Chapter 63

The very night Wei Yan called Kong Xiyan, he released a statement implying the online rumors were false, telling his fans not to worry and that he was already handling the situation. The first night the post went up, many fans flocked to his Weibo to cheer him on, and plenty of He Wei's fans also came to show support. They even called out to Kong Xiyan across the internet, hoping she'd confront him directly.

At the same time, news about Kong Xiyan's so-called dirt and scandals began popping up online, but within two hours it was scrubbed clean without causing a ripple. Only then did Wei Yan sense something was off. He might not be able to suppress this one.

Wei Yan went to discuss it with He Wei. She only threw a few words at him: he'd brought this bad romance on himself and should deal with it himself. She also blamed him for all the trouble that came from his affair with Sun Rui back then.

Wei Yan shot back bluntly that she'd been the biggest beneficiary three years ago, and if this blew up, no one would walk away clean.

He Wei told him to keep quiet for a few days. Right now, the story was gaining momentum. If Kong Xiyan only had this one piece of evidence, then in a few days, they could bury it under some bigger news, and it wouldn't affect them at all. She told Wei Yan not to panic—at worst, he'd just get tagged with an extramarital affair. Then she'd publicly forgive him, and they'd play the loving-couple card to show everyone he'd reformed. The storm would pass.

Wei Yan had no choice but to post on Weibo telling his fans to keep a low profile and not give anyone ammunition, adding that he was working hard with his lawyers and would have an explanation soon. As soon as that post went up, it sent his fans into a frenzy.

They swarmed his Weibo like bees returning to the hive.

—Support Wei Yan!!!

—I said it before, Wei Yan isn't a man without backbone. Even if he messed up, he'll give us an answer!

—Support the Heyan couple—my first-ever ship, and I won't let any trash ruin it! Especially some scheming bitch!

—What bitch? She's just a mistress. Don't insult the word 'bitch,' okay?

—Wei Yan, don't be scared. We've got your back, through fire and water.

—Heh, look at these brainwashed fans. Like master, like followers.

—Has Wei Yan sent a lawyer's letter today? No! Why? Because he doesn't dare!

—Hahaha, you're killing me. Careful, or the fanatics might label you one of Kong Xiyan's paid shills.

Of course, plenty of fans also stormed Kong Xiyan's Weibo, demanding she come out and face him, asking what she was really up to. Aside from that earlier statement, Kong Xiyan hadn't posted anything in the past couple days.

Two hours after Wei Yan's post—a new update appeared on her Weibo.

This time, just a single simple photo. Crystal clear. Clear enough that the man and woman in it were unmistakable.

It was none other than current hot star Wei Yan and Sun Rui, who'd left the industry two years ago. If it were just a single photo, that wouldn't be unusual—Wei Yan and Sun Rui had worked together before, so there were countless stills and edits floating around. But this photo was different.

The moment it was posted, it shot to the top of the trending list. People who didn't know the backstory asked under Kong Xiyan's Weibo what it meant and why everyone was losing their minds over one picture.

Someone immediately explained.

Three years ago, the reason everyone concluded Kong Xiyan was a homewrecker started with a video and a photo. The video showed Wei Yan being helped into a hotel by Kong Xiyan. The photo showed the two of them in bed together. At the time, it caused an uproar, especially the photo and video, which were shared countless times. Even now, careful netizens could dig up the crumbs.

As for why the photo alone on Kong Xiyan's Weibo caused such a stir—it was because the photo she posted showed Wei Yan and Sun Rui.

Someone found the photo from three years ago and compared them, discovering that Kong Xiyan and Sun Rui were wearing identical clothes, had nearly the same build and hair, and even—they were lying in bed in the exact same pose.

That photo was no less than a small bomb. It immediately ignited a swarm of gossip-hungry netizens under Kong Xiyan's Weibo. They unleashed their righteous fury on their keyboards.

—What??? Did I see that right?? That's Sun Rui and Wei Yan in the photo, isn't it? So who actually slept with Wei Yan three years ago?

