Chapter 113: A Visit to Apologize

The executives were in a state of absolute panic. This time, they issued long-winded apologies, sincerely declaring that they were in the wrong and hoping that Mo Niannian would give them a chance.

Mo Niannian remained unresponsive.

The executives began pulling every string they had, desperately trying to get in touch with her. After leaving them to stew for a long time, Mo Niannian finally spared a moment to see them.

The various CEOs arrived in person, their attitudes exceptionally humble, bearing gifts to offer their apologies. They had no desire to bow to Mo Niannian, but the reality was that she had driven them into a dead end. They had never imagined that they would one day fall at her hands. With shareholders pulling their funding and their artists caught in scandal after scandal, they were completely overwhelmed. To make matters worse, the banks began calling in their loans—a clear sign that the financial institutions had lost faith in them and were acting quickly to cut their losses.

Currently, their capital chains were broken, countless projects had been forced to a halt, and they had nowhere left to borrow money. If things continued this way, they would all be finished; that was the only reason they had come to apologize.

The CEO of Xinghua Entertainment put on a obsequious smile. "Miss Mo, this whole thing was just a misunderstanding. We really didn't know."

"It was all the work of people behind our backs. We have already dismissed everyone responsible for this matter."

"That's the downside of a company growing too large; it's impossible for every action taken by the staff to pass through our hands."

They went back and forth, painting themselves as victims who had been kept in the dark. Mo Niannian watched them with amusement. After ten minutes of them taking turns singing each other's praises without getting a single reaction from her, they fell silent, unsure of what she was thinking.

"Go on," Mo Niannian said. "Why did you stop?"

Their crosstalk routine was actually quite entertaining—better than what you’d hear at a comedy club. The men felt humiliated but dared not show their frustration, so they forced themselves to keep smiling.

"Miss Mo, we have realized our mistakes. Please tell us how to resolve this. Whatever conditions you have, as long as it is within our power, we will do it."

"Are you finished with your routine?" Mo Niannian stood up. "Then you can leave."

They had wasted so much time without saying a single word of substance. The men grew anxious; they had worked so hard to see her, how could they just leave like this?

"Miss Mo, we really know we were wrong," they pleaded, looking at her with desperation. "We will cooperate with whatever solution you want. Please, give us a chance."

Had they not been pushed to the brink, none of them would ever have lowered their heads before a woman a generation younger than them.

Mo Niannian paused. "It seems you still don't understand where you went wrong." She glanced at them coldly. "I am not the one you should be apologizing to."

The men had a sudden epiphany. "Yes, yes, of course! We must go see Mr. Jiang Hu. Is he at home right now?"

Mo Niannian had delegated the decision-making power to Jiang Hu. It was unclear what they had discussed with him, but when they left, they appeared quite pleased.

Before Mo Niannian could even call for him, Jiang Hu sidled up to her, hugging her with growing boldness. "Niannian~"

His heart was pounding with such intensity it felt as though it might explode; he was overjoyed. Everything Niannian had done was for his sake.

Whenever Mo Niannian heard that tone from Jiang Hu, she was reminded of the affected, cloying voice she used to use back when she was trying to disgust him. Jiang Hu’s voice was low and sweet, not inherently off-putting, but it made her cringe at that shameful history.

"Speak properly."

Jiang Hu pressed even closer to her. "Niannian~ I’m just so happy."

"Did you forgive them?"

Jiang Hu looked at her. "Niannian, could I have chosen not to?"

"If you didn't want to forgive them, you could have just said so."

It wasn't a big deal. When they were manipulating public opinion and playing everyone like puppets, they should have anticipated that this day would come. Although Jiang Hu had certainly fanned the flames, they had chosen their own path and had to bear the consequences. At this thought, Mo Niannian glared at him again—this "dog" male lead really knew how to stir up trouble. He had poked a massive hole in everything.

Jiang Hu didn't notice her gaze; his heart was filled with warmth. He tightened his grip on her. "Niannian, do you think I’m too cruel, too excessive?"

Mo Niannian rolled her eyes elegantly. "Please, is this the first time you've done something like this?" She had never held a high opinion of him.

"You're still willing to stay by my side, right?" His dark eyes stared into hers, as if he would fall into a frenzy of collapse if she said no. His eyes reflected her image, holding nothing and no one else but her. His arms tightened around her once more.

"If I wasn't willing, would you let me leave?"

"No."

Never, even in death. He would stay by Niannian's side forever, clinging to her for a lifetime—no, a lifetime wasn't enough. They would be together for all eternity.

"Then there you have it," Mo Niannian replied.

She had tacitly allowed him to stay by her side, even after discovering what kind of person he was. The beast in Jiang Hu’s chest roared, desperate to break free from its cage, yet he suppressed it with all his might just to obtain a sliver of warmth from Mo Niannian. Those dark, frenzied thoughts must never, ever be seen by her. He was willing to sheathe his thorns and remain peacefully by her side.

Jiang Hu looked at Mo Niannian with burning, deep affection.

[Male lead's malice value -10. Current malice value: 25.]

Lately, Jiang Hu's malice value had begun to fluctuate wildly again. Mo Niannian sighed inwardly. Did the "dog" male lead have something wrong with his eyes? Why did he have to fall for her?

Mo Niannian continued with her plan. The entertainment industry was too deep and chaotic; she had nothing better to do, so she might as well clean up the business.

The executives of Xinghua Entertainment and the other two companies returned home full of joy. Since Jiang Hu had accepted their gifts, he must have been willing to reconcile. They could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But before they could even celebrate, a greater disaster struck: the fatal, confidential secrets of their companies, held by Mo Niannian, were leaked. This time, the leak came from within their own ranks.

The scandal implicated dozens of stars, including veteran actors, A-list celebrities, top-tier idols, talented performers, and countless obscure figures. Their sordid, behind-the-scenes dealings were laid bare for everyone to see. Some were even clearly price-tagged, a sight that sent chills down the spines of the public.

While many knew that such things were the norm in the industry, no one expected the reality to be this severe. Among the names were many actors and stars the public adored, whose public images were otherwise perfect. Beyond this, phenomena of sabotage, suppression, exclusion, and retaliation were rampant. In this circle, not being popular was the original sin; as long as you weren't famous, you had no status, and you had to endure everything.