This is machine translated and all copyrights belong to the author. Please note that the translator might take creative liberties for better readability. Thank you for reading.
Everyone entered a third-level dumbfounded state.
At the press conference of Star Entertainment Media, the camera flashes were blinding. Li Fei took off his sunglasses and gave a faint smile to everyone.
The cameras immediately focused on Li Fei’s face, capturing his gentle and warm expression as he greeted several familiar media reporters.
This was a live broadcast, and fans watching videos on the website could also see every move of Li Fei.
“He wasn’t injured at all, so who started the rumor?”
Seeing Li Fei unharmed, fans let out a sigh of relief, followed by a surge of anger.
If Li Fei were a small celebrity with an unstable foundation, a serious rumor about him being severely injured could ruin ongoing negotiations for advertisements, variety shows, and interviews. Even his confirmed movie roles might be affected.
While they were relieved that Li Fei was already a two-time award-winning Best Actor, they were still heartbroken for their beloved idol.
It wasn’t until Li Fei took his seat that the lighting in the venue returned to normal. Journalists eagerly raised their hands, wanting to ask questions. However, Li Fei’s manager calmly started discussing the details of Li Fei’s next film.
Finally, they made it through that segment, and it was time for questions.
“Did you watch the videos online? Were you at the scene when the explosion happened?”
“Yesterday, Xiao Yaqin posted a two-word Weibo post expressing her worries… Can you tell us the relationship between her and Li Fei? Are they dating or already planning to get married?”
Li Fei lowered the microphone and appeared ready to speak, instantly quieting the room.
“I have no knowledge of the videos. I was indeed at the scene of the explosion at the Huai Cheng Pearl Hotel…”
The room buzzed with excitement as journalists wondered how both stars, Li Fei and Xiao Yaqin, ended up at the same hotel.
The online live broadcast also exploded with discussions. Many of Li Fei’s fans weren’t fond of Xiao Yaqin, and upon hearing this news, it felt like a terrible omen.
Li Fei remained composed as his assistant, Lin, stood by the wall and dimmed the lights in the venue, leaving only one spotlight. A photo appeared on the screen in front, displaying the invitation letter for a charity banquet.
The text was clear, with the date, time, and location specially enlarged.
“The banquet starts at 8 p.m. My assistant booked a room for me on the 48th floor. As for Miss Xiao, we only found out later through our company’s communication that her room was on the 42nd floor.”
The guest rooms in the Pearl Hotel were strictly managed. The room key cards only allowed access to specific floors when using the elevators, and separate elevators were used for reaching the dining hall, business center, and entertainment facilities.
If someone wanted to visit another guest, they had to ask the elevator attendant to press the floor button. As public figures, even if they wanted to have a private meeting, it would be impossible to choose such different floors.
Li Fei didn’t go into details, as the truth about the charity banquet would naturally be investigated. As for whether things were innocent or not between him and Xiao Yaqin—
“Having debuted for ten years, my fans and media friends are all very concerned about my personal life.”
Journalists who still wanted to ask questions sensed from Li Fei’s expression that there might be a bombshell revelation, and they became nervous, some even holding their breath.
With a slightly uneasy look in his eyes and an unintentional fidgeting motion on the table, Li Fei created an atmosphere that implied he was about to reveal a deeply hidden secret. He didn’t need to speak; his “performance” conveyed the sense that he was about to disclose something kept deep within his heart.
His manager beside him stared at Li Fei with a startled expression.
—This isn’t what we agreed upon; this part isn’t in the prepared statement! How can he freely talk about his love life like this?
But with that stare, it seemed like the manager, who knew the truth, forbade Li Fei from speaking the truth.
Assistant Lin’s expression was also remarkable, but his thoughts were more along the lines of “the boss isn’t playing by the rules again.” He had to consider whether Li Fei’s upcoming words would be true or false, and to what extent he could fake them.
