How Did the Top-Tier Male Lead Fall in Love With Me? 9

Chapter 9

Not long after Meng Huaizhi returned to the country, Weibo exploded with another trending topic. Several push notifications popped up on his phone in succession.
This time, the name at the top of the trending list was finally not Meng Huaizhi’s.
Shen Wu, with a lollipop in his mouth, tapped it open.
After a casual glance, he forgot all about the lollipop in his mouth. His cheek puffed out in a round ball and froze there.
#Director H Sexual Harassment#
#Director H May Face Criminal Charges#
Shen Wu didn’t know much about the gossip or secret dealings in the entertainment industry, but “Director H sexual harassment”… combined with the sordid scene he had witnessed, he couldn’t help but connect these trending topics to Director Hong.
An entertainment reporter posted a tip from an insider on Weibo, and it caused a huge stir.
The whistleblower was a former staff member of the director, who claimed that Director H had repeatedly used his position to sexually harass female celebrities in the industry. He had also placed his mistresses in the crew, forcibly promoting minor supporting roles, and forcing screenwriters to add scenes and alter the script.
Sexual harassment was an unwritten rule in the industry, and it was not uncommon. People who were exposed for such scandals would come forward to deny it, and many fans would choose to believe them. After all, a flawed private life was not directly linked to professional ability.
The studio would suppress the trending topic, and everyone would choose to turn a blind eye, and that would be the end of it.
However, Director H not only engaged in sexual harassment but also neglected his duties, using his power to do whatever he wanted on set.
The majority of netizens were furious. They followed the clues to dig up information on this director, and it was a perfect match. There was only one Director H who was notorious for making terrible films.
Shen Wu checked Weibo again after a while.
The person at the center of the storm had nowhere to hide. Seeing that a cold approach was hopeless, he had already come forward to defend himself.
#Hong Jianbo Denies Rumors#
#Hong Jianbo Issues Lawyer’s Letter#
As expected, Director H was the same Director Hong from the KTV.
His intuition confirmed, Shen Wu was stunned for a long time.
He knew that the entertainment industry was a complex web where one move could affect the whole. Similar scandals were often tacitly covered up, and it was rare for anyone to be pushed to the top of negative public opinion like this.
Besides, the timing was too coincidental. He had just had a conflict with Director Hong a few days ago. Shen Wu definitely didn’t believe there wasn’t a driving force behind the scenes.
Director Hong issued a lawyer’s letter with righteous indignation, buying off several major V-accounts in the industry to defend himself in an attempt to turn the tide of public opinion.
However, just as the buzz was at its peak, the major V-account that had first broken the story dropped one last bombshell, making all of Director Hong’s struggles a joke.
Several female celebrities who had long since retired from the industry came forward with their real names to expose his despicable acts, and released irrefutable evidence such as chat logs and call records, leaving him with no room for denial.
At this point, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Hong Jianbo had offended someone he shouldn’t have. The latter not only wanted to give him a warning but also wanted to ensure he would never make a comeback.
Seeing this, a female celebrity who was still active in the industry stood up and stated that she had been harassed by Hong Jianbo and had been unable to get any acting roles for a long time because of him.
Where there was one, there were two. Some wavering artists also chose to take a side, either to fight for justice or to ride on the popularity… In any case, in the face of one-sided public opinion, even if Director Hong could cover the sky with one hand, he had completely lost the ability to twist right and wrong.
#Hong Jianbo Apologizes#
#Hong Jianbo Announces Retirement from the Entertainment Industry#
In just one day, the righteous majority had achieved their victory.
…

Shen Wu was hesitant.
There had to be a driving force behind this, but he couldn’t figure out who it was for a moment.
Last time at the KTV, Shen Ping, who claimed to be unaware, felt guilty towards him. Perhaps he would change his usual gentlemanly demeanor and vent his anger for him.
As for Meng Huaizhi… he was devoted to his music, turning a deaf ear to worldly affairs, as desireless as a celestial being. He didn’t seem like the type of person to do something like this.
It couldn’t be Meng Huaizhi, right?
Shen Wu pondered for a moment, then chose to open his chat with “M” first.
SW: Has your PR department been busy lately?
M: The legal department has been busy too.
Shen Wu was stunned for a long moment before he understood the subtext of Meng Huaizhi’s words. He had been beating around the bush, and Meng Huaizhi had responded in kind. Around and around they went, yet they still met on the same track.
Shen Wu smiled, belatedly sensing the high-and-mighty male lead’s sense of humor.
There seems to be a little, but not much.

