C5 Her Eloquence

"She threatened you with our video to make you quit Ruocan?"

Xia Wanxin, usually so composed, couldn't help but glare at Yuh Wan. "Why not earn the script fair and square? Why resort to such underhanded tactics? Aren't you ashamed?"

"Hah." Yuh Wan snapped back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The entertainment industry is full of these backdoor deals. Are you saying Ruocan is completely innocent? Can you honestly claim you've never been involved in anything shady?"

"You!" Wanxin was too furious to respond. Qu Zhenzhen, worried for her friend, gently pulled her back and said, "This video won't affect me much, don't worry."

Jing Yuanhao watched the scene unfold, feeling a spark of admiration for the new girl. Not only was she beautiful, but she also handled the situation with grace and looked out for others. His resolve to protect her grew stronger.

"I can say Ruocan has never done anything behind the scenes," Xie Yaotian suddenly declared.

"Impossible!" Yuh Wan exclaimed in disbelief.

"Because even if Ruocan did, you'd never find out," Yaotian replied with a sly smile. "But Ruocan can uncover every single one of your shady deals."

That's why Ruocan stands out among the big companies: powerful connections and impeccable methods.

"Now, can I have the ID card?" Yaotian asked, his words sharp and direct, as he looked at Yuh Wan, whose confidence was fading.

In the end, the video issue was quickly swept under the rug, and Qu Zhenzhen faced a predictable scolding for not trusting the organization or the boss. She accepted it all with a smile.

The next day marked the start of her filming. To her surprise, Jing Yuanhao brought her a thermos filled with warm ginger soup with dates and egg, still warm when she received it.

"Yesterday, you got soaked, and I heard drinking this helps warm you up."

Yuan Hao scratched his head. "I also heard it's good for women... but how exactly?"

Zhenzhen and Wanxin both laughed.

"Do you think Yuan Hao might have a crush on you? He didn't bring me any ginger tea," Wanxin whispered.

"Don't be silly, you didn't get drenched," Zhenzhen nudged her, then smiled at Yuan Hao. "Thanks a lot!"

This gave Yuan Hao a big boost of confidence. After the shoot, he couldn't help but suggest to Zhenzhen, "Zhenzhen, how about we celebrate our first collaboration with dinner? My treat."

With his charming personality, he was sure Zhenzhen would agree. To his surprise, after a moment of thought, Zhenzhen replied, "Sure, let's invite Wanxin and the boss too."

Yuan Hao was a bit taken aback.

The four of them sat together—two guys and two girls—making for a slightly awkward situation, especially since none of them were couples. Yuan Hao kept enthusiastically serving Zhenzhen food, making it obvious to anyone paying attention that he had a thing for her. Unfortunately, Zhenzhen seemed oblivious, focused solely on her meal, missing Yuan Hao's affectionate glances.

Yaotian, sitting nearby, watched the "Yuan Hao serving food" and "Zhenzhen politely returning the favor" show for a while before he couldn't resist separating their chopsticks. "Focus on your own bowl."

Their bowls were piled high from all the food they'd been serving each other.

Zhenzhen stuck her tongue out playfully and started concentrating on her meal, unaware that trouble was just around the corner.

As a gossip entertainment reporter, you need sharp eyes to recognize celebrities. So, even though the four were in disguise, they were still spotted.

"Two guys and two girls, huh? Are they couples?"

The person holding the microphone leaned in, incredibly excited, "It's actually our Chairman! Wow, may I ask who the Chairman is paired with?"

At this moment, Zhenzhen wanted to raise her hand and say, "It's me!" However, the situation didn't allow it. Before Yaotian could respond, Yuanhao smiled at the reporter and said, "Zhenzhen and I are together."

Was he joking or serious, being so bold in front of the reporter?

Zhenzhen finally sensed something was off. She glanced at Yuanhao and calmly explained, "The four of us are just friends... and also have a boss-subordinate relationship."

Being an actress, she was convincing when she spoke, and the reporter couldn't find any clues from her expression. The reporter then turned to ask Yaotian, the esteemed Director of Ruocan. If they could get some scoop from him, it would be quite a catch.

To everyone's surprise, Yaotian answered straightforwardly, "Zhenzhen."

Zhenzhen?

These two men, one a rising star in the entertainment industry and the other a big-name director, were both accompanying the same woman?

The entertainment reporter was stunned, while Wanxin quickly grasped Yaotian's intention and cheerfully remarked, "Weren't we here to celebrate Zhenzhen's new show starting? Are we just going to talk and not eat?"

The reporter's eyes widened even more.

Yaotian personally came out just to celebrate this woman's new show? Who was she? She wasn't familiar or famous. What was her story?

He immediately sent this information back, knowing it might become breaking news the next day.

Yet Zhenzhen remained puzzled, "Why are you all talking about me?"

Wanxin smiled without saying a word, while Yuanhao gratefully looked at Yaotian and said, "Director Xie is intentionally giving you a boost, Zhenzhen."

Xie Yaotian's recent remarks have certainly thrust Qu Zhenzhen into the spotlight, and along with her, the entire production and his own role as the lead actor are gaining attention. In the entertainment industry, they say any publicity is good publicity, and indeed, it can be a very effective strategy.

Qu Zhenzhen finally caught on. Known for her straightforwardness, she asked directly, resting her chin on her hand, "And what about you? Why did you say it was me?"

The atmosphere grew tense. If Jing Yuanhao hadn't made such a bold statement, it might have just been dismissed as tabloid gossip, offering no real benefit.

Jing Yuanhao's eyes flickered slightly, then he spoke openly and candidly, ignoring the presence of others.

"Qu Zhenzhen, I've been following your career for a long time."

He said earnestly, "Since you started, I've paid attention to every piece of news about you. You're different from most people in this industry."

"I admire you."