CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 17 - 15: Thinking of Retiring

"What are you guys doing? Why are you pointing fingers at Ye Yuwei? Didn’t we agree to be normal fans?"

"Yeah! When did us ’Galaxy fans’ stoop so low as to openly criticize our idols?"

"It’s because of shitty fans like you that the public looks down on ’our Galaxy’ and disrespects our Galaxy Girl Group."

For a moment, the entire fast-food restaurant was filled with heated emotions, as if a fight could break out at any second.

Ye Yuwei could only flee in panic, knowing these fans were completely unreasonable.

"Jiaqi, I’m sorry, I couldn’t bring back the meal. I only managed to get you a big bowl of beef noodles."

"It’s okay as long as you’re back."

Li Jiaqi took the bowl of beef noodles and noticed that something seemed off about Ye Yuwei’s expression.

"Yuwei, what happened?"

"Jiaqi, do you think... are we really doing anything meaningful as a girl group?" Instead of answering, Ye Yuwei asked her own question.

"Of course we are. What else would we be doing if not a girl group?"

Li Jiaqi felt that Ye Yuwei’s state of mind was becoming increasingly abnormal. Those once-beautiful eyes now seemed clouded with humiliation.

"Jiaqi, what exactly are we performing every week in that little theater? Girl-on-girl CP fantasies, dirty jokes with soft overtones, and even those pocket tricks we have to perform for our audience at meet-ups."

"Jiaqi, I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to do this. I want to be a respectable, upright person."

"A respectable, upright person!" Li Jiaqi stared at the other girl, her clear eyes flashing sharp like a blade.

"Ye Yuwei, tell me, what can you even do? Do you have a degree or any specialized skills?"

Seeing Ye Yuwei standing there dumbfounded and speechless, Li Jiaqi dragged her over to the full-length mirror.

"Look at yourself. What do you have besides a pretty face? After you leave this group, what kind of good life could you possibly enjoy besides ending up as someone’s kept woman?"

Li Jiaqi roared into her ear like an enraged lioness.

Ye Yuwei, who had been emotional, suddenly felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water on her.

Li Jiaqi’s words were like sharp knives cutting her down to size.

That’s right! What else could she even do after leaving the group?

"Jiaqi, if we don’t sell fantasy romance or pander to BL tropes, how else can we make money? The company isn’t a charity; they won’t keep us for free. If the group were to disband one day, where could we even go?"

Ye Yuwei trembled all over, her whole body sinking into despair.

The terrifying thought of the group breaking apart felt like a massive mountain pressing on her.

Although the fans always joked about the group disbanding or the company going bankrupt...

They knew, as small-time idols, the truth.

If this company ever did close down, their Star Dream would also come to an immediate halt.

The vast majority of them wouldn’t stand a chance of signing with a better agency.

"Yuwei, we have to fight for this! If we can hold on, we’ll have a shot. If we give up and leave, then we’ll be nothing more than worthless straw in the wind."

"Jiaqi, I’m sorry for what I just said..."

"Yuwei, did something happen to upset you?"

Ye Yuwei nodded and explained what had happened at the fast-food restaurant earlier.

"Yuwei, don’t listen to those people. Their ’bias’ idols are the same way! In our ’garden,’ CP is the traffic password."

Ye Yuwei nodded. To be honest, she understood all of this.

But deep down, she just couldn’t accept these behaviors. In this company, her most profound realization was that many small-time idols were forced to change their own sexual orientations.

As the two were talking, there was suddenly a knock at the door.

Li Jiaqi walked over to open it, only to see Yu Manting standing there.

Today, she was wearing a purple dress, her wavy hair cascading, and her makeup exquisitely done, making her look both glamorous and beautiful.

Jiaqi’s face immediately darkened as she looked coldly at the woman before her. She knew the other wasn’t here for her.

"You’re all here?" Manting flashed her signature charming smile.

"Yes, what do you want?" Li Jiaqi practically became a wall, blocking the doorway and refusing her entry.

A faint bitter smile appeared on Yu Manting’s porcelain-like face.

"Yuwei, there’s an external announcement."

Yuwei, who had been feeling awkward, sighed in relief upon hearing it was work-related.

Jiaqi’s only flaw was that she kept too close an eye on her.

"What announcement? Mr. Shen didn’t notify me about it." Ye Yuwei looked puzzled at her.

"I just came over from Mr. Shen’s office. He asked me to tell you directly."

Smiling warmly at Ye Yuwei from behind Li Jiaqi, Yu Manting’s lips curved in a captivating way.

"Shenghai TV has a program inviting us to perform. This time, Manager Zhang will be leading."

Ye Yuwei was immediately shocked. Something as good as appearing on television actually came to her.

Even if she’d only be on the sidelines, wasn’t every major player once an underdog?

Being chosen showed that she now had a place in the company’s promotions.

"Jiaqi isn’t going?" Ye Yuwei blurted out without thinking.

An awkward smile appeared on Yu Manting’s face as she said nothing.

"It’s okay. Maybe the next announcement will include me." Li Jiaqi forced a smile.

At that moment, Ye Yuwei cursed herself internally, wishing she could slap her own mouth. Her words must have hurt Jiaqi just now.

Here she was, running over to cry her heart out over wanting to quit the group, while Jiaqi, who was genuinely dedicated to the team, couldn’t even get decent resources.

"Yuwei, the instructor is waiting for us in the dance studio. We need to rehearse."

Ye Yuwei looked at her friend with guilt: "Jiaqi, then... um, I’ll leave now."

"Go on, Yuwei. Do your best."

When Ye Yuwei’s figure disappeared from the doorway, Li Jiaqi collapsed painfully against the door, tears blurring her eyes.

She wasn’t jealous of Yuwei but wept for her own lost youth and broken dreams.

In Shenghai, inside an old, rundown building...

The strong smell of herbal medicine filled the air, arousing complaints and scolding from the neighbors.

Lan Yening gently shut the window and carried the lukewarm bowl of medicine over to feed it to her mother.

"Xiao Ning, you’ve suffered too much. Mom has dragged you down."

The woman lying on the sickbed had a pale complexion and bloodshot eyes.

However, one could still vaguely see that she must have been a stunning beauty in her younger years.

"You’re my mom. How could you possibly drag me down? Just focus on getting better."

With a gentle and watery smile, Lan Yening carefully wiped the leftover medicine from her mother’s lips.

"Xiao Ning, stop buying medicine for Mom. There’s no cure for me. Save some money and go back to school. Otherwise, your whole life will be ruined."

"Mom, don’t say such things! You’ll get better. Once we have enough money, I’ll take you to a big hospital for surgery."

"Xiao Ning..."

Overwhelmed with grief, Lan Yening returned to her own small room, closed the door, and broke down in uncontrollable sobs onto her bed.

He was terrified of losing his mother. He had been raised by her alone, never knowing his father. Everything he had in life came from her care.

He felt that if he lost his mother, the grief would consume him entirely.

After crying for a while, exhaustion overtook him, and he opened his old phone.

The screen of the outdated phone showed a photo of him and Ye Yuwei as the wallpaper.

He opened his photo album and scrolled through picture after picture of her.

Every time he saw the girl’s innocent smile, it brought him a sense of peace and tranquility.