Possibly because she had a fulfilling night, Zheng Baozhu slept very well. If it weren't for Zhou Xiaonan calling early in the morning, she could have slept until noon.
Hearing the ringing of the phone, Zheng Baozhu, still half-asleep, reached out for her own phone but instead touched something warm and sturdy. Confused, she furrowed her brows and opened her eyes to take a look.
Her hand was resting on Qu Zhi's chest, going up and down.
Zheng Baozhu: "…"
A soft chuckle came from above, and when Zheng Baozhu raised her head, she met Qu Zhi's smiling eyes.
"Is your waist okay?" he asked.
A blush spread across Zheng Baozhu's face, but she stubbornly pulled her hand away from Qu Zhi's chest and replied, "It's fine."
The phone ringing stopped and then started again. Zheng Baozhu sat up with the blanket wrapped around her, finally reaching for the phone and answering the call, "Hello, Sister Xiaonan, what's up?"
"Awake now?" Zhou Xiaonan snorted coldly on the other end of the line, "While you were sleeping, Yu Wei was busy doing something."
"…" Zheng Baozhu remained silent for a moment, then put the phone on speaker and opened her Weibo app, "What did he do again?"
"He somehow got hold of the photos of you taken during the filming of 'New Moon Wuxin Sword'. There are pictures of you getting out of Gao Boyun's car and going in and out of the hotel together. Now Yu Wei is using these photos to make a big fuss," Zhou Xiaonan explained.
"….I see." Zheng Baozhu had already clicked on Yu Wei's Weibo and saw the repost he made at five in the morning.
The original post was from an entertainment marketing account that often speculated on gossip in the industry. This time, in the middle of the night, the account posted an article with photos of Zheng Baozhu and Gao Boyun, trying to confirm their "inappropriate" relationship.
Zheng Baozhu could tell that it was orchestrated by Yu Wei. The moment the article was posted, he quickly reposted it.
Yu Wei V: @Zheng Baozhu, didn't you say there was nothing going on between you and the director?
"Heh." Zheng Baozhu curled her lips and quickly took a screenshot of his Weibo post. After last night's confrontation, she discovered a blind spot – her popularity was higher than Yu Wei's! Why should she give him more attention by reposting his Weibo? Not a single repost for him!
Uploading the screenshot to her own Weibo, Zheng Baozhu edited a post swiftly.
Zheng Baozhu V: Hey, Dog Yu, getting up at five in the morning to post on Weibo, were you so angry last night that you couldn't sleep the whole night? Unlike you, I have the life of a normal person, and I slept really well last night. Also, what can these few crappy photos prove? Firstly, there were more than just the two of us in the car. Secondly, just because someone gets out of a man's car, does it automatically mean there's something inappropriate between them? If that's the case, then no one can ever take another person's car. Wake up, we are not living in the Qing Dynasty anymore.
Before filming [New Moon Wuxin Sword], I was just an ordinary supporting actor in the Film and Television City. I had no assistant, no company, and every day, I carried my own actor's chair to the set. Director Gao saw me carrying so much stuff by myself, so he proposed to give me a ride back to the hotel after work. Yes, it's the same hotel you captured in the photos. Many actors from our crew stayed there too. This photo you have doesn't even show any intimate actions, yet you dare to use it to create a story. Have the standards of paparazzi fallen so low? If I were the boss, I would definitely fire you.
Also, about last night, I wanted to say this – it's true that I used to be an extra. So what? I never felt ashamed, but who are you to look down on extras? Every film and television drama is the result of the efforts of the entire crew, not just a few main actors. If you look down on extras so much, then in your future film investments, don't use extras, alright???
Speaking of investments, the viewers waiting for [The Pursuit of the Heart] need not worry. I said I would invest, and I will. I won't let this drama stall.
This will be my last public response to @YuWei. Last night, I already contacted a lawyer and reported to the police. From now on, we will handle everything through legal procedures. I have already saved all the evidence. Again, whoever dares not to show up in court is the dog (no offense to dogs).
After Zheng Baozhu posted on Weibo, she held her phone and kept refreshing the page. Qu Zhi sat beside her, still not properly dressed. He had on a coat over his sleepwear, the buttons were undone, and there were still some red marks on his chest and neck from where Zheng Baozhu scratched him last night.
"Your essay writing skills have improved a lot since primary school. Teacher Zhang should be very proud when he sees this," Qu Zhi half-jokingly commented while looking at the phone, "You might be able to get some votes from the extras."
Zheng Baozhu looked at him and said, "I didn't mean it that way. I was speaking from the heart! I've been scolded enough already. Now, even sitting in another person's car can be used to insult me, as if it's some kind of winning strategy. It's really ridiculous. And as for extras, it's true that it's tiring work with poor treatment, but someone like Yu Wei, a big shot, wouldn't understand."
