On the day Nan Qing's new magazine went on sale, he received news of Bai Ruanruan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
His name was listed at number 1 on the trending search list, along with Xi Juan's, followed by a huge "explosive" tag.
Nan Qing was somewhat surprised, but clicked on it.
It was a paparazzi's candid shot. The curtains, not fully drawn at night, reflected the shadows of Bai Ruanruan and Xi Juan. The curtains swayed, revealing Bai Ruanruan's profile and half a shoulder. Xi Juan's discarded coat was draped over a chair not far away.
The scene shifts again, showing Xi Juan and Bai Ruanruan emerging from the hotel eight hours later.
Unlike Xi Juan, who looked exhausted and even walked with an odd gait, Bai Ruanruan, who came out half an hour later, looked radiant and even laughed while on the phone.
The headline of the exposé was also quite sensational.
[ Film Emperor Xi engages in a fierce battle with Bai Ruanruan; what's with all this coming and going?!]
They were filming a scene between the parents in the drama. Nan Qing sat on a small stool, waiting for her scene while scrolling through her phone and eating gossip.
The staff members nearby were also very excited, and most of them were discussing this topic.
"My second aunt's older sister's daughter works at this hotel, and they said Bai Ruanruan delivered to her several times!"
"I've always thought this 'Brother Life' is pretty flamboyant, really, I'm definitely not a hater, I've disliked him for a long time!"
" Brother Life is really lucky. Now that he's hooked up with Xi Juan, he's just waiting to be promoted!"
"Holy crap! My aunt really likes Xi Juan! How could Xi Juan be this kind of person? Didn't he always claim to be virtuous and clean? He's still hooking up with random people in the industry?"
"They weren't just randomly meeting up, okay? My second aunt's older sister's daughter said it herself, last night Xi Juan was seen taking Bai Ruanruan up the elevator with his Xi Juan, they were very intimate!"
The more they talked, the more excited Nan Qing became, and the more surprised she became.
The revelations on Weibo, and even the detailed investigation into the entanglement between the two, including the accessories they wore together, and even the half of "Hello, World" they recorded at Mount Pingqiao were dug up and analyzed frame by frame.
For example, Xi Juan in the picture appears to be speaking to himself, but his body language and actions are leaning towards Bai Ruanruan.
For example, when they had lunch together, Bai Ruanruan looked at Xi Juan with affection in her eyes, and Xi Juan smiled back at her.
The lingering music, coupled with pink bubble sound effects, makes one's imagination run wild.
"The hotel's security camera footage isn't supposed to be shared, but I'll secretly show you a glimpse. Don't take any pictures!"
Holy crap!!!
Several heads huddled together, extremely excited:
"Xi Juan really took the initiative!!!"
Nan Qing was somewhat suspicious. He glanced at the video screenshots the other party showed him, and his pupils instantly widened in shock.
In the scene, Xi Juan tightly hugs Bai Ruanruan's waist and lowers his head to kiss her.
Although it's unclear whether they actually kissed, their relationship is undoubtedly very close.
Their relationship was quite strained not long ago; in fact, judging from Xi Juan's attitude, he even seemed to dislike Bai Ruanruan.
When exactly did they become so close?
Nan Qing felt a little flustered and gripped her phone tightly.
Xi Juan is with Bai Ruanruan or not is actually not something he cares about.
But he was a little scared, scared that Bai Ruanruan, the innocent protagonist of this world, had already begun to exert her irresistible charm.
I fear that everything in this world will spiral out of control, that all the plots will return to square one, and that Huo Yuzhou will face an irreversible end.
"Teacher Nan Qing-- "
Nan Qing paused for a second, then suddenly came to her senses.
The young actress who played the pork butcher in the movie held up her phone and waved it at him in a friendly gesture.
Did you accidentally drop it?!
Nan Qing looked down and saw that he had indeed liked the post at some point, making the comments section on the forum even more lively.
"Hilarious! Nan Qing is such a freeloader!"
"Is she jealous? But our little angel Ruanruan is Teacher Xi's true love! There's nothing you can do about some people no matter how angry they are!"
"Sigh, back then, Xi Juan was so attentive to Nan Qing, calling her 'Eldest Miss,' and I was totally smitten. I even checked in on her supertopic every day. In the end, I was wrong!"
"It's all just hype."
"So Xi Juan is outwardly pursuing Nan Qing, but secretly sleeping with Bai Ruanruan, especially since these two were previously in a relationship of being the real and fake young masters, won't they be secretly fighting?"
Doesn't anyone think Xi Juan is a jerk?
" Nan Qing is no good either, stop washing him!"
"What are you shippers doing? Nan Qing already said she has a boyfriend and hasn't paid any attention to Xi Juan Xi Juan. It was Xi Juan who was the one who clung to her, okay? Now that you're breaking up the couple, you're throwing mud at Nan Qing to 'purify' her image. How disgusting!"
"What are you all arguing about? Isn't the reason for this incident because Nan Qing deliberately liked the post at this time?"
Nan Qing had just canceled the accidental like and was hesitating whether to explain when a phone call came in.
As soon as Nan Qing answered the call, Xi Juan's voice came through, the atmosphere extremely tense:
" Qingqing, please let me explain. Nothing really happened between him and me—"
"Teacher Nan Qing, the director is calling you!"
Nan Qing nodded to the other party, then turned to the person on the phone and said,
"Actually, you don't need to explain to me. Everyone has their own life."
Xi Juan of the phone, sounded agitated, staring at his bloodied thigh.
" Qingqing, I promise you, my mind was a mess last night, but nothing really happened between him and me. Can you believe me?"
Nan Qing had a feeling that something was wrong with Xi Juan right now. The two had known each other for many years, and Xi Juan had always been carefree and irresponsible, like a peacock showing off everywhere. But the voice coming from the other end of the phone right now sounded like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
The director was already urging them, Nan Qing responded softly, speaking into the phone:
"I believe you. Don't worry, you don't seem to be in a good mood right now. You can contact your assistant first."
"I have something to do, I'll hang up now. We can talk later."
Nan Qing was completely focused on filming. After finishing his scene, he listened to the director's instructions and then took the water from his assistant's cup.
It was already evening, and the crew began serving meals.
Nan Qing doesn't eat with the crew, Huo Yuzhou hired a nutritionist for him, and his meals are prepared by a specialist.
He got into the RV and was about to call Huo Yuzhou when a new message popped up on his phone from Bai Ruanruan:
" Nan Qing, I will make you see with your own eyes that I will take back everything that belongs to me."
Nan Qing frowned slightly, just as a new message popped up on Weibo from Xi Juan, who had Xi Juan him two hours earlier.
" Xi Juan V: He's my lover, the only leading man in my life @Bai Ruanruan "