As the time was about right and everyone had had their fill of fun, they started to leave the private room one after another.
The employees walked out in pairs or threes, and to their surprise, as they opened the door of their private room, they saw their young boss pressed against the wall by a tall man, the two of them very close, in an intimate pose.
"Oh dear, we didn't see anything!"
The two people in the front quickly turned around, covered their faces, and ran towards the stairwell. The others, realizing what was happening, all followed suit, averting their gazes, not daring to look.
Some who were slightly bolder glanced back secretly, exchanging knowing looks with each other. After they had walked a distance away, they excitedly started to discuss.
"I really didn't expect our young boss to be so open, kissing in the corridor!"
"I left in too much of a hurry earlier and couldn't see the man's face clearly, but judging by his height and build, he must be a god-tier level too!"
"Our young boss has quite the charm!"
"Hey, who is that guy? What if the big boss finds out..."
The employees of the studio knew about the relationship between Su He and Lu Yanbei. Although they were not sure if they were married, Lu Yanbei's secretary called Su He "Madam," which indicated that their relationship was indeed extraordinary. Yet, at this moment, Su He was with another man behind the big boss's back. Wasn't she afraid of falling out of favor with the big boss?
"Stop the wild guesses!" Su He's assistant reprimanded in a hushed voice. "Didn't you see the big boss's car parked at the entrance?"
"Huh?" The employees' eyes widened one by one.
How could that be possible!
What was Lu Yanbei like? Arrogant, cold, as cold as an emotionless robot. Would he make such a gesture in public?
They wouldn't believe it even if they were beaten to death!
However, the moment of being proven wrong came soon enough.
Not long after, Su He walked out of the club arm-in-arm with Lu Yanbei. Her lips were slightly red and swollen, and her lipstick had clearly been retouched. As for the big shot, he still had a cold expression, looking as if he didn't want anyone to approach him. But it was not difficult to see that there was no killing intent in his eyes, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
If one looked closely, they would notice that his collar was stained with some lipstick, which gave him a touch of earthly warmth, making him appear less distant.
"It really is President Lu!"
"Fortunately, we didn't speak too loudly just now, or we would be in trouble!"
"I never expected President Lu to be so openly affectionate with our young boss in front of so many people... Ahhh, the CP I support is too sweet!"
"What kind of day is it today that we get to see both bosses appearing together and showing affection! No, I have to buy a lottery ticket later, maybe I'll win a big prize!"
Su He pretended to be calm and waved at everyone, then gracefully got into the car.
However, as soon as she sat in the passenger seat, she covered her face in annoyance.
It was too embarrassing!
She had only intended to tease President Lu, but she never expected him to actually kiss her! Being caught by so many employees, how was she supposed to work in the studio from now on!
Su He glared at the man beside her resentfully. "It's all your fault!"
Lu Yanbei's expression remained as usual. "Didn't you start it?"
"I was just joking with you!" Su He retorted.
"But I took it seriously!" Lu Yanbei said with a smile as he started the engine. "So, next time you want to tease, remember to specify it beforehand."
Su He was rendered speechless.
However, she made a mental note of this, and she would definitely find a way to get her revenge later.
***
The negative news on the internet quickly dissipated, and the crew did not seem to be greatly affected. Although Tang Xiaoying was unwilling, she did not dare to truly offend Director Zhang. In the end, she had no choice but to issue a clarification, stating that she had missed out on a movie audition abroad and had expressed her feelings, which her fans had misunderstood.
With that, the matter came to a close.
Tang Xiaoying had reservations, but Qiao An'an, relying on her connections, had no intention of letting it go.
She had always been strong-willed since she was young, and especially since she had a grudge against Su He, she naturally couldn't let it go. Thus, she pestered and cajoled, and managed to get her sugar daddy to agree to fund her for another drama.
The novelty had not yet worn off, so the man naturally catered to her every request. However, having just spent such a large sum of money, he didn't have much spare cash to support her facade.
Qiao An'an wrapped her arms around the man's neck and said, "Didn't you just invest ten million yuan with Director Zhang? Why don't you get that money back?"
She spoke with a breathy voice, enchanting the man.
However, he seemed a bit hesitant. "It's not easy to talk to Director Zhang... Besides, the contract has already been signed. If you breach it, you'll have to pay!"
"A little liquidated damages is nothing, it's better than losing more than half." Qiao An'an lightly drew circles on his chest with her finger, intentionally provoking him. "Look at the cast of that drama, more than half of them are unknown newcomers. Who would watch it when it's made? Moreover, the plot is so old-fashioned, it has no market!"
"No matter how famous Director Zhang is, the audience isn't stupid, are they easily fooled?"
"In the end, they won't lose anything, but your money will be wasted. It's better to invest in me, at least I won't let you lose money!"
The man was so dazed by her words that he vaguely believed her.
Ten million yuan was not a small sum. If the investment were to be withdrawn suddenly, it would be a considerable blow to the crew. Since it was a location shoot, many venues needed to be rented, and this expense could not be cut. Coupled with the actors' salaries and the staff's wages, it added up to a considerable expense.
Director Zhang sat in his chair, his face looking grim.
"We agreed that I would invest, and you would cast An'an as the third female lead. But what happened? You kicked her out after only a few days of filming." The man was speaking the truth, and Director Zhang could not refute it, so he had to return the money.
Suddenly lacking ten million yuan in funding, Director Zhang had not slept well for several nights.
This was still with Su Lin making a guest appearance and not taking a cent, otherwise, the drama would not even be able to be filmed. Post-production would also require investment, which was a headache to think about.
Director Zhang sighed, and everyone around him felt the pressure.
"The investor can just withdraw their investment, can this drama ever be finished?"
"This is just the first batch. If others follow suit, it will definitely be stillborn!"
"What should we do? I turned down several other roles to take on this drama with Director Zhang. Won't I end up with nothing?"
The actors were uneasy and were starting to have second thoughts.
Upon hearing the news, Su Lin directly approached Director Zhang. "Don't worry about the money, I'll figure something out."
"Su Lin!" His agent, Xu Jing, seeing him speak, frantically tugged at his sleeve and gave him a look.
Are you so rich that you don't know where to spend your money!
It was one thing to appear for free, as he was doing it out of respect for Young Master Yan, but now he was even going to pour his own money into filming. What was he trying to achieve?
Su Lin understood his agent's concerns, but he wouldn't easily change his mind. "I'm going out to make a call."
It was only ten million yuan, why couldn't he find someone else to invest!