Chapter 39: Exposure

Chapter 39: Exposure

Lin Shenshi slept soundly until daybreak.

To his surprise, Qi Lian, who had added him on WeChat the previous day and promised to "get in touch later," hadn't sent any messages. Instead, his Weibo feed was buzzing with several trending topics.

#FamousMaleActorScandal#

#TaxEvasion#

#ActorWithSSurnameReported#

Lin Shenshi casually clicked on one, finding the internet flooded with discussions about the incident. The comments section was rife with speculation about the identity of the S-surnamed male celebrity.

[300 million in tax evasion? Is he insane? The entertainment industry makes money too easily!]

[With that much money, it must be an A-list actor. What surnames start with S?]

[Shen, Song, Su, Sun, Sha… There are so many!]

[But there aren’t many A-list actors. Could it be Song XX? Or Shen X?]

[Hey, don’t spread false rumors! Our idol is a law-abiding citizen!]

[Exactly! Watch out—if this gets over 500 reposts, you might end up in jail!]

[Oh, jumping to his defense this fast—isn’t that a guilty conscience?]

[Slander! You must be a paid troll from rival fans, deliberately smearing our idol!]

The discussion in the comments section gradually turned nasty, with fans from different camps launching into a chaotic war of words. The hostility was so thick it was unbearable to read. Lin Shenshi quickly exited and returned to the main account interface.

He was currently logged into the actor account specifically created for Yu Lanzhao, which typically posted handsome photos of Yu Lanzhao to promote the artist and attract fans.

Although there was only one follower (Lin Shenshi himself), as both the agent and PR manager, Lin Shenshi took his work seriously, seizing every opportunity to get more people to notice Yu Lanzhao.

He scrolled through his phone’s gallery and found the photos he had taken yesterday. After selecting a few with good angles and composition, he posted them on Weibo in a nine-grid layout with the caption:

[A day on set.]

[Heading out to work today!]

In the photos, the youthful boy exuded vibrant energy, his deer-like eyes dark and bright. He wore an ethereal hairpiece fitting for a xianxia setting, with a blue-and-white hair ribbon tied into a single high ponytail. Whenever he turned his head, the ribbon would flutter behind him, dancing through his hair.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps, illuminating the boy who hadn’t yet changed into his costume but was still in his casual clothes. Yet, he already exuded an otherworldly, ancient charm.

Lin Shenshi looked at the nine photos on Weibo with satisfaction, then clicked on the topic #LongMoonStarRiver# and added it to the post.

Including the topic would attract some attention from the project's fans. Moreover, this S+ mega-production also starred Qi Lian as the male lead, who came with his own fanbase. Since the first day of filming, the movie had garnered widespread attention.

Thus, just minutes after the Weibo post went live, comments started appearing from fans who had found it through the topic.

[Looks unfamiliar. Is this just someone trying to gain clout?]

Lin Shenshi quickly replied:

[It’s genuine! New actor Yu Lanzhao, playing the sixth male lead. These are my official character stills—they’re also on the production’s official Weibo!]

Along with the reply, he attached the official character stills he had previously downloaded from the production’s Weibo account.

Dressed in white with a blue ribbon, his sleeves fluttering, the bright-eyed young man smiled radiantly at the camera.

It was clearly the same person as in today’s Weibo photos.

A moment later, the user replied:

[I checked the official Weibo, and it really is you! You’re so handsome, cutie! Following you now—I’ll be your day-one fan from here on!]

Lin Shenshi opened the profile.

The once lonely number "1" under the followers section had quietly changed to "2."

"Ah Zhao!"

Lin Shenshi shouted excitedly.

Yu Lanzhao had just finished washing his face and walked out of the bathroom. He was drying his hair with a towel, his face still damp, and looked over in confusion. "What is it, Xiao Shi?"

Lin Shenshi excitedly held up his phone. "You have a new fan! She said you’re handsome! And she wants to be your day-one fan!"

Surprise flashed in the boy’s eyes, soon softening into quiet pleasure.

Yu Lanzhao slowed his hair-drying and quickly walked over to Lin Shenshi, leaning in to look at the phone screen.

The long-static follower count of "1" had indeed become "2," just as Lin Shenshi had said.

Lin Shenshi then opened the Weibo post to show him the new fan’s comment. "Look, she really likes you! We should thank her properly."

