Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 99

Lu Yimeng stared blankly at the phone screen that she had unlocked. Her desire to investigate had vanished, replaced only with a profound sadness.

She knew her brother had always hoped for their parents to thaw their icy relations. Even if they couldn’t completely reconcile, at least they could sit down and talk amicably. Indeed, this was her wish too, but it was only now that she realized underneath her hope lay casual acceptance, whereas beneath her brother’s hope lay deep hurt.

0602.

Lu Yimeng silently repeated this now vague date in her mind, gradually recalling that on the day before their parents divorced, she and her brother had just celebrated the happiest Children’s Day.

“Who do you want to be with?”

A strange question suddenly broke into her ears, pulling Lu Yimeng out of her memories. She looked towards the source and found it was her dad asking her brother.

Hadn’t her mom shared the information with her dad? As Lu Yimeng wondered, she heard her brother’s resigned voice. “Mom already asked me this, and I’ve told her, whoever the person is, it has nothing to do with my orientation.”

Lu Yimeng felt puzzled; something seemed amiss…

“I know you’re worried we might go after him. So here, I promise you, your mom, and I will absolutely not disturb him,” Lu Guoming said, pausing before continuing earnestly, “We just want to know who you’re with now. You liking men has already worried your mother and me to death, and now we don’t even know who you are with. You keep telling us to relax, to accept. How can we relax? What are we supposed to accept?”

“Would you accept it if I tell you who he is?” Lu Yiyao felt his dad’s words seemed reasonable yet elusive, unsure of the depths as he was still outmatched in wits by his father.

“It depends on the kind of person you choose.” Lu Guoming ignored his ex-wife’s frown and continued calmly, “If he’s completely unreliable, then your mom and I wouldn’t need to work so hard to convince ourselves to accept your choice. But if he’s as upright as you, at least your mom and I won’t worry about you running into trouble when we can’t see.”

Lu Yiyao had never expected such a logically tight conversation with his father. At this moment, Lu Guoming wasn’t the father who’d bang the table at the slightest disagreement but rather a calm and wise businessman.

Lu Yiyao gazed into his father’s eyes, unable to decipher his thoughts. Lu Guoming concluded, “We don’t oppose for the sake of opposing; we just want you to be healthy and safe.”

Lu Yiyao sensed an underlying implication in the phrase “oppose for the sake of opposing”, and glancing at his mother’s subtly rising discontent, he knew his intuition was right. His father was subtly negating his mother’s original stance and pulling her towards his “rational” camp.

But… Lu Yiyao frowned. Healthy and safe was a strange pairing.

“Don’t parents usually wish for their children’s health and happiness?” Not often able to discuss emotional topics, Lu Yiyao seized the opportunity to ask.

Lu Guoming glanced at him and scoffed. “You make your mother so upset, and you still expect happiness? Dream on.”

Lu Yiyao: “……”

Was his dad genuinely unable to accept his homosexuality, or was he here to support his mom?

“Alright, no need to be secretive. If I really want to find out, I can,” Lu Guoming said. “Also, by hiding it like this, you think you’re protecting him, but have you considered that this also makes us doubt him? Well think, since you can negotiate with your parents for him, why can’t he stand by you?”

Lu Yiyao was at a loss for words.

This argument was too powerful, logically impeccable, and devoid of right or wrong—just human nature. Even if he found it unreasonable for his parents to lower their impression of Ran Lin, he couldn’t deny the inevitable logic from their perspective.

“Ran Lin.” Lu Yiyao didn’t expect to capitulate so soon, revealing his lover’s name. Unlike his firm refusal when facing his mother, perhaps his father’s genuine approach gave him a sense of potential dialogue.

Lu Yiyao hoped this wasn’t just wishful thinking.

Lu Guoming nodded, turned to his ex-wife, and sighed. “I told you, just lay out the facts and reason, and our son is approachable.”

Lu Guoming’s tone seemed to express relief towards his son, but upon closer listening, there was an unnoticeable pride, as if saying to his ex-wife—see how useful I am.

“Ran… Lin?” Lu Yimeng, who had approached at some point, clutching her brother’s coat as if for security, was taken aback. “Isn’t it Gu Jie?!”

