LOI Chapter 48 — Moving Forward

From the airport to Tianxi Yunwan, in just one short hour, public opinion fermented even faster than Rong Ke imagined.

Usually, when he came home from a business trip, he would immediately put away his suitcase. But after glancing at the trending topics on Weibo today, he was in no mood to unpack, so he left his luggage in the entryway.

#Rong Ke Prima Donna#

An unsurprising trending topic.

#Rong Ke Anger Management Issues#

Seeing this hashtag, Rong Ke couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

He considered himself even-tempered and emotionally stable. Anyone who had interacted with him would never think he had anger management issues.

It seemed those intent on slandering him had gone to great lengths, eagerly waiting for him to show a “weakness” they could exploit.

The square was occupied by marketing accounts, all posting nearly identical content.

[[Video] Rong Ke loses temper at fans in the airport, threatens to smash camera]
[[Video] Rong Ke just rose to fame with “Patchwork Family”, now caught being a diva at airport. Thoughts?]
[[Video] As expected of a stage actor, impressive delivery. Even his insults pack a punch /doghead. Fans must be heartbroken]

All the marketing accounts only posted the “Take another photo and I’ll smash your camera” bit, which was completely out of context.

Rong Ke scrolled down the page. Among the 99+ Weibo posts, a few had shared the full video, but these isolated fans lacked a leader to rally behind. Thus, the square remained in chaos, stirred up by paid trolls.

[The people get famous, they fly. That is an iron rule.]
[Who said RK was the one celeb who will never collapse? Compensate my emotional damage!]
[He’s a public figure, losing his cool like that is terrible for his image.]
[Throwing a tantrum in front of so many fans is the height of stupidity.]
[As a passerby, I despise these celebrities. They live off their fans yet can’t even show gratitude to those who feed them.]
[…]

With so many marketing accounts and paid trolls mobilized, Rong Ke sensed that more than just one or two parties wanted to damage his reputation.

The opponent was clearly well-trained, while Rong Ke’s side was in disarray. Although many fans tried to clarify it was a proxy, their scattered efforts couldn’t effectively counter the overwhelming attack of the opponent.

Rong Ke knew he should immediately post on Weibo to clarify and guide his fans to respond, but after several attempts to create a post, he gave up each time.

Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Rong Ke was puzzled. He walked to the video intercom and looked, surprised to find it was his downstairs neighbor.

“Need something?” Rong Ke asked through the screen.

“I saw Weibo,” Jiang Si said. “Open the door, let’s talk.”

Seeing Jiang Si’s serious expression, Rong Ke composed himself and opened the door a crack. “Talk about what?”

“You’re getting hacked online. Aren’t you organizing a defense?” Jiang Si asked.

Rong Ke raised an eyebrow. “Are you here to gather intel?”

Jiang Si was choked for a moment. “You seem fine. That’s a relief.”

In fact, Rong Ke wasn’t nearly as nonchalant as he appeared.

As Jiang Si rambled on, Rong Ke was about to close the door when Jiang Si added, “Don’t underestimate this incident. Your popularity has skyrocketed recently, and there are so many people who are jealous of you. This is clearly a coordinated attack from multiple parties trying to take you down. If you don’t respond properly, you’re finished.”

Rong Ke had thought as much but saw no reason to discuss it with Jiang Si.

“So?” Rong Ke leaned against the doorframe. “Are you one of them?”

“Of course not,” Jiang Si quickly replied. “I can lend you my PR team if you need it.”

Rong Ke studied Jiang Si’s expression and changed the subject. “I have a question.”

“Go ahead,” Jiang Si said.

“Are you trying to win me back or what?” Rong Ke asked bluntly. “Otherwise, I don’t understand this weasel paying respects to the chicken.”

Jiang Si awkwardly rubbed his neck. “I do regret my actions. I don’t expect you back. I just want to make amends for hurting you.”

“Don’t,” Rong Ke quickly said. “I should thank you for the pain. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met my Prince Charming.”

He deliberately used an irritating phrase and saw Jiang Si’s expression stiffen.

“So, something big happened, and your Prince Charming hasn’t come back yet?” Jiang Si said grimly. “I’m the one who came to you first.”

Clearly, he saw Rong Ke’s airport video and knew Yan Zhi was busy, so he dared to go upstairs and knock on the door.

“He’ll be home any minute. You’d better leave.”

As Rong Ke finished speaking, the elevator dinged, and Yan Zhi appeared inside.

His expression was already grim, and upon seeing Jiang Si, the surrounding air chilled several degrees.

“Fine, I’m going,” Jiang Si said in a nonchalant voice. “Don’t regret it.”

But his composure didn’t last a second. Yan Zhi strode forward, grabbed Jiang Si’s collar, and impatiently shoved him into the elevator. “If you’re leaving, then go.”

Returning to the sixth floor, Jiang Si grimly adjusted his collar and dialed Liu Qing’s number.

“Have you arranged the internet trolls?” Jiang Si asked. “I’m ready to deploy mine.”

“You’re only starting now?” Liu Qing laughed. “Don’t you want the lead in Director Wen’s new film? Shouldn’t you be at the forefront?”

