I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 26

As Jiang Luoyue had anticipated, not long after arriving home, she received a call from Yu Qing, inquiring about the trending search,

After half an hour of public opinion fermenting, the topic “#Fu Yunqing and Jiang Luoyue Watching a Play Together” had climbed into the top three, surpassing a slew of trending searches about veteran celebrities announcing their relationships. The discussion square was filled with fans’ euphoria, and some couldn’t help but notice the details: 【LMAO, Fu Yunqing is actually the one in front.】

【The one who created the topic is just spoiling her.】

【Isn’t Jiang Luoyue the one spoiling her the most? She went out with Fu Yunqing right after ‘Calling Back the Soul’ wrapped up. She really loves her.】

Jiang Luoyue: “Well, it’s just normal socializing.”

“Really?” Yu Qing teased, “I haven’t seen you being this close with anyone else.”

Jiang Luoyue sighed helplessly. She would have liked to get closer to the others too, but no one had ever exchanged contact information with her. She thought their relationships hadn’t reached that level yet, so she never brought it up.

But after the incident with Fu Yunqing, Jiang Luoyue deeply understood that people should maintain some distance between each other.

Late at night, after drying her hair, she lay in bed. The small night light illuminated her surroundings, and Jiang Luoyue suddenly recalled her petulant remark, “I’ll never go on a date again,” making her cringe slightly.

Was she a grade-schooler, arguing with Fu Yunqing like that?

Thinking it over carefully, it seemed Fu Yunqing had also just wrapped up her project a couple of days ago. Working non-stop, it was perfectly normal for her to be tired. Not only had she taken the initiative to celebrate Jiang Luoyue’s wrap-up, but she had also cooked for her. She had just fallen asleep during the process, why had Jiang Luoyue gotten angry?

The more she thought about it, the more Jiang Luoyue felt the problem lay with herself. After hesitating for a long time, she finally unlocked her phone.

But when she opened the chat with Fu Yunqing, what she saw was 【The other party is typing.】.

One minute, two minutes.

After five minutes had passed and Jiang Luoyue still hadn’t received a message, she hesitantly sent a question mark.

【What’s up?】

Fu Yunqing’s hand trembled, accidentally hitting send. A long message immediately filled Jiang Luoyue’s screen.

It began with an apology, followed by nearly three hundred words of reasons and explanations, ending with a plea for reconciliation and plans for next time. It was comprehensive and detailed, but Jiang Luoyue had only skimmed it when Fu Yunqing recalled the message.

The chat fell silent for several seconds before Fu Yunqing sent: 【You didn’t see anything】

Clutching her phone, Fu Yunqing felt both anxious and embarrassed. Aside from Jiang Luoyue, she had never written such a sincere and heartfelt explanation to anyone. As she typed, she found it overly sentimental and awkward, and had even considered giving up.

But after much deliberation, Fu Yunqing realized she was more worried that Jiang Luoyue was genuinely angry.

Even though they hadn’t known each other for long, she could tell that Jiang Luoyue was different from the people she had met before. She wasn’t someone who would stick around without any effort to maintain the relationship; she was a ‘friend’ who deserved respect.

After waiting for what felt like ages, Fu Yunqing had started idly polishing her little essay when a message popped up: 【You didn’t hear anything tonight】

The same phrasing, but coming from Jiang Luoyue, felt entirely different to Fu Yunqing. She quickly sent 【Get some rest early】 and turned off her phone to prevent Jiang Luoyue from suddenly recalling the message.

A few seconds later, her phone vibrated. Fu Yunqing closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

But at 2 a.m., Jiang Luoyue was still woken by a notification sound. Groggily swiping her screen, she saw Fu Yunqing’s message: 【Can we go on another date next time?】

Jiang Luoyue decided to leave Fu Yunqing’s message on read.

And she left it that way until the day before the recording of the third episode of Hate Me?.

In pursuit of “authenticity,” the production team had barely interviewed the guests, relying entirely on their natural chemistry and post-production editing. But for the third episode, they conducted their first preliminary interviews with the cast.

