Chapter 32: The Movie King and the Husky 15

The video that first surfaced online was very short. It didn’t include a timestamp, only showing Lin Moning’s face at the beginning, but the final shot was entirely focused on Tang Bin’s face.

The title of the video was: “Rising Star Suddenly Explodes in Popularity? Let’s Uncover the Secret Behind His Mysterious Backer.”

Although the exposed information was limited, some people recognized that the background of this video was identical to the one from a behind-the-scenes clip previously released by the crew. It was clear that both were filmed in the same hotel room where Lin Moning had been staying while filming.

It’s even likely that the footage was captured on the same morning.

Behind-the-scenes footage with a script is no longer a secret within the industry. Audiences watch it for fun and don’t usually dig into whether the filming was a surprise or staged.

What raised concerns, however, was that if this was filmed on the same day, coupled with the video’s title, it easily led to speculations.

According to an analysis by Lin Moning’s manager, this wasn’t so much about targeting Lin Moning, but rather about targeting Tang Bin.

“Me?” Tang Bin pointed at himself, not understanding why this was being said.

“If the goal was to attack Xiao Lin, there’s no reason to have your face, Young Master Rui, so clearly in the shot,” explained others from the PR team. “And how did this video even get leaked? It should have been destroyed by now. Xiao Lin’s popularity… if we’re being blunt, he’s not important enough for someone to go to such lengths to sabotage him.”

“That’s right. If they wanted to attack Moning, they wouldn’t release such heavy material right now.”

“So it’s someone targeting Young Master Rui.”

Outside the discussion circle, Lin Moning was standing by the window, his expression neutral and his gaze as indifferent as always.

However, his gaze was fixed on one direction, unwavering.

His stare had become increasingly intense recently, and it made Tang Bin’s ears turn red, almost as if the heat was making his ears flush.

Maybe it was because he had been so clingy lately, but Lin Moning’s favorability towards him had been growing quickly.

It had already risen to nearly 90 points.

90 points seemed to be a crucial barrier—no matter what, it couldn’t seem to break through. It kept hovering around 90 and just below it.

But this was already a remarkable achievement. ^[1]“Born in adversity, perishing in comfort” means that people who grow and thrive in challenging or difficult situations often develop resilience and strength. However, when life becomes … Continue readingBorn in adversity, perishing in comfort—this made Tang Bin keep his guard up, afraid that any mistake or unexpected slip could ruin everything.

After Lin Moning finished speaking, everyone in the room fell silent.

Even though Young Master Rui’s temper had improved significantly and he appeared to be quite upright, he was still Young Master Rui.

Lin Moning could say such things, but they couldn’t.

They were afraid of making Young Master Rui unhappy.

However, Tang Bin wasn’t upset. He just couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

“…So someone is targeting me? And dragging Lin Moning into it?”

Tang Bin blinked his big eyes and asked everyone.

“Ahem, it’s not exactly dragging Xiao Lin into trouble,” Lin Moning’s manager said. “This video only shows you two together in the same room. The idea that it was filmed on the same day is merely speculation and doesn’t prove anything substantial. We can issue a statement saying that Young Master Rui, as the company’s leader, came to visit the set, and that this was a case of someone taking things out of context.”

“Oh…”

Tang Bin, hearing this, felt slightly reassured.

“However, the immediate priority is to find out who got this video and what their intentions are,” the manager continued.

Tang Bin nodded and asked, “Is it possible to trace it?”

“The blogger who posted the video said someone sent it to him anonymously via email. We’re contacting the tech department, but it’s a bit tricky. Still, we hope to trace the source of the email.”

Tang Bin’s mind automatically went to various programs for tracking IP addresses, but he didn’t mention that he could handle it himself. He just nodded and casually said, “Thanks for your help.”

For him, as long as this didn’t affect Lin Moning and lower the male lead’s favorability toward him, he was fine.

As for who was trying to frame him, Tang Bin didn’t really care, nor did he think it would bring any bad consequences for him.

