Since he couldn't bring them all, taking anyone would make the others unhappy. So, Ian Song decided simply not to bring anyone.
Flame City's Green Park Community is a famous celebrity compound. Many top domestic stars choose to buy homes here. The prices are sky-high, but the amenities are the best in the country. Security is also extremely tight—every guard is said to be an elite retired special forces soldier, and there's twenty-four-hour patrol, so you never have to worry about reporters sneaking in for photos.
Even if a reporter does sneak in, they'll be escorted out in no time.
Celebrities have almost no privacy, which makes them crave a private sanctuary even more.
Since most of the residents are stars, you can take a walk in the compound without wearing a mask or sunglasses.
Of course, there are some non-celebrities living here too, but because of the price, anyone who can afford a place here has serious money—so you don’t get the crazed fan behavior you’d see elsewhere.
Green Park Community, Building A, Apartment 03.
The owner of this apartment is Cynthia Murong, once one of Yanhuang Republic’s hottest stars. She bought the place three years ago, but until recently, she hardly ever stayed here.
But lately, she’s been holed up here for almost half a month straight. For someone used to flying all over the country for gigs and commercials, that’s rare—and it’s not exactly normal.
A team of patrolling security guards walked past her apartment.
Among them, a young guard with a slightly dark complexion glanced at Cynthia Murong’s apartment and couldn’t help but quietly ask the other guard beside him, “Captain, do you think what they’re saying online is true?”
“Who knows?” The guard called Captain curled his lip. “These days, who can tell what’s real or fake in the entertainment world?”
“True.”
The young guard nodded in agreement. “But I believe Cynthia Murong is innocent—she’s not that kind of person.”
"Heh."
The Captain chuckled. “Alright, quit worrying about celebrities and just focus on your job!”
It all started half a month ago, when a so-called 'sleep-with-me list' suddenly exploded online. The list used letters to stand in for actresses’ names, but with some people fanning the flames, all signs pointed to Cynthia Murong.
Netizens went wild.
Since her debut, Cynthia Murong had rarely been involved in scandals. She was known for her pure, wholesome image.
Now, rumors said she was 'Miss M' on the sleep-with-me list. Her fans’ reactions were easy to imagine. Of course, most of them believed she wasn’t that kind of person—after all, with her fame, she could make tens of millions from any random ad or endorsement. Why would she need to trade sex for resources?
So the whistleblower’s microblog got absolutely roasted by Cynthia Murong’s fans.
But the next day, one of the third-rate actresses on the sleep-with-me list suddenly spoke up. She hinted that she and Cynthia Murong had 'served' a certain American tycoon together two months ago.
This set off another firestorm among Cynthia’s fans. They swarmed the third-rate actress’s microblog, cursing her out and demanding she apologize to Cynthia.
In response, the third-rate actress posted two plane tickets.
One was her ticket to the U.S.; the other was Cynthia Murong’s. The dates matched exactly—two months ago.
With this indirect evidence, even some of Cynthia’s most loyal fans started to have doubts. They wanted her to give them an explanation.
But things didn’t stop there. Over the next few days, a bunch of stars who’d worked with Cynthia began claiming she was a diva and bullied newcomers. One actress, just as famous as Cynthia, even alleged Cynthia landed a movie role by sleeping with the investor.
Then, people claiming to be Cynthia’s high school classmates and college besties joined in, saying her private life was a mess back then—she supposedly had three boyfriends just in her freshman year.
And the so-called bestie’s story was even wilder—she claimed Cynthia had three abortions in college.
What’s even stranger, normally when a scandal breaks out, Cynthia’s agency would step in right away with PR to squash the rumors. But this time, her company didn’t do a thing.
Instead, at the height of the controversy, Cynthia’s agency used 'moral grounds' as an excuse to terminate her contract.
The day after the termination, Cynthia’s manager even told the media that a certain recently dropped artist had a very messy private life.
This kick-while-she’s-down move made Cynthia’s situation even worse. Her just-signed movie and ad contracts all demanded to be canceled. Two big-name companies with long-term deals not only wanted out, but also demanded hefty compensation.
Luckily, Cynthia had saved up a decent nest egg over the years. But after paying all those penalties, her account was nearly wiped out—her Green Park apartment was all she had left.
Fortunately, celebrity scandals have a shelf life. After half a month of frenzy, the heat finally started to die down. Except for a few gossip rags and minor tabloids still milking her story for clicks, the online chatter gradually faded away.
But everyone knew, after this, Cynthia Murong’s career was finished. A comeback was basically impossible.
On the living room sofa, Cynthia Murong lounged in loose pajamas, snacking as she stared at the TV. Her hair was a bit messy and her skin looked pale from staying indoors so long.
Faye Shangguan’s eyes flashed with concern. She said, “Hey, you’re not planning to just hole up here forever, are you?”
Cynthia paused, then said gloomily, “Look at me—what else can I do? But honestly, it’s not so bad. I’m not running around to endless gigs anymore; I was exhausted all the time. Now I can finally rest.”
“Are you sure you mean that?”
Faye Shangguan’s expression darkened. “I know you were framed. Don’t worry, I’ll find the bastard who set you up—and make sure he pays double!”
“No need!”
Cynthia said coolly, “Even if you find him, then what? Are you going to beat him up for me?”
“A good beating would do him some good! No way I’m letting him off that easy!” Faye said angrily.
“But beating people up is against the law,” Cynthia pointed out after a moment.
“Hmph, I don’t care!” Faye clenched her fist. “Anyone who bullies my little Yue, I’ll make him regret it!”
Just then, Faye’s phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, Faye’s expression shifted slightly. She stepped aside to answer.
As soon as the call connected, a commanding voice barked, “I don’t care where you are—tonight at seven, you must come to Greenview Villa!”