CHAPTER 196
A sudden appearance of Ji Yunyao in the midst of it all made the media and netizens dig into Qin Yinong's background once again, even though it seemed like there was nothing more to uncover.
Qin Yinong's family was not a happy one, and Qin Hongjian was a thorn in her heart until last year. After firmly establishing herself in the industry, Qin Yinong intentionally wiped away any mentions of her family, so there is little information available online about her family background, with the description of an ordinary family being the only summary.
During the filming of "Under the Southern Mountain," Tang Ruoyao grew suspicious of the relationship between her and Ji Yunyao, wondering if they were relatives. In the end, they found no evidence and dropped the idea.
Since Qin Yinong decided to leverage the influence of the Ji family, she made a series of preparations. An Ling personally leaked appropriate information behind the scenes, finally revealing the obscured truth about her background. Her great-grandfather had a prominent reputation in modern Chinese history and left a significant mark in history books. The Ji family is an ancient lineage, with many patriots who contributed immeasurable strength to the establishment of New China during the wars of recent times.
While the dazzling Ji family left netizens in awe, those accustomed to fragmented information lacked patience and chose not to read the lengthy details. A concise version emerged: Ji Zhang, the current chairman of the Ji Group and China's wealthiest individual, is Qin Yinong's cousin!
Ji Zhang has been referred to as "Uncle Ji" by countless netizens, but for the first time ever, a cousin of Ji Zhang has emerged in the entertainment industry, and it is none other than the well-known Qin Yinong. Should they now call her Aunt Qin Yinong?
Qin Yinong hadn't even become the national idol that An Ling envisioned, and yet she became the "National Aunt" first.
An Ling: "..."
Netizens' worldviews were shattered:
[I declare that this is the biggest news in the entertainment industry in 2020, nothing can be more explosive!]
[A real-life version of the ugly duckling transforming into a swan]
[Excuse me, how is Qin Yinong the ugly duckling? She was always a swan. It's just that suddenly we discovered there's a whole flock of swans behind her.]
[The flock of swans got me laughing, but Qin Yinong, after being defamed for so many years, finally gets vindicated. This is like a satisfying slap in the face to those who doubted her. If I were a fan, I'd be ecstatic.]
[It doesn't necessarily mean it was defamation. It only proves that she didn't rely on unspoken rules to climb up, it doesn't prove she didn't sleep with men. Her promiscuity is well-known [eating popcorn].]
[The drama isn't over yet. Beware of getting slapped in the face again.]
[Am I the only one suspecting that her background is fabricated? Otherwise, why hasn't it been made public for so many years?]
[[Publicize it when you want to, why wait for the right moment.jpg]]
[Climbing to her current position with the backing of her family background doesn't deserve such praise, does it? She does have a wealthy family, but those female stars who made it through their own efforts face even greater hardships.]
[I'm telling you, these netizens are so demanding. If she doesn't disclose her background, they say she climbed up through unspoken rules. If she does disclose it, they say it's nothing special. What do they want from her? Look at all those young starlets at the beginning. Not one of them hasn't been accused of sleeping their way up. This world is so cruel to women.]
The years of mud thrown at Qin Yinong cannot be washed away by a prestigious family background alone. It temporarily plunged netizens into self-doubt about their long-established beliefs. Then came the debates, but with Ji Yunyao's presence, the clamor quieted down considerably, making things easier for An Ling.
The PR department still had to work overtime, day and night.
Online inventory of the new "second-generation wealthy celebrities" has been conducted, and Qin Yinong prominently appeared on the list, occupying a significant portion and vividly narrating her deeply concealed background.
The beginning was exciting, the process was full of twists and turns, with constant reversals, leading to an intense climax. Netizens enjoyed the spectacle.
Has anyone apologized for their previous insults?
Some have, but that is only a small part. Those who are introspective wouldn't engage in random insults from the beginning. Those who vented their malice don't believe they have done anything wrong. Yesterday, they insulted one person, today another. If they can't insult these two tomorrow, there are always others. They believe they are always right, forever standing on the side of justice. If one day it's proven that they were wrong, it's the fault of the self-media and marketing accounts for misleading them, not their own fault.
Most ordinary people feel guilty but choose to forget. It can't be precisely said that they choose to forget, but rather most of us can never truly empathize with the suffering of others, especially when it's through an internet connection.
Most people aren't that malicious, they just go with the flow, standing in the crowd and casually throwing a stone at the person bound in the center. They may not truly understand what crimes the person committed or why they are being held there, not even knowing their name.
If everyone throws stones, then I'll throw stones too.
This is the evil behavior of a group.
