Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The air in the VIP lounge backstage at the concert was scorching hot.

Bai Lu had just stepped off the stage, still wearing her sequined costume. Sweat dripped down her delicate collarbones, creating a captivating, wet allure.

Contrary to expectations, she was not tired at all; on the contrary, she was as excited as a lioness who had just caught her prey.

"Quick! Edit that video clip!"

Bai Lu tossed the microphone to her assistant, touching up her makeup in front of the mirror while rapidly directing her team, "Just cut the part where I shout at him. The background music needs to be beautiful, with that kind of destiny-like feeling! You don't need me to teach you the script, right? Make it as ambiguous as possible!"

The agent, Sister Hong, stood to the side, looking at her ambitious center-position manager with trepidation.

"Lulu, is it really okay for us to do this?"

Hongjie scrolled through her phone screen; the legends about Lu Jingyan's "iron-fisted" and "ruthless" nature were still fresh in her mind. "That's Lu Jingyan! He even got Leng Qingqiu imprisoned. What if he turns on you..."

"Turning against you?"

Bai Lu scoffed, pursing her fiery red lips in front of the mirror. "Leng Qingqiu is stupid, trying to bribe people with money, even resorting to kidnapping—that's a crime. What am I doing? I'm expressing my affection, a normal emotional outpouring. What right do the police have to interfere? Can they stop me from liking him?"

She turned around, her eyes sparkling with shrewd calculation.

"Besides, I'm a female celebrity, and he's a male police officer. This kind of crossover couple is the best to ship. As long as he doesn't say anything, I can keep riding this wave of popularity. By the time he realizes it, I'll have already monetized my fame."

"But……"

"No buts!"

Bai Lu interrupted Hong Jie, took out her phone from her bag, and quickly tapped the screen a few times.

"Look, I'm all ready."

It was a carefully edited photo.

The background is the concert venue from earlier, with its hazy lighting. On the left side of the photo, she gazes affectionately from the stage, while on the right, Lu Jingyan stands aloof and composed in the audience.

The key point is that this picture has been "masterfully crafted" by millions of photo editors.

The two were originally more than ten meters apart, but they were photoshopped to be face to face. Lu Jingyan was originally checking the security checkpoint, but he was photoshopped to be looking back affectionately; Bai Lu was originally looking at the camera, but she was photoshopped to be gazing tenderly at him.

Even the spot where their eyes met was given a light pink soft-focus filter.

The atmosphere is fantastic.

Bai Lu admired it for a while with satisfaction, then clicked send.

The accompanying text is only a short sentence, yet it is full of endless room for imagination:

That is the god who protects me. @Jinghai City Public Security Bureau Special Investigation Team

boom--!

As the "send" button was pressed, the Weibo server let out another cry of despair from the overwhelming workload.

#White Dew Lujing Banquet#

#The Fate of a Policewoman and an Idol#

#MyGuardianGod#

These three terms skyrocketed to the top of the trending topics list in just ten minutes, followed by a dark purple "Explosive" label.

The comment section was instantly flooded with comments from tens of millions of fans and casual viewers alike, who were fiercely debating the issue.

"Ahhh! This is such a perfect match! A cool and aloof police officer x a stunningly beautiful and seductive idol, is this some kind of Jinjiang literature coming to life?"

"I'm going to die! Officer Lu's eyes! I couldn't see it clearly, but I could feel the 'spidity'! It was definitely 'spidity'!"

"Guardian deities and all that, it's so adorable! I'm shipping this couple! I'll take the key, you two are locked in forever!"

"To be honest, Bai Lu's face paired with Officer Lu is a perfect match; their looks are off the charts. Where's the Civil Affairs Bureau? I'll move in myself!"

Many marketing accounts even started to stir up trouble, analyzing the "various interactions" between the two, and interpreting Lu Jingyan's several normal duty shifts as "silent protection" and "chasing after his wife across thousands of miles".

For a time, rumors spread across the internet that Lu Yanwang, the fearsome leader of the Special Investigation Team, was actually a doting husband in private.

……

Outside the stadium, the night breeze was slightly cool.

Lu Jingyan had no idea that she had been "married" online.

The concert had just ended, and tens of thousands of audience members poured out like a tide, putting immense pressure on security. He was standing next to the command vehicle at the exit, holding a walkie-talkie, and solemnly directing police forces to manage traffic.

"Second Brigade, guard the east gate to prevent a stampede."

"Traffic police, please clear the illegally parked vehicles over there. The ambulance lane must be kept clear."

