Chapter 165 - 156: Clarification
"This is so ridiculous! No one with a brain would believe this, right?"
Back at her hotel after dinner, Ni Bingyan found out about the news that she had a baby, and she found it both exasperating and hilarious.
Wang Biao came over to discuss her work schedule for the next day. Hearing her say that, his eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled.
"Have you heard the story of Zengzi and the murderer?
"Someone told Zengzi’s mother, ’Your son killed someone.’ The first time, she didn’t believe it. She just kept weaving and replied, ’My son isn’t that kind of person.’
"The second time, she still didn’t believe it and said there must have been a misunderstanding, but she was starting to feel uneasy.
"But the third time, without another word, she dropped her shuttle and fled by climbing over the wall.
"If his own mother reacted like that, what about netizens who don’t even know you or your situation? When someone starts stirring things up, they might not believe it at first. But once they see enough ’evidence,’ they’ll definitely start to believe it."
Wang Biao comforted her, "It’s just human nature. Nothing to be angry about."
’I didn’t expect him to have such a gentle side.’ Ni Bingyan nodded, a little embarrassed. "Thank you, Brother Biao. You make a lot of sense."
"Haha, that’s just how it is in this business. You get all sorts of outrageous rumors. Instead of getting hung up on what other people think, you should work on building your inner strength. If you’re mentally strong, when things like this happen, you can just treat it as a joke."
Ni Bingyan’s expression relaxed. "How is the company handling it?"
This wasn’t trouble she had caused herself, so the company would usually handle it directly. By asking about it, she was at least being responsible for her own affairs.
"We sent out a lawyer’s letter warning netizens not to spread false rumors. At the same time, Sister Wei posted a clarification on Weibo telling the fans that it’s not true."
In the past, people were scared of lawyer’s letters, but now, nobody takes them seriously. The only reason to still send one is to make a statement.
"A clarification post? Let me see what Sister Wei wrote."
Ni Bingyan took out her phone.
[Even if you’re making up a story, don’t make it this ridiculous! You made me drop my melon seeds.JPG]
"Pfft— I can’t believe Sister Wei, who seems so serious, would post a meme!"
"Who are you looking down on? What’s not serious about posting a meme?"
Brother Biao was a very talkative person who was always smiling. Ni Bingyan had only been working with him for a few days, but they already had a good relationship and spoke casually in private.
"Hahaha! Sorry, I misspoke."
"You don’t get it. Normally, she doesn’t post memes because she doesn’t like them. This time, she’s doing it to attract fans. The fans eat this stuff up. It’s about her persona and public appeal, you know?"
"Mm-hm. So what’s the schedule for tomorrow?"
Before Brother Biao arrived, the production team would inform her of the work schedule directly and discuss things like script changes with her. It was all very fragmented and mentally draining.
After Brother Biao came, she no longer had to worry about these things. She could just wait for him to go over everything, confirm there were no issues, and then summarize it all for her.
Yes, reviewing the script was also part of his job.
If a script she was filming had lines with questionable values or other content that could damage her image, as her executive agent, he had to communicate with the production team.
Otherwise, once it was broadcast, people wouldn’t blame the screenwriter and director; they would just mock the actor.
In that kind of situation, it was highly likely that netizens would turn it into memes or even subject it to the viral-remix treatment.
If the first thing people thought of when her name was mentioned were those cringey memes, then when her actual work was released, the audience would have a hard time staying immersed in the story.
Some minor celebrities who stumble upon an opportunity like this might grin from ear to ear, since it’s still exposure. But major actors don’t like these unorthodox methods.
In their view, this was all negative press. Actors who cherished their reputation should be careful to avoid it.
To nip these terrible consequences in the bud, the executive agent would help the artist check the script and even keep an eye on things during filming.
