"Who exactly is that guy?"
Who cares who he is? As long as we have a story, that's all that matters.
True, anyone caught in a scandal with Yara Song must have some kind of background.
A few reporters glanced at the photos they’d just snapped, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Someone was already editing content, and the headlines were all attention-grabbing: "Shocking Scoop: Yara Song’s Mysterious Man," "Who Is He? The Guy Tied to Yara Song," "The Man Secretly Meeting Yara in a Hotel."
These days, clicks mean money.
Most media outlets don’t care at all about responsibility or conscience, and they definitely don’t bother to verify if the story is true or not.
Everything’s just gossip, anyway.
Just throw out a topic everyone’s interested in, rake in the traffic, then cash out.
As for the truth, hardly anyone actually cares.
"Let me tell you: don’t wander around, don’t stare, and definitely don’t run your mouth."
Victor Wu walked ahead of Evan Lin, his face dark, not even glancing back. "You really are something. Back on the plane, I was already thinking you’re the type who’d never just give up."
Never thought you’d actually follow us here.
Victor’s tone was laced with anger.
As he spoke, Evan Lin had no intention of replying, instead glancing around at his surroundings.
The interior decor of the Orchid Crown International Hotel was far grander than it looked from the outside.
No wonder all these celebrities chose to stay here.
The standards were sky-high.
"I’m talking to you—didn’t you hear me or what?"
Victor Wu walked a few more steps, and when he didn’t hear Evan Lin respond, he immediately frowned, his anger now completely unrestrained.
After Victor finished speaking, he turned and saw Evan Lin still glancing around the place.
"I told you not to gawk—are you deaf? If you cause any trouble, can you handle the consequences?"
Victor’s voice was gloomy as he reached out, trying to grab Evan Lin’s collar to force him to turn his head.
But as his hand was about to grab Evan’s collar, Evan calmly caught Victor’s wrist.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Victor’s expression changed as he tried to move his wrist, but his whole hand felt like it was clamped in iron—he couldn’t budge it at all.
"You really talk way too much. Can’t you just behave yourself?"
Evan frowned. "Say one more word and you’ll pay for it yourself."
Evan spoke in a flat tone, then let go of Victor’s wrist.
Victor had been straining to pull free, but Evan suddenly released him. Unable to stop his momentum, Victor stumbled backward and crashed to the floor.
"Ah!"
Victor cried out, lost his balance, and fell to the floor in utter embarrassment.
There were plenty of people passing by—celebrities, their staff, and plenty of well-dressed young guests.
A lot of them glanced over, curiosity and amusement written on their faces.
Feeling utterly humiliated, Victor sprang up from the floor and glared at Evan Lin. "Are you insane?"
Still thinking of laying hands on me, huh?
"Let me tell you: if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have even gotten through the hotel doors, and you still dare lay hands on me? Ungrateful bastard!"
Victor sounded indignant, his gaze at Evan Lin fiercer than ever.
His eyes were full of disdain, anger, and annoyance.
"With or without you, I could have entered this hotel anytime I wanted."
Evan Lin looked back at him. "Honestly, didn’t you get enough of a beating outside the airport?"
Victor listened to Evan, eyeing his calm expression.
Victor’s face shifted several times. He clenched his teeth, looking thoroughly disgruntled.
"Let me tell you, when the Dunn Group comes looking for trouble, don’t claim you know me—and don’t even think about dragging Yara Song into it!"
Victor was about to speak.
"Oh, isn’t that Agent Wu?"
Not far away, a young man with heavy makeup and a pale face walked over.
He wore trendy clothes and earrings, looking stylish and handsome—the exact type of idol teenage girls go crazy for these days.
Hearing the voice, Victor quickly stowed his anger, turned, and put on a big smile. "Wow, Shawn Zhang, I’m surprised you still remember me! I’m honestly a bit flattered."
Victor smiled at the newcomer.
Shawn Zhang.
He’s one of the hottest stars on the mainland right now. Formerly a trainee, he soared to fame through hype and variety shows, his popularity skyrocketing.
He’s basically the most popular idol out there.
His appearance fees and event prices are sky-high, way above most other celebrities in his category.
Even Victor Wu, Yara Song’s agent, had to treat Shawn Zhang with respect.
After all, in this business, everyone’s just trying to make a living.
You never know when you’ll need someone’s help.
And when it comes to hype, you need connections to make it work.
Yara Song’s been in the game for years, and barely has any scandals. She’s not as squeaky-clean as Zoe Tong, but she’s still considered pretty decent in the industry.
Victor Wu had already planned to pair Yara Song with Shawn Zhang for some hype, hoping to use the Hong Kong Film Festival to talk things over.
"Of course—who doesn’t know you, Agent Wu? Your skills are obvious to everyone in the industry."
Shawn Zhang smiled. "Yara wouldn’t be where she is today without you, Agent Wu. You’re basically my senior, too."
Victor felt pretty pleased hearing Shawn Zhang say that.
"And who’s this?"
Shawn Zhang looked over at Evan Lin.
Actually, Shawn had been watching Victor and Evan ever since they walked in.
"Oh him… He’s just some random guy I bumped into on the way here."
Victor paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Oh, just a passerby, huh? I thought he might be Yara’s friend. I was wondering when Yara started hanging out with people like that."
"Guess I was overthinking it."
Shawn Zhang smiled, glanced at Evan Lin, then looked away.
He clearly had no intention of paying Evan any mind.
This time, Shawn Zhang was determined to get closer to Yara Song.
Yara was gorgeous and had plenty going for her, and Shawn figured he was pretty well-qualified himself.
Shawn already knew about Victor Wu’s plan to pair him with Yara Song for publicity. Now he was thinking about how to turn a fake romance into the real deal.
If he pulled that off, Shawn Zhang would really hit the jackpot.
"Of course, Yara would never have friends like that. Don’t worry, Shawn."
Victor was still talking.
Someone walked over from the other side.