Qian Lang pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and asked solemnly:
"General Manager Xu, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Xu General Manager leaned back in his chair and heaved a deep sigh:
"She actually knows how to protect herself now. She must have been disillusioned by the many hardships of the past six months. The spirit she used to have is gone from her eyes. She's become sensible. She must have suffered too much..."
Qian Lang: "...Is being sensible a bad thing?"
Xu General Manager shook his head:
"If she had to suffer to gain maturity, I'd rather she remain naive forever..."
So everything Xu General Manager did was...to chase stars? And a fan of Qin Wei's mother at that?
Or should I say a 'father' fan?
What complicated feelings...
Qian Lang didn't really understand, but he didn't want to ask any further. So he changed the subject:
"General Manager Xu, do we need this video to leak out? I can arrange for that."
"No need."
Xu General Manager closed the video.
"Leaking it could affect Lin Qiqi's reputation, but the biggest beneficiary would be Qin Wei. Any discerning person can see that. It would only make Lin Qiqi and the Huo Yu Entertainment Company behind her resent Qin Wei. She's got it hard enough already, she doesn't need another enemy."
After hearing this, Qian Lang felt somewhat unwilling. He had gone to great lengths to obtain this video, but now it couldn't be put to use.
"So Lin Qiqi gets off easy, without helping Qin Wei get revenge?"
A smile spread across Xu General Manager's face. He pulled open a drawer and took out a USB drive, waving it in front of Qian Lang:
"Who said I won't help her get revenge?
The reason I came back was precisely to help her!
That video alone isn't damaging enough to Lin Qiqi. Handling it improperly could make her resent Qin Wei instead. Here, take this. I didn't want to be so ruthless, but Lin Qiqi has repeatedly gone after Qin Wei. Let's resolve this completely in one go, no loose ends."
...
After finishing the publicity photoshoots and trailers, Qin Wei had no other work lined up. She returned to the villa to continue being a lazy sloth. Aside from working out, she spent the rest of her time lying on the sofa scrolling through her phone.
Today was no different. After getting off the treadmill, she naturally picked up her phone to check the hot search rankings.
She didn't know if it was a network issue or a problem with her phone, but when she opened the hot search rankings, the page just wouldn't load.
"Crap, don't tell me my phone bill is past due!"
Qin Wei jabbed at her phone screen, also feeling a bit pissed off. She thought to herself that the original owner was determined to leave all debts to her, even a measly few hundred yuan annual phone bill?!
Just as she was cursing up a storm, the hot search rankings finally loaded.
There was an "explode" tag next to the #1 ranking.
#Lin Qiqi Wu Kui#
"Lin Qiqi...Wu Kui?"
Qin Wei read it out word for word, involuntarily frowning-
Who was Wu Kui?
For this news to shoot to #1 and be marked as explosive, it must be major. Qin Wei tapped in and saw a video.
"Today there are media reports that actress Lin Qiqi maintained a cohabitation relationship for over a year with Huo Yu Entertainment's Marketing Director. Sources say that the Director is married and Lin Qiqi is suspected to be a third party in the marriage..."
Qin Wei watched with eyes wide and mouth agape.
The news also said that Lin Qiqi used to be a model before transitioning into acting and joining Huo Yu Entertainment. Once she joined the company, she immediately received heavy promotions, with many quality resources slanted towards her.
If these reports were true, then Lin Qiqi's career was as good as over.
The impact of this news was truly massive. Many gossip-loving netizens started demanding that Lin Qiqi come out and explain things clearly-
[Lin Qiqi was just a small-time model before transitioning into acting. She has no breakout works to her name. How can she claim these resources were obtained by ability alone? Hard to convince people!]
[That Huo Yu Marketing Director has long been rumored to be a philanderer. It's just he's not a public figure so only industry insiders knew. Him having an affair with Lin Qiqi is not surprising at all. With Lin Qiqi's hot body and decent looks, she clearly slept her way to the top.]
[Lin Qiqi, stop playing dead! Come out and explain yourself! Yes or no, say something!]
[Delete your account if it's fake, sue if it's real. Lin Qiqi, come out and give everyone an explanation!]
The comments under Lin Qiqi and her studio's accounts broke tens of thousands within minutes. They were already at their wits' end, frantically calling PR firms for help with crisis management.
Lin Qiqi was so angry her teeth itched. She didn't know who she had offended for them to suddenly attack her like this!
The first person she thought of was Qin Wei, but it didn't hold up under scrutiny. Although she had been at odds with Qin Wei lately, how would Qin Wei know about her secret affairs? Besides, Qin Wei had her own problems, how could she spare the effort to deal with her?
Who could it be then?
She had no time to think about it for now, the public pressure was too immense. Lin Qiqi had no choice but to post a Weibo response-
[Hello everyone, I'm Lin Qiqi. I don't mean to waste public resources, but I have to stand up and clarify this baseless smear campaign against me.
I share strictly colleague relations with the company's Marketing Director Wu Kui. We do not have any improper relations as claimed in the news reports. I ask that related accounts immediately stop spreading rumors!
I also hope everyone does not believe or spread rumors. The online world is not beyond the law. Please abide by relevant laws and regulations.]
Right after, her studio released a lawyer's letter stating their intent to sue the rumormongers.
But it seemed the other side was waiting for Lin Qiqi's response.
Within five minutes of her reply, new exposés were released online. This video quickly garnered millions of views.
Qin Wei clicked in with a gossip-loving mindset-
In the video, Lin Qiqi got out of a car wearing a face mask, sunglasses and a hat. She entered a hotel, closely followed by Huo Yu Marketing Director Wu Kui. Before going in, he looked around cautiously. Aside from them, no other Huo Yu Entertainment staff entered.
Twenty minutes later, Lin Qiqi left first. A few minutes afterwards, Wu Kui exited, hailed a cab and left.
The entire video was fast-forwarded but showed no signs of editing.
Netizens:
[Holy crap! An adulterous affair plus a hotel hookup, how exciting!]
[Exciting? A married man cheating and a knowing mistress, shouldn't it be disgusting?]
[Am I the only one who noticed it was just twenty minutes in total...]
Naturally, Lin Qiqi's side fired off another statement-
[It was purely coincidence. I was only there to meet a girlfriend and didn't know the Director went to the same hotel. We didn't meet during that time and didn't even know the other was there. It was merely coincidence. I ask the rumor-mongers to cease their slander. We have already called the police. This is causing severe impact to me and my team. We will never settle!]
Claiming coincidence was plausible.
But it seemed the other side had anticipated this and deliberately waited for her to say it.
Right after, the third video was released-
It was still Lin Qiqi sneakily going to hotels, while Wu Kui entered the same hotels, sometimes earlier, sometimes later.
What was worse - they had been secretly filmed more than once. The full video was 38 minutes, with the same "coincidence" occurring dozens of times across different times and hotels!
With so many coincidences, they clearly were not coincidences anymore.
Netizens:
[Lin Qiqi get out of the entertainment industry!]
[Homewrecker scram!]
...
After watching the videos, Lin Qiqi was utterly defeated.
Back then, she chose to be with Wu Kui and gained endless benefits from it. She always thought she was careful and discreet, but now everything was exposed.
Assistant Amy passed the phone over:
"Sis Qiqi, the Big Boss has called for you..."
Lin Qiqi's hands shook uncontrollably:
"You mean...Huo Yu already knows..."
