Chapter 148: Turn of Events

If Zhu Qin hadn't fallen so hard back then—reduced to fading into obscurity and ultimately forced to quit the entertainment industry—someone like Yang Qing or Aili, who already held a certain established status in the business, would generally never have stepped forward at a time like this.

First of all, stepping out to "crusade" against a second- or third-tier male artist would make them look petty, contrasting sharply with their usual public personas, and the cost of speaking out would outweigh any benefits.

Secondly, they had all climbed out of the deep pits they had fallen into years ago, and they had already secured sufficient benefits back then. Though they still felt a lingering resentment, there was no longer any real need to vent their anger over it.

Besides, so many years had passed, and very little of that original anger remained.

However, once Zhu Qin stepped forward, the nature of the situation changed entirely.

For one, Zhu Qin had originally held a very high status. Even if these youngsters today had no idea who she was, countless viewers had watched the television dramas and films she starred in, and she still retained the status of a goddess in their hearts.

Yet at the same time, she was already past her prime.

She lacked status, new works, and exposure; she was already an outsider to the industry.

When a celebrity—or rather, a former celebrity—steps forward like this, others can voice their support for her without losing face, while simultaneously venting the anger buried deep within their own hearts.

Most importantly, Zhu Qin herself wouldn't feel humiliated, nor would it have any impact on her current career.

Having withdrawn from the entertainment industry, she no longer mixed in these circles, meaning she didn't need to care what anyone else thought of her.

Moreover, because she had suffered the greatest losses in that setup years ago, it easily stirred up sympathy from netizens.

Had it been anyone else who left the industry under similar circumstances without sufficient status, people might not even know who they were. Therefore, Zhu Qin was the absolute best choice.

So, returning to the earlier question: why would someone so "perfectly positioned" to shoulder the role of the "ringleader" choose to step forward after remaining silent for so many years?

Or rather, who was it that sought her out?

Many people had no idea that someone else was pulling the strings behind the scenes, and even if they did, they could never have guessed it was Song Wan.

In everyone's eyes, Song Wan had no deep, irreconcilable hatred against Tang Su and Han Sen, and certainly not enough to go to such painstaking lengths just to ruin them.

Yet the Jin family could not possibly remain unaware.

The person who figured out a way to contact Zhu Qin was none other than Song Wan; the wording Zhu Qin used was also Song Wan's suggestion; and the fact that Zhu Qin's husband lent his backing behind the scenes was likewise because Song Wan had revealed the history of the grievance between Zhu Qin and Tang Su to him.

These were things outsiders did not know and would find difficult to investigate.

Yet even if the Jin family didn't know at first, they were bound to uncover it eventually.

Take right now, for instance: Song Wan was certain that Jin Youqian knew she had a hand in this matter and that she was the one fueling the flames.

Yet precisely because he knew, Song Wan felt a lingering apprehension.

No matter how thoroughly they investigated, Song Wan genuinely had no profound enmity with Tang Su and the others. Across several confrontations, Song Wan had instead held the upper hand.

The deeper they dug and the more detailed their knowledge became, the less favorable an impression those in the know would have of Song Wan.

Without a logical reason, Song Wan suddenly began treating these three individuals as mortal enemies—determined to drag them down from the heavens and leaving them absolutely no chance of a comeback.

Yet Tang Su and the others were not mere clay dolls; they wouldn't just stand idly by and let Song Wan exact her revenge. The slightest misstep along the way could allow Tang Su's faction to make a comeback, thereby damaging Song Wan's own career path in the process.

Even so, Song Wan still went through with it, driven by a reckless, desperate courage.

The reason? No one knew.

Even the justifications Song Wan gave to Gao Xiang and the others wouldn't hold up in the eyes of outsiders, and Song Wan knew it.

Consequently, all of Song Wan's actions appeared inexplicable.

Because they were inexplicable, she seemed ruthless.

And because she seemed ruthless, she appeared heavily burdened by lingering hostility.

With a person like this, let alone as a wife, she wouldn't even be a suitable candidate for a friend.

"Yet your eyes look completely relaxed," Jin Youqian explained. "What I can see, my grandfather can naturally see as well."

Song Wan might not have realized it herself, but he saw it crystal clear: ever since the news broke online that Tang Su and Qin Fei had been arrested, Song Wan looked as though a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and the gloom that had long shrouded her vanished without a trace.

Song Wan was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help laughing. "I didn't even notice."

Yet her goal ever since her rebirth had been revenge; now that her grand vengeance had been achieved, her entire being naturally relaxed.

At eight o'clock the following morning.

When Song Wan arrived at the entrance of the crew for *Myriad Stars*, she found Gao Xiang standing right outside waiting for her.

"Sister Gao, why aren't you waiting inside?" Song Wan asked as she walked up, feeling a sense of strangeness.

Under normal circumstances, Gao Xiang would never wait for her outside the entrance to the set.

Gao Xiang looked helpless. "I'm not waiting for you."

Song Wan stopped in her tracks and tilted her head in thought for a brief second. "Are you waiting for Guo Kai?"

Gao Xiang sighed. "Yes. The uproar online has been too massive. While Guo Kai has accumulated a preliminary wave of popularity on the internet, it has also drawn the attention of the Guo family toward him."

