Chapter 40: Oh No! Yi Chen Is Dating!

【Oh No! Yi Chen Is Dating!】

It was a workday afternoon, originally busy with no major news, so people stole moments to slack off without much to talk about.

In such a boring, mundane, and typically desperate-for-quitting-time afternoon, this post suddenly appeared before everyone’s eyes.

No advance notice, no warning, no overhyped live stream reveal—just the time came, and it switched to boring news from some unknown person.

Before anyone could react, a paparazzo with not many followers posted a few photos on V Blog.

They were screenshots of a phone’s lock screen.

A photo of one man and one woman. The man was Yi Chen, and the woman didn’t show her full face—just enough to tell she was a good-looking woman dressed sexily.

The two were pressed extremely close.

【Can’t Believe It V: Guess what big scoop I caught today?】

【Can’t Believe It V: Who would’ve thought your dear brother secretly found a wife behind your backs?】

Like a drop of water falling from on high into a pool of clear spring water, everyone exploded in an instant.

【Isn’t that Yi Chen?】

【What do you mean ‘isn’t that’? It is Yi Chen!】

【Can’t see the beauty’s face clearly, but that profile is gorgeous.】

【Yi Chen really dating? Then my CP is doomed to a bad end?】

【CP my ass, damn it, unfollowing on the spot. Fans stop whitewashing—your money all went to feed his wife!】

【Gimme my money back, you bastard!】

【This melon came out of nowhere? Any backstory?】

【Waaah, you can date Yu Xi, but not some stranger I don’t know, waaah!】

【Holy waaah, I really wanna shoot you dead with one bullet from love.】

The heat kept rising, spawning all sorts of black topics and keywords that couldn’t be suppressed.

Backstage at the shoot, the paparazzo was grabbed by two staff members. He had snuck into the filming site and entered the backstage area without permission, caught red-handed by patrolling staff. But this paparazzo showed no fear—instead, he had a smug, arrogant look, like “You’ve fallen into my hands, what can you do to me?”

The paparazzo provocatively glanced at Yi Chen and Liu Yun sitting opposite him. “I told you, if you’d begged me nicely, I might’ve given you a chance. But you tried to touch the stuff in my camera?”

“Failed at stealing the chicken and lost the rice, huh? Now the photos are out, the romance exposed—this’ll cost way more than some petty bribe. You’re screwed even if you don’t die!”

Liu Yun remained unmoved and ignored the paparazzo’s words. Instead, she asked the staff, “Anything missing backstage?”

The staff immediately got it. “Two lenses are gone—super expensive. They were right on the table when he came in!”

Liu Yun feigned shock. “Camera lenses? Those are valuable items—call the police quick!”

The staff pulled out his phone and dialed the police, briefly stating the situation and location. The paparazzo, who had been so cocky a second ago, deflated instantly. “What are you doing? I didn’t take anything!”

“How would I know if you did or didn’t? You’re not crew—snuck into the set, and now stuff’s missing. Who else would we ask?!”

Whether Yi Chen was dating or not, the poor security let a paparazzo slip in, so the production team had to take responsibility. The staff dragged the yelling paparazzo out of the backstage room.

The ears finally quieted. Liu Yun rubbed her brow.

She had a massive headache.

She knew Yi Chen well—of course, with his personality, he wouldn’t get intimate with any woman. For someone to snap a photo breaking social distance, he must really like her.

Liu Yun sighed. “How’d you start dating? Whatever, you’re not an idol anyway.”

“But you should’ve told me earlier—I could’ve handled the PR. It’s a bit messy now, but no big deal.”

“Come on, first tell me the woman’s basic info. I’ll see how to spin the PR.”

Yi Chen was silent for two seconds before asking, “You didn’t recognize her?”

Liu Yun was pulling out her notebook—she always carried a little notebook and pen. “Recognize what? How would I know your girlfriend?”

“You know her.” Yi Chen said seriously and affirmatively, lifting his screen and lighting up the lock screen image. “This is Yu Xi.”

Liu Yun: “?”

Liu Yun leaned in closer to look at the wavy long-haired beauty, then looked up at Yi Chen in shock. “You said this is who?!”

Meanwhile, Guan Zifan paced back and forth, his shoe heels clacking loudly on the floor.

“What the hell? He’s dating and still signed a business CP deal? His company doesn’t know? Bullshit—this is clearly dragging you down too!”

