After the Female Star Was Slandered Onto the Trending Search List - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Dreaming of Shen Yu

Yu Qiao inhaled the cigarette, savoring its bitterness repeatedly. “Don’t think like that.”

“So I don’t know what to do,” the smile on Wen Xi’s face gradually faded. “What ability do I have to make her remember me for so long? Could it be that I hurt her too deeply when I broke up with her?”

Yu Qiao whispered a reminder, “But you haven’t forgotten her either.”

Wen Xi let out a subtle sigh.

A hint of nostalgia shone in her eyes.

How could she forget?

She had only met one person as wonderful as Shen Yu in her life.

Wen Xi didn’t speak. Yu Qiao didn’t mind and continued to ask, “What else did she say?”

Wen Xi: “She told me not to move and not to run.”

Yu Qiao hesitated. “Then what are you planning?”

Wen Xi curled her lips. “I’ll move in a few days. I’m not that obedient now.”

Yu Qiao: “Should I arrange it for you?”

Wen Xi refused. “No need. She might investigate you too. Anything you handle could be watched by her. I’ll do it myself.”

Yu Qiao couldn’t deny it. The current her was still somewhat lacking compared to Shen Yu, or rather, the CEO with the sister complex behind Shen Yu. She couldn’t avoid Shen Yu’s investigation.

Yu Qiao extinguished the cigarette in her hand. “Alright, you be careful. Contact me if you need anything.”

Wen Xi responded, “Okay, I’ll hang up now. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Wen Xi returned to the private room.

She hadn’t originally planned to drink, but after coming back, she felt like it and immediately asked the waiter for a few bottles of sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine wasn’t strong; at most, it induced a hazy tipsiness.

Pu Tao gave her a worried look, then secretly pilfered two bottles of wine.

Wen Xi noticed and teased, “Don’t be sneaky. I ordered them for all of you. I can’t drink all this alone.”

Pu Tao scratched her head, laughing awkwardly twice.

Wen Xi didn’t know when she started loving to drink. She didn’t drink excessively, but her stomach wasn’t very good, so Yu Qiao and Pu Tao wouldn’t let her drink too much.

She rarely got drunk when drinking. Occasional indulgence only led to difficulty falling asleep.

Others took melatonin to sleep, but for her, it was surprisingly alcohol.

Because Pu Tao had also had a few sips of wine, after the dinner, she took a taxi and saw Wen Xi back home.

Wen Xi did a quick wash-up at home and, with the help of the wine, fell asleep quickly.

However, her sleep quality was poor. In her dream, she saw Shen Yu again.

She dreamed of the day they first met.

Shen Yu usually didn’t come to the art cram school; her private tutor would go directly to her home.

However, today she came to attend a rare public lecture by a renowned master.

It was already summer vacation, and the weather was sweltering. Although the classroom had air conditioning and fans, the temperature outside the hallway was still very high.

Wen Xi had been asked to stay behind to clean up. She had to clear the scrap paper and paint stains on the floor of the classroom and put away the easels.

Shen Yu happened to pass by Wen Xi’s classroom after her lecture.

In the large art studio, only Wen Xi was constantly bending over, mopping the classroom, occasionally wiping sweat with a tissue.

As Shen Yu passed by, she clearly saw Wen Xi’s profile and couldn’t help but stop. After clearly observing Wen Xi’s situation inside the classroom, she frowned instantly.

She hesitated but walked to the classroom entrance, raising a hand to knock on the open door. “Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, do you need any help?”

Wen Xi was hunched over, wiping sweat, and was startled by the sudden voice.

She turned around in a slight panic, then froze when she saw the person.

The shafts of sunlight that filtered through the curtains stopped at Shen Yu’s feet. Shen Yu wore her hair in a high ponytail that day, a short skirt, exuding a vibrant and stunning youthfulness.

Wen Xi’s pupils slightly dilated. Such a beautiful person was looking at her with a worried expression.

Wen Xi quickly adjusted her slightly messy bangs. She shook her head. “No… no, it’s fine. I can manage alone. Thank you.”