"Didn't you say that with President Jin providing protection, the Guo family wouldn't cause trouble, at least while this drama is being filmed?"

Once the drama aired and became a massive hit, Guo Kai would have some solid backing and naturally wouldn't fear the Guo family's threats and warnings directed at others in the industry.

After all, in this circle, popularity and visibility represented everything.

Well, thanks to recent events, acting skills had also barely squeezed into the list of indispensable conditions.

As for acting skills, Guo Kai didn't lack those either.

So what was the current situation?

"Because *Myriad Stars* now commands such immense momentum, it's basically guaranteed not to launch without making a splash. If the quality holds up, it might even become a massive blockbuster." Gao Xiang paused. "Because of its genre, it might not have as broad an audience as *Immortal of the Clouds*, so its viewership ratings won't compare to that one, but there's a strong possibility it will rank among the top three dramas of the year in ratings."

Such high confidence?

Song Wan couldn't help blinking. "After all, *Myriad Stars* is a sci-fi genre. You shouldn't set your expectations too high, lest you end up heartbroken when they aren't met."

Gao Xiang found it amusing. "You're the one who brought this project into being, aren't you? How can you have even less confidence than us?"

"I pushed for this project, firstly, because the investors are reliable, and secondly," Song Wan looked at Gao Xiang, "because of the source material itself."

When Song Wan persuaded Jin Youqian to invest in this drama, she was actually well aware that even though the original work had an immensely massive fan base, books and television dramas were ultimately different mediums, offering no guarantee that book fans would enjoy the TV adaptation.

Moreover, the core demographic watching television dramas consisted primarily of housewives and elderly folks, and they certainly wouldn't care for sci-fi themes.

Therefore, right from the start, Song Wan had never imagined this drama would become a runaway blockbuster.

In Song Wan's view, as long as *Myriad Stars* managed to achieve a modest level of popularity, it would already be considered the greatest success.

Song Wan raised an eyebrow. "Besides, if you don't set your expectations too high beforehand, won't it be even more delightful when the final result exceeds them?"

Gao Xiang chuckled softly. "You certainly know how to play it safe."

Yet shortly afterward, her brows furrowed tightly again. "But what we should be worrying about right now isn't how high Director Zhou and I have set our expectations for this drama..."

"Because the level of attention *Myriad Stars* is receiving right now is already high enough, and Guo Kai himself has reaped plenty of benefits from it," Gao Xiang said with a distressed expression. "Even if the Guo family doesn't understand what good acting is, they can certainly read praise from other people."

So the current situation was that the Guo family realized Guo Kai might become a massive star because of *Myriad Stars*, and therefore wanted to put spokes in the crew's wheels?

No, they wouldn't dare do anything to a drama invested in by Jin Youqian.

Song Wan looked at Gao Xiang, who shrugged and replied, "The Guo family wouldn't dare sabotage *Myriad Stars*, but they can forbid Guo Kai from acting in it."

"Has Guo Kai been placed under house arrest?" Song Wan asked, startled.

Gao Xiang was amused by Song Wan's outward expression of shock, but she shook her head. "Not quite. After all, Guo Kai has already 'had a falling out' with his family; his bank cards have been frozen, so the Guo family doesn't have any leverage to force him into anything."

Song Wan paused. "Since the Guo family has no way..."

She trailed off, her nerves—having been thoroughly poisoned by melodramatic TV shows courtesy of Housekeeper Feng recently—instantly kicking in. "Someone from the Guo family wouldn't be faking an illness just to summon him back, force him to compromise... or make him miss this opportunity, would they?"

Such plotlines frequently played out in both television dramas and even real life.

Yet precisely because it was so commonplace, Song Wan felt somewhat uncertain.

To her surprise, Gao Xiang nodded directly.

"Though it's not faking an illness," Gao Xiang said, calming down slightly. "Guo Kai's mother genuinely suffers from asthma; an attack can be triggered if she's not careful."

"Are you certain this time is real?"

"I'm not certain, and neither is Guo Kai."

"Then?"

"Better safe than sorry." Gao Xiang looked equally troubled. "Of course, the Guo family wouldn't let Guo Kai's mother's condition worsen just to trick him into coming home, but what if they feed Guo Kai false information about his mother's illness, or deliberately exaggerate her condition..."

It was impossible to verify.

Therefore, it was safer to believe it than to take the risk.

"Guo Madam is the only person in the Guo family who supported his choice of a career he loves. Because of his father's promiscuity, Guo Kai has depended entirely on his mother since childhood. He cannot take that risk, nor is he willing to gamble on a one-in-a-million chance."

"So he went back to the Guo family?"

"Yes!"

"Is he coming back?" That was the only thing Song Wan cared about.

Yet Gao Xiang could not provide a definitive answer. "There's no guarantee. He did say himself that he would rush back to the set as soon as he confirmed his mother was fine."

She paused before adding, "Guo Kai returned to the Guo family yesterday, but he hasn't contacted me yet. He mentioned yesterday that if he failed to arrive on the set today, it would mean his mother's illness is indeed real and likely quite serious."

It was already past eight o'clock, yet there was still no sign of Guo Kai, who should have arrived at the set long ago.

No wonder Gao Xiang was waiting at the entrance.