Fang Yan didn't expect that Lin Nuan would be so zen about these rumors and slanders. Although she wasn't completely unmoved, she didn't particularly care. This surprised Fang Yan.
Fang Yan tapped her index finger on the steering wheel and only spoke after a while. "Previously, the photo of you going to Iraq in search of Wen Moshen was published. I remember it was a reporter from 'Global Times' called Will Statham that interviewed you. He didn't interview you in detail, merely hearing from you that you had gone to Iraq in search of a brother who had no blood relations with you?"
Lin Nuan had a deep impression of that article by Will Statham, so she nodded.
"Since you mentioned your husband was in Iraq at the time as well, could we change the concept? And say you were there to look for your husband instead? Or we could say you and your husband were In Iraq to begin with!"
Lin Nuan gazed at the talking Fang Yan and watched as she nodded with her eyes on the road ahead. "Not right. It seems like there was also a voice recording of you and Gu Hanyan on the web…"
Fang Yan had yet to formulate a concrete plan in her mind, and she seemed to be talking to herself, rejecting the notion once she verbalized it, her finger rapping inconsistently on the steering wheel.
After a long while, Fang Yan spoke again, saying, "In the voice recording between you and Gu Hanyan… did you not promise Gu Hanyan to look for the Kaide Corporation's President Fu Huai'an?"
Lin Nuan nodded.
Fang Yan lightly rapped on the steering wheel. "That's good. Since you've never stood out to clarify the matter between you, Wen Moshen, and Gu Hanyan, it might be feasible for us to say you went to Iraq to look for your husband, or that you and your husband were in Iraq to begin with!"
Lin Nuan tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Recalling what Fu Huai'an had said to her about listening to Fang Yan's opinion, she furrowed her brows a little and came clean with the truth. "Ms. Fang, I won't hide it from you. My husband… is Fu Huai'an."
Fang Yan was shocked to hear this; to think that there was such a massive God of Fortune standing behind Lin Nuan!
She kept the emotions in her eyes hidden as she subconsciously asked, "Don't tell me you went to look for your husband for Wen Moshen?"
Lin Nuan's gaze lowered as she turned to look at the reversing scenery outside the car window, her voice calm and gentle. "Yes, and no. Perhaps I had wanted to climb out of the abyss that was Wen Moshen at the time, and Gu Hanyan just so happened to have given me such an excuse, given me a chance to break free."
If that was the case, that engagement between Fu Huai'an and Gu Hanyan that had caused so many waves back then…
Since they were pressed for time, Fang Yan's brain had yet to formulate a complete strategy, so she could only say for now, "If that's the case, then we'll tell the media that you went to look for your husband, then announce your husband's identity and make your marriage known to the public! It's just that Lu Tianyu…"
"I don't want to push my husband to the front!" Lin Nuan's gaze and tone of voice were peaceful. "Ms. Fang, I don't care how others talk about me behind my back, but… the moment I think of how my husband will be gossiped about, I feel terrible!"
Fang Yan didn't utter a word.
"You don't need to worry about Lu Tianyu, that kid. He's just a brat who's been spoiled, he doesn't have a bad heart."
Fang Yan had kids of her own; after one had kids, their heart would become more tender. If it were in the past, Fang Yan likely would've rejected Lin Nuan's proposal without considering it; she would definitely give it her all to protect the artists under her wing, and not a kid!
Lin Nuan said something right, which was that the general public really wasn't all that concerned about the truth. What they liked was the drama behind everything, as well as whether there was enough explosive content for them to gossip about and vent their emotions.
The phone in the storage box vibrated. Ms. Fang glanced at it; it was Miss Xia. She wore her earpiece and put the call through. "What is it, Cuifen?"
Miss Xia ignored the way she was addressed and spoke with her brows tightly furrowed and her face full of frustration. "I just received the president's call asking me to remove Lin Nuan from 'A Sunday Date'. I went to look for her, but she deliberately avoided me. It seems like her mind is made up!"
Fang Yan's hand on the steering wheel tightened. She looked at Lin Nuan with her peripheral vision, not betraying a hint of emotion. "I got it!"
Before she could hang up the call, another incoming call came in. It was the AG company. Fang Yan had a bad feeling about this.
"That's all, I need to take another call!"
Fang Yan ended the call with Miss Xia and put the incoming call through, smiling with her voice. "President Ren…"
It wasn't clear what the party on the other end of the line had said, but Fang Yan's gaze had visibly gloomed. With a light smile, she said, "President Ren, I'm driving right now, I'll call you again and talk in detail when I'm done parking the car, ok? En… ok… ok…"
President Ren of the AG Company had divulged to Fang Yan that their side had somehow found out that Lin Nuan was about to be removed from her "A Sunday Date" program. That plus the adverse effect on Lin Nuan's image caused by the recent news meant that they might have to put a hold on plans to engage Lin Nuan as their spokesperson.
After hanging up the call, Fang Yan gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on the back of her hands apparent.
These two calls from Miss Xia and President Ren suddenly gave Fang Yan an idea of how to deal with this matter; she even felt that this could be an opportunity for Lin Nuan.
To push the attention on Lin Nuan to new heights and to sustain that high level of attention, they would have to let the matter "go through a rollercoaster ride."
It wasn't as if Fang Yan had never used this tactic to deal with a problem before in the past!
This was a crisis, as well as an opportunity!
Maybe after this incident, Lin Nuan could be elevated to a new status in the industry…
Fang Yan's first step was to get someone to use a dummy Weibo account to post the story of how Lin Nuan had left her husband and child in search of Wen Moshen after she had given birth, then to have the post retweeted in large numbers. She wanted to blow up the matter first, even if it meant Lin Nuan might be cursed at full blast like the last time around.
Then she would arrange for step number two and three!
With a concrete plan and concept in her head, Fang Yan felt her mind calm down.
Fang Yan's peripheral vision swept over Lin Nuan. She knew Lin Nuan chose to deal with the matter this way because, one, she likely was used to feeling wronged and aggrieved, and two, she didn't have the sensitivities to deal with crises!
No wonder Miss Xia had said Lin Nuan was outstanding and that the only reason she hadn't managed to advance all these years was because she lacked a good manager!
From Fang Yan's point of view, no one was perfect. Lin Nuan was indeed outstanding; it was ok if she didn't know how to deal with PR issues! Lin Nuan only had to focus on doing what she does well, and she could leave all other problems to her, her manager!
Else, if every artist were both talented and possessed the PR capabilities to deal with crises effectively, what need would there be for managers?
Never mind that a manager's value wouldn't shine through, who would then look for a manager? Managers draw commission from an artist's income!
Fang Yan was different from other managers. She had already made a name for herself in the industry by now, so while other managers hoped for their artists to stay out of trouble, Fang Yan liked a good challenge; the greater the difficulty, the more it excited her.