The interview continued. Seizing the opportunity after Song Ying proved she was Redamancy, Xiao Yuan pressed for more details about their relationship, finally making up for missing out on the gossip during the afternoon session.
As the interview was about to end, Xiao Yuan asked one final question.
“By the way, Miss Song, what are your thoughts on today’s misunderstanding?”
“A misunderstanding implies coincidence, a harmless mistake. But today’s online battle, as anyone with eyes can see, was fueled by someone behind the scenes. Why did I join ‘Journey of Love and Detection’ in the first place? Wasn’t it to clear my name after being falsely accused of being a mistress? Now that I’m standing here, I’m not afraid of questions. But if anyone tries to manipulate public opinion, I’m sorry—I’m not some pushover who can be bullied by anyone.”
Song Ying gazed calmly into the camera, her sharp eyes piercing through the screen as if trying to see into the hearts of every viewer.
Her lively, sparrow-like eyes were cold and resolute, making many of the fence-sitters who had participated in the online drama feel a pang of guilt.
“The internet is not a lawless place. For everyone who spread rumors and slandered me online today, be prepared. In the coming days, legal notices will arrive sooner or later. I hope you keyboard warriors will still be as brave then as you were today.”
“Additionally, to those self-proclaimed ‘righteous’ high school classmates of mine and certain bloggers who claimed to have met me in person—sorry, but I’m very picky about friends. When it comes to crossing species, I only keep pets, not trash.”
“Well said!”
In front of the screen, Xiao Lu clapped and cheered with great satisfaction.
But Sister Hong gave her a light smack on the forehead. “Well said, my foot! Don’t stir up trouble just for the sake of drama!”
“I’m not stirring up trouble,” Xiao Lu rubbed her head, pouting in protest. “Those people have already bullied us right at our doorstep. If Sister Ying doesn’t counterattack, who knows what kind of rumors they’ll spread next time?”
“Do you have any idea how much time, effort, and money it takes to investigate, gather evidence, and send legal notices to those internet trolls?”
“Isn’t that the legal department’s responsibility?” Xiao Lu looked at Sister Hong, puzzled. “Didn’t the legal team handle it last time when Jiang Yuyao slandered Sister Ying? It can’t be that it worked last time but not this time, right? That’s their job…”
“Last time…”
Sister Hong started to say something but swallowed her words, as if remembering something. “Forget it. I’ll ask the legal department about it tomorrow when they’re back at work.”
Shengshi Entertainment’s scale was only considered medium in the industry.
To effectively integrate resources, most investments revolved around top-tier artists. For small celebrities like Song Ying, unless something truly damaging to the company’s interests occurred, the company generally left them to their own devices without much interference.
Take, for example, the incident where Song Ying was falsely accused of being a mistress. The legal department did get involved initially, but their main goal was to investigate whether Song Ying’s personal conduct had brought negative attention to the company.
After the situation was clarified, the legal department withdrew. Information about the source of the trolls and other details were actually uncovered by Sister Hong using her own connections and even paying out of her own pocket.
Now that something like this had happened again, the company would naturally sit back and reap the benefits, just like last time.
As for investigating the mastermind behind it all and sending legal notices?
That would have to be handled by the studio itself.At this thought, Sister Hong’s head ached a bit more.
Song Ying used to be clearly obedient and gentle, so why is she now like a thorn in the side?
But since she was the artist she chose, she had to take responsibility for her, good or bad. Song Ying had already boasted, and as her agent, she could only clean up the mess.
“It’s getting late, Xiao Lu, don’t delay too long. Leave work early too, so it’s safer on the way.”
After giving this reminder, Sister Hong picked up her handbag and left the office.
After stepping out of the elevator, she made a call.
“Old Li, I have something to tell you. It’s about that artist I manage, Song Ying. Recently, there have been a lot of people bashing her online, right? Can you help me find out which troll farm is behind it, who’s pulling the strings, and dig up some of the main accounts stirring things up. As for the fee…”
“What? Someone has already commissioned you to investigate this?”
Sister Hong’s footsteps halted, almost blocking the person behind her. She quickly apologized, “Sorry… it’s fine, Old Li, go on, I’m listening… The one who commissioned you, was it Shengshi?”
“No? Then… could you tell me who it was? … Alright, I understand. About the results, can you send me a copy when it’s done? Price is no issue… Okay, thank you!”
After hanging up, Sister Hong fell into deep thought.
Before her, someone had already stepped in to investigate the trolls. Calculating the timing, it was almost the exact moment Song Ying announced during her livestream that she would hold people accountable.
If it wasn’t Shengshi, then who else could it be?
Besides her, who else would care so much about this?
