"Then what is the reason?" Huang Ling couldn't figure it out. How could he just decide to quit the industry when everything was going fine?
He was her golden goose. She felt her heart starting to ache a little.
Gu Ye shook his head, "There's no other reason. It's just that after trying it out, I realized it's still not quite suitable for me."
Especially after the morning's hot search mix-up incident, he became even more determined to leave the industry.
Huang Ling, who had been all smiles, now looked pale with regret. She should have paid more attention to this kid recently.
So she advised, "Are you under a lot of pressure lately? Pressure can be managed. We can just slow down the work and take a break for a while."
"You could go abroad for a vacation, change the scenery."
"Sister Huang, thank you for your guidance these past two years, for bringing me into this industry. Our collaboration has been very pleasant," Gu Ye adjusted his sitting posture and looked at her. "This isn't something I'm saying casually. It's a decision I made after careful consideration."
Hearing it put this way, Huang Ling understood. This matter probably had no room for reversal. It seemed he had really made up his mind.
But why choose this moment to bring it up? If only he had waited until she had nurtured another artist capable of taking his place.
She looked at Gu Ye, who happened to be holding his phone with a cartoon doll hanging from it.
In a flash of insight, a thought popped into her head.
"Xiao Ye, are you in a relationship?"
Gu Ye didn't deny it immediately, and Huang Ling felt she had found the reason.
"How did you guess?" Gu Ye paused before asking.
"Well, that doll charm on your phone," Huang Ling explained. "You never used to have anything like that on your phone before. And this is clearly something a young girl would like. You wouldn't hang it yourself unless a girl bought it and asked you to put it on."
Gu Ye lifted his phone and looked at the doll. He hadn't expected a simple charm to give him away.
This doll was bought when he and Jiang Mo went shopping at the mall. It was a pair; they each had one.
"Your eyes are really sharp."
Huang Ling leaned on her desk with both hands. Thinking of Gu Ye being in a relationship, the image of the young girl who visited him on set last time popped into her head.
"Is it that female classmate who came to visit you last time you were recording the variety show?"
Gu Ye nodded.
"Young people are full of passion. It's normal to date, but you can do it privately. There's no need to quit the industry."
"I don't want to deceive my fans, and I don't want my girlfriend to suffer criticism from an underground relationship," Gu Ye disagreed.
"You can still date," Huang Ling said, slapping the table in an effort to keep him. "If you want to make it public, that's fine too. I'll handle the rest."
After all, this situation wasn't uncommon in the industry; there were ways to deal with it.
Gu Ye sighed, "It's not necessary, Sister Huang. I still insist on my original decision."
Huang Ling held her head, "Let me process this first. We'll talk again later. Once you finish your current workload, take a break first."
Having communicated what needed to be said, Gu Ye left her time to handle the follow-up matters, as contracts and some endorsements hadn't expired yet.
Over on Jiang Mo's side, it wasn't until lunchtime that she had a moment to check her phone and saw the news clarifying the situation about Gu Ye.
Some of the comments under the news were unbearable to read.
In the afternoon, she had hearings at two different courts. After finishing, she went straight home.
As soon as she entered the house, she smelled the aroma of food.
Putting down her bag, she rushed into the kitchen to see what delicious thing Li Daming was making.
"Today, I'm showcasing my signature dishes. There's shrimp, fish, and meat. How about it? Your old man's arrangements aren't bad, right?"
Jiang Mo gave a thumbs up, "The arrangements are excellent. It's been a long time since I've had a meal cooked by you, Dad."
"Well, I've been busy too. After I retire, I'll cook for you every day," Li Daming shooed her out of the kitchen. "You go wait outside."
Although it was just the two of them eating, dinner was no simple affair. Li Daming had prepared five dishes.
Tasting the familiar flavors, Jiang Mo asked, "Has President Gu been on a business trip recently?"
Usually, Li Daming would have more free time when Gu was away.
"Yes, he's abroad. Probably for about a week," Li Daming chatted casually. "Young Master Gu went too this time. Father and son said they're going abroad to inspect and discuss cooperation. After returning from abroad, they still have to go to Rong City."
"They've been working hard lately, I must say. In my opinion, Gu Ye has it easy. I even saw that news today, what did it say..."
"Oh, I remember. It said he was out carousing and was photographed going to a hotel with someone to sleep."
Jiang Mo gave an awkward smile and explained, "You saw that too? That's just the marketing accounts writing nonsense. Actually, nothing happened at all. The person he went to the hotel with was also a guy."
A classic case of rumors flying everywhere, while the debunking goes unnoticed.
"Who knows? I'm just going by what the news said, and it seemed pretty detailed," Li Daming shook his head. "You should interact with him less."
Jiang Mo probed, "Dad, don't you like Gu Ye?"
Li Daming ate his food and pursed his lips, "He's alright. It's not like he's going to be my son-in-law. Your old man prefers someone more mature and steady."
