Chapter 20: The Battle of Sisters-in-Laws - When I first started watching the drama unfold, I didn't say there was more than one...

The eye-catching buff was incredibly effective, taking effect instantly after activation. Shi Yao felt the staff's gazes practically glued to her, and couldn't help but marvel at the power of the system's props.

Her effect became even more pronounced after she entered the venue. There were already many people in the venue, and in the areas she passed through, almost all the fans who saw her couldn't take their eyes off her. Shi Yao walked to her seat at a leisurely pace and sat down.

"Who is this person? Why are they only entering now?"

"I don't know, why is she wearing sunglasses?"

"She looks kind of familiar, is it just my imagination?"

Whispers and discussions continued all around, and those around Shi Yao couldn't help but get closer to observe her, but she herself seemed oblivious, remaining calm and composed as she sat.

Who is this woman? Why do I keep staring at her?

At this moment, everyone in the room had the same thought.

Even Jian Mingzhou on stage was no exception. He was singing normally when suddenly the audience stopped looking at him, which left him completely baffled.

Just then, the stadium lights swept across the stands and stopped at Shi Yao's position. He subconsciously followed everyone's gaze and looked up, only to be instantly captivated.

Unlike the others who were simply controlled by the buff, Jian Mingzhou kept staring at Shi Yao, partly because her clothes looked familiar.

Or rather, her entire outfit looked very familiar.

Why is that woman wearing the clothes he's going to wear later?!

Jian Mingzhou was practically drenched in sweat. Ye Rou arranged all his tour outfits, or rather, she coordinated his outfits for important occasions.

Although Ye Rou has a strong urge to catch cheaters and is quite sensitive, she is indeed gentle and considerate, has good taste, and comes from a wealthy family.

In addition, he had been with him for so many years, so even though the other party was a bit strict and it was inconvenient for him to meet his lover, he barely tolerated it.

The outfits for this tour were no exception. Ye Rou arranged them about a week in advance and brought them to the corresponding cities. The white shirt with a chain that Shi Yao was wearing at the moment was the one he would wear to dance to the title track of his new album later.

The hat the other person was wearing was one he had worn before, and he was certain he hadn't taken a picture of it and posted it on social media, so his fans couldn't possibly know.

Where did this woman get the information to find the same outfit as him, even a version that he himself didn't have time to wear!

Shi Yao originally intended to stay until the last two songs, just like the previous two days, but under the influence of the buff, the gazes of those around her became increasingly undisguised. Even Jian Mingzhou on stage made several mistakes because of looking at her. She couldn't bear the scrutinizing gazes any longer, so she got up and left the venue just halfway through the performance.

Leaving the arena made me feel much more relaxed. Although there were various people secretly observing me, it wasn't as unbearable as it was inside.

With an hour and a half left before the buff expired, Shi Yao was bound to be surrounded by onlookers wherever she went. She had no choice but to quickly hail a taxi to leave. However, the driver couldn't resist peeking at her through the rearview mirror, and they almost had a car accident. This left Shi Yao feeling exhausted.

"I never want to use this buff again." As soon as she got back to her room, Yao collapsed onto the bed.

She was even a former entertainer, someone who knows what it's like to be in the spotlight, and even she found the power of this buff unbearable. If it were applied to an ordinary person, I don't know how uncomfortable it would be.

System items are indeed a double-edged sword.

Fortunately, her ordeal was not in vain. With the buff, everyone in the arena noticed Shi Yao, who had a unique appearance and strange behavior. Although she left the arena early, everyone's attention had already been drawn to her.

No joke, even Chien Ming-chou on stage was barely holding on during the second half of the performance. Although the fans below could tell that Chien Ming-chou was distracted, they were not in the mood to blame him. Instead, they couldn't help but wonder about the true identity of Shi Yao, who had already left the stage.

The reason why Jian Mingzhou on stage was so distracted was probably because of the woman who had already left.

Why was she distracted? Could that woman really be the sister-in-law, as some online sources claim?

Almost immediately after the performance ended, discussions about "Jian Mingzhou's non-celebrity girlfriend being caught attending a concert" broke out online.

Many fans inside the venue lost interest in watching the rest of the performance and chose to leave early. After leaving, they did not go straight back to their hotels, but instead chatted with their fellow fans about the strange events and atmosphere that had just taken place inside the venue.

