Chapter 25.2
Editor: Jodi
Xi Qing wasn’t having a great time either, as the internet was tearing him apart.
[So he was the one who snatched Mu Nan’s role? What a big ego. Does he even know his place?]
[Don’t talk nonsense. He’s a serious actor, way above chasing clout. Sky-high ambitions, this one.]
[I can tell, LOL, I checked his record—if he hasn’t piggybacked off you, then you’re not even A-list.]
Xi Qing took a long drag on his cigarette, his tone harsh. “Didn’t we already send the water army to handle this? Tell them to say we were filling in last minute, so we are not stealing his role.”
His agent, who was sitting across from him raised an eyebrow, looking sharp and a bit menacing. “You think we’re the only ones who know how to use this trick? You think someone stays a top star this long by being clueless and sweet? Honestly, we shouldn’t have messed with his camp.”
“What’s the point of saying that now?” Xi Qing yelled back. “Our drama pay’s now been cut, and we’re not even getting anything out of this!”
“What, you don’t want the role anymore? Let me tell you, it’s not up to you now. We already don’t have a choice.”
Xi Qing panted heavily, his face twisted. “Mu Nan, this isn’t over.”
*
The person who was being ‘spoken about’, Mu Nan, was removing his makeup while scrolling through online discussions.
He could send cease-and-desist letters to gossip accounts, but he couldn’t shut the netizens up. Whether or not he had a sugar daddy, and who it might be, was still a hot topic days later.
During a magazine shoot earlier, a reporter had even tried steering the conversation in that direction to grab attention. Luckily, Wilder had stepped in and shut it down.
No matter how strong his evidence was or how firm his denials were, the damage from the rumors would take time to fade.
[Just bluffing. If the evidence was solid, he’d have already started suing. I don’t believe the paparazzi won’t dig up something else.”] Some people clung to their malice.
[Waiting for an industry insider to spill. With so many finance folks out there, someone’s bound to say something, right?]
[Have you guys even considered the fact that no one’s come forward with proof because the whole thing’s fake?]
[No way right? Mu Nan couldn’t have gotten this far without backing.]
‘You can never wake someone who’s pretending to sleep’, was a saying Mu Nan firmly believed in.
Just then, he heard a commotion outside the makeup room, as if something big had just happened.
“I’ll check it out.” Xiao Jin knew Mu Nan’s love for gossip, so without waiting for him to ask, he stepped outside.
However he’d barely been out for a few seconds before he came running back, yelling.
“Nan Ge…. hurry! Get on Weibo! President Mu just made an account!”
The only person Xiao Jin would call “President Mu”, was only one man—Mu Letian, Mu Nan’s father. A man so powerful, he couldn’t possibly be bigger. The internet tycoon himself.
Mu Letian wasn’t into socializing, and so didn’t have any social media accounts. However just five minutes ago, a Weibo account under his name was created, and it posted just two words: “Hello.”
Then while netizens were still questioning the account’s authenticity, it was quickly verified with a yellow V, confirming it as belonging to the Chairman of Shuimu Group.
This completely blew up the internet, with netizens swarming to Mu Letian’s Weibo to comment.
[President Mu, how about hosting a giveaway? Since you’re here, why not celebrate?]
[President Mu, is your company hiring? I don’t eat much and I can work hard!]
A few minutes later, Mu Letian posted a second Weibo update, just as brief.
[Just to clarify, Mu Nan is my son. He didn’t want people knowing about our relationship because he wanted to make it on his own without help from the family. I support him completely, and I hope you all will continue to support him too.]
Not a single word addressed the current controversy directly, yet every single word stood behind Mu Nan firmly.
Just that one line, “Mu Nan is my son”, was enough to squash all rumors about him having a sugar daddy. After all, no matter how rich Bai Wenyan was, he couldn’t compare to Mu Letian. And when just saying a few words could bring a flood of resources, no one in their right mind would trade their dignity for it.
Mu Letian’s comment about Mu Nan making his own way made it clear to everyone that every step Mu Nan had taken was his own—he hadn’t taken any shortcuts.
As Mu Nan stared at the post, his nose started to sting for some reason. It felt like all his grievances had been soothed.
He called Mu Letian, and as soon as the call connected and he heard his father’s voice, the tears he’d been holding back came pouring out.
“Dad.” Mu Nan called out.
“Son!” Mu Letian immediately picked up on the grievance in his voice. “Alright, don’t cry. Why didn’t you think of your dad first when something happened? Haven’t I always been here for you?”