After Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Cold Film Queen - Chapter 57

“Aaaah! Ah, ah, ah, ah!”

Zhu Songning screamed silently in her heart, clutching her head.

Could someone please save her?

The enthusiastic discussions around her were making her feel almost mortified, giving her the distinct feeling of a junior employee having a secret, underground office romance with the CEO.

It was too thrilling.

It left her flattered yet anxious, and the palm of the hand clutching her phone was constantly sweating.

“Zhu-Zhu Sis!”

One of the trainees who was relatively familiar with her suddenly called out her name. Zhu Songning instantly looked up by reflex, and her phone nearly slipped from her hand.

Zhu Songning was roughly the same age as them, but among young people, there was a natural respect for those who were stronger, so they called her “Sis Zhu” or “Zhu-Zhu Sis.”

She had once tried to correct them, but before long, they were all back to calling her “Zhu-Zhu Sis,” and Zhu Songning, having no choice, gradually began to accept it.

“Hmm?”

Zhu Songning’s voice sounded a little flustered.

After a moment, she steadied her shaking nerves. “What is it?”

“I still can’t quite find the right note for this line…”

The trainee scratched her head shyly.

Zhu Songning put her phone back in her pocket. “Which line?”

The trainee handed her the printed sheet music.

While communicating with the trainee, Zhu Songning’s ears were filled with the comments being read by the other trainees gossiping about Shen Qingyu’s marriage.

“Look at this analysis: ‘Don’t look at how Shen-Yinghou only said two short sentences, but she revealed a huge amount of information!’”

“‘First point, someone in the industry; second point, a younger sister.’”

“‘And look at the last part of the dialogue screenshot, she’s probably a sweet girl, so good at acting spoiled (eating candy.jpg)’”

“‘But Shen-Yinghou has denied so many people in the industry already, who else could it be? I’m stumped.’”

“‘Doesn’t want to go public? Is there anyone these days who is dating Yu-Yu and doesn’t want to go public?’”

“‘I feel like Shen-Yinghou is really doting on her~ And she called her ‘little kid.’ The unreachable high-mountain goddess has descended, everyone—supreme delicacy!’”

Zhu Songning briefly refocused her mind and patiently guided the trainee seeking her advice.

“Here, I’ll sing it once for you as a demonstration.”

“No, you guys look at this one quickly!” Suddenly, a trainee from the gossip discussion group shrieked and jumped up. “‘Sisters, I’ve found a key point: Shen-Yinghou has never denied that her marriage partner is Zhu Songning’!”

As soon as her words fell, Zhu Songning’s final note suddenly went off-key, turning into an extremely awkward slide.

What was even more terrifying was that after the person spoke, the entire room fell into a peculiar, dead silence.

Even Luo Chuanhe, who was usually good at livening up the atmosphere, was uncharacteristically speechless.

Zhu Songning’s heart died a little inside again.

How could someone make such a direct accusation? That’s going too far, sis.

That trainee seemed to realize her mistake immediately. She became stiff and uneasy, her left knee restlessly rubbing against her right trouser leg.

Beside her, a twin-tailed trainee quickly grabbed her and pulled her down to sit.

“Zhu… Zhu-Zhu Sis, she didn’t mean it…”

Zhu Songning sighed, “…I know.”

Seeing that there was genuinely no look of anger or fury on her face, the twin-tailed girl finally felt relieved and quickly continued speaking to Zhu Songning: “Sis, don’t worry, we all know that person couldn’t be you!”

Zhu Songning: “…?”

Wait, how did you guys come to this conclusion?

Luo Chuanhe, who had been leaning against the wall replying to messages, looked at Zhu Songning after hearing such a definitive statement, and then started laughing so hard she couldn’t stand straight.

Luo Chuanhe selectively ignored Zhu Songning’s threatening look.

“Hahaha… Hahaha, how did you arrive at that conclusion, hahaha—”

“I didn’t say it, the netizens analyzed it, and I think it makes a lot of sense.”

The twin-tailed sister started reading from her phone.

Zhu Songning felt that being a trainee in the selection process was truly an underestimation of her talent; with her vivid performing ability, she should be sent over to the neighboring “Actors, Please Get Ready” program.

