After Luo Tian made his debut with the role that made him famous, the second major press release was about a variety show that Director Gao was working on at the time. The combination of the TV series and the variety show directly caused Luo Tian's popularity to skyrocket.
It was Xiao Shulang from the original book who accompanied Director Gao to play a round of golf, which led to Luo Tian being cast on the show.
After the setback, Director Gao contacted Luo Tian, hoping to collaborate on a new program.
However, Luo Tian, who had already become famous, rejected him and went to Director Gao's rival program instead, which infuriated Director Gao. It was also the original owner, Xiao Shulang, who personally went to apologize with gifts.
The original owner single-handedly promoted Luo Tian, but not everything could be proven. Director Gao was willing to personally testify, and the effect was completely different.
Wang Hao: "Director Gao asked me to ask you when would be a good time to release it. He said anytime is fine."
"Then we can send it out in a bit." Xiao Shulang glanced at the time and smiled. "Judging from Luo Tian's expression today, I know he must not have slept well last night. Keep up the good work and don't sleep tonight either."
Wang Hao received the message: "Okay, I'll go tell Director Gao right away!"
Half an hour later, a Weibo post stirred up the gossip-loving public once again.
Director Gao's social media account, which had been quiet for a long time, has made a move. When it does move, it's astonishing, directly feeding everyone the juicy gossip.
Today, I was chatting with a friend about our old shows, and it reminded me of some people. When we were working on "The Real You," Xiao Shulang came to me, saying he wanted to help someone get a chance. I thought it was him, and thought that was great, but he said no, it was her boyfriend. Her boyfriend later became famous, and I couldn't even get him to come back. I told Xiao Shulang that he wasn't a good person, that he didn't value relationships. I guess Xiao Shulang finally saw through him after that.
He didn't mention anyone's name, but everyone who read it clearly heard the name "Luo Tian" in his words. Not mentioning the name at this time was just another form of sarcasm.
Everyone got excited again!
Chapter 15 There is no such thing as genuine love, only greed for fame and fortune.
Comments and reposts on Director Gao's Weibo account grew at an astonishing rate, reaching hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands, quickly becoming a trending topic. Editors from various entertainment sections rushed over, as there was new material to share.
The comments revealed all the key information.
"Fun fact: Xiao Shulang's boyfriend = Luo Tian."
"To be precise, it's his ex-boyfriend. Director Gao is practically pointing his finger at Luo Tian and accusing him of being ungrateful!"
"It was Xiao Shulang who negotiated the role of 'The Real You' for Luo Tian! Back then, which fandom was raving about how their brother had connections and brought in resources? I just found some old posts about it. Don't Luo Tian's fans feel ashamed?"
Before Luo Tian's team could even respond, the fans naturally had to fight back.
"Is the person surnamed Gao just trying to ride the wave of popularity? Is he desperate to make a comeback?"
"Just because he has a mouth, I can say the same thing too!"
Although Director Gao never produced another hit program, his personal image and reputation have always been good. He is recognized as an upright person in the industry, and people still believe what he says.
After a comment appeared, it quickly surpassed the original number one in popularity and was pushed to the top. The commenter was none other than Xiao Shulang.
[Xiao Shulang: Director Gao is right, someone is ungrateful, I saw through it later]
Director Gao not only gave him a thumbs up, but also replied with a thumbs-up emoji. Everyone immediately left comments urging Xiao Shulang to elaborate.
But Xiao Shulang knew that some of these people were there specifically to stir up trouble, while others were from Luo Tian's side, lying in wait to find fault with him.
Xiao Shulang wasn't someone who could be easily swayed by a few words. He also knew that he didn't have conclusive evidence that Luo Tian was a scumbag, otherwise he would have already presented the evidence.
Those sweet-talking chat logs only prove that the two of them did date. He would prefer to make Luo Tian break down and reveal his true colors in the dating reality show, so that all the viewers can see what kind of person he really is.
Furthermore, although it wasn't mentioned in detail in the book, Xiao Shulang guessed that he should be able to find concrete evidence pointing directly to Luo Tian's scumbag nature from Xu Baichang.
He and Xu Baichang didn't know each other before, but now that they've spent a few days together, it's time to have a talk with Xu Baichang.