Lu Yiyao, bewildered, looked up at his sister. “What?”

Fan Li was about to remind them about Gu Jie, but then remembered Gu Jie’s advice—if Lu Yiyao knew she’d gone to him, he’d undoubtedly be hurt and angry. So, she swallowed her words.

Her son’s friend had nobly kept their secret, and Fan Li, unusually, conceded. As for the secret, it would forever rest in her heart, occasionally brought out to serve as a warning to not act impulsively and to understand respect.

In fact, she understood all the principles Lu Guoming had spoken.

Yet she couldn’t get over that one hurdle in her heart.

As Fan Li was distracted, Lu Yiyao had already grabbed his phone, showing photos of his lover to his dad and sister. Lu Yimeng didn’t need to see the photos to know who Ran Lin was, but the direct impact of the handsome, fresh-faced young man in her brother’s photo added to her perplexity.

Her brother’s serious expression didn’t seem like a joke, and he wasn’t one to use friends as shields, so Ran Lin must be the genuine sister-in-law.

So…

How had she mistaken the person? And why had she become increasingly convinced?

Lu Yimeng sat blankly on the sofa, lost in a daze, thinking that with her own intelligence, she might not be able to handle the huge business her mother runs…

Among the entire family, Lu Guoming was perhaps the only one whose heart wasn’t much disturbed. He didn’t have his ex-wife’s dark history or his daughter’s major blunder. He naturally took his son’s phone and examined it carefully.

But, in truth, he couldn’t make much sense of it. All he knew was that he was looking at a young man who was very clean and pleasant to the eye. For more information, he had to ask his son. “Is he an actor?”

Naturally, it was impossible for his father to know about the entertainment industry as well as his sister, so Lu Yiyao honestly replied, “Yes.”

Lu Guoming continued, “What about his family situation?”

Lu Yiyao responded, “A happy family of three.”

Lu Guoming: “……”

His ex-wife and daughter might not be so clear on Lu Yiyao’s resentment toward the lack of family completeness, but Lu Guoming understood it all too well—a large part of it being his own past stubbornness. So, seeing that he was about to enter a sensitive topic, he swiftly changed the subject. “What kind of person is he?”

This was the right question to ask Lu Yiyao, who needed no time to think. “Kind, tolerant, sincere, hardworking, considerate of others, not too concerned about gains and losses, ready to go through fire and water for friends. He is clearer about his goals than I am. He loves acting and has been striving on this path. It’s also because of him that I figured out what I really want to do.”

Lu Guoming watched his son’s face from beginning to end, not missing any detail. Yet, he found his son to be very serious and sincere, without a hint of exaggeration. But what he heard seemed like something else, as if his son was turning the man into an angel.

He couldn’t conclude what Ran Lin was like, but it was evident that his son was in a state of “confirmation”. In such a case, no matter how much they persist, it would not change his son’s mind.

No, perhaps as early as when his son chose drama and acting, he had already accepted this reality. So, about his son liking men, consciously or unconsciously, he had been convincing himself to accept it.

Fan Li had already snapped out of her blunder, and seeing her ex-husband’s current state, it was obvious he was ready to resign himself to the situation, which was incredibly frustrating. She had brought him to be a united front, but now, it seemed more like he was muddying the waters.

“Bring him over one day to meet us.” Lu Guoming handed the phone back to his son, somewhat helplessly yet with a hint of emotion. “Some things can’t be resolved by just talking about them, because that’s like building castles in the air. If you want to solve it, you need to face it head-on, clash, and grind it out in reality.”

Fan Li’s eyes widened. This wasn’t muddying the waters; this was outright switching sides! Lu Yiyao was surprised too, but fearing a late response might lead his father to rethink, he quickly agreed. “Okay! He’s currently on set. Once he’s finished, I’ll arrange it!”

Today must be an auspicious day, Lu Yiyao thought, good for reunion, communication, and harmonious conclusions. Fan Li had lost her will to argue. After all the efforts of dropping her pride to summon her ex-husband, it turned out to be in vain. She left the room tiredly and went back to her room. The sound of the door slamming reverberated from the second floor to the living room, carrying a sharp edge.

