Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The cheating scandal continued to heat up. Until midnight, not only did it not show any signs of slowing down, but more and more content was revealed. However, the focus of the war of words was still on Lu Wanqiao.

The obscene language is unbearable to hear.

Emotional scandals are always like this. It seems that as long as men remain silent, they can easily become invisible and eventually be completely ignored.

The light from the chandelier was cold and white, the black curtains were drawn tightly, and the living room was suffocatingly dull.

Lu Wanqiao stood in front of the curtains, looking down at the insults and rumors on her phone. Her sunscreen was throbbing, and she felt as if everything in front of her was shaking.

She leaned on the clothes hanger, shook her head to force herself to stay awake, and then looked at Xu Jiazhe who was smoking on the sofa.

"What are you going to do?"

Xu Jiazhe frowned, holding a cigarette in his right hand. He took a deep drag, white smoke escaping his lips and teeth. He said nonchalantly, "Just say you broke up three months ago, but didn't want to affect the popularity of the TV series, so you didn't make an official announcement. That's better for everyone, and you probably won't get scolded."

"I won't get scolded?" Lu Wanqiao walked over to him and took a cigarette from his cigarette box, finding it quite ironic. "Xu Jiazhe, do you still think you're considerate of me?"

"Isn't this just for your own good? What else can you do? Everyone is scolding you now."

Lu Wanqiao sneered, put the cigarette in his mouth, and lit it skillfully with a lighter: "Isn't this what you want?"

Xu Jiajue tilted his head and looked at her: "What do you mean?"

"Did you spread the news about Zhou Beichuan and me?"

"Are you sick?" Xu Jiajue raised his voice in anger. "If you say that, then the internet is saying that you're the one who spread the news about me, just to drag me down with you. Shouldn't I be suspicious too?"

Lu Wanqiao took a puff of the cigarette, found it difficult to smoke, and put it out in the ashtray.

She looked at Xu Jiazhe coldly, "You haven't been to Europe in the past month. Tell me, is this photo of yours recent?"

Xu Jiazhe was startled and looked away: "We haven't been in touch for a long time. What do you know about my schedule?"

"I don't know your itinerary. The last time you went to Europe was in May!" Lu Wanqiao said coldly, "These photos were taken nearly half a year ago, but they were changed to recent ones. This paparazzi is really considerate of you, right?"

Xu Jiazhe was silent for a moment. Since they had already fallen out, he didn't even bother to find an excuse. "Yeah, so what? You're posting on Weibo saying this photo is from several months ago. Do you think anyone would believe you?"

"you!"

He put out his cigarette on the table, leaned back, crossed his legs, and said sarcastically, "Let me be frank. Yes, the paparazzi refused to suppress the news, so I bribed him to change the time. So what? Lu Wanqiao, given the current situation, if we officially announce our peaceful breakup, the most we'll get is criticism for taking advantage of our relationship, and our resources won't be greatly affected. It's good for both of us."

"Why?" Lu Wanqiao's eyes were red, and she refused to admit defeat. "You cheated on me unilaterally, and you want me to share the blame with you? You're dreaming."

"One-sided? Come to your senses, haven't you already clarified it? Did it work?" Xu Jiazhe stood up with his phone in hand and said firmly, "The official announcement has been sent to your phone. Think carefully about it. Do you want to argue with me, or do you want to save your future?"

"Bang——"

The door was slammed shut.

Lu Wanqiao even felt that she had a momentary tinnitus. After a "buzzing" sound in her head, she could not hear anything.

This was the first time she faced such a large-scale cyberbullying since her debut. She knew clearly that she had done nothing, but she helplessly discovered that she could do nothing.

She originally wanted to secretly record the conversation, but Xu Jiazhe was very alert. After entering the room, he searched the room and made sure there was nothing unusual before agreeing to start negotiations.

So now, she has no substantial evidence.

Did she clarify it through text? She did, but no one believed her.

Looking for paparazzi? If paparazzi were so righteous, they wouldn't confuse right and wrong for money.

Looking for the girl Xu Jiazhe cheated with? The problem is that she has no clues at all.

…

At this moment, Zhou Beichuan, who was rushing back from the airport, also sent her a message, saying that after discussing with Xu Jiazhe's team, he felt that the idea proposed by the other party was indeed the best way to solve the problem at present.

