It was a bit of a shame.
Fan Qing looked at his reflection in the mirror, at his bright, expressive eyes, and felt a trace of regret.
Thick lenses could hide how beautiful they were—but was that really the issue?
Without anything to obscure them, were his thoughts simply too easy to read?
Recalling how Nie Luo had practically fled in panic at the end of that dinner, Fan Qing let out a low laugh.
Revealing himself earlier than planned hadn’t been part of the strategy, but Nie Luo really was—
Damnably pure.
The moment that thought surfaced, Fan Qing yanked the curtain shut and turned on cold water, forcing it over himself to suppress the heat surging up inside.
Damn it.
He stepped out of the bathroom, icy droplets sliding down his pale face. He pushed his wet bangs back, exposing a broad, smooth forehead.
His slightly flushed tongue swept the water from his lips; his throat bobbed once, and the thin lips returned to stillness.
Faster.
Now that he’d startled the snake in the grass, he had to move faster—he had to accelerate.
The online sentiment, once overwhelmingly one-sided, quickly took a sharp turn.
The trigger was, of course, that group photo Jin Yi had dragged them into taking.
A picture of the four of them eating together in a waterside garden was posted on Jian Feiyang’s Weibo, quickly reposted by Jin Yi, and then—liked by Nie Luo.
After that, the online tide shifted completely.
Nie Luo’s fans celebrated as if it were a national holiday, forgetting all about whatever scandal rumors there had been before.
“Holy—what am I seeing?! Brother Nie actually liked someone else’s post! Rounding up, that’s basically Brother Nie posting on Weibo himself!”
“Nie-family girls crying tears of joy! It’s great that Brother Nie always has projects and appearances, but his Weibo updates are so rare! Since you had time to like a post, wouldn’t it be nice to casually post a couple of words too? [so humble.jpg]”
“HAHAHAHA I’m different—I sprinted straight to the liked post and slid in on my knees! Anyone who can get Brother Nie to show his face is a genuinely good person!”
Nie Luo’s fans were overjoyed.
Some people quickly recognized Jian Feiyang as well.
“Hey, isn’t that the little guy who got popular on that variety show? The sweet angel kid? Oh right—I remember now, didn’t Jian Feiyang used to have the same agent as Brother Nie? Honestly, thank goodness they don’t anymore. Otherwise, in certain people’s mouths, this dinner would’ve turned into some kind of shady private deal. Ew.”
“Just ignore those rumors about Brother Nie. After all these years, when has he ever stirred up that kind of nonsense? Pretend you didn’t see it. Or better yet, learn from Brother Nie—he doesn’t care at all. He even had time to go out to eat and like a post.”
“We’re used to it by now, sisters. Brother Nie still has zero scandals. Some shameless people are just trying to cash in, that’s all.”
Jing Yuan—one of those accused of trying to cash in—looked grim.
This wasn’t the first time he’d failed.
This had clearly been a perfect opportunity, and yet—
Fan Qing actually had personal ties with Nie Luo?
A strange light flickered wildly in his eyes.
If that was the case, Fan Qing couldn’t be touched for the time being.
But by the same logic, there had to be something going on between those two.
He steadied himself and quickly pulled out his phone, typing a few short messages.
Just before hitting send, he hesitated.
Maybe he should let that useless agent handle it?
A moment later, he let out a cold laugh.
No.
He didn’t trust him.
The reason this incident had gone wrong was precisely because that man was unreliable. The fact that Fan Qing had managed to turn the tables this time only proved that point.
Although personally getting involved could easily leave him open to criticism…
The benefits still outweighed the risks.
Jing Yuan leaned back in the plush chauffeur-driven car—the company’s treatment for him, comparable even to Nie Luo’s own car.
He would exercise restraint.
Once the message was sent, all traces would automatically disappear; no one would ever know he was pulling the strings.
If it weren’t for the agent being unreliable…
And he couldn’t risk alerting anyone. If Nie Luo sensed something, it would only bring trouble upon himself.
That’s why this time, he had to act personally.
After some thought, Jing Yuan still made a call to the agent.
He casually reminded them about Jian Feiyang, then mentioned Jian Feishuo’s suggestion that Jian Feiyang should step back and return home.
The agent paused, then gave a brief acknowledgment.
“I understand. I’ll make arrangements to follow up.”
Jing Yuan added, with a subtle hint:
“Actually, it’s not that Jian Feishuo had a problem—mainly, seeing today’s photo of Jian Feiyang with Nie Luo made him feel a bit uncomfortable.”
“Oh? I see.”
The agent sounded thoughtful, then ended the call.
