Zhang Ran acted swiftly. While he was having instant noodles as a sacrificial offering for his internal organs at home, Mu Chen called him to inform him about Lu Ze's situation.

Lu Ze was a student in the drama department, second year, class three of the Performance Division. However, Zhang Ran didn't manage to obtain his phone number because the female students from Lu Ze's school in the production crew were not close to him at all, so they didn't have his number.

After Mu Chen received Zhang Ran's call, his agency posted a statement on Weibo, stating that the rumors circulating on the internet today about Mu Chen being involved with a newcomer male actor are not true. The two of them are merely actors of the same drama production. Mu Chen got drunk at the wrap party and mistakenly entered the wrong room, where Lu Ze, seeing that he was incapacitated, let him stay for the night. The statement also concluded by warning that legal actions will be taken if any media or individuals maliciously exploit this incident for hype.

After the company issued this statement, the official promotion account of the "Memories of Early Summer" drama crew reposted this Weibo post and helped to explain it.

Mu has been in the entertainment industry for quite some time, about three to four years. He has seen it all, so this kind of statement is practically useless. The media may tone down their reporting and be more cautious with their wording. As for the uninformed netizens, with so many people discussing this matter, why would they be afraid of any potential repercussions?

So, Mu Chen felt that he had to rely on himself for this matter.

In the afternoon, Mu Chen changed into plain clothes. He wore a light-colored T-shirt with knee-length denim shorts, and on his feet were a pair of white sneakers. He tried to make himself look like a student, then put on sunglasses and went out.

He drove for over an hour before arriving at the Drama Academy, and then parked the car near the entrance.

Standing at the school gate, Mu Chen gazed at the tall and artistically-designed entrance, unable to help but sigh. If he had had the opportunity to study here for a few years back then, would he still have been criticized by haters for his poor acting skills now?

Inside the school gate, the doorman, with a drowsy expression, allowed Muru Chen to easily enter the campus.

The Drama Academy campus is shaded by green trees, creating a serene environment. Even on scorching summer days, one can feel a hint of coolness while walking along the tree-lined path. However, it's too quiet, without a single soul in sight. He wanted to find someone to ask for directions to the Performance Department, but no luck. Fortunately, he found a map of the campus and took a photo of it with his phone, so he wouldn't get lost in the school.

The school was so quiet. At dusk, he thought that everyone would be in class at this time. But when he followed the instructions on the campus map and arrived at the teaching building where the performing arts department was located, he found that there was no one inside the building.

Checking the time on his phone, Muchen suddenly realized that it was already August and the school was on summer break.

It's all because he, as an actor, works day and night, and ends up forgetting about time.

Murong busily turned off the airplane mode on his phone and made a call to Zhang Ran. "Zhang Ran, why didn't you tell me that Lu Ze and his classmates are on vacation?"

Zhang Ran over there was a little speechless towards Mu Chen. "Brother Chen, not only the drama academy, but all the schools in the country, including kindergartens, should be on vacation this month. Besides, you didn't tell me that you were going to the school to find Lu Ze."

Muchen realized that he had probably misunderstood the situation and was at fault himself. If he had just checked the calendar before leaving, he wouldn't have wasted a trip for nothing.

When about to hang up the phone, Zhang Ran suddenly said, "But I heard from some female students in their school that the Performance Department seems to be having some kind of public welfare activity outside the campus today. They will gather and disperse at the school as a whole. It's almost five o'clock now, so it should be ending soon. Why don't you wait nearby?"

"I don't think I need to wait any longer." After saying these words, Muchen hung up the phone and hid behind a big tree on the side of the road.

A group of students were walking towards the direction of the teaching building along the shaded path.

There were about twenty students in this group, presumably from the same class. As they walked past Mu Chen, they chatted and laughed, discussing the activities they would be doing outside of school that day.

At the end of the group, a tall and slender boy followed them, keeping a distance of two or three meters. He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with a black backpack slung over his shoulder. He walked while playing with his phone, occasionally looking down.

The person in question is Lu Ze, who seems unaffected by the scandal and wears a faint smile on his face.

When Lu Ze passed by, Mu Chen suddenly dashed out from behind a big tree and caught hold of Lu Ze's arm, pulling him into the small tree grove by the side of the road.