I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 13

Even after the day’s filming wrapped up, Jiang Luoyue still couldn’t wrap her head around Fu Yunqing’s thought process.

A dull, itching pain throbbed in her jaw. She absentmindedly rubbed the area and only realized, upon passing a mirror, that a large patch of her jaw had turned red.

As the helpless, cherished plaything in a forced love storyline, Li Yan was naturally not treated gently. Throughout the day’s scenes, Jiang Luoyue had been “grabbed by the jaw and coldly interrogated” multiple times. Even though the actor she was working with had held back, the sheer number of times it happened made it look rather alarming.

Jiang Luoyue didn’t think much of it, assuming that an ice pack when she got back would take care of it. Just as she was about to leave, a woman wearing glasses called out to her.

“I’m Xu Xing. Before Yunqing left, she mentioned that Miss Jiang’s face needed some attention.”

Xu Xing was dressed simply, her gaze cold and sharp. She had been by Fu Yunqing’s side all day, so Jiang Luoyue had no reason to doubt her. “Thank you.”

She pressed the ice pack to her jaw, the cold sensation making her instinctively frown. Only when she remembered there was someone else present did she make an effort to control her expression.

Xu Xing didn’t seem inclined to leave, so Jiang Luoyue tried to make conversation. “Are you Fu Yunqing’s new assistant?”

At the last group dinner, the person by Fu Yunqing’s side hadn’t been Xu Xing.

“Assistant?” Xu Xing chuckled. “You could say that. I only recently joined Guman and don’t know her well. In fact, our relationship is a bit strained.”

Guman was Fu Yunqing’s talent agency. Rumors often swirled online that Guman was controlled by the Fu family and existed solely to serve Fu Yunqing. But in Jiang Luoyue’s memory, even up until Fu Yunqing’s retirement from the industry, she had only acted in short dramas and never used her wealth to secure roles or throw her weight around.

Her thoughts drifted for a moment before she noticed how Xu Xing had referred to Fu Yunqing. It was an intimate way of addressing her, yet Xu Xing claimed they weren’t close.

Tactfully, Jiang Luoyue said, “Fu Yunqing might not like others calling her that.” Especially not by someone she didn’t get along with. It was an intuition, something Jiang Luoyue couldn’t quite explain.

But Xu Xing seemed to miss the hint entirely. With a slight smile, she countered, “It sounds like Miss Jiang is quite familiar with Yunqing?”

Answering a question with a question, Jiang Luoyue thought. Now she understood why Fu Yunqing and Xu Xing didn’t get along.

Just then, Yu Qing called. Having lost interest in the conversation, Jiang Luoyue offered a polite smile, answered the call, and walked away. Watching Jiang Luoyue’s retreating figure, it took Xu Xing a moment to realize she might have been disliked?

In the car.

Jiang Luoyue had intended to bring up Xu Xing with Yu Qing, but the moment the older woman saw the red marks on her face, her tone sharpened uncontrollably. “Who did this?”

“It’s much better now.”

Despite Jiang Luoyue’s quick explanation, Yu Qing furiously dialed the director’s number. “Either change the script, or we’re walking.”

“You’re saying it’s necessary for the plot?” Yu Qing retorted. “Then why doesn’t the plot require Fu Yunqing’s character to get her face grabbed? My artist didn’t complain because she respects the production team. But you? Do you think I’m easy to fool?”

Jiang Luoyue hadn’t expected what she considered a minor issue to anger Yu Qing so much. After listening quietly for a while, she realized Yu Qing had likely misunderstood and thought she’d been bullied on set.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but warmth spread through her heart as she gazed quietly at Yu Qing.

Under the director’s relentless pressure, Yu Qing had no room for refusal and could only repeatedly promise to revise the script. Yet, Yu Qing remained unsatisfied: “Tell me the truth did Huo Yi do it on purpose?”

If Huo Yi had acted intentionally, Yu Qing would rather terminate the contract than let Jiang Luoyue stay in such a production team any longer.

Jiang Luoyue thought back carefully and shook her head. “No, her movements were really gentle.” So gentle, in fact, that it seemed as if she were afraid of causing any pain.

After observing Jiang Luoyue closely and confirming she wasn’t lying, Yu Qing finally nodded. “I’ve already urged the company to find you an assistant. I just can’t feel at ease with no one by your side.”

Jiang Luoyue was seldom the recipient of such straightforward concern. The worry in Yu Qing’s expression made her purse her lips and glance out the window, slightly embarrassed. “Okay.”

“You might think I’m overreacting.”

Yu Qing seemed about to explain further, but Jiang Luoyue shook her head. “It’s fine.”

The reason Yu Qing was so vigilant must have been because she had personally witnessed or even managed artists who had been bullied on set. That’s why, when Jiang Luoyue encountered a similar situation, Yu Qing reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, determined to eliminate any potential harm from the start.

