"Director Yao, I've taken note of this matter."
He didn't say how he would handle it, nor whether he would handle it at all—he simply left it at those three words: "taken note."
And yet, that kind of response was exactly what put Yao Yingxia at ease. As long as this matter had reached his ears, it meant it would soon be resolved.
Although the Yu family's eldest didn't believe Yao Yingxia would lie to him—and what she said did align with his unruly younger brother's usual behavior—he was still someone who trusted his own eyes and ears above all. Even though she'd already told him the whole story, he still needed to personally ask the involved parties to verify it.
In front of him, no matter how arrogant or unrestrained a playboy might usually be, they would shrink back and speak with total honesty, not daring to add a single lie, spilling everything like beans being poured from a jar.
Of course, at the end, a bit of self-defense was still necessary.
"We really weren't trying to do anything bad at the time. We just thought the girl was really pretty and wanted to get to know her. Who knew that the director she was with was an idiot—he jumped in and pushed the Second Young Master, and ended up injuring him."
Once the Yu family's eldest got what he needed, he dismissed everyone. No wonder he hadn't seen his younger brother around recently. That guy often avoided him, but never for this long—a good half-month gone without a trace. He'd originally assumed the guy had gotten lost in some brothel again, but turns out…
His face darkened. He didn't even know what to say anymore. Their family hadn't exactly spoiled him—so how had he turned out this way?
"Utter nonsense!" the Yu family's eldest slammed his palm onto the table.
The next day, word quickly spread through the film industry:
The ban on Han Mingjiang had been lifted, personally by the Yu family's eldest son.
Fu Chuan, being someone entrenched in the business, had ears everywhere. The moment the news dropped, he rushed to share the good news with his old friend.
"It's really been resolved?"
Han Mingjiang finally felt the weight lift off his chest. He'd always believed Laila could help—but never imagined it would be resolved so quickly.
"Of course it's true!" Fu Chuan was genuinely happy for him. "Make sure you call my boss and thank her. If she hadn't spoken up, there's no way this would've been settled so easily."
"I will! I'll call her right now!" Han Mingjiang replied eagerly.
But when he tried, the call didn't go through. The line was busy. Considering the time zone difference, he decided he'd try again that evening.
What he didn't know was that the reason the call didn't connect…
It was because Yao Yingxia was on the phone with Laila at that very moment.
After careful thought, Yao Yingxia decided to explain everything she'd found in detail.
"In the end, I went straight to the Yu family. Fortunately, the matter was resolved."
"You really went to a lot of trouble for this," Laila said warmly. She had also had Xiao Ye investigate Han Mingjiang's situation, and the findings had been nearly identical to what Yao Yingxia had just reported.
"I was just doing my job."
Of course, the real reason Yao Yingxia had worked so hard to solve this was for Laila's sake. Earning a favor from Laila would do wonders for her own political future.
The next morning, Laila finally got Han Mingjiang's call.
"Thank you so much for everything you've done!" he said sincerely.
"Did you submit it for review?"
"Yes, it's already been submitted. Barring any issues, we'll be able to set a release date very soon!"
Han Mingjiang's voice was full of hope for the future. His film might not be on a particularly popular subject, but he was proud of it. He believed it would resonate with viewers.
Box office numbers weren't his biggest concern. What truly mattered was the story—the children in the remote mountains, eager to learn despite their poverty, and the selfless volunteer teachers working in silence to support them.
If his film could raise awareness and make people care about education in underdeveloped areas, then he'd have achieved his goal.
Even though Laila couldn't see his face, she could feel his excitement. She remembered the joy she'd felt when her own first film premiered—every heartbeat had felt like a musical note.
"I'll be waiting for this film to take off with rave reviews," she said with a smile, offering him her blessing.
But before Han Mingjiang could say thank you again, Laila's voice suddenly shifted, turning cold and sharp.
"If a film is like a child raised with your own hands, then the director is the parent. A good parent tends to raise good children. But if the parent is reckless, then chances are the child will be too. Do you understand what I mean?"
Han Mingjiang didn't fully grasp her words, but he caught the warning behind them.
"Yes, I understand. I'll treat every film I make as if it were my child."
But Laila shook her head on the other end of the line.
"No, it seems you still don't understand."
"Han Mingjiang, I've looked into everything. It's true—you lost your release opportunity because you offended someone. But do you really think you were the innocent one?"
She admired his talent as a director, but this whole blacklisting incident had revealed just how shockingly low his emotional intelligence was.
A director was at the heart of any production. Could someone with his personality really hold a crew together?
Right now, because he wasn't famous yet, most of his crew members were newcomers with little experience. The actors, too, were rookies—under such conditions, his authority as director was enough to keep things under control and shoot a good film.
But what about when his films actually got released? When did he become a real, well-known director? Eventually, he'd have to work with seasoned actors and professionals.
With his EQ, it was only a matter of time before he sabotaged his own work.
Frankly, she didn't even need to say any of this. If he weren't an Easterner, she wouldn't have involved herself at all.
People didn't realize how hard it was to carve a masterpiece out of a block of rotten wood—and grooming a good director was just as difficult.
But Han Mingjiang was an Easterner, and she really liked his film. It had a clear personal style, and he truly had talent.
That's why Laila wanted to give him a hand—to help straighten out his thinking, to stop him from offending everyone he met before he'd even made a name for himself.
The fact that he'd been blacklisted and no one had stood up to speak for him said it all.
If not for a childhood friend and a senior who appreciated his work, where would he be now?
At least in her past life, Laila had never even heard his name.