He was so busy that he didn't even have time to drink water, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Just then, a group of people carrying long guns and short cannons suddenly rushed towards him like sharks smelling blood.

"There! Officer Lu is there!"

"Quick! Don't let him get away!"

Lu Jingyan frowned and subconsciously reached out to protect the cordon around him.

"Step back! We are on official business; please do not approach!"

However, these entertainment reporters, blinded by the trending topics, didn't care about official business at all. Taking advantage of their numbers, they pushed past the auxiliary police officers on the perimeter and shoved their microphones into Lu Jingyan's face like grenades.

"Captain Lu! Captain Lu! Did you see Bai Lu's Weibo post just now?"

"Bai Lu calls you her 'god,' what is your response to this?"

"Rumors are circulating online that you two are secretly dating, and have even reached the point of discussing marriage. Is that true?"

"You personally led the security team tonight, was it to protect your girlfriend?"

The flashes were going off like crazy, hurting people's eyes.

Lu Jingyan was momentarily stunned by the barrage of gossipy questions.

White Dew? Deities? Social interaction?

What kind of nonsense is this?

He pushed away the microphone that was shoved to his mouth, his face instantly darkening, and his unique, cold aura erupted instantly.

"Which organization are you from? Can't you understand human language?"

Lu Jingyan shouted sternly, his voice not loud, but carrying an imposing and authoritative aura, "This is the peak period for evacuation. If you all stand here and a stampede occurs, who will be responsible?"

The reporters shrank back at the shouting, but their professional instincts kept them from giving up.

A female reporter wearing glasses mustered her courage, raised her phone, and shoved the heavily photoshopped intimate picture in front of Lu Jingyan.

"Officer Lu, please don't be angry. We just wanted to verify something. This photo is so beautiful. If you and Miss Bai Lu have no relationship, then how do you explain that look in your eyes?"

Lu Jingyan narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the phone screen.

In the photo, the "self" is gazing tenderly at Bai Lu, with eyes so gentle they could melt your heart.

"Aesthetically pleasing?"

Lu Jingyan sneered and reached out to take the phone.

He did not show the shyness or anger that the reporters had expected.

Instead, he took out his gold-rimmed glasses from his jacket pocket, put them on, and then, as if examining a crime scene, meticulously and professionally magnified the photo three times.

"My friend, journalist, your professional ethics need improvement."

Lu Jingyan pointed to the collar of the "himself" in the photo, his tone as calm as if he were giving an autopsy report.

"First, tonight I was wearing a stab-proof vest and a multi-functional tactical vest because it was security for a large event. The person in the photo is wearing a regular shirt. The person who photoshopped the picture clearly lacks basic police knowledge."

"Secondly, regarding this so-called 'deep eye contact'."

He swiped his finger across the screen, pointing to a light source in the background.

"Based on the angle of refraction of the stage lights, this beam of light came from the left side of the stage. If it were a live shot, there should be a noticeable shadow on the side of my face. But in this picture, my face is evenly lit, which is obviously a post-production composite of 'flat lighting'."

"Third, and most outrageous point."

Lu Jingyan raised his head, took off his glasses, and stared directly at the female reporter with a sharp, cold light flashing in his real eyes.

"Tonight, my position is in the shaded area below and to the side of the stage, at least fifteen meters away from Bailu. Unless I have a giraffe's neck or she's a rubber person, it's impossible for us to achieve this 'face-to-face' effect from this angle."

The entire room fell silent.

The reporters stared wide-eyed, forgetting to press the shutter button on their cameras.

They had considered that Lu Jing might deny it at the banquet, get angry, or even refuse to comment. But they never expected that this guy would actually give a public lecture on "Forensic Techniques and Photoshop Trace Evidence Identification" on the spot!

Is this the romance of a straight-laced science guy?

Using optical principles and perspective, a beautiful couple photo was turned into "forged evidence"?

Lu Jingyan handed the phone back to the stunned female reporter, took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped his hands as if he had just touched something dirty.

Therefore, the conclusion is obvious.

He turned around, facing all the cameras, his voice as cold as a judge delivering a verdict.

"This photo is suspected of being a forgery."

"Furthermore, this Ms. Bai Lu, without my permission, used my police portrait for commercial hype and accompanied it with misleading text, which seriously infringed upon my portrait rights and reputation rights."

Tell her the trending topic can be removed.

Lu Jingyan adjusted his tactical vest and waved to Zhao Tiezhu behind him.

"Contact the Ministry of Justice to secure the evidence."

"This behavior of treating the police like monkeys and the law like a joke, I think she wants to receive a lawyer's letter."