CHAPTER 51

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow with a puzzled expression and sneered, "Why do I need your account and password?"

Guan Han remained silent, her attitude of refusing to give in was firm.

It was just a game account. Even if she lost it, she could create another one. Whether Qin Yinong used it or not was her own business, and whether she gave it or not was her own decision.

Qin Yin turned back and glanced at the screen, scanning the two lines of numbers from beginning to end. Her eyes flickered, and she didn't utter a complete refusal.

The two sat facing each other for two minutes. The time limit for retracting the message had passed, but neither of them mentioned it, naturally moving on from the matter.

Guan Han raised her hand and pointed at the laptop.

Qin Yin nodded.

Guan Han sat in front of the computer and took screenshots, while Qin Yinong directed her from behind. She didn't have much knowledge about cars, not as much as Guan Han did. Sometimes she thought one option was good, and other times she felt another option was also not bad.

Guan Han worked tirelessly and almost sent Tang Ruoyao the link to the official website directly.

She saw Qin Yinong's smiling expression, as if she wanted to buy the entire world for Tang Ruoyao. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of sourness. It had nothing to do with love, but her usually stingy boss was so generous to her lover. Guan Han, who had been with her for several years, couldn't help but feel complicated.

When did someone ever give her gifts like this? Guan Han was momentarily lost in thought.

She was used to being independent and had no intention of relying on a wealthy partner, but sometimes in life, a bit of happy imagination was needed.

Tang Ruoyao was filming on set, and the message she sent hadn't received an immediate reply. Guan Han had some free time for now. She sat on the sofa, holding the glass of ice-cold freshly squeezed watermelon juice that Qin Yinong personally made for her, and her mood became wonderfully pleasant.

Whoever's assistant had such a good life.

A text message came to her phone.

Guan Han picked it up and took a look.

[95533: Your savings account ending in 0862 has received a transfer of 100,000.00 RMB. Your current balance is 282,000.32 RMB. Please check and confirm the amount in a timely manner. [Construction Bank]]

Guan Han: "!!!!"

Qin Yinong, sitting across from her with a coffee table in between, raised her phone slightly and smiled lightly, saying, "Didn't I say I would give you a raise? Consider this an early mid-year bonus."

"It's not the end of the year yet." Although Guan Han was happy to receive the money, her diligent work attitude prompted her to correct her.

"It's the mid-year, the middle of it." Qin Yin smiled brightly.

"Alright then." Guan Han went along with it, suddenly feeling guilty for sitting here leisurely drinking watermelon juice. She eagerly wanted to do something for her that would be worth this mid-year bonus. She put down her glass, her hands unsure for a moment, and asked, "What do I need to do?"

"Sit there and don't move, be the mascot." Qin Yinong replied.

When Qin Yinong said to be the mascot, she obediently became the mascot, bowing her head and tapping something on her phone without saying a word.

Qin Yin was generous with her assistant. In the entertainment industry, not all celebrity assistants had glamorous lives. Most of them earned a basic salary of a few thousand yuan, acting like full-time nannies, and handling trivial matters. Guan Han's monthly salary was on par with being a little lover to Tang Ruoyao, with regular check-ins and no "risk" of being forgotten by her boss and delaying payments. And of course, the year-end bonus was also generous.

Guan Han understood that Qin Yinong had been frugal in the past due to poor living conditions, but she felt that she was being overly frugal. It was one thing for brands to send her casual wear, but she herself didn't even buy decent luxury items. Last time in France, when Qin Yinong went shopping with a female celebrity, she custom-ordered a necklace worth millions, and Qin Yinong didn't even bat an eye. She bought a bunch of perfumes for the team, each member receiving a bottle, and casually handed Guan Han a bag worth two hundred thousand, making the assistant of the opposite celebrity envious to the point of red eyes.

