Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

……

……

"Haha, boss, your last question, 'Are you in pain?' was absolutely devastating!"

The van drove smoothly down the night street. The setting sun cast a golden glow outside the window. Zhao Ya sat opposite her, still immersed in the excitement of the interview, gesturing wildly.

"Teacher Yi's face turned green, and she stammered, not knowing how to answer at all. This was the first time in her career that she had been left speechless by a question."

"After this interview airs, netizens will definitely applaud! They'll finally get to see Yi Lijin get her comeuppance in an interview!"
Zhao Ya laughed even harder: "But this time, it's finally her turn to be 'killed'!"

Gu Qing leaned back in her seat, a slight smile playing on her lips, but didn't reply.

Zhao Ya said with relief, "Boss, you don't know, from the beginning to the end of the interview, that vicious woman kept digging a hole for us."

What Yang Ying, what top-tier celebrity comparisons, what dating history—every question is a trap!
"If it weren't for your cleverness and resourcefulness, boss, anyone else would probably be ridiculed to death by netizens after the show airs."

She counted on her fingers.

"You're a big star now, earning hundreds of millions from a single movie, living the high life every day, and you're still trying to play the victim in front of me? Isn't that like an old man hanging himself—wanting to die?"

Gu Qing was amused by her.

"It's not that exaggerated."

"Of course there is!"

Zhao Ya said seriously, "The audience can allow you to flaunt your wealth, but they absolutely cannot allow you to play the victim and insult their intelligence. Just like Zhang Yixing, the 'Little Sheep,' who recently revealed in an interview that he once went 10 days without sleeping."

She curled her lip: "Ten days? No sleep? Is that something a human being would say?"

Gu Qing was slightly taken aback.

10 days without sleep? That's a bit...

"There are comments below saying: How come we didn't know about the spiritual energy revival? Suddenly someone can cultivate immortality?"

Zhao Ya said in an exaggerated tone, "Because of this incident, the originally well-regarded Little Sheep was suddenly ridiculed by netizens."

His public image collapsed halfway through.

She shook her head, looking disappointed. "The team's skill level is really not good enough."

Gu Qing listened, but her mind was on something else.

He had heard about Zhang Yixing's incident, and it was indeed a bit excessive.

In the entertainment industry, it's easy to create a persona, but it's even faster to have it crumble.

Once the audience feels that you are lying, playing the victim, or using falsehoods to gain sympathy, the consequences will backfire.

Fortunately, he didn't fall into Yi Lijing's trap today.

“Boss,” Zhao Ya suddenly remembered something, her expression turning worried, “Do you think they might cut out the last part?”

Gu Qing thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"I don't think so. Professor Yi shouldn't be that narrow-minded."

"She asked me so many questions, and I only asked one back. If that was cut, then this show would be too boring."

Gu Qing spread her hands. "Besides, she's known for her sharp and honest style. If we cut this part out, wouldn't that be contradicting ourselves?"

"That puts my mind at ease."

Zhao Ya breathed a sigh of relief, then said with concern, "Boss, you should rest for a while. You have an event to attend later."

"Ah."

Gu Qing did not refuse, nodded slightly, and closed her eyes.

The car quieted down, with only the soft hum of the engine remaining.

Zhao Ya thoughtfully dimmed the lights inside the car and took out a thin blanket from the side, gently covering Gu Qing with it.

Gu Qing didn't move, and her breathing gradually calmed down.

After a long day of travel, more than ten hours of jet lag, and that intense interview just now, I'm definitely tired.

But he felt at peace.

He handled today's interview quite well. He defused all of Yi Lijin's tricky questions one by one.

That final rhetorical question was his small counterattack—a subtle way of showing this "female devil of the journalism world" a little bit of his own medicine.

Gu Qing originally thought that this seemingly cold and aloof woman, who appeared to have an impeccable mental fortitude, would not react at all.

But who would have thought,

Upon hearing the question, he became speechless and wavered.

It made him realize that she might not be as powerful as he had imagined.

……

I don't know how much time passed.

Gu Qing's consciousness gradually blurred, and sleepiness surged in like a tide.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep—

"Boss...boss..."

Zhao Ya's gentle voice reached my ears.

Gu Qing's body trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes.

The car was still dimly lit. He blinked, trying to wake himself from his drowsiness.

"Have we arrived?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.

"Not yet." Zhao Ya's expression was somewhat complicated, and she hesitated before speaking. "The boss... seems to have encountered some trouble."