Wang Biao told her which scenes were scheduled for tomorrow, then added, "This production has a lot of outdoor scenes, and we only have a short period for the indoor ones. The publicity department has scheduled a media set visit for tomorrow. It’s perfect timing, since we just changed locations and haven’t fully gotten back into the swing of things. Getting it done now saves us from interrupting filming later."
"What kind of questions will they be asking?"
Usually, the media outlets invited to these events are familiar "friendlies." The interview has an outline, which she needs to review beforehand.
If there were any sensitive questions, her agent would discuss them with her in advance.
"They’re almost all standard questions. There’s only one asking if the online rumors about you being married with a child are true. The company wants you to take the opportunity to clarify and, at the same time, generate some buzz for the movie."
"Okay, I understand."
It was all standard practice in the industry; nothing to be surprised about.
After a few more quick words to finalize tomorrow’s plans, Wang Biao tucked his briefcase under his arm and got up to leave.
Ni Bingyan saw Wang Biao out, then returned to her copy of *Rainy Days with an Umbrella* and started reading again.
She took notes as she read.
[The male lead, Gu Feng, slowly changes his opinion of the female lead, Wen Qing, based on the following things:
First, he discovers that the reason Wen Qing always carries two umbrellas isn’t to scheme her way closer to him, but because she has a good friend who is always careless and also works at the company.
Second, he finds out that although Wen Qing is talkative, she never speaks ill of people behind their backs. When she encounters others gossiping, she immediately walks away.
Third, Wen Qing isn’t the kind of girl who is vain and materialistic.
Fourth, Wen Qing seems like a little ray of sunshine; anyone who meets her would assume she comes from a happy family. But Gu Feng accidentally discovers that Wen Qing’s parents show extreme favoritism toward their son. However, she has an incredibly warm-hearted younger brother who loves, protects, and respects her...]
Time always flies when you’re focused on work.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for bed.
Ni Bingyan closed her notebook and got into bed.
Just before falling asleep, the image of Sang Yuan’s face, looking like he wanted to say something but held back, appeared in her mind, and she couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
Many people were pursuing her.
Some just wanted to play around, some only wanted to date her, but others were very serious and wanted to marry her...
These things were easy to distinguish if one paid a little attention.
Rejecting the first two types came with no psychological burden, but when faced with someone who held genuine feelings, the words of rejection were hard to say.
Because once she spoke, she would inevitably break his heart.
In this impetuous society, genuine feelings are truly rare.
’What is he thinking? Why won’t he just confess? He’s making me look like a self-absorbed clown.’
The way things were dragging on made her feel completely on edge.
If he would just confess, she could give him a clean rejection, and all of this would be over.
’Forget it, forget it. I shouldn’t dwell on things like this. It’s better to just focus on work!’
Ni Bingyan took out her phone, opened her mobile banking app, and carefully checked her account balance. Only then did she close her eyes, feeling at ease.
’Nothing and no one is more reliable than money.’
’The sense of security anyone else gives you can’t compare to the peace of mind you give yourself.’
「The next day」
During the media set visit, just as expected, someone asked her, "Miss Ni, there have been a lot of rumors recently saying that you’re in a relationship, married, and have a child. I was wondering if that’s true?"
Ni Bingyan sighed, amused. "As a single pringle, I was more surprised to see that news than you were, okay?"
Seeing her clarify so directly, the crowd laughed along good-naturedly.
She then continued, "Falling in love, getting married, having a baby—these are all major happy events in life. If something like that were really happening, I would definitely be happy to tell everyone. Why would I be all secretive about it? It’s not something to be ashamed of, so why would I hide it? Right? Thank you all for your concern. Please pay more attention to my work. Right now, my energy is mainly focused on my career. Thank you, everyone!"
After the media visit, thanks to the joint promotional efforts of the movie’s publicity company and her agency, #NiBingyanRespondsToChildbirthRumors became a trending topic that same day.
People cursed out the unscrupulous paparazzi for making things up for a bit, and then stopped paying attention.
There are countless new things happening in the world every day. No one stays fixated on one thing for long.