Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 82

“The young man under the sun~~ Has your dream come true~~ In this cold world~~ Have you changed~”

Ran Lin had just clicked to share Gu Jie’s post and hadn’t yet managed to send it when his phone rang.

These days, since he wasn’t working, his phone was always in his hand, giving his lover a rare opportunity to call him directly without needing to send a probing text first.

“Hello?” Ran Lin’s voice echoed in the room, closed off and air-conditioned, as if it had a built-in reverb effect.

“Back at the hotel from your outing?” Lu Yiyao could tell from his voice.

Ran Lin had spoken to Lu Yiyao that morning, telling him he was planning to embrace the city with Gu Jie. His lover, well-versed in the art of disguise, had instructed him on various tricks to avoid being recognized without looking like a wrapped-up dumpling. Ran Lin didn’t find many of the tips practical but was sympathetic to his lover’s years of coping with fame.

“I had planned to go to the food street,” Ran Lin said, lying back in bed, sounding resigned. “But a call from the director brought us back.”

“Video call me.” As soon as Lu Yiyao said this, he hung up without waiting for a response.

Ran Lin, a bit flustered, had just exited to the home screen when a video call invitation popped up, filling the screen with a face. By now, he was used to his lover’s haphazard selfie angles.

“Did the director call you back?” Lu Yiyao picked up where they left off.

“More accurately, he called Gu Jie back.” Ran Lin sighed softly.

“Because of Qi Luoluo’s long post?”

“You saw it?”

“Yeah.”

Ran Lin looked at his lover on the screen with a mixture of feelings. “It seems like your crew really isn’t that busy…”

Lu Yiyao pulled back the phone, apparently placing it on a table, and said casually, “The actors are efficient, and the whole crew works well together, so we have plenty of time. We might even wrap up early.”

Ran Lin narrowed his eyes at him. “If you keep rubbing it in, we can’t keep dating.”

Lu Yiyao laughed, then asked with concern, “How is Gu Jie?”

Ran Lin shook his head. “He’s been with the director since he came back. I don’t know what’s happening.”

Lu Yiyao fell silent, his brow slightly furrowed in thought.

“I just got off the phone with Xi Jie,” Ran Lin continued, the frustration rising in his voice. “She says it’s hard to clear up this kind of murky situation. I don’t understand why it’s always the honest people who get screwed. Gu Jie is the most patient lead actor I’ve ever seen. You didn’t see Qi Luoluo at the set. When she NG’d, even the lighting and photography crew were exasperated, the director was about to lose it, but Gu Jie was still patient with her, doing it over and over…”

“Right.” Ran Lin’s eyes suddenly lit up. “We can release the NG footage. It’ll be clear whether Gu Jie bullied her!”

Lu Yiyao looked up and slowly shook his head. “What you can think of, her team has already considered. She never intended to go after Gu Jie for bullying her in the first place. The set is a public environment; if she was truly bullied, everyone would see it. Just one behind-the-scenes blooper reel from the director would debunk her claim. But if she insists Gu Jie harassed her, then even if the crew releases NG footage, she can claim it’s the crew whitewashing Gu Jie and the film. Plus, she can argue that the NG footage shows how Gu Jie was before he harassed her, being nice to her precisely so he could harass her later.”

“And she doesn’t even have to say that. 99% of the NG footage is from before she and Gu Jie acted together, because right after they started, it was Gu Jie who kept NG’ing, and then we went on location shooting. That night, Director He talked to her and terminated her contract.” Ran Lin felt disheartened again. “I thought we had found evidence to refute her.”

Lu Yiyao pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Has Gu Jie told you in detail about what happened the night of the alleged harassment?”

“Actually, he did,” Ran Lin replied without hesitation. “He came out of Qi Luoluo’s room just as I was leaving mine. We met in the hallway and then went to dinner together. He poured out all his troubles to me.”

Lu Yiyao touched his fingers thoughtfully, then said, “Then tell me everything in detail.”

Ran Lin had complained to his lover about Qi Luoluo harassing Gu Jie as soon as it happened, but at that time, they didn’t anticipate the situation escalating to this level, so it was a brief mention.

Now that Lu Yiyao requested the full version, Ran Lin, although puzzled, knew his lover must have his reasons. Without hesitation, he recounted in detail what Gu Jie had told him that night, almost not missing any detail.

The night outside the window was inky black, and the room was lit only by a bedside lamp casting a limited glow.

Ran Lin got up, turned on all the lights in the room, and then sat cross-legged on the bed to tell the whole story to his lover.

