I Ran Away After Flirting with the Goddess - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Competitive “hair-pulling” and mutual disparagement between female celebrities are very common. Generally, when there is a conflict of interest or overlapping endorsement activities, one side will always use some means to smear the other.

Never mind a rising “traffic flower” like An Rongrong; sometimes even top-tier veteran actresses engage in it.

What struck Xiao Zhang as strange wasn’t that someone was targeting An Rongrong, but that An Rongrong’s PR team was completely ineffective.

In times like this, what fighting power do independent fans have? You have to rely on a professional team for crisis management.

For instance, in the trending search comment sections, even a non-professional like Xiao Zhang could see the handiwork of Shen Lishu’s PR team.

The Best Actress didn’t lack traffic or popularity; she didn’t care for being hung on the trending list every few days in a way that exhausted her own value. Shen Lishu’s manager, Sister Su, likely moved the moment An Rongrong’s heat started rising, instructing fans to lower their own presence. Let others bite whoever they want; they weren’t getting involved.

It was a case of “hang high and let it be” since it didn’t involve them.

Now, all the arrows online were pointed at An Rongrong. Some netizens had already started digging into An Rongrong’s family background. If the team didn’t intervene, and things continued to ferment, once An Rongrong was stained with a black mark by malicious people, it would be brought up every time something happened in the future—even if the information was fake or had already been clarified.

With these things, the earlier they are handled, the better. The longer they linger, the more they become like “dog-skin plaster” (an adhesive mess that won’t go away).

Xiao Zhang ate “melons” (scanned gossip) on Weibo for an hour and didn’t see a single response from An Rongrong’s side.

An Rongrong herself was filming and didn’t have her phone, so she likely didn’t know about the online drama, but what about her manager? Her team? Even the most obscure 18th-tier star must have a company, right?

An Rongrong was in the rising phase of her career; leeching off this kind of heat brought her absolutely no benefit. Xiao Zhang stared at her phone with a “confused Nick Young” face, unable to understand the operations of An Rongrong’s team.

Don’t ask; if you do, the answer is “mysterious” exceptionally mysterious.

Many people shared Xiao Zhang’s view, and they were all cursing An Rongrong’s management company.

‘The daughter is being smeared like this and the team won’t even step in. Is she not their biological child?’

‘Is the team dead? The management company’s greed is too ugly. During the show, they couldn’t wait to market her every day, but now that the show is over, do they want the girl to debut via a hate campaign?’

‘You dog @AnRongrongStudio, get out here and work!’

‘Just a passerby fan here, but I noticed something… the user the sister above @-ed doesn’t seem to exist. I have a bold idea: maybe this girl hasn’t even signed with a company? Otherwise, it’s hard to explain the team’s bizarre non-actions.’

This comment from a passerby fan was like a small pebble dropped into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples. Some people couldn’t help but dig in that direction, only to discover.

It seemed An Rongrong hadn’t signed with a company at all!

Incredible, sister! Retired from the circle the moment she debuted!

This explained why An Rongrong hadn’t posted any sponsored content on Weibo or appeared on shows to maintain her popularity since the variety show ended.

Looking at it this way, the words of the entertainment blogger “Industry Insider Uncle 8” held no water. An Rongrong hadn’t even signed with a management company; where would she get “capital” or backers? Did she pick them up from an air-drop? Or won them in a lucky draw?

Anyone with clear eyes could see An Rongrong was being targeted perhaps she was blocking someone’s path but the combined efforts of passerby fans and An Rongrong’s scattered fans were no match for the paid “water army” trolls.

Filming didn’t end until noon. An Rongrong was covered in sweat, the back of her dress completely soaked. Holding a small hand fan, she pulled open her collar and blew air fiercely at her face and neck.

She and Shen Lishu stood in the shade waiting for Director Mao to speak. If the final shot passed, they could rest.

“Here, blow.” An Rongrong pointed her small fan at Shen Lishu’s neck. While complaining about the heat, she gave her a breeze. Having long hair down on a scorching day looked good, but the heat was real.

Shen Lishu pulled at her own cardigan sleeve to shield An Rongrong from the sun. The two of them leaned on each other like wilted sprouts, listless until they heard Director Mao shout, “Pass!” Only then did they perk up, full of energy again.

Air conditioning! At this moment, air conditioning was life!

Xiao Zhang quickly ran over to hold an umbrella for Shen Lishu while handing her a water bottle. An Rongrong had no assistant and had to rely on herself. Glimpsing An Rongrong running past her in the sun, Xiao Zhang felt even more that the passerby fans had found the truth.

Is An Rongrong really unsigned? That’s why she doesn’t even have an assistant.

