The photo attached to the Weibo post left Xu Tang completely confused—he had no idea when it had been taken.
In the picture, Xu Tang was lying down, while Fu Yi was directly above him, leaning extremely close. It looked like he was about to kiss him.
The lighting in the photo was very dim, and the location was impossible to make out. Only a corner of their clothes was visible. The only things that could be seen clearly were Xu Tang and Fu Yi’s faces, and the image was indeed extremely suggestive. It looked as if Xu Tang was waiting for Fu Yi to kiss him.
“Thirty seconds. Explain this to me!” Kang Duo said furiously.
“I really don’t know…” Xu Tang genuinely couldn’t remember. “After dinner that day, He Xin and I went to the club to drink.”
“And then?” Kang Duo was so angry that she wished she could tear Zhou Yijian apart with her bare hands.
“Then I drank too much. When I woke up the next day, I was already home.” Xu Tang didn’t mention that it was the villa. Either way, it was still home.
“Were you and He Xin the only ones drinking at the club? No one else was there?” Kang Duo confirmed.
“Yes, just the two of us,” Xu Tang said.
Then something about this really was strange. Kang Duo said, “I’ll call He Xin later and ask if he knows what happened.”
“Okay.” Xu Tang was also extremely frustrated after this happened. He had only met Fu Yi once, and he himself didn’t even know how this affair had started. Now, thinking about having to face Zong Xuan’s side as well, he felt like his head was about to explode.
As soon as Xu Tang hung up, Xu Zhou’s call came in.
“What’s going on with you? Even if you wanted to choose someone, couldn’t you have picked someone better?” Xu Zhou got straight to the point.
“Brother… I really didn’t…” Xu Tang helplessly repeated everything he had just told Kang Duo.
Xu Zhou, however, reacted faster than Kang Duo. “Are you sure He Xin was still sober when you got drunk?”
“I’m not sure…” He had already passed out. How could he know what happened?
“In other words, there’s a possibility that He Xin was drunk too, and the two of you were set up at the club?” Xu Zhou analyzed. If Xu Tang had not seen Fu Yi afterward and there had been no other incidents where he lost his memory, then the problem could only have happened that night.
“That club is pretty safe. It shouldn’t be possible, right?” Xu Tang said. A lot of celebrities went there. He had never heard of anything going wrong.
“You can never be too careful when dealing with people. Where did you go after you got drunk that day?” Xu Zhou asked.
This time Xu Tang didn’t dare lie. “The villa. Zong Xuan took me back. I didn’t ask for the details, but it was probably Yue Yan who called him over.”
Xu Zhou remembered that Zong Xuan had left early that day. It seemed he had gone to pick Xu Tang up.
“This matter is a little troublesome. I’ll have the PR department hold a meeting to discuss a plan later,” Xu Zhou said.
“Okay.” Xu Tang had no way to prove anything right now. All he could do was wait and see what arrangements the PR department came up with.
After hanging up, Xu Tang also shut down his computer. He didn’t want to read the comments below. There definitely wouldn’t be anything good there. He guessed Zong Xuan’s fans were probably already fighting with his own fans.
Sitting on the sofa, Xu Tang felt irritated.
He didn’t understand who would benefit from creating such a scandal.
His own reputation went without saying. Zong Xuan had been made a cuckold, while Fu Yi had become the third party… So why didn’t Zhou Yijian use the photo to blackmail them and instead release it publicly? That was the part worth thinking about.
At that moment, He Xin called.
“Damn it, I fell right into that bastard Fu Yi’s trap!” He Xin shouted angrily.
“What happened?” Hearing He Xin say that, Xu Tang realized he probably knew something.
He Xin told Xu Tang about how he had seen Fu Yi in the private room after returning that night. “I was seriously out of my mind back then. How did I actually believe what he said?”
“What benefit does he get from doing this?” Xu Tang asked, puzzled.