As he spoke, Lin Shenshi’s nimble fingers flew across the screen, quickly typing out a response of gratitude:

[Thank you for your support! I’ll keep working hard!]

"Done!" Lin Shenshi looked at the result with satisfaction. "As they say, the first step is always the hardest. I’m sure more and more fans will discover our hidden gem, Ah Zhao, from now on."

"Xiao Shi," Yu Lanzhao said softly, his heart warmed, "thank you."

Ever since Lin Shenshi had agreed to let him star in "Long Moon Star River," he had taken on all the responsibilities of an agent. Not only did he help Yu Lanzhao coordinate with the production team, but he also put effort into managing the actor’s account online.

Even though none of this benefited Lin Shenshi’s own acting career, he still worked tirelessly at it, giving his all without hesitation.

Lin Shenshi brushed it off cheerfully. "Hey, Ah Zhao, no need to be so polite. You’re my best friend—who else would I help? Besides…"

He stretched. "Acting isn’t that important to me anyway."

Not that important?

Yu Lanzhao’s gaze shifted. "Then why did you apply to the Performing Arts Academy back then?"

How would he know the original owner’s reasons…

Lin Shenshi thought for a moment and gave an ambiguous answer. "Maybe… it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing."

Yu Lanzhao was stunned.

Worried that he might say too much and make a mistake, Lin Shenshi quickly changed the subject. "Alright, alright, none of that matters now. We need to get to the set. Hurry up and get ready."

Under his direction, the two quickly got dressed and prepared to leave.

Yu Lanzhao wore a charcoal-gray scarf. Noticing Lin Shenshi’s neck was bare, he asked, "Haven’t you found your scarf yet?"

Lin Shenshi nodded in resignation.

The hotel never called back about the lost item, and a few days ago, he had even made a special trip over there, only to be told they hadn’t found it.

"Maybe it's really lost," Lin Shenshi lowered his head dejectedly. "Sorry, I lost the gift you gave me."

Yu Lanzhao shook his head: "It's fine, Xiao Shi. If we can't find it, I'll buy you a new one."

"No way!" Lin Shenshi quickly waved his hands to refuse. He knew Yu Lanzhao's situation all too well—the young man was already struggling just to make ends meet. How could he possibly add to his burden?

But unexpectedly, something he said seemed to have upset Yu Lanzhao, whose dark, doe-like eyes grew downcast.

"Xiao Shi... don’t you believe I can do it?"

Tears welled up in his eyes, glistening and on the verge of falling, making it impossible for anyone to refuse him.

"..." Lin Shenshi couldn’t stand to see that look and shook his head. "Of course not, I just don’t want you to push yourself too hard."

"I’m not overworking myself," Yu Lanzhao said.

For Xiao Shi, he would go through fire and water without fear.

Besides...

He happened to have a little extra money.

With that, Lin Shenshi couldn’t say no. They agreed to go look for one together when they had time soon, then headed to set.

Today, Yu Lanzhao had only two scenes, much lighter than yesterday. If things went smoothly, they might wrap up early in the afternoon.

However, when they arrived at the set, they could tell something was wrong.

Instead of bustling with activity, the staff were clustered in small groups, whispering, and the director’s tent was jammed with people, the atmosphere heavy and tense.

When they arrived, Tang Sen, his face etched with worry, was taken aback for a moment before smacking his forehead in realization. "Oh, I completely forgot to notify you—today’s filming is canceled."

Usually, the assistant director handled the actor call sheets, but since Lin Shenshi only had Tang Sen’s contact and given Yu Lanzhao’s special circumstances joining the crew, Tang Sen had been coordinating with them personally. With the sudden emergency that had him swamped, it had slipped his mind.

Hearing the sudden cancellation, Lin Shenshi was confused and asked, "Did something happen?"

Tang Sen rubbed his temples. "Haven’t you checked the trending topics?"

Trending topics?

Lin Shenshi recalled the few trending topics pushed by Weibo that morning but didn’t see how "S-surnamed male star evading taxes" related to the filming halt.

Suddenly, it dawned on him: "The S-surnamed male star… it isn’t someone from our crew, is it?"

Tang Sen sighed. "Yes."

Lin Shenshi: "..."

Alright then...

He had a pretty good idea who the widely discussed "S-surnamed male star" was.

