Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
At the SYT perfume launch event live stream.
Assistant Xu Youyou pointed the camera at the elegant young man on stage and sighed, “Teacher Ye has such a great aura.”
Standing tall and distinguished, his cool and handsome presence matched perfectly with the “New Snow” series of perfumes SYT was launching.
Manager Li glanced at the photos and nodded, “Not bad, send these to Yunqing’s Weibo later.”
“Sure, I’ll take a few more shots.”
As Xu Youyou continued to shoot, they noticed something: “Isn’t the host… standing a bit too close to Teacher Ye?”
On stage, Ye Yunqing subtly distanced himself from the host while introducing the product.
SYT perfume was his first luxury endorsement after winning the Golden Deer Film Festival’s Best Newcomer Award for “Sunshine,” and today was his first time participating in a live event. Everything was going smoothly, except the host was a bit too enthusiastic and talkative.
He glanced at the electronic clock on the wall—11:02. He wondered if they could finish on time.
The host, noticing Ye Yunqing’s subtle avoidance, refrained from getting too close and stuck to the script.
Ye Yunqing, however, noticed some commotion among the journalists below. They were constantly checking their phones and then looking at him with surprise.
Feeling something was off, he looked towards his manager and assistant.
Just then, the host announced the final media Q&A session, and the reporters swarmed the stage, surrounding Ye Yunqing.
“Ye Yunqing, someone just revealed online that you’re secretly married with a child. Is this true?”
Ye Yunqing froze. He was about to deny it when he suddenly stopped—could it be… that they caught him?
A sense of foreboding filled his heart. Ye Yunqing frowned slightly, remaining cautiously silent.
But the reporters had no intention of letting him off. #Breaking News: Spokesperson’s Live Meltdown at Product Launch#—this was too good to pass up!
They crowded forward, thrusting cameras and microphones at him, forcing Ye Yunqing to step back.
“In the leaked video, the child calls you ‘Dad.’ Is it your child? Is it a boy or a girl? How old is the child? Is the mother a celebrity?”
“There’s also a set of photos showing you meeting with a man in a luxury car. Are you admitting to cheating with the same sex?”
“If you’re gay, then at the award ceremony, when you tripped and fell into Best Actor Cheng Jingyao’s arms, was that on purpose?”
“The child in the video looks at least four or five years old, but your public information says you’re only 22, turning 23 in three months. Did you impregnate a girl when you were under 18? Was the girl also underage? Do you realize that’s a crime?”
The malicious speculation made Ye Yunqing’s face darken, while the SYT brand director’s expression turned livid.
***
A kilometer away, at the Shiyao Group headquarters, the monthly meeting was being held in the top-floor conference room.
“Redo.”
The young man sitting at the head of the table closed the file in his hands and said coldly, “Bringing a proposal like this to the meeting is a complete waste of time.”
The man, in his early twenties, had a high nose bridge, sharp eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and slightly red thin lips. Despite his youthful age and an impeccably handsome face that seemed more suited for billboards, it was easy to overlook his rigorous approach to work.
At that moment, the man’s piercing gaze fell on the department head who had presented the proposal, as if it were tangible.
“Reducing the department budget doesn’t mean cutting employee benefits by any means necessary. It means finding ways to increase revenue and reduce unnecessary expenses. For instance, by producing fewer impractical proposals like this one, you could save on paper.”
The man’s long, slender fingers tapped the table rhythmically, making the department head feel as though he was a student being reprimanded by a teacher. He could only nod with a flushed face.
“Next item.”
The man didn’t push further, and the department head sat down, relieved.
The next executive in line to present tightened their nerves: Didn’t the boss just win an award? Why is he so difficult again? Should I change my phone wallpaper to his poster to get my proposal approved more easily?
Bang, bang, bang—
Before the executive could start, a brave little one suddenly knocked loudly on the meeting room door.
Everyone’s hearts jumped, and they all looked at the man at the head of the table: Not good! The boss is frowning!
But then a tender, anxious voice came from outside: “Big Daddy!”
Oh, it’s the young master. No problem, then.
Crisis averted, the door opened, and a small warrior, about three or four years old, rushed in holding a tablet.
He was dressed in a navy blue sailor suit, with a round face and fair skin. As he ran, his blue scarf fluttered, and his small body swayed as he toddled over to the young man sitting at the head of the table.
The child spoke in an anxious, childish voice: “Big Daddy, someone is bullying Daddy.”
The man took the tablet, his face darkening instantly. He scooped up the little warrior and strode out of the meeting room.