“Are you stupid? With his current level, he probably wouldn’t be able to make a name for himself even after four or five years. But it’s different if he uses a scandal with you. At least half the people who see this news will remember his name, and another half might remember his face or look up his information. With just this one move, someone who wasn’t even considered an eighteenth-tier celebrity can at least squeeze into the eighteenth tier. After he gets enough exposure, he can do image management and clean up the mess later. But in the end, aren’t you the one who suffers? Who would use him to create hype? Everyone is obviously targeting you and Zong Xuan!”
He Xin was both anxious and furious, but more than anything, he was angry at himself for being so stupid back then.
Thinking about it this way, everything became obvious.
Fu Yi had taken advantage of Xu Tang being drunk and the private room being empty to sneak in and take a photo together. Then he gave it to Zhou Yijian to create the scandal.
No wonder Zhou Yijian hadn’t come to sell them the photo. Fu Yi had probably already paid him.
“What are you going to do now?” He Xin asked. Kang Duo had also called him earlier in a panic.
“I don’t know…” Xu Tang truly didn’t know. If this matter wasn’t handled properly, he might completely ruin his career.
“Shouldn’t you contact Zong Xuan? After all, his attitude is very important,” He Xin said.
“Yeah, I’ll have Sister Kang contact him.” Even if it wasn’t true, outsiders would still think Zong Xuan had been betrayed. If Zong Xuan was willing to stand on Xu Tang’s side, there might still be room to handle this through PR. If Zong Xuan wasn’t willing… then Xu Tang could only negotiate with Fu Yi’s side. The best possible outcome would be using resources in exchange for both sides issuing clarifications.
“Okay. I’ll think of some solutions too,” He Xin said. He felt responsible for this matter and naturally wanted to do his part.
“Okay,” Xu Tang replied.
Around seven in the evening, Kang Duo called Xu Tang again. She said that she had originally wanted to ask Zong Xuan to make a statement to stabilize the situation temporarily. Unfortunately, Zong Xuan happened to be filming in the mountains these few days, where the signal was terrible. They couldn’t contact him at all. Kang Duo had tried calling several times, but every call showed that he was out of service range.
By the time internet traffic peaked at night, the incident had already spread wildly.
Kang Duo canceled all of Xu Tang’s schedules and told him to stay home temporarily and not go anywhere.
This matter kept Xu Tang awake. He felt lost about the future, but there was nothing he could do except sit at home and wait for news.
It wasn’t until around one in the morning that He Xin sent him a message.
He Xin: Hurry and check Weibo. Zong Xuan replied!
Xu Tang immediately opened Weibo and saw Zong Xuan’s update at the top of his homepage—
[I don’t know how this photo came about, but some people took advantage of Tang Tang being drunk and did something disgusting. Don’t they have any sense of shame? And they still dare to post it publicly? That day Tang Tang and He Xin went drinking together. They accidentally drank too much, and I was the one who carried him home. There was absolutely nothing involving this Fu guy. Don’t tell me this wasn’t taken that day. How could I not know what clothes Tang Tang wore when he went out? What nonsense. Someone is so desperate to become famous, aren’t they? Fine, I’ll help you. Don’t think you’re innocent just because Zhou Yijian is using you as a weapon. The most innocent person in this whole thing is Tang Tang. He drank until he lost his memory and knew nothing, yet he still got used by someone. This is seriously unbelievable.]
Zong Xuan’s position was clear, his attitude firm, and his explanation straightforward. He had directly pulled Xu Tang out of the mud.
Xu Tang finally let out a breath of relief. At least half of the crisis had been resolved.
The Tang fans and Xuan fans, who had previously been fighting fiercely, also calmed down after seeing the explanation.
“Turns out that’s what happened. As long as there was no cheating, I apologize for my previous inappropriate comments.”
“Actor Zong came out to speak. His explanation is logical and convincing!”
“I believe in Tang Tang’s character.”