The excitement on Weibo was far from over.
That day, there were about a dozen people in the KTV room, mostly Director Hong’s friends and a few young artists seeking opportunities.
To protect the privacy of the customers, there were no surveillance cameras in the private room, but someone had secretly taken out their phone to record.
The mastermind behind the scenes was willing to pay a high price for a video of the scene, so someone couldn’t resist the temptation and took the risk, selling the video despite the danger of being resented.
The video was edited, with one part being irrefutable proof of Director Hong and others forcing drinks, and another part being the clip of Shen Wu blocking the drink.
The faces of the people sitting in the background were blurred, but Shen Wu, who was standing, was shown clearly in the center of the video.
The man with broad shoulders and long legs held up a glass. The ordinary glass sparkled in his long, beautiful hands as if it were a diamond.
His chin was tilted up, and on the smooth line of his neck, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbed a few times. In no time, the glass was empty.
He wasn’t one to fuss over details. He lifted the back of his hand to wipe away the remaining liquor from the corner of his mouth. His lips were moist and crimson, but on the back of his fair hand, pale blue veins pulsed with vigorous strength.
His features were deep and three-dimensional, sharp and handsome, and he had a pair of sparkling peach blossom eyes, both cold and passionate.
The netizens’ fervor in denouncing Director Hong hadn’t subsided yet. When they saw a video confirming Director Hong’s sexual harassment, they eagerly clicked on it. After a few seconds, their attention was diverted, and they sent Shen Wu to the top of the trending list instead.
#Shen Wu the Hero Rescues the Damsel#
#Shen Wu is So Handsome#
The comment section, which had gone completely off-topic, was quite a sight to behold.
[So handsome ahhhhhh]
[“Thirsty,” so arrogant, hahahaha, I love it!]
[Ahhhh he’s so hot, so hot, holy crap! Who gets it!?]
[What’s this? An Adam’s apple! I’ll take a bite [drool]]
Afterward, someone tried to pull the topic back on track.
[So who’s the female celebrity that was being forced to drink by that dog Hong?? That old bastard, so disgusting, crap! Get your dirty hands off her!!]
[Let’s not dig into it, everyone. That would be causing secondary harm to her.]
[So scary, thank god Shen Wu was there…]
[Jiejie, don’t be afraid, we’ll all stand by you!]
Tu Qianqian had been in a few dramas and was somewhat famous. Not long ago, she had posted on Weibo that she was trying hard to get a certain role. With the power of the netizens, some people gradually guessed it was her.
So Tu Qianqian took the opportunity to post on Weibo.
@Actress Tu Qianqian: @Driver Shen Wu I’m so glad I met you that day [cry][cry] Thank you for helping me, a complete stranger, out of a difficult situation. I hope we can meet again in a more pleasant way next time [heart][heart]
@Actress Tu Qianqian followed @Driver Shen Wu
Tu Qianqian subtly guided public opinion, her words full of implications. Not long after this post was published, Shen Wu’s inbox was flooded with @s, adding fuel to the fire, asking him when he would go on a date with Tu Qianqian next.
A new trending topic also quietly emerged.
#Shen Wu the Hero Rescues Damsel Tu Qianqian#
#Shen Wu and Tu Qianqian’s Rom-Com-Like Encounter#
In the trending topic’s page, netizens were crazily shipping the CP. Shen Wu’s heart was as still as water.
Oh boy.
So a scandal-prone constitution is contagious, huh?
Shen Wu never responded, letting the trending topic cool down on its own.
He locked his phone screen. A moment later, it lit up again with a call from an unknown number.
“Shen Wu, it’s me, Tu Qianqian.”
“What’s wrong?”
“About what happened at the KTV last time, I’m really sorry. I was afraid of being resented for acting on impulse, so I… none of what I said was true… I’m actually very grateful to you for helping me. Director Hong let me leave in the end, all thanks to you, but at that time, I really couldn’t take your side…”
She stumbled through a long speech, but Shen Wu only replied lightly, “I know, it’s fine.”
Tu Qianqian was taken aback.
Shen Wu added, “It’s not easy for female drivers either.”
Hearing this, Tu Qianqian didn’t know what to say. It was clearly her fault, yet he was comforting her with utmost tolerance, subtly expressing his understanding.
The corners of her eyes grew warm. Tu Qianqian took a deep breath and changed the subject, her voice becoming even softer. “Um, those netizens shipping us as a CP, I didn’t buy them, please don’t misunderstand…”
Shen Wu: “Hm?”
Tu Qianqian felt the voice coming from the receiver was tingling, making her face and ears burn. “Ahem, it’s probably because you’re good-looking and have a very special aura, so netizens like to ship you with people.”
Shen Wu chuckled. “No wonder.”
Perhaps Meng Huaizhi’s scandal-prone constitution couldn’t be blamed solely on his popularity.

