After Sharing Senses with the Paranoid CEO, the Infamous Starlet was Forced into Pampering Chapter 7

Chapter 7: House Arrest

How did this man know what he was going to do? Even though Li Yan hadn’t finished his sentence, Xia Mu felt a wave of guilt. He deleted the random numbers he had started to type and was forced to input his actual mobile number.

Li Yanzhou already knew that string of digits by heart. With one glance, he knew it was the real deal. He took the phone back without saying a word.

“Mr. Xia, we’ve arrived at Shengyi Entertainment.”

“Thank you.”

Xia Mu addressed Li Yan as he spoke. He knew the driver was only dropping him off because of the man’s orders.

As he watched Xia Mu’s retreating figure enter the Shengyi Entertainment building, the assistant couldn’t help but ask:

“President Li, the public outcry regarding Mr. Xia is still escalating on the internet. Are we really not going to step in?”

The assistant saw Li Yanzhou through the rearview mirror; his head was lowered as if in deep thought, so he didn’t dare disturb him. To his surprise, Li Yanzhou simply pinched a stray cat hair from the seat, tossed it out the window, and spoke indifferently:

“No need.”

“Let him experience the cruelty of society. He’ll naturally come back to find me.”

The assistant shut his mouth. Cruelty? You’re the cruel one here, aren’t you? You’re clearly worried sick, asking about Xia Mu’s situation every other minute, yet you’re still pretending not to care.

Besides, settling the negative publicity surrounding Xia Mu would only take a single word from him. He just had to make things complicated.

“Go to the meeting first. Report back to me the moment there’s any movement from Xia Mu’s agency.”

Li Yanzhou propped his cheek on his hand, leaning back in a casual, languid posture. Everything regarding Xia Mu remained firmly within his grasp.

Upon arriving at the company, Xia Mu first placed Xiatian in his cat carrier, handing him over to a familiar face at the front desk to look after him.

Then, he went straight to the office of his manager, Zhu Yunhong.

The room was a literal haze of cigarette smoke. Xia Mu frowned in disgust. He took a deep breath and had just knocked and entered when several files came flying toward him. Xia Mu was long accustomed to such scenes; he tilted his body in advance to dodge them and, holding his breath with a forced smile, said:

“Hong-ge, you wanted to see me?”

Zhu Yunhong slammed the desk, roaring at Xia Mu in a fit of rage:

“You still know how to show your face at the company? I look away for one day and you cause this much trouble for me?! Yesterday, your bare butt was on the trending searches; today, you’re selling yourself at a hotel entrance? If you don’t want to f*cking work anymore, then get the hell out of here early!!”

“What selling myself?”

Xia Mu accurately caught the term he hadn’t heard before.

“Are you still going to play innocent with me? Every move you make is being filmed, do you hear me? Do you want me to read the trending search to you? #Xia Mu Selling Himself for 10 Yuan# You’re a real piece of work! None of the artists I’ve managed have ever sold their backsides so openly. Have you no shame?”

Zhu Yunhong threw a file near his hand at Xia Mu. When Xia Mu opened it, he saw a printed photo inside—it was of him this morning across from the hotel, selling jackfruit.

The sign behind him clearly read:

[10 yuan per p—, please take away!]

Xia Mu was instantly lost in confusion. He had clearly written “Jackfruit 10 yuan each,” so how could the camera angle be this malicious? Not only was the word “Jackfruit” blocked by the cart, but even the phrase “Can’t finish them” was obscured by Xiatian’s body.

Only then did Xia Mu realize that the angle Li Yan saw must have been the same, which was why he had mentioned “keeping” him. It seemed he had misunderstood. Next time they met… no, if there was even a chance to meet again, he had to apologize to him.

“I was just selling jackfruit,” Xia Mu explained.

“Is there something wrong with your brain, or is it mine? The third male lead of a major hit drama selling jackfruit at a hotel entrance? Who would believe that?” Zhu Yunhong was so angry he threw the pen in his hand aside.

“Across from the hotel,” Xia Mu added in a small voice.

Zhu Yunhong threw a stapler: “You dare talk back? Do you know you’ve been hanging on the trending searches all day? Why didn’t you pick up when I called? The drama hasn’t even finished airing and you dare play a vanishing act? What do you think this company is?”

“The phone ran out of battery.”

