69: Chapter 69 was secretly photographed.

Ruan Xingyu landed in Beijing.

As soon as she turned on her phone, she received a message Lin Chuyan had sent before going to sleep.

"I'm going to sleep. Rest well when you get back after landing, and stay safe!"

She checked the time; it was already 2:00 AM. Her boyfriend was likely asleep, but after thinking about it, she still replied:

"Received!"

This feeling of having someone thinking of you, no matter how far apart you are, is truly wonderful.

However, she also received messages from Manager Song Mei at the same time—a whole string of them.

"Something happened."

"[Image] [Image] [Image]"

"Forgot you were on the plane. Call me as soon as you land."

The photos Manager Song Mei sent over were, surprisingly, photos of Ruan Xingyu and Lin Chuyan together.

It was obvious they had been taken from a distance. Since it was night, one could only identify them by the streetlights.

However, Lin Chuyan never bothered to disguise himself when going out, and on that day, she had only worn a mask. Anyone familiar with them could easily recognize who they were.

Ruan Xingyu looked closely and realized they had been taken that day when the four of them—her, him, Actress Xin Ya, and Zhang Wentang—went out to eat.

The first photo showed Lin Chuyan reaching out to help her after he got out of the car. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but the angle of the snapshot was incredibly unfortunate; the two of them happened to be locking eyes just as their skin touched.

Looking at the second one, Ruan Xingyu recalled that it seemed to be on the way back to the car after dinner.

Originally, she and Actress Xin Ya were in the back, while Lin Chuyan and Zhang Wentang were in the front, chatting in pairs.

Then, Actress Xin Ya suddenly ran ahead to chat with Zhang Wentang for a bit, and Lin Chuyan took the opportunity to fall back and talk to her.

But the photo didn't capture the other two people; it only captured her and Lin Chuyan chatting, with visibly bright smiles on both their faces.

The third photo was even more outrageous—it showed Lin Chuyan getting directly into her car... though, that wasn't wrong, was it? He had indeed followed them back to the hotel that night.

With the three photos placed before her, the facts spoke for themselves. Regardless of whether it was a candid shot or something else, it looked as real as could be.

Ruan Xingyu was clearly a bit panicked; this was something beyond what she and Lin Chuyan had planned.

Fortunately, she quickly calmed down.

What was there to panic about? If she really thought about it, she hadn't done anything wrong!

Besides, was dating against the law?

Maybe she should just go public!?

"[I'm already 27, and I'll be 28 after the New Year! I've grown up this much without ever dating, so what's the big deal about finally being in a relationship!]"

Once this thought appeared, she couldn't stop it.

Ruan Xingyu felt justified!

Getting into her van, she immediately called Manager Song Mei back, and the call was answered instantly.

"Manager Song Mei."

"Is it convenient to talk?"

"Yes, I'm in the car, and only Wen Qi is with me."

The van had a partition between the front and back seats, so the driver couldn't hear her either.

Perhaps because several hours had already passed, Manager Song Mei's voice sounded quite calm: "Hmm, don't panic. Tell me what happened that day first."

"Actually, it's simple, nothing special. I went to Shancheng to attend the Huayun Voice awards ceremony, right? The day before, I visited Actress Xin Ya on set; she was filming in Shancheng too... Then, in the evening, the four of us went out to eat."

"So it wasn't a private dinner?"

"No."

"These photos were sent to me a few hours ago by the boss surnamed Liao from 'Entertainment Reporter Xiao Ba.' His goal is simple: money. If we don't pay, he'll release them." Manager Song Mei on the other end of the line clearly breathed a sigh of relief. The tension of the past few hours was released in that instant, and feeling relaxed, she even chuckled: "As long as it's fake, we're not afraid..."

"It's real."

Ruan Xingyu didn't intend to keep it from her manager anymore.

If she could, she didn't even want to keep it from anyone else.

Manager Song Mei's train of thought broke; her brain dazed for two seconds before reconnecting: "What do you mean?"

"I mean, even though it wasn't a private date, he and I are for real."

Ruan Xingyu was resolute and unwavering.

Beside her, Wen Qi was already dazed from fangirling.

"[Sister is so brave, so brave!]"

"[Is Sister planning to go public? The Music Diva holding hands with the talented musician!]"

"[What's there to fear about a love that isn't blessed! The brother and sister's love is stronger than gold!]"

Manager Song Mei was completely bewildered: "But... isn't that person Lin Chuyan?"

Ruan Xingyu felt a bit helpless: "Ah, yes, it's him. We like each other."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line... It seemed to be slowly processing this news... ...Processing complete.

Manager Song Mei spoke again: "Are you sure you two aren't in a short-term relationship? Coveting his good looks or something... that's normal, but just make sure you don't get yourself too deep into it."

...Ruan Xingyu didn't know what to say.

Manager Song Mei continued: "Or... don't blame me for overthinking, but let me say something unpleasant: his fame and status in the industry are miles behind yours. Are you sure he isn't using you to climb the ladder? I've really seen too much of that in the entertainment industry."

Ruan Xingyu was about to say something, but Manager Song Mei continued.

"Also, even if you two are for real, the fans won't accept it. Lin Chuyan has way too many dark histories." Manager Song Mei shook her head. "Logically, you are a powerful Singer; it's normal to date at your age, and fans wouldn't say anything, but the premise is that the partner must be outstanding enough."

"He is outstanding!" Ruan Xingyu finally managed to speak. "He is more hardworking, more outstanding, and better than anyone else."

It was no use; Manager Song Mei just assumed she was having a love-struck episode.

"Let's put that aside for now... I have a few questions for you first."

"Ask away."

"How long have you been together?"

"Over a month."

"You two are fast. It feels like you've only known each other for... half a year?"

When the topic came to this, Ruan Xingyu couldn't help but laugh: "Is half a year fast? Do you want it to be like some novels, dragging on until chapter 200 with no progress and no confession! I think my boyfriend is right; if you drag it out too long, you really just become friends~"

Manager Song Mei on the other end couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Fine, your boyfriend is always right... So, who else knows about this?"

"Wen Qi, and Yiyi. That's it."

"Last question." Manager Song Mei nodded, her voice sounding somewhat helpless. "You aren't really planning to go public right now, are you? As your manager, I need to make it clear to you: based on the current situation, this is a matter with a hundred harms and no benefits."

For an artist of Ruan Xingyu's level, the manager's authority isn't that great; many things have to be discussed with the artist.

Ruan Xingyu admitted that she had been a bit impulsive just now, but by this time, she had calmed down slightly: "I don't care, but I haven't asked for his opinion yet. Let me discuss it with him first."

"Good. Now, there's only one thing left," Manager Song Mei continued. "How should we handle these photos?"

Ruan Xingyu's face was unreadable as she asked calmly: "How much money do they want?"

"5 million."

Ruan Xingyu frowned, her delicate face looking somewhat cold and disgusted: "This is extortion; it's enough to get them sentenced for several years."

Manager Song Mei said helplessly: "Their company is used to doing this kind of thing; they won't let you transfer money directly or leave any evidence. In any case, 5 million is definitely too much—a lion's share, meant to make us bargain. I estimate they'd settle for one or two million at most."

Ruan Xingyu scoffed a few times; at this moment, she was actually calmer than Manager Song Mei.

After the love-struck phase faded, her mature sister persona returned.

She stretched out and leaned back against the seat, finding a more comfortable position for herself.

"Manager Song Mei." Ruan Xingyu's voice sounded clear and indifferent, but her tone was firm: "We aren't paying them a single cent!"