Meanwhile, Nie Luo’s fans were still happily celebrating, but a new, discordant voice quietly arose.
“I always thought Jian Feiyang was scheming; sure enough, he’s showing his true colors this time.”
“Disgusting. That blatant fawning is just ugly. And that agent too—do they really think Nie Luo’s fans are idiots? If this isn’t a shady private deal, what is? Nie Luo’s status, and he’s eating with Jian Feiyang—doesn’t that say something?”
“Just a random bystander here. Jian Feiyang is some up-and-coming company-backed newbie? Already seeing his name everywhere in just a few days, I feel sick.”
Soon, another wave of new voices appeared.
“I couldn’t help but Google him—this Jian Feiyang is something else. The person standing next to Nie Luo isn’t exactly minor either; check out Jin Yi, the second young master. Wow, the entertainment circle is chaotic—things like this can openly surface now?”
“Jian Feiyang, please leave the industry. Didn’t people know how terrible his acting used to be? What talent do you have besides buying hot searches?”
Suddenly, old photos from Jian Feiyang’s time on set began circulating, some clearly taken secretly. The videos all showed him flubbing scenes, failing to act convincingly.
Like flies drawn to food, people flooded into Jian Feiyang’s Weibo to criticize him.
“If you can’t act, leave the industry. Don’t you feel dirty with shady deals? Variety shows aren’t for people like you.”
“Yue, even my neighbor’s three-year-old granddaughter acts better than this. Stay in the trash where you belong.”
Some even went to Nie Luo’s posts to harass his fans.
“See clearly? Jian Feiyang is trash, and Nie Luo is really too forgiving, keeping him close. You actually believe Nie Luo is scandal-free—wake up, the industry is never clean.”
Fan Qing, who had been temporarily overshadowed, was also targeted.
Unable to find his Weibo, people attacked him under Jian Feiyang’s posts.
“Please, both of you leave the industry. The circle doesn’t need two ‘backdoor’ creeps like you.”
Some of Jian Feiyang’s newly gained fans panicked.
Seeing the situation, they quietly sided with the prevailing opinion.
“I really feel for our little angel. He hasn’t done anything wrong, yet this rotten agent has dragged him into this. Please, if the agent has any conscience, let our little angel be free…”
The attacks came in waves.
Jian Feiyang’s recently rising fan count began to drop.
Meanwhile, Fan Qing calmly sipped his coffee.
“…Is that really what people are saying online?”
Jian Feishuo sat across from him, his phone once again showing familiar cracks.
Fan Qing blew on his cup, savoring the aroma.
“Of course not. What I’ve shown you is carefully filtered—barely readable. The worst insults? I could show you those too. Interested?”
Jian Feishuo had already instructed his assistant to buy a new phone.
“No interest. But then, why are you here?”
“Of course, to ask how you, Mr. Jian, intend to handle this.”
Fan Qing set down his cup.
Jian Feishuo opened his mouth but said nothing.
Fan Qing didn’t seem surprised. He met Jian Feishuo’s gaze, smiling faintly.
“Your most treasured younger brother is being twisted and misrepresented by the media, and the person likely behind it is someone you know. Mr. Jian, will you really stay silent?”
He knew it.
Fan Qing came for a purpose.
Jian Feishuo gritted his teeth but had to admit—every time Fan Qing spoke, he effortlessly struck at the spot that made him angriest.
“…And you want me to do what?”
Fan Qing pushed up his glasses, revealing a look that made Jian Feishuo shiver.
A trap! Run!
His mind screamed warnings, yet his feet remained frozen.
If—if this could truly resolve Feiyang’s problem…
Jian Feishuo gritted his teeth.
“Simple.”
Fan Qing clasped his hands together beneath his chin.
“I just think, since Jian Feiyang is your brother, him having dinner with Jin Yi, the second young master, and being misinterpreted… a proper older brother should show some anger, make it clear. Don’t you agree, Mr. Jian?”
Jian Feishuo froze, disbelief written all over his face.
“You mean… you want me to step in personally, to back Ah Yang?”
He spoke instinctively.
“That’s impossible! Ah Yang would never agree to come home and take over the company…”
Fan Qing cut him off swiftly.
“Or are you planning to just stand by and watch Jian Feiyang get maliciously attacked? Don’t forget, Mr. Jian, this affects you too.”
Jing Yuan dared to make a move against Jian Feiyang only because of Jian Feishuo’s tacit consent, wasn’t it?
Jian Feishuo had no words.
He stayed silent for a long while, his shoulders sagging as if a heavy weight had been lifted.
“…You’re right. This is what I owe Ah Yang.”