After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Being on the hot search list wasn’t a rare thing for Ye Qin, as she was essentially a walking hot-topic magnet. Any slight movement she made could easily land her on the trending list. For her industry peers who struggled to make the hot search, or even those who had to pay for it, this made her an object of bitter jealousy.

Shen Lu opened the first trending topic, which was about Ye Qin’s late-night hospitalization. The photos were released by the media early this morning, and the topic had climbed to the top within just two hours. Her fans were anxiously concerned about Ye Qin’s health.

“Oh my god, what happened?” “My heart aches, I wish I could suffer for her.” “She looks so thin and frail normally; I feel like her body can’t handle the doctor’s poking.” “I hope Qin Qin is safe and sound!” “……”

Shen Lu clicked on the second hot search as well. It was also related to Ye Qin’s hospitalization last night, but the focus had shifted to her, and the title had changed directly to “Ye Qin’s Assistant.”

“The little assistant is simply our Qin Qin’s great benefactor!” “Thank you so much for taking care of our Qin all the time.” “Calling you to cheer you on.” “……”

Shen Lu felt an inexplicable thrill and a bit of vanity reading these complimentary comments, covering her face and smiling like an idiot at her phone. Just then, Sister Wang came in after finishing the discharge procedures. Shen Lu quickly returned to reality, put away her phone, and reported, “Sister Wang, Sister is trending again.”

“I know,” Sister Wang replied. “Use your account to post a statement saying she’s fine now.”

Shen Lu nodded, then was slightly surprised. “Use my account?”

Sister Wang looked at her. “Is there a problem?”

“No, no problem. I’ll do it right away.”

At this moment, Ye Qin had also changed out of her patient gown, looking clean and sharp. She left with Sister Wang. Shen Lu was responsible for carrying the bags and trailing behind, mentally organizing her words on how to announce the news to the fans. It was odd; Sister Wang usually handled these things. Why was she giving it to her today? Perhaps she wanted to train her? Shen Lu guessed.

The three of them had just reached the ground floor and hadn’t even exited the hospital when they were mobbed by the media gathered outside the hospital building. Ye Qin didn’t want to be photographed looking listless, so she pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag and put them on expressionlessly. Only then, under the escort of the hospital security, her manager, and her assistant, did she successfully return to the nanny van.

“I bought you breakfast in the car, have some. You really need to be more responsible for your own health,” Sister Wang said after getting in.

Shen Lu sat next to Ye Qin and glanced at the box of muffins, silently swallowing. She hadn’t eaten anything since being called away late last night and was ravenous. It seemed she would only be able to squeeze in a bite once they reached the film set.

“Got it,” Ye Qin replied. She reached for only a box of milk, then reached for a single muffin, and then said to Shen Lu, “You eat the rest.”

“Huh?” Shen Lu gave a small gasp of surprise.

“You don’t want it?”

“I want it, I’ll eat it!” Shen Lu didn’t hesitate or stand on ceremony, picked up the box of muffins, and started eating large mouthfuls. It was truly delicious.

Just then, Sister Wang, who was driving, asked, “Did you do what I told you to do?”

Shen Lu froze for a moment. “Sister Wang, not yet… I’m organizing the words in my head. I promise I’ll post it before we get to the set.”

Shen Lu quickly finished the box of muffins. Firstly, because they were genuinely delicious, and secondly, because she was so hungry she devoured them like a starving wolf. After tossing the last piece into her mouth, Shen Lu quietly looked down at her waistline, giving it a self-conscious feel. It seemed she needed to control herself in the future. Although her figure was average—not too fat, not too thin—standing next to a female artist like Ye Qin, she still felt like an inflated balloon. They were so thin yet still worked hard to maintain their figure, while she…

Remembering the task Sister Wang assigned, Shen Lu didn’t dare to delay a moment longer. She quickly wiped her hands, took out her phone, and opened her Weibo account, noticing a sudden increase of 1000+ followers in her backend. Was it because of today’s hot search boost?

I’m here to report on Ye Qin’s current condition. She has been discharged from the hospital and is back at the film set. There are no major health issues, and she thanks everyone for their concern. She thought for a moment and then posted it. Sister Wang had once said that in the entertainment industry, saying less is always better than saying more, as saying more easily leads to more mistakes and gives those with bad intentions opportunities to find flaws and cause trouble.

Soon after the Weibo post was published, comments started pouring in. Although they were commenting under Shen Lu’s Weibo, she was self-aware enough to know that everyone was only paying attention to her because of Ye Qin.

