The fervor surrounding Ji Dongyang’s parents’ drug addiction had yet to die down. The opposing side was clearly unwilling to let the matter rest, clutching onto every detail and leaking bits of “dirt” periodically. Fortunately, more and more rational fans began to see this as a calculated smear campaign against Ji Dongyang. They declared their unwavering support; one cannot choose their parents, and this was not his fault.

While the fault did not lie with Ji Dongyang, as a public figure, every virtue and flaw is magnified a thousandfold. In the battle for public opinion, the side that wins the crowd wins the war. Yet, many still struggled to understand.

Prejudice cannot be erased overnight. One can only wait for time to dull the edge of the scandal or find a way to shift the public’s gaze.

Ji Dongyang’s love life had always been a focal point of intense curiosity. Rumors of a secret marriage surfaced frequently, and the company’s lack of denial only fueled the fire.

Yang Xun had coordinated with a familiar reporter, Reporter Lu, to break the news at exactly nine o’clock—but it was only eight-thirty!

He hurriedly clicked the link. It was a leak from a different media outlet. The press release was dripping with disdain: Ji Dongyang really is a piece of work. After the news of his parents’ drug use broke, did he just give up on himself? Is the pressure too much? Hiring a prostitute to soothe his loneliness?

The video was blurry, and the photos were grainier still—clearly shot from a hidden vantage point.

Despite the quality, it was enough to drop a bombshell on the entertainment industry.

“Oh my god! Is this for real? Why say Dong-ge hired a prostitute? Couldn’t it just be his girlfriend?”

“If it’s a girlfriend, how do you explain him picking up the ‘small card’? And would a girlfriend dress like that? Her back is completely bare! From behind, is there even a difference between wearing that and wearing nothing? Prostitution is prostitution—why deny it? The industry is messy anyway; he wouldn’t be the first male star caught.”

“Forget everything else, this woman’s figure is explosive. I wonder how much a night with a top-tier beauty like that costs. Asking for a friend, waiting online.”

“I can’t see her face! But her body is incredible. It probably isn’t the first time. Ji Dongyang’s cold, ascetic image is completely ruined!”

…

The news sent shockwaves across the internet. Headlines about the Best Actor hiring a prostitute were everywhere, but the identity of the woman in the photos remained a mystery.

The car pulled up at the airport. Just as Yang Xun stepped out, he received a call from a disgruntled reporter, Lu. “Weren’t we supposed to have the exclusive? How did someone else scoop it?”

Yang Xun felt a massive headache coming on. “I didn’t know another rat was trailing us.”

“If I’d known, I would have broken it last night,” Reporter Lu grumbled. “It’s not every day you get an exclusive like this.”

Yang Xun thought for a moment and said, “Wait for my call. I’ll give you back your exclusive.”

While A Ming handled the check-in, Ji Dongyang waited in the car for a bit before stepping out. The moment he did, paparazzi swarmed. Yang Xun frowned. “They’re like ghosts that won’t leave. They follow us everywhere.”

Ji Dongyang didn’t seem to care. He pulled his cap low and strode forward. He hadn’t seen the news on Weibo yet.

Suddenly, someone screamed in the airport terminal: “What?! My Dong-ge hired a hooker?!!!!”

The voice was so loud it rivaled the airport intercom. The surrounding crowd heard it clearly, their steps faltering as whispers began to ripple through the hall.

Ji Dongyang’s pace came to a dead halt. He froze for a few seconds before turning to Yang Xun with a deep scowl. “What is going on?”

Yang Xun thought to himself: Crap.

“It’s nothing. There are too many people here. We’ll talk later. If we wait, we’ll be mobbed.”

Before the words could fully leave his mouth, sharp-eyed fans recognized him. “Dong-ge! Dong-ge!”

There was no escape. Ji Dongyang helplessly stopped and waved a greeting to his fans. A Ming hurried over after finishing the check-in, shielding Ji Dongyang. “Dong-ge is this way! Everyone, please don’t push! He has to get through security…”

Someone shouted, while another cursed: “Taking fans’ money to pay for your parents’ drugs, and now you’re hiring prostitutes! Have you no shame?”

Ji Dongyang’s steps slowed. He cast a glance to the side. Yang Xun’s brow furrowed.

Airport security arrived to maintain order. Only with A Ming and another assistant clearing the way did they successfully make it into the security checkpoint.

Once on the plane, Ji Dongyang finally turned to Yang Xun. “Tell me exactly what happened,” he demanded in a low voice.

The bigger the mess, the more leverage they had. Yang Xun looked at him. “Zhou Yining was photographed entering your room last night. Now the internet is saying you hired a prostitute.”

Ji Dongyang’s brow knitted fiercely. “Prostitute…?”

“Yeah,” Yang Xun explained. “Zhou Yining was wearing a short wig, dressed sexy as hell, and they didn’t catch her face. So…” He paused, remembering a detail. “What ‘small card’ did you pick up?”

He hadn’t expected such an accidental complication.

Ji Dongyang felt his head throb. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Director Zhang gave me his mentor’s business card with a contact number on it. It fell out when I was pulling out my room key. I bent down to pick it up, then called Zhou Yining.”

Who knew the paparazzi had such vivid imaginations? Prostitution?

He’d have to be insane to hire a prostitute!

Yang Xun understood. It was a damn coincidence. “We’ll deal with it when we land. This isn’t something easily explained in a hurry.”

