I just can't stand him

"Given how things stand, if you want to make a spectacular turnaround within six months..."

He Qu looked troubled. "It'll be hard."

"But it's not as if we can't try."

Something suddenly occurred to Wu Jiangyuan. "Wasn't there a variety show that approached me? I could use that to win some goodwill first."

He Qu said, "After you told me you wanted to clean up your image, I wouldn't recommend taking it."

Wu Jiangyuan asked, "Why?"

"It's an outdoor variety show." He Qu chuckled. "The persona they've assigned you is a pampered star. It's not likable. If you take it, you'll get attention, but the general public will definitely like you even less."

"I knew a good show wouldn't come my way." Wu Jiangyuan rolled his eyes.

"But don't get too discouraged," He Qu said. "I'll arrange an interview for you soon so you can respond to the negative stories getting the most attention online right now."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "I'll cooperate."

He Qu said, "You also need exposure. Otherwise, no matter how clean your image gets, nobody will see it."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Exposure? Search my name online and everything that comes up is trending. That's not enough exposure?"

He Qu shot him a chilly glance. "By exposure, I mean seeing your name on nationally popular variety shows, at awards ceremonies, and among the stars who are currently popular."

Wu Jiangyuan raised his hands in surrender. "If you mean a poll ranking the most hated celebrities, I'd definitely make the top three."

"You've got some nerve bringing that up." He Qu was genuinely puzzled. "It's not like you've murdered anyone or burned anything down, right? Why do so many people hate you? It started right when you debuted."

"Could you have been born a hate magnet?"

Wu Jiangyuan's expression grew languid. "Who knows?"

A thought struck He Qu. "Could someone behind the scenes be deliberately targeting you?"

"I haven't dealt with many people in this industry." Wu Jiangyuan shrugged. "I don't remember offending anyone, either."

"Then how could you be this unlucky? The moment you debuted, stories broke about you smoking, drinking, throwing your weight around, and even cheating. You became the male celebrity whose reputation collapsed fastest in history. Whether it's rankings of the sharpest tongues or the most hated male stars, you never lag behind."

Even now, remembering that time brought He Qu to tears. When those stories first broke, abuse came from every direction, whether his eyes were open or shut.

Back then, Wu Jiangyuan hadn't been so mentally resilient. He'd never suffered such humiliation and had made a fuss about getting rid of everyone spreading those rumors.

Then he'd gone to a bar to drown his sorrows, only to be secretly photographed again, adding fuel to the fire.

In the end, the matter had only barely settled down after Wu Jiangyuan's family intervened behind the scenes.

"I admit to smoking and drinking." Wu Jiangyuan defended himself with righteous conviction. "But I won't admit to throwing my weight around or cheating."

"They dumped that shit on my head when I hadn't even done it. It's outrageous."

He Qu said, "Of course I know you wouldn't do those things. The problem is, the fans and viewers don't believe it."

"A few casual lines from gossip accounts are enough to pin the blame on you."

Wu Jiangyuan fell silent.

As he sat in a daze, his phone chimed.

He glanced at it casually, then his gaze paused.

Why was that guy Pei Jinghe messaging me first?

Resting bitch face who needs a beating: [What time?]

3Q: [?]

He sent a lone question mark to express his confusion at that moment.

The top of the screen showed that Pei Jinghe was typing, but he didn't reply right away.

Wu Jiangyuan stared at the chat window. Only after about two minutes did another message arrive.

Resting bitch face who needs a beating: [Looks like you haven't been told yet]

3Q: [Told what?]

The chat window stayed frozen. Pei Jinghe stopped replying.

Wu Jiangyuan was left staring wide-eyed in bewilderment.

Being so vague-was he doing it on purpose?

"What's wrong? Who messaged you?" He Qu asked.

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Someone who really needs a beating."

He Qu raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Looking at you, don't tell me it was your beloved fiancé."

Wu Jiangyuan scoffed. "If your eyes don't work, donate them. Which eye of yours saw anything beloved about him to me?"

