Kang Boye, being an athlete, had excellent reflexes. In the blink of an eye, he had already rushed forward and pinned the burly man beneath him!
The man was muscular and had a larger build than Kang Boye, but Kang Boye had the advantage of height, and his muscles were the result of rigorous training—no fake brawn here. He held the man down firmly.
Unfortunately, the red paint in the man's hand slipped out and splashed toward Zhou Qingyu!
The crowd gasped.
Even though they could tell by the smell that it was just paint, being drenched in it would still be a nightmare.
But just as the paint was about to hit Zhou Qingyu, Yan Xi, quick as lightning, grabbed her and pulled her aside.
The paint missed Zhou Qingyu entirely and instead landed on Ye Luoyi, who was standing behind her!
Ye Luoyi let out a scream, and Su Lingling, who was next to her, also got splashed. Both girls screamed in shock.
Airport security immediately stepped in, working with Kang Boye to restrain the burly man.
With his hands restrained, the man was utterly confused. "I was trying to splash Zhou Qingyu! Zhou Qingyu, you bitch! You used Ye Luoyi as a shield again!"
The airport security, unfamiliar with the intricacies of the entertainment industry, scolded the man without hesitation. "Clearly, this is your fault, and now you're blaming others? What did that young lady ever do to you to deserve this?"
The man gritted his teeth. "She bullied Ye Luoyi! I was just giving her a taste of her own medicine!"
Ye Luoyi and Su Lingling went to the restroom to change into fresh clothes. They had brought plenty of outfits since they were on a trip.
When they returned to the airport lobby, they overheard the man's words.
Ye Luoyi frowned. "One thing has nothing to do with the other. Bullying another actress is wrong. I don't condone fans like you!"
Her tone was firm and resolute as she looked at the security personnel. "Take him to the police station. If he's done something wrong, he should face the consequences of the law."
The security nodded and escorted the man out of the airport.
[As expected of our goddess Ye Luoyi! She doesn't let any criminal off the hook!]
[Our little Ye is always principled. The person who splashed the paint acted alone! Please don't associate this with Ye Luoyi! She's a good girl!]
[Although that fan's actions were wrong, he's not entirely incorrect. Shouldn't Zhou Qingyu apologize for bullying Ye Luoyi yesterday?]
[Exactly! Zhou Qingyu owes Ye Luoyi an apology!]
[Didn't Xingyao clarify that Zhou Qingyu slapping Ye Luoyi was part of the script? Why should she apologize?]
[Zhou's fans, stop pretending! How could a scripted slap leave a red mark? Wasn't it just an excuse to settle personal scores? Couldn't they have faked it? Why did it have to be real?]
[Exactly! They're just using the script as a cover. Clearly, Zhou Qingyu deliberately bullied Ye Luoyi!]
The live stream comments were chaotic, and the same was true on Weibo's trending topics. Ye Luoyi's fans were spamming tags, demanding that Zhou Qingyu apologize to Ye Luoyi.
Ye Luoyi saw the comments on her phone and spoke softly, her eyes slightly red. "Thank you, my little leaves, thank you to all my fans... It's okay, as long as you care about me, it's fine if I suffer a little."
Ye Luoyi had always been humble and gracious on screen, never seeking conflict. Seeing her in such a pitiful state, her fans only grew more vocal in their demands.
Su Lingling, standing beside her, was also indignant. "Ye Luoyi, you're too nice for your own good."
She turned to Zhou Qingyu. "Some people really have no shame. Even now, they act like nothing happened? Weren't you so bold when you hit someone yesterday?"
The other guests also turned their attention to Zhou Qingyu.
Jiang Tao and his wife, along with Kang Boye, were unaware of the details and chose to remain silent. Qin Li, however, was different. He had always had a soft spot for Ye Luoyi and naturally sided with her.
"Director Yu, if this continues, we won't be able to film the show! Who knows when someone might suddenly lose their temper and slap someone else?"
"You—!"
Zhou Qingyu's face turned pale with anger. If it weren't for the fact that Ye Luoyi was Pei Yubai's artist, she would have dealt with her long ago.
"Could there be some misunderstanding here?" Jiang Tao tried to mediate. "But since Zhou Qingyu did hit Ye Luoyi and even left a mark, shouldn't she apologize?"
Kang Boye also chimed in. "Yeah, maybe it was an accident during filming, but since she did hit someone, an apology is in order."
Everyone seemed to agree, and everyone was criticizing Zhou Qingyu.
Zhou Qingyu was on the verge of tears. She rarely cried in public, but with all the guests demanding she apologize, her tears welled up, barely held back.
It was part of the script, it was the director's request—how had it become her fault?
But when everyone says you're wrong, the truth no longer matters. If everyone says you're wrong, then you're wrong.
Under the weight of everyone's gaze, Zhou Qingyu reluctantly walked step by step toward Ye Luoyi.
Ye Luoyi looked surprised at first, but then her expression softened into one of magnanimity.
This condescending demeanor only deepened Zhou Qingyu's resentment. Far from feeling any remorse toward Ye Luoyi, she only grew more disgusted by her.