For some reason, the image of Song Ying’s boyfriend flashed through Sister Hong’s mind.
That young man, though he seemed wild and untamed, his innate nobility and arrogance didn’t seem fake. Could it be him?
“No, he’s just a pretty boy living off Song Ying. How could he act so quickly?”
Sister Hong quickly dismissed this speculation.
Qin Family Old Residence.
Old Master Qin stared coldly at the livestream, while his eldest son, Qin Yong, stood beside him. After hanging up the phone, Qin Yong approached.
“Father, the results are in. It was Ming Song Media who orchestrated this, including the earlier rumors about A Ying being a homewrecker. It was their artists, Jiang Yuyao and Zhou Ruoyu. Additionally, there’s another file regarding Jiang Yuyao and Shen Linzhou.”
As he spoke, Qin Yong retrieved a remote file from the nearby printer and handed it to Old Master Qin.
“Take a look.”
The atmosphere in the spacious living room was heavy.
Old Master Qin put on his reading glasses, skimmed through the file briefly, and then tossed it back to his son.
“Regarding the trolls, have someone file a report with the police first thing tomorrow morning. As for this file, send it to A Shu and let him handle it himself.”
“Yes.”
The time was now half past ten, and the number of viewers in the livestream still exceeded two hundred thousand.
The power of CP fans should not be underestimated. Upon learning that their favorite couple bloggers were actually Song Ying and her partner, a wave of edited photos, video clips, and fan-made content swept across the internet within just an hour.
Many onlookers and gossip enthusiasts also flooded in, quickly getting acquainted with Song Ying through the barrage of comments.
The director, watching the unprecedented popularity of the livestream, rubbed his hands together excitedly.
Since the filming of “Journey of Detective Love” began, the best decision he had made was inviting Song Ying!
In just one day, not only did the sponsor increase their investment, but the show’s popularity also skyrocketed. If anyone ever called Song Ying a troublemaker again, he would argue with them!This is clearly his great lucky star!
The kind that needs to be revered!
Not far away, Qin Shu, who had been standing casually with his hands in his pockets, noticed the director’s fervent gaze toward Song Ying. His fierce, wild eyes instantly shot back a warning and a guarded glare.
The director shuddered, nearly dropping the cue cards in his hand.
Clearing his throat tactfully, the director averted his gaze.
“Well, due to some minor mishaps, we haven’t had the chance to announce the results of this afternoon’s activity. Since there’s only an hour and a half left before tonight’s live stream ends, I’ll now announce today’s competition results on behalf of the production team. Each couple will be eligible to choose their room based on their ranking.”
“First, the last place goes to Zhou Ruoyu and Qiao Yu. Since they didn’t complete the task, they’ll choose last.”
“Next up are Sweet Bean and Da Meng. Although they completed the task well, they took a bit longer, so they rank second to last.”
“Finally, Song Ying and Qin Shu, as well as Jiang Yuyao and Shen Linzhou, finished in the same amount of time, so they tie for first place!”
【Tied for first? Who gets to choose their room first?】
【Song Ying is a junior, so of course Jiang Yuyao and Shen Linzhou should choose first!】
【Hey, get a grip. Do you think we Fireflies are just for show?】
By now, Song Ying was no longer fighting alone. Her fans had spontaneously formed “Fireflies” to support their idol.
Though firefly light may be faint, it can still shine as bright as day.
And this was only the beginning!
The production team’s ranking was clearly meant to stir up drama.
But after a long, exhausting day, Song Ying just wanted to sleep. “We’re fine with any room.”
“We’re not picky either,” Jiang Yuyao chimed in, putting on a humble and accommodating front. “What does it matter where we stay? When filming before, sleeping in tents was common. Compared to the four-person room we had earlier, any room here is an improvement.”
【Jiang Yuyao is as beautiful as she is kind-hearted!】
【When filming ‘Que Ge,’ she slept in a tent for a whole week—way more dedicated than some other pretty faces!】
【Sure, sure, whatever you say. Sleeping in a tent counts as dedication? The bar for professionalism in the entertainment industry is really low!】
Song Ying’s fans didn’t like to stir up trouble, but seeing Jiang Yuyao’s fans immediately resort to comparisons, they couldn’t help but fire back.
The director, not seeing the confrontation he’d hoped for, felt a bit awkward. But soon, he came up with an idea.
“Since everyone is being so gracious, how about I assign a keyword to each room based on its features, and you can choose from those?”
He then produced four cards with the words: gym, home theater, yoga room, and massage room.
“How about we choose the gym?” Jiang Yuyao looked at Shen Linzhou. “You enjoy working out, so this would suit you.”