Gu Qing's heart skipped a beat.

problem occurs?
His first reaction was—someone is making fun of him again?

Over the years, he has become accustomed to all kinds of smears and rumors.

Today someone says he has powerful connections, tomorrow someone else says he's arrogant, and the day after tomorrow a marketing account will reveal that he had an affair with a certain female celebrity.

At first I would get angry, but later I became numb to it.

"Someone is smearing me?" he asked calmly.

"No, no!" Zhao Ya quickly shook her head. "Boss, it's not that something happened to you, but... someone you know has had their house collapse."

Gu Qing was taken aback.

Someone I know has had their house collapse?

Who?
Names flashed through his mind.

"Director Chen... Chen Sicheng."

Zhao Ya reluctantly handed over her phone, saying, "A reporter just broke the news."

Gu Qing's expression changed visibly.

He took the phone, looked down at it—

The top trending topic was:

"Chen Sicheng, director of 'Detective Chinatown,' has been exposed for having an affair!"

The second trending topic that followed:

"Is 'Detective Chinatown 2' cancelled?!"

Gu Qing closed her eyes and held her forehead.

"really……"

He took a deep breath and looked carefully.

The report came from "All-Star Detective," who claimed via live stream that Chen Sicheng was in a hotel room with two women and provided detailed records of the night's activities, including the women's entry and exit times and changes in their clothing.

at the same time,

On the same day, "Paparazzi Dasheng" also released a report, claiming that Chen Sicheng spent the night in a hotel with two female stars and did not leave the room until noon the next day, and mentioned that one of the women was suspected to be actress Qi Qi.

This incident is historically known as the "Two Women Incident".

In addition,

Even the old news that well-known paparazzi Zhuo Wei exposed in June 2014 about "Chen Sicheng spending the night alone with actor Zhang Xuan" was brought up again, adding fuel to the fire.

The comments section has exploded.

As the highest-grossing film of all time, "Detective Chinatown" boasts a large fan base and audience. Upon seeing this news, they all felt as if the sky had fallen.

"Are you kidding me?! My 'Detective Chinatown 2' isn't going to be canceled, is it?!"

"Chen Sicheng, how could you do this to us?! How could you do this to Bao Bao, how could you do this to Gu Qing?!"

"Uh... friend, shouldn't we be doing right by Ya Ya first?"

"Is this fake news? I don't believe it. Chen Sicheng is that kind of person."

"Don't spread rumors, don't believe rumors! My baby was previously falsely accused of cheating, and her younger brother was also frequently smeared, but in the end, they were all proven innocent, weren't they?"

"That's right! Director Chen, who can be friends with the baby and the younger brother, is definitely not that kind of person! Let's wait and see!"

There are still some skeptical fans of Detective Chinatown who persist.

"It flew right up to his forehead! It's still flying! The video evidence is irrefutable!"

"Yaya really misplaced her trust!!"

Someone posted screenshots as evidence.

Gu Qing read through the list one by one, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

He knew this time was different.

There are too many people who are wary of the huge pie that "Detective Chinatown" is lucrative.

Many rivals are going all out and fueling the flames.

They seem to have found a new approach—if they can't destroy Gu Qing or bring down Baoqiang, then they'll target the people around you.

Director Chen, with his infamous reputation, became the perfect target.

Looking at the comments section, the tide has already turned.

"So this guy was a scumbag all along!"

"Thank goodness, my brother didn't know him back then."

"Damn it, will this affect 'Detective Chinatown 2'?"

The Gu family members, who were initially indignant, began to quietly distance themselves after seeing Director Chen's past "glorious achievements," pretending nothing had happened.

Gu Qing put down her phone, leaned back in her chair, and sighed deeply.

"Brother Sicheng...please don't do anything reckless."

He remembers things from his past life.

When pressed by reporters after his affair, Chen Sicheng didn't say something like Jackie Chan's "I made a mistake that all men in the world would make," but he did utter a classic quote:
"Betrayal or drifting is part of human nature; everyone will stray."

They even incorporated philosophy!

These remarks sparked huge controversy.

He was heavily criticized by viewers and netizens as a "scumbag" and "the number one scumbag in the Chinese entertainment industry," and his reputation collapsed instantly.

This criticism lasted for more than a decade.

Even before Gu Qing's time travel, Chen Sicheng still couldn't shake off the label of "scumbag".

But now,
He entered this world and influenced the release and box office of "Detective Chinatown".