As Lu Yiyao gradually calmed down from the initial joy of seeing his parents together, he looked at the firmly closed door on the second floor, feeling quite uncomfortable.

“Your life is your decision but allow us some time to accept it.” Lu Guoming regained his authority without his ex-wife, finally reverting to his usual state.

But Lu Yiyao was already immune to this, smiling bitterly. “I thought it would be mom who would agree first. I didn’t expect…”

“You should have known,” Lu Guoming replied. “Especially when it comes to ‘the son being disobedient’, I have more experience.”

Lu Yimeng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Mom’s influence is indeed powerful, making dad know how to joke and tease now.

“Have you really thought this through?” Lu Guoming looked intently at his son. “This path is not easy, especially since you both are in the entertainment industry. You might face many challenges in the future.”

Lu Yimeng pondered for a moment, then met his father’s gaze firmly. “I have thought it through.”

Lu Guoming leaned back on the sofa, his mouth twitching slightly, seemingly resigned. “Then there’s nothing more I can say.”

Passing the hurdle with his father was much smoother than Lu Yimeng had expected. So much so, that when his father finally gave his tacit consent, he felt an unreal sensation. “I thought you’d insist on grandchildren or that I at least have a son even if I don’t get married…”

“How can I expect your son to accept my business when even you don’t?” Lu Guoming replied with slight irritation.

“……” For the first time, Lu Yiyao seriously reflected on the indelible trauma he had caused his father.

Rubbing his temples, Lu Guoming stood up, somewhat reluctantly. “I should go back now.”

Lu Yiyao and Lu Yimeng, of course, didn’t want their father to leave, but they also understood that their parents’ issues wouldn’t be resolved immediately, especially with Lu Yiyao’s situation. They didn’t stop him.

As he reached the door, Lu Guoming turned back with a concerned look and said to Lu Yimeng, “Go check on your mom later. Try not to let her stay alone and brood.”

“Don’t worry,” Lu Yimeng replied understandingly.

“And you,” Lu Guoming directed at his son. “Better not go up for now. You’re considered hazardous material at the moment.”

“Got it.” Lu Yimeng never thought his father could be so detailed, adapting his approach based on the person.

After seeing off their father, Lu Yiyao took a deep breath and went back to the living room, sitting down on the sofa, finally feeling a wave of exhaustion. He had thought the encounter with his father would be light, but only now did he realize he had been on edge the whole time. Even seeing his parents together had been uplifting, but the weight of coming out never really lifted from his heart.

“Brother…” His sister’s voice suddenly broke his reverie.

“Hm?” Lu Yiyao turned, seeing Lu Yimeng fiddling with his phone, scrolling through pictures, those of a certain individual…

“Ran Lin is really handsome,” his sister commented sincerely.

Happy to hear compliments about his partner, Lu Yiyao was pleased but also remembered the earlier confusion. “Can you now explain the mix-up…”

Lu Yimeng never felt so embarrassed in her life, and worse, she had led her mother astray. But on second thought, she wasn’t entirely wrong. After all, she had guessed someone close to her brother…

Five minutes later, after hearing his sister’s “deduction”, Lu Yiyao didn’t know how to react. After a while, he just said, “Next time you have doubts, don’t deduce on your own. Just ask the person involved directly.”

The famous detective Lu Yimeng nodded fervently.

……

Later, when Lu Yiyao returned home to rest and the villa’s lights dimmed, Lu Yimeng pushed open her mother’s bedroom door. As expected, the light was still on.

Fan Li sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, looking down at something.

“Mom…” Lu Yimeng softly called as she approached, only to discover her mother was looking through a photo album.

Lu Yimeng was familiar with this album because she had scanned and archived all the photos in it the year before last, boasting to her mother that even if the photos were damaged, they wouldn’t need to worry anymore because of the backups.

“Are you wondering how such a handsome boy ended up growing up so differently?” Lu Yimeng joked as she sat down beside her mother to look at the album together.