This was Jiang Luoyue’s first time visiting the production company of Hate Me?. It was about the same scale as Yunyue, a stark contrast to the online rumors of it being a “small company.”

The director coughed. “Variety shows make money, so of course we had to give ourselves a makeover.”

Otherwise, how could they lure er, attract new investors? Just as people rely on clothes and horses on saddles, a company needs to look impressive to command respect.

Jiang Luoyue nodded in understanding, but the live chat went wild with laughter.

【Fu Yunqing just walked in and said, “It’s so small.”】

【Without Jiang Luoyue, who would still treat Hate Me? like a kid?】

【So excited for tomorrow’s team assignments! Can Jiang Luoyue and Xiang Fan be teammates just once, without any third wheels?】

She thought it would be a simple interview, but as soon as she sat down, the production team handed her paper and pen and got straight to the point: “You need to write down your impression of one of the guests. We will reveal the results during tomorrow’s live broadcast. The first pair to correctly guess each other’s impressions will form a team and be randomly assigned a guest star.”

“Please note, the impression cannot contain any identifying details.”

For example, “You have fiery red hair” or “You’re a singer/director.”

【Ning Fuguang: ? Why not mention me? Is my identity as a CEO too embarrassing to say out loud?】

【The director is probably afraid of the company going bankrupt and is begging for mercy.】

It took Jiang Luoyue a moment to process this.

Several seconds later, it finally hit her wasn’t this the “heart-fluttering message” segment commonly used in dating shows?

In dating shows, to help guests get acquainted quickly, the production team would ask them to send messages to the guest they were interested in. If both parties sent messages to each other, they would automatically form a pair and start dating.

Why was Hate Me? copying this format?

Her stunned expression was perfectly captured in the live stream.

The comments exploded with laughter:

【LOL, it’s not too late to change the show’s name to Like Jiang Luoyue? I Did It on Purpose】

【I have a feeling all the others will write about Jiang Luoyue】

【Jiang Luoyue looking at the paper and thinking, “Who should I pick as my girlfriend (I mean, teammate) today?”】

As Jiang Luoyue, under pressure, reluctantly picked up the pen, the live stream camera shut off, though the audio continued recording.

“Are you sure you want to write that?” the director asked hesitantly. “Won’t it be a bit inappropriate?”

Jiang Luoyue: “If I recall correctly, the impression-writing segment is confidential. Please don’t peek, Director that would be breaking the rules yourself.”

【 What did she write?! Let me see! Let me see!】

【Did Jiang Luoyue write all four names?!】

【The annual meeting is over, can we fast-forward to tomorrow? I can’t wait any longer!】

But even after the camera resumed, Jiang Luoyue never uttered a single word about her “impression.” After greeting the audience and making small talk for a bit, the preliminary interview came to an end.

As she was leaving, she happened to run into Xiang Fan. It had been half a month since they last met, yet the woman still carried a weary expression, dressed in a gray coat and black-framed glasses. Noticing Jiang Luoyue, she slightly adjusted her glasses and said, “Morning.”

“Good morning.” Jiang Luoyue smiled, glanced at the staff, and reminded, “The rules for this round.”

“I watched the livestream.” Xiang Fan waved her phone, cutting Jiang Luoyue off. Just as Jiang Luoyue was about to nod, she heard the woman casually ask, “What did you write? I’ll choose you tomorrow.”

The staff immediately intervened, “Impressions can only be revealed tomorrow. If they are disclosed in any way beforehand, both guests will be disqualified from pairing up and will participate solo in the third round of recording.”

Jiang Luoyue chuckled, “If everyone breaks the rules, will everyone record solo?”

“Including the guest stars?” Xiang Fan added with a raised eyebrow.

The staff clearly hadn’t considered this possibility and began stammering. Xiang Fan laughed and walked into the room, while Jiang Luoyue pressed the elevator button.

Seeing the staff member beside her still fretting over the matter, Jiang Luoyue found it amusing and reassured her, “It was just a joke.”

The woman, however, seemed to perk up instantly and whispered, “So, what did you write?”

Noticing Jiang Luoyue’s surprise, she added somewhat sheepishly, “I like you and Yu Jingtang.”