Yu Xi stared down at his phone, silent.

“And taking such an intimate photo? Setting it as lock screen? It’s real, and he doesn’t care if he’s caught?”

Yu Xi rapidly swiped his screen, pretending to be busy, not daring to speak.

“Ha!” Guan Zifan was so angry he laughed. “No message after all this time? Just assuming you’ll sink together?”

Yu Xi lowered his head even more, minimizing his presence, wishing he could vanish, not making a single sound.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Guan Zifan saw Yu Xi stay quiet for ages and asked. “Usually, you’re the first to jump on anything bad about Yi Chen. Why so quiet today?”

Yu Xi’s back stiffened. He slowly lifted his head. “Ah… really…?”

“Yi Chen really deserves to die…”

Guan Zifan clearly wasn’t letting Yu Xi off. “Do you know that woman? What’s her name? Job? We need to find a way to protect ourselves first.”

Yu Xi’s eyes drifted. “Ah…”

Guan Zifan saw through it—Yu Xi’s demeanor screamed he knew the inside story. “Spit it out!”

Yu Xi: “This… it’s someone else’s privacy… not good, right…?”

“Hurry up!” Guan Zifan urged. “If you don’t say it, your own privacy’s gonna get skinned alive!”

The online public opinion was dire, all sorts of nonsense flying. Guan Zifan wanted to shift the spotlight, but without inside info, even the best plan was useless.

Yu Xi: “Um…”

Guan Zifan’s gaze was like knives, prodding. “Say it! You’re not usually this hesitant. Talk!”

After hesitating forever, Yu Xi closed his eyes in resignation. “It’s me…”

Guan Zifan: “???”

Forty minutes later, in the company meeting room.

Liu Yun and Guan Zifan eyed each other awkwardly.

Liu Yun: “Sorry, our Yi Chen caused you trouble.”

Guan Zifan: “No no, it’s me not knowing Yu Xi well enough. Didn’t know he had this kind of fetish.”

Yu Xi and Yi Chen sat beside their respective agents, silent.

This four-person meeting was mainly to discuss handling the online chatter.

Over an hour had passed since the paparazzo posted the photos, and the heat was skyrocketing.

Netizens were digging into the woman’s info, listing every female artist Yi Chen had worked with. Fans were furious—if no response, rumors would spiral.

It affected Yu Xi too.

Whenever entertainment gossip hit, some always fished in troubled waters. Now, posts claimed Yu Xi knew Yi Chen had a girlfriend but still did CP business for money, face be damned. Others dug up intimate clips from their show—without tinted glasses, it was sweet CP fuel; with them, Yu Xi was the “male mistress” getting cursed.

“The priority now isn’t just denying it—pure denial won’t convince anyone. We need to deny while sparking a new hot topic.” Liu Yun said. “Actually, I have a plan.”

Guan Zifan didn’t interrupt.

He roughly knew what Liu Yun’s plan was.

Yu Xi did too.

To achieve what Liu Yun wanted, there was one simplest way—barely any budget needed.

But he hoped she wouldn’t say it.

What if it was some other plan?

“Go live.” Liu Yun said. “Yu Xi in drag, interact with Yi Chen, clarify the woman in the photo is him. Yesterday’s hot search with the bet loss drag? Perfect tie-in.”

Every word from Liu Yun felt like a death sentence knife at Yu Xi’s neck.

His eye twitched hard. “Impossible!”

Yu Xi turned the spear on Yi Chen. “You didn’t secure your phone. You made the mess—why should I clean it up?”

Yi Chen stayed calm, even sipping his coffee. Once the rich aroma slid down his throat, he replied leisurely, “Who took the photo? Me?”

“Who chose to wear drag? Me?”

“Who set the wallpaper and lock screen? Me?”

“Who was crying yesterday to be my one and only baby, declaring war on that woman? Not me, right?”

Yu Xi: “…”

Liu Yun: “…”

Guan Zifan: “…”

Liu Yun was surprised. “You two are that close privately?”

Guan Zifan was shocked. “Wait, did you two take the wrong meds last night to play this hard?”

Yi Chen kept his composed smile. “Not just that, Yun Jie, Guan Ge. Let me show you yesterday’s video—see if anything’s usable…”

Yu Xi frantically slapped his hand over Yi Chen’s, pressing the phone down. “Live live live! Set a time—we have to go live!”

