After the commercial shoot was completed, Jing Li didn’t linger in the capital city for long, as he still had to rush back to the film crew to continue filming.
So, after having dinner with Gu Tingshen and parting ways, he went straight to the company to visit his brother. That night, the two brothers had a simple meal at home together. Early the next morning, Jing Li set off with his assistant to return to the film crew.
Upon arrival, the crew was in the middle of filming. Jing Li greeted the director and returned to his room to rest.
As soon as he put down his belongings, his phone rang. Jing Li looked and saw an unfamiliar number.
Without much thought, Jing Li answered the call. As soon as he said hello, he heard a strange male voice on the other end, “Is this Jing Li? We’re from a studio, and we’ve taken some intimate photos of you with your financial sponsor, which could potentially have a negative impact on you. If you don’t want them to be exposed online, perhaps you’d like to discuss a private settlement?”
Jing Li paused for a moment, instantly recalling the flashes he had seen at the restaurant with Gu Tingshen and the hotel entrance. Unfazed, he narrowed his eyes, pressed the record button, and calmly replied, “I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. I don’t have any so-called sponsor.”
“Ha, it seems you won’t cry until you see the coffin1不见棺材不掉泪 (bù jiàn guāncái bù diào lèi): Literally translates to “won’t shed tears until one sees the coffin.” It implies that people often don’t take something seriously until they witness the actual consequences or evidence.!” The person on the other end instantly scoffed, as if mocking Jing Li’s futile struggle. “Do you need me to provide more details? The Miwei Private Restaurant? You don’t need to naively argue that you’re just friends. If these photos are exposed, who do you think those netizens who only know how to eat melons would be more willing to believe, me or you?”
Hearing the person’s smug laughter, Jing Li took a deep breath, as if startled by the mentioned scenario or trying to suppress his anger. “Then how do you want to solve it?”
“How to solve it?” The person on the other end laughed as if hearing a joke, then indifferently said, “Of course, pay to make the trouble go away.”
After a pause, perhaps sensing his attitude wasn’t ideal, he quickly switched to a sincere tone, “You know, it’s not easy for people in our line of work. We stake out day and night, just earning a meager salary. But for celebrities like you, a drama or commercial means tens or hundreds of millions in income, right……”
“How much do you want?” Jing Li cut him off, not wanting to hear his rambling.
Hearing Jing Li’s straightforward response, the person sounded even more smug, “Not much, just two million. With your wealth, I’m sure you can afford it, right?”
“Don’t think it’s too much. After your current drama airs, that amount will be a drop in the bucket for you. But if these photos are exposed, who knows what could happen.”
It seemed they had even investigated Jing Li’s background.
“Two million? You’re quite bold in your demands.” Jing Li lowered his gaze, then revealed a mocking expression. “For shameless people like you, even if I donated it all to charity, I wouldn’t give you a single cent.”
He had heard of the existence of paparazzi before, but he didn’t expect them to be more shameless than the rumors suggested.
Two million was indeed not a large sum for him, but he couldn’t bring himself to hand it over to such people.
“What’s this, you’re planning to brave it out?” Hearing his tone, the person on the other end immediately changed their attitude. “Let me tell you, if…”
“Get lost!” Before they could finish their rambling, Jing Li hung up without mercy.
They called back twice more, but Jing Li directly blocked the number.
This behavior clearly angered the caller, and within a few minutes, they sent him a text from a different unfamiliar number: [You’ll regret this!]
However, Jing Li only glanced at the threatening message before tossing it aside. He simply instructed his assistant to monitor online activity and paid it no further attention.
If the photos they claimed to have were as scandalous as they said, they likely wouldn’t have waited so many days to contact him.
After dealing with this minor incident, Jing Li rested briefly, had a light meal, and headed straight to the set.
*
At 8 PM, the official website of the internationally renowned cosmetics brand G.T. released a promotional video for their newly launched lipstick color series. The video featured a stunningly attractive male and female celebrity, each holding a sleek G.T. lipstick against constantly changing background colors, perfectly showcasing the alluring new shades with different expressions and poses.
Although it only lasted for a few dozen seconds, the beautifully edited video was intense and captivating. The male lead’s devilishly charming smile at the end instantly won over legions of lipstick fans.
After the promotional video was released on the official website, it was also reposted on the brand’s Weibo account, directly mentioning the two celebrity endorsers, Lin Xiaoman and Jing Li.
This move immediately drew the attention of countless netizens, with fans of the two celebrities enthusiastically reposting and commenting to promote the products endorsed by their idols.
