Chapter 115: Making the Headlines

The next day, before Lin Chuan had even stepped out of his house, the internet had already turned upside down.

A headline reading "Certain Celebrity Spotted at Entertainment Venues, Seen Hand-in-Hand with Multiple Girls in a Single Day" ruthlessly flushed out those fans who had been lurking in the deep. Simultaneously, a massive wave of internet trolls began to swarm.

The news article was accompanied by several photos. In one, a man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap was seen queuing for tickets at a movie theater with a young boy. This seemed perfectly normal, but standing beside him was a woman who appeared to be a stranger. She was neither particularly striking nor remarkable in appearance, yet in the photos, they looked very familiar with each other, both wearing smiles.

If it had ended there, it might not have caused such an uproar. The key lay in the subsequent photos. Though dim, it was clear that they were taken at the entrance of a KTV. The man was the same, but the child and the woman from the cinema were gone. In their place were several young, attractive girls. Given the weather, they were dressed quite skimpily—well, they didn't look like the "good" sort.

"Editor, what is your motive for posting this? Trying to smear Brother Chuan?"

"Going to the movies, what does that prove? Are celebrities not allowed to watch movies?"

"Look closer at the news, you upstairs. Is this about watching a movie? The point is, Lin Chuan was seen with several women in one day, okay? But hey, Brother Chuan, next time you take girls out for fun, can you take me along..."

"+1, take me too, those girls aren't bad looking."

"Let's form a group and go party together."

"You brainless fans are enough. As a public figure, it’s understandable to go out and relieve stress, but don't forget you have a wife and child... Don't think that just because you're famous and have a little money, you can do whatever you want."

"I don't like the sound of that. What do you mean 'do whatever he wants'? Just based on a few photos that mean nothing? Laughable."

"Honestly, who is Brother Chuan's wife? Is it that woman from the movie theater? She looks very average."

"Exactly. Brother Chuan never reveals photos of his wife. If he had made it public earlier, the paparazzi wouldn't be hounding him like this."

These comments were the mild ones; there were plenty of uglier remarks beneath the article. Regardless of the motives behind these posts, the fact remained that the news had, to some extent, cast a negative light on Lin Chuan.

Meanwhile, on Weibo, several other celebrities chimed in. One individual, with fewer than a million followers, posted a sour, sanctimonious message: "Celebrities are people too; one must focus on their professional duties. Don't think that because you have a bit of luck, you can be reckless and disregard everything. Public opinion can bury you without a grave."

As soon as the post went live, it resonated with many. The number of shares and likes reached an astonishing figure within a few hours. Suddenly, this celebrity’s follower count surged past the million mark. He was clearly someone who knew how to seize an opportunity; this post had significantly boosted his visibility.

***

At Tian Di Culture Company, in the office.

"Director Gao, you mustn't blame me. This definitely didn't leak from me," Zhang Xiaoqiao said.

"Not you? Then who? I clearly saw this photo yesterday. Are you still going to say it wasn't you?" Director Gao was getting angry, his tone sharp.

"Heh, I wouldn't know about that. If you don't want people to know, don't do it. Maybe there were other reporters quietly following Lin Chuan; that's entirely possible," Zhang Xiaoqiao replied with a slight smile, appearing self-righteous.

Gao Mingyuan’s face darkened. He shot a cold glance at Zhang Xiaoqiao and fell silent. What was the point of arguing now? The damage was done, and it had hit the front page. While this was a minor matter for the company, it was damaging to Lin Chuan’s personal image. Especially since he was a father; being seen with multiple women under such circumstances was hard to explain.

Most importantly, one of the photos actually featured his own daughter, Gao Meng. What was going on? Why was she involved? Wait... who was that young man? He looked familiar. Ah, wasn't that the group the company just signed, what were they called—Power Boys? Why were they there too?

Director Gao grew increasingly confused. When he first saw the headline, he had been misled into thinking Lin Chuan had been caught cheating. But when he realized Gao Meng and Chu Fei were also in the photos, that theory crumbled. It couldn't be that simple. He would have to wait for Lin Chuan to arrive and explain it clearly. Still, Gao Meng looked quite photogenic, and Chu Fei seemed like a decent, handsome lad. At this thought, Director Gao smiled, his expression softening as he looked at the photos.

Zhang Xiaoqiao was stunned to see this. The situation was so serious, yet Director Gao was still able to smile? How thick-skinned could he be?

At that moment, a knock sounded, and Lin Chuan walked in.

"Uncle Gao, and Ms. Zhang," Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Heh, I really hope you can still be smiling in a little while," Zhang Xiaoqiao said, remaining seated on the sofa with a look of schadenfreude.

"Xiao Chuan, come, sit down," Director Gao said, walking out from behind his desk.

Lin Chuan didn't stand on ceremony and sat on the other sofa. Before he could speak, Director Gao asked, "Where were you last night?"

"Last night?" Lin Chuan paused, feeling puzzled. Was Uncle Gao getting old, or what? Did he not know it was his own daughter’s birthday? As it turned out, Director Gao had truly forgotten his daughter's birthday; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked, and today's mess wouldn't have happened.

"Last night, Gao Meng and a few others and I went to the KTV to celebrate her birthday. Didn't she tell you?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Celebrate a birthday? Whose birthday?" Director Gao’s mind was filled with question marks.

"Your daughter's birthday, of course. Uncle Gao, don't tell me you had no idea?" Lin Chuan was speechless.

*Slap!*

Director Gao slapped his thigh and stood up abruptly, eyes wide. "Oh dear, was it Mengmeng’s birthday yesterday? I really did forget... No wonder the girl asked me yesterday morning if I had any surprises for her. I thought she was just confused from sleep..."

Hearing this, Lin Chuan laughed, while Zhang Xiaoqiao’s face turned an ashen blue. How had the situation taken such a turn?