Lu Yiyao listened intently, and by the end, he sat up straight in a serious and attentive posture.

“…That’s what happened.” Ran Lin’s throat was dry from talking, so he got up, placed his phone against the lamp, like Lu Yiyao, and opened a bottle of mineral water to drink.

“You said earlier,” Lu Yiyao watched his lover intently, “that Gu Jie didn’t close the door after entering?”

Ran Lin paused drinking, swallowed quickly, and nodded vigorously. “Right, Gu Jie felt it wasn’t appropriate to close the door when alone with her, so he left it open. It was only later, during the scene, that Qi Luoluo closed it herself.”

Lu Yiyao frowned. “But the hotel surveillance footage they released doesn’t show the door.”

Ran Lin rolled his eyes. “That’s because of the angle of the camera. It didn’t even show me, but actually, I came out before Gu Jie. I closed my door, then Gu Jie came out.”

Lu Yiyao: “How many cameras are there in the hallway?”

Ran Lin was stumped. “I didn’t notice…”

Before Lu Yiyao could respond, Ran Lin was already up. “I’ll go check right now!”

Sounds of hurried door opening and closing followed, and in a blink, Ran Lin was back in the video, his face alight with excitement. “Three, one at each end of the hallway and one in the middle.”

Lu Yiyao nodded, understanding what he had suspected.

The video released by Qi Luoluo showed the surveillance camera positioned near the elevator, capturing only sections of the corridor to the left and right. Thus, in its range, it could capture Qi Luoluo’s room on the left side but not Ran Lin’s room on the right side, which was further away and closer to the end of the corridor.

This indicated that the camera was closer to the middle of the corridor. If there were no blind spots intended, there should be cameras at both ends of the corridor as well.

The camera near Ran Lin’s room was irrelevant to the situation—even if it captured him leaving at the same time and eventually joining Gu Jie for a meal, it would be meaningless for the case.

However, the camera at the end of the corridor near Qi Luoluo’s room was different.

In the video released by Qi Luoluo, her room was already at the edge of the camera’s view. Due to distance and angle, plus the intentionally sped-up video, it was hard to notice if the door was closed or not. But if it was another camera at the end of the corridor, it would have a closer view of Qi Luoluo’s room and could capture clearer details.

Ran Lin realized Lu Yiyao’s intent upon seeing the three cameras. “Although NG videos can’t fundamentally solve the problem, if the hotel surveillance clearly shows that Gu Jie didn’t close the door, coupled with the NG footage, it could at least prevent public opinion from being completely one-sided.”

“Yes,” Lu Yiyao said. “And if Gu Jie’s agent can gather more evidence or manage the PR well, this crisis might not be insurmountable.”

It hadn’t been long since the incident occurred and Ran Lin hadn’t had time to think through these aspects. It was likely that the director and Gu Jie were also still in shock. Now reminded by Lu Yiyao, Ran Lin immediately stood up. “I’ll go to the hotel for the surveillance footage right now.”

Before Lu Yiyao could respond, Ran Lin suddenly sat back down. “Almost forgot, I should repost first. Otherwise, I’ll forget once I get busy.”

“Repost Gu Jie’s Weibo?” Lu Yiyao asked, his voice lifting subtly with emotion.

Ran Lin initially planned to inform Lu Yiyao and then end the video to repost on Weibo. His question made Ran Lin reflexively wary. “Do you think it’s rash for me to repost his Weibo and take a stand in this storm?”

“What do you want in your heart? Do you want to publicly support him?” Lu Yiyao counter-asked, his voice still calm and collected.

Ran Lin took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, firmly saying, “I don’t want to just publicly support him. I want to jump in and fight for him!”

Lu Yiyao’s eyebrows rose in surprise at the first part of the statement, but he smiled when he heard the rest.

“Then go for it. Public support or fighting, follow your heart.”

“Xi Jie will kill me.” Ran Lin could almost imagine the future scolding. “And if Gu Jie can’t be fully vindicated, I guess I’ll get dragged down with him.”

Lu Yiyao’s eyes shone with a soft smile. “Even if you flop, I’ll be there to catch you.”

Ran Lin was half amused, half exasperated. “Then we’ll both flop.”

Lu Yiyao looked at him steadily. “Then I’ll just have to lift you back up again.”

It was an uncertain matter, but coming from his lover, it was filled with certainty.

Ran Lin held back his laughter. “Does that mean I can strut around the entertainment industry?”

