What Should I Do If the Aloof Movie Queen Is Too in Love With Me? - Chapter 19

Ji Youyi was in a daze when she got into the car.

She felt that this matter was hard to explain logically—

In all her years growing up, the number of times Ji Youyi had hugged people was uncountable.

Not to look too far back, just a few days ago at the wrap banquet, toward the end of the meal, a girl cried saying she couldn’t bear to leave her, so she held her and coaxed her for a while.

As a result, when she looked up after coaxing her, a group of people were looking on with teary eyes, saying, “Director Ji, can we have a hug too?”

In the end, she had to hug them one by one.

But now, she was actually… feeling lightheaded from being hugged by Meng Xingzhu??

Why?

First of all, this was a kind-hearted girl who, after providing help, gave her a hug out of humanitarian concern to express comfort.

Secondly, her breathing hadn’t been restricted at any point.

But it was just… it felt like oxygen was becoming increasingly thin, and then, her legs went weak.

It was Meng Xingzhu who let go first after the hug.

Her mind was dizzy, her feet were soft, and failing to stand steady, she was supported by Meng Xingzhu’s hands. The other woman asked in a low voice, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

In the end, her brain completely short-circuited, and she actually replied: “You smell so good.”

…What was she saying!!

Ji Youyi’s face felt a bit hot. She had originally wanted to ask why Meng Xingzhu appeared on this dilapidated street, but now she was too embarrassed to ask.

She opened the car window and took deep breaths of fresh air for a long time, yet it felt like her lungs were still filled with Meng Xingzhu’s scent.

This situation lasted until they arrived at the police station, where Ji Youyi’s attention was finally successfully diverted.

Once the questioning of both parties ended, they entered the mediation phase.

Meng Xingzhu was likely pressed for time and chose to refuse mediation.

She had already contacted a lawyer to go directly to litigation, but Ji Youyi felt there was still time for a quick conversation, so she followed the police officer to see Qiu Xiaoya first.

Meng Xingzhu said no more and walked quietly behind Ji Youyi. When Ji Youyi sat down, she pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, not saying another word the entire time.

Qiu Xiaoya’s hatred for Ji Youyi was irrationally firm. She refused to apologize and repeatedly emphasized: “Ji Youyi is just a slattern. What’s wrong with me hitting a b!tch? This shameless thing harmed my brother, I just wanted to teach her a lesson!”

“Watch your language!” The police officer’s voice was stern as he knocked on the table in warning.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine.” Ji Youyi waved her hand quickly and smiled at the officer, indicating she didn’t mind.

She looked at Qiu Xiaoya, her tone helpless, “Girl, you say I harmed him, but have my actions caused him even a bit of substantial harm? He’s still a top star, with all the popularity, fans, and money he wants. On the contrary, I was fired by my company, I have trouble even getting a meal, and I live in that kind of dump.”

“That’s what you deserve! People like you should just die!”

“Ok, ok, let’s not mention me.” Ji Youyi didn’t want to argue about these things; she followed the girl’s logic, “I know you feel for your ‘brother,’ but shouldn’t you consider yourself a bit more?”

Ji Youyi had learned a little about Qiu Xiaoya.

A girl not even twenty, who started working after graduating from a vocational school. Little education, hadn’t seen much of the world, and her character wasn’t mature enough. She was spun around by her idol, offering up all the money she earned.

She and the Little Ji You had a tiny bit of similarity—both were deceived by the beautiful facade of an idol to the point of losing themselves. It’s just that one chose to attack others, while the other chose to destroy herself.

Ji Youyi said, “Think about it carefully. If you stand up for him, what benefit do you get? If you injure me, you’ll be detained and have to pay medical bills. If you kill me, you’ll have to pay with your life. Is it really worth it?”

As a director, Ji Youyi used to have heart-to-heart talks with the crew occasionally. Once she opened her mouth, she sounded like a dean of students who had taught for many years.