Jiang Luoyue had no intention of prying into Yu Qing’s past. All she needed to know was that Yu Qing cared deeply for her, and that was enough.

The next day, the production team did revise the script, removing many unnecessary physical interactions. Jiang Luoyue thought the matter was finally behind her.

But she forgot even if Huo Yi’s character, Sheng Yu, no longer pinched Li Yan, there was still Fu Yunqing’s character, Sheng Yuening, waiting in line to do just that.

So, when Jiang Luoyue finished filming for the day, once again dotted with faint red marks, even her steps out of the studio felt hesitant.

Yesterday, it was for the plot. But today? How could she explain to Yu Qing that her interactions with Fu Yunqing were all normal and that she truly wasn’t being bullied by her?

As Jiang Luoyue pondered, a flash of fiery red suddenly caught the corner of her eye vibrant and eye-catching, much like the person herself.

“Miss Fu?” She turned to find Fu Yunqing standing by the window, inspecting the potted plants, while her assistant stood to the side, head bowed, trying not to laugh.

“Hmm?” Fu Yunqing raised an eyebrow as if just noticing Jiang Luoyue, but her hand continued to mischievously twist a plant’s leaves.

Jiang Luoyue reminded her, “If you keep twisting them, they’ll go bald.”

Only then did Fu Yunqing withdraw her hand. “What do you want?”

She asked with an air of entitlement, but her gaze drifted to Jiang Luoyue’s neck.

Perhaps because Jiang Luoyue’s skin was so fair, the finger marks stood out starkly. The first time Fu Yunqing saw them, she was startled. During the scene, she hadn’t realized she’d used so much force, yet Jiang Luoyue hadn’t made a sound, remaining calm as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Luoyue: “…” Wasn’t Fu Yunqing the one following her?

Knowing Fu Yunqing’s pride, asking directly would only provoke her inexplicable anger, so Jiang Luoyue tactfully inquired, “Did you need something from me, Miss Fu?”

Fu Yunqing nudged her assistant with an elbow, and the woman immediately stepped forward with an ice pack. “Miss Jiang, you should treat your injury.”

“Different person today,” Jiang Luoyue said as she accepted it. “Thank you.”

Fu Yunqing pursed her lips and crossed her arms. “What do you mean, different person? Hasn’t it always been her?”

Wasn’t she the one who asked for the ice pack? Why wasn’t Jiang Luoyue thanking her?

Jiang Luoyue looked confused. “Isn’t Xu Xing your assistant?”

Fu Yunqing’s expression shifted instantly, as if she hadn’t expected Jiang Luoyue to know Xu Xing. Her assistant, Xiao Yu, promptly reminded her from the side, “Xu Sister Xu is Yunqing’s agent. She specifically came to the set yesterday.”

An agent? That explained Xu Xing’s subtly arrogant demeanor.

It wasn’t some major misunderstanding, so Jiang Luoyue didn’t dwell on it after clarifying the situation.

Fu Yunqing asked, “What did she want with you?”

“Same as you.”

Jiang Luoyue kept it brief, but Fu Yunqing immediately bristled, “She’s stalking you?”

Jiang Luoyue: “…” So you’re aware that you’re stalking too!

Unlike the easygoing Yu Qing, Fu Yunqing was a stubborn person. Whatever she believed was the truth.

No matter how much Jiang Luoyue explained that Xu Xing had genuinely done nothing, Fu Yunqing remained distrustful, adamantly demanding Jiang Luoyue’s contact information: “From now on, you’re not allowed to contact her! If she reaches out to you, tell me.”

Jiang Luoyue sighed and nodded, looking somewhat aggrieved and helpless.

Assistant Xiao Yu, standing to the side, suddenly recalled a widely circulated meme “You have to be my girlfriend! Starting today, you’re not allowed to talk to any other girls!”

Xiao Yu: “…”

When Fu Yunqing glanced at her, she straightened her face, trying to appear serious and stern.

Satisfied, Fu Yunqing turned back and asked lightly, “Got plans tonight? Let’s have dinner together.”

Her tone was so casual that Jiang Luoyue thought she was talking to her assistant: “Then I’ll be going now.”

“Jiang Luoyue!”

In the end, Jiang Luoyue didn’t agree to Fu Yunqing’s invitation, brushing it off with a vague “maybe next time.”

Fu Yunqing, however, seemed to believe it, already picking out a restaurant without a second thought about when “next time” might actually be confident and unbothered.

Jiang Luoyue thought to herself that Fu Yunqing had probably never been stood up.

On the way back, as soon as Yu Qing noticed the injury on Jiang Luoyue’s neck, she was on the verge of anger. But upon hearing Xu Xing’s name, she paused for a few seconds and unexpectedly calmed down: “Xu Xing? She’s Fu Yunqing’s agent now?”

“We used to be friends.” Seeing Jiang Luoyue’s confusion, Yu Qing, gripping the steering wheel, explained, “Later, we parted ways due to differing principles.”