Since Yu Jingtang hadn’t arrived yet, she figured she could sneakily find out now and then wait for the sweet moments tomorrow.

Jiang Luoyue couldn’t help but laugh. If Fu Yunqing and the others knew they’d “lost” this way, they’d probably be furious.

“You’ll find out tomorrow,” she said, deftly sidestepping the question. As she stepped out of the elevator, she spotted Ning Fuguang, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Ning Fuguang seemed particularly conscious of her image. No matter when Jiang Luoyue saw her, she was always impeccably dressed, her every movement exuding ease.

“Miss Jiang,” Ning Fuguang greeted her first. Hearing Jiang Luoyue’s response, she gazed at her thoughtfully.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Luoyue asked, puzzled.

Ning Fuguang smiled, “I thought you’d do the same as last time suddenly fall asleep and ignore me. Getting a reply from you now feels a bit overwhelming.”

The smile instantly vanished from Jiang Luoyue’s face, replaced by a mix of helplessness and amusement. “President Ning.”

That incident had happened half a month ago. Why was Ning Fuguang bringing it up again?

Even if she didn’t consider Jiang Luoyue’s feelings, she should at least spare her pride. Her self-esteem wasn’t like chives, sprouting wildly after just half a month.

“Just a joke,” Ning Fuguang laughed, exchanged a few more casual words, and then left.

On her way back, Jiang Luoyue belatedly realized that Ning Fuguang hadn’t asked about her impression, unlike Xiang Fan.

Even if she had asked, Jiang Luoyue might not have answered, but did this mean Ning Fuguang wasn’t as interested in her as she’d imagined?

Jiang Luoyue felt completely relieved and immediately turned her attention to appeasing Fu Yunqing, who had sent 99+ messages in a fit of anger after realizing Jiang Luoyue hadn’t replied to her for three days, originally just trying to fish for her impression.

That night, the official Weibo account of “Hate Me” announced the recording location for the third round and released silhouettes and introductions of the three guest stars.

Within two minutes, netizens had identified the first two celebrities through discussion: Yu Qiu and Duan Man.

Two years ago, Yu Qiu gained popularity with her goddess-like styling in a period drama, perfectly embodying the program team’s description of “white robes like snow, an extraordinary aura.” Duan Man entered the industry with the gimmick of being an internet-famous campus belle, fitting seamlessly into the program’s “nation’s first love” introduction.

Duan Man, however, sparked controversy in the comment section. After all, she had just debuted and could be considered virtually unknown. It wasn’t until someone uncovered that Duan Man and Jiang Luoyue were both signed under the same agent, Yu Qing, that the disputes subsided.

But when it came to the third person, the silhouette wasn’t a simple standing pose. it was the classic high-leg lift of ballet. The accompanying text was even more elaborate, praising her youth one moment and her stage presence the next, instantly flooding the comment section with question marks.

With such an almost blatant introduction, many quickly connected the dots to a highly relevant name,

Jiang Lianyan.

Hailing from the Jiang family of Jingcheng, she became the principal dancer of a ballet troupe at an extremely young age and was currently on a global tour with the company.

Almost as soon as her name was uncovered, various corporate Weibo accounts under the Jiang family proactively posted messages wishing her a smooth recording.

Marketing accounts continuously released promotional content about Jiang Lianyan, either boasting about her status as the troupe’s principal dancer or praising excerpts from her dance performances.

Some even went so far as to publish Jiang Lianyan’s tour schedule, insisting that Fu Yunqing’s visit to the theater that day was specifically to watch Jiang Lianyan’s performance, claiming they had known each other for a long time and shared a close relationship. As for Jiang Luoyue, who was also present? She was merely a tool to fend off gossip.

That night, everyone experienced a wave of viral marketing. No matter which platform they opened, they were inundated with posts related to Jiang Lianyan.

While many people jumped on the bandwagon to admire her, causing her seldom-used Weibo account to gain 200,000 followers overnight, even more were disgusted by the overwhelmingly boastful marketing. They grew impatient and launched angry attacks.