“If you don’t want to apologize, then forget it. You have things you believe in, and I respect that. But I think you must realize one point—”

“You’re not wrong for hating me, and you’re not wrong for hitting me. You’re wrong because, in a society ruled by law, you shouldn’t intentionally infringe upon the personal rights of others.”

“I will pursue tonight’s matter to the end. It’s not targeting you, much less hating or retaliating against you, but rather hoping you’ll know that good public security is maintained by everyone together. Because wanting to hurt an defenseless person is really too easy! If you can harm someone today and escape punishment, then tomorrow you are also likely to be wantonly harmed by someone else.”

“You’re only twenty, young and strong, with many possibilities in the future. Don’t snuff them out yourself, okay?”

Qiu Xiaoya looked at her and sneered: “What possibilities could there be? A piece of trash like me, if I die, I die.”

“That’s not true. You have the ability to support yourself and the ability to do so much for someone you like—that’s already very impressive. How could you be trash?”

Ji Youyi looked back into Qiu Xiaoya’s eyes and said earnestly, word by word, “A path is walked out by oneself. Don’t let yourself rot in the mud. You can walk out, really.”

Qiu Xiaoya’s emotions suddenly became agitated. She abruptly rose from her chair and lunged at Ji Youyi.

Meng Xingzhu leaned forward, blocking Ji Youyi. Seeing the other party being controlled by the police, she stepped back imperceptibly, leaning her upper body back against the chair and yielding the line of sight.

Her cold, sharp eyes drooped slightly. Her expression was very faint, as if she had just slightly adjusted her sitting posture.

“What right do you have to talk about me! What do you know? Do you know what kind of life I’ve had since I was a kid? Do you know what Zhou Wenchen means to me? No one loves me! No one cares about me! Except for him, no one else loves me anymore!”

The restrained Qiu Xiaoya struggled, screaming as tears fell from her eyes, “I want to protect him! I want to protect him well, he only has us! And I only have him…”

The conversation could no longer continue. Ji Youyi got up to leave.

In the traffic economy, the most important lesson is psychology.

Personas that cater to the market, batch-produced hormones, news of unknown veracity, stirring up fights, exploiting fan sympathy, purifying the fan base—as long as you refine that group of fans who are most easily controlled, you can easily make a profit.

The so-called “emotional value” is using fans’ emotions to create value. Capital takes all the benefits, while fans empty everything out, clutching those four words, already satisfied.

Ji Youyi had no intention of taking responsibility for someone else’s life; she had many things to do herself.

She stood at the police station entrance, gazing at the dim night sky. Just as she was about to walk out, she was suddenly held by the person beside her.

Meng Xingzhu gripped her wrist: “Go get an examination.”

“Huh?” Meng Xingzhu’s fingers were like a heat source, branding her skin and giving Ji Youyi a jolt.

She had been trying hard all night to ignore Meng Xingzhu’s strong presence. At this moment, she subconsciously pulled her hand away and put it behind her back, “No need, I’m fine.”

She had been dragged away for only a short time, and before she could even use her first-class escape techniques, Meng Xingzhu had come over and flipped the person. What could happen?

Meng Xingzhu put her hand back into her trench coat pocket, her fingers still feeling the lingering touch slightly curling. Her face was calm: “This is an injury assessment, it’s required for the process.”

Ji Youyi went silent for a moment.

For some reason, Meng Xingzhu seemed to really want to escalate this matter, not worried at all about how the negative news would affect Zhou Wenchen once it fermented.

Even on the way to the police station, she had already found a lawyer. The efficiency was staggering.

Could it be that it’s to clean up the fan circle culture? That was the only reason Ji Youyi could think of.

The demonization of fan circles is serious; wanting to clean it up is indeed a good thing.

The Grand Film Queen is indeed a great person! Putting justice before family!

Ji Youyi naturally cooperated actively. She gave the power of attorney on the spot and took Meng Xingzhu’s car to the hospital for a full-body checkup.

