Chapter 44 She was his friend.

Christmas week.

In the Florian editorial office, on the open space to one side of the entrance, unassembled New Year gift boxes are piled up like a small mountain.

Several interns were sorting and packing gifts and greeting cards according to the list, preparing to send them out.

The remaining editors were busy producing the monthly magazine and also had to find time to deal with the various year-end events from different brands, leaving them no time to enjoy the upcoming Christmas and New Year atmosphere.

Of all these people, only Jiang Nuanyu is truly at ease.

She basically had no work left, truly serving as a brick in the wall—wherever she was needed, she would move herself there.

That day, she helped fold the cardboard boxes one by one early in the morning, and then spent the morning with the design team, working with Tang Xi to figure out how to make the inner pages better.

Tang Xi was formatting a special New Year's collaboration column for a certain brand. While working on the computer, she complained, "I really don't understand why the brand came up with the idea of ​​collaborating with fragrance and snacks. Does someone want to spray the smell of snacks on their body, or do they want to eat perfume? I'm speechless."

Looking at the article written by the editor for this joint project, Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but sigh: it's not easy to force such a "special" idea to be rationalized.

Around noon, the photo assistant, Zheng Xiaoyi, sat down next to me, looking very gossipy: "Have you guys been scrolling through your WeChat Moments? There's some gossip about the sponsor's boss."

Jiang Nuanyu was half-asleep, flipping through a stack of documents, when she heard this, her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes involuntarily glanced at the phone on the table.

Tang Xi, who was not usually interested in gossip, asked with great interest, "Are you talking about that General Manager Liang? The one we ran into during the team building last month?"

“It’s him!” Zheng Xiaoyi gave a definite answer, then added ambiguously, “He’s quite the enigma…”

Tang Xi pressed, "Huh? What happened to him?"

Zheng Xiaoyi kept everyone in suspense: "You guys see for yourselves first."

Tang Xi laughed: "Okay, I'll take a look in a bit."

Jiang Nuanyu remained silent, showing no interest whatsoever. Only after Zheng Xiaoyi had left did she quietly pick up her phone.

She first browsed through her WeChat Moments but didn't see anything about Liang Qi. Then she clicked into a group chat and saw a link to a post shared by someone else in a casual chat group for the editorial department.

The article came from a financial and lifestyle account. She clicked on it and frowned the moment she saw the title: "The Private Life of Entrepreneurs Revealed: The Collapse of the Elite Persona?"

She scrolled down page by page, her heart rising higher and higher.

The protagonist of this article is Liang Qi, but in the accompanying photos, his image is completely different from how he appears in public today. He is dressed casually, looking relaxed and carefree, and his hair color is a mix of light and dark shades, making him quite unconventional.

The backgrounds of the photos are all bar rooms or private parties, all of which are dimly lit and have a luxurious atmosphere. Coupled with Liang Qi's extremely contrasting image, they do have a considerable visual impact at first glance.

Jiang Nuanyu frowned and examined the photo closely, but didn't find anything wrong with Liang Qi's behavior in the photo. The only slightly out-of-place thing was the scene of him holding a cigarette between his fingers, squinting, and his face shrouded in the hazy smoke.

In the rest of the footage, he simply sat quietly, and the people around him dressed and behaved normally, making it seem like just a gathering of friends.

What is truly unsettling is the article's extremely cryptic and ambiguous wording.

Throughout the text, the author repeatedly emphasizes the atmosphere of "dimness," "confusion," and "debauchery," attempting to portray Liang Qi as a person with a chaotic private life beneath a glamorous exterior. Through vague descriptions, the author guides the reader to imagine even more egregious behaviors.

By the end, Jiang Nuanyu was so angry her fingers were trembling. Unable to calmly discuss the matter with Tang Xi and the others, she made an excuse to leave.

Back at her workstation, she couldn't help but check her phone again. In the group chat, everyone took a moment to discuss it:

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. When I met him before, he seemed so gentlemanly and elegant."

"Can you still sponsor us?"

"Oh right, wouldn't you say this is a black mark on our history? What if it damages our magazine's image?"

