MMJWQC Chapter 15

After returning from the studio, Feng Qi rushed into his home and took three showers. He spent almost an entire afternoon in the bathroom, nearly scrubbing his skin raw.

His manager, Gao Xuesheng, heard about this and rushed over to see what was going on.

He knocked on the bathroom door and said, “Feng Qi, how much longer are you going to scrub? It’s just a little water splashed on you. Is it really necessary?”

Feng Qi wasn’t just scrubbing his skin; he had also brushed his teeth multiple times. He felt like dirty water had somehow entered his mouth, and he felt dirty all over, from the inside out.

“Why isn’t it necessary? It was a bucket of dirty water, for heaven’s sake!”

“You’ve shot scenes in the sea, in rivers, and even rolled in mud before. I’ve never seen you spend half an afternoon scrubbing yourself.”

Feng Qi was suddenly convinced. The reason he had been taking such a long shower wasn’t because of the actual bucket of water that had been poured on him but because of something Chu Ruochun had said.

Of course, he didn’t believe that Chu Ruochun had any real predictive abilities. It was more about not wanting any kind of association with him, even if it was just a coincidence.

“Can we drop out of this reality dating show? I don’t want to do it anymore.”

“I mean, Feng Ge, this doesn’t really align with your usual professional attitude. The production team didn’t do this on purpose, and it’s not like someone targeted you. You haven’t offended anyone, so there’s no need to quit the show, right?”

“Well, then why didn’t you tell me earlier that Chu Ruochun would also be on this show?”

“Who is Chu Ruochun?” Gao Xuesheng thought for a moment. “Oh, I remember now. He’s the young man we teamed up with last time. He was assigned by the Qingju Company, just like I found out recently. You don’t have any major issues with him, so there’s no need to refuse the show because of him, right? He’s not intentionally creating a CP with you.”

“Well, there aren’t any major issues,” Feng Qi replied, feeling troubled. “Maybe I just can’t stand how he’s always into feudal superstitions.”

“What’s the big deal? Before starting a film shoot, don’t you also have an opening ceremony? Isn’t that a form of superstition?” Gao Xuesheng said.

“Alright, let’s continue shooting then. Forget what I said,” Feng Qi was successfully convinced.

“I do wonder if you’ve been having a bit of bad luck lately. Either you’re getting injured or running out of gas halfway, and today you got paint on your hands and had a bucket of water poured on you. Maybe you should consult a family fortune teller.” Gao Xuesheng knew Feng Qi didn’t like superstitions, but sometimes it was for peace of mind.

Feng Qi became impatient when the topic was brought up. “It’s just a series of coincidences. What could possibly happen to me?”

Knowing he couldn’t persuade Feng Qi further, Gao Xuesheng said, “Alright, I’ll ask the driver and assistant to be more cautious, and you should be careful when driving yourself. Also, don’t scrub your skin too hard; you have a bath soap commercial to shoot in a couple of days.”

Seeing that Feng Qi was fine, he decided to return to the office.

Tonight, Feng Qi had plans to meet with friends for dinner. He went to the bathroom to retrieve his watch and noticed the amulet, which had been sitting on the jewelry shelf since the string broke that day. He hadn’t worn it since then, but it inevitably reminded him of his parents, who often brought it up. It left him feeling uneasy.

Just as he was thinking about them, his mother called him.

“Mom, why are you calling me?”

“Can’t I call you when there’s nothing wrong? Your father consulted a fortune teller today, and he predicted that you’ll meet a benefactor soon who can help you overcome difficulties. We just don’t know who this person is. Have you made any new friends recently?”

“What kind of benefactor? Mom, there’s no such mystical thing in the real world. It’s not like we’re writing a novel. I’ve told you countless times that you should believe in science. Have you and Dad gone for regular check-ups this year? If you’re not feeling well, don’t drink ‘amulet water.’ Remember to go to the hospital and see a doctor.”

There was an angry roar from the other end of the phone, “You ungrateful child! When you were on the verge of death, I saved you with that ‘amulet water’! What’s wrong with it?”

