Chapter 4 Enthusiastic Citizen Ms. Jiang

Xia Xiangyang was a little stunned. After hanging up the phone, he sat dazedly on the sofa for a while before picking up his phone and opening the Dazha App.

He wasn’t a big celebrity. In fact, if no one had fanned the flames, his clubbing, fighting, and sunglasses-wearing antics wouldn’t even have made it that high on the trending list.

Now, those trending tags were already falling off the charts. The people who spent money to push the buzz probably felt the public opinion momentum was enough and didn’t want to waste more money.

Xia Xiangyang gave a self-deprecating laugh. This industry was just like that—everyone could be priced like merchandise.

He stared at the tags buried at the bottom—#XiaXiangyangClubbingFightingActingArrogant, #XiaXiangyangGetOutOfTheEntertainmentIndustry—for a while before swiping back up. There were no tags with his name anymore.

As he scrolled, a sudden flash of insight struck him, and he tapped into the ninth trending topic: #NationalTeam’sSpeedFastestClarificationInHistory.

The first post was from the Xicheng District Police Department of S City:
“Doing the Right Thing, Falsely Accused? The Internet Is Not Outside the Law!”

The bold, powerful headline was followed by a concise statement. In summary:

After receiving a report and tip-off from a concerned citizen, Ms. Jiang, the Xicheng police investigated and found that the online rumors about Xia Xiangyang fighting in a bar over a love rivalry were completely false. The truth was that Xia Xiangyang had come across someone attempting to sexually assault a woman at a bar. He stepped in to stop the assailant and was attacked in return. What was described as a “fight” was in fact a clear case of self-defense. Xia Xiangyang should not be subjected to baseless criticism—on the contrary, he deserves praise and respect.

At the end, the police reminded the public that the internet is not a lawless place. Spreading rumors can lead to criminal liability. Moreover, doing the right thing is a virtue. People should respect and protect acts of kindness, and work together to foster a positive social atmosphere.

Beneath the statement was a video—not the previously circulated, heavily edited one, but a clear, complete recording of the truth.

It showed a lecherous man grabbing a passing girl, dragging her into a corner, trying to kiss her and even tearing at her clothes as she struggled and cried out. Then Xia Xiangyang appeared, intervened, and the man kicked him and started hitting him. The two fought—it was all caught clearly on tape.

The girl’s face had been blurred, the assailant wore a hat so his face wasn’t visible, but Xia Xiangyang’s face was clear from start to finish.

With this video, the claims of heroism and self-defense were beyond dispute.

The top comment under the post was:
“Apologize to Xia Xiangyang. We can’t let heroes bleed and cry!”

Following close behind were:

• “Xia Xiangyang, well done!”
• “This is what a real modern-day celebrity should be like!”
• “The internet is not beyond the law—heroes deserve respect, liars deserve shame!”

Fans chimed in:

• “Wuwuwu, Xia Xiangyang, you’re the best! The sunflowers will always support you!”
• “Xia Xiangyang, we were wrong about you. I take back everything I said. Fighting alongside you was the highlight of my youth!”
• “Who says being a fan is useless? Other people’s idols are in jail, mine’s being praised by the national team! If you round it up, it’s basically like I was praised too!”

Xia Xiangyang stared at the comment that read “Fighting alongside you was the highlight of my youth,” and his nose stung with emotion. He tilted his head back and covered his eyes with his hand.

He had been in this industry for years. When the incident first happened, he had known he was probably finished. Brother Liang wouldn’t be able to fix it. Even if he could remain in the industry, he likely wouldn’t get any good opportunities anymore. His acting career was, for all intents and purposes, over.

He had a clear conscience, but he was unwilling to accept it. Years of effort, gone up in smoke. And on top of that, this was how he’d have to say goodbye to his fans who had always supported and stayed with him… But what could he do, even if he wasn’t willing?

He never imagined that things would take such a dramatic turn.

Brother Liang must’ve timed it perfectly, because as soon as Xia Xiangyang had finished checking the trending list, he called again:
“You saw it, right? Hahaha! The official blue-verified account stepped in—Xiangyang, you’ve really made it this time!”

His voice was practically shouting, visibly excited:
“You really got lucky this time. If the authorities hadn’t stepped in so quickly, by the time we found proof and clarified everything ourselves, it would’ve been way too late. Spreading rumors is easy, clarifying them is hard! But you turned misfortune into blessing—this is the state praising you for bravery! You don’t even know—the moment the official post went up, the film crew contacted me saying they wanted to issue a statement.”

Hearing this, Xia Xiangyang put the phone on speaker and switched to the film crew’s official Weibo.

Sure enough, ten minutes ago, the crew had posted a clarification. They explained that Xia Xiangyang wore sunglasses because of injuries on his face and that he had informed the crew in advance.

The post included a side photo of him in makeup, faintly showing bruising around his eye socket.

The comment section was once again flooded with wailing fans, lamenting how their dear Xia had gotten injured protecting someone and only wore sunglasses to hide it, yet had been wrongly accused of acting arrogant. The injustice was so deep it could cause snow in June.

Seeing fans “wuwuwu” like that, Xia Xiangyang couldn’t help but smile.

Brother Liang was still talking on the phone:
“I asked around just now. Based on everything I’ve heard, today’s incident is definitely connected to Wu Mingyang. Honestly, I didn’t even need to ask—I already knew it was probably him. He’s still hung up on Sikong Huai, right? He probably thought that if he ruined your reputation, he’d have another shot. Besides, his agent is known for playing dirty tricks. Honestly, I’m not even surprised.”