“Thank you, Ye Qin’s assistant.” “It’s really great that she’s okay!” “Our Qin will be relying on you to take care of her from now on.” “Thank you, and you’ve worked hard too.” “…..”

She had to admit, seeing these comments made Shen Lu feel warm inside. At least everyone saw everything she did, and at least some people remembered her kindness. That was enough for her.

In a flash, the car had arrived at the filming location. Shen Lu had also just completed the task Sister Wang had given her, and she put away her phone, satisfied, ready to face the work on the set.

Having followed Ye Qin for three years, Shen Lu was already familiar with the work involved. An assistant’s duties include all aspects of the artist’s daily life, clothing, food, and various needs on set. Sometimes, fans would even visit the set, and if the artist was unwilling or unable to receive them, Shen Lu was responsible for managing the situation.

“Director, I’m not late, am I?” Ye Qin went to greet the director as soon as she arrived.

The director smiled warmly. “No, no, see? Not all the people in my crew are here yet. I saw the news that you were hospitalized last night. How are you? Are you alright? Maybe you shouldn’t film today and should go back to the hotel to rest.”

“No need, I’m fine now,” Ye Qin replied with a slight smile.

“Then how about this? I’ll schedule your first scene this morning as the second scene, so you won’t be rushing.”

“Seriously, there’s no need. I’m fine,” Ye Qin insisted. “Thank you for your concern, Director.”

That “thank you” truly touched the director’s heart. “Alright, if you insist on not resting, I won’t force you. The crew’s makeup artist should be arriving soon. You can go to the makeup room and wait.”

Ye Qin nodded. She didn’t want to be labeled as lazy or have people gossip about her behind her back. Many special treatments were best avoided if possible. Furthermore, she wasn’t the only big name in this drama. It wasn’t easy for everyone to clear their schedules. If filming was postponed because of her, people might attack her with verbal knives behind her back.

Just after Ye Qin arrived, the other female lead also made her entrance.

The assistant opened the car door for her, and Tan Xueying stepped out slowly, her gait gentle. She immediately noticed Ye Qin’s nanny van. “It looks like she arrived first. Li Li, go get the things we prepared.”

Li Li pouted reluctantly. “I know.”

I can’t believe Sister Xueying wants to be such a good person, Li Li thought as she opened the trunk and lifted out the fruit basket they had specially bought from the imported fruit store earlier.

“Let’s go in,” Tan Xueying said with a glance.

Li Li had no choice but to carry the fruit basket and follow her inside. They happened to meet the director, Li Juncheng, who was directing the scene and greeted him.

The director looked at the fruit basket in Tan Xueying’s assistant’s hand and asked curiously, “Is that for Ye Qin?”

Tan Xueying smiled slightly. “Yes, it is.”

The director was a little surprised. “The internet says that you two female leads are at loggerheads, but now it seems that the media might be mistaken. However, if you two can get along peacefully, it will be beneficial for my future filming. After all, this is the first GL drama I’ve directed in my life. I have high hopes for it and full confidence in both of you.”

Tan Xueying nodded slightly. “Thank you for the director’s kindness. Xueying will certainly live up to expectations.”

The director smiled with satisfaction. “I’m not worried about that. Your acting skills are among the best of the post-90s generation in the industry. It’s Ye Qin on the other side who might need you to be a little more accommodating. I’ll also guide her more during the shoot.”

“Alright, you go get ready,” the director said.

Li Juncheng was very satisfied with the casting. It was well-thought-out: veteran actor + high-traffic celebrity, an absolutely perfect pairing. This ensured both the quality of the acting and the topic’s popularity.

Tan Xueying went to her makeup room. Just as she sat down, she remembered that the fruit basket hadn’t been delivered yet. Since the makeup artist had just arrived and was about to start her makeup, she had to ask her assistant, Li Li, to deliver it.

“Li Li, take this fruit basket to the room opposite ours.”

“….Got it, Sister,” Li Li reluctantly picked up the exquisite fruit basket from the table and went out.

The makeup artist was applying makeup to Ye Qin for the first scene when a knock came at the door. Shen Lu ran to open it and found that it was Tan Xueying’s assistant from the room opposite, carrying a fruit basket.

“Here, from Sister Xueying,” Li Li said, still sounding a bit arrogant.

Shen Lu smiled and reached out to take it. “Thank you. And please thank Sister Xueying on behalf of Sister Ye Qin.”

Li Li simply curled her lip, turned, and walked away unhappily.

Shen Lu closed the door and came in, smiling as she looked at the fruit basket in her hands. Ye Qin caught a glimpse of it in the mirror and asked, “Why would someone bring this?” She thought it might be a gift from a fan that a staff member helped bring in.

