After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Oh, really? What’s the topic this time?” Ye Qin asked nonchalantly, as if it had nothing to do with her, or perhaps she was simply used to such things.

Wang Lin on the other end of the phone was panicking. “How can you be so calm? There are sensational rumors about your relationship plastered everywhere right now. Hurry up and prepare a statement.”

A relationship? Ye Qin laughed. Didn’t the media outlets writing these press releases check the facts? Even if she were desperate, she wouldn’t… Thinking of this, the smile suddenly froze on Ye Qin’s face. “I know, I’ll release a statement right away.”

On the other side, Wang Lin and the PR team were working together to suppress the negative online reports, steering public opinion in a positive direction. Regardless of who took the photos or who was behind it, dealing with the immediate crisis was the priority.

Shen Lu rushed to Ye Qin’s room after tidying up. Ye Qin was sitting in the living room, fiddling with her phone’s video function, seemingly preparing to film something. Seeing her, Ye Qin merely glanced up and said, “Perfect, you’re here. Come hold this for me.”

Shen Lu nodded, walked over, and helped hold the phone steady. Ye Qin casually tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up at Shen Lu. “Is this okay?”

Without any makeup, her skin was like cream, so flawless it seemed to the touch. Her skin was truly incredible. And those natural eyebrows, needing only minor touch-ups, looked naturally formed, becoming the most characteristic part of her face.

Shen Lu was slightly lost in thought until Ye Qin lightly coughed twice. “I asked you a question.”

“Ah, yes, it’s fine, you look great,” Shen Lu said.

Ye Qin pursed her lips, then started the video recording. She spoke to the camera, “Good morning, everyone. I’m Ye Qin. Regarding the baseless rumors that have been buzzing this morning, I’d like to offer an explanation,” she said, picking up a stack of scripts from the table. “I received an urgent notification from the director about script revisions right before wrapping up yesterday, so I pulled my assistant into the evening to go over lines. It might have been a bit late, which is why it led to such a big mix-up and misunderstanding…”

Shen Lu held the phone with both hands, afraid to move, just watching Ye Qin and listening to her record the explanatory statement. If you only looked at her face and listened to her voice, you’d think she was such a gentle girl. A girl like this should have grown up in a good family and environment, not… Thinking of this, Shen Lu felt a pang of pity for her again. Perhaps everyone has unknown and unspeakable pasts and secrets. If you don’t know them, please don’t define a person based only on their appearance or a one-sided impression.

After finishing the video recording, Ye Qin posted it on her Weibo and stood up. “Get ready, we’re heading to the set soon.” She then went to change. It was only then that Shen Lu realized Ye Qin had been… wearing pajamas just now?

Recording a video for fans in pajamas and without makeup—few actresses would dare to do that. Truly confident thanks to her good looks!

She quickly took out her phone to check the reactions of netizens. Sure enough, the video, posted two minutes ago, already had several hundred reposts and comments.

“I don’t care, I believe you unconditionally.”

“I knew it, how could our Qin’er have anything with her assistant?”

“Some media will really ignore facts just to grab attention now.”

“Beautiful Qin! Kisses mua~”

“…..”

As she scrolled, Shen Lu couldn’t help but smile. It was a good start; first, stabilize the fans’ emotions, then move on to resolving the remaining issues.

As soon as they stepped out of the hotel entrance, reporters and media swarmed in, and the scene quickly descended into chaos. They all spoke at once, aiming their microphones at Ye Qin, trying to fish for any snippet of information.

“Can you say a few more words about the assistant incident?”

“Are the things said online true?”

“Was your statement this morning voluntary?”

Ye Qin was quite straightforward. She offered a slight smile toward the cameras. “Of course, it was voluntary. No one can control me.” With that, she coldly turned and walked forward. Shen Lu cleverly stepped up to block the persistent media, saying, “Please move aside, everyone, move aside, don’t push.”

They finally managed to safely escort Ye Qin into the minivan. Sister Wang Lin turned around and gave her a slight reprimand. “In situations like this, it’s best to ignore the media. You might not be wrong in what you say, but even if you say just one extra sentence, they will deliberately twist your meaning and exaggerate it to the public.”

Ye Qin put on her sunglasses, held her head high haughtily, and after a long pause, simply said, “Understood.”

Shen Lu sat beside her, barely daring to breathe, let alone say another word. The atmosphere in the car this morning was… a bit tense.

After a long period of silence, Wang Lin, who was driving, suddenly spoke. “We have an unconfirmed rumor that Tan’s team is behind this.”

“Her again?” Ye Qin sneered.

But Shen Lu couldn’t stay calm and quickly asked, “Sister Wang, are you sure? Sister Xueying wouldn’t do that, she seems so nice.”

“Shen Lu, when did you defect to their side?” Wang Lin asked with a laugh. “And right now, it’s just a rumor; we can’t be certain. But their team has a history, so they are a suspect.”

“No, no, I just find it a bit hard to believe,” Shen Lu mumbled softly, instantly backing down.

Just then, Ye Qin, sitting next to her, floated a slightly sarcastic comment. “Shen Lu has admired Tan Xueying for a long time. Could you be a mole sent by them?”

“Sister, I’m not! I’m not!” Shen Lu nervously waved her hands. “What kind of joke are you making? How could I be a mole? I’m on Sister’s side! Heaven is my witness!”

