Just as everyone was speculating when the last woman in the photo would come forward to explain, it was Zhou Yi himself who posted on Weibo.
He used the account "Zhou Yi's Little Assistant," posting at 8 PM—prime time for everyone to scroll online.
Originally, Kong Huaijin had wanted You Man to step forward and clarify things too, but Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes and rejected the idea. He had another plan in mind.
Having all four women explain would seem too strange.
Among them, Su Ning and Kong Huaijin were both daughters of corporate tycoons, so it was inevitable they’d care about their reputations and speak up.
Jiang Ruolan was his assistant, and with such rumors circulating, she naturally had to clarify things. As Zhou Yi’s subordinate, her explanation was perfectly reasonable.
But You Man’s identity didn’t need to be exposed.
Zhou Yi directly posted a long Weibo—not a formal statement, just a text-only post.
"I’ve always been grateful for everyone’s love and attention. Regarding this incident, I believe the ladies involved have already explained everything clearly. I deeply apologize for the trouble this has caused them and sincerely appreciate their willingness to speak up."
"However, as for the last woman in the photo, I don’t want her to be the subject of further discussion. She is my benefactor, one of my closest family members."
"When I was still an orphan, she took me in, provided me with a salary, and made it possible for me to attend university. Back then, I was just an ordinary college student with nothing to my name."
"Two years ago, I was struggling on the fringes of survival. I wasn’t the polished, successful person you see today—I couldn’t afford to start a company or buy a sports car. She reached out to me during my darkest hour, and I will be forever grateful for her kindness. To me, she is family."
"Later, my biological parents found me, and I gained everything I have now. But I’ve never forgotten who stood by me when I had nothing. To repay her, we opened a restaurant together. The photo was taken when I went to visit her."
"She won’t be explaining anything, nor does she need to. I don’t want anyone disturbing her peaceful life."
"If there’s anything else you’d like to ask, I’ll be going live at 10 PM to address it."
Zhou Yi’s post was packed with revelations.
[Wait, Zhou Yi used to be an orphan?! I always thought he was some rich heir!]
["Struggling on the fringes of survival"—orphan, couldn’t afford college... How much hardship did our Zhou Yi endure to get where he is today?]
[And now, because of this mess, he’s had to reveal his past as an orphan. Honestly, the real "orphans" here are the cyberbullies causing this drama.]
[No wonder he donated to orphanages before. It all makes sense now.]
[This woman must mean a lot to him if he’s shielding her from public scrutiny and explaining things himself. What a responsible man.]
[Zhou Yi’s pretty brave for openly admitting he was an orphan. Most people would never own up to something like that to protect their image.]
["Nor does she need to"—what a firm response. Must’ve really hit his limit.]
[I’m tuning into the livestream tonight. Can’t wait to see what happens.]
Before this, not everyone knew about his past as an orphan.
Most of the comments were filled with sympathy for Zhou Yi, heartbroken over his struggles. His single line about "struggling on the fringes of survival" was enough to tug at people’s heartstrings.
He didn’t need a long, pitiful story—just one sentence for the audience to imagine the rest.
Most netizens were ordinary people themselves, so they could easily empathize with someone from humble beginnings.
Zhou Yi’s move was nothing short of brilliant.
First, it shifted attention away from You Man. Without any influential background, her past would’ve inevitably become gossip fodder.
Second, it established a "beautiful, strong, tragic" persona. Compared to a privileged rich heir, this backstory was far more compelling, earning both sympathy and admiration.
Third, the livestream. He was bound to step into the spotlight eventually, and what could’ve been a purely negative scandal had turned into a PR win in less than a day.
By capitalizing on the hype, he could attract more fans and lay the groundwork for future projects—his popularity points were skyrocketing.
The person most moved by this post was You Man.
Earlier, she had suggested recording a video explanation like Jiang Ruolan, but Zhou Yi had refused.
He didn’t want her subjected to public judgment and scrutiny.
She was a widow. If she didn’t disclose that, people would question whether her husband would be okay with her helping a young college student like Zhou Yi.
But if she did reveal her widow status, even more rumors would emerge.
Did she have ulterior motives for helping Zhou Yi? Were they involved romantically? Had she been with other men since becoming a widow?
If she spoke up, these discussions were inevitable. Netizens had no filter—he was afraid You Man wouldn’t be able to handle the cruelty.
Zhou Yi’s strategy worked. The focus had shifted to his orphan past, the mystery of his parents, and the upcoming livestream.
You Man’s presence faded into the background. No one even knew her name—just that she was a kind-hearted woman.
As You Man read the post, her nose tingled. The line about her being "one of his closest family members" made her eyes well up.
Romantic relationships were fragile—love was ever-changing, and no one could guarantee forever.
But family? That was a bond that couldn’t be broken.
You Man smiled, reassured.
Now she knew—no matter what, she and Zhou Yi would never be separated.
As for Kong Huaijin and the others, none of them doubted Zhou Yi’s relationship with You Man. Seeing him explain things this way only made him seem loyal and responsible.
By the end of the day, Zhou Yi had become a household name.
Even those who hadn’t known him before were now aware of him thanks to the drama.
His popularity points surged, and his earnings doubled.
Zhou Yi wasn’t sure whether to curse or thank the person who’d stirred up this mess.
The funniest part? He’d gained a wave of male fans, all eager to tune into his livestream and ask how he’d managed to win over so many goddesses.
This wasn’t just some playboy behavior—these women were all claiming to be the ones secretly in love with him, while Zhou Yi hadn’t made a single move or commitment. What kind of sorcery was this?
If they had that many wealthy, beautiful women pining after them, they’d be the happiest men alive.
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
