After Sheng Yuke posted on Weibo, a small portion of netizens adopted a neutral stance toward the matter. However, once photos and videos of him and Qi Yuqiu began circulating, even the neutral netizens started mocking them sarcastically.
“I almost forgot—Qi Yuqiu was originally the king of hype.”
“Hah, I knew it. Anyone who speaks up for him at a time like this can’t be any good either. Birds of a feather flock together.”
“Poor staff member, getting beaten and then blamed and cursed at. Qi Yuqiu and Sheng Yuke, have some decency.”
“Idiots. Are these two teaming up for hype? Sheng Yuke is so desperate for fame he doesn’t even care about his reputation anymore.”
The situation escalated, yet Qi Yuqiu, at the center of the storm, sat cross-legged on the sofa, bored out of his mind, scrolling through his phone and catching up on the anime he hadn’t finished watching a few days earlier.
From time to time, he checked Weibo to see what new insults people had come up with to curse him, and he chatted with his fellow sufferer, Sheng Yuke, about their experiences.
“Han Chen must have planned this long ago to drag me down. Even if I hadn’t posted on Weibo, I wouldn’t have escaped it. Damn idiot, always thinking I’m stealing his resources.”
Qi Yuqiu sent a photo of Han Chen to him: “Look at him—raised eyebrows, reddened whites of the eyes, thick lips with downturned corners. He’s clearly headed for trouble.”
“Besides, I don’t see any major misfortunes coming your way lately. This won’t have too big an impact.”
Sheng Yuke replied with a relieved emoji, indicating he was waiting for Han Chen’s downfall.
Meanwhile, Han Chen, who hadn’t slept all night, saw Sheng Yuke’s Weibo post and immediately called his agent, instructing him to mobilize the Water Army. When he saw the trending topics related to the two of them climb to the Hot Search, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
Sheng Yuke had been suppressing him at every turn in the company. This time, he was determined to crush him completely!
He took out his phone, browsing through the comments where netizens were cursing Qi Yuqiu and Sheng Yuke relentlessly. A smile spread uncontrollably across his face, and he couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire by stirring the pot in the trending topics.
“Han Chen: No wonder Liu Rui gave Qi Yuqiu the cold shoulder. The Film Emperor is famously kind-hearted—he must have been disgusted by Qi Yuqiu, right?”
Netizens were stunned when they saw Han Chen’s Weibo post. It was the first time they had seen a celebrity openly curse a fellow cast member using their main account.
After posting, Han Chen’s agent immediately called him. Only then did he realize he had forgotten to switch to a burner account. He quickly deleted the Weibo post and claimed his account had been hacked.
“Even a fellow cast member can’t stand him. That’s solid proof Qi Yuqiu hit someone, right?”
“Hah, how disgusting must he be for someone to risk using their main account to curse him? LOL.”
“If Liu Rui doesn’t like him, he can’t be any good.”
“??? Who is this Han Chen? Is he drunk? Throwing stones at someone when they’re down isn’t a good look either.”
Han Chen broke out in a cold sweat, terrified. After being scolded by his agent, he finally sobered up and didn’t dare post on Weibo again. Instead, he mobilized the Water Army to try and bury the trending topics.
But the damage was already done. With that one Weibo post, he had dragged himself into the muddy waters.
Sheng Yuke vented his frustration to Qi Yuqiu with great satisfaction: “Look at his sorry state. Serves him right! He deserves to be cursed to death. He’s just jealous of us.”
Qi Yuqiu wholeheartedly agreed.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Han Chen’s agent told him: “We have to nail Qi Yuqiu and Sheng Yuke to the wall. That way, your speaking out will be seen as standing up for the bullied staff member—a sign of honesty. Otherwise, it’ll definitely ruin your Public Favor.”
Their Water Army used the narrative that Liu Rui looked down on Qi Yuqiu and that Qi Yuqiu must have problems to steer the conversation across various platforms, quickly pushing Han Chen-related topics out of sight. Only then did Han Chen breathe a sigh of relief.