Jiang Nuanyu couldn't bear to watch any longer and closed the chat window. She felt a tightness in her chest, a suffocating feeling.

She was angry at the author of the article, and angry at this kind of malicious smear campaign that used pictures to make claims and exploited public imagination and prejudice.

She was also angry at her colleagues who participated in the discussion in the group, angry that they could easily draw such terrible conclusions when they knew nothing about the facts.

It's ironic that the magazine, having just received a favor, immediately turns around and criticizes the person, kicking them when they're down.

The discussion around her was already so heated; Jiang Nuanyu dared not imagine what kind of reaction this article would provoke in the corresponding circles.

That afternoon, she was absent-minded at her workstation, frequently checking her social media and searching for related topics.

She hoped that the discussion would decrease and the misunderstandings about Liang Qi online would gradually subside, but reality was not as she wished. The related popularity skyrocketed.

She watched as discussions under a single topic grew from a dozen or so to tens of thousands.

Having tasted the sweetness of traffic, more and more media outlets have joined the discussion, even spawning various parodies and exposés. Netizens' emotions have been stirred up, leading to spontaneous discussions, reposts, and even trending topics.

By evening, the topic had expanded from the financial world to mainstream news and entertainment media, and even more popular video platforms had fallen victim to it.

Some people, claiming to be "insiders," used this article about interpreting pictures as a starting point to create and release videos about "in-depth analysis of business tycoons" to gain attention. The comments section was full of emotional interpretations and analyses from netizens.

Netizen A: "I read the whole article. The photos don't look like a simple gathering at all. Who knows what they might be doing behind the scenes?"

Netizen B: "The private lives of the rich are unimaginably chaotic. They don't lack money, so they like to pursue thrills that money can't buy. Those who know, know."

Netizen C: "Can the relevant departments investigate and expose all their scandals, and confiscate all their assets?"

Only a very few people remained rational, believing that these photos were insufficient to prove anything and that the media was overreacting, trying to smear a successful person's image for the sake of traffic. However, compared to those malicious speculations, these truly objective comments seemed to sink without a trace, failing to make a ripple.

People tend to doubt or ridicule those who do good deeds, and believe or praise those who do bad deeds. In the online world, negative emotions seem to resonate more easily with everyone.

Jiang Nuanyu clutched her phone, nestled on the sofa. The house was very warm, but her hands and feet were ice-cold.

How did things turn out this way? No—why did this happen?

For an entire afternoon and evening, her attention was focused on the event itself, and only now is she realizing that something is amiss—

Why are people suddenly making up stories based on Liang Qi's old photos? And where did those photos come from?

A name suddenly popped into her mind, and Jiang Nuanyu immediately switched to WeChat and opened her chat with Shi Youning.

"Photographer Shi, I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I have something I'd like to ask you. Could you please reply to my message?"

She quickly typed out the message and was about to send it when she suddenly hesitated.

At the beginning of the month, she tearfully confronted Liang Qi at the entrance of Tangwan Club, even declaring that she "didn't want to play with him anymore." After that, they never contacted each other again, marking a complete break.

Does she still have the right or the standing to interfere in Liang Qi's affairs?

She hesitated for a moment, worried that her actions might be meddling. But thinking of the criticisms from her colleagues, the media, and netizens, she decided to stop worrying so much.

Perhaps she doesn't have the right, but she can't just stand by and do nothing.

She took a deep breath and, just before sending it, deleted the words "Photographer Shi." After all, what she wanted to say had nothing to do with work.

After sending the message, she felt even more uneasy, and her mind was still a mess.

She held her phone anxiously for a while before the notification tone finally sounded. Shi Youning replied, "What is it?"

Jiang Nuanyu sent all the relevant photos to Shi Youning. "These photos..." she had only typed four words when Shi Youning's voice message came through.

Before she could say anything, Shi Youning asked, "Do you want to ask if I posted these photos?"

Her directness left Jiang Nuanyu momentarily speechless. She didn't doubt it, though. Based on her limited understanding of Shi Youning, even if it were truly "love turned to hate," Shi Youning wouldn't resort to such underhanded methods to harm Liang Qi.

