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◎“He begged me to give him a title.”◎
Xie Zhiyan sent the message, but there was no response for a long time.
After a long pause, someone finally replied: "[...Isn't today April Fool's Day?]"
Xie Zhiyan was organizing the documents he had brought back to the hotel. After reading the message, he chuckled but did not reply.
A little while later, that friend sent another message: "[This shouldn't be a secret, right, Zhiyan? Lots of friends have been asking me about it, since it's the first time you've let anyone else use that car.]"
Xie Zhiyan: [Whatever.]
"At will" means there's no need to keep it a secret.
Before long, the news that "Ning Yuxuan is Xie Zhiyan's girlfriend" spread throughout the entire elite circle of Beicheng.
Everyone knows that Xie Zhiyan has devoted himself to his work since returning to China, and Hengjiang's market value has been rising year after year. However, he himself has no scandals and never brings a female companion to parties.
This time it's big news: he personally confirmed his girlfriend.
Not many people in the industry know Ning Yuxuan. When many people first heard the name, they thought she was some rich young lady from another province.
After making inquiries, I learned that Ning Yuxuan's mother is the famous actress Ning Fei. Her family has some money, but they can't be considered a wealthy or powerful family.
As for Ning Yuxuan's father, Ning Fei retired from the entertainment industry and secretly married her ex-husband nearly thirty years ago.
For a moment, no one knew exactly who it was, only that it wasn't some big shot from the North City, but most likely someone from out of town.
Of course, none of these are the most important things. Dating is not marriage, and it's normal for the girl's family background not to be that good.
Importantly, reliable sources indicate that just a month ago, Ning Yuxuan was Gu Yunhao's girlfriend and even attended Gu's grandfather's birthday banquet.
At that time, Grandpa Gu praised Ning Yuxuan highly, and publicly praised her for giving the most exquisite gift that suited his taste.
This is a bit delicate.
Some people recalled that Xie Zhiyan seemed to have greeted Ning Yuxuan at the birthday banquet.
Various rumors began to circulate.
Some say that Ning Yuxuan took the initiative to befriend Xie Zhiyan after meeting him at the birthday banquet, and the two secretly had an affair right under the noses of the Gu family.
Some say that Xie Zhiyan took a fancy to the young master Gu's girlfriend at the birthday banquet and forcibly took her for himself.
Rumors spread like wildfire, as if they had grown legs.
Everyone knows that most of these rumors are not to be taken seriously, but we don't need to care too much about whether they are true or false; just satisfying our desire for gossip is enough.
At the dinner party, Gu Yunhao was drinking glass after glass of alcohol and was already quite drunk.
Qi Ang was the closest to Gu Yunhao among the group and was also the most skilled at flattery. At this moment, he stayed by Gu Yunhao's side, constantly saying things that Gu Yunhao wanted to hear.
The others were drinking and chatting in the private room when they soon saw the latest news.
Because Gu Yunhao was present, the group didn't dare to make a scene and instead discussed the matter in hushed tones in the place furthest away from him.
"Didn't there rumors just a few days ago that President Xie went on a blind date with a girl and even ate at a Sichuan restaurant with her? Is this the same person?"
"I don't know, but if you ask me, it doesn't matter whether it's one person or not. Anyway, Xie Zhiyan has now admitted that he's with Ning Yuxuan."
"Yes, regardless of whether it was her that day or not, she's Xie's only official girlfriend now!"
"I told you I guessed it a long time ago! At the birthday banquet, President Xie barely paid any attention to the younger generation of the Gu family, but took the initiative to greet an unknown young girl. I knew it was something unusual!"
"Come on! I remember you said that Xie Zhiyan must have greeted Ning Yuxuan because of Gu Yunhao, and now you're being hindsight?"
"What do you mean by 'hindsight is 20/20'? Aren't we all just guessing?"
"When the news of Xie Zhiyan eating Sichuan food with someone came out, why didn't you guess that person was Ning Yuxuan?"
"That was me—"
The group got so engrossed in their discussion that their voices grew louder and louder.
The name "Ning Yuxuan" reached Gu Yunhao's ears like a firecracker, making him jump up from his chair.
Gu Yunhao put down his wine glass and walked over to the group of people gossiping around the other side of the private room.
"You lot!" Gu Yunhao said rudely, "What are you all saying together?"