Zhou Qingyu took a deep breath, mustering all her courage to utter the insincere words—
"Ouch!"
A sudden cry interrupted Zhou Qingyu's apology. The familiar voice made her turn sharply to see Yan Xi suddenly fall to the ground, clutching her ankle with tears in her eyes.
Zhou Qingyu forgot about Ye Luoyi and rushed to Yan Xi's side. "Yan Xi, what happened?"
The others, seeing Yan Xi in distress, also gathered around her. The spotlight that had been on Ye Luoyi moments ago was now entirely on Yan Xi.
This sudden shift left Ye Luoyi feeling uneasy, but she maintained her gentle demeanor, pretending not to mind, and also approached Yan Xi.
Yan Xi sat on the ground, rubbing her ankle, her eyes red. "I was scared by that fan earlier and twisted my ankle. I thought it was nothing at first, but when I tried to move, I couldn't stand."
Xiao Yu pulled out a bottle of pain relief spray from her bag. "I have some spray for sprains. Let me spray it for you."
The on-site medical staff checked Yan Xi and confirmed that it was just a minor sprain, nothing serious.
Zhou Qingyu, however, frowned and glared at Ye Luoyi. "Ye Luoyi, you want me to apologize to you, but shouldn't you apologize to Yan Xi? If it weren't for your fan causing trouble, Yan Xi wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
Ye Luoyi, who had been the victim moments ago, now found herself cast as the perpetrator. Her smile faltered.
After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly bowed to Yan Xi. "Yan Xi, even though I don't know that person, since he claims to be my fan, I take responsibility..."
Her words were carefully crafted, appearing to apologize while subtly distancing herself from the incident.
[Don't blame the idol for the actions of individual fans!]
[Our little leaves, like Ye Luoyi, are peaceful and don't seek trouble. How can a few extremists represent us or Ye Luoyi? Zhou Qingyu is just trying to smear Ye Luoyi's name!]
[Ye Luoyi takes responsibility even for her fans' mistakes. What about you, Zhou Qingyu? Isn't it your turn to apologize?]
The ball was back in Zhou Qingyu's court. Yan Xi's injury, though minor, was enough to shift the focus back to her.
Once again, all eyes were on Zhou Qingyu.
After Ye Luoyi's apology, it was Zhou Qingyu's turn.
Zhou Qingyu was truly at a loss. For some reason, whenever she encountered Ye Luoyi, she always ended up at a disadvantage, always falling short.
As she helped Yan Xi to her feet, Zhou Qingyu was about to apologize to Ye Luoyi when Yan Xi patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Zhou Qingyu, this is our fault. Since the script called for a fake slap, how could you really hit Ye Luoyi?"
Zhou Qingyu was stunned, looking at Yan Xi in confusion. "What are you talking about? The script required a real slap. How could it have been fake?"
*The Fall of Prosperity* was a romantic drama about wealthy families. Ye Luoyi played the female lead, while Zhou Qingyu had a guest role. In the script, the male lead, protecting Ye Luoyi's character, was injured and fell into a coma. Zhou Qingyu's character, as the male lead's sister, was furious and slapped Ye Luoyi, blaming her for the accident.
Thus, the script explicitly called for a real slap to convey the sister's anger and frustration.
Yan Xi looked genuinely surprised, her eyes wide with innocence. "But if the script required a real slap, and the director asked for it, then why are you apologizing? I thought you went off-script and that's why the fans were upset!"
Yan Xi's gaze was innocent, tinged with the naive foolishness of a college student, as if she understood nothing and was merely clumsily recounting the incident.
However, Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu, who were standing beside her, immediately grasped the situation. Both of them were well-versed in the film and television industry, familiar with scripts and filming techniques.
Xiao Yu chimed in, "Some directors, for the sake of cinematic effect, demand real physical reactions from actors. If Zhou Qingyu was simply following the director's instructions, her emotions would naturally align with anger, and her actions would appear more intense."
Jiang Tao nodded in agreement. "Looking at it this way, it's not Zhou Qingyu's fault. In fact, she acted perfectly!"
With Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu breaking it down, the people around them began to understand. This wasn't a case of Zhou Qingyu bullying someone—she was just following the script's requirements!
[I knew it! When I saw Xingyao's clarification, I was confused, thinking, 'If it was scripted, why are people blaming Zhou Qingyu?' Now it's clear—this isn't Zhou Qingyu's fault at all.]
[But Ye Luoyi's face was left with red marks!]
[Doesn't that just prove Zhou Qingyu's acting was convincing? Besides, the script was written by the screenwriter, and the director demanded realism. If you're upset, shouldn't you direct your anger at the director and screenwriter instead of the co-star?]
[It's just that Zhou Qingyu has a lot of negative press, so people automatically assume she's at fault whenever something unfavorable surfaces. I've followed this drama closely, and honestly, Zhou Qingyu isn't to blame here!]
[If Ye Luoyi didn't want to be hit, she should have raised the issue during the scene. Going after Zhou Qingyu afterward? That's just low-class!]
