After thinking it over carefully for a while, Shang Yechu said with certainty, "Of course there are two people. Besides, the person in the second surveillance video is indeed blind; his eyes don't move."

The blind man I met at the beach, though handsome, was completely unremarkable. The lifeguard in the first phone video, however, was strikingly handsome and unforgettable. As for gait and stride, humans only have a few basic walking styles; if we don't walk on two legs, are we supposed to crawl on four?

In short, this so-called timeline of Ye Chu's romance is incredibly diverse, with no two characters appearing repeatedly. The fact that such a baseless rumor managed to top the trending searches shows just how utterly unreliable the marketing accounts in the Chinese entertainment industry are these days.

Having confirmed that Shang Yechu didn't have a boyfriend who wasn't a non-celebrity, Ji Juntao finally felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. But it was also a little regrettable. Ji Juntao had never seen a man as handsome as the guy in the video. If Shang Yechu agreed, she could poach him from her company and make him an idol; she could keep him around for at least ten or eight years.

Forget it, idols are just fast-moving consumer goods, only top female stars are evergreen. Ji Juntao felt a pang of regret for a few seconds, then stopped thinking about it. The important thing was to get down to business.

"This trending topic just popped up out of nowhere." Shang Yechu pinched the bridge of her nose. After attending the cast and crew dinner, she even turned down Nina Mayer's invitation, rushing back to the hotel like a rocket and working non-stop until now. Her head was spinning and throbbing. The fear and panic had long since vanished, leaving only a bellyful of unjust accusations.

Ji Juntao frowned and said, "It's not entirely inexplicable. The photographer who released the video is a veteran in the industry. People like him know the rules; they would negotiate with the company before releasing anything. Why was there no warning this time, and it was just released suddenly?"

The most valuable moment for a scandal is always before it's exposed. There's a well-established black market in the industry: contacting, negotiating, manipulating, setting prices, negotiating, and buying out. It all has its rules. Exposing Shang Yechu's scandal is worthless to the photographer; it might even land him a lawsuit. Normally, the photographer should use the video to extort money from Qingpao Entertainment and then settle the deal.

Shang Yechu's rapid rise to fame has already made everyone in the Chinese entertainment industry envious. It wouldn't be surprising which company released this information; the immediate priority isn't finding the culprit.

When a female celebrity dates during her rising career, no matter how many embellishments are added, she's bound to lose fans. Especially when this rumored boyfriend is a nobody with no social standing and no background to dig up—in the entertainment industry, dating a nobody is tantamount to supporting a gigolo, an unbreakable equation.

Once a female star is labeled as love-obsessed, even the most charming image will be greatly diminished.

Furthermore, if this matter is not clarified properly, it could trigger a series of chain reactions.

First, there's the promotion of "Anna Doraemon." Bearing the stigma of a three-year secret relationship with a non-celebrity, then engaging in hype with another actress won't create a good impression in the notoriously critical Chinese entertainment industry. Shang Yechu might even earn the reputation of being a "straight woman dressed as a lesbian, deserving of divine retribution." The film's subject matter is already niche; adding this kind of promotional blunder is tantamount to a fatal blow.

Then there's the issue of future collaborations with other male stars. Shang Yechu can't possibly avoid filming romantic scenes with male actors forever. If she doesn't quickly shake off the label of having a non-celebrity boyfriend, it means that with every future collaboration, this non-celebrity will be compared to Shang Yechu's co-stars by the media. At that point, if this "good guy" comparison makes one or two of Shang Yechu's co-stars look pathetic, how can the audience still ship them?

Before Shang Yechu completely sheds his reliance on online traffic, his romantic relationship will only cause more trouble. This matter cannot be delayed; fans need to be reassured as soon as possible. The crucial 24 hours are not yet over; a swift resolution is necessary.

Without delay, Shang Yechu racked her brains to recall, clearly marking each person who appeared on the timeline of their relationship and refuting their claims. Sometimes she inevitably used harsh words, which she realized was inappropriate, so she gritted her teeth and deleted them one by one.

Qingping Entertainment hadn't acted before because they weren't sure if the news was true or false, fearing they'd be proven wrong and become a laughingstock. Now, having received orders, they immediately mobilized their online army of professional fans to launch a large-scale debunking campaign. Their influential fans also reassured everyone in their fan groups and on their personal Weibo accounts.

To maintain stability within the fanbase, simply refuting rumors isn't enough. What fans care about most is nothing more than the company's career.

"The Heavenly Emperor" is currently in the script reading stage and has not yet started filming, so the film's cast has not been officially announced. This has led to rumors online, with many mocking Shang Yechu for failing to land the role. Once the script reading ends and filming begins, all the rumors will be dispelled.