The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 22

Yu Youqing’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

Jiang Musheng appeared to have just stepped out of the shower, her hair slightly damp. She must have rushed over to grab her phone, because her face was now incredibly close to the camera, so close it felt like a direct assault on Yu Youqing’s senses.

In other words, a full-on visual knockout.

Yu Youqing froze for only a second before decisively ending the call.

But the next moment, her phone rang again. This time, she switched to voice-only mode.

“What is it?” Jiang Musheng asked.

Yu Youqing could feel her face burning. There was no doubt that brief glimpse had left a deep impression. She couldn’t even bring herself to glance at the barrage of comments flooding the screen.

“Is your hand better now, Teacher Jiang?” Yu Youqing guessed Jiang Musheng might not realize she was live-streaming. She stole a glance at the screen, Cheng Shunzhu was completely stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected Jiang Musheng to actually answer Yu Youqing’s call.

Now, the livestream had essentially gotten Jiang Musheng to appear without spending a single cent.

Jiang Musheng paused for half a second. “It’s fine. Just now, you!”

“Wrong button,” Yu Youqing replied, her tone perfectly polite. “I just wanted to check on your hand.”

[What the—?!]
[????????]
[SHE ANSWERED?! SHE ACTUALLY ANSWERED!!!!!!!!]
[That’s really Teacher Jiang’s voice, oh my god, I think I’m gonna pass out.]

The comments section was instantly flooded with fans’ reactions, and the viewer count skyrocketed within seconds. Yu Youqing ignored it all, certain that someone as sharp as Jiang Musheng would realize this was just part of a task.

“It’s fine,” Jiang Musheng said. “I need to dry my hair. Can you wait for me?”

Yu Youqing replied, “I only called to ask about your hand. I hope I didn’t disturb your rest. I’ll hang up now.”

But then, remembering Jiang Musheng’s appearance earlier, she added before ending the call, “It’s cold out dry your hair quickly so you don’t catch a chill.”

Jiang Musheng: “…”

Yu Youqing promptly hung up and turned back to the screen. “Satisfied?”

[Damn! I take back everything I said, I never thought Teacher Jiang would actually pick up!]
[Jiang Musheng answered so fast does this mean she doesn’t actually dislike Yu Youqing?]
[Not gonna lie, I’m starting to waver too.]

[Okay, but why were Yu Youqing’s ears red? What did she see just now???]
[Ughhh what was it?! Why did the video call switch to voice-only? I paid for this!]
[I refuse to believe it! But Teacher Jiang really is kind, did she know Yu Youqing was just completing a task?]

Yu Youqing took a deep breath. “Please don’t bother Teacher Jiang over this.”

The flood of comments was now so overwhelming that the screen began to lag. More and more viewers poured into the livestream, and just as the scheduled time ran out, the host hurriedly wrapped things up.

For a livestream, even just hearing Jiang Musheng’s voice was enough to send engagement through the roof.

Yu Youqing closed the livestream interface, but her phone still displayed the chat log with Jiang Musheng two call records marked as ended.

She hesitated, about to type something, when a new message from Jiang Musheng appeared.

Jiang Musheng: [“Got it, no problem.”]

Yu Youqing’s hand paused. With all the explanations already given by the other party, there seemed to be nothing left for her to say.

Should she ask why Jiang Musheng answered the call? Or inquire if she disturbed Jiang Musheng’s rest? Or perhaps.

Are you angry?

This thought surfaced in Yu Youqing’s mind.

But in the end, she said nothing.

Having already made her stance clear, she shouldn’t dwell on these matters. As for the aftermath, although the live stream attracted a large audience due to the incident’s hype, thanks to Cheng Shunzhu, she quickly ended the call. It was just a slightly dramatic interlude.

Two days later, Tiantian excitedly told her, “Sis!!!! Wind said they might finalize you as their spokesperson!”

Yu Youqing gave a nonchalant hum, prompting Tiantian to express her confusion, “Aren’t you surprised at all? It’s like you already knew.”

“Not really. Just a bit earlier than you. What do I need to do?”

Tiantian replied, “Wind mentioned they might finalize the decision in the next couple of days. But,  given the current situation, your online haters could influence their choice.”

Yu Youqing asked, “What are the main criticisms?”