The fans gathered together, each contributing their own comments, and quickly pieced together the truth.

"Didn't you guys find that woman just now strange? It felt like everyone in the room was looking at her. She deliberately chose that spot and delayed entering, just so everyone could see her. Don't be too obsessed with being a sissy, I'm telling you."

“My friend was in the inner circle a couple of days ago. She just told me on WeChat that the woman was sitting not far from her a couple of days ago. She would only go in when the show started and leave before it ended. She didn’t interact or take pictures at all. It was very strange.”

"Could the sister-in-law that's been trending on Weibo these past few days be her...?"

"I feel like...that's incredibly arrogant..."

"No, even if you want to talk about it, you should at least keep it hidden. Bringing your sister-in-law to a concert like this, does Jian Mingzhou not want any fans anymore?"

"Wait a minute, don't you guys think that woman's clothes look familiar?"

"I've figured it out! Zhouzhou was wearing that same outfit when he danced to 'Sexy Song'!"

"What do you mean? They're even wearing matching outfits...?"

"No, brothers, you guys..."

On the trending topics list, a hashtag called #JianMingzhouSisterhood# is rising rapidly, becoming number one in just ten minutes. Other related hashtags are also climbing at a fast pace.

Bystanders, hearing the news, initially thought it was another case of a sister-in-law revealing something, with screenshots of chat logs and memos, but it turned out to be nothing. There wasn't a single marketing account on the trending topics page; it was all fans tagged with Jian Mingzhou posting, accompanied by photos from inside the concert venue, leaving the bystanders completely bewildered.

A thread quickly sprang up in the Green Petal Melon group, with the thread owner excitedly sharing photos from fans on Weibo.

[Main post: It seems that Jian Mingzhou, who recently held a concert, has had his reputation exposed. Fans saw his wife in person at the concert, and it seems that more than one person saw her.]

Besides the onlookers, some die-hard fans also chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.

[57L: I was in C114, right across from my sister-in-law, and I just happened to take a picture of Jian Mingzhou peeking at her [picture]. This guy really doesn't hide anything at all [facepalm]]

[58L: Oh my god, I ran into someone at the scene! I'm so curious how you guys figured out that was the sister-in-law?]

[59L: Speaking of which, I also find it amazing. My sister-in-law entered quite late, after JMZ had already started performing. But the moment she entered, everyone started looking at her. And her spot just happened to be in the spotlight, so... it was like everyone knew she was my sister-in-law in an instant.]

[60L: Sounds like something out of a mystery, is it all just guesswork?]

[61L: This isn't just guessing. A friend of mine went to the concert two days ago, and apparently, the hostess's seat was in the front row with a small number of seats. She was late to enter and left early every day, always wearing a hat and sunglasses, and didn't interact with the audience or take photos. Her offline fanbase has already been broken up for the past two days.]

[62L: What? So you fans guessed it was your sister-in-law two days ago? You kept it a secret pretty well!]

[63L: There wasn't any solid evidence to begin with, but today the clothes my sister-in-law wore were exactly the same as JMZ's performance outfit, so there's really no way to deny it...]

...

[334L: This sister-in-law is really fond of him. She went to see Jian Mingzhou sing for three days straight, even though he sang like that. Isn't that enough for her?]

[335L: LOL, did Jian Mingzhou really sing? Wasn't it all just backing vocals?]

[336L: I heard that Jian Mingzhou was distracted and made a mistake when he saw his sister-in-law enter the stage today. Can we get a refund? Were all the fans part of your prank?]

[337L: Jian Mingzhou flirted with his sister-in-law at a concert, pioneering a new track for scandals]

[338L: Oh my god! Someone has dug up my sister-in-law's Sweet Potato account. I can only say that there's too much information here.]

Shi Yao browsed through various social media platforms to check the current progress of the gossip. Then, she logged into her alternate account at the right moment, joined a gossip post, and posted her carefully crafted "Sister-in-law Sweet Potato Alternate Account." After confirming that the alternate account had been discovered by netizens, she secretly deleted the post.

The gossip surrounding Jian Mingzhou is quite bizarre. It wasn't revealed by his sister-in-law herself, nor was it discovered by paparazzi, nor was it a case of obsessive fans turning against him. Instead, it was a collective online discussion and exposé by fans who attended the concert.

