{"id":3635,"date":"2026-05-28T04:03:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/dont-play-with-fire-entertainment-industry-19\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T04:03:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:03:31","slug":"dont-play-with-fire-entertainment-industry-19","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/chapter\/dont-play-with-fire-entertainment-industry-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Play with Fire [Entertainment Industry] 19"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 19: Nineteen Fires

The gossip about Ji Ran and Xiao Yao was exposed by the famous paparazzo Zhang Wei, who claimed that the two had a sweet dinner together before returning to Xiao Yao’s apartment, with Ji Ran staying overnight. The report included on-site photos and a short video. The background of those photos was the restaurant where Yan Duo and Ji Ran had previously met by chance. The video of them holding hands and returning to the apartment was very dark, making it impossible to clearly see their faces\u2014only that it was a man and a woman wearing the same clothes as in the photos.

“These days, some people are addicted to hype, aren’t they? Time and again, they leech off my Ran’s fame. Don\u2019t think that just because he can\u2019t be bothered to respond, you can push your luck and go too far. Please, just be a decent human being!”

“Paparazzi are just paparazzi, with no bottom line in how they behave. There were clearly three people at dinner that day, but you deliberately photoshopped out the director\u2014what\u2019s your point? You\u2019re basically someone\u2019s lapdog, aren\u2019t you?”

“Such a shady video, and you claim it\u2019s me, Ran? I might as well say that pile of crap on the wall is you!”

“My husband has been in the industry for so long and has been ‘in relationships’ countless times, but this time the mastermind behind it is the most brazen. Damn it, I\u2019m tempted to go curse under that person\u2019s window!”

……

As for Ji Ran\u2019s trending topic, the strongest reactions online came from his fans, all declaring their disbelief and accusing Xiao Yao of fabricating the\u70ed\u641c. Meanwhile, at Yan Duo\u2019s home, the most intense reaction came from Yan Yi.

Not paying attention to her own trending topic, Yan Duo, who was browsing comments about Ji Ran’s scandal, heard her brother knocking on the door and got out of bed to open it for him.

As soon as the door opened, Yan Yi’s questions poured out one after another like beans.

“What’s the deal with that trending topic? Is Ji Ran really with another woman? Has he explained it to you? What are you going to do next?”

Of course, Yan Yi had also seen the trending topic about his sister, but he simply didn’t believe it. Just a few photos of three people standing together were enough to falsely claim that his sister had an affair with that man, cheating on Xi’er or Zhen’er or whoever\u2014utter nonsense!

As for Ji Ran’s news, with both photos and videos circulating, Yan Yi, who never trusted Ji Ran in the first place, felt a sense of vindication\u2014”Men in the entertainment industry are all the same.” He wasn’t the least bit surprised. All he wanted now was to know his sister’s thoughts and her plans moving forward. If Ji Ran really cheated, he would go to any lengths to make the scumbag pay.

Yan Duo turned and walked back into the room without saying a word.

Only then did Yan Yi notice the complete lack of expression on his sister’s face, and he grew anxious. “Duo’er, if you’re angry, if you want to cry or vent, go ahead\u2014just don’t bottle it up!”

How much Yan Duo likes Ji Ran, her elder brother Yan Yi knows best. When Yan Duo was still just a simple fan, every time news came out about Ji Ran’s suspected relationships, she would lose all appetite. Now that she’s Ji Ran’s wife, yet remains so calm, Yan Yi worries she’s bottling up all her anger inside!

Yan Duo glanced at her brother and said, “Brother, you’re overthinking it. I don’t feel like crying or need to vent\u2014I’m fine. Besides, that video was taken from too far away to see their faces clearly. It’s highly likely to be fake, so don’t take it at face value.”

Yan Yi looked at his sister suspiciously. “What about those photos of them having dinner together? A man and a woman dining alone\u2014doesn’t that make you jealous?”

Yan Duo shrugged. “Of course not, because that day, Sister Qi and I were also at the restaurant. It wasn’t just the two of them; there was a third person.”

Yan Yi was half-convinced. Although his younger sister wore a resolute expression, utterly certain that Ji Ran was innocent, something still felt off to him. But before he could figure it out, Yan Duo used the excuse of wanting to sleep to shoo him out of the room.

Qi Sixian acted quickly, and by the time Yan Duo woke up the next day, she had already figured out the situation.

“Qiao Xi’er really knows how to play her cards right. Seeing how the drama has made you popular, she immediately jumps on the bandwagon. Hmph, trying to ride the wave? I’ll make sure she crashes and burns!”

Qi Sixian couldn’t help but feel furious. The paparazzo who captured the dispute outside the company was just a small-time photographer. At first, Qiao Xi’er didn’t care much when she realized someone was secretly photographing her. However, after Yan Duo trended on social media that evening, she recognized Yan Duo and hatched a malicious plan. Not only did she pay a hefty sum for the photos, but she also had them posted online, insinuating that Yan Duo was a homewrecker trying to steal her man\u2014all while playing the victim at Yan Duo’s expense.