“Mostly the old rumors about you being difficult, having a bad temper, and poor acting skills. Ugh, isn’t that just normal? And they’re all from years ago, do people think you can’t grow? Recently, the biggest issue is how you left your previous company before your contract ended. When this was brought up again, it painted you in a bad light, questioning your character.” Tiantian frowned, continuing only after seeing Yu Youqing’s unchanged expression. “Whether these rumors are credible or not, the label of ‘bad character’ sticks like a brand, affecting how future collaborators perceive you.”

Indeed, everyone would think, if Yu Youqing broke her commitment once, she’d do it again and again.

Once trust collapses, every action she takes is viewed with suspicion.

Tiantian added, “We’re having dinner with the brand representatives tonight.”

“Tonight?” If Yu Youqing remembered correctly, Ye Miaoyi was supposed to return today.

“Yes, it’s at their request. Several artists are competing for this endorsement, so tonight will be crucial. The bad news is Liang Yitang is also joining the competition.”

Yu Youqing raised an eyebrow. “Her?”

Given her status, a mid-tier brand like this shouldn’t even be on Liang Yitang’s radar. Securing it would be easy for her, so why bother? The answer was obvious, she wanted to humiliate Yu Youqing.

Tiantian sighed. “She’s targeting you. She might even try to embarrass you during dinner.”

Yu Youqing shrugged. “That’s fine.”

Though Liang Yitang had been taken under Zhao Guili’s wing, Yu Youqing saw her as rather dim-witted. She could easily guess what Zhao Guili had told her something along the lines of.

“The company is grooming you to be the next Yu Youqing. Yu Youqing was once popular, wasn’t she? We can make you just as famous, but you have to be obedient. Otherwise, you’ll end up like her though, of course, her current state is her own fault. You can definitely surpass her. Don’t let her overshadow you.”

It must have been something along those lines.

Liang Yitang followed through, but her methods of suppression were blunt and direct, her disdain openly displayed on her face.

Yu Youqing pondered this thoughtfully.

“By the way, I also have a copy of Teacher Jiang’s schedule here. Manager Lin wants you to memorize it…”

Yu Youqing looked up abruptly. “Why would I need to see Teacher Jiang’s schedule?”

“Huh? Manager Lin said your career direction has changed now. She said if you’re willing, your work schedule can completely overlap with Teacher Jiang’s, the main goal is to maximize your interactions with her. She said openly leveraging popularity isn’t really leveraging; it’s just creating opportunities. Whether you take them is up to you.”

Yu Youqing: “???”

“When was this adjusted?” What had she missed?

“During the broadcast of your interview from five years ago. Manager Lin later asked me if you’d liked Teacher Jiang all along. I said I didn’t know. Then she mentioned the investor had revised your plan, giving you more freedom.”

Was this investor running a charity?

This was the second time Yu Youqing had heard the word “investor” from Lin Xuqiao’s mouth, the first being when she signed her contract.

This “freedom” carried a different implication to Yu Youqing.

Did they think she genuinely liked Jiang Musheng and wanted her to win her over?

How absurd!

But from a business perspective, it made some sense. The end goal was still to bind her and Jiang Musheng together for mutual benefit.

But Yu Youqing had already decided against it.

“Let me see.”

Tiantian obediently pulled up Jiang Musheng’s schedule and placed it in front of Yu Youqing.

Yu Youqing skimmed through it quickly, noting how packed it was. She hummed. “Avoid all of it.”

Tiantian: “…?”

Yu Youqing wasn’t one to go back on her word. With her current reputation in tatters, she couldn’t risk dragging Jiang Musheng down. And for her own sake, she didn’t want their relationship to change.

She didn’t like Jiang Musheng, and Jiang Musheng didn’t like her.

That was all.

That evening, Yu Youqing prepared to leave. Tiantian had already called a car to wait for her outside the neighborhood.

At the same time, a message arrived from Ye Miaoyi, saying she’d also be attending that night as the actual designer of Wind.

The Ye family had originally wanted her to study management, but Ye Miaoyi had no interest in inheriting the family business and pursued her passion instead. The brand had developed overseas and had only recently been integrated into the family enterprise.

Ye Miaoyi personally came to the restaurant entrance to greet her. When Yu Youqing appeared bundled in a thick coat with her hood pulled tightly over her head, Ye Miaoyi did a double take before laughing.

“You don’t look like a celebrity attending a dinner party more like a college student,” Ye Miaoyi remarked, dressed impeccably. She took their first meeting seriously and smiled. “This reminds me of how you looked before you entered the entertainment industry.”

