“Really?”
Gu Jinmian paused, looked away, and half-lowered his eyes as he asked.
Yin Mosu said, “Really.”
Gu Jinmian remained silent for a moment and asked knowingly, “Who to fight?”
Fight who? Fight those two people just now.
“Whoever you want to fight,” Yin Mosu replied.
Gu Jinmian looked at him again and asked, “Really?”
Yin Mosu patiently repeated, “Really.”
Fight whoever you want to, is it the toughest and most difficult person in the world to beat?
Gu Jinmian suggested, “How about hitting Bai Xinyu?”
Yin Mosu: “……”
He suppressed a smile.
What obsession did he have with “persecuting” Bai Xinyu?
He knew that Gu Jinmian’s words were just going along with the flow and not a real expression of anger.
Yin Mosu released his hand, offering no response to the idea of hitting Bai Xinyu.
Gu Jinmian huffed with the remaining bit of anger, “Just as I thought, it’s indeed a lie.”
“I’m still afraid of that dream,” Yin Mosu said. “What if I’m really living in a book, and Bai Xinyu is the protagonist? If we beat him up and the world collapses, what to do if I lose you?”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
He remained silent, and on his paralyzed face the faint blush hadn’t disappeared, making him both scary and cute.
After a while, he finally said, “Who would want to hit him?”
Anyway, he’s still his employee. He even helped negotiate an explosive drama two days ago.
“I want to beat up Han Yuanting. It must be him causing trouble, that annoying guy.”
Yin Mosu still went along with him, “Sure.”
Gu Jinmian’s eyes turned left and right twice, ” Weibo?”
“I know it was you,” Yin Mosu said.
With such clear evidence, how did he figure out it was him?
“You’re just coaxing me,” Gu Jinmian said.
“Are you going to come out?” Yin Mosu said, “I really am coaxing you. It’s my first time trying to coax someone, I am inexperienced. You have to bear more.”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
He sat up straight, looking out the window, as if he wanted to talk to him again.
It was just a little past two in the afternoon, and the autumn sun was shining brightly outside. The radiant sunlight filtered through the car window, casting a creamy hue on his face.
He tilted his head slightly, and the curve of his curled eyelashes and the pink hue on his ears were vividly captured in Yin Mosu’s eyes.
His ears were tinged with a blush, with the entire earlobe bathed in a soft pink. The ear cavity was a bit deeper, the helix shallow, but the round and delicate earlobe remained beautifully white.
Yin Mosu’s tone softened, “I was coaxing you, but I didn’t lie to you. I know that you did it.”
Although he knew the exact time he sent those messages, Yin Mosu estimated that there should be a significant time difference between them. Whether the incident was real or fake, it was something he could do.
Gu Jinmian hugged Ji Nan’s arm, probably only when he was about to execute a shoulder throw.
Seeing that Gu Jinyin was still talking, Yin Mosu said, “I’ve already controlled it, and no one is talking about you anymore.”
Gu Jinyin grumbled, “There’s still Weibo, that annoying guy Han Yuanting. I don’t know how to deal with him.”
“He has tens of thousands of “protection” messages under his Weibo, maybe even more.”
This was what Gu Jinmian found most infuriating.
They actually went to protect this sneaky guy who uses underhanded tactics behind the scenes. Despite their wealth and power, they were at a disadvantage in the eyes of netizens.
Hang Yuanting had been in the entertainment industry for many years and was skilled at manipulating public sentiment to create topics and provoke public opinion.
Betraying trust was one of the things the public hates the most.
Now they were trapped in a passive position. If they try to suppress Hang Yuanting, the situation would become even more serious.
So many people were watching their family, and it’s too much for the sake of just this person.
Gu Jinmian started to feel angry, and that “protection” felt like a thorn stuck in his heart.
“That protection can take on another meaning,” Yin Moshu says.
“Hmm?” Gu Jinmian immediately looked up at him.
“Using us to suppress him,” Yin Moshu smiles. “like, go to Weibo and that post again?”
Just over half an hour ago, people online were still cursing him and protecting Hang Yuanting. What else is there, was there such a rapid reversal?