Without even thinking, Feng Qi recognized that it was his father, the one who made a career out of superstitions. He picked up the amulet, turned it around in his hand, and then placed it back on the jewelry shelf.

Feng Qi rolled his eyes. “Why do you always harp on this? The emergency at that time was because I ate something bad and got acute gastroenteritis. I was so sick, and you still tried to give me ‘amulet water.’ Didn’t the doctor scold you back then?” Apparently, he hadn’t learned from past experiences.

Feng’s father shouted angrily, “Nonsense! You were practically at death’s door, and your mom and I almost had to call you back!”

Feng’s mother immediately tried to mediate, changing the subject, “Have you made a girlfriend recently?”

Feng’s father chimed in next to her, “You spoil him too much!”

Feng Qi couldn’t be bothered to argue with his stubborn father, “I really haven’t, I’m busy with work every day, so I won’t be looking for a girlfriend for now.”

Feng’s mother was puzzled, “Haven’t you made any new friends either?”

Feng Qi replied, “They are all people I meet through work. Once work is over, we go our separate ways. There are no friends I can really connect with. You don’t need to worry about my affairs.”

Feng’s mother added, “Anyway, take care of yourself, and make sure to wear the amulet properly.”

Feng Qi nodded, “I got it.”

He was willing to heed his mother’s advice. He found a piece of string in the jewelry box and hung the amulet back on the shelf before leaving the house.

After hanging up the phone, Feng’s mother, Liu Yuyun, turned to his father, Feng Zongyao, and asked, “Could it be that your prediction this time wasn’t very accurate? Our son said he hasn’t made a girlfriend.”

Feng Zongyao shook his head, “I’ll calculate again tomorrow.”

Liu Yuyun said, “Didn’t Grandfather say that there’s no grandmaster in the world who can change his fate?”

Feng Zongyao responded, “I don’t believe that. We’ll find someone for him eventually. He’s almost thirty.”

Liu Yuyun sighed helplessly, “I understand. I’ll ask Gao Xuesheng tomorrow to have his assistant pay more attention to the people around him.”

㇐

In the afternoon, as agreed with Chu Ruolin, Chu Ruochun went to pick him up from school.

Today, Chu Ruolin was skipping as they walked back home. They even went to the supermarket together, and they were both very happy to have dinner with the noodles that Chu Ruochun cooked.

In the evening, when Fang Ming called Chu Ruochun, he was sitting on the two-person sofa at home, checking the large characters Chu Ruolin had just finished writing. Chu Ruolin was eagerly awaiting Chu Ruochun’s comments.

“Get some calligraphy practice sheets and practice some more; it’s quite good,” Chu Ruochun encouraged.

Chu Ruolin was pleased with the praise and happily went to work on his math homework, while Chu Ruochun answered Fang Ming’s call.

“Your last recorded program is airing tonight; remember to watch it. You can ignore negative comments in the live chat.” Fang Ming had noticed that Chu Ruochun rarely checked WeChat messages; he preferred direct phone calls for urgent matters.

“Oh, I don’t really need to watch it,” Chu Ruochun didn’t have much interest in the edited programs.

“That’s okay, you can catch up when you have time. The main thing is that you appeared on the show with Feng Qi, and I’m worried that his fans might attack you. You should be mentally prepared; his fans can be quite aggressive.”

“I understand,” Chu Ruochun replied.

Fang Ming knew that Chu Ruochun had signed a new contract with the company, but he wasn’t aware of the specifics. He did know, however, that the boss highly valued Chu Ruochun, so he offered some advice.

“You may not know this, but in the past, Feng Qi had many people trying to ride on his popularity. At first, he didn’t pay much attention, but eventually, there were too many rumors. So, he held a press conference to clarify all the rumors. After that, his fans became like wildfire; whenever they saw a rumor about him, they would react passionately. No fanbase could outdo his. You’re just starting out, so try to avoid direct conflicts with his fans. Your fanbase isn’t stable enough yet.”

