CHAPTER 751: CHAPTER 510: BOX OFFICE MIRACLE

Yu Zhiyang had not been having a good time recently.

The nurses caring for him in the hospital looked at him differently.

He had seen the rumors spreading online and felt they were all nonsense. He was annoyed by these unfounded rumors and sent a message to Zhou Yun, who replied that it was just the haters causing trouble and advised him not to take it to heart.

Yu Zhiyang initially thought the matter would blow over soon, just like the past public opinion crises Zhou Yun had faced, but it escalated to the point where many people started tracing their way to the hospital where he was located.

There were even paparazzi who broke in, trying to interview him.

As a result, a photo of him lying on his bed with a panicked expression surfaced online.

After that incident, Xu Guiying arranged for two bodyguards to stand guard at the door of his hospital room, screening everyone who came and went.

Nevertheless, the incident still affected his life in the hospital.

Now the nurses looked at him as if he were a kept man – some masked their disdain better than others, not showing it openly, but for those who didn’t conceal it well, their contempt was evident in their words.

Even in this day and age, being seen as a kept man was still looked down upon by many.

Regarding these online rumors, surprisingly, Xu Guiying didn’t seem to care much, which was unexpected to Yu Zhiyang. He knew how possessive she was. Over the past year, if any girl had spoken to him a few times, Xu Guiying would question him about the nature of their relationship. If his answers were not satisfactory, she would have someone investigate the girl.

This aggressive attitude had at one time plunged him into a state of self-loathing. Eventually, he stopped interacting with other women altogether, speaking coldly to them.

Even the nurses in charge of his care received nothing but his chilly demeanor, not a single smile. Privately, the nurses said that although he had a handsome face, his personality was terrible. Yu Zhiyang knew about their opinions of him, yet he felt a sense of relief about it all—he didn’t feel wronged, but rather sincerely hoped they would maintain their disdainful attitude toward him, so no further issues would arise.

He was close to being discharged from the hospital.

But he didn’t know when he would be able to return to work. He no longer had a part in "Under the Grand Dress," and the prospect of next job seemed distant. Yu Zhiyang felt the future was bleak. If Zhou Yun hadn’t been sending him messages every now and then, asking about his condition and keeping in touch, Yu Zhiyang didn’t know if he could have carried on.

Deep down, he felt somewhat guilty, as if he had been a burden on Zhou Yun. It was because of his presence that those people found a loophole to attack Zhou Yun. He knew very well that Zhou Yun had never had any ulterior motives toward him and had never used casting him as the male lead in "Under the Grand Dress" to seduce or coerce him. Without any promises of future roles or any price to be paid, Yu Zhiyang could hardly believe he had met someone like this.

For more than a year, he never dared to dream that he would meet someone like that.

That night, as he was getting ready to sleep, he habitually checked his phone before dozing off and suddenly received a message from an unfamiliar number: "Yu Zhiyang, hello, do you have a moment to chat?"

Yu Zhiyang instantly became wary.

Recently, many people had obtained his contact information through various channels, added him as a friend, called him, trying to get a word from him. Just one line could become news, attract a push notification, ride on the heat wave, and earn a hefty sum from a post with 100,000+ views.

Yu Zhiyang didn’t reply.

A minute later, the same unfamiliar number sent a second message: "Don’t worry, I’m neither a reporter nor a paparazzo, just someone who understands your situation and has the ability to help you. You want to get away from Xu Guiying, don’t you?"

Yu Zhiyang was stunned.

This person knew all about Xu Guiying.

Who was this person?

...

During the first week of the premiere, Zhou Yun tirelessly went on a publicity tour, hitting approximately three cities a day, and every stop made the news.

The tour had once been a tactic to secure showing times from cinema managers and to fight for opening week box office sales; now, it also added value as a hot topic for online promotion.