"Yes, yes, yes, we will definitely handle it properly, please rest assured."
...
After paying the required compensation and resolving the issue, the manager personally escorted them out.
As they were about to enter the elevator, Tang Xiaomin noticed Tang Ye wasn't following.
"Tang Ye, let's go home."
With things having escalated to this point, there was no point for Tang Ye to stay at the hotel.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he bid farewell to Pan Jie.
"I'm going home first. You get some rest at the hotel, and I'll come find you tomorrow."
"!!!"
"What are you dawdling for? Move!"
Tang Xiaomin impatiently kicked Tang Ye, sending him into the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, she felt a sense of relief.
After parting ways with Shu Ya, Tang Xiaomin and Tang Ye went home together. For a long time, Tang Ye remained dejected.
"Xiaomin, why are you suddenly reacting so strongly to Pan Jie? What did she do to offend you?"
It wasn't so much that Pan Jie had offended Tang Xiaomin, but rather that Tang Xiaomin was wary of Pan Jie and her brother, Mr. Pan.
Tang Xiaomin posed an epic dilemma to Tang Ye.
"Tang Ye, if you had to choose between me and Pan Jie, who would you pick?"
"Sisters are like limbs, women are like clothes. Of course, I'd choose you. Do I even need to ask?"
Although these words lacked much sincerity, they still sounded comforting.
Otherwise, how could so many beautiful women be fooled by men's sweet talk?
Tang Xiaomin pondered for a while before deciding to speak her mind.
"Pan Jie, she might already know."
"Know what?"
"Know about my business."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Ye's expression turned grave.
After all, Tang Xiaomin was very special. If her secret were to get out, it would surely cause trouble.
The last time, Old Master Ye found out that Tang Xiaomin wasn't an ordinary person. He kidnapped Tang Xiaomin's adoptive father as a hostage and prepared a trap to deal with Tang Xiaomin.
That incident had resulted in a sea of corpses and rivers of blood, a scene that could only be described as tragic.
At that time, their entire family saw Tang Xiaomin clearly for the first time and almost perished at her hands. Fortunately, she still had a conscience and showed mercy, saving their lives.
Tang Ye had deliberately tried to forget that memory, but now, he was forced to recall it again.
Tang Ye lowered his head and said solemnly, "Then, are you going to kill her to silence her?"
Did she really seem that extreme in his eyes?
"So in your heart, I'm that kind of person. Heh..."
The final bitter laugh was tinged with mockery and helplessness.
"Xiaomin, I didn't mean it like that."
Whether he meant it or not, Tang Xiaomin knew in her heart that arguing about it was pointless.
With that said, she believed Tang Ye would understand what needed to be done next.
They traveled home in silence.
That night, Tang Ye messaged Pan Jie. Pan Jie replied twice before announcing she was going to sleep.
The next morning, Tang Ye was woken by his agent's call.
"Tang Ye, this is bad! The news about you and Pan Jie booking a room together is all over the internet. You were too careless!"
"!!!"
Tang Ye was completely bewildered.
"I was sleeping in my own bed. When did I book a room with Pan Jie?"
"If you don't believe me, check the internet yourself."
After hanging up, Tang Ye went online and, sure enough, found gossip about him.
It turned out that after Tang Xiaomin had broken in yesterday evening, they had been secretly photographed. The photos were then used to spread rumors and smear their names.
This wasn't the first time he'd been involved in a scandal, especially not with Pan Jie.
Tang Ye seemed to have developed an immunity to such things. After a moment of shock, he regained his composure.
"Let them talk. If it makes it to the trending list, my salary will go up. Who's afraid of who?"
In this line of work, all that mattered was money. What was reputation worth?
As a result of the scandal, Tang Ye was temporarily stripped of his resources by the company and ordered to rest at home.
Coincidentally, it was the weekend, and besides Tang Yu who had gone to work, everyone else was at home.
When Tang Ye went downstairs, he discovered Tang Xiaomin had made breakfast.
It was rare to have the chance to enjoy her cooking, so Tang Ye sat down and ate two fried dough sticks, three steamed buns, and a bowl of soy milk.
After finishing, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
"Xiaomin, what's made you so happy that you're up making breakfast?"
Tang Xiaomin said with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Nothing much, just that an annoying person has fallen on hard times."
"Oh, I see. That is indeed something to be happy about."
"Hmph!" Wang Na let out a cold scoff.
Suddenly, Tang Ye thought of something.
"Xiaomin, the annoying person you're talking about, it's not me, is it?"
"Heh..."
Tang Xiaomin smiled without answering, implicitly admitting it.
Looking at his sister, he thought, there weren't many people in the world who could build their happiness on their brother's misfortune.
Tang Ye was speechless.
"Xiaomin, I'm finished. I won't be able to earn money anymore. This is a huge loss for you."
"I'm not short on money, so it doesn't matter."
"You..."
Indeed, things easily obtained are rarely cherished.
Wang Na had also heard about Tang Ye's scandal and finally found an opportunity to retort.
"I remember someone used to lecture Xiaomin incessantly about not coming home late and not letting men take advantage of her for free."
"And now, just a few days later, you're off checking into a hotel with a model and fooling around, getting caught by paparazzi. Your personal life is so messy, I truly don't know how you have the nerve to criticize others."
Wang Na's words echoed Tang Xiaomin's thoughts, making her view him more favorably. Sudanshu.com
Tang Ye retorted, "That was a misunderstanding. It's not true at all."
"A misunderstanding? Do you think everyone else is an idiot? Don't tell me you went to the hotel with that model just to talk under the covers."
"It really was a misunderstanding. Stop making wild guesses."
"Save that for your female fans, let's see if they believe you."
Tang Ye's face darkened, and his mood plummeted.
At this moment, a rash explanation might just be what those unscrupulous media outlets were waiting for. If they were to dig up more dirt afterward, his efforts would backfire.
Tang Ye cast a pleading look at Tang Xiaomin.
"Xiaomin, please explain for me, okay? I lose a lot of money if I don't work for even a day."
"I'm your sister, do you think my explanation would be useful?"
If Tang Xiaomin were to explain, it would only fan the flames.
For the time being, there was no easy solution.
Since he had nothing else to do, Tang Ye went to a seaside resort hotel to find Pan Jie. She had switched places last night.
Knock, knock, knock!!!
Pan Jie soon came to open the door.
An angelic face, a devilish figure, and an extraordinary aura.
Even though Tang Ye had seen countless beauties, his heart still fluttered at the sight of Pan Jie.
"What happened yesterday, and what's happening online... It's all my fault for dragging you into this. I'm truly sorry."
After opening the door, Pan Jie turned and walked back into the room.
"We're both in the entertainment industry. Scandals are old news."
Tang Ye followed Pan Jie into the room, then closed the door and deliberately locked it.
Seeing this, Pan Jie frowned. "What do you mean by this?"