Xianyu And Protagonist A Are Together Chapter 16
byWen Mian was stunned for a second, then said, “I didn’t get into trouble. I’m fine.”
Xu Qing was speechless, slapping her forehead. “It’s online. Someone exposed you for harassing Gu Man and disrespecting staff. It’s spreading fast. I think someone planned this.”
Wen Mian opened her phone and checked her personal account, which was filled with comforting messages from fans.
[Mian Mian, don’t be sad! Our little cotton flowers will always believe in you!]
[Exactly! Mian Mian is clearly not that kind of person!]
[Mian Mian, fly high! Little cotton flowers will follow forever!]
Wen Mian scrolled through the messages, typing a string of words in reply: I’m fine. Take care of yourselves and trust me.
She then replied to Xu Qing, “I know who spread it.”
“Ah!” Xu Qing froze, disbelieving. “You know who it is? And you’re still so calm? Do you know this could easily ruin your reputation?!”
Wen Mian looked down at her agitated fans; messages kept refreshing, filled with their heartfelt support.
Wen Mian suppressed her inner emotion and whispered, “I know, but the enemy is hidden while I am exposed. Instead of constantly being on edge, it’s better to let her release it.”
Xu Qing paused. “That’s true, but you said you know who it is?”
Wen Mian nodded, confirming, “Song Xue, who is filming the show with me.”
Xu Qing was puzzled. “Song Xue? Did you provoke her? I heard her temper wasn’t good a long time ago, but I didn’t expect this.”
Wen Mian scrolled on her phone. “Something like that. She likes Gu Man, and Gu Man ignored her.”
Xu Qing immediately became angry. “Gu Man ignoring her has nothing to do with you! Is she crazy?”
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered her own artist’s past behavior. Xu Qing’s cursing stopped, and she cautiously asked, “Speaking of which, you haven’t been harassing Gu Man these days, have you?”
Wen Mian felt speechless and amused. “If you were worried, wouldn’t you watch the live broadcast?”
Xu Qing scratched her head awkwardly. “I’ve been a bit busy these past two days. Besides, I was afraid that if I saw you harassing Gu Man, my blood pressure would spike and I’d pass out.”
Wen Mian reluctantly accepted the excuse. There was no helping it; this was the mess the original host had created.
She said, “Don’t worry, I haven’t. I’ve been keeping to myself!”
Xu Qing relaxed, her anger rising again. “Since you haven’t been harassing him, why is she acting crazy? Seriously!”
Listening to her rant, Wen Mian proactively suggested, “Let her continue buying marketing accounts. The hotter it gets, the more effective the counterattack will be when we turn the tables.”
Her voice was low and husky, carrying a sense of conviction that made Xu Qing ask, “Do you have a plan?”
Wen Mian glanced at the camera in the corner that seemed to have no signal. “We’ll do this…”
The staff member on the camera side was startled and quickly shouted, “Director, Wen Mian seems to have noticed!”
Wang Qiang exhaled a puff of smoke and waved his hand. “So what if she knows? What’s there to worry about?”
The staff member was still panicking. “But, will she come over and ask us for the video?”
Wang Qiang straightened up, extinguished the cigarette in his hand, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness. “Come? Well, that depends on what she offers in exchange.”
The staff member glanced at Wang Qiang, then thought of Wen Mian’s composed demeanor, and a bad feeling arose in his mind. Why did it feel like the Director might end up losing out?
He quickly shook his head to dispel the thought. What was he thinking? How could the Director lose out!
–
After washing up, Wen Mian lay in bed, quietly contemplating the situation.
In truth, this wasn’t a major issue for her; at worst, she could retire from the industry. But thinking of those adorable fans, Wen Mian felt a pang of reluctance. At the very least… she couldn’t let down their affection.
Getting the video from Wang Qiang would be simple. Their interests were aligned, and Wang Qiang should understand who could bring in more traffic.
However, publishing it was the difficult part. She couldn’t expose the production team, and even then, it would only reveal the mastermind, not clarify the rumors.
All things considered, the video was practically useless.
As for the other accusation, disrespecting staff…
Thinking of Xu Qing’s attitude, Wen Mian felt there must be a misunderstanding and she could pay to investigate it.
Finally, the harassment of Gu Man. Wen Mian turned over, feeling helpless. Should she find Gu Man?
But that seemed to be a fact, so it would be better to prove herself through actions.
With a thousand thoughts running through her mind, Wen Mian picked up her phone and transferred 100,000 yuan to Xu Qing.
This money was earned from stock trading recently, and she hadn’t expected to use it so quickly.
Xu Qing replied quickly, her shock evident in the message: Why are you transferring money to me?!
Wen Mian replied calmly: To investigate the video.
Xu Qing typed rapidly: It doesn’t cost that much! Besides, the company will cover it.
Wen Mian paused: The company will cover it?
Xu Qing was confused: Yes, this is your family’s company. Of course, they will cover your expenses.
The image of that photograph, where the people were smiling so blissfully, involuntarily flashed in Wen Mian’s mind.
She thought for a moment and replied: Then consider it payment for your hard work.
Looking at the string of zeros in the transfer, Xu Qing clutched her chest. Payment for hard work? Sure enough, rich people are generous!
After considering it for a while, Xu Qing finally accepted, thinking she could just pay Wen Mian back after she resigned.
Xu Qing: Alright, I’ll take it for now. Don’t overthink things. Get some rest.
Wen Mian: Okay.
The conversation ended seemingly calmly, but in reality, Wen Mian had already died a little inside. She buried herself under the covers, shedding fake tears.
If I had known the company would pay, I wouldn’t have taken out so much! My hard-earned savings!
–
While she was having a breakdown, in the room next door, Gu Man sat under warm lighting, which made his wine-red shirt look relaxed and natural.
His hair was casually tied up, with a few stray strands falling by his neck. Gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. His right hand was lightly curled, resting against his lips, his brow slightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on the computer, seemingly deep in thought.
His concentration was suddenly broken by the abrupt ring of his phone. Gu Man frowned, casually picking up the phone to answer.
“Man Man, do you know about Wen Mian’s situation?” Agent Wang Fei asked in a low voice.
Gu Man’s eyes immediately shifted from the computer to the phone, his tone deep. “What happened to her?”
Wang Fei sighed internally. It looks like he’s really fallen for her. Is pheromones really that powerful?
She quickly replied, “Someone maliciously exposed her for disrespecting staff and harassing… you.”
A trace of disgust flashed in Gu Man’s usually calm eyes. “Who did it?”
Wang Fei was prepared for this and quickly said, “Song Xue.”
“Song Xue? Who?” Gu Man pressed.
Wang Fei explained helplessly, “The one filming the show with you.”
Gu Man searched his memory for Song Xue, lightly tapping his desk with his fingertip. “I understand.”
With that, he hung up the phone and dialed a number.
A steady voice answered on the other end. “CEO Gu.”
Gu Man’s clear voice instructed, “I’ve sent you the information. Resolve this.”
“Understood, CEO Gu.”
Opening his personal account, his phoenix eyes half-closed, casting faint shadows from his lashes, he typed out his message word by word.
Author’s Note:
———————-
I changed the cover. Which one do you prefer? [Cat Head]