Just then, Ji Fei spoke up again: "You're not apologizing due to pressure, are you? Afraid of retaliation from the Director and Producer? You seemed so sincere in the video."
The onlookers were stunned. Ji Fei had voiced exactly what they were thinking.
In this kind of situation, when confronted directly, wouldn't they need to find a scapegoat?
Maybe the young girl was telling the truth after all.
Yu Rouyin suddenly felt a jolt, as if an arrow lodged in her chest had been partially removed. She looked at Ji Fei in astonishment.
The fog was lifting.
"No, I was just... just talking nonsense. I really..." The girl was completely bewildered, unsure whether she was supposed to admit or deny it.
What she didn't know was that once certain words are spoken, they're like water spilled from a cup - even if it evaporates, it can never truly be taken back.
At first, the Director and Producer thought Ji Fei's persistent questioning meant she genuinely suspected them of having a relationship with Yu Rouyin.
But as they scanned the crowd and saw the various expressions, they finally realized what was off.
Even if the person who spread the rumor admitted to it, people might not necessarily believe them! Plus, tonight's drama would be exaggerated as it spread.
The Director and Producer now really felt like punching someone.
Suddenly, they had a realization and glanced at Yu Rouyin. Could it be that her previous industry rumors were also like this...
At this moment, the Director and Producer finally overlooked the trouble and embarrassment Ji Fei had caused them, feeling grateful that this incident had come to light.
At least unlike other situations, the Director and Producer could completely prove their innocence.
The Producer couldn't be bothered to speak for himself, so he waved over an experienced cameraman: "Old Zhang, can you tell us, is it possible for something like this to be true?"
Old Zhang replied, quite exasperated: "This is definitely false. New people probably don't know, but our Producer is the Director's brother-in-law! How could they possibly do such a thing together? Not only would they not do it together, but the Producer would also help keep other women away from the Director! That's why our Director hasn't had a single bit of gossip for so many years. The Director is henpecked! And the Producer is a sister complex. They're both super clingy..."
Old Zhang got more excited as he spoke, but was hastily muffled by the panicked Director and Producer.
"Enough, enough, that should be sufficient to prove our innocence and Yu Rouyin's, right?"
The people present were shocked, embarrassed, and on the verge of laughter.
Ji Fei was already laughing internally.
[I wanted the Director and Producer to use their relationship to clarify that they absolutely couldn't have done what the rumor claimed, but I didn't expect so much to be revealed. That's not my fault.]
Pei Mingxuan and Qin Zhao knew about this, which is why these two people were able to put together such a grand program - they had such a powerful woman behind them.
It was Qin Rong's first time hearing this, and she couldn't help but break into a brilliant smile. This should be enough to prove Yu Rouyin's innocence, right?
Qin Rong looked over and saw Yu Rouyin staring blankly at Ji Fei. Her expression was no longer that mask-like charming smile, but rather a youthful bewilderment.
Like a prisoner who couldn't believe good fortune would fall upon them.
Ji Fei, seeing the expressions of those around her, knew she had achieved her goal and decided to wrap things up.
"Well, if that's the case, then I believe it," she said, but couldn't resist twisting the knife: "Then what you said about Yu Rouyin seducing your boyfriend..."
The girl seemed to be stabbed again and lost her composure once more. "I was wrong, I was really wrong. My boyfriend just glanced at Yu Rouyin from afar. It was all my imagination."
"Oh my, how could you do that? Yu Rouyin is so innocent. You should go after your boyfriend, why bother Yu Rouyin? Tsk tsk tsk, why do women make things difficult for other women?" Ji Fei sighed, then turned to Yu Rouyin with a smile: "I should also apologize to Yu Rouyin. I almost misunderstood you earlier."
Yu Rouyin came to her senses, "No, I should be thanking you, Ji Fei. Really, thank you."
Yu Rouyin's tone was notably different, causing those familiar with her to look at her. She couldn't control her excitement, but her expression remained professionally controlled, showing her most beautiful smile, only her eyes now sparkled with starlight.
She thought, if Ji Fei was willing to help her, did that mean their studio was interested in signing her?
"It's good that everything was said out loud. Things can't be clarified without discussion. When everything is laid out in the open, there won't be any misunderstandings," Ji Fei smiled, sweeping her gaze towards Madam Zong. "For Yu Rouyin, it was an undeserved calamity, being passively dragged into this dispute. Anyway, in the end, truth can't be made false, and falsehood can't become truth."
Ji Fei's group caught her meaning.
Ji Fei was using this incident to give Madam Zong one last warning. Letting her see with her own eyes how a piece of negative news could be attached to Yu Rouyin.
They all heard it, and presumably, so did Madam Zong. Hopefully, she would pull back from the brink. Don't use rumors to vent anger on an innocent person.
But as the matter concluded, watching her husband rush to console Yu Rouyin, Madam Zong's eyes still burned with hatred.
