Dating the Heartthrob Superstar-Chapter 51: The Essence of Truth

Chapter 51: The True Drama King

Lin Qin froze momentarily when he heard Yi Ran’s comments. Not because Yi Ran’s words struck a chord—after all, Fang Minghui could be with whomever he wanted; Lin Qin genuinely wished Fang Minghui would stay as far away from his life as possible. It was Yi Ran’s audacity and sheer stupidity that left him astonished.

Holding onto a scumbag like he’s treasure and assuming everyone else sees that scumbag as treasure too—Lin Qin really couldn’t fathom how Yi Ran’s mind worked.

Still, Lin Qin maintained his composure. Well-mannered as he was, he refrained from laughing right in Yi Ran’s face and patiently explained, "No, I don’t see why I’d be jealous of you being with Fang Minghui."

To be fair, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for Yi Ran to have such a notion. After all, in this circle, a small-time star hooking up with Fang Minghui essentially meant gaining access to preferential treatment and resources. Fang Minghui was generous to a fault; when he actually supported someone, he wouldn’t hesitate to pile good resources onto them.

Jin Feiyun became a well-known rising star in the industry precisely because she got involved with Fang Minghui when she first returned to the country. Fang Minghui had invested quite a lot of resources in her.

But Jin Feiyun was someone who aimed too high while being incapable of delivering. Coveting what wasn’t hers, her moment of glory proved fleeting. In the end, she was blacklisted by the entire entertainment industry and shelved by her agency.

Now, Yi Ran seemed to be following in the same footsteps?

No matter what Lin Qin said, Yi Ran stubbornly insisted Lin Qin had intentionally tripped him and demanded an apology.

Although Lin Qin suffered from social anxiety, he wasn’t stupid. At first, he thought Yi Ran had genuinely fallen by accident, but watching Yi Ran’s relentless behavior now made Lin Qin realize Yi Ran was deliberately trying to make him lose face.

A guest trying to humiliate a host? Yi Ran sure had an imaginative way of thinking.

Lin Qin wasn’t good at handling situations like this. He was just about to turn to Meng Chao for help when he suddenly reconsidered—encounters like this would only become more frequent in the future, and if he relied on Meng Chao every time, wouldn’t that just be too much for Meng Chao to bear?

Gritting his teeth, Lin Qin faced the videographer and took the initiative to negotiate with the on-set PD.

"Excuse me..." He stammered a bit at first but discovered that once he began, things became much easier. "Excuse me, did you happen to record the scene where Yi Ran fell? If so, could you pull up the footage for review?"

There were three on-set PDs present. Upon Lin Qin’s request, they retrieved the recordings. Two of the cameras had angles that weren’t quite right; while they captured Yi Ran falling, they didn’t show the action below his feet. Thus, there was no way to prove whether Lin Qin had extended his leg to trip Yi Ran.

Fortunately, one PD positioned further away had captured the full-body shot of both individuals. When they reviewed the footage showing Yi Ran’s fall, it clearly depicted how the incident unfolded.

As the evidence revealed, Lin Qin had not put out his leg to trip Yi Ran. Yi Ran also hadn’t stepped on a rock—he had deliberately thrown himself to the ground. Coincidentally, he landed sharply onto a rock, making this self-directed drama look unexpectedly convincing.

It seemed Yi Ran had poured all of his lifetime acting skills into this moment.

Even after his lie was exposed, Yi Ran showed no hint of shame. He brazenly adopted an attitude that said, "Yes, I lied. Yes, I slandered Lin Qin. So what? What can you do about it?"

The reason for his arrogance was simple—he believed Fang Minghui, standing behind him, would step in for his sake.

But what Yi Ran hadn’t realized was that his antics today had thoroughly embarrassed Fang Minghui—there was no way Fang Minghui would stand up for him.

Fang Minghui, pondering whether to ditch Yi Ran altogether, glanced briefly at Lin Qin, then paused mid-motion.