Qin Yinong attended events from head to toe, with the brand providing her with everything, from long dresses to jewelry. With her natural beauty, her face was already the center of attention, and most people didn't care about what she wore. She could easily overshadow the entire room even if she wore a piece of burlap. Her casual wear was also pre-selected by the team, and the only thing she bought herself was handbags. As a result, fans could see her carrying the same few bags wherever she went, taking turns. Today it's this bag, tomorrow it's that one. No one was in a hurry, everyone had a chance. In the end, fans analyzed that Qin Yinong must have a few favorite bags, but they couldn't imagine that it was because she only had those few bags.

Now she's generous towards Tang Ruoyao, not hesitating to give her luxury cars. When will she be able to be generous with herself?

Last night, when Guan Han drove Qin Yinong's car back, she was shocked. The car Qin Yinong bought as a means of transportation wasn't a trident or a bull, but even a lower-end Mercedes-Benz or BMW with four circles. It was a Passat worth only a few hundred thousand, not even as valuable as the bag she casually gave her!

Guan Han used to suspect that she had a masochistic or self-sacrificing personality, but after spending time with her day and night, she felt that neither of those descriptions quite fit her. Guan Han couldn't see clearly, but she wanted Qin Yinong to live a better life, where she didn't have to worry about anything and could be carefree and unrestricted.

The people who had hurt her were already in the past, weren't they?

But everyone's experiences are different. There's a line in a book that says, 'Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.' She hadn't experienced the hardships and difficulties that Qin Yinong had gone through, so she had no right to advise her from a higher position.

Moreover, she was just an assistant.

When Qin Yinong raised her head, she was momentarily shaken by the melancholy and contemplative gaze in Guan Han's eyes as she looked at her.

Guan Han blinked her eyelashes, discreetly hiding her gaze behind the motion of adjusting her glasses. Just then, her phone vibrated, and she casually glanced at it, saying, "Miss Yao replied."

"Let me see." Qin Yin reached for her phone.

.....

Lin Guoan: "Cut." He watched the monitor back and forth twice, carefully choosing his words before speaking, "It's good."

Tang Ruoyao let out a sigh of relief.

Lin Guoan truly lived up to his reputation of being strict. In the morning, they had filmed a simple scene, but he made them redo it four times, even though Tang Ruoyao couldn't figure out what was different about the fifth take. But Lin Guoan insisted on having her redo it again and again without re-explaining the scene.

Tang Ruoyao didn't slack off just because they were filming the same scene repeatedly. On the contrary, she strived to do better with each take. So after the fifth take, she felt a bit exhausted, with sweat soaking through her back.

Xin Qian came over, offering her a towel to wipe off the sweat and a bottle of mineral water, saying, "Tang Tang, someone sent you a lot of messages." Her phone kept vibrating, almost causing her hand to go numb.

"Hmm?" Tang Ruoyao took small sips of water and reached out her hand, saying, "Let me see."

Tang Ruoyao glanced at her notification screen, which showed 32 notifications. She curved her lips into a smile, swiped the screen to unlock it, and noticed a bright "32" on Guan Han's profile picture in the top right corner.

Tang Ruoyao furrowed her brows.

Was her account hacked?

Tang Ruoyao tilted her phone to the side, avoiding Xin Qian's gaze, and opened Guan Han's chat box. The flood of luxury car images had confused her, so she scrolled to the top and found a line of Chinese characters.

[Qin Jie is asking which one you like, you can choose two.]

Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: Is this a reward for the help I sought last night?

Tang Ruoyao: [I don't currently need a car.]

Other mistresses would be eager for their benefactor to give them more, but Tang Ruoyao, on the other hand, refused even when something was finally offered to her. Qin Yinong nonchalantly raised an eyebrow and replied: [There will be a time when you need it. It's better to be prepared. You're a big star, and it wouldn't be right if you don't even have your own car, right?]

Tang Ruoyao: [I usually use the company's chauffeur car, they provided me with a dedicated vehicle.]

Qin Yinong: [Don't you have any personal matters?]

The speed of the reply was too fast, and Tang Ruoyao was already certain that it was Qin Yinong on the other side, intentionally beating around the bush: [Not at the moment. Sister Qin always comes to me, she doesn't want me to go over there.]