Xiao Shulang came out of his room with his phone and found that everyone except Luo Tian was in the living room, including You Ziang, who usually goes for a night run.
Qin Shuang was reading a book, while the other three people who were scrolling through their phones all looked up when they heard footsteps.
Their movements were remarkably synchronized.
The three of them weren't looking at anything else on their phones; they were browsing Weibo.
The automatic recording cameras in the public area were still on, and Xu Baichang was completely hesitant to speak, with many things on the tip of his tongue but not daring to say them. In contrast, You Ziang didn't have so many concerns.
You Ziang happened to see a post criticizing Xiao Shulang: "Some people online say that because you were a rich second-generation, your private life must be chaotic. Speechless. Does that mean that people from well-off families must have bad private lives? That's prejudice!"
Xiao Shulang clinked his water glass against his: "That's right."
Yin Xingzhi, however, grasped the key point. He looked at You Ziang with surprise. What did he mean by "our family is better off"? Xiao Shulang used to be a rich second-generation, could it be that You Ziang was also...?
Xu Baichang was also drawn to this statement: "You seem to really empathize with that?"
You Ziang took a sip of water and put down his cup: "Well, I originally thought there was no need to say it, but there's nothing wrong with bringing it up. My family's financial situation is pretty good, so I was really indignant to see people using this as an excuse to criticize me."
Qin Shuang, also a second-generation rich kid, quietly turned a page of her book.
Xu Baichang: "You two knew each other before?"
Xu Baichang couldn't help but recall how Luo Tian initially pretended not to know Xiao Shulang, only to find out that they not only knew each other but that Xiao Shulang was also his ex. Feeling a chill run down his spine, he subconsciously asked the question.
You Ziang waved his hand: "No, I attended the same party, but I haven't had a chance to get to know them yet."
To be able to attend the same cocktail party as the second young master of the Xiao family before their decline, and to have a simple acquaintance with him, Yin Xingzhi inwardly screamed, "So You Ziang is also from a wealthy family?!"
The surname is You… Could it be the You family he's thinking of?
Searching online for the company of the local wealthy You family, you can find photos of their main managers. Chairman You has a son and a daughter, and the current CEO is his daughter.
The daughter of the You family is known for her excellence. As the president, she is respected by everyone in the company. As for the son of the You family, the outside world doesn't know much about him. It is only said that he is an artist and his management ability in a large group is not as good as his sister's, so he does not participate in the company's decision-making.
But if he really is the son of the You family, even if he is not as rich as his sister, he would definitely be a very wealthy and powerful patron!
The kind that's even richer than Luo Tian!
Yin Xingzhi immediately searched for information about the You family online. After taking a closer look, he realized that You Ziang and the female CEO looked very similar, clearly siblings.
Yin Xingzhi was instantly filled with regret; what had he missed these past few days!
Qin Shuang closed the book in her hand, and only after the camera indicator light flashed and turned off did she speak: "Your family situation..."
“There’s still hope,” Xiao Shulang said. “My brother and I will try to find a way.”
Xiao Shulang's eyes were firm, showing no sign of giving up. Qin Shuang swallowed back the words she was about to say and nodded silently.
Qin Shuang has not mentioned his background to anyone, including the paparazzi who are always waiting to dig up dirt. They don't know that he is the young master of the Qin family and has already acquired shares in the Qin Group.
It's not impossible to help Xiao Shulang, and Qin Shuang almost blurted it out just now.
But after Xiao Shulang's gaze made him pause, Qin Shuang had time to belatedly think about why she had such an abrupt idea.
He had already extended an olive branch by telling Xiao Shulang that he could come to him if he wanted to act. If he were to help the Xiao family now, that would be a huge favor.
To be fair, were he and Xiao Shulang really that close? They had only known each other for a few days.
In just a few days, they had become so compatible that he even had the illusion that they had known each other for a long time. Qin Shuang had never felt this way with anyone else.
Qin Shuang fell into deep thought.
With the cameras off, You Ziang became even more direct, waving his phone: "I don't really want to be so gossipy, but you've already publicly broken ties with Luo Tian online, do you mind if I inquire about my friend's love life?"
Qin Shuang, lost in thought, glanced at You Ziang: "Friend, You Ziang has just given me the friend card, meaning he will never have any relationship with Xiao Shulang on the show."
