Under the hazy night, two handsome men wearing masks came out of the restaurant. Their identity could be guessed by just looking at their stature. Hot search nowadays was usually dominated by two top flow, Touhua and Bai Yueguang.
The clip showed Bai Qingquan pointing to the camera as Shen Jintai took off his mask and look straight at it in an unfriendly expression.
The text by the marketing account was also very explosive: [Because of the movie?! The exception in the popular drama is not so simple!]
[Big surprise! The top-flow duo have broken their friendship!]
Shen Jintaiâs CP had always been Jintai Qiongying, but there were also fans who secretly poked Jintai MeiJing. Station B had video clips of Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan that were different from Jintai Qiongying. In addition to the snippets from <The East Palace is Coming> they had also participated in a talent show together. The editing material was also richer as it details the story of rivals wanting to kill each other to lovers who fell in love because they were filming a drama together. This kind of CP was too easy to eat!
Therefore, as soon as the news came out, a bunch of sugar-posting videos of the two that were collected by their CP fans were also pushed out as there was no ambiguity.
The fiercest picture was the last one where Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan had taken off their mask and stared at the camera in the dark night. This kind of vague picture made them look even more beautiful and compelling. Two tall, young, and handsome men. One was clean and warm, the other heroic and gorgeous. When they smiled, it looked as if they were filming for a magazine shoot.
âOhh, ohh, so well match!â The CP fans yelled.
Passersby were the most shocked. The two top-ranking flows had broken-back*. OMG, this was a major event that the entertainment industry had never seen before. The traffic was so momentous that it could collapse Weibo.
*Broken-back (æèæ ) = refers to the love of two men. It spawned from the movie Brokeback Mountain.
Shen Jintaiâs phone had already blown up early in the morning.
First Xiao Tang called, then Li Meilan, and then Monsoon Entertainment.
âWhat, me and Bai Qingquan?â Shen Jintai rubbed his eyes, sat up from the bed, and went online to read the hot searches while talking on the phone.
The hot search had exploded and so had the gold powder and moonlight powder. The control and evaluation capabilities of these two groups were first-class, and together they were even more invincible.
âRumors can kill an entire family! Take Shen Jintai away, no appointment!â
âMy brother is a straight man. Take him away. No appointment!â
Since Shen Jintai was originally gay and it was well-known, Monsoon Entertainment only treated this kind of news as an ordinary scandal. They still clarified it but there was no panic.
Sunshine Media was different though. They hid and covered it since they were afraid that Bai Qingquan sexual orientation would spread. His debut route was the boyfriend next door. All his fans were girlfriend fans and there were too many straight stars*. Even if they want to reveal his orientation, it had to be done little by little. When Bai Qingquan signed on to film <When Youâre Older>, one was to rub the current trend of same-sex media, and the other was to test the waters. He didnât expect that before the movie was released, he was already caught in a same-sex scandal.
*Clarity: the implication here is that the industry has a ton of straight male stars. If Bai Qingquan was found out to be gay, all his fans (which are mostly girlfriend fans) would flock to other stars whose sexual orientation aligns with them.
It was fine for a straight man to be involved like this. It was common to sell rot in the industry. The problem was Shen Jintai was involved, and he was an actual gay man.
Therefore, Sunshine Media reacted very quickly, and they planned to issue a statement immediately.
âYou have to remember that as soon as the statement is made, you should not think about falling in love in the next few years.â Wei Ge said: âUnless you can guarantee that you will never be photographed, the fans will abandon you and it wonât be as nice as what happened with Shen Jintai.â
Bai Qingquan held his breath. His heart was suffocating, and he really wanted to take this opportunity to confess to the public, but he also knew the consequences that will arise with his confession. He hadnât really fallen in love with Shen Jintai so there was no benefit to gain from this confession.
This kind of specious news was easy to deny and wonât really make too much waves. He and Shen Jintai only need to post on Weibo and there would be no harm or foul.
Of course, on the surface there wouldnât be any harm to him as a âstraight manâ. But Bai Qingquan knew the power behind such statement. The noise was too big that he needed to speak up, but once he speaks, the moonlight powders were bound to flock to him to support him. The louder their voices, the harder it becomes for him to come out of the closet in the future.
As soon as the closet door was slightly ajar, it was instantly welded shut again!
