The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 21

Huh?

Could the world really be this kind dropping a brand endorsement right into her lap?

But she also knew Ye Miaoyi had that capability. Unlike herself, Ye came from a wealthy family, one of the prominent clans in Songcheng.

“What’s the catch?” Yu Youqing asked.

“What catch could there possibly be between us? This jewelry brand is my creation, though it’s under my family’s corporate umbrella. You might know it, Wind.”

Wind? Yu Youqing was familiar. It was a mid-tier endorsement, third-tier in ranking. During their performance review, Tiantian had emphasized how ideal this endorsement would be for her.

Ye Miaoyi continued, “I hadn’t heard from you in two years. If not for seeing your variety show trending, I wouldn’t have noticed. That Jiang Musheng, you like her?”

Yu Youqing nearly choked on air, immediately denying, “No.”

She then asked, “Has your family already chosen a spokesperson?”

“You know how my family is still the same after all these years.” Ye Miaoyi’s tone dipped, sounding dispirited. “They never mind, it’s not settled yet. Speaking of which, the amount of online hate you’re getting is insane. These people talk as if they know you personally.”

Yu Youqing shrugged it off. “I’m used to it.”

“Ugh, these rumor-mongers and their loose tongues. Sometimes I even go online to argue with them it’s quite entertaining. But I saw that old interview of yours they dug up.” Ye Miaoyi teased, “You mentioned liking Jiang Musheng’s type. I knew it, and I bet you still do now.”

A crack appeared in Yu Youqing’s calm facade. Thank goodness Ye Miaoyi wasn’t face-to-face with her, or all her little secrets would be exposed.

She replied nonchalantly, “Stop making things up. Teacher Jiang is my senior in the industry.”

“Oh please, too scared to make a move?” Ye Miaoyi saw right through her. “A few years back when Jiang Musheng was working overseas, I saw her once at a family dinner, didn’t speak though. Someone tried setting her up with an omega, and as I passed by, I heard her clearly say her heart belonged to someone else.”

Yu Youqing’s heart skipped a beat, an indescribable complexity creeping up from within.

Ye Miaoyi added, “She’s an alpha, and such a remarkable one at that, so I took extra notice. That didn’t sound like an excuse to me, she doesn’t seem the type. If you’re serious about pursuing her, you’d better clarify that first.”

“I’m not pursuing her.”

“Really? I watched the show. When Jiang Musheng cupped that snow for you, your expression was totally smitten.” Ye Miaoyi laughed. “All jokes aside, I think you two would make a great pair. You act carefree, but deep down you’re insecure. When you fall for someone, you’d never make the first move. Why not take charge of your own happiness for once?”

Yu Youqing sidestepped the topic. “Is that all you called for?”

“Oh, look at you, refusing to talk again.” Ye Miaoyi clicked her tongue. “I’ll be moving my company over to your side in a couple of days after wrapping things up here. I’ll contact you then this is my number. Oh, and regarding the endorsement deal, I’ll have my team reach out to your assistant.”

Yu Youqing memorized the number and added Ye Miaoyi on WeChat before they finished their conversation.

In her past life, she never had the chance to reconnect with Ye Miaoyi, nor had she heard about Wind expanding its business back to China.

It was only because she had signed with a new company this time and later appeared on a variety show that she ended up trending leading Ye Miaoyi to spot her and rekindle their friendship.

This confirmed her earlier suspicion. The turning point in her life had truly shifted the moment she signed that contract.

7:50 PM.

The livestream was scheduled for 9:00 PM. She and Cheng Shunzhu would each broadcast from their own homes, with their feeds displayed side by side on the same screen to interact with fans. There was still plenty of time, so Yu Youqing watched a movie to pass the time. When she finally looked up, her head felt heavy.

On her tablet screen, a woman’s silhouette stood against the sunset by the sea, gazing into the distance. The golden light enveloped her entire figure and hair in a lonely, desolate glow as rolling English credits appeared beside her.

Jiang Musheng’s name appeared in the cast list.

That silhouette was Jiang Musheng.

The movie Yu Youqing had been watching was called Sunset, one of the artistic films Jiang Musheng had shot while abroad. Her time overseas was less about career advancement and more about learning and relaxation, she chose roles purely based on interest, regardless of whether they were leads. In this film, she played the third female lead.