On the page they turned to, a young Lu Yiyao was seen swinging his short, chubby arms as he learned to walk, his silly laughter almost audible through the photo.

When her mother didn’t respond, Lu Yimeng casually flipped to the next page, revealing almost exclusively photos of the siblings; one just learning to walk, the other not yet walking, both frolicking together, some pictures indiscernible as to whether they were playing or fighting.

The entire album was filled with hers and Lu Yiyao’s childhood.

A tear dropped onto the album. Lu Yimeng was startled and quickly raised her hand to wipe it for her mother. Fan Li turned her face away, sniffing slightly with a barely noticeable sob, and asked gruffly, “What are you doing here?”

“Don’t be mad at me. I’m not the one who came out.” Lu Yimeng protested innocently.

Fan Li glanced at her sideways. “Don’t think I don’t know; you and your brother are always in cahoots.”

Lu Yimeng raised her hands, as if surrendering, and swore, “I’m absolutely neutral this time.”

After scrutinizing her daughter for a few seconds, Fan Li finally relaxed slightly, her voice softening. “Don’t worry, your mother is not that fragile.”

“Typical CEO Fan.” Lu Yimeng chuckled. “I didn’t even have to say anything, and you knew I came to comfort you.”

Fan Li sighed deeply, embracing her daughter’s shoulder, finally feeling some support and less isolated. Men are unreliable, especially her ex-husband; daughters are more considerate…

Lu Yimeng continued, “Mom, actually homosexuality is quite normal, just like some people are naturally left-handed. Let me show you some information…”

“Goodnight!” Fan Li cut her off.

“Mom, don’t lie down… Fine, I’ll sleep with you tonight!”

“……”

“Mom, just look at this picture first. This is Ran Lin. You barely looked at him downstairs. Isn’t he handsome…”

“Lu Yimeng—”

“Mom, you might not get to hold your own grandchild, but you can still hold a grandchild from outside the family. After all, even if Brother has children, they won’t carry your surname. There’s no difference between grandkids outside the family, right…”

……

Ran Lin only found out about Lu Yiyao’s coming out to his family in December. By then, the broadleaf trees on the streets of Xi’an had shed all their leaves, leaving only bare branches, a stark visage of early winter.

There was no dramatic process, just a message from his lover—[I’ve told my family about us. After you wrap up filming, my parents would like to invite you to dinner.]

Ran Lin received this message on his way back to the hotel after work, completely stunned.

It wasn’t until he returned to the hotel that he eagerly connected to a video call with Lu Yiyao—

“Just like that?” Ran Lin asked incredulously, feeling like his lover had omitted some important details.

“It was definitely not easy to accept at first, but with more explanation, more communication, oh, and Mengmeng bombarding my mom with all sorts of educational materials.” Lu Yiyao smiled slightly, seemingly recalling his mother’s helpless expression in the face of the “forced education”. “Anyway, it went relatively smoothly.”

Lu Yiyao’s words seemed casual but Ran Lin could hear the underlying difficulties. After a few seconds of silence, he said somewhat sadly, “Because parents are always powerless against their children.”

Lu Yiyao knew Ran Lin was thinking of his own parents, understanding the guilt of causing one’s parents’ distress. With that thought, he said, “When you’re ready to come out, remember to include me.”

“No.” Ran Lin looked at him a bit resentfully. “You didn’t include me when you came out, so I won’t include you.”

“Is this… retaliation?” Lu Yiyao grinned.

Ran Lin looked at him innocently, accepting the accusation.

Both understood each other’s reasons. Ran Lin knew why Lu Yiyao hadn’t included him—it was to spare him from facing his own parents’ reprimands. Lu Yiyao also understood why Ran Lin refused; they were both driven by the same motive.

“Wait.” Ran Lin finally realized what had been bothering him from the conversation. “Your parents ‘together’ are inviting me to dinner?”

Lu Yiyao paused, then smiled. “Yeah.”

Ran Lin tilted his head. “But you said they…”

“Because of my coming out, they ended up sitting together again.” Lu Yiyao found this outcome quite miraculous; he certainly hadn’t expected such a turn when he came out.