However, just as he was smugly browsing the entertainment sections of various news platforms, a Weibo post shattered his good mood and reignited heated discussions across the internet.
“Liu Rui: Xiao Qi’s character is as impeccable as his acting skills. He helped me a great deal, and I can vouch for him with my own reputation—he’s a really good kid. The entertainment industry is too chaotic, with too many baseless rumors. Don’t take it too seriously, Xiao Qi. @Qi Yuqiu”
The Film Emperor was actually using his own reputation to back Qi Yuqiu!
Having been in the film industry for many years, Liu Rui had contributed to numerous charitable causes, big and small. He was widely recognized as one of the few genuinely good people in the entertainment industry, with a level of national recognition and Public Favor that no mere Traffic star could match.
A few years ago, a female star was rumored to have been kept by someone. At the time, the entire internet was attacking her. While everyone else avoided her, Liu Rui braved the pressure and posted on Weibo, expressing his belief in her. Later, the truth came out, and the actress was indeed innocent.
As soon as Liu Rui’s Weibo post went live, the situation instantly reversed. Netizens expressed their trust in the Film Emperor’s character, reasoning that if Qi Yuqiu had truly assaulted someone, Liu Rui wouldn’t have stepped forward.
Some netizens commented that the entertainment industry was too chaotic, and Qi Yuqiu had likely offended someone, otherwise why would so many Big Vs lead the charge in smearing him?
Several Marketing Accounts tried to steer the conversation toward an inappropriate relationship between Liu Rui and Qi Yuqiu, but they were bombarded with criticism and forced to shut down their Comment Sections.
Meanwhile, Han Chen, who had insinuated things about Qi Yuqiu, was instantly pushed into the Storm Center.
“This Han Chen, is he trying to climb up by stepping on Qi Yuqiu? What a confusing move.”
“Talk about getting slapped in the face—oh wait, you don’t have a face to slap.”
“Hahahaha, spinning lies while pretending to be righteous and indignant—you’re really killing me.”
Watching the fire instantly turn toward him, Han Chen grew anxious and fearful, trembling with anger. Damn Liu Rui, why did he have to jump out now and ruin his plans!
He had no choice but to rush back to his company to discuss countermeasures with his agent. Unfortunately, aside from his fans and the hired Water Army, no one was speaking up for him anymore.
When Qi Yuqiu received Liu Rui’s call, Liu Rui advised him not to pay too much attention to the online comments.
“The direction of online discourse is controlled by certain studios. Once they start steering the conversation, it’s hard for ordinary people to distinguish truth from lies. Just rest well, and this will blow over soon.”
Qi Yuqiu replied that he was in a good state of mind and didn’t care what strangers said—their words had no effect on him whatsoever.
Liu Rui chuckled softly, then fell silent for a moment before saying, “It’s good that you have such a mindset. The entertainment industry is too chaotic, and without a strong heart, it’s easy to be dragged into the abyss by these comments.”
“These people will never realize that a single sentence from them can become a knife that kills.”
Qi Yuqiu didn’t respond. He could hear a faint trace of Resentful Energy in Liu Rui’s tone, but even more so, there was helplessness and regret. Perhaps someone close to him had once been harmed by such comments.
Finally, Liu Rui thanked him again: “Thank you for helping me find my child. Thank you for saving them.”
Mentioning his child, Liu Rui’s mood lightened.
Qi Yuqiu smiled and said, “You should thank yourself.”
Willing to shorten his own lifespan to save children he had never met—he was a worthy father.
After hanging up the phone, Qi Yuqiu stretched lazily, looked at the rain outside, and said to Min Yu, “Aren’t you going to work today?”
“Taking the day off,” Min Yu turned off the TV and slid the slippers to his feet. “Come down and eat.”
Qi Yuqiu put on the slippers and obediently followed him into the dining room.
After the meal, Qi Yuqiu went into the study with Min Yu—Min Yu worked while he read.
Uncle Liu brought a plate of cookies baked in the kitchen and a glass of milk, placing them on the round table beside the small sofa in the study. Qi Yuqiu picked up a milk cookie shaped like a little bear, took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up.
