FLME Ch69

Yu Wen squatted by the roadside, eating melon seeds. Although he had been at the scene the entire time during the incident, the headlines from the marketing accounts made him feel like he was experiencing a fake version of it.

#High-society feud, siblings turning against each other, click to watch the young master of the Feng family beating up his half-brother.#

#First meeting between the Feng brothers, rivals clashing with blazing eyes#

#Feng Chengzhou aims to root out the problem, leaving the illegitimate son’s life or death uncertain#

Clicking into these, the content was even more sensational, claiming that Feng Chengzhou brought eight assassins to kill Xi Su; that Xi Su was still lying in the ICU, moving readers to tears; or a version where two men were fighting over one woman, claiming the brothers turned against each other because they fell for the same woman…

It all started with one photo, and the rest was pure fabrication.

Everyone invited that day was a person of status, unlikely to spread baseless rumors, but it didn’t rule out someone passing by and snapping a photo. As these photos circulated, the media, not knowing what really happened, made up their own stories.

Yu Wen wanted to help clarify the situation, but he needed some convincing evidence. He scoured several marketing accounts until he finally found one photo. He zoomed in repeatedly and could see two heads in the bushes—it was him and Xie Heyu.

He saved the photo.

Yi Ming, who had been resting for a while, finally came down from the wall, shakily stepping down the ladder, and said, “Let’s forget about these bothersome matters. Come on, let’s go get some roast chicken.”

After paying a small fee, she placed the ladder beside a small convenience store and asked the shopkeeper to watch over it. Yu Wen asked, “Are you planning to climb back in?”

Yi Ming replied, “Of course. Today’s wall-climbing adventure out of the hotel is a secret between you and me; Heaven and Earth know, but no third person shall know.”

Yu Wen nodded solemnly. “Sister, don’t worry. If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll take this secret to the grave.”

After eating roast chicken, Yi Ming brought the ladder back the way she came. Yu Wen watched her climb back in, then casually entered the hotel through the front door.

Concerned that Mr. Feng might not notice the rumors circulating in time, Yu Wen thoughtfully took screenshots of the marketing accounts’ statements and sent them to Feng Chengzhou. The young master must have been busy with something; he was silent as a chicken.

Unfortunately, Yu Wen didn’t have Bian Ce’s contact info. He thought wistfully that at a time like this, Deputy Bian would surely be more reliable.

Back in his room, he quickly washed up. By the time he came out, Feng Chengzhou hadn’t returned, but Xi Su had sent a flurry of messages.

Xi Su: [Someone is trying to stir up conflict between me and my godfather! Screenshot.jpg Screenshot.jpg]

Yu Wen checked it out. Oh, it was already trending, hanging around the lower ranks of the hot search. Since the marketing accounts weren’t in sync with each other, netizens were left to guess the truth, and opinions were all over the place.

Yu Wen: [Don’t worry, your godfather is wealthy and will surely come up with a solution.]

Xi Su: [No, but what if my godfather suspects that I’m the mastermind behind this? What if he thinks I pretended to faint on purpose?]

Yu Wen: [You did pretend on purpose.]

Xi Su: [You got me.]

That evening, the trending topic quickly climbed up, soon breaking into the top ten. Amid the topic, some people, unable to make sense of the drama, started tagging Yu Wen.

—”@YuWen, brother, what’s the situation on-site?”

The “Melon King” title had become a mystical in-joke within the circle. Whenever people saw even the smallest of scandals, they’d tag him. Yu Wen mostly didn’t respond—he was rarely at the scene, after all. There are endless rumors in this world, but only one “Melon King,” and he can’t be everywhere at once.

People asked for fun, without expecting much. It’s not like they could magically split the Melon King into pieces, sprinkling him across the world’s gossip scenes.

But one rule had yet to be broken: any rumor in the top ten trending list would have Yu Wen involved.

—”We’re in my brother’s domain now.”

—”Brother, I know you’re online. I see you. Just tell us what really happened.”

—”This melon is too confusing to eat… Yu Wen, I need you.”

—”Haha, don’t bully my baby. Not every piece of gossip has my baby there. By the way, check out the new drama Moon Harbor.”

—”The atmosphere’s perfect—my baby is working on Battle Royale, and his recently aired drama Legend of the Immortal Sect has been popular. There’s also the upcoming big production Moon Harbor. Early cameo in Fenghua…”

There was still no movement from Feng Chengzhou, but Bian Ce had already reached out to Yu Wen through Starlight Media, calling him. “Teacher Yu, would you be willing to help clarify things?”