“This…” Ran Lin was at a loss for words, finally managing to say, “Is this a blessing in disguise?”

Lu Yiyao shook his head. “It’s joy upon joy.”

Ran Lin paused, then smiled. “Yeah.”

Coming out, no matter how difficult, is not a disaster but a joy—a step towards a more authentic life.

……

After the video call with Lu Yiyao, it was nearly 11:30 p.m. Ran Lin took a quick shower and got into bed, intending to scroll through Weibo before sleeping.

But then he saw a trending topic that caught his eye—Zhang Beichen was rumored to be kept by someone.

Ran Lin was shocked, his sleepiness vanishing as he clicked to read more—

[Zhang Beichen’s shocking sugar daddy rumor! A source claimed he’s been living with a high-level executive from an entertainment company for some time, and it’s with this mysterious partner’s help that he smoothly landed a role in <Mint Green>…[Read full text]]

[Zhang Beichen’s prime roles all thanks to “mysterious boyfriend”?! [Images][Images][Images][Video link]]

[Zhang Beichen embroiled in fresh gay rumors, spotted returning to an apartment with a mysterious man. Old intimate photos with another man resurfaced…[Read full text]]

Although the wording used by various marketing accounts in their reposts was not entirely the same, the material they used was strikingly consistent—all were a thirty-something-second secretly filmed video from an underground parking lot. The video was dim and blurry—it could be said to show Zhang Beichen and a mysterious man, or just any two passersby; it was too blurred to make out clearly. As for the photos included in the marketing accounts’ posts, they were either screenshots from the video or old “intimate photos of the same sex” that had been circulated before.

Though the evidence seemed flimsy, given Zhang Beichen’s prior “gay rumors,” the rhythm started by the marketing accounts was aggressive.

Ran Lin checked the earliest entertainment account that broke the news and found it was around six in the evening, chosen precisely as the traffic on Weibo started to peak.

Ran Lin wasn’t sure if this was the result of some paparazzi studio’s “hard work” or if someone had instructed the studio to dig up “dirt”, but the rhythm had already taken off, with the onlookers settling in early, munching on melon seeds—

[Whether you believe it or not, I do. Watching entertainment gossip for years, my experience is that any scandal mentioned over and over again is mostly true.]

[Zhang Beichen seems to have been quiet since <Mint Green>, and suddenly there’s this news. Is there a new project coming up?]

[I’m not a fan, but I feel like the picture is so blurry that not even his mother could recognize him, and they even have to draw a red circle to point out it’s Zhang Beichen. Feels a bit like a setup…]

[Waiting for the HD video.]

[What era is it? Who cares if he’s gay, as long as he acts well. The paparazzi have too much free time.]

Compared to the spectators’ enthusiasm and indifference, and even many expressing tolerance towards “gays”, Zhang Beichen’s fans reacted more vehemently—

[If this kind of video can be considered evidence, then I can randomly shoot a video of two people in a dark place and call it a scoop! This is already defamation!]

[Chen fans, no need to argue with them. Just report this kind of thing!]

[My idol has been so low-key this half year that he almost disappeared, and now he’s being slandered like this!]

[I just want to know who Zhang Beichen offended? Half a year of silence, and as soon as he hits the hot search, it’s this crap. It’s too much!!]

[So what if they went to an underground parking lot together? Don’t you visit your friends’ houses? Haven’t you ever stayed overnight at a friend’s place? Before, it was easy to spread rumors when opposite-sex friends hung out together, now even just hanging out with a buddy is called gay. What should celebrities do? Just stay home and play with cats?!]

Netizens and fans, of course, can only react based on their own emotions.

But Ran Lin knew about the situation between Zhang Beichen and Mr. Qin. He didn’t know Mr. Qin and couldn’t confirm if he was the “mysterious man” captured in the video, but according to what he had heard before, Mr. Qin had been involved with many celebrities and had never been in trouble, and when Ding Kai asked him to keep it a secret, he also mentioned that Mr. Qin didn’t like trouble. Therefore, allowing such negative information to come out was unreasonable.

Even if some reckless marketing accounts leaked it, it should have been suppressed immediately. Now, not only had it not been suppressed, but it has also escalated to trending, indicating that no one was pressing it down but rather someone was pushing it up.

