C14 Unexpectedly

He held back the impulsive Yuan Hao, preventing him from doing anything that might damage his reputation.

"What are you doing here?" Zhenzhen was the first to speak. She truly hadn't expected Yaotian to show up at this moment.

But she had to admit, seeing Yaotian instantly made her feel more at ease. It was as if she no longer had to fight this battle alone.

The director, noticing the arrival of the big boss from the investment side, quickly abandoned his desire to continue watching the drama unfold. He urged everyone to disperse and get some rest to prepare for the next day's shoot.

Without a word, Yaotian turned and headed toward the parking lot, leaving Zhenzhen and Yuan Hao momentarily stunned.

Yaotian stopped, turned back, and coldly asked, "Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, right, let's go," Zhenzhen said, grabbing the bewildered Yuan Hao and heading toward Yaotian's car.

She needed to get to the bottom of what Yuh Wan had said earlier. Once they were seated in the back of the Mercedes and the door was closed, Zhenzhen immediately grabbed Yuan Hao by the collar and demanded,

"Is what Yuh Wan said true?! When Wanxin got drunk that day, where did you take her? How could she not tell me about something so serious?"

Faced with Zhenzhen's rapid-fire questions, Yuan Hao was at a loss for words and lowered his head, acknowledging the truth of the situation.

He looked defeated and spoke in a low voice, "I was confused that day. She drank too much and couldn't clearly tell me her address. I live with my parents, so it wasn't convenient to take her home. I ended up getting a room at the Hilton."

Zhenzhen pressed on, "And then? After you got the room, what happened? Did you do anything to her?"

Suddenly, the big boss slammed on the brakes, causing Zhenzhen and Yuan Hao, who were caught off guard, to lurch forward into the front seatbacks.

Qu Zhenzhen was startled, clutching her head and stammering, "What are you doing? Why did you stop so suddenly?"

Xie Yaotian didn’t answer, instead, he repeated the last thing Qu Zhenzhen had said, his tone cold and detached. "Did you do anything to her or not?"

Jing Yuanhao knew he was in the wrong and didn’t dare to respond. Was that an admission? Qu Zhenzhen was so furious she almost lashed out at this playboy. But right now, she was more worried about Xia Wanxin's feelings. She had been busy filming on set the past few days, already stressed out by Yuh Wan, and had overlooked Wanxin's emotional state.

Just as she was about to suggest they check on Wanxin at her apartment, she realized the car was already on its way there.

When they arrived at the apartment building, Qu Zhenzhen called Xia Wanxin, but no one answered. Feeling uneasy and unsure of the situation, she looked helplessly at Xie Yaotian.

What she didn’t realize was that in times of trouble, the first person she instinctively turned to was already Xie Yaotian.

Xie Yaotian took out his phone and called Wanxin's manager, learning that Wanxin had been home for two or three days, not going to the office or the set.

Qu Zhenzhen frowned deeply. The situation was becoming more complicated. After the recent incident with Yuh Wan, everyone on set knew about Jing Yuanhao and Xia Wanxin's outing. It wouldn’t be long before this explosive news hit the headlines, making it even harder to manage.

She told Xie Yaotian to hurry to the company and handle the situation, insisting that the news must be suppressed. She then dashed upstairs and knocked on Wanxin's door.

After a long wait, just as Qu Zhenzhen was about to turn away, thinking Wanxin wasn’t home, she heard the sound of the door opening.

Behind the door, a weary Xia Wanxin stood in her pajamas, looking like she hadn't taken care of herself in days. She stepped aside to let Qu Zhenzhen into the room, which was a mess of empty instant noodle cups, snack wrappers scattered everywhere, and bottles strewn across the corners.

Qu Zhenzhen's heart ached at the sight. She turned and hugged Wanxin, gently patting her back. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm sorry I didn't notice your mood sooner."

Wanxin didn't cry; instead, she calmly patted Zhenzhen. "It's alright. Even if something happened, I was willing. I don't blame anyone."

Zhenzhen looked at her in surprise. "Do you have feelings for Jing Yuanhao?"

"Yeah, after spending time with him, I realized he's not as reckless as the media portrays. He's actually quite sincere. Somehow, I started liking him," Wanxin admitted, her voice hoarse. "That night, I just wanted to confess, fueled by a little too much to drink."

Zhenzhen hesitated, unsure how to bring up what happened on set today, worried it might be too much for Wanxin to handle. After some thought, she decided it was best to prepare her for the inevitable rumors. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Today on set, there was a confrontation with Jing Yuanhao and Yuh Wan. In a moment of anger, she mentioned seeing him take you to the hotel."

"The whole crew heard it. Xie Yaotian is already handling it with the company, trying to minimize the fallout."

Zhenzhen held Wanxin's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, we're all here for you."

Hearing Zhenzhen's words, Wanxin finally broke down, tears streaming down her face. She buried her head in Zhenzhen's embrace, crying like a child who had suffered a great injustice, her sobs tugging at the heartstrings.

In the days that followed, Zhenzhen took a few days off from filming to stay with Wanxin at her apartment. She made sure Wanxin didn't go online to read any news and cooked delicious meals for her. Zhenzhen wanted to protect this girl as much as possible, her only true friend in the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, at Ruocan Media, Yaotian's expression was terrifyingly grim, casting a heavy, oppressive atmosphere over the entire company. Everyone was on edge, afraid of making a mistake and becoming the target of his wrath. He sat in his office, a contract in front of him. It was the contract for the film starring Zhenzhen and Yuh Wan.

If Yaotian's gaze could cut like a knife, the name Yuh Wan would have been shredded to dust by now. With a blank expression, he picked up a pen and drew a black cross over Yuh Wan's name. Whether it was out of loyalty to his long-time friend Wanxin or his concern for Zhenzhen, that name would never appear before him again.