IBKAWB Chapter 41

**Chapter 41: Applying Medicine**

Re-translated by: Namizaki

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Under normal circumstances, at least a day would pass between paparazzi capturing photos and the publication of articles or videos. Who could have imagined these paparazzi acting so swiftly?

When Chi Zhongqiao returned to the film set, he discovered he was already trending on social media.

He scrolled through the trending topics for a while, then silently dragged his small stool over to sit with Ge Fangyu and Fu Jingshen, joining them in their shared worry.

Although the official studio account had issued a denial, explaining that Yan Qingbo had suddenly fallen ill and Chi Zhongqiao had simply taken her to the hospital, no one seemed to care.

[ If Yan Qingbo was feeling unwell, why was Chi Zhongqiao the one to take her? Why not Ge Fangyu? Where was her Assistant? Her Manager? ]

[ Heh, such a transparent cover-up. At least come up with a fresh excuse. ]

Such comments flooded the internet.

Chi Zhongqiao frowned slightly as he scrolled through the endless stream of remarks.

He had Yan Qingbo’s contact information, but he hesitated to disturb her.

Human life comes first. Yan Qingbo had been filming for a month while pregnant. Could she really have been completely fine? When he’d seen her off that morning, Cheng Feng had mentioned taking her for a comprehensive check-up at a specialized hospital. The two were likely still at the hospital awaiting the results.

Or should they wait for Yan Qingbo’s studio to issue a response? The studio of an award-winning actress couldn’t possibly let such rumors spread unchecked. However, it might take some time, as the studio would also need to address the situation regarding Yan Qingbo’s pregnancy.

Before Chi Zhongqiao could devise a solution, Du Yusheng’s call came through.

“I saw the trending topics,” Du Yusheng said quickly. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

Having worked with Yan Qingbo, he couldn’t believe she would cheat. As for Chi Zhongqiao, could the Little Prince really be that foolish?

Du Yusheng scrolled through the web. The trending topics had exploded, with several consecutive entries related to Yan Qingbo and Chi Zhongqiao.

Yan Qingbo had always maintained an impeccable reputation both within and outside the industry. The “cheating” scandal immediately dethroned the previous top trend, sending fans, gossipmongers, and haters into a frenzy.

Even Chi Zhongqiao and Yan Qingbo’s livestream from the previous day was being twisted by malicious actors:

[ “If they weren’t having an affair, why would Yan Qingbo be so nice to a nobody rookie?” ]

[ “Heh, I knew something was off during the livestream yesterday. Yan Qingbo was way too attentive to Chi Zhongqiao.” ]

[ “It’s normal, though. Chi Zhongqiao is good-looking—isn’t that the type girls go for? Soon, a bunch of die-hard fans will rush to defend him, but poor Yan Qingbo is done for. Her career is over.” ]

Chi Zhongqiao’s fan groups were equally restless. Du Yusheng messaged the Group Admins, urging them to keep their members from launching attacks until the misunderstanding could be clarified.

Du Yusheng scrolled through the comments, shaking his head. The situation didn’t look good; the thread was flooded with burner accounts stirring up trouble.

Chi Zhongqiao briefly explained the situation. He wasn’t too worried about the trending topic.

The news was based on baseless rumors, and with proper PR, they could quickly turn the narrative around. Moreover, such aggressive and defamatory articles were practically guaranteed to win in court.

Du Yusheng: “…So Teacher Yan’s husband was right there at the time?” The Little Prince is quite something. This paparazzi stunt is practically free publicity for <Invisible Crime>.

Chi Zhongqiao: “He’s right next to me in the photo.”

Du Yusheng: “Alright, I’ll try to get in touch with Teacher Yan’s side.”

Chi Zhongqiao: “I have Sister Qing’s contact information, but I’m worried about bothering her.”

Du Yusheng said gently, “Don’t worry, I can reach her studio. Just focus on filming. You don’t need to… uh, President Lu.”