The passersby, unaware of the true situation, were getting increasingly anxious while watching the drama unfold. Just when things were at a stalemate, they were shocked to hear that the sister-in-law's alternate account had been exposed. Instantly, everyone rushed over, eager to see if there was any solid evidence, preferably something like bed photos or kissing photos.

As a result, there were no intimate photos, not even photos showing her face. The entire style of the secondary account looked like a rich heiress showing off her daily life, either a back view or side profile photo in a high-end hotel room or garden, or some luxury outfits, or photos from inside a concert.

Is this all it takes to prove she's my sister-in-law?

Passersby expressed doubts, but fans were completely shattered after seeing the content of the alternate account.

These photos seem perfectly normal to outsiders, but to fans, each one looks increasingly familiar.

The background of the hotel garden photos is the same as the set of business photos that Jian Mingzhou took when he first arrived in Haishi a couple of days ago, and the photos were also released around the same time.

The luxury brand outfits posted by the woman all featured items previously worn by Jian Mingzhou. While it could be explained as fans checking in on the same items, the timing of the posts suggests that each outfit was worn by the woman before Jian Mingzhou wore it. This raises the question: who is actually checking in on whose outfit? Or are they simply wearing the same items?

Although no one was photographed in the concert photos, the stage setup was clearly from a Chien Ming-chou concert. Moreover, from the angle of the photos, it can be seen that "Sister-in-law's" seat was very close to the front, which matches the rumors that fans had been spreading at the offline event a few days ago.

And what's worse, half an hour after the sister-in-law's alternate account was exposed, that account was suddenly deleted.

Isn't this a clear case of someone revealing their guilt?

The emergence of the alternate account practically sealed the deal in the "sister-in-law" scandal. The account's deletion wasn't the end of the world; modern people always screenshot before reading gossip, and screenshots are everywhere. Some angry fans who unfollowed and turned against the account compiled every key point about the alternate account and posted it on Weibo to help casual observers understand.

After reading the science post, passersby realized just how explosive the seemingly ordinary account's content was.

Goodness, this sister-in-law seems to have accompanied Jian Mingzhou throughout his tour. They live together in private, take photos together, and she even helps him with his outfits. During Jian Mingzhou's official performances, she hides among the fans to watch together, enjoying the thrill of their secret affair under the spotlight.

Goodness, even a passerby couldn't tolerate such an outrageous idol and his wife!

The sister-in-law incident became a trending topic. Jian Mingzhou's big fans were still trying to maintain stability, even though they basically knew that it was probably true. However, they couldn't possibly turn against him. The sharing plan could make money as long as it was running, and even if it was for the money, they had to maintain stability!

But before they could come up with a way to maintain stability, their sister-in-law's alternate account was completely exposed. Looking at the increasingly irrefutable evidence of their private contact and displays of affection, the big fans knew that this time it was probably too late to turn the tide.

However, no one expected that the collapse was only the beginning.

After Shi Yao released her carefully prepared alternate account, Jian Mingzhou remained on the trending topics list. The comments section of his latest Weibo post and the super topic were filled with fans who were devastated and on the verge of collapse. Of course, there were also quite a few fans who remained skeptical and indulgent. Thus, the two sides were engaged in a fierce battle.

Just as Jian Mingzhou's fans were fighting amongst themselves and bystanders were excitedly watching the drama unfold, a new bombshell dropped.

A new "sister-in-law" has appeared on Weibo claiming to be Jian Mingzhou's girlfriend! Her post, written in a tone befitting the official wife, even revealed that she styled the outfits worn by Jian Mingzhou's girlfriend during their public displays of affection!

[@yeriiiiizhou: Seeing the trending topic made me realize how pathetic and ridiculous my life has been for the past four years. It turns out I've been deceived all along. The person in the trending topic is actually lying next to me these past few days. I only realized I was cheated on after seeing the Weibo post. And it wasn't just one person.]

@Jian Mingzhou, do you think you've done right by the four years I've spent with you? Do you think you've done right by all the sacrifices my family and I have made for you over the years? Do you think you've done right by the two children I aborted for you?

When you agreed to let me accompany you on tour, were you thinking, "Great, I don't have to worry about tour outfits," or "Ugh, I won't be able to see my little lovers again"?

Have you forgotten that the outfits you've worn over the years were prepared by me, and the clothes were borrowed from me? And you even dare to use them as tools to show affection to others. Do you think I will always turn a blind eye to you?

