At the same time, at the headquarters of the Gu Corporation.
Top-floor office.
Gu Chengyu was listening to reports from several department heads, his expression cold and stern.
The office door was gently knocked, and Assistant Zhao walked in holding a tablet, his face more serious than usual.
He waited quietly until Gu Chengyu raised his hand to pause the meeting.
"Young Master," Assistant Zhao stepped forward, keeping his voice low.
"The official announcement for War and Chaos has been released. Miss Su's name and role have sparked quite a discussion."
Gu Chengyu's sharp brows lifted slightly, signaling him to continue.
Assistant Zhao placed the tablet in front of Gu Chengyu, displaying a barrage of harsh comments:
["A newcomer playing Lin Wan? Must have some serious connections!"]
["Warning: another pretty face with no talent! Can't wait for the acting trainwreck!"]
["Nepo baby, get lost! Feel bad for the veteran actors!"]
["Hah, just because she's pretty, she gets to play Lin Wan? Bet she slept her way to the top."]
["Slept her way up? Probably! How else? Must be easy climbing into bed with some old exec at the Gu Corporation. Disgusting."]
Gu Chengyu's eyes darkened as he read the malicious remarks, a violent fury surging through him.
His little girl was pure as untouched snow—someone he cradled in his palms, afraid she might break, cherished so tenderly he feared she might melt.
How dare these keyboard warriors reduce her to an object of their vile speculation?
Assistant Zhao, sensing the oppressive aura around his boss, quickly added,
"We’ve already tracked the IPs and partial real-name information of these abusive accounts."
"Should we immediately ban all the comments and accounts?"
Gu Chengyu pressed his lips into a thin line, his chest rising and falling as he suppressed the urge to teach these people a lesson.
"Ban them?" His voice was low, laced with sarcasm. "If we silence them outright, they’ll just feel provoked and double down."
"Let them argue about 'pretty faces' and 'nepo babies'—the louder the noise, the bigger the backlash when the truth comes out."
His finger tapped the screen, pausing on the most repulsive comments, his tone turning icy.
"But these slanderous, defamatory remarks have spread widely enough to constitute legal violations."
"Compile all similar comments and forward them to the legal department. Issue cease-and-desist letters."
"Yes, sir!" Assistant Zhao responded promptly.
Gu Chengyu paused, then added, "For those with IPs registered in S City, have legal file formal complaints for defamation."
"Personally arrange for someone to document it—when the police invite them for a 'chat,' make sure their faces are clearly captured."
"Let them see the consequences of reckless words."
Assistant Zhao understood immediately. "Understood. I’ll handle it right away."
While Gu Chengyu was clearing Su Qianqian’s name online,
she had changed back into casual clothes, her long hair tied into a simple low ponytail—fresh and neat.
Packing her thermos and script into her bag, she spoke softly,
"Fang Qing, could you please go to the costume department and find the tailor from the haute couture studio?"
"The two outfits I reserved with him earlier should be ready."
"One is the plain white qipao Lin Wan wears later, and the other is the black brocade robe with a waist sash for the Emperor. Bring them to the car."
"Of course, Qianqian. I’ll go now." Fang Qing nodded briskly and hurried off toward the costume room.
Su Qianqian finished gathering her belongings, then paused and picked up her phone, opening WeChat to message Director Li Mo.
After carefully considering her words, she typed:
[Director Li, sorry to bother you.]
[If it’s convenient, could you send me the electronic version of the Emperor’s character profile? I’d like to prepare for the scenes ahead of time.]
The reply came almost instantly.
Li Mo, still buzzing from the announcement’s hype, was more than happy to see such dedication from his actress.
[No problem at all. Sending it now.]
