Ji Hanchuan's fans had already prepared for battle. They absolutely would not let anyone smear their idol or use this incident to leech off his popularity.
Ji Hanchuan had been lying low for two years. They had waited endlessly for new work and news from him, and what had they gotten? No new work, but instead he had been dragged into an ugly public feud.
How could their idol possibly have anything to do with some obscure, eighteenth-tier nobody!
But they had never expected the man himself to speak up.
"I support Shi Wei and Director Zhang."
The moment that statement went out, his fans were stunned.
What did their idol mean by that?
Some newer fans began to waver. Could Wang Jun'er have been telling the truth? Were Shi Wei's connections so powerful that even Ji Hanchuan would wade into these muddy waters?
Was Ji Hanchuan, the ice and snow atop the Heavenly Mountains, no better than this?
His longtime fans immediately took control.
"We don't know what happened yet, but if you're going to doubt even Ji Hanchuan, leave the group."
"I support Ji Hanchuan unconditionally, anyway!"
"You can always trust Brother Hanchuan. Anyone who doesn't can leave. I'm going to stand with him."
And so the insults in the comments were quickly buried.
The tide abruptly turned. Wang Jun'er panicked a little too and told Wang William to post the sympathy-baiting statement they had prepared.
Wang William: Thank you, everyone. My injuries hurt a lot, but with all your concern, I believe I'll recover. The net of heaven is vast; though its mesh is wide, nothing escapes it!
"Sis, are we really going to be okay?" Ever since seeing Ji Hanchuan's post, Wang William's hands had not stopped shaking. "Why don't you contact President Liu?"
Wang Jun'er thought that made sense. Who didn't have connections? Ji Hanchuan was just an ordinary actor, after all.
She called him, her voice sweet and charming. "Hello, Presi-"
"Stop calling me!" The voice on the other end was both irritable and terrified. "Wang Jun'er, you made this mess. Deal with it yourself!"
"What?"
Before Wang Jun'er could ask why, he hung up.
Panic suddenly swept over her. President Liu was her biggest backer. She owed her position as Billion Star's top actress entirely to him. He had even said he would divorce his wife and marry her. Why was he abandoning her now...
When Wang Jun'er called again, she had already been blocked. Her mind went blank, and she shook uncontrollably, as though the end of the world had come.
Ji Hanchuan's phone dinged.
"President Ji, it's taken care of. Liu An guaranteed he won't protect Wang Jun'er."
"Teacher Ji, what are you looking at?"
Shi Wei leaned over to look, but Ji Hanchuan put his phone away in time. "What's it to you?"
"Can't I take a peek?" Shi Wei had noticed Ji Hanchuan using his phone earlier. He definitely had more secrets.
"No," Ji Hanchuan said coolly.
Shi Wei: ...
Watching the way they interacted, Feng Wan frowned. "Mr. Shi, Wang William has spoken up again. What do you want to do next?"
"Teacher Ji helped me gain some fans, and we've got enough attention now. Next, I'll just upload the recording."
Shi Wei picked up his phone and posted.
Seeing that Ji Hanchuan had no intention of stopping him, Feng Wan grew increasingly bewildered. She had a strange feeling that Ji Hanchuan was letting Shi Wei do whatever he wanted.
"Shi Wei: Here's the truth. Anyone under eighteen, please listen with a parent."
Feng Wan looked at her phone, at a loss for words. This Shi Wei really did have a lot to say.
Still, ever the professional, she directed her subordinates to coordinate with Shi Wei and build momentum.
The situation reversed completely.
Once the recording was released, the internet erupted, and the app crashed for several minutes.
"Some top actress of Billion Star! She acted so pitiful in public, but this is what she's really like behind closed doors!"
"They made something that never even happened sound so filthy. Forget Shi Wei-even I want to hit them."
"Don't even get me started. Hearing a national-treasure director humiliated like that is sending my blood pressure through the roof."
"Damn! Wasn't Wang William supposed to be a wholesome young heartthrob? He sure sounds practiced at arranging hookups."
"I actually used to be a fan of those siblings. Can someone lend me some disinfectant to wash my eyes out?"
"Poor Shi Wei. He lost his parents, and they even mocked him for being an orphan."
"Get lost, Wang siblings! You're disgusting!"
Shi Wei glanced at the comments and lost interest. He looked up. Feng Wan was leading her team in managing public opinion online, while Ji Hanchuan was still on his phone.
He slumped limply in his chair. "Teacher Ji, I'm hungry."
"Feng Wan, order some food." Ji Hanchuan was still on his phone and did not look up.
Feng Wan nodded and asked him what he wanted to eat.
Shi Wei beat him to it and began listing dishes.
Feng Wan: ...
Once he finished, Shi Wei asked everyone, "What are you having?"
Everyone: So that whole long list was just for you?! Can that little body of yours hold it all?!
Only when the food finally arrived did they discover that Shi Wei could not only hold it all, but even had his eye on their meals.
Everyone guarded their food in unspoken agreement. Biting his chopsticks, Shi Wei shifted his gaze to what Ji Hanchuan was holding.
Ji Hanchuan: ...
But Shi Wei did not dare ask for Ji Hanchuan's food, so he could only hold back. "Teacher Ji, are we going back to the hotel tonight?"
"Don't we have a scene together tomorrow?" Ji Hanchuan raised his dark eyes and stared at him. "Planning to slack off?"
Oh-ho!
Now I remember. Tomorrow's going to be a great scene!
"I won't slack off, Teacher Ji." Shi Wei winked at Ji Hanchuan.
-I wonder if they'll use a real whip tomorrow or a fake one. Doesn't matter, though. Even if it's fake, I'll still whip Ji Hanchuan good and hard!
Ji Hanchuan: ...
This idiot is repaying me like this?
Feng Wan and the others stayed at the studio, ready in case Wang Jun'er and her side spread more rumors.
Shi Wei thanked them and used the red packet money Mo Xingyu had sent him to order them a lavish late-night meal.
He could not help marveling inwardly that, as expected of Ji Hanchuan's team, they really were professional and dedicated. No wonder Ji Hanchuan's career had been smooth sailing and he had become an unrivaled top star.
It was late at night, and the car traveled steadily through the bustling city.
Shi Wei turned to look at him.
Streetlights and neon lights fell across Ji Hanchuan's sharply defined face, giving it a strangely dreamlike quality.
It was as though he was not real.
A streak of crimson light from outside suddenly fell across Ji Hanchuan's lips.
Shi Wei's face instantly heated, and he hastily turned away.
Fuck, I almost forgot about that.
The moment they reached the hotel, Shi Wei rushed into the elevator with his head down. Seeing Ji Hanchuan approaching, he jabbed at the button, and the elevator doors closed just before Ji Hanchuan reached him.
Ji Hanchuan: ?
After his shower, Shi Wei scrolled through his phone and came across another trending topic.
It turned out that the official account for "Calming the Wind and Waves" had come online and explained why Shi Wei had gotten the role.
Lavishly praised, Shi Wei grew happier the more he read, his tail practically sticking straight up.
Then he saw a passage-
At the audition, both Director Zhang Zixiang and Mr. Ji Hanchuan thought highly of Shi Wei's acting...
Huh?
At the audition?
Ji Hanchuan was there that day too?!
Shi Wei heard a buzzing in his head.
He sprang to his feet and rushed out the door.
Seeing that the elevator would take ages, he simply found the stairs and ran up.
When he finally arrived, Shi Wei pounded on the door with his fist.
Bang, bang, bang!
The door opened. Wearing a bathrobe, Ji Hanchuan sounded a little impatient. "What do you want now?"