Lu Wanqiao sneered and did not reply. She lowered her head to look at the copy sent by Xu Jiazhe.

It was obvious that it was written by a PR team. It was decent but cold, just like their previous relationship, which made no sense at all.

Reason told her that compromise was undoubtedly the best option.

She pressed the text and copied it into the Weibo input box, but before pressing send, she was still unwilling to give up.

For her, the most terrifying thing was never staying at the bottom of the valley, but being pushed off the cliff after finally climbing to the top of the mountain.

She did nothing wrong, so why should she become a victim of Xu Jiazhe's attempt to restore his reputation?

Lu Wanqiao deleted the text and logged off Weibo. Just as she was wondering if there was any direction she had missed, a friend she had contacted through a proxy at the studio sent her a photo:

[The other party doesn't want to get involved in these disputes and won't testify, but I secretly filmed the customer registration records from that day. Perhaps I can start by looking for people who were in the studio at the same time as Xu Jiajue? I don't know if this can help you. Best wishes.]

Lu Wanqiao glanced at the photo. There was no date on it, but there was a specific registration time.

14:24 kaly xu

It’s Xu Jiajue.

The person who registered behind him was only two minutes behind him.

Registered name: Ye Chen

This person...

Is it Shen Ye?

Could it just be a homophone?

When Lu Wanqiao was doubting, a reminder that she had not taken seriously suddenly came to her mind.

"Then congratulations, Miss Lu."

It turned out that this was what Shen Ye meant when she said that she and Xu Jiajue had broken up.

*

At noon, the plane landed at Fuchuan Airport.

Shu Yao said that she had an appointment with Zhao Tiantian for shopping and dinner, so Chen Ye sent her to the agreed shopping mall and then went straight to the company to prepare for the meeting.

However, just as he entered the office, Huang Shan knocked on the door and came in. He had a serious expression and reported anxiously: "Mr. Shen, Lu Wanqiao is in the conference room and wants to see you."

Shen Ye lowered his eyes and looked at the information on the laptop, with no surprise on his face: "What's the matter?"

"She didn't say anything, she just said she wanted to make a deal with you." Huang Shan speculated, "I wonder if it was because of the online news?"

Shen Ye’s eyes darkened, he pressed the computer button and left the office.

Lu Wanqiao sat facing the door, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, with a calm expression, and she didn't look anxious at all.

This conference room is transparent, and people outside can see what people are doing inside at a glance, but they can't hear any sound. Shen Ye closed the door and sat down opposite her.

"Miss Lu, please speak frankly."

Lu Wanqiao didn't hide anything and said straight to the point: "Boss Shen, should we be able to obtain evidence of Xu Jiajue's infidelity?"

Shen Ye did not answer but asked: "Didn't Miss Lu say that she wanted to make a deal with me? I am more interested in what you have in your hand."

Lu Wanqiao took out a recorder from his pocket, put his finger on it, and pushed it in front of Shen Ye.

Shen Ye pressed play, and Zhou Beichuan's drunken voice came out.

"If it weren't for Shen Ye, she would have been mine long ago!"

"You know what? Actually, I bought some medicine before that day and planned to put it in her drink. I heard that after taking the medicine, you won't remember anything when you wake up... If it weren't for Chen Ye, if Chen Ye had intervened halfway, I wouldn't have missed that meal..."

"She should be mine. We grew up together. Who the hell is he, Shen Ye?"

…

The recording stops abruptly here. There is no Lu Wanqiao's voice from beginning to end, only Zhou Beichuan talking to himself.

"Although it's drunken talk, based on my understanding of Zhou Beichuan, it's most likely true. I don't think Mr. Shen and his wife know about this, right?"

Shen Ye's right hand was resting on his thigh, and the veins on the back of his hand were exposed, but his face remained calm: "Zhou Beichuan is your agent, and Miss Lu betrayed him without hesitation?"

Lu Wanqiao's eyes dodged for a moment.

She had indeed hesitated for a long time last night about exchanging the recording for Shen Ye's help.

Zhou Beichuan became her agent when she was still unknown. In the past three years, the two have not only been business partners but also friends.

He accompanied her through the low times and stood at the center of the entertainment industry with her.