“I think both Xuan fans and Tang fans were used by someone. We helped someone with no shame gain attention!”
“What kind of person is Fu Yi? Tang Tang couldn’t possibly have anything to do with him, right? Even if Xu Tang really wanted to cheat, he would definitely choose someone better than Zong Xuan.”
“My foolish Tang… what would you do without Actor Zong?!”
……
He Xin quickly reposted Zong Xuan’s Weibo as well.
[That day, Tang Tang and I were both drunk. The signal inside the private room was poor, so I went outside to make a call and asked Yue Yan to come pick us up. When I returned to the room, I saw Fu Yi there. At the time, his behavior seemed normal, so I didn’t think much about it. The environment in the photo and the small part of clothing shown are indeed what Tang Tang was wearing that day. We were indeed not in the same private room. The club has to protect customers’ privacy, so surveillance footage cannot be released casually. However, if the truth cannot be restored, we can only report this to the police. The surveillance footage can prove everything.]
“Xin Xin and Tang Tang went out drinking because they were catching up as friends. How could they possibly bring along someone they weren’t familiar with?”
“That makes sense. Even if someone wanted to cheat, they would at least choose a more private place, right? Doing it in a public place is ridiculous.”
“Xin Xin, you really shouldn’t take Tang Tang drinking anymore. Both of you have such poor alcohol tolerance… it’s really dangerous!”
“Some people just love adding drama to their own stories. They’ll do anything for fame!”
……
Xu Tang picked up his phone and sent Zong Xuan a message.
Xu Tang: Thank you.
Zong Xuan replied very quickly.
Zong Xuan: It’s nothing. Don’t overthink it. I know what happened afterward that day better than you do. I’ve been filming in the mountains these past few days, and I can only get online when I return to the hotel at night, so my reply was a little late.
Xu Tang: It’s fine. You already helped me solve a huge problem.
Zong Xuan: It’s very late. Go to sleep. Fu Yi probably doesn’t have any more evidence to release. Don’t worry.
Xu Tang: Okay. You should rest early too. Good night.
Zong Xuan: Good night.
After putting down his phone, Xu Tang felt much calmer.
This incident would probably continue making noise for another day or two, but the person being criticized probably wouldn’t be him anymore.
However, with the current standards in the entertainment industry, Fu Yi probably wouldn’t be completely ruined. After all, his name was now known by everyone. Once this matter died down, there would always be someone without principles willing to hire him for a drama.
At that point, whether it was out of curiosity or some other reason, there would definitely be some level of viewership.
For Fu Yi, regardless of whether his reputation was good or bad, it was still better than remaining an unknown nobody outside the eighteenth tier and forever playing the eighth or ninth male lead.
Once he earned enough money, he could spend it on cleaning up his image.
Xu Tang had no intention of completely destroying Fu Yi.
But that didn’t mean Xu Zhou felt the same way.
With Zong Xuan having Zong Yi’s backing, Xu Zhou couldn’t do much to him. But a small-time actor like Fu Yi—Xu Zhou refused to believe he couldn’t deal with him.
Before this, many people had tried to use Xu Tang to rise in popularity. Their methods varied. Even someone as shameless as Yu Lun, Xu Zhou had never bothered to pursue.
But saying that his younger brother cheated, and even producing such a photo—wasn’t that equivalent to saying his younger brother had poor character and that Xu Zhou had failed to raise him properly?
In Xu Zhou’s eyes, Fu Yi seemed to be preparing to go home and sell salted duck eggs.
Fine.
He would grant him that wish.
Although Zong Xuan and He Xin’s explanations had already calmed things down online, there were still many reporters and paparazzi hoping to interview Xu Tang or capture more explosive photos.
Therefore, the next day, there were many people waiting downstairs at both Xu Tang’s current residential community and the villa.
Since they didn’t know where Xu Tang actually lived, they had people stationed at both locations.