Gu Jinmian opened his phone with skepticism, first checking the hot searches. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t find his name there.
The next stop was the couple’s super topic. Gu Jinmian was more nervous than when checking the hot searches. He clicked into it, tightly closing his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them just a crack.
On the homepage, there’s no one cursing him, instead, they’re all expressing love and lifting him high?
What’s going on? Gu Jinmian is bewildered.
He went directly to the original post of the incident. The first few pages were still filled with criticism, just like when he first saw it. However, starting from page seven, there’s a major turnaround.
The most convincing part among all the revelations claiming to be Hang Yuanting’s friend was the chat record between Gu Jinmian and someone discussing how to win back Ji Nan.
After all, the other photos were from several years ago, lacking sound and explanations. Interpreting them varied from person to person, making it easy to be misled.
However, in the recorded chat logs, it was Gu Jinmian personally speaking.
Moreover, clicking on the profile picture and entering his social circle could confirm that this was indeed his account, ruling out the possibility of forgery.
These were the pieces of evidence hammering against Gu Jinmian.
However, the person chatting with Gu Jinmian under the WeChat name Ming uploaded even more records.
In the short span of time, after chatting with Gu Jinmian and helping him decide to gift Ji Nan the watch for his birthday, he turned to Hang Yuanting and followed through with his plan to subtly suggest to Gu Jinmian to give Ji Nan a couple’s watch with Hang Yuanting.
At this point, the netizens were losing it.
Earlier, they were mocking Gu Jinmian’s amusing way of pursuing someone as a third wheel. One instance was Ji Nan buying two identical watches, giving one to Hang Yuanting as a couple’s watch. Gu Jinmian, in a comedic and frustrating twist, turned around and bought the same watch to give to Ji Nan.
Little did they know, it was all orchestrated by Hang Yuanting.
This was getting intriguing.
Little did they know, the bombshell was yet to come.
Hang Yuanting then recommended a celebrity to this person named Ming.
“Just debuted, spent three years as a trainee overseas, specializes in dance, flexible body, and can endure ‘intense’ training and blows.”
Ming: “Sure, anything you want to know about Gu Jinmian, just ask me anytime.”
Hang Yuanting: “You’re having a great time. I’m helping you gather celebrities, and on Gu Jinmian’s side, he’s grateful and lets you gain benefits. It’s a win-win.”
That’s right, this person was Ji Ming.
All of this came out in a massive chat record later on.
Netizens were left in shock and disbelief, their three views shattered to the ground.
This already went beyond ordinary black material. It might lead to an investigation.
In the face of more explosive and terrifying revelations, discussions about Gu Jinmian dwindled.
Even if there were discussions, only very few people were talking. Gu Jinmian was seen as a victim, manipulated and led down the wrong path by these two cunning individuals. After all, at that time, Gu Jinmian was just a naïve high school student of around sixteen or seventeen, inexperienced and innocent.
Someone from the “Deceiving the Sea” drama crew affirmed the truth of the matter. They witnessed Ji Ming and Hang Yuanting having a heated confrontation on the spot, and Hang Yuanting was even taken away by the police. The crew members know that Gu Jinmian only saw Ji Nan as an older brother and had eyes only for Yin Moshu.
There’s a video that clearly documented the moment when Ji Ming confronted Hang Yuanting on the drama set, pushing him down during their argument.
The questions Ji Ming raised in the video match those in the chat records.
It’s a double-sided hammer of evidence hitting hard.
[Gu Jinmian is a silly white sweet who has been overly protected by his family., but he’ll grow out of it. He must have been deceived.]
[He’s actually quite sharp. Maybe he saw that Hang Yuanting was up to no good, so he disrupted their date. Is he really just a third wheel?]
At that moment, a video surfaced online: Gu Jinmian getting hit in the face with an egg as he boarded a car.
People who were on the fence also started speaking up in defense of Gu Jinmian.
[This is going too far!]
[So malicious! If Ming hadn’t “confessed” and the young master gets cyberbullied while being chased to be physically harmed, that’s just too much.]