She took the opportunity to probe.

Qin Yinong bit her lip and just as she was about to type the next line: "If there comes a day when I need to come over..." She abruptly stopped, pressed the backspace key, and rephrased her sentence: [Don't you usually go out with friends to have fun?]

She remembered the group of 405. One of them was at the theater, and the other two were on set filming. They weren't in the same place, and it wouldn't be convenient to gather using the company's car.

Tang Ruoyao also thought of her roommate. Wen Shuxian, who couldn't sit still, was busy in the film crew day and night but still didn't forget to invite them for a team dinner. During their voice chat yesterday, she mentioned multiple times that they should get together after wrapping up the project.

After a brief silence on the other side, Qin Yin received Tang Ruoyao's response.

[Okay.]

Qin Yinong smiled and was about to ask her which style she liked, whether she liked the pink one or not, when Tang Ruoyao's next message popped up: [Can I not choose these flashy ones?]

Flashy?

Qin Yin was speechless.

Tang Ruoyao: [How about an SUV? I'll buy it myself.]

Qin Yinong: [No.]

Qin Yinong: [I'll buy it for you.]

Guan Han's phone synchronized the real-time chat conversation between the two of them, and she discreetly took a sip of watermelon juice, suppressing her smile. What kind of benefactor was this? Clearly, she was just like an eager young man trying to please his crush. Did Qin Yinong have some misunderstanding about the term "lover"? Maybe she thought it meant writing partner but pronounced it as romantic partner.

Guan Han glanced meaningfully at Qin Yinong, who was focused on typing on the computer with a serious expression.

Hadn't Qin Yinong noticed that the closer they approached the end of their relationship, the more her behavior changed? She found excuses to visit the set as a matter of course, avoiding direct conversations with Tang Ruoyao, never informing her in advance about meeting times, yet making plans to reserve a day for her on the day Tang Ruoyao finished filming...

All these actions repeatedly broke the rules she had set for herself over the past three years.

When did things start to change? It was from the moment Han Yuping told her to go home and take a break. Once Qin Yinong was away from the busy work environment, her heart gradually became occupied by Tang Ruoyao, like a seed lying dormant, taking root, sprouting, and finally flourishing with the nourishment of rain and dew.

In this disappointing world, she encountered a beautiful dream named Tang Ruoyao. She struggled in pain while sinking into it with clarity.

Perhaps it was true that the more she restrained herself, the more unrestrained she became in the end.

But she didn't know if at the end of recklessness, destruction awaited her.

Qin Yinong's typing fingers abruptly paused, and the smile in her eyes faded gradually.

Guan Han timely spoke in a soft voice, "Qin Jie?"

Qin Yin closed her laptop with a snap and said, "Tell her to choose the car model she likes, and I'll buy it for her. Also, the apartment she's currently living in is mine. If it's not suitable, she can't stay there anymore. Keep an eye out for any good real estate openings in the near future."

Guan Han nodded.

Not only was she planning to give her a car, but also a house? What did it mean by "if it's not suitable, she can't stay there anymore"? Was she really willing to drive her away?

Qin Yinong: "I'll go upstairs and change clothes. Ningning's class is almost over, I'll go pick her up."

Guan Han watched as Qin Yinong disappeared into the corner of the staircase, then lowered her head to pick up the chat conversation with Tang Ruoyao.

Guan Han's speaking style was quite distinctive. The moment she said the iconic phrase "Qin Jie said," Tang Ruoyao knew that the situation had changed. The heat in her head, which had just been ignited, cooled down. She replied briefly: [Okay.]

There was no further conversation.

Guan Han scrolled up and reviewed the playful teasing exchange between the two of them. Then, comparing it to her own indifference and ruthlessness, she managed to get a taste of bitterness from it.

.....

"Did some from your family intervene?" Mu Qingwu asked over the phone.

Tang Ruoyao made an ambiguous sound in response.