Wu Mingyang was an actor of similar age, style, and status as Xia Xiangyang. The two had clashed over resources many times in the past. In terms of industry connections, Xia Xiangyang was actually slightly behind—mostly because neither he nor Brother Liang were the type to go to extremes to compete.

This time, for the casting of The Regent, Wu Mingyang also wanted the role of Sikong Huai, but the director had chosen Xia Xiangyang.

Luo Qingyao was infamous in the industry for being intolerant of nonsense. No amount of tricks worked in his productions—acting skill was what mattered most.

And in terms of acting, Xia Xiangyang was clearly better than Wu Mingyang.

“They really wasted their efforts this time. Must’ve spent a lot on PR posts and trending spots. Ha! All for nothing. I bet they’re sitting at home fuming right now.”

Brother Liang laughed heartily for a long while before switching back to business:
“By the way, that so-called insider who leaked the behind-the-scenes photos? The crew already investigated. I’ve got a rough idea of who it is. Once it’s confirmed, I’ll let you know.”

He hesitated a bit, then added:
“You need to start paying more attention yourself. Once everything is sorted out, I’ll apply to the company to get you a new assistant.”

Xia Xiangyang’s hand paused mid-scroll, and after a few seconds of silence, he said, “You handle it, Brother Liang.”

He understood what Brother Liang meant—this whole mess probably involved Gao Xiaoming too.

Honestly, they had been wanting to replace this assistant for a while, but hadn’t had a good excuse. This might finally be the opportunity.

The two of them tacitly understood each other. Brother Liang gave a few more instructions before hanging up, but suddenly remembered something:

“Oh right—about that Ms. Jiang mentioned in the official post, is she the girl you saved?”

Before Xia Xiangyang could say anything, Liang-ge immediately dismissed his own guess: “No, if it were that girl, they would’ve listed her as the victim, not a ‘concerned citizen.’ I need to find out who this Ms. Jiang is—she really helped us out big time this time.”

Being reminded of that, Xia Xiangyang also remembered—the official statement mentioned that it was based on a tip-off from Ms. Jiang… Right, if no one had reported it and provided clues, the police wouldn’t have noticed the situation.

But who exactly was this “concerned citizen” Ms. Jiang?

Someone from the production crew?

Or a bystander at the bar last night?

Xia Xiangyang looked completely puzzled.

*

What Xia Xiangyang didn’t know was that the so-called “concerned citizen Ms. Jiang” was actually in a hotel suite not far from him.

Jiang Shuwan had spent the evening reading. During that time, she confirmed the next day’s schedule with Liang Hao. Upon learning he had a few scenes to shoot early in the morning, she efficiently packed up her book and went into the bathroom to wash up.

Someone like Jiang Shuwan, who never gave up easily, naturally wasn’t about to give up on her Dongyue Milk Tea plan either.

She planned to get up early the next day and buy herself a cup of milk tea.

Yes, she was just that determined.

Halfway through washing up, her phone pinged. Jiang Shuwan opened WeChat and saw that her little uncle had replied. He didn’t say anything—just sent her a link.

She tapped the link and was redirected to Big Eyes, where it led to an official announcement from the West District Police Department of S City.

She skimmed through the statement quickly, then scrolled down to the comments. Most of them were positive, though further down were a few comments like:

“Even if the good deed is true, going clubbing and acting arrogant is still a fact, right? Fans need to stop blindly idolizing.”
“Filming starts the next day, and you’re out partying the night before? Doesn’t sound like a very responsible person.”

But beneath those comments were plenty of replies from fans and regular users defending Xia Xiangyang.

Someone replied to a critic:

“Which working-class person hasn’t had a wild Sunday night? Yet by Monday morning we’re all dragging ourselves to work with dark circles under our eyes. Letting loose before work might not be ideal, but it’s not a crime. Even the production crew hasn’t said anything.”

“Exactly. Celebrities are human too. No need to be so harsh.”

Clearly, the working crowd was sympathetic.

Jiang Shuwan also saw a rather amusing comment:

“By the way, doesn’t this Xia Xiangyang seem to have pretty solid professional skills? Look at that video—he’s got a killer screen presence, and his face is crystal clear.”

The replies under that were a string of “hahahahahaha.”

Jiang Shuwan couldn’t help laughing too. At the same time, she felt relieved—Xia Xiangyang wouldn’t be wronged anymore.

[Hmph! If it weren’t for me reminding you, the police wouldn’t have even investigated! That Xia Xiangyang would’ve been kicked out of the crew by now!]

A proud, robotic voice rang in her ear.

Jiang Shuwan responded coolly, “Oh.”

[…]

The system had never encountered a human who gave it so little face, and it instantly went into a sulk.

Another WeChat ping. Jiang Shuwan opened it and saw that it was from her little uncle again.

He was usually so busy he didn’t even have time to eat, so Jiang Shuwan had assumed her message to him would go unanswered. She never expected him not only to read it so quickly, but also to handle the situation right away—and now he was even chatting with her?

Was the sun going to rise in the west tomorrow?

Little Uncle: Who’s this Xia Xiangyang? Xiaowan, don’t tell me you’ve got yourself a boyfriend? Doing the right thing is great, but the entertainment industry’s relationships are messy. You’re still a student—stay out of it.

Jiang Shuwan tapped out a reply: No, I don’t even know him.

Little Uncle: Good. You’re still young. Don’t be like others and start dating too soon. I’m busy—call me if anything comes up.

Jiang Shuwan hesitated, then replied with an emoji: [Cat nodding.JPG]

She was feeling a little guilty, but after thinking about it, she figured: she was only chasing Liang Hao, not actually dating him—so technically, she was still in the clear.

Besides, police officers were busy people. Who had time to worry about her?