Has anyone ever considered how it feels to be the person being hit by those stones? Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of stones continuously smashing into their body, their head, blood dripping, how much pain would they feel?
They don't need to think about it because they believe they will never be that person.
......
What is the purpose of clarification itself?
An Ling paid attention to the online dynamics. Few people know how to reflect and apologize. Even if everyone apologizes, can it heal the wounds caused by those thrown stones and restore them to their original state? Moreover, the majority of people are still a crowd, passing by like fleeting clouds, quickly disappearing, and can only maintain a momentary fervor.
After this incident, Qin Yinong managed to escape, but the next victim will appear.
At most, after Qin Yinong's scandal is cleared, a very small number of people will awaken and no longer casually comment on people or things they don't understand.
An Ling suddenly felt a sense of sadness and powerlessness.
She lit a cigarette for herself, held it between her index and middle fingers, and took a deep drag.
But she could only take care of the matters at hand.
......
Lin Ruohan and Qin Yinong became acquainted to this extent. She knew about Qin Yinong's relationship with the Ji family, but Qin Yinong didn't tell her, she discovered it herself. Both the Ji and Lin families were prominent families in the capital, not close friends but also not unfamiliar with each other. The younger generation knew each other. Lin Ruohan paid so much attention to Qin Yinong that she noticed some subtle traces of the Ji family.
After Qin Yinong knew that she had found out, she didn't hide it and briefly explained the situation.
Qin Yinong and the Ji family always maintained a distant relationship. Apart from holding a certain status, there was nothing else. She didn't enter the Ji family's power structure, nor did she have the qualifications to do so.
Qin Yinong once said that the Ji family was her hidden trump card, to be used only as a last resort. This card symbolized a significance greater than its practical value. She was merely a descendant with Ji family blood, nothing more. Revealing the Ji family's support for her would result in unpredictable consequences. A card held in hand and not played is the most threatening, just like how she intimidated Li Yichuan.
If it weren't for her reconciliation with Ji Yunyao, she wouldn't have been able to directly bring out the Ji family to vouch for her and deal a decisive blow to the chaos.
In An Ling's original plan, her scandal would be gradually clarified, considering public opinion, controlling the narrative, and preventing various unexpected events, in order to change everyone's perception. It would take at least one or two years, maybe even longer.
Qin Yinong could not wait that long.
So she took the fastest approach, but the downside was that she cleared the mud on her body and poured a bucket of new "dirty water" on herself, and she did it personally.
Since her debut, she had worked hard to climb from obscurity to stardom, without using a single resource from the Ji family. Reclaiming her connection to the Ji family was only a decision she had to make to counter Li Yichuan.
So An Ling wanted to ask her: Was it worth it?
By revealing this trump card, it meant that all her personal efforts would be overshadowed by the glory of the Ji family, dissipating into nothingness. The grievances, injustices, anger, and unwillingness she had endured for over a decade, all turned out to be... illusions.
Because she was part of the Ji family, she was also a "second-generation wealthy" born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
There would be no chance to uncover the truth anymore, she had destroyed it with her own hands.
In order to meet Tang Ruoyao as soon as possible, openly and hand in hand, walking on the streets without hiding.
Lin Ruohan was shocked when she saw the hot search results. She paced anxiously in her room, holding her phone, listening to the system's female voice prompt: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off. Sorry..."
Lin Ruohan made several phone calls and finally got through.
Qin Yinong spoke casually, "Just got off the plane, what's up?"
Lin Ruohan was furious and said, "Have you gone crazy?!"
The phrase sounded familiar to Qin Yinong. She paused, then chuckled lightly, "Did I offend you or something?"
Lin Ruohan couldn't express herself clearly and shouted angrily, "The Ji family!"
Qin Yinong felt a bit warm. She unbuttoned two buttons on her collar, continued walking, and said, "Hmm."
Lin Ruohan's voice grew louder, "Why did you bring up the Ji family?!"
Qin Yinong kept walking and moved her phone away.
Lin Ruohan knew she intended to clarify, but her estimation was similar to An Ling's. Bringing up the Ji family now, what kind of clarification was that?
Look at the nonsense those netizens are saying, talking about her illustrious family background, saying that without the Ji family, she wouldn't be where she is today, that she's just lucky and privileged. Tch! If she really had the Ji family and such good luck, why would she repeatedly risk everything in high-stakes gambling? If it weren't for luck, there wouldn't be Qin Yinong in this world!
Whether Qin Yinong is truly indifferent or just pretending, Lin Ruohan feels indignant on her behalf!
Lin Ruohan's mood grew more and more furious, and her voice choked up at the end. She asked, "Why? What right do they have?"
