As for the second Weibo, most fans didn’t take it seriously:

[Hahahaha I want to sleep with Rong Rong too! Haven’t heard people mention Yaoyao in a while. #JustWantOneNightWithWanqiYao# If I manage it, I swear I won’t shower again in my life 2333333]

After chatting for a bit, the topic faded away. No one noticed that the hashtag had quietly changed—from “just want one night” to “sleep with him every day.” Not that it would’ve mattered; even if they had noticed, they wouldn’t have suspected anything.

Only LotusPasteOrangeFilling knew:

You’re all still wishing. I’ve already made it happen.
Perfectly soft. Absolutely delicious. 10/10.

Five minutes passed, and the event organizer was still stuck in traffic, hadn’t made it to the airport yet. Meanwhile, Qin Cheng silently opened Rong Xu’s private fan forum and entered the “premium” section.

There were lots of stickied and highlighted posts. One in particular, posted six months ago, caught his eye:

“What would it be like to sleep with Rong Rong?”

Opening the thread, almost every reply started with the same words:
“I think…”

[I think Rong Rong would be super shy. I’ve watched every one of his interviews at least ten times—he’s super rational and serious, so I bet he’d be very proper, hahaha.]
[23333 As Rong Rong’s wife, I’m the most qualified to speak! I think Rong Rong’s got great stamina. Anyway, he’s mine, you can’t have him!]
[Honestly, he seems like a serious person. I don’t think he’s the playboy type.]

There were tons of replies like that. Qin Cheng glanced through a few, then smirked and posted a reply himself.

So this long-inactive thread, untouched for four months, was suddenly bumped back to the top of the forum:

[Orange: Indescribably… delicious.]

A few newer fans who hadn’t seen the thread before joined the discussion. Before long, Orange’s reply was buried under a flood of comments.

Meanwhile, Rong Xu had no idea that his hopeless boyfriend had gone off again to show off among his fans. The next morning, Rong Xu got up and finished all his scheduled scenes. Next, he had to work with Lin Xuan to film the scenes between the male lead and the second male lead.

When he’d been acting with Lu Xiangbo, they’d often had to redo scenes because Lu messed up. But Lin Xuan wasn’t like that at all—he didn’t mind following Rong Xu’s lead and was even happy to go with the flow.

After filming, Lin Xuan cheerfully said:

“I love working with skilled actors like you. So much easier—Director never has to yell ‘Cut!’”

Rong Xu smiled helplessly, but a question suddenly popped into his mind:

…Had Lin Xuan acted before?

But that was a question he had no answer for.

Half a month later, Rong Xu had finished filming all his scenes, and the female lead, Xiao Zitong, also wrapped up on the same day. However, the whole crew hadn’t wrapped yet because Lin Xuan still had two more days of shooting left to finish the second male lead’s scenes. The schedule was tight, so that evening, they only had a buffet dinner on set, which served as a farewell for Rong Xu and Xiao Zitong.

Just as Rong Xu was about to leave, Lin Xuan quietly pulled him aside and whispered, “You really didn’t tell Qin Cheng about our ‘Qin Fengfeng Secret Group’, did you?”

Rong Xu nodded seriously. “I really didn’t.”

Getting that answer, Lin Xuan didn’t ask further but instead reminded him with a solemn expression, “You must be careful with that guy. He can read minds. We absolutely cannot expose our revolutionary organization. If Qin Cheng brings it up, just change the subject. Talk about the weather, the food—anything. Just don’t let it slip!”

Rong Xu: “…”

Suddenly changing the topic to talk about the weather or food out of nowhere—forget Qin Cheng, even he would get suspicious!

In any case, after staying with the Silent production team for two months, Rong Xu finally left in late August.

On the day he left the set, the previously quiet “Silent crew incident” once again drew public attention. Because that very day, Liu Huizhen officially filed a lawsuit, taking Lu Xiangbo to court.

