Yu Wenli closed his eyes to rest as soon as he got in the car.
His aura was cold and somber, making the driver and Xiang Bei dare not make a sound.
Only Que You chattered on and on.
Perhaps annoyed by the noise, Yu Wenli lifted an eyelid and silently warned him: "Shut up."
Que You: "Do you know what they're saying about you online now? Taking money! I need to give some explanation!"
"No explanation."
Que You didn't believe him. "Are you kidding me? Who doesn't know you look down on Mo Zha, so why would you vote for him? Don't sleep! Explain this to me!"
He started to tug at Yu Wenli's arm, relentlessly demanding an explanation.
"You don't have to explain to others, but you have to tell me the reason, right? We've been brothers for years, and we're still partners. You can't just make decisions like this on your own! Did Mo Yichen, that scoundrel, threaten you?"
Mentioning this, Yu Wenli's expression darkened again.
Xiang Bei quickly pried Que You's hand away and whispered, "Brother You, just say a little less. Brother Yu is already unhappy."
"He's unhappy, and I'm happy?" Que You crossed his arms irritably. "He dares to act so willfully because we've indulged him!
"We agreed to be a team, but he's acting like a dictator. That's one thing, but now he doesn't even consult us before making decisions. If this continues, what's the point of doing this!"
Yu Wenli opened his eyes completely.
Fearing he would erupt, Xiang Bei quickly tugged at Que You's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.
Que You also felt his words were a bit harsh.
But he was still angry and didn't intend to ease the atmosphere.
In the stalemate, Xiang Bei tried to change the subject, but Yu Wenli spoke unexpectedly, giving a brief explanation.
Que You and Xiang Bei froze simultaneously.
"Damn it!" Que You couldn't help but curse. "Are they that despicable? Such a grand scheme, just for Mo Zha? Are they crazy?"
Of course, it wasn't for Mo Zha.
Mo Zha was just a cover.
What they truly wanted to know was the trump card behind him.
Yu Wenli didn't want to explain the intricacies of it all. He just said coldly, "This matter ends here. I don't want her to hear even a whisper of it."
"No problem, we'll keep it absolutely secret!"
Xiang Bei nodded in agreement.
Que You then asked, "And online...?"
"I'll find a way," Yu Wenli closed his eyes again.
As it turned out, before he could make a move, new revelations broke online the next day.
It was a video of him participating in a debate competition in high school, along with his statement: "I will never abandon my moral principles for money."
Compared to the current situation, the internet was filled with ridicule.
"I just want to ask him, doesn't his face hurt?"
"Yu Wenli: In the end, I became the person I hated the most."
"Beautiful words, disgusting actions."
"To be fair, Teacher Yu has been handsome since he was young."
"What's the use of being handsome? His character is not good. I advise everyone to unfollow him quickly!"
"Is it just me who's curious how much money Mo Yichen gave him?"
When #YuWenliIsHypocritical# trended, Yu Wenli's top fan responded with a thousand-character essay.
The content had three main points.
First, Yu Wenli would absolutely not take money.
Second, voting for Mo Zha might have been the program's decision.
Third, Yu Wenli voting for Mo Zha was definitely the result of Mo Yichen's coercion and manipulation.
Although the third point wasn't stated directly, that was the implication.
Mo Yichen's fans couldn't stand it, and they quickly led an attack on her Weibo.
Mo Yichen had been in the entertainment industry for a long time and managed his fans well.
His fan base's combat power was in no way comparable to Yu Wenli's.
Moreover, although Yu Wenli was popular, he was ultimately a newly rising top star.
Most importantly, he had never managed his fan club, which resulted in him having many fans but weak cohesion.
Daily activities like voting were almost entirely organized by top fans and fan site administrators.
Yu Wenli and his studio never participated.
The result of this was that when a major crisis or scandal occurred,
If the top fans and fan site administrators' responses were insufficient or their capabilities lacking, the entire fan base's combat power would also decrease.
As it happened, Yu Wenli's top fans and fan site administrators were all newcomers, with almost no experience besides having a lot of money.
Although Yu Wenli had been targeted a few times from last year to this year, those times Yu Wenli himself stepped in.
Fans didn't have to worry much.
However, today, Yu Wenli and his team were conspicuously silent.
This was completely different from their usual swift clarifications.
Undoubtedly, it added fuel to the fire.
There were all sorts of speculation online, and rumors ran rampant.
There was no sign of them stopping.
In such a situation, whatever the top fans said was useless.
After all, it wasn't Yu Wenli's own clarification, and the matter was difficult to clarify.
The vote was a fact, and Mo Zha's debut was also a fact.
Yu Wenli was definitely going to bear the brunt of the criticism.
Many industry peers also saw the opportunity and started releasing information.
They attempted to use this storm to completely drown Yu Wenli.
A mix of true and false revelations pushed the heat of the incident to a new peak.
And at this moment, Yu Wenli, who was caught in the storm of public opinion, was on a plane to Jiangcheng.
Half an hour ago, he had received a call from Wen Jinyan saying that his grandfather's condition had worsened again.
The doctor had confirmed it was late-stage esophageal cancer.
But his grandfather had insisted that they not disturb his work.
