The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 46

After Jiang Musheng left, Yu Youqing, still sitting on the couch, belatedly realized that something felt off.

What was it? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something just felt strange. The only thing she noticed was how happy Jiang Musheng seemed when she left—completely different from when Yu Youqing had rejected her earlier.

Well, of course, someone who’s drunk can’t take care of themselves, right? They’d need someone by their side.

Right?

Yu Youqing frowned, crossing her legs on the couch and fidgeting with her fingers, unable to figure it out. Eventually, she gave up.

Jiang Musheng had said it was just a casual gathering with friends—Lin Xuqiao and Xu Liyu, maybe a few others they’d bring along. Yu Youqing had no objections.

She was supposed to rest at home, but the thought of having dinner with Jiang Musheng later made it impossible to relax. She even ordered some hangover medicine to be delivered, certain it would come in handy tonight.

She’d never seen Jiang Musheng drunk before, but considering how many films she’d starred in since then, she must have played drunk at least once. Yu Youqing remembered back when she was acting in a drama and couldn’t get into character—she ended up downing half a bottle of liquor just to get into the right headspace.

Yu Youqing’s alcohol tolerance was average at best—if she ran into someone who could really hold their liquor, she’d be completely outmatched. Jiang Musheng didn’t seem like the type who couldn’t drink, so Yu Youqing’s role tonight was simple: just make sure she could support Jiang Musheng if she got too drunk.

Yu Youqing considered herself someone who’d been through plenty of situations. What was there to be nervous about? It was just dinner.

Yet, the moment she lay down in her room and tried to distract herself with her phone, she failed within three minutes. Eventually, with a blank expression, she typed into the search bar:

“What to wear for a drinking date that doesn’t look too intentional?”

Answer 1: Depends! If you don’t like the person, wear whatever. If you do like them, you want to look intentional yet effortless! Besides wearing your favorite dress, dab a bit of your signature perfume behind your ears and between your collarbones—that way, they’ll catch your scent when you lean in close!

Answer 2: Date + alcohol = adult tension. My advice? Wear nothing underneath. smirk.jpg

Answer 3: Judging by your question, you’re clearly crushing on your date. Easy solution—it doesn’t matter what you wear, just drink up! Get wasted and seal the deal tonight! Go for it!!!

Yu Youqing: “…?”

Is this really the kind of advice people give now?

Frustrated, she exited the page and pulled open her closet, laying out a few of her favorite dresses on the bed. After staring at them for a while without making a decision, she snapped photos and sent them to Ye Miaoyi for help.

Ye Miaoyi: “Where are you going? You’re heading out?”

Yu Youqing: “Which one should I wear for dinner tonight?”

Ye Miaoyi: “The red and black ones both suit you so well, hehe. Are we having dinner together? Do I get the honor of seeing the gorgeous Yu Youqing?”

Yu Youqing: “With Jiang Musheng and her friends. Not a solo thing.”

Ye Miaoyi: “??? Then it HAS to be that blue off-shoulder one that shows off your waist—the one with the least fabric!!! You’ll have Jiang Musheng completely spellbound!!!!!”

Yu Youqing felt Ye Miaoyi was focusing on the wrong thing—it was just a meal, why make such a big fuss? Yet she herself had forgotten that, just for this simple dinner, she had already spent over three hours preparing since Jiang Musheng told her about it, and she wasn’t even done yet.

Running through the scenario in her mind, Yu Youqing felt it was inappropriate and finally put away the pretty little dress she had agonized over all morning, opting instead for a tracksuit.

Fine, this would do—casual yet not overly deliberate.

Ye Miaoyi, ever the gossip, messaged her right after she made her choice to ask what she had finally decided on.

Yu Youqing replied briskly: 【Tracksuit.】

Ye Miaoyi: 【?】

Hopeless! Hopeless! No wonder you still haven’t landed an alpha! Ye Miaoyi was in agony over having such a clueless best friend.

With her outfit settled, Yu Youqing finally relaxed, ready to enjoy the rest of her afternoon.

When Tiantian came to discuss her schedule, Yu Youqing comfortably lifted a finger, feeling at ease. After all, it had been a long time since she had the luxury of choosing whether to accept offers—previously, she had been the one begging for opportunities. But this time, among the list Tiantian brought, several media outlets that had once looked down on her were now clamoring for exclusive interviews.

One name in particular stood out to Yu Youqing: Yaqi Media.

If she remembered correctly, this company’s subsidiary magazine had close ties with Zhao Guili. When Zhao needed positive publicity for an artist, she would have Yaqi cover them. Behind the scenes, Yaqi also frequently took Zhao’s money to smear other celebrities. Many of Yu Youqing’s past scandals had originated from this very outlet.

Back when she left her former agency, Yaqi’s magazines had been the loudest in branding her as ungrateful. They had even declared, “An artist with a tarnished reputation like Yu Youqing will never work with us again.”