Through her explanation, Jiang Luoyue learned that Xu Xing and Yu Qing had once been close friends, working at the same talent agency. After a falling out, one left for Yunyue, while the other disappeared from the scene. Yu Qing had assumed Xu Xing was no longer an agent.

“We had a pretty good relationship.”

Jiang Luoyue nodded, sensing Yu Qing’s nostalgia for Xu Xing. Just as she was about to offer comfort, her phone vibrated.

She glanced down and saw a friend request from [Xu Xing].

Perhaps guessing that Jiang Luoyue already knew her true identity, the woman kept her message concise: [Ms. Jiang, have you considered joining Guman Entertainment?]

Jiang Luoyue: “…”

A good relationship? Friendship from the past?

Jiang Luoyue flipped her phone over, careful not to let Yu Qing notice anything unusual, and said nonchalantly, “What’s in the past should stay in the past.”

“True,” Yu Qing mused to herself. “She’s very goal-oriented. When promoting her artists, it’s always about pulling others down and stirring up hype. As long as they get famous, reputation doesn’t matter.”

Finally, Jiang Luoyue understood where the sense of familiarity with Xu Xing came from.

Zhou Ruonian.

Cold and indifferent at heart, utterly unconcerned, yet cloaked in a guise of goodwill, deliberately drawing closer.

But Xu Xing was not Zhou Ruonian. From Fu Yunqing’s resistance towards her, it was clear that in front of the artists, even if Xu Xing was “evil,” she was straightforward about it honestly informing the artists of everything she intended to do.

As for whether the artists cooperated or not, that was another matter.

Jiang Luoyue vaguely guessed Xu Xing’s intention in approaching her

“Detest Me” came with its own built-in popularity, but due to its subject matter, it had nothing to do with the themes of friendship or family that the public adored. The only thing it could barely relate to was romance.

And among the regular guests, aside from Jiang Luoyue, Fu Yunqing had no one else to create buzz with.

But Jiang Luoyue didn’t understand given Fu Yunqing’s current fame, pairing up with her for a publicity stunt would clearly put Fu Yunqing at a disadvantage. Why would Xu Xing do something like that? Even if she wanted to create hype, why not just say it outright?

She didn’t voice her speculations, and Yu Qing didn’t bring up Xu Xing again, instead shifting her concern to Jiang Luoyue’s filming that day.

After returning home, Jiang Luoyue dove into the kitchen, spending half an hour earnestly studying before producing a plate of diet food that was far from appealing in color, aroma, or taste.

Aside from “Palm of the Hand,” Jiang Luoyue had also signed on for Song An’s suspense film “Calling the Spirits,” where she played a corpse.

Since it was a corpse, she naturally had to be thin. Lately, Jiang Luoyue had been working hard to lose weight, aiming to look emaciated to better fit the role.

While eating, she searched for a few video clips of scenes involving corpses on a streaming site, watching as she ate. This had become a recent habit of hers, especially since Song An was also known for his pursuit of realism the on-set smells and gore would undoubtedly be far more unbearable than what was shown on screen.

At first, she felt nauseated, but after watching enough, she grew accustomed to it.

Coincidentally, this time the commentary was about a film directed by Song An last year, and “Calling the Spirits” seemed to be a follow-up to that work.

Listening to the familiar narration, Jiang Luoyue bit her spoon, intently watching her phone.

After a series of recaps, the police finally pinpointed the location where the body was hidden, a vegetable patch that had recently been deeply plowed for autumn planting. Due to the urgency of the case, everyone had to dig through the soil with their hands. Soon, their hands were stained with the foul-smelling earth, and as the search area narrowed, some began to find human hair.

A thin, curly strand of golden hair, exactly matching the victim’s.

The screen was instantly flooded with comments like, “I’m eating, I’m going to throw up,” and “Ahhhhhhhhhh.” Following a “High alert ahead!” warning, a police officer discovered a human finger.

Many looked shocked, frequently turning their heads, inevitably paying less attention to what was under their hands. One officer was no exception; when her hand pulled at the root of something, she thought it was a mature radish and casually yanked it out.

Amidst screams and a buzzing soundtrack, a curly golden strand of hair wrapped around the woman’s palm filled the screen, followed by a human head mixed with soil, dried blood, and maggots gradually zooming in until it froze on the victim’s hollow eyes

The next moment, a sharp ringtone suddenly blared, merging the film with reality in an instant, making Jiang Luoyue’s heart skip a beat.

The call connected immediately. Fu Yunqing smiled for a few seconds before realizing did this mean Jiang Luoyue had already seen the trending topic?

She cleared her throat, about to explain, but as soon as she uttered “I,” a thud sounded in her ear, and the screen returned to the home screen.

Fu Yunqing stared at the screen, incredulous

Jiang Luoyue answered her call instantly, then hung up just as quickly.