This was exactly what Yu Wen had been waiting for.

He swiftly started a livestream. After greeting the flood of online viewers politely, he chose his words carefully. “Regarding the situation at the banquet that night, I indeed know a bit. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask. As for the marketing account stories, let’s just say they aren’t remotely true.”

The audience got a bit sidetracked.

—”Huh? The Melon King never leaks scoops on his own! Usually, we have to dig up stuff by trailing after him. Who opened up his ‘Ren and Du meridians’?”

—”The last time must have been when that film emperor incident happened. I said then: The Melon King either makes zero appearances or endless ones.”

—”My Xiao Yu is such a shy baby… But now he’s giving me that ‘fearless pig’ vibe.”

Yu Wen: “…”

His followers had crowned him the “Melon King,” but the inside stories Yu Wen knew weren’t exactly fit for public sharing. People could only track his movements and snatch some gossip here and there. Even in so many livestreams, hardly anyone had managed to pry anything juicy from him. Little Teacher Yu always smiled sweetly, was exceptionally polite, and left his fans dizzy with nothing juicy in the end.

In the past, whenever people called him the “Melon King,” he’d show a slightly embarrassed yet helpless smile.

After the recent Film Emperor incident, Yu Wen himself changed his profile picture to a “melon-eating cat” icon, and it’s still the same. At that time, fans said, “The Melon Universe is going to a new level.”

And indeed, it had leveled up.

Yu Wen said, “Yes, I was at the scene, squatting in the bushes nearby, just enjoying the show… Why? Because I love it. So what? Wanna fight me?”

He lifted his chin, pride flashing on his fair face, lips curled with mischief, and he nodded along to the fun comments on the screen.

Fans watching felt their hearts melting.

—“If my baby wants it, my baby gets it! If he likes it, no one is allowed to say otherwise!”

Even non-fans were amused, cheering him on to keep witnessing and reporting the latest gossip firsthand!

The encounter between the Feng family brothers at the banquet was incredibly surreal. No matter how Yu Wen told it—past events, developments, or aftermath—it sounded ridiculous, and he worried netizens wouldn’t believe him.

“It wasn’t a brawl. President Feng brought eight bodyguards to protect himself; he was afraid Xi Su might try to cause trouble.”

“After the incident involving the illegitimate child, they hadn’t met yet. Some matters needed to be discussed face-to-face. I was the one who set up the meeting; I’ll share the chat history on Weibo later.”

“There was no romantic entanglement… They don’t even have the same preferences. How could there be any conflict?”

“Why did he faint? Xi Su was faking it. He thought Feng was about to attack him, so he pretended to faint to counterattack. My agent and I were standing right there. We were startled when he collapsed, but the next second, he opened his eyes again, and it was actually our Xie who ended up carrying him away.”

“It’s quite bizarre; they just lack communication. They both assumed this was some deadly showdown and were paranoid the other might try something.”

“Is that explanation clear? It is, right? Luckily, you have me.”

Yu Wen laid it all out plainly, and in a few sentences, he had explained the situation. But the netizens smacked their lips, feeling like something was off.

Sure, the story was clear, but it lacked detail. It didn’t have the right flavor; it wasn’t juicy enough.

The netizens started urging him to go deeper.

Yu Wen was about to brush it off when Feng Chengzhou popped in with his main account, all domineering, saying, “It’s fine; go ahead and tell them!”

—“Hahaha, the main character’s here!”

—“You know, the main character might not even have the full picture like our Melon King does.”

—“The main guy himself had to come to the Melon King’s livestream for the scoop—enough said!”

“So, it’s a long story.” Yu Wen propped his chin in his hands, thought for a moment, then got up to pour two cups of water, drinking half of one and clearing his throat.

“This story begins with a banquet. It was a dark and windy night, in a secluded corner. My agent and I were engrossed in eating when Feng suddenly appeared and asked, ‘Have you seen Xi Su?’ I was baffled, I was puzzled. This was the heir of the Huiteng Group, Feng Chengzhou himself. Why was he looking for Xi Su? Was there some hidden grudge between them? Alarm bells started ringing in my head, and I racked my brain, and then finally, it dawned on me! They’re actually… blood brothers.”