"Enough." Qin Yinong listened to the suppressed nasal voice on the other end, finally stopped, stood still, and spoke softly, "I know you're speaking up for me, but is this matter really important?"
"Not important?" Lin Ruohan asked in return.
"It's important, but compared to more important things, it's not worth mentioning." Qin Yinong remained calm and composed, her voice gentle and serene.
Lin Ruohan's heart strangely quieted down."What's the matter?"
Qin Yinong didn't answer directly but changed the subject, "You've been in the industry for so many years without any scandals. Just because of the incident with Ren Xingyue, a wave of negativity surged, and people have been relentlessly criticizing you. Did you care about it?"
Lin Ruohan blurted out, "At that time, I was too focused on my love life. How could I have the spare energy to care about those things?"
Qin Yinong smiled slightly, "Me too."
Lin Ruohan said, "You—"
She fell silent for a moment, then said heavily, "Damn it!"
She shouldn't have come and subjected herself to humiliation!
Qin Yinong spoke gently again, "Alright, don't be angry. I'll treat you to a meal later."
Lin Ruohan said, "Don't bring your wife!"
Qin Yinong said, "Then I won't treat you."
Lin Ruohan cursed Qin Yinong in her mind a thousand and eight hundred times, gritting her teeth, "Forget it, I won't accept your treat!"
Qin Yinong couldn't help but laugh.
Lin Ruohan hung up the phone.
She was so angry, so angry, so angry!
She turned around and went to find Ren Xingyue. Lately, whenever she got angry, she would find Ren Xingyue, and in no time, her anger would dissipate. It had remarkable effects.
Qin Yinong composed her expression and asked Guan Han, "Is the car here yet?"
Guan Han responded and led the way.
.......
The set of "Xiao Hong" had a different atmosphere.
Fan Hong was a very approachable director who liked to chat with the actors when there was nothing to do. It helped build rapport and was beneficial for filming. Recently, the center of gossip was undoubtedly Qin Yinong, who had stirred up a storm on the internet.
Thanks to a group of gossiping colleagues, Tang Ruoyao, who doesn't go online, effortlessly keeps track of all the trends.
As Qin Yinong's girlfriend, she sometimes finds the wild imagination of netizens amusing. She never expresses her opinion and lets it go in one ear and out the other, treating it as a joke.
The two actresses tried to drag her away a few times, but as they chatted more frequently, Tang Ruoyao became better at restraining her expressions, making it impossible to tell, so they gave up on the idea of dragging her away.
Until the day this drama came to an end.
A group of people sat in the room, warming themselves around the brazier lit on the set. Fan Hong held a handful of melon seeds and had a trash bin by her feet. While cracking the seeds, she asked, "You all are from the mainland, does anyone have a close relationship with Qin Yinong?"
Everyone shook their heads.
The actress glanced at Tang Ruoyao, who appeared calm, and thought to herself: There are no close relationships, but what about grudges?
Fan Hong then wore a contemplative expression.
She had first met Qin Yinong several years ago. Qin Yinong was adept at socializing and handling himself at the dinner table. She was smooth in her interactions and an excellent speaker, clearly someone who had spent years immersed in such environments.
Fan Hong herself came from a wealthy family, and it was not that she was biased, but it was easy to distinguish the difference in temperament between a pampered rich girl and someone who had achieved the same level through hard work.
A young male actor, still unable to hide his astonishment, said, "Who would have thought that Qin Yinong, the leading actress, is Ji Zhang's younger sister?"
Tang Ruoyao's eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing the fleeting shock as she looked at the actor who made the remark.
The actress beside Tang Ruoyao corrected him, saying, "She's his cousin."
"Close enough," the young male actor scratched his head.
A male actor in his mid-thirties joked, "I've been in the industry for over ten years, and I never heard a whisper of this. It seems there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the circle. I'll have to be more cautious from now on."
Soon, they started shooting the next scene, and the group didn't dwell on that topic. Fan Hong stuffed the uneaten melon seeds into her down jacket pocket and began discussing the scene.
Fan Hong asked, "Xiao Tang?"
Tang Ruoyao snapped out of her absent-minded state and apologized, "Director Fan, I'd like to take a ten-minute break."
Fan Hong asked with concern, "Is something bothering you?"
Tang Ruoyao shook her head.
Without her saying anything, Fan Hong, being considerate, didn't ask further and simply said gently, "Take a rest for a while. I'll talk to you alone later."
Tang Ruoyao took the hand warmer given by Qin Yinong and went to a corner, where she asked Xin Qian for her own phone. Online, there was an overwhelming amount of news about Qin Yinong's family background, and Wen Shuxian had mentioned her in the group countless times, followed by a series of exclamation marks.
