My minimum living allowance is credited to my account every day with 1000 million yuan

However, just as he stepped onto the stage steps, about to approach Lee Ji-eun—

At the edge of the VIP section, a sharp-eyed female fan, with her extreme familiarity with her idol's figure and movements, suddenly let out a high-pitched scream:

"Ah—!!! It's Qin Zheng! That's Qin Zheng!!!"

"What? Qin Zheng?!"

"Oh my god! It really is Qin Zheng! He went up to present the flowers?!"

"Two top celebrities in the same frame?! Oh my god!!"

"Quick, take a picture! Quick, take a picture! This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment!"

The flashbulbs started going off like crazy! Countless phone cameras were pointed at the stage!
Xiao Li's face turned deathly pale in an instant! She turned her head sharply, instinctively wanting to confirm this shocking news with Zhang Ziqian: "Ziqian! Qin Zheng... why did he go up to present flowers?!" Her voice trembled with extreme shock and a sense of foreboding!
But before she could finish speaking, her words were abruptly stuck in her throat!

Because she saw that Zhang Ziqian, who was always calm and composed, now had an expression as cold as frozen earth! In those eyes that were always calm and unwavering, there was now an uncontrollable rage and... an almost tangible chill!

Zhang Ziqian's anger surged, almost breaking through the edge of her reason!
That idiot Qin Zheng! This is utter nonsense! He's courting death!
He has no idea what he's doing! He's putting Ji-eun in a very difficult position! He's making her look bad!

Why didn't Ji-eun invite any guest performers for her world tour? She even turned down several potential collaborations that were already agreed upon.
Why has she strictly avoided sharing the stage, appearing in the same frame, or having any private contact with any male celebrities at any event since she started working for the boss?

Isn't it all to eliminate any possibility of scandals? To avoid causing even the slightest trouble or potential negative impact on our boss, Chen Xiao?!
Now, this Qin Zheng actually dares to swagger onto the stage with flowers in front of everyone, trying to curry favor?!
What is he trying to do?! Create a buzz? Create a publicity stunt? Or is he just a toad trying to eat swan meat?!

On the stage.

When Lee Ji-eun heard that broken voice calling "Qin Zheng!", her perfect smile froze for a split second!

Looking at the man in front of her who had taken off his mask, revealing his carefully groomed handsome face and wearing what he thought was a deeply affectionate smile, a strong sense of disgust and displeasure instantly welled up in her heart!
She recognized him—a recently popular young actor in China. But they had never crossed paths, and she felt no liking for him whatsoever!

How dare he?!

On stage, under the gaze of tens of thousands of eyes, and in front of countless media cameras, how dare he so recklessly rush up?!

Alarm bells rang in Lee Ji-eun's mind! She knew all too well the consequences of this behavior! What would those unscrupulous media outlets write? What would those crazed fans interpret?!
Her face instantly turned cold, but thanks to her strong professionalism and stage instincts, she managed to control the change in her expression and did not lose her composure on the spot. However, her slightly furrowed brows betrayed her extremely bad mood.

Qin Zheng, however, was completely oblivious, or rather, he was utterly absorbed in the "romantic moment" he had created and the immense fame and fortune that was about to unfold. He handed the enormous bouquet of Ecuadorian roses, a symbol of his burning love, to Lee Ji-eun, a smile he had practiced countless times and believed to be his most charming, his eyes filled with anticipation and... a hint of barely perceptible ambition.

Flashbulbs went off like crazy! The screams from the fans in the audience were almost enough to lift the roof off! Everyone was waiting for this "historic" moment!
Looking at the roses before her, Lee Ji-eun found their vibrant red incredibly jarring. She resisted the urge to throw the bouquet on the ground, using all her self-control to maintain a facade of politeness. She extended her gloved hand and accepted the flowers with extreme detachment, even a hint of reluctance, as if accepting a lifeless prop.

Then, in a cold and polite voice that even the microphone couldn't completely mask, she spoke clearly to Qin Zheng, and to the entire audience:
"Thank you to this fan for the flowers."

Just as she was about to hand the flowers to her assistant who was running over, Qin Zheng and her devoted fans below shouted, "Get together! Get together—"

Lee Ji-eun's expression changed drastically, and she subconsciously looked at Shen Jun.

Shen Jun's face was naturally very unpleasant. This young man, Qin Zheng, went on stage to give roses to his daughter-in-law, and judging from his smug "peacock display" manner, his purpose was clearly obvious.