Without hesitation, Lu Yiyao nodded. “You can even dance in the square if you want.”

Ending the video call, Ran Lin felt no more hesitation, only a sense of solidity.

With a press of his thumb, he sent the repost. Gu Jie’s pinned post. “I don’t look for trouble, but I am not afraid of it,” was now on Ran Lin’s Weibo homepage, echoing his own sentiments.

After reposting, Ran Lin searched through Weibo. His colleagues were all silent.

Gu Jie had been in the industry longer and had a smooth career. Although he was low-key, he surely had friends, but now, not one was speaking out.

That was understandable.

After all, the truth wasn’t clear yet, and the issue involved the sensitive topic of harassing a female actress. Even if people contacted him privately to offer comfort, it was best to stay cautious in public.

But Ran Lin couldn’t do that.

He knew the truth, and he couldn’t pretend ignorance.

After a round of searching, he returned to his own Weibo to find it a storm of comments—

[The World is so Big I Want To Go Slap-Slap: Not looking for trouble won’t get you in trouble 🐶]

[Crystal Palace: In society, I’m like Ran Ge, fierce and concise. One repost and it’s a storm, bound to crash eventually. 🤷]

[Calculus Flyby: Standing by someone at this time, how low can your IQ be…]

[Rich Fur Village: Of course, he’ll help his “good brother” from the same crew 😏]

[Die Straight-Male Cancer: Not looking for trouble but not afraid of it, so are you two preparing to team up and bash Qi Luoluo?]

[Lily Nijiang Sauce: I think it’s good. Saves the hesitation. Let’s just pack up and go to the dark side together 👋]

Whether it was because he had just been torn apart by Han Ze’s fans and had developed antibodies, or because Lu Yiyao’s words were energizing, Ran Lin looked at these negative comments with an oddly calm heart.

Even if no one else stood up for Gu Jie, he would, because that was his friend.

Even if everyone criticized him for taking sides at this time, he wasn’t afraid because there was always one person who would forever support him; he just had to look back to see that “blindly confident” handsome face.

And…

Ran Lin, seeing the many supportive comments from his fans and the scattered Gu Jie fans among the negative ones, felt he didn’t need to make himself out to be a tragic hero. In his fanbase, there were still more supporters, moved followers, and those who teased overtly but cared covertly—

[Peppy Shrimp Let’s Go: Idol, do you want the company to buy you a trending spot instead of rocketing yourself up there? [I might have become a fan of an idiot.jpg]]

[White Dragon’s Reverse Scale: Thought you and Gu Jie were just close friends; turns out it’s deeper than that 🫠.]

[Professional Nunchucks Level 2: I’m a fan of Gu Jie. Thank you for being willing to stand by him at this time, he’s really wronged 😭.]

[Lin’s Family Burning Noodles: Firmly helping to repost.]

[Idle Sword of Fallen Flowers: Don’t know why, but I just feel so fired up. This is what brotherhood is about!]

[Burning Noodles Fan Club: Why should Qi Luoluo get to say anything with just a crappy surveillance shot, while an actor who knows the situation best can’t speak up? Anyway, I’m with Ran Lin this round. Okay, I’ve been a fan since ‘Drifting Stories’ so I’m an old Burning Noodles, rolling on the floor begging for a mention! 🤪 🤪]

[Yao Love For Life: Not kicking someone when they’re down is kindness; daring to provide coal in snow* is a warrior’s deed.]

*Idiom referring to the act of offering help or support to someone in their time of need.

As Ran Lin read, he pondered how he should release the video once he got it from the hotel. He wondered if he should also prepare a lengthy Weibo post detailing all the specifics, making the video and evidence fit together more cohesively and convincingly. And he couldn’t just post it himself; having Xi Jie find some marketing accounts to lead the charge might seem more credible…

As he was lost in thought, he refreshed the page, and a slew of new comments had already flooded in, with the top one being—

[Passion Burns Summer: Xia Xinran and Lu Yiyao liked both Gu Jie and Ran Lin’s Weibo posts. The Drifting Team’s bond is indeed not plastic. [Shows a smile of a proud mother.jpg] [screenshot.jpg]]

Ran Lin froze, clicked on the screenshot, and sure enough, his lover and friend had liked the posts just minutes after he had made them.

These days, liking a post is akin to making a statement. While it’s not as overt as reposting, it certainly indicates taking a side.

Those two…

Knock, knock.

The sudden knock on the door interrupted Ran Lin’s train of thought.

