He Yu smiled, “You used to be so afraid of me?”
Xie Xiaobao sat down and counted on his fingers the reasons why he found He Yu scary.
“You’re tall and always have that stern look on your face.”
“You speak so coldly.”
“And your gaze feels like a knife.”
Listing all the terrifying things about He Yu without fear of death, Xie Xiaobao suddenly changed his tone.
“…But those are just surface impressions. Once you get to know him, you realize he’s actually super nice. And not scary at all.”
“He’s the type who’ll hit you with a stick but then give you a sweet date afterward.”
“A little rascal.”
He Yu lowered his eyes to look at him, his dark pupils sparkling under the sunlight, his tone a mix of helplessness and fondness.
Xie Xiaobao averted his gaze, looking elsewhere.
The film crew had already taken their positions and started a new shoot.
He asked casually, “Aren’t you going back yet?”
He Yu took out his phone and checked the time.
He had just returned to the country, and the company indeed had many things needing his attention.
Pressing his lips, he said softly, “I’ll be going back soon. Once I finish this round of work, I’ll come see you again.”
Xie Xiaobao had only asked out of habit, but he hadn’t expected He Yu to actually leave.
After a moment’s pause, he said, “Then should I see you off?”
“No need.” He Yu patted his head and smiled.
“If you see me off, then I’ll have to see you back in again?”
“I can walk myself.”
He Yu stood up, waved at him, and turned to walk outside.
Xie Xiaobao stared at his back for a long time until his cheeks inexplicably heated up, and he finally withdrew his gaze.
He Yu left the film base and immediately called Fang Huaiyue.
“Check on Yang Qifei, and also that small Weibo account leaking info.”
Fang Huaiyue understood his meaning.
But recalling the trouble they had before when investigating, he honestly replied, “We’re already checking the small account, and Yang Qifei was being investigated too, but Feng Sheng said they’ll handle it themselves and asked us not to interfere.”
“Is that Xie Yan’s decision?”
“Yes.”
He Yu furrowed his brows, forming a crease.
“Then let it be. Keep an eye on Yang Qifei, and if there’s anything, send it directly to Feng Sheng.”
Fang Huaiyue didn’t quite understand his intention.
Feng Sheng and He’s Entertainment had been longtime rivals.
While they didn’t compete directly on the same platform, it was rare for them to extend goodwill.
Unable to figure out He Yu’s reasoning, Fang Huaiyue didn’t press further and simply followed He Yu’s orders.
At that moment, Yang Qifei was hiding in a small motel.
After the truth was exposed, neither his sponsor nor his agent contacted him.
He had spent a night drowning in alcohol, and early the next morning, he ran away.
His agent ignored him, clearly turning against him and treating him as a discarded pawn.
The person handling the leak knew about it and would surely sell him out, and this wasn’t the only thing Yang Qifei had done…
His mind foggy, he had no idea what to do.
When Feng Sheng requested him to return to the company, he instinctively went into hiding.
In his hurried escape, he didn’t dare go home to pack.
After tidying his bag at the hotel, he found a rundown motel where no one would notice him.
The motel was filthy and chaotic, with small windows that let in little light and no ventilation.
A damp, pungent smell of mold lingered in the air.
The white sheets and duvet covers had yellow stains that no washing could remove.
The ashtray was piled with cigarette butts, left uncleaned.
Yang Qifei hadn’t encountered such an environment in years.
Since entering the entertainment industry and gaining his first sponsor, he’d lived a life of luxury.
Thinking about the cause of his downfall, Yang Qifei’s eyes reddened, and he smashed the ashtray on the table to the floor.
The ceramic hit the tile floor with a loud bang, followed by the coarse shouts of the motel owner.
The stout owner stomped upstairs, fists clenched, knocking loudly on the door.
“What the hell are you going crazy for? You’ll have to pay for what you broke!”
“Get lost!” Yang Qifei panted heavily, picking up the ashtray from the ground and hurling it fiercely against the door.
His chest heaved violently, his body trembling slightly, and his face flushed unnaturally red.
After catching his breath for a while, he shakily pulled out a pack of cigarettes with exquisite packaging from his pocket.
Only three cigarettes remained — his last reserves.
Trembling, he lit one and put it in his mouth.
White smoke curled around him as Yang Qifei’s expression finally relaxed.
He took out his phone and logged onto Weibo.
