Chapter 60

The name Gu Ling gave her wasn't what she'd expected.

She'd thought it was just a crew member—an assistant at most.

She never imagined it would be Wu Qing.

Gu Ling explained that Wu Qing had been spreading the rumors online because she liked Xiao Cheng. She wanted to see netizens, led by her, curse Kong Xiyan. Gu Ling said she'd spoken to Wu Qing in the past two days, especially after the incident, but Wu Qing remained stubborn and had even posted the photos this time. That's why Gu Ling had decided to tell Kong Xiyan, even though she knew Kong would find out soon enough anyway.

Kong Xiyan's bright eyes darkened. She stared at the message for a long moment before typing back two words: "Thank you."

Gu Ling replied: "No need."

After finishing the conversation with Gu Ling, Kong Xiyan was about to message Tong Yue when her phone rang. It was Tong Yue.

She said, "I found out who it is."

"It's Wu Qing."

Kong Xiyan wasn't surprised in the least. She gave a faint hum and simply said, "Handle it as you see fit, Tong."

Tong Yue was curious about her calmness. "What? You already knew?"

"Sort of."

"Gu Ling just told me."

Tong Yue understood.

Kong Xiyan hung up. The next day, she saw the news about 【Never Lies】 on Weibo.

In the end, Tong Yue, considering that Wu Qing belonged to Jingyan, framed one of the crew's assistants to take the fall. She didn't expose Wu Qing's identity publicly; instead, she claimed the assistant was merely being righteous, believing in her heart that Kong Xiyan didn't deserve the role, and had therefore been spreading rumors and smears.

A lengthy apology letter was posted, accompanied by a screenshot of the assistant's resignation. It stirred no sympathy from netizens—she was torn to shreds in the comments. However, this incident didn't linger in the spotlight for long before it was overshadowed by another piece of news.

Wu Qing was withdrawing from the drama due to illness.

She claimed that the accident on 【Meet on Friday】 had caused her great psychological trauma, making it impossible for her to live normally. She said she had been relying on medication these past two days, and her attending physician had advised her to take a break from acting and rest. Her temporary departure from the entertainment circle drew public attention, leading to even harsher criticism of the show 【Meet on Friday】, demanding a proper explanation.

Meanwhile, the 【Meet on Friday】 production team, which had originally planned to release an accident report, suppressed it. The public dispute was intense, so they could only wait for the storm to pass before releasing the statement.

Luckily, within a day, another big headline exploded in the industry.

The cast for 【Dawn】 was finalized. On that day, the production team invited the two leads and several supporting actors to a press conference. He Wei, with a bright smile, held Wei Yan's arm, greeting everyone warmly. Beside them stood several supporting cast members.

Among them were actresses playing the missing female university students. They exchanged glances, and one girl, leaning close to He Wei, whispered, "He Wei, hello."

He Wei turned gracefully, extending her hand. "Hello."

The girl's face flushed as she shook it. "I think you and Senior Wei Yan make such a perfect couple!"

He Wei maintained her smile. "Thank you."

Her other hand remained locked around Wei Yan's arm.

Seeing the girl about to ask more questions, He Wei lowered her eyes, still smiling. "Sorry, today is the 【Dawn】 press conference. We won't be discussing private matters."

The girl nodded quickly. "Of course, of course."

She turned to the girl beside her and whispered, "She's so elegant! When she spoke to me, my heart raced. Did you see her skin? It's so well-maintained."

Her companion nodded. "Of course. She's goddess-level. Did you think that was just talk?"

"True."

Their whispered exchange was soft but audible to He Wei. She merely curled her lips into a faint smile.

Soon, the press conference began.

The director of 【Dawn】 strode over, leading the cast to their seats as they awaited questions from reporters.

Since 【Dawn】 was a redemption film, the number of questions was limited. Toward the end, the conversation drifted off-topic, with reporters asking the director about other unrelated matters.

The director, still under forty and impeccably groomed, was stylishly dressed, so he didn't look out of place among the young stars—instead, he exuded a mature charm.

After several questions, a reporter turned to Wei Yan. "Mr. Wei, could you say a few words about starring in 【Dawn】?"

Wei Yan glanced at the director, who gestured casually. He cleared his throat. "To be honest, being able to star in this film and work with Director Lin is an honor. I hope to perform at my best and not disappoint Director Lin or the fans who support me."

He smiled as he finished, his handsome face radiating elegance. The reporters exchanged murmurs before another asked, "It's rumored that you and Miss He are about to remarry. Is that true?"

The moment the question was asked, Wei Yan's assistant behind him stepped forward, but Wei Yan raised his hand to signal him to stop.

