Chapter 196 Brother, kiss me!
Unbeknownst to the two, someone had already captured this quiet intimacy in a photograph...
In a hotel suite.
Just as Bian Ji was about to take a shower, she received a call from her agent.
Ling Guanren usually doesn't call at this time unless there's an emergency.
Bian Ji answered the phone, "Hello, what's up?"
For this trip abroad, Bian Ji did not bring her agent, but only the bodyguard that her elder brother had arranged to accompany her.
Back home, Ling Guanren sat on the sofa with a solemn expression, his fingertips tracing the screen of his phone.
"You and Xiaolu were photographed in intimate poses abroad. The other party just sent them to me, asking for ten million yuan and giving me three hours to post them online if I don't pay within the time limit."
Ling Guanren's voice was cold and deep, but if you listened carefully, you could still hear the anger in it.
He had dealt with many similar cases of paparazzi taking photos and threatening people before, but this paparazzi team was far too arrogant.
Ling Guanren examined the photos; the hugging photo on the screen was enlarged, and he sent it to Bian Ji.
He said, "Look at this angle, it's obvious you've been staking out for a long time and took more than one picture. The preview attached also shows the two of you walking back to the hotel side by side and you helping Xiaolu carry her camera bag. The whole chain of evidence is complete."
"They're taking advantage of your reluctance to reveal your non-celebrity boyfriend's identity, so they're making exorbitant demands! A bunch of bastards!" Ling Guanren cursed.
Bian Ji's brows furrowed instantly, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
Ling Guanren continued speaking animatedly on the phone: "Xiao Lu has just gained a foothold in the international fashion scene thanks to the invitation from 'NOVUM.' The industry values professionalism and a low-key style the most. If she gets labeled with some messy tags because of public opinion, future partners might have reservations. If all else fails, I'll..."
"Let them distribute them!"
Lu Yinzhao's voice suddenly rang out next to Bian Ji's phone, startling both Bian Ji and Ling Guanren.
"Who's afraid of who! They want ten million? They're dreaming!"
Bian Ji's expression was originally very serious because he felt that the agent's considerations were reasonable. However, when he saw Lu Yinzhao looking even more anxious than him, his brows relaxed immediately.
Lu Yinzhao was like a cat with its fur standing on end, waving its claws and cursing. It meowed a bunch of things and seemed eager to rush out and start a fight.
"You dare to ask for such an exorbitant price with just a few lousy photos? Do you really think we're easy targets? Fine, send them then, what's there to be afraid of!"
He turned and glared at the preview image on Bian Ji's phone, his eyes blazing with anger, muttering to himself.
"It was just a hug! We didn't do anything shameful! We're dating openly and honestly, why should they take advantage of us?"
"If we really post it, the worst that can happen is that it will be made public! Anyway, everyone knows that Bian Ji has a girlfriend. Now it's just letting everyone know that his girlfriend is me."
"You don't need to worry that these opinions will affect my career. I will use my photography to prove myself to everyone. It's their loss if they don't cooperate with me!"
"snort!"
Lu Yinzhao stood with his hands on his hips, furious.
If anime special effects existed in reality, Bian Ji imagined that Zhao Zhao's nose would be spewing steam and her eyes would be blazing with flames.
The seriousness in Bian Ji's eyes was replaced by an inability to suppress a smile.
He reached out to pull the agitated man to his side, but Lu Yinzhao abruptly shoved him away.
This guy is still angry, like a little firecracker.
"Bian Ji, have Ling Ge send a message to those paparazzi right now, tell them to hurry up and publish it if they dare, let's see if their propaganda is more powerful, or if my work is more impressive!"
"Alright, alright." Bian Ji chuckled softly, gently pressing Lu Yinzhao's nape with his hand, his tone filled with indulgent pampering, "We won't give him a single penny."
"Did you hear that? Zhao Zhao said to let them send it as much as they want," Bian Ji said into the phone.
Ling Guanren: "..."
So casual, so brave?
Ling Guanren suddenly realized that Xiao Lu and Bian Ji were a perfect match; they were truly unwilling to suffer any loss.
“Alright, I’ll relay your words to them verbatim right away,” Ling Guanren said, looking refreshed.
It must be said that Bian Ji and Lu Yinzhao's actions were also very much in line with his temperament.
I finally let out the breath I'd been holding for so long.
...
In a budget hotel in the suburbs.
The bearded man cursed, "Damn it! They won't give us a single penny? And they want us to hand them out however we want? Are they out of their minds?!"
The young paparazzo next to him, who had just finished compressing the photos, was so startled by what he heard that his hand trembled and he almost dropped the USB drive: "Boss, boss, did their agent really say that?"
The bearded man paced back and forth, his leather boots thumping loudly on the floor.
Her tone was urgent and harsh: "I was thinking of quitting while I was ahead, but I didn't expect them to be so tough! Fine! Since they're so ungrateful, then don't blame us! Release all the photos!"
Another paparazzo, wearing glasses, hesitated before speaking: "But boss, they said they're not afraid of going public. What if... what if the fans accept it? We not only won't get paid, but we might also be sued..."
"You don't understand the fan community at all. Even though Bian Ji has publicly announced his relationship before, there are still a lot of people who hope that the person standing next to Bian Ji is themselves!"
"All we have to do is post the photos and add some catchy headlines, and we're guaranteed to get this trending like wildfire!" the stubble-faced man grinned menacingly.
He grabbed a cigarette from the table, lit it, and took a deep drag, smoke rings billowing from his nostrils. His eyes were sinister. “Send the photos to all the entertainment media and marketing accounts we’re working with, and post them simultaneously! I want them to see themselves trending on social media as soon as they open their eyes tomorrow.”
