Chapter 1388 720: This Scheme Is Too Clever (Part 2)

Tang Jierui couldn't help but feel delighted and immediately followed Wu Mengting to the parking lot with a big smile, first helping put the shopping bags into Wu Mengting's car, and then his agent led the way in the car in front.

On WeChat, Tang Jierui also sent Wu Mengting the location of the tea restaurant, so even if they got separated, the navigation would take them there.

Tang Jierui wasn't lying; it took only about ten minutes for the two cars to arrive at the Cantonese-style tea restaurant. The location is a bit secluded, situated in a quieter area with less traffic, in an old residential district where shops aren't as densely packed as those bustling commercial streets.

But it's indeed not far from East Lake, no more than two kilometers away, and mainly this old street carries historical depth. The road is shaded by greenery, flanked by quite a few old houses, typically no taller than three stories. Trees and flowers decorate the area, though these houses have obviously been refurbished or re-renovated for beautification, looking quite chic.

Some of these small courtyards might be more expensive than Chen Feng's No. 8 Villa, and having money won't guarantee a purchase because they represent style and status.

In this cluster of old buildings, having such a Cantonese-style tea restaurant appears somewhat unusual, as the rent in this area isn't cheap and securing a lease might be difficult.

The restaurant indeed didn't have many customers, a few scattered at several tables, and the interior decoration and layout were quite exquisite, full of Cantonese style, with wooden tables and screens, carpeted floors, and displayed porcelain and wood carvings. There were also traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy on the walls, clearly an upscale kind.

Once everyone sat down and looked at the menu, it was immediately clear why there weren't many customers and why the place was so well-decorated; it was genuinely expensive.

But the high prices were justified; once everyone started drinking the ordered milk tea and eating the dim sum there, they couldn't help but feel happy and believe it was worth the money.

The milk tea and dim sum genuinely tasted good, which pleased Wu Mengting and the other two women, especially Wu Mengting, who was happy about being schoolmates with Tang Jierui, and couldn't help but engage in lively conversation under his relentless flattery and attention.

She even proactively discussed her plan for her next movie, which would officially start next week, followed by the formation of the crew, and he could come by then to audition, go through the formalities, and then sign an actor contract with the crew.

When the time comes, Wu Mengting will notify him.

Such friendly gestures to her junior were much appreciated by Tang Jierui and his agent Gan Zhengyang, who thanked her repeatedly.

As such, after spending roughly an hour in the tea restaurant, they finally stood up to leave, and it was Gan Zhengyang who had earlier excused himself to the bathroom to settle the bill in advance.

It was just a few hundred bucks, so Wu Mengting and the three others didn't make a big deal of it.

The five of them left the tea restaurant together, with Tang Jierui walking alongside Wu Mengting, chatting and laughing all the way to the roadside parking space, before waving each other goodbye.

This "unexpected encounter" followed by both parties going to the tea restaurant to eat was something Wu Mengting surely didn't take to heart.

She never imagined someone would make a big deal out of it.

Then, by evening, gossip about Tang Jierui hanging out and dining with a suspected girlfriend started spreading online, complete with pictures as evidence.

Some of these photos were cleverly shot with borrowed angles, making them look close and intimate in demeanor.

The suspected paparazzi shots were high resolution, capturing Tang Jierui clearly, though Wu Mengting's face was somewhat blurred, making it impossible for unfamiliar people to recognize her.

This probably was to avoid lawsuits from the subject for infringement of portrait rights and such.

Wu Mengting learned about it around nine in the evening from her assistant, who shared the news, quickly opening the link sent via WeChat to check, and indeed it was about her encounter with Tang Jierui in the morning, followed by a drive to that tea restaurant.

What was supposed to be a casual meeting between friends, then a quick milk tea session, unexpectedly turned into a secret girlfriend shopping date.

Although there were supposed to be five people present, the published webpage photos only showed her and Tang Jierui in a "couple photo," and it appeared intimate.

Even knowing it's the paparazzi's malicious photography and fabrication, Wu Mengting was annoyed; wasn't this deliberately tarnishing her reputation?

Her assistant recognized her at first sight, and others who are familiar with her, including Chen Feng, would likely recognize the blurred face as hers.

Initially, Wu Mengting slightly suspected this was Tang Jierui's intentional publicity stunt but thought again since she isn't some huge celebrity, and Tang Jierui, being crafted as a single image star, would lose half of his fandom if exposed to have a girlfriend.

So, this probably wasn't his doing.

The most likely scenario is he unknowingly got tracked by paparazzi, who intentionally shot these angle-distorted photographs to stir up traffic.

Anyway, this time she undoubtedly suffered a quiet loss, getting unwittingly dragged into it by Tang Jierui, making her view of him sour considerably.

She decided it's best not to interact with this junior schoolmate in the future to avoid misunderstandings among friends and family, especially from Chen Feng.

Of course, she believes such baseless rumors wouldn't convince Chen Feng.

By nearly ten at night, Tang Jierui finally sent her a voice message apology on WeChat, expressing deep regret for implicating her.

Meanwhile, he clarified online that they are just friends, and there were five people present, not just the two of them, stating it's clear the paparazzi and entertainment journalists fabricated malicious rumors.

His agency has already sent a legal notice to the self-media that posted the rumor, demanding them to delete the article, publicly apologize, and eliminate the negative influence.

The self-media complied.

However, truly dispelling the impact of such rumors won't be immediate.

This upset Tang Jierui quite a bit; as Wu Mengting imagined, since he's a traffic star, he relies on flow and female fans to make a living. The contract they signed mandates him to be single during the contract term, allowing him to date only with company approval.

The idea being his single image could attract more female fans and earn more money from them.

If now confirmed he has a girlfriend, his fan base might halve overnight, which neither he nor his signing company wants.

Thus, the rumors weren't orchestrated by him.

Initially, he suspected it was a scheme by an internal fan in Fengmang Film and Television Company, but soon dismissed the idea, knowing that fan was genuinely supportive, despite not publicly revealing their identity but consistently showing strong support, including contacting her first and exposing Wu Mengting as his senior, then organizing a meeting at Fengmang Film and Television Company.

This wouldn't be fake!

This time, it was that fan who leaked Wu Mengting's presence at Yida Square, even specifying the location and time, enabling him to wait in the underground parking, creating a chance encounter with Wu Mengting.

The aim is to build a good relationship with Wu Mengting, striving for a more significant role in her next film.

For this goal, the fan even divulged some information about the new script, where the third male lead, despite having limited screen time, was exceptionally luminous, being a handsome noble, emotional man, far superior to the minor role Wu Mengting previously offered him.

The fan then urged him to vie for the third male role, which convinced Tang Jierui and his agent to readily agree.

Wu Mengting received the apology message from Tang Jierui but didn't respond. Were it not for cherishing the camaraderie among schoolmates, she would have blocked him outright.

Meanwhile, the "Mistress Alliance Group" was buzzing with a joyful atmosphere.

Guo Mengyao: [Well done this time, especially praise for Little Rui and Xinyan, you worked together brilliantly]

Liu Ying: [Mainly because of Little Rui's precise intelligence, and successfully lured that freebie actor Tang Jierui, Little Rui, your strategy is truly impressive]

Sun Xiaorui: [I pondered for several days before figuring it out. Primarily, it's because Tang Jierui seeks something from Mengting, otherwise, I couldn't have drawn him out]

Liu Ying: [No need to be modest, your layout and strategy left me in awe]

Sun Xiaorui sensed the sarcasm in Liu Ying's comment, furrowing her brows slightly.