Puzzled, he put down his phone and walked towards the door, asking cautiously, “Who is it?”

“Gu Jie—” The reply came straightforwardly.

Ran Lin quickly moved to open the door, seeing Gu Jie still dressed as he was when he returned, seemingly just finished talking with the director. His expression wasn’t overly somber, though his brow was furrowed, and his aura was as strong as usual.

“Finished talking with the director?” Ran Lin let his friend in.

“Yes, now it’s up to Qiang Ge to communicate with him. I’m just waiting.” Gu Jie walked into the room, continuing, “Do we have a plan now?”

Gu Jie was surprised. “You can tell?”

Ran Lin: “…It’s really not hard at all.”

Gu Jie’s thoughts were all too easy to guess. No, there wasn’t even a need to guess; it was all written on his face.

“The director is too cunning.” Gu Jie couldn’t hold back his mixed feelings. “When he was talking to Qi Luoluo, not only did he have an assistant present, but he also recorded everything with a hidden camera.”

Ran Lin was astonished; he hadn’t expected the seemingly straightforward director to pull such a trick.

He thought having an assistant present during the conversation was already being cautious, but it turned out the director not only took precautions but also secured a trump card.

“Did Qi Luoluo confess to harassing you during that conversation?” Ran Lin asked, sensing something amiss.

“Of course, she wasn’t that foolish. At first, she kept saying I was deliberately making things difficult for her, insisting it was me who attempted to harass her. But later, it seems the director used some method to make her fall into her own trap.” Gu Jie scratched his head. “I’m not exactly sure myself. We’ll know when the video comes out.”

“……” Ran Lin knew he wouldn’t get any substantial details from Gu Jie.

“I came here to tell you this,” Gu Jie continued. “You don’t need to worry about me. Qiang Ge said that with the video the director took, I can not only clear my name but also help boost the attention for <Dyeing Fire>. The director has always been worried about his film being critically acclaimed but not a box office hit…”

Ran Lin understood. “So now the two of them are in cahoots.”

Gu Jie recalled the scene of his agent and the director’s video call and shook his head. “Not just in cahoots, they’re almost sworn brothers now.”

Ran Lin didn’t know how to comment on this twist of events, but he was extremely curious about the video content.

“You reposted my Weibo?!” Gu Jie, casually scrolling through Weibo, exclaimed in surprise.

Ran Lin blinked, feeling oddly like he’d been caught doing something naughty and managed a “Mm.”

Gu Jie flopped down in a chair, looking resigned. “What were you thinking? Did you guess the director had a hidden recording?”

Ran Lin protested, “If I had that kind of imagination, I’d be writing sci-fi novels!”

“So why did you repost it?” Gu Jie’s tone was genuinely disapproving. “If I can’t clear my name, wouldn’t that drag you down too? It’s unnecessary.”

“I stand by my friends. Why do I need a reason?” His agent didn’t criticize, his lover didn’t criticize, but being criticized by the involved party left Ran Lin unsure whether to laugh or cry. “And this is just step one. I plan to write a long Weibo post recreating the scene.”

Gu Jie stared dumbfounded for a long time, then let out a sigh of relief. “Lucky I came to you first.”

Ran Lin gave him a look. “If not for you, I wouldn’t even have this movie. One Weibo post for a leading role in a famous director’s film—I’m making a fortune.”

Gu Jie looked at Ran Lin, emotions churning in his chest, but in the end, he just stood up, patted Ran Lin’s shoulder firmly, and squeezed it, all without a word.

Ran Lin stared back fiercely amid the excruciating pain on his shoulders, deciding if Gu Jie didn’t let go within three seconds, he’d yell for release.

Fortunately, Gu Jie didn’t keep on squeezing and let go before Ran Lin had to scream.

Ran Lin’s shoulder slumped, he breathed deeply several times, moved his arm around to make sure it was still functional, and confirmed, yep, it’s not wasted, still usable.

“Oh right.” Just as he was moving his arms, Ran Lin remembered the conversation with Lu Yiyao and quickly said, “There are three cameras in the corridor. Qi Luoluo released footage from the middle one, which didn’t capture the door clearly. Another camera should have a clear view of you not closing the door after entering. We can ask the hotel for it.”

Although Director He had a killer piece of evidence, more evidence was always better.

But Gu Jie said, “Director He already asked for it this afternoon when Qi Luoluo released her post. The hotel has been reluctant to give it, saying it’s only available for police investigations or similar incidents.”

Ran Lin was speechless. “Then how did Qi Luoluo get the footage?”