There were quite a few soft tissue injuries on her body, bruised and purple in many places, and the back of her head was broken, with a large bump swollen up.

The medical staff left after cleaning her wounds. Some tests would take a while to get results. She waited alone, bored, and took out her phone to handle messages.

There were several missed calls from Wu Buxing, and besides those, one from Li Zhulan.

After waking up from her hangover the day after the wrap banquet, the great screenwriter Li Zhulan had watched her own dancing video under Ji Youyi’s friendly reminder.

Her already fragile face-skin directly cracked. She had spent a few days in hiding, busy with repairs, and should be out of hibernation now.

Ji Youyi sent a congratulatory call.

“Baby Ji! Are you finally resting? I have a particularly good piece of news to tell you!” Li Zhulan sounded like she was in excellent condition.

Ji Youyi smiled: “Tell me.”

“I thought of how to change the title of the drama!”

The one they filmed before was a romance drama, the title “If Life Were Only Like the First Meeting” was appropriate.

But later, as the main plot changed, the two had discussed changing the title. Unfortunately, Li Zhulan had racked her brains to no avail. After a few days of rest, a flash of inspiration had struck.

She announced loudly and proudly, “It’s called—’Thousand Gold Bones’! Taste it, savor it carefully. This double meaning, this charm—isn’t it wonderful? I know you’re busy with post-production, so I wanted to tell you quickly to give you some inspiration.”

“Wonderful, wonderful.” Ji Youyi didn’t mention the matter in H City this afternoon, but just smiled and praised her, “As expected of our Screenwriter Li.”

“Of course! Remember to send it to me as soon as you finish it. This is my first drama, I’m ready to watch it until it’s worn out! Also, tell me immediately once it’s sold.”

As Li Zhulan spoke, her tone became even more proud. She had always been someone who lacked confidence, and this was the first time Ji Youyi had heard her speak in such a tone.

“You know, when I resigned from my civil service job, my family absolutely wouldn’t agree. I even had a huge fight with my mom, almost cutting ties. She always thought I had no ability and would be bullied everywhere outside the system—are you kidding? Could I not be bullied inside the system!”

“Entering the crew this time, I’ve been holding back something big and didn’t tell her, just waiting for the drama announcement to scare her to death, haha. Let her see clearly that her daughter is gold and can shine anywhere!”

Li Zhulan was very happy, so happy she didn’t sound like she had heard about the changes in the crew.

Ji Youyi guessed that Wu Buxing planned to break her first, then go talk to Li Zhulan—or perhaps, he never intended to tell Li Zhulan at all.

It’s common for the film and television circle not to value screenwriters. Contracts are full of traps. Changing from sole screenwriter to second screenwriter doesn’t even necessarily require the individual’s consent.

Ji Youyi chatted with her for a few more minutes and then used an excuse to hang up.

The surroundings were quiet, with no one around. She looked toward the door, walked to the farthest corner by the window, and dialed Wu Buxing’s number.

“I’ve made up my mind. I can sign a new contract, but I have three conditions.” Ji Youyi’s voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear.

“First, I want five hundred thousand.”

“Second, it must arrive within three days, otherwise I won’t follow up on any post-production.”

“Third, my name doesn’t need to appear once in the entire drama, but Li Zhulan must be the sole screenwriter.”

Wu Buxing paused for several seconds before saying: “Everything else can be discussed, but the matter about the screenwriter…”

Ji Youyi didn’t want to hear Wu Buxing talk about this or that difficulty. What difficulty could there be in plagiarism? The difficulty of overcoming the desire for money?

She interrupted Wu Buxing’s words and simply emphasized: “Li Zhulan, must, be, the sole screenwriter.”

In early April, cold air still visited frequently.

After finishing the call, Ji Youyi stood by the window for a while, feeling a bit cold, so she sat back in the chair.

In all fairness, she thought she had made a very great deal.