【Just because you’re from a wealthy family, you can buy your way into the show? When Fu Yunqing was announced, it wasn’t this extravagant.】

【They both have the surname Jiang could she be related to Luoyue? Isn’t having Duan Man enough? Now we have to deal with a relative leeching off her? Can’t even handle the simplest tasks like addressing rumors or taking care of artists. Trash company, hurry up and go bankrupt @Yunyue Entertainment.】

【But Jiang Luoyue’s parents have appeared on camera before they’re definitely not from the Jiang family. Jiang Lianyan and her are clearly from two different worlds. You’re all being too sensitive. What’s wrong with her being liked for her talent?】

Even before the variety show aired, Weibo was already in an uproar.

While catching an early morning flight, Yu Qing scrolled through the comments and couldn’t help but sigh. With so many trending searches, the Jiang family was truly willing to spend.

“But if they wanted her to enter the entertainment industry, why not plan it out months in advance?”

With such a huge commotion, Jiang Lianyan’s reputation was bound to suffer. For instance, many had already turned into anti-fans, digging up videos of her mistakes to retaliate.

But as soon as Yu Qing clicked on one of those videos, it disappeared from the screen within seconds.

When she searched for Jiang Lianyan again, all the negative comments and critical posts had vanished in an instant. Aside from an endless stream of bot-like praise, encouragement, and adoration, nothing that could tarnish Jiang Lianyan’s image remained.

Just as Yu Qing was stunned by this, Jiang Luoyue, sitting beside her, suddenly answered her earlier question: “Maybe it’s because she only recently decided to enter the industry.”

So, to make Jiang Lianyan happy, the Jiang family hastily arranged everything, not caring about negative comments as long as they could pay to have the posts deleted.

Yu Qing couldn’t understand it: “Is it worth making such a fuss over a variety show debut.?”

After all, every promotional post about Jiang Lianyan prominently featured the Jiang family, and by now, many had redirected their criticism toward other members of the Jiang family.

Jiang Luoyue thought quietly that, to the Jiang family, of course it was worth it. Because they all genuinely loved Jiang Lianyan and believed she deserved everything they gave her.

As for Jiang Luoyue,

Just as she began to reflect on her own place in the Jiang family, trying to digest the pain, Yu Qing exclaimed in surprise, “Fu Yunqing posted on Weibo.”

Jiang Luoyue was taken aback for a moment and looked at Yu Qing’s screen.

Fu Yunqing was currently in H Province, seemingly having just landed. She first posted a string of question marks, then shared two ticket stubs for Romeo and Juliet

【Fu Yunqing V】: First, I have no connection to the Miss Jiang on the trending searches. The only Miss Jiang I know and am familiar with in my social circle is Jiang Luoyue. Stop spreading rumors. Second, we didn’t watch the ballet. I’m not interested now, and I won’t be in the future. Third, it’s been a whole night Jiang Luoyue, say something?!

The first two points were particularly stern, even fierce, as she refuted the netizens and rumors, but the third point suddenly shifted in tone, leaving the comment section in shock.

【Seriously, sis, can you stay serious for more than three seconds?】

【#FuYunqing’sUnmatchedWife-PleasingVibes# #FuYunqingFirmlySupportsJiangLianyanLeavingShowbiz# #YunLuoQingYueIsReal#】

【Jiang Luoyue, say something! (Screams)】

Looking at the comments that seemed to carry sound, Jiang Luoyue froze for a few seconds, then unconsciously curved her lips into a smile. All her self-doubt and gloomy emotions were shattered in that moment. She reposted the Weibo with her own account, writing just one line: 【When will it be my turn to say that?】

Fu Yunqing replied instantly: 【You can say it as soon as you get here.】

Jiang Luoyue smiled and was about to reply when she noticed that Yu Jingtang, who was also in H Province, suddenly commented with a question mark.

Immediately after, Yu Jingtang posted a similar Weibo to Fu Yunqing’s.

In the comments, Yu Jingtang copied Fu Yunqing by tagging Jiang Luoyue, her tone cold but clearly filled with grievance.

【You’ve never commented on my posts.】

Jiang Luoyue: “…”