The group of people who were speaking suddenly fell silent. After exchanging glances, one of them cautiously spoke up: "It's nothing, Brother Hao... we were just chatting about some unimportant little things."
They all knew that Ning Yuxuan had once been Gu Yunhao's woman.
In the past, it wouldn't have been a big deal to bring it up, since Gu Yunhao didn't seem to care much about this girlfriend who had no official status.
But judging from Gu Yunhao's reaction after seeing the photo, anyone with eyes could see that Gu Yunhao actually cared about this person a lot.
Now that Ning Yuxuan has a new love, no one wants to offend Gu Yunhao.
Gu Yunhao, however, was relentless and slammed his hand on the table, making the cutlery vibrate loudly.
"Stop trying to fool me!" Gu Yunhao roared. "I heard you all mention her name! Are you all so happy to see my girlfriend get into another man's car, and you're all gloating?"
Upon hearing this, the group of people all avoided eye contact and dared not reply.
Someone thought to themselves: "You still call her your girlfriend? She's someone else's girlfriend now."
Of course, no one dared to say this aloud.
Qi Ang also caught up: "Brother Hao, Yun Hao, calm down, calm down. We've been brothers for over ten years, who would dare to laugh at you?"
He knew Gu Yunhao's personality best; usually, as long as he went along with Gu Yunhao, he could appease him with just a few words.
At this moment, Gu Yunhao was a hundred times more agitated than usual. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the photo of Ning Yuxuan getting into Xie Zhiyan's car. He had nowhere to vent his anger.
In addition, I just drank quite a lot of alcohol.
Gu Yunhao shoved Qi Ang aside and said fiercely, "Tell the truth! What are you talking about? Are you mocking me?"
Seeing his expression, no one dared to answer.
In the suddenly silent private room, someone's phone vibrated a few times.
Like a wolf that has found its prey, Gu Yunhao snatched the phone from the man's hand.
What's the password?
The families present were far inferior to Gu Yunhao's, and out of respect for the Gu family, no one dared to directly oppose Gu Yunhao.
Qi Ang gave the phone's owner a look and silently mouthed, "Tell him."
Gu Yunhao is drunk now, and you can't reason with a drunk person.
The person who had the phone gritted their teeth and said, "3...312515."
Gu Yunhao glanced at the person, then looked down and entered the password.
After unlocking, he opened the chat list and scrolled down from top to bottom.
Among the various rambling chat logs, the names Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan stood out.
Gu Yunhao saw a sentence: Xie Zhiyan has admitted that Ning Yuxuan is his girlfriend.
The next moment, Gu Yunhao's eyes turned bloodshot, and he forcefully smashed his phone to the ground.
...
Gu Yunhao wasn't the only one who lost his mind.
Two hours ago, various media outlets surrounded the recording site of "Mom".
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei escaped in Xie Zhiyan's car, and Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an also left the scene in a car afterward.
As soon as Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang stepped off the elevator, they were blocked by reporters who had been waiting for them and could not move.
"Cheng Xiyang, do you really have an older sister? Please respond!"
"Ms. Liu Yufang, did you embezzle your daughter's car accident compensation money to help your son debut in the entertainment industry?"
Where is Cheng Tingting now? How serious are her injuries? Did you really cause her disability?
Upon hearing these questions, Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang's expressions both changed.
After Cheng Xiyang became famous through the talent show, they had already made preparations to prevent the matter from being exposed.
Cheng Tingting's original education level was average. She didn't get into university and didn't have any special skills. She only had a job with a very ordinary salary.
She diligently saved some money, but gave most of it to her mother and younger brother, leaving herself with no savings at all.
After the injury, she was unable to work normally due to the constant and unbearable pain in her right shoulder and even her entire arm, and completely lost her source of income.
Liu Yufang thus seized control of her daughter's lifeline, telling Cheng Tingting that as long as she was obedient, she would send her 1,500 yuan a month for living expenses and help her rent a house in the suburbs of Beicheng.
1,500 yuan is barely enough to live on in the north of the city; you can't save much money.
The rental contract was also in Liu Yufang's hands, so it could be said that Cheng Tingting's life depended entirely on her mother and younger brother.
Therefore, Liu Yufang was certain that her daughter would never break ties with them and tell anyone about this, otherwise she would not be able to survive on her own.
Moreover, Liu Yufang knew her daughter's personality well—weak and incompetent—so she was even less likely to betray her and her son.
