CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 413 - 405: Friend’s Video

Hotel

Zhang Yuzhe and Director Hu were trying to comfort Jiaqi.

"Jiaqi, don’t worry. The crew will definitely get to the bottom of this," Director Hu said, genuinely anxious.

He was afraid Zhang Yuzhe might fire him in a fit of rage.

"Director Hu, you must find out the truth about what happened."

"This time it’s Jiaqi. What if it’s someone else next time?"

Zhang Yuzhe’s tone sounded calm, but it carried the weight of authority and power.

Director Hu quickly nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of relief—at least the project seemed safe for now.

At this moment, Jiaqi was looking at Zhang Yuzhe in a whole new light. This man really had changed.

"Jiaqi, let’s not call the police about this. We’ll handle it internally. What do you think?"

"...Alright, I’ll listen to you, President Zhang."

"Good. I’ll also inform your company. In the meantime, get yourself an assistant. The crew will cover the salary."

"Thank you, President Zhang."

Zhang Yuzhe nodded and continued, "Jiaqi, you’ve really been wronged this time. The crew will also provide you with some compensation."

"It’s alright, President Zhang. There’s no need for compensation—it was just one bad person." Jiaqi responded without hesitation.

The irony of it all—just over a year ago, she’d arrogantly asked Zhang Yuzhe for a "meeting fee" every month.

Now, with him voluntarily offering money, she felt so anxious she declined. She worried that if she became too troublesome, Zhang Yuzhe might dislike her and not cast her in future productions.

"You must take the compensation. It’s the crew’s responsibility."

"...Alright then."

"Good. Jiaqi, take some time to rest. I have to go now."

Zhang Yuzhe didn’t say another word. He stood up and left, leaving Jiaqi with a sense of disappointment.

Although she didn’t have feelings for Zhang Yuzhe, she had hoped he might show her a bit more "kindness."

Director Hu followed shortly after, bidding her farewell first.

Jiaqi understood what Zhang Yuzhe’s intentions were. Reporting this to the police could have serious repercussions for the crew.

For example, Galaxy’s fans might start attacking the crew.

If someone decided to take advantage of the situation to file a complaint, they might face shutdowns or reviews.

The money they gave her was branded as consolation but was essentially hush money.

Once everyone had left, Jiaqi was suddenly overwhelmed by an emptiness and fear.

The room, so stark and hollow, felt like it hid something sinister in its shadows.

She thought about sending a text to Lan Yening to chat.

But for some reason, Zhang Yuzhe’s image loomed in her mind, applying immense psychological pressure. In the end, she didn’t send the message.

Checking the time, it was already midnight.

After hesitating for a moment, she sent a WeChat message to Yuwei.

"Yezi, can we video chat for a bit?"

Beep-beep!

A little over ten minutes later, a makeup-free Ye Yuwei appeared on the screen.

It had been a long time since the two of them had talked.

"Jiaqi!"

"Yezi, I... I... *sobs*!"

"What’s wrong, Jiaqi? Don’t cry. What happened?"

On the other end of the video, wrapped in a bath towel, Ye Yuwei immediately grew alarmed.

She had a premonition that something was wrong when Jiaqi reached out.

"Yezi, I was harassed by a crazy fan..." Jiaqi recounted everything that had happened.

"Don’t be scared, Jiaqi. Just be cautious. That person likely wouldn’t dare to act openly."

"Mm! Yezi, I genuinely don’t know what to do."

Jiaqi was indeed spooked by Xiao Li’s mania.

"Jiaqi, the crew suggested getting an assistant, right? Make sure to hire your own, not someone from your agency."

"I was thinking the same. Some of them even sell our contact information." Jiaqi’s worry deepened: "Do you think the company might take the compensation money from me?"

"No, they can’t. That money isn’t covered under your revenue-sharing contract. The company has no right to touch it."

Hearing this, Jiaqi couldn’t help but laugh. "Yezi, does this count as workplace injury compensation?"

"It’s a mental trauma settlement!"

"It was really terrifying! Yezi, how’s everything on your end? I see your teammates’ fans fighting with yours all the time."