Xiao Shulang joked, "You believe everything I say?"
You Ziang stroked his chin: "I also have to make my own judgments, but anyway, after spending these few days together, I think you're a pretty good person."
Xiao Shulang glanced at Xu Baichang, who was pursing his lips, and sighed inwardly: "In short, my personal advice is not to choose him as a romantic partner. He is a real jerk."
Xu Baichang's lips tightened even more. You Ziang said, "Adding the comments you left for Director Gao, does that mean you were the one who made Luo Tian famous, and that he broke up with him after the Xiao family was on the verge of bankruptcy?"
The most appropriate way to understand the phrase "ungrateful" is as follows.
Xiao Shulang sneered: "Yes, and he did more than that... Anyway, he likes my money, not me."
Yin Xingzhi, who was only after money, pretended to be looking at his phone intently and remained completely silent.
Having said all that, Xiao Shulang finally turned to Xu Baichang and said, "Teacher Xu, could I take a moment of your time?"
This meant they wanted to talk alone. Xu Baichang nodded and stood up. Xiao Shulang followed him, and the two sat down at a small table on the terrace. The glass door was pulled open, so people inside could see them but not hear their conversation.
You Ziang asked in confusion, "Why do they want to talk alone?"
Even if Luo Tian openly pursued Xu Baichang on the show, since Xiao Shulang and Luo Tian had already broken up, any emotional disputes between them were their own business. What did Xiao Shulang have to say to Xu Baichang, who appeared later?
Following Xiao Shulang and Xu Baichang's attitudes, Qin Shuang thought about it and vaguely guessed something, but this guess made him feel incredible and absurd.
Judging from their attitudes and behavior... Could it be that Luo Tian cheated on Xu Baichang during their relationship?
She already had Xiao Shulang, so why did she cheat on him?
Qin Shuang couldn't understand.
A scumbag is not only scum in the heart, but his brain seems to be filled with tofu dregs as well.
On the terrace, Xiao Shulang and Xu Baichang got straight to the point: "When Luo Tian broke up with me, he said something that was related to you. If I had just said it out of thin air, you probably wouldn't have believed me. So take a look at this."
Xiao Shulang opened his phone. He had blocked and deleted all of Luo Tian's contact information the day he transmigrated into the book, but before that, he had saved all the chat history.
Xiao Shulang opened one of the records and held the phone close so that Xu Baichang could see it clearly: "He broke up with me without any warning. In the week before the breakup, he was still sending me sweet words and greetings. Now it seems that his words of concern were fake. He just wanted to confirm the Xiao family's financial situation with me."
Xu Baichang's expression changed drastically, and he lost his composure for once. He grabbed Xiao Shulang's phone and stared at it intently.
The chat content on the screen was extremely glaring, but more importantly, the time was displayed. Xu Baichang stared at the time repeatedly, as if looking at it for too long would change the time. But unfortunately, no matter how he looked at it, the records in front of him were real, not an illusion.
The content exported directly is not fabricated.
Looking at one of the chat logs, Xu Baichang knew without comparing that Luo Tian had also sent him ambiguous messages that day.
Because that day was Xu Baichang's birthday.
Luo Tian called him, had a meal with him, and gave him a gift. After returning home, he sent him a message saying that he really liked him and hoped to celebrate his birthday with him in the future.
Unbeknownst to Xu Baichang, Luo Tian sent a message to Xiao Shulang: "I was busy just now, but I saw your message. You've already sold the Tingwan Villa? Yeah, help out at home first. Don't overwork yourself. I miss you too."
Those originally heartwarming and touching scenes suddenly took a turn for the worse, and Xu Baichang felt nauseous.
Xiao Shulang: "If I may ask, Ms. Xu, when did Luo Tian start pursuing you?"
Two months ago.
In other words, Luo Tian pursued her before he had broken up with Xiao Shulang, and she even thought she could get to know him better!
What is this? What is this called?!
Xu Baichang felt a huge sense of absurdity. His hand holding the phone trembled, and when he handed it back to Xiao Shulang, he almost dropped it because of the shaking. When Xiao Shulang touched the phone, all of Xu Baichang's emotions were transmitted through his trembling hands.
"He, he..."