Liu Huizhen had just wrapped filming when she suddenly discovered she’d been drugged. She immediately went to the hospital for a blood test. At that time, the hormones hadn’t completely metabolized in her system yet, and the black-and-white report clearly confirmed—Liu Huizhen’s hormone levels were severely elevated!

She hadn’t taken any hormone supplements herself, yet her hormone levels were abnormally high!

Liu Huizhen was good at stirring up controversy and didn’t let this chance to create buzz slip by. On the same day she sued Lu Xiangbo, she even held a press conference and invited dozens of reporters.

In front of the cameras, the voluptuous and beautiful actress wiped her tears and choked up, “Before joining the Silent crew, I weighed 92 pounds. Now, I’m already 109 pounds. I really didn’t know why I gained so much weight. Just a few days ago, I thought it was because I didn’t exercise enough. When I found out the truth, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The doctor told me that taking this kind of drug doesn’t just affect weight—it impacts health too. I’m currently undergoing treatment.”

Camera flashes went off continuously.

“While filming, Lu Xiangbo and I got along very well. We were friends, always laughing and talking. I really don’t understand why he would do this to me…”

Suddenly, Liu Huizhen collapsed into her manager’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

A beautiful woman crying—it truly tugged at the heartstrings. If she had acted this well during filming, Director Xu probably wouldn’t have scolded her so much, and her casting opportunities wouldn’t be so limited.

However, when Director Xu, Rong Xu, and the others heard what she said at the press conference, they all felt a bit disgusted with her.

Rong Xu simply and calmly blacklisted her and stopped paying her any attention. Director Xu even openly complained on set, “These actresses—if only they’d focus on the right things, would they be in this state? All they care about is plastic surgery and publicity stunts. Sigh… no one’s working on their acting skills anymore! All crooked paths!”

Despite that, Liu Huizhen’s performance at the press conference dealt another major blow to Lu Xiangbo.

Although he had been bailed out by his agent, both the Silent production team and Liu Huizhen had sued him. If convicted, this was a criminal case—he would face prison time, and his career would be completely over.

At first, Lu Xiangbo’s company tried to help, trying to manipulate things behind the scenes to save him. But when they realized that doing so meant going against Director Xu and Hua Xia Entertainment, the small company went silent. Eventually, they quietly gave up on Lu Xiangbo.

As a result, public opinion overwhelmingly turned against Lu Xiangbo. His name became synonymous with the dark side of the entertainment industry.

Before him, many fans vaguely sensed that the industry wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. But Lu Xiangbo’s behavior was so vile that people couldn’t believe it.

This was attempted murder!

How many other “Lu Xiangbos” are there in the entertainment world?

No one knows the answer. But for now, they only know that Lu Xiangbo is absolutely disgusting.

In the 24 hours following the incident, Lu Xiangbo’s agency did issue a clarification, claiming that the crew had no proof that the assistant’s luggage contained hormone vials and that Liu Huizhen had no direct evidence proving Lu Xiangbo deliberately drugged her.

After all, the law had yet to formally convict him. If the company could keep the other accomplice—Lu Xiangbo’s assistant Xiao Qi—under control, Lu Xiangbo might still have a chance to turn things around. In fact, later, Lu Xiangbo, looking haggard, said coldly to his agent, “Can we make Xiao Qi take the fall for me?”

When he said this, his tone was ruthless and devoid of emotion, shocking his agent. The hatred in his bloodshot eyes made the agent feel like this artist was a stranger. This was also one of the reasons why Mingxing Company ultimately chose to abandon him.

If someone can become that heartless, what’s the point of helping him anymore?

In any case, by the time Rong Xu arrived at the capital airport, the internet was once again flooded with criticism of Lu Xiangbo. His fanbase had already crumbled. The few remaining die-hard fans still held on to a sliver of hope but didn’t dare to speak up.

Any defense would immediately be drowned out by public backlash. And honestly, their loyalty wasn’t that strong—they could only wait quietly in the shadows.

This time, returning to B City, Rong Xu did not take the VIP exit.