Chu Ruochun replied, “I’ll just go with the flow then.”

Fang Ming couldn’t help but think that Chu Ruochun had become rather passive, especially after the incident with Jiang Qiao. The boss valued him so much, yet he only wanted to appear on variety shows. It was quite strange.

After checking Chu Ruolin’s math and English homework, Chu Ruochun put him to bed. Since they had moved, Chu Ruolin didn’t have to share a bed with him anymore. He had his own room now, with a bed he had chosen himself, so he didn’t feel the need to sleep with Chu Ruochun.

Before going to sleep, Chu Ruochun opened his Weibo and changed his password. He had linked it to his phone, making it easy to change passwords.

By the time it was 10 p.m., he had already closed his eyes to rest, returning to his normal sleep schedule. He was unaware that as soon as the new episode of “Nothing is Impossible” aired, several trending topics related to him appeared immediately, including: 

#Feng Qi’s First Variety Show Appearance#.

#Feng Qi and Chu Ruochun’s First Appearance Together#

#Feng-Chu CP#

#Academic Genius Jiang Zirong’s Mental Math Skills Can’t Rival Chu Ruochun#

Fang Ming’s concerns were not unfounded, but he never expected that a single TV show episode would turn Feng Qi and Chu Ruochun into a rumored couple, touching a sensitive spot for Feng Qi’s fanbase!

Feng Qi had once confidently told the media that he would never engage in any CP rumors with anyone. Since the trending topics weren’t initiated by Feng Qi, it was undoubtedly Chu Ruochun, the newcomer, trying to gain attention. After all, their company promoted him!

Fang Ming felt unfairly accused. They had never manipulated trending topics. There must have been a third party using a water army to promote this. But why would they create a rumor about Feng Qi and Chu Ruochun? Who were they targeting?

Fang Ming couldn’t even suppress the trending topics with a water army now. All the trending topics were related to Feng Qi.

He had no choice but to call Chu Ruochun. However, Chu Ruochun had just finished dropping off Chu Ruolin at school and was unaware that Feng Qi’s fans had already taken over the comments section of his Weibo post.

“Did you exchange WeChat with Feng Qi during the show?”

“No, why?” Chu Ruochun was on his way back.

“Don’t you know?” Fang Ming’s voice became tense. Among his artists, only Chu Ruochun had officially debuted, making him the most prominent.

“The thing I was worried about has happened. Someone has hired a water army to promote a rumor about you and Feng Qi, and it’s even more serious than I imagined,” Fang Ming explained to him while typing on another phone.

“I would never engage in a CP rumor with him.”

“I know. I suspect it’s Jiang Zirong who hired the water army. Her trending topic about mental math is being pushed down. Netizens are now focused on your rumored relationship with Feng Qi.”

“Okay, I’ll post a clarification on Weibo later.”

“Sure.”

Chu Ruochun had to cross a street, so he hung up the phone without waiting for Fang Ming to mention sending him a template message.

However, since Fang Ming hadn’t made it clear, Chu Ruochun went home and immediately posted three Weibo messages in rapid succession.

[@Jiang Zirong, please don’t buy trending topics for me.]

[@Jiang Zirong, your borrowed brilliance has faded. You are becoming mediocre and will continue to do so until you return to your true self.]

[I don’t engage in CP rumors. Starting today’s meditation. Phone off. Do not disturb.]

In the morning, he had to cook noodles for Chu Ruolin and take him to school, so he didn’t have time for meditation.

When Fang Ming learned about the three Weibo posts Chu Ruochun had made, he almost choked. He tried to contact Chu Ruochun again, but his phone was now switched off.

The online frenzy continued. Initially, it was Feng Qi’s fans who came to criticize, but now Jiang Zirong’s fans had also joined in. Amidst the arguments, some rational fans began to analyze the situation.