Although this was his perspective, his calm demeanor was interpreted very differently by others. It looked like even when Young Master Rui was being deliberately framed, he was still entirely focused on Lin Moning, not caring at all about his own situation…

Everyone couldn’t help but glance at the young man leaning against the window. This Xiao Lin was quite capable. He had managed to win over the usually unpredictable Young Master Rui, and now had him wrapped around his finger.

To this day, even Lin Moning’s manager didn’t think the relationship between him and Tang Bin was completely innocent.

That said, it would still be problematic for a newcomer to be rumored to have risen to fame thanks to a backer.

If that were the case, no matter how much talent or ability Lin Moning showed, people would first dismiss it and it would hurt his chances of advancement.

So the PR team’s goal remained to clear up any misunderstandings about Lin Moning and Tang Bin’s relationship.

As the manager had said, this video didn’t prove anything. At least neither of them were caught undressed or in any compromising positions.

Moreover, two men being in the same room was completely normal. They could easily say they were discussing the script, or even just chatting or playing games. There were plenty of plausible explanations.

After discussing the approach with the PR team, everyone was about to leave when Lin Moning called Tang Bin over.

“Can I talk to you alone for a moment, Young Master Rui?” Lin Moning always addressed him like that, both in public and private.

“Of course,” Tang Bin nodded obediently.

The others silently left the meeting room, closing the door behind them.

Once the office was empty, Lin Moning didn’t speak immediately. He just stood there, no longer looking directly at Tang Bin but gazing out the window, leaving everyone wondering what was on his mind.

From this angle, Lin Moning looked incredibly handsome.

With the frequent interactions lately, their relationship had grown closer, and Tang Bin was no longer intimidated by his aura.

Right now, however, Lin Moning seemed to be preoccupied with something, looking so serious that Tang Bin didn’t dare make a sound.

“Lin Moning?” Although he didn’t want to interrupt, the silence had stretched on too long, making Tang Bin feel uncomfortable. He still mustered the courage to ask.

Lin Moning finally turned around.

He was leaning against the window, backlit by the light, which cast his entire face into shadow, making it look vague and indistinct.

He asked Tang Bin, “Why are you being so nice to me, Young Master Rui?”

Tang Bin wanted to say, Because I need to raise my favorability with you!

But obviously, he couldn’t say that. If he did, he’d have to explain why he needed to raise the favorability.

He covered his mouth, his gesture reminiscent of a child unable to control his words, childish and completely unlike the usual composed Young Master Rui.

But Lin Moning seemed to have grown used to these occasional childish acts from Young Master Rui. He noticed them, but didn’t react in any way.

Though Tang Bin had been living in human society for a while now, he still hadn’t learned how to dodge certain topics.

Even though Lin Moning wasn’t looking at him or pressing him further, Tang Bin still racked his brain, trying to figure out how to respond.

Finally, he said, “Because I’m keeping you!”

He probably shouldn’t have said that, but as soon as the words were out, Lin Moning abruptly turned his head and took a few steps toward him.

Lin Moning said, “You’re keeping me so you can just… turn me into a superstar like this?”

The tension in Tang Bin’s mind tightened immediately. “No, what else could it be?”

As Lin Moning continued to approach, Tang Bin had no choice but to slowly step back.

He kept retreating, and Lin Moning kept closing the distance, until his back finally hit the cold wall, and there was nowhere else to go.

They locked eyes, and Lin Moning raised his hand again. Tang Bin was once again trapped between his arm and the wall.

Tang Bin, stuck and a little confused, couldn’t understand—everything he did was for Lin Moning’s good, so why was Lin Moning putting on such a serious expression?

Finally, Lin Moning answered without needing Tang Bin to ask.

“Do you know what most backers do when they ‘keep’ an artist?”

“…What do they do?” Tang Bin really didn’t know.

Since he’d shifted his focus to the Luo family and Lin Moning, he hadn’t been interacting with his old friends or going out to parties like he used to.

So he had never had the chance to talk about such matters.

“This is what they do.”

Lin Moning spoke, and the cold corners of his lips closed again before he slightly leaned forward.

Tang Bin: !!!

His lips were briefly touched, the soft and warm sensation leaving Tang Bin frozen in place, unable to respond right away.

But Lin Moning’s kiss was quick and fleeting.