Mu Qingwu chuckled and said, "No need to feel embarrassed. Having connections is a good thing. Who would complain about having a strong backing? Once this matter passes, if anyone in the industry wants to stir up rumors with you, they'll probably have to consider their own weight."

Mu Qingwu woke up early in the morning on the office sofa. She checked her email and found a quietly lying anonymous email in her inbox. She clicked on it with sleepy eyes and almost jumped up on the spot.

The email contained evidence of You Mingxuan's chaotic personal life over the years, including detailed records of hotel stays, explicit photos, and videos. Everything was there. Surprisingly, the most recent hotel record was from those three days when he claimed to be "heartbroken."

Mu Qingwu felt like she had discovered a treasure.

The sudden appearance of this email in her inbox was definitely not a coincidence. It was either the work of someone who couldn't tolerate You Mingxuan's malicious publicity stunts, or the "justice advocate" with powerful connections behind them. Mu Qingwu's first suspicion fell on Tang Ruoyao, with her influential "family."

And indeed, her suspicion was confirmed.

Now, Mu Qingwu's only concern was how much she should expose and to what extent. As the saying goes, leave oneself a way out to meet again in the future. The entertainment industry was deep waters, and caution was paramount. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to escalate things to the point of open conflict. She could expose everything, tarnish You Mingxuan's reputation, and bring him down to the bottom, but what benefit would it bring to Tang Ruoyao? What if You Mingxuan became desperate and did something unexpected? After all, he had an uncle behind him.

She sought Tang Ruoyao's opinion to some extent.

"It's up to you to decide." Tang Ruoyao said, "Sister Mu, since I've entrusted myself to you, I naturally trust you completely."

Mu Qingwu was slightly moved.

Meeting Tang Ruoyao was truly like finding a treasure. Not only was she obedient and well-behaved, but she also genuinely respected Mu Qingwu from the bottom of her heart.

"Then I'll handle it myself."

"Okay."

After concluding the conversation with Tang Ruoyao, Mu Qingwu made a phone call to You Mingxuan's manager, Li Xia.

Li Xia hadn't slept the previous night, her eyes bloodshot. When she saw the name "Mu Qingwu" flashing on her phone screen, her eyelids twitched uncertainly. She answered the call with a hoarse voice, "Hello."

"Hey, did you pull an all-nighter? Our company had a late-night gathering for crayfish last night." Mu Qingwu yawned and made a sarcastic remark.

Li Xia wasn't in the mood for a verbal battle with her. She pinched her brow, picked up a glass of cool water, moistened her throat with a sip, and said, "Stop beating around the bush. Just say what you want to say."

"Then let me tell you. Make your artist apologize to my artist, publicly and fairly debunking the rumors in front of all the media. Say that on that day... I don't care what excuse you come up with, but my artist must be cleared of it."

"I can't control him." Li Xia sighed. If she could control him, it wouldn't have escalated to this point.

"I have incriminating evidence on your artist."

"Then go ahead and expose it." Li Xia said.

Mu Qingwu almost laughed in exasperation. "You're so fearless, huh? I kindly thought about the future of your artist and gave you a way out, but you're being shameless."

Li Xia also sneered, "We're all in this industry, everyone knows each other. You're just afraid to expose him because of his background. There's no need to make it sound so noble."

"I'm afraid? Do you think I'm afraid or not? Did you witness what happened last night? Why don't you take a guess, is it because your artist has a powerful background or because my artist has strong connections?" Mu Qingwu hung up the phone directly. Then she crossed her arms and calmly waited for three seconds before Li Xia's call came back.

Li Xia straightforwardly asked, "What evidence do you have?"

Mu Qingwu casually replied, "Nothing much. Just ask him if on the night of the 19th, he stayed in a hotel called Junwu with a girl who is approximately 170 cm tall and was wearing a dark blue dress."

Li Xia said in a deep voice, "I'll go and ask now."

Mu Qingwu replied, "I'll give you only one hour. If I don't receive a satisfactory response after one hour, the hotel records and videos will appear online."