Chen Sicheng's reputation is much better than it was in his previous life.

But unexpectedly,

He still couldn't control his nature and couldn't resist being photographed by paparazzi.

Will history really repeat itself?
Without hesitation, Gu Qing immediately opened WeChat and sent several messages to Chen Sicheng.

"Brother Sicheng, what's going on with the news online?"

Reply immediately upon seeing this message!

"My phone is on, waiting for your call."

After sending it, he waited for a full three minutes.

no reply.

He made another call.

"Beep-beep-beep-"

No one heard.

Gu Qing's heart sank.

I called again, but still no one answered.

"Boss," Zhao Ya whispered, "we've arrived."

Gu Qing glanced out the window; they had arrived at the event venue. A large number of fans had already gathered at the entrance, holding up light boards and waiting.

He took a deep breath and adjusted his expression.

"Xiaoya, please keep an eye on my phone for me. If Sicheng replies immediately, let me know right away."

"Good boss."

Gu Qing pushed open the car door and stepped out.

Screams erupted from outside the door, and he quickly switched to business mode, smiling and waving to his fans.

The event went very smoothly.

Gu Qing chatted and laughed on stage, interacting with the host and greeting fans; everything seemed so normal.

But he would occasionally glance unconsciously in Zhao Ya's direction from below the stage.

Zhao Ya held up her phone the whole time, her expression serious.

No news.

Still no news.

As soon as Gu Qing stepped off the stage after the event, he was surrounded by a large group of reporters.

The scale of the event was at least three times larger than before he took office.

"Gu Qing! Gu Qing's younger brother!" A reporter practically shoved the microphone in his face. "What's your opinion on director Chen Sicheng's infidelity?"

Did Director Chen really cheat on his wife? What exactly is going on between him and those two actresses?!

What is your opinion of Director Chen's character?

"Will Director Chen's affair affect the filming of 'Detective Chinatown 2'?!"

"Does Ya Ya know about this? What's the current status of her relationship with Director Chen?!"

"Have you contacted Wang Baoqiang? Have you discussed this matter?!"

The problems came crashing down like cannonballs, each one sharper than the last.

Gu Qing was trapped in the crowd, surrounded by two rows of security personnel desperately clearing a path, but the reporters surged in like a tide, refusing to give way an inch.

He pursed his lips and remained silent.

At this point, anything you say will be wrong.

By remaining silent, at least you won't leave any ammunition for others to criticize you.

"Gu Qing! Say something!"

"You must know the inside story, right?!"

"Did you already know that Director Chen was cheating on you?!"

The reporter's questions became increasingly outrageous.

Gu Qing remained silent, only keeping her head down, and moved forward with difficulty under the protection of security personnel.

Just then—

Do you think Director Chen and Ya Ya will get divorced?!

A male reporter with a ferocious expression practically pounced on Gu Qing, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"If you get divorced, brother, whose side will you choose?!"

This is a very harsh question.

Whose side should you take? If you take Chen Sicheng's side, that means supporting a scumbag and you'll get criticized.

Standing up for Yaya is like betraying your brothers; you'll be even more severely criticized in the future.

Silence is a sign of guilt, and it's also a way of waiting to be criticized.

Gu Qing had no choice but to stop, blocked by the reporter.

He looked at the reporter who was practically leaning over him, gave a helpless wry smile, and gently pushed away the microphone that was pressed against his face.

"Am I going to be separated from the family too? But I don't even know who I'll be assigned to."

His tone carried a hint of helplessness and despair.

Upon hearing this, the crowded reporters burst into laughter.

The laughter was like an ice cube thrown into boiling water, instantly calming the previously agitated atmosphere.

Even the male reporter with the ferocious expression was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help but laugh.

Gu Qing took this opportunity to look intently at the camera.

"I cannot judge whether the news on the internet is true or false, nor will I comment on it."

His tone was sincere and firm:
"But Brother Sicheng and Sister Yaya will always be my family and friends."

After he finished speaking, he nodded slightly.

"Thank you, could you please make way?"

then,

Ignoring the reporters' incessant questions, he lowered his head and quickly walked into the car.

The car door closed, shutting out the noise from outside.

Gu Qing leaned back in her seat and let out a long sigh.

Gu Qing waved, took the phone, and glanced at it.

There is still no news about Chen Sicheng.

“Back to the hotel,” he said.

……

It was nearly 10 p.m. when we got back to the hotel.

The first thing Gu Qing did upon entering the room was to take out her phone.

still none.

