After the Female Star Was Slandered Onto the Trending Search List - Chapter 51.1

Chapter 51.1: Video Call

Shen Yu woke up very early. The signed postcards for the magazine were still in front of her, and her phone was on a stand, where she was stationed in the live stream room.

Wen Xi’s presence in the live stream was very low. She mostly kept quiet, rarely speaking up. Shen Yu lightly tapped the desk with her left fingertip, lost in thought.

Until someone in the live stream suddenly brought up Wen Xi. It was an actress, who exclaimed slightly, asking Lu Xuan Yi: “Is this Twilight?”

Lu Xuan Yi: “Yes, Sister Song.”

“She’s so beautiful, really,” the actress smiled, shaking her head at the camera. “It’s a shame you can’t see it.”

Wen Xi was startled, looked up, and saw the actress wink at her. Wen Xi returned a polite smile.

“Ahhh! I’m furious!”

“Don’t do this, ahhh! Help! I’m a face-fan and I really want to know what Twilight looks like, boohoo.”

Reply to the above: I’ve seen Twilight in person. She’s incredibly beautiful! The kind that’s very cute and obedient!”

“Song’s fan is confused. Who is my wife talking about? How do you all know her?”

Reply to the above: Just search her name on Weibo!”

Soon after, that fan of Song returned.

“Ahhh, the divine photo I love was actually taken by this teacher!! No wonder my wife knows her!”

Shen Yu scrolled through the comments, clicking her tongue softly. She switched back to Weibo and browsed Wen Xi’s homepage. Wen Xi’s last Weibo post was a repost of the studio’s post—the one the studio posted when the magazine Reflection was announced.

Twilight: “Who is running this account? Come to the office now / Twilight Photography Studio: What has the boss been doing behind my back?!”

“The person behind the account is asking for trouble!”

“T-Dà is so domineering, sizzle, sizzle.”

“Ahem, I’m the one behind the account. I’m coming to the office immediately. Remember to open the door!”

Shen Yu rested her hand on the desk, the corners of her mouth twitching. She liked seeing Wen Xi look lively, perhaps because Wen Xi’s listless gaze before had slightly pierced her heart.

Shen Yu had special notifications turned on for Wen Xi’s Weibo, so she would know whenever Wen Xi posted. However, when she was bored, she always liked to browse Wen Xi’s homepage. She noticed that the latest post showed she hadn’t liked it, but she didn’t care. She knew Weibo often had glitches, so Shen Yu casually hit the like button.

She continued scrolling down Wen Xi’s other posts. The posting frequency wasn’t high. Many were photos from red carpet events, as photos taken in collaboration with other clients were usually promoted on the studio’s Weibo. Wen Xi’s personal Weibo was more private. However, it wasn’t that private; she rarely posted about her daily life, only occasionally inserting a few landscape photos.

Shen Yu was so bored that she even bothered to count the number of times her colleagues appeared on Wen Xi’s Weibo, but doing so only led to frustration and had no other meaning. After all, she had only appeared on Wen Xi’s Weibo once, and it was a cold-face picture. But even that was fine. When that hot search surged, Shen Yu hadn’t even started looking for her yet, and Wen Xi appeared on her own… Although she had been looking for Wen Xi for so many years, when Wen Xi truly appeared before her, Shen Yu, surprisingly, wasn’t in a hurry anymore.

Shen Yu was still scrolling down when a message from her manager popped up.

Ke Han: ?

Ke Han: “Hot Search Link — Shen Yu Goes Online and Likes After Several Days]”

Ke Han: “Seriously, you haven’t made a mistake in so many years, and now you’re making one? Right?”

Ke Han was terrified. She didn’t know why, but probably due to the “guilty conscience” law, ever since Shen Yu started dating, she was afraid the next hot search would be about the romance. It wasn’t that she disapproved of going public, but it wasn’t appropriate to publicize a same-sex relationship right now.

Shen Yu: “I forgot to switch accounts last time I posted on Weibo. It was a genuine slip of the hand.”

Shen Yu: “Canceling the like is useless; it just looks like you’re trying to cover it up. Let’s just leave it.”

