CHAPTER 52
After Duo Miaojiang's last battle, she gained significant fame, bringing her name into the top 20 trending topics. This latest scandal has once again shaken the internet.
Two hours later, the buzz was already intense:
[Oh my gosh, why does Boyi have so many scandals!]
[Yeah, stop spending money to lock threads and delete posts, everyone in the world knows about the relationship between your family's Lu Jingnian and Fang Hao, look at the behind-the-scenes footage in this TV drama, they are so lovey-dovey.]
[Poor Xiaoyuan, my heart aches for her (laughing and crying). All she wants is to act well.]
[I have to say, folks, this scandal is truly full of twists and turns, so exciting that I'm in tears. The internet is amazing!]
[Agreed, it's so thrilling! Living is indeed great! And Xiaoyuan, keep it up! I support you!]
There are also sharp-eyed and calm individuals who are not afraid of stirring things up:
[This is very internal information, besides the investors and producers like Boyi, only the director might have it.]
[The director is Sun Xin, right?]
[This is getting broader. Sun Xin hasn't had a new project in a while, right? After 'Their Stories,' he supposedly wanted to make a film, but he couldn't find anyone to invest, and Boyi pulled out!]
[This news suddenly coming out, hmmmmmmmmm...]
Boyi was caught off guard by this glaring exposure. Several directors from the main company were mobilized, including Li Feng's director and manager for an urgent meeting.
"Quickly contact Sun Xin!"
"His phone isn't connecting, and there's no one at home. He hasn't been on Weibo either."
"...Who brought in the actress with funds? What about the producer? The supervising producer?"
"......I don't know. It was a third party that contacted them, I think it was Wei Jiabao."
"Wei Jiabao? Is the information reliable? Without 100% evidence, we can't say it's Tonghua's fault."
The people below paused for a moment, but it was clear that there were already rumors circulating about Xiang Xiaoyuan being a pawn used by Tonghua to target Boyi.
"No, Wei Jiabao has a special status. Without 100% evidence, we can't say that."
"Then only Sun Xin knows... damn it, where is Sun Xin?"
By the next day, September 26th, around 10 AM, Sun Xin finally updated his Weibo. He expressed regret, confusion, and innocence, saying [I'm really sorry. I'm getting older and went to bed early last night. I have a habit of keeping video materials of my works on my computer for review and learning purposes. I only discovered this morning that my computer was hacked and the materials stolen. I sincerely apologize if this caused any inconvenience to my peers and actors. I'm truly sorry.]
In fact, his response wasn't that important, and netizens jokingly expressed their opinions:
[Director Sun says he's old and doesn't surf the internet, so he knows nothing, 'this has nothing to do with me!']
[The video is what I kept, not something I leaked. It's all Boyi's wrongdoing that will lead to their downfall. Hahaha, someone wants to act as a vigilante.]
[Director Sun, you're finally avenging yourself for Boyi not investing in you!]
These were all ignored by Sun Xin, who instead replied to a query asking for his opinion on Xiaoyuan's acting skills, saying, [She's very professional, an excellent actress.]
By the evening of the 26th, netizens were tired of the gossip, and amidst the truths and falsehoods, they had drawn their own conclusions. In the end, they even felt a bit sorry for Boyi and began making jokes:
[Little Boyi, you really don't need such a big fuss to promote 'Zui Xiaoyao.,' it's just an annual big drama, we'll watch it, really, we get it, our stomachs are about to burst from all this gossip!]
[Yeah, making money isn't easy. Look, there's Warner in front and Tonghua behind, and your own unfilial 'son' is wasting money! Seriously! Hurry and cut your losses! It's all hard-earned money!]
[Honestly, don't spend so much on Fang Hao. Just nurture another one! If you spend so much, what if he can't earn it back? Here's a suggestion: why don't you sign Xiaoyuan?]
[Boyi, you're really too naive, don't worry, I'll recharge to watch the drama, you're really too pitiful!]
[At this point, don't even mention that Wei Jiabao brought funds to 'Their Little Affairs,' even if he did, no one believes you anymore! Look at you! Still provoking Tonghua! I'm getting anxious for you!]
[Ah, everyone's really worried sick about Little Boyi!]
[Oh wow, XX News Community has done a special feature on '920,' listing trending topics by time, and there are reports under each one. Oh my, what a treasure trove! So complete! It's all gossip! Sisters, let's go!]
[Although I don't really care... I'm in!]
[Hmm, this is a Warner-affiliated platform, right? hahaha, wow, the other side is falling so quickly!]
......
Assistant Gao was at home browsing the internet and gossiping, laughing so hard she almost broke her bed.
That day in the office, when she heard the big boss talking about Sun Xin to Vice President Shen, she didn't quite understand what was going on at the time, but now it all made sense. The big boss didn't even need to get personally involved, just a few words and it was "killing with a borrowed knife."
Blame it on Boyi for actively seeking trouble with them, subtly hinting at Tonghua.
At that time, Vice President Shen said, "Sun Xin is easy to deal with. If he lacks investment, I will find someone to invest in him, without needing our cooperation with Tonghua."
