The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 56

The following days were unusually busy for Yu Youqing, which conveniently left her no energy to dwell on that evening spent with Jiang Musheng.

Even Tiantian had asked her about it, hinting subtly, “Actually, I don’t oppose artists dating, as long as they inform their managers beforehand and avoid going public without preparation.”

Yu Youqing looked at her, amused. “What are you imagining? Where did you get that idea?”

“You and Teacher Jiang! I saw it that night!” Tiantian widened her eyes, never expecting that the artist under her management would be the one in denial. “Everyone at that gathering could tell Teacher Jiang was protecting you. Even the investor’s face turned green, but he didn’t dare do anything to you.”

Yu Youqing replied indifferently, “Is that so?”

“Yeah! I thought you and Teacher Jiang were…”

“Nothing like that. Don’t talk nonsense in the future.” Yu Youqing had no intention of discussing it further. There was nothing between her and Jiang Musheng not even the slightest hint.

Tiantian studied Yu Youqing’s expression for a moment, confirming she wasn’t joking. Realizing she wouldn’t get any answers, she dropped the subject and switched topics. “The script has been finalized, and production is about to start. The project team will probably announce it soon. We got the inside scoop early.”

“Mm.”

Tiantian continued, “As for recent work arrangements they’re piling up. The second episode of Ten Seconds will be recorded in three days. The director said all updates will be posted in the group chat, same as last time. We’ll fly to Songcheng for filming. Other than that, just follow the show’s requirements.”

Yu Youqing nodded.

Her schedule hadn’t overlapped with Jiang Musheng’s lately, which was just as well.

It spared them the awkwardness of meeting and recalling their conversation that night.

She had said she’d forget it by the next day, but that was easier said than done. It was just an unspoken understanding between them.

Three days later, Yu Youqing set off for the recording.

Her itinerary had been announced earlier, and since she hadn’t been popular for long, she hadn’t arranged for VIP access. To her surprise, as soon as she arrived at the airport, she saw a large crowd gathered outside.

Before getting out of the car, Yu Youqing glanced out the window, taken aback by the unexpected scene. “Is there another celebrity’s fan meetup today?”

“Not that I know of. As far as I’m aware, only your schedule was made public. Maybe they’re here for us?” Tiantian said.

“No way.” Yu Youqing chuckled. “You’re overestimating my popularity.”

If they were here for her, wouldn’t they be holding signs or something to throw at her instead of standing so orderly?

Pulling her cap low and putting on sunglasses, Yu Youqing stepped out of the car.

She only had one bodyguard and Tiantian with her, but the moment she appeared, the crowd of young people turned as if sensing her presence, erupting into screams.

“It’s Yu Youqing! She’s here!”

“Ahhhh! Xiaoyu! Xiaoyu! I’ve been waiting for you forever!”

“Is that really Yu Youqing? I thought she’d have a bigger entourage, she’s only got one person with her? Wow, she’s so slim!”

For a moment, Yu Youqing was a bit stunned: “?”

Were these people waiting for her?

If these were her fans.

Knowing how hard fans work to wait outside for their favorite celebrities, and that they’d naturally want to capture some content to take home, Yu Youqing quickly took off her sunglasses. Unexpectedly, the crowd erupted into even louder cheers. Tian Tian and the bodyguard clearly weren’t used to this kind of scene, flustered as they urged Yu Youqing to hurry along.

“Be careful!” Yu Youqing noticed a fan nearly getting pushed over in the rush and reached out to steady her.

The young girl who was helped blushed instantly upon seeing Yu Youqing up close. She quickly handed over a letter, saying, “Little Fish! I really like you! This is a letter I wrote for you, can you take it?”

“Thank you, I’ll read it,” Yu Youqing replied, slowing her pace slightly. Even with countless phones being shoved in her face, she didn’t get annoyed, speaking gently, “No need to rush, everyone. I’m not in a hurry to board yet. Watch your step so you don’t trip.”

“Ugh, she’s so kind! Why didn’t I realize sooner how sweet Little Fish is?”

“Some people’s charm really only shines when you meet them in person! Thank goodness for the anti-fan group! If it weren’t for that sub-forum moderator, we wouldn’t have known how nice Little Fish actually is.”

Yu Youqing, sharp-eared, naturally caught these whispered comments.

She had long known about the anti-fan supergroup dedicated to hating her. Once, while buying coffee, she’d even run into two of them.

Could it be that so many people showing up today were connected to that group?

She hadn’t checked her Touchbo updates in a while, thinking that with the upcoming variety show recording, she’d have plenty of opportunities to meet everyone.