That's right, everyone. I graduated with a degree in fashion design, so after I got together with Jian Mingzhou, I've been his stylist. I basically styled his formal work clothes and some of his personal outfits for business purposes. Including this tour, the outfits that the "sister-in-law" on Xiaohongshu posted were all chosen by me about a week in advance. I never expected to see my work on my boyfriend's other partner, and not just one outfit.

@Jianmingzhou, do you dare to tell everyone who bought that baseball cap and why it ended up on that woman's head?

Due to the impact of trending topics, my emotions may be somewhat unstable, and these words are just rambling thoughts, so they may be a bit incoherent. I will add photo and video evidence later.

The long post went viral and the trending topics exploded instantly. Ye Rou, the official wife on Weibo, was far more aggressive than Shi Yao's fake "sweet potato wife" account. She started by talking about four years and two children, which shocked the onlookers.

Goodness, when we first heard about this, they didn't say there was more than one sister-in-law.

Moreover, judging from the long post on Weibo by this "sister-in-law," it seems there are not just two "sisters-in-law," but many. This Jian Mingzhou is a complete fraudster.

Although Weibo user "Sister-in-law" didn't specify her family background, one can infer from her tone that she must come from a well-off family to be able to study design, work as Jian Mingzhou's stylist, and even be one of Jian Mingzhou's backers.

As a result, Jian Mingzhou became famous thanks to his sister-in-law's protection, and he even used her money to pick up girls, and not just one.

What an amazing son-in-law!

The wife's fighting spirit is not to be underestimated, or perhaps she was just furious. After posting that bombardment of Weibo posts, she didn't stop and immediately started posting all sorts of photos and videos.

The photos included everything netizens wanted to see, from bed photos and kissing photos to holding hands photos. In short, all kinds of group photos were available, as well as vacation photos of the two traveling together.

But that's not all; there's also the classic element of any exposé: screenshots of chat logs.

Judging from the photos posted by the wife, the two are just like an ordinary young couple. They play pranks, argue, apologize, coax each other, act cute, and flirt.

But they are not an ordinary young couple. Jian Mingzhou is an idol who debuted through a talent show. Although he is not as popular as his teammate Pei Zixuan who debuted with him, he still has a long-time fanbase who has supported him since the talent show era.

Moreover, his public persona is that of a well-behaved boy next door, and he also has a fear of women. When he appears on variety shows, he keeps his distance from female celebrities and avoids contact with them as much as possible. He has a very high percentage of female fans.

Seeing their idol flirting and acting aroused, fans felt their filter shattered completely, leaving them utterly devastated.

The gossip-loving public was also very excited. They originally thought it was just a small gossip, but it got more and more explosive as they watched. There was even a scene where the wife appeared and tore apart the cheating husband and his mistress. Jian Mingzhou's team spent a lot of money trying to reduce the trending topic, but to no avail.

There are so many people discussing this, so the topic remains incredibly popular and it's impossible to bring it down by spending money.

Wow, this is the first time I've ever heard such a juicy story! So, how far along are we? Is the wife going to come out and tear apart the mistress and the scumbag boyfriend?

[First time +1, but it doesn't feel like they really confronted the mistress; the wife seems only interested in tearing the scumbag man apart.]

[The wife seems to come from a wealthy family and is quite capable, so why should she let this ugly son-in-law hold her back?]

【This is what they mean by knowing someone's face but not their heart! Jian Mingzhou is absolutely unbelievable. I used to think he was good-looking, well-behaved, and honest, but I never expected him to be such a womanizer in private, even bringing his sister-in-law on tour. Unbelievable!】

This is truly the part that I find most shocking. I wonder what the fans who went to the event are thinking right now. Do they feel like they've swallowed a fly?

My friend is a big fan of his, and he's already throwing up in the bathroom.

[There seem to be other tour dates later on, can I get a refund?]

Are there any other wives out there who can expose this? This scumbag is definitely finished. Let's all work together to completely ruin him.

Why isn't that "Sweet Potato Sister" who appeared first speaking up? Is she preparing to expose her long post?

[I support all the sisters-in-law coming out to criticize him; I just want to know exactly how many women this octopus cheated on with.]

I feel so sorry for the wife. Four years of her youth wasted, and she even had two abortions for that scumbag. He doesn't deserve her.

