After coming to their senses, Koi fans hurriedly came forward to speak for Jing Li.
“Everyone, please calm down. Since time is limited, Jing Shao didn’t want to keep the guests waiting.”
“Please speak rationally and avoid personal attacks. Thank you.”
……
However, the fans of Wang Jiayin, already red-eyed with anger, clearly weren’t buying it. Combined with the somewhat strained excuses and the trolls stirring up trouble, not only did the Koi fans’ persuasion fail to dissuade Wang Jiayin’s fans, but it provoked them to curse even more fiercely.
“Time is limited, my ass! So Jing Li was in the right?”
“Rational, my foot! They’ve bullied us to our faces, do they really think we’re pushovers?”
“Koi fans, stop your bullshit, or I’ll spit in your face!”
……
Seeing their curses grow increasingly vulgar, the Koi fans also grew enraged, reporting and warning them while retaliating, turning the live broadcast room into chaos.
However, Jing Li himself seemed hardly affected by the scene. He simply walked onto the stage, greeted the host with a polite nod and a smile, accepted the award, said a few words of thanks, and returned to his seat.
After that incident, the surrounding guests’ expressions turned somewhat subtle, their gazes shuttling between Jing Li and Wang Jiayin, though they remained mindful of the occasion and did not show it too openly.
Gu Tingshen was also watching, but his thoughts were different.
He knew Jing Li’s temperament well – he would never behave so rudely without reason, especially on such an occasion.
Unless that person had done something unforgivable to offend him deeply.
But to avoid damaging Jing Li’s reputation, he had already instructed Secretary Qin to investigate.
If the other party had indeed done something excessive…
Gu Tingshen narrowed his eyes at Wang Jiayin in the front row, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. However, when Jing Li returned, he had already swiftly concealed his emotions and resumed his usual demeanor.
The awards ceremony continued, and Jing Li sat back down to watch.
After the Best Actor and Actress awards and two performances, it was finally time for the Best Newcomer Award.
The list of nominees for Best Newcomer included a dozen popular actors from recent hit TV dramas.
So this time, Jing Li remained more composed, considering the Best Supporting Actor award already a good result. While he hoped for the Best Newcomer Award, he did not harbor high expectations.
In fact, as the host began reading the names, he even leaned over to whisper to Gu Tingshen about eating together after the event ended.
As they were talking, a spotlight suddenly shone on them, and the host announced, “Congratulations to Jing Li for winning the Best Newcomer Award!”
Accompanied by warm applause from the guests, Jing Li raised his head in a daze, seeming unsure of the situation as he remained seated sideways.
“It seems Jing Li is stunned by the surprise.” The host smiled teasingly to cover for him, then winked mischievously, “Jing Li, come up and receive your award~!”
Hearing this, Jing Li finally awoke as if from a dream. Embarrassed, he stood from his seat, apologetically smiling at the waiting guests before gracefully walking to the stage.
Perhaps to avoid another awkward scene, the surrounding guests simply smiled and thanked him without standing to embrace him this time. Jing Li nodded in acknowledgment as he walked.
In the front row, Wang Jiayin hesitated for a moment before turning to Jing Li again, smiling and calling out, “Congratulations, Jing Li.”
His sincere demeanor made it seem as if he didn’t mind Jing Li’s earlier attitude at all.
Surprisingly, Jing Li didn’t ignore him this time, though he didn’t speak either. He only curled his lips slightly, giving Wang Jiayin a deep look before turning to walk onto the stage.
The venue was lively, but the livestream erupted into chaos once again.
“Ahhhh, nominated for the first time and won two awards, Jing Shao is amazing!!”
“Hahaha, Jing Shao’s dazed expression when the host announced his name was too adorable!”
“Jing Li: What are you talking about? I won another award?”
“What? Jing Li again? Are the organizers blind?”
“I always thought the Feitian Awards were the fairest, never thought they’d be corrupted by capital too.”
“Best Newcomer Award? Jing Li? Are you kidding me?”
“F*ck, did you see the look Jing Li gave Jiayin! Do you navigate with your nostrils?”
“Taking home two awards at once? I’ve never seen anything like it! If you say Jing Li and the organizers aren’t in cahoots, I’ll write my name backward!”
……
After the results, the internet exploded into chaos with passer-by netizens, fans of other nominated stars who went home empty-handed and trolls eyeing the situation.
Among them, Wang Jiayin’s fans and trolls were the most aggressive.
As the conflict intensified, topics about the awards trended, especially #FeitianAwardsBackdoorDeals# and #JingLiBribedFeitianJudges#.
However, no matter how tumultuous the internet was, Jing Li, at the center of the heated discussion, remained indifferent. After the ceremony ended, he said goodbye to his crew and left with Gu Tingshen.