Ran Lin suddenly remembered what Lu Yi Yao had said: Zhang Beichen had already broken up with Mr. Qin, but it was not a happy parting, so Mr. Qin used his connections to suppress him. Could it be that merely suppressing him wasn’t enough, and they wanted to completely ruin Zhang Beichen? How deep must the hatred be to push someone to the brink?

Until Ran Lin was too tired and put down his phone to sleep, there was still no response from Zhang Beichen’s side.

Ran Lin had a night of messy dreams, remembering nothing clearly, just a vague impression of time flowing backward to a memory of Drifting, but it was too blurry, and when he tried to catch it, he couldn’t.

On the way to the set, Ran Lin called Yao Hong to ask if she knew about Zhang Beichen’s situation.

Yao Hong had obviously seen Weibo and pondered for a moment. “He must have offended someone.”

Ran Lin: “You mean someone is deliberately targeting him?”

Yao Hong: “Yes, it’s obvious it’s a concerted effort to slander him. Otherwise, that short video wouldn’t have caused such a stir.”

Ran Lin said, “But even with slander, it’s insufficient evidence. That video is completely unclear who is who.”

“That person didn’t want to completely ruin Zhang Beichen,” Yao Hong mused. “If it were really Zhang Beichen in the video, the person who took the video would have had the opportunity to get a clearer shot. This kind of video, which can be blackened with a hint or whitewashed with a wash, is mostly meant as a warning or a lesson.”

Ran Lin: “Mr. Qin?”

Yao Hong: “Possibly, because Zhang Beichen hasn’t been working much in the past half year, it’s unlikely he’s made any new enemies.”

Ran Lin couldn’t understand this logic. “He’s already used his connections to suppress Zhang Beichen. Isn’t that enough?”

Yao Hong thought for a moment and analyzed objectively. “That depends on his motives. Everyone has their own reasons for doing things. If his goal was to make Zhang Beichen disappear, then suppression would have been enough. If he wanted to completely ruin Zhang Beichen, having been together for so long, he could have released even more damaging information…”

“A warning and a lesson are neither intended to make someone disappear nor to ruin them, but to make someone… obey.” Ran Lin felt like he was catching on to some truth. “Does he want to get back with Zhang Beichen?”

Yao Hong cautiously said, “I can’t be sure.”

Ran Lin realized he was bothering Yao Hong and quickly said, “Sorry, Hong Jie, for calling and asking you all these questions early in the morning.”

“It’s okay.” Yao Hong now felt towards Ran Lin the same way she felt towards Lu Yiyao back then—almost like her own child, naturally concerned. “How’s the filming going? Can you handle it?”

Half a month ago, Yao Hong, who had been staying at the set, returned to Beijing to deal with company matters. It was from that day that the weather turned colder, making shooting summer scenes increasingly challenging.

“Don’t worry, everything is going smoothly.” Ran Lin patted his chest.

Yao Hong laughed. “I’ll come over next week. Don’t let me find you’ve lost weight. Otherwise, I’ll have to explain to the boss for a long time.”

Of course, Yao Hong’s reference of “the boss” could only be President Lu.

Ran Lin used to think of Yao Hong as a gentle and nurturing figure, but now that he was working one-on-one with her, he truly understood why she had always held the upper hand in her long-standing rivalry with Wang Xi. There was definitely a reason for her success.

Fortunately, Ran Lin arrived at the film set, so he no longer needed to worry about how to fend off his agent’s teasing and promptly initiated the exit procedure. “Hong Jie, I’ve reached the set. Gotta go now.”

“Okay.” Work always came first, so Yao Hong was ready to hang up, but she suddenly remembered something else. Considering Ran Lin had called early in the morning to inquire about Zhang Beichen’s situation, she added, “Oh, right…”

Just as Ran Lin was about to hang up, he heard her and quickly put the phone back to his ear. “Yes?”

Yao Hong said, “Zhang Beichen and Wu Xuefeng have terminated their contract.”

Ran Lin: “Who is his agent now?”

