CH 82

Chapter 82: A man named Xiao Ting blocked my way

The car fell into silence.

The lights from the tall buildings outside cast a touch of charm on Yu Qing’s eyebrows and eyes.

She remained silent and used her fingers, painted with bright red nail polish, to take out a box of cigarettes from her black-gold handbag. She pulled out a long, slender lady’s cigarette but didn’t light it yet.

After a few seconds, Yu Qing finally spoke, “Is he the one you mentioned? The person whose beauty you covet and whose personality you admire?”

Yu Nian didn’t avoid her gaze, meeting Yu Qing’s eyes directly. “Yes.”

“Are those themed airplanes celebrating album sales, the advertisements on the exterior wall telling you not to be unhappy, and even the heart-shaped trending topic that seems to be because of free time—all of them, were they all done by Xie You for you?”

Yu Nian nodded, “Yes.”

With a snap, Yu Qing lit the cigarette, then relaxed her grip on the cigarette, running her fingers through her hair, her expression hard to decipher. “Don’t tell me he spends all his time on Weibo, exclusively trying to criticize you, and ends up becoming a devoted anti-fan, just to gain some attention from you?”

A smile flickered in Yu Nian’s eyes. “The reality is a little more complicated than that.” Facing Yu Qing, he explained a bit more, “Xie You’s situation is not very peaceful. He does all this to protect me.”

Both coming from prominent families, they had witnessed power struggles and ruthless means since childhood. Yu Qing quickly understood, “He’s one of the directors in the Xie family, right?”

Yu Nian confirmed, “Yes.”

Relaxing her shoulders against the back of her seat, Yu Qing said, “No wonder. Xie You is still young, but he is very cunning and good at hiding his abilities. Some time ago, my dad mentioned during dinner that it seemed like Xie You originally planned to slowly dismantle the opposing factions, leaving no trace of them. Only then would he truly secure the power he inherited from the previous generation.

But I don’t know what triggered him; he suddenly became more aggressive in his approach. It created quite a disturbance, and even outsiders like us felt anxious watching the power struggle from a distance.”

Yu Nian smiled, not saying a word—Even onlookers like Uncle Sheng felt frightened. What kind of difficult and dangerous situations had Xie You faced during that time?

He recalled that night when Xie You waited for him outside his home with a pale face and hugged him, saying, “Nian Nian, my head hurts.”

The memory triggered a twinge of pain in his throat.

Yu Qing gathered her thoughts and asked, “And that trigger was you, right?”

Before waiting for an answer from Yu Nian, she continued, “So it’s clear now. When Tang Xiaoke hit you with the car, it suddenly changed direction and hit a cement pillar. I had doubts when I watched the video. So, someone from Xie You’s side shot and burst the car’s tire, right?”

Yu Nian nodded, “Yes, the person who saved me was also from Xie You’s side.”

Seeing Yu Qing’s silence, Yu Nian spoke softly, “Sister, at the moment when the car was about to hit me, he didn’t hesitate to risk his life to save me.”

As he said that, his throat felt dry, “If it wasn’t for his bodyguard beside him reacting quickly and bursting the car tire, causing the car to swerve and provide some cushion,  we both might have been hit. He really protected me with his life,” his voice grew even softer, “he risked his life to protect me.”

Recalling the scene in the video, Yu Qing also felt lingering fear. She tore open the white packaging of the cigarette and sniffed the tobacco.

“Nian Nian, you should know how difficult this road is. Because of this relationship, you will face a lot of criticism.”

“I know. I also know how precious this relationship is to me. If I give up because of the difficulties ahead and the criticisms from others, I will regret it for the rest of my life,” Yu Nian turned his gaze away, looking at the light and shadows coming through the window, “Besides, I can’t bear to see him sad.”

Taking out another cigarette, Yu Qing lit it, took a deep drag, then extinguished it.

“I know my parents had a marriage alliance; when my mom liked my dad, he hadn’t settled down and was fooling around outside, having affairs. By the time my mom’s heart was hurt and she left, traveling thousands of miles, she had an accident, and her body was never found. I still remember how my dad cried really miserably back then. He regretted it, realizing that he truly loved my mom, but it was too late.