[Seriously, this guy still has the nerve to pretend to be a virgin, but he's been flirting with women non-stop all the time. Seriously, I suggest all the women get a medical checkup; this scumbag's private life is so messy, I don't know how dirty it is.]

Seemingly responding to the calls from netizens, at 10 PM, two more "sisters-in-law" posted online, sharing a bunch of chat logs between Jian Mingzhou and them, as well as some photos of them checking into hotels. The "sisters-in-law" all used the same tone, and each of them who came forward to expose the scumbag said that Jian Mingzhou claimed they were his only girlfriends.

Jianmingzhou Studio has remained silent since the incident broke out, perhaps because they have nothing to say, since everything else is true except for the pretext deliberately fabricated by Shi Yao.

...

When the concert ended, Jian Mingzhou felt a sense of relief. Finally, the performance that had left everyone distracted was over. After the show, the staff were cleaning up at the front of the stage, while he rested alone on a chair backstage. He was still thinking about the strange atmosphere when Shi Yao appeared in the venue and her overly familiar outfit.

He originally planned to find different casual sex partners in different cities during this tour, but Ye Rou insisted on coming along, so he had to give up on that idea. He only hoped to find an opportunity to meet her once or twice when she wasn't around. Unexpectedly, Ye Rou was keeping a close eye on him, and he couldn't find a single chance. He could only comfort his lovers whom he couldn't meet in person on his phone.

Although Jian Mingzhou has a very open private life and many lovers, he still knows what's important. He never dates people in the entertainment industry or his fans. Every lover is a beautiful woman from an ordinary family. He is generous and sweet-talking, so even if they only meet a few times, they are all easily won over by him.

He's a celebrity, so it's normal for him to be busy.

Actually, Ye Rou had discovered him flirting a few times before. There was nothing she could do; that woman was just too voyeuristic and always liked to sneak a peek at his phone. But fortunately, he was very good at disguising himself and never saved his mistress's name in his contacts. He also always deleted the chat history in time, so Ye Rou didn't see anything crucial. However, there were two times when his mistress sent him WeChat messages while he was taking a shower, which Ye Rou saw. In the end, he managed to fool her by saying that his account had been hacked.

If Ye Rou hadn't been so useful to him, he would have definitely dumped her.

Because of his background, he was quite insecure from a young age. Although he was his mother's son, he was not recognized. Fortunately, his parents' relationship improved a lot when he was in middle school, which allowed him to become a trainee and debut in a talent show. During his trainee period, he met Ye Rou by chance. Ye Rou came from a wealthy family, so he tried every means to win her over. From then on, Ye Rou was one of his backers.

The other backer, of course, is the company, or rather, his parents.

He knew that his debut spot was actually bought with money from the company.

Although Pei Zixuan was the most popular trainee in the company that year, Pei Zixuan's actual screen time was far less than his. With the support of a good script, a good character design, and a lot of screen time, his popularity successfully rose to a position that was just one step away from debuting. Then the company spent money to secure the last debut spot.

On the eve of the finals, almost all the trainees were sleepless due to worry and anxiety. Some were worried about whether they could debut, and some were worried about whether their ranking would be ideal. Only Pei Zixuan and he were not worried.

He knew why Pei Zixuan wasn't worried: because he was too popular. He had been in first place by a wide margin since the first episode, and no one could surpass him. Everyone assumed that he was the undisputed center, so of course he didn't need to worry.

However, Pei Zixuan was unaware that his center position had actually been abandoned by the company in order to buy himself a debut spot.

Jian Mingzhou had been overshadowed by Pei Zixuan throughout the entire competition, and it was impossible for him not to feel jealous. They were from the same company, so why was there such a huge difference in popularity? Therefore, on the eve of the final night, when he looked at Pei Zixuan's calm profile, a strange sense of smugness rose in his heart.

What will Pei Zixuan's reaction be when he hears he didn't come in first place on the night of the finals tomorrow? He'll probably be very angry.

He just couldn't stand Pei Zixuan's feigned nonchalance. Why was everyone else so nervous and anxious about debuting, but he didn't have to?

So when his mother called him to the dressing room and told him that he might not be able to debut, he offered to trade Pei Zixuan's center position for his debut without hesitation. His mother was silent for a long time that day, so long that he thought he would be rejected, but she wasn't. His suggestion was accepted, and his mother even began to appreciate him because of it, and her gaze towards him became more serious than before.

"After debuting, you can easily crush him, right?"

