Chapter 263: You Provoked Him on Purpose?

Quincy Usher was nursing a grudge, determined to make a huge scene.

Since Adrian Lancaster had been heartless enough to kick him off the production, he couldn’t be blamed for getting nasty.

He went straight to the production’s official Weibo announcement and posted several scathing comments, making sure to mention Adrian by name. The post quickly started gaining traction.

When he posted the first comment, Adrian’s fans didn’t even realize the attack was aimed at their idol.

Based on fan photos, Adrian and Quincy had always seemed to be on great terms, and Quincy had even interacted with fans in Adrian’s official fan community before.

With Evelyn Lowe’s career imploding over the past couple of days, it wasn’t as if no one had tried to sling mud at Adrian Lancaster. But Quincy had publicly supported Adrian on Weibo, calling him humble, polite, and approachable, adding that Adrian often invited him to hang out in his trailer. This had earned him a lot of goodwill with Adrian’s fanbase.

So when they saw his first angry comment, they assumed he was just joking. They tried to smooth things over, saying the "little bro" was just being ironic.

But Quincy immediately shot back, "Who’s your ’little bro’? Don’t you understand seniority? Get on your knees and bow to your master."

The fans were stunned. How could he just turn on them like that?

The anti-fans, however, started fanning the flames, mocking Adrian’s fanbase for trying to kiss up to someone who was insulting them. ’How stupid can you get?’

Because Quincy kept arguing with everyone online, even uninvolved onlookers, not just fans, started to think the young actor must have suffered some terrible injustice.

Quincy was also a master at manipulating emotions. His latest post showed him packing his things, preparing to "get the hell out" of the production. He promised to talk to everyone later about Adrian using his position to sleep with female actresses on set.

The comments section erupted into chaos. Fans accused him of spreading baseless rumors and threatened to gather evidence against him, anti-fans cheered him on for taking a hard stance, and onlookers just grabbed their popcorn to watch the show.

Quincy hadn’t expected the online reaction to be this massive. The topic had completely blown up.

He finished packing his suitcase and was just about to leave when someone blocked his way.

"Well now, big bro, to what do I owe the honor?" Quincy tilted his head up with a smile, his attitude as enthusiastic as ever.

Adrian Lancaster said, "Quincy, we need to talk."

"What do you want to talk about, bro? I really respect you, and I’ll never forget how good you’ve been to me." Quincy surreptitiously reached for his phone. ’This is perfect, ready-made content just walking right up to me.’

Adrian Lancaster had always thought well of Quincy. The kid was enthusiastic and driven. Even if he was being impulsive this time, Adrian believed they could still shake hands and make peace.

"Could you please delete those posts..." Adrian had barely begun to speak when another voice cut in, overriding his.

"You broke my phone, and you still haven’t paid for it," Jane Lancaster said, walking over. "Are you going to pay up? If not, I’m calling the police."

Quincy’s expression instantly darkened. "Go on, call the cops if you’ve got the guts! If I go down, I’m taking you all with me!"

The manager, trying to de-escalate, cut in. "We’re not going to call the police..."

Jane Lancaster looked utterly exasperated.

’This manager is useless. Still trying to smooth things over at a time like this? The story has already blown up online. With this much attention, the last thing that guy wants is to de-escalate.’

’He’s already gotten a taste of what he can gain by attacking Adrian; why would he ever agree to a truce? Of course he’s going to keep it up. He’s trying to go for the jackpot.’

’As long as he sticks to his persona, he knows that even infamy is a kind of fame.’

’He has nothing to lose, while you have everything. Once he latches onto you, he’ll be impossible to shake off, just waiting to suck you dry.’

’And you want to shake hands and make peace? Be careful, or he’ll post this whole conversation online in a heartbeat.’

Adrian Lancaster lowered his gaze. He hadn’t wanted to come here in the first place. In the end, it was the manager who had insisted on trying to sweep things under the rug.

Jane Lancaster was right. You couldn’t be lenient with people like him.

