Chapter 39
Bai Ran had just finished following Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin’s offline event and happily edited her photos. She had barely fallen asleep when Jo Ruoyao’s frantic calls woke her up.
Jo Ruoyao’s voice was urgent: “Sister Ran, brother Xin is trending!”
Bai Ran, still half-asleep, mumbled, “If he’s trending, he’s trending. They’re super popular right now; trending is normal. You’ll get used to it eventually…”
“No! This trending topic says brother Xin has been arrested!” Jo Ruoyao shouted.
Bai Ran snapped awake instantly.
She fumbled to turn on the light and quickly opened Weibo’s trending page, where the top post, tagged with the explosive #breaking# symbol, caught her eye.
[Popular boy band member Cheng is rumored to have turned himself in for a crime—another scandal in the idol world?]
The post was from a marketing account called “Gossip System 007.” Ever since “Gossip System #10086” went viral, a flood of similar “Gossip System xx” accounts had appeared on Weibo, mostly spreading baseless rumors and making a joke of themselves.
Initially, users thought this account was no different, but when they clicked, they found two accompanying photos.
The first image showed two men walking toward a police car. One wore a mask and hat, completely covered up, while the other was slightly shorter, with expressive puppy-like eyes and light ash-brown hair—instantly recognizable as Gu Xingshi, Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin’s manager, by anyone who’d watched [Boy Group Training Camp].
The second photo showed a police officer standing next to the two men as they were getting into the police car.
The photos showed no signs of Photoshop, providing seemingly concrete evidence for the “Gossip System 007” post’s claims.
[That masked one has to be Cheng Xin, right? What did he do?]
[I don’t think that’s brother Xin. Cheng Xin seems taller than this. I remember photos from past events of brother Xin standing next to brother Gu; Brother Gu was just about at brother Xin’s earlobe. Here, Brother Gu’s nearly at the guy’s eye level. Height doesn’t just shrink, and brother Xin works out regularly—he should be a bit bulkier.]
[Fans, stop trying to explain it away. Everyone knows Gu Xingshi has only two artists. Who else could it be but Cheng Xin?]
[This is absolutely Cheng Xin. I’ll eat my hat if I’m wrong!]
[I never liked Cheng Xin; he always gave off thug vibes. Guess my instincts were right.]
[As a fan of the group, I’m furious. We’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and now we’re facing a scandal? I’m ready to scream!]
[Cheng Xin only got popular by clinging to Meng Yuansheng. Poor Meng, dealing with this mess of a teammate.]
[Haters, stop stirring the pot! I’m a fan of Meng, and I believe in brother Xin. They’ve been through so much together. Fans need to stick together now more than ever!]
*
Bai Ran’s heart grew heavier with each comment. On the other end of the call, Jo Ruoyao’s voice was frantic, “Sister Ran, what do we do? The fan groups are blowing up! Do you think… could it really be brother Xin?”
“That’s impossible!” Bai Ran said firmly, as if reassuring both Jo Ruoyao and herself. “The #10086 insider hasn’t said a word yet! This could all be a misunderstanding…”
She clung to the thought that the mysterious #10086, who had always protected Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin, would have reacted by now if there was any truth to the rumors. They were always so precise, ethical, and wouldn’t have defended Cheng Xin if he were guilty of anything shady.
Hearing the mention of #10086 eased Jo Ruoyao’s mind a little too. Right—#10086 was still out there! Every time Meng and Cheng faced trouble, this account was always there to counter the rumors. This time, surely, would be no different.
But hours went by without a response from #10086. Some fans who had been on the fence about the rumors started to waver.
[Could this really be true?]
[I’m starting to think so. Maybe #10086 already knew and quit the fandom, even made a new account—maybe 007 is their new alias.]
The speculation gained traction, especially after 007 posted another tweet promising to drop more details if their follower count hit one million—just like #10086 did before.
Rumors continued to swirl online. Just as Bai Ran was feeling utterly lost, she received a notification: “Cheng Xin” had gone live.
Bai Ran froze.
A live stream? Would someone heading to jail really be able to start a live stream?
She quickly clicked into the stream, nearly getting kicked out due to traffic overload.
Once she managed to get in, she saw a very confused Cheng Xin looking into the camera. “Who said I was in jail? I’ve been gaming at home all day! I only heard from our team manager a minute ago that I was supposedly in trouble, and he asked me to go live to clear things up. Ridiculous!”
He rotated the camera around, showing his room, clearly his current dorm.
