The departure of several popular artists had severely damaged the company. Now, Mr. Lloyd was much more careful when signing new talent, unlike the company's early days when he would spare no expense promoting new signees. Before investing resources in contracted artists, he carefully evaluated their character. If any artist grew impatient and secretly contacted other agencies, the company would sideline them.As a former artist who turned CEO without powerful backing, Mr. Lloyd had seen available opportunities steadily decrease over the past couple of years. His artists could only occasionally land good scripts, and when not filming, they had to make do with appearances on variety shows and events.Mr. Lloyd was still quite handsome, and rumors suggested he planned to make a comeback to help boost his artists' careers. Unlike the overly edited photos online that looked artificial, he was even more attractive in person, carrying himself with the refined air of someone from an old, pr
"This will be your office, Ms. Middleton. If you need anything, just let me know and I'll get it for you."I nodded."After several rounds of downsizing, we don't have many artists left," Beatrice opened the computer and clicked on a desktop folder. "These are their profiles. We have six agents total. They're not exceptional, so they don't bring in many opportunities. Most of our resources come through Mr. Lloyd. Once you're familiar with our operations and the artists' looks and abilities, you'll help allocate these resources.""I'll be in charge of resource allocation?"That kind of work would easily make enemies!"If you're concerned, Ms. Middleton, we can tell people that Mr. Lloyd and I make the decisions, and you just relay them.""Were you Mr. Lloyd's agent before?"Now I realized why she looked so familiar - she was Beatrice Lewis, Mr. Lloyd's agent after his return to China!Beatrice was a top-tier agent whose husband had been an entertainment industry mogul before dyi
"What kind of pranks does he usually pull?""He puts frogs, lizards, mice - anything that crawls - into his classmates' backpacks. Mr. Lloyd has tried everything from talking to strict discipline, but nothing works. Just the other day, he put a hamster in a classmate's bag and made a girl cry. Yesterday he was grounded as punishment. He seems better behaved today."I noticed her skeptical tone on "seems."I had a phobia of those kinds of creatures - just being near them gave me goosebumps and made me want to scream. The thought of finding one in my desk drawer or coffee mug made my skin crawl."Does he spend a lot of time at the office?""Depends on how often he acts up. They can't keep a nanny - they've been through dozens. Mr. Lloyd has no choice but to bring him here.""What about his mother?"I immediately regretted asking such a personal question and apologized.Beatrice sighed, "That kid would give anyone gray hair! Mr. Lloyd checks his backpack every morning before schoo
As I reviewed the artist profiles, Ian pushed the door open again, peeking in. “Pretty Jen, can I come in?”“Sure.” Beatrice’s words echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t turn down such a sweet kid.Ian entered with his hands hidden behind his back. Was he hiding some little creature back there? The thought made me grip my mouse nervously.“Jen, this is a cake my dad bought for me. I saved you a piece.”“Thank you.” I stood and walked over, accepting the rice cake he offered.Did he add something unusual to it? But he was so cute—maybe I could trust him just this once. If he betrayed my trust, I’d be more cautious in the future.I opened the box, and the aroma of vanilla wafted out. “Smells amazing!”Ian beamed, looking even more adorable. “My teacher says good things should be shared.”“How sweet!” I reached out to pat his head, but considering we’d just met today, the gesture felt a bit sudden.He handed me a freshly unwrapped spoon, watching me expectantly. Surely there wouldn’
Whether it’s JL Capital or One Entertainment, to me, it’s just a job. I worked hard at JL because there was someone I liked there. Now that I’m at One Entertainment, I’m not about to slack off either. My life is my responsibility.When I got back to the office, Ian was waiting patiently at my desk. Hearing the door open, his eyes lit up. “Jen, it’s break time now.”“Want me to play with you?”He nodded, then scratched his head shyly. “Or… do you need a nap?”“Not today.” To thank him for sharing his cake with me earlier, I decided to play along. “So, what games do you like?”“I like all kinds!” He beamed, pulling out an iPad and bringing it over to me. The screen was filled with various mini-games.“How much time do you usually spend on games each day?”“One hour.”“Only an hour?”For someone who brought up games the moment we met, one hour hardly seemed like enough time to satisfy him. I couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical.“My dad set a screen lock on the iPad. Once I hit
"Just let me know when you need it," Ian said.“Sure!” I replied casually, and continued playing with him for another half hour. Then, I placed my hand over the screen.“Jen?” he looked up, puzzled.“We should give our eyes a little break.” I moved my hand from the screen to cover his eyes instead. “Close your eyes for a bit, then we can look out the window for a while.”He obediently followed. After a few minutes, he asked, “Can I open my eyes now?”“Go ahead!” I took the iPad from his hands and set it on the desk, gently placing him on the ground.Ian went over to the window, gazing into the distance. While he was occupied, I quickly pulled up a video of eye exercises on my computer, planning to have him try it out.Once we finished the exercises, I handed the iPad back to him. To my surprise, he powered it off.“You’re done playing?”He pointed to his smartwatch. “It’s time, just like we agreed. I want to be a kid who keeps his promises!”Whoever said he was a little devil
“Doggo!” I called, but he ignored me completely, too excited to see Goofy. He bolted over, circling his long-lost friend with joy. Goofy, equally happy, gave Doggo a nuzzle and barked in response, his tail wagging even faster.“Sorry to bother you,” I said, quickly avoiding Luke’s gaze when he looked over. As I bent down to pick up the leash, a large hand reached down first, handing it to me.“Thanks.” I took the leash, intending to leave with Doggo.“So, now that you’ve left the company, we can’t even be friends?” Luke asked.“Mr. Walker, you don’t need a friend like me.” Unlike him, I couldn’t just control my feelings so easily. I was completely, hopelessly in love with him. But he had a fiancée now, and the only way I could restrain my feelings was by keeping my distance, avoiding any contact.“Jen…”“I’ve already finished walking Doggo, so I’ll be going.” I picked up Doggo, who was clinging to Goofy, unwilling to leave, and turned to head home. Doggo struggled in my arms, w
The show had a great vibe. Penelope worked hard and kept things smooth with her quiet, reliable demeanor. Since it was the first episode and the guests were still getting to know each other, she would chime in occasionally to ease any awkwardness. By the end of the episode, the audience’s reviews of her were overwhelmingly positive. While some trolls tried to flood the chat, other viewers quickly told them to be quiet.The show was about an hour long, and after watching the premiere, I sent Penelope a quick message: "The show was great!"A moment later, Penelope called me. She sounded hesitant, as though she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to start.“I’m at One Entertainment now, and the work atmosphere is nice,” I said, guessing what she was curious about. “Mr. Walker and I have always been friends; leaving JL Capital doesn’t change that.”"Mr. Lloyd is quite a gentleman—a good boss,” I added.“It’s only the first day working with him, but he’s not overly picky. The j