M+ Entertainment, conference room.
The PR and legal departments were working overtime, busy as bees.
In the end, Director Hong received a court summons, while Shen Wu’s popularity soared. He gained a large wave of fans and was in the limelight for a while.
The matter came to an end here.
Meng Huaizhi sat in the head seat, wearing his usual intimidating, ice-sculpture-like face, his eyelids lowered as he scrolled through his phone.
The staff who had finished their overtime were silent, not daring to breathe too loudly or leave without permission.
Meng Huaizhi exited the #Shen Wu is So Handsome# trending topic. He saw something, and his brow suddenly furrowed.
All the staff members gasped in unison.
Meng Huaizhi looked up, his voice deep and cold. “Rom-com-like encounter… did you buy this too?”
The staff members looked at each other. After a few seconds of silence, they frantically shook their heads like rattle-drums.
Luo Jinyi’s expression was as usual, her attitude still business-like as she gave orders on behalf of her boss. “Suppress the CP-shipping trending topic.”
The PR department was used to it. They had to help Meng Huaizhi deal with romance rumors every now and then.
But the subject of the rumor this time…
What does it have to do with their boss??
No one dared to ask.
After work, everyone left one after another, leaving Meng Huaizhi and Luo Jinyi sitting there. Luo Jinyi thought for a moment and called out to the PR Director, Du Chen.
Du Chen will probably be busy with this in the future, so it’s better to give him a heads-up.
Du Chen was completely baffled by the recent work. He was reluctant to leave anyway, so he immediately walked over and sat on either side of the desk with Luo Jinyi, with Meng Huaizhi in the middle.
Meng Huaizhi was still looking down at his phone.
“Ahem, President Meng…” Luo Jinyi spoke first. “I won’t ask about Director Hong. You bought the trending topic to create hype for Shen Wu and promote him, I won’t ask about that either.”
She paused before getting to the main point. “Why did you suppress the romance rumor between him and Tu Qianqian?”
Du Chen muttered under his breath, “Isn’t he just the younger brother from a family friend?” His President Meng doesn’t even seem to visit his own grandfather that often.
Meng Huaizhi’s attitude was casual as he patiently explained to the two of them, “I have an obligation to protect his reputation from negative influence, whether it’s out of our family’s friendship or our legal relationship.”
Du Chen didn’t know as much as Luo Jinyi and only seized on the point that confused him the most. “Why do you need to protect his reputation?”
No, being shipped with someone doesn’t affect one’s reputation, does it? For a newcomer, this is clearly a hundred percent beneficial. Which so-called ‘rising star’ didn’t get to the top by being shipped and outshining others?
Meng Huaizhi’s rise to fame through his solid skills was a one-in-a-million exception.
Meng Huaizhi seemed to have seen through Du Chen’s thoughts. “His family is very strict.”
Because of a strict upbringing, he can’t be shipped with others.
Du Chen pouted, noncommittal, and deliberately said sarcastically, “Is it the kind of strict where you’re not allowed to date at 23?”
But Meng Huaizhi nodded with a straight face. “Mm.”
Du Chen: “…”
Luo Jinyi: “…”