[@PeiRong: The spring breeze beckons me to embark on a global adventure, and I’ve made the decision to take a break from work and accept the invitation. There are countless landscapes in this world far more enchanting than in the entertainment industry. In my youth, I want to explore these wonderful landscapes.
Thank you to all the fans who support me. The world is so big, so please don’t ask when I will return.]
[@JiangLuEntertainment: After communication and efforts to retain, the company respects all decisions made by Mr. Pei Rong. We appreciate Mr. Pei Rong’s unwavering commitment and hard work during the early stages of the company’s development. Jianglu Entertainment will always await his return.
Currently, all contracts with Pei Rong and our partners have been terminated. If there are any overlooked matters, please contact Jianglu Entertainment’s legal department within this month.
To express apologies to the fans, the last set of materials and an apology letter personally funded by Mr. Pei Rong will be online on Sunday at ** platform, given free to the fans.
Mr. Pei Rong has not faced any threats, has not violated any laws. Please refrain from spreading rumors; the company reserves the right to pursue legal action.]
Pei Rong’s recent Weibo posts had left fans puzzled, with many having speculative thoughts but feeling reluctant to confirm their suspicions. Casual observers might interpret it as a Weibo geared towards travel marketing or even another attention-grabbing stunt for public engagement. On the other hand, haters seemed to be actively circulating the term “Pei Rong quitting the industry” across various platforms.
Following swiftly, Jianglu Entertainment’s statement solidified the undeniable truth of Pei Rong’s departure from the entertainment industry. The declaration highlighted a common reality in show business—not all contracts dissolved with a dramatic exit. In an industry where opportunities were scarce and each position was like a carrot in a rabbit hole, willingly stepping back didn’t guarantee a clear path to return; someone else was likely to seize the opportunity without any intention of relinquishing it.
There were many celebrities who retired at the peak of their fame, some for marriage and family, others for offending certain people and fading from the public eye. However, leaving the industry for a global journey was quite rare, and it’s Pei Rong, the notorious attention-seeking beauty!
[Damn! I was indifferent to Pei Rong before, but now, at the moment of his withdrawal, I’ve become a fan. It’s like I have that ‘big illness’!]
[I understand you. It’s like the rose on the windowsill; when it’s blooming, you feel like it’s there every day, but when it disappears, you suddenly feel heartache. My world has lost another scenery.]
[Sob, Bodhisattva, don’t leave! The entertainment industry is left with a bunch of ugly guys!]
[I get it now! It turns out, the business of beauty itself is like a Bodhisattva in the temple, saving all beings!]
[Suddenly remembered Pei Rong’s last donation of 200 million; he really doesn’t care about money!]
[@JiangLuEntertainment, why let the kind and beautiful person go down the dark path of black and red lines? You must have missed something!]
[What kind of trashy literature is this? Sob, sob, I’m being tortured.]
Pei Rong doesn’t care about what bystanders think, but he needed to reassure his fans. The company had prepared a script early on and deployed staff to infiltrate fan groups, aiming to reverse the somber atmosphere and explain that their beloved artist hadn’t been blacklisted.
Fans are reluctantly comforted, rallying together under Pei Rong’s travel declaration—
[People see you as charming, but you see the green mountains as more charming. Thank you for dazzling moments; may your remaining life be filled with beauty.]
[My older brother possesses an unparalleled appearance, comparable only to the beauty crafted by nature. Although it’s hard to part with you, there’s no other way. We can’t let my brother witness unattractive individuals in the entertainment industry every day.]
Fans, with tears in their eyes, were setting alarms to snatch up the retirement memorabilia. Meanwhile, President Lu was a presence that is a hundred or even a thousand times more challenging to appease than the fans.
Scheduling Weibo posts is like planting a timed bomb in the Lu Corporation building. The culprit responsible for it had vanished, leaving an unsuspecting Lu Qin working overtime during lunch to modify Pei Rong’s route—shifting from an elite image to a more approachable public persona.
He recalled Pei Rong’s appearance today: T-shirt, cotton pants, tiger-head shoes, resembling a vibrant high school student exuding vitality. It mirrored the vigor permeating the Lu Corporation under his leadership, full of vitality and life.
However, when he rolled up his pants, even the smooth calves... Lu Qin’s breath hitched. In that moment, he acknowledged that he was ensnared to the core, realizing he might need a lifetime of remedies for this deep-rooted fascination.