However, she didn't expect Yu Rouyin to actively approach her.
Previously, Yu Rouyin had been avoiding Madam Zong. She knew about the Ladies' Club's plan to collectively target her and sabotage her upcoming performance. But this was her most important gamble as she was about to terminate her contract, betting on her growing passion for performing and her grandmother's future medical expenses. She didn't want to encounter any unexpected issues.
"Madam Zong, I think there might be a misunderstanding between us. Whatever questions you have, I'm willing to explain clearly," Yu Rouyin said sincerely.
Although she had done this many times in her first three years after debut, each time she was met with abuse and slaps. So she stopped subjecting herself to humiliation, letting others think what they wanted. After all, what she encountered would never change.
But today, she wanted to argue her case once more.
However, when she looked up, she was still met with a pair of resentful eyes. "Misunderstanding?"
Yu Rouyin's face fell. "I've never seduced Mr. Zong, nor have I ever intended to destroy your marriage. I clearly rejected Mr. Zong. If you don't believe me, I'm willing to confront this issue with both of you together."
But Madam Zong laughed grotesquely. Confront? Did she want her to listen to her husband talk about divorcing her and marrying this mistress in front of her?
Seeing her disbelief, Yu Rouyin continued: "I can swear that after this performance, I will never work with Mr. Zong again. Will that make Madam Zong believe that I haven't seduced Mr. Zong?"
"You want me to believe you haven't seduced him?" Madam Zong couldn't hear a word, trembling with anger: "You're really good at lying through your teeth! If you hadn't seduced him, if he hadn't given you benefits, would he come to accompany you for this show? Aren't you just trying to use this show to prove your abilities and step on him to climb higher?"
"The company signed me up for the show. I haven't contacted Mr. Zong since finishing the TV drama," Yu Rouyin said through gritted teeth. "You can check all the chat records."
"Then you shouldn't have come to participate! Your participation is a hint to him!"
Yu Rouyin's eyes reddened. Although she wasn't clear why the company gave her this opportunity, once she realized it was the best path for her future, why should she give it up just to avoid suspicion? Her life didn't have the luxury of choices.
"It's clearly a conflict between you two, why should I suffer the loss? I..." Yu Rouyin stopped, knowing it was useless to say this.
"I can swear on my grandmother's health that I've never given Mr. Zong any hints," Yu Rouyin was on the verge of tears, not expecting that after so long, defending herself would still be so hurtful and make her want to cry.
"Huh, you're so filial, aren't you? I bet you've cursed your grandmother to death several times already."
Yu Rouyin's face changed instantly. "You can insult me, but you can't talk about my grandmother!"
Perhaps it was Yu Rouyin's fierce tone that momentarily stunned Madam Zong.
But soon, Madam Zong spoke again: "I know why you came to find me. But you can forget about it. You've destroyed my marriage, I won't let you off!"
With that, Madam Zong turned and left.
Only Yu Rouyin remained, her face pale. She really didn't know what to say to make others believe her.
That night...
Pei Mingxuan had already edited today's story to incorporate various insider leaks, which was the first step in clearing Yu Rouyin's name.
Since the PK livestream was tomorrow, this kind of post immediately gained a lot of attention when published.
Ji Fei also came across it while browsing at home, but scrolling up and down, apart from this one post, all the attention had already shifted to Yu Rouyin's negative news.
Various old scandals were constantly being summarized and renewed, with visible traces of manipulation. It was estimated that this would intensify starting tomorrow.
This couldn't have been solely the work of the Ladies' Club, as there were many leaked memories about Yu Rouyin's past student days. It seemed like all sorts of attention-seekers had come out, wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to kick her while she's down.
Up until an hour before the livestream began on the second day, everyone was preparing in the makeup room.
Ji Fei had already seen several negative trending topics about Yu Rouyin on the hot search list.
The top one was #OfficialsPleaseCleanUpTheIndustry,YuRouyinGetOutOfEntertainment!#
Ji Fei looked over and saw Yu Rouyin calmly looking at her phone.
Zong Chun and Zong Siqi both looked preoccupied. Madam Zong... where was she?
Ji Fei was curious that Madam Zong hadn't come along. Just as she was about to indulge in some gossip, she heard the Director's team reminding everyone that they would be on stage soon.
At this moment, Zong Chun suddenly stood up, walked to Yu Rouyin's side and said, "Rouyin, I have something to discuss with you. Let's go outside to talk."
Yu Rouyin was startled and followed him out with a puzzled expression.
As soon as they entered an empty room, Zong Chun took out a ring box and said, "Rouyin, marry me."
Ji Fei, who was secretly eavesdropping in the makeup room: [... Holy crap!!!!]
The Qin family members who were about to go to the audience seats to wait for the show to start: ????
There's gossip at a time like this?!
