Knock knock!
The sound of knocking ca, and Yuwei and Zijing looked a little helpless, but they still went to open the door.
"Zixuan."
"Yuwei, Zijing, I’m back, but is this a bad ti?"
"Not at all, co in quickly."
Yuwei smiled faintly; she could tell that Wu Zixuan was being cautious.
"By the way, I brought you guys so food. I really love this takeout." Wu Zixuan said as she placed the large plastic bag on the table.
When she opened it, a strong spicy aroma imdiately spread across the room.
Zijing slled the fragrance and felt a bit uncomfortable. Despite being from Sichuan, she couldn’t handle spicy food.
"It slls so good! Is this deep-sea yellow chili dried and stir-fried with small salted fish?"
"Yes! Yuwei, have you tried this? It’s so delicious, crispy, and addictively spicy."
"My forr teammate brought it from ho once."
At this point, Yuwei couldn’t help but think of Manting.
Ever since Manting disappeared without a trace, she hadn’t been able to contact her.
"I also bought so alcohol. Let’s drink a little tonight."
"Haha! Why buy alcohol? We’re never short of various types of alcohol here."
"This is high-purity vodka. It’s pretty strong."
Wu Zixuan shook the bottle in front of the two of them, its transparent liquid appearing almost like spring water.
"I’ll go fetch disposable placemats to protect the table." Zijing tactfully stepped out.
"Yuwei, today everyone else went to shoot a variety show, so it’s just the three of us. We must have a good drink tonight." Wu Zixuan’s eyes were sincere.
"Alright, we’ll drink so tonight, and next ti we’ll gather everyone around for a feast." Yuwei said with a smile.
Wu Zixuan’s expression suddenly darkened: "Yuwei, thank you so much for the other day. If you hadn’t stepped up to help out, I wouldn’t have had the face to stay here anymore."
"In fact, no one was really upset with you; it’s just that Yang Ni fainted and everyone’s mood was affected."
"Still, Yuwei, I have to thank you. You gave the opportunity to explain myself to everyone."
"Haha, it’s nothing. Misunderstandings can always be cleared up through communication."
Yuwei understood that all Wu Zixuan wanted was for her to make a sincere promise.
She could also see that Wu Zixuan was genuinely trying to reintegrate into the group as quickly as possible.
To Yuwei, Zixuan rejoining the group harmony was ideal—when the team’s spirits were aligned, their performances improved, and when the group succeeded, everyone shared the benefits.
Around 10 p.m., while the three were enjoying their food and drinks, Zhou Dan arrived uninvited.
As soon as she stepped onto the second floor, the strong sll of alcohol hit her.
She frowned slightly; she wasn’t too fond of the girls drinking alcohol.
She worried that the girls might get drunk and cause trouble; many people behave well when sober but lose control after drinking.
For a girl group, image was the most important—more so than for a boy group.
When a boy group scandal happened, although there would be backlash, it would eventually be forgiven. Won were lenient toward n and tended to beco fans again once they cooled down.
A girl group scandal, however, was different—once tainted, it was essentially over.
"Mr. Zhou, you’re here. Let us serve you a new dish; you should drink a little too." Wu Zixuan offered with a smile, her face flushed, clearly tipsy.
"I know Mr. Zhou prefers light dishes. Let’s order a stead fish!" Zijing added, slightly woozy herself.
Zhou Dan smiled kindly, her expression warm: "No need. I just ca to check on you all."
Yuwei knew Zhou Dan wouldn’t co without a reason; she clearly had sothing to discuss.
She straightened her posture and said, "Mr. Zhou, we’re doing fine. If there’s sothing to address, please feel free to say so."
After a mont’s thought, Zhou Dan said, "Yuwei, I need you to co with alone for a mont."
Zixuan and Zijing sobered up slightly upon seeing this scene.
Yuwei followed Zhou Dan to the garden, where the full moon hung in the sky like a pair of ethereal eyes.
"Yuwei, you and Xiaoyu will need to give back the milk endorsent deal to ng and Wu."
At Zhou Dan’s words, Yuwei felt her heart sink uneasily.
The milk endorsent was short-term, lasting only six months, but it was from a major brand.
It would greatly enhance her image, and if sales were strong, it could even lead to a long-term deal, representing significant benefits.
