Dating My Drama Queen Girlfriend On A Slow-Paced Variety Show - Chapter 31

Luo Mingzi hadn’t updated in a long time. Once her status was posted, fans rushed to the comments to virtually “hug” her, while even more onlookers flocked in to ask: Luo Mingzi, what is your relationship with Li Yue?

However, after posting the update, Luo Mingzi vanished from the internet again, leaving behind a trail of speculation and people scratching their heads in frustration.

The Next Day.

Li Yue stepped down from the minivan, following Yu Bilan and her assistant into the office building.

Yu Bilan whispered to Li Yue, “Although MasterZ magazine has only been around for five years, it carries a lot of weight. Every year, their brand events invite big name stars and emerging artists to walk the red carpet, and the cocktail parties are filled with industry bigwigs. Being invited to shoot the cover is a testament to your strength and potential.”

Li Yue nodded and said, “Alright.”

After the three entered the building, a woman wearing a badge greeted them with a smile. After exchanging pleasantries, she led them to meet the photographer.

“The photographer for this issue’s cover is our veteran at MasterZ, Teacher Rita. He has a lively personality but is very serious about his work,” the staff member leading the way said with a smile.

Li Yue said warmly, “I look forward to working with Teacher Rita.”

The staff member turned back to look at her, smiling brightly as she pressed the elevator button.

The elevator rose slowly and stopped on the third floor. The staff member checked the floor and stepped back to make room, they were heading to the twelfth floor.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a massive crowd of people waiting outside at least a dozen or so at a glance.

At the head of the group was a young man. He was very handsome, clearly a celebrity. Li Yue felt he looked familiar and was wondering if he had played a role in any of Mingzi’s dramas when Yu Bilan, standing in front of her, let out a soft gasp.

Li Yue glanced down at the back of Yu Bilan’s head, thinking that apparently, that wasn’t it.

The MasterZ staff member held the elevator door, smiling broadly as she said, “Teacher Yi, are you finished with your shoot?”

The man didn’t speak. His manager beside him said, “Not yet. Teacher Wei feels that given our Minhua’s status and strength, he should be on the cover this issue. I need to discuss this further with your Director Zhang.”

The staff member inside the elevator flashed an awkward smile and glanced at Li Yue, cold-eyed in her heart. Having worked in this environment for a long time, she had seen plenty of power struggles. Yi Minhua’s manager didn’t need to tell her about fighting for the cover, he only said it because he saw Li Yue inside.

Any celebrity team appearing in the inner pages would definitely know that the cover guest for this issue was Li Yue. Yi Minhua’s manager was doing this on purpose.

Among the three inside the elevator, the assistant looked a bit dazed, but Yu Bilan was smiling radiantly, and Li Yue’s face carried a gentle smile as well. Neither seemed intimidated by the manager’s words.

The three remained as steady as mountains.

The staff member, still holding the door, felt her arm getting a bit sore and asked with a smile, “Please, coming in?”

Yi Minhua’s manager chuckled twice, looked back at the crowd behind him, and said in a casual tone, “Oh, we have too many people on our side and we’re in a hurry. Why don’t you three step out and let us go up first?”

“…”

The staff member said with a smile, “The elevator is fast. How about Teacher Yi takes the next trip?”

Yi Minhua’s manager looked at Li Yue and asked with a grin, “You’re Teacher Li, right? Our Minhua debuted six years earlier than you, he’s quite your senior. You should step out and wait for a bit.”

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Li Yue’s smile remained unchanged, but Yu Bilan in front of her burst into a loud, hearty laugh. “Sure! Of course we should let Teacher Yi go first.”

Before the manager could flash a smug grin, Yu Bilan added brightly, “Respecting the elderly and loving the young is a traditional virtue, after all. Come, come, Teacher Yi, please take your time, watch your step, and stay safe.”

The way Yu Bilan said it, she might as well have been calling for a cane or a wheelchair for him.

The man, who had been standing like a stone pillar with a blank expression since the doors opened, suddenly looked irritated. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his manager cleared his throat and pulled him into the elevator.

Yi Minhua’s massive team crowded into the elevator. As the three of them stood outside and the doors began to close, Li Yue curled her lips into a smile. She looked at the man staring at her and said, “Teacher Yi, your new song is very good. I look forward to more of your great work.”

Click.

The doors closed, cutting off the livid faces of Yi Minhua and his manager.

Yi Minhua’s song had been released a few days before Li Yue’s, yet on the very first day of Li Yue’s release, her song soared to the top of every major music chart. Her download numbers and reach had essentially ground Yi Minhua into the dirt. Because of this, when Yi Minhua learned Li Yue would be in the episode following his, he felt so humiliated that he stood up the production of Late Village.

The result was what was happening right now: at this very moment, hashtags related to Li Yue were still number one on the entertainment charts.

And the publicity was overwhelmingly positive.

A young singer who was beautiful, skilled in the kitchen, considerate, gentle, and talented who wouldn’t like her? Her popularity among the general public was skyrocketing!

Plus, she was called “girlfriend” by Luo Mingzi! Even Luo Mingzi’s haters couldn’t find anything to nitpick. Luo Mingzi herself was a young and beautiful woman, exceptionally beautiful, in fact so no one could claim her taste was poor.

If not for Yi Minhua’s “generous contribution,” how would Li Yue have recorded Late Village ahead of schedule? How would she have had so many trending topics to make her even more famous than she already was? Her first cover being MasterZ… wasn’t this all thanks to Yi Minhua’s “merit”?

Because of this, giving up an elevator was nothing. Yu Bilan felt that wherever she went in the future, she would say with a smile, “Teacher Yi is truly a great person!”