“Little Fish! Can I ask for the second episode, are you planning to win over Teacher Jiang?”

Yu Youqing turned in surprise toward the person who asked the question.

She didn’t recognize these fans, nor were they familiar faces, but she never expected the day would come when her name and Jiang Musheng’s would be mentioned together so casually and without malice by fans.

The girl who’d spoken scratched her head sheepishly. “I didn’t mean anything by it, really! It’s just that watching your clips with Teacher Jiang, you two seem so well-matched, nothing like what others have been saying! Little Fish no, Teacher Yu!” Perhaps noticing Yu Youqing’s lingering gaze, the girl corrected herself awkwardly, her smile sincere as she mumbled, “Who wouldn’t want to see two gorgeous women together?”

“Thank you,” Yu Youqing replied, amused by her tone. As they neared the boarding checkpoint, she returned the girl’s smile. “I’ll do my best.”

The girl: “!!!”

“Ahhhh!”

“A beauty’s smile is on another level brighter than my camera flash! Wait, my phone’s storage is full, ugh.”

“I can’t get enough! Any rich ladies wanna sponsor me to fly to Songcheng for the recording?”

“Can’t we just watch the livestream later?”

“You wouldn’t understand, this overwhelming impact of beauty is something you can’t comprehend, and neither can I. It’s an experience only wealthy fan station managers get to have.”

“…”

Those voices gradually faded into the distance behind them.

Tiantian finally patted her chest, still shaken: “Look at your popularity! Next time we can’t just bring one bodyguard it’s unbearable!”

“I didn’t know they were here for me either.”

Tiantian laughed: “Seems we both made the same mistake severely underestimating your appeal.”

“Take some time to check my anti-fan group on Touchbo. See if they’ve posted anything.”

“You even know about your anti-fan group?” Before Tiantian could process this, she caught the deeper implication in Yu Youqing’s words. Once in the waiting lounge, she immediately grabbed her phone and quickly figured out why so many people had shown up today.

It turned out Yu Youqing had a massive anti-fan supertopic on Touchbo that she was fully aware of, she even checked it occasionally.

If she maintained the right mindset, weren’t anti-fans still fans in their own way?

During her comeback period, Yu Youqing had visited it frequently. Though these so-called anti-fans criticized her, back then they were practically the only ones paying her any attention.

Sometimes she even wondered where these anti-fans got their information it was like they were shadowing her. Any new development in her life would inevitably appear there. When she disappeared from public view for stretches, the anti-fans would even inquire about her whereabouts.

“I found out by chance,” Yu Youqing said.

She certainly wouldn’t mention how she’d once coincidentally met the founder of her anti-fan group while selling coffee.

“It’s still about that dinner meeting they dragged you to. You probably didn’t know, but a paparazzo followed your car that night. They might not have been targeting you specifically, but you ended up in the crosshairs.”

Yu Youqing raised an eyebrow: “So?”

“Now that you’re on this variety show gaining popularity, people are criticizing you for still taking taxis without an assistant, accusing you of crafting an image. Everything you do gets twisted, you just grabbed a cab outside your complex for convenience, but they’re calling it a ‘frugal persona’ act.”

“Oh.” Yu Youqing’s mind took a moment to catch up. “Do I not look frugal?”

“Your face isn’t the frugal type,” Tiantian chuckled, successfully derailed by Yu Youqing’s response. “If I weren’t your manager-slash-assistant, I’d never know you cook for yourself or hunt for grocery bargains. When we first signed you for that cameo in the mountain film, you requested the lowest fee in the industry not to mention later giving all that money to President Ye. But who’d believe that? People only believe what they want to.”

“Then don’t bother explaining. It doesn’t matter.” Yu Youqing shook her head dismissively. “I’ll drink $5 coffee or $500 coffee whichever I feel like that day. I won’t choose the $5 one just because someone tells me to.”

Tian Tian exclaimed in surprise, “Are you some kind of fortune teller? It’s about that coffee incident with you. And get this that chatterbox Ice Block personally came out to clear your name! Said that marketing account’s post was pure slander. Oh, you wouldn’t know ‘chatterbox Ice Block’ she changed her ID. Turns out she was the founder and leader of your anti-fan group.”

Yu Youqing: “…?”

Tian Tian handed over her phone, looking equally baffled.

“See for yourself. Guess they’ve hated you so much they’ve come full circle to love.”

[Entertainment Scoop: Rumor has it a certain actress was spotted taking a taxi after dressing up for a night out, sparking ridicule for trying too hard with her frugal persona, who even cares!]

