Chapter 305

"Wang Ke, I've got work back at the company—I'm leaving first, we'll contact later."

Seeing Yan Li waited a bit longer, ensuring the filming was done properly, then greeted the bride and groom.

"Alright, then Mr. Yan, you go ahead and attend to your business—I'll see you off."

Wang Ke understood Seeing Yan Li wouldn't stay long; though slightly disappointed, he dared not insist on keeping him, so he took his wife Liu Tao to see him off. She quickly gathered some wedding candies, chocolates, red wine, and other parting gifts, which Seeing Yan Li had his people accept.

Seeing Yan Li took these items without a hint of guilt—let alone the benefits he'd brought Wang Ke by showing up.

He'd genuinely given 8,888 yuan as a wedding gift!

There was no choice—showing up to the banquet without contributing money would be rude. Seeing Yan Li wasn't that kind of person. Ten or twenty thousand wasn't too much or too little—it was just a token gesture. Taking some wedding candies and gifts was perfectly reasonable.

When they reached the door, Liu Tao was stunned to see Zhang Jiani there too, holding a small bag as if preparing to follow Seeing Yan Li away.

Liu Tao and Wang Ke couldn't help exchanging a glance—since the introduction, barely ten minutes had passed.

This damn thing was too fast!

Both of them were quick—they'd gotten married within a month of meeting—but at least they'd had a few meals together, gotten to know each other, gone on dates, and only then grown closer.

No wonder he's a big boss and a playboy tycoon—efficiency is insane, tactics are brilliant.

Seeing Yan Li offered no explanation, simply gestured for Zhang Jiani to get in the car. Liu Tao and Wang Ke were just about to comment when they noticed Seeing Yan Li and Zhang Jiani getting back out, saying a few words, then getting back in again.

"???"

Both Liu Tao and Wang Ke were baffled—what was going on? Meanwhile, a Weibo employee in the corner, watching the photos on his camera, was extremely satisfied.

Seeing Yan Li had specifically instructed: hide in the corner and sneak photos—taking obvious, blatant shots would look fake.

Pick the best photos, send them directly to Weibo's team, post them via a small account, then boost the traffic. Weibo's behind-the-scenes partners or affiliated media accounts will repost them, and finally, Weibo's official account will jump in.

This sequence matters greatly. Although Seeing Yan Li's ownership of Weibo hasn't been publicly announced on a large scale, many people already know.

If Weibo's official account jumps in right away, it looks too contrived. Better to use "gloves"—as long as the traffic flows to the platform, who posts it doesn't matter.

Besides, this isn't the end—exposing the rumor is one wave of traffic; the subsequent denial is another.

Weibo's official account can't jump in on the first wave, but it can be active on the second, even pinning a full-platform announcement.

Whether users believe it or not, whether people see through it or not—Weibo can also push flow to skeptical and debunking posts, sparking discussion and controversy. As long as the heat rises and stays on Weibo, Seeing Yan Li is fine with it.

In the car

After glancing at the text message sent by the Weibo team lead, Seeing Yan Li put his phone away, satisfied, and turned to Zhang Jiani.

"Communicate with your company—just cooperate with the denial later. Have you opened a Weibo account? It'll be more effective if you post it directly."

"I have."

Zhang Jiani nodded. Aunt Aunt Qiongyao's company had a good relationship with Seeing Yan Li, and with Qin Lan acting as intermediary, they'd been respectful—every artist under their label had registered a Weibo account, though whether they used it was up to them.

Good. When the parties involved publicly deny it on Weibo, that'll be another wave of traffic.

Seeing Yan Li gave a few more instructions, felt he'd said enough, then added: "Where are you going? I'll drop you off, or leave you somewhere for someone to pick you up."

?

Zhang Jiani gave Seeing Yan Li a resentful look—so cold. Used him and then tossed him aside.

Knowing this opportunity was rare, she clenched her teeth: "Mr. Yan, I'm deeply grateful for your help in boosting my fame. I'd like to treat you to dinner, just to show my appreciation."

Seeing Yan Li paused thoughtfully, then shook his head: "No need to be formal. I've got other matters. Let's do it another time."

She was a bit dark-skinned—he wasn't into that.

Besides, she'd come prepared, acted overly enthusiastic—hard to say if she had ulterior motives. And he'd just been caught up in a scandal. Better to be cautious.

Zhang Jiani hadn't expected to be turned down again. Gathering courage to say more, she found Seeing Yan Li had already closed his eyes and ignored her.

Afraid of provoking Seeing Yan Li's displeasure, Zhang Jiani fell silent, comforting herself.

Big bosses aren't easy to approach. At least this time she'd gotten his attention and gained fame from the scandal. With this incident, she'd left an impression—there might be chances later.

At Zhichun Road, Seeing Yan Li prepared to get out, then told the driver to take Zhang Jiani.

Just before stepping out, he suddenly remembered: "Yi An is collaborating on a youth-themed idol drama. You could audition. I'll give you a word."

Zhang Jiani hadn't expected this unexpected windfall and excitedly replied: "Thank you, Mr. Yan."

Seeing Yan Li smiled and shook his head: "No thanks needed. Just cooperate well with this scandal—don't mess it up."

Zhang Jiani understood the subtext: whether she got the role depended on whether she knew how to behave—if she caused trouble, everything would fall apart.

"I understand. I'll cooperate fully."

Seeing Yan Li nodded with a smile, stepped out, and left. Inside, he considered: relying on outsiders was still risky—he needed a way to control them.