He Wei and Wei Yan exchanged a glance, and she spoke, "Actually, we are already legally married."

She raised her hand as she spoke. The diamond ring on her ring finger sparkled, drawing gasps and whispers from the audience. Wei Yan leaned into the microphone. "In truth, Weiwei and I have been through a lot together, and we've come to understand so much more. I'm grateful that Weiwei has given me another chance. This time, I will cherish her."

He slowly raised his hand as well.

Their fingers intertwined, and they smiled at each other.

The room erupted in camera flashes.

By that afternoon, trending topics appeared.

#HeWei and WeiYan Remarry#

#Dawn Leads Confirmed, Couple CP Reunites?#

#WeiYan Confesses at Press Conference#

The topics about them instantly claimed the top three spots, their buzz escalating and easily drowning out the earlier 【Meet on Friday】 accident and Wu Qing's exit from 【Breaking the Cocoon】.

Their fans were in a frenzy, flooding forums, discussion boards, and anywhere with high traffic.

Some fans even targeted Kong Xiyan.

One ID, 【Love Wei Forever】—the same person who had earlier posted a lengthy analysis claiming Kong Xiyan was a homewrecker—spotted her Weibo and openly attacked: "Homewrecker, how does it feel to see our Weiwei and Wei Yan back together? Heartbroken?"

Another ID, 【Wei Yan Is the Best】, quickly replied: "It doesn't matter. You're not worthy of Wei Yan anyway."

These two, playing off each other, immediately sparked outrage among Kong Xiyan's fans and neutrals.

Kong Xiyan had gained a wave of new followers from 【Meet on Friday】. They hadn't even had two days to show their support before seeing her insulted like this. The three fan factions started tearing into one another. 【Love Wei Forever】 and 【Wei Yan Is the Best】 summoned countless die-hard fans of the couple, turning Kong Xiyan's Weibo, which had just settled down, into a cesspool again.

Kong Xiyan had just returned home with Yanyan when she saw Fu Qiu's message. She logged onto Weibo, read it, and her face tightened.

Before long, Tong Yue contacted her.

"Xiyan, give me your Weibo account and password."

Kong Xiyan paused. "Tong, what are you going to do? Delete the comments? There's no need for that."

Tong Yue typed a response, paused, deleted it, and finally sent one line: "Consider it a declaration of war?"

It was phrased like a joke,

Yet it carried a chill.

Kong Xiyan stared at the message for a long while. Finally, she called Chi Wanzhao first and, upon confirming that she had given the photos to Tong Yue, felt relieved enough to send her account and password.

That evening, as Kong Xiyan's Weibo was being flooded by Wei Yan and He Wei's countless fans,

she posted a Weibo.

And pinned it.

Kong Xiyan: "Mr. Wei and Ms. He, please restrain your fans. I don't want anyone else to be as foolish as I was three years ago, paying the price for mistakes you two made. I respect Mr. Wei as my senior, so I've never said a word, but if your fans continue to cause trouble, we might as well confront each other. Regarding what happened three years ago, you both know, and I know—I never did a thing, and my conscience is clear. @HeWei @WeiYan."

Once Kong Xiyan's Weibo was posted, major internet influencers shared it with captions like: "What's going on? Is there more to the three-year-old story?"

Many netizens were eager for drama.

—Wow, what's happening? Something's up?

—What does Kong Xiyan mean? Was it not her three years ago?

—What's the real story behind He Wei and Wei Yan's divorce?

The news of He Wei and Wei Yan's remarriage was quickly overtaken by Kong Xiyan's revelation. Netizens were overwhelmed by the drama, barely having time to celebrate for the couple before seeing Kong Xiyan hint at a bombshell.

Of course, Kong Xiyan's Weibo was soon overrun by He Wei and Wei Yan's fans again,

who were indignant and furious.

—What does Kong the homewrecker mean by this? Explain yourself!!!

—Exactly! Are you jealous now that our Wei Yan and Weiwei are back in the spotlight? Does their reunion bother you?

—She's just jealous and making things up! What else could it be! If you've got something real, show it!!!

—Pfft, you're still listening to her? I've known how shameless she is since three years ago.

Of course, Kong Xiyan's new fans fought back too, but since they didn't know the full story, they were at a disadvantage and their tone was less forceful.

While netizens were engaged in a heated battle, three familiar IDs appeared under Kong Xiyan's post.

@KongXiyanFanClub, @KongXiyanForum, @KongXiyanOfficial.

All three IDs reposted her Weibo with two messages.

The first: "Sorry, Yanyan, we're late."

The second: "@HeWei, @WeiYan, please apologize!"