After the Female Star Was Slandered Onto the Trending Search List - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Keep the Hot Search Going

Wen Xi had collaborated a few times with the actress she was currently photographing. Their eyes met, and they wordlessly exchanged greetings.

Wen Xi’s eyes curved in a smile. After finishing the shoot with the actress, she held the camera in her left hand, lowering her head to look through the newly taken pictures.

Just then, a collective gasp arose from the surroundings.

Wen Xi vaguely heard… Shen Yu’s name?

Her mind went blank instantly. She subconsciously retreated a few steps, hiding within the crowd, maintaining her head-down posture.

Her slightly longer bangs concealed her expression and her slightly trembling pupils.

Pu Tao stood a little in front of her, craning her neck to look toward the entrance, and immediately exclaimed in surprise: “Boss! It really is Shen Yu! We’re lucky! Huh? Boss, why did you move to the back?”

Wen Xi’s lips were pale. Her entire body felt stiff, and she didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet.

She could feel Pu Tao looking at her with a questioning gaze.

Wen Xi softly replied to Pu Tao, and only then did she manage to move.

Standing at the back of the crowd, she cradled the camera with both hands, trying her best to cover her face, and slowly raised her head.

Perhaps it was the lingering telepathy between former lovers, but through a gap in the crowd, Wen Xi’s lens managed to capture Shen Yu’s cold face with precise accuracy.

In just that one glance, the corners of Wen Xi’s eyes quickly turned red.

…Why did their reunion happen in a place like this?

But muscle memory was always terrifying. By the time Wen Xi realized it, her hand had already pressed the shutter button.

And the cold face that Shen Yu showed just moments ago seemed like Wen Xi’s illusion in the lens. In an instant, she resumed her polite smile.

Did she see me?

Wen Xi asked herself. She didn’t dare lower the camera she was holding.

Probably not, I hid so quickly.

Wen Xi originally thought her series of actions were slow, but in fact, she was the one who was most eager to take a picture of Shen Yu.

Wen Xi only dared to put the camera down after Shen Yu had walked away.

She thought that perhaps this sequence of actions had been rehearsed thousands of times in her heart and in her dreams, which was why she was so proficient.

How could she not miss her…

Even though Wen Xi had been avoiding Shen Yu, in Wen Xi’s dreams, they had already enacted countless reunions.

After putting down the camera, Wen Xi felt a wave of confusion. Pu Tao leaned in close and whispered: “Boss, why did you run to the back just now? Did you get a shot of Teacher Shen?”

Wen Xi forced a faint smile, her voice also dropping a few registers: “I was just squeezed to the back. I took a picture of Shen Yu…”

“That’s good, that’s good,” Pu Tao patted her chest and sighed in relief. “I was afraid you didn’t get a shot. You like Shen Yu so much, it would have been a pity if you didn’t capture it.”

Wen Xi’s grip on the camera tightened. Yes, it would have been a pity if she hadn’t captured it.

Having been in the industry for so many years, Shen Yu naturally knew how to manage her expression. Her cold face only lasted for a few seconds, and she quickly adjusted. Yet, those few seconds were precisely what Wen Xi captured.

It was precisely this kind of unfortunate coincidence.

After the red carpet, there was an evening banquet and an awards ceremony.

Wen Xi’s mind was a mess. During the banquet, she took her assistant and hid in a small corner to sit. After waiting for a while and sensing no unusual movement, she was certain that Shen Yu hadn’t seen her.

Pu Tao looked at Wen Xi’s distracted appearance, a little worried. Her excitement at seeing Shen Yu gradually faded, and she asked: “Boss, what’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Should we leave first?”

This kind of banquet usually lasted a long time, and they usually had to stay until late at night before going home.

Wen Xi’s mind was already in a whirl. She agreed without much thought, sent a message to Sister Tan on WeChat, and took Pu Tao home.

Since it was still early, Pu Tao stayed for a while after dropping Wen Xi off, only leaving after confirming Wen Xi was fine.

After Pu Tao left, the surroundings gradually quieted down. Wen Xi held a stuffed toy in her arms, curled up in a beanbag chair, looking blankly into the air.

