The news mentioned a certain celebrity being stopped by police for reckless driving, with drugs found in his car, and the celebrity reporting that another Lin-surnamed celebrity had placed them there.
Although the profile picture was pixelated, it was immediately recognizable as Ji Yuan, and the Lin he mentioned, netizens guessed, was Lin Xiaoman.
“What nonsense is this dog Ji Yuan spouting?” Xiaobai trembled with anger, “He’s falsely accusing me!”
Lin Xiaoman’s tightly drawn face slightly relaxed, a slight curve forming at the corner of her mouth.
“You’re still smiling? How can you smile at a time like this?” Xiaobai paced anxiously in the room, “Even if you can clear your name, netizens’ speculation can ruin one’s reputation. As long as you’re associated with drugs, you can forget about making it in the entertainment industry. The company definitely gave the room card to Ji Yuan’s side. I’ll call them.”
“Enough, no need,” Lin Xiaoman put away her smile, “It’s obvious the company has always wanted to create a buzz between me and Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan definitely used the pretext of creating buzz to get the room card, and the company probably thought they could create another sensation. Who knew Ji Yuan was actually trying to frame me? If you ask them, they won’t know anything.”
“So we’re just going to let this go?”
“The key isn’t the company, but the netizens’ attitude. The police didn’t find anything, but I’m already linked to Ji Yuan. Whenever my name is mentioned, people will think of drug concealment. I need to distance myself from drugs.”
“I’ll give Xie Chi a heads up to prepare on his end.”
The phone suddenly rang, an unknown number.
Ji Zhixian was the first to learn about Lin Xiaoman being involved in a drug concealment case.
He tried calling her several times but was always busy.
“Book the nearest flight. I’m going back immediately,” Ji Zhixian’s usually calm expression showed a hint of panic.
“Directly back to the hotel?” Zhang Chengxu prepared to turn the car around.
Ji Zhixian responded and then dialed Yan Yu’s number: “Something urgent has come up. Let’s reschedule our dinner.”
“Is it about Lin Xiaoman?” A leisurely voice came from the other end.
Ji Zhixian neither confirmed nor denied: “Sorry.”
“Senior…” Yan Yu seemed to sigh, “I remember where I’ve seen Ji Yuan before.”
“Let’s enjoy this dinner,” Yue Ding gently raised his wine glass towards Lin Xiaoman.
“You know I’m not here to have dinner,” Lin Xiaoman said coldly, looking investigatively at the man before her.
After the police left, she received a call from Yue Ding, saying he could help her solve her current troubles and wanted to discuss the specifics in person.
Lin Xiaoman wasn’t concerned about how he would solve it; she was curious about how Yue Ding knew about this so quickly.
“Don’t be so guarded. I’m not your enemy,” Yue Ding smiled slightly. “I’m here to help you.”
“Why?”
“There’s only one reason a man helps a woman,” Yue Ding raised his wine glass towards Lin Xiaoman. “I told you, I like you.”
“Sorry, I don’t drink,” Lin Xiaoman didn’t touch the glass.
“Being cautious is good,” Yue Ding looked at her appreciatively. “Now that you’re framed for drug possession, you indeed need to be careful.”
“How do you know it’s a frame-up?”
“I know all the truth,” Yue Ding’s ink-black eyes deeply gazed at her, carrying the confidence and pride of someone in power. “So only I can help you.”
“How will you help me?” Lin Xiaoman slowly blinked.
His Adam’s apple bobbed: “I can suppress all the trending topics, erase your name from people’s discussions. From now on, no one will associate you with drugs.”
“Is that so,” Lin Xiaoman smiled ambiguously. “Do you think that’s feasible?”
“Don’t tell me it’s not possible,” Yue Ding gently shook his head. “Miss Lin, there’s nothing I can’t do.”
“You’ll only suppress online discussions about me, but can you control how people think? Even if it’s not visible online, people will still discuss when walking down the street: Lin Xiaoman, the drug user. How will you control that?” Lin Xiaoman wore a mocking smile.
“Oh,” Yue Ding looked at her with interest, “What do you want? I’ll satisfy you.”
Suddenly, his phone on the desk lit up, and Lin Xiaoman glanced at it, recognizing the familiar number.
Yue Ding glanced lightly, hanging up the phone.
“I apologize, Miss Lin,” Yue Ding said with gentlemanly grace.
“No need to worry,” Lin Xiaoman recalled the phone number.
The phone lit up again.
“You can answer it,” Lin Xiaoman glanced at the phone, confirming the number, “I’m about to leave anyway.”
Yue Ding unhesitatingly threw the phone into the nearby ice bucket, which gradually fell silent, and he smiled warmly: “This way, no one will interrupt our date.”
“But our date has already ended,” Lin Xiaoman stood up to leave, “Goodbye.”
“Let me see you off,” Yue Ding also stood up, “I can help you avoid the reporters.”
“No need,” Lin Xiaoman turned back with a smile, “I actually want to meet them.”
Leaving the restaurant, indeed a group of reporters were waiting outside. Lin Xiaoman faced the cameras confidently and firmly: “This afternoon, rumors about me hiding drugs have been spreading online. I hereby assure everyone that I absolutely have not touched any drugs or anything related to drugs. To prove my innocence, I will now go to the police station for another check, and I hope reporter friends can help me prove this.”
Although the police had previously proven she was unrelated to drugs, after several hours, online speculation continued.
To prove her innocence, the simplest method was to do a live broadcast.
A broadcast by herself or her company would lack credibility, so it was better to rely on these reporters.
The reporters saw her willingness to cooperate and followed her to the police station.
Lin Xiaoman walked with the reporters, answering their questions easily and naturally, not at all like a celebrity embroiled in scandal.
“Found it.” Xie Chi turned the computer towards Lin Xiaoman.
The screen was filled with photos of Ji Yuan and Yue Ding, showing an intimate relationship.
“Yue Ding has many lovers,” Xie Chi explained, “Ji Yuan is one of them.”
Lin Xiaoman recalled the rumors about Yue Ding – not only did he keep numerous women, but he also played with men.
“Is it just a kept relationship? Could Yue Ding be involved with drugs?”
“No,” Xie Chi shook his head.
“Then investigate Ji Yuan further,” Lin Xiaoman pondered.
Before they could fully clarify the situation, Xie Chi already had results: “Ji Yuan went abroad to attend a party last year.”
“A party?” Lin Xiaoman suddenly remembered hearing about an annual party overseas specifically for wealthy Chinese people called the Haitang Party.
“Can you get the photos?” Lin Xiaoman’s spirits lifted.
If they could find photos of Ji Yuan at the party, it would be solid evidence of his drug use, proving he was using drugs even before knowing Lin Xiaoman.
This time, Xie Chi remained silent until they reached the hotel.
“Couldn’t find them?” Lin Xiaoman asked.
Xie Chi shook his head, looking dejected: “They’ve preserved their records well. I can’t search them.”
Lin Xiaoman knew that although the Haitang Party was notorious for its chaos, people still wanted to attend because the confidentiality was so good that no one worried about their activities being leaked.
“It’s okay,” she patted Xie Chi’s shoulder, “You did well. Rest well today.”
Back at the hotel, unable to sleep, she went to the second-floor bar.
Too many things had happened these past few days, and she needed time to think.
From the ambiguous photos with Ji Yuan being exposed to being framed for drug possession – each incident was more serious than the last, catching her completely off guard.