Jian Mingzhou nodded without hesitation; this had always been his goal.

Anyone who has followed a talent show knows that no matter how many people are in the group, apart from the center position receiving special treatment, the ranking of the others has little impact. Their treatment after debuting doesn't depend on their ranking or popularity, but on how much of a "royal" they are.

Only royalty will always be favored, they won't even get the center position.

Jian Mingzhou is undoubtedly a member of the royal family. He already received excellent treatment during the show, and his treatment after his debut was already agreed upon by the relevant company and the platform, ensuring that he would definitely receive top-tier treatment.

As for Pei Zixuan, he was originally in the center position, so even if he wasn't a member of the royal family, it would make up for some of the difference. But now that his center position has been replaced, he will definitely fall far behind in the future.

It's hard to say who will be the most popular at that time.

Jian Mingzhou had imagined everything to be wonderful. He couldn't even sleep the night before the debut night because he was too excited and couldn't wait to see Pei Zixuan's disappointed and bewildered expression. But unexpectedly, the debut rankings took an unexpected turn.

Pei Zixuan is still in the center position!

To maintain suspense, the contestants were announced last, with the center position announced one person before the center position. When Jian Mingzhou heard that Pei Zixuan was chosen for the center position, he was so shocked that he couldn't even manage his facial expressions. His face was full of disbelief, and his eyes were almost bulging out as he stared at Pei Zixuan. This scene was clearly captured by the cameras on site.

How could that be? Didn't Mother promise to exchange Pei Zixuan's center position for his debut? Did she go back on her word at the last minute? If so, can he still debut?

Jian Mingzhou was no longer as calm as before. At this moment, he was just like the other trainees whose rankings had not yet been announced, filled with anxiety, fearing that the name he would hear later would not be his.

Fortunately, he still made his debut.

The moment he heard the PD call out his name, Jian Mingzhou felt a sense of relief, and walked towards the main stage with weak limbs.

When he reached the top of the debut rankings, his teammates enthusiastically gathered around to congratulate him. Pei Zixuan, unaware of the previous twists and turns, also came over and sincerely wished him a happy debut.

Looking into the other person's ever-calm eyes, Jian Mingzhou couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.

After his debut, his resources were naturally much better than Pei Zixuan's. Although the other party was the center, how could the center compare to the royal family? People in the company and fans online secretly called him the Crown Prince, and he felt secretly pleased every time he saw it.

Unfortunately, his mother later forbade this, and many comments were deleted online. However, his identity still spread to the YueDong fan group, and he was therefore regarded as a thorn in the side by Pei Zixuan's fans.

He knew that Pei Zixuan's fans hated him, but so what? Who told Pei Zixuan to not have a good background?

He seemed to have completely forgotten the harm that his background had caused him, and began to use that to bully others without any mercy.

Those who called him a member of the diving royal family didn't anger him, because he knew that the real person who broke down was someone else, and the winner wouldn't resort to insults.

Although Pei Zixuan still won't take him seriously, it doesn't matter, as long as Pei Zixuan's fans will.

He enjoys being seen as Pei Zixuan's rival. As everyone knows, only people of similar strength deserve to be considered rivals. Pei Zixuan is a top star, and since they are rivals, it means that he is also a top star.

Jian Mingzhou was lost in his own beautiful dream. In his eyes, he was the real winner: his career was steadily rising, his fan base was steadily growing, and he had a caring and supportive girlfriend. Although Pei Zixuan seemed to be a little more famous than him, he was sure she would be surpassed by him soon.

The company knew he had many lovers and enjoyed casual sex; more accurately, his team and his parents knew. His mother initially disapproved. She was fairly satisfied with Ye Rou—she was low-key, sensible, didn't cause trouble, came from a good family, and could even help him with styling and borrow formal wear.

When he first learned that the two were dating, his parents strictly ordered them to break up. However, after he introduced Ye Rou's family background, they softened their attitude. After they dated steadily for two years, he almost regarded Ye Rou as his daughter-in-law. Therefore, his mother did not approve of him having casual sex.

Under his mother's strict discipline, Jian Mingzhou did stop having affairs for a while, but he really couldn't resist. How could someone who had tasted the meat go back to being vegetarian? So he started again.

All the staff in his studio were hired by his mother, and her eyes were always on his every move, so this time it was discovered very quickly.