“Do you understand now?” Lin Moning asked.

Tang Bin stared, not knowing how to respond.

Did being a sponsor for a celebrity mean getting kissed by him?!

His thoughts were clearly off track. After all, Lin Moning hadn’t kissed him again, but his handsome face was still so close to him. In that fleeting moment when their lips touched, Tang Bin felt as though an electric current ran through his mind, and some familiar yet strange images flashed through his mind before vanishing.

But the feeling from that moment was so vivid, combined with Lin Moning’s breath and his face, that Tang Bin was left dazed, forgetting what question Lin Moning had even asked.

Tang Bin’s wide-eyed expression made him look stunned, somewhat shocked and speechless, and also a little flustered.

Perhaps because of his strong reaction, Lin Moning stared at him for a few seconds before slowly lowering his arm that had been holding him in place.

His expression showed a hint of confusion, mixed with a bit of frustration. Lin Moning got up from Tang Bin and turned to walk away.

Leaving Tang Bin pressed against the wall, still stunned in place, he finally exhaled a deep breath and blinked in confusion—so what exactly did Lin Moning mean?

While he was still lost in thought, Lin Moning, who should have already left, suddenly turned back. His brows furrowed deeply, looking visibly displeased as he spoke to Tang Bin: “Instead of protecting me, you should focus on protecting yourself first. That’s more important.”

Tang Bin: “……”

Later that evening, Tang Bin drove home. Haha was lazily lying on the living room sofa, wagging his tail in a bored manner, looking in a bad mood.

Tang Bin’s mood was also low. As soon as he saw Haha, he couldn’t help but rush over and bury his face in Haha’s soft fur.

Haha had just been bathed and smelled nice. Tang Bin couldn’t resist rubbing his warm fur and gave him a pet, saying, “Haha, I’m home!”

Haha: “……”

The husky didn’t say a word, lying still and not moving, almost as if sulking.

“Alright, alright, I know I came back late and didn’t play with you.” As soon as he saw Haha, all his worries seemed to disappear. Tang Bin returned to his usual self, showing a silly smile as he tried to cheer up the dog. “Something happened at the company today, it’s about Lin Moning.”

Haha: “Awooo.”

“He seemed like he was angry.” Tang Bin continued petting the dog, talking to himself.

“Awooo?”

“Do you think he’s mad at me? Maybe he thinks I’ve dragged him down, so he’s angry with me?”

“Awooo?”

“But he kissed me again afterward. Does that mean he doesn’t dislike me?”

“Awooo.”

During this time, Tang Bin had gotten used to sharing his worries with Haha. Most of the things he talked about were work-related, and the rest were about Lin Moning.

Although Haha was always lazy and indifferent, Tang Bin knew that whatever he said, Haha was listening.

Sometimes, Haha would listen secretly with his ears perked up, and sometimes, like now, he would bark a few times as if having a conversation.

Tang Bin felt his heart warm, and he simply laid down on the sofa, hugging Haha. “Haha, thank you. What would I do without you?”

“……”

Tang Bin wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Haha’s four paws, which had been hugging him, stiffened slightly.

—

The gossip about him and Lin Moning that had spread was quickly and effectively dealt with by the company’s PR team. It didn’t cause any waves, nor did it affect Lin Moning’s career.

In fact, as Lin Moning’s manager had originally said, the incident actually had a bigger impact on Tang Bin.

Because soon, the whole of the Luo family knew that Luo Rui had a little male star as his kept man.

However, since Tang Bin had already been honest with Luo Yuntian about the situation, when Luo Xu casually presented those gossip tabloids to Luo Yuntian, it didn’t stir up any trouble.

Luo Yuntian simply called Tang Bin over and first tried to gauge his son’s feelings through a conversation. Once he confirmed there was no change, he gave Tang Bin a half-hour-long lecture on romance and sexual health.

Later, when he realized Tang Bin didn’t have much confidence in the situation with Lin Moning, he spent some extra time encouraging him. Only then did Tang Bin leave the office.

