Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Wang Yinkou snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and looked up, saying, "Netizens are now hooked. You know what to do next, right?"

"Of course I do," Yu Sihan replied, lowering his head to conceal the hatred in his eyes.

Ning Yuyi, this time I'll drag you through the mud and make sure you can't rise again.

Zhou Erhe quickly noticed that the winds were changing.

Initially, Fan Zhongchuan did bring a significant influx of followers to Ning Yuyi. Many netizens, driven by curiosity about "who this actor that Fan Zhongchuan first followed" was, came and were then captivated by Ning Yuyi's looks.

Although his followers were rapidly increasing, the tone of the comments shifted from curiosity to malevolence.

Most significantly, large influential accounts, which were initially wary of Fan Zhongchuan, began to post malicious speculations, feigning curiosity.

Zhou Erhe immediately contacted the company's PR department.

Unlike their previous reluctance, the PR team acted swiftly, managing to control the narrative by dawn.

This rapid response wasn't only due to Xie Yiezhou's prior instructions but also the company's acknowledgment of Ning Yuyi's commercial value, deeming him worthy of such a thorough PR effort.

By the time Ning Yuyi woke up the next day, the storm on Weibo had largely subsided.

Seeing his follower count had nearly doubled, Ning Yuyi scratched his head and decided to start the day with breakfast.

Fan Zhongchuan had gone to rest after following Ning Yuyi and was oblivious to the turmoil on Weibo. Only the next day, through his assistant's briefing, did he catch wind of the trending topics.

After observing the messages in his inbox, Fan Zhongchuan awkwardly navigated to settings and turned off direct messages, only allowing those he followed to contact him.

He then swiftly posted a Weibo update.

Just two succinct words, but it greatly sated the netizens' burning curiosity.

Fan Corporation - Fan Zhongchuan: Fans.

This post quickly replaced the previous topic of him following Ning Yuyi and became the new top trending topic.

Meanwhile, after an overnight investigation, the company's PR department deduced someone was stirring up trouble. Anticipating more false accusations during the peak hours of the following day, they decided to release damaging information about another artist they had in their possession.

So, when Ning Yuyi was having breakfast and wanted to catch up on the previous night's events, he discovered that Weibo was already flooded with the #StarWangHaiCheating scandal.

"The company has paid a heavy price this time," said the weary head of the PR department, who had worked through the night. "We procured this information at a high cost, and now we've released it to divert attention from your artist. We should get something in return for this sacrifice."

"What do you want?" Zhou Erhe, leaning back on his swivel chair, asked. "Didn't Xie Yiezhou give you any instructions on this?"

The PR head laughed, "Mr. Xie did give us instructions, and we followed them. If we hadn't released this information and if Ning Yuyi faced backlash again, Mr. Xie wouldn't blame us."

"Always covering all bases, aren't you? Do you usually act at a loss?" Zhou Erhe wasn't particularly fond of the PR head, even if he was considered the company's second most eligible bachelor after Xie Yinan.

Of course, this title didn't consider the company's artists.

"Join me for a meal," the PR head yawned, his eyes shadowed with fatigue. "Consider it a thank you for my tireless efforts."

"No," Zhou Erhe retorted coldly.

"Just a meal, not a room," the PR head mumbled. "Are you still holding a grudge about the Zhang Yang incident? I apologize for not informing you of my number change while I was abroad. I've already disciplined those in the department who denied you."

It seems he's less interested in a meal and more in admiring my assets.

Zhou Erhe shifted in his seat, feeling slightly uneasy, "Order whatever you want. I'll foot the bill."

Eating out together? Out of the question.

Zhou Erhe ushered him out of his office, yawned, and reclined in his chair for a quick nap.

He'd also been awake all night monitoring Weibo but was relieved that things had now stabilized.

A week later, Ning Yuyi began packing for a variety show shoot in the coastal province.

"The seafood there is fantastic," Zhou Erhe commented as they waited at the airport. "However, given our tight schedule, we might not have time to savor it. Remember to look your best when disembarking; cameras will be waiting."