Wang Lin laughed heartily from the front. “Ye Qin is just joking with you. Why are you so nervous, as if you really have some secret?”

Shen Lu then realized she had been tricked and pouted. Those two always teamed up to tease her. But if this incident really was caused by Tan Xueying, her image in Shen Lu’s mind would plummet. She had really enjoyed watching her dramas.

She leaned her face against the window, recalling how Tan Xueying had come to find her with a script yesterday afternoon. Connecting that with this series of events felt too coincidental.

Soon after arriving on set that morning, Tan Xueying came over to show concern. Of course, in Ye Qin’s view, everything Tan Xueying did now was insincere. “Thank you for your concern, Miss Tan. But a small matter like this won’t shake my foundation.”

Tan Xueying nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. “It’s good that you’re fine. The truth will come out eventually.”

“Yes, and when the truth comes out, some people’s true colors won’t be hidden anymore,” Ye Qin’s words were thinly veiled criticism. Tan Xueying’s assistant, feeling indignant, quickly pulled Tan Xueying away.

Shen Lu also felt uncomfortable and leaned in to whisper, “Sister, Sister Wang is only guessing right now. Don’t you think you’re being a bit too obvious?” Ye Qin shrugged, still unperturbed. “Am I?”

Shen Lu nodded heavily. “Very obvious. Someone who doesn’t know the situation would think the mastermind has already been identified.”

“Then let them think I’m doing it on purpose. I just want to make her feel uncomfortable.”

Shen Lu looked away. For some reason, she had a feeling that this time, the incident was not related to Tan Xueying.

It was during the lunch break. Some crew members were eating, others napping, and some were busy with equipment setup. Shen Lu had just taken the prepared bento box to Ye Qin’s resting room and walked out when she accidentally saw Tan Xueying talking to an unfamiliar man.

The distance was quite far, and she only heard fragments of words, something like “wasn’t discovered,” spoken very cautiously. Shen Lu’s heart tightened. Could it really be that she had masterminded a plot against Ye Qin?

The next moment, the unfamiliar man quietly took out a small bag from his pocket and handed it to Tan Xueying. Tan Xueying took it, then quickly looked around to make sure no one had seen her. She was extremely careful, which made Shen Lu even more suspicious. Something was definitely going on.

“Well then, Miss Tan, I’ll take my leave.”

Tan Xueying nodded. “Thank you for your trouble.” She then clutched the item in her hand, quickly slipped it into her bag, and walked out of the filming location.

Shen Lu, without a second thought, immediately followed her.

Tan Xueying was very cautious throughout the walk, wearing a baseball cap and a mask to avoid being recognized. Shen Lu followed her for several hundred meters, through a small alley, until she finally stopped. Tan Xueying paused at a flower bed, then pulled her mask down halfway to her chin. She took the bag out of her purse, opened it, and poured a handful of the contents out. Since she was still a bit far, Shen Lu couldn’t see clearly and moved a little closer.

Just then, a skinny, scrawny yellow kitten slowly emerged from the flower bed and licked Tan Xueying’s wrist, very affectionately, like a long-time friend. Tan Xueying smiled and sprinkled the cat food in front of the kitten, gently saying, “Eat quickly. The set has been so busy these past few days. I’m a little late, don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Shen Lu stood behind her, her heart seemingly softening, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but smile with relief. How could someone as kind and gentle as Sister Xueying do something to harm Ye Qin? And the previous incident was done by her team without her approval; as an artist, she often had little say except to obey. Shen Lu didn’t blame her.

“You still found me, huh?” Tan Xueying said, her back to Shen Lu.

Shen Lu froze, instinctively preparing to turn and run, but it was too late. “Sister Xueying… I… I didn’t mean to follow you.”

Tan Xueying stroked the quiet, obedient kitten that was eating, then turned around and sat down on the edge of the flower bed. She patted the spot next to her and smiled at Shen Lu. “Come and sit.”

Shen Lu was a little overwhelmed but nodded and went to sit down. “I never thought Sister Xueying had such a big heart,” Shen Lu said, looking at the kitten.

Tan Xueying gave a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s not really about having a big heart. I just can’t stand to see them suffer. They are pitiful enough to be abandoned by their owners since birth. I just do what I can. But my manager never really allows me to feed stray cats and dogs, so I have to do this secretly behind her back.”

“I’m sorry, I… I thought…” Shen Lu lowered her head, feeling extremely ashamed that she had thought that of her and had followed her.

Tan Xueying smiled, as if she had already anticipated everything. “I know. After this incident, many people in the industry suspect I did it, but it really wasn’t me. I wouldn’t be so foolish as to frame her at such a critical moment,” she said, looking at Shen Lu with a very serious gaze. “Do you believe me?”

Shen Lu nodded heavily, answering almost without hesitation, “I believe you.”

This startled Tan Xueying; she was clearly surprised, especially since this girl was on Ye Qin’s side.

Shen Lu realized she had been a little too enthusiastic and quickly explained, “Actually, I’ve always believed in you. Sister Xueying, don’t be discouraged. The truth will always come to light.”

“Mhm.” Tan Xueying smiled slightly and subconsciously reached out to gently stroke Shen Lu’s head. “Thank you, Shen Lu.”

She actually remembered my name… Shen Lu’s heart started beating faster.