Chapter 24: The Pop Diva’s Mysterious Boyfriend

The next day.

A sensational piece of entertainment news broke out unexpectedly and quickly dominated the front pages of all major online media platforms. In the shortest amount of time, it triggered a nationwide frenzy of discussion!

On Weibo, a million users demanded the truth! In social media circles, missing-person notices flooded everyone’s feeds!

“Pop Diva Qin Ruolin’s Romance Exposed!”

Yes, it was this very news that caused an unprecedented commotion both online and offline!

In fact, most people, upon seeing this headline, simply laughed it off. After all, in the ten years since Qin Ruolin’s debut, such news had emerged countless times, not once proving true! It was either the media making baseless speculations, or unscrupulous outlets fabricating stories just for attention.

So, when such a headline surfaced again, the public’s first reaction was naturally disbelief. Especially since the first outlet to break the story was the third-rate tabloid “Starlight.” Almost everyone believed “Starlight” was once again spinning tales to boost sales. After all, such tactics were a common ploy among disreputable media.

But this time, when people opened the story expecting just another fabricated tale, they were utterly stunned.

For “Starlight” wasn’t making things up—this time, they had photographic evidence! And not just a few snaps, but a veritable trove of images!

These photographs documented every moment from Qin Ruolin and her “boyfriend” arriving at the airport to entering a hotel. To cover this news, “Starlight” devoted nearly half of the magazine, with a detailed first-person account of the entire event.

On the opening page of the report, the editor posted a photo of a slender woman’s back, accompanied by a caption: The editor, returning from work in Jiangning, unexpectedly encountered this beautiful figure at the airport. The more I looked, the more familiar she seemed. I gave chase, only to discover that this striking silhouette belonged to none other than the new queen of pop, Qin Ruolin!

The next page featured pictures of Qin Ruolin at the airport. In every shot, she was fully disguised—baseball cap, sunglasses, face mask—her features completely hidden.

Below the photos, the editor offered a detailed explanation: I know what you’re thinking—how can anyone tell this is Qin Ruolin, with her so thoroughly covered up? Well, I can! I’ve been in entertainment journalism for thirteen years and developed a keen eye; if any superstar so much as shows a finger, I can tell who it is!

Let’s start with this photo: most notably, the nail art on Qin Ruolin’s right index finger. She’s currently recording “Original Songs,” and recent promotional images from the show clearly show a maple leaf design on her right index fingernail. At the airport, I captured a shot of this “beauty” with the exact same maple leaf nail art.

You might call it coincidence, but here’s my trump card: take a look at the shoes on this airport beauty. That pair was custom-designed for Qin Ruolin’s endorsement deal—there’s only one pair in the world. Just the day before, she wore them at the Jiangning branch opening for that brand.

After the event, everyone thought Qin Ruolin would return to Yanjing to continue recording “Original Songs,” but no one saw her at the airport. My guess is, she stayed in Jiangning to watch the CBA finals, and afterwards, she even participated in the jersey auction for Jiangning’s rising star, Lin Feng, on Weibo.

That’s why she returned to Yanjing a day late, and it’s how I was lucky enough to witness such a dramatic scene.

Next, the magazine devoted considerable space to several photos showing Qin Ruolin alongside a man. The man, dressed casually and quite tall, was also thoroughly disguised—his face obscured. Yet their body language was intimate: in one, Qin Ruolin rested her right hand on his shoulder; in another, her head leaned on his chest, exuding the closeness of a couple. Even a fool could see their relationship was far from ordinary.

The editor added commentary: Honestly, when I saw these scenes, I wanted to rush over and give that man a good beating. My goddess of eight years was just stolen away! But, as a professional, I was even more tempted to rip off his sunglasses and mask. Who is this man who’s taken my goddess?

Oh, and by the way—their masks were a matching couple’s set!

Are they flaunting their love or what?!

Well, determined to uncover the truth, I decided to follow them.

What I saw next was even more shocking.

The magazine showed Qin Ruolin and the man taking the same taxi, which finally stopped outside the Grand City Hotel. They got out together and entered the hotel side by side.

The editor added: At this point, my heart shattered. The pop diva actually entered a hotel with this man. As for what happened next, I’ll leave it to your imagination…

I need a moment to calm down.

After so many years, my beloved goddess really, truly has a boyfriend!

Additionally, my colleagues and I studied the photos all night, but we couldn’t identify who this mystery man was. One thing’s for sure: he’s not from the entertainment world.

Finally, on behalf of the paper, here’s a missing-person notice: If anyone knows the identity of this man, please contact us immediately—a reward of one hundred thousand!

Thus ended the “Starlight” report.

But the impact of this piece was only just beginning. It was impossible for such news not to cause a sensation. This was, after all, the story of pop diva Qin Ruolin’s romance being exposed—hence the mania on Weibo, with millions seeking the truth, and friend circles flooded with missing-person notices.

While the “Qin Ruolin Romance Exposed” story was the talk of the nation, Lin Feng was in his hotel room, practicing “The Eyes That Love to Smile” over and over. After all, the show recording was tomorrow, and for now, he didn’t want to rely on the Superstar Hostage System. He wanted to test his own abilities.

After another round of singing, he noticed someone was messaging him like crazy in the Jiangning team’s group chat.

Lin Feng checked the messages and was stunned.

Zhou Mingxuan: Lin Feng, you’re incredible—quietly winning over the pop diva without a word!

Han Dajun: Lin Feng, so that’s why you disappeared—you went on a date with the queen herself!

Zhang Dapeng: Lin Feng, damn it, my goddess is now yours. Don’t forget to bring me an autograph when you come back!

Zhou Mingxuan: Lin Feng, “Star Magazine” is offering a hundred-thousand reward for your identity—I’m going to claim it!

Han Dajun: Count me in.

Zhang Dapeng: Take me with you...