"I didn't mean it that way either; I was just stating my assumption," Qu Zhi raised his hand and smoothed his hair, "I need to get ready to go to work. Do you want to sleep a bit longer?"
Zheng Baozhu shook her head, "I can't sleep anymore. Who knows what Yu Wei might try to do while I'm asleep?"
Qu Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Then, how about I take a day off and stay here to keep you company?"
"No need," Zheng Baozhu leaned over and kissed Qu Zhi on the lips, "I can handle it myself. Also, I'm not alone; I have a team behind me."
Hearing this, Qu Zhi couldn't help but chuckle, "Your team might have been exasperated by you."
"Erm…" Judging from the tone of the phone call from Zhou Xiaonan, it seemed that they were indeed quite angry, "But they have no choice. After all, I'm their boss!"
Qu Zhi smiled again, "Alright then, I'll go to work?"
"Sure!"
Qu Zhi looked at her and said, "Kiss me again."
"…Seriously, you're too clingy," Zheng Baozhu teased, but she leaned over and kissed Qu Zhi again. Qu Zhi finally seemed satisfied and got up to get dressed and ready.
Zheng Baozhu remained seated and continued browsing through Weibo. Unexpectedly, so many netizens were already discussing the drama this early in the morning. The entertainment industry's insiders had all written articles about the incident, and there were supporters for both Zheng Baozhu and Yu Wei, but visibly, there were more people standing by Zheng Baozhu's side. In the morning, after the confrontation, Gao Boyun finally remembered to post on Weibo to clarify his relationship with Zheng Baozhu, saying that he was just a single young man whose reputation had been wrongly tarnished, and he reserved the right to pursue legal action.
Zheng Baozhu could understand Gao Boyun posting on Weibo, but what surprised her was that Sun Jing suddenly also posted on Weibo, criticizing Yu Wei and even releasing screenshots of a short conversation between them, in which Yu Wei's words were quite despicable.
Sun Jing's number of followers on Weibo was even more than the combined total of Zheng Baozhu and Yu Wei's followers. As soon as that post went up, the internet exploded, accusing Yu Wei of sexual harassment.
Zheng Baozhu didn't know why Sun Jing suddenly decided to target Yu Wei, but at this time, her action undoubtedly helped as it supported the notion that Yu Wei had sexually harassed more than one person.
After thinking for a while, Zheng Baozhu sent a WeChat message to Sun Jing: Thanks, sister. I didn't expect everyone to wake up this early.
Sun Jing replied almost instantly: What are you talking about? I didn't post that Weibo to help you. I've just had enough of Yu Wei's arrogance. Since you've come out as a thorn in his side, I pushed the wave along.
Zheng Baozhu: Oh.
Sun Jing: And who said we are sisters?
Zheng Baozhu: So you're the tsundere type, huh? Got it, sister.
Sun Jing: …
Although Sun Jing didn't admit it directly, her Weibo post indeed swayed public opinion against Yu Wei. After her post, several internet influencers also came forward to claim that they had been sexually harassed by Yu Wei. Some were genuinely harassed, while others were just riding the wave for popularity. Nevertheless, Yu Wei had indeed become the drowning dog, and everyone was against him.
Yu Wei was so angry that he was about to throw his phone. But before he could do it, his father called him. Yu Wei held his breath and reluctantly picked up the phone, "Dad…"
"Don't 'Dad' me! You're driving me crazy!" Yu Wei's father shouted angrily on the other end of the line, "What was that mess you created last night? Haven't you disgraced the Yu family enough?"
"It wasn't me, it was Zheng Baozhu…"
"Don't mention her to me! Do you think I don't know what you're up to?" Yu Wei's father interrupted him before he could finish, "You're caused trouble outside, now you're talking about withdrawing the investment? Do you think you're the only one who can make that decision? I had to get up early this morning to convene a board meeting to discuss this mess you've created!"
Yu Wei, feeling indignant, argued, "Dad, Huanyu is originally owned by our Yu family. Why should we listen to those outsiders?"
"Outsiders with company shares and status! You really have a knack for failing in whatever you do!"
The phone was abruptly hung up, and Yu Wei felt the urge to throw his phone again. He picked it up and tossed it aside, causing the phone to scatter into pieces.
The conflict between Zheng Baozhu and Yu Wei continued to ferment online with people on both sides closely monitoring the situation. Yu Wei had thought that things were already bad enough, but little did he know that this was just an appetizer.
Around noon, a prominent online figure posted a lengthy Weibo post. He was known for sharing information related to the internet and computers, but this was the first time he dabbled in entertainment industry news.
Have you all heard about the Zheng Baozhu incident? I have to say it's quite shocking, and I'm sure her haters are dumbfounded. However, being curious, I did some research, and what I found might surprise the haters even more.