Yu Wen seemed to have a knack for stand-up comedy.

The netizens got lost in his colorful narrative and the brothers’ absurd thought processes, completely captivated and wanting more.

When he described how Xi Su thought PresidentFeng had hired a sniper to take him out, the chat was flooded with question marks.

—“????”

—“[Deep schemer, not to be underestimated]”

—“This guy’s mind is more convoluted than a roller coaster.”

—“Stop acting, Blue Hair; be yourself more often.”

Reenacting the brothers’ meeting, Yu Wen played multiple roles, vividly recreating the scene.

The netizens showered him with praise, commending his acting and delivery, saying he truly lived up to being an actor.

What was supposed to be a quick ten-minute chat turned into a full hour, as Yu Wen’s storytelling and the netizens’ curiosity fueled a much longer session.

When the livestream finally ended, Yi Ming eagerly knocked on his door, still excited. “Is it over? Really over? Is there more? Tell me, tell me.”

After talking for an hour, Yu Wen’s throat was sore. He opened the door, flopped onto the sofa like a salted fish, and groaned, “Baojuan… my throat…”

Yi Ming laughed until her stomach hurt, then went downstairs to ask the hotel for some throat lozenges for him. As she left, she said, “Take care of that voice, sweetheart; there are only going to be more livestreams like this in the future.”

Yu Wen pouted and then turned to seek comfort from his boyfriend. Over the phone, Xie Heyu teased him, “Xiao Yu is really good at talking.”

Yu Wen was already getting sleepy. He changed into his pajamas, buried himself in his blankets, and missed the subtle hint of mischief in Xie Heyu’s tone.

He muttered sleepily, “Actually, chatting about gossip is fun… it’s just that the netizens go so deep with their questions.”

They’d practically talked him hoarse—who’d explain things to them in the future?

Drowsiness hit him, and he mumbled a few words in response to Xie Heyu’s concern, his breathing gradually evening out.

The call remained connected, and on the other end, there was only the sound of slow breathing.

“Good night,” came a faint murmur, almost inaudible, carrying a hint of a smile through the receiver.

Xie Heyu set his phone aside, continuing his unfinished work. The sound of his fingers tapping the keyboard filled the room, the screen illuminating his focused face.

The only sound in Yu Wen’s room was the faint tapping of keys as he drifted off to sleep, his fingers curling into a soft fist.

–

Early the next morning, Yi Ming’s persistent messages woke Yu Wen up.

Yi Ming had a dawn shoot to catch the morning light and had been at the set since early morning. When Yu Wen checked his phone, he saw her urgent texts asking when he’d arrive, saying she had something life-or-death important to discuss with him.

The messages started around 4 a.m. and continued until 7 or 8. Fearing she might disturb his sleep, she’d stopped texting when he hadn’t responded, just asking him to reply as soon as he was awake.

By 8, Yi Ming couldn’t resist and called.

“Xiao Yu, are we friends?” Yi Ming’s tone was grave.

Still half-asleep, Yu Wen replied, “Of course, we’re bonded by heaven and earth and witnessed by the Buddha; our friendship is harder than diamonds, truer than gold—”

Yi Ming was touched. “I knew I didn’t pick the wrong apprentice.”

Yu Wen asked what was going on.

After a two-second pause, Yi Ming said, “I’ve gone viral for climbing a wall… Xiao Yu, help me, please.”

–

Her wall-climbing wasn’t exactly newsworthy, but the media had blown it out of proportion.

Yi Ming had an old rumor from her early career, when she’d been in a hit drama. She and the male lead were a popular CP, and they’d stirred up some buzz at the time. But that had been three or four years ago. Who’d have thought it would come back up now?

As it happened, her former rumor partner was also filming at the same film city, and his crew’s hotel was only 500 meters from the Moon Harbor set.

So, the media had spun a new tale. A-list actress climbs a wall late at night—why would she do that? It must be something scandalous! Thus, a new piece hit the press: “Old Flames Rekindled: A-List Actress Risks It All for a Secret Midnight Rendezvous.”

After reading the trending news, Yu Wen couldn’t help but think these people missed their calling as scriptwriters. The way they connected things, their imaginative leaps!

He logged into his account and started a livestream.

—“Oh? Melon King, didn’t we just see each other last night? Here we’re again. Aren’t we getting a little close?”

—“I watched the trending news climb steadily, and when it hit the top ten, I knew—Melon King was going live.”