The blurry photo indeed showed Yu Youqing just a side profile shot through a car window, but unmistakably her.

The top comments were all from the anti-fan group, with chatterbox Ice Block’s reply getting the most likes:

[Chatterbox Ice Block: What’s wrong with you gossip accounts? Since when is taking a taxi news? This woman’s so washed up she can’t afford a private car big surprise! Remember when she bought that no-brand ¥10 coffee during her livestream? Mind your own business! [Photo]]

The attached photo showed the edge of Yu Youqing’s coffee cup from that livestream such a tiny detail that someone actually noticed?

Yu Youqing realized only that girl who bumped into her (now chatterbox Ice Block) would know the coffee cost just ten yuan.

This girl recognized her  and was actually defending her.

The replies underneath were a mixed bag:

[Slow news day? Unfollowing! Can’t stand this nonsense]

[We criticize her because she deserves it, you’re just hating for clout. Which rival paid you?]

[Gross]

[First time seeing anti-fans defend a celebrity. Guess it’s like “only I can bully my little sister” energy.]

[Love-hate relationship?]

[That coffee’s legit—I’ve bought it too, really just ¥10]

[Since when is taking a taxi an act? If she wanted publicity, she’d have issued a press release! She was just attending a dinner event]

[Morons. Your industry’s doomed]

[Am I the only one noticing her nose bridge? That side profile’s recognizable even in potato quality]

[Exactly! Real beauty doesn’t need HD]

After reading, Yu Youqing felt conflicted.

Tian Tian said, “This post wasn’t getting traction until the anti-fan group stirred things up. Some organic buzz started, people saying they’re newly interested. After your schedule got posted, some said they’d come see you.”

“Didn’t expect this many though,” Tian Tian exhaled, recalling the earlier scene. “Your influence is something else.”

Yu Youqing sighed, “Could’ve fooled me into thinking that was a compliment.”

“It’s a compliment, but also quite surprising. Who would’ve thought that chatterbox ice cube would speak up for you?” Tian Tian casually scrolled through her phone while glancing at the letter Yu Youqing still held, sighing sentimentally. “But everything’s moving in a positive direction. Look, you’re starting to gain genuine fans now, and public acceptance of your relationship with Teacher Jiang is growing.”

Yu Youqing immediately sensed Tian Tian’s gossipy intentions.

Sure enough, the next second Tian Tian asked: “So give it to me straight, what’s really going on between you and Teacher Jiang?”

“Nothing’s going on, and nothing will happen.” Yu Youqing said this without the slightest hesitation, having already been completely upfront with Jiang Musheng before. “On the show, we’re just regular colleagues following the director’s instructions.”

“Is that so?? Then why did you skip the date with Teacher Jiang when the director arranged it last episode?”

“An accident,” Yu Youqing stated firmly. “Won’t happen again.”

Her mindset back then had been completely different.

Songcheng.

This time, Yu Youqing was the last to arrive.

She’d barely entered the familiar villa compound when someone nearly tackled her with a bear hug.

“Youqing sis, you’re here!!!!”

Yu Youqing, still holding her suitcase, nearly jumped out of her skin. Fortunately, Cheng Shunzhu was intercepted by Ji Fu: “Hey now, shouldn’t you maintain some boundaries?”

“Siblings! We’re like siblings! What boundaries? Feels like ages since I’ve seen my Youqing sis!” Cheng Shunzhu shot Ji Fu a disgruntled look mixed with puppy-dog eyes. “Ever since tasting my sis’s cooking, everything at the film set tastes like cardboard.”

As the group reunited, the livestream simultaneously went live.

[OMG I’ve missed this so much! Been counting the days for this show’s return!]

[SAME! I’ve rewatched the last edited episode so many times I’ve memorized every line]

[Three days of happiness are back! Without this show, how else could we see our Musheng so often?]

[Demanding more Jiang Musheng screen time! She’s such a recluse otherwise, zero updates!]

[Our silly bamboo is still so enthusiastic about Yu Youqing]

[Was gonna trash Yu Youqing for making everyone wait by arriving last then I saw her face. Damn. She’s stupidly gorgeous]

[Did you see how Jiang Musheng immediately looked up when Yu Youqing appeared on camera?]

[Seriously though, why do they seem more real lately? Did I accidentally ship some cursed CP?]

[That haunted house hug converted me instantly]

[NOOOO! Jiang Musheng can’t be tied to Yu Youqing! You’re insane for shipping this!]

[But they have the best chemistry! They even went on a date!]