"Junwu?" You Mingxuan tilted his head and asked his assistant, "Have I been to such a hotel?"

The assistant nodded silently.

"You've done a really great job!"

With a loud "slap," Li Xia, furious, slammed the PR plan she had prepared for You Mingxuan onto the coffee table, causing the pages to roll up and a gust of wind to blow his intentionally long and disheveled bangs.

You Mingxuan looked at Li Xia through the gap in his newly lowered bangs, pursed his lips, blew upwards again, and said, "It's not the first time something like this has been captured on camera. Why are you so nervous?"

Of course, with You Mingxuan's personality, this wasn't the only time he had been caught in such situations. Each time, they managed to suppress it before it escalated. The company had spent who knows how much on public relations for him over the years, but since he could make money and had his uncle as a backer, the company turned a blind eye to it.

"You—" Li Xia took a deep breath and felt like she could strangle You Mingxuan right then and there.

Li Xia paced back and forth in the office, the sound of her high heels on the tiled floor irritating You Mingxuan's brain. He curled his fingers and tilted his body slightly, saying, "Sister Xia, you can take your time to think about the PR plan. I'll..."

He pointed towards the door.

"You stop right there!" Li Xia erupted in anger, striding towards him with a stern face and a firm attitude. "Today, you will clarify things, whether you like it or not!"

You Mingxuan let out a soft hum from his nose, a smirk forming on his lips as he spoke softly, "What if I don't?" He reached out and took the sunglasses from his assistant's hand, putting them on his handsome face, and left without looking back.

One hour later, a video of You Mingxuan and a mysterious young woman entering a hotel room appeared on the hot search rankings.

Li Xia tried everything she could, but she couldn't remove it from the hot search and her hired water army couldn't compete with Mu Qingwu's side. The discussion volume on the hot search continued to rise, and within a short span of ten minutes, it climbed to the top, with a prominent "explosive" label following it.

The surveillance footage was obtained from the hotel, and observant netizens quickly noticed the date displayed on it.

[Everyone, pay attention! The date of the hotel stay is September 19th, the day before You Mingxuan's interview, right?]

[Indeed, it's the drama king of the entertainment circle. One day engaged in an affair, the next day shedding tears in front of the media. Stop acting and go practice face-changing instead.]

[Can the person above stop mentioning the entertainment circle? I don't know how to respond on the entertainment circle I have in my hands.]

[I think he's just putting on a show. It's not like he's heartbroken. It's obvious that he's just playing around excessively, right?]

[Excessive play +1. You Mingxuan always has that kidney deficiency look. I've heard from my friend that he's quite wild in private. It's just that the company has been able to suppress the scandals. What goes around comes around, the heavens spare no one.]

There are also fans of You Mingxuan who claim that the person in the video only resembles him and nothing more. They went to You Mingxuan's agency's official social media account and asked them to send legal letters and issue statements to sue these rumor-spreading marketing accounts.

But not all fans are blind. Some people can see the truth and silently withdraw from the fandom. Among them, there was a prominent fan who had connections with the company. After making a phone call to inquire, she openly unfollowed and criticized You Mingxuan. Fan backlash can still be salvaged, but when influential fans turn against you, it's the most devastating. They know a lot about the idol that general fans are unaware of, usually involving shocking revelations.

You Mingxuan, disqualified as an idol, is facing the consequences of his actions, and his fandom starting to crumble from within. Prominent fans calmly listed out scandals one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, while small fans cry and unfollowed.

The comments under You Mingxuan's Weibo posts have changed from a peaceful time of "Brother looks so handsome" and "Brother, please post a selfie" to "Liar" "I didn't expect you to be this kind of person," "disappointed." However, there are still a majority of fans saying, "I don't believe what others say, I'll wait for Brother to explain himself."

You Mingxuan finally felt a hint of unease in his heart. He called Li Xia and accused her with righteous indignation, "How did you handle my PR? How long has it been on the hot search? Why hasn't it been taken down yet?"

