Chapter 67: Women's Maintenance Team

  "Slap!" Liu Xiaoli angrily threw the magazine on the ground, and Liu Yifei picked it up, frowning as she read the article "From Yesterday's Dragon Girl to Today's Flight Attendant's Roommate" from start to finish.

  At first glance, this article is just exposing that He Mu had once been an extra in the crew of "The Condor Hero" and had played a beggar next to Liu Yifei. Now he's going to star alongside Liu Yifei in a romantic cohabitation love story. It's a commentary on the unpredictability of show business and the importance of opportunities, how an unremarkable small-time actor can suddenly become a superstar, leaving people in awe. However, the article repeatedly mentions the incident where Liu Yifei was harassed by a pervert while filming, and that disgusting act was also done by an extra who played a beggar.

  The entire article did not explicitly state that the indecent assault incident was He Muo's doing, but the implication between the lines is unmistakable. This not only damages He Muo's reputation but also causes Liu Yifei a second injury. When this incident first broke out, her godfather tried to cover it up using his connections, and the effect was quite good - there were hardly any reports of this in print media or on television, but online, no matter how hard they tried to cover it up, the news spread like wildfire and caused a huge stir, causing Liu Yifei considerable distress.

  Liu Yifei thought that after several months had passed, the impact of that incident would gradually fade away. Unexpectedly, today it was exposed again by "Star Power Weekly", and even involved He Miao, how could she not be angry.

  Liu Xiaoli hugged her daughter's shoulder and said: "Qianqian, we won't take this play anymore."

  Liu Yifei was shocked: "Mom, that person is not He Mu, I can be sure of it. And we have already signed the contract, breaching the contract requires paying a penalty."

  "Xian Xian, whether that person is him or not is unimportant. What's important is that as long as you're filming with him, the media will keep using that incident to create a buzz, which isn't good for your reputation," Liu Xiaoli analyzed. "As for the penalty fee, don't worry about it, it's just over a million, your dad can afford it."

  "Mom, I really like the role of Ruan Jing, I think it's good for me to change my acting route," Liu Yifei pleaded, "I really want to play a role that people recognize, I think Ruan Jing is the destined one for me, just let me try."

  Liu Xiaoli hesitated for a moment: "Okay, let's wait and see how He Mu's brokerage firm handles it."

  ——————

  On the first day of Guo Siyuan's article, it only sparked speculation and discussion among people. On the second day, some small newspapers openly pointed out that He Mu was the beggar who had molested Liu Yifei, causing a surge in sales, with the newspaper owner grinning from ear to ear. The news also began to spread widely online. By the third day, even some well-known media outlets started to kick He Mu while he was down, despite Tiger Wolf's efforts at media relations. However, they were drowned out by the torrent of negative news, especially the online crowd who had not yet clarified the facts and were loudly abusing He Mu, making him the target of public criticism.

  At this time, He Mu had already closed the door and did not go out. In the apartment, he studied literature and practiced martial arts. Occasionally, after work, he would practice kissing techniques with Zi Lin. He was now accustomed to the entertainment circle's black-and-white reversal, and even if there was no truth to it, he could speak of it vividly. In fact, he really wanted to go out and exchange blows with those reporters, but Da Tang told him not to leave the house for a few days. It was said that one of Liu Yi Fei's crazy male fans had threatened to cut off his hands - whichever hand touched her would be cut off, and if both hands touched her, then both hands would be cut off. He Mu really wanted to say that it depended on whether he had the skills for it - a foolish person who couldn't even distinguish between rumors, what was there to fear?

  At the same time, a large number of reporters from various media outlets also gathered downstairs at the Hu Lang company, this time they were more numerous than before and seemed determined not to leave until they saw someone.

  The general manager's office, Xiao Fang said with a headache: "Li Qiang's script is only two or three episodes away from ending, and the new play is about to start filming. It looks like a bright future, but how did we encounter this situation again? I shouldn't have chosen Liu Yifei in the first place, isn't this just asking for trouble? The sponsors who signed the contract are already asking me if I can start filming on time, and their funds haven't been transferred to my account yet. I'm afraid they'll cause more trouble."

  Datang thought for a moment and proposed: "Director Xiao, can you let Liu Yifei come out and make a statement to help He Muyan refute the rumors and reduce some negative news?"

  Xiao Fang waved his hand: "I'm not thinking about it, but Liu Yifei's mother replied to me that if we can't eliminate the negative impact of this matter as soon as possible, they will terminate their cooperation with us. As for her daughter, she won't make any comments on this matter."

  "It's too selfish," sighed Datang, "Now we can only hope that the media with better relations with us will help He Mu speak out. By the way, it seems that the source of this matter was triggered by an article in a magazine called 'Star Power Weekly', and the author is Guo Siyuan."