But she is a very realistic person. Zhou Beichuan's ability has long been incompatible with her current status, so she actually planned to ask the company to change to a better agent.

It's just that due to our past friendship, I haven't mentioned it yet.

This time, it was a fuse.

Because Shen Ye lacked nothing, she could see that the only person he cared about was his wife.

She did consider Zhou Beichuan as a friend, but she could have new friends, but she only had one future. At this critical moment of life and death, losing a friend didn't seem like a big deal. What's more, the words in Zhou Beichuan's recording really made her sick.

So in the end, she chose to negotiate this deal.

Lu Wanqiao shrugged, his expression unchanged: "I never said I was a very righteous person."

Shen Ye stood up with the recorder in his hand and just threw down a sentence -

"Someone will contact you."

*

In just one hour, online public opinion changed dramatically.

First, someone exposed a surveillance photo of Xu Jiazhe and a girl in the studio. The surveillance date clearly showed that it was May 20th, not in recent days.

This makes the statement that "regardless of whether they were playing separately or not, Lu Wanqiao cheated first" self-defeating.

Afterwards, the account that disguised itself as a crew member and spread rumors about the relationship between Lu Wanqiao and Zhou Beichuan issued an apology statement, saying that it just saw that the matter was popular and intended to attract attention, so it fabricated the story and spread it.

There are even girls who revealed with their real names that Xu Jiaze had been cheating before his debut, and his behavior has gotten even worse since he became famous for his roles.

During the period when the heat was the highest yesterday, Zhou Beichuan was on a plane rushing back. When he landed, Lu Wanqiao had been scolded like a sieve. Of course, because of the company's inaction, Zhou Beichuan was also scolded like a sieve by Lu Wanqiao's fans.

Zhou Beichuan was a little overwhelmed as it was his first time facing such a big crisis. In the end, he agreed to the suggestion put forward by Xu Jiazhe's side and officially announced that the two had broken up long ago. However, he did not expect that Lu Wanqiao did not reply to his message at all, and even changed his Weibo password without permission.

Although he knew that this was a real loss for Lu Wanqiao, it was also the only solution he had.

The call was not connected again. Zhou Beichuan hurried to her house, wanting to urge her to post on Weibo. However, he did not expect that public opinion would change suddenly. Lu Wanqiao had gone from being a villain who was condemned by thousands of people to a poor person who was deceived by a scumbag.

Zhou Beichuan clicked on the account that leaked the surveillance photos. It was a newly registered account with no useful information at all. He looked at Lu Wanqiao, who was leisurely brewing tea nearby, and asked in surprise, "Is this the person you found?"

Lu Wanqiao took the teapot and poured water into the cup. The tea leaves floated up, just like her inexplicably uneasy heart. She said it in a roundabout way, "No, I asked Sister Liu for help."

Sister Liu was Zhou Beichuan's senior and also Lu Wanqiao's friend, so Zhou Beichuan had no doubts. However, it was his own artists who encountered a storm, but it was other more experienced publicity agents who helped turn the tide, which made Zhou Beichuan look a little ugly.

He managed to maintain his composure: "It's great that you're alright. Xu Jiajue probably won't be able to recover from this. You should rest well. I'll continue to work with the brand."

Lu Wanqiao blew away the floating leaves in the teacup, and when she looked up, she said apologetically, "Beichuan, leave the connection to Sister Liu."

Zhou Beichuan's expression suddenly turned cold: "Qiao Qiao, what do you mean?"

"Mr. Li called me back to the company for a meeting today. He felt you were still inexperienced in crisis management. This time, we escaped danger without incident, all thanks to Sister Liu. Also, I'm currently in a critical period of growth, so Mr. Li decided to change my agent." Lu Wanqiao put down her cup and extended her hand to Zhou Beichuan. "Beichuan, I'm very grateful to you for these past few years. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I hope we can still be friends."

Zhou Beichuan glanced down and back at Lu Wanqiao: "Qiaoqiao, are you planning to cross the river and then burn the bridge?"

"I can't do anything about the company's decision," Lu Wanqiao said calmly. "You can ask Mr. Li, but he's quite angry about your performance this time."

Zhou Beichuan had little experience in this industry, and it was pure luck that he was able to bring Lu Wanqiao with him. Although many people in the circle respected him because of Lu Wanqiao's fame, in the final analysis, he had no say in front of the higher-ups.