“‘No way, the poster must be delusional from shipping CP’s?? Zhu Songning is so swaggering on stage every day, does she look like the type to act spoiled to someone else?’”

“‘Imagining Ningning wildly shouting ‘Jiejie’… It’s hard to picture, I’m a bit disoriented.’”

“‘How could someone who only cares about being cool and pretending to be a B-king in front of the camera be associated with the word ‘sweet girl’…’”

The trainee sitting next to Zhu Songning, who was asking for guidance, carefully glanced at Zhu Songning’s low ponytail, the fringe parted to the sides that almost covered her eyes, and those confusingly deep-set eyes that looked affectionate toward anyone, then nodded vigorously in agreement.

“I agree. I saw Zhu Songning when she worked part-time at a bar. That kind of person is definitely not the same as the cute little sister sending messages to Shen-Yinghou!”

“…………”

That’s enough.

Zhu Songning looked up, staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to stare a hole through the pristine white surface.

Well, wasn’t Shen Qingyu also different from the rumors?

At least in front of her, she was not at all the aloof, indifferent person that the outside world described.

The twin-tailed girl finally stopped after reading seven or eight comments in one breath.

For the first time, Zhu Songning felt that time could pass so slowly, with every second feeling like a slow torture to her soul.

To make matters worse, Luo Chuanhe, the only person in the room besides Zhu Songning who knew the truth, was still laughing heartlessly and loudly.

She even managed to mess up the wolf-cut hairstyle Zhu Songning had meticulously styled that morning.

“Zhu-Zhu Sis,” one of the braver trainees asked Zhu Songning directly, “You usually walk closely with Mentor Shen, and you’re her only student. Do you know who her secretly married partner is?”

The sheet music in Zhu Songning’s hand gave up completely and fell to the ground with a slap.

Just like her heart.

Perhaps coming to the rehearsal today was a mistake; her almanac for the day should have read, “Not suitable for leaving the house.”

Fortunately, Luo Chuanhe had not entirely lost her conscience and still cared for her good friend, Zhu Songning.

She pulled the person who asked the question away.

“Ningning only interacts with Shen-Yinghou during rehearsals. Privately, they are practically strangers. How would she know such private matters?”

“You have time to worry about your mentor’s love life, but have you mastered your dance moves? Didn’t you always ask me for guidance before? Come on, let’s go dance it three more times, and I’ll correct you.”

“But not right now?! Sis Luo Luo!”

—“But I only have time right now.”

As the person was ruthlessly dragged away by Luo Chuanhe, her eyes were still fixed on Zhu Songning, seemingly unable to let go of the question.

Zhu Songning watched them enter one of the small adjoining rooms in the practice area and secretly gave Luo Chuanhe a thumbs-up.

When she turned her head back, however, she saw that she was surrounded by trainees, three layers deep, all looking at her with the exact same eyes as the previous trainee.

“Sis, just tell us? Give us a small hint, please?”

“Sis Ningning, you’re always so good to us!”

While reassuring their furiously burning passion for gossip, Zhu Songning subtly moved her feet, inching toward the door.

One step, two steps.

Finally, she successfully backed up against the practice room door, her hand slyly reaching behind to grip the doorknob. All she needed was a gentle push—

The door was pulled open from the outside in.

But Zhu Songning hadn’t even exerted any force.

Due to the external force, the door actually pulled her hand on the doorknob outward, causing her to lose her balance and almost fall backward.

“Watch out.”

Preceding the woman’s voice was that familiar scent of jasmine tea.

A pair of cool, slender hands steadied her waist. The action was restrained and controlled, appearing to outsiders as nothing more than a polite, humanitarian act of help.

Only Zhu Songning, who was touched by those hands, knew that Shen Qingyu’s hands had landed—quite coincidentally—on the most sensitive part of her waist, and her fingertips were subtly rubbing against her waist through the thin layer of her shirt.

Zhu Songning quickly used Shen Qingyu’s support to regain her balance. “Thank you, Mentor Shen.”

Shen Qingyu’s movement to withdraw her hand was delayed by a few beats. The hand that had held Zhu Songning was still subtly rubbing together, and the ring on her ring finger was particularly dazzling.

