Chapter 248 - 208: Paparazzi
A soft light shone between the two of them, while the area around them was dim.
Tian Xiqwei gazed at Gu Heng’s unabashedly confident expression, a hint of astonishment flashing across her stunning face.
"Chairman Gu, your train of thought..."
"...is certainly one of a kind!"
Tian Xiqwei racked her brain before finally offering a somewhat tactful assessment.
"What about you?"
Gu Heng took a sip from his glass and asked with a smile, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"No."
Tian Xiqwei shook her head, her reply earnest.
"Really?"
Gu Heng raised an eyebrow. "Don’t you people in the entertainment industry love to have secret relationships or hidden marriages?"
"Chairman Gu, walls have ears in this world."
Tian Xiqwei gave a wry smile. "Our profession might look glamorous to outsiders, but in reality, we have no personal privacy to speak of. Whether at work or in our daily lives, there are always people following us. The idea of a secret relationship is a total joke."
"You might be able to hide it for a while, but you can’t hide it forever. You never know when you’ll be thrown under the bus to divert public attention or shift public opinion. It’s bound to be exposed sooner or later."
Gu Heng had heard something similar from Su Lei.
Previously, Gu Heng had thought celebrity gossip was just idle chatter for the masses. It wasn’t until he heard Su Lei’s explanation that he realized what a complex web of interests was involved.
Simply put, many of the explosive scandals breaking online are actually orchestrated by countless behind-the-scenes players.
It could be to divert public attention, to cover up someone else’s bigger scandal, or to get ahead in a struggle over greater stakes.
These behind-the-scenes players come from all walks of life.
Under these circumstances, the scandals and damaging material related to popular celebrities, who command immense public attention, naturally take on immense economic value.
Typically, well-known paparazzi will have a stash of scandals and dirt on many celebrities, which they then categorize by severity.
When someone needs leverage, they come knocking.
As his thoughts churned, Gu Heng looked at the radiant Tian Xiqwei before him and changed the subject. "Have you ever been in a relationship before?"
"Never."
Tian Xiqwei shook her head again.
"How come?"
"Are your standards that high?"
Gu Heng teased with a smile.
"It’s not that my standards are high. I just haven’t had the time."
"I got into university in 2016, and by 2017 I was already on set filming."
Tian Xiqwei spread her hands. "Back then, I was busy filming but couldn’t neglect my studies, so I was swamped day and night. After I graduated in 2020, the school drama I starred in, *Lovely Us*, aired. My career started to take off, and I gradually gained more attention."
"Even if I had wanted to date then, I wouldn’t have dared. I could only lock away my feelings and focus on my career. And so, I’ve been single since birth, still all alone today."
As she finished speaking, Tian Xiqwei gazed directly at Gu Heng, her eyes shimmering.
"Afraid of scumbags?"
"Afraid of betrayal?"
"Or afraid of public opinion?"
Noticing their glasses were nearly empty, Gu Heng picked up the bartending tools again and began casually mixing another drink.
"Well..."
"Strictly speaking, I’m just afraid of being deceived."
Tian Xiqwei gazed intently at Gu Heng and said softly, "I like men who are straightforward and honest, like you, Chairman Gu."
Gu Heng simply smiled at her words, not offering a reply.
He just lowered his head, his expression focused as he mixed the drink.
Seeing this, an inexplicable trace of disappointment flashed in Tian Xiqwei’s eyes.
She glanced at Gu Heng’s empty glass, then raised her own and downed it in one gulp.
Instantly, a sharp, alcoholic bite filled her mouth.
About three minutes later, Gu Heng looked up again.
At the same time, he gently pushed a stunningly colored cocktail in front of Tian Xiqwei.
"Do you know what this drink is called?"
A smile played in Gu Heng’s eyes.
"It’s beautiful~"
"What’s it called?"
Tian Xiqwei asked in awe.
"It’s called ’Love Letter.’"
Gu Heng replied softly.
Hearing this, Tian Xiqwei froze for a moment.
Their eyes met, and she couldn’t stop her heart from starting to race.
’A drink called Love Letter?’
’Was it a coincidence?’
’Or was it deliberate?’
’What does he mean by this?’
Tian Xiqwei felt her heart thrown into complete disarray.
"Try it."
After mixing the cocktail for Tian Xiqwei, Gu Heng didn’t make another. Instead, he picked up a glass containing a large ice sphere and poured himself some whiskey.
"Okay~"
Though she agreed, Tian Xiqwei first pulled out her phone to snap a picture of the drink before picking up the glass and taking a small sip.
It was sweet and sour, like the taste of first love.
The night was deep and quiet, a man and a woman alone together.
Before they knew it, several drinks were down.
With both parties receptive, the atmosphere between them grew increasingly intimate.
"Let go of me!"
"Who are you people?"
"What gives you the right to restrain me!"
"I’ll call the police!"
"Let go of me right now!"
Just then, a commotion from outside the executive lounge shattered the intimate atmosphere.
Tian Xiqwei turned at the sound, and Gu Heng instinctively frowned.
