The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 65

“I’d love to say yes, but I’m afraid I can’t.” Jiang Musheng was momentarily surprised by Yu Youqing’s direct invitation, feeling a pang of regret that she couldn’t seize this first opportunity.

“I haven’t left for the airport yet. I have an event in Songcheng tomorrow, so I won’t be returning until then.” Jiang Musheng frowned slightly, as if considering whether her schedule could be adjusted. “How about?”

“No, no need. I’ll just ride with you for a while then,” Yu Youqing said, glancing at Tiantian.

Tiantian immediately took the hint. “No problem, I’ll wait for you at the airport.”

Yu Youqing asked, “How about it?”

Jiang Musheng: “Alright, I’ll take you to the airport.”

Yu Youqing simply wanted to spend a little more time with Jiang Musheng.

She switched to Jiang Musheng’s car and sat beside her. Jiang Musheng asked, “What made you change your mind so suddenly?”

“Don’t you know? A woman’s mind changes like the wind,” Yu Youqing said with a laugh, noticing Jiang Musheng’s unwavering gaze.

Now that she had embraced her true feelings, Yu Youqing found her interactions with Jiang Musheng much more relaxed, free from the inexplicable tension she used to feel.

After all, during the show’s filming, she could act as she pleased.

But Jiang Musheng’s prolonged stare made her a little self-conscious. She touched her nose and said, “What? Is it really that strange? You were the one who asked me who left me messages, but now you don’t seem curious at all.”

“I am curious. But your willingness to ride with me has made me even more curious.” Jiang Musheng also touched her nose. “Actually, I’m really nervous right now you just can’t tell.”

Yu Youqing hummed in agreement. “Teacher Jiang’s acting skills are truly impeccable. I can’t see a hint of it.”

Jiang Musheng: “Did Wei Xi leave you a message?”

“You knew?”

Jiang Musheng said, “I asked Ji Fuzao earlier. She said she didn’t receive one today, so I guessed Wei Xi might have left it for you since you stepped in for her.”

“You’re a mind reader.” Yu Youqing nodded.

Jiang Musheng studied her expression and ventured another guess. “…There’s more than just Wei Xi?”

Yu Youqing pressed her lips together. “Yes. Your date, too. I didn’t expect Shen Tingyao to leave a heart-fluttering message for me. But I think she originally meant it for you.”

At this, Jiang Musheng fell silent, lost in thought.

Yu Youqing didn’t press the topic. The drive from the villa to the airport was short, barely fifteen minutes.

Before getting out of the car, she said to Jiang Musheng, “Teacher Jiang, I think you were right.”

Without waiting for Jiang Musheng to ask what she meant, Yu Youqing hurried inside.

Saying those words to Jiang Musheng was almost as embarrassing as a confession. She could muster the courage in her heart to take the initiative, but she wasn’t yet ready to express it so openly in front of Jiang Musheng.

Before, it had been Jiang Musheng who took the first step, suggesting they explore the possibility of a relationship.

But back then, Yu Youqing had never even considered it.

Now it was Yu Youqing taking the initiative to pursue Jiang Musheng, and that made all the difference. She approached her feelings with the same caution as Jiang Musheng, especially since the other party was Jiang Musheng herself. She recognized her own stirring emotions but understood the need to take things slowly without rushing.

Late at night, Yu Youqing arrived home in the early hours.

On the way back, Tiantian not only pestered her about what she had discussed with Jiang Musheng but also asked, “You could’ve stayed at a hotel, you didn’t have to come home. Does your landlord actually set a curfew for you? By the way, have you even met your landlord yet?”

Yu Youqing chuckled vaguely, dodging the question.

As if Jiang Musheng had timed it perfectly, just as Yu Youqing finished washing up and settled into bed, a message arrived: [I think I understand what you meant now.]

Yu Youqing replied: [Get some rest. Goodnight.]

Jiang Musheng responded: [Do you believe me now when I say I’ll always have your back?]

Yu Youqing hugged her phone and rolled around on the bed in delight.

How incredible it felt to have such a powerful ally behind her! Why hadn’t she realized this sooner?

Even through a phone screen, she could feel the warmth radiating from their conversation.

After two minutes, she finally replied: [Yes!]

Jiang Musheng: [Alright, rest well. Goodnight.]

Yu Youqing: [Goodnight.]

Xu Liyu was picked up by the car Lin Xuqiao had arranged.