—“What’s the deal? You were there for the family feud, and now the midnight tryst too?”

Yu Wen had already gone through the trending articles, saving each image to review in detail. He noticed the media was quite clever. Even though he and Yi Ming had gone for roast chicken after her climb, none of the photos included him.

He searched for a while before finally finding a slip-up in one of the images. In it, Yi Ming was perched on the wall, obscured by tree shadows and dim lighting. While you could make her out, Yu Wen, crouching below checking his phone, was nearly invisible, just a faint outline in the shadows, hardly noticeable.

“I was there; of course I was there. How could I miss something so big?” He propped his chin up, sighed dramatically, and added, “I must have some invisibility effect. I was clearly there with Yi Ming, but all the pictures only show her, not me. Is it that Xiao Yu isn’t good-looking enough, or that no one likes him? Even the trending news won’t include me—so hurtful.”

—“A huge cup of tea… ”

—“Don’t say that! Really, some of these pictures do look edited.”

After a while, someone in the chat asked if the midnight tryst was real.

“It’s fake. She climbed the wall for roast chicken.”

“Why does she have to climb over a wall to eat roast chicken?”

“Her manager wouldn’t let her eat it.”

“Were you there when she was climbing the wall?”

“Yeah, I even helped her hold the ladder.”

Yu Wen guided them to a particular post by some gossip account, pointing to a specific picture.

“In the photo of her climbing the wall, there’s a dark shadow next to her…yeah, that one, can you see it? That’s me.”

Yi Ming’s manager responded quickly. With Yu Wen’s help to clear things up, they issued a statement immediately, which added a lot of credibility.

Not long after, the rumored boyfriend’s team also came forward to do some damage control.

However, Yu Wen’s livestream still wasn’t over.

—”Were you on-site at that big scandal last year? Tell us in detail!”

Yu Wen: “I hadn’t even…I was just handling on-set affairs last year; no chance to interact with the top stars. I wasn’t there.”

Back then, this world didn’t even know he existed.

—”Do you know about that incident ten years ago? Our entire office was stunned back then!”

Yu Wen: “…Why not ask about prehistoric civilizations too? Maybe I was around when the dinosaurs went extinct.”

—”Hahaha, our Xiao Yu is getting riled up. No more silly questions! Let me try—brother, are so-and-so a couple? Have you ever seen them doing it?”

Yu Wen: “…Do you think I sleep under their bed?”

—”Here comes the protector! Who dares to clip my king’s wings; I’ll destroy your paradise!”

Yu Wen: “…”

—”Just one more question, just one! Didn’t that ex spill that so-and-so can’t get it up and is a eunuch? Did you know about that? Were you there when he couldn’t?”

Yu Wen: “…”

He really wanted to throw in the towel.

Fire away!

—

After the livestream ended, Yu Wen hurried to the film set. Yi Ming came over to thank him, with a forced, pained smile.

Yu Wen: “Didn’t we resolve everything? Why are you still unhappy?”

It would have been better if he hadn’t asked—once he did, Yi Ming’s sadness overflowed, and he choked out, “My manager found out I sneaked some roast chicken…ugh, those damn paparazzi! I came up with such a seamless plan and ended up getting caught. Wahhh—”

Yu Wen sighed, everything understood without words.

Since filming for Moon Harbor began, it had generated quite a buzz. Director Miao had previously directed suspense films, and this was his first attempt at TV dramas, so public anticipation was high. Otherwise, the media wouldn’t be watching the crew so closely, ready to pounce on any hint of “crew discord,” “prima donna behavior,” or “scene additions”…

Thanks to Yi Ming and Yu Wen’s recent fuss, they had steered public attention onto unexpected ground.

#Melon King Wakes Up To Debunk Rumors Every Day#

There were rumors about prima donna behavior, scene additions, late-night meetups with boyfriends, and that hilarious banquet, all of which had some connection to the Moon Harbor crew.

Fans were inexplicably invested in the filming progress, curious only about what other gossip the crew could debunk, or how wildly fabricated the latest gossip could get.

This kind of attention wasn’t strictly positive, nor was it negative—it was free publicity, and they weren’t going to let it go to waste.

Director Miao waved his hand and quickly opened the set for visitors. Today’s main shoot belonged to Yu Wen, who had the heaviest scenes.

The filming location was the Fu Family mansion, surrounded by fans and media outside the fence.