“You seem more desperate,” Jiang Si retorted. “The Qianhua TV Drama Awards are coming up. His popularity is far ahead of yours. Aren’t you the one who wants to crush him most?”

“Fine, do what you want. I’m too lazy to talk nonsense with you,” Liu Qing said. “But I warn you, this situation could easily backfire. Don’t lose more than you bargained for.”

–

After closing the door and shutting out the toxic atmosphere, Yan Zhi decisively pulled out his phone. “I’ve already contacted the PR team. First, you should clarify-”

Before he could finish, Rong Ke suddenly crashed into his chest.

“No rush,” Rong Ke hugged Yan Zhi’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder. “Let me hold you for a moment.”

The familiar scent was comforting, dispelling much of the gloom hanging over him.

“It’s alright,” Yan Zhi softened his voice, patting Rong Ke’s back. “I’m here.”

“Mm.” After recharging, Rong Ke released Yan Zhi and sat on the sofa.

But he didn’t start drafting a Weibo post as Yan Zhi suggested. Instead, he leaned back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Sensing his mood, Yan Zhi sat beside him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m wondering…” Rong Ke said, “if I should continue this path.”

This was also why he hadn’t immediately clarified the situation.

The fan incident had been vaguely foreshadowed in the past few weeks, but it just broke out today.

It would be easy to clarify he wasn’t being a diva, but he wanted to do more than just clarify. He hoped certain fans would pay attention to his appeal.

But he also knew it was in vain.

As his popularity grew, invasion of privacy became inevitable. The landlord installing cameras was still fresh in his mind, and today, he was surrounded by people prying into his affairs. In comparison, he almost preferred his old life of working part-time while acting. At least then, he had fewer worries.

“You don’t want to act anymore?” Yan Zhi asked.

“It’s not that,” Rong Ke sighed. “I’m just feeling lost.”

“Teacher Zheng just called and told me I don’t need to participate in the last two tour performances. It seems I’ve caused the theater troupe a lot of trouble.”

“I see,” Yan Zhi said thoughtfully. “You’re uncomfortable with the current public opinion environment.”

“Yes,” Rong Ke said. “I didn’t expose Jiang Si’s affair back then because I didn’t want to be caught up in public scrutiny.”

“It’s my fault for being an incompetent amateur agent,” Yan Zhi said, wrapping his arm around Rong Ke’s head and pulling it to his shoulder. “I won’t let this happen again.”

“Why are you blaming yourself?” Rong Ke chuckled. “You’re not the one who made me angry today.”

“But your social media is flooded. If I had organized a team in advance…”

“Something else could have happened anyway,” Rong Ke interrupted, lazily lying down on Yan Zhi’s lap. “It’s fine. As long as I have roles to play, I don’t really care what others think of me.”

Yan Zhi looked down at Rong Ke, tenderness melting in his eyes. “What’s this? You’re comforting me now?”

“Because you look more anxious than I feel,” Rong Ke reached up to pinch Yan Zhi’s cheek. “I’m really okay. You’re still by my side, aren’t you?”

One of them had to stay strong. Seeing Yan Zhi consumed by self-blame, Rong Ke had no choice but to set aside his own troubles and comfort his partner first.

Perhaps Rong Ke’s calmness was contagious. Yan Zhi gradually composed himself and analyzed, “Actually, today’s incident is easy to clarify. Many people have posted the full video. Any reasonable person would know it’s not your fault.”

“Mm,” Rong Ke said. “It’s just exhausting to fight the public opinion war.”

——Even when the truth was clear to most, there were always those who spread negativity for its own sake.

“Anything money can solve isn’t a problem,” Yan Zhi said. “First, post on Weibo to clarify you weren’t being a diva. I’ll have the PR team follow up. Let’s get through this crisis first, then discuss what comes next.”

“Okay.”

Having someone by his side made all the difference. Rong Ke reopened Weibo, about to draft a post when he noticed an unexpected trending topic.

#Rong Ke Sponsored Fan’s Education#

[XX: I swear on my honor, Rong Ke would never mistreat fans. Four years ago, if not for Rong Ke’s sponsorship, I might not have been able to attend university…]

It was the fan who had given Rong Ke the teddy bear.

She posted Rong Ke’s reply letter from back then, along with their transaction records, detailing how Rong Ke had sponsored her education.

This post was like a trump card. The previously disorganized fans gathered around it, quickly pushing the topic to the top of the trending list.

However, Rong Ke’s focus wasn’t on whether public opinion had shifted.

[…Although I no longer chase stars, Rong Ke has a great influence on me. I’m now a volunteer teacher, hoping to help others as I was helped, and wishing for kind people to be treated kindly.]

He read this post repeatedly, and the foggy path ahead suddenly became clear.

“Yan Zhi,” Rong Ke looked up at Yan Zhi, who had just finished a phone call. “I think I need to keep moving forward after all.”

“Oh?” Yan Zhi sat back down beside Rong Ke. “Didn’t you just say you felt lost?”

“I can’t let down those who support me,” Rong Ke said. “If I stop now, wouldn’t that be giving in to those who want to bring me down?”