Because the security at Xu Tang’s current residence was not strict enough and paparazzi could easily sneak into the building, Xu Zhou decided to have Yuan Shang pick Xu Tang up and temporarily move him to Xu Wan’s apartment at “Hai Fang Yi Jing” for a few days.
However, although Yuan Shang had changed cars, he was still spotted by sharp-eyed paparazzi.
They immediately drove after him.
Yuan Shang quickly noticed the tailing vehicle as well. He frowned and informed Xu Tang.
Xu Tang looked behind them and said, “Go to the company. We’ll switch cars there later and leave.”
“Okay,” Yuan Shang answered.
Just as the car was about to turn onto another road, a vehicle suddenly sped out from the right lane.
Yuan Shang was startled and quickly turned the steering wheel to avoid it.
But the other car was moving too fast. Before their car could fully change direction, there was a loud bang.
The two cars collided.
The vehicle behind them failed to brake in time and crashed into Xu Tang’s car as well.
Xu Tang’s head slammed heavily against the glass. His body was thrown forward toward the seat in front of him. When he instinctively braced himself with his hand, he heard a faint crack.
Glass shattered.
The sound of brakes filled the street.
And soon, Xu Tang lost consciousness.
By the time Zong Xuan received the news, it was already almost ten at night.
The internet was filled with reports about Xu Tang’s car accident.
After seeing the related reports and photos, Zong Xuan’s heart sank.
He immediately called Xu Zhou.
But Xu Zhou’s line was constantly busy.
He then called his own second brother, Zong Yi, but Zong Yi was also away from the city and couldn’t reach Xu Zhou either.
Zong Xuan called Wen Hui next.
Wen Hui told him that the responsible party had been driving under the influence. Combined with the fact that paparazzi had been chasing them and Yuan Shang’s speed had not been particularly slow, the accident happened.
She also didn’t know the exact details yet.
Hua Yan had already arranged for people to guard outside Xu Tang’s hospital room and refused all visitors and interviews.
“Do you know which hospital he’s at?” Zong Xuan asked.
He knew he wasn’t calm enough right now, but no one could be reached and he had no idea about Xu Tang’s actual condition.
How could he calm down?
“I know.” Wen Hui told him the hospital name, then added, “Don’t panic first. I’ll notify you immediately if anything happens. You’ll finish filming in two or three days. Come back after you wrap.”
Zong Xuan didn’t even hear what she said afterward.
He hung up directly, grabbed his coat and car keys, and walked out.
Coincidentally, Xie Shaoqian had just returned with late-night food.
Seeing Zong Xuan looking like he was about to leave, he hurried over.
“Brother Xuan, where are you going?”
“Back to Beijing. Tang Tang got into a car accident. I need to go see him.”
Zong Xuan’s tone clearly showed that his decision was already made.
Could Xie Shaoqian possibly let Zong Xuan drive back alone?
Of course not.
He was worried that in his current state, Zong Xuan might speed recklessly and cause another accident.
So he quickly said, “Brother Xuan, don’t rush. Let me grab a jacket. I’ll drive you back.”
Compared with the lively and talkative Yuan Shang, Xie Shaoqian was the calm, quiet, and extremely capable type.
That was why Zong Xuan trusted him so much. Xie Shaoqian had always done his job well.
Zong Xuan knew he wasn’t in the right state to drive.
He patted Xie Shaoqian’s shoulder.
“Thanks for the trouble.”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be ready soon.”
With that, Xie Shaoqian ran back to his room, grabbed his bag containing both of their identification documents, which couldn’t be left unattended, then took a jacket and left.
There were no more flights to Beijing at this hour.
The earliest flight tomorrow would not arrive until noon.
Zong Xuan couldn’t wait that long.
Driving back would take about six hours, and he could switch with Xie Shaoqian halfway.
After all, driving through the night alone would count as fatigue driving and was unsafe.
By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was almost five in the morning.