And now, not long after, seeing her resurgence in popularity, they came crawling back for an interview.

“Director Lin said these media outlets all used to collaborate with your former company. Whether to accept their interview requests is entirely up to you,” Tiantian explained, her tone laced with indignation after researching their past actions. “They were so eager to drag you before, and now they have the nerve to ask for exclusives? Especially Yaqi—this has to be intentional, right?”

Yu Youqing asked, “What did they say?”

“Some insincere nonsense about how this slot was originally meant for Liang Yitang, but they’re ‘kindly’ pushing her back for us.” Tiantian fumed. “As if I don’t know their game! They just want to ride your current hype to boost Liang Yitang’s profile. How shameless! You know exactly what kind of questions Yaqi will ask—the same old recycled garbage!”

“If they’re so desperate to leech off my popularity, let’s give them what they want.” Yu Youqing wasn’t angry at all—she already had a better plan in mind. “Tell them we’ll consider the interview, but we need to see their sincerity first, given our… unpleasant history.”

“How can we agree to that? They’ve already shown their true colors! What sincerity could we possibly expect from a media outlet that only chases after whoever’s hot?”

“Exactly. We all know they don’t have any sincerity, don’t we? So I wasn’t saying I’d agree, just that we should take a look.” Yu Youqing chuckled. “This was supposed to be Liang Yitang’s exclusive interview, but Yaqi’s shady tactics pushed her out. Do you think she’d accept that? When the time comes, wouldn’t it be better if Yaqi ends up with no interview at all?”

“You mean… brilliant, Sister Youqing!” After Yu Youqing’s explanation, Tiantian immediately grasped the meaning. “Okay! I’ll arrange communication with them right away.”

“Mmm, just message me on WeChat if anything comes up. Don’t call.” Yu Youqing didn’t want anything to affect tonight’s dinner plans.

At 6:30 PM, Yu Youqing received a message from Jiang Musheng saying a car would be waiting for her in the underground parking garage in half an hour.

Yu Youqing had been waiting for a while already. She tried not to seem like she’d been eagerly anticipating the car’s arrival, but the truth was she’d literally jumped for joy when Jiang Musheng’s message came through.

It’s happening! Time to go out!

She’d changed into her workout clothes two hours earlier. Under the pretense of “studying,” she’d spent those two hours on the couch watching Jiang Musheng’s past TV performances, paying special attention to scenes involving drunkenness.

Only when Jiang Musheng’s message arrived and she found herself jumping up did Yu Youqing realize those past two hours could probably be described as “killing time.”

After stuffing hangover medicine and tissues into her bag, she headed out.

Though she was going straight to the underground garage, Yu Youqing still went all out with her disguise—mask and sunglasses completely obscuring her face.

When she reached the garage, she was surprised to see Jiang Musheng already there, dressed in a long trench coat.

Jiang Musheng wasn’t wearing sunglasses, her face fully visible under the garage lights. The long coat accentuated her tall, slender figure, and her lace-up combat boots gave her an undeniable presence. She leaned casually against the car door, hands in her coat pockets. When she spotted Yu Youqing, she extended a hand—her slender fingers curling slightly as she beckoned.

At the same time, the corners of her lips quirked upward.

A beautiful, dashing alpha—no one could resist her, and Yu Youqing was no exception.

Yu Youqing pulled down her mask and removed her sunglasses as she approached. Jiang Musheng opened the passenger door for her.

Naturally, she took the front seat.

This must be Jiang Musheng’s personal car. Though Yu Youqing had never seen her drive it before, her keen sense of smell immediately detected Jiang Musheng’s familiar, pleasant scent inside.

By the time Jiang Musheng took the driver’s seat, Yu Youqing had already buckled her seatbelt with practiced efficiency. As she looked down, Jiang Musheng caught the movement in her peripheral vision, a fleeting look of amusement crossing her face.

Clearly, romance was the last thing on Yu Youqing’s mind right now.

“Why did you come yourself?” Yu Youqing asked. “I’m not a very good driver.”

Jiang Musheng replied, “It’s fine. We’ll get a designated driver tonight—we won’t be driving ourselves.”

Yu Youqing gave an acknowledging hum and fell silent. Only now, sitting in Jiang Musheng’s car, did she realize her restless mood from the afternoon had settled into unexpected calm. Of course, she’d never let Jiang Musheng know about these inner thoughts.

Jiang Musheng made it sound like drinking was unavoidable. Yu Youqing felt for the pocket where she kept the anti-hangover medicine and sighed in relief upon confirming it was still there.

The restaurant wasn’t in the city center. As the car drove toward the suburbs, Yu Youqing felt glad she’d come along. These private gatherings usually took place in elegant yet remote locations—returning alone could be risky if anything happened.