Yi Ran was a drama king, sure, but Fang Minghui could use Yi Ran to strike at Lin Qin’s nerves. Show Lin Qin that in the entertainment industry, aligning with him was crucial for success.

If Lin Qin wanted to remain influential and successful in the entertainment circles long-term, Fang Minghui could offer resources Lin Qin would never dream of attaining—if Lin Qin were willing to come to him.

With this thought in mind, the motion Fang Minghui had intended to be a push turned into a smooth gesture of support, casually brushing the incident aside. "Yi Ran’s just a kid; it’s understandable for him to be a bit problematic sometimes. Be more forgiving."

As the investor of the show *We Are Together*, Fang Minghui wielded the ultimate say-so. The production team wouldn’t dare offend him over some minor celebrity drama, so with a few dismissive laughs, they brushed off the entire confrontation like it had never happened.

This left Lin Qin unfairly slandered, with not even an apology to his name.

And this was exactly what Fang Minghui wanted Lin Qin to see: the power of capital.

Fang Minghui’s overt indulgence further emboldened Yi Ran. As Yi Ran passed Lin Qin once again, he let out a loud snort and shot Lin Qin a disdainful glare.

Meanwhile, Fang Minghui cast Lin Qin a smirking look, his grin laced with smugness and sleaze—unbearably oily, as far as Lin Qin was concerned.

Through it all, Meng Chao hadn’t intervened but had kept his gaze fixed on Lin Qin. Watching Lin Qin step up to clear his own name left Meng Chao feeling rather proud. Observing how Fang Minghui easily smoothed over the matter, Meng Chao said nothing; instead, he softly ruffled Lin Qin’s hair in consolation.

The show needed drama and money. Even though Meng Chao was one of the show’s investors, he didn’t step in to stop Fang Minghui from shielding Yi Ran.

It would be better to let one’s adversary enjoy temporary success, standing tall on their pedestal—only to watch them plummet unexpectedly when the time came.

The show’s editor knew full well how to flip narratives. And besides, in this incident, Yi Ran’s actions had been utterly disgraceful to begin with.

Let him revel in his moment—his tears would surely come.

The priority now was uncovering Lin Qin’s history with Fang Minghui.

Lin Qin had no idea what Meng Chao was thinking. As he gazed at Meng Chao, he reached out and hooked his finger around Meng Chao’s, his bright eyes clearly written with: "Praise me! Praise me!"

Lin Qin’s performance today had indeed been outstanding. He discreetly signaled the PD, who quickly redirected the camera toward the bamboo forest to film a rat darting through the undergrowth.

Seizing the moment, Meng Chao leaned in and planted a swift kiss on Lin Qin’s lips. Their lips barely touched before separating, and Meng Chao offered his praise: "Qinqin, you’re amazing!" ƒreewebɳovel.com

In truth, Meng Chao felt a wave of relief—Lin Qin hadn’t let the episode affect him but instead had grown stronger and more courageous.

Lin Qin’s face reddened involuntarily, his smile spreading like that of a contented kitten.

When the PD’s camera swung back around, Lin Qin and Meng Chao carried on as if nothing had happened, walking side by side toward the villa.

The guest rooms were pre-arranged. As per standard practice, whatever room each guest was originally assigned was where they stayed. Naturally, being a villa, the rooms were nothing to scoff at.

Yet when Yi Ran entered the room allocated to him by the production team, he refused to let it stand. Dragging the PD along, he demanded to see the director to request a room change.

He claimed his room was close to the mountains, where mosquitoes gathered at night, and his body was prone to mosquito bites—therefore, he couldn’t live there. He also complained that the sound of running water nearby was too loud and would disturb his shallow sleep.

The director, opting for peace over conflict, agreed to let him change rooms. And, unsurprisingly, Yi Ran deliberately singled out Lin Qin’s room as his choice.