—Not to be that person, but doesn't this seem off? Three years ago, Kong Xiyan and Wei Yan barely interacted on set. I had a friend working on that crew, and they said He Wei visited every day. There's no way they could've developed an affair.

—Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. Three years ago, when Wei Yan and Kong Xiyan did that drama, the agents wanted to push their ship, but Kong Xiyan refused.

—Holy crap, is that true??? So it's possible Kong Xiyan was set up three years ago?

—Totally possible. My guess is Wei Yan and Sun Rui were in it together.

—I've got it!! Wei Yan was with Sun Rui, He Wei found out, and Wei Yan used Kong Xiyan as a shield!

—Man, this industry is a mess.

These theories kept popping up, and Kong Xiyan watched them with complete indifference, not a trace of emotion. Xiao Qiu, on the other hand, called several times to comfort her and asked if she needed any help.

Help with what? She didn't need any. If anything, Wei Yan was the one who needed help.

Sure enough, Wei Yan was in full panic mode. He kept pulling on Jiang Yuan, asking what to do. He never imagined that photo would surface. Three years ago, Sun Rui had deleted it right in front of him.

That woman! He hated her to the bone.

Jiang Yuan patted his shoulder. "At this point, maybe we should admit to part of it? Better than dragging it out. It's hurting you."

Wei Yan shook his head violently. "No, no. I can't admit to anything. The moment I do, I'm done for."

He thought for a moment, then said, "What if I go talk to President Chi? Last time with Guo Yixi, didn't you say she called and was concerned about how it went? I'm an artist under her company, and I just got the 'Dawn' role. She has no reason to sit back and do nothing."

Jiang Yuan's face twisted with conflict. "But Kong Xiyan is with Jingyan too."

"So what!" Wei Yan gritted his teeth. "How can she compare to me? She's just a has-been making a comeback. I'm about to take home the Best Actor award. President Chi will know who's worth more."

Jiang Yuan lowered his eyes, a cold glint flashing behind them. He gave a faint nod. "Fine. I'll have Xiao Meng go with you."

Wei Yan turned his head. "You're not coming?"

Jiang Yuan: "I still need to handle the mess online."

Wei Yan understood and called Xiao Meng, then drove straight to Jingyan.

After Wei Yan left, Jiang Yuan pulled out his phone and sent a message: President Chi, he's coming to see you.

Chi Wanzhao heard the notification chime and glanced at it, her brows sharp. She lifted her gaze to the sky outside. "Is it about to rain?"

Assistant Zhou looked out with her, puzzled. The sky was dark and heavy, the wind howling with a constant moan. Snowflakes were already starting to fall before any rain came.

"Probably," Assistant Zhou replied. "Do you have somewhere to be soon, President Chi?"

Chi Wanzhao put away her phone, still staring outside. "Nothing much. Just felt like taking a break. If anyone comes looking for me, send them to the park next to the building. You know what to say."

Assistant Zhou pushed his glasses up with a finger and smiled faintly. "Got it, President Chi."

Chi Wanzhao waved a hand, signaling he could leave. Assistant Zhou turned and stepped out of the office, making sure to close the door behind him, then instructed the secretary at the entrance to notify him first if anyone came looking for the CEO.

Though Wei Yan had been poached to Jingyan for three years, he'd never been up to the top floor. In fact, aside from meeting Chi Wanzhao when he signed the contract, they'd never crossed paths since. Now, coming to see her—Wei Yan honestly didn't have much confidence. But if he didn't, he was terrified Kong Xiyan would produce another piece of evidence. He couldn't afford to go down at a time like this. Even if he lost the 'Dawn' role, it wouldn't matter. What mattered was that no one could learn about his past deeds.

Wei Yan cleaned himself up a bit, then got out of the car. The wind, laced with snow, hit his face, turning it pale from the cold. But he couldn't worry about that now. After stepping out, he took the elevator with Xiao Meng up to the top floor. At the entrance, he was stopped. Then Assistant Zhou came out.