Next time something like this comes up, better to use "familiar" people he could control—people who wouldn't cause trouble.

He ate a quick meal downstairs, then returned to Weibo's headquarters—rumors about him and Zhang Jiani had already begun spreading.

This was Weibo's efficiency and immediacy.

In the past, such gossip spread slowly through news portals, with low update frequency. People could only watch, then discuss on Tieba or Tianya—and even then, not everyone cared.

Weibo was different: directly through topics and reposts, it spread virally, updated in real time, and interested netizens discussed right under the news and topic threads.

First-hand gossip—scandals at the forefront!

Seeing Yan Li checked: the original exposé Weibo post, boosted by Weibo's promotion, had over 3,000 comments and nearly 10,000 reposts within just two hours.

This was only the source Weibo—countless follow-up and reposted posts were still spreading. Incomplete estimates put the reach at over 100,000 users.

"Good."

Seeing Yan Li nodded, ignoring the insults and mockery on Weibo: "Keep pushing. After the first wave of traffic is absorbed, get the major portals to follow up. By afternoon, I'll have Yi An post a denial to sustain the heat, then do another round."

The Weibo team lead nodded and asked: "Mr. Yan, would you like to post a Weibo too?"

"Hmm. I'll post after the company and Zhang Jiani issue their denial."

Seeing Yan Li had already planned his Weibo post—no need for a formal denial; too serious.

【Attending @Wang Ke @Liu Tao's wedding, gave a friend a lift—everyone's overthinking. Why not go vote for Weibo goddesses instead? Welcome support for @Fan Bingbing @Wang Ou @Chen Su…… #LiuTaoWedding #WeiboGoddess #YanLiDeniesRumor】

Seeing Yan Li edited his Weibo, saved it in drafts, and waited to post.

It responded to the gossip and also pulled in the other two trending topics on Weibo, giving a promotional boost to its artists.

Hmm, perfect!

…

Seeing Yan Li didn't take the gossip seriously at all; after arranging everything, he continued working.

But while he remained calm, others who didn't know the situation couldn't sit still.

Shanghai, set of "Ip Man"

About half the film's locations were in Guangdong Province, and most were around Shanghai, because Shanghai has more Republican-era architecture and film studios.

This made it convenient for Wang Ou; during breaks from filming, she could go visit her best friend Yang Rong.

Too bad Seeing Yan Li was busy and couldn't come to Shanghai, otherwise he could handle two at once.

At this moment, Wang Ou, dressed in a qipao, was removing her makeup in the dressing room when she received a call from Wu Jiani.

"Weibo? Zhang Jiani?"

Confused, Wang Ou asked her assistant to bring the computer, quickly finished removing her makeup and changing clothes, then checked Weibo on the chauffeur-driven car and immediately called Yang Rong.

"Baby, trouble's coming—we've been breached."

On the other end of the phone came Yang Rong's slightly annoyed voice: "I've told you a hundred times, don't call me Baby."

No one knew how Wang Ou had extracted the information from Seeing Yan Li, but after learning he called Yang Rong "Big Baby," she started using the same term—and even got Seeing Yan Li to occasionally use it too.

Yang Rong hated it; she was nearly thirty, why call her a baby? But Wang Ou did as she pleased.

"Baby" was polite; when no outsiders were around, she'd even call her "Big Baby" or "Big Nai Baby."

"Call her whatever you want—just check Weibo, some little bitch named Zhang is hitting on Boss Yan."

"I saw it already."

Yang Rong had no drama roles right now and stayed home watching shows and browsing the internet—she was even more up-to-date than Wang Ou.

"What do you mean 'already saw it'? Why aren't you worried at all?"

Wang Ou was very displeased; Yang Rong rolled her eyes: "This is his usual routine—eating from one bowl while eyeing another. What's there to worry about? Besides, what he does has nothing to do with me."

She said that, but Wang Ou knew her too well—she still caught the sour tone in Yang Rong's voice.

That little brat just won't admit it!

Wang Ou didn't call her out; if she did, Yang Rong would get flustered and retreat into her shell. Instead, she gently guided her.

"Fine, if you're not worried, I'll be worried then."

"Jiani can't handle it alone. I'm filming and can't return to Jingcheng—help me out, go watch over things there. Right now Jingcheng's empty; don't let anyone slip through the cracks."

"If you won't help, I'll find someone else. Remember that little sister I told you about, Bai Bing? She's been eager to help."

Wang Ou coaxed and threatened; after a pause, Yang Rong replied: "Fine, I'll help you this once—but when you finish filming, I'm coming back."

Hmph, you just don't want to leave Jingcheng!

Muttering to herself, Wang Ou calculated the dates—her scenes in "Ip Man" weren't many; she could return to Jingcheng by mid-to-late month.

Then, if Yang Rong was still in Jingcheng, she'd drag her into the fray; the two of them, plus Wu Jiani, would sweep aside any so-called "Aunt Aunt Qiongyao heroine."

Hengdian, set of "Crimson Lipstick"

Watching Yang Tianzhen hand over the laptop, Fan Xiaopang glanced at it briefly and snorted.

"A dog can't change its habit of eating shit."

After saying it, she realized she'd insulted herself too; she spat, then scowled:

"Ignore these messy little things. Fly to Sanya yourself later—accommodations are taken care of; find some tasty, fun things suitable for middle-aged and elderly people."

Yang Tianzhen nodded seriously; she understood what Fan Xiaopang meant—this year, Fan Xiaopang would accompany Seeing Yan Li's family in Sanya for the New Year.