Once the door closed, Luo Ding lay back down, staring blankly at the ceiling. His expression softened, and after a while, he sighed deeply.
He picked up the newspaper he’d been halfway through reading and looked at the big picture on the cover. In the photo, Yan Jingjing was clinging tightly to Duan Xiubo’s arm, looking up at him and saying something. Her side profile was stunning and delicate—a real beauty.
Duan Xiubo was also looking down at her, his side profile showing a focused, gentle gaze. His presence was much stronger than Yan Jingjing’s, and the two of them, in terms of height, appearance, and even the contrast in their aura—one strong, the other weak—seemed perfectly matched.
The newspaper spoke with confidence, boldly praising them with phrases like “golden boy and jade girl” and “a match made in heaven.” Although these were playful remarks, when paired with the image, they didn’t seem entirely unfounded.
Heh, looks like they’ve got their sights set on him.
From the start, Luo Ding had a bad feeling. Maybe it was the shadow that Yan Jingjing had cast on him, but no matter how delicate and gentle she tried to appear, to him, she always looked sinister and menacing. When it came to manipulation, Luo Ding knew he wasn’t in the same league. Back when rumors about him and Yan Jingjing first spread, she hadn’t even been married yet—barely in her twenties—but she’d played him like a fool. The news spread like wildfire, and all he could do was stay silent. At the time, there was no way he could respond without being labeled a scumbag by the public. Plus, Yan Jingjing had just signed with Universal, and any statement he made could damage her reputation, which would affect the company. Under pressure from both his superiors and public opinion, he had no choice but to hide.
Now, it was Duan Xiubo’s turn to be unlucky. But compared to Cao Dingkun, Duan was at least more fortunate. For one, Yan Jingjing was married now. Stirring up romance rumors would only hurt her. Compared to romance, a friendship narrative was less suffocating—at least it didn’t come with the uncomfortable tag of an “official pairing.”
Staring at those two descriptors, Luo Ding’s emotions fluctuated, going from schadenfreude to sympathy, and then sinking into a deeper melancholy.
He tossed the newspaper to the floor, curling up in his blanket like a pitiful little creature, and started scrolling through his phone.
Unlike the official media outlets that were pairing them together, the internet had much more amusing commentary.
Especially in Luo Ding’s fan circle, when news of the other party in his rumored relationship surfaced, fans were initially angry, but as the conversation deepened, everyone ended up laughing.
People weren’t blind. Every interaction between Duan Xiubo and Luo Ding on the red carpet and during the award ceremony had been captured and shared. Everyone pointed at the photos and videos, laughing out loud.
“Is this what they call ‘intimate behavior’?! Hahaha, poor Yan Jingjing!”
“Yan Jingjing, what were you thinking, walking the red carpet with Duan-ge?”
“Hahahaha, Duan-ge, have you seen your right-hand side? Don’t you know you’re about to get a stiff neck?!”
“Duan-ge, I’m sending you a neck brace right now. For your health, I strongly suggest you alternate between the left and right sides!”
“Hahahaha, what nonsense!”
In short, the difference in how Duan Xiubo treated people was so obvious that no one even had the energy to question it anymore. They all just collectively mocked the media in their own ways.
One person was trying so hard to get close but couldn’t, while the other kept pushing them away, sticking like glue. Even Duan Xiubo’s fans were at a loss. Most of his fans weren’t “mom” types, and when they saw the rumors with Yan Jingjing, they were furious. But as the fan circle shifted back to the “Duan-Luo ship,” their frustrations eased considerably.
Many fans who used to dislike the pairing between Duan Xiubo and Luo Ding now found themselves strangely accepting it. Compared to Yan Jingjing, Luo Ding standing next to Duan Xiubo felt much more bearable.
Luo Ding scrolled through the hot topics on Weibo, and his frustration from reading the newspaper quickly turned into embarrassment. As the subject of the news, he was watching clips of himself and Duan Xiubo from the red carpet being turned into GIFs and circulated all over the internet. His feelings were a complicated mix.
One GIF, which had the most comments, shares, and likes, made him instinctively cover his face.