Tang Ruoyao directly clicked on a link sent by Wen Shuxian in the group. After reading it, her face darkened.
She hurriedly entered the rest room, slammed the door shut, causing the surrounding staff to look over and whisper to each other.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off. Sorry..."
She dialed Guan Han's number, but it was the same.
Tang Ruoyao's state was terrible. She kept making mistakes even after several takes. Fan Hong never scolded anyone, she would only help you find the problem and patiently start over again and again, overwhelming you with guilt.
They re-shot the scene six times before it was deemed satisfactory.
Tang Ruoyao huddled in a corner and messaged Qin Yinong.
[Who leaked the information online?]
[Was it you or someone else?]
[Where are you?]
[If you don't reply soon, I'll buy a plane ticket back to Beijing.]
The day's shooting was almost finished, just before the final shot, and Qin Yinong finally replied.
[I just landed. Let's meet and talk.]
Tang Ruoyao: "!!!"
Meet?
[You're here?] Tang Ruoyao should have been ecstatic, but with everything that had just happened online, she couldn't feel happy.
[Yes] Qin Yinong gave her an address. [Come here after work.]
Tang Ruoyao bit her lip, swallowing all the questions she wanted to ask, and typed: [Okay]
Qin Yinong sat in the car, furrowing her brow. One after another, she feared she would face her wrath. Qin Yinong bit her lip and smiled. Why was she so happy waiting to be scolded? She was probably becoming a masochist.
On set.
"Wrap it up," Fan Hong put down the microphone.She lowered her head and, in the blink of an eye, the lead actress in front of her disappeared.
Fan Hong: "???"
Tang Ruoyao quickly took off her costume, put on a knee-length down jacket, tied a scarf around her neck, and hurriedly walked out of the set, moving swiftly.
A staff member from the logistics team noticed and quickly grabbed her, reminding her, "Miss Tang, the car is over here."
With half her face buried in the scarf, her nose turning slightly red from the biting cold wind, Tang Ruoyao said, "I won't be going back to the hotel for now. You don't have to wait for me."
Staff member: "Ah? Alright."
Before the staff member could finish speaking, Tang Ruoyao had already walked away again.
Sitting in the car that Xin Qian called for, Tang Ruoyao took her hand out of her pocket and typed: [Work is done. I'll arrive in about half an hour.]
Qin Yinong replied instantly: [I'll be waiting for you.]
The weather was bitterly cold, the air was hazy, and the visibility was low. The driver smoothly navigated through the bustling streets. Tang Ruoyao clenched her fingers tightly around the edge of the device, suppressing the urge to urge the driver to speed up.
When they arrived at the destination, she immediately pushed open the door and practically jumped out.
Xin Qian settled the bill in the back before realizing they were in a villa area.
Qin Yinong had made prior arrangements, so they were allowed entry by the security guards. Following the location Qin Yinong had given her, Tang Ruoyao walked forward. She had a Bluetooth earpiece hanging from her ear, and Qin Yinong's navigation voice guided her.
"You have reached your destination. The destination is on your left," Qin Yinong's navigation voice said.
Tang Ruoyao didn't ring the doorbell; the iron gate automatically opened. From the gate, there was a straight path paved with marble, and at the end of the road stood a slender woman.
She wasn't wearing a hat, scarf, or gloves.
Tang Ruoyao gritted her teeth and thought, "Good."
She took off her earphones and strode over angrily.
Guan Han and Tang Ruoyao passed each other, and Guan Han intercepted Xin Qian, who was following them, taking her away decisively.
Qin Yinong was pulled into a warm and familiar embrace, and a young woman's voice filled with resentment reached his ears, "Are you trying to make me angry?"
Qin Yinong buried himself in her embrace and laughed.
Tang Ruoyao used her back to shield her from the wind and brought her inside, closing the door.
Then Qin Yinong's face was lifted by fingers, and the laughter was replaced by a continuous, restrained voice.
Tang Ruoyao let her go for the moment, her breath unstable, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Any news lately?"
Qin Yinong grabbed the fabric on her shoulder with one hand, unable to speak, only gasping for breath intermittently, and nodded honestly.
Tang Ruoyao carried her to the sofa, carefully avoiding the areas that would be visible when wearing formal attire but didn't miss any other places.
Qin Yinong arrived early, and the living room's air conditioning maintained a comfortable temperature. Her exposed skin didn't feel cold in the air, and because Tang Ruoyao was slightly feverish, she took a soft thin blanket and carefully covered her.
After a long while.
Qin Yinong finally managed to say more than monosyllabic words.
