Yutong pondered. She understood her agent’s meaning. If Zhan Corporation truly intended to end their cooperation, they could have simply terminated the contract with the company. But now, to reduce losses, they were merely replacing the artist. As long as there was a way to make the other artist withdraw from the project, she might still become a collaborator for Zhan Corporation’s project.
A slight smile touched Chen Yutong’s lips at this thought. “Who are the artists being considered?”
“Currently, there are three: Yang Lirong, Hua Qin, and Zhou Tingting.”
“Okay, I understand. Oh, and I’ll be coming to the company tomorrow. Please prepare something for me.”
With that, Chen Yutong hung up. She was confident about the three shortlisted candidates. Although these models had always been among the few in the company who could rival her popularity, they were still not as popular as her.
What’s more, she held some leverage over them that others were unaware of.
The next day, as soon as Chen Yutong arrived at the company, she encountered Yang Lirong, who was working.
“What, does our beautiful Chen have time to chat with me?” Yang Lirong said, deliberately putting on an exaggerated expression. “Oh, I forgot, you’ve already been replaced by Zhan Corporation.”
Chen Yutong responded to her provocative tone with a calm indifference. “It seems you are quite aware of what’s going on. However, I doubt this opportunity will ever fall into your hands.”
“How can you be so sure that President Zhan won’t choose me? I’m the most qualified among the three candidates. Regardless, I’m a better choice than someone who’s been abandoned, aren’t I?”
Yang Lirong deliberately shifted her posture, ostentatiously displaying her figure and long legs in front of Chen Yutong.
Chen Yutong let out a cold laugh. “Do you think Zhan Corporation would choose an unchaste artist who would sleep with her superior to get ahead? And this image spokesperson represents Zhan Corporation’s reputation. Do you think you still have a chance?”
Yang Lirong froze. “How do you know about that?”
“Of course, I know. And that’s just a fraction of what I know. What do you think would happen if I leaked all that information to Zhan Corporation?”
Yang Lirong’s face turned ashen. The exposure of her secrets would be a devastating blow, potentially ruining her entire future.
However, Chen Yutong approaching her clearly indicated that Chen Yutong had her own agenda.
“I understand. As long as you promise not to reveal those things, I will cooperate with you.”
Hearing this, Chen Yutong nodded triumphantly. “Don’t worry, I just need you to refuse cooperation with Zhan Corporation. That’s not difficult, is it?”