Gu Jie shrugged, unclear as well.

The footage from Qi Luoluo must have also come from the hotel, but not necessarily through official channels. The hotel would naturally prefer to avoid trouble, especially as it’s frequented by celebrities. If they started releasing surveillance footage left and right, it would make many feel their privacy wasn’t respected. However, if the production team insisted and it wasn’t the hotel itself in trouble, they might still provide it.

But if Director He has the conversation on video, then whether they have the surveillance footage or not doesn’t really matter. With time being of the essence, the director probably can’t be bothered to negotiate further.

“Lu Yiyao also liked it?” Gu Jie found something new upon refreshing Weibo.

Ran Lin laughed at his expression of discovery. “Xia Xinran did too.”

Gu Jie froze, his phone scrolling slowing, then stopping completely, falling into silence.

Ran Lin watched his friend’s expression turn pensive, his eyes burning with intensity, uncertain of his mood.

Suddenly, Gu Jie looked up.

Ran Lin was startled by his intense gaze, scooting back on the bed reflexively, only to hear his friend’s resounding voice—

“Let’s find time for the four of us to become sworn brothers!”

Ran Lin considered the suggestion seriously and finally said cautiously, “How about… we first ask Teacher Lu and Xia Xinran what they think?”

……

While the crew in Wuhan remained unsettled, two agents in Beijing were closely monitoring the situation.

At 9:30 p.m., in the office on the second floor of Lu Yiyao’s studio, Yao Hong was multitasking between her laptop and phone’s speaker, issuing tasks to the publicity staff who were pulled into overtime work, and communicating with her artist. “Where did the video come from?”

Lu Yiyao replied, “From the hotel, of course.”

Yao Hong was exasperated. “You’re in Tianjin with your crew, and you’re sending me surveillance footage from a Wuhan hotel. Don’t tell me you teleported there to get it.”

“It doesn’t matter how it was obtained, as long as the surveillance is real,” Lu Yiyao said. “Hong Jie, get someone to edit the video. Highlight the parts where Gu Jie didn’t close the door and where Qi Luoluo closed it herself. Oh, and the timeline, make sure it matches with Qi Luoluo’s video, preferably do a side-by-side comparison…”

Yao Hong interjected, “Why don’t you come and do it?”

Lu Yiyao: “…”

“You could’ve been an idol, but instead, you worry like a manager,” Yao Hong said with a laugh. “Alright, I know what to do. Video editing, marketing account reposts, hired guns to lead the charge, and stirring up the crowd—one-stop service. I’ll ensure your boyfriend’s show of support turns into an act of valor, bravery, and selflessness.”

Lu Yiyao: “Well, it’s not entirely for Ran Lin. Gu Jie is also my friend.”

Yao Hong: “Oh.”

Lu Yiyao: “…Hong Jie, sorry for the trouble.”

After hanging up, Lu Yiyao chewed on the Tianjin twist pastry sent by fans while contemplating how fortunate Gu Jie was to have such a cunning director.

Two hours earlier, his lover informed him not to worry anymore; the director had evidence to turn the tables and was working on it. As for the surveillance video, since the hotel was reluctant and it wasn’t decisive evidence, they decided not to pursue it.

He had initially sent someone to get the video from the hotel, intending to let Hong Jie help with leading the charge. The plan was to muddy the waters if a turnaround was challenging, but unexpectedly, good news came from heaven. So, once the video was actually obtained, the strategy shifted from “muddying the waters” to “corroborating evidence”.

Now, they were just waiting for updates from Geng Yiqiang and the director, likely a joint statement from Gu Jie’s team and the production crew.

Once Yao Hong’s video added fuel to the fire, the “truth” would blaze even brighter.

Meanwhile, at Wang Xi’s home, which had turned into an office.

Wu Xia sent the last message on QQ and turned to report to Wang Xi. “Everything’s ready. Just waiting for the crew to make a statement. As soon as they do, we’ll make it go viral.”

Wang Xi nodded. “It’s best if it comes out before 10:30—that’s when there’s high traffic.”

“Why didn’t you stop Ran Ge? If he hadn’t reposted Gu Jie’s Weibo, it would’ve been fine.” Wu Xia, who had been summoned by Wang Xi after dinner to help manage and control the situation for Ran Lin, was puzzled. She had been brought in mainly to put out fires for Ran Lin, who had publicly sided on the still unclear “Gu Jie harassing female actress” issue.

