Never Forget - Chapter 12

“Yikes! Yikes! Yikes! What is wrong with you? Just show a little bit of your usual calm!” Ke Shu frowned in exasperation. She started rambling again, frantically pulling out a handful of tissues and handing half of them to Ye Zhuyi to wipe up the water.

The three “yikes” were so loud that each one got higher in pitch, sounding almost like an opera singer. It completely snapped Ye Zhuyi out of her dazed state, which had been caused by the mention of “kiss scenes” and “bed scenes.”

Ye Zhuyi tossed the used tissues into the trash can and asked, “Sister Ke, has Director Lu given us the script yet?”

“Not yet,” Ke Shu replied. “It’s too late today. Director Lu said she’ll give it to me tomorrow. Only fifty percent of the script will be released now. The other fifty percent will be given on the day of the costume fitting. Once I get it tomorrow, I’ll have Xiao Qiao deliver it to you.”

Ye Zhuyi nodded. “Screenwriter Zhou suggested I learn how to waltz and play mahjong before joining the production. Sister Ke, please don’t schedule any activities for me during this time.”

“You’re right, we need to prepare thoroughly.” Ke Shu also took this project very seriously. If it became a hit and Ye Zhuyi shot to fame, she would gain a lot of prestige and get closer to becoming a Gold Medal Manager. “Instead of activities, I’ll arrange some classes for you. I’ll go back and contact some people to recommend the best teachers.”

Ye Zhuyi smiled. “Thanks, Sister Ke.”

“Since there are no events scheduled for now, Xiao Qiao, you can finally get some rest,” Ke Shu said, remembering something. “You mentioned wanting to move. Why not do it during this break?”

“Mhm,” Xiao Qiao agreed.

“Have you found a new place yet?” Ye Zhuyi asked casually.

“Not yet. I need somewhere close to both the company and your house. Do you have any recommendations?” Xiao Qiao glanced at Ye Zhuyi through the rearview mirror.

Ye Zhuyi’s eyes shifted as she tapped her chin in thought. After a moment, she said, “I’ll check the map when I get home.”

“…”

What a terrible sense of direction she has!

Both Ke Shu and Xiao Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle. While stopped at a red light, Xiao Qiao rubbed her forehead and asked worriedly, “Do you need me to drive you to your classes?”

Ye Zhuyi’s face remained expressionless as she awkwardly replied, “No need.”

Ke Shu glanced at her and teased, “Just don’t get lost.”

Ye Zhuyi: “…”

Ke Shu had planned to celebrate by finding a restaurant for a meal together, but she abandoned the idea when she remembered Ye Zhuyi had to maintain her weight. Instead, she had Xiao Qiao drive Ye Zhuyi straight home.

After getting home, Ye Zhuyi took out her phone and shared the news of her selection with the other girls in Group A.

Yu Wei was the first to reply: [FUCK!!! I knew you could do it!]

A moment later, Hua Jin replied with a picture of a thumbs-up and the words “You’re amazing!” flashing in rainbow colors.

Yu Wei didn’t bother typing and just started a video call. As soon as it connected, she burst out laughing. “Hua Hua, what is with that old-person emoji?”

Hua Jin sighed helplessly. “Don’t even ask. I’ve been chatting with my grandma a lot lately, and that’s all she uses.”

Ye Zhuyi poured the corn kernels into the pot. She glanced at the screen and saw Song Muran and Yu Wei eating hot pot together, while Hua Jin was dining on French cuisine. “Wow,” she said, taking a photo of her own pot. “The difference between people is so huge.”

The three of them laughed. Yu Wei was doubled over, nearly falling into Song Muran’s lap. Song Muran pushed her away with an exasperated look, then beckoned to the camera. “Come on, I’ll treat you to hot pot.”

Ye Zhuyi shook her head with a smile. “I have to stay in shape. The crew needs to custom-make a cheongsam for me.”

“A cheongsam! That really shows off your figure!” Song Muran’s almond eyes widened. “Custom-made? Does that mean you have to maintain your measurements until the movie wraps?”

“Yeah,” Ye Zhuyi murmured, her head lowered as she scooped the corn out of the pot. Her wavy long hair slid from her shoulder to her chest.

“Captain, are you jealous?” Yu Wei leaned in close to Song Muran, winking and nudging her.

The rumor that General A Group was an all-A team was actually false. Only Song Muran was an A; the other three were B. However, since they always deferred to Song Muran, the rumor persisted.

Song Muran rolled her eyes and pushed Yu Wei away. “Get lost,” she snapped.

Seeing Song Muran’s face flush on the screen, Ye Zhuyi raised an eyebrow and instinctively glanced at Hua Jin.

Hua Jin clicked her tongue, set down her utensils, and slowly wiped her mouth. “When do you start filming?”

“Late July,” Ye Zhuyi replied.

