Chapter 226 - The Crisis Regarding Trust That Has Never Occurred Before

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

“Director Ning, can you please let us know when you signed a contract with Liu Wenlong, did you purely appreciate his talent? Did you not know beforehand about his character? Why would you work with such a person?”

“Director Ning, this place is your filming location; it is also your territory. You room was on the same level as Liu Wenlong, how could he dare to allow these matters under your watch?”

“Director Ning, after all of this happened, will you officially terminate his contract? How will you deal with this matter? Please let us know your opinion. Please say something.”

Ning Qing did not say anything. She turned away and left under the protection of bodyguards.

....

In the office, Ning Qing, Xiao Zhou, and Liu Wenlong, who looked entirely dispirited, were present.

In five minutes time, the news of Liu Wenlong engaging in adultery made the top headlines in the entertainment news. In half an hour, it concurrently made its way to the top searched results on Baidu and Weibo Chat Topics. The more serious matter was, every entertainment news headline was written as, “Artist Signed under Ning Qing’s Studio Revealed to Be Engaging in Adultery”. The headlines did not even use Liu Wenlong’s name, and Ning Qing’s reputation was shattered into pieces. She had become the target instead.

Ning Qing Work Studio’s first movie production, , already hogged media headlines and was hugely anticipated by the citizens. This piece of ugly news immediately turned Ning Qing from the top of the media spotlight to the scapegoat everyone was discussing.

The amount of effort they used to support her in the past was now used to criticize her.

Ning Qing’s Weibo was attacked harshly by a large majority of netizens. The netizens all commented questioning their belief in her.

Firstly, Ning Qing did not know the person well now, but she actually signed a contract with Liu Wenlong. He was such a “horrible man” but she also spent more effort in nurturing his talent, and she had tried to mislead the masses.

Secondly, Ning Qing did not have the ability to teach and lead. The artists under her care were engaging in adultery on her own set, under her own eyes.

Thirdly, the netizens started to suspect the filming environment of The City of Love. Did Ning Qing silently consent to matters like buying sex and allowed these matters to occur.

The netizens were piling on the pressure and demanded that Ning Qing come out to make a statement on the current happenings.

At the same time, netizens started a wave of comments towards Liu Wenlong, scolding him for his behaviour. Liu Wenlong and Li Yi’s interactions over the years were analysed in great detail. Li Yi was only 16 when she followed Liu Wenlong to roam the streets. It was already her 8th year in her life doing so. The netizens all pitied this naïve girl who had come from the mountains. They chided and criticized Liu Wenlong for engaging in adultery.

In the end, this matter was like a snowball. The more it rolled on, the bigger it got. In the entertainment industry and in T city, it started a wave of heated discussion.

The masses hated Liu Wenlong and also questioned Ning Qing, Ning Qing Work Studio, and this movie, The City of Love, greatly. Ever since she made her debut, Ning Qing had never met with this breach of trust and ended up in such a crisis before.

It could be said that Ning Qing had already stood on a high tower, and the fall this time was as hard as the height she stood from.

Every part of her has been targeted.

Xiao Zhou had a serious expression. “Ning Qing, I have already received many calls. All investing partners of The City of Love have wanted to withdraw their investments.”

“Okay.” Ning Qing hugged her arms around her chest. Her expression was still considered calm. She thought for a few seconds, and then said, “Tell them, tell them to consider carefully. There is always risk in investment. It looks to be a risky investment now, but the profits in the future will be the highest. If they still persist and do not want to invest in me, then I would also not force them to do so. I will agree to their withdrawal of funds, but I would never ever work with them in the future.”

“Will do.” Xiao Zhou was relieved slightly. At this time of crisis, Ning Qing still could keep her feet on the ground.

“Also, announce to the media that the filming of The City of Love will officially be put on hiatus.”

“Ning Qing, once you stop the filming, not only will it cost a lot of money, but It will also result in worse criticism from the netizens...”

“If I continue to shoot this, the netizens would stop with their criticism? Matters like adultery, taking drugs, and the like have always been considered to be sensitive in the entertainment industry. If it is picked up by the media, it will only end up flooded with criticism.”

“Then Ning Qing, how do you plan to settle this matter? You are already at the centre of criticism; everyone has their eyes on you and are putting pressure on you. A person who is popular would have many rumours about them, and there is hate when you are popular. If we do not settle this matter appropriately, then we will be ruined.” Xiao Zhou did not want to say these words at all, but now it was a rush for every second of time. Every minute that Ning Qing did not announce her stand, the netizens will continue attacking her.

Ning Qing did not speak. She was calm and her eyes were confident and firm. But her face was slowly getting paler and paler.

She was under great pressure.

Ning Qing turned around and looked at Liu Wenlong who was seated in the corner. He kept silent all along and she lifted her feet to walk towards him.

“Liu Wenlong, what happened last night? I want to hear your explanation.”

Liu Wenlong slowly lifted his head. His expression was plain and dark. His eyes seemed empty, and he said, “Director Ning, I am sorry. I have harmed you.”

“Things have already occurred. Don’t say things like sorry; it has no use. You did not do anything wrong towards me. You have wronged both Xiao Yi and yourself!”

“Xiao Yi....” Liu Wenlong’s lips trembled for a while and he knew that he would not have any face to see her for the rest of his life. “Director Ning, after recording yesterday, I drank a little alcohol with the music teacher. After that, I felt that my entire body was very hot. I think I was probably drugged.”

“Drugged?” Xiao Zhou heard his words and walked forward. She was jubilant and said, “Ning Qing, we can use this and start our investigation. We have to explain to the masses that he was under the control of drugs...”