Li Xia, no longer interested in arguing, calmly replied, "I told you, she has someone backing her. I warned you not to mess with her, but you didn't listen."

After saying that, she hung up the phone, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

As time passed, online public opinion became more and more intense. Mu Qingwu took advantage of the situation and released some low-resolution photos of You Mingxuan engaging in questionable activities with others, fueling the fire and adding to the chaos of his private life.

She still left a way out, not revealing everything, giving Li Xia a chance to clarify things.

From noon until evening, one bombshell after another exploded, and not many people remembered You Mingxuan's connection with Tang Ruoyao. He had already been labeled with another hat.

The comments were filled with criticism, and the spectators were entertained by the chaos. However, the turmoil was primarily among the fans. You Mingxuan couldn't sit still. He had grown accustomed to the adoration of his fans, but when faced with a screen full of insults, he realized that his ability to endure wasn't as strong as he thought.

"Sister Xia, what should I do now?" In the late night, You Mingxuan grabbed his hair, curled up barefoot on the couch in his home, and asked aimlessly.

Weren't you arrogant during the day? Now you're feeling anxious? Seeking her help now?

Li Xia swallowed the sarcasm in her throat and slowly spoke, "Xiao You."

"Sister Xia," You Mingxuan immediately interjected, "I know I was wrong. Please, help me. Help me."

Li Xia let out a long sigh.

"Internet users are the most forgetful creatures. Once there's a new hot topic, they will naturally forget about you, especially since you're a male artist. You naturally have an advantage. In the industry, the focus is on your work. Once you have new projects, these so-called scandals won't mean much. Mu Qingwu, Tang Ruoyao's manager, let you off the hook. Don't antagonize her or anyone else in the future."

You Mingxuan nodded frantically in agreement.

Li Xia said, "The most important thing for you now is to stabilize your fans..."

Li Xia spent the whole night, discussing remedial plans with her colleagues in the PR department. After staying up for two consecutive nights, Li Xia had reached the point where she could fall asleep while standing. She forced herself to stay alert and directed her colleagues step by step.

Two days later, the hype around You Mingxuan's late-night hotel incident had significantly subsided. Under the guidance of the company, his fandom gradually stabilized. Some fans inevitably unfollowed him, but fortunately, the impact wasn't particularly severe and didn't affect the foundation.

These past few days had been tough for You Mingxuan. He had nightmares at night, blaming himself, and no one would buy his endorsements. When he woke up, he called his uncle in tears, who scolded him harshly but didn't abandon him.

You Mingxuan breathed a sigh of relief. On the same day when the situation stabilized, he personally invited the key contributor, Li Xia, to have a meal. Li Xia earnestly advised him, and You Mingxuan nodded in agreement, displaying a humble attitude.

On that day, You Mingxuan had a scheduled appearance, and Li Xia accompanied him to fly to City W. However, they received a last-minute notification at the airport that the appearance had been canceled.

You Mingxuan decided to start anew, albeit temporarily. When he looked at Li Xia with his naturally handsome face, lips pressed together, a trace of pity rose in her heart. She pressed the phone, unable to bear it, and softly said, "There's no need to fly."

You Mingxuan blinked and looked puzzled. "Why?" he asked.

Li Xia shook her head and replied, "All the scheduled appearances for the next three months have been canceled."

It wasn't just the appearances. One after another, the brands he endorsed terminated their contracts, citing major scandals that emerged during You Mingxuan's contractual period as a breach of agreement. Li Xia tried her best, but it was impossible to turn the situation around.

You Mingxuan collapsed to the ground in despair.

From heaven to hell, it was just one misstep away.

Throughout the entire ordeal, You Mingxuan had no idea who he had provoked behind the scenes.

Author's Note:

Happy Qixi Festival, Getting rid of the cannon fodder~

Please fill in the blank below (getting it right will make your dreams come true):

Tang Tang doesn't want a sports car, she wants an SUV with a particularly spacious and wide interior because ______.

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