  "I know." Xiao Fang gritted his teeth and said. In fact, he had already communicated with "Star Power Weekly" today, hoping they would apologize for their actions. The editor-in-chief surnamed Zhong was very easy to talk to, repeatedly promising that the next issue would include an apology, which made Xiao Fang feel quite frustrated. After hanging up the phone, he couldn't help but think about how to spend the next few days, could he just let the media and netizens continue to slander him? "No way, I'll give Liu Xiaoli a call again."

  ——————

  On the fourth day, a turning point appeared. Zhang Jiani, the new Qiong lady who was filming "Another Dream of Yu Xian", was asked by a reporter in an interview about her impression of He Mu. Because they had collaborated on the web series "Female Guile" before, and there was also a ** scene in it, so the reporter asked this question.

  Zhang Jiani did not evade the question, but instead gave a straightforward answer: "He Mu is a very good person. During filming, he was kind to everyone and the entire crew liked him." This positive evaluation slightly alleviated the online criticism of He Mu after it was reported.

  Right after that, Liu Xiao Jie who played as a couple with He Mu also publicly supported him on her blog. Liu Shi Shi, the same school's junior sister, also joined in to post an article about He Mu, which is also her first blog post, full of praise and admiration.

  However, with the popularity of these female celebrities, it is indeed difficult to form an influence, after all, they have just emerged in this circle.

  On the fifth day, a slightly well-known actress stood up to support He Mu. This person was Yang Mi, who had already gained fame from her roles in "New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" and "The Return of the Condor Hero", and had many fans. Her upcoming role in "Wang Zhaojun" also made industry insiders feel that this post-85 girl's future was boundless.

  But what's her relationship with He Mu and why is she speaking up for him?

  Yang Mi's explanation is that she had fought side by side with He Mu before, they were in the same group when they took the exam for Northern Film, and through their understanding of each other during that half month, they became good friends. As a good friend, Yang Mi has full confidence in He Mu's character, and as an actor in "The Legend of the Condor Hero", she was also present at the Xiangyang City Battle scene, she revealed that after filming that scene, the unclean extra was discovered and kicked out, and she can confirm that person is not He Mu.

  He had just called Zhang Jiani and Liu Xiao to thank them, and He Mu saw Yang Wei's righteous words again, and he couldn't help but be deeply moved. However, he didn't know that there was another layer of relationship between Yang Wei and Li Ding.

  Jiang Jiajun started building the crew and looking for actors after taking over the work of "Air Stewardess". In the play, Lele, a colleague and best friend of Ruan Jing, is an important role. Compared with the version, her weight in the script is heavier. Director Jiang chose Yang Mi, who has been rising rapidly recently.

  Yang Mi's agency is Rongxinda, co-founded by Li Shaohong and his wife, as well as Li Xiaowan. Li Shaohong and his wife are renowned directors in China, while Li Xiaowan is a famous agent and producer who has helped launch the careers of Chen Kun, Zhou Xun, and He Mu. She is also one of the top ten agents in mainland China and is currently Yang Mi's agent. She thinks highly of Yang Mi and liked the script for "Stewardess" very much, hoping that Yang Mi could play the female lead. However, due to Yang Mi's studies, she couldn't take too many days off, and Li Shaohong had also scheduled a film shoot with Yang Mi as the female lead. As a result, Yang Mi didn't have time to participate in "Lao Le's Happy Life" either. In the end, Li Xiaowan chose the role of Wang Jing from the script, which has limited screen time but is distinctive and concentrated.

  When Yang Mi found out she had a role in "Stewardess", she didn't tell He Mu, thinking of surprising him at the right time. Later, the scandal of He Mu molesting Liu Yifei broke out, and Yang Mi was completely unbelievable. In fact, when He Mu was filming "The Legend of the Condor Hero", he tried to avoid her as much as possible, but she still found out, and in order to save his face, she pretended not to know.

  After He Mu's scandal came out, Yang Mi went through a brief ideological struggle and found Li Xiaowan, explaining her friendship with He Mu, hoping that the company would allow her to support her friend, if not, then so be it.

  Li Xiaowan agreed readily after confirming in every way that the two were not in a romantic relationship. Since they weren't a couple, it wouldn't be bad to stir up some rumors about them being one through this matter, Li Xiaowan thought.

  As expected, Yang Mi's support has improved netizens' views on He Mu to some extent, but some people have also begun to suspect her and He Mu's "improper" relationship.

  With the help of Yang Wei, He Mu's image has improved somewhat, but the media and online opinions about him are still mixed, after all, Yang Wei is just a slightly well-known celebrity, compared to Liu Xiao Jie and Liu Shi Shi, her words don't have that much credibility.

  On the seventh day, Liu Yifei, who had been refusing to show up and remained tight-lipped, suddenly posted a blog post. Upon seeing this article, Xiao Fang, Da Tang, and everyone concerned about He Mu let out a sigh of relief at the same time...

  P.S. What can I say, happy Qixi Festival to everyone! May all the girls find a handsome guy like He Mu, and may all the boys find a beautiful girl (fill in the blank yourself). And for those who already have a partner, may you have a harmonious and loving life together forever!

  ;