“Then what happened after that?” Ning Qing directly cut Xiao Zhou off.

“After that, I entered my room and I saw Xiao Yi. I...hugged her, but Xiao Yi was not willing. She ran out of the room. I wanted to chase after her, but I felt faint. Then Liu Ling walked inside. She...she removed her clothes, and I could not control myself. The next morning when I woke up, Liu Ling was already wearing her clothes and when she opened the door, all the journalists were outside, then you saw what came about after that.”

“Director Ning, actually I did not do it on purpose. I really did not want to betray Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi and I have been together for so many years now. I love only her. I want to marry her. I was under the control of drugs...” Liu Wenlong explained messily.

Ning Qing was not bought over with Liu Wenlong’s words. She laughed coldly and said, “It is true that you were drugged, but those drugs could only control your body. Could they control your heart? Liu Ling is only a woman. If you were not willing, you could open the door to ask for help from me. Or you could go take a cold shower to settle it. Could she still force you to do so? So don’t try making use of drugs to explain your actions. You have made such mistakes and are not worthy of being forgiven for the rest of your life!”

As Ning Qing spoke, she looked at Xiao Zhou,” Don’t mention the matter of being drugged again. The masses would not accept this explanation, and we also cannot find any evidence of it. I saw the music teacher this morning, why did the music teacher not have any problems but Liu Wenlong did? This matter has too many eyes on it, so don’t act out an 8 o’clock melodrama for others to see.”

Xiao Zhou was speechless. This road was really not the way to go.

“Ning Qing, we don’t know where Xiao Yi is right now. Our people cannot locate her. Could she have been in an accident?”

“Director Ning, I want to go out to look for Xiao Yi, I...” Liu Wenlong said.

Ning Qing looked at him and said, “You know where Xiao Yi is?”

Liu Wenlong froze and then shook his head. “I don’t.”

Ning Qing slowly curled her lips into a cold smile and she said, “Then do you know where Xiao Yi would go?”

Liu Wenlong continued to shake his head, “Xiao Yi has never left me. She has always followed behind me...”

“Heh.” Ning Qing laughed lightly and interrupted him. “Liu Wenlong, I just knew that you would not know where Xiao Yi would be. You would also be unable to guess where she would go to. You, after your debut on an audition programme, no matter how complicated the entertainment industry was, you totally could have eased up on your confident demeanour. You could have sacrificed a little dignity for a salary that would be considered high. You definitely had the ability to not let your own woman follow you on the streets and endure through hardships, but you made her follow you anyway!

“Why did it go like this? It was because you were selfish!

“The more arrogant you got, the more you revealed your inferiority complex! Could you deny that Xiao Yi, with all your experiences together and all of her help, as an accessory? Could you deny that when Liu Ling removed all her clothes before you, you didn’t feel a sense of thrill? Liu Wenlong, I admired your talent, but you’re someone who could be controlled simply by the desires of his body. I think that you could not be considered to be a man!”

Xiao Zhou understood. When she had asked Ning Qing yesterday why she did not see a future between Liu Wenlong and Li Yi, she probably thought that this would be the answer.

Liu Wenlong felt his face burn in pain. Every word from Ning Qing weighed deeply in the bottom of his heart, and she had pierced his Achilles’ heel. He painfully hung his head and slowly slumped onto the floor.

“Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi... I was wrong to do this to you...”

Ning Qing felt her eyes tearing up. She lifted her gaze and she straightened her posture. “Liu Wenlong, you stay here this few days. Do not go out for the next few days. You are unable to leave; you are the target of scorn of everyone now. Also, don’t go to look for Xiao Yi. She is a girl who has treated that you as the sky, and she has nowhere else to go. You have betrayed her, and I would assume that she would not want to look at you again for the rest of her life.”

Ning Qing turned to leave.

...

Ning Qing walked to the corridor. Xiao Zhou followed behind her, and she said with hesitation, “Ning Qing, I have something that I do not know whether to tell you about.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Maybe I am thinking too much about this, but I still think that Xiao Yi was not behaving normally yesterday. Did you know, when Xiao Yi ran out of Liu Wenlong’s room, she banged into me. At that time, she looked like she was going through a great amount of stress, then she hid inside the bathroom to cry alone. I went to touch her, and she was shocked until she was shaking from head to toe. She still said, ‘I beg you not to touch me.’”

Ning Qing paused her steps abruptly. Xiao Zhou could not brake in time, and she almost crashed onto her. She had not regained her footing when she heard Ning Qing say in a serious tone, “What did you say?”

“I... Xiao Yi seemed to be very afraid of men touching her...” Xiao Zhou said what she had guessed in her heart.

Ning Qing closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to suppress the anger in her heart. She immediately ordered, “Go investigate for me. That audition show probably has a problem. Go check through the three judges.”

“Roger that.” Xiao Zhou accepted her order but she still did not leave, and she looked like she still had something to say.

“Xiao Zhou, what’s the matter? If there is something then say, I am able to shoulder it.”

“Ning Qing, I saw the surveillance footage from the corridor just now. Last night when Liu Ling entered Liu Wenlong’s room, she passed by Yin Moer. At that time her assistant had her suspicions, but Yin Moer was afraid that she would be implicated in these matters, so she chose to make a hasty exit.

Ning Qing’s expression in her eyes darkened. Yin Moer and Liu Wenlong were both artists signed under her. When Yin Moer met with her colleague in trouble, she chose to turn a blind eye to it.

She hadn’t had enough time to truly build a team. They did not have chemistry and interactions between them, and they did not understand they were bound together, when one had fame, they would all be famous, and when one was in trouble, all of them would also fall in trouble.