What's more, this time, in comparison, I really didn't do well.

Zhou Beichuan gritted his teeth and had to swallow the bitterness.

"I understand. I'll hand it over to Sister Liu." Zhou Beichuan shook Lu Wanqiao's hand. "We're still friends."

"Of course." Lu Wanqiao smiled gently.

*

late at night.

Zhou Beichuan was driving alone on the road.

Fuchuan is a familiar yet unfamiliar city to him. He spent a year here when he was in high school, but when he came back a few years later, he found that he had almost no memory of anything here.

The cold wind of the night rushed in through the open car window, wantonly torturing his face.

The gate of Fuchuan No. 3 Middle School flashed by quickly in the field of vision.

Only then did he realize that it wasn't that he had no memories at all, but the few memories he had seemed to have been created with Shu Yao.

At that time, because of the scar on his face, he didn't like to appear in crowded places, such as the cafeteria, so Shu Yao often went to get food and brought it to his class. Faced with the teasing of his classmates, she would not refute. Even if her hands were frozen red by the cold wind outside, she didn't care and would only gently remind him to eat quickly.

During sports meets, girls would come in groups to bring water to the boys they liked. At that time, he would definitely be the one who was forgotten, but Shu Yao would not forget him. Knowing that he did not like to drink room temperature water, she would prepare ice water for him.

Even on his birthday, no one cared. Only Shu Yao remembered and even booked a restaurant to celebrate for him. It was a pity that it was ruined by Chen Ye.

There are so many good things in her mind, but she says she has never liked him?

Zhou Beichuan didn't want to believe it.

The double blow of career and emotions made him feel like he was on the edge of a cliff. He was anxious and depressed, and in urgent need of alcohol to vent.

While waiting for the red light, he searched for bars nearby. He eliminated some of the bars that were obviously mid- to low-end without hesitation.

Meet again.

Zhou Beichuan had heard about this place from a rich young man he had met before. It was said to be a place where rich people gathered.

He pressed the navigation button and turned the car around.

It's the busiest time of the day at the bar.

The dim colorful lights and the restless music made people forget their troubles for a short while. Zhou Beichuan sat at the bar and ordered a glass of strong liquor for himself. However, he had only drunk half of the liquor when his cell phone started vibrating non-stop.

All of this is news from Sister Liu.

This suddenly brought Zhou Beichuan, who was temporarily addicted to alcohol, back to reality and reminded him that at this moment in his career he was like a puppet being manipulated by others and had no autonomy at all.

The most frustrating thing was, what could he do even if he didn't want to? Faced with Sister Liu's urgent call, he could only dejectedly find a secluded back alley and feign indifference while discussing the specific details of the handover with her.

At the end of the call, Sister Liu told him in a gentle voice that the company would arrange him to work with the newly signed artists, and with his abilities, he was sure he would be able to bring them up to speed quickly.

Everyone knew that this was just a polite remark, but Zhou Beichuan could only grit his teeth and thank him.

The cell phone was stuffed back into his pocket, and he leaned against the wall, smoking one cigarette after another.

There were no street lights in the alley. The only source of light was the moon above and the half-burned cigarette in his hand.

The white mist was swallowed by darkness.

Zhou Beichuan's eyes were filled with gloom.

"squeak--"

The back door of the bar was pushed open. Zhou Beichuan thought it was a staff member who came out to take out the garbage, or a customer who came out to make a phone call like him, so he didn't pay much attention. Until he glanced at it and found that the man's figure looked somewhat familiar.

He squinted his eyes, and the other person's face gradually became clear in the darkness.

Chen Ye was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black casual pants. His expression was calm, but it reminded Zhou Beichuan of the rainy evening more than seven years ago.

He felt that at this moment, Shen Ye had the word danger written all over his body.

He instinctively took a step back: "What are you doing?"

The next second, the collar of his shirt was grabbed by Shen Ye’s hand.

"Bang——"

Zhou Beichuan was pressed against the wall, and the bones behind him ached slightly. Shen Ye's right knuckles pressed against his throat, pressing like a stone, making his face flush and almost suffocating.

"Zhou Beichuan." Chen Ye's eyes were stern, and he pronounced the verdict calmly, "When I beat you that year, it was really too light."