Assuming it was just an ordinary driver, Xu Liyu was surprised to find Lin Xuqiao behind the wheel when she got in.

“Why you?” Xu Liyu, who had initially headed for the backseat, stepped out again and switched to the passenger side upon seeing Lin Xuqiao.

“I was passing through for work and thought I’d pick you up,” Lin Xuqiao said. “You could at least pretend to be happy about it.”

“Spare me the nonsense. I can’t be bothered,” Xu Liyu retorted, glancing outside. “Let’s go.”

Lin Xuqiao remarked, “I saw that Musheng’s schedule still has her in Songcheng tomorrow. Aren’t you stopping by her place? You’ve been filming nearby this whole time haven’t even been back to the Lu family home.”

“Please. Unless absolutely necessary, Musheng wouldn’t want to go back.” Seeing Lin Xuqiao about to roll down the window to call out, Xu Liyu stopped her. “Leave them be. Can’t you see they’re in the middle of a reluctant goodbye?”

Outside the window, Jiang Musheng was bent slightly, standing beside Yu Youqing’s car.

“Oh? What’s going on? Did they make it official?” Lin Xuqiao teased. “If that’s the case, just the news alone could get my company listed.”

Xu Liyu, who had held back all episode, now spilled everything like pouring beans: “You wouldn’t believe it, this episode was something else. The production team actually sent Musheng out alone to camp. Who else would dare do that in any other show? The genius part was that in the end, Little Yu used her swap opportunity to go and keep her company.”

Lin Xuqiao’s interest piqued. “Did they confess?”

“Do you even know your own artist? She’s so reserved no way. Little Yu claimed she went up to watch the sunrise, and somehow that blockhead Musheng actually bought it. I also heard that at night, a huge swarm of fireflies appeared at the mountaintop. Can you imagine how romantic that must’ve been? And those two just happened to be there for it.”

“Fireflies? Wait a second.” Lin Xuqiao checked the current temperature on her phone and calculated how cold it could get in the forest at night. After a moment, she smiled knowingly, “Have you ever seen fireflies in subzero winter?”

Xu Liyu still didn’t get it: “What do you mean?”

Lin Xuqiao: “You must know how frozen Mount Gu gets in winter, right? Mu Sheng is afraid of the dark, and Xiao Yu just happened to want to watch the sunrise at the summit. Then, out of season, a large swarm of fireflies appeared in the pitch-black night. I think Xiao Yu understands Mu Sheng much better than we imagined.”

“Huh?” Xu Liyu widened her eyes in surprise.

She felt like she had accidentally stumbled upon something extraordinary.

Indeed, in her memory, fireflies were usually seen in summer. Who had ever seen them in the freezing cold of winter?

By nighttime, Xu Liyu was already in bed, but her curiosity kept her tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt she might have missed out on some juicy gossip.

So she started bombarding Lin Xuqiao with messages, refusing to let her sleep.

Lin Xuqiao: […]

Xu Liyu: “You should know that once someone’s curiosity is piqued, it’s hard to suppress. If you hadn’t mentioned this when you got back today, I wouldn’t have thought so much about it!”

Xu Liyu: “I need a professional explanation!”

Lin Xuqiao: “[Link]”

Lin Xuqiao: “The expert will give you an extremely professional explanation. Go read it. I need to sleep!!!”

Lin Xuqiao had actually been working nonstop to pick up Xu Liyu, though she hadn’t told her.

The link led to a popular science post by an entomologist on Touchbo.

As it turned out, Xu Liyu wasn’t the only one curious. Many viewers of the show were interested in the details, and the scene of the two watching fireflies had already gone viral, being hailed as the most romantic moment of the second episode.

At the time, without the interference of cameras or microphones, Yu Yousheng and Jiang Musheng appeared completely natural and relaxed, with no trace of performance, making the moment even more touching.

Initially, under an account that reposted the clip, fans began heated discussions, marveling at how there could be so many fireflies in that weather, joking that even the heavens were shipping the couple. Soon, someone raised the question: Why had they never seen fireflies in winter before?

Later, the discussion turned into a collective tagging of an entomologist’s popular science account.

Unexpectedly, the entomologist was also a night owl. They promptly responded with an explanation.