"Got it," Ning Yuyi replied while munching on roasted fish snacks. "What are the specialties of that province?"

"Seafood?" Zhou Erhe said with a smirk, "You can't possibly bring back a whole bucket of it, can you?"

"Anything else?" Ning Yuyi pulled out his phone, intending to search for himself.

Soon after, the airport announced Ning Yuyi's flight number.

"Let's go through security," Zhou Erhe urged, pulling Ning Yuyi in the right direction.

After some hustle, Ning Yuyi finally settled into his plane seat.

Zhou Erhe looked around, "Isn't Xie Yiezhou flying with us?"

"Xie has been in the coastal province for a few days," Ning Yuyi explained. "He had another engagement and had to travel earlier, but he's waiting for us at the airport there."

"You seem quite informed?" Zhou Erhe expressed some surprise.

"Xie Ge told me about it last night." Reminded by the flight attendant, Ning Yuyi fastened his seat belt, took every precaution, put on a sleep mask, and drew the curtain beside his seat. "I'll take a nap, Zhou. Wake me up when we arrive."

"Sleep well."

Ning Yuyi slept straight through the flight. As soon as Zhou Erhe and Ning Yuyi disembarked, they were immediately confronted by cameras. Even Zhou, who was prepared for it, was startled.

"Still groggy from sleep, huh?" VJ Teacher was a middle-aged man with glasses, holding a camera mounted on his shoulder.

Zhou Erhe gently shook Ning Yuyi and whispered in his ear to wake him up.

"Hmm?" Ning Yuyi stretched and yawned, only slightly more awake. "Has it started?"

"It's started." VJ Teacher posed a question prepared by the director. "Is this your first time on a variety show?"

"Yes," Ning Yuyi replied, walking alongside VJ Teacher.

"How do you feel about it?"

"Labor is the most glorious."

Ning Yuyi's response gave VJ Teacher pause before he laughed, "Our director isn't that cruel with the tasks, you know."

"Will it be easier this year?"

"No," VJ Teacher responded firmly.

"Well then." Ning Yuyi casually walked ahead, taking out a candy from his pocket, unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth. "Let's head to the parking lot."

"Why the parking lot? Our show has many sponsors, and there's a car waiting for you up ahead," VJ Teacher said almost reflexively.

"Someone's picking me up."

VJ Teacher followed Ning Yuyi to the parking lot, where Ning Yuyi confidently approached an RV and knocked on its window.

Ning Yuyi rapped on the window, "Xie Ge."

As the window rolled down, VJ Teacher's camera captured a face that looked straight out of a high-fashion magazine.

"Xie Ge, the production crew sent a car for us. Should we go with them?" Ning Yuyi whispered.

Xie Yezhou removed his sunglasses, revealing his handsome face, and nodded.

The two of them then boarded the production crew's car, while Xie Yezhou's RV was driven away by its driver.

Zhou Erhe joined them as they left.

"Old Friends," the variety show, emphasized a slow pace and a close-to-nature vibe. Hence, they filmed in a scenic mountain village.

The filming location chosen by the production team was picturesque—a village encircled by mountains on three sides. It was mid-June, the time when the hills were adorned with tea trees. Ning Yuyi took many photos during his journey.

Aware that he couldn't release the photos prematurely, Ning Yuyi took them solely to share with one particular person.

Opening his chat with Fan Zhongchuan, Ning Yuyi sent over the pictures.

——Bro, the scenery here is stunning! I'll bring you some handpicked tea leaves when I return!!!

"The tea from this area is renowned," VJ Teacher, seated in the passenger seat, said as he finished filming his tasks. "This is where the famed Fengjian Peak tea originates."

"I bet we'll have a task related to tea-picking up the mountain," Ning Yuyi remarked, eyeing the abundant tea trees, knowing the show's tendencies.

"Hmm..." VJ Teacher feigned ignorance.

Ning Yuyi: "..."