“Meeting postponed.”
Everyone watched the boss and the little one leave, collectively breathing a sigh of relief.
Then they all pulled out their phones: Who is it?! Who’s bullying our ‘boss’s wife’!!!
***
At the Shijing Hotel, under the Shiyao Group.
The SYT product launch live stream was abruptly interrupted. With the help of security, Ye Yunqing left the venue and headed to the manager’s office, where he finally had a chance to check the so-called exposé.
His work phone was flooded with calls and messages, and his main Weibo account was completely inaccessible. He decided to log into a secondary account on his personal phone.
On the trending topics list, the hashtag #YeYunqingSecretlyMarriedWithChildCheatingWithMalePartner# had a “Breaking” label next to it.
He clicked into the topic. The first exposé video showed him shopping with a child in a supermarket.
The person who secretly filmed it seemed to have followed him for a long time; both the footage and audio were clear. Even though he was wearing a mask, his identity could be easily recognized through his eyes, build, clothing, and voice.
The only saving grace was that the exposer had blurred out the child’s face, slightly easing Ye Yunqing’s anger.
Another exposé consisted of several blurry photos taken in a parking lot, showing him exiting an elevator, a man in a luxury car opening the door for him, and a brief kiss between them by the car—all captured on camera.
Due to the angle, only his face was clearly visible.
On the surface, these two pieces of evidence seemed enough to “confirm” his “secret marriage, having a child, and cheating on a male partner.” A flood of baseless accusations and slander followed, with gossip accounts going into a frenzy:
[Entertainment Eight Brothers V: I’ve analyzed this before. How could a nobody like him, who had no resources or connections, land the lead role in a famous director’s film and win Best Newcomer if he didn’t have a sugar daddy? If I’m wrong, I’ll eat sh*t on live stream!]
[Acting Awards V: A rational review of Ye Yunqing’s performance in “Sunshine”: Did he deserve the Golden Deer Award for Best Newcomer, or was it all thanks to money?]
[Gossip Circle V: Let’s dig into the man behind Ye Yunqing…]
The comments from netizens were even more vicious, with everyone acting like they knew the inside story:
[I heard Director Guo originally had another actor in mind for the lead in “Sunshine,” but caved in to capital and let Ye Yunqing parachute into the role.]
[The Golden Deer Award has been corrupt for years. Best Newcomer can be bought.]
[Ye Yunqing only got that SYT endorsement because he slept with the bald, fat brand director.]
[Let’s not forget how Ye Yunqing “accidentally” fell into Best Actor Cheng Jingyao’s arms at the award ceremony. Acting all aloof in front of fans but smiling coyly at the Best Actor. He’s clearly trying to ride on his fame.]
[Maybe one sugar daddy wasn’t enough for him.]
[Stay away from our Jingyao! We don’t want trash like him near Jingyao! 🤮🤮]
[Secret marriage and child, cheating with a male sugar daddy, seducing the new Best Actor—what a scumbag!]
[I feel sorry for the woman who bore his child. Does someone like him even deserve a family?]
The few comments from fans trying to defend him were quickly buried under waves of ridicule and insults. At first, the fans tried their best to stand by him, saying they believed in Ye Yunqing, but they too were overwhelmed by the relentless attacks.
Ye Yunqing took a deep breath and exited the comments section.
Assistant Xu Youyou returned with his personal belongings from the event’s lounge. As they knocked and entered, sounds of an argument between his manager, Brother Li, and the brand’s representative, General Manager Sun, could be heard from the neighboring meeting room. There was no need to listen closely to know it wasn’t going well.
These so-called exposés wouldn’t be hard to refute, but involving that person and the child… Ye Yunqing’s refined brows furrowed slightly.
Ding-dong—his phone suddenly chimed. A notification popped up on his secondary account: Your special follow has posted a new Weibo.
“Terminate the contract! We must terminate the contract!”
Before Ye Yunqing could check Weibo, General Manager Sun, ignoring Brother Li’s attempts at mediation, barged in, glaring at Ye Yunqing with fury, his beer belly shaking with rage. “We’re not just terminating the contract, we’re suing you for damages!”
Ye Yunqing put away his phone and stood up, intending to apologize and explain to calm the other party down, but then he saw the hotel manager leading two familiar figures, one tall and one small, appear at the door.
“Daddy!”
Ye Yunqing was slightly surprised. “Why are you guys here?”
“We came to take you home.” The tall man, wearing a black baseball cap and mask, was holding a small child who was also wearing a mask and a sailor hat. His deep eyes looked at Ye Yunqing.