He sat on the sofa, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed Wang Baoqiang's number.

"Beep—beep—Hello? Xiao Gu?"

Wang Baoqiang's voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding visibly tired and anxious.

"Brother Baoqiang," Gu Qing asked bluntly, "Have you spoken to Brother Sicheng?"

"No!"

Wang Baoqiang's tone became urgent, "I was just about to ask you! Sicheng didn't answer my calls or reply to my messages! Where did that kid go?!"

Gu Qing's heart sank.

Unfortunately, neither of them could get through.

Chen Sicheng wouldn't... just disappear, would he?

"Brother Baoqiang,"

He asked, "What did Sister Ya Ya say? Is this true or false?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Yaya's there..."

Wang Baoqiang's voice lowered, "I didn't dare to ask too many questions. I just told her to calm down first and wait for Sicheng to come back from America before we talk about it."

He paused, then sighed.

"As for whether this matter is true or false—based on my understanding of Sicheng, it is most likely true."

Gu Qing fell silent.

Taking two obscure actresses to the United States to scout locations for filming?

It looks weird no matter how you look at it.

Given Chen Sicheng's personality, this is most likely true.

"It seems... it's confirmed." He murmured.

Suddenly, the days I spent filming "Detective Chinatown" in Tyrande came to mind.

Back then, whenever Chen Sicheng wasn't editing or filming, he would hang out with his buddies in bars and nightclubs, living the life of a free-spirited "scumbag bird."

He complained more than once about his unhappiness after being forced into marriage, saying things like "marriage is a cage," "I've lost my freedom," and "I wish I hadn't gotten married."

At the time, everyone took it as drunken ramblings and laughed it off.

Looking back now...

Gu Qing rubbed her temples.

at the moment,

With her secret exposed by the media, Chen Sicheng might still be sound asleep, completely unconcerned.

after all--

Who goes out with two actresses, not even wearing masks, and just swaggers around on the street?!

Isn't this just asking to be photographed?
……

In fact, Gu Qingzhen was right.

According to the time difference in biological clocks, it is the middle of the night in the United States.

Chen Sicheng was indeed sleeping soundly.

He slept soundly and deeply, and even had a dream.

In his dream, "Detective Chinatown 2" became a box office hit, and with Gu Qing on his left and Bao Qiang on his right, he became a winner in life again.

until--

"Buzzing...buzzing..."

My phone vibrated countless times.

He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

"Buzzing..."

Regardless of.

"Buzzing..."

Go back to sleep.

Finally, after what seemed like the umpteenth tremor, he abruptly opened his eyes.

"Who is it?! In the middle of the night!"

He groggily reached for his phone, squinted, and glanced at it—

Chen Sicheng was startled and instantly sobered up.

It's not that I panicked because I saw online that my boyfriend had cheated on me and it was making a huge fuss.

Instead,

He felt guilty and remorseful after discovering that Gu Qing and Wang Baoqiang had sent him a series of messages and made phone calls, which he had not answered.

This...this is absolutely unacceptable!
He quickly sat up and glanced around—there was no one there.

He had already sent people away ahead of time.

Resting alone has been his habit for many years; he is not used to sleeping with others.

Very risky.

He opened the blog and glanced at the trending topics.

Then, his expression became subtle.

Cheating? Scumbag?
Oh, so that's why.

After reading it, he put down his phone without changing his expression at all.

But now, he cares more about something else than these things.

How worried must his two brothers be because he didn't answer the phone?
Chen Sicheng checked the time; it must be late at night in China.

No, I need to calm her down quickly.

Director Chen also understood the tactic of spreading the word evenly. Instead of calling each person individually, he pulled Gu Qing and Wang Baoqiang into a small group chat and sent them a group video call.

"Dududu-"

Soon, three faces appeared on the screen.

A tired face, dark circles under the eyes, and a face that looks refreshed and radiant after a good meal.

"Hi~ Xiao Gu, baby~"

Chen Sicheng smiled awkwardly, waved his hand, and tried to ease the atmosphere with a lighthearted tone, "So early in the morning, you miss me that much?"

"In the morning?" Wang Baoqiang's voice was filled with obvious anger. "It's the middle of the night!"

Gu Qing was completely speechless.

"Sicheng, what are you doing? You don't actually want to sleep, do you?"

"Don't tell me there's someone else with you."

"Nobody's here! There's not a single person!"