As for the guilt he felt towards his own daughter—
When Liu Yufang first decided to give Cheng Tingting's compensation money to her son, she felt somewhat guilty.
But as her son later became a superstar and earned many times more than her daughter's previous salary, Liu Yufang felt more and more that her decision was right, and her guilt gradually disappeared.
In Liu Yufang's view, she and her son were supporting their daughter for nothing. Their daughter could survive even without working or earning money, so they shouldn't have any complaints.
This secret should not have been known to anyone other than Cheng Xiyang himself, Liu Yufang, and a very small number of people in Cheng Xiyang's company.
Now that reporters have actually asked about this matter, and even mentioned Cheng Tingting's name, Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang are panicked.
Liu Yufang, in particular, never expected the incident to be exposed, and had never experienced being surrounded and questioned like this before.
Her face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively shrieked in denial: "What nonsense are you talking about! What Tingting? I've never heard of this person!"
Cheng Xiyang seemed calmer than Liu Yufang, but he wasn't much better off.
His forehead was covered in sweat as he managed to speak: "My mother and I just finished recording the show and have no idea what you're talking about. We need to go back and rest now. If there are any false rumors circulating online, my company and I will respond later."
Cheng Xiyang was more experienced than Liu Yufang, and he avoided mentioning the questions the reporters asked, lest he say too much and make a mistake.
But with such a major social news story, the media will not let the two off the hook easily.
A large group of people continued to surround Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang, questioning them relentlessly.
"Do you really not know who Cheng Tingting is? But she has already released a video saying that she is Cheng Xiyang's older sister!"
"We need a response from both of you! We need an answer, and the vast majority of netizens also need an answer!"
This group of people seemed determined to get an answer, which frightened Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang.
After a tense standoff of more than ten minutes, Cheng Xiyang finally spoke: "Dear friends from the media, I admit... I do have an older sister, but my mother and I absolutely did not harm her! My sister is our family, and my mother and I love her very much. Those rumors are completely unfounded and malicious slander!"
Cheng Xiyang knew that if he didn't let these hyena-like media outlets get a taste of their prey, they wouldn't let him and his mother off the hook.
But he absolutely cannot admit that he caused his sister to suffer from serious aftereffects, otherwise his life would be completely ruined.
Therefore, he only admitted that he had an older sister, and that he would wait until he fully understood the situation before trying to find a way to smooth things over.
The reporters continued to press him, but Cheng Xiyang refused to reveal anything further, simply repeating the same things over and over.
Two hours later, Cheng Xiyang finally managed to escape from the media and got through to his agent.
That evening, Cheng Xiyang's studio issued a statement on Weibo.
Cheng Xiyang Studio V: Recently, many false rumors about Cheng Xiyang have appeared online. We would like to respond as follows: Cheng Xiyang does have an older sister named Cheng Tingting, but the information circulating online such as "Cheng Xiyang and his mother conspired to cause his sister's disability" is all a rumor. We are currently preparing to sue the relevant individuals.
Attached to this statement was a lawyer's letter.
As soon as the statement was released, Cheng Xiyang's fans, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately swarmed to it.
[Finally! Support Cheng Xiyang in protecting his rights! Support suing those who spread rumors!]
Cheng Xiyang is innocent! The cyberbullies must apologize!
Many of Cheng Xiyang's fans were shaken when they saw Cheng Xiyang's sister appear.
This matter is too serious; it's no longer a simple fan war. Many of Cheng Xiyang's fans have said they would definitely unfollow him if it's true, and some have even left his fan group.
However, a large number of die-hard fans still firmly believe that their idol has been wronged.
Now that the statement has been released, the fans are very excited.
Scorching Sun: [Oh my god, finally the studio's statement! Everyone hurry up and like and comment!]
Cheng Xiyang will be famous until he's eighty: [I've said it before, everyone should unconditionally believe in Xiyang! Believe in his character!]
Xi Yang Xiao Ju: [Why doesn't the studio just sue Ning Shiyue? Let's see how he'll act arrogantly in the entertainment industry then!]
Previously, the incident involving Cheng Xiyang and Cheng Tingting had already dominated several trending topics, with netizens discussing it heatedly.
The statement quickly became a trending topic, and netizens had differing opinions on it.
Some people scoffed at it.
Everyone knows that lawyer's letters are practically worthless these days; only fans would believe them.