In the GIF, Duan Xiubo rushed up from behind on the red carpet and placed his hand on Luo Ding’s shoulder. The caption at the bottom of the image read in bold letters: “Luo Ding, you’re walking too fast!”
Luo Ding’s subtle motion of nudging Duan’s waist with his elbow to push him away, which hadn’t been noticeable before, was now blatantly obvious. At the top of the image, the caption read: “Stop messing around, there are too many people.”
Duan Xiubo, after being pushed away, stubbornly clung back to him: “Luo Ding, you pushed me, and I’m not happy.”
Luo Ding stopped pushing, tilting his head slightly toward Yuan Bing’s direction: “Don’t lean in so close when you’re talking, behave.”
Duan obediently pulled his face back but stayed close: “Oh.”
Meanwhile, Yan Jingjing was trying to inch closer the whole time, while Duan’s captions occasionally shifted between “Go away! Go away!” and reverting to a playful, clingy tone.
Finally, Luo Ding placed his hand on Duan’s shoulder and patted him, after which Duan finally settled down, content, and returned to walking normally.
The comments section was full of people dying with laughter: “Oh my god, Duan Xiubo as a clingy cat is so cute! What should I do? I want to take one home and keep it!!!”
“Any takers for the Duan-Luo ship?! The younger, doting dynamic is too much! I swear I saw angels!!!”
“Hey, Luo Ding, I’m a cat too! Touch me!!”
When Luo Ding saw this, his whole body shivered, and his phone slipped from his hand, landing with a thud on the floor.
He lay on the sofa in a daze for a while, then, after some hesitation, broke free of his blanket, picked up his phone, downloaded the GIF, watched it a few times, and then quietly deleted it.
These people really had wild imaginations. But honestly, the situation wasn’t all that different from what they imagined… Ugh, Duan Xiubo was so annoying, always acting clingy at the most inappropriate times. If someone really noticed something was off, what would they do?
With his phone in hand, Luo Ding fell asleep with a heavy heart. In his dream, a large cat lay on his chest, purring softly, its black tail flicking across his face.
Luo Ding had no choice but to gently stroke the cat’s back to calm it down. The big cat shook its head slightly and buried its face in his neck, breathing warm air on his skin, finally quiet and well-behaved.
Good kitty, don’t cause trouble, and be good.
Luo Ding smacked his lips, hugged his pillow, and rolled over.
*******
Duan Xiubo’s revenge was simple, straightforward, and highly effective.
During the height of the “friends” rumor, he appeared on a talk show. When the host asked, “How long have you and Yan Jingjing been friends?” Duan Xiubo honestly replied, “Not long.”
This was a question he had specifically asked the show to include, and the host pretended to be surprised: “But isn’t everyone saying you two are really close?”
Duan Xiubo looked a little confused: “I’ve heard that too, and I don’t really get it.”
“But didn’t you walk the red carpet together?”
“That was arranged by the company,” Duan Xiubo replied with a smile. “It’s all Luo Xiaoding’s fault! He was too quick. As soon as the nomination came out, I went to invite Sister Yuan, but she told me she had already accepted Luo Xiaoding’s invitation. She said she was tired of seeing my old face and wanted to try a fresh young man instead. But I should thank her for her cruelty; otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the chance to collaborate with Yan Jingjing. She’s a hardworking girl and left a good impression.”
“Oh… very hardworking, huh…” The host repeated his words with a playful undertone, sharing a knowing look with Duan Xiubo before bursting into laughter.
When the show aired, it was like a slap in the face.
Yan Jingjing might have connections with those PR companies, but Duan Xiubo’s network was even stronger. Yan Jingjing had banked on the fact that he wouldn’t sweat the small stuff. Unfortunately, she guessed wrong—Duan Xiubo could be incredibly petty. He didn’t mind if people he liked took advantage of him, but anyone else who tried to get a free ride would definitely pay the price.
Yan Jingjing’s fans, who had been pushing the “friendship” narrative and even hinting at a possible romance, had thoroughly disgusted Duan Xiubo’s fans. But the fans hadn’t known how to fight back, especially with the media reports leaving them no room for defense.