Anyway, she would leave this shitty film circle once she paid off her debts. A credit was just a credit; there wasn’t much difference between having one and not. Scamming more money to pay off debts was the serious business.

She’s just a rat, why would she need “Thousand Gold Bones.”

After spacing out in the chair for a while, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching outside. Ji Youyi turned her head and saw Meng Xingzhu walking in with the examination reports.

Meng Xingzhu stared into her eyes for a second and closed the door: “In a bad mood?”

Ji Youyi was confused by the question. She curled her lips and blinked: “No.”

“That smile is very fake.”

“???” She was so cute, yet the other woman called her fake.

Ji Youyi’s mouth drooped in a second.

As expected, Meng Xingzhu didn’t like her.

If you don’t like it, don’t look. She was just in a good mood; believe it or not.

Meng Xingzhu didn’t ask further and handed over the report: “Mild concussion. You need to ensure sufficient sleep recently. The doctor said…”

She paused slightly, observing Ji Youyi’s expression, “Your head has suffered serious injuries before, so you should be even more careful to rest.”

Ji Youyi suddenly realized: So the reason she was unsteady before getting into the car was because of a concussion. Thank goodness, she thought she was…

“Also, the doctor said you might have insomnia symptoms recently and can prescribe some sedatives for you.”

Meng Xingzhu’s tone was as flat as if they were discussing what to have for dinner as she suggested, “Why don’t you talk to the doctor privately?”

As soon as Ji Youyi heard this, she knew it was to ask about medical history, and there might even be some psychological treatment. Meng Xingzhu likely also considered her mental state, which is why she helped her repeatedly.

Clearly, there was no need for this.

“No need, I have no problem with my sleep.” Ji Youyi refused directly.

After saying that, while her heart was clear, she decided to go for it and talk things out with Meng Xingzhu, “And Teacher Meng, I have something to say.”

“First of all, about tonight, I’m really, really thankful to you. Without you, it’s hard to say if I’d even be sitting here.”

“Since we’ve known each other, you’ve helped me many times. Although I’m dirt poor and can’t repay you for anything for now, I will never take your kindness for granted. I will keep these favors in mind. If you ever need anything from me in the future, just say the word. I, Ji Youyi, will do whatever it takes!”

As she spoke, her speaking speed slowed slightly, “But, there’s one more thing I must state—”

“I hope you won’t have any burden. Actually, you don’t need to do so much for me, or rather, even if something needs to be done, it’s not your turn to do it.”

“It’s not… my turn…?” Meng Xingzhu’s long, crow-feather-like lashes flickered as she repeated.

“Exactly!”

Ji Youyi knew that Meng Xingzhu didn’t have much favorable impression of her; her being good to her was purely out of compensation.

But the problem was, Meng Xingzhu herself had never harmed Little Ji, so if someone were to pay a price, it shouldn’t be her turn.

Why should a kind girl come out to work hard, while a useless scumbag hides behind a woman to enjoy the benefits?

He even had the face to fake depression, is he even human? Does he even deserve to get a carbon-based organism’s illness??

Ji Youyi said pragmatically, “If Zhou Wenchen himself isn’t willing to come, then there’s even less need for you to come.”

Actually, the scumbag didn’t need to come either. If she could launch rockets, this piece of trash would already be in outer space.

Zhou. Wen. Chen. This was the first time Meng Xingzhu heard Ji Youyi say this name with her own lips.

Meng Xingzhu rarely remembered strangers’ names, much less a traffic star’s. When Meng Xiao looked for male stars for hype, she only knew it was happening and didn’t care who specifically it was.

When did she finally see this name?

It was that day in the car, before the secretary sent the materials. She had searched for the three characters “Ji Youyi” on the internet herself and saw a name appearing extremely frequently by her side, so eyesore-inducing she couldn’t help but feel disgust.