Shen Yu: “But it’s strange. How did such a small thing become a hot search? Do your hired trolls still have after-sales service?”

Ke Han… Ke Han felt faint.

Meanwhile, a certain inconspicuous CP Super Topic (Chao Hua) was slightly buzzing. The total number of followers was only fifty thousand, not even making the top twenty in the CP Super Topic rankings. The welcome banner of the super topic clearly read: Welcome to Shen Yu × Twilight, Yumu CP Super Topic. Yu is taken from Shen Yu, and Mu is taken from Twilight’s ‘mù’ (Dusk)!

A popular featured post in the super topic already had over seven thousand likes.

“Please look. The size of this set of pictures Shen Yu just posted is consistent with the size of the pictures Twilight posted last December. In Twilight’s comment section, she replied that this type of picture was taken with a certain camera. I just checked that camera, and the picture size matches, and the image quality is very similar. I won’t say more. I’ve found some other pictures. Please look at the image quality (all pictures are used with the photographer’s permission and the source is indicated. To prevent re-uploading from reducing quality or adding filters, the comment section has a transfer link).”

The comment section was full of admiration.

“Actually, the fact that the picture sizes are the same is enough for me to believe it! I don’t understand the image quality, ahhh!]

“Good food, good words, so shippable!!”

“I’ve bought many cameras. Layering my armor, I’m a Twilight career fan. I happen to have the camera the blogger mentioned. I swear, the image quality of the pictures Shen Yu posted really looks similar!”

“Let me add this: This camera is quite popular, so many people probably have it. It locks onto the subject when taking long-distance shots, and the background gets slightly blurred. You can see the details in the picture with the ship in the background.”

“I can’t say more. I’m already dizzy from shipping.”

The latest posts were full of cheers.

“I just want to ask, after so many days, why did Shen Yu suddenly go online and like the post!”

“Ahem, although it might be because the magazine is about to go on sale, and Shen Yu is just giving it some heat… Okay, I can’t keep pretending. Why did she only like Wen Xi’s post! Shen Yu didn’t even like Reflection’s post!”

“Now I have no choice but to ship them!”

On the other side, Ke Han sighed and sent a message to Shen Yu.

Ke Han: “Do you know that you and Wen Xi have a CP Super Topic?”

Shen Yu: “I expected it.”

Ke Han: “…”

Ke Han: [Super Topic Link]”

Ke Han: “If you want to look, use a burner account. I’m also following it. Actually, having a CP Super Topic is a good thing. If anything happens later, everyone will be somewhat prepared. I’ve found someone to monitor the super topic and will let you know of any major movements.”

Shen Yu: “Okay.”

When Shen Yu saw Ke Han’s message, her finger paused on the link. She switched her Weibo to a burner account before clicking on the Super Topic link, and immediately hit “Follow.” Yumu CP (Elmwood CP). The name… it’s alright.

There were many highly-liked posts in the super topic. Shen Yu saw people piecing together sweet moments based on small details, she was both surprised by the sharp eyes of the CP fans and clicked ‘like’ in agreement. Shen Yu scrolled down and noticed several “Forbidden” signs prominently displayed at the top of the super topic. Curious, she clicked on it. The very first line read: “Ship within your circle, strictly forbidden to widely publicize.”

Shen Yu couldn’t help but recall other CP fans she had seen. At music festivals, she often saw CP fans holding up large banners, loudly cheering for one of the main celebrities. Why, when it came to her and Wen Xi, were the CP fans required to keep it to themselves?

This question wasn’t only felt by Shen Yu. Someone mentioned it in the comments section. The super topic moderator replied that Shen Yu’s team disliked CP fans. Whether true or false, the survival rate of previous CP Super Topics was very low. To ensure the long-term development of their super topic, keeping it within their circle was the safest bet.

Shen Yu pondered this. She did vaguely recall having that impression. Regardless of the reason, she was unwilling to gain popularity by deliberately creating a false relationship. She had later simply let Ke Han handle the matter.

Shen Yu suddenly felt that she should do something to encourage her and Wen Xi’s CP fans to be bolder.