Li Fei’s “nervousness” was very subtle, almost unnecessary. He was only deceiving those who believed themselves to be sharp and perceptive, as those who were not good at reading cues would never be able to pick up on the information he was giving.
In the face of a barrage of questions, Li Fei momentarily lost composure for a few seconds, but he quickly regained his calm and returned to his usual gentle smile.
“In fact, there is someone I have feelings for, but I haven’t been able to confess.”
“…”
“So, my love life is not empty,” Li Fei smiled casually, but what he dropped was a bombshell. “Although the person I have feelings for is also single, I know who they like… Well, it’s not me.”
“…!!”
Fans watching the live video were still in a state of confusion, while the media reporters quickly reacted with excited questions.
“Is your love interest someone from the entertainment industry?”
“Is it a singer, actor, or model?”
The scene descended into chaos, and the manager was about to faint from frustration. It was easy to say these things, but what about the aftermath? Where could they find this love interest? What kind of love interest would be suitable for Li Fei’s secret crush? How would they handle the fans’ negative reactions?
—Why are all the domestic Best Actors so capricious?
Amidst the chaos, the manager heard a reporter ask, “Is your love interest a woman?”
The head of the publicity department from Star Entertainment Media turned ashen.
Only Li Fei remained unfazed, answering a few superficial questions with a smile. Then, he declined to comment further and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the explosion, concluding the press conference.
After leaving the stage, Li Fei was surrounded by a group of people as he entered the CEO’s office on the top floor of Star Entertainment Media.
As the door closed, the smile vanished from Li Fei’s face.
“Quite a sensational speech,” said the man sitting in the swivel chair, turning off the projection screen that was displaying the live video of the press conference.
The CEO of Star Entertainment Media, who appeared to be a successful middle-aged man, was actually in his fifties. The most deceptive aspect about him was his jet-black hair, free from any signs of thinning or receding hairline. With deep eye sockets, a high nose bridge, and well-defined features, he had no beer belly or signs of aging. Dressed in a tailored designer suit, he could easily pass as a foreign magazine model with a little bit of photoshopping.
His fingers interlaced into a tower shape, his gaze sharp. Several inexperienced assistants felt their scalps tingle under his gaze and involuntarily lowered their heads.
Little did they know, this CEO’s first question would be a gossipy one. “I’m curious to know if this person really exists.”
Li Fei didn’t answer. He casually took a seat at a random spot, and the secretary of the CEO’s office promptly served him a cup of coffee. Assistant Lin didn’t receive such treatment. Holding a folder, he forced a smile and shook his head at the boss.
“No need to rush to get rid of Xiao Yaqin like this. By dropping this bombshell, how many rumors and speculations will emerge tonight?” The CEO’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
Geng Tian was surprised. It wasn’t just the tone of the question, but the excitement in the CEO’s voice. Why would he be excited?
Assistant Lin silently glanced at the bodyguard, feeling helpless. Of course, Star Entertainment Media’s CEO, Liang Jun, enjoyed reading gossip and even liked to leak gossip under a pseudonym. It wasn’t a good thing at all. Once it was revealed, it would be detrimental to the company’s reputation. Who would explain it?
“If your manager quits, you’ll be responsible yourself!” Lighting a cigarette, Liang Jun, the CEO, smoked leisurely and issued a warning to Li Fei, the company’s biggest moneymaker and troublemaker. “And the PR department responsible for monitoring public opinion, you’ll cover their overtime pay tonight.”
After waiting for a minute without Li Fei speaking, Liang Jun, with a strange look in his eyes, glanced at his company’s cash cow. Could it be that what Li Fei just revealed was true? He mentally went through Li Fei’s network of relationships, filled with doubts. There were no suspicious individuals!
“It’s not peaceful lately…” Li Fei didn’t elaborate too much. “There might be trouble. Keep an eye out.”
“Hmm?” When Liang Jun wasn’t indulging in gossip, he could be reliable. He keenly sensed that there was more to Li Fei’s words. Was it referring to the financial market, the entertainment industry, or national policies?
