Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 22

The Omega’s completely unguarded posture softened Wen Tang’s heart.

Hearing her breathing gradually steady, Wen Tang lowered her head and whispered tenderly, “Thank you.”

She guessed that perhaps last night, Ye Youyi had noticed her low spirits and had taken her to the seaside to lift her mood.

After a night of release, she truly did feel much lighter.

Half-asleep, Ye Youyi seemed to hear that clear, flowing voice like mountain spring water. She murmured unconsciously and buried her head into the crook of Wen Tang’s shoulder, sinking back into deep sleep.

The girl curled up in her arms like a little cat, and Wen Tang’s heart melted into a puddle. She couldn’t help but lower her chin and gently rub it against the girl’s soft hair, smiling faintly as she walked forward.

Moon Spirit Chronicle had been filming for nearly two months now. Thanks to the early praise for the crew’s costumes and production design, countless paparazzi had flocked to the set, snapping pictures from all angles. Some of those photos had even been uploaded online, sparking waves of discussion.

Most comments were full of excitement and anticipation, with only a few trying to pit the lead actors against one another.

Qiu Qiu sat idly on a stool, scrolling through Weibo as she waited for Ye Youyi to finish her scene. Seeing a few posts that trashed “Xian Ruo” while hyping up “Huan Yan,” she immediately transformed into a loyal defender of her idol and began fiercely replying to the comments.

Just as she was busy arguing online, a striking headline suddenly popped up on her screen.

“Shocking! A certain supporting actress in an upcoming drama slept her way to the top with the director!”

Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly tapped on the post.

The blurry image showed a woman with loose hair standing in a hotel corridor, hand raised to knock on a door.

Though the woman’s face was mostly covered by her hair, the tip of her nose was faintly visible.

Before Qiu Qiu could even recover, she saw the caption beneath the photo.

“The pure little starlet climbs the ladder of fame through seduction! Sources say she spent the entire night in the famous director’s hotel room, only slipping out at dawn.”

Her eyes widened. Scrolling further, she spotted the top comment.

@WinterWithoutCottonPants: That looks a lot like Ye Youyi.

Qiu Qiu’s unease deepened as she scrolled. The replies were unanimous—everyone claimed the woman in the photo was Ye Youyi.

Within minutes, the hashtag #PureStarletYeYouyiSuspectedOfSleepingWithDirectorForRole rocketed to the top of trending.

Qiu Qiu jumped to her feet, clutching her phone, and hurried toward Ye Youyi, who had just finished filming.

The staff were unstrapping Ye Youyi’s harness. As she adjusted her sleeves, she noticed Qiu Qiu’s anxious expression.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing her arm. But then she noticed the sidelong glances from people around her—something was clearly off. Turning to Qiu Qiu, she frowned. “Did something happen?”

Qiu Qiu dragged the bewildered actress under the shade of a tree, unlocked her phone, and handed it over. “You’ve been targeted.”

The photo was so blurry that even the side profile wasn’t clear, yet every comment insisted the woman was Ye Youyi. The smear campaign was obviously orchestrated—someone had decided to bring her down.

Ye Youyi quickly scrolled through the trending posts, then reopened the photo.

The background was the hotel where the crew stayed. The outfit looked like one of hers. The hair length, just brushing the shoulders, was identical. Even that faint glimpse of the nose looked uncannily similar.

No wonder everyone thought it was her.

If she hadn’t known she’d never knocked on that director’s door, even she might’ve doubted herself.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was her agent—Zhou Min.

Ye Youyi closed her eyes briefly before answering.

As expected, Zhou Min’s voice was sharp and accusing. “I knew it! How else could you have landed the supporting role without your name being submitted? So, you really did cozy up to the director, huh? Now that the truth’s out, what are you going to do about it?”

Ye Youyi took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. After a moment, her voice trembled slightly. “Sister Min, it’s not true. I didn’t do anything like that—the person in that photo isn’t me.”

Zhou Min cut her off coldly. “Whether it’s you or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that everyone thinks it’s you. With a scandal like this, who would dare hire you again?”

Ye Youyi bit her lip. “Then, what should I do?”

Her agent’s response was merciless. Zhou Min told her to hold a press conference in two days to “apologize and clarify,” minimizing the fallout. After that, she said, the public reaction would be “out of her hands.”