As the elevator went up, Yu Bilan’s smile grew even wider. She felt that the managers and artists of Huaguan were truly civilized and polite. Look at how they even praised the man before he left, anyone who saw such broad-mindedness would have to give them a thumbs up!

The staff member laughed inwardly and said, “Then we’ll wait for the next one. Sorry for the trouble, Teacher Li.”

“It’s no problem.” Li Yue leaned forward slightly and smiled at the staff member. Her clear eyes were as gentle as a spring lake. The staff member subconsciously clenched her hands, her heart fluttering.

Ah~ Clouds!

After heading to the twelfth floor and meeting the photography team, Li Yue found the photographer to be young, fashionable, and very friendly. He chatted with her with a smile about the concept for her first cover. During their conversation, an assistant-like figure approached and whispered something into Rita’s ear.

Rita said, “So sorry, I have a small matter to handle. Please give me five minutes!”

“Of course,” Li Yue replied. She knew exactly what this was about.

While waiting, Li Yue felt her phone vibrate and took it out to check.

Yu Bilan: Don’t expect the people at MasterZ to speak up for us regarding today’s incident. I will do my best to protect our cover spot!

Li Yue: Good luck!

Even though Yi Minhua’s team had tried to intimidate Li Yue in the elevator and the MasterZ staff had seen it, in a place like the entertainment industry, there’s always a next collaboration. People rarely tear off their masks of politeness. The staff might pity Li Yue, but they wouldn’t offend Yi Minhua on her behalf.

When Rita said five minutes, he meant five minutes. Upon his return, he resumed his pleasant conversation with Li Yue before sending her off to makeup. Not once did he mention the cover situation.

Yu Bilan’s heart finally settled. She realized nothing more needed to be said, Rita’s status at MasterZ was comparable to Luo Mingzi’s at Huaguan. If he stayed to finish the shoot, there wouldn’t be a major issue.

However, when chatting with the MasterZ staff during the shoot, she still maintained a humble front: “It’s no problem. Being in MasterZ at all is an honor for our Little Li. Whether it’s the cover or the inner pages, we can accept it.”

In her mind, she was thinking: Bullshit! Our Goddess Li is A-list now! It has to be the cover! The cover!

The afternoon shoot moved to the seaside. Li Yue wore a light green suit, her hair styled in a simple updo, adorned with a crown of pink and white roses. She stood atop the jagged rocks. As a few long strands of hair fluttered against her fair face, Li Yue gazed into the distance. Behind her, the crashing waves were captured in heavy, moody tones by the lens.

Li Yue’s gaze held a hint of vacancy, looking like a lonely cloud with nowhere to lean.

“Excellent!” Rita hopped down from the rocks excitedly and said to Li Yue, “Let’s do one more set. Teacher Li, I saw those photos you posted on social media, the ones taken with the band under the overpass. Can we try to capture that specific feeling for a few shots?”

Li Yue nodded and sat down on the rocks, resting her chin on her palm as she looked toward the camera.

The pink and white roses pressed against her forehead, and her messy, fine hair framed her face. Her lips were painted with a deep matte lipstick and were slightly parted.

As she looked into the lens, the vacancy in her eyes vanished. Her black pupils revealed a silent, profound depth, like an ancient pool hidden in a dark cavern. A stalactite hanging above the water seemed to let fall a single, transparent drop.

With a mental clink, a ripple spread through the depths of her eyes.

Li Yue curled her lips into a smile.

Rita: A change is impossible. Cover artists are chosen based on commercial value and artistic expression. After working with Li Yue, I think she is perfect. Unless she suddenly drops to the bottom of the industry, I’ll have to question if you’re still sane.

Z (Director): I didn’t say we’re changing it. Yi Minhua’s manager is just being persistent. It’s a headache.

Rita: It’s not like Yi Minhua has never been on the cover. Why fight Li Yue for this specific issue? He can take the one after next.

Z: What about the next issue?

Rita: Next issue won’t work. For the next one, I want the company to invite Li Yue and Luo Mingzi to do a joint cover. We can do that, right? MasterZ has that kind of pull, doesn’t it?

Z: …MasterZ has never done a duo cover before, but if it’s the first ever magazine cover featuring those two together, let’s do it!

MasterZ wasn’t the only one with this idea. Various collaboration proposals were flooding into the Huaguan managers’ inboxes. Since the “scandal” between Li Yue and Luo Mingzi hadn’t died down yet, everyone wanted to row their boats while the tide was high. Who knew when the two would collaborate again?

Fans following Li Yue noticed her recent schedule hadn’t been fully announced. Aside from recording Inspiration Explosion, she only had magazines and endorsements. They left worried comments, urging her manager to pack her off to music shows, release more songs, and stay active!

The songs were indeed being recorded, the album was in the works.

Li Yue, carrying her 1.63 million yuan “Pink Swan” guitar and pushing a suitcase significantly larger than her last one, walked with a steady, leisurely pace beside the golden waves of wheat.

The newly paved road felt exceptionally smooth, reflecting Li Yue’s current state of mind. She looked at Luo Mingzi running toward her from the distance, and a smile reached her eyes.

“Li Yue!” Luo Mingzi ran out wearing nothing but slippers, her hair flying in the wind. She leapt up and threw herself into Li Yue’s open arms.

“Welcome home!” With crescent-shaped eyes, she hugged Li Yue’s neck and rubbed her face against Li Yue’s cheek. She then turned her head to wave at the other guests walking behind her, declaring happily:

“Look! My girlfriend is back!”