[Stay strong, Ji Mei! In Hang Yuanting’s movie, he’s overshadowed by Yin Moshu, and the Four Seasons show’s popularity extends far beyond Yin Moshu and Gu Jinmian. This is a malicious scheme!]
[“Exploring the Dark Side of Human Nature—A Case Study on the Entertainment Industry’s “White Moonlight” Hang Yuanting”]
[Oh, poor young master, pat pat on the head.]
Gu Jinmian: “…”
He suspected that some of these comments were from his second brother, who might have hired internet mercenaries to manipulate public opinion in this muddy water.
The same went for Hang Yuanting.
Buying influence like this is both disgusting and severe.
The long line of “protection” comments under his Weibo has another layer of meaning.
Of course, the number of “protectors” was decreasing, and there’s a significant drop.
Finally, this incident made it to the hot searches, and Hang Yuanting was in the hot water.
The White Moonlight turned into stinky dog poop.
The rats in the gutter were caught and were watched by onlookers.
Gu Jinmian held back for a while, but a slight smirk still managed to appear at the corner of his mouth.
A bit satisfying.
Okay, just a bit.
He turned to Yin Moshu and asked, “How did Ji Ming self-expose?”
The key to this turnaround was Ji Ming exposing the chat records. While those records exposed the disgusting things Hang Yuanting did, they also laid bare Ji Ming’s own dark history to the netizens.
“He’s been infamous for a while,” Yin Moshu said with interest. “Probably doesn’t really care about that.”
Gu Jinmian looked at him skeptically. “Are you planning to take him to a boxing gym?”
Given Ji Ming’s obsession with violence, getting into a fight could indeed be a way for him to sacrifice everything, including his reputation.
“No,” Yin Moshu laughs. “I dared to go earlier.”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
What’s with this talk about daring?
“Will Hang Yuanting be investigated?” Gu Jinmian asked.
Yin Moshu: “Probably. In the end, whether the celebrities involved did it voluntarily or were coerced, the paths they’ve taken in the industry lead to this point. Unless they’re willing to take on web dramas.”
“What about Ji Ming?”
“He’s in the same boat as Hang Yuanting.”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
This guy is a bit ruthless.
Yin Moshu looked into his sparkling eyes and asked, “Still angry?”
Gu Jinmian didn’t speak.
Yin Moshu asks, “Are you still going to fight?”
Gu Jinmian replied, “A true man fights back.”
He understands, fighting back with words is much more satisfying. A punch might feel good in the moment, but it leads to facing the consequences afterward.
If he goes and punches those two fans, it might get recorded and become new material for online bashing.
Gu Jinmian’s lips twitch, as if he wanted to say something.
Without giving him a chance, Yin Moshu spoke first, “When Bai Qirui first approached me to join the show, I refused.”
Gu Jinmian looked at him curiously, “Why?”
“I’m already this old, I don’t need suddenly appearing parents, especially ones I have no emotional connection with.”
“Later, with each of Ji Nan’s glances, and amid the doubts from countless netizens, I compromised,” Yin Moshu said.
Gu Jinmian thought about that night when they kissed, and Yin Moshu mentioned compromising. He twitched his fingers and didn’t continue staring into his eyes.
“But that’s all it is. I don’t intend to become their true heir,” Yin Moshu said. “I still want to focus on making movies, work harder in the entertainment industry, and not become a joke in other people’s eyes in the future.”
Gu Jinmian’s eyes light up, and his paralyzed face instantly transformed into one full of enthusiasm and determination. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you plenty of great movies. I’ll make sure you won’t become a joke!”
“Sure,” Yin Moshu pursed his lips and smiled, having achieved his purpose. “I’ll depend on you in the future.”
“I’m your boss. Depending on me is justifiable and righteous.”
As they spoke, they arrived home.
Gu Jinmian and Yin Moshu get out of the car from their respective sides. After Gu Jinmian got off, Yin Moshu put on his trench coat and walked forward one step ahead of him.
Gu Jinmian stopped in place for a few seconds, then quickly strode forward, coming up very close behind Yin Moshu. He sniffed the air, getting so close that he’s almost against Yin Moshu’s back.
