Tao Rui picked up the things and since it was still early, he took Zhu Xiaoyun back to his rented place.
On the way, he passed by the store where the original owner bought the things, and he returned the flashlights. He had only used them once. He negotiated with the owner and got a 90% refund.
Who uses a flashlight these days? It would be a waste if I didn't return it.
Zhu Xiaoyun grabbed a handful of balloons, feeling somewhat regretful. "Once you blow up the balloons, you can't return them. There are so many of them. How much are they?"
"Forget it. This money helped me get out of this situation, so it was worth it. Don't you like it too? Keep it at home and watch it for a few days." Tao Rui still remembered that in the original script, she was in a coma after a car accident. Now, seeing her looking at the balloons, he pulled her out to the side of the road and reminded her, "Watch the road carefully when you walk. There are so many cars here. It's not like in the village where you can look around freely."
"Oh, okay." Zhu Xiaoyun obediently watched the road. She couldn't help but ask, "Brother Rui, wasn't that a bit inappropriate for you just now? You're a celebrity now. Will they say bad things about you online? And...why did you put on a confession after rejecting her?"
Zhu Xiaoyun still felt a little bothered. She was grateful to the Tao family for raising her, and because she had grown up with Tao Rui as his fiancée, she was used to working hard. However, she had been working in the capital for more than three years, and the environment had tempered her. She was not a pushover.
Tao Rui put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I've said it many times that direct rejection is useless. Do you think it will work today?"
Zhu Xiaoyun thought for a moment, "It definitely would have worked. If I were that girl, I would have hated you to death. I saw it all. When she arrived, everyone congratulated her. She even stood in the heart-shaped circle surrounded by flower petals, waiting for you to confess. But you... well... she was so embarrassed. I thought she would burst into tears on the spot."
"Luo Jiaqi has a spoiled personality. She wouldn't cry in front of outsiders, but revenge against me is possible. Be careful. If she comes to you to say something or do something, ignore her."
"Huh? No way, this isn't a TV show." Zhu Xiaoyun smiled, finally feeling relieved, thinking that Tao Rui hated spoiled people the most and couldn't possibly like Luo Jiaqi. But then she remembered how she had just cried behind the pillar and secretly decided to change that habit. Tao Rui didn't seem to like seeing tears either.
They walked for more than ten minutes before arriving at their rental. Rent in the neighborhood was high, so Zhu Xiaoyun rented a bungalow, the western wing of the landlord's courtyard. It was only twenty square meters, but it came with a stove and a bathroom, making it the cheapest house near Tao Rui School.
Zhu Xiaoyun didn't realize it until she got home. "Brother Rui, please go back quickly. The dormitory will be closed soon. You don't have to send me back. I'm not scared."
Tao Rui couldn't be too different from the original owner all at once, so he was silent for a moment before saying indifferently, "I'll talk to Wu Feng about this. If he tells you about this in the future, don't pay attention. And as for what happened today, you saw it clearly at the scene, so don't let your imagination run wild. I just want to make more movies and earn more money. I'm not interested in anything else."
"I know. Wu Ge just wants us to separate, fearing that it will hinder your development. I can hide our relationship, I don't mind, but some of your classmates saw me today..."
Tao Rui waved his hand. "That's unnecessary. I used to think hiding it would increase my fame, but you can tell from the gossip in the entertainment industry that truth can't be hidden. There are no secrets in the entertainment industry. It's better to be honest from the beginning than to hide it. Let's just be honest."
Zhu Xiaoyun's heart beat faster and she couldn't wait to ask, "Can I come find you later?"
"Okay. I'm leaving." Tao Rui nodded casually, turned around and left.
Zhu Xiaoyun followed him to the gate of the courtyard and only went back after he had walked away, with a smile on her face.
Tao Rui walked alone on the road, slowly relaxed, and felt that he had become young again.
This energetic feeling was particularly good. He found a food stall, ordered twenty skewers of lamb and a can of beer, ate his midnight snack, and enjoyed the youthful freedom. Then he slowly thought about what he wanted to do in this world.