[Wake up! That wasn’t a real date, they brought Young Master Xu along!]

The heated debate in the livestream comments raged on, completely unnoticed by Yu Youqing.

After Cheng Shunzhu moved aside, she immediately spotted Xu Liyu waving at her and Jiang Musheng standing beside her.

This time, when her gaze met Jiang Musheng’s, Yu Youqing didn’t look away. Instead, she held eye contact for at least three seconds before walking into the living room to greet everyone.

“You’re doing well, I see? You look great,” Xu Liyu said to Yu Youqing before nudging Jiang Musheng with her shoulder. “Don’t you think so, Musheng?”

Jiang Musheng looked at Yu Youqing and gave a faint “Mm” in response.

In front of the cameras, Jiang Musheng had returned to her usual aloof demeanor, but Yu Youqing could sense a softness in the way Jiang Musheng’s gaze lingered on her.

In the previous episode, Yu Youqing had successfully obtained Xu Liyu’s message, so before arriving, she had already met with the production team. True to their word, they gave her a special privilege card.

It read: “You can prevent any couple from going on a date this episode and choose one of them to do something with you instead. Of course, you may choose not to use this privilege.”

When Yu Youqing saw this, her first thought was that she wouldn’t need it. This was a dating show, why would she interfere with others’ dates? She wasn’t crazy.

“Xiaoyu, I saw you at the film festival last time!” Wei Xi whispered to Yu Youqing during a break. “I was so busy with work that I didn’t get a chance to say hello.”

“It’s fine,” Yu Youqing replied. “Are you doing portrait photography now? I remember you didn’t used to photograph people.”

Wei Xi was originally a documentary photographer, and her award-winning works were profound and thought-provoking. It was rare for anyone to convince her to take portraits. Before this, there hadn’t been any news of Wei Xi returning to portrait photography for a long time.

“Just experimenting with it,” Wei Xi said, quickly glancing at the person playfully bickering with Cheng Shunzhu. “Hopefully, I’ll get to photograph the person I want someday.”

The word “love” was truly magical. That was the only thought in Yu Youqing’s mind as she observed the way Wei Xi looked at Ji Fu. It could change people in ways they never expected.

Since they had just arrived, the director didn’t rush to assign tasks and let them mingle freely. Xu Liyu pulled Yu Youqing over to sit down, feeling rather pleased with herself when she gave up her seat so Yu Youqing could sit next to Jiang Musheng.

After a while, Xu Liyu said, “What, aren’t you two going to talk?”

Jiang Musheng: “…”

“Do you have something to say?” Jiang Musheng’s tone was calm when speaking to Xu Liyu. “Everyone else is talking.”

Yu Youqing added, “Jiang is right. I’m just listening to everyone else.”

Xu Liyu: “…” Something feels off about you two, but I can’t put my finger on it.

Before, at least with Yu Youqing, it was obvious she was avoiding Jiang Musheng. Whenever Jiang Musheng spoke, Yu Youqing wouldn’t even dare to hold eye contact for long.

Now, not only was she making eye contact, but she was even sitting right next to her.

Logically, there should have been some progress, right? So why did the two of them seem even more distant than in the previous episode?

“President Xu?” Ji Fu cheerfully waved at Xu Liyu, “What are you doing sitting there? Come join us over here.”

Xu Liyu promptly went over.

Jiang Musheng and Yu Youqing sat together on the sofa.

[Is my screen frozen?]

[Attention viewers! This is not a frozen frame! Repeat, this is not a frozen frame!!]

[Hahahaha what are these two doing? Having a contest to see who can stay composed longer?]

[Seriously want to scream for help, why do these two have such a bizarre yet somehow harmonious atmosphere? How is this even possible?]

“Hahahahaha Teacher Xiaoyu! You peeked!”

“Eh? Are they being mascots or something?”

“Vividly acting like strangers?”

“Yu Youqing peeked again! Shengsheng, turn around and look!”

At this moment, Jiang Musheng in the camera frame remained perfectly still.

Even though she knew Yu Youqing had glanced her way two or three times already, for the sake of the younger girl’s pride, she resisted the urge to call her out.

Yu Youqing felt this couldn’t go on.

She spoke up: “Teacher Jiang!”

“You!”

A voice beside her spoke simultaneously, making Yu Youqing instantly awkward: “Teacher Jiang, you go first.”

Jiang Musheng paused, then suddenly smiled: “I just wanted to say, there’s no need to be so reserved.”