Luo Xi had already coordinated with the fan forum moderators to organize a fan greeting at the airport.

Rong Xu wasn’t a singer and had never held a concert, so he didn’t have many interactions with fans. Airport greetings were one of the few direct interactions between fans and celebrities. If fans organized them privately, it could lead to chaos due to lack of planning. But if arranged ahead of time, fan leaders would ensure things remained orderly, and the celebrity’s team would coordinate with airport security.

Moreover, Rong Xu had his own bodyguards now.

Two months ago, Luo Zhentao had said he wanted to get Rong Xu a bodyguard for safety—because in this world, irrational fans are definitely not rare.

For example, in Korea, nearly every idol has sasaeng (stalker) fans. These people are insane. They treat idols as personal property—following them 24/7. Some have even broken into idols’ homes to steal used items!

It’s said that a few years ago, one idol even caught a sasaeng in his home. He immediately called the police. But when the stalker was arrested, she wasn’t scared at all—instead, she acted like it was perfectly normal. In her eyes, entering the idol’s home wasn’t a problem, because he belonged to her.

In China, the situation is better, but Luo Zhentao still didn’t dare let his guard down.

Rong Xu’s popularity had skyrocketed—he was now undoubtedly the top among young male actors. He didn’t have many projects yet, but his popularity rivaled that of veteran stars. His fanbase was also one of the most passionate.

After the Lu Xiangbo scandal, Luo Zhentao became even more cautious. Last week, he carefully selected two elite bodyguards and sent them to Y Province. From that point on, they stayed by Rong Xu’s side and returned with him to B City.

With that, Rong Xu’s personal team was beginning to take shape—agent Luo Zhentao, assistant Luo Xi, two elite bodyguards… Only the PR and styling teams remained outsourced to Hua Xia Entertainment.

Celebrities earn a lot, but they also have to spend a lot more than regular people. Right now, Rong Xu didn’t have enough funds to maintain a fully independent team. But one day, he would—just like Qin Cheng and Wen Xuan—have a team that fit him perfectly.

For now, the most important thing was interacting with fans.

Over a hundred fans stood in orderly lines, eyes wide with excitement, watching Rong Xu emerge from the arrival gate. As soon as they saw him, they waved their light sticks and heart-shaped banners excitedly. Then, someone shouted his name, and everyone followed, calling out “Rong Rong” in unison.

Just “Rong Rong”—nothing more. But the choked voices conveyed their deep emotions.

Rong Xu walked into the crowd and began signing autographs one by one. Interestingly, among the hundred-plus fans, there were over a dozen male fans. Seeing their red-rimmed eyes, Rong Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. He suddenly felt… he was pretty charming after all.

Most of Rong Xu’s fans were female, but he had a sizable male fanbase too.

Whether it was Wan Qi Yao, Huo Xi, or Ling Xiao—Rong Xu had only released three works, but each was a classic, loved by fans of all genders.

One male fan, holding out a notebook, excitedly asked, “Rong Rong, will you sing again? I’m a fan of your music! ‘Broken Wings’ is so good—I listen to it every day! If you ever release another song, that would be amazing!”

Hearing that, Rong Xu raised the corners of his mouth and smiled gently: “Thank you for your support. I’ll keep working hard.”

Neither a confirmation nor a denial—just like Luo Zhentao once said, this young man was born to be a star. No matter the situation, he always knew how to respond with grace.

This fan meet-and-greet lasted over an hour. In the end, Rong Xu took a big group photo with everyone, reminded them to be careful on their way home, then left with Luo Xi.

Back at home, Qin Cheng was naturally absent. Rong Xu already knew that the man was currently in Milan, attending a fashion show.

But for Rong Xu, Qin Cheng’s absence was actually a good thing. Because the next day, after half a year, Rong Xu met Wen Xuan once again.

