"Someone like that isn't worth getting angry over," Zhang Zhixuan said sarcastically. "He suddenly became popular, so it's only natural for him to get carried away and restless. As his agent, you should be more understanding."
"How much more understanding am I supposed to be?! I've only ever had his best interests at heart, and he actually spoke to me like that!"
The agent grew even angrier and slapped the table.
Seeing that he had succeeded in adding fuel to the fire, Zhang Zhixuan continued, "It's fine. Once we teach him a lesson, he'll see where he stands and obediently apologize to you."
The agent was a shrewd man himself. Hearing the implication in Zhang Zhixuan's words, he looked at him hesitantly. "Do you know something?"
Zhang Zhixuan paused, then lowered his voice and said a few words to the agent.
When the agent heard him out, his brows knitted tightly enough to crush a fly. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." The memory of what had happened that day made Zhang Zhixuan grind his teeth with hatred. "I saw it with my own eyes, and I investigated it thoroughly for a long time. There's absolutely no mistake!"
The agent was tempted, but still afraid something might go wrong. He cautioned, "You can do it your way, but you absolutely mustn't leave any evidence behind. Don't be stupid enough to bring trouble down on yourself."
"I've been in the industry all these years. Don't you think I know that?" Zhang Zhixuan said with a smile. "I won't name names. Being vague will only make netizens more curious, and the fire is bound to spread to Su Huaiming. Give them a few more ambiguous details, and Su Huaiming won't be able to refute them. He won't even dare pursue the matter."
The agent nodded in agreement. "All right, I'll leave this to you."
A few hours later, major gossip accounts joined in, saying they had some gossip to share.
[@The Badger in the Melon Patch: Here's something interesting. There was this minor celebrity who had a terrible reputation and didn't have a penny to his name. Now he lives in a mansion, drives a sports car, flaunts his wealth every day, and even landed an opportunity everyone wanted. His reputation has turned around too. But he got all that by becoming a mistress even though he knew the man was married, stealing someone else's husband and facing a greasy old man with slick hair, a powdered face, and a beer belly every day. He's really something.]
Su Huaiming saw the Weibo post too and eagerly dug into the gossip, but he didn't know many celebrities and couldn't guess who it was. He could only turn to the clever netizens for help.
[Tsk, tsk, tsk. This exposé stopped just short of naming him.]
[The thought of my beautiful wife lying in a greasy old man's arms makes me feel faint.]
[No wonder someone of his standing could get on such a popular variety show. Turns out he latched onto someone powerful.]
[I'm dying. He put in so much effort and finally started getting somewhere, only for the gossip accounts to dig up his secrets. Has he cried himself unconscious by now? Hahaha.]
The more Su Huaiming read, the more curious he became, and the more he wanted to know who this "he" was.
To his surprise, however, he saw his own name in the comments.
[Can Su Huaiming get out of the entertainment industry already? Just looking at him makes me sick!]
[Why hasn't he issued a statement yet? Has he been scared speechless?]
[Su Huaiming's reaction must be a sight to see. I'm heading to the livestream right now!]
Su Huaiming frowned slightly, looking utterly confused.
What was this about?!
Why bring him up at a time like this? People could easily get the wrong idea!
Wait, what did this mean... Were they saying he-he-he-he was the person in the exposé?!
The clown was me all along?!
Chapter 17: 017
The darkened phone screen reflected Su Huaiming's face, swollen almost to the size of a pig's head.
...He could hardly describe how he felt. It was as if he had seen a house collapse in the distance and rushed over to watch the excitement, only to discover that the house he'd thought belonged to someone else was his own!
Tears streamed down my face on the spot.jpg.
Su Huaiming felt that not a single word of the exposé had anything to do with him, which was why he hadn't connected it to himself. Yet everyone was guessing it was him.
Th-this was really strange... What was the problem?
Su Huaiming suddenly remembered that he had never met Fu Jingfan, only spoken to him on the phone.
Judging by his voice, he was almost certain Fu Jingfan wasn't an old man with slick hair and a powdered face, but to be safe, Su Huaiming searched online for a photo of him.
The internet had everything, but information about Fu Jingfan was pitifully scarce, and there was only one photo of him at a public appearance.
In just two short years, Fu Jingfan had climbed to the pinnacle of the business world and become one of its leading figures. Everyone was intensely curious about him, and major financial magazines had competed to interview him.
Fu Jingfan had agreed to only one interview, and it had lasted a mere fifteen minutes. The photo had been taken during that interview.
Fu Jingfan sat in a chair, dressed in a suit and leather shoes. He had a tall, straight figure and a handsome face, with a chill in his brows and dark, unfathomable eyes. Though he sat beneath the flashing lights, there wasn't a glimmer of light in his eyes.
His long fingers tapped lightly on his knee. His posture was relaxed, yet he had a powerful presence. Perhaps because the camera angle was too low, Fu Jingfan had the lofty bearing of someone in power in the photo, but he wasn't arrogant. Rather, it was an innate nobility.
That figure, that face—he had something going for him!
Su Huaiming wasn't obsessed with looks, but when he saw the photo, he couldn't resist wanting to save it to look at again later.
Thinking of the description in the rumor, he really wanted to slap the photo in the gossip accounts' faces and ask them, "Is this what your greasy old man with slick hair, a powdered face, and a beer belly looks like?"
They couldn't dream up anyone this gorgeous!
Su Huaiming looked at the rumors spreading more and more fiercely online and sank into thought.
He had signed an agreement with Fu Jingfan not to use Fu Jingfan's identity for personal gain or take the initiative to disclose their relationship unless necessary, so he couldn't simply reveal that Fu Jingfan was his partner.