In this special time, it was hard for anyone not to notice it.

Shen Qingyu looked at Zhu Songning’s look of wanting to avoid her and let out a “tsk.”

It sounded like a mixture of dissatisfaction and lingering pleasure.

However, that sound, when it reached the ears of the other trainees, carried a different meaning.

Shen-Yinghou, who was the subject of their gossip and discussion a second ago, was now standing alive in front of them.

The little fledglings in the room were all struck dumb, standing at attention one by one, looking down at the floor.

“Zhu Songning,” Shen Qingyu unexpectedly called out Zhu Songning’s name.

Zhu Songning looked up at her and heard her slowly articulate: “Are we really that unfamiliar?”

“What?”

“We only interact during rehearsals, and privately, we are like str-an-gers.”

She repeated Luo Chuanhe’s words, the last three words, “strangers,” heavily emphasized, striking Zhu Songning’s ears one by one.

Shen Jiejie was there at that time?

A bad feeling leaped in Zhu Songning’s heart.

“No, Mentor Shen also helps me with my life and studies and communicates with me, which benefits me greatly.”

Zhu Songning kept her eyes on her nose and her heart in her belly, reciting a prepared script.

Only, whether this communication happened in bed or out of bed was unknown.

“Mentor Shen, why have you come?”

Zhu Songning asked her.

“You weren’t replying to my messages, so I had no choice but to come find you myself.”

Shen Qingyu said it without any psychological burden.

Circle after circle of trainees gasped, their mouths wide open.

Then Shen Qingyu caught her breath and continued: “The director asked me to review your solo performance first, and wanted to know when you were free. Are you available now?”

The trainees closed their mouths again.

Oh, so it was about official business.

Zhu Songning refused: “No, I’m not free right now, I still have to teach someone how to sing—”

“Zhu-Zhu Sis, I can ask you later, or I can ask someone else.”

The trainee Zhu Songning had used as an excuse quickly defected under Shen Qingyu’s immense aura.

“No—”

Zhu Songning’s words were cut short when she felt Shen Qingyu draw closer and whisper into her ear.

“If you don’t agree, I’ll have to let them all know exactly how ‘familiar’ we are, darling.”

Zhu Songning: “I am free. Of course, I am free when Mentor Shen is looking for me.”

Shen Qingyu smiled: “Good.”

She turned to the other trainees and said, “Then I’ll be taking your Zhu-Zhu Sis with me for now.”

“Goodbye, Mentor Shen.”

The trainees politely bid her farewell.

Zhu Songning grabbed Shen Qingyu’s sleeve, ready to bolt outside, but Shen Qingyu stopped moving again.

She asked, “Why do you call Zhu Songning ‘Zhu-Zhu Sis’ but call me ‘Mentor Shen’? It’s not filming time, you don’t need to be so formal with me.”

“I’m not that much older than you all. You can call me the same way you call Zhu Songning.”

Shen-Yinghou doesn’t seem as cold as they say?

The twin-tailed girl was the first to tentatively call out, “Yu-Yu Sis?”

Shen Qingyu immediately showed a satisfied expression.

Following that, there was a chorus of “Yu-Yu Sis,” “Goodbye, Yu-Yu Sis,” mixed with a few “Zhu-Zhu Sis” bidding farewell to Zhu Songning.

Zhu Songning finally succeeded in pulling Shen Qingyu out by her sleeve.

If she stayed any longer, she might truly reveal everything today.

The door was about to close behind the two of them when someone, suddenly, burst out and shouted toward Shen Qingyu:

“Yu-Yu Sis, I’m your die-hard fan! Congratulations on your marriage, I hope you have a happy and harmonious union and eternal happiness!”

In the midst of all the voices calling out to Zhu Songning and Shen Qingyu, this sentence, for a moment, sounded as if it were blessing the two of them to have a happy and harmonious union together.

Shen Qingyu turned back and smiled broadly.

She was born with an extremely beautiful face. When she smiled at this moment, a beam of sunlight fell on her, making her face even more dazzling and radiant.

“Thank you for your blessing. We will.”

The moment the door closed, Shen Qingyu’s hand silently slipped into Zhu Songning’s palm.

Fingers intertwined.

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