“Am I?” Yu Youqing felt somewhat awkward but didn’t want to admit it in front of Jiang Musheng. “Why would I be awkward? It’s you who hasn’t been talking to me.”

Jiang Musheng said: “Then why don’t you sit closer? I’m afraid you can’t hear me clearly.”

Yu Youqing wanted to ask what Jiang Musheng meant by that, but when she turned and saw Jiang Musheng smiling, she knew she was being teased.

She instinctively wanted to puff her cheeks in annoyance, then suddenly felt that would seem too intimate between them, so she held back.

“Now that everyone’s here, let me explain this episode’s arrangements!” Director Zhao clapped his hands, gathering everyone’s attention. “This episode’s theme will focus more on healthy activities. After last episode, you’re all familiar with each other, so you’ll rest this afternoon. In the evening, we’ve arranged a night hike.”

“Night hike?” Xu Liyu asked. “I’ve heard of night runs, but not night hikes. Are we climbing telephone poles?”

[HAHAHAHAHAHA]

[Spit-take moment]

[President Xu, give the production team some face! Why so uncooperative hahaha]

[This show really has no script, the guests just say whatever comes to mind]

[That’s exactly why we love it – so authentic!]

Director Zhao remained unfazed: “Mountain hiking. Night runs will be arranged too… if you can still walk by then.”

“Please no, stop with these dangerous ideas.” Cheng Shunzhu nearly wailed, feeling such physical activities were particularly unfriendly for an omega. “I’d like to opt out.”

Yu Youqing considered the director’s possible intentions but remained silent.

Sure enough, the director said the next moment: “Really don’t want to go? The reward for the night hike is information about the Hunter.”

The entire cast immediately: “???”

[Well damn]

[Everyone thinking: So now there’s no excuse not to exercise huh]

[Wait! Am I the only one noticing the Hunter hasn’t been chosen yet?]

[Holy shit, does this mean the Hunter completed their mission last episode?!]

[Congratulations, you’ve found the key point]

[So who is it then? Whoever it is plays really well. If we’re guessing the least likely person, it couldn’t be Teacher Jiang, right?]

[That’s impossible, Teacher Jiang clearly isn’t the type to strategize against everyone like that hahaha]

The assistant director from the production team added, “Tonight’s hiking activity starts at 8 PM in the nearby Gushan Forest Park. Starting from the entrance, the person who climbs the farthest will receive information about the hunter and gain the privilege to choose their date for tomorrow. The second-place winner gets to spend an hour alone with their crush in the evening. The rest will face penalties, which will be revealed when you’re about to give up.”

Yu Youqing: “…”

Oh dear.

Doesn’t that mean she’d have to climb all the way to the summit? She didn’t think her physical stamina was up to that level.

Besides, she hadn’t even considered who she would choose for a date if she won.

Forget it.

Yu Youqing decided she’d just make a token effort before accepting the penalty and quitting.

Director Zhao continued, “There’s also a change in the dating rules this time. During the first episode’s team formation, everyone was initially grouped based on the colors under their cups. This is because there might be tasks along the way that require pairs to complete together.” He added, “The initial team assignments for tonight’s hiking challenge are shown in the surveillance footage.”

For some reason, Yu Youqing’s attention drifted, and she stole a glance at Jiang Musheng beside her.

Jiang Musheng was looking straight ahead, seemingly focused on the director’s instructions.

Zhao Yang synchronized the footage with the live broadcast.

“The grouping principle is simple: the first person you make eye contact with after entering automatically becomes your partner. This pairing will also determine your team for the following days’ tasks.”

Yu Youqing’s heart skipped a beat. She had been the last to arrive, and the footage first showed Xu Liyu.

Xu Liyu had been waiting alone when Cheng Shunzhu arrived. The two naturally greeted each other, their eyes meeting.

First pair formed.

Wei Xi, Ji Fu, and Jiang Musheng had entered the frame together, likely having met outside. After sitting down, Wei Xi and Jiang Musheng locked eyes during their conversation.

So, Jiang Musheng was paired with Wei Xi.

That left only Yu Youqing unassigned.

According to the rules, those already paired couldn’t be reassigned even if they made eye contact with later arrivals. Thus, Yu Youqing, being the last to come, was automatically teamed with Ji Fu.

Perhaps because the director extended the footage duration, and with the camera focusing on individual shots, it became unmistakably clear, when Yu Youqing and Jiang Musheng were sitting together!

Yu Youqing had secretly glanced at Jiang Musheng.

And after she turned away, Jiang Musheng had seemingly casually looked in her direction.

Yu Youqing: “!”

Live audience: “!!”