âItâs really strange. Who took it out of context like this? This is an obvious malicious attack?â Wei Ge said: âThe other party knows that it will not cause a real scandal. They just wanted to splash dirty water. It feels more like malicious revenge.â
Bai Qingquan knew who it was. Just before Bai Qingquan was about to post on Weibo, Zheng Siqi took the lead in speaking out: [Itâs obviously a movie by three people. Why isnât my name mentioned?]
Then he @ Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan.
âZheng Siqi is righteous. This new is obviously fake. Itâs just hype for the film theyâre starring in, right?â
âI also think itâs the hype of the film. Arenât Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan acting as lovers?â
âThe marketing account donât do personal work. If they collect money the rhythm flies.â
âThe news is definitely fake, but Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan are really good. I was caught off guard by the last picture of the two of them. They really make a beautiful pair!â
Regarding whether to respond to this matter, Monsoon Entertainment held a meeting to discuss. They werenât urgent because they knew it was just fake news at first sight that even passersby wonât believe it. They can let it hang on the hot search for a day and add heat to the movie for free.
At most, it will deepen the publicâs understanding of Shen Jintaiâs sexual orientation, but that was trivial. Since Shen Jintai dares to act in same-sex drama, it means it wasnât afraid of this aspect. As for Bai Qingquan, they felt even more indifferent. A straight man like him will only get heat and little harm done, especially since passersby believes that the material is fake. They didnât need to take the lead in speaking out. After Sunshine Media speaks up, it will be enough for them to cooperate. Who knew that before Sunshine Media issued a statement, Bai Qingquan had already posted on Weibo and @ Xiao Qiâs Weibo account.
[Work together to demolish the golden platform] was Xiao Qiâs Weibo account.
Bai Qingquan wrote: [Sister, your ability to make up stories is really first-class.]
From the GIF to the deliberately edited videos on the hot search, he knew instantly that it was Xiao Qi who did it. All the cooking went ballistic, and the biggest culprit was finally found. Gold powder and moonlight powder attacked jointly. They found that bitch Xiao Qi had already locked the comments, so they directly scolded her on the hot search.
At this moment, Xiao Qi caught fire, and everyone knew about it. The black material of Shen Jintai that she posted every day for several years had been widely circulated by screenshots. For the first time, passersby saw that there was such a crazy black powder. The viciousness of the language and the richness of swearing were astounding.
âOh my god, this woman is terrible. I feel that Shen Jintai mustâve dug up her familyâs ancestral grave. What kind of hatred is this?!â
âThat woman is crazy. Just look at her face. I heard from fans that sheâs a professional black powder and she has more than 100,000 followers by relying on blackening Touhua!â
âJust now, there was another new material. Didnât Touhua encounter a wave of crisis some time ago because of bodyguards pushing fans and almost causing a car accident? The illegitimate rice posted on Weibo saying that this woman gave them the address where Shen Jintai was staying and also provided them with accommodation!â
âMy goodness, Iâm terrified to even think about it!â
Xiao Qi had been in the entertainment industry for many years and had cultivated the ability to skirt on the edge of the law. She never thought that she was going to be destroyed for becoming too infamous. When she went shopping at the supermarket, she suddenly noticed that several girls were secretly looking at her. They were pointing and whispering as if they were talking about her.
âIs it her?â
âThere is a mole on her cheek. Itâs her right?â
Xiao Qi was so scared that she ran away quickly. When she got home, she endured her fear and posted on Weibo: [I encountered a real-life run-in from online exposure. Can celebrities spray people with blood based on their influence? Donât think that small people wonât dare file lawsuits against big stars! You donât have any evidence to say that it was me!]
Not long after she posted this Weibo, another hot search went online. There was only four words: [The East Palace Three Masters].
The hot search was bought by Monsoon Entertainment. The best way to refute this kind of scandal is to provide evidence through pictures and videos that showed Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan werenât the only two there at the time, proving that this whole incident was all done through malicious editing. However, they didnât even take selfies when they were at dinner, so proof was hard to come by.
At this time, the power of fans went into action. Gold powders found that a girl had posted a recording on Weibo that not only captured the three of them, but also Xiao Qi who was holding the camera towards them.
The girl was unknown and had few followers, but she was very outspoken: [Return to the truth! After seeing the hot search, I knew that this woman was that Xiao Qi! Hammer to death*!]
*Hammer to death (é€æ») = refers to no retreat or no mercy or both. Can also refer to as harshly condemning someone until they surrender/confess. In this case itâs the latter.