Though the story followed the third lead, it centered on unrequited love. Her character harbored feelings for the protagonist but never ended up with them, making it a tale of long, unresolved affection from her perspective.

Yu Youqing had randomly searched for the film and even stumbled upon an interview with Jiang Musheng that had been uploaded online after the premiere.

The host asked a question perfectly aligned with the film’s theme: “If you were to develop feelings for someone, would you keep it hidden like your character, or would you take the initiative?”

Jiang Musheng replied, “Of course, I’d go for it.”

The host laughed. “A textbook alpha answer! I doubt anyone could resist you if you made the first move!”

The audience erupted in laughter, and the topic moved on.

Yu Youqing turned off her tablet and rubbed her tired eyes, feeling the need to step outside for some air.

With the livestream coming up, she wanted to be in good shape, so she decided to grab a coffee.

Still cautious, Yu Youqing knew she might not be as inconspicuous anymore after appearing on the show. She covered herself thoroughly before heading out.

She placed her order on her phone in advance and went to pick it up at the café outside her neighborhood.

Two people were ahead of her in line. Yu Youqing pulled her cap low, moving naturally, no one recognized her as the heavily criticized celebrity from online discussions.

“How does she even dare? With such a minor role, she’s trying to ride the coattails of the current sibling dynamic? Xiaoyi, should we take action tonight?”

The other girl said, “Of course, I’m all prepared. She’s so arrogant, thinking our ‘Muddy Fish Squad’ is just for show? Hmph.”

The term “Muddy Fish Squad” immediately caught Yu Youqing’s attention.

Wasn’t that her anti-fan group?

She glanced ahead and noticed the two girls looked like they had just started college. They were engrossed in their discussion, oblivious to their surroundings.

“Your Cheng gege is so pitiful, being forced by the company to do a livestream with her. Tonight, we’ll see what tricks Yu Youqing can pull. We’ll record the entire livestream with her terrible temper, she definitely won’t cooperate with the host’s questions,” the one called Xiaoyi said.

“What’s your group planning to do then?”

Xiaoyi: “We’re going to confront her about her relationship with Sheng Sheng! Someone like her would definitely seize the opportunity to stir up drama, claiming she’s close with Teacher Jiang. But that would contradict her previous statement, we’ll expose her true colors!”

“What if she doesn’t say that?”

Xiaoyi clenched her fists and huffed, “We’ve got a backup plan. After the statement came out, Sheng Sheng’s fans made it clear that her hands can’t touch anything cold in this freezing weather. She knows that now, so apologizing isn’t too much to ask, right? But Yu Youqing has a terrible temper there’s no way she’d lower her head to apologize.”

“Alright, let’s do it.”

Just then, Xiaoyi took the coffee her friend handed her and turned to leave, unaware of the person standing behind her. The coffee cup collided with the other person’s hoodie, and she stumbled back in shock, momentarily losing her balance.

The person in front of her immediately reached out to steady her by the arm, but the coffee sloshed violently, spilling all over the hoodie.

Once Xiaoyi regained her footing, she stammered an apology, “S-sorry! I didn’t notice!”

Yu Youqing, wearing a mask and hat, wasn’t worried about being recognized, but she still lowered her voice slightly. “It’s fine.”

Her gaze met Xiaoyi’s briefly before she quickly looked away, took her coffee, and turned to leave.

Xiaoyi froze for half a second before hurrying after her. “Miss! I ruined your clothes, let me pay for them!”

“As long as you didn’t fall,” Yu Youqing paused mid-step. “Go get another coffee before the line gets long.”

Watching the tall figure walk away, Xiaoyi touched her cheek, her gaze lingering on the arm that had been steadied.

For a brief moment when their eyes met, she’d felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, though she couldn’t place why.

“Xiaoyi, are you okay?” Her friend caught up to her. “Was that woman an alpha? The way she caught you was so cool.”

Xiaoyi shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Yu Youqing returned home with her coffee, swiftly changed out of her clothes, and removed her disguise.

“That was close,” she murmured, tossing the hoodie into the washing machine.

She had no intention of clashing with someone like Xiaoyi. In fact, she didn’t even mind the things the girl had said.

