Rong Jin touched his boyfriend’s cheek, finding every expression on his face adorable.
Chi Feiran smiled and rubbed his cheek against Rong Jin’s palm. After experiencing those unpleasant events, seeing Rong Jin instantly lifted his mood.
Rong Jin, heart fluttering from Chi Feiran’s smile, cupped his face and kissed him. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but one filled with gentle affection, meant more to comfort.
The two of them snuggled on the sofa, each holding a cat, speaking softly. Caesar and Oreo purred contentedly, nudging their owners for more petting.
As Chi Feiran petted his cat, he glanced at the online discussions and asked, “Is there something off here?”
Rong Jin responded, “Did you figure it out?”
Chi Feiran shook his head. “Not exactly.”
He hadn’t initially thought too deeply about it. Having been in the industry for over a year, he had seen plenty of fan drama and wasn’t new to being targeted, so he hadn’t given it much thought before.
But Chi Feiran wasn’t stupid. He realized that his current popularity and the news about his family should have kept the focus on him and his personal affairs.
It wasn’t about being self-centered but rather the natural draw of his exposed identity. Yet amidst all this, criticisms of Rong Jin were rising.
This outcome seemed inevitable. Given his connection to the Rong family, it was unavoidable that Rong Jin would be affected. But the speed at which this was happening was suspiciously fast. Chi Feiran had noticed marketing accounts from rival companies already stirring up trouble. And Rong Jin had mentioned consulting his technologically adept brother, making it clear something was off.
Realizing this, Chi Feiran felt a pang of displeasure. He started to say, “These things…”
But he stopped mid-sentence. He had been about to suggest that his father’s professional PR team should be able to handle the situation without needing additional schemes from Rong Jin.
However, Chi Feiran frowned, realizing that some people were extremely calculating. If it weren’t for his special relationship with Rong Jin, the latter might have faced even harsher consequences. It was possible that his father, in his current state of anger, intended to give Rong Jin a hard time—not to abandon him, but certainly not to let him off easily.
Rong Jin smiled softly, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it all planned out.”
Understanding his future father-in-law’s feelings was crucial. He needed to take action to reassure him.
At this moment, although the news was spreading rapidly online, it hadn’t reached its peak yet. Since today wasn’t a holiday, many people hadn’t yet tuned into the entertainment gossip. The real drama would unfold in the evening.
By the end of the afternoon, Chi Feiran had transitioned from a popular young star to a dazzling “Prince” adored by all. Information about his family was spreading rapidly, making him appear even more impressive.
In contrast, Rong Jin was becoming the object of mockery. Once a stable top-tier actor, he was now seen as someone who clung to the “golden leg” and was dragged down by fans.
Some of the comments were particularly biting: “Is it all the fans’ fault? When Chi Feiran was being attacked, why didn’t Rong Jin speak up to clarify? He didn’t even make a statement!”
“And didn’t he actively try to bind himself to the ‘Prince’ from the very start? Such opportunism!”
Rong Jin’s fans’ explanations were futile. No matter what they said, it wouldn’t help. Some even mocked the fans’ dedication, suggesting they must have committed sins in a past life to deserve such treatment from their idol.
Someone commented, “Earlier they were bragging about the billion-dollar box office king. Now, with this revelation, it’s clear how Rong Jin achieved that title. He might even hate his own fans now. What if the ‘Prince’ stops supporting him?”
Another jabbed, “Rong Jin really went all out to cling to that ‘golden leg,’ even moving houses! The lavish new place in Tianyun Feiran—he’s truly committed!”
Rong Jin knew his father’s displeasure wouldn’t be easy to dispel. But if he didn’t take any action, it would be hard to earn his father-in-law’s trust in the future.
“At first, I thought the box office success of ‘Heroic Bones’ was inflated, but now I see it’s not about the numbers being fake. It’s about having a solid backing! Get on the good side of the prince, and you can have it all!”
