Married in a Daze - Chapter 53
Chapter 53
After obtaining the video, He Shuangshuang contacted Lu Ruyun. Because it was too late, she didn't go to Lu Ruyun's apartment, only reporting the situation over the phone.
Although the video had been obtained, the person who took the photo was completely covered up. Figuring out who it was would take time.
Lu Ruyun answered the call and glanced at Qin Zhenzhen, who was already lightly dozing on the sofa. She lowered her eyes and said, "Okay, I understand."
He Shuangshuang thought for a moment and said, "Otherwise, should I call Yaoyao and ask her to get Qiuhan to look into it?"
"No need." Lu Ruyun rejected her suggestion. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and leaned against the arm of the sofa. "Go investigate first. If we can't find anything, we'll talk about other options then."
He Shuangshuang had no choice but to agree. "Okay."
Lu Ruyun hung up the phone and noticed a message notification. She opened it; it was a message from Zhang Yiyao.
—Ruyun, I asked Dr. Ding. He said you've been weak recently and need to nourish yourself properly. Tomorrow, at Qiuhan's set, I've prepared several nourishing soups for you. I'm going to watch you finish them.
This message was followed by two threatening stickers. Lu Ruyun's initially straight lips curled up slightly. She replied: No need, I'm on leave tomorrow.
Zhang Yiyao replied quickly: What's wrong? Are you still feeling unwell somewhere?
Lu Ruyun: No. I've been tired for a long time, want to rest for a couple of days.
Zhang Yiyao: Then, how about I come over to your place tomorrow?
Lu Ruyun subconsciously looked at Qin Zhenzhen. She didn't mind Yaoyao coming over, but Qin Zhenzhen's mood lately was definitely not good. She probably wouldn't want to see anyone else.
Her finger rested on the touchscreen. After thinking, she replied: Not necessary. I'll be on set in a couple of days. We'll see each other then.
After sending the message, she placed her phone on the coffee table and turned to look at Qin Zhenzhen, who was already resting on the other side. The online criticism had reached its peak. Seven out of ten current trending searches mentioned her name. The implication in Director Zheng Shaoyuan's Weibo post was too obvious.
The internet was the best place for public opinion to spread. After one night, Qin Zhenzhen had reached the stage of being condemned by everyone online, even surpassing the assault incident from half a year ago.
Netizens who were just watching the drama speculated endlessly about what excuse Qin Zhenzhen would use to muddle through this time.
They started brainstorming excuses, utterly unafraid of making the situation worse.
—I think Qin Zhenzhen's statement will probably say this: The marriage of convenience is fake. Teacher Lu and I are truly in love. As for Director Zheng's exposé, it has nothing to do with me.
—Hahaha, exactly the same as what I thought! Acknowledge the marriage, deny the sleeping-your-way-up.
—Aren't you guys annoying? Like this, the statement Qin Zhenzhen's team came up with last night will have to be scrapped again! Also, that marriage of convenience thing really can't be whitewashed. I've never seen newlyweds who don't live together.
—Can you guys wait until Zhenzhen and Teacher Lu issue their statement before mocking and hurling abuse? It's always like this. You eat half a piece of gossip and think you know the whole story. What's the difference between you guys and tabloid reporters? Masters of seizing on shadows!
—Oho, here come the people whitewashing for Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun. Your masters still haven't figured out a statement yet? If there's nothing to it, why hasn't a statement been issued after so long? Isn't it just a matter of one or two sentences? Or is it simply that you can't prove it wasn't a marriage of convenience, or prove you didn't sleep your way to the top?
Weibo was in an uproar, while Zheng Shaoyuan reaped both fame and fans. His Weibo gained over four hundred thousand followers overnight, more attention-grabbing than making a movie.
The next day, as dawn broke and people were still eating melons and fighting on Weibo, he opened Weibo again, tapped on the screen, and posted.
@Zheng Shaoyuan: Thank you for your support. After posting that Weibo yesterday, many friends advised me to delete it, saying I was being too harsh. Actually, whether inside or outside the circle, I've always felt that saving face is a small matter, but character is a big one. This circle is complicated, but it's also muddied by those with ulterior motives. In my book, I absolutely will not allow one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. When I choose actors, character and acting skills are equally important. Looks are secondary. Some people, don't think just because you're good-looking and act coquettishly, everyone will indulge you. Sorry, true beauty lies in the bones, not the skin. In my eyes, you don't count as a beauty.
