The antic.i.p.ated day of the release of the movie came, but the premiere did not proceed without drama as hoped. Through the machinations of the Zhong Industries subsidiaries involved in TQA"s production, there were no other important events in Supreme City scheduled during the chosen release day to maximise the impact. However, even the best-laid plans did not always proceed as expected.
In the morning, on that day, a huge piece of news was leaked: Little Ninja Cat was the estranged daughter mentioned in the Murong scandal.
The news was released through an unaffiliated account on social media. Zhong Feng had used his resources to ensure that news and blog platforms did not release anything relating to this matter. But even he was limited. He could not control individual accounts on every network.
The netizens latched onto this piece of news like piranhas that had scented blood in the water. The speculations about the truth were wild.
Some claimed it was impossible for this to be true. It seemed so farfetched. How could two people who had never been connected be related? They would only believe this ridiculous piece of news if there was hard proof in the form of birth records.
Others felt that it was not completely implausible. There were several comparisons of the facial features of Lu Liang and Hu Lei. Even though one was older, there was definite correlation in their appearance.
What was obvious to everyone was that someone was taking advantage of the recent popularity of Little Ninja Cat and TQA to get on the headlines.
The online discussions continued for the entire day. The only upside is that there were more people talking about the movie. Of course, most were interested in seeing the premiere interviews so that they could get a little more fodder for gossip.
Hu Lei did not mind the gossip, but Zhong Feng had serious frown lines as she prepared to leave the apartment.
"You knew that it would have come out sooner or later." Hu Lei sighed.
"Someone is trying to take advantage." Zhong Feng"s frown became deeper.
"I know. But we can"t let this influence our mood." She looked at herself in the mirror one more time and walked to him. She kissed his forehead. "Nothing can ruin the movie. Let"s go watch it tomorrow after Pierre leaves, ok?"
Zhong Feng knew that she was just trying to cheer him up, but he smiled. "Alright."
When Hu Lei and Pierre arrived and stepped onto the red carpet, the paparazzi and reporters almost went crazy. If it were not for the security, they would have probably jumped and attacked like zombies. The cameras flashed constantly.
Hu Lei was not comfortable with photos, but she had received some tips from the tour manager. Moreover, she was standing next to the ridiculously photogenic Pierre who drew her into his pace, making the experience a little less daunting.
"Little Ninja Cat, there is a rumour online that you are related to Lu Liang of the Murong family. Is this true?" One reporter shouted.
Microphones and cameras were pointed towards her face. Hu Lei smiled graciously. "Today, we are here to see a movie that a lot of people worked hard to bring into reality. I hope we can focus on that for the sake of that hard work. As for the rest, you will know soon enough."
This answer was along the lines that the manager had suggested. However, she had added the last part because she had a good guess on who had released the news.
The reporters seemed to have a conscience, or they were afraid of being thrown out before they could get a scoop, so no one pursued the matter further. They asked a few pertinent standard questions about the movie before one person asked another question to which they all wanted an answer.
"Miss Hu Lei, who is this handsome man with you?" A female reporter asked with burning eyes.
Hu Lei smiled. "This is Pierre. He is a renowned painter around the world. If you are interested in art, you should have heard of him."
There was a murmur in the crowd as some of the people realised that they had indeed heard of such a person.
"What is your relationship? Are you romantically involved?" The reporter pursued further.
Both Hu Lei and Pierre laughed.
"We are romantically involved," Hu Lei paused. "But with other people."
The eyes which had lit up, became dim and then lit up again.
"Then, what is your relationship?" Someone asked quickly.
Hu Lei looked at Pierre before responding. "He is like a mother to me." The two laughed again at their inside joke and declined to answer more questions.
The reporters looked at the person who had asked that last question with displeasure. They felt that he had wasted their chance to find out to whom the famous Little Ninja Cat was attached. Even though she was not an actress or idol, that information could still light fires online. After all, there were entertainment industry insider rumours that both Bei Gong Hai and Qi Han were interested in her.