But as they were managing the situation, Ran Lin called to first acknowledge his impulsiveness and then confidently said there was no need to worry and that everything would turn around by evening. So, Wu Xia put down the fire extinguisher and picked up the accelerant, waiting for the turnaround to help boost the heat.

However, when Ran Lin reposted, there was no sign of a turnaround yet, so Wu Xia didn’t understand why he insisted on reposting under such circumstances.

Wang Xi didn’t explain but merely asked, “How many in the entertainment industry, among all the stars big and small, dare to do this?”

Wu Xia frowned, pondering for a moment. “Very few, I guess.”

Wang Xi smiled. “So, for such rare animals, we need to protect them.”

……

Gu Jie stayed in Ran Lin’s room until 10:45 when Geng Yiqiang called to say everything was sorted. The two of them, who were playing online games, hurriedly exited and logged onto Weibo. By then, keywords like “Dyeing Fire crew releases clarifying video,” “Gu Jie responds,” “Ran Lin’s righteous stand,” “Qi Luoluo harassment incident turns around,” “Qi Luoluo hotel surveillance,” and others were trending on the hot search list. The Dyeing Fire crew’s clarification was at the top, followed by several related keywords in the top ten, with even “Lu Yiyao likes” and “Xia Xinran likes” making it into the top twenty.

Ran Lin didn’t click on the hot searches but went directly to the <Dyeing Fire> official Weibo. The top post was the clarifying Weibo, posted at 10:25. Probably Geng Yiqiang observed the situation after posting and felt it was stable before informing Gu Jie.

The clarifying video was posted by the Dyeing Fire official Weibo, but it was clearly the work of a professional publicity team. Dyeing Fire hadn’t reached the actual publicity stage yet, and the publicity team was almost unorganized, so it must have been Geng Yiqiang’s doing.

The entire Weibo was written succinctly, clearly expressing the sequence of events using the most lucid words. It didn’t sensationalize, play the victim, or lead the narrative but merely restored the facts themselves. It laid out the sequence of events as “Qi Luoluo’s inability to immerse in her role—frequent NG causing significant delays for the crew—Gu Jie as the male lead being extremely professional and patient in reshooting—Qi Luoluo’s unsuccessful harassment turned accusation—crew learning the truth and terminating the contract with her.” The post methodically and clearly untangled the whole affair.

More importantly, the crew provided evidence for each point.

For Qi Luoluo’s inability to immerse—there was a large compilation of NG clips. Though outsiders saw it as entertainment, Ran Lin, as someone who had experienced it, could tell these NGs were carefully selected. Each clip started with Qi Luoluo’s performance and ended with the director calling NG, not showing any aftertalk or other scenes. Each one clearly indicated that it was Qi Luoluo’s fault for the NG, especially the first few clips, which were almost the most awkward NG scenes of Qi Luoluo.

For frequent NG causing significant delays—there were behind-the-scenes clips. Who knows who chose them, but they picked a scene with the most NGs, and it was a complex scene to coordinate. So one could clearly hear the crew’s sighs becoming more and more pronounced with each NG, eventually leaving little face for Qi Luoluo.

For Gu Jie being extremely professional and patient—there was a large compilation of NG clips. But this compilation wasn’t about how Qi Luoluo NG’d but how Gu Jie patiently reshot with her time and again, occasionally encouraging her, truly the epitome of a warm man.

The video that depicted Qi Luoluo’s attempted harassment and subsequent accusation against Gu Jie, followed by the crew’s termination of her contract, utilized the director’s trump card—the conversation video.

The camera was placed perfectly, avoiding the sleazy feel of a spy cam while not appearing too staged like an interview. It was clear it was hidden, yet the perspective and feel were surprisingly comfortable. Ran Lin suspected the director had enlisted the crew’s cinematographer to position the camera.

The video was edited down to nine minutes, yet it encapsulated all the essentials.

It began with Qi Luoluo crying, more convincingly than in any of her scenes, then immediately playing the victim, telling the director that Gu Jie was deliberately making things difficult for her that day because he had attempted to harass her the night before. The director straightforwardly countered that Gu Jie had already explained it was she who harassed him. Qi Luoluo’s shocked expression was award-worthy. Quickly realizing that her tears weren’t working, she directly threatened the director, saying if the crew terminated her contract, she would expose Gu Jie’s alleged harassment.

Up to this point, Qi Luoluo firmly maintained that Gu Jie harassed her.

Then something incredible happened. Ran Lin could hardly see the editing, but he knew it was there because the next second, the director earnestly said, “Tell me the truth. There’s still room for discussion if you do.”

