"Qianqian, come here, quick. I can't explain this anymore."
Seeing Qianqian arrive, her boyfriend let out a huge sigh of relief, stepped forward, and took her hand.
In a glance no one noticed, his eyes were full of threats.
"When we were hiking just now, I made an embarrassing mistake. It was all my fault. I remembered the last time we went hiking and camping together..."
With her boyfriend holding her hand, Qianqian looked toward Song Lan. "Teacher Song, I saw those trending topics on Weibo on the way here. You really misunderstood my boyfriend. He just likes Teacher Song, the way an ordinary fan likes their idol.
"He really didn't have any indecent thoughts about Teacher Song.
"Um, it must have been pure coincidence."
"Didn't Jiang Mingxi come back with you?" Song Lan didn't respond to Qianqian, only asked Zhao Jiayuan.
"Oh, something came up along the way, so he went back to his room first," Zhao Jiayuan replied.
Song Lan felt as though someone had squeezed his heart.
Everyone else had come here.
Something had come up, so Jiang Mingxi had gone back to his room?
He wasn't unreasonable. He knew everyone had their own things to do, and no one had to revolve around him.
But...
Letting out a frustrated breath, Song Lan looked at Qianqian and said bluntly, "He's a gay man trying to trick you into marriage."
Qianqian's boyfriend stood there with an ugly look on his face, bit his lip, and said nothing.
Qianqian's eyes were full of guilt. "I'm really sorry for frightening Teacher Song, but you really misunderstood him. He admires Teacher Song so much. It was his first time hiking with you, and he was so excited that he hugged you. Then, while hugging you, he thought of me, so..."
Seeing how devotedly Qianqian defended him, Song Lan didn't want to say another word.
He waved a hand.
"Whatever."
He got up and walked out.
He was going back to see just what important business had sent Jiang Mingxi back to his room!
It had better be important!
Seeing Song Lan leave, Qianqian's boyfriend looked at the director. "Could the production team issue a statement clearing things up for me? Everything that happened today was caused by a misunderstanding, but all that stuff online is seriously damaging my reputation."
Chen Chong sneered. "You know perfectly well whether it was a misunderstanding. If your girlfriend is willing to whitewash things for you, that's between the two of you. You'd better pray Song Lan doesn't change his mind and decide to pursue this.
"Otherwise, you won't just be dealing with some unpleasant truths online."
The director was furious too. "You want me to issue a statement explaining things for you? Explain what? Explain that Song Lan falsely accused you on the livestream?
"If we clear your name, what does that make everything he said?
"Get lost while he's still willing to let this go. Don't push your luck!"
Qianqian's boyfriend was met with a torrent of scolding.
He couldn't save face.
But he also knew Chen Chong and the director were right.
If Song Lan really pursued this and accused him of sexual harassment, he couldn't bear the consequences.
He could only pull Qianqian away with him.
Because of the livestream promoting the mountain behind Bridgehead Village, many tourists had come to the mountain behind Bridgehead Village today.
Many of them had watched the livestream and knew why it had been interrupted. Quite a few were blocking the village entrance in righteous indignation.
Qianqian's boyfriend didn't dare leave through the village entrance, so he could only take her around the back of the village.
When they reached a deserted spot, he raised his hand and slapped Qianqian across the face.
"Fucking bitch! You cheap whore! Get on your knees!"
The sudden slap sent Qianqian staggering. At the words "get on your knees," she dropped to her knees with a thud, reflexively.
The man vented all his fury on Qianqian.
He kicked her right in the face.
"Bitch! You can't do anything right, only fuck things up! You ruined my plans. I'll beat you to death!"
The kick sent blood spurting from Qianqian's nose.
He showed no intention of stopping. Undoing his belt, he said, "Ruining my plans, huh? Get over here and..."
Before he could get that word out.
He suddenly caught sight of a figure not far away out of the corner of his eye.
He immediately turned to look.
"Jiang Mingxi?" Jealous fury instantly flared in Qianqian's boyfriend's eyes.
Why did Jiang Mingxi get to hug Song Lan!
That bitch had even shamelessly said on the show that he liked Song Lan!
How was a bitch like that worthy of liking Song Lan!
Malicious anger surged up inside him. He fastened his belt and strode toward Jiang Mingxi.
Qianqian froze.
Why had he stopped hitting her?
Usually, whenever something upset him, he would punch and kick her for at least an hour.
He wouldn't stop until he was too exhausted to keep hitting her.
Why had he today...
Seeing him leave, Qianqian turned to look in the direction he was heading.
Suddenly.
Her pupils trembled violently.
Why was Jiang Mingxi here?
Qianqian scrambled to her feet and grabbed her boyfriend. "Don't..."
Her boyfriend flung her aside and threatened, "Bitch, you've already ruined things for me once. We'll settle that score when we get back. If you dare ruin things for me again..."
His sinister tone made Qianqian shudder with fright.
As they spoke, Jiang Mingxi had already come closer.
Holding a flower, Jiang Mingxi looked at the two of them in surprise. "Huh? What are you doing here? Hmm? Qianqian, what happened to your face?"
Qianqian desperately wanted Jiang Mingxi to leave quickly. "You..."
But Jiang Mingxi only glanced at her before looking away and smiling at her boyfriend. "I went to pick a flower for Teacher Song. I said I'd pursue Teacher Song, so I have to give him flowers every day."
Qianqian's boyfriend stared darkly at Jiang Mingxi. "Trash like you thinks you're worthy of pursuing Song Lan?"
Jiang Mingxi's expression darkened. "How can you talk like that? Why am I not worthy? Not only can I pursue him, I slept with Teacher Song yesterday. He even put medicine on me, in that sort of place. Every time he applied it, Teacher Song asked me if it hurt."
Slept together.
Applied medicine.
That sort of place.
Did it hurt?
Qianqian's boyfriend was Song Lan's deranged, obsessive fan, and those words provoked him.
Seeing that no one was around, he suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Jiang Mingxi by the collar.
Jiang Mingxi immediately cried out in alarm. "What are you doing? You..."
Qianqian's boyfriend raised a hand and covered Jiang Mingxi's mouth.
Struggling, Jiang Mingxi bit down hard on his finger. "Let go of me! What business is it of yours if I'm with Teacher Song? Don't tell me you like Teacher Song too? Hah! Teacher Song would never be interested in scum like you who tricks women into becoming gay men's wives."
Qianqian's boyfriend raised his hand and slapped Jiang Mingxi.
"Shut up, bitch!
"You don't get to decide whether Song Lan would be interested in me.
"But you want to use that face to seduce Song Lan?
"Today, I'll show you what happens when you seduce men!"
He dragged Jiang Mingxi toward the nearby bushes.
Once inside the bushes, he reached out and tugged at Jiang Mingxi's pants. "Seducing men, huh? I'll teach you to seduce men!"
Jiang Mingxi screamed in terror. "You're going to rape me! Let go! Don't! Sexually harassing Song Lan today wasn't enough for you? Now you're coming after me too?"
Qianqian's boyfriend sneered. "No one will save you, even if you scream yourself hoarse!"