The new day brought another entertainment headline dominated by the male lead, but unlike his usual tabloid fodder, this time he was dragged into the mess.

The media exaggerated the story, employing clever wording and pairing it with a sneaky photo. Gu Tingsen stood by a window, his unbuttoned shirt framing a scene of tangled bodies behind a curtain he’d pulled aside. Censorship forced a mosaic over the explicit parts, making Gu Tingsen’s face stand out starkly amid the blur.

Uninformed readers assumed Gu Tingsen was the one indulging in a scandalous romp, causing Linfeng Group’s stock to wobble noticeably.

Given his industry prominence, even colleagues in the office who ignored entertainment news were whispering about it.

[The male lead’s clout is unreal. The rising star’s about to vanish into obscurity, but he’ll still get a shot at infamy. Maybe he’ll pivot to adult films.]

Jiang Chen, fetching water in the break room, feigned shock when colleagues gossiped with him, acting completely clueless.

In truth, he was the mastermind behind Gu Tingsen’s predicament.

The rising star’s relationship exposure was inevitable, and Jiang Chen had only meant to prank Gu Tingsen by locking him in the changing room.

He hadn’t expected the male lead’s aura to turn it into an exclusive scoop, with the media hyping him up from a bystander to a participant.

Jiang Chen’s verdict: ‘Deserved!’

Sipping coffee and basking in the gossip, he happily slacked off on the clock.

Suddenly, the break room fell silent. Colleagues turned into quiet, obedient workers, either tactically sipping water or awkwardly slipping away.

Jiang Chen, facing away from the door, sensed something and turned to find Lu Chiyuan behind him. He nearly bumped into him, stumbling back.

The step sent a sharp pain through his ankle, making him wince, his face contorting in agony.

Lu Chiyuan steadied him, teasing, “Weren’t you pretty bold last night? How’re you getting spooked now?”

Jiang Chen gripped the counter to balance. “It’s not that I’m spooked—my ankle’s just acting up. Twisted it last night in the shower, hasn’t fully healed.”

Lu Chiyuan raised a brow. “Drunk?”

Jiang Chen shook his head, almost tearful.

[That bit of wine? Nothing. It’s because I messed with the male lead! The world’s malice is out to get me.]

Gu Tingsen’s protagonist halo protected him, so Jiang Chen’s move against him branded him a villain.

His original role was already a stumbling block in the main couple’s romance, and now, with this stunt, the world’s malice was giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Slipping in the shower—who was more pathetic than him?

He should be grateful he could still stand, not calling an ambulance buck-naked.

Lu Chiyuan glanced at Jiang Chen’s ankle. His casual suit pants were short enough to reveal a bit of swelling above his low-cut shoes and socks.

It looked like a bad fall.

“Have you seen a doctor?”

“Checked it at the pharmacy, got some ointment. No big deal.” Jiang Chen, uneasy, tried to hide his foot, stepping back and sipping water to avoid Lu Chiyuan’s gaze.

The break room emptied, leaving just the two of them.

Lu Chiyuan rarely came to the break room—sightings were so rare they could be counted on one hand yearly.

Jiang Chen racked his brain. Had he forgotten Lu Chiyuan’s coffee? Missed a message, forcing Lu Chiyuan to track him down?

[Coffee delivered, messages checked. Probably not here for me. Better slip away.]

Concluding this, Jiang Chen grabbed a fresh cup of warm water and made his escape.

Lu Chiyuan watched him leave, his gaze deep.

Jiang Chen adapted quickly, blending in with the office crowd, chatting easily in the break room.

Yet with Lu Chiyuan, despite his inner voice cheering “Brother Lu, Brother Lu,” fretting and rejoicing for him, he kept a deliberate distance—polite but aloof.

He knew Lu Chiyuan inside out, but Lu Chiyuan knew nothing about him beyond his name.

Back at his desk, Jiang Chen saw Lu Mingxuan rush past his door, only to double back and ask, “Jiang Chen, seen Brother Lu?”

“Yeah, he’s in the break room.” Noticing Lu Mingxuan’s furrowed brow and grim expression, Jiang Chen asked, “What’s wrong? Something happen?”

“Those bastards at Linfeng are throwing us under the bus to dodge the heat. Absolute crap!” Lu Mingxuan cursed, storming toward the break room, his profanity echoing at the office door.

Jiang Chen was startled.

[Snowball, what’s going on?]

[The club thing, duh. Gu Tingsen’s been keeping it under wraps, but now that he’s cleared his name and you handed him that big “gift,” he’s thrown Chen Jiu under the bus.]

Chen Jiu was arrested the day Snowball tipped off the authorities, and the club was shut down.

Lu Chiyuan had swiftly leaked the story to two rival media outlets, both eager for an exclusive but hesitant to publish due to fear of Gu Tingsen’s retaliation.

Now, to deflect Linfeng’s negative press, Gu Tingsen was dragging Huanyu into the mess, aiming to catch them off guard.

Jiang Chen hadn’t expected his prank to spiral into such chaos. Regret gnawed at him, leaving him restless.

Snowball, licking its paw, reassured him, [Don’t worry, this won’t touch your precious Brother Lu. Forgot? Chen Jiu’s already been fired.]