“Ahhh it’s the G.T. lipstick endorsed by my Manman again!”
“Manman’s aura with the new shade is irresistible, I must buy it!”
“I was just struggling with which shade to get, but after seeing Manman, I immediately placed an order!”
“Oh my! If I didn’t click on the name tagged on the official website, I wouldn’t dare believe it’s actually endorsed by my Jing Shao!!”
“An internationally renowned brand like G.T.? Jing Shao always exceeds our expectations!”
“Aww, Jing Shao’s smile is so seductive, he’s just tempting me to buy the new lipstick, isn’t he?! I’m buying it! Even if I have to eat dirt, I must buy it!!”
……
There were many comments like these, with everyone excitedly reacting to the official promotional video.
One major fan named “Koi’s Light” was particularly active, not only reposting and commenting but also publishing several recommendations for the new lipstick shades. However, her first post drew the most attention.
Koi’s Light V: Wuwu, another wonderful day, I finally saw my long-awaited idol in person. I’m so happy I could fly. P.S.: Jing Shao is super handsome in real life, and his personality is incredibly gentle. He didn’t mind my chattering at all and even offered to sign an autograph for me. P.P.S.: Gotta say, Jing Shao has really good handwriting too. [Picture]
The picture showed a close-up of a wrist with the name “Jing Li” written in a sweeping, bold calligraphic style, making one unable to resist looking at it again and again.
This fan was clearly the girl from the G.T. reception earlier.
After seeing her Weibo, other Koi fans instantly became envious.
“Ahhhh, the sister actually got Jing Shao’s autograph! This might be Jing Shao’s first-ever autograph?!”
“So envious of sister, she actually saw Jing Li in person.”
“Wait, sister said she saw Jing Shao in person. Combining that with the newly released G.T. promotional video, could she have been present on set?!”
“The one above!!! I wish I could witness Jing Shao filming a commercial too!!”
……
The comments section instantly erupted in excitement, with everyone frantically cheering for Jing Li.
As the only domestic brand to gain international recognition, G.T.’s promotional release naturally drew immense attention. As more people noticed, the video quickly rose to the top of Weibo’s hot searches and firmly secured the number one spot.
However, just as everyone was celebrating, dissenting voices suddenly emerged on Weibo.
“Jing Li is the new G.T. endorser? No way? A person like him was actually chosen? It seems that G.T’s vision in selecting spokespersons this time is not very good.”
“What does it have to do with vision? If he was handpicked from above, I doubt even you could overturn that decision no matter how talented you are.”
“Pay for endorsement? I always thought this Jing Li guy had no fame, how did he get chosen as an endorser?”
……
As more of these insinuating comments appeared, countless melon-eating netizens became intrigued and started inquiring about the situation. They were then directed to a Weibo post that left them utterly shocked.
The post was from a marketing account called “Pisces Studio,” and the title was directly labelled as “#RisingStarNewcomerJingLiSuspectedOfBeingKept#.”
The content wasted no words. It directly described how the studio’s staff accidentally photographed Jing Li frequently entering and leaving hotels with his alleged financial sponsor, followed by a nine-photo grid.
The photographer seemed to be at a distance, so the photos weren’t very clear, but Jing Li’s general outline and that of the other man could still be vaguely made out. This is especially true of the last photo at the hotel entrance, in which Jing Li turned his head towards the camera after seeing the man off, clearly showing his face to everyone.
Comparing his clothes further solidified the evidence of Jing Li dining with his supposed sponsor.
The comments below were instantly filled with shock.
“Wasn’t it said that Jing Li is from a wealthy family? What’s this about being kept now?!”
“The one above is too naive. Nowadays, what persona isn’t just for hype? There’s no clear standard for being from a rich family, anyone with a bit of money dares to call themselves a rich second generation these days.”
“Holy crap! I always wondered how Jing Li got such good resources, turns out he’s relying on a sponsor to get ahead!”
“Damn, I used to think this guy was quite genuine, but after seeing this, he’s just disgustingly real. Canceling follow and unstanning in one go for you! Never again!”
“Are spam accounts2“yxh” stands for “营销号” (yíngxiāo hào), which refers to accounts that are primarily used for marketing or promotional purposes. These accounts often post content aimed at attracting views and engagement for commercial gain. They might share sensationalized stories, clickbait headlines, or advertisements disguised as regular posts. It’s a term often used by netizens to describe accounts that lack authenticity or are seen as overly commercial. English equivalent could be spam accounts or marketing accounts. nowadays really this unprincipled? Having a meal together means being kept? Seems you’ve never gone out for a meal with friends before. Oh, my bad, I misspoke – it seems you’ve never had friends at all.”