While Liang Jun was pondering, the phone on his desk suddenly rang. The young secretary’s voice trembled nervously, “Sir, the Public Security Department, and the military comrades want to meet with Li Fei. They say they need his cooperation for an investigation.”
“What?”
“They came in a hurry, and…”
Outside the CEO’s office, the secretary in the white suit had a deeply troubled expression on her face as she stared at the military-clad man standing before her with a serious and solemn expression.
Zhang Yaojin didn’t wait for the secretary to finish her sentence. He opened the office door, and the dark barrel of a gun was pointed directly at Li Fei.
Was this a movie shoot?
The staff, led by Assistant Lin, stood frozen in shock.
“Everyone who’s not involved, leave,” Zhang Yaojin said coldly.
“One moment,” Liang Jun looked at the military personnel and police officers entering one after another, armed with guns. He raised his hands in astonishment and then turned to the secretary, who ran in with a frightened expression. “…Did you just say that your brother came with people to arrest Li Fei?”
What?
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
“Miss Zhang?” Assistant Lin looked at the secretary in horror. He had a good impression of this sweet-looking girl, but he never expected that her older brother would be such a formidable military man. It seemed like his rank was not low.
Wait a minute, did this gossip-loving CEO, Liang Jun, even investigate what the secretary’s entire family looked like? What about human decency?
“Let’s talk things through. I know Li Fei. The cost of murder and arson is too high, and he doesn’t engage in such unprofitable business,” Liang Jun coughed to defuse the tension.
As Li Fei stood there with a gun pointed at him, his eyes grew colder. He had anticipated the danger of his abilities being exposed, but he didn’t expect it to come so soon. What’s more, the other party wasn’t giving him any chance to cooperate willingly; they were clearly planning to take him away forcibly.
“When the Pearl Hotel exploded, where were you?” Zhang Yaojin stared at Li Fei.
“In my room.”
“And then?”
“I escaped with my bodyguard from the stairwell to the ground floor.”
“In your room on the forty-eighth floor, there are two clear footprints on the glass shards near the window. Someone stood there and looked down at the ground. Those footprints belong to you.”
“I wanted to see what had happened,” Li Fei replied calmly.
Zhang Yaojin sneered. His eyes were bloodshot from two sleepless nights, and his nerves were tightly wound.
What made him feel that Li Fei was dangerous wasn’t the traces left in the room. It was an instinctive warning that emerged when he stood in front of Li Fei. This feeling was stronger than when he faced a group of ruthless criminals while rescuing hostages.
Seeing the situation turning grim, Liang Junxi couldn’t help but ask, “What the hell is going on?”
“Dad, please say less and come out quickly!” Secretary Zhang, standing at the door, was on the verge of tears due to anxiety.
All eyes turned to her, and the key point was: Wait, did she just call him Dad?
The author has something to say:
The gossip-loving CEO is actually the stepfather of Zhang Yaojin and his sister…
Oh, it’s just a character background… Whether Li Fei and Zhang Yaojin have any real relationship or if it’s just a coincidence is up for interpretation. [Rolls eyes] No, Li Fei is not the boss’s son [absolutely not!]. The boss is not related to the company’s cash cow.
Last Edit: 06-16-2023 2:00 PM
This is machine translated and all copyrights belong to the author. Please note that the translator might take creative liberties for better readability. Thank you for reading.
HNNNGHHH THANK YOU FOR TRANSLATING THESE CHAPTERS!!!! <3<3<3 are you planning to continue translating this novel? Either way I am still very grateful for this bundle of chapters you have given me xDDDD
😲
Did he get outted, twice over?
Wait what. Not following the revealed relations.
Eh? what! Father!
Ehh so the secretary is The President’s daughter, which means that the Military Man is his son?? 😂
Thanks for the chapter~ (～￣▽￣)～
I understand nothing about who related to who???
LMAO the relationship twist though >.<