At the entrance, valets took their car without batting an eye even when Jiang Musheng and Yu Youqing stepped out together. Clearly accustomed to celebrities, they treated Jiang Musheng like any other guest.

Before entering, Yu Youqing called out, “Teacher Jiang, wait.”

“What is it?” Jiang Musheng turned to her.

“Take this anti-hangover medicine. If you take it before drinking, it can prevent severe intoxication.” Handing over the pills, Yu Youqing added casually, “Someone recommended it to me for work dinners. Just let it dissolve in your mouth.”

In truth, she’d never used them herself—just read online reviews praising their effectiveness.

Jiang Musheng seemed momentarily surprised but quickly accepted them with thanks. “You’re very thoughtful. Should you take one too?” she asked discreetly, “They might pressure you to drink. How’s your tolerance?”

“I’m fine with a little alcohol.” While no heavyweight, Yu Youqing had never been publicly drunk. Compared to Jiang Musheng’s apparent low tolerance, she might as well be a seasoned drinker.

The corners of Jiang Musheng’s lips curled faintly. “Alright then, let’s go.”

As they opened the private room’s door, an ornate Chinese screen obscured the interior. Xu Liyu’s familiar teasing voice rang out: “Finally! Our busiest guest arrives. We held the food just for you—what took so—”

Her words died when Yu Youqing appeared beside Jiang Musheng. Xu Liyu nudged her companion’s arm sharply.

Lin Xuqiao’s gaze followed. After Yu Youqing greeted everyone awkwardly with “Happy New Year… I’m here to—”, she hesitated, unwilling to say she’d come as Jiang Musheng’s drinking guardian.

Jiang Musheng smoothly intervened: “I invited her to join us.”

“Come sit here!” Xu Liyu recovered quickly, patting the chair beside her. When Yu Youqing looked down to navigate the steps, Xu Liyu shot Jiang Musheng a covert thumbs-up that Lin Xuqiao pretended not to see.

With Yu Youqing familiar with Xu Liyu and Lin Xuqiao being her company CEO, the dinner proceeded comfortably. She sat across from Jiang Musheng, chatting easily with Xu Liyu by her side.

“Even the little fish is joining us for dinner today, so how about we have some drinks?” Xu Liyu asked rhetorically, already signaling the waiter to open and serve the alcohol.

And right from the start, she went all out—cracking open an entire case of drinks.

Jiang Musheng sighed helplessly, her gaze naturally falling on Yu Youshen. “They’re all a bunch of alcoholics. Don’t mind them.”

Lin Xuqiao gave Jiang Musheng a strange look. “How can you say that with a straight face? Every time, aren’t you the one who—”

“Mhm, yeah, every time I’m the one who gets drunk—so drunk I can’t even make it home on my own.” Jiang Musheng smoothly cut her off, shooting Lin Xuqiao a warning glance not to spill the truth. “So today, I had to call in reinforcements.”

When Jiang Musheng said the words “gets drunk,” Xu Liyu nearly choked on her food.

Drunk? Jiang Musheng drunk? Was that even possible?

But after hearing Jiang Musheng finish her sentence, Xu Liyu couldn’t help but admire how this usually clueless woman had actually had a moment of brilliance.

Smooth move!

Xu Liyu and Lin Xuqiao exchanged a glance and decided to play along with Jiang Musheng’s act.

Yu Youshen looked concerned. “Is that really the case? Doesn’t drinking make you feel awful?”

“I have some hangover remedies. Do you need them?” Yu Youshen’s hand was already reaching into her pocket to pull them out when Jiang Musheng lightly touched her wrist. “They can handle their liquor. They don’t need that.”

Xu Liyu & Lin Xuqiao: “…” Maybe you could at least ask if we want some?

Yu Youshen didn’t doubt Jiang Musheng’s words at all.

The atmosphere was lively, and a little drinking wouldn’t hurt. Yu Youshen’s glass was also filled, and she occasionally whispered to Jiang Musheng between conversations, “Are you feeling okay?”

Jiang Musheng’s responses remained steady, showing no signs of drunkenness.

“So, is that show you’re on fun?” Lin Xuqiao, as the boss, had only heard that the reception was good but hadn’t had time to look into the details. She asked a straightforward question, “Isn’t there something about a hunter? Who is it?”

“No idea. Why do you care?” Xu Liyu gave her a puzzled look. “Just watch the show yourself. Our little fish performed amazingly in it—her cooking was incredible. Who wouldn’t love an omega like that? If I were an alpha, I’d definitely chase after her.”

Jiang Musheng shot Xu Liyu a glance.

Xu Liyu understood the message—this woman was quite the jealous type—and smirked. “Oh, right. Musheng even went on a date with little fish in the show. Honestly, from a viewer’s perspective, don’t you think they make a great pair?”

