When leaving, it was Wei Xiang who saw Lin Ran off.
Before getting into the car, Lin Ran took one last look at Wei Xiang.
"You're Wu Zhishang's cousin. Just call me by my name from now on."
"Master Lin, you flatter me."
"I'm just reminding you—sometimes pay more attention to the people around you. Don't trust others too easily."
Lin Ran only gave this one warning. Whether Wei Xiang listened or not was his own business.
In his past life, Zhang Dahai had betrayed Wei Xiang. Though Lin Ran had already dealt with Zhang Dahai in this life, Wei Xiang was the type to be overly loyal. Someone else might betray him just the same.
After leaving the underground entertainment district, Lin Ran resumed his mission of feeding the little demon (his affectionate nickname for Luo Yao).
Right at this moment, the campus forum exploded—Lin Jian had made his move.
A few photos not only put Lin Ran in the spotlight but also exposed Chen Qingtian.
[Anonymous: Everyone, these were taken by me in person. Not to stir the pot, but Lin Ran is two-faced—playing the innocent heartthrob while secretly hooking up with a celebrity. And this Chen Qingtian? Clearly a fox spirit.]
The post blew up—pletely.
Not just on the campus forum, but the entire internet was in an uproar.
[Shocking: A-list Actress in Secret Romance? Moral Decay or Human Corruption?]
One sensational headline after another emerged, casting a negative light on Chen Qingtian.
Her agent was frantic, pacing like an ant on a hot pan, but Chen Qingtian brushed it off.
"What's there to fear? Scandal? The pany belongs to my cousin. If anything happens, he’ll handle it."
Wu Zhishang: "Having you is truly my blessing."
Wu Zhishang was the first to call.
"Bro Lin, should we buy trending tags to suppress the rumors about you and Chen Qingtian?"
Lin Ran was baffled. What rumors about him and Chen Qingtian?
After Wu Zhishang explained, he finally understood.
He thought Lin Jian had some grand scheme, but this was it?
Did he really think such a flimsy attack could take Lin Ran down?
Seriously, do your research before slandering someone. How amusing.
Lin Jian’s tactics were even weaker than Shen Jingbing’s.
"Got it. I’ll head to the pany later and handle the PR myself."
Lin Ran packed the freshly cooked meal—no matter how big the crisis, feeding the little demon came first.
Besides, he was more worried about Luo Yao getting jealous. Even though Chen Qingtian was his cousin, Luo Yao was wary of everyone, men included.
In Luo Corporation’s office, Luo Yao listened quietly as Lin Ran explained.
She already knew.
But this time, she wasn’t as angry as before. Instead, she was curious to see how Lin Ran would handle it.
Her trust in him had grown bit by bit, and she was willing to give him more space.
That said, she wasn’t pletely unaffected. If she didn’t feel even a hint of jealousy, she wouldn’t be Luo Yao.
"Ah Ran, I’m furious. You have one hour to fix this. If you don’t, I’ll ‘resolve’ Chen Qingtian myself and put an end to this mess."
Lin Ran silently mourned for Chen Qingtian for three seconds.
"Cousin, if not for me, you’d be done for."
"I’ll try. If I fail, well… blame Chen Qingtian’s bad luck."
After bidding Luo Yao farewell, Lin Ran headed straight to the Warm Yao Media building across the street.
A swarm of reporters had already gathered, buzzing like flies drawn to the latest scandal.
No matter how hard security tried to shoo them away, they wouldn’t budge.
Eventually, Wu Zhishang had to intervene—the building housed multiple panies, and the reporters were disrupting everyone’s work.
Only then did the public learn that A-list star Chen Qingtian worked in this very building.
Wu Zhishang had no choice but to "invite" the reporters upstairs while waiting for Lin Ran.
Chen Qingtian had been reading scripts in her office, but the motion ruined her mood. She stormed out.
"Can you keep it down? Is this a party?"
The moment the reporters saw her, they swarmed like sharks smelling blood.
"Ms. Chen Qingtian, is it true you’re in a secret relationship?"
"Qingtian, you’re my idol—who is the man?"
Chen Qingtian smirked. "What if I told you it’s my cousin? Would you believe me?"
The reporters froze. None of them bought it.
Was she really using family as a shield to cover up an affair?
"Fine, don’t believe me. I won’t answer anything else."
"Chen Qingtian, sources say the man is your boss. Were you coerced into this relationship?"
In the entertainment industry, Chen Qingtian had a nickname—"Mad Beauty"—for her unfiltered, no-holds-barred remarks.
The fact that she’d risen to A-list status was purely due to her looks.
Not that she cared.
"Which ‘source’? Bring them out, let me see. And you—are you new? What kind of garbage question is that?"
"Chen Qingtian, your language is unacceptable!"
"Yeah, as a public figure, shouldn’t you at least speak civilly?"
Chen Qingtian pointed at the reporter. "I’ve made it this far for three reasons—pretty, pretty, and pretty. Got a problem with that?"
She had every right to be confident. Even in an industry overflowing with beauties, no one dared question Chen Qingtian’s looks.
You could call her untalented, but never ugly.
The reporters were speechless. Her shameless flex was an absolute knockout.
Many were already drafting their headlines:
[Chen Qingtian Flaunts Beauty, Insults Public]
[A-list Star Declares Everyone Else Ugly]
[Does Beauty Equal Invincibility? The State of the World Today]
[Shocking: A-list Actress’ Explosive Remarks—Human Corruption or Moral Decay?]
When Lin Ran arrived, he saw Chen Qingtian single-handedly tearing into over twenty reporters without breaking a sweat.
Before he could speak, a reporter spotted him.
"Lin Ran is here!"
"The boss of Warm Yao Media—Chen Qingtian’s secret lover?"
Lin Ran’s identity had been exposed, but his familial ties to the Chen family remained unknown.
"Mr. Lin, did you really coerce one of your employees into a relationship?"
"Chen Qingtian—how many artists have you exploited this way?"
"As a CEO, do you think this behavior is ethical?"
Lin Ran wasn’t about to indulge them.
"If your heart is filthy, everything you see is filthy."
"If your mouth reeks, no amount of food can hide the fact that you’ve eaten sht."
The room fell silent. No one expected Lin Ran to be even more ruthless than Chen Qingtian.
"Mr. Lin, does this mean you’re admitting it?"
Lin Ran: "I admit your mother?"
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