Besides, everything online was still just rumor. The major gossip accounts were clearly trying to muddy the waters and hadn't named him. If he jumped out now, it would seem as if he were rushing to admit to the accusation, and make him look especially guilty.
Su Huaiming considered it for a moment and decided to wait and see.
The netizens acted quickly. Using every scrap of evidence they could find, they were already digging into the greasy old man's true identity.
[This person's surname is Fu, he's wealthy, and he owns a mansion... There aren't many people who fit.]
[Could he be a member of the Fu family?]
[He's definitely a member of the Fu family. We just don't know which one yet.]
[Su Huaiming is the mistress, which proves this person's love life is a mess and he's a bad person. He's also old, and his figure and looks have both gone downhill. Among the Fu family members who've appeared in public, I think there's one who fits.]
[I remember now. His name is Fu Zhongli! He was in the news before and brought shame on the entire Fu family!]
[Fu Zhongli groped someone and threatened them not to tell anyone. The person went straight to the police, and media outlets competed to report on it. Only after it blew up did Fu Zhongli publicly apologize, but he was so high and mighty about it, acting as if the other person had seduced him. He nearly made me puke.]
A link was attached to the comment.
The news story from three years ago had gradually been forgotten, but now that it had been dug up again, many people remembered the incident.
[I cursed him up and down three streets back then. I wanted to throw that pig's head into the sewer. So disgusting!]
[Still, the Fu Group handled it well. They didn't cover for him at all, made Fu Zhongli bear the legal consequences he deserved, and even sent him straight home to retire. They stopped just short of making him change his name!]
[He's the reason my male god appeared in public for an interview. That was the only time! I've watched the interview video so many times I've practically worn it out.]
[My male god is so handsome, and he's still single. I wonder who'll be lucky enough to marry him!]
[It could be anyone, but it definitely won't be Su Huaiming!]
[Su Huaiming really is something. For a little benefit, he chose to look at Fu Zhongli's pig face every day. I wonder if he can even stomach his meals.]
[Su Huaiming and Fu Zhongli are particularly well matched. I suggest locking them together for life.]
Su Huaiming had never met any of the so-called Fu family members, so naturally he didn't know Fu Zhongli.
He searched for Fu Zhongli's name and eagerly dug into the gossip about Fu Jingfan and Fu Zhongli, as well as the Fu family's wealthy-family secrets, looking as relaxed as if none of it had anything to do with him.
Only after he had finished enjoying the gossip did Su Huaiming call Fu Jingfan.
The whole thing had started because of him, and he had dragged Fu Jingfan into it too. He ought to come up with a solution.
But Fu Jingfan was probably busy and didn't answer. Su Huaiming planned to call him again later.
Su Huaiming stayed in his room, unaware that Sun Siyuan was looking at the closed door with a complicated expression.
Sun Siyuan was extremely full of himself and liked to search online for the extravagant praise his fans showered on him. As an avid internet surfer, he had spotted the rumors right away.
To be honest, he didn't believe them.
The circles he moved in were rather messy, and he had seen many people seize opportunities to climb the ladder. But Su Huaiming's eyes were clear, completely different from those people's. He couldn't do something like breaking up someone else's family.
Besides, he was also in the eye of a public-opinion storm, enduring all kinds of rumors himself. So, putting himself in Su Huaiming's shoes, he wouldn't believe a word online until he saw solid evidence.
At the same time, though, he knew perfectly well that not everyone had the same mental resilience he did and could withstand attacks from public opinion.
The image of Su Huaiming's sickly flushed face and frail appearance came to Sun Siyuan's mind, and his heart skipped a beat.
What if Su Huaiming couldn't take it and had fainted from anger in his room?!
Wouldn't someone die, then?!!
The scene of their first meeting had left a deep psychological scar on Sun Siyuan. Even though Su Huaiming's health had improved a great deal since then, in Sun Siyuan's mind, he was someone who could suddenly collapse from illness and casually accuse others of injuring him.
With that thought, Sun Siyuan poured a cup of hot water, intending to go check on Su Huaiming.
But when he reached the door, he stopped.
They were still within range of the livestream. Su Huaiming had chosen to stay behind closed doors, so he surely didn't want to face everyone. If Sun Siyuan went to him now, it might backfire and upset him.
Besides, plenty of people must have seen the news online and rushed to the livestream, just waiting to see Su Huaiming make a fool of himself.
For once, Sun Siyuan was this considerate and thought of so much. He left the water and some food at the door, then took out his phone and sent Su Huaiming a message.
[Your Grandpa: .]
Only a second passed before his phone vibrated.
[Su Huaiming: ?]
Seeing that Su Huaiming was still conscious, Sun Siyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Still worried, he glanced at the closed door again before leaving, looking back every few steps.
The livestream camera clearly captured the scene.
[Is this really the Sun Siyuan with prince syndrome, who needs everyone to wait on him and has an unbeatable sharp tongue?!]
[This is the first time I've seen Sun Siyuan be so considerate. I'm so terrified I'm crawling all over the floor.]
[They're actually kind of shippable.]
[Su Huaiming might as well get together with Sun Siyuan. Sun Siyuan isn't as rich as the Fu family, but he's a rich second-generation heir and handsome too. His personality is a little awful, but compared with a greasy old man, he still has a lot going for him!]
[...Did Su Huaiming come on the variety show because he had his eye on Sun Siyuan and wanted to make him take over as the sucker?]
[!!! That makes a lot of sense. Sun Siyuan, run!]
[I just feel sorry for Xiao Xiao. I don't know if he can take this.]
[Xiao Xiao is watching TV. He probably doesn't know what happened.]