At first, Assistant Zhou didn't know who was coming to see Chi Wanzhao, so he was mulling over what to say. But when he saw it was Wei Yan, he actually curved his lips into a faint smile.

Wei Yan extended his hand. "Assistant Zhou."

Assistant Zhou: "Mr. Wei, are you looking for President Chi?"

Wei Yan glanced toward the interior. "Is President Chi in, by any chance?"

A cold glint flashed beneath Assistant Zhou's glasses as he said cheerfully, "President Chi isn't in her office. She just went down to the park for a run."

Wei Yan hesitated, glancing at the bleak, snow-filled scene outside. "A run?"

Assistant Zhou nodded. "You know how President Chi is. She always has these... unusual quirks."

That was true. Even just from the rumors, you could tell Chi Wanzhao was someone truly out of the ordinary.

Wei Yan nodded. "Alright, I'll check the park."

Assistant Zhou quickly stopped him. "Mr. Wei, I know why you're here. President Chi has been bothered by this matter these past two days as well. So when you get to the park, search carefully and show your sincerity so she can see it. What do you think?"

Wei Yan quickly said, "I understand. I'll search every inch."

Assistant Zhou clicked his tongue. "It's just a bit cold. Not sure what this strange habit of President Chi's is about. Sigh..."

Wei Yan waved it off. "No problem. I actually enjoy strolling through parks in the snow. Thanks for the heads-up, Assistant Zhou. I'd appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me with President Chi."

Assistant Zhou smiled lightly and nodded. "With sincerity like yours, Mr. Wei, it's the least I could do."

After saying goodbye to Assistant Zhou, Wei Yan took Xiao Meng to the park next door. Since he hadn't planned on being out in the wind, he was only wearing a trench coat. The cold wind cut straight through it, as if piercing his chest, and even his breath seemed to freeze mid-air.

Xiao Meng wasn't much better off, hugging his arms and shivering.

The two walked slowly along the park path. Xiao Meng stammered, "Wei-ge, it'll take over an hour to walk this whole park. Maybe we should wait by the pavilion at the entrance for President Chi."

Wei Yan shot him a glare. "Didn't you hear what Assistant Zhou said? We need to show sincerity! With this mess blowing up online for days, if President Chi wanted to intervene, she'd have done it already. Isn't she just testing my sincerity?"

"You got a brain like a pig."

Xiao Meng shrank at the scolding.

They circled the vast park again and again until the sky darkened. Only then did Xiao Meng admit he couldn't walk anymore. He looked at Wei Yan, his lips blue from cold, face ghostly pale, eyes glassy. He grabbed Wei Yan's arm. "Wei-ge, let's stop. Maybe President Chi's already gone back."

Only then did Wei Yan stop, his face dark. Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, but his hands were numb and itchy from the cold. The phone slipped and fell to the ground. He crouched to pick it up and saw it was He Wei calling.

"Hello." His voice was hoarse, and as he spoke, he sucked in a breath of cold air, triggering a cough. Tears streamed from the strain, making him look pathetic.

He Wei asked directly, "Where are you?"

Wei Yan looked around. "Near Jingyan."

He Wei let out a sigh of relief. "What are you doing there?"

Wei Yan briefly explained what had just happened. The more He Wei listened, the more furious she became. She cursed outright, "Are you out of your mind? Don't you know Assistant Zhou and Kong Xiyan are lovers? And you actually listened to him? Have you lost it?"

"Lovers?" Wei Yan stood blankly in the snowy park, thinking about how he'd walked for three straight hours, only to realize it had all been someone's revenge scheme. He clenched his teeth and shouted, "Damn it!"

The object of his curse, Assistant Zhou, merely stood on the upper floor of Jingyan, looking down toward the park with a detached smile.

A moment later, his phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced down. It was from Tong Yue.

Assistant Zhou, you can open the press conference now.

Assistant Zhou silently pocketed his phone and walked toward Chi Wanzhao's office.