Before Qi Luoluo could respond, the director’s assistant excused himself, leaving only the director and Qi Luoluo in the room—a quiet atmosphere for a “private heart-to-heart”.

Perhaps the assistant’s departure emboldened Qi Luoluo, or maybe she thought her threat had worked and the goddess of fortune was beckoning. Suddenly, with her eyes lifted, she grabbed the director’s hand and said, “Director He, I really want to act in this film!”

Director He subtly withdrew his hand, responding sincerely and kindly, “I really want to give you another chance too, because our schedule is already severely delayed. Although you still have many unresolved issues in your acting, we’ve already shot for over ten days. Replacing you and reshooting would be too costly. But you’re not focusing on acting, resorting to underhanded tactics instead. Now Gu Jie is too disturbed by your interference to adjust properly. Even if I let you continue, you two can’t work together.”

“I’ll apologize to him!” Qi Luoluo quickly interjected, her tone genuine. “I was just impulsive, and besides, I didn’t really do anything. I hadn’t even touched him before he ran off, and I’m a woman. What harm could I do him!”

That was enough for the video.

The rest was probably to make the video seem complete and not end abruptly.

But certainly, the video wasn’t the whole story. At least, none of Director He’s masterful maneuvers were included. What exactly he said to make Qi Luoluo soften and gradually fall into her own trap is known only to him and maybe God.

Suddenly, Ran Lin remembered the director he’d shared a lamb leg with—that all an act! He’s a cunning old fox!

The comments section exploded—

[Damn damn damn, nowadays you can’t live without a camera in the room. The director is so wise!!!]

[I just want to know how many actresses like Qi Luoluo have tricked Director He before for him to have such masterful evasion skills 🤣.]

[Ahhh I’m so mad! Support Gu Jie suing her. Click the upper right corner to boost me up! 😡 😡 😡]

[How can there be such a wicked person. Gu Jie’s cooperation with her was a curse for eight lifetimes!!!]

[Damn, seeing her repeatedly NG and Gu Jie still encouraging her, I’m crying. 😭 😭 😭 ]

[Gu Jie really got the short end of the stick this time. If not for the director having a backup plan, he would have been blackened beyond redemption! Damn, the male lead and the whole crew treated you like a princess, and you turn around and mow them down with a machine gun, well done.]

[Gu Jie’s plight reminds me of a saying, arsonists get medals, but good deeds go unrecorded 👋.]

[I don’t want to talk, just waiting for the movie release. I’ll book the whole theater! PS. She’s definitely not acting in it now, right?]

[Hotel video sequel out , you can clearly see Gu Jie didn’t close the door, which matches what he said on his Weibo! I had bashed Gu Jie before. I’ll go die now 😭.]

Sequel?

Ran Lin curiously clicked on the video; indeed, it was the surveillance footage Gu Jie mentioned the director had attempted to get from the hotel. The video not only showed Gu Jie not closing the door but also vaguely captured Qi Luoluo coming to close it!

Although the footage was blurry, the video maker was considerate enough to add subtitles and circled out some easily overlooked details, making annotations. Most importantly, in the last ten seconds, they added a split-screen comparison from two angles, almost eliminating any doubt of “video fabrication”.

Ran Lin searched for the video’s origin, finding it came from a cluster of marketing accounts, released right after the crew and Gu Jie’s responses, as if meant to further bolster the crew’s clarification.

The hotel was reluctant to give the footage to the crew but quickly and efficiently leaked it to marketing accounts. Ran Lin couldn’t comprehend this logic.

But he didn’t have time to ponder further. With this explosion of information, he had plenty of places to visit. Exiting the marketing account’s Weibo that released the surveillance video, Ran Lin immediately went to Gu Jie’s homepage.

Gu Jie’s pinned Weibo post was no longer just a sentence but a long post, clearly a response to Qi Luoluo—[No actor is too small, act with conscience.]

Ran Lin opened the long post. It wasn’t as lengthy as Qi Luoluo’s, just a few hundred words, but it succinctly clarified the situation, mirroring the style of the Dyeing Fire crew’s official Weibo. It didn’t sensationalize, play the victim, or accuse; it was just dignified and calm, at peace with himself.

The comments were, as expected, filled with apologies, support, and calls to action.

And many, evident from their avatars and IDs, were male fans. Ran Lin’s fans were mostly female, and he now realized that male fans can be even more fervent.