Initially, the endorsent was intended for ng and Wu, but after they left the group, through negotiations, the company retained the business and awarded it to Yuwei as a reward.
Fu Xiaoyu, though not as popular, was also included as part of the deal—it was company policy to allocate her so work.
"It’s okay, I understand the company’s decision; this endorsent was originally ng and Wu’s," Yuwei responded, feigning magnanimity, knowing that the company’s decision was unchangeable.
Zhou Dan was surprised by Yuwei’s gracious response; most others would have started a quarrel if faced with losing resources.
"I’m truly sorry, Yuwei. The brand insisted on ng and Wu as representatives."
"Haha, Mr. Zhou, there’s no need to apologize; I understand the rationale."
"Yuwei, I know you have a strong sense of the bigger picture. This ti, you’ve been wronged, but the company will compensate you in other areas."
Zhou Dan was satisfied with her attitude; she had been prepared to spend ti persuading her.
The group was very popular now, and Yuwei’s current influence was not small, so her tone naturally had to be respectful.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou; don’t worry. Since they’re back, we are one family now," Yuwei said, understanding the subtext of Zhou Dan’s words.
"Very good, Yuwei. The company hopes you’ll set an example and bring everyone together."
"I’ll definitely live up to the company’s expectations."
The two exchanged a few more words before Zhou Dan left, feeling satisfied.
"What did Mr. Zhou say to you? It seed so secretive," Zijing couldn’t help but ask.
"Did they hand you a resource package?" Wu Zixuan teased.
Yuwei noticed their expressions and realized they were still unaware of the milk endorsent situation.
Clearly, Zhou Dan had entrusted her with delivering the news herself to mitigate conflicts.
If Zhou Dan had announced it, the other mbers might feel the company was playing favorites, which could lead to resentnt against ng and Wu.
Fans might even start a public outcry, harming the brand’s reputation.
Yuwei felt increasingly stressed; she was beginning to understand Lu Bingbing’s struggles.
Sotis, you really have no choice but to sacrifice yourself.
"Mr. Zhou ntioned that the milk endorsent was still ant for you and ixuan," Yuwei said casually, even nibbling on a small fish while speaking.
Zijing was stunned, and Wu Zixuan’s face turned noticeably grim.
After rushing back to bond and seek acceptance, Zixuan felt mortified that she’d indirectly taken Yuwei’s endorsent deal—the epito of humiliation.
Zijing, after recovering from her shock, looked equally upset; were it not for Yuwei, she might have stord off angrily.
"...Yuwei, I... I didn’t intend for this..." Wu Zixuan stamred, tearfully and at a loss for words.
Yuwei took Zixuan’s hand seriously:
"Zixuan, I understand what you an."
"This doesn’t bla you or ixuan; it’s the brand’s request."
"The company couldn’t influence their decision either."
"And besides, such a significant endorsent couldn’t be forfeited, so it’s only right you both take it. The company is giving Xiaoyu and other projects too."
Yuwei’s reassurance brought Zixuan a sense of relief; she was genuinely afraid of being ostracized again. "Mr. Zhou also ntioned that we shouldn’t dwell on this matter."
"Yuwei, you genuinely don’t resent us?"
"Really, I don’t. We have to listen to the ones footing the bill!"
Yuwei joked lightly, though Zijing almost broke down in tears.
Unlike Yuwei, she felt she’d die of frustration in such a scenario—but Yuwei remained optimistic, even comforting Wu Zixuan.
"Besides, Mr. Zhou also said they’d assign other projects to Xiaoyu and , so we’re not losing out!"
"Wah! Wah! Yuwei, you’re amazing."
Moved, Wu Zixuan attempted to throw herself into Yuwei’s arms but was held back by Zijing: "Zixuan, your hands are greasy, and Yuwei just changed into clean clothes."
"Oh gosh, sorry, I got too excited."
"Calm down, let’s wait until ixuan and the others return to discuss this."
Yuwei sent a reassuring glance to Zijing, whose expression wasn’t pleasant.
"Why didn’t Mr. Zhou say this himself? We don’t even know when they’ll be back."
"Mr. Zhou was busy and asked to relay the ssage. It’s fine; I can stay up late."
After finally comforting Wu Zixuan, Yuwei felt truly drained.
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