Yi Chen’s smile brightened. “No time like the present—right now.”

–

Yi Chen never responded, so opportunists spun endless mini-melons, true and false. Public mood grew irritable in the second-by-second wait.

【Why no response? Don’t know how to?】

【Looks real then. Last time the neighbor got dating rumors, denial in under five minutes.】

【I’m so sad. Yi Chen, you can date—you’re strength-based, not idol. But don’t stay silent. You called us family, partners on the show, but your family and partners didn’t know you were dating. Feels like abandonment, betrayal.】

【Why not date Yu Xi waaah!】

【Wait, wait wait, everyone chill—Yi Chen started a live?】

Many waited to munch melon, constantly refreshing tags, and spotted Yi Chen’s V Blog live first.

Stream title: Introducing Your Sister-in-Law to Everyone.

【???】

【Yi Chen, are you even human?!】

【Zero-frame opener.】

【Face-tank ult.】

【Turns out when you’re extremely sad, you really do wanna laugh.】

The provocative title instantly riled netizens—gawkers gawked, the angry raged, flooding the stream. Barely started, and the screen was barrage-full.

Facing the doubting barrages, Yi Chen showed no reaction. Instead, he looked at the camera seriously. “The purpose of this stream is mainly to introduce sister-in-law to everyone.”

【My heart is fragile】

【If I commit a crime, let the cops arrest me—don’t let the dating melon kill me】

【Loved you so long, and you got a sister-in-law.】

Yi Chen ignored them, dimming the lights. He beckoned to his side. Heels clicked on the floor as a woman—a long-haired, wavy-curled woman—walked to Yi Chen’s side and naturally sat against his leg.

“She” didn’t show her front face; long hair blocked her features, leaving only a seductive back matching Yi Chen’s lock screen photo.

Definitely the lock screen girlfriend!!!

“She” wore a backless outfit, mini skirt, long straight legs, high heels visually elongating her calves.

Yi Chen wrapped an arm around “her” waist, naturally cheek-to-cheek, like they’d done it countless times—ambiguous, intimate.

【Dunno about the person, but those legs are killer…】

【Humans are visual sometimes cough, legs that good, person must be too…】

“Dance for everyone, baby.” Yi Chen smiled at the camera. “My baby’s dancing is killer.”

Lights dimmed further. Yi Chen switched to background music—not fast, but sexy.

With lights down, the auto-adjust created color contrast, forming a tall, dynamic silhouette on screen.

The silhouette’s visual impact far outdid a normal stream.

The beautiful sister had an excellent figure, with a slender waist and long legs. Her dance moves were clean and powerful—soft when they needed to be soft, yet exceptionally crisp and decisive when required. Each action perfectly matched every beat of the music, and combined with her almost perfectly paper-thin figure, the visual experience was maxed out.

[Holy shit, that muscle control is insane, so good-looking, this dance is absolutely killer, professional dancer level.]

[No wonder Yi Chen likes it, it’s so hot, I’d like it too.]

[Sister is so hot, don’t like Yi Chen anymore, like me instead?]

[Yeah yeah, Yi Chen has countless bees and flowers around him, but I only have you by my side.]

The dance ended, and the lights slowly brightened. Her faintly visible, clean, and pretty back was exposed to the camera.

[A bit more acceptable all of a sudden…]

[Beautiful sister, give us a self-introduction!]

[Sister is amazing, what’s sister’s name, how did sister meet Yi Chen?]

[Who is sister who is sister who is sister!!!]

“The barrage is asking about you?” Yi Chen frantically suppressed the upward tug of his lips. “But why don’t you introduce yourself, baby?”

“Call me ‘baby’ one more time!”

An irritable male voice suddenly echoed through the live stream.

[Where did that voice come from?]

[Did I hallucinate it?]

[That’s not Yi Chen’s voice, is there someone else in the room?]

Yu Xi truly couldn’t endure it anymore.

Cooperating with the live stream? Fine.

Spicy dancing on live? Fine.

But calling him “baby” over and over—what the hell was that!

Yu Xi turned around, flipped up his hair, and shoved his face toward the camera. His brows furrowed tightly, clearly displeased. “You can’t even recognize me! You fake fans!”

The live stream viewers: “??”

The netizens: “????”