This post of his was like throwing fuel on the already blazing fire, causing it to boil over instantly. Countless netizens and fans immediately rushed to take his side.
—I'm going crazy for Director Zheng! Help, I'm falling for such a righteous man! A breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry!
—In contrast to a certain other director... truly a breath of fresh air. Wasn't there a director recently exposed for being involved with an actress? Let him see what a director with morals looks like!
—A beacon in the circle, a lucky star for film! I hope there are fewer and fewer who rise through casting couch tactics, and more directors like Director Zheng.
—What beauty? Are there no beauties left in the entertainment industry? Someone like Qin Zhenzhen is called a beauty?
—Well, although you praising Zheng Shaoyuan isn't wrong, in all fairness, Qin Zhenzhen really does qualify as a beauty. And she's one of the few natural beauties currently in the circle.
—Get lost, you whitewashing dogs!
Everyone rushed to Zheng Shaoyuan's Weibo to praise him. By six o'clock, as the sky brightened, the trending searches were all about Zheng Shaoyuan and Qin Zhenzhen's name.
Commenting on a certain actress's poor character, hinting that a certain actress slept with someone for a new role... Qin Zhenzhen's Weibo was flooded.
Meng Xin had been busy all night. Just as she finished and refreshed Weibo, she saw this trending topic. She was so angry she didn't even want to catch up on sleep. Originally, she had thought about resting for two hours before continuing the fight, but now she was brimming with energy, wishing she could rush in front of Zheng Shaoyuan and slap his face right now.
But she was an adult and had to resolve things in an adult way.
With a haggard face, she stared at the screen. Her assistant knocked and came in, saying, "Sister Meng, the director wants to see you."
Meng Xin looked up, dark circles hanging under her eyes. She nodded. "I know. In a bit."
She stood up, brushed back her long hair, and walked to the bathroom to wash up. Seeing her disheveled appearance in the mirror, she couldn't help but yawn. By the time the assistant saw her come out of the bathroom, she looked radiant again.
Her long hair was neatly combed and pinned up. Her makeup was exquisite, the dark circles completely concealed. There was no trace of last night's all-nighter. She had even changed her clothes.
The assistant saw her emerge in such a short time, as if she had become a different person. She understood implicitly. "Sister Meng, what do you need me to do?"
Meng Xin walked as she spoke. "Just cheer me on."
The little assistant was confused. "Huh?"
Meng Xin walked into the director's office.
Half an hour later, a statement was issued. It was issued in the company's name: Recently, there have been online discussions regarding the marriage of convenience involving our company's artist. Our company states clearly, once and for all, that no such marriage of convenience exists. This is a fabrication and has already had an extremely adverse impact on our artist. We will address this through legal means. Additionally, there are individuals riding on the popularity by making baseless statements. We hereby issue a warning. If this gentleman does not delete his Weibo post and apologize, we will also take measures.
The statement referred to "this gentleman," corresponding to Zheng Shaoyuan.
Because Zheng Shaoyuan never mentioned Qin Zhenzhen's name from start to finish, they couldn't use his name either and risk giving people something to criticize. But anyone with eyes could see it was about Zheng Shaoyuan.
In the director's office, Director Shen looked at the statement just issued, his brows furrowed, eyes filled with confusion. "That's it?"
"This is your plan for handling this matter?"
This flimsy statement had no persuasive power. Forget netizens, even he wasn't convinced. He issued these kinds of meaningless statements who knows how many times a year!
Seeing his temper flare, Meng Xin soothed him. "Of course not. This statement is just the fuse."
Director Shen glanced at her sideways. "The fuse?"
Meng Xin nodded. "This matter has blown up so much. We need to single someone out."
It just so happened that Zheng Shaoyuan was the one who put himself right in the line of fire. Originally, she had been thinking about how to connect Zheng Shaoyuan to this marriage of convenience scandal. Who knew, before she could do anything, this person was so proactive.
He delivered himself.
Then of course she had to use him.
Seeing her confident expression, Director Shen relaxed. "Handle it well. The higher-ups are very concerned about this."
