Spilling the Tea on the Movie Star Who Won't Leave Me Alone - Chapter 7

Xu Chi’s peaceful days on set didn’t last long before he hit the headlines yet again.

“Lu Qing, Leading Lady of Director Jiang’s New Film, Personally Feeds Second Male Lead: Is Romance in the Air!?”

When Lin Tao saw the news, a vein throbbed violently in his temple. He looked at Xu Chi, who was sitting on the bed scrolling through his phone and giggling, and massaged his forehead.

“Take a look at the headlines and the trending searches on Weibo for yourself.”

Xu Chi was still chatting with friends. Since he had no scenes to film over the past few days, he had been enjoying some well-deserved rest. Hearing Lin Tao’s words, he looked up, confused. He shouldn’t have any news coming out recently; he hadn’t attended any events or shot any magazines.

It wasn’t until he opened Weibo that he realized his account had completely blown up. In the comments section, countless fans were already duking it out over the rumor.

[True Fan #1]: Which paparazzi took this? There’s no way our Chi-Chi would be with Lu Qing.

[Anti-Fan #1]: I knew it. How else could Xu Chi land a role in a Director Jiang production? He’s clearly riding Lu Qing’s coattails.

[Passerby Fan]: It doesn’t look like that to me. These two have zero chemistry. They don’t match at all. ~_~

[True Fan #2]: I know Chi-Chi’s character. He wouldn’t stoop to hooking up with a “vase” like Lu Qing.

[Lu Qing Fan]: Why would our Qing-Qing even look at Xu Chi? Why would she want him when someone as perfect as Movie Star Gu is right there? Who cares about Xu Chi?

Xu Chi let out a heavy sigh. That day, fearing exactly this kind of talk, he hadn’t even let Lu Qing feed him. He never expected someone would still manage to capture that moment on camera.

By all accounts, Director Jiang had banned all paparazzi and media before filming began. How did the person who took this photo even get in?

Xu Chi looked at Lin Tao helplessly, blinking his eyes. “Brother Lin, Lu Qing didn’t actually feed me. I turned her down. How am I supposed to explain this?”

At this point, it didn’t matter what Xu Chi said; the situation was nearly impossible to explain away. The two of them were clearly in the rest area. Even though they were wearing costumes, the photo couldn’t be dismissed as a scene from the movie. The person who took the shot caught them at an angle where they looked extremely close, making the interaction appear incredibly intimate.

No matter how Xu Chi explained it, it would just look like he was trying too hard to cover it up. He frustratedly ran his hand through the hair on his forehead. Since his debut, he had never hit the headlines in such quick succession. Xu Chi had always made it a point to keep his distance from all actresses, making this his very first actual scandal.

“Any way you look at it, this seems like someone Lu Qing called in herself.” Lin Tao felt that Xu Chi shouldn’t rush to clarify things just yet. They needed to see how Lu Qing’s side responded.

“Lu Qing? Why would she do that?” Xu Chi had thought of a thousand possibilities, but Lu Qing hadn’t been one of them. “Starting a scandal with me doesn’t benefit her at all. Logically, she should have her sights set on Brother Gu, right?”

Xu Chi was merely a moderately famous actor known for romantic dramas. Having debuted only two or three years ago, he was still just a “rising idol.” It didn’t make sense for Lu Qing to target him for a publicity stunt.

“She wouldn’t dare start a scandal with Gu Jingxuan.” Lin Tao recalled some insider information he’d heard a few days prior. “Do you know who the investor for this drama is?”

“The investor? No idea.”

“Lu Qing’s father commissioned this entire drama specifically for her. She hasn’t been able to get famous since her debut, so her father spent tens of millions to hire Director Jiang. The only condition was that his daughter had to be the lead. Director Jiang was originally dead-set against it. You know his temper; he casts based on ‘eye-contact’ and acting ability. Lu Qing has absolutely no redeeming qualities in that department.”

“In the end, I don’t know what her father did, but Director Jiang agreed. He even managed to bring Gu Jingxuan on as the lead.”

“You could say this whole production exists solely to push Lu Qing. Otherwise, do you really think Director Jiang would tolerate her acting? He’s probably just given up on her.”

“But why me?” Xu Chi still couldn’t wrap his head around it. In terms of fame or status, he wasn’t someone who could propel Lu Qing to the A-list.

Lin Tao shot Xu Chi a look reserved for the mentally challenged.

“Gu Jingxuan’s background is something Lu Qing can’t afford to mess with. Besides, she doesn’t care who it is as long as someone is linked to her in a scandal so she can hit the headlines and trending searches. Unfortunately for you, you’re that person.”

Xu Chi looked at the “99+” notifications on his Weibo DMs and felt like his head was about to explode.