The bodyguard beside Ning Ran instantly rushed to block him upon seeing this.
“It’s me, my dear. Don’t you remember me?” questioned Ouyang Qi.
Ning Ran was seemingly lost for words when he said that right in front of these people.
“Please excuse me. I’m a good friend of Ms. Ding,” the man persuaded in disdain.
The bodyguard turned to look at Ning Ran, waiting for her permission.
“Let him come,” Wang Xiaoou interjected out of the blue.
With that, the bodyguard made way for Ouyang Qi. He handed the roses to Ning Ran when he had arrived, but the latter did not accept it.
Even so, Ouyang Qi refused to give up as he stubbornly kept his hands in midair until Wang Xiaoou had to let out a cough, signaling for Ning Ran to take it. Otherwise, it would ruin her reputation.
Ning Ran had to unwillingly accept the roses in the end.
“They’re together!” the fans started shouting.
He had merely given me a bouquet and they already thought we’re together? Are they with him? Did they come here just to support him doing this?
“Let’s go for dinner together. I’ve already made a reservation for us.”
Ouyang Qi was elated that she had accepted his flower.
“I’m sorry. I have other things to tend to. We have to return to Flower City now,” Ning Ran declined.
“You have to eat no matter how busy you are, and then you can leave after that,” urged Ouyang Qi
“We’ve already eaten. I really have to say no. Thank you for the invitation, though.”
“Then can we at least have a drink?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ouyang. We’re really packed today. How about we’ll let Ding Mi invite you some other day?” Wang Xiaoou intercepted.
“Why not today?”
“We don’t have time today since we have to go back and make preparations for something else. I hope you’ll understand,” replied the manager.
Hearing that, Ouyang Qi stepped back reluctantly.
“Okay, another day then. You’d better not stand me up.”
“Of course not.” Wang Xiaoou beamed him a smile.
“Ou, why did you agree? I don’t wanna eat with him,” Ning Ran whined when they were in the car.
“If you want to be a star, then you’ll need fans. You can’t be one without them.”
“But Ouyang Qi has ulterior motives.”
“Why? Did he do something to you?”
“Yeah. He never let go of my hand when we first met.”
“That’s nothing. Some fans are crazy enough to kiss some celebrities forcibly. Ouyang Qi is wealthy. It may seem dangerous but it’s actually safer. Do you know why? Because he won’t dare to act recklessly or he’ll face severe consequences, and he can’t take that risk.”
“On the contrary, those who aren’t wealthy will do whatever they want since no consequences are waiting for them. That’s why rich fans like him who can make you famous are the real catch.”
Ning Ran could not fully agree even though what Wang Xiaoou explained was quite reasonable.
She knew that Ouyang Qi won’t be easy to deal with.
“Though Ouyang Qi is known to be notorious, he actually didn’t force those celebrities to do things with him. They were the ones who willingly agreed to be with him because they were attracted to his connections and wealth. If you have enough self-respect then I don’t see why you can’t survive,” added Wang Xiaoou.
“Can’t I just cut ties with him?”
“No. He’s a persistent fan. You can’t reject him. When you become big in the future, you’ll encounter a lot of fans like him.”
“You’ll have to learn to face them. That’s what public figures do. When your fans increase, you’ll meet different types of people. You can deal with them as long as they don’t physically attack you. That way, you can become a star easily.”
“It’s too difficult for me,” Ning Ran wailed.
“Every job comes with corresponding responsibilities and pressures, there’s no difference for a celebrity. You’ll slowly get used to it.”
Ning Ran nodded as a respond.
It was after midnight when they arrived at Flower City. Ning Ran was exhausted that she had fallen asleep the minute she got home.
When morning came, she was woken up by her phone ringing.
It was Cheng Xiangyun, and she answered the call. “Aunt, can’t you say whatever it is you have to say when you come back? Why did you disturb me this early?”
“Goodness. You’re still sleeping? Who’s the man beside you?”
“You’re insane. I’m all alone, okay. I went to sleep late last night, so I’m still sleepy. I have work at noon so I wish to use my precious time for sleeping. If you have nothing to say, then I’ll hang up.”
“Don’t. Is there really no one beside you?”
“Of course. What kind of person do you think I am?”
“So Ouyang Qi left early in the morning?”
“Who?”
“Ouyang Qi. Didn’t you go with him last night? The internet is all about this now,” uttered Cheng Xiangyun.
“What nonsense are you talking about? All he did was give me a bouquet of flowers and nothing more. Who’s spreading such rumors now?”
“The internet. They said Ouyang Qi chased after you that he followed you to another city. You finally gave in and left with him. Then the photo of you both going to a hotel is uploaded. But it only showed your back. Can’t see your face that clearly.”
“Nonsense! That never happened! I returned to Flower City with Ou last night! Which idiot spread that news! I’ll take a look now!”
With that, Ning Ran browsed the internet and indeed, the photo of her accepting Ouyang Qi’s bouquet was crystal clear. Even Wang Xiaoou was in the picture.
She had never seen the next picture before, though. It was the back figures of a man holding a woman going into a hotel.
Although their faces weren’t shown, the internet still speculated that they were Ning Ran and Ouyang Qi, which infuriated her.
Who the hell is messing with me now?
She immediately called Wang Xiaoou, which the latter answered in no time. “You’re up?”
“No. Have you seen what’s happening on the internet?”
“Yes. I saw it yesterday.”
“Who in the world is defaming me? It is outrageous for them to say that I went to a hotel with Ouyang Qi!”
“I think we-media is the first one to upload that. We’ve contacted the Legal Department to handle this. They’ve already deleted the photos. The remaining ones are being reposted.”
“Which means the false news will continue being spread,” replied Ning Ran irritatedly.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of if you’re innocent. Something like this will happen frequently in the future. You’ll have to learn to ignore them.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll handle this. Also, get out of bed now. You should go get ready for later,” reminded Wang Xiaoou.
“That’s it? We’re just gonna let go of those who are defaming me?” Ning Ran refused to accept this.
“Let us handle this. Don’t worry too much. I’m busy right now, bye.”