Leaving Gu Jie’s Weibo, Ran Lin went to the trending list and found “Ran Lin’s Righteous Stand” had surged to the third spot on the hot search list. Clicking in, it was all marketing accounts praising him, and the comments were similar to those under Gu Jie’s post: apologies from those who had previously criticized, likes from those who had been watching, many converting to fans or solidifying their fanhood. The only difference was that there weren’t as many males wanting to work out with their idol as there were under Gu Jie’s comments.

His own fan base also saw a significant surge.

Although Ran Lin suspected that his agent had capitalized on the situation, the main force was undoubtedly Geng Yiqiang. After coordinating with Director He and releasing the clarifying statement, as well as the subsequent momentum building, they nearly monopolized the evening’s trending topics. Not only did they clear Gu Jie’s name and turned public opinion against Qi Luoluo entirely, but they also gold-plated his peripheral involvement in the matter—a classic counterstrike.

“Your Qiang Ge is impressive.” Ran Lin lifted his head, expressing admiration to Gu Jie.

He and his friend had been together the whole time, even playing mobile games. Naturally, the long Weibo post came from Gu Jie’s agent’s effort.

Moreover, letting the crew’s official Weibo handle the slap-back while he just rode the breeze, stating the facts—the posture couldn’t be cooler.

Gu Jie, who had first checked his long Weibo, had just finished watching the crew’s clarification post with its compilations and videos, looked up in disbelief. “How many people would it take to pick those NGs and do the editing? If <Dyeing Fire> post-production had this speed, our movie could be released by the end of the year!”

Ran Lin was exasperated. “Can you focus on what’s important…”

Gu Jie put down his phone. “I was already excited when Director He told me there was no problem. Now I don’t feel much.”

Ran Lin didn’t know what to say. After a while, he remarked, “Qi Luoluo would die of anger hearing you say that.”

Instead of reveling in the aftermath of revenge, Gu Jie sighed deeply, seriously saying, “In the future, I absolutely will not go to a female actress’s room alone, not even if I die.”

Ran Lin rolled his eyes. “You should have thought that way earlier.”

Gu Jie tugged at the corner of his mouth helplessly. “Why can’t people just be straightforward and simple in their interactions? If you like someone, spend more time with them; if not, avoid them. Why make it all so complicated and scheming. I always thought palace dramas were all made up and everyone in them is paranoid.”

Ran Lin raised an eyebrow. “And now?”

Gu Jie spread his hands. “I admit I wouldn’t last one episode in them.”

Ran Lin laughed heartily, then sighed lightly. “This was actually quite risky. If Director He had just had a normal conversation without cunningly leading Qi Luoluo into admitting, even if he released the video, it wouldn’t have been useful.”

Gu Jie clearly agreed with his friend’s opinion, determined never to have such a second encounter.

Ran Lin suddenly found himself puzzled by his own earlier reflection and asked Gu Jie, “Did Director He anticipate Qi Luoluo would frame you from the beginning? Otherwise, why go to such lengths to make her admit you didn’t harass her?”

Gu Jie explained, “He got tricked by an actress in a similar way early in his career, saying he had unwritten rules with her. It was a tough fight to clear that up. Since then, he’s been particularly sensitive to these matters, guarding against them rigorously, now almost unassailable in defense.”

Ran Lin was thoroughly impressed; it wasn’t just guarding but offense and defense combined.

But through this incident, he also realized…

“Director He really considers you a friend,” Ran Lin mused. “Otherwise, he could have just protected himself. He didn’t need to prevent future problems for you. That video wasn’t fully edited; who knows how much effort it took to make Qi Luoluo admit the truth.”

“It’s not what you think…” Gu Jie muttered, unusually silent.

Ran Lin had expected Gu Jie to agree or share more about their brotherhood history with Director He but didn’t expect such a response.

After a long moment of contemplation, Ran Lin spoke again. “You don’t think Director He did all this just for the film, do you? Sure, the film must be considered, but I truly believe he sees you as a friend; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths…”

“I’m not saying he did it for the film,” Gu Jie interrupted his friend helplessly. “I’m saying he and I aren’t what you think, we’re not buddies.”

Ran Lin was taken aback.

The awkwardness and hesitance on Gu Jie’s face suddenly made the room’s atmosphere tense.

Ran Lin, stunned by the sudden revelation, swallowed hard and finally asked in a trembling voice, “So… what is your relationship?”

Gu Jie looked at his friend for a long time, then slammed his phone down on the table in resignation. “He’s my second maternal aunt’s husband’s third sister’s husband.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>