Once inside the lounge with the AC blowing, An Rongrong collapsed into a chair, letting out a long sigh of comfort. After catching her breath, she grabbed her phone and, unsurprisingly, found herself hung on the trending list.

She thought she would be torn apart by Shen Lishu’s fans, but she never expected someone to hire a water army to smear her as having “capital” while simultaneously belittling Shen Lishu.

Along with the trending search came several phone calls and WeChat messages from a certain management company. An Rongrong’s gaze shifted slightly as she sat up. Her small, peach-like round face darkened, becoming quite serious.

Manager Li Yuan: Rongrong, have you considered signing with our company? All conditions are negotiable.

Manager Li Yuan: Filming? I’m waiting for your call anytime. (Smiling emoji)

An Rongrong’s finger scrolled through her phone, her eyes fixed on the screen, her lips pressed into a thin line. The sweat on her back slowly cooled in the air-conditioned room, a chill seeping from her skin to her heart.

This management company had offered an olive branch to An Rongrong before, but she had rejected them. They didn’t say much at the time, but it turned out they had been holding it in.

If An Rongrong had truly left the circle after the talent show, nothing would have happened. But the photos from this morning clearly showed her filming with Shen Lishu. With heat as big as Shen Lishu’s and a “piece of meat” as fat as this project, there was no reason they wouldn’t want a piece of it.

Furthermore, An Rongrong’s visuals were top-tier, and she had the debut momentum. Now that she was connected to Shen Lishu for a drama, her future was limitless. How could they let such a good talent go?

So, this management company used underhanded methods to try and force An Rongrong to submit. First, they bought a trending search to smear her, letting her see the consequences of not having a team, while simultaneously cutting off the possibility of her signing with other companies. After all, who would sign an artist who already had a “black spot” before even getting famous?

Then, the company would offer an olive branch to settle the matter for her, implying that no one else would want her except them. Finally, they would offer generous terms to sign her, smoothing over her anger.

After such an operation, An Rongrong would likely work for the company like a tireless ox. It was a classic workplace PUA (gaslighting/manipulation) tactic.

An Rongrong coldly dialed the other party’s number. It rang for about five seconds before being picked up.

“Rongrong, have you thought it through?” Manager Li Yuan’s voice carried a hint of a smile, sounding completely unsurprised that An Rongrong would call back.

A newcomer like her was very easy to handle a slap followed by a date, and she’d do whatever she was told.

Li Yuan said, “Sign with our company, and the profit share and conditions we give you will be quite good. After this drama finishes, you can hype up some heat with Best Actress Shen. Right now, the ‘Ji Circle’ (Sapphic/Lesbian circle) really eats up this kind of senior-leading-junior CP.”

He was certain An Rongrong wouldn’t refuse and had already started habitually “drawing big cakes” (making empty promises). Promises about future development, future plans… even an Oscar was hers for the taking.

Li Yuan let out a sneer, his tone dripping with disdain. “Don’t mind that you’re leeching off her fame now. Once you get famous in the future, what will Shen Lishu even be?”

??? What will Shen Lishu be?!!

An Rongrong thought she had misheard; she was so angry she laughed. She stood straight up, her cheeks puffing out like a pufferfish. She took a deep breath and roared into the phone:

“What will Shen Lishu be? Shen Lishu will be your FATHER!”

It was fine to smear her, but you couldn’t smear Shen Lishu that was An Rongrong’s bottom line.

When Shen Lishu opened the door and walked in, she heard this exact line delivered with full vigor. Seeing that An Rongrong hadn’t noticed her, Shen Lishu raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe, folding her arms with a smile playing on her lips as she listened to An Rongrong’s frantic verbal output into the phone.

“When Shen Lishu debuted, you were still wearing open-crotch pants! Who the hell do you think you are, talking about her like that?”

“Hype a scandal? Why don’t I hype one with your mom? We can do a ‘soul sisters’ bit, and you’ll have to call me Auntie, you big nephew!”

“Smear me! Smear me all you want! If I ever bow my head to you, I’ll take your last name Li! If you can’t blackball me from the entire internet, you’re my son!”

“To have an unfilial son like you who doesn’t respect your father Shen Lishu, your mother must be cursed with bad family luck!”

An Rongrong spat out a “Pei!” and hung up the phone, feeling incredibly refreshed.

Was this a joke? Was she, An Rongrong, some coward who would accept PUA? Was she afraid of being smeared? They clearly hadn’t asked around about who she, An Rongrong, had ever feared back when she was picking fights online!

An Rongrong’s throat was dry from the shouting. When she turned around to grab some water, she came face-to-face with Shen Lishu, who was struggling very hard to hold back her laughter.

An Rongrong: “…”

An Rongrong’s eyes went round. She sucked in a breath of cold air, nearly dying on the spot.

Let me die, thank you.

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