Chen Sicheng quickly rotated the camera to film the entire room to prove his innocence, saying, "I sleep alone, look, it's just me!"

"Then the news online is fake?!"

Gu Qing and Wang Baoqiang asked almost simultaneously, their eyes sparkling with immense joy.

The next second—

"Really," Chen Sicheng replied truthfully.

Gu Qing: "..."

Wang Baoqiang: "..."

The light on their faces instantly went out.

Good bro, you really don't tell a single lie!
Gu Qing took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"What should we do then, Brother Cheng? How do you plan to handle the online situation?"

Wang Baoqiang also became serious, his tone accusing: "Don't really think you can just wash your hands of things! How are you going to explain this to Yaya? This matter has blown up so much, have you thought about the consequences?"

Chen Sicheng scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Well..."

"Don't talk nonsense, Sicheng. Don't say anything outrageous. If you don't know how to handle it, just stay silent."

Gu Qing hesitated for a moment, then said with a headache, "As for Sister Ya Ya, why don't you go and commit seppuku to apologize?"

"I fucking committed seppuku, how can I possibly survive?!"

Chen Sicheng yelled, "You little brat, do you want me dead? You're also getting all entangled with those female celebrities, so why am I the only one who has to atone with my death!"

"If we're going to die, we'll die together!!"

"Can we be the same?!"

Gu Qing blushed and said, "You were married and had a formal status, but we didn't. We were in love with each other, and I was the one who was slept with. How could I be the one to die!"

"Damn, you're even worse than me for not taking the initiative or refusing!"

Chen Sicheng looked dejected. "I knew marriage was never a good thing."

He has questioned the validity of modern monogamy on television, and believes that polygamy in ancient times had its own rationale.

It was even suggested that many successful people desire more partners, a desire that is difficult to ignore.

The fact that I'm still alive is truly thanks to the underdeveloped media landscape back then.

If a few more years pass, they'll probably be tied to fireworks and blown to smithereens.

"Pah, one big scumbag and the other little scumbag."

Wang Baoqiang snorted coldly, showing utter contempt.

Chen Sicheng and Gu Qing dared not utter a sound.

I simply don't have the courage to fight against a saint who is a moral exemplar.

"What should we do about Ya Ya? Can your marriage still go on?"

Wang Baoqiang urged Chen Sicheng to come up with the articles of association.

"It's definitely not going to work out, it'll just fall apart."

Chen Sicheng seemed indifferent. "If you ask me, they should have broken up a long time ago. I admire her for enduring it for so long. I'll go deal with it tomorrow and go back the day after tomorrow."

"What are you doing? Are you trying to transfer assets?"

Gu Qing couldn't hold back any longer, "Brother Sicheng, this is too outrageous! At least have some conscience!"

"Sicheng, if you really do this, then don't acknowledge us as brothers anymore!"

Wang Baoqiang was also furious, "What did Ya Ya do to offend you?!"

"Hey, hey, hey, do you guys think I have such a terrible image?"

Enraged, Chen Sicheng shouted, his face flushed and neck red, "I already said I'm here to film scenes. I have to discuss contracts tomorrow! Who the hell said I was going to transfer assets?!"

"Split it in half! If I want to hide some money, I'll take your surname!"

"And what about your company's shares?"

Wang Baoqiang asked out of the blue.

"Shouldn't we at least give some of the proceeds from the 'Detective Chinatown' films to Sister Yaya?"

Gu Qing added, "Do you really want her to end up homeless?"

Chen Sicheng's face visibly fell.

"If they keep splitting it up like this, I'll be homeless!"

He broke down.

but,

Looking at the two pairs of eyes staring intently at him on the screen, he slumped, his head hanging limply, and said weakly:
"Can't I just split it... I'll split it?"

He looked up at his two brothers.

"With you guys around, we'll make it back eventually!"

Gu Qing and Wang Baoqiang exchanged a glance and finally showed their first genuine smiles of the night.

"That's more like it."

"At least you still have some conscience."

Seeing their relaxed expressions, Chen Sicheng breathed a sigh of relief.

He doesn't care about the insults, the ridicule, or the voices online that want to trample him into the mud.

But he cared about Gu Qing and Wang Baoqiang's attitudes.

“Let’s get together when I return to China the day after tomorrow,” he said.

"Row."

"it is good."

The video call ended.

Chen Sicheng leaned against the pillow, resolved his inner conflict, and then pulled the covers over his head and fell fast asleep.

……

...(End of this chapter)