Chapter 64: The Beginning of the Scandal

Words : 1381 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Beginning of the Scandal At seven o’clock in the morning, Zhou Lan got out of bed on time, without fail. Unlike the laid-back Zhou Yun, when it comes to self-discipline, Zhou Lan is an absolute queen. She looked at the somewhat red and swollen eye sockets in the mirror and a cold smile crept over her lips. After a night of cleansing and filtering, the discomfort of drinking alone to drown her sorrows last night had disappeared. Zhou Lan allowed herself to lose control of her emotions occasionally, but she did not permit herself to be mired in useless emotional turmoil. Once a decision was made, it had to be executed resolutely. Zhou Lan reminded herself of this, washed her face with cold water, dried off, and did her makeup. As soon as she finished, the ringtone of her mobile phone suddenly went off. Today was an overcast day, with a leaden sky outside the window that brought an inexplicable sense of depression. Zhou Lan had a premonition that this call was unlikely to bring good news. She answered the phone with a calm and firm tone. "Hello?" "Sister Lan, something’s gone wrong!" Indeed, the rock of her imagination was now crashing down in reality, and Zhou Lan let out a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of dust settling. "Say, I will be at the office in thirty minutes." ... To say that Chengqian Entertainment was in complete disarray today would not be an exaggeration. The first-line staff of the public relations department were busy communicating with various media and responding, while the executives were having an emergency meeting in the conference room. The business department received probing calls from clients, one part to ascertain the truth of the news and the other to give an early heads-up in hopes of securing verbal agreements for future cooperation. Staff in the talent management department were busy watching the excitement, exchanging gossip, and engaging in banter with the calls that came upon catching wind of the news. All this was triggered by an entertainment news piece released this morning by an entertainment journalist named Lin Xiaomiao. "Confirmed! Song Chi and Zhou Yun’s Secret Romance!" "Last night, after Zhou Yun finished recording ’The Charm of Competition,’ she had a late-night meal with the guests from the same recording. Surprisingly, Song Chi, who was not part of that recording, also showed up at the restaurant soon after, which stirs the imagination. Initially thought to be just a friendly gathering, until they finished and left the restaurant, when Zhou Yun was inadvertently bumped into by Zhou Benyuan on the stairs, Song Chi quickly reached out and held Zhou Yun steady. Their eyes met amidst the panic, revealing something. (Photo attached) Afterward, they went to KTV to sing. Song Chi and Zhou Yun came out of the private room, had an exchange about something in the hallway that seemed like an argument. Zhou Yun turned to leave, and Song Chi grabbed her hand! (Photo attached) Seeing this scene, my suspicion in my heart became more solid. Song Chi and Zhou Yun are definitely more than just friends. After they finished singing, this idea became even more certain. Everyone dispersed, and Zhou Yun got into Song Chi’s car, the two left together in the night in the same vehicle. (Photo attached) Previously, someone had captured shots of Song Chi and Zhou Yun entering the same hotel, sparking rumors between them. Now it seems they were not unfounded. I hope that if the two are truly in love, they wouldn’t conceal it, but just bravely admit it." ... "Lin Xiaomiao?" Zhou Lan still remembered this name; it was she who had impersonated staff and barged into Zhou Yun’s program break room previously. "Like a bad penny." Zhou Lan muttered softly. In the conference room, staff from public relations, marketing, and strategic planning departments heatedly discussed the matter. "We must give an explanation, are they in a relationship or not?" asked Hong Chen, the head of the public relations department, to Zhou Lan. When Hong Chen spoke, the others looked towards Zhou Lan. Up to now, Zhou Lan hadn’t been able to contact Zhou Yun. Knowing Zhou Yun, she would undoubtedly still be sleeping, her phone on silent, absolutely unaware of the outside world turning upside-down over her affairs. She had sent Zheng Xiaojue to Zhou Yun’s place to look for her, but the pressing matter at hand was not to unearth the truth behind Zhou Yun and Song Chi’s rumored romance. Zhou Lan had been pondering over the issue on her way to the office. She met Hong Chen’s calm gaze and said, "Minister Hong, regardless of whether Zhou Yun and Song Chi are truly in a relationship, our stance does not depend on Zhou Yun, but on Song Chi." She swept her gaze around the room full of people. "If Zhou Yun and Song Chi really are in a relationship, we should publicly announce the relationship between the two, but we need to communicate with Song Chi’s side and reach a consensus before we can announce this news together. If Song Chi’s side refuses to acknowledge, and we admit it unilaterally, it will not only be a slap in our face but will also lead to much ugliness later on." "If Zhou Yun and Song Chi are not in a relationship, and it is nothing but a storm in a teacup, our urgent priority is not to deny this romance, but rather first to communicate with Song Chi’s side to see their approach to handling it, to avoid Zhou Yun being made into a negative figure as much as possible. It’s best to either issue a joint statement or for both sides to refrain from responding, letting the matter cool on its own." Just then, the door of the conference room opened, and He Yong walked in. He was a power player at Chengqian Entertainment, and his appearance immediately silenced the room. He Yong sat down, knocked on the table, and said, "Zhou Lan is right. Hong Chen, go and negotiate with Song Chi’s company, probe their intentions so we can decide our next step. Also, the company’s unified response is that this is the artist’s private affair and we are not clear on it. No one should voice any personal judgment under their own name, and if this happens, the individual will be fired immediately." Hong Chen glanced at his assistant, and the assistant, understanding him, stood up and left the conference room. He Yong continued, "This incident happened so suddenly, Zhou Lan, when such an emergency occurs with your artist, you need to take responsibility." Zhou Lan felt a constriction in her chest, unable to vent, and she cast her eyes downward emotionlessly. "But this is also a good thing. Zhou Yun’s popularity was declining these past few days; who would have thought it would spike again with this rumor." At this point, He Yong suddenly smiled to himself, shook his head, "Old Fu, I asked you to prepare some marketing points for Zhou Yun before, are they ready?" Old Fu is Fu Yuecheng, head of the marketing department, and also a well-known member of He Yong’s close circle within the company. Fu Yuecheng nodded, "Ready, should I show them to you later?" He Yong waved his hand, "Bring them now. We can’t let the focus stay solely on their romantic relationship; we need to divert some attention. Otherwise, whenever Zhou Yun is mentioned, it will always be about her relationship with Song Chi." Fu Yuecheng nodded again. Zhou Lan scoffed internally. People are so pragmatic, and He Yong is no exception. The person who was threatening to freeze and banish Zhou Yun yesterday is today planning how to use this unexpected popularity surge, leveraging it to boost Zhou Yun and reap greater benefits. In the face of reality’s profits, personal likes and dislikes are negligible. So it goes with He Yong. Thinking of the resignation letter she had already sent to He Yong, Zhou Lan’s expression grew dark. She could not ignore her own heart, nor continue to stand proudly by Zhou Yun’s side, nor support her with undivided attention. Life always has its impasses, and so do people.

Chapter 64: The Beginning of the Scandal

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