Qin Zheng held the neglected bouquet of roses, his smile still lingering. He subconsciously took a half-step forward, his lips slightly parted, as if he wanted to say a few polite words under the spotlight—"Teacher Zhi En, I am your fan...", "I wish your concert a complete success..." and other grand yet cryptic remarks.

however--

Lee Ji-eun didn't give him even half a second!

The moment he opened his mouth, Lee Ji-eun, still clutching the unsightly bouquet of roses, suddenly turned around! The movement was so large that it even lifted the hem of her stage costume!
She turned her entire back to Qin Zheng, without reservation and with cold indifference!
What about stage etiquette? What about seniority? What about the fans' feelings?
At this moment, everything was completely crushed by immense panic and a strong sense of foreboding!
Finished!

Lee Ji-eun's heart nearly leaped out of her chest! The deafening roar of "Get together!" from the audience felt like a curse, sending chills down her spine! Especially considering that her future mother-in-law, Shen Yun, was sitting in the front row, witnessing this farce firsthand! What if her mother-in-law misunderstood? What would Chen Xiao think if he found out? How would those unscrupulous media outlets exaggerate the situation?
Under the spotlight, her face drained of all color, turning ashen white! Her fingers, gripping the microphone, trembled uncontrollably.

At this moment, she had no time to worry about manners; what if some scandal broke out, especially in front of her mother-in-law? Lee Ji-eun's face turned pale with fright, and she signaled to her assistant to quickly "invite" Qin Zheng away.

The audience erupted in cheers and shouts of "Get together!" as many of their fans began to jeer.

Qin Zheng didn't get to stay on stage any longer as he'd hoped, and was reluctantly "asked" to leave, feeling quite disappointed and resentful: Wasn't senior Ji-eun being a bit too cold-hearted? What was wrong with the fans' enthusiastic interaction? This was a win-win situation for both of us!

However, he and his fervent fans in the audience, still immersed in the fantasy of two top stars appearing together, were completely unaware—

A storm has begun—

Tianhua Entertainment

As one of the leading entertainment giants in China, it boasts nearly a hundred artists, ranging from top stars to rising stars, with a deeply entrenched network of influence. Qin Zheng emerged from the brutal trainee system of this star-making factory, and with the company's all-out support, he rose like a rocket to become one of the most sought-after top stars thanks to a blockbuster movie.

At the pinnacle, with top-tier resources at his fingertips and adored by countless fans, Qin Zheng had indeed become somewhat arrogant. He even felt that he was qualified to reach for even higher stars.

After being awkwardly "invited" off the stage and back to his seat in the VIP area, Qin Zheng still felt the embarrassment and resentment of being ignored in public, but he was also filled with a twisted sense of smugness that "I've gained popularity."

After getting off, he glanced at Zhang Ziqian. Surprisingly, Zhang Ziqian, who hadn't looked at him directly the whole time, actually made eye contact with him.

Almost without thinking, he quickly put on what he considered a perfectly charming smile, tinged with reserve and reassuring intent, and nodded slightly in Zhang Ziqian's direction. However—

The carefully crafted curve of his smile froze instantly, as if it had been frozen solid in the next second!
Because he caught a glimpse of something in Zhang Ziqian's unfathomable eyes.

It wasn't curiosity, surprise, or any form of attention or approval that he had imagined.

It was a fleeting, undisguised look of contempt, like looking down at dust!
That gaze was cold and sharp, carrying a deep-seated sense of superiority and disdain!
She didn't even show any extra change in expression; she just glanced at it lightly, as if looking at an arrogant and noisy ant on the roadside, and then turned her head away nonchalantly, turning her gaze back to the stage.

On stage, Lee Ji-eun's demeanor confirmed Zhang Ziqian's concerns.

Although she was still the radiant queen of pop, her performance thereafter clearly fell short of expectations! Her breath control was unstable, and her handling of several high notes even showed a slight, almost imperceptible tremor! A crack appeared in her otherwise flawless stage presence.

"Is Ji-eun tired?"

"I feel so sorry for her, she's really pushing herself to the limit at the concert!"

Fans discussed it with concern, thinking she was exhausted.

Several times, the lyrics were sung incorrectly. Fortunately, not many Chinese people understand Korean.
Zhang Ziqian, He Qing, and even Shen Jun all knew why she was in this situation. While they were worried for Li Zhi'en, they were also extremely dissatisfied with Qin Zheng.