...
Online, various marketing accounts have started working hard.
@【Gossip Radar Station】: Bian Ji and a mysterious photographer share a passionate kiss late at night in a foreign country.
@【Gossip News Bureau】: A two-pronged operation? A passionate kiss with a mysterious photographer – was last year's confession a smokescreen?
@【Celebrity Gossip Bro】: Bian Ji secretly met with the photographer of "NOVUM" magazine and passionately kissed late at night, suspected of cheating on her with the person she confessed to last year.
@【Gossip Catcher】: Shocking! Bian Ji secretly met with a male photographer across borders and returned to the hotel together late at night. He is not the same person she confessed to last year.
@【Entertainment Insider】: A plot twist? Bian Ji's confession at last year's concert was with someone else! Her secret meeting with a male photographer in Country M is suspected to be a new love interest.
The photos posted under these marketing accounts are exactly the ones taken by paparazzi.
...
When the early birds of the morning saw these messages the next day, their first reaction was bewilderment, and their second reaction was shock.
[A guy almost spilled his soy milk on the subway at 8 a.m.! ? Bian Ji's new love interest? Isn't she the one he confessed to at last year's concert?]
[I just turned on my computer to slack off, and then I saw Chuangfei trending on social media! This is such a plot twist! I was so shocked that my fingers stopped typing!]
[Don't believe or spread rumors! I listened to Bian Ji's confession song from last year's concert a hundred times on repeat. Saying it's not the same person? What evidence do you have? How do you tell this picture is of a photographer? Just because they're carrying a camera?]
[They haven't even seen her face clearly, and these marketing accounts are already spreading rumors? Bian Ji herself hasn't even publicly revealed who her partner is!]
[I just squeezed onto the bus and saw this trending topic, my brain went blank for three seconds! Confused → shocked → cursing the paparazzi, the whole process finished just as I arrived at the office. (So clever of me.)]
Wait, this person looks familiar. He really is a photographer, the young photographer who went viral online last year, the one whose work was exhibited abroad. What's his name again? He looks a bit like me!
[OMG! I recognized him too! Isn't that Lu Yinzhao? That's Teacher L! The awesome Teacher L in the photography world!]
So, Bian Ji's target is Lu Yinzhao? Lu Wenyan and Yin Song's youngest son?
[But didn't the document say that this wasn't the person Bian Ji confessed to last year?]
You believe everything these marketing accounts say? You might as well believe I am Qin Shi Huang!
【Aaaaaaah! I always felt that Bian Ji's replies to Teacher L's comments were a bit too doting. My friend even said I was crazy, that I could ship anything. And she was right! They're definitely not innocent!】
Now that you mention it, I remember, wasn't Teacher L the first person Bian Ji followed after registering on Weibo?
[Oh my god, sis! You've got the key point! They've definitely been flirting for a while now!]
Bian Ji and Lu Yinzhao slept in each other's arms until they naturally woke up.
When I woke up and saw the internet shift from "overwhelming rumors" to "passersby saying they were swooning over the sweet moments," I fell silent for a moment.
These marketing accounts are insane! They call a hug a kiss, and they portray a flirtatious relationship as someone who's two-timing.
In response, Lu Yinzhao turned to him and said, "Brother, the paparazzi have broken down."
“Yes, we’ve started making up stories.” Bian Ji nodded.
The photo of the two embracing was taken in the shadows, so with a little exaggeration, it could be described as a kiss.
The photos of the two returning to the hotel together didn't actually capture Lu Yinzhao's face directly, but his face is indeed so outstanding that even a simple side profile would be enough for netizens to find out.
Lu Yinzhao could understand the slight fabrication in the former case, but what's the point of directly saying that Bian Ji didn't confess his feelings to him at last year's concert?
Are they really so shameless as to spread rumors?
If they have this ability to make up stories, why don't they write novels?
“My brother’s legal team has been mobilized, and Ling Ge’s side has also issued a statement. We will not let any of those who spread rumors get away with it.”
Bian Ji typed on his phone and spoke seriously.
“Brother, since we’re both already this popular, why don’t we just post it on Weibo now?” Lu Yinzhao said with a smile.
"Sure, send it however you like, I'll go along with it."
Lu Yinzhao ran out of bed, set up the camera tripod, and set the camera to take a timer.
Then she jumped to Bian Ji's side and said, "Brother, kiss me quickly."
Seeing that Bian Ji was still in a daze, Lu Yinzhao tilted his head back and kissed her without saying a word.
Crack!
Time froze at the moment the two kissed.
The photo is backlit with a hazy texture, and you can only vaguely see the facial features of Lu Yinzhao and Bian Ji, but you can still recognize that they are kissing.
Five minutes later.
Two new Weibo posts have been released.
[Bian Ji V]: The name I didn't say at last year's concert, I'll officially introduce it today: his name is Lu Yinzhao, the love of my life. @Bright.L
【Bright.L】: Last night there was only a hug, today I'm making up for the "kiss" that the marketing accounts were talking about. @边悸
The two of them posted the same photo on Weibo, which was the one they just casually took.
This official announcement caused a complete uproar on Weibo.
It also strongly conveyed one thing to all netizens, which is...
Bian Ji's only true love has always been Lu Yinzhao.
The photos aren't photoshopped, the love isn't acted out, we are who we are.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Zhao Zhao: They're spreading rumors. There was no kiss, so we need to make up for it. [kiss]
Bian Ji: [Hug]
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