Yan Duo finally managed to gain some positive buzz, only for this woman to steer the conversation off track not long after.

Whether true or false, this incident would have a negative impact on Yan Duo. Fortunately, she had good connections with Weibo and managed to take down the trending topic in the shortest time possible. Early this morning, she released the full video of yesterday’s dispute at the company entrance, then followed Qiao Xi’er’s lead by playing the victim card. The online criticism directed at Yan Duo finally died down, but this did nothing to ease Qi Sixian’s anger. She deliberately intercepted several high-quality resources Qiao Xi’er was negotiating for and pushed her scandals back into the spotlight, only then feeling slightly better.

At this moment, Yan Duo was also browsing the trending list, only to find that the top two trending topics from last night had changed like this.

1. Ji Ran sends a lawyer’s letter to Zhang Wei

2. Yan Duo suffers both on and off screen\u2014full video

“Sis, as long as it’s resolved, don’t be angry anymore. It’s not worth it.” Qi Sixian’s kindness towards Yan Duo had always been remembered by her. At this moment, she couldn’t say much, so she just advised her not to be angry\u2014anger harms the body.

Qi Sixian: “How can I not be angry? You finally have a drama airing, and now.

Seeing a glimmer of rising fame, that woman comes to sabotage\u2014ruining your public image is cutting off my livelihood!

Yan Duo twitched her eyebrows: “Sis, are you the devil?”

Qi Sixian burst into laughter and added, “Don’t come to the company for the next couple of days\u2014just stay home and rest properly.”

Yan Duo agreed, hung up the phone, applied some light makeup, had breakfast, and then headed out.

At nine o’clock on the third morning, Ji Ran hurriedly exited T City Airport with his suitcase. As soon as he got into the waiting car, he called Yan Duo, but no one answered. After a moment’s thought, Ji Ran remembered that the housekeeper had mentioned Yan Duo hadn’t been staying at home recently. He instructed the driver, “Head to the Yan residence.”

After the trending topic emerged, Ji Ran had planned to return yesterday, but the director insisted that yesterday’s scenes couldn’t be postponed\u2014it was the final shoot after all\u2014so Ji Ran had to wait another day.

At that moment, with his eyes closed, he began thinking about how to better explain the online gossip to the Yan family. Although he had immediately instructed someone to draft a lawyer’s letter to clarify his stance, a proper explanation was still necessary.

Ji Ran had always known the Yan family held reservations about him, and he wasn’t sure if this incident would worsen their opinion. Yet when he knocked on the Yan family’s door, he discovered the situation was entirely different from what he’d imagined.

“Is that Xiao Ji? Did you just get back from the set?” Xu Yarou asked him with a smile, as if unaware of the online rumors.

Ji Ran replied, “Yes, I just got off the plane. Where’s Yanduo?”

“Duo’er isn’t home. She went to see your mother.”

Ji Ran was taken aback. He declined Xu Yarou’s invitation to come inside and turned to head back to the Ji family home. But after taking just one step, he turned back, feeling he should explain the gossip. “Mom, about what’s online…”

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Yarou smiled and said, “It’s alright. Duo’er explained everything to us early on. We trust her, and we trust you too. You did the right thing\u2014those who spread rumors shouldn’t be let off lightly.”

Ji Ran visibly relaxed, smiling as he bid farewell to Xu Yarou before heading back to the Ji family home.

The Yan and Ji residences weren’t far apart, just a half-hour drive. As soon as Ji Ran stepped out of the car, he heard An Yixin’s cheerful laughter coming from the garden. He walked straight there and saw Yan Duo and An Yixin chatting happily on the swing chair, both looking delighted\u2014clearly getting along very well.

Ji Ran had always known that Yan Duo was well-liked by elders. Whether in the Yan family or the Ji family, there were hardly any who didn’t adore her.

Ji Ran walked over to greet An Yixin, “Mom.”

Yan Duo wasn’t surprised to see Ji Ran enter. She stood up with a smile and called out, “Teacher Ji.” Although she hadn’t answered Ji Ran’s call earlier, she had received Xu Yarou’s call, who informed her about Ji Ran’s return.

Hearing this form of address, Ji Ran’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Previously, Yan Duo would only call him “teacher” in private, usually addressing him as “Ji Ran” in front of elders. What was different today?

Yan Duo seemed oblivious to Ji Ran’s confusion. She picked up her bag and said to the two of them, “I have something else to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Ji Ran saw her about to leave and instinctively followed, but was stopped by An Yixin.

“Ranran, wait a moment, I have something to tell you.”