Yu Qing put the cigarette box back into her handbag, “You know, during my teenage years, I used to argue with him about it. Now I can’t be bothered to fight anymore. After all, when it comes to feelings, things can never be easily explained.”

Seeing Yu Nian staring at her, Yu Qing raised an eyebrow, “Are you so worried that your sister will object? Moreover, don’t act like I’m against it, as if you would break up with Xie You just because I don’t like him.”

Yu Nian smiled, “No, I won’t break up, and I won’t stop liking him.”

“Heh,” Yu Qing rolled her eyes, “My little brother in love is like water poured out!”

Yu Qing extended her hand and touched Yu Nian’s hair, which was styled with hair gel, her voice softened, “If your grandparents were still here, they definitely wouldn’t object. On the contrary, they would be thrilled that you’ve finally found someone you like.”

“Uh-huh.”

Yu Qing withdrew her hand and propped up her long, straight legs, speaking leisurely, “Well, I guess I’m not suited for this sentimental route. Anyway, take care of yourself. If you end up breaking up and your heart shatters into pieces, don’t come crying to me! Otherwise, I might not be able to resist taking a steel pipe and giving Xie You a beating!”

The scene was too vivid, and Yu Nian couldn’t help but laugh.

Yu Qing straightened up and changed the subject, “By the way, what’s the deal with Wang Ningxue?”

“I’m not familiar with her. During the filming on the set, it seemed like we didn’t exchange a single word,” Yu Nian recalled carefully, “She was very distant, and when I greeted her ‘good morning’ for the first time, she ignored me, and we didn’t talk after that.”

“She treated you so coldly? She was quite enthusiastic towards me. There’s no need to guess; she must have looked down on you and couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge you. Now that she sees you becoming more and more prominent, winning two awards in a row at Jin Song, she must be feeling resentful.”

Yu Qing grinned, “When you went up to receive your second award, she pretended to lose her balance and almost fell into you. If you hadn’t reacted quickly and stepped back, believe me, you’d be on the trending searches and headlines with her tomorrow.”

“I believe it.” Yu Nian wasn’t naive, “She might even say we fell in love on the set of ‘Ancient Road,’ and after the filming, we had continued contact. Or that our relationship ended after the filming, but we rekindled our old flame during the awards ceremony.”

Yu Qing chuckled, “Oh, you’re quite savvy!”

“Brother Meng gave me some training.”

“Meng Yuan is pretty good!” Yu Qing pondered for a couple of seconds, then said, “This Wang Ningxue, you should stay away from her. She’s been trying to gain popularity since entering the industry, but she hasn’t managed to catch fire no matter how hard she tries. She somehow squeezed into ‘Ancient Road’ this time, but she’s clearly overshadowed by you, the male lead, and even me. She won’t be willing to accept that.”

Yu Nian knew what she meant, “I’ll let Brother Meng know.”

Back home, it was already late at night. Yu Nian took a refreshing shower, then calmly wrote a page of characters. However, without realizing it, he found himself repeatedly writing Xie You’s name.

Putting down the brush, Yu Nian didn’t dwell on it, and instead, he video-called Xie You.

The video call was almost immediately answered.

Yu Nian brought the two trophies he had won to the camera, “Impressive, right? Two of them! They’re quite heavy, too.”

Xie You loosened his tie, and a slight smile appeared on his lips, “Nian Nian is amazing.”

“I and Brother Meng estimate that there shouldn’t be any suspense for the Best Original Song award. It’ll be mine. But I didn’t expect to win two awards,” Yu Nian smiled, his eyes curved with excitement, “By the way, I was practicing calligraphy, and you interrupted me.”

Xie You didn’t quite understand, “Me?”

“Yes, exactly, it’s you!” Yu Nian pointed the camera at the paper, “Look, as I was writing, it turned into your name.”

Xie You looked at the consecutive writings of his name on the paper, and in a gentle tone, he said, “Hmm, my fault.”

Knowing that Xie You had been busy recently, often attending international meetings late at night, Yu Nian didn’t say much more. They chatted briefly and then ended the video call.