After a few seconds, she said, "I just want to ask, did you take the photo?"

“I took the picture,” Shih Yu-ning said. “Many years ago.”

"Have you posted these photos on social media?" Jiang Nuanyu pressed.

"It was never posted publicly. It was only posted on my private Instagram account."

Jiang Nuanyu frowned, rubbing her head in confusion: "Private account?"

"Yes."

Sensing the doubt in her silence, Shih Yu-ning said, "I'm at the Tangwan Club. If you want to know more, come find me and we'll talk in person."

Jiang Nuanyu didn't reply immediately. Given her past unpleasant experiences, a face-to-face conversation with Shi Youning wasn't her first choice. But she quickly realized that she seemed to have no other option but to start with Shi Youning, the source of the photos.

She was so eager to know the truth that she finally agreed, "Okay, I'll be there in a bit."

After hanging up the phone, she changed her clothes and took a taxi to Tangwan Club. Shi Youning was downstairs to meet her and led her into a private room.

There were a few other people in the private room, about five or six men and women, sitting together playing board games.

Shi Youning seemed to know them well, as she didn't introduce them when she brought her in. The two sat down on the sofa area on the side of the private room where no one else was.

Jiang Nuanyu remained silent for a few seconds, feeling an awkward and strange atmosphere. The fact that she and Shi Youning had met again about Liang Qi left her feeling somewhat dazed.

Shi Youning seemed much more at ease and asked her, "Would you like something to drink?"

Jiang Nuanyu waved her hand: "No, thank you."

Shi Youning didn't stand on ceremony any longer and asked directly, "What do you want to know?"

"It's still about the photos," Jiang Nuanyu said. "What did you mean by 'private account' when you mentioned it on the phone earlier?"

Shi Youning glanced at her and explained, "I have a side account on Instagram, which I registered specifically to post about my daily life with Liang Qi. I set this account to private, so other people can't see the content."

Jiang Nuanyu roughly understood the definition of a private account and said, "So these photos weren't discovered by the media by chance, but were deliberately searched by the mastermind behind the scenes." She added, "Instagram is a public platform after all. Even if it's a private account, it's probably useless against professional data hacking."

Shih Yu-ning objected: "But there are so many users on Instagram, how could those people find the photos on my alternate account so precisely? That's impossible."

Jiang Nuanyu was also at a loss. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Your alt account and main account have absolutely no connection?" She analyzed and speculated, "Is it possible that... the other party knew about Liang Qi's past relationship with you, found your main account first, and then used the main account to connect to your alt account, and that's how they cracked the content?"

Shi Youning paused for a few seconds, then said, "My main and secondary accounts follow each other."

That makes sense.

The two looked at each other and remained silent for a moment.

The thought that someone was deliberately framing Liang Qi made Jiang Nuanyu's mood so gloomy it could be squeezed out of water.

After a brief silence, Zhao Nan walked over, placed a drink in front of each of them, and sat down on the sofa opposite them.

Shi Youning gave a brief introduction: "This is my friend, Zhao Nan, the owner of Tangwan. This is Jiang Nuanyu, who is..." She paused for a while before saying, "She is Liang Qi's friend."

Jiang Nuanyu smiled politely and glanced at Zhao Nan. When she met his slightly probing gaze, she instinctively looked away.

She was just introduced as Liang Qi's friend, and she didn't know why she was panicking.

“Hello,” Zhao Nan smiled amicably, “Liang Qi’s friends are my friends, you’re welcome to come visit anytime.”

Jiang Nuanyu smiled faintly and said, "Hello."

Zhao Nan looked at her intently again, then suddenly asked, "Have you been to Tangwan before?"

"Yes, some people have been here before." Jiang Nuanyu nodded, and considering that the other person was the owner, she added a few compliments, "The environment here is quite nice, and the service is good too."

"Have you been here recently?" Zhao Nan asked.

Jiang Nuanyu looked at him, a question lingering in her mind: Why is he asking this?

“A while ago…” Zhao Nan recalled, rubbing his forehead, “It was at the beginning of the month, around the time of the first snowfall.”

Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback.

The day before Liang Qi brought her to Tangwan, the capital city had its first snowfall of the year.

She answered truthfully, "I did come here."

Noticing the confusion in her expression, Zhao Nan laughed it off: "It's nothing, I was just asking. I thought I'd seen you before."

“Oh…” Jiang Nuanyu chuckled dryly, half believing and half doubting: Is she really that unforgettable?

Zhao Nan changed the subject, asking the two, "What were you talking about? That Liang Qi thing today?"

Shi Youning nodded, picked up the drink Zhao Nan had just placed in front of her, took a sip, and sighed.

"Look at you, still sighing." Zhao Nan swayed his chin, saying nonchalantly, "Don't you know Liang Qi? Don't worry! Those things won't affect him. Even if something really did happen, Tianqi is a huge company; their media monitoring and public relations departments aren't just sitting around doing nothing. You're all just worrying unnecessarily."

Jiang Nuanyu immediately retorted: "That doesn't mean we can let others smear him at will."

Zhao Nan was taken aback by her retort. He stared at her blankly for two seconds, not only not annoyed, but the corners of his mouth even slowly turned up.

He licked his lips, then let out a feigned sigh: "Yeah, you're right."

Jiang Nuanyu belatedly realized that she had been so focused on "defending" Liang Qi that her tone seemed a bit harsh, so she quickly looked up at Zhao Nan.

Zhao Nan was texting on his phone when he noticed her gaze. He looked up and gave her a relaxed smile.

Jiang Nuanyu knew that he hadn't taken his words to heart, and she relaxed a little.

Judging from Zhao Nan's tone when she mentioned Liang Qi, she deduced that he and Liang Qi were probably quite close friends. It also seemed that Zhao Nan and Shi Youning had a good relationship.

Jiang Nuanyu secretly guessed that the people present were probably mutual friends of Liang Qi and Shi Youning.

Just then, Shi Youning, who was standing next to her, realized what she meant and turned to look at her: "Aren't you leaving? Why are you still concerned about Liang Qi?"

Jiang Nuanyu's expression changed slightly. She couldn't answer the question, nor did she want to.

She didn't say anything, picked up the cup on the table, and took a sip without any taste.

Seeing this, Shi Youning didn't press the matter. After a while, she said, "I'm not worried that Liang Qi will be hurt by those rumors. I just never thought that the photos I took of him would one day bring him trouble."

“You’re overthinking it. If someone wants to frame or smear him, they can always find a way to do it,” Zhao Nan comforted her. “This isn’t your fault.”

Shi Youning remained silent for a moment, then looked at Jiang Nuanyu: "Do you have any ideas?"

Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback.

Shih Yu-ning said, "You came to me to understand this matter, doesn't that mean you have an idea to solve the problem?"

"I..." Jiang Nuanyu was speechless for a moment. She had been driven by emotions all night, completely devoid of rationality. "I don't know..."

Shi Youning glanced at her indifferently and said nothing.

Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt as if Shi Youning had looked down on her.

Her pride was instantly ignited, and she blurted out, "Can I see the other photos?"

As soon as she said it, not only Shi Youning but also Jiang Nuanyu herself were surprised. She quickly added, "I wanted to see if there were any photos with bright lighting and a different atmosphere that might be useful in refuting the media's misleading claims. Of course, if it's inconvenient, then forget it."

"Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Youning picked up his phone and started using it.

Jiang Nuanyu: "..."

Shi Youning's decisiveness made her uneasy.

A moment later, Shi Youning handed over his phone: "The photos in that article were all taken during the six months or so after he retired. I've already selected the timeline."

Jiang Nuanyu glanced down at the screen, then quickly looked away: "Maybe we should just forget about it. After all, this is your privacy."

Shi Youning looked at her for a few seconds and said, "Did you suggest that just now to help him, or to satisfy your curiosity?"

Jiang Nuanyu: "I..."

Shih Yu-ning said, "If it's the former, please rest assured, I don't mind showing you these photos. If it's the latter, then it's up to you."