……
The comments section instantly erupted into chaos, with some deliberately fanning the flames, causing the post to escalate further.
Initially, everyone was only debating whether Jing Li was actually being kept. Then some observant netizen suddenly recognized the other man in the video as Gu Tingshen. They dug up many of Gu Tingshen’s photos for comparison and eventually even unearthed financial news about Gu Tingshen visiting the film studio city for business collaboration. Coincidentally, the clothes the man was wearing in the report matched those in the photos.
Once this evidence surfaced, the melon-eating crowd was stunned.
Gu Tingshen?
The Gu Tingshen from the top ten of the world’s richest list?!
Everyone was completely shocked by Jing Li’s suspected financial sponsor. Before they could comment further, they saw the G.T. promotional video released on the official website.
Seeing Jing Li’s highly recognizable handsome face in the video further cemented everyone’s speculations. It seemed Jing Li’s connection to the wealthy Gu Tingshen was confirmed.
And G.T.? This was one of the major brands under the Gu Group. Their domestic celebrity endorsers were always the biggest names with the highest popularity, sparking intense competition.
Jing Li was a newcomer who had just debuted recently. Although he currently had some popularity and heat, compared to those major stars, he still paled in comparison.
For him to quietly secure such an endorsement deal, they refused to believe there were no backstage dealings involved.
And so, the comments section escalated further. There was no need for anyone to fan the flames anymore – the netizens had completely lost it.
At the same time, the “#JingLiSuspectedOfBeingKept#” hashtag skyrocketed, soon appearing on the list of trending searches and eventually landing directly alongside the first G.T. new lipstick video at the number two spot.
The two adjacent hashtag titles were like a slap in the face, delivering resounding slaps to countless fans.
This caused an uproar among G.T. fans, as well as fans of Lin Xiaoman, who co-starred in the commercial with Jing Li.
“I bought the lipstick for the G.T brand, but you actually pulled this stunt to hype up your little lover?!”
“So disgusting, I can’t believe Gu Tingshen is this kind of person!”
“I was just saying this guy is quite handsome and was going to become a fan, but now??? Damn, so disgusting!”
“Yes, G.T. is a big brand, but you can’t just bully others like this? What did our Manman do wrong to deserve being used as a stepping stone?”
“Feeling bad for Manman, I’m gradually overcome with injustice on her behalf.”
……
Hordes of people swarmed G.T.’s official website and Weibo, threatening to boycott the brand if they didn’t immediately remove Jing Li’s advertisement.
Some felt unsatisfied after venting and stormed over to Jing Li’s Weibo, unleashing torrents of insults and curses that flooded the comments section. Even some of Jing Li’s fans were caught in the crossfire, branded as brainless and blind for supporting such an idol.
Faced with this onslaught, some fans couldn’t take it and immediately quit being fans, but others persisted in defending their idol, reasoning with logic and evidence.
Koi’s Light, as Jing Li’s diehard fan, had just published those supportive comments, naturally becoming the primary target and suffering the most severe attacks. However, recalling Jing Li’s gentle and patient demeanor when they met, she did not retreat in the slightest. Instead, it gave her more courage to persistently battle the antis.
Weibo was engulfed in a haze of malice.
Just as the online chaos reached a fever pitch, Lin Xiaoman suddenly spoke up.
Lin Xiaoman V: Although I don’t know what happened, respecting contracts is the most basic quality for an artist. Thank you to my supportive fans. [Heart emoji]
Lin Xiaoman’s stance appeared to defend the brand, but it also revealed her helplessness in merely respecting the contract. Once her Weibo post was released, it further incited her fans’ sympathy, as they rushed to console her while furiously lambasting the brand and Jing Li.
Benefiting from her massive fan base, the online furor escalated even more.
Seeing the torrent of insults flooding Jing Li’s comments section again, Lin Xiaoman laughed smugly.
For Jing Li to challenge her was simply a path to self-destruction.
However, before her laughter could fade, a notification about someone she followed updating their Weibo suddenly appeared. She casually clicked to check it, but upon seeing the content, her expression drastically changed.
The author has something to say:
Come, let’s play a little guessing game with prizes! Guess who the Weibo update is from?
Hehehe……
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please consider supporting the author directly.
You can also follow me on Ko-fi to get the latest updates on my translation progress and new projects. I appreciate your love and feedback.