Let the explosive news simmer for a few more hours.

…

Zhou Yining didn’t wake up until noon. Her first move was to check the news. Sure enough, every headline was about Ji Dongyang’s alleged scandal. The videos and photos never showed her face, and netizens were rife with speculation about who the woman was.

Her phone had been on silent. She had dozens of missed calls and 99+ WeChat notifications.

They were all asking: “Ji Dongyang hired a hooker?!!! Did you get dumped?!!!”

Zhou Yining called Wan Wei back. “The woman in Ji Dongyang’s room last night was me.”

Wan Wei let out a long breath of relief. “I figured. When are you coming back?”

“I have a flight this afternoon. I’ll land at five. I’ll have Zhang Ran pick me up.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Zhou Yining packed her luggage, changed, and ordered room service. Once she finished her lunch and did her makeup, she put on her sunglasses and went downstairs to check out.

As she dragged her suitcase away, someone behind her whispered: “Was that… Zhou Yining?”

“Looked like her…”

…

On the plane, Zhou Yining listened to the hushed conversations about the scandal. She simply smiled, pulled down her eye mask, and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Ji Dongyang and Yang Xun returned to the company at five in the evening after an event. Yang Xun suggested, “Why don’t we take this opportunity to go public with your relationship?”

Ji Dongyang had certainly considered it, but never under such tawdry circumstances. She shouldn’t be treated this way. He slumped onto the sofa and said wearily, “Let me think about it.”

Yang Xun couldn’t fathom it. Why was he hesitating so much? At this point, they had to go public. He couldn’t let Zhou Yining be labeled as a prostitute.

After a moment of silence, Yang Xun said, “Rest for a bit. We have to head to the theater later.”

As soon as Zhou Yining landed, she posted on Weibo.

Zhou Yining V: Since when did this young lady become a prostitute? Ji Dongyang, get out here and explain yourself!

Her Weibo had always been managed by Wan Wei. With fewer than two million followers, her reach was low, and the initial reaction was slow. By the time the fans caught on, she had already walked out of the airport.

On the drive back to the company, marketing accounts and forums were in a frenzy. Screenshots of her post were everywhere: Holy crap! Am I seeing things? The woman Ji Dongyang ‘hired’ last night wasn’t a hooker, it was Zhou Yining?!

The news sent fresh ripples through the crowd.

The fans went wild.

“WTF! What’s the situation? Dong-ge and Zhou Yining are together? I don’t believe it!!”

“The little demon with the explosive body last night was Zhou Yining? Wasn’t she in the UK? Is this for real!”

“It’s real! A netizen just posted a photo—they saw Zhou Yining at the C City airport, and then at the B City airport. It really is her…”

“Zhou Yining is so dominant! Using this method to announce that Dong-ge is hers. My liking for her just hit the ceiling!”

“She’s ten years younger than him, and isn’t she supposed to have mental issues? Dong-ge really has it hard… with parents like that and a girlfriend who’s a handful. My heart hurts for him.”

…

Photos of Zhou Yining at the airport were quickly uploaded, proving she had returned to the country and had indeed been at the Hyatt. Some fans still refused to believe it, saying they would wait for Ji Dongyang’s post.

Ji Dongyang was currently editing his post when his phone pinged with a “Special Follow” notification.

With just one look, he saw something incredible. He clicked it immediately.

Ji Dongyang froze, staring at the screen in disbelief. He knew Wan Wei usually managed her account, but this post was pure “Zhou Yining” in tone. She had used this method to declare their relationship.

She did it before his own post was ready.

Under his most pathetic and terrible circumstances, she had gone public. For the first time, Ji Dongyang realized that she hadn’t come back just because she missed him; she came back to stand by his side. No matter the storms, no matter the obstacles ahead, she was moving forward without looking back.

His heart grew warm as he stared at her avatar.

Yang Xun pushed the door open. “Did you see what she posted?”

Ji Dongyang looked up slowly. “Did you two plan this?”

Yang Xun didn’t deny it. “It was her idea. A few accidents happened, but it seems to be working. Public attention has shifted to your romance. Since the little witch has already announced it to the world, shouldn’t you make a move too?”

Ji Dongyang leaned back and exhaled toward the ceiling. “You should have told me.”

“I tried to discuss this a month ago,” Yang Xun grumbled. “You wouldn’t agree.”

“I meant about last night.”

This wasn’t something she should have had to say first.

Yang Xun understood and smiled. “It’s fine. It amounts to the same thing.”

He quite admired her style.

Ji Dongyang opened Weibo, deleted his previous draft, and wrote a new post.

When Zhou Yining arrived at the company, A Ming saw her and immediately said, “Dong-ge is in the restroom.”

“Alright.”

She pushed the door open. Ji Dongyang’s tall figure stood by the window with his back to her. He turned, his dark eyes calm as still water.

Zhou Yining walked slowly toward him. “What are you thinking about?”

“Thinking about you.”

It was the first time he had spoken such direct words of affection. Zhou Yining reached out to take his hand. “Thinking what about me?”

“Thinking,” Ji Dongyang said, “how a woman like you exists in this world.”

She was perfect in every way, embedding herself into him like a soft rib.

Making him love her beyond recovery.

NOTES

Small cards (小卡片): Solicitation cards commonly slipped under hotel room doors in China.

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