I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 12

Just tonight, a variety show became the number one trending topic, attracting a huge amount of traffic and drawing many netizens to watch the earlier episodes.

[New friends are in for a treat! Not only can you watch several hours of live broadcasts, but you can also see the edited versions the production team puts together later. I’m so jealous of you!]

[Who can tell me which celebrity’s fan club is for “Zhu Yue CP”? I don’t recognize either of them.]

[They’re the most popular couple in this live dating show! One is named Zhu Yun, and the other is Tang Yueqi.]

[Wait, both of those name’s sound like they belong to girls. Aren’t dating shows always about male-female couples?]

[My apologies, I admit I came to watch male-female romance, BUT! GL is also super sweet! Please, go watch!]

[I’ve watched this show, and it’s truly addictive. The live broadcast format is innovative and not boring at all. Both the male-female and female-female couples are sweet, but “Zhu Yue” is the sweetest! They are the best! Today is the simulated date live stream! People who haven’t seen it won’t understand what it means to be “so sweet it makes your teeth ache”!]

The assistant looked at the soaring backstage metrics and felt he could finally get a good night’s sleep. He and the director had nearly pulled all their hair out for this show.

Unable to hold back, the assistant said, “Tang Yueqi and Zhu Yun are our lucky stars!”

Who would have thought that in today’s entertainment industry, where celebrities are king, two ordinary people could trend on their own merits without any capital backing? This left the assistant utterly impressed.

“Where are you off to, kid?”

“Director, I’m going to edit a few more videos to post on social media platforms!”

The director nodded in satisfaction. “Good, you’ve got a sharp eye.” He considered keeping the assistant on after the show ended.

One person’s career path took a turn from this moment. Life is like constantly making choices. Tang Yueqi and Zhu Yun chose a different path, and this not only created a bond between them but also subtly changed the fate of others.

At a bar counter in the apartment, Tang Yueqi was sipping her coffee. She listened to a suggestion from a staff member and simply pursed her lips slightly. “I don’t really want to open a personal account. I’m not a celebrity; I have my own job. When this show is over, I’ll return to my real life, so opening an account isn’t something I’m considering.”

“But, A-Yue, you’re the most popular person on the show. As long as you seize the popularity from netizens, with your conditions, entering the entertainment industry would be no problem at all. When you become a celebrity, you can earn wealth you can’t even imagine. Are you sure you don’t want to open an account? By the way, you and Xiao Zhu are strangely similar; she’s just like you. You two are the only ones left in the whole apartment who don’t have your own accounts.”

The staff member felt a bit of a headache. She had told the director earlier to help the guests create social media accounts so that fans could follow them later, but the director had been indifferent, probably thinking the show wouldn’t go viral.

Tang Yueqi stirred her coffee, a slight frown on her face. It wasn’t annoyance with the staff member, but a dislike for the taste of the coffee. She said softly, “Both Xiao Zhu and I are ordinary people. Too much attention from netizens isn’t a good thing for us. Becoming celebrities is too far off for us.”

“A-Yue! Do you know how popular you two are right now? I get tagged by countless netizens every day, asking when I can get you two to open social media accounts. It makes me feel guilty whenever I see your CP fans; I’m failing their trust!” The staff member pretended to cry, hoping to soften Tang Yueqi’s heart.

Tang Yueqi accidentally choked. The reason was the mention of “CP fans.” The moment it was said, Tang Yueqi’s face turned pink like a cooked shrimp. She quickly lowered her head to hide her flustered emotions. “I… I and Xiao Zhu are still very grateful for their love.”

“Sister A-Yue, I’m begging you, open one! Just one! If you open one, Xiao Zhu will agree too!”

Tang Yueqi smiled, a hint of joy secretly welling up inside her. It was probably because of the staff member’s words about Zhu Yun’s special preference for her, which made her feel that the coffee in her cup was no longer so bitter.

“Have you asked Xiao Zhu?”

The staff member nodded, her face full of worry. “It didn’t work, so I came to you.”

Tang Yueqi respected Zhu Yun’s decision and ultimately did not agree to the staff member’s proposal, leaving the staff member looking as pitiful as a wilted eggplant.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine. It’s normal for people to have different personal choices.”

She hadn’t achieved her goal, so she didn’t linger.

Tang Yueqi sat alone on the bar stool, her slender back and long hair reaching her waist.

Lü Tinglan, who was about to come over for a drink, stopped in her tracks. She hadn’t had much interaction with Tang Yueqi; this woman was almost always with Zhu Yun. Compared to the quiet Tang Yueqi, Lü Tinglan preferred to chat with Zhu Yun, and with Zhu Yun there, the three of them weren’t too awkward together.

“Hey, I didn’t expect you to be here. Where’s Xiao Zhu?”

Tang Yueqi’s eyes shifted at the mention of the name, and she asked with a meaningful tone, “Do you need to see her?”

From the first meeting, she had noticed Lü Tinglan’s friendly nature, someone who could get along with anyone. Because of this, Tang Yueqi felt a bit possessive about Lü Tinglan’s friendliness and closeness with Zhu Yun.

Tang Yueqi still remembered that Lü Tinglan was the first person to call her “Xiao Zhu.” She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, upon reflection, she felt a little displeased.

Lü Tinglan took a bottle of red wine from the shelf. It was from a new sponsor of the show, and the bar was well-stocked with it. She poured herself a glass, then let out a sigh of satisfaction. Her charming eyes looked at Tang Yueqi, and she teased, “What would I need Xiao Zhu for? I just always see you two being so close. Now that you’re alone, I’m curious where she went, so I just asked.”

