Under such circumstances, neither Yan Huan nor Song Xihua’s fans would be unforgiving toward their new relationship.
But that was in the past, before Lu Yi had returned. Though the news was not yet public, Lu Yi’s return to the Procuratorate had not gone unnoticed. As of now, no one knew how he came back, where and what he had been doing for the past two years, or who he was with. Neither was there anyone bold enough to make sensational headlines at the cost of Prosecutor Lu’s reputation. However, it was unmistakable that Prosecutor Lu had returned.
That made what Yan Huan did outright cheating.
Immediately, her popularity hit rock-bottom. A married woman having an affair with another man behind her husband’s back — even fans could not oversee such a blot.
The more famous an actor was, the more they needed to watch their conduct and maintain a clean reputation. Otherwise, what propelled them to fame will become their demise. Yan Huan’s manager and company issued no clarifications, allowing the fans to freely launch tirades against her online.
On the other hand, Prosecutor Lu went to work as normal, blissfully unaware of the pictures of Yan Huan and Song Xihua’s tryst circulating online, and his new title as a cuckold.
“Are you okay with this?” asked Song Xihua.
“Are you not?” asked Yan Huan in return. In her hand was a mug of warm milk tea that thawed her fingers and sweetened her tongue.
“Answer me,” said Song Xihua. He didn’t like going back and forth with her like that. “I would have been happy in the past, but what you are doing now is walking down a path of destruction.”
“I’m leaving acting behind me, so it doesn’t matter to me,” said Yan Huan, her hands tightening around the mug. “If it’s troubling you, I can issue a clarification.”
Yan Huan’s reputation was already tarnished, but she didn’t wish to drag others down with her.
“You should know my feelings by now,” said Song Xihua, holding his cup up, his eyes fixed on Yan Huan. “I will be here for you, even if you lose everything.”
Yan Huan smiled, taking in his earnest look with her clear eyes.
The newspapers went pa! as Luo Lin flung them before Yan Huan.
“Do you want me to die, Yan Huan?”
“You don’t look very dead to me,” said Yan Huan lazily, slouched against the sofa. She was tired and yearned for a nap. Can’t she get some peace around here?
“Do you know what you are doing?” Luo Lin yelled into her face.
“It wasn’t my fault,” said Yan Huan, opening her eyes. “I can’t fathom how they managed to take such suggestive pictures, but don’t worry, I’ll be more careful in the future.”
“More careful? That’s not the issue here!” This was the first time Luo Lin was this grumpy. Any actor in this world, regardless of their gender and popularity, is willing to go to any lengths to protect their reputation. Yan Huan, on the other hand, seemed dead-set on ruining it all. Yan Huan could not have achieved so much with her acting skills alone; her good reputation had played a major role too. She used to have the purest name in the industry, but all that had gone down the drain.
“I will release a clarifying statement right away,” announced Luo Lin. She had already decided on doing so, but before that she needed Yan Huan’s consent. And Yan Huan wasn’t being very cooperative.
She’s dead-set on making a cuckold out of Lu Yi, wasn’t she?
“Clarify? What for?” Yan Huan sat up and leaned against the sofa bonelessly. “He had found another woman and lived with her for two years. Why can’t I find another man? Aren’t you a firm advocator for gender equality?”
“How is that related?” Luo Lin pulled a chair close and sat down. “If there’s really something going on between you and Song Xihua, you would be cheating. It might not be so bad for him, since he doesn’t have a strong family background. In fact, he might gain a surge of popularity and attention for his new drama. But what do you get out of it? A divorce? Don’t forget that you have a military marriage. If the fault is on you when you divorce, you will not only be condemned by society, but also disappoint your fans.”
Yan Huan closed her eyes again, her dense eyebrows quivering gently. To Luo Lin, she gave neither further replies nor her consent. What was there to clarify?
The matter soon snowballed out of control. There were already people demanding Yan Huan to leave the industry, calling her ungrateful and licentious. She was despised by both her own fans and Song Xihua’s fans; the whole world had turned into her enemy.
Even so, she made no replies.
Sun Yuhan scrolled through the recent news of the entertainment industry on her phone. Yan Huan and Song Xihua’s affair had become the talk of the town. The more the matter escalated, the happier she was. Best if they divorce. It was true that she couldn’t disrupt a military marriage, but they couldn’t pin it on her if they divorced on their own.
Over the days, the news had improved her mood greatly. Though she had to undergo another surgery, it all turned out to be worth it. Lu Yi was spending all his time with her now, and that left him with no time to care about anything else, including Yan Huan.
Naturally, her jovial mood had helped speed up her recovery too.
A noise came from the door outside. She quickly put her phone away and sat down obediently. She knew it was better for Lu Yi to know last. By the time the whole world knew about it, the Lu Family wouldn’t be able to contain the news even if they had a mind to protect Yan Huan.
Lu Yi walked in. He knew that Sun Yuhan was hiding something from her, but he didn’t intend on calling her out for it.
He placed the food he bought on the table and scooped them into bowls for her.
“You are ready to be discharged,” said Lu Yi coolly. He was becoming more and more like Lu Yi from the past, and that was a huge blow to Sun Yuhan. She could not, and never will understand the man Lu Yi used to be.
He wasn’t cold, but his aloofness could drive any woman who liked him insane. Unless they were like Fang Zhu, who bore an equally indifferent attitude towards him. That was the only way to survive as Lu Yi’s girlfriend.