“Wait! I just realized!” Yu Wei slapped the table in excitement. “You’re going to be acting with your idol, Qin Shen! That’s amazing! I heard that drama has an incredible production. Yaoyao, if you play it well, you might even win Best Actress!”

Ye Zhuyi’s eyes curved into a smile.

Song Muran rubbed her forehead. “Yaoyao is only a supporting character.”

“So what if she is?” Yu Wei snatched a piece of beef from Song Muran’s bowl. “Little Captain, don’t look down on supporting roles.”

Song Muran swatted her chopsticks away. “Hey, that’s not what I meant.” Realizing she couldn’t reason with Yu Wei, she changed the subject. “Just aim for Best Supporting Actress!”

“No need to aim!” Yu Wei declared. “Our Yaoyao will win it!”

Ye Zhuyi nodded, her deep dimples showing as she said, “Okay.”

After a few more casual remarks, Yu Wei and Song Muran left the group video call to continue eating hot pot, leaving only Ye Zhuyi and Hua Jin.

Hua Jin’s background had changed. She was now sitting behind a luxurious office desk, wearing a perfectly tailored silk shirt. Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, framing her beautiful but cold features.

Back during their survival show, Ye Zhuyi and Hua Jin had barely spoken. Both were known for their cool demeanors, and people often compared them. In the end, they even tied in the final vote, an unprecedented result that squeezed four people into the top three.

They say one mountain cannot hold two tigers. Even after forming the group, rumors of their rivalry persisted. Their few CP fans were so small in number that they had to hide in their own little corners, terrified of being found. In reality, they weren’t fighting, but they truly didn’t get along at first.

Their relationship only changed during a group outing when they accidentally revealed their secrets. Discovering they shared the same sexual orientation brought them closer, as if they had finally found a kindred spirit. Later, Hua Jin developed feelings for Ye Zhuyi’s assistant, Xiao Qiao, which drew the two women even closer.

Only Hua Jin knew that Ye Zhuyi’s feelings for Qin Zhizhen went beyond a fan’s admiration for an idol.

“Thank you for investigating Jin Yue for me,” Ye Zhuyi said.

“Even if you told me not to look into it last time, I would have found out sooner or later,” Hua Jin said, waving her hand dismissively. “Still, I’m surprised. This woman will stop at nothing to climb the ladder. Any one of these pieces of information could completely destroy her.”

Ye Zhuyi raised an eyebrow. “So, are you going to destroy her?”

Hua Jin smiled but didn’t answer.

The Hua family’s internal affairs were complicated, and she hadn’t yet gained full control over all their businesses. For now, Jin Yue was still bringing in significant profits for Tianhua Entertainment. Even if Hua Jin wanted to make a move, the opposing shareholders wouldn’t let her act on a whim. They might even back Jin Yue just to spite her.

Ye Zhuyi dropped the subject. “Xiao Qiao wants to move. She’s looking for a place closer to both me and Xingyao, and she asked if I had any recommendations.”

“So you’re dumping this task on me, huh?” Hua Jin scoffed, her tone dripping with feigned annoyance. Yet her hands betrayed her as she began clicking her mouse and tapping the keyboard to search for apartment complexes. “Runyuan Community and Tianhu Community are both good options. Let her choose one. Once she decides, remember to—”

“Tell you, right?” Ye Zhuyi interrupted with a smile. “If she decides on a place, she’ll probably treat me to dinner. I’ll ask her if I can bring you all along.”

Hua Jin chuckled and whistled. “Ye Xiao Yao, I’ll come visit you on set later.”

She just wants to see Xiao Qiao, Ye Zhuyi thought, but she kept it to herself.

After hanging up, Ye Zhuyi cleaned the kitchen and took a shower. Her nerves had been frayed all afternoon. She felt exhausted, yet her mind was racing. It was as if two voices were arguing in her head: one constantly reminding her about Lu Buping signing the gambling contract, and the other replaying the fact that she and Qin Zhizhen had not only a kissing scene but also a bed scene.

The more she thought about it, the more wide awake she became. With no hope of sleeping, Ye Zhuyi curled up at her computer desk to organize footage for her video edit.

This kind of project was actually quite demanding. She had to plan the plot and then cut the clips to match. The scenes with Qin Zhizhen had completely different color grading from the others. Since the video was a patchwork of different clips, just matching the colors would take a lot of effort.

Halfway through, a Weibo notification popped up on her screen. Ye Zhuyi’s heart skipped a beat as she clicked on it.

Half the entertainment industry had turned out for Qin Zhenghong’s 70th birthday party, the CEO of Rongguang Film and Television. It was even more crowded than a film festival, which rarely managed to gather so many A-list stars in one place.