Shen Yu’s tight frown didn’t ease. “Why isn’t the air conditioner on?”

The classroom air conditioner was off, leaving only a few fans blowing overhead, but they were blowing warm air, doing little good.

Wen Xi unconsciously clutched her clothes, explaining, “I don’t know where the air conditioner remote is…”

“Wait here.”

Shen Yu left those two words, turned around to get a remote from another classroom, and came back.

Shen Yu turned on the air conditioner and placed the remote on the podium.

She told Wen Xi, “The air conditioners in the classrooms are all the same type. If you can’t find the remote, you can get one from another classroom.”

“Okay, okay!” Wen Xi nodded, and then she saw Shen Yu walk over and pick up the mop she had put aside. “Wait a moment, classmate, it’s fine, I can handle it!”

“You go move the tables,” Shen Yu ignored Wen Xi and started mopping on her own. “It’s very hot. Finish up soon and go home early.”

Wen Xi stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding heavily. “Thank you…”

“Don’t thank me,” Shen Yu glanced at Wen Xi and said, “I’ve seen you before, that day in the small grove downstairs.”

Wen Xi’s mind went blank when she heard the words “small grove.” She didn’t know what Shen Yu had seen, but she figured it couldn’t have been anything good.

“Don’t let people bully you all the time. Go tell the principal, mention my name. I’m Shen Yu.” Shen Yu mopped forcefully, then thought for a moment and added, “Forget it, I’ll talk to the principal later.”

“No need…” Wen Xi’s face turned slightly pale. Although the temperature in the classroom was gradually dropping, she didn’t feel the coolness. “Don’t let them bother you because of me.”

“Them?” Shen Yu sounded disdainful. “It doesn’t matter. They’re welcome to come after me if they’re capable.”

After mopping for a while, Shen Yu got a bit tired. She dropped the mop and crossed her arms. “Was it your turn to clean today?”

Wen Xi had already moved most of the easels during this time. She whispered, “Yes… it was me.”

Shen Yu tapped her finger on the table. “Don’t be afraid. Just tell me the truth.”

Wen Xi looked at Shen Yu’s slightly serious expression. For some reason, she was afraid Shen Yu would be unhappy because of her, yet at the same time, she didn’t want Shen Yu to get involved in trouble…

In the end, by the time Wen Xi realized it, she had already told the whole truth.

In short, Shen Yu was annoyed.

Shen Yu lifted her chin. “Don’t move anything else. Leave it.”

“But…” Wen Xi hesitated.

Shen Yu smiled, reassuring her, “Don’t worry. When the teacher finds out tomorrow, will they make trouble for you, or for her?”

“And don’t worry about her bullying you again later. She won’t dare. Trust me.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away, Shen Yu also couldn’t explain why she had suddenly acted with such kindness back then.

The first time she saw Wen Xi, she was on the second floor. The distance was just right for her to clearly see what was happening below.

Wen Xi was squatting on the ground, surrounded by a group of people.

She was squatting down, tying a shoelace for the person in front of her.

“Tsk tsk tsk… Wen Xi, your hands are so talented. You draw so well, yet here you are tying my shoelace? Thank you so much.”

“Next time, don’t draw so well, okay? Did you hear me?”

“…I know.”

Wen Xi pursed her lips, her long hair obscuring her expression.

“You still haven’t said it. Why did you decide to help her?” Xu Shuili’s voice came through the phone, interrupting Shen Yu’s memory. “Could it be love at first sight?”

“No. Back then, how would I know I liked girls?” Shen Yu held a stem glass, gently swirling the contents. “I probably saw a reflection of myself in her: passive acceptance, yet unable to resist… but I could help her.”

Xu Shuili felt she had caught onto something. “Wait, that’s not right. Why didn’t you help her the first time you saw her?”

“That day, before I could step in, she took action herself,” Shen Yu recalled. “She tampered with the shoelaces while tying them for someone, subtly, but enough to make that person accidentally fall. She probably felt embarrassed herself and ran off within two minutes.”

