After a Top Idol Married the Sickly Young Master of a Wealthy Family to Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 14

Pei Xinglu, after finishing the screen recording of the entire Qingti TV live stream at double speed: “…”

The voice was Ling Suiyao’s.

The background was Ling Suiyao’s study.

He lifted Ling Suiyao’s quilt to compare his hand with the photo. The ring had already been taken off, but the position of a light brown mole on the back of his hand was identical.

Alright, so this wealthy little streamer “Suisui Nian Nian” who had money to burn was none other than the frail, sickly young master of a rich family—Ling Suiyao.

Pei Xinglu’s expression once again: “…”

“Because the young master doesn’t usually go out much and rarely gets to gather with friends, he inevitably feels a bit lonely. That’s why he thought of starting a live stream; it counts as a way to relieve his boredom.”

Butler Zhou, having finished his phone call with Madam Ling and the Master, turned around to see Pei Xinglu still looking at the “Suisui Nian Nian” live room with a clearly bewildered expression, so he explained.

Hearing this, Pei Xinglu paused for a few seconds, let out an “Oh,” and shifted his gaze to the packaging on the sofa that hadn’t been put away yet.

So, he had gone to the scene to buy wholesale jewelry.

“The young master actually never wears jewelry. Given his health, the Master suggested that sandalwood is best. Butler Zhou spoke again with a benevolent face. “However, it might be because Mr. Pei endorsed this brand of jewelry. When the young master came back, he was still sorting them out to give to the Madam, the Master, the young cousins, and so on. The leftovers can be used for giveaways in the live room.”

Pei Xinglu rubbed the silver ring on his index finger, feeling a bizarre sensation as if he were being “kept” by Ling Suiyao.

What a mess.

He clicked into Weibo to handle official business first.

Ling Suiyao’s promotion had been like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, and people with hidden agendas had seized the opportunity to exploit it.

A marketing account with hundreds of thousands of followers posted a video of the Qingti TV live stream.

I Love Surfing V: [Video] [Screenshots] Checked it out, and this streamer named ‘Suisui Nian Nian’ isn’t signed. He has four thousand followers, and his last stream was in August last year. I have to say, this hype tactic is quite brilliant: an obscure little streamer + a giveaway of Pei Xinglu’s new endorsement, Luming Jewelry + handing out red envelopes. After a meticulously designed series of events, the heat has exploded, and the marketing is on point. To all the handsome men and beautiful women in the entertainment industry, feel free to learn and borrow from this.

[Comments:]

“Holy crap, I just came from that live room! I thought it was real, but it turns out to be hype! Then the winners must all be shills, right? Fine, I’m not jealous anymore. Lying low.”

“Standard operation, really. Pei Dog’s marketing tactics have always been superb. Raise your hand if you’ve never been able to get the hype [Hand-raising.jpg].”

“Speechless… what are you all talking about? How could Suisui be hyping?”

“No, seriously, people actually believe this? Smells like hype at first glance. As a passerby, I went to observe. According to the streamer’s fans, he has occasionally mentioned celebrity chasing in the past, but he never said he liked Pei Xinglu. Suddenly popping up now clearly shows there’s something fishy! Wonder how much commission he gets for so much jewelry, hhhh.”

“Reporting! Surfing Bro! I found a key point! This streamer never said it was Luming Jewelry from start to finish, nor did he show specific prizes. So what exactly is it, true or false… You know, I wouldn’t dare to conclude.”

“True, the streamer only had a ring on his hand to draw traffic to Luming Jewelry?? I’m done. Pei Dog’s team is indeed powerful.”

…

Pei Xinglu sneered, his lips curling.

Powerful, powerful, damn powerful. Unrivaled in heaven or on earth.

It had only been an hour since the live stream “hype,” and before the full effect could even manifest, it had already been debunked to the point of a car crash.

…

Marketing accounts began reposting and leading the narrative.

“Actually, I’m just curious, is Pei Xinglu’s status even worthy of Luming Jewelry? The previous spokesperson was a retired Best Actress. Now it’s changed to Pei Xinglu; this downgrade…”

“It’s exactly because he’s not worthy that they have to market and hype like crazy, creating an image of ‘I’m a huge deal’ with super strong appeal and market value. Suddenly, I feel Luming Jewelry has become a bit low. This is the result of not choosing a spokesperson well—falling from the pedestal.”

“To be fair, although Luming Jewelry has high prestige, it’s under heavy impact from many foreign brands, and its annual sales have been declining. Isn’t Luming Jewelry anxious too? It’s about making money. What’s the use of being self-righteous? So finding Pei Xinglu is normal; he has both traffic and achievements, and his fans have strong purchasing power. Besides, Pei Xinglu is okay; he acted very well in ‘Ding Feng Bo.’ If he’s lucky, he might even win an award at the end of the year.”

“Agreed with the person above. Some people’s jealousy is starting to stink, so pack it in. Instead of wasting time here, why don’t you think about why Luming Jewelry didn’t choose your ‘Oppas’?”

“Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Are fans still being stubborn? The reason why Luming Jewelry chose Pei Xinglu has surfaced. Comrades, follow the path. I’m Just Passing By, and I see exactly how your Brother Pei signed with Luming Jewelry?”

Pei Xinglu clicked into this person’s homepage. The pinned post contained four photos.

The first two were in front of the main entrance of Maisui Media. Pei Xinglu was getting out of a luxury car with two other people beside him. The other two were from the set of “The Way of the Folded Blade,” showing Ling Jing visiting the set, and Pei Xinglu was caught in the frame as well. From the angle, it actually looked somewhat ambiguous.

I’m Just Passing By V: Just like the ID says, I really was just passing by and caught this by chance. Please don’t bash if you don’t like it.

I’m Just Passing By V: The second young master of the Ling family, CEO Ling of Maisui Media, has been in the entertainment news before; everyone knows him. As for his status, anyway, the chairman of Luming Jewelry has to be very polite in front of CEO Ling. Let me provide more info: the thin man in the mask who doesn’t look very old in the photo is the original author and assistant screenwriter of ‘The Way of the Folded Blade.’ He participates in casting and can even have the final say~

[Comments:]

“? Did Pei Xinglu’s house collapse?”

“My CPU is running like crazy! So, Pei Xinglu got onto the Ling family’s line to secure the Luming Jewelry endorsement and the male lead for ‘The Way of the Folded Blade’???”

“Any inside info? How did Pei Xinglu get into the Ling family? Is it a ‘brother’ or a ‘sister’ behind him?”

“Sister, probably. Pei Xinglu is homophobic. Hey, but you can’t say for sure; a celebrity’s mouth is a lying ghost.”

“Sui Ning! How could you do this to your own work!”

“Weren’t there rumors before that Pei Xinglu and Yu Zhihan were fighting for this role? Lol, I even feel pity for Yu Zhihan. He spoke so sincerely in interviews about his understanding of ‘The Way of the Folded Blade’ and the male lead, and it felt quite deep, but in the end, he still lost to capital.”

“[Link] Here, I feel it’s not that simple. I’ll speak out boldly: Pei Xinglu must have snatched the role from Yu Zhihan.”

Pei Xinglu clicked the link.

It was a solo interview of Yu Zhihan promoting a new drama. Looking at the date, it was exactly the night of the audition for “The Way of the Folded Blade.”

In the footage, Yu Zhihan greeted the camera. The host first asked about the drama, then randomly picked a user comment from those collected beforehand.

“Alright, one netizen said they feel Teacher Yu’s core is particularly stable and his spirit is very strong, but they are easily affected by emotions themselves, so they want to ask Teacher Yu: when you encounter negative emotions, what methods do you use to relieve them?”

Yu Zhihan smiled and responded: “Actually, I’m not as stable as everyone sees. Sometimes, even though I’ve worked hard and was full of anticipation, things ultimately turn out contrary to my wishes. I feel particularly regretful and unreconciled, but there’s really nothing that can be done. So I think mindset is the most important. Just calmly accept all the injustices in this world, don’t be affected by others, keep working hard, and go with the flow.”

[Comments:]

“Wow, looking back at this interview now, there’s really more to those words than meets the eye.”

“[Screenshot] Fishy (Yu) has been following ‘The Way of the Folded Blade’ since last year and has recommended the book many times. There was also an insider leak saying the preferred male lead was Fishy, but then someone used ‘hidden rules’ to get onto the Ling family and snatched the role halfway. Hoho [Smile face.jpg]”

“Intentionally starting a fight? The male lead was never decided, so how did it become your Dried Fish’s? Dying of laughter, just based on ambiguous photos, a headless live stream video, and an interview, you Dried Fish fans are starting a bloodbath. Anyone who sees this would say it’s intentional [Awesome.jpg].”

From the controversy over the Qingti TV live stream, it ultimately evolved into a war between the fans of Yu Zhihan and Pei Xinglu. Furthermore, the newly ascended top-tier star Pei Xinglu was suspected of “collapsing,” causing countless netizens to crazily “eat melons” (gossip), with Weibo exploding with several trending tags.

In a corner no one paid attention to, “Suisui Nian Nian” was removed from the trending searches.

The photos widely circulating on the internet were all blocked. Some Weibo posts or forum threads digging into Sui Ning and Ling Jing were all taken down.

[Comments:]

“Guilty conscience, it seems. Those who know, know.”

“A roundabout confirmation. The sky has fallen for many fans around me who followed Pei Xinglu, a girl in the dorm, who has been crying all night [Cracked.jpg]. Also asking for another roommate: selling Pei Xinglu merch, all of it, price is negotiable. Anyone want it?”

“What do you mean, confirmed? Spark Entertainment, how much longer are you going to play dead? Didn’t you see your artist being slandered?”

Pei Xinglu was still sitting on the downstairs sofa, forking fruit while scrolling through Weibo. WeChat was crazily popping up with messages from his team, yet his posture was exceptionally nonchalant as if it had nothing to do with him.