Because if this matter of Qin Zhenzhen sleeping with a director wasn't handled properly, it wouldn't just be a scandal within the industry, but a scandal for their company as well. Meng Xin understood his meaning. "Director, I will handle it well."
Director Shen tapped his fingers on the computer desk. "Go out first."
Meng Xin lowered her head and walked out.
Back in her own office, she turned on the computer. Indeed, as Director Shen had said, this light statement hadn't had any effect. It even showed signs of backfiring.
—Tsk, what did I say? The marriage is real, the sleeping-around is fake. Qin Zhenzhen can hire me for her PR team. Look at this statement, what kind of rubbish is this?
—Hahaha, and asking someone to delete their post and apologize? Am I seeing this right? Where's your face?
—What face? You don't even have an ass anymore, what do you need face for!
—I'm just sitting here waiting today! Let's see if Director Zheng deletes his post, and also see what these "measures" from Qin Zhenzhen are!
The little assistant saw Meng Xin return and didn't dare speak, just shrinking her neck and standing there, afraid Meng Xin would lose her temper after being angered by the people online.
After a few minutes, the office phone rang abruptly. The little assistant was startled and hurried forward to answer. "Hello."
The voice on the other end was Qin Zhenzhen's. "Is Sister Meng there?"
"Sister Meng is handling..." The little assistant peeked at Meng Xin. Seeing Meng Xin ask who it was, she mouthed 'Zhenzhen'. Meng Xin took the phone from her. "Zhenzhen, it's me."
Qin Zhenzhen bit her lip. "Sister Meng, didn't you say you were going to leak that photo?"
"Don't worry, I've already asked someone to handle the photo. Right now, we just need to handle the other matters. Any news from He Shuangshuang?"
When Qin Zhenzhen woke up, she heard Lu Ruyun say they had the video. He Shuangshuang had also sent it to them, but the person taking the photo was wrapped in black clothes and a black hat, completely unrecognizable. Meng Xin hesitated for a few seconds. "Send the video to me."
"Okay."
Qin Zhenzhen hung up and sent the video to Meng Xin. There was no news until noon.
Four hours had passed since the statement was issued. The online controversy continued unabated. Zheng Shaoyuan's Weibo was still the top trending search. More and more netizens flooded to his Weibo to praise him for daring to expose the truth directly, unafraid of attacks and abuse from brain-dead fans, and unafraid of the forces behind Qin Zhenzhen. He was a righteous director.
With more and more of such comments, he began to get carried away. The screen full of praise greatly satisfied him. When he saw an ID repeatedly commenting, saying the entertainment industry needed directors like him, strongly supporting him, and hoping he would refuse to give Qin Zhenzhen any resources in the future, he replied.
—Thank you for the support. In the future, I will absolutely not give Qin Zhenzhen any resources at all.
This message was like a stone thrown into water, immediately creating countless ripples.
Netizens who had been guessing before now saw: no need to guess anymore, it was Qin Zhenzhen. Zheng Shaoyuan didn't even use "Miss Qin" anymore, directly using her full name.
His action was interpreted by fans and netizens as a reaction to Qin Zhenzhen's morning statement, which asked him to apologize and delete his post. He was so angry he just let it out.
This action of his earned him another wave of praise. Unfortunately, he deleted this comment just a few seconds after posting it, saying he thought it was inappropriate.
Meng Xin saw the Weibo notification on her computer, smiled faintly, and took a screenshot of the reply.
The online frenzy continued. Meng Xin logged into the work account and started posting on Weibo.
@Zhenzhen's Manager: Mr. Zheng Shaoyuan, in your previous Weibo post you said that whether inside or outside the circle, saving face is a small matter, but character is a big one. This circle is complicated, but it's also muddied by those with ulterior motives. In your place, you absolutely will not allow one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. We didn't issue a statement earlier because we thought someone as righteous as you wouldn't slander an actress indiscriminately. But we were wrong. There are limits to how low people can go. And you, sir, have none. [Attached Image]
The image was precisely the deleted comment from before. Meng Xin's statement was a direct confrontation, without any insinuations, a barefaced personal attack. Not only did she mention Zheng Shaoyuan's name directly on Weibo, but she also @'ed Zheng Shaoyuan's Weibo account, completely unafraid.