Fans, still skeptical, left comments: [Are you really in the dorm? Not some holding cell?]
Cheng Xin looked exasperated. “Of course I am! Could you please have a little faith in me?”
He left his room and called out to his teammates, “Hey, I’m live! Could someone come out here to help prove I’m innocent?”
Within seconds, a few doors cracked open. His teammates peered out, eyes gleaming with curiosity and amusement.
“What innocence are we proving?”
“Who’s guilty?”
“Oh, I know! Haha, the internet’s saying Cheng Xin got thrown in jail!!”
Cheng Xin: “…”
He gave them a deadpan look, then shut his door with a loud “bang” and returned to his room.
Fans, now sure that the 007 account was just making things up, were a bit embarrassed.
Cheng Xin, looking irritated, grumbled, “And here I thought you all liked my room decor, but apparently, you think my taste is ‘prison chic’!”
Fans: […]
Then Cheng Xin opened Weibo’s trending page and found the “breaking” post. Realizing what had happened, he explained, “Oh, this? That’s our new artist under brother Gu’s management.”
“Remember we recently found Meng Yuansheng’s real childhood rescuer? It’s him. And he wasn’t going to jail; he was just going in as a witness. The police car was for his protection since there was some danger involved.”
After hearing Cheng Xin’s explanation, netizens gradually remembered the high-profile Tongfu Electronics Factory case from some time back.
So, this was that tragic yet resilient young man!
[Damn! So it was all just a misunderstanding!]
[I knew I wasn’t wrong about liking him!]
[Where are the people who were sure it was Cheng Xin? Weren’t they going to do a headstand and eat dirt?]
[And we thought 007 was #10086’s new account! Clearly, when it comes to gossip, no one can surpass #10086!!!]
[This has to be 007’s worst PR nightmare!]
[@GossipSystem007, you’d better apologize!]
*
Meanwhile, the two paparazzi were basking in their success. They watched as their account balance and follower count soared, feeling elated. Initially, they hadn’t planned to release the “scandal” so soon, hoping to tail Cheng Xin for a while to uncover even juicier details.
But their buyer was in a hurry and paid handsomely, so they had agreed to release it early.
And now, the impact was way beyond what they’d expected. They’d made a killing—both in money and followers!
Clinking their beer bottles, they took a celebratory sip.
Then, they noticed something off in the comments section. When they clicked on it, they found a flood of people cursing them out.
It turned out that the person they’d identified as Cheng Xin wasn’t him at all—he was live-streaming the entire time!
The paparazzi were stunned.
Impossible!!
Their first thought was that Cheng Xin’s company had staged a cover-up, maybe even using deepfake AI for the live stream.
Determined to expose the “trick,” they entered the live stream, only to fall silent once inside.
Sure, you could swap faces, but the way this guy talked? Nobody in the industry had a mouth quite like Cheng Xin’s.
Now panicked, the two paparazzi began blaming each other.
“I told you we shouldn’t celebrate halfway through!”
“And it’s my fault? If you hadn’t insisted it was Cheng Xin, we wouldn’t have made this mess!”
“You’re blaming me? You thought it was him too!”
In the midst of their argument, someone knocked on their car window.
Thinking they were getting ticketed for parking too long, Paparazzi A sighed and rolled down the window—only to freeze when he saw who was there.
It was indeed the police—but not traffic police.
“You’re suspected of violating citizens’ privacy and spreading false information. Please come with us.”
*
The next day, “Gossip System #10086” finally posted on Weibo.
[#TrueVsFakeGossipSystem# As a friendly reminder from #10086, please remain vigilant and beware of internet scams.]
Below the post, they concisely shared the latest official report from the Wujin City Police, displayed against a blue background with white text.
The report revealed that paparazzi had bought flight information for Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin to follow and report on them, only to mistake someone else for Cheng Xin, creating this mess. The two individuals are now in custody and facing legal consequences.
[Whoa! So that’s the truth!]
[Are we really dealing with a fake and a real ‘Gossip System’ now? This is wild!]
[Hahaha, #10086’s style is so unique; I knew right away it was real! The fake is just a fake in the end!]
[#10086 may arrive late, but it always delivers!]
[Now that’s the real deal! For gossip, #10086 is the only way to go!]
[Hey, doesn’t anyone find #10086’s identity a bit suspicious? I always thought it was odd that every time it dropped a bomb, there’d be a police update right after. And now, it didn’t even hide it, just retweeted directly. Could it be… that #10086 is actually part of the police force?]
