Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Bloody Wind and RainChapter 61: Storm of Scandal

    After a hectic day, Lin Qin and Meng Chao finally managed to return to the capital before midnight. The two quickly took a shower and then nestled in bed together.

    "When did you sign on for *Silent Battle*? How come I had no idea?" Lin Qin asked as he played with Meng Chao’s slender fingers.

    *Silent Battle* was the movie they were scheduled to begin filming next month. Lin Qin had accepted the role before agreeing to the recording of *We Are Together,* taking on one of the lead roles.

    Yes, one of the leads.

    This film was a male-centric story, with the so-called female lead having a virtually non-existent presence—there wasn’t even a romantic subplot involving her and the male leads.

    It was a dual male-lead film. When Lin Qin signed on, the producers mentioned that the other lead was still being negotiated. Lin Qin never imagined that by the time the role was finalized, the other male lead would turn out to be Meng Chao.

    "The director’s someone I’ve worked with before. He approached me personally. I read the script, thought it was excellent, and agreed to take the role," Meng Chao explained honestly. When he accepted the film, he genuinely hadn’t known Lin Qin would be the other lead. Later, when he found out, Meng Chao was pleasantly surprised—it was an unexpected delight.

    Ever since falling for Lin Qin, Meng Chao had always wanted to collaborate in a film with him. He hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so soon, and what’s more, it hadn’t been deliberately arranged—it all fell into place almost serendipitously.

    That must be what people call fate.

    Lin Qin wanted to continue speaking, but the fatigue from traveling made him yawn. His eyes were drooping shut.

    Meng Chao kissed Lin Qin’s lips and said softly, "Sleep. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it tomorrow."

    Lin Qin murmured an "Mm," and quickly fell asleep in Meng Chao’s arms.

    Once Lin Qin was sound asleep, Meng Chao slowly shifted his arm out from under Lin Qin’s head, picked up his phone, and walked to the living room to make a call.

    "Hello, this is Meng Chao."

    "I heard your company recently began collaborating with the Fang Family. Here’s the deal: the Meng Family is willing to compensate your losses. Please terminate your partnership with the Fang Family."

    "The Chu Family has already made their stance clear? Alright, I understand. Thank you."

    Meng Chao hung up and made several more calls, all receiving similar responses.

    He had initially intended to use his connections to pressure the Fang Family and teach Fang Minghui a lesson, but evidently, the Chu Family had acted faster. Besides, their influence carried far more weight than Meng Chao’s.

    Upon learning that the Fang Family had offended the Chu Family, corporate leaders swiftly severed all business ties with them, avoiding the Fang Family like the plague.

    Lin Qin was someone the Chu patriarch doted on immensely. Years ago, when the relationship between the patriarch and Chu Ge had soured, he found it hard to bond with Chu Ge’s child. However, in recent years, as the father-daughter relationship improved, and after discovering that Lin Qin suffered from social anxiety, the patriarch wanted nothing more than to give Lin Qin the best the world could offer, wishing for his recovery.

    Back when the Chu patriarch was hospitalized for certain illnesses, Lin Qin’s experience with school bullying was carefully kept from him by the younger generation. Now that his health had improved, and after that recent incident, Chu Hong had directly reported everything to him.

    One could imagine how furious the patriarch must have been, leading to the swift actions taken by the Chu Family.

    The Chu Family was currently at its peak. Chu Ge’s elder brother, Lin Qin’s uncle, was almost guaranteed to secure the top leadership position in the next election. Who would dare to provoke the Chu Family at a time like this?

    Finally, Meng Chao called his brother Meng Ke, requesting that he also put pressure on the Fang Family.

    Meng Ke didn’t ask any questions and readily agreed. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    After wrapping up his series of tasks, Meng Chao returned to the bedroom.

    Lin Qin was still sound asleep, his expression soft and untroubled. Seeing this, Meng Chao couldn’t help but smile warmly. He lifted the covers, climbed back into bed, and lay down.

    Lin Qin instinctively felt the warmth, turning over to snuggle into Meng Chao’s arms.

    Wrapping his arms around Meng Chao’s waist, he mumbled sleepily, "Where did you just go?"

    Meng Chao pulled him in closer and replied, "Something came up with the company. I had to take a call." Then he asked, "Why did you wake up?"

    Lin Qin buried his fluffy head into Meng Chao’s chest, finding a comfortable spot. "I can’t sleep well when you’re not here."

    Meng Chao’s heart melted instantly. "Sleep, now. I’m not going anywhere."

    Lin Qin murmured an affirmative and drifted back to sleep.

    Meng Chao kissed the top of his head and, listening to Lin Qin’s steady breathing, gradually fell asleep as well.

    Meanwhile, on an anonymous forum, a storm was brewing over a post.

    The post was titled: *Let’s Talk About How an Actor Named Lin Qin Got Such Great Opportunities Right After Debuting.*

    The post vividly depicted Lin Qin being kept by a wealthy benefactor. Allegedly, this benefactor had invested in two films for Lin Qin, propelling him to international stardom almost overnight.

    Using the most vicious language, the post speculated about shady deals between Lin Qin and this so-called benefactor, claiming that Lin Qin’s success was solely due to being backed by this powerful figure.

    At the end of the post, the anonymous author even attached several crystal-clear photos, showing Lin Qin hugging a man tightly.

    The post quickly gained traction, boosted by paid trolls and went viral, eventually identifying the man in question as none other than the head of Chutian Entertainment.

    Initially, the comments section became a playground for trolls and haters.

    [Haha, I really thought Lin Qin was a bona fide Best Actor. Turns out he’s just selling his ass.]

    [Want to become a Cannes Best Actor like Lin Qin? Then start selling your ass now!]

    [I’ve been seeing all this online hype about Lin Qin’s "God-tier acting," but honestly, after seeing a few screenshots, I don’t get it. How could such average acting win Best Actor? Now I see why... shameless.]

    As the post garnered attention, more of Lin Qin’s fans and neutral onlookers joined the fray.

    [Hahaha, and here I thought there’d be solid evidence! Two men hugging isn’t enough proof of a "kept relationship"? Honestly, some people’s imagination is impressive. You must have gotten full marks for creative writing back in elementary school, right?]

    [To anyone dissing Lin Qin’s acting, please book an appointment with an ophthalmologist. If Cannes awards could really be bought, we’d have so many winners from our country. But guess what? How many do we actually have, including Lin Qin? Don’t make me teach you math!]

    [For those saying Lin Xiaotu only got ahead because of resources, here’s a reality check. He’s only been in two films since debuting. Before Lin Xiaotu, did any of you even know the directors of those films? They were creators of niche art films. Let’s be honest, your faves wouldn’t even glance at those scripts if handed to them. While your idols slack off, Lin Xiaotu put in the work to become Best Actor. How exactly does that bother you?]