Pei Rong could use the medicine to string him along, extracting benefits, commanding with a raised finger, but he shouldn’t keep the medicine out of reach. It shouldn’t hinder him from obtaining it.
Something he could see but could not obtain would just drive him crazy.
Lu Qin thought he had come up with a good way to get the medicine at any time—let Pei Rong stay at Lu’s.
Before coming to the company in the morning, he joyfully wore the shirt personally washed by Pei Rong, even if the collar of the shirt couldn’t stand upright anymore.
Lunch would be significant for this contract, and Lu Qin couldn’t think of a more fitting outfit.
At 1:30, the drama team sent someone to sign the contract.
In front of Lu Qin’s eyes, the chief lawyer of Lu Group personally reviewed it.
The people from the drama team carefully smiled, almost wanting to write “No loopholes, sign quickly” on their faces.
Lawyer: “No problem, President Lu.”
Lu Qin nodded and asked someone to wake up Pei Rong.
Pei Rong was a bit upset about the morning’s events, so Lu Qin didn’t dare to let him wait for the lawyer to go over the contract. He only asked someone to call the other when it was time to sign.
He wasn’t forcing Pei Rong to take poison; he just wanted him to film a drama that everyone envied in the entertainment industry, right in their own company. He could play it however he wanted. The contract even stated a “30-day probation period.” If Pei Rong didn’t like it, they could find something else.
The female secretary left and returned, standing at the door with a somewhat uneasy expression.
“Where’s Pei Rong?”
Lu Qin asked, and the lawyer suddenly gestured for him to look at his phone.
Lu Qin stared at the lawyer’s phone for five seconds, then called Zhou Hang.
Zhou Hang, according to the agreement, pushed one, four, five, six: “Ah... Pei Rong said you agreed, or I can withdraw the statement...”
Lu Qin: “No need.”
He hung up the phone, announcing without a change in expression, “Not signing.”
The lawyer dared not look at the boss’ face. Mr. Pei’s audacious move practically rubbed President Lu’s face on the ground. When had Lu Qin ever been treated like this?
The production team was baffled. Lu Qin had promised too much for this drama, and at a crucial moment, he changed his mind. Subconsciously, he tried to salvage the situation. “President Lu, where is the problem...”
“Escort them out,” Lu Qin said.
The lawyer and secretary hurriedly escorted the guests out. At the moment they closed the door, a loud noise echoed. No one dared to look back; they just wished to walk faster.
The mobile phone had smashed a hole through the toughened glass coffee table, and the floor was scattered with shards.
Lu Qin maintained his composure until the moment the door closed. The resentment coiled around his neck like dim water plants. He loosened his collar, almost struggling to breathe.
Thinking that Pei Rong had washed this shirt, it had become a shackle binding him. Lu Qin’s action of adjusting the collar turned into tearing. Before reaching the president’s office, the crumpled shirt was thrown into the trash can.
He picked a new shirt from the wardrobe, feeling a bit relieved as the accumulated blood in his lungs subsided. The feeling of wanting to cough up blood slowly receded.
He was confused. Two hours later, he understood the meaning behind his father’s words, “You can’t control him.”
Pei Rong refused to act for the Lu family, refused to be tied to the Lu family’s image, refused to... provide an antidote.
While he was fascinated by Pei Rong, Pei Rong had already planned to see the world and never thought of staying with him.
Lu Qin didn’t reach out to Pei Rong in a timely manner. By refusing to communicate with him before lunch, he missed the opportunity to have a calm and reasoned conversation.
Pei Rong acted arrogantly, made decisions without consultation, remained resolute, and left no room for negotiation. Now, what could he ask?
Would you stay in S City after retiring from the entertainment industry?
Clearly not. Otherwise, the excuse would be recuperation or retirement, not travel.
Could he join his global journey?
Impossible. Lu Qin had rejected this idea himself. He didn’t have the luxury of time to travel.
Then... when would his journey end?
Ridiculous. Was he supposed to go and humbly plead with someone who once said to him, “The world is vast, and I won’t ask when you’ll return”?
Another sentence echoed in Lu Qin’s ear, “If you insist on going your own way, no one can stop you.”
His father had long ago pointed out two paths for him.