“Tasty?” Uncle Liu asked with a smile.
Qi Yuqiu nodded. “Delicious.”
He picked up another piece, turned around, leaned over the armrest of the sofa, and offered it to Min Yu. “Try it, it smells so good!”
Min Yu’s fingers paused over the keyboard. He looked down at the hand extended toward him—a small, golden-brown cookie shaped like a rabbit lay quietly in the soft, pale palm, looking utterly tempting.
Min Yu took the cookie and bit into it. Crispy, toasty, and rich with milk flavor—exactly the kind of taste a child would love.
“Isn’t it delicious?” Qi Yuqiu wore the bright smile of someone sharing something wonderful with a friend.
Min Yu swallowed, took a sip of tea, and then nodded. “It’s good. Have more.”
Delighted, Qi Yuqiu divided the cookies into two portions, stroking his chin as he declared, “The bigger share is mine.”
The smaller share is mine? Min Yu’s expression remained unchanged, but his Adam’s apple moved slightly. Though he didn’t particularly like this flavor, having a few pieces wouldn’t hurt.
“The smaller share,” Qi Yuqiu said, “I’ll take it to Sheng Yuke.” He had eaten Sheng Yuke’s chocolate and, even though he’d done a divination for him, still felt a bit guilty. Bringing some cookies to help out this poor soul who couldn’t eat much seemed just right.
Min Yu’s eyes flickered slightly. “Sheng Yuke, your friend?”
“Sort of,” Qi Yuqiu stuffed another cookie into his mouth. “He’s a good guy, quite loyal.”
Min Yu wanted to advise him—people’s hearts are hard to read, don’t get deceived—but felt saying such things might sound too nagging. The child was growing up; he would naturally make friends and build his own social circle.
At this moment, Min Yu finally understood a little of what those parents at the company felt—constantly worrying about their children’s friendships, afraid they might be led astray.
But he couldn’t nag too much, or the kid might rebel.
“People in the entertainment industry can be fickle. Be careful,” he said after some thought.
Qi Yuqiu grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t misjudge anyone.”
As the Qingyang Mountain Ancestral Master, reading someone’s face was a piece of cake for him.
Min Yu nodded, indicating he could do as he pleased, but his mind was already turning over several thoughts. He finally recalled that a friend’s cousin had started an entertainment company a couple of years ago.
It was time to catch up with some friends.
While Min Yu was wearing out his old fatherly heart, Li Qi was in high spirits.
The company’s PR team was ineffective. He wanted to seek out Manager Sun, only to be told that Manager Sun was away on a business trip. As negative comments about Qi Yuqiu grew online, Li Qi was starting to feel desperate.
Unexpectedly, the situation took a turn—Liu Rui actually stepped forward!
Li Qi was so excited he nearly shed tears. He never imagined Qi Yuqiu was on such good terms with the Film Emperor, who would speak up for him at a time like this.
Qi Yuqiu’s public image underwent a complete reversal. Seizing the opportunity, Li Qi swiftly deleted and removed all traces of his past absurd antics, quickly stabilizing the situation.
He breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly called Qi Yuqiu. The young man’s mental state had never been particularly strong, and the barrage of criticism had left him somewhat unhinged. If he couldn’t hold on, things could turn disastrous.
At that moment, Qi Yuqiu, having eaten and drunk his fill, had curled up on the small sofa and fallen asleep again.
His head rested against the arm of the sofa, tilted slightly upward, with strands of hair falling across his forehead, revealing his delicate features.
Min Yu looked down at him, his fingers unconsciously pausing over the keyboard.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Qi Yuqiu jolted awake, mumbled a few incoherent words, and rolled over, exposing the phone that had slipped into the sofa crevice.
Seeing him sleep restlessly, Min Yu walked over, picked up the phone, and frowned upon seeing the caller ID. He stepped out onto the balcony to answer the call.
“Yuqiu! The online situation has been resolved! Don’t worry, and don’t get angry. Just eat and drink as usual. Li Ge will handle everything for you!”
“Who is this?” A deep, magnetic voice came through the line, and Li Qi froze instantly.