But after being caught the second time, his mother did not scold him like she did the last time, nor did she make him stop. Instead, she started to negotiate with him. She said that Jian Mingzhou could make an appointment, but he had to follow the rules and make the appointment with the knowledge of the studio staff. Even if he was discovered, she would guarantee that they would have enough time to deal with the public opinion. At the same time, he had to keep it a secret from Ye Rou and not let her know, and she was not allowed to post any comments online.

He had been dating Ye Rou for several years, and had two abortions due to accidents. If Ye Rou chose to expose him online, his career would definitely be severely damaged. He knew Ye Rou's importance without his mother having to tell him.

Jian Mingzhou prides himself on being a smart man and has kept the truth from Ye Rou all along, until this tour.

He leaned back in the backstage dressing room with his eyes closed, unable to figure out Shi Yao's true identity. He had been in contact with about five or six lovers recently, and had regular casual sex with seven or eight people, but none of them knew about Ye Rou's existence, let alone what clothes he would wear for his performance.

Where did that woman get the information? She managed to put on her performance outfit and even wear the hat Ye Rou bought for him before him.

The thought of facing Ye Rou's questioning when he got back gave Jian Mingzhou a headache.

At that moment, he was unaware that he was about to face not only Ye Rou's questioning, but also the questioning of fans and onlookers across the internet.

He didn't even notice that many fans chose to leave early at today's concert, because he had been distracted ever since Shi Yao appeared. Of course, he didn't have time to check his phone during the performance, and after the performance, he just wanted to rest and didn't check his phone for unread messages immediately. As a result, he missed the opportunity to discover the trending topic on Weibo until his manager rushed into the dressing room in a panic.

"Why did you run so fast?" Jian Mingzhou leaned back in his chair and fell asleep without realizing it. Holding concerts for three consecutive days was quite a drain on his energy. Although he mainly relied on backing vocals for his singing, he did all the dancing himself.

The agent could tell from his expression that he hadn't checked his phone yet. He had run all the way from the parking lot and was now panting heavily. With a pale face, he handed over the phone: "...Check it yourself."

Even if Jian Mingzhou was slow to notice, he could sense something was wrong from the agent's subtle tone. His heart skipped a beat, and he practically snatched the phone from the agent. The page on the screen was the trending topic about his sister-in-law.

Jian Mingzhou was furious. He swiped the screen harder and harder, his face gradually losing color. Finally, with a loud "bang!", he smashed the phone away.

"Paying to remove a trending topic? Do I need to teach you how to do that?" Jian Mingzhou tried to keep his tone calm, reassuring himself that it was just a small trending topic and nothing serious, but his trembling hands betrayed his near-terrified state of mind.

The agent didn't move. The phone screen was already shattered, but he showed no intention of picking it up. Jian Mingzhou's fear intensified as he looked at the unmoved agent. He almost roared, "Go! What are you standing there for?!"

“We tried, but it didn’t work.” Looking at Jian Mingzhou’s extremely panicked state, the agent felt a strange emotion rising in his heart, and the initial panic disappeared inexplicably. “We contacted them to remove the trending topic as soon as we saw it, but it quickly rose back up. That trending topic was due to natural popularity, and you can’t remove it by paying money.”

"Then you'd better figure something out!!" Jian Mingzhou was almost furious. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at his calm and collected manager. His face was flushed red. He pointed his index finger at the manager's face and said, word by word, "I don't care what method you use, you have to take down the trending topic and suppress this matter, understand?"

"..." The manager stared silently at his artist, who was clearly in a state of frenzy, and sighed, "I understand, I will do my best."

He picked up his phone, turned to leave, but then suddenly turned back at the door, as if to kindly remind the distraught Jian Mingzhou behind him, "Miss Ye Rou said she's waiting for you at the hotel. Shall we go back now?"

Ye Rou... Ye Rou?!

After what had just happened, Jian Mingzhou's mind was a mess, and he had almost forgotten the name. Now, suddenly reminded of it, he got goosebumps. He rubbed his temples angrily, got up and paced back and forth in the room, his anxiety evident.

What should he do? Ye Rou is definitely waiting to confront him. What should he say?

It's okay, Ye Rou is easy to coax. As long as he cries a little and says some sweet words and acts cute, Ye Rou definitely won't care. Then he can even ask her to help him figure out a way to handle this public relations issue. Yes, that's the plan.