Just outside the main venue, the assistant was already waiting, barely concealing his anger despite his efforts.
Seeing Jing Li, he hurried over and called, “Er Shao.”
“Let’s talk back at the hotel,” Jing Li said indifferently, glancing at him before leading the way to the underground parking lot.
Gu Tingshen noticed their expressions, sensing something was going on, but didn’t pry as he followed Jing Li without hesitation.
Seeing the situation, the assistant swallowed his words and quickly followed.
The group returned directly to the hotel room, and as soon as they entered, Jing Li asked, “What’s the situation now?”
“Wang-jie has obtained evidence that Wang Jiayin hired trolls to deliberately defame you. She also uncovered a lot of dirt on Wang Jiayin in the process. She’s still compiling the evidence and wants to know if you’d like her to release it all together.”
Perhaps too angry, the assistant didn’t wait for Jing Li’s response and continued with a dark expression, “In my opinion, Er Shao, you should agree to release it together. They’re making such a fuss now, so let’s see what Wang Jiayin’s fans have to say after seeing that evidence.”
“Just let Wang-jie handle it,” Jing Li neither agreed nor disagreed.
That meant leaving it to them to decide.
“Got it, I’ll tell Wang-jie right away!” The assistant’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly took out his phone to call her.
Waiting for the call to connect, he muttered, “Is Wang Jiayin mentally ill? We don’t even know him, yet he’s pulling this nonsense for no reason. It’s disgusting.”
“In this circle, not provoking anyone won’t ensure a peaceful life,” Jing Li said calmly.
The cake in this circle is only so big – everyone wants a piece. If they feel someone is in their way, they’ll resort to all sorts of despicable tricks.
In fact, Jing Li could understand Wang Jiayin’s motives. With the award ceremony approaching, he wanted a better chance at Best Supporting Actor. To him, the other popular contenders were obstacles to eliminate by any means necessary.
Unfortunately for him, he kicked the iron plate this time.
“With such a petty mindset, why even be an actor?” The assistant gritted his teeth. “His private life is such a mess, and he still hires trolls to smear others? Shameless!”
Jing Li just smiled and didn’t respond.
Gu Tingshen, who had been listening, finally understood what happened.
“This Wang Jiayin you mentioned, is he the one sitting in front of you earlier?” Gu Tingshen’s expression turned icy. “No wonder you treated him that way. In my opinion, you were still too kind.”
Jing Li turned at his voice, only then remembering Gu Tingshen came too.
“Who else could it be?” The blunt assistant huffed. “Just talking about this makes me angry. He pulls all these dirty tricks behind the scenes but acts innocent at the awards, even congratulating Er Shao.”
“Er Shao ignored him, so the trolls he bought started wildly claiming that Er Shao was putting on airs and had shady deals with the organizers. They’ll say anything against him. Watch him play the sympathy card with fans soon to gain momentum!”
“Not winning an award but still stirring up so much attention, he’s probably overjoyed!”
The assistant rolled his eyes in disgust. His phone finally connected, so he moved aside to take the call.
Jing Li hadn’t even had a chance to speak, and the assistant had already finished his rant. Jing Li smiled helplessly and noticed Gu Tingshen’s expression darkening.
Not wanting this unpleasantness to ruin Gu Tingshen’s mood, Jing Li was about to reassure him when Gu Tingshen spoke first, “Why didn’t you tell me about such a big incident?”
Taking out his phone, he continued, “I’ll have Secretary Qin coordinate with your team immediately. Our PR department will help them suppress the public opinion as soon as possible.”
Gu Tingshen made up his mind to teach that person a profound lesson.
Before Gu Tingshen could make the call, Secretary Qin’s call came through first.
He thought for a moment, pressed to answer, and then switched to speakerphone, allowing Secretary Qin’s voice to clearly resonate in the living room.
“President Gu, I’ve found out that to gain momentum, Wang Jiayin hired trolls to spread rumors online. Those rumors about Er Shao were spread by them.”
“The recent hot search trend accusing Er Shao of colluding with the organizers also had their involvement.”
“Also, those trolls show no signs of stopping, so they likely have further plans.”
“I’ve already instructed our PR team to control the narrative and collect evidence of the trolls’ slander to prepare for a lawsuit. We’ve also started investigating Wang Jiayin’s side.”
……
With each sentence from Secretary Qin, Gu Tingshen’s expression darkened, until a heavy aura of suppressed rage enveloped him by the end.
Yet, some people just love to recklessly dance on others’ bottom lines.
Just then, the assistant, who had finished his call and was about to report to Jing Li, suddenly heard the notification sound on his phone. He casually checked it, and his face instantly changed; unable to hold back, he cursed loudly, “F*ck! This bastard!”
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