Her words dissolved the possessive feeling in Tang Yueqi’s heart. Just as everyone said, she and Zhu Yun were the closest and most inseparable, so she disliked anyone else paying too much attention to Zhu Yun. That right was hers alone.

At that moment, Lü Tinglan, who had had a few sips of wine, suddenly asked, “Tang Yueqi, this is a variety show, a reality show. Although it’s called a dating show, how many people are really looking for a partner? The benefit of becoming a public figure is being able to convert traffic into money. Look at Zhou Shihao, the most arrogant one—don’t think he’s so high and mighty. Every selfie and post he puts on social media, which one isn’t serving his fans?”

Her eyes were seductive, and she seemed a little tipsy.

“Look at the red wine I’m drinking now. I would never dare to drink so freely in my normal life, mainly because it’s expensive. I earn a decent amount, but not enough to splurge like this. But since I came on the show as a guest, I can drink this wine whenever I want. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

Tang Yueqi listened to her long monologue, her expression unchanged. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Lü Tinglan laughed softly, covering her mouth and lowering her voice. “You didn’t really fall for someone, did you?”

Tang Yueqi raised an eyebrow and curved her lips into a smile, also lowering her voice. “That doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you.”

“Tch, of course it has nothing to do with me. But last time, I saw someone’s face look a bit off. I looked closer and saw Luo Yi helping out next to Xiao Zhu. Even at dinner, Luo Yi was practically glued to Xiao Zhu’s side. It was someone else who brought that soup, yet a certain person who hates cilantro so much didn’t react at all. It was only later, after seeing how attentive Luo Yi was at the table, that they suddenly said they felt sick from the smell of cilantro. Tang Yueqi, don’t you think this person’s reflex arc is a little too long?”

The cilantro incident had clearly not ended. Tang Yueqi let out a soft laugh, her eyes curving into crescents. She smiled sweetly and said, “The point isn’t whether the reflex arc is long or short, but that Xiao Zhu’s full attention was indeed on me. That’s enough.”

She finished the last of her coffee and rose gracefully, but then heard Lü Tinglan say, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Xiao Zhu?”

Tang Yueqi was calm and composed. “Who do you think Xiao Zhu would believe, you or me?”

Lü Tinglan raised her wine glass. “I really can’t tell that you’re the star dancer of a dance troupe.”

Tang Yueqi’s expression remained neutral, neither denying nor admitting it.

“You two are too popular; your professions couldn’t be kept a secret.”

“It doesn’t matter. The next live broadcast is when we’re supposed to reveal our professions anyway.”

Tang Yueqi nodded a farewell. She wasn’t concerned about the online commotion. No matter how popular she was, Tang Yueqi faced it all with a calm mind. She was grateful for the love from the CP fans, but she also had her own boundaries. Not getting too involved with the online world was her principle.

She was very clear about what she wanted: not to debut as a celebrity, and not to gain traffic to make money. She came on the show to repay a favor to the director, with no other distractions.

But now, she was incredibly grateful for the director’s invitation.

Tang Yueqi smiled serenely. When Zhu Yun heard the knock on the door, she saw that smile. Thinking about how the two of them had a wonderful date today, having both chosen the same picture of a date location, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart. It made her feel clumsy yet she savored the tingling sensation it brought.

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

“Another walk? Didn’t we go for one this afternoon?”

They looked at each other and then awkwardly looked away, but identical sweet smiles were on their lips. Zhu Yun couldn’t hold back her laughter, leaning against the door frame and muttering, “What a goof.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“No way! I’m saying we’re both goofs.” With that, Zhu Yun closed the door with a hum, not saying anything else, but Tang Yueqi knew it was her signal. She followed her.

“Where are you two going?” Lü Tinglan, who they ran into again, asked.

Zhu Yun explained, “For a walk.”

Lü Tinglan’s smile was a little teasing, which made Zhu Yun’s face uncontrollably flush again.

“It’s raining outside, didn’t you know?”

Tang Yueqi held out her hand and indeed felt the rain. She sighed in disappointment. “Let’s go back then, don’t want you to get wet and catch a cold.”

Hearing Tang Yueqi’s disappointment and her concern, Zhu Yun immediately grabbed an umbrella from the stand and pulled on her wrist, leading her outside. “We can use an umbrella. What’s wrong with a little rain? It’s no big deal.”

It’s romantic to walk in the rain with an umbrella, but what’s most romantic is having someone who is willing to do it with you.

Lü Tinglan watched their retreating figures. Under a single umbrella, they looked very close. She said with interest, “It seems like Tang Yueqi isn’t the only one who has feelings. Honestly, it’s a bit enviable.”

What was she envious of? Envious of having someone to be silly with.

She had studied photography and quickly took a beautifully composed picture, posting it on social media with the caption: Tonight is very charming. The rain is charming, and they are even more so.

In the picture, Tang Yueqi was holding the umbrella when she felt Zhu Yun take her hand. Zhu Yun said, “You hold the umbrella, and I’ll hold your hand. That way, neither of us will be lonely.”

Tang Yueqi softly hummed in agreement, prompting Zhu Yun to grip her hand tightly. “Just talk, don’t use your voice to flirt.”

“What?”

“Never mind! Hmph.”

Tang Yueqi curved her lips into a smile. She had heard it. How could she not have? She suddenly felt that the damp rain wasn’t so annoying anymore.

This feels so good.

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