As if he had found his pillar of support, Jian Mingzhou instantly convinced himself. He stopped pacing back and forth, quickly walked to his manager, and pulled him outside: "Let's go back now. We can't let Xiaorou misunderstand."

He rushed back to the hotel as fast as he could, not daring to even look at his phone on the way, because he dared not check the current trending topics or his WeChat messages, for fear of seeing something he didn't want to see.

Back at the hotel, he hesitated for a full half minute before knocking on the door. When the door opened, Ye Rou stood calmly in front of him, showing no signs of anger.

Jian Mingzhou instantly felt relieved. He rushed forward and hugged the person in front of him tightly. Then, he started crying and apologizing to Ye Rou, saying that he was only loyal to her. Finally, he swore to her that he really didn't know what the trending topic was, and he didn't know who the woman wearing the same clothes as him was. He guaranteed that the matter had absolutely nothing to do with him.

His final vow was sincere; he genuinely didn't know who Shi Yao was, and he had been wondering about it backstage as well.

Ye Rou watched him cry and make a scene with great calm, then handed him a tissue, and finally pressed the stop recording button on her phone screen. In her usual gentle tone, she said, "Jian Mingzhou, I recorded everything you just said. If you don't want me to upload it online, return all the money I spent on you tonight and apologize to me publicly on Weibo."

After saying that, she ignored Jian Mingzhou, who was standing there dumbfounded, picked up her suitcase, and left without looking back.

how so……

Jian Mingzhou stared at Ye Rou's back in disbelief, unable to believe that these were the words spoken by Ye Rou, who was usually gentle, easy to bully, and almost submissive.

How could that be? It's just a trending topic. He's been on it before, and I always managed to smooth things over easily the last few times. How did it escalate like this this time?

Jian Mingzhou locked the door and stumbled into the room. All of Ye Rou's belongings in the suite were gone; she had truly left him.

He didn't dare look at his phone on the way back, but now he had no choice but to. Even if he was slow to realize, he could tell that Ye Rou's attitude was definitely not caused by that trending topic, so he forced himself to open Weibo.

He almost fainted as soon as he opened the trending topics list. The top spots were filled with his name, and he occupied eight of the top ten spots. The number of trending topics was even marked as "explosive" for the first one.

He's never had a trending topic since his debut, so who would have thought his first big breakout would be because of something like this?

Trembling, he clicked on the hashtag #JianMingzhouSister-in-law#, which had gone viral and turned a deep purple, and he almost fainted. What on earth was written here?!

What about the alternate account, the hidden sister-in-law, the honeymoon with his wife while flirting with his lover? He does have other lovers, that's true, but during the tour, Ye Rou was really the only one there!

Who exactly is this "sister-in-law's alternate account" on this Little Red Potato?

Jian Mingzhou truly felt wronged. It was true that he had secretly dated, cheated on Ye Rou, and lied to her, but he definitely hadn't done this. What was this about bringing his sister-in-law to a concert to show off their love? Was he crazy to be so bold?

His first instinct was to call his agent and tell them that it was all fake and that he really hadn't done it. If he hadn't done it, then he could handle the public relations. If he could handle the public relations, then there was still a chance to turn things around.

When people are in a state of extreme panic, they tend to forget things. At this moment, Jian Mingzhou had already forgotten Ye Rou's warning before she left, or perhaps even if he remembered it, he wouldn't actually follow it.

An apology? Absolutely not.

He knew very well that he could not apologize no matter what happened. As long as he didn't apologize, he could still make excuses. But if he apologized, there would be no way to clear his name.

His hands trembled as he opened WeChat. Before he could even find his agent's chat box, the agent sent him a message—a link to Weibo. A bad feeling immediately rose in his heart. He took a deep breath before daring to click on the link.

The moment he opened the app and saw the contents, he fainted. It was... it was Ye Rou!

That wicked woman betrayed him!

It's over, it's all over now...

A sweet taste rose in Jian Mingzhou's throat, but he had no time to care. This time, he wasn't faking it; he had truly and completely passed out.

Author's Note: I'm here! Another long chapter of 10,000 words! I'm giving out red envelopes again today, and tomorrow too!

(This chapter uses a reference; I just couldn't help but use it while writing. If any of you noticed, let's just leave it at that. [fingers emoji])

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-06-07 23:56:20 and 2024-06-08 23:59:51!

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Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!