His previous post was still at the top, with many fans commenting, asking what had happened to him.
He sneered coldly, calm on the surface but madness flickering in his eyes.
“If you won’t let me live, then none of you will live well either.”
He inhaled deeply, deleted his previous post, and immediately edited a new one.
[Sorry, it’s my fault. Please, leave me alone. @Xie Xiaobao @Feng Sheng Entertainment Official Weibo]
Click send.
He threw the phone aside and collapsed onto the filthy bed, his expression twisted and deranged.
Yang Qifei’s new post quickly shot to the trending list.
His fans were shocked.
The rational ones kept asking what happened, while the irrational had already formed groups to curse at Xie Xiaobao and the Feng Sheng official account, demanding answers.
Even though the Public Relations Department brought in Water Army to control the situation, Weibo was still a chaotic mess, with rounds of flame wars.
Xie Yan’s private Weibo account was also bombarded, but he didn’t let anyone speak up or clarify.
Xie Yan leaned back in his chair, fingers rhythmically tapping the table.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Xie Yan sat up straight and looked toward the door.
“President Xie, He’s Entertainment sent someone with a letter. They say someone resembling Yang Qifei was found at a small motel.”
He handed the letter over.
“He’s Entertainment sent a letter?”
The secretary relayed He’s Entertainment’s message.
“Yes.”
“Take people there and proceed as planned.”
The secretary nodded and left.
The secretary arrived near the motel first to keep watch.
Once confirming the person inside was indeed Yang Qifei, he called the police to report.
“Yes, we discovered one of our artists using drugs. After being found out, he went into hiding. We just located him and now need the police’s help. If confirmed positive, please handle it accordingly.”
After reporting the address, three officers quickly arrived.
“The person is hiding inside.”
The police looked serious.
After the secretary’s confirmation, they entered the motel directly.
The secretary pulled out a photo of Yang Qifei.
“Which room does he stay in?”
The motel owner looked fearful.
“Room 0505. There’s a young man wearing a mask who looks quite like the person in the photo. Has he committed a crime? I knew it — always hiding in his room smashing things. Such people should be caught and locked up for a few days!”
The police nodded and went upstairs.
The motel’s environment was truly terrible.
Standing in the hallway, one could hear everything happening inside the rooms.
The three officers exchanged glances and told the secretary to knock.
The secretary knocked three times.
The smashing noises stopped, then heavy footsteps approached.
The door was suddenly flung open.
“Are you fucking done? You’re gonna make me pay for what you broke—”
Yang Qifei reacted like a duck caught by the throat, then snapped back to reality and tried to close the door.
But a policeman hiding nearby rushed forward and held the door shut.
One officer restrained Yang Qifei with his hands cuffed behind his back, while another rushed in to search.
Red-eyed, Yang Qifei yelled furiously, “What are you doing? On what grounds are you arresting me?”
The room still smelled faintly of smoke.
A half-finished slim cigarette lay in the ashtray on the bedside table.
The police opened the window for ventilation, then picked up the cigarette and sniffed it closely.
“We’re taking you in for blood and urine tests.”
Panic overwhelmed Yang Qifei — this was his biggest secret, one he hadn’t even told his agent.
“I didn’t do drugs. You can’t arrest me…”
The police looked at him, “You’ll know after the test.”
Two officers forced Yang Qifei outside while the secretary kindly reminded, “He ran away on impulse and didn’t have time to pack at home.”
Before the police could respond, Yang Qifei suddenly spun his head and glared at the secretary.
“What bullshit are you talking about?”
His pupils were dilated, but his emotions were unusually agitated.
His cheeks flushed with a sickly red.
“If the suspect tests positive for drugs, we will apply for a search warrant.”
The police handcuffed Yang Qifei and shoved him into the police car, then reported to the secretary.
The secretary nodded, standing in place and watching them leave.
Photos of Yang Qifei being taken away quickly spread online, posted not by Feng Sheng but by another small Weibo account.
The filthy motel room, Yang Qifei’s bloodshot eyes, his hands cuffed behind his back, and the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.
The post was blunt.
[Popular young star Yang Qifei suspected of drug use arrested.]
This Weibo post tagged almost every influential entertainment news account in the circle.
Yang Qifei’s earlier “please leave me alone” post had already ignited countless arguments, but this new, possibly true or false, leak was like water hitting hot oil — exploding with a loud bang.