Ji Ran glanced at An Yixin, then turned to call out to Yan Duo, but she had already walked out of the Ji family’s gate without looking back. Suppressing his emotions, Ji Ran sat on a round stool in the garden and asked, “Mom, what’s the matter?”

An Yixin sat beside Ji Ran, looking at her youngest son’s face that showed clear signs of weariness, her feelings were complicated. She asked, “Have you happy these years?”

As she asked this, An Yixin’s heart was heavy with guilt. Duoduo had said she’d never seen Ji Ran laugh heartily; he had always been unhappy. And how could she, as his mother, not know this? It seemed that all of this had been caused by her.

Back then, to prevent a feud between brothers, what she did was unfair to Ji Ran\u2014whether it was giving the elder son an extra 2% of shares due to seniority or persuading the younger son, who studied management, to become an artist. It was all quite selfish.

Later on, driven by her own selfish desire to hold a grandchild as soon as possible, she pressured Ji Ran into getting married…

If Yan Duo hadn’t confided in her these past two days, An Yixin wouldn’t have had this sudden enlightenment. She had genuinely never considered Ji Ran’s perspective\u2014never thought about whether he wanted to be an entertainer, nor asked him if he truly wanted to get married.

Ji Ran didn’t understand the purpose behind An Yixin’s sudden statement and remained silent, offering no response.

An Yixin looked at her son like this and felt even more distressed. Ranran had always been this way\u2014understanding everything in his heart but never speaking up, simply following their arrangements step by step.

“If you want to return to the company, I’ll discuss it with your father to arrange a position for you. If you wish to be single again, Mom won’t object\u2014as long as you’re happy.”

An Yixin didn’t know if it was too late to say these words now, but just as Yan Duo had said\u2014if they didn’t speak up or act, Ji Ran would never be happy for the rest of his life. None of them could afford to be this selfish.

Ji Ran finally understood An Yixin’s intention upon hearing this. “Mom, what do you mean by that?”

An Yixin looked at Ji Ran earnestly and said solemnly, “We support you in doing what you want to do. takanshu.com”

Ji Ran ignored this statement and only pressed further, “What does ‘returning to singlehood’ mean?”

An Yixin replied, “When you got married, I didn’t consider your feelings. So if you want a divorce, you don\u2019t need to worry about our opinions either. Both Duoduo and I will support your decision.”

Hearing this, Ji Ran could no longer stay seated. Ignoring An Yixin\u2019s calls from behind, he stood up and walked out. When he didn\u2019t see Yan Duo outside the gate, he immediately called her.

“Where are you?”

Yan Duo was somewhat surprised, “I’m in the car, there’s something at the company, I need to…” go back for a bit.

“Get out of the car now and send me your location.”

Ji Ran hung up the phone, opened the driver’s door to let the driver out, then personally drove the car to chase after Yan Duo.

Yan Duo got off the taxi and stood by the roadside waiting for Ji Ran. She hadn’t been out for long, so Ji Ran picked her up soon after.

Yan Duo got into the passenger seat, and neither of them spoke.

After a long silence, Ji Ran finally spoke up, “I can explain about the trending topic from the day before yesterday.”

Yan Duo shook her head, “You don’t need to explain. I know the man in the video isn’t you. That day you were wearing a sea-blue dial watch, but his was black.”

That watch was very special, which was also the main reason Yan Duo recognized at first glance that the person sitting opposite Xiao Yao was Ji Ran.

Ji Ran glanced at Yan Duo. Her expression was calm, as if she didn’t think identifying the watch’s dial color in such a blurry video was anything remarkable.

“I can also explain about that night’s phone call.”

Ji Ran had always thought unimportant matters didn’t require explanation, but if Yan Duo had any misunderstandings, he was willing to clarify them for her.

Yan Duo shook her head again, “No need, I know that was your colleague from the crew. You finished work very late that day, and I believe you.”

Ji Ran listened as Yan Duo casually said she believed him, but his heart turned cold. “If you believe me, why did you say those things to my mom?”

Deliberately discussing divorce with his mother\u2014did she think he would listen to his mom, or that their marriage had always been controlled by others?

Hearing this, Yan Duo smiled, revealing her lovely dimples. “I think your life could be more fulfilling, and I’m better suited to be your fan.”

He should have his own life, a life not bound by her, while she still likes him as before, but shouldn’t be greedy.

Ji Ran gripped the steering wheel with both hands and asked her, “Are you sure?”

Yan Duo took out her ID card and marriage certificate from her bag, “Yes, it’s settled. I can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau anytime.”

Ji Ran glanced at the red booklet in her hand, stomped hard on the accelerator with his right foot, and the car suddenly accelerated.

Yan Duo was startled, gripping the handle above her as she asked Ji Ran with concern, “What are you doing?”

Ji Ran stared straight ahead, his face displaying a coldness Yan Duo had never seen before.

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