188.
The wind was blowing, and it chilled people to the bone.
My spine went numb, and I gave a stiff smile: “Haha, just trying to lighten the mood. Hello, ma’am.”
The woman, who didn’t look a day over thirty, gritted her teeth: “… Hello to you too.”
Gu Yiliang trembled slightly, as if holding back a laugh, then patted me on the back, signaling me to go back inside first.
I was incredibly uncomfortable and intended to flee the scene quickly. I ran off as soon as I could.

 

189.
After walking a few steps, just before entering the hotel, their conversation reached my ears, carried by the wind.
Gu Yiliang: “What are you here for, exactly?”
His stepmother: “Can’t I come see you without a reason?”
She paused briefly, then added, “What else could I possibly want from you?”
Gu Yiliang: “I sent you three hundred yesterday. Can you leave me alone now?”
His stepmother: “I need two more zeroes than that.”
Gu Yiliang: “I don’t have it.”
His stepmother: “Isn’t that what you earn for a single movie?”
Gu Yiliang: “I don’t have it.”
His stepmother: “Then I guess we’ll see each other in the headlines tomorrow?”
Gu Yiliang said nothing.

 

190.
I turned around and went back.

 

191.
Seeing me return, his stepmother proudly raised the folder in her hand, giving Gu Yiliang a smug smile: “I’ve already prepared all the documents. Want your friend to take a look?”
Gu Yiliang’s hands twitched slightly.
I said, “Sure, show me.”
His stepmother looked a bit surprised but handed me the folder.

 

192.
Gu Yiliang stared at me intently.
I took my time opening the folder.

 

193.
“Fake diploma,” I said with a nod. “But that’s already been clarified, hasn’t it? He talked about it on the radio last September — he didn’t attend a formal acting school, but his company enrolled him in classes at the Beijing Film Academy after his debut. It’s all on record. No issue.”
I flipped to the next page: “Trading drinks for roles… Isn’t this about Guo Dao’s film Smoke Rain? Didn’t they see the original author’s interview? He said that role was written specifically for Gu Yiliang. Wow, this photo is super blurry — dated March 18 last year. That day he was filming a show in Hunan. How could he be drinking at a club in Beijing?”
I turned another page: “Drugs? That’s serious… Where’s the urine test? Any supporting evidence? You're just showing a photo where he looks thinner? Wasn’t that during the filming of Dark Night? He lost 20 kilos for that role. The company even prepared a press release to praise his professionalism but didn’t release it for fear of upsetting fans or affecting the shoot. You should still find the promo materials for that movie.”

 

194.
His stepmother cut me off, incredulous: “Are you his agent?”
I took off my mask and smiled at her: “I’m his rival.”

 

195.
If out of ten lies, there’s one truth, people will assume the truth is a lie.
If out of ten truths, there’s one lie, people will assume the lie is the truth.
But scandals are different — as long as one real fact is mixed in with a bunch of fake ones, people will start to believe all the fakes around it.
I flipped through the documents in my hands, refuting them one by one — until I came across the one "truth" that served as solid proof.

 

196.
At the end was a medical report of an injury from four years ago — black text on white paper with a bright red seal.
I turned to Gu Yiliang: “Were you drunk at the time?”
He answered, “No.”
I asked, “Did you run away?”
He replied, “No, I called the ambulance myself.”
I asked, “And the follow-up treatment costs?”
He said, “I paid for everything, little by little.”
I asked, “How’s the recovery going?”
He said, “The person was discharged just before New Year’s.”
I paused, then carefully enunciated each word: “Did you injure the person?”
He stayed silent for a moment, then replied firmly, “No.”
His stepmother shouted: “…What do you mean, no!”

 

197.
Okay.
I looked at Gu Yiliang’s stepmother, closed the folder, and handed it back to her:
“Feel free to leak this information. If you succeed, it’s my loss.”

 

198.
She looked stunned, staring at me, then shot a dark glare at Gu Yiliang. I didn’t like the look in her eyes at all, so I pulled Gu Yiliang behind me, ready to throw out a few sharp remarks—but I stopped. After all, this wasn’t really my business. So I just smiled and said, “Goodbye, ma’am.”
I tugged on Gu Yiliang to leave, but she suddenly grabbed his wrist, panicked, and said, “Thirty million. Just thirty million. You asked if we’d leave you alone, didn’t you? It’s just thirty million. If not, I’ll go to the media…”

Gu Yiliang let me pull him away and brushed off her hand.

199.
What did she think Gu Yiliang was? An ATM? Where did this vampire come from?

I was truly furious hearing all that. Before he could say anything, I cut in:
“Thirty million? You actually have the nerve to say that? You still don’t get it — what you have in your hands isn’t a threat to Gu Yiliang. And the media? Go ahead and try. Do you seriously think any media outlet will listen to you?”

Gu Yiliang turned to glance at me.

Meeting his gaze, I noticed she probably had cheekbone implants. I smiled:
“Alright, even if you could get something published, I’d be happy to put up thirty million myself, as his friend, to hire a PR agent. Deal? I guarantee we’ll make him look purer than the whites of your eyes and more popular than the red of your lipstick. He’ll keep landing roles, keep earning, maybe even win an award.

But if you provoke him—do you really think that face of yours, built on empty promises, will hold up? You don’t, do you?”

I pointed at the folder she was holding, giving a crooked smile:
“And as for that accident — you really think time will erase it? Accomplice, obstruction... I’d bet you’re implicated too. You thought Gu Yiliang could be charged? Maybe I can help him clear his name. But you and the real culprit…”

 

200.
She swallowed hard, her eyes filled with hatred, glaring at me furiously.
Gu Yiliang stepped forward to block her view, and in a cold voice said:
“Go home. Thirty will be transferred to Gu Shang’s account every month. If you cause any more trouble, you won’t see another cent.”

She lunged at Gu Yiliang again, shouting:
“Thirty a month? But before—”

Her voice suddenly cut off, and she stared at us in shock as the security guards — called by Xiao Chen — covered her mouth and dragged her out of sight.

 

201.
We watched as she struggled, getting pulled away, and I exchanged a loaded glance with Gu Yiliang.
Xiao Chen let out a breath and, relaxing, said: “Today’s sasaeng fans are really terrifying. They never give up.”

 

Translator : DarNan