So, does this mean he's admitting to having an older sister? That means at least part of the previous rumors were true, and Cheng Xiyang was lying about being an only child. How do we know this statement isn't another, even bigger lie?
[Haha, I don't believe a single word of this statement.]
However, some people expressed their support.
[Currently, it seems that Cheng Xiyang's sister has only released one video, which is not enough evidence.]
This is a really serious matter. If Cheng Xiyang has indeed been framed and wronged, I support him in defending his rights.
Many more netizens are watching and waiting for Cheng Tingting to respond again.
Even more anxious than netizens were Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang.
After realizing that their scheme had been exposed, they rushed to the house that Liu Yufang had rented for Cheng Tingting in the northern suburbs, but there was no sign of Cheng Tingting inside.
When I asked the neighbors, they all said they didn't know when the people inside left.
Cheng Xiyang made countless calls using his own and his mother's phones, but the other end was always switched off and he couldn't get in touch with them at all.
Liu Yufang originally thought that as long as she personally persuaded her daughter and offered her some benefits, such as giving her a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand yuan at once, her daughter would definitely be willing to cooperate with her to clear her son's name.
But if we can't get in touch with Cheng Tingting at all, then it's all just empty talk.
Cheng Tingting's Weibo account was newly registered, the IP address is Jincheng, and she hasn't posted any new content since posting that video.
Given Cheng Tingting's current physical condition, it is impossible for her to travel to Jincheng, which is thousands of miles away, alone.
In other words, this was definitely not something Cheng Tingting planned alone; someone must have helped her.
After realizing this fact, Cheng Xiyang became even more panicked and anxious.
This person's goal is absolutely to destroy him!
Moreover, this person will definitely have another trick up their sleeve, and you never know when they will deliver a fatal blow.
The statement and lawyer's letter, seemingly Cheng Xiyang's counterattack, were in fact nothing more than a bluff.
Cheng Xiyang felt as if an axe was hanging over his head, and he didn't know when it would fall.
...
After speaking with Ning Shiyue, Ning Yuxuan went to the bathroom to run a hot bath and washed away the day's fatigue.
After changing into her nightgown in the bathroom, Ning Yuxuan received a call from Lin Yuanfeng.
"Hello, Xuanxuan?" A middle-aged man's voice came from the phone. "I was worried that your mother was already asleep, so I called you."
Ning Yuxuan took her phone and came to the living room so that her voice wouldn't disturb Ning Fei.
"Mom is already getting ready for bed. You can tell me directly if there's anything you need."
Lin Yuanfeng's tone sounded hesitant: "Well... alright then. It's like this, Xuanxuan, there's something Daddy needs to tell you..."
Ning Yuxuan asked directly, "Is it related to Cheng Xiyang?"
Lin Yuanfeng asked in surprise, "How did you know?"
Ning Yuxuan: "I heard that the Lin family was involved in the investigation of Cheng Xiyang's case."
Lin Yuanfeng was silent for a few seconds before speaking: "Yes, Xuanxuan, it seems you already know some of the details. Don't worry, Cheng Tingting has been taken to a safe place by my people, and she has agreed to cooperate with us to expose Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang step by step."
Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement.
Lin Yuanfeng added, "Leave this matter to me. Tell your mother and Xiaoyue not to worry. Cheng Xiyang will have absolutely no chance of turning things around."
Ning Yuxuan agreed.
After talking with Ning Fei, all her last concerns disappeared.
Since Lin Yuanfeng was willing to handle this troublesome matter, Ning Yuxuan had no reason to refuse.
More than how to ruin Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang's reputations, she was more concerned about that older sister.
Ning Yuxuan asked, "Have you taken Cheng Tingting for a medical check-up?"
Lin Yuanfeng: "She just got off the plane, and only had time for the most basic check-ups today. But Dad knows you're kind-hearted, so I'll have the best specialists consult on her case later, and if necessary, we can send her abroad for treatment. If Xuanxuan and you have no objections, I'll proceed in your and Xiaoyue's names..."
For the Lin family, the treatment cost was a drop in the ocean.
However, Lin Yuanfeng is a businessman who always considers the return on his investment. That's why he proposed to give the good reputation of helping Cheng Tingting with her treatment to his son and daughter.
Ning Yuxuan did not refuse directly: "It doesn't matter whose name it is, we can talk about that later. Let's get Cheng Tingting medical treatment as soon as possible."