As the noise grew closer, Zhong Hua appeared with three other bodyguards, dragging a scrawny, bespectacled man toward Gu Heng and Tian Xiqwei.
Compared to Zhong Hua and the other towering, professional bodyguards, the scrawny man was like a helpless chick with no ability to resist. The panicked shouts they had just heard were coming from him.
Tian Xiqwei watched the scene unfold, completely at a loss.
"It’s okay."
"They’re my bodyguards."
Gu Heng first reassured Tian Xiqwei, then turned his gaze to Zhong Hua. "What’s going on?"
"Chairman Gu, this man was lurking suspiciously outside the executive lounge entrance."
"When we found him, he was holding a professional camera with a telephoto lens and was repeatedly taking pictures in your direction."
Zhong Hua explained succinctly, then placed the confiscated items on the bar in front of Gu Heng. "This is his equipment."
After Zhong Hua’s account, the man’s identity was painfully obvious.
"Paparazzi?"
Gu Heng’s gaze fell upon the scrawny man, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"I’m a travel blogger!"
"I’m just documenting my life!"
"What right do you have to restrain me!"
"What right do you have to confiscate my equipment!"
"You’re breaking the law!"
"I’m going to call the police!"
The scrawny man looked at Gu Heng’s extremely young face and, while struggling violently against the restraints of Zhong Hua and his men, shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to attract attention.
"A travel blogger?"
Gu Heng chuckled and casually picked up the DSLR camera Zhong Hua had placed on the bar. "Since you say you’re documenting life, why don’t we see what’s on this camera? Then the truth will come out, won’t it?"
"That’s my private property! Why should I let you see it!"
Hearing this, a flash of panic crossed the scrawny man’s eyes.
Gu Heng ignored him and did as he pleased.
He turned on the DSLR and navigated to the photo gallery.
"What’s the password?"
Gu Heng, surprised by the man’s thoroughness, looked up and asked.
"I’ll say it again!"
"I am a travel blogger!"
The scrawny man stuck to his story. "You’re illegally detaining me, and now you want to violate my privacy! You’re breaking the law!"
"How do you usually deal with paparazzi when you catch them?"
Gu Heng turned to ask Tian Xiqwei.
"If the photos they took are valuable, you have to buy them. Then you draw up a contract to make sure they don’t have any copies and that the pictures will never be leaked."
Tian Xiqwei’s expression soured. She couldn’t believe a paparazzo had been targeting her. If Gu Heng’s bodyguards hadn’t found him, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Hearing Tian Xiqwei’s answer, the scrawny man couldn’t help but look smug. His gaze toward Gu Heng turned provocative.
His eyes seemed to say: ’That’s right, I’m paparazzi. I took your picture, and I’m not telling you the password. What are you going to do about it?’
As a professional paparazzo, Sun Fan’s photography skills were merely average, but his legal awareness was top-notch.
If he didn’t get caught, everyone was happy.
If he was caught red-handed, he’d just play dumb and be difficult.
He wouldn’t delete the photos without getting paid. His motto was simple: no reward, no action.
As for whether he’d get beaten up for it?
Please. This was a society ruled by law.
If they dared to touch him, he’d be on the ground in a second, faking an injury. With a silky-smooth combo of theatrics, he’d guarantee they’d be paying out the nose.
Besides that, Sun Fan always went after easy targets. He never messed with top-tier idols or A-list celebrities, knowing that world was too complex and dangerous, a game a small-time paparazzo like him couldn’t win. So, he only targeted second and third-tier stars.
Not too powerful, no deep-pocketed backers—easy to control.
And if he came across a rising star like Tian Xiqwei, any scandal or damaging material had huge potential to appreciate in value.
With a bit of luck, he could hit the jackpot all at once.
Right now, Sun Fan felt tonight was his golden opportunity to hit that jackpot.
Tian Xiqwei was in the middle of her career ascent, and she’d always maintained a "Sweet Sister" persona.
If a romance scandal broke now, it would be a devastating blow to her. As for the young man before him, while his identity was unknown, he had to be incredibly wealthy to have captured Tian Xiqwei’s attention.
Young, rich men like him were often already engaged.
They might play around on the side, but they were extremely wary of their affairs being exposed to the public.
Under these circumstances, if he played his cards right, he could get a payout from both of them.
The more Sun Fan thought about it, the more excited he became, his greed practically written all over his face.
"You guys just let them get away with this?"
Gu Heng sounded a little surprised by Tian Xiqwei’s answer.
"There’s no other way."
"They’re like leeches. You can’t beat them up, and you can’t reason with them."
"Paying for their silence is the most efficient and convenient solution."
Tian Xiqwei sounded helpless. "This is why I said the idea of a secret relationship is a joke. It’s impossible to guard against them. As the saying goes, a thief can try to steal for a thousand days, but you can’t guard against him for a thousand days."
"Hey!"
"Are you two done talking?"
"If you are, then hurry up and let me go."
"It’s not impossible to get my camera’s password."
"But first..."
Sun Fan trailed off.
He snorted, his expression making it clear he had them right where he wanted them.
Seeing the man’s smug look, Gu Heng suddenly started to laugh...