Chapter Eighty-Three: Poaching Talent

Shen Qingli’s words were like a knife plunged straight into Xie Jinchuan’s heart.

He gazed at her, searching for the slightest trace of guilt or hesitation on her face.

But Shen Qingli was utterly composed, as if this was something she had long considered and decided upon.

She truly intended to give things a try with Gu Qingming!

Only now did Xie Jinchuan feel the cold prickle of crisis.

He had always believed that no one in this world could ever move Shen Qingli, but he had overlooked one crucial fact.

Shen Qingli was, after all, a flower spirit with no experience in matters of the heart, and she valued affection deeply. As long as someone in a relationship treated her well over time, she would easily develop a sense of reliance on that person.

With enough time, falling for Gu Qingming was inevitable.

No, he could not allow such a thing to happen.

“If you have nothing else, President Xie, I’ll be going now.”

With that, Shen Qingli turned and got into the car. Xie Jinchuan took a step forward, but in the end did not follow her.

What use was there in saying anything now?

He was the one who had let Shen Qingli go.

Would she accept the power of the Deer God if things continued this way?

Not necessarily.

Shen Qingli returned home and set the bouquet of roses aside. She then called Gu Qingming to let him know she was safe before hanging up.

She had eaten plenty that evening, but after a movie she was hungry again.

Lu Lu the cilantro spirit watched as she skillfully prepared a bowl of instant noodles, unable to hold back its question, “Host, why not order takeout?”

Instant noodles were so unhealthy. If the Celestial Immortal found out, it would surely scold it for not taking proper care of Shen Qingli.

“It takes too long to wait. I’m sleepy. I’ll eat my noodles and go to bed,” she replied, stifling a yawn.

But fate had other plans. Suddenly, Dong Yang called, saying there was a problem with their partner.

This matter concerned whether Gu Qingming’s program could go on as planned later, so Shen Qingli dared not be careless. She hurriedly asked for details.

“The director of the program used to be quite renowned in the industry, but last night there were rumors that he’d gotten involved in something he shouldn’t have. Looks like the show will be put on hold.”

Shen Qingli’s mind was sharp. In the entertainment world, “something one shouldn’t touch” usually meant one of two things.

Either drugs, or solicitation.

Which one had this director been caught up in?

“All right, I understand. Handle this as an emergency, and if possible, ask them for compensation.”

Since the show couldn’t start filming as scheduled, the production team would have to pay damages. After all, the contract was black and white.

Dong Yang agreed and immediately called Ping Lang’s company.

After thinking it over, Shen Qingli decided she should inform Gu Qingming.

When Gu Qingming answered and heard the news, he wasn’t all that surprised.

There were hardly any clean hands in this circle. Even if some top actor or actress had a scandal one day, it would seem perfectly normal to him.

“Sister Shen, don’t worry. If needed, I can contact a friend to start a new production team and join as a guest.”

Shen Qingli was stunned for a moment. She knew Gu Qingming had a wide network, but hadn’t realized just how useful those connections could be.

Sensing her surprise, Gu Qingming’s tone grew a little shy. “I have a friend who does this kind of thing. He invited me before, but I was busy with going abroad and didn’t accept.”

If it was something he’d already considered, then it would be easy to arrange.

Shen Qingli answered knowingly, not bothering with polite refusals. “All right. If it’s possible, get in touch with your friend. I’ll leave it to you.”

After all, Gu Qingming would reap the reputation in the end, so she felt no shame in using his contacts.

Seeing her agree to his suggestion, Gu Qingming’s eyes lit up with excitement. He didn’t even notice when Ping Lang walked over to his side.

“I’ll contact him, then. Sister Shen, get some rest. Good night!”

After hanging up, Gu Qingming was in such good spirits that he hummed a tune.

Ping Lang, however, reached out and gave him a knock on the head, making Gu Qingming clutch his skull in pain and look back with an aggrieved expression. “Brother Lang, why’d you hit me?”

Ping Lang snorted. “This kind of thing should be handled by the company. Why are you getting involved?”

Gu Qingming hadn’t thought it through—he just wanted to help. Helping anyone was the same to him, and besides, he needed this show himself.

Ping Lang was only looking out for him. All Gu Qingming could do was smile and try to placate him. “Brother Lang, this program can only do me good. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have suggested it. Don’t be angry.”

Ping Lang said nothing, just stared at him, making Gu Qingming feel even more guilty.

Meanwhile, Xie Jinchuan had finally made up his mind to enter the entertainment industry.

The board had mentioned sharing in the entertainment pie before, but he hadn’t agreed at the time, saying only that he’d clean up the company’s mess before considering anything else.

Now, it seemed unavoidable. Only by carving out a share in the industry could he gain access to Shen Qingli’s world.

He couldn’t possibly give up on her just because of a few words.

As for Shen Qingli herself, she slept so soundly she didn’t know if it was day or night.

The next day.

As soon as Shen Qingli arrived at the office, she saw Rong Qiaoyi blocking Gu Qingming, saying something that left his face so dark it could drip ink.

He had never looked at Shen Qingli like that before, and she found it quite novel.

She walked over and spoke in a mocking tone, “Well, Miss Rong, are you here to poach my talent?”

At the sound of her voice, Rong Qiaoyi’s expression soured, while Gu Qingming, like an eager puppy, looked brightly at Shen Qingli and rushed to explain.

“Sister Shen, she approached me first, asking if I’d join their company. I refused.”

Buying out a money tree like him would be a sure win for Rong Qiaoyi.

But she hadn’t realized that Gu Qingming chose Shen Qingli’s company because of Shen Qingli herself, not because of any benefits Rong Qiaoyi could offer.

Rong Qiaoyi looked at Shen Qingli, remembering that day at Xie Jinchuan’s company, and felt a surge of triumph. “So what if you signed Gu Qingming, Shen Qingli? Jinchuan doesn’t want you either.”

“Or are you planning to make Gu Qingming your backup?”

Any normal man would be furious to hear that, and she could just sit back and watch the fireworks.

Instead, Gu Qingming gazed at Shen Qingli with sparkling eyes, as though he’d be delighted to be her backup.

Shen Qingli didn’t bother answering. She merely looked at Rong Qiaoyi with cold sarcasm. “So you’ve run out of options and come to my company to poach talent? What’s wrong? Isn’t Ye Qingqing from your company supposed to bring you loads of commercial value? Why do you need to come meddling at my company?”