I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 22.2

For instance, in today’s scene, Jiang Luoyue was to perform Luo Gaixiang holding an umbrella for Wei Qian and gazing at her for a long time. Why she was gazing and how Wei Qian would react the script provided no explanation, as if Luo Gaixiang were a transparent outsider.

Yu Qiu’s acting was average but passable. The director soon called cut, and the moment she stepped out of frame, many people flocked to fuss over her.

Yu Qiu responded lazily to their concerns and noticed Jiang Luoyue. “Is she acting with me?” she asked.

The buzz around the live variety show was immense. Even if Yu Qiu hadn’t watched it, she frequently saw the names Hate Me and Jiang Luoyue trending online. Many companies, eager to capitalize on the hype, had launched similar projects, and Yu Qiu had received invitations as well.

But those copycat shows naturally couldn’t match the popularity of Hate Me itself. After weighing her options, Yu Qiu decided to step forward and greet Jiang Luoyue.

As if disturbed, Jiang Luoyue looked up, her gaze lingering on Yu Qiu’s face for several seconds. In that moment, Yu Qiu felt a chilling sensation, as if she were being watched by a predator. Remembering the plot of the drama, she frowned.

Fortunately, Jiang Luoyue soon snapped out of it. “Miss Yu,” she said.

“Mm.” Suppressing her discomfort, Yu Qiu lost any desire for small talk. After exchanging names, she turned to the director and asked, “Since she’s here, when are we shooting the next scene?”

“Wait.” Song An’s reply was just one word.

She had been behind the camera all along, and it was only now that Jiang Luoyue got a clear look at Song An. The woman’s hair was tied up loosely, and she wore the simplest of sweatshirts and trousers.

“Wait for what?” Yu Qiu asked the same question Jiang Luoyue was wondering.

Song An’s reply was still just “Wait.” Strangely, the crew members seemed completely accustomed to this, making Yu Qiu, who was dissatisfied with the answer, seem out of place.

It wasn’t until Jiang Luoyue felt raindrops wet her cheeks and the set sprang back to life that she suddenly understood Song An was waiting for rain, the kind that suited the scene.

As the camera started rolling, Yu Qiu, playing Wei Qian, walked into the frame and approached the tombstone.

The tombstone was of the most basic design, but the name and photo engraved on it were covered in paint. Amid the blood-red streaks were slash marks from a knife, with only the character “Gai” faintly discernible.

Wei Qian crouched before the tombstone, placing down a bouquet of flowers as she spoke about the recent weather and the news of her being elected class monitor. As she spoke, she began to cry, sobbing out the name inscribed on the tombstone: “Luo Cheng and I, and your parents, we all miss you so much, Gai Xiang.”

A light drizzle drifted from the sky, and under the gloomy overcast, Wei Qian watched as the rain washed over the tombstone. She felt cold and hugged her knees, but upon touching her long sleeves, which remained dry despite the rain, she abruptly turned around.

She saw Luo Gai Xiang, who was supposed to be dead, standing behind her. Her hair fell to her shoulders as she quietly gazed at Wei Qian, serene and beautiful, just as she had every time Wei Qian called her name in the past.

Even after leaving the set, Yu Qing was still somewhat dazed. “Isn’t this supposed to be a horror film? How did it turn into a supernatural drama?”

She had been observing on set during filming and naturally saw how, after Jiang Luoyue made her entrance, the character Wei Qian, played by Yu Qiu, reacted as if she had seen a monster, scrambling out from under the umbrella and instantly drenched by the heavy rain. She was immediately taken back to the hotel to rest by her team of assistants.

Jiang Luoyue had seen Song An’s works before and knew that the director favored this eerie, somewhat mysterious style and storytelling. Casually, she remarked, “Maybe it’s schizophrenia? The director has his own ideas.”

Yu Qing: “Is making even waiting for rain so mysterious part of his ideas?”

Fortunately, although Song An’s mental state and working style were rather peculiar, the efficiency of the Soul Calling crew was remarkably high.

The next day, after Jiang Luoyue’s costume photos were taken, the official Soul Calling Weibo account announced that night that she would be playing the role of Luo Gai Xiang.

In the promotional photos, Jiang Luoyue sat at a desk wearing a white blouse and a knee-length skirt, with afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. She held a pen, diligently working on an exam paper.

The next photo, however, abruptly shifted to a cemetery. In the cold, lifeless, monochrome atmosphere, Jiang Luoyue in a white dress was the only splash of color. Holding a black umbrella, she said nothing, but her quiet gaze into the camera exuded an indescribable sense of damp oppression.

[“DOM energy maxed out! Jiang Luoyue, the woman among women, the only dominant force in my dislike list!”]

[“Little sister, baby, big sister, wife.”]

[“Being Jiang Luoyue’s dog is an attitude, a state of open-mindedness.”]

Jiang Luoyue covered her face, taking a moment to resist the urge to delete those embarrassing, flattering comments.

Almost immediately after Soul Calling posted, Palm Sweetheart refused to back down, announcing its premiere for the next day, with the first six episodes airing.

Although it was a short drama, the production company had deep pockets. Almost all the fans who had just been fawning over Luo Gai Xiang’s promotional photos were instantly confronted with an ad for Palm Sweetheart, featuring Jiang Luoyue being held by the chin by Fu Yunqing, her eyes filled with grievance and fear:

CP fans went wild instantly.

[“23-minute highlight reel of Jiang Luoyue and Fu Yunqing’s sweet moments available for download!”]

[“In the drama, she’s the stepmother, but off-screen, what’s the relationship between Jiang Luoyue and Fu Yunqing? I don’t even dare to imagine! Jiang Luoyue and Fu Yunqing shippers, it’s feasting time!”]

[“Jiang Luoyue is only allowed to kiss Fu Yunqing’s lips! Well, actually, kissing mine would be fine too [shy].

There were many more lines too embarrassing to read. Jiang Luoyue skimmed through a few before hastily exiting the app. She stared blankly for a while before remembering she hadn’t reposted the premiere announcement.

Just as she was mustering the courage to overcome her embarrassment and reopen the app, a notification popped up on her homepage: Fu Yunqing had interacted with a Weibo post.

[“Luo Yun Yue Qing is so shippable, Yun Luo Qing Yue is pretty good too. Which one should I choose as the rival pairing? [thinking]

Jiang Luoyue’s internal alarm bells went off, what was Fu Yunqing doing, idly interacting with this kind of shipping fan’s Weibo post?

She clicked into the comments section, and even though she had a hunch, she still took a sharp breath the moment she saw Fu Yunqing’s comment clearly.

[Fu Yunqing V]: Of course, Yun should come first!

This comment already had thousands of replies, and a few minutes after posting, Fu Yunqing, seeing so many people going wild, followed up in confusion: [By the way, what’s the difference between these two?]

Soon, someone gave Fu Yunqing a concise and clear explanation, which made Jiang Luoyue’s scalp tingle. She immediately took a screenshot and sent it to Fu Yunqing: [Delete it.]

[No!] To her surprise, Fu Yunqing firmly refused. [There are so many shippers of you and Yu Jingtang under this post. If I delete it, they’ll come after our fans! How can you bear that?]

Jiang Luoyue: “…” Why are you so competitive in a place like this?!

She couldn’t believe it: [Didn’t you dislike CP hype?After all, the last CP trending topic was taken down by Fu Yunqing herself.

Fu Yunqing answered honestly: [I didn’t like it at first, but after seeing you paired with someone else, I suddenly realized I can accept it now.]

After all, water should not flow to outsiders if Jiang Luoyue was going to have a CP, it could only be with her.