I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 48

As the topic #Jiang Luoyue’s Parents# gained traction, public opinion grew increasingly heated. When Jiang Luoyue woke up, she discovered that many fans were dragging marketing accounts that had previously insulted her and demanding apologies. Some had even started a hashtag #TheWholeWorldShouldApologizeToJiangLuoyue#, which startled her.

Frowning, Jiang Luoyue scrolled through the user’s sparse Weibo posts and confirmed her suspicion, this was an anti-fan pretending to support Jiang Lianyan.

While getting ready for the day, she swiftly reported the account. Shortly after, the account was banned. Before its deletion, the user had been craftily defending themselves in the comments, doing everything possible to ruin Jiang Luoyue’s public image, never realizing that one of the people they were targeting had been the one to report them.

The thought of that scene nearly made Jiang Luoyue choke, and she sighed at how one truly becomes influenced by the company they keep.

During breakfast, Jiang Luoyue finally checked her messages. She had been too exhausted the previous day and had fallen asleep as soon as she got home. Now, as she opened the app, every contact with a new nickname made a point of popping up.

Fu Yunqing topped the list with 99 messages, meticulously sharing her entire online browsing experience with Jiang Luoyue. Just five minutes ago, she had sent an energetic voice message saying, “Good morning!”

As Jiang Luoyue scrolled through the chat history, she noticed that at 3 a.m., Fu Yunqing had still been using a side account to argue with netizens. How had she regained so much energy in just five hours?

No wonder she always seemed so listless at other times.

The second sender was Jingtang. As usual, she had sent another snippet of a new song, asking for Jiang Luoyue’s opinion.

While listening, Jiang Luoyue noticed a message from “President Ning.” Remembering how Ning Fuguang had tried to persuade her to change the nickname to “Fuguang” yesterday, only to be firmly rejected.

After all, she had personally called Yunqing and Jingtang by their names before.

But Fuguang… Just imagining herself saying that name aloud made Jiang Luoyue cringe with embarrassment. She couldn’t quite explain why, but she felt resistant to the idea.

Seeing her firm stance, Ning Fuguang didn’t push further.

Fortunately, she wasn’t the only one keeping things formal, Xiang Fan was in the same boat. Since her name only had two characters, it was impossible to drop the surname and use only the given name, so she ended up with the nickname “Guide Xiang.”

Both of them had initially been dissatisfied but felt somewhat justified once they realized they weren’t the only ones suffering. If their names hadn’t been so ordinary, they might have even competed over this matter.

Unlike Fu Yunqing, Ning Fuguang’s messages were concise and to the point. A greeting was just a greeting after a simple “Good morning,” she attached a photo of fitness equipment.

She had sent the message half an hour ago. Assuming Ning Fuguang was still busy, Jiang Luoyue casually asked, “Working out?” To her surprise, Ning Fuguang replied before she could even exit the chat: 【Yes.】

Then, jokingly, she added: 【Want to see?】

When it came to fitness, the most common associations were muscles and abs.

Jiang Luoyue was no exception. She was taken aback: 【Am I allowed to see this?】

Was this something she could see without paying? Were she and Ning Fuguang really that close?

Even though they had been teammates just yesterday, looking at abs today felt a bit too.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, but before she could finish overthinking, Ning Fuguang had already sent a mirror selfie. The muscles in her forearm were firm and well-defined, and beneath her sports top, the lines of her abdominal muscles were faintly visible.

Before Jiang Luoyue could zoom in to take a closer look, the image had already been retracted.

Ning Fuguang said: 【Sent the wrong one.】

Immediately after, he abruptly cropped out the abdominal area in the picture, showing Jiang Luoyue only the arm muscles, while asking her: 【It’s just a hand, what’s wrong with looking at it?】

Jiang Luoyue: “…”

Ning Fuguang must have understood what she meant!

She sent a string of ellipses, and Ning Fuguang cheerfully replied with a voice message: “Don’t think about such unhealthy things in the morning.”

Jiang Luoyue grumbled inwardly that she hadn’t been thinking about anything at all. But with Ning Fuguang’s suggestive remark, she suddenly felt guilty even for the thought of “wanting to zoom in and take a look.”

Just as she was sighing and apologizing in her heart, Ning Fuguang sent a second voice message. She obediently clicked to listen and heard him shift the tone: “If you want to see, you can take a look in person next time, and even touch it.”

“Isn’t that more interesting than Fu Yunqing’s dog? Hmm?”

Jiang Luoyue: “…”

It took a long while for Jiang Luoyue’s face to cool down, her cheeks flushed as she opened the chat with Xiang Fan.

Unlike the other two who were clearly just messing around, Xiang Fan and Yu Jingtang were the types who had serious matters to discuss.

In the early hours of the morning, Xiang Fan had sent her a document titled “Wraith,” straightforwardly saying: 【See if you’re interested.】

Just from the title and the file size, Jiang Luoyue realized that this was likely Xiang Fan’s upcoming new film. She quickly finished her breakfast before opening it.