The first scene took place indoors, out of view from outside. Originally a night scene, this set had taken days to perfect, so Director Miao decided to ignore the natural light, closing the curtains and covering the windows with blackout screens to start filming.

In this scene, set in the middle of the storyline, the female lead accidentally causes Song Mingzhu to fall into the water while investigating him. Fu Mingshen brings him back to the Fu residence. By this point, the female lead knows Song Mingzhu is in a precarious situation within the Song family. Though they’re on opposing sides, she hopes he can recover in a safe place, so she persuades him to stay for two weeks.

After the near-drowning incident, Song Mingzhu temporarily returns to this once-familiar mansion.

He had just recovered, his face pale as he sat at a desk reading. His slender fingers toyed with the edge of the pages, flipping without much attention.

Fu Mingshen knocked, and he softly said, “Come in, brother.”

He wore only a bathrobe, the loose neckline exposing his delicate collarbone, while his robe left two snowy calves bare. His foot, with its pale toes, hung lazily in the air, swinging slightly. When Fu Mingshen entered, the swinging slowed, casual but full of allure.

He was unwittingly seducing Fu Mingshen.

In the Song family, he had learned much. Some liked women; some liked men. Men could have a seductive allure, both irresistible and consuming. His second brother, often indiscreet, would sometimes leave his door open while he was with a man, and Song Mingzhu had seen it—men’s feet on his brother’s shoulders, swaying gracefully.

Fu Mingshen glanced at him. “You just recovered; why aren’t you dressed?”

Song Mingzhu smiled with curved eyes, “The room is warm. If I go out, I’ll dress.”

Fu Mingshen leaned against the doorframe, observing him with an intense gaze.

“Mother Zhang said she brought you a bowl of walnut soup. If she hadn’t been reminded, you would’ve taken it back to your room to eat. She’s new here and didn’t know your allergies. Why didn’t you tell her you’re allergic to walnuts?”

Still looking gentle, Song Mingzhu said, “She was being thoughtful, and I didn’t want to refuse.”

Fu Mingshen: “When you accept someone’s goodwill by harming yourself, it only puts more pressure on them. Now she feels guilty—Mingzhu, is that the outcome you wanted?”

Song Mingzhu’s smile faded slowly. After a moment, he said, “I’m sorry, brother.”

Fu Mingshen gazed into his eyes.

This person was apologizing with a soft, humble, sympathetic look, yet his eyes held no regret or remorse.

He didn’t understand what it meant to feel sorry.

Fu Mingshen had nothing more to say and closed the door to leave. Before going, he said, “Relax. You can tell the staff what you want or don’t want—no need to please anyone…this is your home.”

At those last words, Song Mingzhu’s swinging leg stilled.

“…Home?”

He blinked in confusion.

“I have a home… Mom’s little villa is my home…”

He detected a trace of pity in Fu Mingshen’s words and felt displeased.

That pity felt like a high and mighty judgment, declaring that he had no home before graciously telling him, “You can consider this home.”

He disliked it.

“Cut!”

Upon hearing Director Miao call “cut,” the actor playing Fu Mingshen breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He bowed to Yu Wen, saying bashfully, “Thank you for your hard work, senior. Thanks for spending so much time working with me.”

The newly chosen male lead had only recently risen to fame, with a good appearance and a talent for acting, but his raw talent wasn’t always consistent. Compared to Yu Wen and Yi Ming’s steady performances, he fell a bit short, and with Director Miao’s high standards, production often got delayed.

“Huh?” Yu Wen felt a bit embarrassed being called “senior.” “I think I entered the industry after you…haha, just call me Yu Wen.”

This scene was challenging for both Song Mingzhu and the male lead; Song Mingzhu needed to convey an unintentional seduction, while the male lead had to portray subtle detachment under his caring demeanor.

Song Mingzhu got it right. The male lead’s gaze was one of lofty observation and judgment, assessing how human this little monster was before reluctantly offering a sliver of sympathy.

His attitude was as if he had always known that Song Mingzhu was sick but never voiced it.

His sympathy was so cold, and the little monster disliked it.

“I used to struggle too, often needing multiple takes. You’ll get better over time.” Yu Wen patted the male lead on the shoulder in encouragement.

Then he stepped out, took out his phone, and sent Xie Heyu a particularly gleeful message.

[Someone called me ‘senior’ today!]