Meng Jingwei withdrew her gaze. "Directors, rest assured, I will film diligently. But for now..." she pointed outside the set, "I'd like to meet the reporters."
The reporters were quick; upon hearing the news, they swarmed over.
She also wanted to take this opportunity to explain the "fake divorce" to the outside world.
Considering Meng Jingwei's earlier words, the directors didn't stop her. They made way, allowing her to confidently accept interviews.
Just as she had said, she could now leverage the news of Qing Muye's bankruptcy to generate buzz.
Meng Jingwei, still in her costume, walked out of the set with graceful steps, head held high and chest out.
From a distance, she saw the throng of reporters surrounding the set. Many crew members were trying to hold them back, fearing they might rush into the filming area.
Meng Jingwei walked past them calmly. Wherever she went, she inevitably drew pointing fingers and hushed discussions.
"My goodness, what's going on?"
"Meng Jingwei hasn't divorced Qing Muye yet?"
"Mr. Qing is already bankrupt, and she's stepping forward now. That's truly brave."
"To be honest, I admire her. But didn't Mr. Qing like our lead actress before? What's going on?"
"I don't know, who can tell."
...
Qing Muye was a well-known business prodigy in Lancheng. He had built his own business empire from scratch, becoming a "favored son of heaven" in everyone's eyes and the ideal match for countless women.
Now, his sudden downfall was met with sighs of regret.
"Meng Jingwei, Meng Jingwei is out!"
"Look, Meng Jingwei is out."
"Meng Jingwei, are you and Qing Muye truly divorced?"
...
As soon as Meng Jingwei emerged from the set, the reporters descended upon her like starved wolves upon plump meat, their eyes gleaming as if they could devour her.
Crew members struggled to restrain over a dozen reporters armed with cameras and microphones. More reporters were rushing towards the scene.
Listening to the reporters' incessant chatter, Meng Jingwei furrowed her brow. She raised her hand to signal for quiet and then spoke louder, "This is a film set. You can interview, but you must follow the rules."
She stepped forward, opened the cordon, and stood outside the set.
Then, the microphones in the reporters' hands were thrust towards her. Some entertainment reporters' microphones nearly poked her in the face.
"Meng Jingwei, is your divorce with Qing Muye real or fake?"
"What were the reasons for your divorce?"
"He's bankrupt, how can you still be in the mood to film?"
"Didn't Qing Muye announce their divorce? I heard he also fell for the film empress Tang Wanxing?"
"What exactly is going on with you two?"
"Are you deliberately deceiving the public?"
"A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Seeing Mr. Qing on the verge of bankruptcy, did you intentionally post on Weibo to salvage this marriage?"
"How much money can you earn acting? Now that you're suddenly revealing the divorce, aren't you just after his wealth? Has Qing Muye already transferred his assets?"
...
Facing the reporters' barrage of questions, Meng Jingwei felt a pounding headache.
But she stood tall, her clear, dark eyes scanning the multitude of reporters. She pursed her red lips, remaining silent, yet exuding an undeniable aura.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"What do you mean by not speaking?"
"Are you trying to evade reality?"
"If you don't want to be interviewed, why did you come out? Aren't you just trying to piggyback on the hype?"
...
Seeing her silence, the reporters began to make malicious speculations again.
Meng Jingwei knitted her brows. Her thin lips parted, but with immense authority, she said, "You're all chirping like sparrows, asking so many questions. Which one am I supposed to answer?"
"If you want an interview, ask one by one. If you don't, then this is where it ends," she stated sternly.