The black hair at his temples hung down, casting a shadow of ink that made his features look even deeper and more striking.

Pei Xinglu scrolled past a Weibo post.

It was a book fan condemning Sui Ning in intense language. When he refreshed, the post was already gone.

Pei Xinglu was still thinking that the second young master of the Ling family moved quite fast. The entire Ling family protected Ling Suiyao very well; not a shred of information could be found on the internet, and anything that popped up was instantly deleted.

In the next second, the phone rang.

After connecting, the other party said immediately, “Please look after Suiyao more tonight. He won’t sleep well if he has a fever at night. Big brother and I are busy with work and can’t get away, and our parents are on a business trip.”

Pei Xinglu glanced toward the room upstairs and said, “Oh.”

Ling Jing sat in front of the computer, monitoring real-time data, his gaze cold behind his gold-rimmed glasses. “The Weibo situation is someone targeting you from behind. Looking at this momentum and scale, it’s quite dangerous. Your Spark Entertainment follows a ‘free-range’ and ‘black-red’ (infamous) route for you, and your manager is only so-so. I’ll have someone send you a public relations strategy in a bit. Take a look, and if there are no problems, start implementing it immediately.”

“No need.”

Ling Jing said dismissively, “Mr. Pei, I know you have high pride and refuse to accept resource deals provided by the ‘good luck’ marriage. But these matters have affected Suiyao and ‘The Way of the Folded Blade,’ as well as Maisui Media’s stock price. It must be calmed as soon as possible.”

Pei Xinglu said flatly, “Don’t bother, I’ll handle it myself. If there’s a need, I will ask CEO Ling to step in.”

Ling Jing took off his gold-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, finding it a bit strange. “You’re this calm? Public opinion can destroy a person, and it’s even more severe in the entertainment industry.”

Pei Xinglu only said, “No rush.”

Ling Jing had been immersed in the entertainment industry for many years and had seen all kinds of people and strange events—competitors attacking each other, various methods of manipulating fans—he was long since used to it. A realization suddenly dawned on him. “This situation is within your expectations?”

“Little Master Ling giving out red envelopes and jewelry in the living room was quite a surprise, though.”

Mentioning this made Ling Jing angry. Suiyao was originally just being kind and interacting with fans he hadn’t seen in the live room for a long time, but who would have thought it would be used by those with agendas and become the fuse for targeting Pei Xinglu?

Pei Xinglu checked the time; it was almost midnight.

After hanging up and washing up, he came out, drying his hair. Only a small side lamp was on in the room, like dim moonlight.

In the silent room, the cheerful default ringtone of a mobile phone suddenly rang out, sounding very jarring.

Pei Xinglu casually threw the towel onto a chair and stepped forward quickly to silence the phone, subconsciously looking at Ling Suiyao beside him. Ling Suiyao had pulled the quilt down, revealing a pale and pitiful face. His complexion was visibly poor, and his eyelids drooped like a deflated balloon.

Pei Xinglu paused for a moment. “Sorry, I forgot to silence it. I woke you up.”

Ling Suiyao shook his head, wanting to ask if it was something important, but remembering the agreement and contract they had signed, he stopped himself in time. A trace of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth: “Brother Pei, you switched to this new phone.”

His voice was also husky.

Pei Xinglu was at a loss for words. He squeezed out an “Mhm” from his throat and tucked the phone under the pillow as if nothing had happened, saying seriously, “How are you feeling now?”

Ling Suiyao coughed and pulled the quilt down a bit further. “A low fever. I probably won’t be able to sleep for a long time tonight.”

“Keep your quilt on.”

“It’s hot. Brother Pei, can you help me pour some water? I feel my throat is a bit dry.”

Fine, performing the contractual duty of serving the young master, he brought some warm water over.

“Thank you, Brother Pei.”

Ling Suiyao sat up and drank it all in one go.

He still felt very hot inside, and his spine and limbs were aching with discomfort.

Suddenly, his forehead felt as if it were covered by a layer of ice and snow, a coolness that reached straight to his soul. Ling Suiyao was stunned, looking at the young man leaning over in front of him to check his temperature.

“It’s still a bit hot. Measure your temperature again.”

With that, he shook the thermometer and handed it to Ling Suiyao.

Belatedly, Ling Suiyao took it and tucked it under his arm, staring at Pei Xinglu with wide eyes.

Pei Xinglu: “…”

Five minutes later, Pei Xinglu looked at the thermometer: 37.4°C. “If the fever doesn’t go down tonight, you’ll go to the hospital for an IV tomorrow…”

Ling Suiyao was still staring at him.

Pei Xinglu gritted his teeth. “What are you looking at?”

Ling Suiyao’s mouth curved into an innocent smile, and he said in a raspy voice, “Nothing, I just think that although Brother Pei looks cold, you’re actually quite good at taking care of people. It’s just like what I saw on the variety show.”

With that smile, his eyes curved, and the air of illness dissipated slightly.

Pei Xinglu kept a cold face and said nothing.