We Are Filthy, Born From Mud - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Yes, She Seems to be Going Viral. They Are Perfect.

#ZongYougu

#HeGuiInterview

#AGuideToStudentSocializationLeaks

#WanChunmingTalksCareerExperience

@ReallyDontKnowWhatToEatAnyMore: Such a beautiful girl… how am I only discovering her now?

@EmptyValleyValley: I’m here! Her name is Zong Yougu. She’s acted in quite a few things already. That viral leak of her leaping over the wall from before was also her. She’s a baby with both beauty and talent~

@EvenZongHasACat: You guys have to go watch He Gui’s interview; I’m actually dying laughing… Director He was answering questions all seriously, but as soon as Little Gu was mentioned, he burst out laughing and started waving his hands.

@OnceUponATimeInTheValley: These leaks are legendary. If anyone hasn’t seen the photo of the baby in a school uniform, I will cry my eyes out, and then sneak into your room at midnight while you’re sleeping to peel your eyelids open and make you look at these heavenly photos. How can she be this beautiful? Opening the link feels like being enveloped by the scent of youth; clicking the high-res image feels like bathing in sunlight; saving it to the album feels like a spiritual ascension… My baby [pitiful][shrug]

@ReallyDontKnowWhatToEatAnyMore: I was about to say the top comments are exaggerating, but once I clicked the photos, I realized those words were actually conservative.

@SpringSleepWillow: Wan Chunming’s interview makes me quite emotional. I grew up watching her movies, and suddenly I realize she’s getting older. This set of photos is full of new faces; Wan Chunming’s support for the younger generation is evident to all. I hope the acting industry gets better and better and we continue to see good works. Looking forward to this movie, please release it soon…

@WuWuYouYou: There’s a collection of her works on the video site. She really rose up step by step from being an extra. Watching it makes my heart ache, but I also can’t help but laugh wickedly. Slapped to death, shot to death, accidentally falling into water and drowning… Little sister has truly completed the “Death Achievement” collection hhh.

(Expand remaining 10,394 comments)

Good news and bad news both arrive without warning. They lurk in the night, in unseen places, and then spring forth unannounced, observing the surprise on people’s faces like mischievous children.

This was exactly how Zong Yougu felt right now.

In the middle of the night, she was bombarded with phone calls from Qi Fang. After hanging up one after another, she finally reached her limit and picked up.

“Yougu, think back right now—did you ever post anything you shouldn’t have? Did you ever ‘like’ any inappropriate content? Although the company does a careful audit, there’s no guarantee nothing was missed. Check carefully, do you hear me?”

“What?”

“No time to explain clearly. You’ll know what’s going on once you look at your phone. In short, you must check thoroughly for anything improper. If there is, report it immediately so we can eliminate the risk early. Don’t wait for something to happen, understand?”

Qi Fang’s voice blared from the receiver. The urgent tone entered Zong Yougu’s ear and promptly drifted out the other, leaving no trace. After all, Zong Yougu had just been dragged out from under her duvet and wasn’t fully awake yet.

“I’ll discuss the specific follow-up arrangements with you in person, got it?”

“Mm-hmm, okay.”

Zong Yougu mumbled a response. After Qi Fang hung up, the phone fell heavily to the floor, and she fell heavily back onto the bed.

She drifted back into a light sleep. It took quite a while before she realized the significance of the call.

Had she been caught acting like a diva again? No, she had been absolutely well-behaved lately. She hadn’t let Hu Yinghua act like a tyrant, nor had she abandoned a film set without a word. She hadn’t done anything.

She suddenly flipped over and scrambled to pick up the phone. Opening the app, she saw a massive influx of @ mentions in her notifications. Her mind was still foggy; her fingers scrolled mechanically, and her vision felt obscured by a thin mist.

Until she saw that high-ranking trending topic—

#ZongYougu.

A loud roar in her brain dispelled all sleepiness. She became incredibly lucid. She immediately clicked the tag and scrolled through the comments. Her eyes vibrated slightly along with the screen, and the light from the display made her eyes sparkle.

It wasn’t hate. It wasn’t mockery. The top comments were almost purely praise. Praising her beauty, her cuteness, her acting, and her graceful movements.

It seemed she, Zong Yougu, was becoming famous.

She took a sharp breath. The phone hit the floor with a clack, and the fire in Zong Yougu’s heart began to burn fiercely. She threw open the bedroom door, rushed into the living room, and shook Zong Liangu, who was slumped over the table.

“Wake up! Wake up! Look at this!”

Zong Yougu kneaded Zong Liangu like a ball of dough. As she shook her, she hopped up and down; the wooden floorboards groaned, and the old table creaked rhythmically.

Zong Liangu finally lifted her head, looking weary. “If you keep jumping, the neighbors downstairs are going to come up.”