"Haha, most of those fans are brain-dead, making up whatever suits their narrative. And honestly, the company encourages them to keep fighting—it helps solidify the fanbase."

Ye Yuwei’s expression was filled with helplessness at this point.

Being part of the "idol scene," their career value largely hinged on maintaining an active fanbase, not creative output.

Once the fans scattered, their careers would fall apart, unlike the seasoned stars with concrete bodies of work—they didn’t have to deal with constant infighting among their fans.

"Yezi, I miss you so much!"

"...I miss you too, Jiaqi. Let’s meet up when we both have time."

"Great!"

A hopeful glow lit up Jiaqi’s eyes on the screen.

Just as she was about to say something else, another female voice came through the video.

"The fish stew is ready! Everyone, come eat!"

Jiaqi recognized the voice as Yang Ying’s, though she didn’t know her personally.

"Jiaqi, just rest up and block all unknown calls."

"Mm! Bye, Yezi."

"Bye!"

"Yezi, don’t forget—when you’re free, let’s meet. I’ll definitely come."

As Ye Yuwei ended the call, her phone’s lock screen replaced Jiaqi’s reluctant face.

She hesitated to fully face her old friend.

Because now her status was different, and too many eyes were watching her.

Ye Yuwei composed herself and walked downstairs.

There were five people left in the villa tonight, including Yang Ni, Li Zimeng, Jiang Mengqi, and Lai Ruoxuan.

"Why come down looking so plain? No touch of makeup, just pajamas?"

"What, are we filming?"

Jiang Mengqi, who was handing out chopsticks, laughed and said, "Just don’t let anyone post it on their friend circle."

"Last time we ate together, I came down like this and hadn’t even finished eating when my ugly photo popped up on my feed—posted by Zixuan." Lai Ruoxuan, opening a jar of sesame sauce, looked helpless.

"And Fangxin! She loves posting ugly photos of others." Judging by Yang Ni’s expression, she’d clearly been a victim too.

"Hearing all this makes me not want to eat anymore," Li Zimeng said softly.

The air grew still for a moment, only for the silence to be broken by the other four bursting into unrestrained laughter.

"Zimeng, you’re seriously the only real ’lady’ among us."

"Yes, your words are always so elegant and refined."

"I bet you’ve never played with mud at a pond!"

"How will you ever get married hanging out with us?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The teasing began again, but Li Zimeng, now used to their antics, no longer squirmed like she did in the early days.

"Yang Ni, you mentioned fish—where’s the fish?" Ye Yuwei suddenly realized the key point.

"You dare eat fish? Tomorrow, your assistant will scold you for an entire day."

"Then how are we supposed to enjoy this?"

"Relax! The stew is just made with fish broth. We’ll just eat the soup," Yang Ni reassured her.

Looking at the table piled high with vegetables, Ye Yuwei could only sigh helplessly.

"Maybe some kind souls will drop a bag of groceries at our door—with meat, bones, and the like," Lai Ruoxuan mused, her imagination running wild again. "If that were to happen...our lives would be complete."

"Stop dreaming and eat before even the vegetables are gone." Yang Ni fished a large cabbage leaf out of the pot.

"I made hotpot meatballs—there’s a tiny bit of beef in them, so dig in!" Mengqi emerged from the kitchen with a proud grin, holding a plate.

"Wow! Rainbow, you’re amazing. Without you, the world would be darkness."

"Qiqi, stop the flattery. Make sure you handle the cleanup later."

"Got it, ’mom-in-an-apron.’"

This group of girls opened a bottle of champagne, toasted, and began drinking.

Ye Yuwei adored the vibe here. It was nothing like Galaxy.

At Galaxy, resources were scarce, with everyone vying for Hanoi’s fanbase.

Living together for an extended time only fueled constant conflicts.

Here, however, they had endless opportunities—all of varying quality.

Opportunities were based on their commercial value. If you didn’t have it, no amount of fan drama could make up for it.

Their camaraderie was harmonious, even better than in their training days at the base.