Suddenly, Yin Moshu turned around, and Gu Jinmian nearly collided into his arms.
“What are you doing?” Yin Moshu laughed at him.
Gu Jinmian opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing at a red rose on the side of the road. He skillfully plucked one and placed it in Yin Moshu’s hand.
Before getting in the car, when he went to confront the man and woman, they each held an egg to smash him. At that moment, he was forced to crouch down by Yin Moshu, and one egg flew over his head, hitting the car.
What about the other one?
When he got in the car, there were no traces of the other person in front.
While in the car, he was too absorbed in anger to think about this, and Yin Moshu kept talking to him in a friendly manner all the way.
Gu Jinmian described the current feeling as something he had never experienced before— a mix of sourness, bitterness, and a warm, sweet sensation.
It felt more piercing than him fighting for himself.
It’s probably the comforting feeling of seeing one’s child grow up in one’s own home.
The original cold and paranoid Yin Moshu had become so warm.
He should say thank you, but at this moment, for some reason, it’s hard to say it out loud.
Yin Moshu held a rose in his hand, and Gu Jinmian, feeling awkward, lowered his eyes and chuckled.
He placed the red rose into the square pocket on the belly of Gu Jinmian’s jacket, and said to the young man who had been insisting on protecting him, “Mian Mian, I want to protect you too.”
The strange feeling in his heart grew stronger.
Gu Jinmian stared at the red rose on his stomach for a moment, feeling embarrassed about what he just said.
“Oh, aren’t you going to film? How come you’re back?”
Yin Moshu’s expression changed slightly as he said, “There’s an actor in the crew who will be going abroad next week, so they’re adjusting the shooting schedule. They want to film his scenes first, and I’ll leave again tomorrow night.”
“Oh.”
Gu Jinmian felt annoyed at himself for finding it difficult to express gratitude.
He looked at the two additional roses in his pouch and said, “Then I’ll go with you tomorrow night.”
Yin Moshu placed a white rose in his pocket and smiled, saying, “Sure.”
The square pocket on his stomach now held several roses, turning into a makeshift flower basket.
What a strange hobby Yin Moshu had?
He even wanted to continue filling it.
Actually, Gu Jinmian was willing to let him fill it, but—
Gu Jinmian pulled Yin Moshu, gesturing for him to step back.
The florist, holding scissors, was distressed to the point of exploding, “Buying a rose outside costs only a hundred yuan.”
Yin Moshu: “…”
Gu Jinmian finally burst into laughter, his eyes and brows curved with bright delight.
This laughter seemed like opening a door, unlocking the awkward shell of Gu Jinmian, and what followed was his continuous joy that almost made him jump.
That night, on Weibo, he happily climbed onto Yin Moshu, excitedly rubbing against him and saying, “Yin Moshu, why are you so good!”
Yin Moshu, who had just managed to fall asleep and was now awakened by the rubbing, found it extremely difficult to go back to sleep. “…”
He took a deep breath, his body tensing, whether from holding back frustration or something else.
Meanwhile, the sharp-witted Gu Jinmian had already climbed down and curled up on the other side, continuing to laugh while hugging his phone.
As Yin Moshu had mentioned, amidst the online criticism, Hang Yuanting’s reputation plummeted. Although it hadn’t shown much on the surface, within the industry, few people knew that many of his endorsements were about to be revoked, especially those high-profile brands and the ones collaborating with the Gu family, who were taking an extremely firm stance.
Thinking about it, their family, like the Bai family, specialized in the financial industry, with business spread across various sectors, involving all aspects of life.
As this matter slowly fermented, some actors began to speak out. They revealed that Hang Yuanting had once taken them to meet investors, allowing the investors to behave inappropriately towards them. Despite this, he even left them alone in the private room with the investors.
Some claimed that Hang Yuanting’s entry into the industry was marked by using unwritten rules to snatch roles from good friends.
There were also rumors that Hang Yuanting had multiple boyfriends during his university days.
Various rumors, true or false, continued to surface endlessly.