“Sure,” Shen Linzhou nodded. “We’ve been live-streaming for half a month, and I haven’t had a chance to exercise. If there’s a gym, that would be perfect.”
Shen Linzhou’s public persona was built on being a great actor with good looks and a fit physique.
On Weibo, he often posted gym photos, subtly or not-so-subtly showing off his muscles.
In reality, though, his physique was only slightly above average.
If it were any other male celebrity, he’d likely be criticized for being too showy. But his face was undeniably attractive, which helped him stand out and attract a large female fanbase.
Sure enough, his words quickly ignited the barrage of comments.
【Ahhh! I’m waiting for photos of Shen Linzhou’s chest muscles! Who can understand Jiang Yuyao’s happiness?】
【Finally, we can feast our eyes again!】【Husband, kill me!】
After the two had made their choices, Jiang Yuyao suddenly remembered something and looked at Song Ying with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Song. Since Linzhou really enjoys working out, I was only thinking about his needs and didn’t have time to ask for your opinion. If you two also need…”
“Massage room.” Song Ying had no patience for Jiang Yuyao’s manipulative talk and directly raised her hand to interrupt her, choosing the other option.
Jiang Yuyao: “…”
“We’ll take the yoga studio,” Sweet Bean said, raising her hand before Jiang Yuyao could speak, demonstrating professionalism by making the next choice in line. “The yoga studio has lots of mirrors, so it should be great for filming vlogs!”
Finally, the home theater room was left for Zhou Ruoyu and Qiao Yu.
After assigning the rooms and collecting the key cards, each group took their luggage and officially moved in.
After all, this was a villa area. Even the smallest rooms were much better than where the guests had stayed before, and each room had its own unique features.
The room Song Ying and Qin Shu chose was at the very end of the third floor.
As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a large floor-to-ceiling window, two hanging rattan swings with fairy lights, and two thick, wide velvet sofas in the center, with a plush carpet covering the floor.
Looking outside, the full moon hung high in the sky, while below were the villa’s lakeside pavilion and garden, offering an excellent view.
To the left of the living room was a separate kitchen; to the right was the bedroom, which included two ensuite rooms. One was a bathroom with separate wet and dry areas, featuring an oversized double bathtub surrounded by a basket of fresh rose petals.
The other was the massage room mentioned by the Director, fully equipped with all the necessary amenities, and even including a vinyl record player and a projector.
Indeed, even if you chose blindly, the villas under Zhiyuan’s brand would never disappoint.
After a quick tour of the room’s layout, Song Ying collapsed onto the sofa, kicking off her slippers as she called out to Qin Shu.
“I’m exhausted… Husband, come rub my feet.”
The day’s fatigue had already drained Song Ying of all her energy. She lay sprawled on the sofa like a limp noodle, soft as a puddle of water. Her voice, tinged with drowsiness and punctuated by yawns, became soft, sweet, and coquettish, enough to melt half of anyone’s heart.
Qin Shu walked over and sat down beside Song Ying, picking up a cushion to support her lower back.
Song Ying hooked her arms around his neck to steady her upper body. Her chestnut-colored curls, like seaweed, swayed like ocean waves, and her shirt rode up slightly with the movement, further accentuating her snow-white skin and jade-like slender waist.
Qin Shu wrapped one arm around her slender waist while taking her delicate foot in his other hand, gently massaging it.
The woman in his arms immediately let out a satisfied, coquettish sigh, nuzzling lightly against his chest.
“That feels good… Husband, you’re amazing~”
“Is that all?” Qin Shu’s usually bold and unruly voice now carried a layer of teasing, low and playful, utterly bewitching.
“Mwah, mwah!” Song Ying hooked her arms around his neck, her tired eyes half-open as she planted two light kisses on Qin Shu’s thin lips. “Here, your reward.”
“That’s not sincere enough…”
The wolf cub exuded a hunting aura. Qin Shu cupped the back of Song Ying’s head and leaned in, deepening the originally light kiss.
The familiar scent of sandalwood enveloped them, and Song Ying’s nerves, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed completely. At that moment, she felt as if she had returned to the marital home she shared with Qin Shu. The day’s unpleasantness was forgotten, replaced only by the tingling sensation wandering around her waist and the shivers running down her spine.
“Husband…”A cat-like whimper slipped from her throat, just as she was about to sink into the sea, only to be abruptly pulled back to the surface.
A blanket suddenly wrapped her up tightly, nearly suffocating Song Ying.
“Damn it, Qin Shu, you bastard, trying to assassinate me again!”
The seductive tone turned into rage, as profanities burst from Song Ying’s mouth.