There were a lot of people watching the drama online, even though it was the middle of the night in China, the comments section was quickly flooded.
[Wow, starting the day with some major PDA?]
[I declare this the most beautiful love confession I’ve heard today.]
[Oh my god, when he first debuted, Bai Jinyan ignored the marketing accounts stirring up trouble, but now he responds in full force and even warns them. Is this the ‘you can insult me, but insult my partner and I’ll take you down’ scenario?]
[Love it, love it. I really like Bai Jinyan’s way of dealing with marketing accounts.]
[These haters, where do they come from? Their combat power is weak. I scold them and they don’t even respond. Turns out, their accounts are banned. Bai Jinyan, who could be so swift and decisive?]
[Bai Jinyan fiercely protecting his partner online, we’re already here, just go ahead and make it official with a marriage certificate.]
[The atmosphere is perfect now, Bai Jinyan, today you must make it official, no excuses!]
…
After posting on Weibo, Bai Jinyan didn’t go back to check it. Instead, he returned to the trending topic discussion.
Scrolling down, there were no similar comments.
Most were just repeating the event or making jokes about it.
There was nothing else.
Generally, this kind of incident can easily be exaggerated by marketing accounts with just a vague comment.
Later, possibly due to many deletions, the marketing account dared to use a smaller account to spell it out.
Since Bai Jinyan’s Weibo post, the trending topic had been relatively quiet. Considering the time difference, the issue was probably addressed during the day in China. The efforts throughout the day seemed to have paid off.
The company and the studio also issued stern warnings, effectively controlling the situation.
However, the discussion on this topic far exceeded the first place on the trending list, yet it didn’t appear on the list at all.
Bai Jinyan forwarded this data to the relevant department for adjustment as it was too obviously suppressed.
After handling that, he scrolled down, refreshing a few more times.
No malicious comments appeared.
Scrolling again, an official account’s latest post caught his eye.
Canard Official Weibo V: [Yesterday’s winter show was a complete success. We are very grateful to Young Master @Qiao Huaiyao for gracing us with his presence. We are deeply honored! We hope that Young Master enjoyed the winter show. The simple and humble show was truly illuminated by Young Master’s presence (sending out vibes of longing for a year-end bonus)]
After this Weibo post, the trending topic seemed to quiet down.
Previously, new content was being refreshed every second, but now, after two consecutive refreshes, not a single new post appeared.
However, the comments under this Weibo post were continuously increasing.
The top comment perfectly encapsulated everyone’s current feelings with just one word: [WTF???]
It was expected for Bai Jinyan’s company and studio to post about Qiao Huaiyao given their close relationship, but what was Canard doing?
Fans in the comments were bewildered: [Is this for real? Why are you calling him Young Master? Does it mean what I think it means? (pinching myself)]
[Did Bai Jinyan threaten you with a knife? If so, let us know. I can’t help, but I can laugh at it.]
[Bai Jinyan has shares in your company, right? Shouldn’t you be calling him the boss’s wife instead of Young Master? I don’t get it.]
The official account replied to this comment: [Is it possible that our brand was established first, and then Bai took over part of it? So, we actually have another company holding the other half @Jiayao Group]
Fans: [???]
Who are you @ing!?
Canard, a mere luxury brand, daring to @ Jiayao Group!?
More shockingly, the official verified account of Jiayao Group actually retweeted Canard’s Weibo post.
Jiayao Group V: [The chairman has spoken; everyone should be mindful and ensure Young Master enjoys himself.]
[Additionally, Weibo is a place for free expression, but this must be based on mutual respect. Unfriendly, defamatory, or malicious comments, including deleted ones, have been recorded. Legal notices will be sent to those responsible. We hope everyone will speak and act cautiously.]
The comment section was filled with confusion: [I’m stunned.]
[Wait, wait, wait… Is it just me or is there something strange here? So… this Young Master is Jiayao Group’s Young Master? Qiao Huaiyao is Jiayao Group’s Young Master?]
[Jiayao Group? The Jiayao Group I know? Are you sure your account wasn’t hacked?]
[Calm down… The software you’re using right now is 70% owned by Jiayao Group. Who would dare hack it?]
[Help— I stayed up all night to follow this drama and was about to sleep, but what are you guys doing? This has completely woken me up.]
[This is the fastest official response I’ve ever seen.]
[Obviously, if they weren’t fast, the responsible person would be fired.]
[D*mn… I already couldn’t match up to my dream partner, and now I feel even less worthy. Ugh…]
[I still feel like this isn’t real. Can someone slap me so I know I’m not dreaming?]
Messages kept popping up in the trending topic, leaving readers buzzing with confusion and unable to process everything.
Before the situation could spiral out of control, Bai Jinyan had already contained it. The legal department had sent out cease and desist letters overnight.
Many fans in the comment section were defending Qiao Huaiyao and reprimanding the rude keyboard warriors.
After Jiayao Group released their statement, the fans felt even more empowered.
When they turned back to continue arguing, they found that the negative comments had disappeared.
They then went to Bai Jinyan’s page to joke that while he might tolerate insults directed at him, he wouldn’t stand for his loved ones being targeted.
Those who dared to stir up trouble subtly found their attempts quickly shut down. As soon as they posted anything inflammatory, their comments were deleted, their accounts were banned, and they were left with no recourse.
Typically, people could get away with posting harmful comments by simply apologizing afterward. But now, they couldn’t even post an apology due to their accounts being disabled.
Both companies had issued warnings, leaving many small-time troublemakers bewildered.
Fans who had fought from the beginning were now visiting the profiles of the banned accounts to mock them.