Since boarding, Xie Yezhou had been napping. Ning Yuyi carefully avoided disturbing him. Feeling the car's air conditioning was a bit chilly, he fetched a blanket from behind and draped it over Xie.

The airport was quite a distance from the village, and the mountainous part of the journey was somewhat bumpy. Ning Yuyi, who was soundly asleep, was jolted hard against the window due to a sudden brake.

Pain shot through him, waking him up instantly, making him grimace.

Xie Yezhou rubbed the spot where Ning Yuyi was hurt and asked the driver, "What happened?"

"I apologize; something seemed to be on the road," the driver hastily responded.

"It's alright," Ning Yuyi said, rolling down the window for some fresh air.

"It seems to be a small animal," the driver, craning his neck to see clearly, remarked. "Lao Jiao, could you check?"

Lao Jiao referred to VJ Teacher, who was filming Ning Yuyi.

"I'll do it." Seeing VJ Teacher encumbered with his camera, Ning Yuyi alighted from the vehicle.

Concerned, Xie Yezhou followed suit.

Ning Yuyi expected to find a small mountain creature, like a hedgehog or a weasel, but was met with a curled-up calico cat, with traces of blood nearby.

Rushing forward, Ning Yuyi noticed the cat's hind leg was injured, preventing it from moving away from the roadside.

Judging by the blood, the cat had been hit by a car, probably within the last half hour.

"Kitty," Ning Yuyi murmured, attempting to soothe the feline.

Contrary to his expectations of a frightened cat, the calico wasn't shy. It let Ning Yuyi gently scratch its neck, its eyes wide open.

A soft meow grabbed Ning Yuyi's attention. Two kittens, less than a month old by the looks of it, peeked out from beneath the calico.

Xie Yezhou too spotted the kittens and crouched beside Ning Yuyi, "Do you like them?"

Ning Yuyi hesitated. He loved cats, and leaving the injured one on this remote mountain road might lead to further harm to its leg.

But if they were to stay, they'd certainly need the agreement of the production crew.

"I'll grab a cardboard box from the car, and we can take them to the cottage for now," Xie Yezhou said, unable to resist petting the kittens. "The director won't mind. There's already a Golden Retriever and an Alaskan Malamute at the cottage. A few more cats won't matter."

Using his unoccupied hand, Xie Yezhou playfully patted Ning Yuyi's head. "I'll handle it. The director won't dare refuse."

Ning Yuyi's eyes sparkled joyfully as he comforted the cats while waiting for Xie Yezhou to bring the box.

Seeing Xie Yezhou return to the car alone, VJ Teacher hastily asked, "What happened? Is it a protected animal? Do we need to call the authorities?"

"It's a cat," Xie Yezhou replied, opening the trunk. "Do we have a cardboard box?"

"Ah, yes," the driver said, having assumed the commotion was about some rare protected species. "There's an empty box in the back we use for the recording equipment."

Xie Yezhou fetched the empty box, lining it with the blanket he had used earlier.

Ning Yuyi gently placed the kittens in the box first, before tenderly settling the injured calico.

Probably unaccustomed to being lifted, the calico struggled briefly when Ning Yuyi picked her up. But she soon relaxed in his arms, even showing reluctance when placed back into the box, her paws reaching out as if wanting to return to his embrace.

"There you go, little one. We'll cuddle more later," Ning Yuyi cooed, picking up the box. "Let's go, Xie Ge."

Fearing further injury to the calico, Ning Yuyi held the box throughout the trip.

The director initially thought that receiving Xie Yezhou a day early was a pleasant surprise. However, Ning Yuyi brought a second, equally delightful one.

Author's note: Collecting names for the three cats online.

I haven't forgotten about the family recognition part. Yu Sihan won't exit the story that quickly. This story is uplifting,

and heartwarming.

Yu Sihan won't harm our dear Ning. I've plotted the story, so just follow the pace. The family recognition is coming up in the next few chapters, so relax.

[Also, I'm heading home tomorrow. The update might be late or will be posted the day after.]

Investigations take time. It's not like those hacker moments in Mary Sue novels where a few clicks reveal everything.