This graceful and elegant triple-award-winning actress arrived in a flashy sports car at the gate of Rong Xu’s apartment complex to pick him up and take him to a private club. The fiery red car was just like Wen Xuan herself—bold and unrestrained. Her long, voluminous waves cascaded over her shoulders, exuding a sensual and glamorous aura, even making Rong Xu momentarily stunned by her beauty.

Naturally, the reason Wen Xuan came to pick him up today was to formally induct him into the “Qin Madman Resistance Group.”

On the surface, Lin Xuan had said, “We formed this group to stand united against Qin the Madman.”

But in truth, Rong Xu understood that this was merely a pretext.

Looking over the members of this group, not one of them wasn’t a red-hot superstar. Wen Xuan was a triple-award-winning actress, internationally renowned, and arguably the most prominent actress in Chinese cinema today. Xia Muyan was another popular actress with a different career path from Wen Xuan’s. Chu Qi was hailed as the “successor of Ling Xiao.”

As for Jennifer Akaren, James Trant, and Hugh Leslie—these three were global A-list celebrities.

In fact, the one with the least fame among them was Lin Xuan himself.

So, to join this group, aside from harboring some kind of “grievance” against Qin the Madman—aka Qin Cheng—there was one fundamental requirement: you had to be acknowledged by the rest of them.

If Rong Xu were just some C-list no-name celebrity, Lin Xuan probably wouldn’t have reached out.

This is how the entertainment industry works. Even among friends, there’s an implicit hierarchy. Though Rong Xu still kept mutual contacts with people like Zhang Tongtong and Yi Lan, they rarely spoke. They were friends—but only just. Nothing deeper.

People always aim upward, and the entertainment circle is a brutally realistic micro-society. Unless you possess some kind of extraordinary charisma or social finesse, your social circle might expand downward indefinitely, but upward? Rarely more than a couple tiers.

While driving to the venue, Wen Xuan joked, “The last time we met, Qin Cheng was also there. I did a cameo in Black Cloud and didn’t expect to be picking you up today. So? Did Lin Xuan explain clearly what this group is about?”

Just thinking of the name “Qin Madman” still made Rong Xu find it hilarious.

“Mm, he explained it clearly. But I think… this goal is quite ambitious.”

Rong Xu’s reply was sincere—because he honestly thought that even if all these people ganged up together, they still might not be a match for Qin Cheng. As for himself, Qin Cheng had never treated him that way. In front of him, all Rong Xu had to do was raise his head and kiss that man to shut him up completely.

Of course, Wen Xuan didn’t know what Rong Xu was thinking. She sighed a few more times and suddenly said, “Speaking of which, you and Qin Cheng seem to live quite close to each other. I think he lives nearby too, but I don’t know exactly where. That guy is ridiculously good at keeping secrets. James and I once asked to visit his place, and he didn’t spill a single word—totally gave us the cold shoulder.”

Rong Xu and Wen Xuan weren’t exactly close. During the filming of Black Cloud, Wen Xuan had only worked a single day and hadn’t paid him much attention.

Given that, using a “common enemy” as a topic was the easiest way to break the ice.

Rong Xu understood Wen Xuan’s intent and smiled, replying, “Then we could make this our first objective.”

Wen Xuan lit up with delight. “Great idea!”

As they chatted, they arrived at the club. After parking the car, Wen Xuan led Rong Xu into the elevator and up to the third floor of the private club. Meanwhile, far away in Milan, a tall, handsome man was chatting with a well-known fashion designer. All of a sudden, he felt a chill run down his spine. His brow furrowed slightly as he turned to look out the nearby window.

The blond designer chuckled. “Qin, are you feeling cold? Yeah, the temperature suddenly dropped today. The wind’s strong—maybe a storm is coming. Let me close that window for you.”

Qin Cheng smiled lightly and nodded. “Thank you, Lloyd.”

Summer hadn’t quite ended yet, but in mid-August, Rong Xu officially met the members of the “How to Gain the Upper Hand Against Qin Cheng, Crush Him Mercilessly, and Make Him So Ashamed He Wants to Crawl Into a Crack in the Ground” group.