No one doubted Jiayao Group’s statement or thought they were bluffing about taking legal action. The evidence of malicious slander and its severe impact was clear, making legal action inevitable. While legal proceedings can be costly and challenging, Jiayao Group had the resources and determination to pursue it.
With a professional legal team, ample funds, and plenty of time, Jiayao Group could easily file lawsuits.
Additionally, Bai Jinyan’s company had already released some information during the night, resulting in a quiet trending topic. The content related to the fashion show seemed to have been scrubbed clean, and although many people were joining the discussion, the overall activity was decreasing.
It appeared that efforts were being made to suppress the topic on the trending list.
Keywords linking Qiao Huaiyao with the Canard brand and Jiayao Group did not appear on the trending topics at all.
It was as if the news was locked away in the trending topic; meanwhile, Bai Jinyan and Qiao Huaiyao’s Weibo and comments were all about the incident.
No punctuation mark had escaped this censorship.
After manually checking everything, Bai Jinyan put down his phone and gently kissed Qiao Huaiyao, who was still sleeping in his arms.
The gesture was very light, ensuring he didn’t wake him.
Bai Jinyan closed his eyes while holding Qiao Huaiyao.
…
He had stayed up until the early morning yesterday.
Qiao Huaiyao was exhausted and hadn’t set an alarm when he got back. In the quiet environment, he slept soundly until after ten.
Fortunately, the international lab had morning commitments, so they could only visit in the afternoon.
The morning was enough to enjoy a leisurely sleep.
Just as Qiao Huaiyao woke up, he noticed a message from his rarely chatting father.
[Remember to tell the family if anything happens.]
Qiao Huaiyao paused, not quite understanding the vague message, and typed back: [What’s going on?]
[? What’s going on? What are you talking about?] The reply included a Weibo link.
Qiao Huaiyao hesitantly clicked the link and followed the timeline, from Bai Jinyan to Jiayao Group.
It was clear from these warnings what had happened earlier.
Qiao Huaiyao typed slowly: [Dad, you’re on Weibo too?]
Qiao Hengfei: [That’s not the point! Secretary Zhang told me. If he hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known. You tried to keep it from me! Such a big issue and you didn’t even tell your dad!]
Do you know how close you were to getting scolded?! This is a serious matter!
How dare they speak ill of my son? Qiao Hengfei was so angry he could hardly speak.
Qiao Huaiyao: [… Dad, I might have found out a bit later than you.]
Qiao Hengfei: [? Aren’t you the one controlling comments and banning accounts?]
When Qiao Hengfei received the news, he quickly had the negative comments removed, and relevant accounts were banned.
The response was swift. Any emerging comments were promptly shut down, and he had thought it was Qiao Huaiyao’s doing.
To prevent such incidents in the future, he had the group issue a warning.
But unexpectedly… it wasn’t Qiao Huaiyao’s doing?
Qiao Huaiyao raised one eyebrow slowly and looked at Bai Jinyan, who was applying ointment to him. He lifted his phone and showed him, “Bai, look…”
Bai Jinyan didn’t deny it and said calmly, “Yes, I contacted the company.”
Behind the internet, there are all kinds of people, and Bai Jinyan was well aware of the issues here.
So, from the beginning, when Qiao Huaiyao appeared on variety shows, Bai Jinyan had all departments closely monitor any online discussions related to Qiao Huaiyao, directly deleting and banning accounts and blocking IPs and IDs for any negative comments.
Today’s incident was just a coincidence. With the time difference between the two countries, if he hadn’t given prior instructions, the situation could have become even more troublesome.
With these warnings, the marketing accounts were deterred from making rash moves.
Glancing at the notes in his chat window, Bai Jinyan asked, “Who are you chatting with?”
“My dad.” Qiao Huaiyao, who was beginning to understand the situation, typed a reply and said, “He’s asking me about today’s Weibo incident.”
Bai Jinyan’s hand, which was resting on his shoulder, slightly lifted and his fingers gently brushed his cheek. “You’ve been on Weibo?”
“Not exactly on Weibo, just looking at the summary. Don’t worry.” Qiao Huaiyao chuckled lightly and teasingly said, “With everything deleted so thoroughly, what more could I see?”
Bai Jinyan put down the ointment, turned Qiao Huaiyao around, and kissed him. He snuggled and said, “Forget about that. What time are we going to the lab today? I’ll wait for you at your meeting spot.”
Today’s work schedule was in the evening, which conveniently conflicted with Qiao Huaiyao’s visit to the lab.
Qiao Huaiyao checked the message from the teacher in the group chat. “Because the issues at the lab haven’t been resolved yet, the visiting time has been delayed. For now, everyone is just resting in the hotel.”
They could only go once the lab confirmed it. Going early might cause problems, and the teacher hadn’t arranged anything.
“Okay.” Bai Jinyan reached for the necklace on the nightstand. They had taken off their necklaces before going into the bathroom yesterday.
Bai Jinyan said, “Here, let me put this on for you.”
Qiao Huaiyao turned to the side. The necklace felt slightly cool in material, but it wasn’t cold against his neck; instead, it felt somewhat warm.
He curved his lips and couldn’t help but ask, “You got the necklace before the red carpet yesterday, so why didn’t you give it to me then? Were you waiting to give it with the brooch?”
“Not really.” Bai Jinyan fastened the necklace and placed his hand on Qiao Huaiyao’s shoulder, explaining, “Because there were too many people there.”
Qiao Huaiyao looked puzzled. “Hmm?”
He didn’t quite understand the connection between the answer and the question.
“If I give it to you at the hotel, there’s a chance I might get a kiss,” Bai Jinyan said seriously. “If I give it to you at the show, there’s no chance at all.”
Seeing him so earnest, Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t help but smile and gave him a kiss on the lips, playfully saying, “You could try that next time; maybe the chances will increase.”