“Hand it over. You need to do some serious reflecting! I brought you out of that backwater village, and I never made you entertain guests. No matter how many ‘unspoken rules’ exist, I never forced you into them. Being able to push you to your current level despite that—you should be eternally grateful.”

“Furthermore, you posted on Weibo without the company’s consent. I have the right to revoke your account. This is written clearly in your contract; any statement you publish must be approved by the company first.”

Xia Mu fell silent. He was well aware of the predatory clauses in his contract.

In truth, he was a former child star. When he was in the eighth grade, a director scouted him for a milk commercial. The milk sold exceptionally well, the slogan was catchy, and combined with Xia Mu’s cute and delicate face, he became a minor sensation for a while.

Back then, Xia Mu didn’t understand anything. He only knew that filming commercials earned money that could make things less hard for his parents. Later, several media companies found Xia Mu’s home, wanting to sign him as an artist.

His parents were ordinary people who didn’t understand the entertainment industry. Initially, they thought it was a scam and didn’t want him to sign, but they also didn’t want to hold back his future.

While the family was agonizing over the decision, Shengyi Entertainment proposed that they wouldn’t interfere with Xia Mu’s studies and would only arrange schedules during his free time. They even offered 100,000 yuan upfront as a sign of good faith.

Xia Mu agreed. During winter and summer breaks, while other children were traveling, he was running around for work.

But even so, Xia Mu always felt something was wrong. The money the company distributed to him was far too little. He had once asked his manager, Zhu Yunhong, about it.

Zhu Yunhong had pulled out his contract and said, with a straight face as if it were only natural, that Xia Mu’s earnings were split 80/20 in the company’s favor. After taxes, promotional costs, and the expenses for other staff members’ costumes and makeup, not a penny less of what remained was given to Xia Mu each month.

Because he didn’t want his parents to worry, Xia Mu never mentioned it. It wasn’t until Xia Mu took a double degree in law at university that he realized this was a predatory contract.

However, he was a lone individual with no power to fight the company. Fortunately, his contract with Shengyi was only for ten years. Just as the contract was about to expire, this mess had to happen.

Xia Mu understood that the company wouldn’t help him with the trending scandal. They wanted nothing more than for him to have no way out so that no other company would want him, forcing him to renew his contract with Shengyi Entertainment.

And as for the “unspoken rules” Zhu Yunhong mentioned—why hadn’t he been sent to them? It was because Xia Mu had used the excuse of going to the restroom to escape several times.

Because he was disobedient, the company was afraid of offending the people at the top, so they had stopped letting Xia Mu participate in those gatherings.

Though he would always be scolded or hit upon returning to the company, it was far better than being “handled” or slept with.

“Didn’t I tell you to hand over the phone? Didn’t you hear me?”

Seeing Xia Mu’s “more dead than alive” expression, Zhu Yunhong’s anger flared up again. With nothing left within reach, he threw an ashtray.

Xia Mu couldn’t dodge in time. The ashtray grazed his temple. It actually hurt quite a bit.

Xia Mu placed the phone on the desk, feeling a trickle of warmth running down from his temple.

Fine. Xia Mu didn’t even bother to wipe it with a tissue. He couldn’t let his blood be shed for nothing. Later, he would just wander around outside the company; once the lurking paparazzi snapped a photo, he’d have all the “heat” he needed.

“Both of your endorsements have sent emails stating that this qualifies as artist misconduct and are demanding compensation for breach of contract. The company has done the math. Originally, you needed to pay 1 million, but you can just pay 800,000. The company will help you with the rest.”

“We don’t need you for the follow-up promotion of the drama anymore. For the next few days, stay in the company dorms and behave yourself! Who the f*ck wants to see a star who’s exposed his backside? It’s scandalous, effeminate, and brings nothing but shame to the company!”

Xia Mu bit his lip hard. Did this count as house arrest?

Before he could even walk out of the office, Zhu Yunhong lunged forward, raising his hand to strike:

“Who do you think you’re giving attitude to? Even in this state, the company hasn’t given up on you. Xia Mu, you should learn to be grateful. The company is your provider, do you understand? Get the hell out and reflect on yourself!”

As he watched Zhu Yunhong’s palm about to fall—a blow that sharp would surely leave his cheek swollen and red.

Only…

A cold smirk played at the corner of Xia Mu’s mouth.