According to my investigation, Zheng Baozhu opened a teahouse near her university during her first year, and it was a huge success. Later, she opened a Chinese restaurant and a hotel, and they've been running well. She probably recouped her investments in no time and is now making money effortlessly. She has also invested in several companies, and they seem to be doing quite well in recent years, probably bringing her substantial returns.
One could say she's a born winner.
While I was looking into this, I came across an interview featuring an ABA interviewee, and it mentioned her entrepreneurial experience. If you're interested, you can watch it. I've attached the link at the end (because the title and introduction didn't mention Zheng Baozhu, no one has discovered this video yet ). The interview also mentioned Zheng Baozhu's father, and I looked him up as well… turns out, he's from a wealthy family.
In conclusion, there's no problem with President Zheng investing in [The Pursuit of the Heart]. You can rest assured.
The only thing that puzzles me is, with all the money President Zheng has, why did she go to the Film and Television City to play an extra role? Is she trying to experience a different life?
PS: The tea industry isn't as easy to make it big these years, the teahouse at the school's entrance has undergone renovations, changes in branding and business models. Some classmates might think it's under new management, but in reality, the boss behind it has always been Zheng Baozhu.
The Weibo post also included many images, which were data he found from a business information platform that showed the companies related to Zheng Baozhu.
When the netizens started eating popcorn, they never expected the situation to take this turn. 🙂
「I can't believe it, I'm stunned!」
「Now I get it, it's not Zheng Baozhu who's with the director, it's the director who's with the rich lady. 」
「Yu Wei, you've got yourself into something. 」
「This shocked my whole family. While Zheng Baozhu was already making money during her first year, I'm still adjusting to university life. 」
「I looked it up, Zheng Baozhu was only 16 when she entered university… and it was a prestigious one…」
「Ahhh, this person is something else!! Talented and rich!」
「I just want to learn about investment from Miss Baozhu. 」
「I mentioned on the internet a long time ago that Zheng Baozhu is the owner of the hotel where I stayed! But no one paid attention to me!!」
Now people are paying attention to him, and not just a few. They not only know about Zheng Baozhu's hotel but have even released the address and phone number, and the hotel is getting swamped with calls.
Wei Zhen hurriedly contacted Zheng Baozhu and the first thing he said was, "Miss Baozhu, it's a mess out there. You need to evacuate from the hotel!"
Zheng Baozhu: "…"
Is Manager Wei under the influence of a spy movie?
After calming down, she asked, "What happened?"
"Our hotel has been exposed. The front desk phone is ringing non-stop and all the rooms are fully booked. Many people will probably come here to see you. You must evacuate immediately!"
"…I know. I'll leave the hotel right away. You also need to make emergency preparations. Get the security staff who are on leave to come back and work overtime. Also, inform the management at the Starlight Farm in advance."
"Alright, I'll handle it."
"That's it then." As soon as Zheng Baozhu hung up the phone, Qu Zhi called. As she answered the phone, Qu Zhi's slightly anxious voice came through the receiver, "Are you still at the hotel?"
"You also know about what's happening online? I'm just getting ready to pack up and leave the hotel."
"Then wait for me. I already asked for leave from Professor Luo, I'm coming back to pick you up."
"Ah, okay," Zheng Baozhu sighed, "In the end, I'm still causing trouble for you to take leave."
"What trouble could there be between us?" Qu Zhi playfully asked with an affectionate tone, "I'm already on my way and will be there soon."
"Alright," Zheng Baozhu responded, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Do you have any idea where to go? To your parents' house?"
Zheng Baozhu thought for a moment and said to him, "Let's forget about that. I don't want to disturb my parents. Actually, I have another villa in Huadu. Let's go there."
On the other end of the phone, Qu Zhi couldn't help raising his eyebrows, "You've got another property hidden away?"
"Hahaha, my parents bought it for me, and I never got around to living there," Zheng Baozhu explained, "Originally, I wanted them to move in, but my mom's friends are all in the old neighborhood, and she didn't want to leave. They said that living in the villa area, there's no one to chat with."
Qu Zhi nodded, "Makes sense. They've been living there for over thirty years, after all."
"Yeah, the security in Huadu is also better than in my parents' area. It's more suitable for a big star like me to hide."
Qu Zhi couldn't help but smile as he listened. He couldn't figure out how Zheng Baozhu managed to stir up the entire entertainment industry when she hadn't even appeared in a single drama.
While they were chatting, Huanyu held their board meeting, and they released a statement promptly.
Huanyu Entertainment V: A solemn statement – Mr. Yu Wei's personal remarks on Weibo do not represent the company's decisions. We will not withdraw our investment from [The Pursuit of the Heart]. We deeply apologize to all the crew members and netizens who have been affected by this incident.