"That’s right, we’re here about compensation," Adrian said, changing his tune. "You broke production property, and the crew is calculating the damages for that. But the phone was our personal property. We’ll need you to pay for it now."

Quincy was dumbfounded. ’Have they not been online? How dare they act so tough with me right now?’

Jane Lancaster pressed him. "Hurry up and pay! You’re not leaving today until you do!"

Adrian Lancaster stepped in front of Quincy, his six-foot-one frame casting an imposing shadow. His eyes were cold. "Are you planning to get physical?"

Quincy secretly gritted his teeth, memorizing their treacherous expressions. Reluctantly, he transferred the money to Jane Lancaster.

’It’s not that I’m afraid I can’t take Adrian in a fight,’ he thought. ’This is just a strategic retreat!’

The moment he was out of the hotel and in a taxi, he started posting on Weibo again.

’So the fans say I have no evidence, that I’m just making things up and slandering people? Fine. I’ll give them some hard proof!’

He uploaded the screenshot of the money transfer and a photo of Jane Lancaster entering Adrian’s trailer—the final nail in the coffin to prove that Adrian was sleeping with actresses on set.

—

The manager’s head was pounding. "Adrian, why did you have to go along with her nonsense!"

This didn’t have to involve Adrian at all, but now Quincy’s fury was directed solely at him.

No matter how you looked at it, the costs far outweighed the benefits.

"He’s spreading rumors that you’re sleeping with an actress from the cast, and now the entire internet is trying to figure out who it is. They’re ready to dig up every last secret on all of the main actors."

"We can gather evidence and sue him, sure, but by the time we clear your name, you’ll already be buried under a mountain of tabloid gossip!"

"And don’t forget Joy Larson. You called out Luna’s name on that show, and people were already rumoring that you two were having an affair. What if she decides to use this for some free publicity?"

"You’re overthinking it," Jane Lancaster said coolly.

The manager was unconvinced. "Fine, then you tell me what we’re supposed to do now."

Jane Lancaster, scrolling through another phone, saw Quincy’s latest post. The corners of her lips curved into a slight smile.

’I figured he must have secretly snapped a picture of me getting into the trailer earlier.’

’That guy is so two-faced. He warned me to stay away from the trailer, saying the hardcore fans with cameras might get a shot of me, but he was the one taking pictures the whole time.’

"There it is. His biggest lie," she said. "Once we debunk this, nothing else he says will be credible."

The manager saw the latest post, too, and was completely floored.

How could Quincy be stupid enough to think Jane Lancaster was the actress Adrian was sleeping with?

This was a twist no one saw coming!

It dawned on Adrian Lancaster. "You provoked him on purpose just now, didn’t you?"

Jane Lancaster smiled. "What do you think?"

’Of course I did it on purpose. The guy’s a total man-child, so easy to manipulate.’

’As long as I draw his fire, he’s sure to focus all his attention on me instead of fabricating stories about the other actresses...’

As Jane Lancaster thought of this, her expression darkened.

In the book, not long after this show wrapped, Adrian Lancaster fell into a coma after a major scandal and a poisoning attempt.

With the show’s broadcast seemingly doomed, another scandal erupted.

An internet influencer with the screen name "Lucky For Life" broke a story, claiming an actress had gone around in the middle of the night, knocking on the doors of the director, the assistant director, the stage manager, and the production coordinator.

The influencer spoke with absolute certainty and even provided photos of the actress knocking on doors late at night.

This kind of sex scandal immediately went viral. "Lucky For Life" became an overnight sensation, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers and widespread online acclaim.

The actress, unable to prove her innocence, ultimately took her own life.

This was all just part of the backstory; most details were fuzzy, but the actress’s name was crystal clear: Joy Larson. She bore a striking resemblance to Luna Morgan, the new lady of the Lowell family.

The kind-hearted Luna Morgan, unable to bear seeing the deceased used as a source of entertainment, spoke out, calling on the public to let the dead rest in peace, to show respect for the deceased and for life itself.

This earned Luna Morgan immense public goodwill. Her upcoming film received a massive amount of attention and became an instant blockbuster.