Younger people are more easily swayed by online comments. Clearly, Xiaoyi had no real interaction with me, nor was she inherently unpleasant otherwise, she wouldn’t have apologized so quickly. Her dislike for me stemmed solely from one-sided impressions formed online.

At 8:40, Yu Youqing opened the livestream platform and came face-to-face with Cheng Shunzhu on the other end.

The livestream wouldn’t go public until 9 o’clock. For now, it was just the two of them going over the rundown.

Cheng Shunzhu was at the company, dressed formally, so the host and stage manager there would take the lead. Yu Youqing only needed to follow their cues.

“Jie, you look so cozy at home,” Cheng Shunzhu remarked, eyeing Yu Youqing’s fluffy loungewear that looked incredibly warm, then glancing down at his own stiff suit, feeling oddly out of place.

Yu Youqing replied, “No need for formalities at home. What are we supposed to do?”

She tucked her hands in slightly and pushed her coffee further away.

The host explained, “Mainly, you two will chat with fans and promote the show. There’ll be some small interactions in between, and it’ll wrap up by 10.”

Yu Youqing nodded. “Got it.”

Thinking back to the comments she’d overheard while buying coffee, she hesitated before asking, “Xiao Zhu, if the recent drama around me affects the livestream, would that be bad?”

Cheng Shunzhu had been wrestling with how to bring this up himself.

His manager had made it clear this livestream with Yu Youqing at such a critical moment wasn’t primarily about fan interaction. It was about capitalizing on Yu Youqing’s current buzz to boost his own visibility.

They’d even instructed him not to filter out any fan questions or comments about Jiang Musheng, leaving Yu Youqing to handle them.

As a newcomer to the industry, Cheng Shunzhu quickly realized this was just using her for clout.

He’d refused outright: “If we’re going to do this, we should at least get Youqing-jie’s consent first. Not like this.”

His manager scoffed, “You think this is some game of make-believe? Calling her ‘jie’ doesn’t actually make her your sister. Yu Youqing’s just another clout-chaser herself, what’s wrong with us getting a piece of that? Besides, you’re way more popular than her. She should be grateful.”

Cheng Shunzhu had initially been wary of Yu Youqing due to her reputation, but during their week on set, she was the only one who took the time to teach him how to act.

Everyone else, including the director, had dismissed him: “Just wing it. You’ve got fans and popularity anyway. The faster you finish, the sooner we wrap up.”

But Cheng Shunzhu believed someone who took their work so seriously couldn’t be all bad. Though Yu Youqing played his older sister in the drama, off-screen, he’d come to genuinely see her as one.

Now, hearing her express concern about affecting him, guilt overwhelmed him. But his manager’s warning glare kept him from speaking freely.

Frowning, Cheng Shunzhu said slowly, “It won’t be a problem, jie.”

Seizing a moment during the pre-broadcast checks, he quickly sent Yu Youqing a private message explaining the situation.

Yu Youqing lowered her head.

Cheng Shunzhu: [“Sorry sis, you might want to prepare yourself for the livestream. There might be anti-fans attacking you, and our moderators might not be able to control the situation completely.”]

With just that one sentence, Yu Youqing understood everything.

She looked up and nodded at the visibly nervous Cheng Shunzhu on the screen, offering him a reassuring smile.

At 9 PM, the livestream began, and fans flooded in.

Cheng Shunzhu’s fans took the lead, filling the chat with endless praise. Aside from the occasional comment questioning why Yu Youqing was there, her name was barely mentioned her fan presence was surprisingly sparse.

However, after Yu Youqing and Cheng Shunzhu greeted the audience on camera, the number of viewers tripled. The host followed the script, asking questions mainly about the drama, with Cheng Shunzhu taking the lead as the male lead.

Yu Youqing occasionally stepped off-camera to sip her coffee before returning, making no effort to steal the spotlight.

Feeling guilty, Cheng Shunzhu carefully included Yu Youqing in every answer, trying to give her more opportunities to speak. The fans, sharp as ever, immediately noticed something was off.

