Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Zhou ErHe was the most perplexed amidst the usual events.

Initially out for dinner with her boyfriend, by the time they checked social media, the trolls and haters were already in full force. In their haste to manage the situation and before they could devise a response, the narrative took another turn.

Zhou ErHe sat in front of the computer, still reeling from the recent social media frenzy.

。

Seeing everyone else calming down, with Xie Lou even trying to figure out how to use social media on his phone, Ning YuYi glanced towards the kitchen, contemplating making a meal for everyone.

The presidential suite came equipped with a kitchen and even provided ingredients. After checking dietary preferences with Xie Lou and Lin YiYue, Ning YuYi headed to the kitchen.

The N&M Hotel truly lived up to its reputation as Paris's most luxurious hotel. Given that the Xie family hailed from China, the kitchen was stocked with Chinese ingredients, allowing Ning YuYi to make the most of it.

He selected a box of shrimp from the fridge to defrost. After marinating them in seasonings, he coated them in starch diluted with water and fried them.

Once done, he plated the fried shrimp and couldn’t resist trying one.

Compared to shrimp freshly peeled, these were slightly inferior but still quite good.

Ning YuYi placed the fried shrimp aside and turned to see Lin YiYue entering the kitchen.

Ning YuYi, recalling the culinary mishap Xie YeZhou had mentioned about Lin YiYue, tensed up unexpectedly.

"I'm just here to help out," Lin YiYue approached the sink and paused, "Did AhZhou tell you about my cooking?"

Ning YuYi kept his lips sealed, offering an innocent blink in reply.

He couldn’t betray his second brother.

"Oh, come on. It was just one tiny cake that caused some stomach upset," Lin YiYue muttered, "Do you need the tofu sliced?"

"Just crumble it in the bowl; we’re making Mapo Tofu later."

"Add some extra spice then."

"But Dad and second brother can’t handle too much spice, right?"

"Exactly, which means more for us."

“……”

Ning YuYi recognized Lin YiYue’s attempt to cheer him up and smiled appreciatively.

The pair collaborated in the kitchen to prepare a meal for six while Xie YeZhou discussed the ramifications of the recent events with his agent outside.

The real fallout was minimal, although some persistent haters were claiming the DNA photo was a fake, a mere cover-up for the Xie family's scandal.

Hence, the director of artist management, Zhou ErNa, suggested Xie YeZhou do a live stream, even permitting him to address these haters directly.

Xie YeZhou was keen to announce his relationship with Ning YuYi in front of their fans. After seeking Ning YuYi's opinion in the kitchen, he started the live stream.

Given the magnitude of the afternoon's revelations, the live stream was flooded with both fans and curious onlookers keen to hear from the individuals involved.

Xie YeZhou used a streaming platform under Fan Corporation, having already informed Fan ZhongChuan to allocate additional bandwidth.

But even with pre-planned preparations, the stream momentarily lagged due to the influx of viewers.

Under Fan ZhongChuan’s direction, the streaming service quickly added more channels, deploying several servers to stabilize the broadcast.

As Xie YeZhou noted the increasing viewer count, he calmly activated his camera.

[Good afternoon, YeZhou~]

[Given the time difference, isn't it evening in Paris? So, good evening~]

[Hey, I think I see my hubby! Move the camera a bit so I can get a glimpse of my dear Xie YiNan!!!]

[I'm different, I really want to see my Xie Lou daddy (prostrating and shouting for Xie dad).]

“Good afternoon to those back home,” Xie YeZhou greeted the audience nonchalantly, “Ah, the afternoon news was quite the spectacle, wasn’t it? My agent suggested I go live to clarify things.”

[This isn't weird or comical! It's fantastical! I'm still reeling!!!]

[Well, maybe not that fantastical. The Xie family has always been searching for their lost younger son. Coincidentally, Yezhou met Ning Ning before they found him. Such a coincidence.]

[It's truly fortunate. The incident with the Xie family was so massive back then. My mom thought their youngest son was gone for good. It's incredible they found him after all these years.]

[The Xie family has been involved in charity work for years. They must have built up some good karma.]

Xie Yezhou, reading the constant stream of comments, had a persistent smirk in his eyes.

Fans were exclaiming how it's no wonder Xie Yezhou had changed so much in recent months. Turns out, his younger brother was the reason.

"What are you discussing?" Lin Yiyue, holding a plate of fried shrimp and Mapo tofu, was the first to emerge.

Xie Yezhou's live broadcast showcased Lin Yiyue's gentle smiling face, and the already abundant comments surged even more.

Most were from Ning Yuyi's fans and Xie Yezhou's female admirers, greeting Lin Yiyue with "Good evening, mom." Some keen-eyed viewers recognized Lin Yiyue's features.

[Is that Lady Xie? She seems so gentle.]

[Good evening, mom!]

[No wonder Xie Yezhou treated Ning Yuyi so well before the results came out... Mrs. Xie and Ning Yuyi look so alike. Clearly, it's a strong family resemblance.]

[The resemblance between Mrs. Xie and Ning Yuyi speaks louder than any DNA test.]

[The Lin family is also prestigious. Lin Yiyue has an older brother who was quite cherished. After marrying into the Xie family, she became even more beloved. Their greatest adversity in life was probably the loss of their younger son.]

[Didn't someone capture a photo of Mrs. Xie from behind? She looked so frail and thin...]

