After dumping the big boss, they went on a dating reality show together.
The feedback from the "Dream Love" live stream was very good, but the atmosphere in the control room became heavy.
The assistant glanced at Zhen Li and, bracing herself for the pressure, asked, "Director Zhen, what should we do?"
Not long ago, the program's official email address suddenly received a leak containing screenshots of group chats.
They wanted to contact the whistleblower, but the whistleblower kept refusing to reveal more information.
The other party claimed to be Qi An'an's high school classmate. He said that Qi An'an was not only isolated and bullied by the whole class, but rumors about her were also circulating throughout the school, saying that she went out to sell herself and was very promiscuous, and that the teachers did not care about her at all.
After the college entrance examination, news of Qi An'an's death suddenly spread in the class group.
Others posted photos and videos showing Qi An'an struggling in a pool of water that was red. The videos were so bizarre and terrifying that everyone thought it was a prank. But then someone came forward and boasted to everyone that Qi An'an was dead, and that he had killed her.
However, the teacher quickly clarified that Qi An'an was fine and asked everyone to delete the videos and photos and stop discussing it.
The whistleblower was probably paying attention to the Qi An'an incident recently, which made him feel guilty and he exposed the matter to the program team.
The photos he sent included one of Qi An'an lying in blood.
"This is a dating show, not some social commentary program about caring for a little bitter gourd." Zhen Li's gaze was still fixed on the email interface, her voice sinister. "What can I do? I wouldn't even know what to do if the police came."
That must have happened four or five years ago. Qi An'an was young then, so she probably wouldn't have filed a case... The statute of limitations may have expired. What use are these seemingly true but actually false revelations?
“It’s so tragic. Looking at the photos, it seems like there’s a lot of blood…” the assistant said, her eyes reddening even more. “If it’s true, it’s not easy for Qi An’an to survive.”
A director standing nearby couldn't help but chime in, "I've always found it strange that some netizens who went to the same school as Qi An'an said she's actually already dead, and that this Qi An'an was made up of her face through plastic surgery... Could it be related to this revelation?"
The entire directing team is full of people with rich imaginations.
"The more you talk about it, the stranger it gets, but since Qi An'an came to this show, the public opinion about her has never stopped. From the beginning when she was mistaken for a bully, her story has been peeled back like an onion... Doesn't it seem like someone deliberately arranged this? Is it really a revenge against the bully? Has our show become a platform for her revenge?"
"Isn't this too far-fetched? I've reviewed Qi An'an's background check countless times, she doesn't have that much of a background... Well, no, Qi Shen and Fu Jiu could both help her."
“And Wenqin.”
"They can all contact the outside world, can't they?"
"That's unlikely. Qi An'an and Wen Qin didn't know each other at first, and a young master like Qi Shen is practically a public figure. Everyone is watching what he does. As for Fu Jiu... he spends most of his time in the operating room, so he's unlikely to be someone who manipulates public opinion."
"Yes, yes, and I'm the first one who doesn't believe that Qi An'an had plastic surgery. Her face couldn't have been surgically altered."
"Qi An'an was on camera almost the entire time. What could she possibly do? I feel like she just wanted to earn some living expenses and, incidentally, find her true love..."
Zhen Li was overwhelmed by what she heard, but after going around in circles, everyone concluded that there was no conspiracy behind Qi An'an's situation; it was simply that heaven had opened its eyes, and with her sudden rise to fame, her past was being unearthed.
But those who bullied Qi An'an, even though their ID photos have been posted online, aren't they still living well in some corner?
Zhen Li stroked her stubble and said, "Call Qi An'an over."
——
Qi An'an had just changed her clothes when she was taken away by staff.
Upon entering an inner cabin, she saw Zhen Li sitting on the sofa.
"Director Zhen, you wanted to see me?"
Director Zhen gestured to the sofa opposite him, "Hmm."
After Qi An'an sat down, she stared intently at the person opposite her. "Director Zhen, is there something you need from me?"
Zhen Li stared straight at her, not in a hurry to speak.
He knew her face all too well.
As others have said, this naturally blessed face could never have been created through surgery.
"Your parents contacted the program team and even said they would call the police."
As he spoke, his scrutinizing gaze remained fixed on her, not missing a single subtle expression.
It seemed like her parents had caused her trouble countless times before, so she wasn't too surprised to hear this now.
She was only in a daze for a moment before adjusting her expression, but her eyes, which had been bright just moments before, dimmed in that instant.
She seemed to have already predetermined a certain outcome, and even her voice became flat and lifeless, "What do they want? Have I caused trouble for the production team? I... can quit the show at any time."
Zhen Li prided himself on his excellent judgment of people, but Qi An'an once again challenged his perception.
A strange, dangerous soreness and abnormal throbbing rose in his chest again. He looked away and said in a relaxed tone, "It's not that serious, but as for what they want to do, I don't know. There's not much time left for recording, so just stay put."
She lowered her eyes, lost in thought, her delicate brows furrowed, showing no sign of relief from his words.
After a long pause, she looked at Zhen Li and said in a voice that was almost imperceptible with anxiety and pleading, "I'm fine with anything, but if they have any demands, you can just refuse. Also, please don't give them my contact information. Once I leave the show, they will stop causing trouble."
"So, they do this all the time?" Zhen Li continued, "Asking you for money or something else?"
He added, "Of course, you don't have to say it if you don't want to."