“Take Daddy home,” the little one repeated in a soft, childish voice, reaching out his arms toward Ye Yunqing.
Ye Yunqing smiled, his cold demeanor instantly softening. He reached out to take the little one into his arms and then looked at the man before him. It felt as if he suddenly had someone to lean on, and his heart settled.
The man gave him a reassuring look, then removed his mask, raising his gaze slightly from under the brim of his cap. With a rebellious expression, he looked at General Manager Sun, who had been yelling just moments before.
“Ch-Cheng—”
The previously furious General Manager Sun stuttered as he recognized the man’s face.
This face was familiar from movies, award ceremonies, and business events alike. Should he address him according to entertainment industry norms as “Film Emperor Cheng,” or follow business etiquette and call him “President Cheng”?
On one side was a box office record holder, newly crowned Best Actor, and social media sensation; on the other, the heir to the Shiyao and Tianlan Groups. No matter which identity this man was presenting today, it was enough to leave Sun in shock.
Though their company was a leading domestic luxury brand, it was still a small player compared to giants like Shiyao and Tianlan.
“Are you Manager Sun from SYT?” Cheng Jingyao took the lead, his gaze cold. “I heard you want to terminate the contract with my spouse?”
Sp-Spouse?!
General Manager Sun was dumbfounded, looking back and forth between Ye Yunqing, Cheng Jingyao, and the child in Ye Yunqing’s arms. In a flash, the exposé photos he had just seen resurfaced in his mind—
D*mn! So those weren’t blackmail material but the prelude to the “Crown Princess” being exposed!
He hurriedly reached out to shake hands with Cheng Jingyao. “A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! I didn’t know that Mr. Ye was actually President Cheng’s spouse. I was misled by those online rumors and nearly made a fool of myself.”
Cheng Jingyao directly avoided his hand, wrapped an arm around Ye Yunqing’s shoulders, and said coldly, “You can terminate the contract, but if you want compensation, the Shiyao Group’s legal department will be ready to negotiate the damages.”
“No, no, no, we won’t terminate the contract, no termination,” Manager Sun quickly waved his hands.
His quick change in attitude was understandable. The endorsement scandal had already caused SYT’s stock price to waver within half an hour. Terminating the contract and demanding compensation wouldn’t necessarily recover their losses, but now that Ye Yunqing’s rumored partner turned out to be Cheng Jingyao, things were different.
Rather than kicking them while they were down, it would be better to offer a helping hand and curry favor with Ye Yunqing and President Cheng. Who knew? They might even have a chance to collaborate with Shiyao or Tianlan in the future. What were today’s losses compared to that?
So he flattered, “Mr. Ye endorsing our product is undoubtedly adding brilliance to our brand, like wings to a tiger. It’s all benefits and no harm—how could there be any loss—”
“General Manager Sun,” Ye Yunqing interrupted him, “You can discuss this with my agent.”
Ye Yunqing noticed that Cheng Jingyao was growing impatient. He guessed that Cheng had probably rushed over as soon as he saw the exposé and was likely holding back a lot of anger. If Manager Sun continued to pester him, it would only make things worse, so Ye Yunqing put a stop to his excessive praise.
Manager Sun seemed to realize that Ye Yunqing was easier to talk to than Cheng Jingyao, so he quickly took the opportunity and followed Manager Brother Li to the adjacent meeting room.
With no outsiders around, Cheng Jingyao took the hat and mask from Assistant Xu Youyou and carefully helped Ye Yunqing put them on.
Holding the little one, Ye Yunqing had no free hands, so he tilted his delicate face slightly, allowing Cheng to adjust his appearance.
Seeing this, the little one reached out to help adjust the ear loops of the mask for Ye Yunqing and even carefully pinched the nose clip into place.
Ye Yunqing’s eyes curved in a smile. He touched the little one’s cheek through the mask. “Thank you, Tuntun.”
The little one beamed back and gave his dad a kiss in the same way. “You’re welcome, Daddy.”
“And what about me?” Cheng Jingyao, who had taken the little one into his arms, looked down at him, his tone almost a bit aggrieved. “Can’t I get a kiss too?”
Meanwhile, the special follow notification on Ye Yunqing’s secondary account had caused an earthquake in the entertainment world, directly crashing Weibo.
@ChengJingyaoV: The luxury car is mine, the child is mine, and @YeYunqing is mine too—my lover whom I’ve cherished since childhood. [Attached: Childhood photo, Marriage certificate]
