As the dawn broke, Grand Hyatt hotel, located at the heart of Beijing, basked in the morning glory.
Inside a VIP room, Li Wei was sleeping soundly on the soft king-sized bed. Hearing the sound of several notifications, Lin Wei's eye lashes fluttered.
She opened her sore eyes, but brought her palm to shield the sunlight that was streaming in through the ceiling-to-floor window.
As she looked up, her face was illuminated by the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
She rarely stays in hotels, but she was too tired to go home yesterday, so she checked into a hotel instead. She glanced around the room, taking in her environment.
The expansive room was adorned with wall paintings, plush furniture, white carpet and a ceiling-to-floor window that gave the best view of Beijing. The fragrant aroma of flowers wafted into Li Wei's nostrils, soothing her heart. There were two doors standing adjacent to each other. One to the bathroom and dressing room. The other is to the living and dining room.
The sound of ringing phone drew Li Wei's attention. She lifted the cozy blanket and propped herself up, supporting her tired body with the headboard.
She wasn't a heavy sleeper, but yesterday was different. She had filmed throughout the week, and she had only got to sleep properly yesterday.
She picked up her ringing phone that was placed on the bedside table, which displayed "Manager" on the screen.
Li Wei's heart skipped a beat. Her manager rarely called her in the morning, except when there was an unexpected situation.
Li Wei had barely picked the call when the anxious voice of her manager came in.
"Wei, have you checked the internet yet?"Ming Yue, Li Wei's manager asked, her voice laced with panic.
Wei was slightly confused. Why would she be checking the internet first thing in the morning?
"No." Li Wei replied.
"A rumour about you was dropped overnight, and it is already trending all over the internet." Ming Yue said, barely keeping her voice steady.
Li Wei opened her weak eyes,"What rumours? She asked skeptically.
There was silence from the other side. Dead silence.
Li Wei's unease grew deeper.
Ming Yue was always straightforward with her words. So why the hesitation and silence today?
"Sigh. Check it out yourself." Ming Yue said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Li Wei quickly hung up and logged into her WeChat account. Her eyes contracted by what she saw.
A video was trending on the number one list, tagged: #catching a top actress with her promiscuous life#
#Saint actress Li Wei's real personality is revealed#
Li Wei's tiredness vanished in an instant. She
clicked the trending video, which showed her hugging a man who met her at the front of a hotel. He then walked her into his red car, before driving it off. Li Wei paled in an instant.
The video was taken from afar, and it was dark, but Li Wei's face was illuminated by the light stand. The video was taken from an ambiguous angle, and she herself couldn't deny it.
Even if she jumped into the yellow river, she won't be able to clear her reputation easily with this evidence.
But who was targeting her, distorting the truth to ruin her reputation?
Her brain had exploded, and she couldn't think straight. She couldn't think of who it was right now.
She slowly scrolled to the comments session and her brain was completely shut down by each comment.
#Oh my God! Who would have thought that my idol has this dark side of hers?#
# I was totally disappointed in her, she broke my heart, wuuuuuuuuuu...#
#Someone wake me up from this sleep, pleaseeee#
#I am a neutral, but I must say, Li Wei acted out of morals#
# I agree with the first person, I thought she was a saint, evil woman, pa#
# I was just about to watch her newly released drama but not anymore#
#Yes I agree with you, let's boycott Li Wei#
# Boycott prostitute in the industry#
# Promiscuous women are not allowed in the industry#
Li Wei shook, and her vibrating phone fell on the blanket. Her social media accounts were filled with a barrage of insults from fans and followers. Calls and messages came in one after the other. And the sound was terrifying to Lin Wei.
She steadied her breath and picked up her ringing phone, which displayed "Mom"
Li Wei's heart raced faster. She clutched her phone, feeling it against her sweaty palm. She hesitated to pick up the call.
Her mother was the least person she would wish to be called right now.
She caught her breath and swiped the call to the sides, placing the phone to her ear. "Mom." Li Wei said, barely keeping her voice steady.
"Did you see the video trending?" Li Na yelled at the other end of the phone. "How could you be careless and get caught in a slander!"
Wei remained silent for a few seconds, raking her brain to come up with a reasonable reply "Mom..I…" She shuttered
"Speak!" She snapped at Li Wei.
Li Wei quickly gathered her thoughts. "I will make sure to resolve it today," she replied.
But she didn't believe the lame excuse herself. Not to talk of her sharp mother.
How would she clear a rumor within twenty-four hours?
"You better do so. Remember we raised you as our daughter to become successful. Not to make a fool of yourself in the industry." Li Na bellowed, "Don't even think about coming home if you can't solve this issue."
Li Na handed the phone over to her daughter, "Sister, you should find a solution before things escalate more than this, okay?" Li Wu, Li Wei's sister added over the phone.
Her voice was a blatant mockery. But Li Wei wasn't bothered by it. By now, she had grown used to her behavior.
Li Wu's voice dropped several degrees. "And sister, I have purchased the building I told you about in Shanghai." she added, lowering her voice. "It's left with the payment."
That's the main thing. The call was meant to ask for money.
Li Wei placed her hand on her lap, supporting her head with it. Her face was covered with her waist-length silk hair. She ruffled her hair, struggling to think straight.
"How much?" Lin Wei asked.
"Five million yuan," Lin Jia replied.
Lin Wei's head jolted up, "Millions?" She exclaimed, deafening her own ears.
That was approximately seven hundred thousand dollars! She wouldn't have been surprised by that amount, if she hadn't been sending all her pays to her family for their upkeep.
Li Na took over the phone. "She is your sister, remember. We adopted you to be able to take care of us…"
Bla. Bla. Bla.
There she goes again. Explaining the whole history behind her adoption. She never showed love, and she didn't expect one. Just peace. Even if it would be just for a day.
She was undergoing a scandal that could ruin her career and more or less, her life. Yet they were more concerned about purchasing a building.
"I don't have that much right now, but I will send the little I have." Lin Wei cut Li Na off and hung up the phone.
Li Wei placed her phone on do not disturb and threw it on the bedside table. She rubbed her throbbing temples. She finally understood what being caught in a scandal was about.
After sitting for a minute, she gathered her strength and stood up. She slipped into her slippers and disappeared into the bathroom. After a few seconds, the sound of running water was heard.
However, Li Wei underestimated the potential of angry fans. She didn't know they could be outrageous to the extent of finding their idols' location.