The top ten trending topics on Weibo were almost entirely taken over by Old Master Qin’s birthday celebration. Three of them were about Qin Zhizhen:

#I want to be Grandpa Qin’s granddaughter-in-law#

#Qin Shen reveals her ideal type#

#Qin Shen is no longer the most desired female celebrity on Maopu.com#

What on earth was going on?

Ye Zhuyi frowned and clicked on the first trending topic. The post featured a nine-grid of photos of Qin Zhizhen, who looked stunning at Old Master Qin’s birthday banquet.

Earlier that afternoon, she had been wearing her hair in long curls. Now, it was cut to shoulder length and styled in a slightly messy look. She wore a strapless, starry blue gown that highlighted her graceful swan-like neck and elegant collarbones. The dress was cinched at the waist, accentuating her slender figure.

With her chin slightly raised, her skin looked like snow, and her features were as cool and refined as a painting. A faint smile played on her lips, yet she still seemed distant.

Beautiful and cool. Anyone would want to marry her.

Ye Zhuyi switched to her alt account and silently liked, reposted, and saved the photos in one smooth motion. Then, with a pounding heart, she clicked on the second trending topic, which was a short video.

Old Master Qin was seventy, but he looked like he was in his fifties. He sat with a straight back, looking energetic and spirited. In the video, the sternness in his expression remained, but he seemed less unapproachable than in the online photos. He smiled and asked Qin Zhizhen when she would start dating.

Qin Zhizhen sat beside him and replied calmly, “It’s still early.”

Old Master Qin stroked his beard and asked, “What kind of person do you like? I can help you find someone.”

“Hmm…” Qin Zhizhen took a sip of wine. “Someone prettier than me, stronger than me, gentler than me, cuter than me, cooler than me, more—”

“Just eat your meat,” Old Master Qin said, putting a piece of meat on her plate.

Qin Zhizhen said softly, “Grandpa, I don’t eat meat.”

Qin Zhenghong’s beard twitched.

The video ended there, and the comments below were filled with “Hahaha.” Netizens were all saying that Qin Shen would probably never find a partner. Does Qin Shen even know what she’s saying? If she had just eaten one more peanut, she wouldn’t have gotten this drunk! LMAO Grandpa Qin was left speechless by his granddaughter.

Ye Zhuyi couldn’t help but laugh as she read the comments. A weight was finally lifted from her heart.

This request is actually quite difficult.

When she clicked on the third trending topic, Ye Zhuyi blinked in surprise.

Maopu.com was a secret haven for female netizens. It often ran polls, like “Male Celebrities Female Netizens Most Want to Marry” and “Female Celebrities Female Netizens Most Want to Marry.” Qin Zhizhen had topped the list for three years running. This new trending topic sent shockwaves through the online community.

The new champion of Maopu’s “Female Celebrities Female Netizens Most Want to Marry” was Ye Zhuyi. Qin Zhizhen had been bumped to second place.

In the comments, a user asked, “Who is Ye Zhuyi?” The replies below were all recommending the Weibo account “Zhenzhen, Did You Counterattack Today?”

Ye Zhuyi’s frown deepened as she read the trending topic, a faint sense of unease stirring in her heart.

But nothing happened afterward. New topics replaced the old ones, and Ye Zhuyi gradually forgot about it.

The next day, Xiao Qiao delivered the script. Lu Buping had contacted her, saying she didn’t need to memorize lines yet. For now, she just needed to get a feel for the characters and the plot.

Ye Zhuyi flipped through the thin script from cover to cover but found no kissing or bed scenes. Just as she was feeling disappointed, she remembered that this was only half the script. The kissing and bed scenes were probably all in the second half.

Ke Shu arranged for a dance teacher and even found an older woman to teach Ye Zhuyi how to play mahjong and speak with a Shencheng accent. As a result, Ye Zhuyi’s daily schedule was packed: reading the script, dancing, playing mahjong, practicing her accent, and editing videos.

This routine continued until the day of the costume photo shoot.

Ke Shu had informed her of the location the day before.

Ye Zhuyi arrived early that day. Her individual costume photos were taken quickly, followed by a couple’s shot with Qin Zhizhen and a group photo of the four main cast members.

The makeup artist redid her look, repeatedly praising her flawless skin. Ye Zhuyi smiled and said, “It’s all thanks to Sister Jin’s great makeup skills.”

“You’re so sweet!” The makeup artist, now delighted, worked even more meticulously. As she changed Ye Zhuyi’s hairstyle, she added, “The photographer just asked me to prepare you. When you take the photos with Teacher Qin, don’t feel awkward if he asks you to get close. There are so many shots to take later. If you’re too shy, it’ll just waste time. Understand?”

Ye Zhuyi’s red lips parted slightly. “Do we have to get that close?”

The makeup artist nodded. “Yes. I heard Director Lu and the photographer say to make it as romantic as possible. So, the closer the better.”

Ye Zhuyi’s mind went blank as fireworks exploded in her head.

It was exhilarating.

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