So, it was only now that he knew his grandfather...
Thinking of the possibility, Yu Wenli's eyes reddened.
"Oh, late-stage doesn't mean incurable. I've seen many elderly people with late-stage esophageal cancer who recovered after surgery and chemotherapy and lived for many years. Don't scare yourself!"
Que You was on the plane with him, afraid he would overthink things.
"Besides, Grandpa Yu is such a good person, even the King of Hell wouldn't dare to take him now. Looking at Grandpa's face, his forehead is full, he'll definitely live a hundred years!"
He tried his best to comfort him.
But the effect was minimal.
Yu Wenli's hatred and love were distinct, which also made his weakness obvious.
What he cared about, he cared about completely, and any hurt would pierce his heart.
Que You could hardly imagine what Yu Wenli would do if Grandpa Yu couldn't make it through this time.
The last time his maternal grandparents passed away, he took two to three years to recover.
...
Wen Tingxue received the news the next evening.
At that time, Que You had just gotten off the plane.
"It's not that we deliberately hid it from you, it's just that it happened so suddenly. Yesterday, Brother Yu and I returned to Jiangcheng, and Grandpa's condition was indeed not good."
Wen Tingxue's heart sank. "How not good? Tell me clearly!"
She urged him anxiously, her voice cracking.
Que You sighed. "Late-stage, he's already skin and bones, even swallowing is difficult. Brother Yu decided to stay in Jiangcheng to take care of him, and I'll return to the capital to handle things online."
"Then..." Wen Tingxue wanted to say she'd go back too.
But she remembered she couldn't get away.
The crew was busy, and Xie Jinyi's scenes couldn't be filmed, so they could only film supporting roles first.
She had to oversee the makeup and styling issues of the actresses every day and couldn't spare any time.
Que You said, "Brother Yu knows your feelings. He asked me to tell you to focus on your work first. He'll take good care of Grandpa."
Wen Tingxue kicked a stone at her feet.
She hummed in response with a complicated mood.
Que You guessed her thoughts and explained, "Brother Yu doesn't not want to contact you; he genuinely doesn't have the time. Haven't you seen Grandpa's condition..."
His voice lowered, with a hint of sadness. "I estimate he won't live past this winter. You know how important Grandpa is to him, and he... can't quite process this, so..."
"I know," Wen Tingxue said in a low voice. "I'm just afraid he won't be able to get through it."
Yu Wenli was passionate and always had two extremes towards people.
Either he didn't care at all, or he cared with all his heart.
Grandpa Yu was like a teacher and a friend on his growth path.
In other words, if Grandpa Yu were to pass away, Yu Wenli would lose not just a grandfather by blood.
But also a teacher, a close friend, and a confidant.
She was genuinely worried...
Facing rumors and accusations, Yu Wenli could remain absolutely calm, even indifferent.
But when it came to people he cared about, he was quite vulnerable.
Que You was silent for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "I believe Brother Yu will be fine. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. What if Grandpa Yu can get through this? We shouldn't scare ourselves here."
He paused, then asked, "Are you free tonight? I've made appointments with several PR companies. Can you help me screen them?"
"Look for PR?" Wen Tingxue was puzzled. "Doesn't Lin Corporation have one? Why look outside?"
Que You huffed a couple of times. "Sister Wanqing is being threatened by that scoundrel Fu Yuchuan and can't offer any help. If we want to get through this, we have to find our own way."
"What?" Wen Tingxue was stunned.
Then she sneered, "I knew he was behind this!"
Mo Yichen alone didn't have that capability.
"Hey!" Guessing what she was about to do, Que You said, "Don't bother Master Han Si. Brother Yu wants to resolve it himself."
Relying on others is unreliable.
Ultimately, becoming stronger oneself is the most practical.
Wen Tingxue nodded. "Okay, I can go now, but I don't have much time. Is half an hour enough?"
"It's enough. It's just an interview," Que You gave her the location.
After telling Tang Mo Bai, Wen Tingxue took a taxi to the hotel.
On the way, she received a call from Song You. "Xiao Jiu hasn't been eating well lately. Is he okay?"
"Not eating well?"
"Yeah, and his mood isn't very high. Could he be sick? Should I take him to the vet? Which pet hospital do you usually go to?"
Song You asked several questions anxiously.
Wen Tingxue was preoccupied with Grandpa Yu's condition and listened absentmindedly. Hearing this, she comforted him, "It's okay, he might just miss us. I'll go see him when I'm done with work."
Perhaps hearing her voice, Xiao Jiu started to nuzzle up to Song You.
Song You didn't have much experience raising cats. Seeing the cat's reaction, he thought it made sense.
So he relaxed.
He then asked about Yu Wenli's situation, and Wen Tingxue briefly mentioned it.
-
Hotel.
After interviewing several companies, Que You was not very satisfied.
Wen Tingxue tiredly rubbed her temples. "It seems Fu Yuchuan has given orders."
Otherwise, those executives wouldn't dare to bring in new people to fool them.
Que You grunted. "Let's see."
After all, it was a shot in the dark. What if there was someone daring enough?
The door was pushed open again. Wen Tingxue habitually picked up the documents and, upon seeing the name, abruptly looked up.