The netizens who had just been eating melons and mocking were now confused. What did this mean? Was there another big melon?
They stuck around, some commenting that they couldn't go to work with peace of mind without finishing this melon. Several of the top comments were just trying to be clever. Originally, with their preconceived notion that Qin Zhenzhen wanted to sleep with Zheng Shaoyuan, their comments were naturally biased, overwhelmingly leaning towards Zheng Shaoyuan.
However, Zheng Shaoyuan didn't issue another statement, nor did he delete his post. Letting the online noise rage on, he remained silent.
This made some of the previously abusive netizens feel a bit guilty, but after all, not speaking up didn't mean the sleeping-around didn't happen, so they still firmly believed their own views, even going to attack Meng Xin under her work account.
As both sides remained in a stalemate, Meng Xin posted a second Weibo, again @'ing Zheng Shaoyuan.
@Zhenzhen's Manager: Mr. Zheng, you may not be aware of our company's procedures. Our company absolutely does not allow the kind of situation you described to occur. Resources are obtained based on acting skills; there is no such sordid phenomenon. Also, I forgot to mention something earlier. Our previous phone conversations were recorded. I've already found parts of the recordings. Additionally, this video should be familiar to you. [Recording Link] [Recording Link] [Video].
This video was the one Meng Xin started recording after she sensed something wrong in the private room, excerpting the latter part. This method, while not highly sophisticated, was sometimes very useful, for instance now, when dealing with scoundrels.
If Zheng Shaoyuan hadn't tried to bring down Zhenzhen, hadn't used Wei An to tie her down, hadn't participated in this incident, based on the industry's unwritten rules, she wouldn't have exposed this video.
But since Zheng Shaoyuan made the first move, don't blame her for retaliating.
The recording was short: "Miss Meng, are you free tomorrow? Regarding the movie, I'd like to discuss it with you further."
"—Okay, I'll follow your arrangements."
"—Also, have Miss Qin come as well. If there are no other objections, we'll sign the contract."
"—Okay."
The recording showed the two having a pleasant, mutually agreeable conversation. But the video told a different story.
The video was taken in an elevator. The picture wasn't very clear, but the people were barely recognizable. Qin Zhenzhen was standing next to Zheng Shaoyuan.
A man's voice said: "Really? Not busy?"
"Of course not busy!"
The man said: "Not busy? Then how about we change locations and have a chat?"
"I've booked a room on the top floor. If Miss Qin is free, come up for a while. Being busy or not isn't just something you say with your mouth."
After the man finished speaking, he looked at Zheng Shaoyuan. Zheng Shaoyuan hurriedly said: "Miss Qin, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank President Wang."
In the video, Qin Zhenzhen looked up. "I don't know how to give thanks, but I do know how to apologize."
"I'm sorry, but I think I'm still not qualified for Director Zheng's new show!"
Then came Zheng Shaoyuan's roar: "Qin Zhenzhen! What are you doing? President Wang inviting you up is giving you face! Don't be so ungrateful! Hurry up and apologize to President Wang!"
"Meng Xin! Is this the good person you brought? Don't you regret this! Meng Xin! I remember you! Let me tell you! Don't even think about getting any resources anymore!"
This sentence was shouted loudly due to the rage, coupled with his distorted face, it was terrifying.
People on Weibo who were waiting for Zheng Shaoyuan to post saw Meng Xin's new post and hurried over. Just as they were preparing to sneer a couple of lines, after listening to the recording and watching the video, they all fell silent.
A long time later, someone finally commented: Fucking Zheng Shaoyuan! What a righteous director! Shameless! Did you enjoy sucking people's blood? My Zhenzhen is so magnificent and badass!
—Zheng Shaoyuan is...??? Is he an orphan? Exploiting netizens like this.
—Oh my god, the live-action version of the thief crying "stop thief"? Never seen someone so shameless.
—Wait, is this real? Really not fabricated? Temporarily not taking sides!
—Same, same, not taking sides. Can't believe Zheng Shaoyuan is this kind of person.
Just as people online were undecided about Meng Xin's exposé, unsure whether to believe it or not, the official Weibo of another entertainment company posted.
@Daijing Entertainment: Scandal in the Industry? 3P Scene? Exposed: Director Zheng Takes Wei An to Spend the Night in an Unknown Man's Room!
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