Chapter 138: The Traitor (22)

Q: Sounds like you two go way back.

A: Indeed, and we plan to move into the future together.

Q: Wonderful. Thank you for accepting to do this interview with us, Mr. Lee Mu. Personally, I'm glad that you've found your happiness. As a final parting word, is there anything you wish to say to your fans?

A: Thank you for your continuous support and always remember to stay true to yourself.

...

Like most celebrity interviews on the media, there were more than a handful of half truths in the excerpt above. For one, the incident with Joann did not happen at all. It was all a method to help clear her name.

For another, they did consider keeping Zao Ming's identity a secret. After all, he did not sign up to be a public figure, exposing his name to the public might bring him unwanted harassment or complication.

However, since he was going to appear in the commercial himself, not revealing his identity seemed pointless and counter intuitive. When asked, Lee Mu said he was fine with it either way, he was going to respect his boyfriend's opinion. Zao Ming was fine with it, if anything he was glad that they did not need to hide their relationship from the world anymore.

It was thus that a picture of Zao Ming and Lee Mu kissing each other, extracted from the commercial video but in a higher definition was included in the article.

The article was released on the same day as the commercial, they acted as a compliment for each other. Understandably it created an uproar among the public.

The reception was double-sided. Some of Lee Mu's fans turned on their idol instantly, calling him many derogatory words on his website and online account. Some even created online forums and blogs just to direct hate on Lee Mu, listing down the products the celebrity endorsed, calling others to boycott them. Lee Mu expected this kind of reaction so it did not bother him that much.

Furthermore, the bad feeling was assuaged the fans who stayed loyal to him. They chastised these so-called fans who were so wrapped up in their own blind prejudice and hatred that they could not see how happy their idol truly was. They came to defend Lee Mu and offered him their sincerest congratulation. They praised Zao Ming's good looks, saying he should have joined Lee Mu in front of the camera more often. They said they were a matching pair.

The LGBTQ community was quick to adopt Lee Mu was one of their own, in fact, some of them had taken him on as their ambassador. After all, there wasn't that many openly gay celebrities in the entertainment scene who could speak for them.

On the other hand, some of the more conservative groups were equally quick in condemning Lee Mu. They started forming petition to stop Lee Mu's works from appearing in the cinema and on television, citing his choice of depraved lifestyle would poison the mind of impressionable children.

Some of the sponsors also dropped their endorsement for Lee Mu the moment the article hit the press. They did not want to associate themselves with a celebrity whose image they perceived had been ruined. They saw no benefit in that.

Similarly, there were existing and new sponsors who approached Lee Mu hoping for a collaboration. To the public, they touted their support for Lee Mu, admiring him for his bravery, courage and honesty. Whether they were sincere or not, this was ultimately a business move. They just wanted to move into the growing LGBTQ market that now Lee Mu represented. There was nothing wrong with that, it was simply business.

With Lee Mu's permission, Zao Ming rejected all of the offers. Lee Mu wanted to stay away from the spotlight for a while, to enjoy the couple time that he and Zao Ming were deprived of before this. Furthermore, with the contract deal from Lin Kang's company, Lee Mu did not need to worry about his finances for quite some time. He had no one to answer to and that was what he needed. He wanted a period of peace and quiet at least until the shooting started for the sequel to Bringing the Nation's Husband Home. Zao Ming had no objection.

Lee Mu and Zao Ming's relationship had taken so much of the spotlight that not many was still concerned about Joann's scandal. Those who did either praised her for being a good friend or blamed her for being too hard on Lee Mu. Some even claimed that this was nothing more than pure damage control, which was not entirely untrue.

In any case, Xiu Ling's plan worked like a charm. People either forgave Joann or had her incident wiped from their consciousness due to a more sensational news.

Despite the conflicting reaction, at least the aim of the plan had been achieved. By exposing the nature of the relationship between Lee Mu and Zao Ming themselves, they took the power away from their blackmailer. The culprit now had nothing over the couple anymore. Most importantly, Lee Mu and Zao Ming did seem happier than before. If that was the only thing her plan managed to achieve, Xiu Ling would have been satisfied. There was nothing she liked more than seeing the joy of love in others.

This also marked a shift in Xiu Ling and Lin Kang's relationship. Xiu Ling was thankful that her husband was willing to place such deep trust in her. Technically, he had banked the future of his company on her back and instead of feeling pressured, Xiu Ling blossomed and bloomed with his vote of confidence.

Lin Kang on the other hand, was impressed and captivated by how his wife managed to pull off such a complicated plan with perfection and grace. Yes, she was indeed inspired by him but not everyone would be able to do what she did, to adopt a business tactic into a completely different scenario.