Lin Xuqiao first checked Jiang Musheng’s expression, then Yu Youshen’s, making sure neither seemed offended before saying, “How could they not? One’s my artist, the other’s my friend. Their chemistry is off the charts. But you—why did you tag along on their solo date?”

“I was invited, okay?” Xu Liyu scoffed, bickering with Lin Xuqiao. “Oh, so you actually watched it?”

Lin Xuqiao: “I saw it. You could have refused the invitation, couldn’t you? Seems like you only went with Musheng and the others because no one asked you out.”

“Pfft! You didn’t even watch the whole show. Didn’t you know I also left heart-fluttering messages there? Don’t be too jealous, got it?” Xu Liyu snorted, clinking her glass forcefully against Lin Xuqiao’s. The two began bickering while drinking, trading barbs with each sip.

Lin Xuqiao and Xu Liyu drank at an alarming pace, completely disregarding caution once their drinking battle started. They resorted to rock-paper-scissors to decide who would drink next, downing shots rapidly and fiercely, leaving Yu Youqing utterly stunned.

“They’re always like this,” Jiang Musheng explained to Yu Youqing. “It’s fine.”

“Not fine! Not fine at all! What are you two whispering about? Come drink with us!” Xu Liyu laughed, her cheeks now tinged with pink. She reached out and pinched the back of Lin Xuqiao’s hand, signaling for backup in persuading the others.

Lin Xuqiao froze, staring at her hand where Xu Liyu had touched. Even though it had been an absentminded gesture and Xu Liyu had already withdrawn her hand, the sensation lingered.

Xu Liyu then placed her hand on Lin Xuqiao’s face, giving it a firm squeeze. “Say something. Why aren’t you talking?”

“Looks like someone’s about to pass out,” Lin Xuqiao said, allowing Xu Liyu to manhandle her face. The usual authority she commanded at work was nowhere to be seen as she glanced at Yu Youqing. “How are you holding up? This liquor has a strong delayed effect—easy to get dizzy.”

Yu Youqing had already discovered this five minutes ago.

Initially thinking she’d be fine, she had cheerfully clinked glasses with Xu Liyu and drank without hesitation. Unlike others, her face didn’t flush when drinking, so she appeared perfectly normal despite the growing heaviness in her head.

If she felt like this, what about Jiang Musheng?

Yu Youqing touched her forehead and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Yeah, how about you? Starting to feel dizzy?” Lin Xuqiao winked suggestively at Jiang Musheng. “Familiar with being drunk? How does it feel?”

“A little dizzy,” Jiang Musheng replied with a slight shake of her head, which to Yu Youqing looked like a failed attempt to stay composed.

“Just a little? That won’t do. Let’s keep drinking then.” Lin Xuqiao raised her glass toward Jiang Musheng.

Jiang Musheng had already consumed quite a bit, yet her gaze only grew clearer. But whenever Yu Youqing looked her way, she would immediately set her glass down.

Yu Youqing, certain the alcohol was getting to her, intercepted Lin Xuqiao’s toast to Jiang Musheng by raising her own glass. “Teacher Jiang is already drunk. She can’t drink anymore. I’ll take this one for her.”

“Ah, that won’t do. None of us are drinking for others—unless there’s one exception.” Lin Xuqiao raised a mysterious eyebrow, her gaze flickering between Jiang Musheng and Yu Youqing.

She had already caught Jiang Musheng’s silent cue—clearly encouraging her to elaborate.

The flushed Xu Liyu slammed the table. “Exactly! There’s one exception! If someone brings their girlfriend, then the girlfriend can drink for them. Otherwise, they have to down two penalty shots. That’s our unwritten rule. Heh heh heh.”

Yu Youqing froze. She hadn’t expected anything like this!

Is drinking just a sip of alcohol enough to qualify as a temporary family member?

Lin Xuqiao said, “Are you Musheng’s girlfriend now? If so, then just taking a small sip would be enough as a gesture.”

“That’s right. As long as you’re family, you’re one of us. We wouldn’t make things difficult for you,” Xu Liyu chimed in. She wasn’t actually that drunk—just tipsy. But riding on this tipsy energy, she decided to give her friend’s pursuit of love a little push.

“President Lin, you…” Yu Youqing couldn’t tell whether Lin Xuqiao was drunk or not, joking or serious. Caught up in the moment herself, when she instinctively glanced at Jiang Musheng, she found the woman’s eyes shining like stars in the night sky—bright and blazing, as if illuminating every hidden thought in her heart. In that instant, the voice in her heart cried out:

I want to admit it.

I desperately want to confess right now.

To acknowledge those tiny fluttering emotions that were clamoring within her.

Even if it was just this one fabricated chance that would let her—even if only at this night’s table—have her name rightfully placed beside Jiang Musheng’s.

She was willing.

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