Lin Yuanfeng knew his daughter disliked his mercenary side, so he didn't bring it up again: "Okay, Dad understands. If there are any follow-ups, Dad will have someone contact you and your mother."
After exchanging a few pleasantries with his daughter and asking about the family situation, Lin Yuanfeng hung up the phone.
Less than a minute later, another unknown call came in on Ning Yuxuan's end.
Ning Yuxuan thought it was someone from Lin Yuanfeng's side, so she answered the phone.
The voice that came through the earphones was familiar yet disgusting: "Ning Yuxuan! Don't think you can be so smug just because Xie Zhiyan gave you a title! Let me tell you, he doesn't care about you at all!"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Gu Yunhao's voice on the phone sounded slurred, unclear, and angry, clearly indicating that he had been drinking and was emotionally charged.
In contrast, Ning Yuxuan remained calm and unmoved by these words.
Ning Yuxuan chuckled: "How do you know it's me who wants a title? Maybe Xie Zhiyan is begging me to give him one?"
"you--"
Ning Yuxuan hung up the phone before Gu Yunhao could say anything else.
She didn't know before that Gu Yunhao, besides being a scumbag, also had such a persistent and clingy nature.
It seems best not to answer calls from unknown numbers in the future.
...
On Monday morning, Ning Fei received an invitation from Qin Man to have lunch together and discuss the script.
Besides Qin Man, the other guests included Liang Jihuai, an award-winning actor who had previously worked with Ning Fei, and another screenwriter.
Before leaving, Ning Fei instructed her daughter, "I've already spoken to Aunt Xu. Dinner will be ready by 6 p.m. I have lunch with Qin Man and the others, and I'll definitely be back before dinner. If Zhi Yan arrives early, please entertain him first."
Ning Yuxuan nodded: "Okay, then you must remember to come back."
Ning Fei smiled and gently tapped her daughter's forehead: "Of course! Do you really think your mother is someone who sells her daughter? I still need to carefully examine my future son-in-law."
"Okay." Ning Yuxuan smiled and waved to Ning Fei, "Bye-bye, Mom!"
After Ning Fei left, Ning Yuxuan also went to her office at Huayuan.
The designs for several stores have been initially completed, and she has scheduled a meeting today with the renovation team to finalize the plans and arrangements.
After reviewing Ning Yuxuan's design proposal, Ning Fei felt reassured about her daughter and handed over the coordination work to her.
After a day of meetings, Xie Zhiyan sent a message in the evening: "Are you home? I'm leaving now and will be there in half an hour."
Ning Yuxuan: [I'm not here right now, but I'll be back soon.]
Xie Zhiyan: [Where are you? I'll come pick you up.]
It was perfectly reasonable for her boyfriend to pick her up from get off work, so Ning Yuxuan agreed and sent the address to Xie Zhiyan.
At 5:20, Xie Zhiyan appeared downstairs at the office.
Upon seeing Xie Zhiyan, Ning Yuxuan immediately accused him: "Xie Zhiyan, what's wrong with you? How come everyone knows I'm your girlfriend all of a sudden?"
She was in meetings during the day when she received countless friend requests, all from businessmen in Beicheng.
At first, Ning Yuxuan didn't know what was going on, but out of a desire to build connections for managing Huayuan in the future, she agreed to several requests.
As a result, several people mentioned Xie Zhiyan to her intentionally or unintentionally, and Ning Yuxuan understood how they had come looking for her.
Her contact information wasn't a secret; anyone who wanted to find out could easily do so. These people were trying to curry favor with Xie Zhiyan through her being their girlfriend.
Xie Zhiyan took the handbag from Ning Yuxuan: "Someone asked me if you were my girlfriend, and I answered yes."
Ning Yuxuan stared at the man whose face remained calm: "That's all? Then how did they all find out overnight? Did you deliberately spread the word so I couldn't back out?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled.
The man didn't answer her question; instead, he turned around and took a bouquet of flowers from the car.
It's the Ecuadorian rose I mentioned last time.
Before Ning Yuxuan could fully react, she was hit in the face by a burst of fragrant red roses.
Xie Zhiyan: "I said I would give it to you last time."
Ning Yuxuan was interrupted by him and forgot what she originally wanted to say.
No wonder everyone loves receiving flowers, she thought.
Holding the flowers and looking at the man's handsome face, she realized she really couldn't stay angry at all.
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