Entomologist V: Fireflies can appear in winter, but wild ones are rare. Usually, such large numbers are farmed fireflies, likely arranged by the production team for the show’s effect. Upon closer inspection, these are indeed farmed fireflies. Everyone, go to bed after reading this.

[Farmed?]

[Ah, that’s disappointing. It takes away half the magic.]

[LOL LOL LOL]

[The scene was beautiful, but knowing it was staged feels a bit fake.]

[Wait, what? I’d just convinced myself that Xiao Yu and Teacher Jiang were perfect for each other! And now you’re telling me this was orchestrated?]

[“You really can’t trust anything on these shows, tears in my eyes”]

[“Only we end up hurt by taking things too seriously”]

[“Crying”]

In an instant, comments of this nature had taken over the majority of the discussion.

Xu Liyu was instantly furious when she saw these wasn’t this pure slander? As someone who had participated in the show’s recording, she knew full well that this segment wasn’t even the production team’s original idea.

It was Yu Yousheng who had been thoughtful enough to suggest it, working hand-in-hand with the crew to create this iconic moment.

Yet the audience had twisted it into something strange.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Liyu forwarded the link to Jiang Musheng with the caption: [Handle this yourself]

The show always wrapped up filming on Fridays, releasing the edited full version after a day’s break.

After returning home and bidding Jiang Musheng goodnight, Yu Yousheng collapsed into bed, only to be dragged out of sleep at dawn the next day for a groggy makeup session.

She had joined a film set though only for a minor cameo role something arranged even before she signed on for the dating show.

Perhaps due to the skyrocketing popularity of the last two episodes, while she was in makeup, the director sent an assistant over to cautiously ask if her pay rate would remain the same.

Yu Yousheng smiled. “Of course. Do I seem like someone who’d break a contract?”

The assistant blushed, thanked her, and hurried away.

By the time the next episode’s filming rolled around, Yu Yousheng’s schedule was completely packed. She didn’t even have time to check Touchbo, relying on Tiantian to relay updates.

Until Tiantian asked, “What’s up with the fireflies? How did this blow up overnight?”

Yu Yousheng: “Huh?”

“I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but that night you and Teacher Jiang went camping wasn’t there a huge swarm of fireflies? The same fans who were gushing about it being a magical moment are now dismissing it. Last night, an entomologist claimed those fireflies were farmed and artificially released, so now everyone’s saying it’s not romantic anymore.” Tiantian scoffed. “Aren’t people just here for the pretty visuals? Why dig so deep?”

Yu Yousheng chuckled. “No harm done, right?”

Truthfully, they weren’t wrong it was an artificially crafted moment.

“Not really, but, oh, the director just posted!”

Tiantian handed her the phone, where Yu Yousheng saw Director Zhao Yang reposting the entomologist’s post with a caption: [Stay calm, everyone. The full version airing tonight will have all the answers you’re looking for.]

Just as she finished reading, a notification popped up, a private message from Zhao Yang:

[You okay?]

Yu Yousheng replied: [Of course. It’s natural for people to think that way.]

She’d anticipated this kind of reaction when planning the gesture. Explaining it herself was out of the question.

As long as Jiang Musheng wasn’t affected, that was all that mattered. Their chat still ended with last night’s “goodnight.”

Probably, like her, Jiang Musheng was swamped with work and had no time to dwell on this.

Yu Yousheng powered through a full day of filming without another thought. At 8 PM, the show released the full edited episode.

Within half an hour of its premiere, the comment section exploded.

Before even opening the full version of the show’s video, one would already see the pinned top comment beneath it.

【Episode Highlights Guide】

【Love’s Turnaround 00:40:21

Fireflies 00:54:43

Strongest Production Team Reveal 01:01

Heartfelt Messages Unveiled! Must-watch! Skip straight to the end! Rewatch it endlessly!!!!】

Yu Youqing only got her phone back at the hotel after work and started watching, though her original intention wasn’t this. She had simply remembered that today was the day Jiang Musheng was returning.

Before she could even ask if Jiang Musheng had arrived, she was bombarded with notifications on her phone. By the time she clicked in, she was already overwhelmed by the explosive comments under that pinned post.

Her screen was flooded with screams. What happened? Yu Youqing had expected everyone to be happily bashing her, but a quick glance showed that the pinned comments seemed to be all about her and Jiang Musheng?

Out of curiosity, Yu Youqing clicked in to watch.