After a long time, she patted her head to clear her mind. Only then did she get up, retrieve her laptop from the bedroom, and prepare to do some simple editing on the photos she took tonight and post them on Weibo.

Celebrities paid close attention to maintenance, so editing their pictures was relatively easy. Wen Xi could easily manage it alone.

She placed the laptop on the coffee table in the living room, turned on the projector to watch a TV series she was following, and also took out a few bottles of wine and some glasses.

Wen Xi always liked to provide herself with a good working environment.

Wen Xi meticulously edited the details of each picture, her gaze focused as if nothing had happened.

Her mind was completely on her work, trying to forget everything that happened today.

Until she started editing Shen Yu’s picture.

Wen Xi’s feigned calm was broken. She slowly raised her hand and gently touched the computer screen.

A sudden pang of sourness swelled in her nose. The next moment, tears silently streamed down her cheeks.

Long time no see, Shen Yu.

Wen Xi picked up a tissue and wiped away the tear stains. After that, she continued as usual: editing the picture, writing the caption, and posting on Weibo. However, she drank a bit too much wine tonight, emptying several bottles. She forced herself to finish posting on Weibo and then fell asleep.

Just forget about today. Just pretend nothing happened.

Wen Xi self-suggested before falling asleep.

She remained completely unaware of the turmoil that erupted online afterward.

Shen Yu’s team was the first to discover the hot search.

Shen Yu had just gotten out of the shower, carelessly using a towel to wipe her wet hair.

Her manager, Ke Han, was sitting in a soft chair with a laptop on the table in front of her, handling various tasks. Seeing Shen Yu come out, she said: “You’re on the hot search again.”

Shen Yu remained unfazed: “Mhm, what about it?”

“It’s a negative hot search. Should I arrange for it to be removed?” Ke Han adjusted her silver-rimmed glasses. “Although negative popularity is still popularity, you don’t need this kind of negative hot search to boost your exposure now.”

“Let me take a look.” Shen Yu didn’t know what she was thinking, but she picked up her phone from the table and walked over to sit on the sofa.

Her long, fair legs were crossed. She was still holding a dry towel with one hand to wipe her hair, and with the other, she skillfully picked up her phone and switched to her secondary Weibo account.

When she saw the hot search term, she subtly raised an eyebrow. Clicking into the term and seeing the topmost Weibo post, the corner of her mouth curved imperceptibly.

This angle… looks exactly like where that person was standing.

“Did you see the hot search? That photographer, too. Why didn’t they inform us before posting on Weibo about this kind of event?” Ke Han was still talking. “Never mind, I’ll contact them later. We shouldn’t cooperate with this kind of person in the future…”

Before Ke Han could finish her sentence, Shen Yu interrupted her.

Shen Yu’s voice became slightly husky: “Don’t worry about the hot search. Just leave it.”

Ke Han froze, then asked: “Why?”

Shen Yu slowly scrolled through the profile of the blogger “Twilight,” the corners of her mouth slightly curved. Her next words were shocking: “This photographer is my ex-girlfriend.”

Although Wen Xi rarely showed her face on Weibo, for a blogger with a certain level of fame, who frequently attended various events and even opened a studio, it was hard to guarantee that real-life pictures wouldn’t leak out.

For example, one of the comments on one of Wen Xi’s Weibo posts.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so happy. I worked as a staff member once and got to see Teacher T. Teacher T in person is super cute and gentle!! And her voice is super sweet!”

[Attached photo]

The picture showed a full-body group photo of two girls. Wen Xi was wearing jeans and a short T-shirt, a very casual outfit, and she was very thin.

The two girls were standing very close, both making V-signs at the camera.

There were many replies under this comment.

“Hehe, I really! Don’t! Feel! Sour! At all!”

“Oh my gosh, Teacher T is so cute, ahhh. I must book Teacher T for a photoshoot next year.”

“Reply to the one above: Teacher T’s schedule for next year is already fully booked.”

Shen Yu shifted her gaze from the group photo and sneered when she saw the bottom comment.

Quite popular.

Shen Yu couldn’t help but recall the scene from earlier today, still finding it harsh.

She saw Wen Xi constantly smiling at others.

Is she actually doing quite well after breaking up with me?

Shen Yu didn’t know what she was thinking. On one hand, she thought Wen Xi might not be doing well, otherwise why would she be so thin? She was much thinner now than she was in college.