Lu Chiyuan worked efficiently. Huanyu had issued Chen Jiu’s termination notice long ago. Though the PR team kept it low-key with minimal online buzz, the timeline predated Chen Jiu’s scandal. With proper spin, it was a checkmate.

Jiang Chen recalled this vaguely, overshadowed by Shen Zhiyi’s drama at the time.

[But Brother Lu doesn’t know what Chen Jiu did.] Jiang Chen stood, ready to tell Lu Chiyuan the truth about the club.

Before he could leave the office, Lu Chiyuan and Lu Mingxuan returned.

Seeing him, Lu Chiyuan said, “If your foot’s bothering you, rest. We’ll have a quick meeting in your office.”

Lu Chiyuan’s calm confidence had a reassuring effect, soothing those around him.

Even Lu Mingxuan, who’d stormed off fuming, was noticeably calmer. He went next door to fetch Xu Chen.

Xu Chen was on his phone, rallying his personal network to spar online with their opponents.

“No surprise from those dogs—biting whoever’s closest. Did we even provoke them?” Xu Chen slammed the desk, his anger tinged with personal grudges.

Jiang Chen shrank back quietly.

This mess did have a hint of personal beef.

Lu Mingxuan closed the office door, full of admiration. “Brother Lu, good thing you planned ahead and released Chen Jiu’s termination notice early. But the media’s pinning this on us. Even with the statement, we’re still getting dragged through the mud.”

Xu Chen slid over on his chair. “Linfeng’s not the only one with bots. We’ve got them too. Just say the word, and I’ll unleash them.”

Chen Jiu’s crimes were his own, and he wasn’t the only one arrested, but he was the only one who could implicate Huanyu.

The media’s reports omitted key details, keeping the club’s location vague.

Lu Chiyuan skimmed the news, picking out keywords, and let out a derisive chuckle. Gu Tingsen was using him as a scapegoat while hiding his own involvement by obscuring the club’s existence.

“I’ve got a bigger scoop than the media.” Lu Chiyuan pocketed his phone, looking at the two men before him, and dropped a bombshell.

Xu Chen and Lu Mingxuan sat up straight, and Jiang Chen looked over in surprise.

Lu Chiyuan said, “Chen Jiu was arrested at the club, and that club is one of Gu Tingsen’s ventures.”

Xu Chen, familiar with the Gu family’s dealings, quickly pieced it together as one of their shady businesses. He fumed, “That dog, playing the victim while pointing fingers!”

Lu Chiyuan had kept the club’s video evidence as a backup. If the two media outlets stayed silent, he’d use his own people. He’d been waiting for the right moment, but Gu Tingsen had jumped into the spotlight himself.

“I called this meeting for another matter,” Lu Chiyuan said, his thoughts sharp. The moment he saw the news, he recalled Jiang Chen’s offhand inner comment at the banquet.

The endorsement issue was still a loose end, with people circling like vultures. He couldn’t push them all to Gu Tingsen, but he could kill their hopes of joining Huanyu.

“Assistant Lu, handle PR. Pin our statement to the top of trending searches, then boost Gu Tingsen’s tabloid story. Act innocent—steer the narrative deeper, like someone’s using Chen Jiu to bury something bigger.”

Lu Chiyuan’s expression was sly. He had nothing to hide, unlike Gu Tingsen, who was a walking minefield. “I’ll send you the club details. Use them well.”

“If he’s on PR, what about me?” Xu Chen asked, eyeing Lu Chiyuan. Wasn’t PR his domain?

“I need you for something bigger. For the company’s second-half endorsement, they’ve pitched plenty of candidates. Contact their companies and ask about signing intentions.”

“Now? We’re in the middle of a crisis—who’d dare…” Xu Chen paused, catching Lu Chiyuan’s drift. A knowing look crossed his face. “Got it. You’re not planning to sign anyone.”

With Huanyu in the spotlight, others were watching, hesitant to act. Xu Chen’s calls would be a scare, not a welcome.

Lu Chiyuan’s timing was deliberate, cutting off any future negotiations.

“Alright, you know what to do. Get moving.”

The meeting was brief, Lu Chiyuan’s instructions clear.

Xu Chen and Lu Mingxuan nodded and left without objection.

Jiang Chen, still seated, pointed to himself. “What about me?”

The meeting was in his office, yet he had no tasks.

Lu Chiyuan thought for a moment. “There’ll be a lot of calls later. Handle them.”

[Chenchen, Chenchen, emergency! The female lead’s causing trouble!] Snowball’s alarm blared in Jiang Chen’s mind as Lu Chiyuan spoke.

[What? Did she finally run away from home?] Jiang Chen could only think of her escape plot, which had repeatedly failed.

[No, she’s backing Chen Jiu!] Snowball said. [I caught her data—she’s writing a post to defend him. If she posts it, Huanyu’s PR efforts are toast!]

[Is she brain-dead?!]

Jiang Chen was floored. He was too far from Shen Zhiyi to grab her phone—how could he stop her?

[Can we block her account or bury the post? I want to yank her internet cable!]

Panicking, he looked at the oblivious Lu Chiyuan and improvised. “Brother Lu, have you checked on Miss Shen lately? She doesn’t know Chen Jiu was fired. If she sees the news, might she overthink it?”

Lu Chiyuan’s face darkened, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. “Time for a call.”

But not to Shen Zhiyi—to the villa’s security team.