Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, starting with the strategy of 95 flowers to counterattack

Chapter 265 Don't you want to take responsibility?
Liu Haochun's fingers, gripping the towel, turned white, and water droplets from her hair dripped onto her pajamas, leaving a small dark patch.

She gave a slight smirk at the screen, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of probing: "Mom, besides mentioning an advance on the payment, did that person mention anything else? Like... did they mention our boss?"

"The boss?" The mother was taken aback, then slapped her thigh. "Oh dear, I almost forgot! He mentioned before he left that Boss Gu specifically instructed him to do it. I was so happy at the time that I was wondering about it!"

She leaned closer to the screen, her brows furrowed. "Didn't you say your boss's surname is Guo? And who is this Boss Gu from Bozhongxing and that other company? Is he another shareholder?"

Boss Gu?

Liu Haochun's heart sank suddenly, as if something had gripped it.

Gu Yang's face instantly popped into my mind.

That day backstage at the party, his kiss, reeking of alcohol, came down unexpectedly, carrying an undeniable forcefulness mixed with a cautious probing.

Her mind went blank at the time; she only remembered that the emergency lights in the backstage corridor were dim and his breathing was incredibly hot.

As he was leaving, he pressed his forehead against hers, his voice hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper: "You can come to me if you ever need anything in the future."

is it him?
Liu Haochun's fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of his phone, his heart pounding wildly.

She dismissed it as a drunken joke, thinking, "Haven't I heard enough about 'favors' in the entertainment industry?"

She made more promises she forgot as soon as she turned her head than lines in a script, and she never took them to heart.

But now that I think about it, the seriousness in that kiss and the certainty in those words didn't seem like they were just casual remarks.

She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off that inappropriate thought.

How could that be? It was just an accidental kiss, a polite remark. He's Gu Yang, after all. He holds the futures of so many people in his hands. How could he really care about something as trivial as hers?
But who else could it be besides him?

How could he know about her family situation?

She never mentioned her family's debts to anyone; even her agent only knew that her family was of modest means.

We only met briefly at the party that day, and he didn't ask any of these questions.

But who else could it be besides him?
She was new to the industry and knew very few people.

The people at Bozhongxinghe are only responsible for daily work and have no relation to her, so there's no need for them to spend such a large sum of money.

Zhang Yi's studio focuses on creative work, and even the artists' salaries are paid according to procedures, so it's impossible for them to do something like this.

"Chun Chun? Why aren't you saying anything?" Her mother's voice pulled her back to reality. "Are you tired? If you are, go to sleep early. Don't think too much. This money is earned honestly, so just focus on filming..."

"Okay, Mom." She forced a smile. "You should get some rest too. I'll ask the company tomorrow and let you know once I've confirmed it."

After the video call ended, the room instantly became quiet, with only the cold air from the air conditioner blowing.

Liu Haochun sat on the edge of the bed, gazing out the dark window, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

That five million was like a hot potato; you couldn't take it, and you couldn't put it down.

Is it him? If so, what should she do?
Return it? How? In what capacity?
But if it wasn't him, who could it be?
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She picked up her phone and scrolled to Gu Yang's WeChat chat history, which was still at the point where he had replied that he was busy that day.

My finger hovered above the input box, but I couldn't type a single word for a long time.

The phone screen lit up with Gu Yang's number. Liu Haochun stared at it for half a minute before finally pressing the button.

The phone rang twice before being answered, his voice slightly languid: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

She took a deep breath and got straight to the point: "My mom said... someone sent five million to our house, was it you?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a low laugh: "Yes, it's me."

Her straightforward admission left a string of prepared words stuck in her throat.

She clutched her phone and walked to the window, her voice a little strained: "Why are you helping me like this? We..." "What about us?" Gu Yang's tone suddenly became teasing. "You kissed me backstage at the party that day. Don't you want to take responsibility?"

Liu Haochun's face flushed red instantly, burning from his ears to his neck.

Is a kiss really that important to him?

A shy feeling mingled with an indescribable warmth, like lukewarm water washing over my heart.

She bit her lip and didn't speak, but she could hear his soft breathing through the receiver.

"Just kidding." Gu Yang's voice softened. "I found out about your family situation by chance. But now that I know, I can't just stand by and watch my...sister have difficulties, can I?"

The last two words were spoken somewhat vaguely, but Liu Haochun understood them.

A sudden stinging sensation appeared on the tip of her nose. She sniffed and whispered, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me." He laughed. "If you really want to thank me, how about... you treat me to a meal?"

She smiled slightly, amused, and most of her inner turmoil dissipated.

After a few seconds of silence, Gu Yang suddenly asked, "What are you doing?"

"In the room, I just took a shower."

She raised her hand to smooth her half-dry hair, her fingertips touching her burning earlobe.

A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and she whispered into her phone, "Want to... video chat?"

There was a pause on the other end, followed by his smiling voice: "Okay."

The moment the video call connected, Liu Haochun subconsciously took half a step back.

On the screen, Gu Yang was wearing a black T-shirt with the collar loosely open, his hair was a little messy, and the background was a hotel room, where the warm yellow light made his silhouette look particularly soft.

"Your hair is still wet?" He frowned. "You'll catch a cold if you don't dry it properly."

"I just wiped it off."

She raised her hand to tidy her hair and realized that she was still wearing loose white pajamas with a low neckline, so she quickly pulled them up.

Gu Yang's gaze fell on her flushed cheeks, a smile playing on his lips: "Why are you hiding? I won't bully you through the screen."

She glared at the screen, but wasn't really angry.

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips on the table, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room behind her: "How's the new filming going? How's the new company treating you? Should I send you a motorhome?"

"No need, no need," she quickly waved her hand, "You've already helped me a lot!"

He suddenly leaned closer to the camera, and his face on the screen magnified instantly, making even the shadows of his eyelashes clearly visible. "Chun Chun,"

His voice was low and slightly magnetic, "Your pajamas... are quite nice."

Liu Haochun's face turned red again. He reached out to press the screen, but was stopped by him with a smile: "Don't move, let me see."

His gaze, seemingly warm, slid from her slightly damp hair to the collar of her pajamas, then landed on her hand clutching the hem of her shirt. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, she turned to grab the hairdryer: "I'm going to dry my hair."

"Don't go," he said. "It's fine as it is."

She stopped and looked back at the screen.

Gu Yang was smiling at her, his eyes warmer than the floor lamp. "Your hair is wet, like a kitten that just took a bath."

He said, "Talk to me a little longer."

(End of this chapter)