There were still many reporters waiting outside the hospital entrance.
The moment Zong Xuan got out of the car, countless cameras pointed toward him.
Zong Xuan ignored them and walked straight inside.
Coincidentally, he saw Xu Wan stepping out of the elevator.
Seeing that Zong Xuan had arrived so quickly, Xu Wan was slightly surprised.
As far as she knew, Zong Xuan had been filming out of town.
“How is Tang Tang?” Zong Xuan asked anxiously.
Seeing that his concern did not seem fake, Xu Wan’s attitude toward him softened slightly.
“He’s fine. His wrist has a fracture, but it isn’t serious. He also has a moderate concussion. He just needs to recover.”
Zong Xuan finally relaxed a little.
“Can I go see him? Is someone taking care of him?”
“Kang Duo is upstairs. She just came to replace me. Go up. Room 912.”
“Okay.”
After saying that, Zong Xuan entered the elevator.
He was so anxious that he didn’t even remember to ask Xu Wan how she was getting home.
The hospital room was very quiet.
Kang Duo sat on the sofa holding her phone, handling matters.
Xu Tang was sleeping on the bed.
At this hour, he was no longer receiving IV fluids, so there was no need to constantly watch over him.
Two thermal containers sat on the table, probably containing breakfast.
When Zong Xuan entered, Kang Duo was also surprised.
She had not received any news that he would come.
Zong Xuan nodded at Kang Duo before walking to the bedside.
Xu Tang was not sleeping peacefully.
His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was uncomfortable.
A piece of gauze covered his head, making it impossible to see the injury clearly.
There were also several small scratches on his face, though they were not serious.
Only after seeing Xu Tang with his own eyes did Zong Xuan truly relax.
He gently touched Xu Tang’s hair, his eyes filled with heartache.
After a moment, Zong Xuan walked over to Kang Duo and asked,
“How did the doctor say?”
“It’s said that there’s nothing serious, but it’s best to stay in the hospital for observation for a week,” Kang Duo said. Compared to Xu Tang, Yuan Shang’s injuries were more severe. He had a slight fracture in his ribs and his leg was broken. Fortunately, the airbags deployed, preventing him from suffering more serious injuries. The Xu family had also arranged a private room for him, right next door to Xu Tang’s, and had invited specialists to treat him. The problem was not serious; he just needed time to recover.
Zong Xuan nodded and said, “Go take care of your things. I’ll look after him.”
Kang Duo originally thought that leaving without informing Xu Zhou might result in Xu Zhou punishing her. However, seeing how worried Zong Xuan looked, she found it difficult to refuse and said, “Then I’ll go check on Yuan Shang. He’s right next door. If Xu Tang wakes up, give him the soup and porridge in the thermos.”
Yuan Shang was not from the local area, and he did not want his family to worry, so he had temporarily not told his parents. The Xu family had hired a twenty-four-hour caregiver for him, and his three meals were prepared and delivered by the Xu family. Thus, there was not much for them to worry about.
“Okay,” Zong Xuan replied.
After Kang Duo left, Zong Xuan sent a message to Xie Shaoqian, asking him to go home and rest first, then bring him some clean clothes later. He would be staying here for the next few days to take care of Xu Tang. After that, he sent a message to Wen Hui, asking her to contact the production team. Whether they wanted compensation or had other arrangements would depend entirely on the production team’s decision. In any case, he would not be returning to film for the time being.
Wen Hui had received Xie Shaoqian’s call five minutes earlier. Since the person had already returned, what else could she do? She could only help clean up the mess.
Zong Xuan sat by the bedside, carefully looking at Xu Tang’s features. During this period, he had missed Xu Tang quite a lot, but Xu Tang had been unwilling to contact him, and there was nothing he could do. Now that he had finally seen him again, Zong Xuan felt that as long as Xu Tang was safe, that was enough. As for everything else, no matter how long it took, he was willing to wait.