The woman's eyebrows showed a faint weariness, and when she glanced at her with a sideways glance, there was a hint of indescribable charm. Qin Yinong's voice was slightly hoarse, with a lazy nasal tone, "In the end, should it be you or me who dies?"
Tang Ruoyao held the thin blanket and the person tightly in her embrace, refusing to let go. Her ears were slightly warm, but she remained silent.
Qin Yinong cleared her throat, breaking the silence, "I want to drink some water."
Tang Ruoyao, enjoying the woman's favor, couldn't get angry at the moment and hurriedly got up, saying, "Water, where's the water? Over there?" She looked around and headed towards the kitchen.
She poured two glasses of water and then asked, "Whose is this? Did you borrow it from Senior Lin?"
Qin Yinong paused while drinking water, and her expression became subtle. "Do I look like someone who likes to borrow houses?"
"No," Tang Ruoyao said, "I just mentioned it casually since you borrowed before."
Qin Yinong took a sip of water and calmly replied, "It's not borrowed, it's rented."
Tang Ruoyao paused for a moment and said, "Well, that's good."
She thought to herself: Renting isn't any more noble than borrowing, is it?
Qin Yinong felt that there was a hint of disapproval in her words and explained, "Originally, I wanted to buy, but it was difficult to find a suitable property near your filming location, and the procedures were complicated, so I rented a place."
Tang Ruoyao blinked her eyes.
Qin Yinong looked at her, her lips forming a stubbornness that resembled a child, and said, "I have money."
Tang Ruoyao realized and chuckled, "I didn't say you were poor."
Qin Yinong snorted.
Tang Ruoyao leaned over and kissed her, her eyes bright and her voice gentle as she coaxed her, "Baby."
Qin Yinong's heart tingled, and she tilted her face to kiss her back.
She was still immersed in the afterglow of their previous kiss, and gradually she began to feel stirred, but Tang Ruoyao only kissed her and did nothing else. Qin Yinong knew that seduction wouldn't work a second time, what had to happen would happen eventually.
Tang Ruoyao's eyes became slightly sharp. "Did you voluntarily reveal the Ji family's matter? Otherwise, Ji Yunyao wouldn't have intervened."
Qin Yinong murmured in agreement.
"Why?"
Qin Yinong glanced at her but didn't answer.
"I know."
"But you still did it."
"Yes."
Tang Ruoyao turned her head and stared fiercely at the half-filled cup of water on the coffee table, as if she had a deep-seated grudge and wanted to bore a hole through the cup.
Qin Yinong moved closer to her, circled around to face her, and looked at her expressionless face. "Are you angry with me?"
Tang Ruoyao said stiffly, "No."
Qin Yinong pretended to be generous. "If you're angry, just scold me."
Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: You know I won't.
She could only keep her frustration to herself and slowly digest it.
Qin Yinong held onto one of her sleeves, shook it gently, and softened her voice. "Don't be angry."
Since entering the entertainment industry, she had strictly trained her lines and rarely spoke in her hometown accent. Her voice was naturally soft, and when she acted cute, it made people weak and their bones melt, sending shivers down their spine.
The tense expression on Tang Ruoyao's face broke within a minute. She sighed and reached out to pinch Qin Yinong's chin, asking, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
They had talked so many times on the phone these past few days, and Qin Yinong hadn't revealed a single word about it.
Qin Yinong obediently replied, "I was afraid that these troublesome matters would affect your filming."
Tang Ruoyao exerted force with her fingertips, leaving a red mark on her chin, but Qin Yinong didn't even furrow her brows. Afterwards, Tang Ruoyao blew on it again and said, "Don't do this next time."
Qin Yinong nodded.
Tang Ruoyao held her hand, her gaze falling on her face, as if there were thousands of words in her eyes, lingering for a long time.
In the end, she couldn't hold back the words that had been lingering in her heart since she learned about this news on set until now.
Tang Ruoyao's eyes slightly reddened as she said, "Baby, I feel a bit sad."
Qin Yinong looked at her tenderly and smiled, saying, "Don't be sad, be good."
Tang Ruoyao couldn't separate herself from the situation. Her throat felt choked as she said, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to bring up the Ji family. They've started fabricating nonsense about you again, even though it's not true."
But Qin Yinong said, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have the courage to face those people. It's difficult to have everything go perfectly in life. I know what's most important, and that's enough."
"Me?" Tang Ruoyao's voice was hoarse, and her eyes grew even redder.
Qin Yinong nodded, then shook her head.
Qin Yinong said, "You're not the most important. You are my everything."
Author's Note:
Ningning (teary-eyed): What about me, mom?
Poor Ningning, totally forgotten and left behind
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