Shen Lu acknowledged it and replied, “It’s from Sister Xueying across the hall. Perhaps she heard about your hospitalization and wanted to check up on you.”

In this area, it was customary to send a fruit basket to someone who was discharged from the hospital as a form of celebration.

“I don’t want it. Throw it away,” Ye Qin said coldly from in front of the mirror.

“But Sister… this is someone’s kind gesture…” Shen Lu murmured, but she knew that once Ye Qin made up her mind about something, her persuasions wouldn’t change anything. She quietly placed the fruit basket on a nearby chair.

Makeup artists for celebrities often hear the most gossip, but they usually don’t spread it privately, only perhaps telling close friends and family.

This is why people often hear rumors but have no concrete proof. Rumors are mixed with truth and falsehood, and once the artist’s team manages the PR, even fewer people believe them.

With her makeup done, Ye Qin picked up the script for the first scene, ready to head out. Before leaving, she glanced at the fruit basket on the chair and instructed Shen Lu, “When I return, I don’t want to see this.”

Shen Lu quickly nodded with her head down. “I understand.”

“Such good fruit, from a chain of imported fruit brands in the country. A basket like this… must cost at least a thousand yuan…” Shen Lu muttered to herself. “It’s such a waste….” It was a pity. This wasn’t the kind of luxury an ordinary person like her could enjoy. Other people could casually discard thousands of yuan, while she had to work tirelessly for a few thousand yuan a month.

The gap between people was truly immense.

Ye Qin went ahead to the set to wait, using the time before filming to review her lines. She had read the script for this drama a while ago. The story was good, but the emotional journey between the two female leads was a bit too tortured and melodramatic. The context of the drama was set in a time when same-sex relationships were not permitted. This was Ye Qin’s first attempt at such a theme, and she didn’t know how she would perform or if the fans and audience would like it.

Since the major law change, movies and TV series with male-male romance themes had been produced successively, but female-female themes had remained rare. It was only in the past year that they had become popular, prompting many big or emerging directors to transition and try new subjects, seizing the current trend.

The actors, including Ye Qin, were doing the same, following the popular trend. Perhaps they could achieve another major success. She knew her acting skills had always lacked recognition, and the more this was the case, the more she wanted to prove herself.

Tan Xueying finished her makeup and changed into her costume, then came out, wanting to go over the lines for the first scene with Ye Qin. Ye Qin agreed. Despite how much she disliked the other person, she was very serious about her work. After all, business was business, and private matters were private.

Director Li Juncheng was very pleased to see this. As long as the two of them remained harmonious until the end of the drama, everything would be fine.

Wang Lin was present but did not step forward to interrupt. From her perspective, Ye Qin was sensible enough to put aside her personal grievances and prejudices for the sake of work.

Her team and Tan Xueying’s team had been at odds for a long time, and everyone knew it. However, this was the first time they had both agreed to take on the same project. In the past, if one knew the other was involved, they would usually refuse and turn down the role. Perhaps this time, they both had their eyes on the same prize and neither was willing to let go.

One, an experienced actor, desperately needed an award to prove herself; the other, a high-traffic celebrity, desperately needed a work that could prove her acting skills. Each was simply pursuing their own needs.

Ye Qin played a minor company employee, and Tan Xueying played the company CEO. They were in a superior-subordinate relationship. When Tan Xueying’s assistant, Li Li, found out, she joked that Ye Qin was destined to always be suppressed by her.

Tan Xueying coughed uncomfortably. “Improper wording… Also, regardless of their relationship in the drama, they eventually become lovers.”

Li Li had nothing more to say.

During a break in filming, Ye Qin sat on a resting chair, drinking water, touching up her makeup, and reviewing the script. Tan Xueying had to return to her dressing room briefly. Unexpectedly, she ran into Shen Lu coming out with the fruit basket halfway. She asked suspiciously, “This is…?”

Shen Lu sighed helplessly, feeling extremely embarrassed. “Sister told me to throw this away. I’m truly sorry, Sister Xueying, for disappointing your kindness.”

Tan Xueying was stunned for a moment, then showed her a smile. “If you don’t mind, you can take it home and eat it yourself. The fruit is all the freshest. It would be a waste to throw it away like this.”

“R-really?” Shen Lu was surprised. She looked down at the fruit basket again, indeed thinking it was a shame—imported fruit worth thousands of yuan.

Tan Xueying smiled slightly, radiating a gentle, perfect, and intelligent aura. “Of course, it’s true.”

Shen Lu was a little dazed. She… is so nice.