【Gu Ling was the only daughter of the widow at the village entrance. To pay for her mother’s medical treatment, she was sold to the village chief’s recently deceased, mentally challenged younger brother for a ghost marriage.

Gu Ling wore her wedding dress and lay down in the coffin. When she opened her eyes again, she saw her groom, a girl not much older than her. Gu Ling remembered her.

Last year, she had died.】

Just the first line of the synopsis left Jiang Luoyue somewhat astonished.

She read through it carefully, but when her mind wandered, she couldn’t help recalling other movies she had seen with the theme of “ghost marriage.” Those films all focused on criticizing feudal superstitions and exposing the suffering of women. After the exposure, the abused female ghosts were either persuaded or physically exorcised, and upon waking, everything remained as it was.

Jiang Luoyue couldn’t help but assume that Xiang Fan’s film would follow the same pattern, but the story made it clear to her that Xiang Fan had no interest in such clichés.

Although the theme was also criticism and exposure, the characters were not mere puppets being endlessly exploited. Instead, led by the female ghost, they took revenge themselves. The entire process was bloody and thrilling; just reading the descriptions made Jiang Luoyue hold her breath, feeling a genuine sense of suffocation and exhilaration as if she were there.

After snapping back to reality, her first thought was: she wanted to act in it.

Her second thought was: with this level of intensity, could it really be released domestically?

But that was clearly a matter for Xiang Fan and the producers to consider. With a gleam in her eyes, Jiang Luoyue first sent three exclamation marks to express her excitement, then cautiously asked: 【Which role should I audition for?】

The film was clearly a dual-lead story, featuring Gu Ling and the female ghost Sheng Ling, along with many other female characters with distinct traits.

But no one would turn down a leading role.

If Xiang Fan was willing, Jiang Luoyue would definitely choose to audition for one of the two leads.

Naturally, Jiang Luoyue was very interested in both female leads. If Xiang Fan allowed her to audition, her first choice would undoubtedly be one of them.

Xiang Fan didn’t seem to be awake until Jiang Luoyue finished writing her suggestions for Yu Jingtang, read the script twice, and grew more and more fond of it. She had already mentally cleared her schedule for the second half of the year, all for this film, when Xiang Fan called.

As soon as Jiang Luoyue answered, she heard the woman’s slightly drowsy, hoarse voice: “What audition?”

“Huh?” Jiang Luoyue was confused, thinking she was still half-asleep, and replied gently, “No audition? Then which role am I playing? The journalist? Or Gu Ling’s sister?”

Where there’s an audition process, there are also prearranged roles. In fact, prearranged roles are the norm, while auditions are either because the director is overly particular or because prearranging roles would be too blatant, so the investors deliberately hold an audition to deceive the public.

In the past, Jiang Luoyue had always been one of the deceived. She diligently memorized scripts, studied the characters, performed her part, only to be told afterward that the role had already been prearranged something she had experienced many times.

This seemed to be the first time she had been prearranged for a role.

Though flattered and unsure why Xiang Fan was being so kind to her, Jiang Luoyue remained firm in her resolve to fight for an audition for the roles of Gu Ling or Sheng Ling.

Even if she failed in the end, or even ended up unable to participate in the film, Jiang Luoyue still wanted to try for the roles she was genuinely interested in.

While Jiang Luoyue was feeling anxious, Xiang Fan gradually woke up and asked her, “The actress for the journalist was finalized half a year ago it’s Fang Yuan. Do you want to compete with her for the role?”

Fang Yuan was the guest star in the first season of Hate Me, paired with Xiang Fan.

Jiang Luoyue immediately replied, “No, I just.”

“Just asking?” Xiang Fan questioned. “Did you think I sent you the script because I wanted you to audition for a role?”

Jiang Luoyue was puzzled: “If not, then why?”

Surely Xiang Fan couldn’t be like Yu Jingtang, simply sending her the script to read and asking for her opinions,

As if guessing her thoughts, Xiang Fan chuckled softly.

After a few seconds, Jiang Luoyue heard her say, “I sent you the script to ask if you’re interested in Gu Ling or Sheng Ling.”

At this point, Xiang Fan paused for a moment, clearly waiting for Jiang Luoyue to ask. Feeling helpless and not understanding why Xiang Fan had to play the teacher at a time like this, Jiang Luoyue deliberately teased, “What if I’m not interested?”

Xiang Fan actually thought for a few seconds: “Write a role you’re interested in? Or what would you like to do?”

Jiang Luoyue had a feeling she was joking, but the woman’s tone was serious, so she forcibly changed the subject: “What if I am interested?”

“Interested?” Xiang Fan raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Congratulations, you’re the sole lead of this film.”

Lead? Sole lead?

Jiang Luoyue checked the calendar. If the date hadn’t shown October, she would have thought it was Valentine’s Day. She felt as if she’d been struck by a heavenly pie, still dazed by the temptation, while the person who casually dropped the opportunity began talking to herself:

“When do you want to sign the contract? Today? Tomorrow? When is your agent free?”

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Send me your address. I’ll be there soon.”

Only then did Jiang Luoyue snap out of her daze: “…?”

What does signing a contract have to do with her home address?