Yu Youqing finally took off her mask and smiled at Ye Miaoyi.

Ye Miaoyi, however, froze for a moment before snapping back to reality after a couple of seconds. She felt that from Yu Youqing’s gaze, she caught a glimpse of the person Yu Youqing used to truly be.

Blinking, Ye Miaoyi heard Yu Youqing ask, “Shall we go in?”

“Oh, right, right! So, you switched companies, how’s your new boss treating you? They’re not forcing you into some gross persona to make money like your last one, are they? And what about the breach penalty? How did you pay it?” Ye Miaoyi absolutely didn’t believe the online rumors about Yu Youqing finding some wealthy patron, but she was still worried that Yu Youqing hadn’t actually broken free. “Are you really okay now?”

A genuine smile lingered on Yu Youqing’s lips. “Why so anxious? Do I look like I’m not okay?”

“I’m afraid you’re being taken advantage of, but right now, I can’t do anything to help.”

“The new company covered my breach penalty, so now I’m just working hard to be a proper entertainment industry laborer,” Yu Youqing joked. Once inside, she pulled her hat down and took a shallow breath. “A kind-hearted but unlucky investor took a chance on me, convinced I’d make a comeback. The new boss treats me well.”

And so far, she hadn’t even seen what the investor looked like.

Only then did Ye Miaoyi relax. A waiter had already recognized them and led the way.

“That’s good. Don’t stress about today’s meeting, I was already set on choosing you. It’s just those stubborn old-timers in my family who insisted on ‘considering options’,  as if I’m not the designer here.” She huffed. “I’m picking you. If I had more say, I’d even try to sign both you and Jiang Musheng together.”

Yu Youqing didn’t pause in her steps. “Oh?”

“Yeah! It was that scene of you and Jiang Musheng in the snow that made me want you two as endorsers. You looked so perfect together, so I had to ask is there something between you two? The chemistry you had on camera just felt different.”

“Don’t overthink it.” Yu Youqing pushed open the door and, unsurprisingly, spotted a familiar face inside.

Cheng Shunzhu’s expression twisted in shock the moment he saw her.

Yu Youqing met his gaze briefly before taking the empty seat beside him. Meanwhile, Ye Miaoyi had shifted into a more professional demeanor upon entering and naturally didn’t sit with Yu Youqing.

The Ye family’s representative was young.

Ye Miaoyi’s expression soured the moment she saw Ye Jibai, her nominal younger brother, not even bothering with a greeting. A few secretaries from the Ye company had also come along, seemingly ready to sign contracts on the spot.

Midway through, Ye Jibai asked a few questions, all of which Yu Youqing answered smoothly.

But just as they were about to leave, Ye Jibai smiled and asked, “What else do you know about our brand’s positioning?”

Throughout the meeting, Yu Youqing had noticed something, Ye Jibai had somehow become the decision-maker for Ye Miaoyi’s independent brand, and he wasn’t holding back in asserting that authority.

She smiled and stood. “The brand is excellent. I admire the designer who brought it to life, and I enjoy collaborating with talented designers.”

Ye Jibai’s expression instantly darkened.

Yu Youqing left first. Sighing, she stepped outside the restaurant and tugged her hat firmly over her face.

The Ye family had arranged a car for her, but Yu Youqing wasn’t keen on taking it. However, with the biting wind howling outside and her current status, hailing a taxi home didn’t seem very convenient either.

“Qingqing!” Ye Miaoyi chased after her. “You were amazing just now! I saw that brat Ye Jibai’s face turn green. Why are you leaving so fast? Our arranged car will be here in two minutes.”

No sooner had she spoken than a silver-gray car slowly pulled up and stopped in front of them.

Yu Youqing thought the license plate looked somewhat familiar.

The next second, the rear window rolled down slightly, revealing Jiang Musheng’s profile.

“Need a ride?”

Yu Youqing immediately replied, “No need, there’s a car arranged here.”

“Gone! They’ve all left, and Qingqing’s the only one left!” Ye Miaoyi chimed in swiftly, pulling the car door open and nudging Yu Youqing inside with a knowing smile. “Hurry up, it’s freezing out here, don’t catch a cold. Sorry to trouble you, Teacher Jiang.”

Jiang Musheng: “No trouble at all.”

Yu Youqing: “?”

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