With Jiang Beinian acting like this, Zhao Xizhou suddenly looked much more pleasing to her.
Jiang Beinian's face went from red to white. He had not expected Chen Yi to tell Chu Xiyue even about this.
A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Yi's eyes as well. She had never told Chu Xiyue any of this, but since Chu Xiyue even knew about Jiang Beinian's plan, it was perfectly normal for her to know some other things too.
Chen Yi had not wanted anyone else to know about this before, but since Jiang Beinian had plotted against her, she did not need to save him any face.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Beinian spotted the dark camera aimed right at them. Pretending not to hear Chu Xiyue's remarks, he said to Chen Yi, "Yiyi, I think you've misunderstood me. Let's talk outside. Don't let people laugh at us here."
"I don't think this is a joke." Chen Yi folded her arms and sneered. "Let's clear things up right here. What's with today's Weibo trending topic?"
Jiang Beinian knew Chen Yi well. She looked delicate, but she was actually extremely strong-minded. Once she made a decision, she would not change it easily.
Jiang Beinian knew there was no peaceful end to this. Since that was the case—
Jiang Beinian's expression darkened. If so, then he would make Chen Yi's affair a settled fact right here.
Jiang Beinian took a deep breath, looking at Chen Yi with the expression of a man whose heart had been shattered by love. He played the role of a husband betrayed by his wife to perfection. "Yiyi, that's what I wanted to ask you. We've been together for nearly eight years. I never thought you saw me this way—"
Crack— A crisp sunflower seed shell split open, shattering the sorrowful atmosphere Jiang Beinian had created. He glared furiously in that direction.
Chu Xiyue was cracking sunflower seeds she had somehow procured, wearing the eager expression of someone watching a show. "Go on. Don't mind me."
As she spoke, she stuffed a handful of sunflower seeds into Li Fan'er's hand.
Li Fan'er hesitated, but ultimately joined the sunflower-seed-eating crowd.
The veins at Jiang Beinian's temples throbbed. He took a deep breath before his expression could crack.
He asked the Director for a phone. After thinking it over, the Director handed it to him.
Once the phone was turned on, Jiang Beinian found the photo on Weibo, enlarged it, and held it out before Chen Yi. Ignoring the incessant cracking of sunflower seeds beside him, he said, "I really did see this photo before. A paparazzo sent it to me and wanted hush money from me. But I thought the paparazzo had edited it. I've always trusted you."
"But now... I only want to ask you one thing. Is the person in this photo you?"
Chu Xiyue asked the system as well, "Where did Jiang Beinian get this photo?"
Chu Xiyue no longer suspected Chen Yi of cheating. She had assumed Jiang Beinian had someone fabricate the photo.
The system was also munching on electronic sunflower seeds. It took a moment to reply: [Not exactly. A paparazzo sent him this photo, along with another photo taken several minutes later, showing Chen Yi leaving the hotel alone. But that one was never released. Jiang Beinian knows Chen Yi didn't cheat.]
[He's asking this because he wants Chen Yi to admit that the woman in the photo is her. Once she admits it, she has no way to prove that she and the man in the photo were innocent. Then she'll be stuck carrying the blame for having an affair during marriage.]
And proving one's own innocence was difficult to begin with, unless there had been a third person present at the time.
[But Jiang Beinian's plan definitely won't work. The man in the photo is actually Chen Yi's cousin.]
Chen Yi glanced at the phone without any sign of panic. "The person in the photo is indeed me."
Jiang Beinian looked utterly incredulous.
Chen Yi glanced at him. "You clearly didn't look at the photo carefully. The man in it is my cousin."
Jiang Beinian did not believe her. He had met Chen Yi's cousins before. Looking hurt, he asked, "Are you still lying to me even now?"
"Jiang Beinian." Chen Yi looked at him coldly. "Open your damn eyes and look carefully. The man in the photo is my uncle's eldest son—my oldest cousin, who just returned from the United States."
Jiang Beinian looked at the phone screen. After Chen Yi said that, he vaguely remembered that she did seem to have such a cousin. They had met once at his and Chen Yi's wedding five years ago.
But several years had passed, and his memory was somewhat blurred. On top of that, Chen Yi's cousin had lost some weight since then, making him even harder to recognize.
Jiang Beinian's plan had never had any chance of succeeding from the start.
Jiang Beinian's expression changed several times. In the end, he took a deep breath and forced out a somewhat ugly smile. "So it was your cousin. Yiyi, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you."
Chen Yi gave Jiang Beinian a long look and smiled. "It's fine. As long as everything's clear."
Jiang Beinian let out a breath of relief, though for some reason, he still felt uneasy.
Chen Yi also borrowed her phone from the Director. The Director was relieved that the couple had not started fighting, though he also felt a little regretful.
The Director was relieved because it looked like the show could keep filming. He was regretful because the viewership might not be very high.
Only Chu Xiyue knew it was not over yet. Chen Yi's counterattack had only just begun.
Chen Yi lowered her head and typed out a statement on her phone. Less than ten minutes later, she tapped post.
@ChenYiV: Regarding the rumors circulating online recently that I had an affair during my marriage, I would like to make the following response:
1. The man in the photo is my cousin. After seeing him to the hotel that day, I left immediately. My cousin's wife was also with us. During my marriage, I have never done anything that violated either my marriage or morality. I hope netizens will follow this matter rationally and delete false statements. I will also entrust this matter to my lawyer and file lawsuits against those spreading rumors!
2. Mr. Jiang Beinian and I have known each other for eight years and have been married for five. During our marriage, Mr. Jiang Beinian failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and repeatedly maintained ambiguous relationships with multiple women. Our marriage has now reached its end, and we will be divorcing soon. When I decided to join this dating reality show with Mr. Jiang Beinian, I concealed this fact from my fans, viewers, and the production team. For that, I deeply apologize.