At first, Gu Jinmian was quite amused, but then he began to think.
Later on, he couldn’t help but hear his eldest brother’s words echoing in his ears, “Feeling that your life is too long, so you waste time here?”
Gu Jinmian instantly lost interest, adopting his eldest brother’s lofty perspective on the trivial matters of ants.
As time went on, Gu Jinmian didn’t pay much attention. Occasionally, he heard news on the set about Hang Yuanting being terminated, facing repercussions, or being kept in the shadows. It wasn’t until the director of the program “Four Seasons for You,” Cheng Chong, notified the group that Hang Yuanting and Ji Nan would withdraw from the upcoming recordings.
Gu Jinmian suddenly realized that this could actually have some impact on them, especially on Yin Moshu.
They still had a collaborative film currently in production.
Recognizing this, Gu Jinmian’s compensatory mentality grew stronger. He regretted not having discussed the movie plot with Yin Moshu earlier, considering the potential controversies that might arise from it.
Yin Moshu was just too good, deserving of all the good things.
Exceptional looks, a great physique, and a good person overall. Where else in the world could you find someone better than him?
With these thoughts in mind, Gu Jinmian’s eyes involuntarily began searching for Yin Moshu.
The movie “Twenty-Year-Old-Grandpa” tells the story of a grandfather and grandson who depend on each other. As the grandson grows up, he finds it increasingly difficult to communicate with his grandfather and starts to resent him. One night, the two have a big argument, and the next morning, the second grandson wakes up to find an elegant and handsome man in the grandfather’s room.
The grandfather has returned to the age of twenty, with no memory beyond that age.
At the age of twenty, the grandfather was a noble son of the country.
Elegantly poised, skilled in chess, calligraphy, and painting, and with a noble expression when riding a horse, the dignified appearance of the grandfather as a twenty two-year-old captivated the female students, making them exclaim in admiration.
Yin Moshu was currently filming this scene, dressed in exquisite equestrian attire—short at the top, long at the bottom—highlighting his already perfect proportions.
Those long and slender legs seemed almost impossible to contain.
He was just too captivating.
Gu Jinmian discreetly swallowed his saliva, choosing to avert his gaze.
The crew brought a horse over and spoke to Yin Moshu. He confidently smiled, shaking his head in response to the crew’s words.
He mounted the horse with a graceful and handsome movement. With a pull of the reins, the black horse raised its front hooves, neighed, and galloped forward.
Yin Moshu on horseback was tall and straight, the sunlight painting a carefree and flamboyant smile between his brows and eyes.
The set erupted in cheers, and Gu Jinmian stood up. He felt like one of those female students who could swoon over an actor’s performance in a movie.
Yin Moshu could actually ride a horse, something not mentioned in the original work!
Even forgetting to reply to the director’s messages on WeChat, Gu Jinmian followed the crew and joined in the cheers for Yin Moshu.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure outside the fence.
Gu Jinmian blinked, thinking he was mistaken, and rubbed his eyes to get a clearer view.
It was indeed Yuan Manli.
She was staring intently at Yin Moshu, looking haggard. Her eyes were spirited, making it difficult to discern whether she was excited or resentful. All he could sense was a frightening obsession.
A chill ran down Gu Jinmian’s spine, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.
In the original work, Yin Moshu later gained fame in the fashion industry, becoming a darling in the fashion world for a period. He was particularly prominent in fashion magazines, with numerous endorsements and even opening shows for major brands.
On the runway, he shone just as brightly as he did now.
Of course, life would treat him well. At the peak of his career, during his second appearance on the runway, shooting an advertisement, he broke his leg.
It was like the finale of the fireworks in his life.
But that happened three years later.
Why was it happening now?
However, his life trajectory had already been altered.
In front of Yin Moshu was a slope, and the crew, recognizing that he handled the horse better than they did, decided to leave the set early.
Gu Jinmian’s pupils dilated, and he suddenly pushed aside the people in front of him. He ran towards Yin Moshu, trembling all over. Every sound around him became amplified, and his trembling lips emitted a sound that he himself knew too well.
Thank you for the translation.