Jiang Nuanyu was speechless, having no choice but to take the phone, glance at the screen, and first open a post that seemed unrelated to Liang Qi.

The first photo in the post is a painting depicting the view inside a window. The light from outside is a kaleidoscope of colors, casting its rays in different directions into the room.

As Jiang Nuanyu looked at the painting, she unconsciously began to savor its artistic conception.

Shi Youning leaned closer for a look and said, "This was painted by Liang Qi. It's not bad, is it? He has talent." She casually asked, "Did you know that Liang Qi's father was a very talented painter?"

Jiang Nuanyu was stunned. She had heard about Liang Qi's father from Hans, but she had never thought that Liang Qi could also paint.

She had originally wanted to look at the painting again, but after hearing Shi Youning's words, she seemed to be arguing with someone, and said "Oh," before swiping her finger to the left to flip to the next photo.

In the photo, Liang Qi is leaning against a chair by the French windows, sunlight shining on him. He is holding a small drawing board with his left hand and a pen hanging at his side with his right hand.

He had a bath towel draped over his shoulders, and his hair was pulled back, covered in what looked like hair dye or something similar.

Shih Yu-ning casually explained, "When he first retired, he liked to visit exhibitions everywhere and also liked to paint at home. His paintings are very colorful, and he even uses different colors for the skin and hair of the figures. One day I suddenly had a whim and bought hair dye to DIY the color of our hair. In those photos, I dyed his hair."

Jiang Nuanyu didn't reply; her chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton, both tight and suffocating.

She handed the phone back to Shi Youning: "I still think this is inappropriate."

Shi Youning realized that her sharing had gone a bit too far. After hesitating, she put her phone away and didn't criticize Jiang Nuanyu anymore.

Shi Youning's "letting it go" was too obvious, making Jiang Nuanyu feel even more resentful.

Not wanting to appear particularly concerned, she said, "I was thinking that the public's focus is no longer on the photos themselves; they have already formed a prejudice against Liang Qi, and those negative stereotypes have been attached to him."

At this point, hastily proving oneself is likely to be met with skepticism and may even appear as a sign of insecurity, which would be counterproductive.

—That last sentence is just like what she's doing now.

Shi Youning asked, "So you have no other choice?"

"I can't think of anything right now," Jiang Nuanyu added awkwardly. "I can't think of a 'useful' solution right now."

Shi Youning nodded and said nothing more.

After discussing the photos, the two ran out of things to talk about. Jiang Nuanyu suggested going home first, and Shi Youning glanced at the time and left with her.

In the elevator going downstairs, Shi Youning casually asked Jiang Nuanyu where she lived, and the two then realized that their addresses were quite close to each other.

Nevertheless, no one suggested going back together; instead, they each took a taxi and parted ways.

After returning home, Jiang Nuanyu took a shower and lay in bed, still feeling restless.

She witnessed firsthand how public opinion escalated. At first, it only focused on Liang Qi's personal image, and people felt there was some contrast. But gradually, the comments followed the article that described the picture, pointing the finger at his chaotic private life and even implying that he had bad habits. Finally, this negative image was forcibly linked to his identity as a business leader.

Clearly, the ultimate goal of this conspiracy was to attack Liang Qi's reputation and credibility.

Personal grudge?

But what kind of deep-seated hatred must one harbor to go to such lengths?

Business war?

Is the opponent targeting Tianqi or Yunjing? And who are Tianqi and Yunjing's respective competitors?

Jiang Nuanyu pondered in the darkness, but couldn't make sense of it at all.

This matter was far beyond her control, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated and exhausted she became.

Talking to Shi Youning is tiring.

Shi Youning's casual remark had to churn in her mind several times before she could get over it.

Taking photos of Liang Qi, dyeing his hair, going to exhibitions together, watching him paint—these were things she never even imagined, but they were things Shi Youning experienced.

She had thought that she and Shi Youning might have some similarities in their relationship with Liang Qi. But now she realized how ridiculous that idea was.

The Liang Qi who was with Shi Youning was a completely different person from the Liang Qi she knew!

...She was jealous!