The original owner had loved watching TV since childhood, yearning for the glamorous lives depicted on TV, and had developed a habit of imitating actors. The reason his previous role as the second male lead was so well-remembered was largely due to his excellent acting skills, which he had also learned a lot from the crew.
Tao Rui has always been good at putting on a good front, but he hasn't quite reached that level yet when it comes to being able to act convincingly. Since he still has an entertainment agency contract, he thinks it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. If he can hone his acting skills, it will definitely help him stay in the entertainment industry. Even if things don't pan out, the worst that can happen is he can just retire.
Because he is strong without desire, he doesn't need to hide his girlfriend or establish the image of a single idol.
He needed to find a way to hone his acting skills. He didn't necessarily have to climb the ladder to become an actor. Privately asking a teacher for instruction would also work, so there was no need to compromise. As for money, he needed to find a way to make some quick money. After all, his mother and two sisters in this world were still suffering in poverty.
Tao Rui simply determined his future direction and returned to the dormitory with a clear mind, just in time for the dormitory closing time.
Dormitory head Li Dong said, "I was just about to call you. I thought you wouldn't be coming back today. I've already made the dummy for you."
The dormitory was a four-person room, with a bed above each desk. Tao Rui glanced at the bulging quilts on the beds and said with a smile, "Thank you. You've worked hard today. I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow."
Foodie Liu Zhen was the first to respond, "Let's have a good meal at the barbecue restaurant next door. We won't leave until we're drunk."
Guo Jin scoffed and squinted at Tao Rui. "Today, we all helped him offend the girls in the dorm and bullied them like that, and now we're just having a barbecue? At least we have to give him a big meal, right?"
The three of them looked at Tao Rui, and the atmosphere was a little awkward. They all knew that Tao Rui's family was poor, and of course they didn't want Tao Rui to spend money, but today's matter was really fucked up, and anyone would feel a little uncomfortable. Did Tao Rui want all the people in the dormitory to make a fool of themselves with him?
Tao Rui pointed out the key point, "I'm sorry for causing trouble for everyone today. I knew the situation wouldn't be good, so I thought I'd leave after you guys finished setting up. I didn't expect Luo Jiaqi to leave a little early, so no one felt comfortable leaving, making everyone and me feel awkward."
Guo Jin wanted to say something, but it didn't make any sense. Tao Rui had initially asked them to help with the decorating, and then leave once they were done, and treat them to dinner later. He hadn't mentioned a confession or asked them to stay with him, so why were they blaming Tao Rui for what had happened?
Tao Rui took a change of clothes into the bathroom and took a comfortable shower without saying anything more. Too much talk leads to mistakes. Luo Jiaqi's matter was over. There was no need to discuss it further, otherwise the clear boundaries would become blurred again. The rich girl would definitely find a better and more suitable boyfriend.
However, Guo Jin and the other three felt that they were increasingly unable to understand what Tao Rui was thinking. This person has always had a somewhat cold personality. He rarely participates in activities with them and does not like to take part in school activities.
This time they thought Tao Rui had come to his senses, but they didn't expect such a sudden turn of events.
Liu Zhen whispered, "Did you see what's in that bag? I saw a watch box. That brand of diamond watches is famous. Luo Jiaqi is really generous with so many gifts."
Guo Jin snorted coldly, "Jia Qi is so nice to him, why didn't he tell me earlier that he has a fiancée? Aren't you just playing with him?"
"That's not true. Seeing how Luo Jiaqi was waiting to confess today, she definitely didn't say she liked him first. If she didn't say it, would Tao Rui still inexplicably say that he had a fiancée? Besides, he didn't tell us, so why would he tell Luo Jiaqi?"
"I used to think today was baffling, but now I think about it, Tao Rui is pretty smart. Look at all the girls who have pursued him over the years, and he's always rejected them directly. Many girls gave up after being rejected, but Luo Jiaqi has been pursuing him for so long. Given his personality, he must have come up with this cunning trick after several rejections."
"It's really a dirty trick. Luo Jiaqi is going to hate him to death. He made it look like a confession, but in the end it just woke her up and told her that he's not the character she's obsessed with. Hahaha, it's quite funny when you think about it. It's really annoying to be pestered by someone you don't like. I support Tao Rui."
