On the way back, Xu Chun looked down at her phone, seemingly distracted. After a moment of contemplation, she said slowly, "I had a general idea of what was happening online. Things haven't gotten that bad yet."
After Han Na threatened him with photos, Xu Chun told Xie Jianyuan everything. They were in agreement and didn't care about such a childish threat.
At their level, public opinion isn't that important anymore, and the Weibo that first revealed their relationship already had tens of thousands of comments.
"My God, what an incredible piece of gossip!"
"Exciting! So these two are dating on public funds?"
"Fans, please stop trying to control the comments. The fandom is so elaborate and annoying, it ruins my impression of them."
"It's impressive that the paparazzi could recognize this blurry picture, which is so dark that even their own mothers wouldn't recognize it."
"Don't mention Chun Chun, pldd is very busy. You'd be better off focusing on the TV series 'The Demon-Subduing Tribulation' that pldd is currently filming."
"Watch me do a 360-degree spin and jump! My favorite ship actually became a real couple! I'm going to watch the fan-made videos a hundred more times."
Xu Chun's parents were aware of the rumors circulating online; otherwise, they wouldn't have called this morning to inquire about his situation. They hesitated for a while before finally hanging up. However, Xu Chun had a better understanding of the situation and planned to go back to see them today.
Xu Chun arrived home, he opened the door and saw three people already sitting on the sofa: his parents and Xu Jin. As soon as they saw Xu Chun, they stood up. Just as they were about to speak, they saw Xie Jianyuan behind him and swallowed the words that were already on their throats.
He simply smiled politely and said, "Jianyuan has come too. Come, have a seat."
Xie Jianyuan maintained a polite smile and even peeled an orange for Xu's mother after sitting down, which softened her expression and made her look more natural.
After a moment's hesitation, Xu Chun cut to the chase. "I'm sure you've all seen the news online."
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, then exchanged glances with complicated expressions.
Xie Jianyuan curled his lips into a smile, picked up where Xu Chun left off, and said calmly, "Xu Chun and I are together."
Upon hearing the news, Xu's mother swayed, and Xu Jin quickly reached out to support her.
"Mom, you said that as long as I find someone I truly love, that's enough. Now I've found someone." Xu Chun clenched her fists involuntarily and said softly to her mother.
Xie Jianyuan turned to look at him, then reached out and took his hand.
Xu's mother's gaze fell on the two people's clasped hands. Her expression was complicated, and her face turned pale and then red. Finally, she returned to calm and let out a long sigh.
"You're right, I'm old, I really can't care about those things anymore. As long as you don't regret it and are able to live a good life, I'll be content."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Xu glared at Mrs. Xu, seemingly displeased with her sudden change of allegiance, but he dared not vent his anger on her. He could only stand up, snort coldly, and then storm out, slamming the door behind him into the bedroom.
"You don't need to worry about him." Although Mrs. Xu was still finding it hard to process the news, she was very protective of her child and immediately asked, "How much will this affect you?"
Xu Chun smiled slightly, shook her head, and then said gently, "What we care about more is your attitude."
Mrs. Xu paused slightly, then smiled, her tone softening considerably. "From childhood to adulthood, Xu Chun has always been very sensible and mature, making every decision without requiring our concern. It's the same now. I believe you've carefully considered this decision. You are our child, and we will naturally respect every decision you make."
Xu Chun felt a warmth in his heart. Seeing his mother's slightly moved expression, he realized that although being abandoned might seem unfortunate to others, he felt more fortunate.
There was another person in the living room who had remained silent until now. Xu Jin was unusually quiet and well-behaved. Seeing that the atmosphere had eased considerably, he finally mustered the courage to speak up, "But Brother Yuan, what did your parents say about this?"
"There's no need to worry about that." Xie Jianyuan seemed quite confident, and said calmly with a slight smile.
Before leaving, Xie Jianyuan suddenly asked to have a private talk with Xu's father. Xu Chun was a little worried and exchanged glances with her mother. After hesitating for a while, they finally agreed.
When the door opened again, Xu's father's expression had improved considerably. Although he still had a stern face, he couldn't help but give Xu Chun a few words of advice.
After leaving the house, Xu Chun asked Xie Jianyuan curiously, "How did you persuade my dad?"
Xie Jianyuan smiled, seemingly answering a different question, "What parent in the world doesn't love their child?"
Xu Chun looked away, seemingly understanding but not quite. In any case, the family matter was resolved. As for the public opinion issue, he had weathered countless storms, so he wasn't too worried.
The worst-case scenario is that a large number of fans of both sides will leave and turn against them. Apart from that, there are no other major scandals. However, for celebrities who rely on popularity, once a relationship is exposed, it will definitely affect their popularity.
However, Xie Jianyuan and Xu Chun are special "traffic stars" who are not the type whose acting skills are terrible and who rely solely on their looks to attract fans. They have acting skills and strength, so they have also gained the support of many casual viewers.
However, the company's senior management was furious about Xu Chun's unauthorized relationship. They even ordered the entire company to rectify the issue of artists' relationships and suspended Xu Chun's appearances and activities, ostensibly to avoid the limelight. After all, in the short term, Xu Chun's relationship had indeed caused irreversible economic losses to the company.
However, they dared not target Xie Jianyuan, because his background and family were not to be trifled with. Therefore, they could only "pick on the weak," and naturally, they could only start with Xu Chun.
Xu Chun could only sneer at the company's arrangements. There was no clause in the contract that prohibited dating. Moreover, this time it wasn't because he acted willfully and made it public on his own, but because he was photographed and had no choice but to go public. Over the years, Xu Chun had always been dutiful in his work with the company's announcements. Even after he was discarded as a pawn after his career faded in his previous life, he didn't complain at all, because he knew that the company was only interested in profit and not charity.