He Qu answered honestly, "Both of them."

"There's no explaining it to a happy bachelor like you." Wu Jiangyuan clicked his tongue impatiently, suddenly craving a cigarette.

He looked around. "Where's the ashtray?"

He Qu raised his voice considerably. "Keep your mouth shut in my office. If you dare smoke, you're dead."

The next second, Wu Jiangyuan's phone rang.

It was Jia Xin'an.

Wu Jiangyuan had a bad feeling. "What's up?"

Jia Xin'an's gentle voice came through. "Yuanyuan, go get a few suits custom-made with Xiao He tonight. You're registering your marriage next month, so you have to look especially handsome for the registration photos. I've sent Xiao He the address."

Wu Jiangyuan's head ached. "Mom, don't fuss over it."

No wonder Pei Jinghe had asked him what time. He'd gotten the news first.

Jia Xin'an said, "My son's getting married. How is that fussing? Your Aunt Yao and I decided on this together. In a few days, there's also the marital home..."

"Okay, okay, I'll go, I'll go. I'll be there." Wu Jiangyuan hurriedly cut her off. "I've got something to do now, so I can't keep talking. I'm hanging up."

With that, he hung up first.

He let out a breath of relief and slumped into his chair.

"Look at you, acting like you've got nothing left to live for. Is getting married that torturous?"

He Qu folded his arms. "Everyone sees an Enigma as a real catch. Why do you treat one like the plague?"

Wu Jiangyuan didn't want to explain too much. "You wouldn't understand. Things between Pei Jinghe and me aren't as simple as you think..."

In the end, he simply went along with the misunderstanding. "Fine, I just can't stand him."

He stood up. "Handle cleaning up my image however you think best. Tell me if you need me to do anything. I'm heading out."

After leaving the office, he opened his phone and ordered afternoon tea, then went to the floor where the company trained its artists.

Everyone there was a young male idol who had yet to debut and was undergoing training in various areas.

At the moment, there were only four young men practicing instruments in the practice room.

They were a new-generation band the company had put together and had yet to officially debut.

"Brother Yuan, what brings you here today?"

Fang Quan was the first to spot him and came over to greet him.

"Keep doing what you're doing. I just came to check on you, and I ordered afternoon tea for you while I was at it. It'll be here soon."

Fang Quan grinned. "Thanks in advance, Brother Yuan."

Wu Jiangyuan then walked up behind a red-haired young man holding an acoustic guitar.

The red-haired young man was studying the sheet music in his hands intently, completely unaware of his arrival.

"Yu Jiangmu."

Only when Wu Jiangyuan spoke did Yu Jiangmu react.

"Ah..." He immediately stood up. "Brother Yuan..."

"Still struggling with this song?" Wu Jiangyuan indicated the sheet music in his hands with a glance.

Yu Jiangmu slowly handed it to him. "The assessment is next month, and this song is still only half-finished. I've been working on it for ages, but I'm still not satisfied."

Wu Jiangyuan took the sheet music and studied it carefully.

Then he looked at Yu Jiangmu with a smile in his eyes. "Mind if I use your guitar?"

"Of course not!"

Yu Jiangmu hurriedly handed Wu Jiangyuan the acoustic guitar.

Wu Jiangyuan set up the sheet music, then sat on a tall stool and lowered his head to tune the strings.

Today, he wore only a black T-shirt and gray trousers, his white sneakers accentuating his boyish air. His thick black mullet curled in messy tufts, and the black studs in his ears glinted under the lights.

The way he held the acoustic guitar was deft and carefree.

Wu Jiangyuan tested the sound until he found a tone he liked, and the normally sharp lines of his features softened.

As his fingers came down, a gentle, lilting prelude began.

It sounded like basking in the warm spring sunshine, lovely and peaceful.

Yu Jiangmu's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

This was the feeling!

This was exactly the feeling he wanted!

In the cramped music room, all four pairs of eyes were fixed on Wu Jiangyuan.

His whole being shone.