After such a tiring day, Yu Nian called Meng Yuan, mentioned the situation with Wang Ningxue, and then went to bed. He had set his alarm for 8:30 in the morning, but unexpectedly, he was woken up by phone calls and WeChat notifications at 8 o’clock.

“Are you still sleeping? Don’t sleep anymore; your marriage certificate has been leaked!”

Yu Nian was still a bit groggy, “What marriage certificate? I haven’t married Xie You.”

“Who said you married Xie You? I’m talking about Wang Ningxue!” Yu Qing was exasperated, “I’ve been so angry that I’ve got wrinkles! Remember the interview that the whole cast of ‘Ancient Road’ had a few days ago?”

Yu Nian replied, “I remember, it was on the 16th.”

“Exactly, during that interview, the reporters were asking questions according to a list, and they asked, ‘How do you feel about filming during this period? Are there any memorable moments?’ How did Wang Ningxue answer?”

Yu Qing imitated in a falsetto voice, “Everyone on the set is very nice, especially Sister Yu Qing, who takes good care of me, and I’ve learned a lot. The most memorable thing is when I accidentally sprained my foot while filming; it was so painful. I couldn’t sleep at night, so I cried quietly in my room. Then Yu Nian came over with some ointment, and I felt so warm in my heart!”

“Smack!” A sound came from Yu Qing’s end as if she was slapping the table. She raised her voice, “I took care of her? She learned a lot from me? If I had taken care of her, then reverse my name ‘Sheng Yu Qing’! She’s making up stories and emphasizing that it happened at night, just to give those gossip reporters something to play with!”

Yu Nian’s gaze slightly darkened, “Has the interview aired?”

Yu Qing huffed, “It has. Wang Ningxue’s team personally intervened, buying two trending topics and issuing press releases with marketing accounts. They’re putting the blame on you. Why are you still sleeping? Hurry up and discuss a response with Meng Yuan.”

As soon as Yu Nian hung up, Meng Yuan’s call came in, “Nian Nian, did you see WeChat?”

“Not yet, but my sister just called me and mentioned Wang Ningxue’s situation.”

“I just woke up and, as usual, opened my phone to check Weibo. I saw your name in several trending topics,” Meng Yuan enumerated, “#YuNianGoldenPineAwardsRedCarpet#, #YuNianGoldenPineAwardsDoubleVictory#, #YuNianAncientRoad#, #YuNianGuXuanning#. These trending topics make me feel so good! But then, there’s also #YuNianWangNingxueSuspectedInLove#. It scared me to death! But when I checked it, it was Wang Ningxue?”

While listening, Yu Nian browsed through the screenshots Meng Yuan sent. He realized that the water army’s manipulation was quite obvious.

[Look at this tag. Isn’t this old news? Didn’t rumors spread long ago that Yu Nian and Wang Ningxue got along well during the filming of ‘Ancient Road,’ always laughing and joking around? Giving medicine is probably just a normal gesture? At the Golden Pine Awards, the two of them even sat together.]

[Wow, Wang Ningxue mentioned the shy expression on Yu Nian’s face during the interview. They’re so sweet! A handsome man and a beautiful woman, they make a perfect pair! Are they preparing to go public? Wishing them 99 (referring to the highest level of happiness)?!]

[They are just trying to create hype by targeting Yu Nian. Keep your hands off him! Can’t the woman stop trying to gain fame through false pretenses? One-sided promotion of a relationship is truly disgusting! Hope you both get exposed!]

[Just an outsider’s opinion, based on appearances alone, Wang Ningxue isn’t as good-looking as Yu Nian…]

Meng Yuan continued speaking on the phone, “This Wang Ningxue obviously had it planned from the beginning. This is just the beginning; she’ll continue with the movie promotion for ‘Ancient Road,’ and both of you will be attending events together. By then, there’ll be no shortage of material for hype. I bet even a simple eye contact will be written as a passionate gaze!”

Yu Nian propped a pillow against his back, “Brother Meng, I’ll call Xie You first.”

“Good, you know to inform him first. That’s progress! I’ll keep an eye on things here, you go ahead and call—wait a moment,” Meng Yuan seemed surprised for a couple of seconds before speaking, “Your individual trending topics are still there, but all the topics involving Wang Ningxue have been removed! This… this is a familiar tactic!”