Rong Jin was being ridiculed more intensely, with fans of rival actors, especially those previously overshadowed by him, joining in on the criticism. Even the once formidable Rong fanbase was now demoralized. The Rong Family Army, who had been the most vocal and active supporters, had gone silent. Without their organized efforts, even their rebuttals seemed weak and ineffective.
Doubt began to creep into the fans’ minds. If Rong Jin knew about this from the start, why didn’t he speak up earlier? People tend to find reasons for their own mistakes, and now, influenced by the ongoing narrative, they felt Rong Jin was at fault. Why hadn’t he warned them?
Some comments were harder to distinguish as genuine or as deliberate attempts to stir the pot:
“Seeing someone from a wealthy family being flattered like a dog is disgusting. Rong Jin is an artist under RAN. Can he really refuse the company’s arrangements? If they forced him to leech off the young prince, could he say no?”
“Exactly! Our Rong is at such a high position now! There’s no need to cling to anyone! Who knows the real story? Maybe it’s Chi Feiran himself who wanted to hype up his background!”
“I’m dying of laughter. Do you think a top-tier actor like Rong Jin could be forced into anything? This is absurd!”
Meanwhile, “Heroic Bones,” which had previously not seen much backlash, was now being criticized as well. A major influencer posted a harsh critique on Weibo, attacking the movie’s success as nothing more than a triumph of capital rather than a genuinely good film.
The influencer wrote, “The so-called highest-grossing film in Huaguo’s history, ‘Heroic Bones,’ is merely a victory of capital! Instead of genuinely making a good movie, just find a strong backer!”
This post harshly criticized every aspect of the film, suggesting the only redeeming quality was the actors’ looks, and mocked the storyline and visuals. This sentiment quickly gained traction, with many people jumping in to express their agreement, claiming they too had found the movie disappointing.
Rong Jin, observing the chaos, found it all quite amusing. He decided to add fuel to the fire by boosting the visibility of a few accounts that were particularly harsh on him. Watching the brewing storm, he rubbed his hands together, feeling it was time for his own performance.
A tech blogger, seemingly unrelated to the entertainment industry, posted a tweet that grabbed everyone’s attention: “Shocking! Time travel is real!”
Rong Jin later reflected on the title, thinking his brother’s language skills needed serious improvement. He regretted not writing the copy himself. However, Rong Jin felt that as long as he could achieve a full internet push, the title didn’t matter much.
Amid the ongoing gossip frenzy, netizens were suddenly confronted with this new post. Some scrolled past, but others clicked out of curiosity and were stunned.
The post began: “How does it feel to be led by the nose? Enjoying the bandwagon hate? Think you’ve seen the true face of a celebrity? Let me show you who’s behind this.”
Rong Jin, leveraging his technical expertise, provided hard evidence without any ambiguity. He exposed the planned nature of the news, revealing how certain marketing accounts had scheduled posts days in advance, complete with screenshots showing timestamps from draft folders.
Netizens quickly realized the implications—this was a premeditated strike. The purpose was now clear.
Rong Jin then added, “There’s more.”
He uploaded chat logs and other internal communications from these marketing accounts, showing their discussions about the smear campaign. This evidence was damning, making it clear that this was a coordinated effort to sabotage him.
Many who read the post felt their hairs stand on end, realizing they had been unwitting participants in a setup since the beginning of Xia Wen’s scandal.
Rong Jin continued, “Scared? Don’t be. There’s more. You think Rong Jin was clinging to someone powerful? Let me show you who he really is.”
He effortlessly posted Rong Jin’s family’s Baidu Baike entries, annotating them to indicate who was his father, mother, uncle, and other relatives. Each entry highlighted their impressive achievements, showcasing a family filled with national treasures and top scientists.
Rong Jin concluded, “How does it feel now?”
At his computer, Rong Jin shook his leg and felt a sense of pride. His family was indeed extraordinary and perfectly matched for his boyfriend.