This show turned everything around, and Duan Xiubo’s fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Subsequent reports gradually began to mention Yan Jingjing’s ruthless ambition in the entertainment industry, as well as her recent attempts to ingratiate herself with top-level executives at various entertainment companies as her contract neared its end. These reports weren’t overwhelming, but they served their purpose—Duan Xiubo wasn’t out to destroy her, just to give her a lesson.
The once-innocent starlet, free of scandal, was now seen as a scheming, calculating figure. The reports painted her as someone whose marriage to her husband was in name only, and her constant public mentions of him were now seen as nothing more than a strategy to manage her image.
The public was shocked, feeling like they’d been deceived. The entertainment industry really was complicated.
Yan Jingjing, who had been preparing to announce the end of her contract, was caught off guard.
The news had already spread across the internet in a way she didn’t want.
Her manager looked worried and asked, “Should we still release the dirt on Huo Lianshan?”
Yan Jingjing gritted her teeth: “Do it! Even if Duan Xiubo cut off my path, I have to keep moving forward!”
Her manager asked, “But if you release it now, it won’t help. You can’t divorce him just yet. People will accuse you of putting on a show.”
“We’ll take it slow,” Yan Jingjing sighed. “We’ll smear him first, and then we’ll deal with the divorce later. Otherwise, I’ll never get out.”
*******
Behind the scenes, all kinds of maneuvering were taking place, but to the outside world, it was just a blurry shadow.
Most viewers didn’t care about the private lives of the actors or their ethics. With limited access to gossip, they focused more on the artists’ work.
After all, the purpose of entertainers was to entertain the public.
“Tang Legend” was a project that, from its initial preparation to the end of filming, had consistently enjoyed resources and buzz that no other drama could match. With a major investment from the Chinese TV station, every aspect of the show—from the script to the costumes, dialogue, set design, down to the smallest accessories on the characters—was executed with the utmost precision. The combination of the documentary director’s rigor and the drama director’s flair for melodrama, along with the intrigue and romance in the original historical tale, made “Tang Legend” the biggest TV production in a decade.
The longer the anticipation, the richer the outcome.
Like a jar of wine buried deep underground, the show was finally unearthed and, on New Year’s Day, Chinese TV station aired it in their prime-time slot, uncorking the bottle for all to taste.
The public’s anticipation for the show far exceeded expectations. One month before its premiere, the network began promoting the airing time, and five minutes before the show began, Chinese TV station was on high alert.
Reports of viewership figures began trickling up to the higher-ups.
“It’s broken another record! Another one!” For the first time, even before the show aired, the prime-time viewership had already broken multiple records.
Households across the nation turned on their TVs, waiting eagerly. Finally, the commercials ended.
The screen suddenly went dark, and then, large characters emerged from the distance, like a seal being stamped onto the screen.
Accompanied by a crisp, booming sound effect, the screen’s dim background and dark red text became clear:
Tang – Legend
The opening music was vast and expansive, as if spanning half the continent. The camera soared over the land, offering a bird’s-eye view before sweeping into the grand palace. On the high steps, the emperor, dressed in imperial robes, raised his hand, passionately addressing the officials below. The scene froze just as his sleeve fluttered, turning to black and white. In the empty space, bold brushstrokes appeared, spelling:
Starring: Wu Yuan
The palace gates loomed tall, seemingly endless. A rider galloped towards the gates, pulling the reins just in time as the camera zoomed in. The horse reared up, and the woman on its back cut an imposing figure, her eyes sharp and focused. The scene froze as she turned to face the camera, the text unfolding like arrows:
Starring: Pan Yiming
A mournful horn sounded, and drums, like raindrops, grew louder and more intense, building to a crescendo.
An army of countless soldiers, dark and endless, filled the screen. The camera swept over their shining armor before rising sharply, soaring over the city walls. At the top of the wall, a man in white stood, gazing into the distance. The wind lifted his robes, flapping in time with the drums, both haunting and heroic.
The scene shifted to black and white, and the previously subtle tears in his eyes, now accentuated by the color contrast, became strikingly clear.
The brushstrokes danced across the screen:
Starring: Luo Ding
R : Saturday ko-fi bonus chapter ! Have a nice week-end guys ! (⑉• ﻌ •⑉)
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