Chapter 58: Quitting the Industry Also Counts as Terminating the Contract, Right?

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Quitting the Industry Also Counts as Terminating the Contract, Right?

They had left with a single suitcase but returned with bags of all sizes.

Xu Li, considerate of Nan Zhi’s exhaustion and Nan Yi’s small size, didn’t let them lift a finger. She took care of all the luggage herself—

Two suitcases, one large backpack, a crossbody bag slung over each shoulder, and several bulging plastic bags in her hands... She was practically a walking luggage rack!

DING-DONG.

The elevator doors opened.

A curly-haired auntie fanning herself stepped out. She didn’t notice Nan Zhi and Nan Yi huddled in the corner. Her eyes immediately landed on Xu Li, and she stared in amazement.

"Oh, moving, are we?"

Xu Li couldn’t bring herself to smile.

After they got into the elevator, they could still hear the curly-haired auntie’s voice drifting over:

"Young people these days are so frugal, not even hiring movers..."

Nan Zhi silently reached out a hand.

"Let me help you."

"No need! I can handle it!"

Xu Li gritted her teeth.

Nan Zhi and Nan Yi hadn’t originally had this much luggage. Granny Qian and her husband had been so enthusiastic, insisting on giving Nan Zhi a huge pile of homemade pickled vegetables, dried mountain goods from relatives, and so on.

The quality of these items was excellent, the kind you couldn’t buy in stores, so Nan Zhi couldn’t possibly refuse them.

It just made things hard for Xu Li.

Fortunately, the distance from the car to the apartment wasn’t too far.

Seeing they had arrived at Nan Zhi’s front door, Xu Li’s spirits lifted, and a smile spread across her face.

"Don’t worry. While you were gone for these two weeks, I had Xiao Qi come over to clean every day. The place is definitely spotle—"

The door opened, and Xu Li’s voice died abruptly—

The air quality in Yanjing wasn’t great. Leaving the windows open for two weeks was enough for a thin layer of dust to settle on the furniture and floor.

On top of that, clothes were scattered on the sofa, and unwashed pots and pans were piled in the kitchen sink...

The entire apartment was an unbelievable mess!

It was even worse than Nan Zhi and Nan Yi’s little hut in the shantytown!

Nan Zhi’s smile gradually faded.

Nan Yi took half a step back in disgust.

Xu Li muttered, "Are they insane?"

Nan Zhi glanced at Xu Li and saw her face had turned dark, tinged with red—a mixture of frustration and anger.

With Nan Zhi’s intelligence and sharp perception, how could she not guess there was more to the story?

But she pretended not to know and told Xu Li,

"Let’s call a cleaning service."

The three of them alone definitely couldn’t get it clean today.

Xu Li took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded.

She found a place to set down the luggage, then made two phone calls.

She said, "These two cleaners are people I’ve known and used for years. They’re very discreet and won’t gossip. You can rest assured."

Afterward, she seemed to want to say something more but swallowed her words several times.

Finally, she managed to force out two words: "I’m sorry."

Nan Zhi understood perfectly.

"This has nothing to do with you."

Xu Li shook her head and sighed.

"No, it’s because I don’t agree with the company’s philosophy. You’re caught in the middle, the sacrificial lamb."

Having followed the entire livestream of *Cub Observation Diary*, Xu Li’s opinion of Nan Zhi had genuinely changed for the better.

So now, words that were once difficult to say came out easily in front of Nan Zhi—

Previously, Nan Zhi had been in a state of being semi-abandoned by the agency.

Getting on this parenting show wasn’t thanks to the company’s resources, but rather Xu Li’s personal connections, built up over her years in the industry.

The agency had originally thought that putting Nan Zhi on a parenting show with her child would only lead to her getting flamed online, so they simply left her to her own devices.

Even when Nan Zhi was being trashed online by everyone, it was the show’s production team and Fu Chao’s team that stepped in to clear her name.

Xu Li, of course, did her part.

But as a minor agent, her power was limited.

Who would have thought that Nan Zhi would weather that storm and stage a stunning comeback?

Recently, her popularity had been skyrocketing, and even her public reputation had improved significantly...

The agency finally took notice of this free-range artist. They figured that *Cub Observation Diary* was bound to be a huge hit and decided they might as well seize the opportunity to make some quick money off Nan Zhi.

So, the head of the management department went over Xu Li’s head. In the break before the second filming period, he booked Nan Zhi for over a dozen gigs—short variety shows, livestreams, endorsements, commercials...

It was as if they wanted to squeeze every last drop of value out of Nan Zhi!

They even had their eyes on Nan Yi!

To this day, Xu Li could still recall her superior’s smug face as he shamelessly slammed his hand on the table and said:

’Every one of these gigs is cold, hard cash! Who doesn’t want money? We’re doing her a favor with this arrangement! So what if Nan Yi is just a kid? Do you have any idea how many parents are throwing money around, desperate to get their kids into showbiz as child stars?’

Xu Li frowned in disgust and said to Nan Zhi,

"I refused on the spot. They were very unhappy. Taking Xiao Qi away was a warning."

Xiao Qi was Nan Zhi’s personal assistant.

Nan Zhi immediately fell silent.

More precisely, she was reviewing the Tactician’s memories—

Her current agency was a well-known, long-established company in the industry.

However, the Tactician had only seen its glamorous surface, unaware that the company was notorious in the industry for exploiting its artists, having chaotic rules, and poor conduct...

Fortunately, the agent the Tactician had worked with was Xu Li, who was a breath of fresh air in that company.

Of course, the Tactician didn’t see it that way. Instead, she thought Xu Li’s ideas were pedantic and old-fashioned, that she wasn’t as capable as the other agents who could make her a superstar.

The Tactician had tried to switch agents several times, but unfortunately, no one else wanted her.

In contrast, it was Xu Li who, despite always scolding her, had helped her time and time again through her actions, never once thinking of giving up on her.

Shortsighted and unable to appreciate the good things she had.

—That was Nan Zhi’s only assessment of the Tactician.

Nan Zhi’s brief silence, however, was misinterpreted by Xu Li.

Xu Li thought Nan Zhi didn’t want to turn down the gigs and tried to explain,

"I know these jobs can boost your popularity in the short term and bring in a huge profit, but in the long run, it’s clearly a case of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs..."

As she spoke, Xu Li suddenly deflated.

She remembered how Nan Zhi used to always find her rigid, old-fashioned, and inflexible.

’Perhaps...’

’We’re not on the same path, after all.’

"...Never mind. If you want them, I’ll go back and talk to the company."

Xu Li’s shoulders slumped. She felt utterly exhausted.

Nan Zhi said, "No need. I trust you."

She met Xu Li’s incredulous gaze with a faint smile.

Then, Nan Zhi’s next sentence was:

"People with different principles can’t work together. Do you want to stay at this company?"

Xu Li was stunned, thinking she had misheard.

"Wh-What? Don’t tell me... you want to terminate your contract?"

"Something like that."

’Quitting the industry counts as terminating the contract, right?’

"You still have three years on your contract! The termination fee is a full 30 million! Of course, you might not have to pay that much if we take it to court, but it still won’t be a small amount, and more importantly, it will take a lot of time..."

Xu Li’s words were saying no, but her mind was already honestly starting to do the math for Nan Zhi.

It was obvious she was tempted.

Nan Zhi said with a grin,

"It’s fine. We can take our time. I’ve got plenty of it."