On the other hand, she thought Wen Xi’s current life must be comfortable, and her work must be going smoothly.

But she, who had left Wen Xi, was not doing well at all.

Work was exhausting, with almost no days off all year. Even on rare days off, returning to an emotionless home left her feeling empty.

She hated the person who abandoned her every moment, yet she couldn’t control thinking about that person.

This feeling was like sipping a cup of clear tea—bitter at the first taste, but sweet in the aftertaste.

Ke Han’s voice brought Shen Yu back to her senses.

“What?” Ke Han was startled, but quickly calmed down. “So, what are you planning to do now?”

Ke Han knew that Shen Yu had an ex-girlfriend.

After all, she had been following Shen Yu for almost five or six years, from the original company all the way to Shen Yu starting her own studio.

She would occasionally see Shen Yu take out an old photo of herself and a girl. The photo was a bit faded, clearly a picture from many years ago.

And Shen Yu would hold that yellowed old photo and stare at it for a long time.

“What to do?” Shen Yu let out a slight laugh. “First, find out her current address and studio. Don’t let her run away again.”

No wonder I couldn’t find her all these years. It turns out she wasn’t using her real name publicly.

But… why did she become a photographer?

Shen Yu slightly furrowed her brows.

“Alright,” Ke Han replied.

Wen Xi’s Weibo followers were in the millions, and she had collaborations with various entertainment companies, so it wouldn’t be difficult to find out.

Ke Han was somewhat dumbfounded. She knew Shen Yu was the one who got dumped back then, and she knew Shen Yu had been looking for Wen Xi all these years. But who would have thought Wen Xi had pulled off a brilliant move of hiding in plain sight, circling around within their own industry.

While Ke Han was thinking, the phone suddenly rang. After chatting with the person on the other end for a few moments, Ke Han’s expression subtly changed.

Shen Yu asked: “What is it?”

Ke Han hesitated for a bit and said: “Someone on that end wants to remove the hot search.”

Shen Yu: “Wen Xi wants to remove it?”

Ke Han shook her head: “It’s the Wanheng Technology Company that wants to remove it.”

Wanheng Technology was a conglomerate that had emerged in recent years, holding several highly profitable patents, and developing extremely rapidly.

The chairperson of Wanheng Technology was an outstanding businesswoman.

Shen Yu lowered her eyes and simply said: “Keep the hot search going.”

Ke Han sighed lightly and said: “Alright. As long as you know what you’re doing.”

Ke Han typed on the keyboard for a while longer: “I found Wen Xi’s studio. The chairperson of Wanheng Technology is its largest shareholder.”

On the other side, Yu Qiao looked at Wen Xi’s flustered state and couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh, no matter how annoyed she was.

Just then, Wen Xi’s phone screen lit up. She looked down and saw the message was from Sister Tan Lan, the manager at Xinghui Entertainment.

Tan Lan: “I called you last night, but you didn’t answer. I guessed you were asleep, so I took the liberty of contacting Shen Yu’s side first to ask how to handle the hot search.”

Tan Lan: “They said not to worry about it, and they said you and Shen Yu are friends? Is that true? Why haven’t you told me?”

Wen Xi looked at the phone screen, then looked up at Yu Qiao.

Yu Qiao clicked her tongue and said irritably: “Don’t look at me. Answer whatever you want to answer.”

Wen Xi pursed her lips and replied with an ‘okay.’

She looked down and started typing.

T.T: “Yes, we are friends. Sorry, Sister Tan, I bothered you. I’ll treat you to dinner soon.”

Tan Lan: “It’s a small matter. I was worried you would offend them. It’s good if you’re friends. By the way, Shen Yu’s manager asked me for your contact information, saying they wanted to discuss the hot search with you. I figured a lot of people know your work WeChat, so I gave it to her on my own accord.”

Just as Tan Lan’s message came through, Wen Xi received a pop-up notification from her secondary WeChat account.

Wen Xi’s heart seemed to skip a beat, and her vision blurred slightly.

She felt as if all the blood in her body instantly solidified into ice, leaving her unable to move.

“sy has sent a friend request. Additional Message: I am Shen Yu.”