---
The internet had exploded by late afternoon.
One by one, media sites lit up like wildfire, and within hours, the name Starlight Media had soared to the top of the hot search lists.
Every tabloid, gossip blog, and entertainment column was buzzing with the same scandalous headlines:
"Top Actor Lin Weichen Caught Using Drugs in VIP Club!"
"International Starlet Jiang Xueyi Photographed in Secret Meeting with Shady Film Investor!"
"Inside Starlight Media's Toxic Secrets: Anonymous Insider Leaks Bombshell Evidence!"
—
Fans were divided—some cried in disbelief, some angrily defended their idols, while others tore them apart with bitter comments.
Haters seized the opportunity, drowning the feeds in scornful rants.
—
@Weichen_LoverGirl: "I feel like crying… Is this really true? Lin Weichen??!!"
@filmgeekdaily: "The man was snorting powder behind the club like it was candy. Don't stan trash, y'all."
@BunnyWeichenBaby: "Say it ain't so. Lin Weichen was the reason I watched 'Scarlet Mist'! Please tell me it's fake!"
@DramaQueenReal: "Of course, Jiang Xueyi's in another scandal. Sis probably has a loyalty card for these drama punch cards."
@StarShineDetective: "Look at the timestamps and cross-reference the photos. That investor she was with? The investor of Justice At Home, her recent movie. They buried that info. I'm digging up bones!"
@XueyiGlow: "Let my queen live! That investor helped her career. It's just a dinner."
@truthbites: "Dinner??? Sis, she was practically sitting on his lap."
@ceos_daughterIRL: "Who leaked this? Give them a trophy. No. Give them a lifetime award."
@WhistleTeaSpill: "To whoever leaked this, you're the MVP of 2025. Drop the rest, we're ready."
@User876543: "Lin Weichen doing drugs? I knew he was high the entire time during his award speech. Bro was thanking his 'past life wife'"
@LoyalToXueyi: "Y'all fake. You cheered for her last week and now you're all against her? She carried the company."
The server of Starlight Media's official website nearly crashed from the traffic.
---
Inside Starlight Media Headquarters, tension chocked the air.
In the large executive conference room, CEO Fang Zemin sat at the head of the table with a thunderous expression.
The mood was thick, heavy, and tense.
Seated on one side were the idols—Jiang Xueyi, the company's beloved crown jewel, sipping some herbal tonic with a calm face, and Lin Weichen, the wildly popular bad-boy actor, casually scrolling through his phone.
Their managers and personal assistants hovered behind them nervously.
Across the room, the PR director was red-faced, struggling to keep up with the backlash.
The company's reputation was nosediving by the second.
Fang Zemin slammed the table. "Jiang Xueyi!"
The actress lifted her eyes lazily. "Yes, CEO Fang?"
"Why the hell weren't you more careful?" he growled. "You were photographed in broad daylight!!"
Jiang Xueyi leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. "Relax. I've done worse. The netizens will move on in two days. They always do."
Her tone was dismissive, almost bored.
She didn't even flinch.
Behind her calm mask, she thought coldly, ' So what? I've made billions for this company. They need me. They won't abandon me. They can't. I'm the face of the company. Not like that pathetic Xu Jiaqi who thought acting talent alone was enough to survive in this business. She didn't play by the rules. So she got buried.'
Fang Zemin's head throbbed.
If this were any other actress, he would've kicked her out of his office by now.
But the company had invested tens of millions into Jiang Xueyi's latest international film, Justice At Home.
They couldn't afford to lose her just yet.
Still, her attitude was grating. As if she owned the company.
He turned to Lin Weichen. "And you!"
The young actor barely looked up. "What?"
"You were caught with drugs!"
"So? It's not like I killed anyone."
His manager winced. The other assistants stared at the floor almost burying their face on their stomachs.
Fang Zemin nearly lost it. "Do you two have any idea what kind of damage this has done?! The brand deals we just signed? The TV deals lined up for summer? Every endorsement is on the verge of pulling out!"
Lin Weichen scoffed. "It's just a PR nightmare. Fix it. Isn't that what we pay you for?"
Fang Zemin's vision darkened.
His fingers twitched with the urge to throw the nearest glass.
Lin Weichen leaned back, lifting one brow. "Also, they didn't catch me using anything. Just holding. Might've been props."
"Are you mocking me?!"
"No," Lin Weichen said with a bored look. "Just wondering how the footage got leaked. We don't allow cameras in VIP clubs."
That stilled the room for a second.
Who had released the information?
Fang Zemin straightened. Yes... who would dare touch Starlight Media?
That made Fang Zemin pause.
Indeed… who had the guts to go after Starlight Media?
Didn't the entire industry know he was backed by one of the most powerful figures in the entertainment world?
He looked at his secretary, Zhao Rui, a young woman with sharp eyes and neatly tied hair.
"Go," he ordered. "Find out who published these reports. Find the bloggers, the sources, everyone. I want them buried. Do you hear me?"
Zhao Rui nodded quickly. "Yes, CEO Fang."
"Track it. I don't care if it's a teenager with a blog or a rat in our own company. I'll crush them."
Zhao Rui bowed slightly turning to leave. "Understood, CEO."
Just then—BANG!—the door swung open.
A young assistant nearly tripped inside, panting, his face ashen.
"CEO! CEO—it's bad! Really bad!"
"What now?!" Fang Zemin thundered. "Why are you running in here like a headless chicken?!"
The assistant was sweating profusely, clutching a tablet tightly in his hands.
"I-It's not good... really not good..." he stammered, struggling to catch his breath.
He stumbled forward and held out the device.
Fang Zemin frowned, his gut twisting.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
He however snatched the tablet, ready to dismiss whatever overblown report had gotten his assistant panicking.
But then…
His face turned pale.
His eyes widened.
His fingers tightened on the tablet until his knuckles went white.
---