Ye Youyi tightened her grip on the phone. She realized she couldn’t rely on this woman anymore.

“Two days. Don’t be late.” Zhou Min hung up abruptly.

Qiu Qiu was furious. “She’s awful! Just because Director Li favors you, she’s been jealous from the start. And now that there’s a scandal, she won’t even help you fix it! Disgusting!”

Ye Youyi rubbed her temples, trying to think of a way to clear her name.

They had barely stepped out of the set when a swarm of paparazzi came charging toward them. Qiu Qiu panicked and shielded Ye Youyi’s face, pulling her into a sprint in the opposite direction.

Behind them, the paparazzi shouted their pre-written questions:

“Miss Ye, what’s your response to today’s trending topic?”

“Miss Ye, were you really involved in a casting couch scandal?”

“Did you get your role in Moon Spirit Chronicle through improper means?”

The barrage of questions only made Qiu Qiu run faster. Neither dared to look back.

As they reached the street, the rush of traffic blocked their way—no escape routes, no hiding spots, just rows of storefronts and flashing cameras closing in from behind.

Just when Qiu Qiu was about to drag Ye Youyi into a random shop to hide, a loud honk made them turn.

Through the rolled-down passenger window, Wen Tang’s face came into view.

“Get in,” she said, tilting her head toward the back seat.

Overjoyed, Qiu Qiu yanked the door open and pulled Ye Youyi inside.

The moment the door slammed shut, Wen Tang stepped on the accelerator, leaving the paparazzi far behind.

Breathing hard, Qiu Qiu gasped out her thanks. “Thank you so much! If not for you, we’d have been trapped back there.”

From the rearview mirror, Wen Tang glanced at Ye Youyi, who was clutching her chest, still catching her breath. “Those paparazzi chased you because of the trending post, didn’t they?”

Ye Youyi hesitated, then looked up at the smooth curve of Wen Tang’s head. “You saw it?”

For some reason, the idea that Wen Tang might’ve seen the rumors made her chest tighten. She was afraid Wen Tang might believe them—that she really had done something so shameless.

“I did.” Wen Tang glanced at her again. Seeing the embarrassment on Ye Youyi’s face, she softened her tone. “Don’t worry. Without solid proof, everyone will see it’s not true.”

Qiu Qiu, who had finally caught her breath, nodded emphatically. “Exactly! The person who framed you is way too clumsy. That photo’s so blurry—it’s practically begging to be disproven. Once we find real evidence, they’ll be the ones getting slapped in the face!”

Sitting in Wen Tang’s car, Ye Youyi slowly calmed down. Her mind started working again—she remembered there had been a cameraman filming near her during the audition.

She quickly called Director Li Zheng.

“Ah, Xiao Ye! You saw the trending topic, didn’t you?” Her voice was full of concern. “Don’t panic—I’ve already posted on Weibo to clarify. But the comments are saying it wasn’t you, that it was Zhang Yuan. I tried to reach her to confirm, but her phone’s off. Don’t worry, we’ll handle this.”

Warmth flooded Ye Youyi’s chest. “Thank you, Director Li. Thank you for trusting me.”

“But,” she added after a pause, “a statement alone might not be enough.”

After a brief discussion, they came up with a plan.

As online chatter intensified, countless trolls and fake accounts began flooding the comments with so-called “dirt” on Ye Youyi.

@LightOfNight: 3Y’s never been a well-behaved Omega. She plays wild behind the scenes.

@3YForeverBlack: Remember her film Fragile? She hired bots to slander Yu Mianyue just to outshine her. She’s never been the innocent girl she pretends to be.

One after another, fake scandals spread, and public opinion began to turn—painting Ye Youyi as a manipulative actress who used underhanded tactics to climb the ranks.

Then suddenly, Moon Spirit Chronicle’s official Weibo account uploaded a ten-minute video, tagging both Ye Youyi and Director Li Zheng.

Curious onlookers clicked, expecting gossip—but instead, it was Ye Youyi’s audition footage.

In the video, she wore flowing robes, her hair half-tied behind her head, radiating an ethereal grace. As she entered character, every emotion that crossed her face perfectly embodied “Xian Ruo.” Her struggle between heartbreak and compassion, her pained yet resolute expression at the end—each frame was mesmerizing.

When the short clip ended, the comment section fell silent for a long moment—no one could deny her talent anymore.