Lu Yuzhou, who had been listening outside for a while, knocked twice before entering and extending his hand to Du Yusheng.

Du Yusheng froze for a moment, then quickly handed his phone to Lu Yuzhou.

Chi Zhongqiao: “…Yuzhou?”

Lu Yuzhou said softly, “I tried calling Brother Qiao on his personal line, but no one answered. This one’s been busy the whole time too.”

Hearing his voice, the worry between Chi Zhongqiao’s brows involuntarily melted away.

“Yeah, Brother Du was just asking about the situation…” He waved away Ge Fangyu, who was trying to eavesdrop. “It’s nothing serious, really. I just wasn’t paying attention…”

As Lu Yuzhou listened to him speak, the anxiety that had been building since he saw the trending topic began to dissipate.

Du Yusheng, realizing he was intruding, tactfully pocketed his other phone and slipped out.

He closed the door quietly behind him, sealing the office off from the outside world. Lu Yuzhou removed his thin-rimmed glasses, resolving to give Du Yusheng a generous bonus tonight.

Chi Zhongqiao and Yan Qingbo’s Weibo accounts had been overrun with furious comments, and some users had even found Cheng Feng’s account to express sympathy for his situation.

As the trending topic continued to escalate, dragging up past scandals involving various male and female celebrities, Yan Qingbo, one of the main figures in the scandal, finally spoke out.

She posted an update:

[ Yan Qingbo V: Thank God, thank you Qiao Bao @Chi Zhongqiao. <[Image]> ]

The netizens, who had been tearing each other apart in a frenzy, were stunned: ??? What the hell is this?

Clicking on the image, they discovered it was a prenatal checkup report.

[ Netizen: This is… not going where I expected. Let’s wait and see. ]

Immediately afterward, Yan Qingbo’s husband retweeted a “smoking gun” photo that had been used as evidence of her “affair”, circling a person’s head in red and adding the caption: [“Can’t you see me?”]

As he wasn’t in the entertainment industry, few people recognized him.

“What the hell is going on?”

Those who sympathized with him, those who were just watching the drama unfold, and those who felt sorry for him were all dumbfounded.

“Who would cheat on their partner right in front of them?”

“What kind of bizarre twist is this?”

At that moment, Chi Zhongqiao, who had been silent until then, also posted an update, succinctly and clearly explaining the entire farce.

He ended by tagging Yan Qingbo and asking about her well-being.

Yan Qingbo replied in the comments: [“Everything’s fine, though I need to be more careful lately. Oh my God, Qiaoqiao, you’re such a lucky charm! I’m six weeks pregnant—I conceived right after joining the project!”]

Calculating the timing, it aligned perfectly with the days Chi Zhongqiao had comforted her, saying she might already be pregnant.

The coincidence was almost mystical.

He’s truly a living Koi, Yan Qingbo thought to herself. In high spirits, she browsed various websites, enjoying the drama surrounding her own story, until Cheng Feng, who had rushed in from the kitchen, confiscated her phone.

Yan Qingbo’s studio and Chi Zhongqiao’s Manager simultaneously issued clarification statements, vowing to hold the responsible media outlets accountable.

The studio’s statement was particularly harsh: [ “Fabricating false news based solely on unauthorized photographs, without any evidence, constitutes defamation and has caused severe psychological harm to our client. We will pursue this matter to the fullest extent of the law.” ]

Chi Zhongqiao immediately retweeted the post and followed up with another update:

[ Chi Zhongqiao V: “You think this is gossip? No, it’s actually dog food.” ]

In his follow-up post, he had meticulously detailed Cheng Feng’s frequent set visits and surprise meals, striving to fill every line with sweetness and romantic gestures.