“Ah Rui…” Originally, Luo Xu had been waiting outside the office, expecting to hear a scolding, but when he saw Tang Bin emerge looking perfectly fine, he couldn’t help but show a confused expression as if seeing a ghost.

Tang Bin wasn’t stupid. He had already been warned that this incident was aimed at him, and now seeing Luo Xu’s reaction… he couldn’t shake the feeling that this matter was somehow connected to him.

Because he was now Luo Yuntian’s son and was deeply favored by the Madam Luo, it was only natural that Luo Xu would feel jealous.

However, without evidence, Tang Bin couldn’t make baseless guesses or wrongfully accuse others.

Luo Xu’s actions could at most be seen as kicking someone while they were down.

“Brother Xu, you shouldn’t do this again next time.” Tang Bin said.

“Ah Rui? What are you talking about?” Luo Xu forced a dry smile, “I don’t understand.”

Tang Bin replied, “Dad knows about me and Lin Moning.”

He said no more, then walked past Luo Xu and left directly.

This incident had involved the male lead as well, which had somewhat affected his task. After thinking about it, Tang Bin decided to speak up.

He wanted to warn Luo Xu in advance.

Luo Yuntian was quite fond of this nephew, and Tang Bin didn’t want them to have any conflict that might ultimately hurt his father’s feelings.

Tang Bin guessed that Luo Xu’s expression wouldn’t look very good after he left, but he didn’t know that Luo Xu, who had been standing there for a while, had regained his composure after a moment of panic and now wore a hint of malicious light in his eyes.

Although the situation had calmed down, the gossip about Young Master Rui keeping a little male star was still one of the topics people discussed during their free time.

In reality, it wasn’t surprising for a wealthy heir to keep a star, and the Luo family had shown little reaction. Young Master Rui continued his daily routine—going to the entertainment company, heading to the film set, and so on—so the public’s opinion of him shifted. They now saw him as a passionate lover—months had passed, and not only was he not tired of it, but he was still so devoted, personally supporting the little star to win this year’s Best Newcomer award at the Golden Honor Awards. From every angle, it seemed like Young Master Rui was serious this time!

As Lin Moning’s popularity grew, more social engagements followed.

Of course, due to Tang Bin’s well-known reputation, many of these events didn’t require Lin Moning to attend.

Lin Moning only needed to show up for meetings with big-name directors or industry heavyweights, or at important award galas.

After the Golden Honor Awards, as the end of the year approached, the famous actor Lin Xiang, a towering figure in the entertainment world both domestically and internationally, invited the prominent figures in the industry to his home.

The invitees were mostly top-tier stars, directors, and producers, and as the winner of this year’s Best Newcomer award at the Golden Honor Awards, Lin Moning was also on the guest list.

Although Lin Xiang was still young, in his thirties, his high status and achievements came not only from his talent but also his impressive background. Therefore, Lin Moning had to attend his invitation.

As Lin Moning’s protector, Tang Bin naturally accompanied him to such events.

In fact, Tang Bin himself was also on the guest list.

When Tang Bin first arrived in this world, he didn’t like these kinds of gatherings. He always felt that he had to deal with so many people, which was exhausting.

However, after attending more of them, he had gotten used to it.

Now, he could calmly play the role of Luo Rui in front of others.

While Luo Rui technically wasn’t part of the entertainment industry, everyone in the industry knew him.

So, his presence was obviously much more influential than Lin Moning’s.

Even though both of them wore identical black and white suits, many people bypassed Lin Moning and directly approached Tang Bin’s side.

Lin Moning, pushed aside by a few actresses in evening gowns, looked cold and grim.

Surrounded by a group of glamorous women, Tang Bin didn’t even bother to notice Lin Moning’s expression. He didn’t know where to place his hands or feet as they pressed against him. On top of that, the strong perfume scent from the women made him want to sneeze, and he had to force himself to hold it in.

He was rubbing his nose uncomfortably when he looked up and saw Zong Yuanyi, who was overly clingy and somewhat annoying, walking toward him.

Zong Yuanyi didn’t hesitate to part the crowd and walked straight to Tang Bin. With a smile, he said, “Ah Rui, you’re here.”

His words sounded as if he had expected Tang Bin to come.