[? Yu Youqing isn’t hogging the spotlight today? That’s not normal!]
[I actually see a bit of a sibling-like vibe between Brother Zhuzi and her.]
[Brother Cheng, are you being forced to cater to this woman?]
[Yu Youqing is putting on such an act so unassuming. If I were new, I’d actually believe this is who she is.]
[Why does she keep stepping out? Probably has another phone off-screen sending herself supportive comments.]
[That sounds about right. She’s always been scheming, hasn’t she?]

Yu Youqing skimmed the rapidly scrolling comments and sighed. She was just drinking coffee nothing more.

Since it was an official livestream and the coffee wasn’t sponsored, it couldn’t be shown on camera. Simple as that.

After over half an hour, the host announced, “We’ve covered most of the drama-related questions. Now, feel free to ask Cheng Shunzhu and Yu Youqing anything personal.”

Here it comes.

Cheng Shunzhu tensed up instantly, instinctively glancing at Yu Youqing across from him only to find her calmly picking lint off her pajamas, completely unfazed.

The fans’ questions were all over the place, but this round was clearly aimed at Yu Youqing, so the host only selected those targeting her.

Yu Youqing scanned them and noticed most were about her recent incident with Jiang Musheng.

The host read out, “The top-liked question is from a fan named ‘IKEA Isn’t Home.’ She wants to ask Yu Youqing: Are you and Teacher Jiang so close that she gifted you her scarf?”

Given what had happened earlier at the café, Yu Youqing suspected this was a setup by her anti-fans.

Though she was just sitting quietly in front of the camera, she could practically feel the unseen crowd waiting for her to embarrass herself.

But she wasn’t about to fall into their trap so easily.

Yu Youqing smiled and cleared her throat. “There’s been a misunderstanding.”

“You’ve liked Teacher Jiang for so many years, surely you know what kind of person she is?” Yu Youqing maintained her smile as she continued, “Teacher Jiang and I are just ordinary friends. Her kindness toward me is simply the consideration an elder shows to a junior. I deeply regret causing her such trouble and have already apologized to her privately.”

After a brief pause, she added, “I understand the concern from Teacher Jiang’s fans. You all have her best interests at heart, and I get that.”

[????????]

[Wait, why does her tone sound like she’s the victim here?]

[Oh wow, she just preemptively addressed everything I was about to say]

[She’s not even trying to ride the hype? Is this intentional or has she changed tactics?]

The host pressed on: “Another question from fans, did you know about Teacher Jiang’s chronic hand injury from filming that causes frostbite in winter?”

Yu Youqing nodded: “I wasn’t aware before.”

“During the show, whenever you asked for water, Teacher Jiang would remove her gloves. You must have noticed this,” the host said rapidly, eyes darting between the live chat and screen. “Fans are hoping you’ll apologize for this too.”

Yu Youqing immediately faced the camera sincerely: “Teacher Jiang, I’m truly sorry. I apologize.”

The host suggested: “Since you claim to be friends with Teacher Jiang, wouldn’t it be better to apologize directly? Could you call her right now?”

Cheng Shunzhu broke into a cold sweat and intervened before Yu Youqing could respond: “Teacher Jiang is extremely busy, she won’t have time to answer. Please don’t put my sister in this difficult position.”

Yu Youqing appeared thoughtful.

Jiang Musheng was surely occupied now, her phone likely with her manager. The chance of her answering was negligible. If she made this call on camera and Jiang didn’t pick up, it would perfectly demonstrate their lack of closeness. This would maintain her public image as a fame-seeking celebrity with no special connection to Jiang Musheng.

“No problem,” Yu Youqing said after a brief silence, taking out her phone. “But Teacher Jiang and I really are just ordinary friends, she probably won’t answer.”

[Hahaha this is hilarious! Setting up her excuse in advance with this ‘ordinary friends’ nonsense since when is she qualified to be Teacher Jiang’s friend?]

[We all know the truth, no need to spell it out]

[Playing both sides! First acting like they’re not close, now making excuses for why the call won’t go through]

[Actually, I think she seems considerate like she genuinely doesn’t want to disturb Teacher Jiang.]

[Are you insane? This woman actually has defenders now?]

[Just waiting for her humiliation, Teacher Jiang will definitely reject the call!]

Yu Youqing opened her chat with Jiang Musheng, certain the call wouldn’t connect as she casually initiated a video call.

It connected after one ring.

Jiang Musheng appeared on screen.

“Hello?”

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