Su Lin's termination of his contract with the agency quickly became a trending topic.
With only six months left on his contract, it was understandable that even if he was dissatisfied with his employer, he could have waited a few more months for it to expire automatically. However, he chose to terminate it by paying a compensation fee, which immediately sparked considerable speculation.
"Su Lin and the agency had a good relationship, so why the sudden termination, and in this manner?"
"Heard the company forced him to star in a BL drama, and he refused, causing a rift!"
"Isn't that normal? BL dramas are so popular now, making him act would have been for his future!"
"What do you know! Su Lin has always focused on music creation and disdains earning money this way!"
"In this day and age, there are still such aloof artists?"
"Even if he didn't want to star in a drama, he didn't have to terminate the contract, right? Fifty million in termination fees is no small sum, how unprofitable!"
"It's not just Su Lin, many artists have left!"
The number of comments below the trending topic kept increasing, exceeding ten thousand within hours.
Su Lin didn't want to be harassed by the media, so he simply turned off his phone.
At this moment, he was lounging at his adoptive parents' home, freeloading on food and drinks.
"This mansion is truly magnificent!" It wasn't Su Lin's first time here, but it was the first time he had taken a serious look at the lavish residence.
"Do you want to buy one here too?" Tang Jiaojiao asked with a smile, carrying a watering can and meticulously tending to the flowers and plants in the flowerbed.
Su Lin shook his head. "Never mind, I don't want to implicate you by having paparazzi follow you."
There was one more thing he didn't say out loud: he was afraid of being nagged by his adoptive mother.
As if on cue, his fear materialized.
While they were chatting about the house, Tang Jiaojiao suddenly changed the subject, bringing up an old topic. "Hey, you're in your twenties, what are your plans for dating?"
She couldn't control her eldest son, Su Chen, but she could still manage this troublemaker.
Su Lin felt a headache coming on. "Sister Jiaojiao, are you that eager to become a mother-in-law!"
"I'm afraid you'll die alone!" Tang Jiaojiao flicked his forehead with annoyance. "Don't you read your fans' messages? They're so worried about you!"
"What does it have to do with them whether I date or not!" Su Lin was used to his free and easy lifestyle and dreaded restrictions the most.
"It's because they care about you." Tang Jiaojiao glared at him. "Su He is only a year or two older than you, and she's already married!"
Su Lin was speechless.
He was a man, did he need to get married so early?
A man is in his prime at thirty!
"I'm telling you, good girls are hard to come by. If you don't make an effort, you'll miss out!"
"Back then, your father fell in love with me at first sight..."
Seeing Tang Jiaojiao starting to reminisce, Su Lin immediately bolted for the door. "Sister Jiaojiao, I just remembered Sister Jing needs to see me about something. I'll visit you again another day!"
"It's already noon, won't you stay for lunch before leaving?" Tang Jiaojiao called out from behind him.
"I'll eat out!" Su Lin, afraid she would urge him to get married again, stepped on the gas and sped away in his sports car. Only when Huajing Garden was far behind did Su Lin slow down.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets, contemplating where to find some peace and quiet, when Xu Jing's call came through.
"Be careful when you go out recently," Xu Jing warned on the phone. "There's a lot of unfavorable news about you online, and many media outlets and fans are camped out downstairs at the agency and your apartment building."
"Got it," Su Lin replied absentmindedly.
"Also, someone leaked the news that you're about to sign with your sister's studio. Many radical fans don't understand, thinking she'll hinder your future, and Qing He will face quite a bit of trouble. Do you want to remind Miss Su to take precautions early?" Xu Jing seemed to be driving too, as car horns could be heard intermittently from the receiver.
Involving Su He, Su Lin naturally paid close attention. "Okay, I'll call her later and tell her to stay home more."
The studio had security guards, so he wasn't worried.
All he cared about was Su He's safety.
Su He's call was answered quickly.
"The big star seems to be quite idle lately!" Su He began with a teasing remark.
"Sister, where are you?" Su Lin asked.
"On my way to the studio, what's up?" Su He had just parked her car and was about to enter Haitan Building.
"Someone leaked to the media that I'm signing with your studio, and it might cause trouble for you. You should try not to go to the studio for the next few days until the situation calms down." Su Lin made a U-turn at an intersection and headed towards Haitan Building.
He had a feeling something was about to happen and felt uneasy, so he had to go and see.
"It's not as serious as you say, is it?" Su He asked doubtfully.
"I'm serious! You don't know, some people are completely irrational when they go crazy. Throwing things and hurting people is the least of it." As Su Lin spoke, he reached the intersection near the building. "Don't get out of your car yet, wait for me!"
"If you come now, won't you be walking right into the line of fire?" Su He hesitated for a moment and stopped.
"In any case, don't show yourself yet." Su Lin was anxiously waiting for the green light, his tone serious.
Su He looked around and finally listened to him, returning to her car.
The moment she closed the car door, a woman wearing a mask suddenly appeared from nowhere and hurled a glass bottle she was holding towards Su He.
The bottle narrowly missed hitting Su He.
As the bottle hit the ground, a pale yellow liquid splattered, causing white smoke to rise wherever it landed.
It was acid!
Su He let out a startled scream.
She never expected someone would resort to such means to harm her!
Many passersby at the entrance of the building saw this scene and quickly moved away.
"My God, that's terrifying!"
"Good thing I was far away, or it would have splashed on me!"
"What deep-seated hatred do those two have to throw acid!"
"Call the police quickly! Such a dangerous person is too scary!"
As screams erupted, onlookers either dodged or took out their phones to record, making the empty plaza suddenly lively.
Su He sat in the driver's seat, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, her face ashen.
If she hadn't gotten into the car in time, the consequences were unimaginable.
While she was still in shock, Su Lin drove frantically towards her. Seeing the crowd gathered at the entrance of the building, his heart sank.
Could something have happened to Su He?
Su Lin quickly put on a mask and hat, opened the car door, and ran into the crowd.
At this moment, the building's security guards also rushed over.
"Miss, are you alright?" Several security guards, while dispersing the crowd, tapped on Su He's car window to inquire.
Su He's head was buzzing, and it took her a while to respond.
She slowly rolled down the window and weakly said she was fine. "By the way, where is the person who threw the bottle?"
The security guards exchanged glances. "When we arrived, that person was already gone."
Su He sighed and took out her phone to call the police.
This matter was very serious, and she couldn't just let it go; it had to be dealt with severely.