They knew how much psychological pressure Lee Ji-eun was under right now—being forcibly tied to and hyped by a third-rate male star in front of her future mother-in-law! This was practically challenging Chen Xiao's bottom line!

In the end, Shen Yun gave Li Zhi'en an encouraging look, and her mother-in-law's kindness instantly extinguished the burning flames of anxiety in Li Zhi'en's heart. Her flustered emotions were soothed as if by a gentle hand. She took a deep breath and, with the help of the music's interlude, quickly adjusted her breathing and state of mind.

next moment!
When the spotlight shone on her again, Lee Ji-eun, the queen who commanded the stage and shone with brilliance, was back! Her singing voice became stable and penetrating again, her dance moves were precise and powerful, and every look in her eyes radiated confidence once more!

The gloom brought by that little incident just now seems to have been completely dispelled!

Qin Zheng's attention was no longer on the stage. He opened his phone and clicked on a few entertainment gossip apps that he was familiar with and that were keen on creating sensational topics.

On the screen, the topic of his "bravely rushing onto the stage to present flowers to Lee Ji-eun" is indeed burning like wildfire doused with gasoline!
[Qin Zheng presents flowers to Lee Ji-eun! Their historic photo together ignites Jiangzhou!]

[The interaction between the two top stars on stage was incredibly sweet! Fans went wild, chanting "Get together!"]

Qin Zheng gazes at her with deep affection! Lee Ji-eun shyly accepts the roses!

One after another, carefully selected photos with peculiar angles were pinned to the top! There was a close-up of his profile as he handed over the flowers with "deep affection," a moment when Lee Ji-eun accepted the bouquet (her cold expression and turning away were deliberately cropped out) and seemed to "smile with her head down," and even a scene of the entire audience of fans shouting "Get together!" The article went to great lengths to embellish the so-called "romantic encounter" and "sparks flying."

Qin Zheng was overjoyed! He couldn't help but smile!

Although on stage, Lee Ji-eun didn't give him a friendly look at all, and even turned away and ignored him in a nearly rude manner... so what?

These incredibly resourceful paparazzi are masters of candid photography and masterful editing!

They can even paint black colors into pink!

Reality is cold? No problem, the fervor of public opinion is enough to melt everything!
It's a hit! It's really a hit!

Qin Zheng felt a surge of immense heat rush to his head! After tonight, who on the entire internet wouldn't know who he was, Qin Zheng?! Who wouldn't talk about his name being linked with Lee Ji-eun's?! This overwhelming amount of traffic and attention would be his stepping stone to the international stage!

The more he looked, the more he liked it, as if he could already see himself skyrocketing in value, receiving countless endorsement deals, and gracing the covers of international magazines. Still not satisfied, he tapped his finger and logged onto a large, comprehensive entertainment website known for its authority and prestige in China—"Star News World." Such a huge "explosive event," such a heavyweight "scandal" (which he already considered), and such a powerful platform—surely there would be even more substantial reports and in-depth analysis, right?

however--

The page refreshed, and Qin Zheng's smile instantly froze!

what the hell?!
The concert has been featured in numerous headlines, trending topics, and breaking news, focusing on Lee Ji-eun's stage presence, the atmosphere, and even a lucky fan's acceptance speech.

There wasn't a single word about Qin Zheng offering flowers!

There was absolutely no trace of any "scandal" between him and Lee Ji-eun!
The entire layout is blindingly clean! It's as if the storm that just ignited other platforms never happened!

Qin Zheng frowned, cursing inwardly, "Garbage editor! So slow! Those small platforms are much more efficient..." Undeterred, he casually opened another gossip app he had previously read and which had caused a stir, wanting to "review" the reports that had gotten him excited and the soaring popularity.

Page has finished loading.

Qin Zheng's eyes widened suddenly!
They were even more stunned!
The post that was just prominently displayed at the top of the app's homepage, with its popularity highlighted in red—【Qin Zheng and Li Zhi'en's flower-giving interaction ignited the entire audience! A once-in-a-century collaboration was born!】—

gone!
It's as if it vanished into thin air!

His fingers trembled as he opened the search bar and quickly typed in "Qin Zheng Li Zhi'en"...

The search results page is empty!

There is absolutely no related news!
Even those unsubstantiated posts speculating whether the two knew each other have vanished without a trace! (End of Chapter)