The trending topics were removed? Yu Nian chuckled, “Yes, he probably didn’t want my name and someone else’s name to appear side by side in the trending topics.”

“Not only that,” Meng Yuan exclaimed in surprise, stumbling over his words, “several marketing accounts that led the hype were also banned.”

Yu Nian’s smile deepened, “Probably because my partner got jealous.”

Meng Yuan hurriedly said, “Hurry, quickly call him. Otherwise, I feel like Xie You could single-handedly crash the trending topics!”

After hanging up the call, Yu Nian dialed Xie You’s number. When Xie You answered, there was silence on the other end.

Yu Nian went straight to the point, “I have no relationship whatsoever with that person named Wang Ningxue.”

“I know,” Xie You’s voice came after a couple of breaths, “Then, who do you have a relationship with?”

“I only have a relationship with you.”

After saying this, Yu Nian waited for Xie You’s response. Unexpectedly, Xie You only gave a monosyllabic reply, “Oh.”

Imagining Xie You’s expression at this moment, Yu Nian felt a little uneasy, “Are you upset?”

Xie You responded, “No.”

“Then, are you jealous?”

“Yes.”

Yu Nian smiled, “In that case, Mr. Xie, do you have time tonight?”

This time, Xie You replied promptly, “Yes!”

“Alright then, how about coming to my place for dinner tonight?”

Xie You placed an order, “Nian Nian, I want to eat braised mandarin fish.”

“Okay, Mr. Xie, see you tonight then.”

When Meng Yuan’s call was connected again, Meng Yuan was nervous, “Did you make it clear? Didn’t you fight?”

Yu Nian relaxed, “No fight, we’ve agreed to have dinner together tonight. He even placed an order.”

Meng Yuan was puzzled, “Shouldn’t someone with Xie You’s icy and domineering temperament lock you up in a small, dark room or something?”

Yu Nian laughed, “Brother Meng, what are you thinking?”

“Pah, pah,” Meng Yuan laughed too, “I said nothing!” He changed the subject, “I just contacted Wang Ningxue’s team, and they completely denied using you for hype. Hmph, they think they can push the blame on me, do they think I’m an idiot?”

Yu Nian didn’t get angry after hearing this, “In that case, we’ll also deny it.”

Twenty minutes later, Yu Qing posted on her Weibo, her words sharp and straightforward.

“Yu Qing: @Wang Ningxue, I never took care of you, and I’ve never even bothered you to call me ‘sister.’ As for the incident you mentioned about spraining your foot and how Yu Nian brought you some ointment, please specify the exact date and time.”

[Yu Qing is mighty! Well done, clap back! Don’t think you can ride on Nian Nian’s popularity with just a vague lie. Ah, when Nian Nian wasn’t popular, I was worried, and now that he’s popular, I’m even more worried!]

[Munching popcorn! The movie is now in the promotional phase, and the leads and supporting actors are starting to tear at each other for attention? May I ask, when will ‘Ancient Road’ be released? Can’t wait to see it!]

[Ah, I love Yu Qing’s personality! By the way, let me promote Yu Qing’s red carpet photos! Also, the iconic line she said when she won the Golden Pine Best Actress Award: ‘This award is rightfully mine.’ Love you!]

By 2:00 PM, Yu Nian was participating in a live interview with Nie Mingxin from “Orange Entertainment.” When asked about winning the Best Newcomer and Best Original Song Awards for “Ancient Road” and his thoughts on future development, Yu Nian replied:

“I’m confident in competing for the Best Original Song Award for the movie. But to be honest, I didn’t expect to win Best Newcomer Actor. As for future development, I’ll still focus on music. I’m currently preparing for a new single, which will be officially released around July. The new song has a different style compared to my previous works. Additionally, I will be the producer myself, which is a new challenge for me.”

Nie Mingxin expressed excitement for the new single and, following Meng Yuan’s request, asked, “Can we talk about the rumored ambiguous relationship between you and Wang Ningxue?”

Yu Nian appeared relaxed, “There’s nothing I can’t disclose. Because I didn’t have any scenes with Wang Ningxue, we didn’t even exchange a single word on set.”