This was Shen Yu’s first day alone at home. Wen Xi was having a fulfilling time on the set, so Shen Yu could only stay glued to the live stream. A small portion of the live stream audience consisted of Wen Xi’s fans. Wen Xi was often mentioned in the comments, and her fans frequently promoted her to other viewers. Watching the comments was quite entertaining.

After the day’s work was over, Wen Xi washed up, got ready, and lay down on the hotel bed. Without hesitation, she initiated a video call to Shen Yu. After ringing for about half a minute, the call was answered.

“Why are you so late…” Wen Xi paused, then blushed within seconds. “Why did you answer the phone while showering?”

“I was afraid you had an emergency.” Shen Yu slicked back a damp strand of hair, propping her phone on a wall shelf. “And I wanted to see you sooner.”

In the video, only Shen Yu’s shoulders and up were visible. Shen Yu had a great figure. Her collarbones were prominent, her neck line was clear, and her skin looked even fairer under the lights, not to mention the water droplets clinging to it. Wen Xi immediately felt awkward. Her finger hovered over the hang-up button, hesitant yet reluctant. “I… don’t have an emergency. I just wanted to call you. If you’re still showering, then I’ll just…”

“Baby, wait.” Shen Yu’s thin lips softly said, stopping her. “I’ll be done in a moment. No need to hang up. Wait for me.”

Wen Xi’s face was extremely red. Watching the water droplets on Shen Yu’s face continuously slide down to her jaw in the camera, she found it strangely alluring. The sound of running water started again in the video. The bathroom was once again filled with white steam. Wen Xi, who was initially sitting on the bed, slowly slid down, lying on the bed, curling up her body. The quilt covered most of her face, leaving only a pair of bright eyes visible.

Shen Yu said she would be quick, and she only made Wen Xi wait for two minutes. She put on her clothes, moved the phone in front of the mirror, and continued her skincare routine while looking at Wen Xi in the camera, chuckling. “Are you that shy? Your face is so red.”

“No way,” Wen Xi’s voice was muffled by the quilt. “I’m not shy. It’s because it’s stuffy. It’s too hot.”

“Good,” Whatever Wen Xi said was the truth. Shen Yu’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Then since Baby is so hot, why don’t you come out? Don’t get suffocated. I want to see you.”

Wen Xi said, “Oh.”

Wen Xi pulled down the quilt, took a deep breath, and sat up again. Wen Xi smiled and rubbed her face, which was still a little hot. Wen Xi said, “What did you do today being home alone?”

“What else could I do?” Shen Yu replied. “I was either signing autographs or occupying an empty room alone.” Shen Yu looked at the environment behind Wen Xi. “Are you in the hotel? Where’s Lu Xuan Yi?”

“I’m in the hotel. She’s not here,” Wen Xi joked. “She didn’t do very well in the game today, and the room she ended up with wasn’t great. I’m not staying with her. Good friends should only share the good fortune.”

Then, Wen Xi shared several interesting anecdotes from the day. Shen Yu actually knew all of them, as she had been watching the live stream the whole time, but she didn’t interrupt Wen Xi. Instead, she listened carefully, responding occasionally.

Shen Yu looked at Wen Xi’s face. “Are you tired today, Baby?”

“Not tired,” Wen Xi shook her head. “The action camera is very light. My hand isn’t tired. I just had to run a few steps while following them during the game. It counts as exercise.”

“You really should exercise a bit,” Shen Yu said seriously. “We’ll go to the gym together when you get back.”

Wen Xi replied, “Oh,” “Alright then.”

She agreed on the surface, but secretly thought that by the time she returned, Shen Yu’s vacation would be almost over, and exercising might have to wait indefinitely.

Wen Xi didn’t realize how clingy she was, talking so much after only a day and a night apart. She didn’t even know when she fell asleep, only remembering that the moment before she lost consciousness, Shen Yu was asking her to pick out dishes she wanted to eat when she got back.

In the small apartment tens of kilometers away, the video screen had turned into a dimly lit ceiling. Wen Xi only had the small bedside lamp on. Wen Xi’s breathing was steady. Shen Yu gently rubbed the screen with her fingertip and softly said, “Good night.”

Wen Xi must have been tired today; she usually didn’t fall asleep this quickly.