Xu Shuili paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter. “Your ex-girlfriend is so interesting! Wait, hold on. Was your passing by her classroom intentional?”

“Was it? I’m not sure,” Shen Yu said nonchalantly. “It was too long ago. I’ve forgotten a little.”

“…I don’t believe you for a second,” Xu Shuili said, then asked, “But why didn’t she just…”

Shen Yu instantly understood what Xu Shuili meant and explained, “Her parents both passed away. The only remaining elders are her maternal grandparents, but they aren’t close to her. She lives alone, and her daily income comes only from occasional painting commissions, besides the inheritance left by her parents. The art school fees were very high at the time, but because of her special circumstances and good talent, the institution gave her a discount. She cherished the hard-won opportunity.”

Xu Shuili was stunned. “…She was so young back then.”

“She was very independent. She had been living alone for two years when I met her,” Shen Yu leaned back against the sofa, her eyes lowered. “The people who bullied her also came from families with a little money. She didn’t dare to escalate the situation and chose to endure it silently. She had studied painting for over ten years; she had to take the art exam.”

Xu Shuili caught the implied meaning in Shen Yu’s words. “So you still don’t understand why Wen Xi didn’t take the art exam.”

“I know Wen Xi didn’t take that art exam, but afterward, I always believed her homeroom teacher’s words that she was repeating the year,” Shen Yu said, then emphasized, “The art exam was very important to her.”

“So you think something shady happened?” Xu Shuili asked, rubbing her chin on the other end.

A dark light flashed in Shen Yu’s eyes. “Yes. Wen Xi’s refusal to communicate with me over the past few days essentially proves a 70% probability of foul play.”

Xu Shuili clicked her tongue. “Were you testing her that day?”

Shen Yu chuckled, not denying it.

“You really are,” Xu Shuili cursed. “You actors all have dirty hearts!”

Shen Yu reminded her, “You’re an actress too.”

“That’s different,” Xu Shuili scoffed. “Haven’t you seen the latest trending topics? They all say I’m a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry. They must all think my heart is perfectly clean!”

Shen Yu: “…Hanging up.”

Shen Yu ended the call. It was almost eleven o’clock.

Shen Yu opened WeChat, staring at the blank chat history with Wen Xi.

She tilted her head back, finishing her drink, and typed with one hand.

S: “Good night.”

Basic information about public figures is largely transparent now. Wen Xi’s information wasn’t easy to find, but her alma mater could still be seen.

That’s why she couldn’t understand why Wen Xi had graduated with a degree in photography.

She loved painting so much. Why did she give it up?

Wen Xi’s family background was decent when she was young. Her father was a civil servant, and her mother was a white-collar worker who often traveled for business.

At the time, her grandfather was getting old and loved ink painting. Although he didn’t achieve any great fame, Wen Xi developed an interest by watching him.

Every time she went to her grandfather’s house, four or five-year-old Wen Xi would gather around his desk, watching him paint with a brush.

Her mother saw Wen Xi staring intently at her grandfather and stroked Wen Xi’s head, asking, “Does Xixi like watching Grandpa paint?”

Wen Xi looked up at her mother, then down at her grandfather’s painting. “Grandpa paints so well. I love it!”

Her mother smiled, squatting down to look with Wen Xi. “Then does Xixi want to be as talented as Grandpa?”

Wen Xi’s eyes lit up. “Can Xixi do it?”

Her mother reached out and lightly flicked Wen Xi’s nose. “But you can’t give up halfway, okay? You have to keep at it.”

Wen Xi shook her head. “I definitely will, Grandpa! I can paint too!”

Grandpa laughed. “Yes, our Xixi can paint too.”

Wen Xi’s mother often traveled and kept up with the times. She had already planned to enroll Wen Xi in an activity to cultivate an interest.

By the time Wen Xi was in her senior year of high school, she had been studying painting for nearly fourteen years.

What exactly happened back then?