Chapter 020
Suddenly, the scene from yesterday’s meeting with Ji Peihan flashed into Ming Huai’s mind. Gripping his phone tightly, he frowned and asked, “Do you have any clear front-facing photos?”
If it really was Ji Peihan, then this situation would be far more difficult to handle.
“Yes,” Yu Fanglan replied, pacing back and forth in the room while casting frequent glances toward the glowing computer screen, her expression dark and stormy. “Check Weibo yourself—there are tons of them, completely unblurred. The photos even clearly show the two of you holding hands.”
Yu Fanglan’s description was detailed enough that Ming Huai immediately realized they must have been photographed by paparazzi last night. Yet what surprised him most was that these photos hadn’t been used by the paparazzi to negotiate a hefty sum with Haiyu Entertainment.
“Alright, let me take a look,” Ming Huai said. “Sister Lan, I’ll hang up first.”
“Wait,” Yu Fanglan called out to Ming Huai, saying, “Check it first and give me a perfect explanation. Also, tidy yourself up and come to the company later; I’ll be waiting for you here.”
After hanging up, Ming Huai immediately logged into Weibo. As expected, the trending topic about his alleged romance with an unknown woman had climbed to the top spot, and with every refresh, its popularity continued to surge.
If this kept up, things were bound to explode, giving Ming Huai an instant headache.
For one reason or another, various media outlets had always kept a tight watch on Ming Huai. Yet, despite their prolonged scrutiny, they had never managed to uncover any sensational scoop. Every report so far was mere speculation, treated by the public as nothing more than entertainment, incapable of stirring any real waves.
But this time was different; every single photo was undeniable proof. If anyone still refused to believe and claimed they were photoshopped, a wave of animated GIFs awaited them.
Every photograph, every moving image pointed to the same “truth,” substantiating the same “fact”: Ming Huai was in love.
Ming Huai casually clicked on one of the posts. His features in the photo were unmistakable, but Ji Peihan appeared only as a blurred silhouette. Even in the clearest shot, she was merely an indistinct profile; unless one knew her intimately, it would be nearly impossible to recognize her.
Then Ming Huai scrolled down to the comments section, which was nothing short of a bloodbath. The haters were branding him a scoundrel, fickle and unfaithful, accusing him of bringing another woman into the picture before even identifying the mother of his child. Naturally, his fans rushed to defend him, with some suggesting that this mysterious woman might very well be the child’s mother.
This clearly shows how wise it was for Ming Huai to proactively announce that he already had a child when he first entered the entertainment industry. People always have preconceived notions; if an idol already has a child, what’s the big deal if they’re dating? He’s already twenty-four—should he still be forbidden from falling in love?!
Seeing this, Ming Huai suddenly felt a wave of relief. At least no one was cursing Ji Peihan; otherwise, he would have had to face the consequences head-on.
He then clicked into his own homepage. Under his most recent Weibo post, fans were already asking about the situation, and one comment had risen to become the top-rated response. Her tone was remarkably rational. Although the ID wasn’t familiar to Ming Huai, it was obvious at a glance that she was a true devoted fan.
“If this is true, we fans will bless our Ming Bao and sincerely hope he finds happiness [fist][/fist]. If it’s false, those major influencer accounts better shut up immediately. And as for certain individuals, please watch your language [smile][/smile].”
Ming Huai clicked on this fan’s profile only to discover she wasn’t quite what he had imagined; she was actually Ji Tingqian’s fan, having shouted “Tingqian gege, I love you!” under his Weibo post just yesterday.
Suddenly, Ming Huai wondered: if he and Ji Tingqian ever went public with their relationship, would this fan still support them so fervently?
After tidying himself up slightly, he hailed a taxi to Haiyu Entertainment. All the way there, he pondered how to broach the subject. Truthfully, being honest wasn’t impossible, but Yu Fanglan, ever cautious, would surely dig until she reached the bottom of things. That would inevitably drag in far too many complications, making the whole situation exceedingly troublesome.
Thinking thus, Ming Huai decided to call Ji Peihan instead. She had a habit of morning exercise, so her voice came out slightly breathless as she joked, “So proactive today? Come on, tell your big sister what you need.”
“Sis,” Ming Huai said with utter helplessness, “we were photographed last night. You might need to handle this.”
“Oh? Photographed?” Ji Peihan found the notion rather novel. She stepped off the treadmill, wiped the sweat from her brow, and asked, “What did they capture?”
Ming Huai explained the situation. Upon hearing it, Ji Peihan immediately agreed. “Done. Leave it to me; I’ll take care of it right away.”
When the Ji family acted, their strike was always thunderous. Yet for the past two years, Ming Huai had been stubbornly resisting his parents, rarely asking for their help. Still, his request wasn’t even necessary; all these years, the Ji family had quietly stood behind him, cleaning up various messes. There was no need to speculate whose hand was behind such interventions.
“By the way, don’t let Big Brother find out,” Ming Huai suddenly remembered.
“Of course, of course; I’m afraid of him too,” Ji Peihan laughed coquettishly.
Aside from Ji Tingqian, everyone in the family was intimidated by the eldest brother of the Ji household.
Upon arriving at Haiyu Entertainment, Yu Fanglan and the Public Relations Manager were already waiting in the office. As soon as Ming Huai entered, she greeted them both. This level of personal attention was unique to Ming Huai—or rather, it reflected how dedicated Yu Fanglan was to her artists; whenever she had the time, she handled such matters personally.
“Tell me, what’s going on?” Yu Fanglan cut straight to the point.
The press release would be drafted by Ming Huai’s team, but it couldn’t be fabricated out of thin air; the truth of the matter still needed to be clarified.
Ming Huai spoke honestly, “That’s my sister. There were too many people last night, which is why someone managed to take photos like that.”
“Your sister?” Yu Fanglan exclaimed in surprise. After all the commotion, it turned out to be something like this.
Yu Fanglan remained half-skeptical; even if she believed it, would others? It all hinged on the PR department’s writing prowess now. Yet within half an hour, news arrived that the trending topic had already been removed, and every single photo had vanished without a trace.
Yu Fanglan’s expression instantly grew complicated. She knew Ming Huai wielded considerable influence behind the scenes, but she hadn’t expected such a thorny issue to be resolved so effortlessly. She instructed the PR manager to handle the aftermath while she sat down for a proper conversation with Ming Huai.
Far away in the United States, Ji Tingqian lowered his gaze to his phone screen, his eyes betraying no emotion. Upon seeing content related to Ming Huai, he found himself clicking into it almost involuntarily, yet the more he read, the more uneasy he felt.
As an industry insider, Ji Tingqian knew well how much truth lay beneath the rumors swirling on Weibo; most were hardly credible. But when the subject shifted to Ming Huai, it left him feeling strangely unsettled.
Suddenly, Ji Tingqian noticed a red string threaded with jade beads on the woman’s wrist in the photograph. The red string looked strangely familiar; a fleeting thought flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. He wanted to go back and look at the photo where the woman’s profile was visible, but upon refreshing the page, everything had vanished.
Ji Tingqian himself possessed such a red string. It was a blessed item his mother had obtained from a temple—a simple red cord paired with exceptionally fine jade. All the siblings in their family had one. Ji Tingqian didn’t dwell on it; there were so many similar objects in this world, it must surely be a coincidence.