[Whoa!!! Now that you mention it, it makes total sense!]
[Come to think of it, apart from its catchy titles, #10086’s content is always concise and clear, like an official report!]
[Bro, you know too much!!!]
*
Gu Xingshi, meanwhile, had no idea he’d been “enlisted” as part of the authorities.
Using the information from the system, he had figured out the general location of the paparazzi and passed it to Officer Lin, who soon caught the suspects.
Due to confidentiality, Officer Lin couldn’t disclose too much but did tell him that the paparazzi were leading them to the higher-ups involved in selling celebrity information. Things were progressing smoothly, and they’d even identified a target.
By the time Gu Xingshi and Qin Wen boarded their flight back to Sanyang Film City, Officer Lin had already shared good news: they’d apprehended the whole group.
While Gu Xingshi appeared to be resting, he was actually listening intently as the system shared the latest gossip.
[…The reason they caught the culprits so quickly was that the two paparazzi were super cooperative. They’d had some kind of falling out and were ready to sell each other out. During separate questioning, they spilled everything without waiting to be asked. The local authorities already had these information peddlers under surveillance, so with the new evidence, both police forces swooped in and caught everyone in one go.]
[The paparazzi even revealed that they released the rumor under the buyer’s orders. But when the police checked, it turned out the buyer was a shell company, and the contact number was already disconnected.]
Here, the system paused dramatically. [Want to know who the buyer was?]
Gu Xingshi opened his eyes. [The way you’re asking… was it someone we know?]
[Yes.]
After a few guesses, he finally gave in. [Alright, enough suspense. Spill it.]
[It was Ning Tianyou.] The system paused, then suspiciously asked, [You… didn’t forget him, right?]
Gu Xingshi replied confidently, [I’m a busy guy—I don’t remember every random troll.]
[…Fine!] The system retorted with a sigh, then reminded him, [He’s the one you reported for soliciting —the CEO of Xingmao Media, Ning Tianyou.]
Gu Xingshi snapped his fingers. [Right! That trashy uncle of little cat Ning!] Then, confused, he asked, [But he has no grudge against us, so why would he do this?]
The system explained, [It’s a long story…]
[After Ning Wenzhuo took over StarCat and started collaborating with Sweet Orange Video on that talent show, the response was phenomenal. Only a few episodes in, and it’s already a hit, with its popularity skyrocketing. Ning Wenzhuo has put several subsidiaries of Xingmao Media in the shadows. Plus, he’s been investigating his parents’ deaths, following the leads you gave him, and has traced it back to Ning Tianyou.]
[After Ning Tianyou killed his older brother and sister-in-law, he was always guilty and got rid of his nephew by sending him abroad. But now that Ning Wenzhuo has made a strong comeback, and still holds a significant stake in Xingmao Media, Ning Tianyou is starting to panic—especially after his solicitation scandal, which tarnished his reputation. Many now see Ning Wenzhuo as a stronger candidate, so Ning Tianyou is getting desperate.]
[He knows that Ning Wenzhuo’s success is largely due to his collaboration with Sweet Orange Video and the backing of the Wen family. Coincidentally, the show’s breakout stars in the first few episodes are none other than Meng Yuansheng and his limited group. So he wanted to ruin this group to deal a heavy blow to Ning Wenzhuo while straining the relationship between Ning Wenzhuo and Xingyao Media. If he can create a rift between Ning Wenzhuo and Wen Yue, Ning Wenzhuo won’t stand a chance without that support.]
Gu Xingshi nodded in understanding. [Ah, so that’s it.]
[Exactly!] the system chimed in.
Gu Xingshi sighed. [System, at our age, playing cute doesn’t suit us.]
[…]
Satisfied with his gentle teasing of the system, Gu Xingshi continued more seriously: [So, he targeted Xin because he sees our small company, LeShi Entertainment, as an easy target. To him, we’re just a soft spot he can attack without consequences.]
The system fell silent, holding back the truth. In reality, Ning Tianyou targeted Gu’s artist precisely because he suspected Gu Xingshi’s connection with Wen Yue, seeing it as a way to send a warning. But since Gu had just teased it, the system decided to keep quiet—for now, relishing the secret for itself.
Having no reason to suspect the system, Gu Xingshi remained blissfully unaware of the critical detail he’d missed, continuing down a slightly misguided path.