[Of course, any mother would be devastated after losing her child. I'd be inconsolable if my son went missing.]

"Are you live streaming?" Lin Yiyue asked him.

Xie Yezhou nodded, turning the camera to face himself, "Alright, I know there are some trolls lurking in the chat. Let's talk. Be quick; I'm eager to eat the meal Ning Ning prepared."

Xie Lou and Xie Yinan chose to stay off camera, beginning to enjoy their shrimp appetizers.

Fan Zhongchuan, however, tried to sneak into the frame to flaunt his relationship with Ning Yuyi, but Xie Yezhou kept the camera trained on himself, preventing any glimpses of Fan.

After setting the dishes on the table, Lin Yiyue returned to the kitchen. Realizing he was the sole focus, Xie Yezhou sighed.

Then, the viewers watched as Xie Yezhou picked up his tablet, unlocked it, opened the Weibo app, and navigated to his photo gallery.

It was clear his gallery was filled with screenshots from Weibo.

Starting with the first image, Xie Yezhou methodically went through them, not just reviewing but analyzing and disputing malicious comments, even occasionally checking if the commenter was in the chat.

"Is 'MilkTeaNoHesitate' in my stream? Regardless, when you post such malicious comments, maybe use an alt account next time? And maybe clear your Weibo history of supporting Xu Yingzhe before pretending to be neutral?"

"Alright, next one..."

[...Damn, is this really Xie Yezhou? Did I mistake him for someone else? Where's the cool and aloof demeanor?]

[Ah, this is confusing... But, to be fair, Yezhou was genuinely reserved in the past. He barely talked during fan meetings.]

[To put it another way, Yezhou seems to be more talkative around family, especially with his younger brother.]

[Where did all the trolls go? Keep going. I knew many of them came from Xu Yingzhe's fandom.]

[Are you generalizing one fan to represent all of Xu Yingzhe's fans? What's wrong with Xu Yingzhe? Currently, he's a celebrated movie star, surely more prominent than Xie Yezhou?]

[Joke of the century: Xu Yingzhe is bigger than Xie Yezhou.]

[What's the fuss about? One is known for acting, and the other for a massive fan base. Why even compare? Bystanders are speechless.]

……

After the live stream, the family enjoyed dinner together. Ning Yuyi once again demonstrated his "Master Water Bearer" skills, serving everyone perfectly without spilling a drop.

After dinner and some casual chat, everyone headed to their respective suites for rest at □□ o'clock.

Fan Zhongchuan's room was downstairs. Ning Yuyi accompanied him to the elevator, and the two embraced and kissed for a while before parting.

After taking a shower, Zhou Erhe called Ning Yuyi, estimating the timing just right.

"I thought you'd be asleep," Zhou Erhe said with a sigh of relief upon Ning Yuyi answering the call. "I apologize for today. I've been a bit lost in love lately. I didn’t even know about the social media news until someone told me."

"It’s not your fault. I never shied away from cameras abroad and didn’t expect to be photographed," Ning Yuyi reassured him. "Strangely, they only caught me with my dad and brother. I even went shopping with Fan Zhongchuan, and there were no pictures of that."

"So it's as if someone just happened to see you?" Zhou Erhe's mind raced. "Could it be Xu Yingzhe? He also attended the fashion week."

"It's unlikely. He'd be too obvious and would steer clear. If caught, he’d be doomed," Ning Yuyi opined, thinking he would never do such a careless thing.

"True," Zhou Erhe rubbed his temples, "Why the sudden decision to go public? I thought the Xie family wanted to keep things private."

"No," Ning Yuyi admitted hesitantly, "I was the one who wanted to keep it a secret before."

Zhou Erhe was taken aback and asked why.

"It’s nothing,” Ning Yuyi said sheepishly, “Just...fears, I guess."

Zhou Erhe wondered what there was to be afraid of, but seeing Ning Yuyi usually compliant and letting others make decisions, he assumed it might be due to some past experience or hearsay. He didn't press the topic and shifted to other matters.

"Where are you now? When will you be back?"

"In a few days. I’m visiting another country tomorrow," Ning Yuyi replied, placing his phone on the table in speaker mode and freeing his hands to towel his hair.

"Let me know before you come back, okay?"

"Mhm."

After quickly drying his hair, Ning Yuyi settled comfortably onto the bed.

Zhou Erhe inquired if there were any new men's fashion releases and if he could borrow a couture outfit for the red carpet event.

"No need to borrow. My mom plans to buy me two sets," Ning Yuyi remarked, even though he didn't particularly fancy them.

He pulled up photos from the day's fashion week intending to share them with Zhou Erhe but mistakenly zoomed in on one.

The magnified image revealed a familiar figure. Narrowing his eyes, Ning Yuyi studied the photo closely and then sent it to Zhou Erhe.

"This suit looks decent."

"I didn't ask you to focus on the clothes." Ning Yuyi's voice was a tad cold, "Look at the two people sitting together at the bottom left."

Zhou Erhe did as Ning Yuyi directed and took a closer look.

After a long silence without an answer, Ning Yuyi felt he might already know the truth.

"I remember Xu Yingzhe is already married," Zhou Erhe suddenly stood up, "Hold on, I’ll check with Ying Jin to see if he's divorced. If not, this could be breaking news."

"Who would've thought, Ning Yuyi, that you have a talent for being a paparazzo?"

Ning Yuyi: "???"

Author's Note: Still writing. Expect another update around midnight.