"Tao Rui must have a good relationship with his girlfriend. When Luo Jiaqi was about to hit him, we were so close and he didn't react. That girl actually rushed over and pushed Luo Jiaqi away. How much did she have to take it to heart to react so quickly? And that girl is quite pretty, prettier than Luo Jiaqi, and obviously more gentle than Luo Jiaqi. Tao Rui is lucky."
Guo Jin couldn't bear it any longer. "Are you two men? Jiaqi is a girl who has been humiliated like this. She's probably crying right now, and you're still here making sarcastic remarks."
Li Dong muttered, "That's not a sarcastic remark, it's the truth. Before Tao Rui returned the item, he specifically asked her if he could tell her in front of us. She pushed him to tell her quickly. I think... I can't blame Tao Rui. He was forced into it. Who would like such a persistent suitor?"
Tao Rui came out of the shower and just heard him say this. He raised an eyebrow, wiped his hair and said, "Okay, let's not talk about this. Maybe my method is not appropriate, but fortunately it is very effective. From now on, we will go our separate ways, and don't tell anyone about what happened today."
"Okay, we have to give girls some face."
“We’re not loudmouths.”
Guo Jin liked Luo Jiaqi and disliked Tao Rui very much. He glanced at him and turned over to sleep.
Thanks to the original owner's good pretense, they naturally accepted Tao Rui's actions and didn't think there was anything wrong. After all, for so long, they hadn't discovered that Tao Rui liked Luo Jiaqi, let alone seen Tao Rui use anything Luo Jiaqi gave him, so it really was just a dirty trick to cut off his romantic relationship.
Tao Rui looked through his class schedule and waited until his hair was almost dry before going to bed.
He liked to silence his phone when he was resting. When he woke up the next morning, he heard the system say that he had more than 20 missed calls and more than 60 WeChat messages.
He frowned, took out his phone to check WeChat, and found that it was a message from his agent Wu Feng, asking him who he had offended and why it was on the hot search. He also asked him if he had offended Luo Jiaqi because of his failed confession, and why the timing was so coincidental?
Tao Rui went to Weibo to check out today's trending searches. The tenth one was #Tao Rui accompanies a rich woman to the top#. There were several photos of him hugging different women, saying that he debuted with the image of a fresh and clean school idol, but did all kinds of dirty things behind the scenes.
The original owner had always been very careful about his reputation. Wu Feng had asked him to accompany the rich woman many times, but he had always refused. These photos were of course composited, but they were just so similar, and with the help of the "troll army" propaganda, the general public was easily convinced.
But he said that after all, he was only famous for one drama, and he was the second male lead, so the company could not do anything to help him.
Composite photos. This familiar plot is probably related to Luo Jiaqi. In the original plot, she was the one who created the indecent photos to make Zhu Xiaoyun upset. Fortunately, she didn't have any photos of Zhu Xiaoyun, otherwise Zhu Xiaoyun would have been in trouble today.
Luo Jiaqi is truly spoiled, and will send people to hell if she doesn't like it. Anyway, she has plenty of money, so she can have fun as she pleases.
Tao Rui was just thinking of a solution when Liu Zhen walked in and exclaimed, "Tao Rui! Tao Rui, check the class chat! Someone sent you a photo and said you were trading resources with a rich woman. Is that true? I just went to buy food and several people stopped me and asked about it."
Tao Rui calmly got out of bed and said, "Of course it's fake. If I were willing to accompany a rich woman, would I still live here?"
Guo Jin, who was about to laugh at him, choked. Looking at Tao Rui's face, he had to admit that if Tao Rui was willing to submit, he would definitely have a lot of rich women to keep as his mistresses. Didn't Luo Jiaqi give Tao Rui so many good things?
Li Dong frowned and said, "So someone is trying to harm you? Did you offend someone? Is it your enemy in the entertainment industry? This photo can ruin your career as a star, right?"
Tao Rui walked into the bathroom and said before closing the door, "Don't worry, let the police investigate who did it."