The “Love’s Turnaround” in the highlights turned out to be the moment she told the production team through her earpiece that she wanted to use her swap opportunity to replace Xu Liyu and go camping with Jiang Musheng.

The production team was particularly sneaky, they edited together the part where Jiang Musheng asked why she came back, and Yu Youqing replied that she wanted to see the sunrise, with the crew asking, “Are you sure you want to use your swap reward?”

【Wahhhh the first hit right at the start!】

【I already got wrecked in the livestream, but the editors really know how to create iconic moments. Now I want to cry again.】

【Hahahaha don’t cry, if you can’t handle this, what are you gonna do by the end?】

【…Should I just cry now or is there a procedure?】

【Ahhhh I’ve transformed! Into an! Unstoppable! Screaming chicken!】

【Is this really just a show? For a second I thought I was watching people fall in love.】

【Jiang-laoshi, are you watching this?! You need to see this!!!】

Yu Youqing: Stunned.

This was the reward she got during the hike, so it was fair game for the post-production to reveal. But the editing style was something else even she blushed watching it.

Since she’d already clicked in, Yu Youqing had no choice but to brace herself and keep watching.

The firefly scene, she hadn’t expected it to look so breathtaking from the audience’s perspective.

Being in the moment, she was wrapped up in the atmosphere and joy, but the third-person view was a whole different kind of awe. She couldn’t help but screenshot a few moments. It was only in the edited version that she realized Jiang Musheng had been staring at her for so long.

Just as she was about to skip to the heartfelt messages, the scene changed again.

【High alert ahead!】

【Is everyone ready?! The real highlight is coming!!!!!】

Yu Youqing: ?

What now?

In less than a second, she saw herself.

On the way up the mountain, she had urgently contacted the staff, asking if they could get farmed fireflies, a massive amount, enough to light up the night.

The staff couldn’t handle it, so they went to director Zhao Yang, who said, “Hmm, in the middle of winter, farmed ones are probably the only option. Let me check. What do you need them for?”

“I wanted to watch it with Teacher Jiang.” Yu Yousheng’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper. “Sorry to trouble you, but it’s so dark at night. I’m really afraid of the dark. With fireflies around, I wouldn’t be scared anymore.”

When Yu Yousheng was alone in her tent, Director Zhao informed her: “We found them. They’ll be released in five minutes.”

Yu Yousheng replied, “Thank you.”

She stepped out of the tent, and Jiang Musheng followed. The two walked to the forest entrance. Just as Yu Yousheng told Jiang Musheng that even the darkest places would have light, the sky filled with glowing fireflies.

[Absolutely breathtaking!]

[I admit, I must apologize for criticizing the artificial breeding earlier. This is the most beautiful love story ever!]

[So it wasn’t the production team’s idea after all it was Yu Yousheng’s little surprise!]

[This is even more romantic than if it had been natural!]

[I’m crying again. I’ve been crying nonstop]

[If I were Jiang Musheng seeing this, I’d definitely fall in love]

[Jiang Musheng: Already fallen, thank you. Speaking on behalf of Teacher Jiang here]

[No need to speak for her just look at how Teacher Jiang is gazing at Yu Yousheng]

[Wait,  is it actually Teacher Jiang who’s afraid of the dark? Yu Yousheng’s words seemed like she was guiding someone…]

[Ugh, I don’t know whether to envy Teacher Jiang, Yu Yousheng, or the production team more…]

[Teacher Jiang, look! This is the sea of fireflies Yu Yousheng released just for you!!!!!]

Yu Yousheng: Stunned.

She never expected the production team to edit it this way revealing everything she had done!!!

Yu Yousheng had planned to ask Jiang Musheng where she was.

But now, thinking about it, she felt too embarrassed. Better to let it go.

For the final confession messages, Yu Yousheng could guess who left what for whom and didn’t plan to look. Just as she was about to exit, a notification popped up on her phone.

Jiang Musheng: [Link]

Jiang Musheng: [I know.]

Yu Yousheng clicked the link, it was the exact same full edited version of the show she had been watching.

So, what did “I know” mean?

Yu Yousheng sent: [!]

Then followed up: [?]

Jiang Musheng: [Quoting a comment: “Speaking on behalf of Teacher Jiang already fallen, thank you.”]

Jiang Musheng: [This. I know. Yes.]

Yu Yousheng: […]

She refused to acknowledge this childish behavior of repeatedly confirming fan comments!

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