Qi An'an had nothing to hide and replied, "I need money."
When Zhen Li met her gaze, he didn't reply, but he suppressed the snobbish and calculating aura about him, and acted like a kind neighbor brother, his eyes seeming to comfort her.
Those who know him well understand that if he wants to get information out of someone, it's a piece of cake for him.
After all, he was able to trick even someone from a wealthy family like Wen Qin into appearing on a dating reality show.
The girl opposite seemed to suddenly have a urge to confide in someone, and slowly began to speak, "They only want money, but I don't want to give it to them anymore."
"Oh, is it because of Fu Jiu? They say you've changed since you got a boyfriend." Zhen Li replied like an old friend, still bringing up her ex-boyfriend whom she cared about.
When Fu Jiu was mentioned, her eyes changed slightly, as if she had seen a glimmer of starlight in a desolate wilderness shrouded in black mist.
The moisture quickly permeated the starlight, and she blinked rapidly, her butterfly-like eyelashes trembling slightly.
"Mmm." She nodded, her voice thick with a nasal tone.
"They don't like Fu Jiu, even though she's perfectly fine, right?"
"...They don't know Fu Jiu. After I met Fu Jiu, I moved to a different place, but it was no use. They always managed to find me, no matter where I went." Her eyes were somewhat unfocused as she murmured, "Fu Jiu is a good person. It's my fault."
Zhen Li seemed to suddenly understand, "Oh, I get it."
"What do you know?" Her attention was drawn, and she looked at him with slightly reddened eyes.
Zhen Li felt a slight itch in his throat, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. It felt like he'd swallowed some cat hair. He coughed lightly twice. "You didn't want to keep tormenting Fu Jiu, so you went to Qi Shen and deliberately drove Fu Jiu away. You didn't really like Qi Shen, so you just made up some excuse to break up with him, right?"
She shook her head, then nodded. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have done that."
He pressed on, asking, "What shouldn't be done?"
Her lips moved slightly, her voice barely audible, "I shouldn't be afraid."
Zhen Li was speechless.
She murmured, "I'm actually... much stronger than before. I should be able to overcome anything."
Zhen Li's eyes darkened slightly, his fists clenched and unclenched, but the heavy feeling continued to weigh on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
He understood her seemingly random words instantly.
If her parents caused a scene at the hospital or in front of Fu Jiu, it would have a huge impact on him, so she was afraid and backed down.
At that time, Qi Shen, who showed her goodwill, naturally became her best choice.
Qi Shen could be her strong backing, enough to deal with her perpetually insatiable family.
Zhen Li suddenly wanted to end the conversation. He had never been bullied and could never empathize with her. He was unsure whether bringing up those things would cause her further harm.
He didn't know if he would break down when she left and picked up her phone to see so much public opinion about her.
He is usually quite eloquent, but at this moment he seemed to be stuck, unable to utter a single word of comfort.
Because he knew very well that she didn't need comforting.
"Director Zhen, I want to go back..." She stood up, somewhat dazed.
"Mm." Zhen Li nodded.
Watching her figure disappear behind the door, he suddenly got up and followed her out.
But when he opened the door and looked out, he saw Fu Jiu walking from the other side of the corridor and pulling the girl to his side.
The girl reached out and hugged him, burying her face in his arms.
From a distance, Fu Jiu's expression was so solemn it was almost gloomy.
Zhen Li was too lazy to explain anything, so she waved her hand and closed the door.
Thinking about it carefully, Qi An'an hadn't revealed much information to him just now because he couldn't bear to reopen her wounds.
This is completely out of character for him.
If he could use Qi An'an's situation to create hype and help her break free from her family of origin, the show would naturally become even more popular. However, he now has many concerns and is starting to consider the emotional issues of the person involved.
He lit a cigarette and exhaled a long breath.
Paying too much attention to one person can easily lead to the illusion of being in love.
He felt a pang of sadness when he saw those two hugging.
But was that really...an illusion?
——
"Why are you here too?"
Qi An'an was led back by Fu Jiu's arm. Her tone had returned to normal, but there was still a hint of pink in the corners of her eyes.
"She was looking for you." Fu Jiu frowned and asked, "What did Zhen Li say to you?"
He wanted her to have a few more days of fun, and he would handle the other matters after they left.
Her eyes flickered, but she still answered honestly, "My parents saw the show and contacted Director Zhen. Actually, it's nothing."
What she said was a complete whitewash.
If Fu Jiu hadn't known about her family situation, he would have been fooled by her simple words.
Fu Jiu clenched her fist and said softly, "It's good that you're alright. Let's go back and eat. Are you hungry?"
"Okay, let's hurry up."
Taking advantage of the break from filming, she took the initiative to hug his arm, inhaling his scent. Her restless heart gradually calmed down, and she whispered, "It's so strange, I feel very at ease when I'm with you."
Fu Jiu lowered his eyes, as if making a promise, his voice deep and powerful, "Then I will always stay with you."
Qi An'an smiled and nodded, "Mm."
Zhen Li clearly wanted to say something to her just now, but in the end she didn't.
She couldn't figure out his thoughts for a while. After all, the rumors said he was a person who only cared about interests. If he suddenly had a brain fart and wanted to make the show more sensational, he might have her parents go on a cruise ship to confront her or something... Just thinking about it was annoying.
She could only play the victim to appease him and prevent him from stirring up trouble and harming her.
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