Comments beneath the Weibo post:

[ Pigeon Baldhead: I’m genuinely crying tears of joy for this beautiful love. Teacher Yan and her husband have such a wonderful relationship. ]

[ I Can Still Eat: Waaah, they’re so perfect together! ]

[ Wild Ferry Crossing: Am I the only one focusing on the wrong thing? Qiao Bao, this Weibo post is seriously cheeky! ]

[ Deer Deer Deer: Qiaoqiao has suffered such psychological trauma! Look, he’s now using other people’s “dog food” to hurt us! (Dog emoji) ]

Chi Zhongqiao scrolled through the comments, slowly sinking deeper into the sofa.

Lu Yuzhou sat beside him. “Brother Qiao, you seem really happy.”

Chi Zhongqiao nodded, casually tapping on a voice message in the crew’s group chat.

Ge Fangyu’s booming voice immediately filled the room: “Qiao! Director Fu said you need to massage out that bruise on your waist! It’s still visible during filming today—”

Chi Zhongqiao: “???”

He abruptly cut off the voice call.

But Lu Yuzhou had already heard it. He looked up and stared quietly at Chi Zhongqiao.

“What bruise?”

Chi Zhongqiao shrank back into the sofa, trying to brush it off. “Just… a little bump.”

Lu Yuzhou walked over. “Did you get it during filming? Let me see.”

Chi Zhongqiao grabbed a throw pillow. “No, no, it’s almost healed.”

Lu Yuzhou’s voice sharpened. “Brother Qiao!”

Chi Zhongqiao: “…Actually, I just bumped into something while filming. It was against one of those padded chair backs.”

He slowly released the pillow.

Lu Yuzhou: “Where?”

Chi Zhongqiao lifted his shirt, revealing a horizontal bruise across his lower back that looked painful.

Lu Yuzhou suppressed a sigh. “Why didn’t you say anything when you got back?” He retrieved a small first-aid kit from under the coffee table, which contained medicinal wine for external injuries.

Chi Zhongqiao instinctively sprawled face-down on the sofa, his shoulders, back, and waist forming a taut line. He shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s just how filming is—bumps and scrapes.”

Lu Yuzhou poured some medicinal wine into his palm, warmed it, and pressed it against the bruise, gently massaging the wine into the skin.

A pungent, acrid odor filled the air.

Though Lu Yuzhou was being as gentle as possible, the sensation of having the blood clot massaged away was far from pleasant.

Chi Zhongqiao couldn’t help but tense his core muscles.

Lu Yuzhou sighed in exasperation. “Brother Qiao, relax.”

Chi Zhongqiao’s chin rested on the cushion, his eyes half-closed. “It hurts,” he mumbled.

Lu Yuzhou leaned in close, his knee pressing against Chi Zhongqiao’s skin as he knelt on the sofa. His palm, warm and damp, covered the bruise, the thin calluses on his fingertips and palm rubbing against Chi Zhongqiao’s particularly sensitive waist.

“Now you know it hurts,” Lu Yuzhou murmured softly, his tone a mix of exasperation and tenderness. Unable to scold Chi Zhongqiao directly, he settled for a gentle, almost petulant complaint.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Chi Zhongqiao endured Lu Yuzhou’s ministrations for a while, letting him knead and rub as he pleased.

Lu Yuzhou poured more medicinal wine into his palm. The moment his hand touched Chi Zhongqiao’s side, the usually still man jerked violently, as if his tail had been stepped on.

Chi Zhongqiao grabbed Lu Yuzhou’s hand. “Wait, wait a minute!”

He snatched the medicinal wine and retreated to the side. “I’ll do the rest myself.”

Mortified, Chi Zhongqiao hastily pulled his clothes straight, backing toward his room. “It’s getting late,” he said, “you should go rest.”

With that, he ducked into his room and slammed the door shut.

Lu Yuzhou stood frozen for a moment, the pungent aroma of the medicinal wine still lingering in the air. He glanced down at his hands, the lingering sensation of Chi Zhongqiao’s skin still tingling in his palm.

Lu Yuzhou pressed his lips into a thin line, a blush creeping up the back of his ears.