Yao Hong: “None.”

Ran Lin was puzzled. “What do you mean ‘none’?”

Yao Hong: “It means he currently has no team. Wu Xuefeng almost took the entire studio with him.”

Ran Lin: “……”

Both Zhang Beichen and Xia Xinran’s contracts expired simultaneously, and neither renewed, both forming their own studios. Xia Xinran’s original agent stayed with the original company, whereas Wu Xuefeng left with Zhang Beichen. However, Zhang Beichen might have already been on bad terms with Mr. Qin by then, so after forming the studio, he also didn’t receive any significant notices, and there were no splashes in movies or TV dramas. Such artificially caused “suppression” made it useless for the studio members to be capable; it’s normal to have the intent to leave, but the entire team leaving with Wu Xuefeng was a bit…

Perhaps knowing what Ran Lin might be thinking, Yao Hong added, “Zhang Beichen initiated the termination. It should be said that he fired Wu Xuefeng, so the latter taking the entire team with him might be a bit of retaliation. However—” Yao Hong’s tone shifted. “Wu Xuefeng’s reputation in the industry hasn’t been too good these past two years. It’s hard to find someone else to elevate a talent to Zhang Beichen’s level.”

“Ran Ge.” Liu Wanwan came over to remind. “Makeup is waiting.”

Ran Lin nodded, hurriedly wrapping up the call with a few brief sentences.

The rest of the day, Ran Lin was fully immersed in his role, busy shooting, with no time to think of anything else.

Only on the way back to the hotel after work did he have the opportunity to open Weibo and found that “Zhang Beichen was being kept” was still trending, with the comments section fermenting freely, showing no signs of public relations efforts.

When someone steers the narrative, the direction of public opinion will solidify towards a particular viewpoint, but if no one does, the public opinion will be diverse. Marketing accounts used to creating sensationalism for attention almost dug up all of Zhang Beichen’s past, and “National First Love Drifting Story” naturally became a topic of discussion.

Especially since they had just appeared together at a film festival in September, the photos were still fresh. Thanks to the marketing accounts, “Drifting Group Missing One” also quietly entered the top twenty trending topics—

[Drifting Group’s brotherly love runs deep, often meeting up, but why is Zhang Beichen always missing?… [Images]]

[#DriftingGroupMissingOne At the film festival, four members of the Drifting Group appeared together, Zhang Beichen had no interaction with the other three… [Video link]]

“National First Love Drifting Story” was already a variety show from years ago, and considering the rapid turnover in the entertainment industry, the fact that it was still remembered and frequently mentioned was rare. However, for the audience and fans, these were all old news, lacking in interest, so without someone specifically spending money to stir up the topic, it just lingered around seventeenth or eighteenth place on the trending list without causing much of a stir.

Now, looking at these, Ran Lin didn’t feel much, just occasionally opening screenshots from the show and sighing at how things had changed.

Zhang Beichen’s Weibo hadn’t yet responded, with the latest post being from a long time ago. Ran Lin clicked on the comments and, as expected, found new fans coming in to offer support.

Exiting Zhang Beichen’s page and returning to his own homepage, he was notified of a few new posts and casually scrolled down, unexpectedly coming across a fresh post from Zhang Beichen.

Ran Lin’s first reaction was that it was too coincidental; just as he was thinking about how Zhang Beichen would respond, he stumbled upon a brand-new post. But after reading the entire long post, he was momentarily stunned, unable to snap back to reality for a long time—

[This time, I really want to take a break. I debuted on a talent show at eighteen, and it’s been nine years now. I’ve gained a lot and lost a lot. In the past few years, I’ve only focused on moving forward, and only this year have I started to look back, but now I can’t see the path I came from clearly. I don’t have much literary talent, so I can only make this somewhat abrupt announcement. To everyone who cares about and likes me, I’m sorry. I’m leaving the entertainment industry. This is a decision I’ve made after careful consideration. I want to take a break and live life differently. Lastly, I want to thank all the friends who have sincerely been with me. You are the most precious memories of these nine years. And to everyone I’ve hurt, I can’t make it up to you. I can only say I’m sorry.]

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