㇐”I think it’s Jiang Zirong who bought the trending topic. She has always marketed herself as a top student and a beauty, but this time in the program’s abacus competition, she lost to Chu Ruochun. So, she bought the trending topic to smear Chu. After all, Chu is just a newcomer. Her tactics are ruthless; she knew that Feng Qi mentioned earlier that he wouldn’t engage in CP, yet she used this indirect method. Impressive!”

㇐”You saying this makes me realize! Her trending topic was climbing to second place, but it got pushed down after Feng Qi and Chu Ruochun started trending as a CP.”

㇐”Sister Rong is already a top student, even if she lost the abacus competition to Chu Ruochun, was it necessary to offend Feng Qi? She’s not foolish!”

㇐”Am I the only one following the second Weibo post by Chu Ruochun?”

㇐”Me too! What did she borrow? Why did she suddenly become mediocre?”

㇐”Nonsense! Have you seen Sister Rong’s episode as a guest on the ‘Chinese Classical Poetry Competition’? She recited poems from the top of her head and won a poetic competition directly against the champion. If you haven’t watched it, please do! The third season of ‘Campus Genius’ is about to start, and she’s a guest on the show! Mediocre? How can you say that?”

㇐”I think Chu Ruochun intentionally used Sister Rong to promote his mystic persona, right? And he’s talking about meditation, isn’t he afraid of getting bedsores!”

The online discussions are quite heated, with Jiang Zirong’s fans criticizing Chu Ruochun, while Feng Qi’s fans and Jiang Zirong’s fans engage in mutual arguments.

㇐

Gao Xuesheng, sitting in his office, teased Feng Qi, who was sitting across from him, “Someone actually publicly announced that they won’t engage in CP with you!”

Feng Qi threw the signed contract onto his desk and raised an eyebrow, “It’s just a tactic to attract attention, do you believe it?” He seemed slightly irritated.

Gao Xuesheng replied, “Whether it is or not, the trending topic about CP was definitely not bought by their company. Didn’t I tell you before that Jiang Zirong is a bit mysterious?”

Feng Qi asked, “Are you quite interested in her?”

Gao Xuesheng said, “Not really, but their company wanted to collaborate with you on a historical costume drama. You would play the male lead, and she would be the female lead. I was tempted at first, but I did some research. Every time she checks into a hotel during filming, strange things happen. I was afraid you would refuse when you heard about it.”

Feng Qi joked, “I suspect you’ve received some benefits from my parents. Lately, you’ve been telling me supernatural stories every day.”

Gao Xuesheng thought, “Well, I did receive a little.”

On the other hand, Jiang Zirong’s manager, Sun Jie, was quite puzzled by Jiang Zirong’s actions. She said to the masked Jiang Zirong, “Zirong, it’s just one variety show. Is it necessary to compete with that newcomer?”

Jiang Zirong removed her face mask and said, “I have to do this. I want to drive him out of the entertainment industry.”

Sun Jie frowned and said, “Even if you want to push him out, there’s no need to buy trending topics. Stirring up controversy still brings attention. Now, he’s directly mentioning you on Weibo, and you’ve offended Feng Qi.”

Jiang Zirong smiled and said, “Feng Qi has nothing to fear.”

She only acted this way because of what Chu Ruochun had mentioned that day about borrowing something. In reality, she was afraid.

No, she wasn’t afraid. Chu Ruochun couldn’t do anything to her.

Sun Jie, her manager, was not in a good mood and said, “You really know how to stir up trouble for me!”

Jiang Zirong replied, “Don’t worry; Chu Ruochun will disappear from the entertainment industry soon.”

Since that person had helped change everything for her in the past, making someone quietly disappear from the entertainment industry should also be possible.

However, Sun Jie suddenly blanked out. She had just blinked, and she saw Jiang Zirong’s face become plain and completely unremarkable. Rubbing her eyes, it seemed like nothing had happened.

Sun Jie scrutinized Jiang Zirong from top to bottom. She had been in the entertainment industry for many years, and her eyes were sharp. She stared at Jiang Zirong’s chest and asked, “Has your chest shrunk?”

Jiang Zirong pressed her hand against her chest and her face turned pale!

What happened to her 34E?!

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