Page 16
This is insane, Xie Tingsi thought when he saw the Trending Search.
He knew the entertainment industry was absurd. He had never imagined it could get this crazy.
He was no stranger to the Trending Search, but he had never expected to end up on it with his brother because of a fabricated scandal.
He had dragged his brother into this. Frustration and guilt surged through him, and he could hardly face him.
"Eldest Brother, I'm sorry."
If he had held back his temper that day—or at least not gone drinking and made his brother pick him up—none of this would have happened.
"I'll clear it up right now."
Seeing his brother so crushed, Xie Zhiyu's gaze sharpened. "Xie Tingsi, lift your head."
Xie Tingsi wiped his tears and raised his head a little, but he still did not dare meet Xie Zhiyu's eyes.
Xie Zhiyu asked, "What did you do wrong?"
"I... I nearly ruined your rep... reputation, and now you're getting attacked because of me."
Xie Zhiyu's mind was clear, his voice calm. "Did you take those photos? Did you write that story? Were you the one hurling those insults?"
Xie Tingsi shook his head. "No."
"You didn't do any of it. So what did you do wrong?"
Xie Tingsi froze. Through his tears, he could only make out his brother's handsome face in a blur. "I... I didn't do anything wrong," he said between sobs.
"That's right. You didn't."
"Wipe your tears." Xie Zhiyu tossed him a handkerchief. "You're an ugly crier."
Xie Tingsi stopped crying at once.
Xie Zhiyu patted him on the shoulder. "I trust you to handle this."
Xie Tingsi nodded hard and said thickly, "Yeah. I can handle it."
"Good. Get some rest."
He took the indoor elevator upstairs, thought for a moment, then sent his assistant a message.
Xie Zhiyu trusted his brother to handle the Trending Search and was content to leave it to him.
But the timing was too convenient. Xie Zhiyu wanted to know whether it was a coincidence or someone's scheme.
He needed to get to the bottom of it.
***Xie Tingsi's approach was simple, blunt, and effective. He made two Weibo posts: one to set the record straight, and one to announce he was suing the paparazzi.
Xie Tingsi V: Are you out of your minds? That's my brother. My biological brother!
Xie Tingsi V: @Fishy Media If you're blind, get your eyes checked. And spreading false rumors is illegal. My lawyer will be in touch :)
Weibo erupted again.
[What a twist! He doesn't hold back!]
[Hahahaha, bet you feel stupid now. They're biological brothers!]
[The paparazzi are disgusting, making up fake news and spreading it around.]
[Ahem. His older brother is quite the looker too.]
[Eldest Brother, any thoughts on entering showbiz? Ahem. That figure puts male celebrities to shame.]
[If the younger brother's this handsome, the older brother must be too.]
[The genes in Xie Tingsi's family are incredible. Both brothers have killer looks and figures.]
[I nearly started shipping actual brothers. Pulled myself back from the brink.]
[Those paparazzi are seriously unhinged. Even a gold miner couldn't dig up that much crazy.]
[He cleared things up so fast, and he's not backing down. I love it.]
[I'm done for. I've fallen for two men.]
[Hey, you and your brother should do a variety show together. I'd watch it, hahaha.]
As soon as Xie Tingsi posted his clarification, he contacted his agent and lawyer.
He would not settle. Whoever had spread those lies could go sit in a jail cell.
Once that was done, his agent told him the PR team would keep an eye on things and urged him to sleep early to take good care of that face of his.
Xie Tingsi listened, but only partly.
With a sheet mask on, he patrolled the comments from an alternate account. Whenever he saw someone attacking his brother, he reported them and sometimes fired back himself.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
Hungry in the middle of the night, Shen Baili went to the kitchen for something to eat. When she caught sight of a face reflecting white light in the dark, Xie Tingsi nearly scared her soul out of her body.
"Why are you still awake?" Shen Baili patted her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart.
Xie Tingsi had been startled too. "Oh my god. I thought I'd run into Sadako."
"Why are you up so late?"
"...I'm hungry," Shen Baili answered honestly.
Xie Tingsi said wickedly, "You weren't staying up playing games, were you? Maybe I should tell your mom."
Shen Baili picked up her cake. "I wasn't. I'm going upstairs."
There was no fun in teasing her now. "You're such a boring kid."
Shen Baili smiled and whispered like a little devil, "Second Brother, is that a pimple?"
Xie Tingsi: "!!!"
Even as Shen Baili went upstairs, she could still hear Xie Tingsi muttering in disbelief.
She laughed wildly to herself.
Mess with me, and you've picked the wrong person.
****September arrived, and school began. Shen Baili put on her backpack and headed off to high school.
Her wound had mostly healed. As long as she avoided strenuous exercise, she could run and jump normally.
Haicheng No. 1 High School was not far from the Xie Residence, about forty minutes away by car.
Shen Baili chose to commute. Shen Wan arranged a car and driver whose sole job was to take her to school each day.
On the first day of school, Shen Wan got up early, ate breakfast with Shen Baili, and prepared to see her off.
"Uncle Xie, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I'm off to school." She waved goodbye happily and left holding her mother's hand.
Xie Tingsi did not get it. "Has that girl lost her mind? What's so exciting about school starting?"
For him, going to school every day had felt like trudging to his own funeral.
Xie Chengyue said evenly, "Suìsuì loves studying. Not everyone nods off the moment they touch a textbook like you do."
A faint smile touched Xie Zhiyu's lips. "Yes. She really does work hard."
Every night when he came home, the light in Shen Baili's room was still on.
"Who's Suìsuì?"
Xie Chengyue: "..."
"It's her nickname," Xie Zhiyu explained.
"Little Pear Blossom sounds better. That's what I'm calling her," Xie Tingsi said.
For once, Xie Zhiyu disagreed with him. "Suìsuì sounds better."
Peace for Suìsuì. What a lovely wish.