[Looks like the backup plan will have to continue. If we keep appearing weak, everyone will think they can just mess with us.]
[Exactly, exactly! Good thinking,] the system agreed quickly.
[The last details were a bit sloppy. We’ll need to be even more thorough going forward.]
[Absolutely!] the system echoed.
Then Gu Xingshi narrowed his eyes. [System, you seem a bit off today… Are you hiding something from me?]
[!!!]
Gu Xingshi’s sharpness took the system by surprise. It knew that, beneath his easygoing exterior, he had a keen sense for grudges, and he was quite skilled at holding it accountable.
The system quickly went quiet, hoping its calm demeanor would avoid any further suspicion.
Because it was so well-behaved, Gu Xingshi no longer had any doubts and instead focused on thinking about how to take revenge on Ning Tianyou.
Let’s not forget—standing down when bullied isn’t Gu Xingshi’s style.
If he’s going to build an image of having powerful connections, then a bit of arrogance and assertiveness only makes sense.
*
Lately, Ning Tianyou has had terrible luck.
First, he took a tabloid’s bait, planning to release dirt on Cheng Xin to ruin the limited group and strain the relationship between Ning Wenzhuo and Wen Yue. But it turned out to be a complete blunder, costing him a small fortune. And if he hadn’t been cautious, he might have gotten himself dragged into the police investigation.
To make matters worse, his projects have been hitting roadblocks one after another, leading to heavy losses and leaving him feeling completely worn out.
Company board members, who had already started leaning towards Ning Wenzhuo after earlier issues, began siding with him even more. Opportunists were quick to jump on this trend.
Seething with anger and helplessness, Ning Tianyou shouted into his phone, “Investigate! Find out who’s behind this sabotage!”
Just then, his office door opened, and his assistant entered with a troubled expression. “Mr. Ning, Mr. Wen has declined your dinner invitation.”
“Declined?!” Ning Tianyou was incredulous. “What reason did they give?”
The assistant replied, “Mr. Tang said Mr. Wen’s schedule is too packed right now.”
“Excuses! It’s all just excuses!” Ning Tianyou’s face turned red with rage as he slammed the table. “I know he’s avoiding me! He was just with his little lover at the yacht club yesterday!”
Ever since Ning found out about Gu Xingshi’s connection to Wen Yue, he’d been stalking Gu’s social media posts. Yesterday, he noticed Gu had posted a seemingly casual photo of himself lounging on a sofa.
Most people wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but Ning Tianyou’s sharp eye picked up on a small emblem on the sofa—one belonging to the country’s most exclusive yacht club, a place that only the elite can join. Ning Tianyou himself had only been inside years ago, as a guest of a high-ranking business mogul.
There was no way Gu Xingshi, a nobody in his eyes, could get in on his own—it had to be Wen Yue who took him.
Just to take his lover out to sea on one of these yachts cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wen Yue was a true romantic, willing to burn through cash for a single smile.
The more Ning thought about it, the angrier he got. “He doesn’t dare face me! He’s probably the one behind all this! Who else could take down my projects like this?”
He clenched his teeth in frustration, knowing he couldn’t do anything about Wen Yue.
Then, a sinister thought struck him. “By the way, what do we know about this Gu Xingshi?”
The assistant hesitated, “Well… his background is somewhat mysterious. We’re still investigating.”
Ning Tianyou: “Useless!”
Frustrated, he paced his office, unable to quell the rage simmering inside him.
Finally, he made a decision. “Forget it, stop investigating. There aren’t any elite families with the surname Gu. Go find some guys and have him brought here.”
A malicious glint appeared in his eyes.
He couldn’t touch Wen Yue, but he could certainly target his lover. If he was going down, he’d make sure to take them with him!
Alarmed, the assistant quickly intervened, “Mr. Ning, maybe it’s best to leave this alone.”
Ning Tianyou shouted, “Who do you think you are, daring to tell me what to do?!”
The assistant, undeterred, pressed on, “There are rumors online that the #10086 account might be run by someone in law enforcement. Now, Gu Xingshi may not have an elite background, but what if he has connections in the government?”
Ning Tianyou: “???”
“If it’s just the elite, fine. But if he’s got ties to the police, we really can’t win against that. One misstep, and we’d all go down. It’s not worth it!” the assistant said earnestly. “Mr. Ning, let it go. Commoners can’t fight the law!”
Ning Tianyou: “?!!”
Hahahaha, GX’s background and lore grows by the day