"It's just that, President Wei, the reason the cast of 'Their Little Affairs' was changed was because of young executive."
Wei Zhuang said calmly, "He's not stupid enough to leave evidence that could be traced back to the company, even if he signed his name."
In the illusion, a bit of real information can make the false seem more authentic.
And the fact proved that Wei Jiabao also had a trick up his sleeve. While it could be found out that he brought funds into the production, the names displayed in the credits of the TV series did not include his.
Assistant Gao continued scrolling through gossip online, wondering if the boss had any intention of standing up for Xiaoyuan. If he did, that would be quite sweet, right?
Assistant Gao was aware of the direction things were heading beforehand, watching the outcome, while Xiaoyuan was completely unaware, surprised and delighted by the development. Cai Juan was the first to laugh, "...how can such good things still happen? Which hacker is so chivalrous?"
Xiaoyuan hesitated to voice her guesses and remained silent.
Xiang Zhishi seemed to be deep in thought as he walked away to make a phone call.
Xiaoyuan opened WeChat, and her chat with Zou Yirui was filled with their discussion records. Ever since she had some free time, she had started to let loose, sharing everything with Xiaoyuan:
"I'm telling you, I haven't been able to sleep these past couple of days. Even though my manager told me it's all fine now, I'm still feeling anxious."
"Thank goodness the big boss let me off this time. Oh, suddenly I feel like she's so kind!"
"I tell you, you haven't met my boss, right? My boss is so beautiful, even though she has an extremely cold and indifferent face!"
Xiaoyuan was muttering to herself at the time, thinking, "She keeps going on about 'my boss, my boss,' it sounds a bit strange. Have I seen her before? I've seen her in her loungewear! I even sat on her lap!!!
It took her a moment to push Wei Zhuang out of her mind and shift to another topic of focus. "What do you think will happen with Fang Hao?"
"He's fine, and in a few days, 'Zui Xiaoyao' will be airing. Not making any statements now is the right move. It's just that Lu Jingnian might be put on ice for a while."
"Will he come back later?"
"I don't know how long that will take. Maybe he'll even need to release a 'single' statement or something."
......
What happens with Fang Hao and Lu Jingnian is something only they know, outsiders like them have no way of knowing.
They stopped discussing them, and Zou Yirui sent a WeChat message, [I didn't know you acted in Sun Xin's TV series, wow, hahaha, Xiaoyuan, you're really popular now!]
[You've been trending more than I was before, hahaha!]
[If I didn't know you, I would really think you have some strong backing?]
Xiaoyuan typed slowly, [Who do you think it could be?]
[Definitely not Wei Jiabao.]
Cai Juan seemed to catch on a bit and whispered, "Yuan'er, it couldn't be... um, that person, right?"
Xiaoyuan looked at him and whispered, "Do you think so too?"
Cai Juan glanced in the direction of Xiang Zhishi and almost angrily said, "Do you still have contact with her?"
Xiaoyuan shook her head, feeling momentarily stunned, her heart beating a little faster for some unknown reason.
Cai Juan was puzzled, "...Then who else could it be?" He really didn't believe there would be hackers at this moment going to Sun Xin's computer. "It's definitely not W... uh, cough cough cough!"
Seeing Xiang Zhishi return from making a phone call, Cai Juan quickly stopped talking.
"I made a few calls, but they weren't very clear, not very certain," Xiang Zhishi looked at Xiaoyuan and then at Cai Juan, "Are you two hiding something from me?"
Cai Juan nervously swallowed and exchanged a glance with Xiang Xiaoyuan.
.......
Far across the ocean, Wei Jiabao had just woken up. His blonde, blue-eyed companion turned back and gave him a kiss. He smiled and pulled the blanket over them. It wasn't until the afternoon that he saw the news from China, and his eyebrows raised slightly, feeling an inexplicable sense that something was off.
This public relations war started on September 20, unfolding in a mysterious, twisty, and bizarre manner. Every time people thought it was over, a new twist would emerge, each one intricately connected, making it all the more thrilling. By the 28th, netizens had waited all day without new gossip, and they expressed a sense of satisfaction as if they were full, exclaiming, "Finally, it's over."
In this public opinion battle, the biggest winner was Boyi, and the biggest loser was also Boyi.
The only true winner was Xiang Xiaoyuan.
Her Weibo followers rapidly grew to six million, and she even gained her own unofficial fan account, which her fans called "Gardeners" - guarding our little garden Xiaoyuan, adding bricks, removing weeds, and watering.
In the days to come, whenever new "gardeners" joined this large group, the older gardeners would jokingly and seriously educate and reminisce with the new ones, saying "This all started back on September 20 of that year. It was originally an unremarkable day..."
The drama "Zui Xiaoyao" finally premiered on the evening of September 30th after nearly ten days of intense public opinion buzz.
Author's Note:
I sprained my foot a few days ago, now it's swollen and purple, affecting my typing speed.
Yes, a foot injury can affect my typing speed, haha.
"Firefly" segment is entering its later stages, and next week will be even more exciting, so I won't spoil it.
See you on Thursday.
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