The fifteen-minute-long interview was being live-streamed, and this particular statement from Yu Nian quickly spread through his fan circles. Soon, marketing accounts shared screenshots and text from the interview with the title: “Yu Nian Denies Ambiguous Relationship, Claims He Didn’t Exchange a Word with Wang Ningxue.”

After bidding farewell to Nie Mingxin, Meng Yuan poured himself a glass of cold water and sighed, “The most troublesome thing is someone like Wang Ningxue; she sticks to you like a leech, and her team is full of scoundrels!”

Shi Rou was organizing some materials and chimed in, “They dare to do anything just for attention. But Wang Ningxue should calm down for a while now, right? After what Yu Nian and Yu Qing said so directly.”

“It’s hard to say. But let’s not worry about her,” Meng Yuan took out his tablet and swiped it a few times, “Nian Nian, you need to go meet Hersey’s chief stylist later to finalize the design for the advertisement. On the 22nd, which is the day after tomorrow, ‘Ancient Road’s’ promotional song will be released on three major music platforms, and you need to promote it by reposting. On the 23rd, ‘Let Me Sing’ will start preparing for the recording of the first episode, and the judges will be present to record materials.”

Looking away from the screen, Meng Yuan asked Yu Nian, “Yesterday, as soon as you won the Golden Pine Award for Best Newcomer, several scripts were sent to me for your consideration. Are you thinking about it?”

Yu Nian shook his head, “No, I’m not considering it. Once I finish writing the upcoming single, I’ll start preparing for my debut album.”

The roles of decision-making between the two had gradually reversed, and Meng Yuan nodded, “Alright, I’ll listen to you. ‘Let Me Sing’ has gained a lot of attention because of Tang Xiaoke and your involvement. As long as the production team doesn’t mess it up, the viewership should be fine.”

The meeting with Hersey’s chief stylist, Kane, went smoothly, and they quickly finalized the costume design for the advertisement. Kane was a tall and slim Caucasian with deep blue eyes. He praised Yu Nian, “I watched the videos and photos of you walking the red carpet in the vintage Spring-Summer collection; the clothes perfectly match your temperament! You truly live up to the ad slogan,” he switched to speaking in Chinese, “you are amazing yourself!”

Yu Nian smiled and thanked him, “Thank you very much for your approval!”

As Kane personally accompanied Yu Nian to the elevator before parting ways, once they were alone, Yu Nian asked Meng Yuan, “Brother Meng, your face is beaming with happiness. Did something good happen?”

“So obvious?” Meng Yuan chuckled, his eyes twinkling with delight, “Just now, when you were trying on the costumes, I received a call from the director of ‘V+’. They invited you to do a cover shoot.”

Shi Rou couldn’t help but exclaim in a low voice, “V+? The largest fashion magazine in the country?”

Yu Nian was also surprised, “They invited me for a cover shoot? Not an inside feature?”

Meng Yuan was very satisfied with their reactions, “Yes, it’s ‘V+’, and it’s for the cover. Any problem with that?”

Both Yu Nian and Shi Rou shook their heads.

As the elevator doors “dinged” open, Yu Nian stepped out, and after walking a few steps, he saw a person wearing a light gray suit walking towards him. The person was accompanied by someone he recognized from Yuan Jia Auction House—the assistant named William Wu.

Xiao Ting, looking at his facial features, was clearly of mixed race, with a high nose bridge. Even when he smiled, his eyes carried an unmistakable aggressiveness. He stood politely in place and spoke, “I neglected to meet with you when I instructed William to find you last time. This time, I personally came to talk to you about the matter of the Spring Landscape painting.”

Stopping him here was probably an attempt to show his influence and exert dominance. After listening, Yu Nian remained silent with no change in expression. Instead, he took out his phone and dialed Xie You’s number.

“Nian Nian?”

Yu Nian’s lips curled with a smile, “There’s a high probability that you won’t be having braised mandarin fish tonight.”

Hearing this, a hint of slight grievance could be detected in Xie You’s voice, “Why?”

Yu Nian looked directly at Xiao Ting without avoiding his gaze and said slowly, “Because there’s a person named Xiao Ting who stopped me on my way, wanting to buy the painting. So, would you like to come over now?”