In the original novel, there had also been a tax evasion scandal involving a male star, but that happened long after "Long Moon Star River" had wrapped up and the film had won numerous awards.

Sheng Lin, who played the second male lead, was suddenly exposed for tax evasion. The scandal plummeted him from A-list status to rock bottom, and he disappeared from the industry altogether.

The one who exposed him was none other than the third scumbag love interest—Qi Lian.

It all started when Sheng Lin once caught Qi Lian pinning the protagonist against a wall and kissing him. The protagonist’s delicate, alluring demeanor gave him ideas, as Sheng Lin already had a preference for men.

By then, Qi Lian had already fallen deeply in love with the protagonist. Though he still bullied the protagonist as usual, he believed only he had the right to do so—anyone else who dared to make a move on the protagonist would be "destroyed."

So, soon after, Qi Lian schemed to obtain evidence of Sheng Lin’s tax evasion and anonymously reported it to the authorities, ensuring Sheng Lin could never lay a hand on the protagonist.

Could it be that Qi Lian was behind it this time, too?

Lin Shenshi couldn’t help but recall Qi Lian’s "no-show" last night. Was this the reason?

But...

In the current timeline, he had been protecting Yu Lanzhao well. Even Qi Lian hadn’t succeeded yet, so Sheng Lin couldn’t have witnessed them kissing and wouldn’t have noticed him...

Huh?

Wait...

Could it be that when Yu Lanzhao fell into the water yesterday, his soaked clothes clinging to him caught Sheng Lin’s attention, making him a target?

Very possible...

But one thing didn’t quite add up.

At this point, Qi Lian hadn’t yet developed deep feelings for Yu Lanzhao. Why would he go after Sheng Lin to protect him?

Just as Lin Shenshi was lost in thought, footsteps echoed outside the tent.

Everyone turned to look.

The dark green curtain was pushed aside, and a tall figure stepped in. What greeted everyone was a flawlessly handsome face.

Tang Sen was the first to react, stepping forward to greet him. "Teacher Qi, what brings you here?" Surely the assistant director hadn’t forgotten to notify him too?

Qi Lian seemed to have rushed over, looking disheveled from travel. His sharp, narrow phoenix eyes swept across the room.

Lin Shenshi wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that gaze lingered a bit longer in their direction. He instinctively stepped in front of Yu Lanzhao.

A moment later, Qi Lian shifted his focus, finally settling on Tang Sen at the center of the group.

"I heard what happened, so I came to check on the situation."

In the original novel, though Qi Lian had an awful personality, he was incredibly serious and responsible when it came to work.

Just like now—the problem was ultimately the director’s casting problem. None of the other actors showed up, but Qi Lian braved the winter chill to rush over and help.

Qi Lian’s expression was stern:

"Director Tang, what’s your plan?"

Tang Sen was overwhelmed.

From the moment he learned about Sheng Lin’s tax evasion scandal that morning, he had immediately gathered the crew to discuss countermeasures.

"Long Moon Star River" was aiming for blockbuster success—they absolutely could not risk using a tainted actor and jeopardize the entire crew’s hard work.

—Replacing Sheng Lin is imperative.

But...

Where can we find a suitable actor at such short notice?

The character Sheng Lin portrays is not some insignificant minor role; it's the second male lead in the film, with billing just below the male and female leads, and serves as the ultimate antagonist who is both good and evil.

If we cast just anyone, inadequate acting could ruin the entire film in an instant.

But if we seek out a well-known actor, there are only a rare few who fit the character's image. Moreover, the production has already begun, requiring the actor to arrive immediately and be deeply embedded on set for three months. Who would have a suitable schedule available?

Over the past hour or so, we’ve contacted every possible male actor—and the long-shot options too. Some had scheduling conflicts, while others said the role didn’t fit their current plans. For now, we truly can’t find an actor to step in.

Tang Sen is so worried he’s almost tearing his hair out.

The production is already underway, and the daily cost of the filming location alone is a massive sum. If we don’t find someone soon, we risk angering the investors. Withdrawal of funding could be a project-ending disaster!

"Director Tang."

Qi Lian, who had been listening in silence, spoke up slowly, his alluring dark pupils exuding unflappable calm.

"Actually, this might not be such a difficult matter."

Tang Sen perked up with hope: "Do you have someone in mind?"

Qi Lian nodded.

"I do have someone to recommend."