Zong Liangu spoke lazily as she took the phone. She examined the screen carefully. The energy-saving lamp in the living room was likely nearing the end of its life; the weak light flickered constantly, unable to fully illuminate the small space. In this setting, the glow from the phone was blindingly bright. The white light shone directly onto Zong Liangu’s face, reflecting off her high nose bridge and making her eyes appear even brighter.

Zong Liangu looked at the phone; Zong Yougu looked at Zong Liangu.

A smile appeared on Zong Liangu’s face, and her slender fingers swiped the screen back and forth. Seeing Liangu’s expression, Yougu felt equally elated and proud. She couldn’t help but plant a kiss on the tip of Liangu’s nose. She said, “I told you, the two of us together are perfect.”

Zong Liangu still didn’t look up. She stared at the screen, her smile growing wider. Zong Yougu couldn’t resist taking Liangu’s hand and kissing her way up from the wrist bone, eventually leaning into her ear. She bit Liangu’s earlobe lightly and whispered, “Look, I am so perfect, you are so perfect—we are so perfect.”

Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu admired the set of photos together. There were many candid shots, but there wasn’t a single ugly one of them. Whether they were speaking or running, they were flawless. The perfectly timed downcast gazes, the lean muscles hugging their long limbs.

Aside from them, no one would ever discover that there were two people behind “Zong Yougu.”

Actually, they were essentially one person.

The smile on Zong Yougu’s face broadened. She could feel that ever since Zong Liangu arrived, everything had changed. The long-accumulated mental knot was a thing of the past; in its place were opportunities and turning points. Because of Zong Liangu, everything was different. She could clearly feel herself stepping onto a sun-drenched, smooth path.

“I love you so much, I love you so much.”

Zong Yougu kissed Zong Liangu’s eyelids. Just as Liangu’s patience was about to run out, she pulled away at the perfect moment. Zong Yougu sat upright beside her, blinking innocently.

Zong Liangu held the phone up to Yougu’s eyes, and she too began to laugh. “How about this one?” she asked with a smile.

Zong Yougu took a quick glance and said with certainty, “It’s perfect.”

Zong Liangu gave her a nudge, bringing the screen even closer. Zong Yougu had no choice but to look closely at the photo. The person in the photo should be Zong Liangu; it captured the moment she leapt over the rooftop. The angle was excellent, hiding the low-set props. From the photo alone, it looked as if she were truly jumping through high-altitude space.

“This is me. This photo is of me—it’s Zong Liangu’s photo.”

Zong Liangu started to laugh—she was practically howling with laughter—her hand holding the phone dropping limply. She was happy for herself under the spotlight; she was happy to see herself appearing in photos on social media.

Zong Yougu took the phone back and swiped left and right. She said, “Then this one is me.”

Her finger suddenly stopped on a specific photo. In this one, she had her eyes cast down, staring at scraps of paper on the floor. Wait—maybe it wasn’t her. The person in the photo might be Zong Liangu; after all, Liangu had filmed this scene too. She stared at the photo for a long time but couldn’t reach a conclusion.

“Is the person in this photo you or me?”

The phone was handed to Zong Liangu. She stared at the screen for a long time, her head leaning in very close as she repeatedly zoomed in and out.

Zong Liangu frowned. “Looking at the arm, it should be you. No… wait, my arm looks like that when I’m relaxed too. Looking at the shadow on the ground, this was taken in the afternoon. I remember I filmed in the afternoon, so this is me?”

“My reshoots were also in the afternoon.”

Zong Liangu lowered her head again, attempting to find clues in the corners of the photo to determine who it was. The person in the photo had their eyes slightly narrowed—that was Zong Liangu’s habit.

Zong Liangu looked up, only to find the Zong Yougu in front of her also narrowing her eyes. Well, it was their shared habit.

So, was this Zong Liangu or Zong Yougu?

How was it that now even they couldn’t distinguish one from the other?

Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu pointed at each other and burst into laughter simultaneously. They covered their faces and laughed, leaning heavily back into their respective chairs. The floorboards gave another loud creak.

“When do you plan on moving out?” Zong Liangu asked.

Actually, she had been curious for a long time. Previously, even though Yougu wasn’t famous, she didn’t earn little; she could have easily afforded to rent a much better apartment. Why did she still live in this old, broken place?

“What?”

“I’m asking when you’re moving out. After all, you said it yourself—once you had money, you’d take me to eat and drink the best. I don’t want to huddle here with you for the rest of my life.”

Zong Yougu remained leaning back, her head tilted as she gazed up at the entire room. The floorboards occasionally let out sharp cracking sounds due to thermal expansion and contraction; the baseboards had peeled off in several places, and the energy-saving light above was flickering incessantly.

She finally sat up straight and gripped Zong Liangu’s shoulders with a serious expression:

“We need to change this lightbulb.”