Xiao Qi and her Weibo, [Work together to demolish the golden platform], was completely alone.
âCongratulations, Xiao Qi, Iâm going to get a hammer now!â
âThis is really hammered to death! Letâs sue her!â
âIt has been reported, so letâs wait for a lawsuit!â
Monsoon Entertainment issued a lawyerâs statement immediately and formally filed a lawsuit.
Shen Jintai, who has always light cloud and light wind*, didnât care much about these black powders. He said to Li Meilan: âDonât let me see her in the future.â
*Light cloud and light wind (äșæ·ĄéŁèœ») = idiom which mean the breeze and cloud are light and the weather is sunny. Can refer to someone as sunny and laid-back. From the poem âSpringtimeâ by Cheng Hao.
Still, Shen Jintai couldnât help feeling unhappy. He had worried about this a long time ago. He knew that if he was going to chase Bai Qingquan, he might only be able to do it surreptitiously. This event had made him see the facts more clearly.
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Shen Jintai was in the same dressing room as Bai Qingquan. When no one was around, he chatted with him regarding the scandal.
Shen Jintai: âI hurt you.â
âWho knew that woman was so crazy,â Bai Qingquan said: âI donât blame you.â
Shen Jintai: âStill, it had a great impact on you.â
Bai Qingquan smiled and said: âItâs okay. Anyways, Iâm not planning to fall in love right now.â
Bai Qingquan stretched his body as he looked at Shen Jintai and said: âSpeaking of this, I really envy you. Look at how good your fans are. Knowing that you like men, they still love you so much. For me, itâs different. If my fans know that Iâm gay, I donât know what my future path will be like. I can only continue pretending to be straight, but fortunately, Iâm used to it now.â
Bai Qingquan: âSometimes I feel very sorry for them. They like me so much, but they donât know what the real me is like. I sometimes feel that my traffic and fame are all bubbles that could easily pop with a single poke.â
This was the first time that Shen Jintai had seen such a lonely Bai Qingquan.
Bai Qingquan raised his head slightly showing off his fair neck and a face that looked good from any angle. His throat slightly bobbed: âI really admire you. When you were at the peak of your popularity, you gave everything up for love. Why did you give it up? I actually wanted to see you catch up with Yan Qiuchi and be with him happily. I think you deserve that life. But you didnât succeed in the end and deep down in my heart, I feel sorry for you, and it makes me also very afraid.â
All his fans abandoned him, and he fell from grace. There was nothing left, and he hadnât even obtained his love. What a tragic story and a lesson from the past.
Shen Jintai: âIf you have to choose between love and your career, which would you choose?â
Bai Qingquan glanced at him. He thought for a bit and then said: âAlthough I long for a man to accompany me every day and hope to fall in love when Iâm young, if I had to choose between the two, it would be my career. Unless itâs someone who loves me very much and I the same- I know itâs a bit hypocritical- I want the kind of love that will last a lifetime, filled with warmness, and so profound that it makes me want to think about him every day.â
Shen Jintai was disappointed. He felt he wasnât as enthusiastic in his love for Bai Qingquan. He didnât know if heâll ever be able to fall in love with Bai Qingquan so deeply and zealously as how he wanted. Unless he can fall in love with Bai Qingquan like this, it seemed he shouldnât take another step forward. He felt it could harm Bai Qingquan like this.
Bai Qingquan didnât do anything wrong. He was actually very pitiful. But Shen Jintai only had one year and he wanted to live!
What should he do? Should he go and attack Yan Qiuchi instead? But for him to be with Yan Qiuchi, it would be a life of a 0, right?
Shen Jintai swallowed and became even more frustrated.
The author has something to sayïŒ
You finally have a clear understanding of your life.
Xiao Qi: Help me up, I still have one final task to complete. I can still fight! (Vomits blood)
Kinky Thoughts: Poor Bai Qingquan. I hope he gets the 100% gong he deserves.
I also feel sorry for Shen Jintai, but dear arenât you thinking about it all wrong? So hung up on 1âs and 0âs. How about yâall just discuss it first and work things out? Characters in danmei act as if versatile position is not a thing and itâs all strictly 1âs and 0âs.
The fact that Yan Qiuchi whoâs supposed to be a domineering president is now lowering and slapping himself in the face to try to win you back⊠I mean at this point Iâm sure if he can get together with you heâll happily bend over and give you his ass!