Originally, Meng Ruozhao planned to part ways with them at the restaurant entrance. After all, a big star's time was very precious.
But Qin Mu insisted on sending her back to "Floating Cloud Studio".
So the three of them returned to the store entrance. Qin Mu didn't go in again. He just looked at her, smiling gently.
"I'll trouble you with the dress. Regarding the program, if you have any questions, you can communicate with me at any time."
"Mr. Qin, don't worry. I'll finish the first draft for you as soon as possible."
Meng Ruozhao replied with a smile.
Watching Meng Ruozhao get out of the car and walk into the store, the gentleness on Qin Mu's face quickly faded. He said to his assistant,
"Go to the airport."
His time was really tight.
If it had been before, when he finally had a day off, he would definitely have had a good rest in the hotel.
But this time, even though his schedule was so tight, he still came to see Meng Ruozhao.
He even wracked his brains to find an excuse to meet her.
It seemed that seeing her once brought him more comfort than a week of rest.
The assistant in the front passenger seat偷偷 glanced at him through the rear - view mirror. Her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't ask anything.
At the same time, at the headquarters of the Pei Group on the other side of the city.
An important high - level meeting had just ended.
Pei Jingdu had been on a business trip these days, and Pei Jiangmu had presided over this meeting in his place.
He sat in the main seat, habitually rubbing his temples. He casually picked up his phone to check the time, but was stunned by the top entertainment news headline in the push notifications -
#Qin Mu Suspected of Being in a Relationship# The accompanying picture was that "gentleman opening the door" photo, in which Meng Ruozhao's side face was clearly visible.
In an instant, the air pressure around Pei Jiangmu dropped sharply.
The knuckles of his hand holding the phone turned white from the force. The photo on the screen stabbed his eyes painfully.
The man who had been in full control and calm during the meeting just now now had a face so gloomy that it seemed to drip water.
His deep eyes were surging with shock, anger, and a hint of panic that he didn't even notice himself.
The executives who hadn't completely left the meeting room keenly sensed the huge change in Pei Jiangmu's mood.
They all fell silent like cicadas in winter, unconsciously holding their breaths for fear of offending him.
In the huge meeting room, there was complete silence.
Only Pei Jiangmu's cold gaze fixed on the phone screen was burning silently.
When Meng Ruozhao returned to "Floating Cloud Studio", before she could take out the desserts she had brought for Xu Lin and the others, she saw Xu Lin rushing towards her.
"Ruozhao, something's wrong."
Hearing these words, Meng Ruozhao's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding instantly spread.
"What's wrong?"
Xu Lin's voice was full of anxiety.
"Look at the hot search! Big trouble! A lot of netizens are guessing that you're Qin Mu's girlfriend, and some people are even digging out the address of our studio!"
Meng Ruozhao was a little shocked and took Xu Lin's phone.
On the screen was the entertainment news page. The red hot search entry was extremely eye - catching -
#Qin Mu Suspected of Being in a Relationship# followed by an exclamation mark "爆".
The accompanying picture below was the scene of Qin Mu opening the door for her when they walked into the restaurant just now.
If it hadn't been for this photo, she wouldn't even have noticed this detail.
And did she smile at Qin Mu at that time? She had no impression at all.
She frowned and scrolled through the screen. The comments in the comment section flooded in like a tide.
Some fans were frantically defending Qin Mu, stating bluntly that "it was just a business dinner".
Some passers - by were curious about her identity and started to dig into her background.
There were also some extreme fans who attacked her with harsh words, saying that she "wanted to ride on the coattails of fame to get ahead" and "wasn't worthy of Qin Mu".
"This... How could this happen?"
Meng Ruozhao's voice tightened. She couldn't understand at all.
She had never thought that just having a work meal with a client would push her to the forefront of public opinion.
"Floating Cloud Studio" was just starting to make progress, and they had just passed the preliminary selection of "National Elegance Collection - Gorgeous Costumes".
If they were labeled as "riding on the coattails of fame", would all their previous efforts go to waste?
Just as she was thinking about how to respond, the door behind her was pushed open, and Qin Mu, who had just left, walked in again.
Obviously, Qin Mu had also seen the hot search.
Regardless of his assistant's阻拦 and not caring that he would miss his flight, he rushed back immediately.
At this moment, seeing Meng Ruozhao's pale face, Qin Mu knew that she had also seen the hot search.
"Don't panic."
He looked at Meng Ruozhao, his tone calm but with a reassuring power.
"It's just a misunderstanding. It will be resolved soon."
Just as he finished speaking, Qin Mu's phone rang. It was his agent, Sister Zhang.
He answered the phone, his tone still calm.
"Sister Zhang, I know about the hot search. It's not a relationship. She's a cooperation partner. We were discussing the design of the new Chinese - style dress and also chatting about 'National Elegance Collection'."
Sister Zhang on the other end of the phone was obviously very anxious. Her voice came through the receiver faintly.
"A Mu! The comment section is in an uproar now! A lot of fans are asking for an explanation under the studio's account, and some marketing accounts are adding fuel to the fire!"
"You were too careless. I've already had someone write a statement. I'll send it to you later. You should post it immediately to clarify!"
"Okay," Qin Mu replied. "The statement should clearly state that my meeting with Boss Meng was just for cooperation, to avoid excessive speculation from netizens about her."
"Also, these photos must have been taken by paparazzi following me. I demand that they be held accountable, and those who slandered Boss Meng should also be held accountable."
Qin Mu was not only an artist of the company but also held a significant share, so he had a certain say.
Moreover, his request at this moment was not excessive.
The agent didn't say anything and just agreed.
Hearing this, Meng Ruozhao felt a warmth in her heart.
At this time, Qin Mu didn't just think about clarifying for himself. Instead, he also considered her and the studio's situation.
This thoughtfulness made her tense nerves relax a little.
After hanging up the phone, Qin Mu looked at Meng Ruozhao, his eyes gentle.
"The company has already prepared a statement for me. They'll explain everything clearly, and you and the studio won't be affected."
"Tell your colleagues here not to panic. It'll be okay after the statement is released."
"Thank you, Mr. Qin."
Meng Ruozhao looked up and thanked him sincerely.
The panic and grievance brought by this unexpected disaster hadn't completely dissipated, but Qin Mu's calmness and protection made her breathe a sigh of relief.
Qin Mu had to return to the film crew before tomorrow, so he couldn't stay long. After giving these instructions, he left in a hurry.
After he left, Xu Lin and Ai Gao came over.
"He came back just to tell you not to panic and that he would handle it?"
"Yeah, he could have just called, but he came back specifically. That's really sincere."
"To be honest, I was really panicked just now. After all, we're at a disadvantage, but Mr. Qin's attitude makes me think everything will be okay."
"He's really a great guy. But these paparazzi are too much. Writing like this. Can't a star have a meal with the opposite sex?"
"Right. There was an assistant following them later, but they cut that part out. It's really disgusting."
Meng Ruozhao also sighed with emotion.
"Yeah, Mr. Qin is really polite. When we were having dinner, he also told me a lot about the program."
"I used to think that big stars like him were very distant."
"But he's really a gentleman, very polite, and also very responsible from the way he's handling this matter."