If the Internet police were to investigate this sort of thing, they'd definitely be able to track it down to someone, since someone had to post the photos. Whoever that person was, it was enough to prove his innocence.
He checked the balance on the card and found only a few thousand yuan. It was simply a dream to think he could settle the matter.
Wu Feng called and scolded him. Knowing that he had offended Luo Jiaqi, he understood that Luo Jiaqi was teaching him a lesson, saying that he was doomed and would never be famous again.
Tao Rui didn't bother to listen to him and directly added him to the blacklist. Then Zhu Xiaoyun called again, very worried about his situation. When he said he was going to call the police, she insisted on taking leave to accompany him.
Tao Rui felt that Zhu Xiaoyun had limited experience. She usually worked as a waiter or cashier, with little room for advancement. Seeing more different things would be beneficial. So he packed up, took a taxi, picked up Zhu Xiaoyun, and went to the police station together.
He took a photo outside the police station and posted it on Weibo, saying succinctly: [Composite photo, reported to the police.]
He didn't mention Luo Jiaqi to the police, but simply asked them to find the person who posted the photos. He figured Luo Jiaqi would definitely be venting her anger, and since they probably wouldn't have any more interactions after this, he figured they should just stay out of it and avoid getting entangled.
He did feel a little sorry for the girl at that moment, but no matter what Luo Jiaqi's personality was like, they should just let it go this time.
There was a lot of scolding online, and the internet trolls were constantly stirring up trouble. Although he said he had called the police, it didn't have much effect.
Zhu Xiaoyun was quite uneasy when she first entered the police station. She always felt that ordinary people would not go to the police station. But after following Tao Rui and watching him calmly report the case, explain the situation, and shake hands with the police to express his gratitude, she gradually relaxed and felt that many things were just ordinary things, and entering and leaving the police station was not as restrictive as she thought.
Then Tao Rui took another taxi, saying he wanted to go to Antique Street. Zhu Xiaoyun had never been to that place before, and she was a little confused. "Brother Rui, why are we going there?" She glanced at the driver and whispered in Tao Rui's ear, "We can't afford the things there. Also, let's not take a taxi, let's take the subway."
Tao Rui also whispered, "We don't know how to get there by subway. If someone recognizes us, they might take a photo and post it online, causing trouble. Don't worry, I know what's going on."
The original owner had always been very opinionated, so it was not surprising that Tao Rui acted like this. Zhu Xiaoyun habitually said nothing more, but was a little nervous. She kept staring at the taxi meter, calculating in her mind how much money Tao Rui spent that day. If he bought any more antiques, he would have to work several more jobs to earn it back.
Tao Rui noticed her uneasiness and pointed to the commercial building outside and asked her, "Do you know where this is?"
Zhu Xiaoyun shook her head, and Tao Rui began to describe this place as a gathering place for elites. Passing by a shopping mall, he explained how many international brands were there. Along the way, they also saw parks, a famous bar street, a bustling wholesale market, and large chain restaurants.
Although the world has changed and many of the companies involved in the plot are different, most other parts of the world are still the same, such as the Forbidden City in the capital, many international brands, the appearance of the capital's streets, and so on.
Tao Rui and Zhu Xiaoyun have been in Beijing for over three years, but they've never really explored the city. They're too broke and too insecure to wander around.
Now Tao Rui told Zhu Xiaoyun about this city. The original owner was filming there and met so many classmates. Zhu Xiaoyun did not find it strange. Instead, she listened attentively. For the first time, she felt a yearning for this city. She wanted to stay here and did not want to go back to that poor and secluded little village.
With Tao Rui distracting her, she had forgotten her restraint and nervousness when she arrived at the antique street. She followed Tao Rui in with a bit of curiosity and found everything new to her.
Tao Rui asked the system to help him scan and search, and soon found a gambling stone shop.
He needed money urgently and had no time for stock trading or investing. He couldn't rely on finding bargains, as he couldn't sell quickly. So the fastest way was to gamble on jadeite. He could find jadeite on the spot and sell it at a low price. With his sensitivity to spiritual energy, it wasn't difficult to find jadeite in the stone. This was the fastest way he could find with his few thousand yuan in savings.
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