The internet was discussing this unrequited love; the records said they had known each other for five years. Even Lin Shan later lamented: “Little Ji is such a good girl, how did she fall in love with Zhou Wenchen.”

‘Love’?

Her chest felt as if it were being repeatedly crushed by dense needlework.

She half-lowered her lashes, suppressing the overwhelming emotions. The hand in her pocket tightened unconsciously, and her tone was incredibly calm: “Are you still thinking about him?”

Ji Youyi’s alarm bells rang immediately. Here it was, the life-or-death question.

She had been avoiding talking to the Grand Film Queen about the scumbag before because she was worried a situation like this would arise.

As far as this question was concerned, she couldn’t say yes, because that was neither factual nor would it make the Film Queen jealous. But she couldn’t directly say no either, as that would seem too fake; the Film Queen wouldn’t believe it.

She weighed her words, calling upon all her acting skills to manifest an attitude of “the past is like smoke, I’ve long since let go,” and handed in what she thought was a perfect answer: “It’s all in the past, I don’t like him anymore.”

“Don’t like him anymore.”

Meng Xingzhu chewed on these four words.

That meant she used to like him. As for whether she still liked him now, it was unknown.

Was it really unknown?

She had said earlier that she hoped that person could come. She said, “It’s not your turn.”

It wasn’t her turn.

The iceberg covered all the surging waves beneath the sea. Meng Xingzhu maintained her calmness and nodded slightly toward Ji Youyi: “I have something to do; I’ll leave first.”

Fang Ruohan had been waiting outside. Seeing Meng Xingzhu walk out, she proactively went forward and asked: “Teacher Meng, what do you need? I’ll go handle it.”

She gave Meng Xingzhu a crazy hint with eyes full of banter: You go inside to have some private time, I’ll handle the errands!

Meng Xingzhu indeed had more words to say.

She stopped, her eyes half-lowered, not looking at Fang Ruohan, and only instructed: “Tell her not to go back tonight; stay at your place first.”

“My… place?” Fang Ruohan’s brain was a bit overloaded.

She had no real estate in D City; she had always lived in Meng Xingzhu’s house. Staying at her place was just staying at Meng Xingzhu’s house. What was the purpose of saying it so circuitously…?

Meng Xingzhu hummed in response: “I’ve already had the housekeeper clean the room; you take care of her. Tomorrow I’ll ask the police station to send someone to accompany her to move her luggage, and you go too to help her cancel the rental. During this time, trouble yourself to pick her up and drop her off from work. Keep the medical records safe and send them to the lawyer. Also, get her a coat and buy some food. She’s sensitive to the cold but loves the breeze, and she gets a bit carsick, so remember to turn the air conditioning high on the way back and leave a crack in the window.”

Seeing Meng Xingzhu turn to leave after finishing her words, Fang Ruohan hurriedly called her back.

“Wait, wait, wait! Teacher Meng.” She said subtly, “I think it would be better if you said these words to her yourself.”

Meng Xingzhu’s footsteps paused slightly, but it was only a pause: “No, you’re her friend; you’re more suitable.”

As for her, she was nothing.

Ji Youyi was indeed worried about the rental matter.

The old neighborhood wasn’t safe, but the problem was, how could a prime location have a house for ten yuan a day?

She planned to take her suitcase and stay in the office. Fang Ruohan didn’t approve: “Staying in the office isn’t safe either. How about staying with me for a few days?”

“Will it be inconvenient?” Ji Youyi asked.

“Not at all, my place is huge.” Fang Ruohan complained, “What’s wrong? You look down on me? Not willing to stay with me?”

“How could I! I’m very willing.” Ji Youyi clutched the hot milk Fang Ruohan had just bought her, rubbing her head against Fang Ruohan’s arm like a small animal, “Wuwu Fangfang, you’re so good, I love you so much.”

Ji Youyi originally thought that while Fang Ruohan was on a business trip in D City, she was staying in a hotel executive suite. When she said it was big, she meant the hotel bed was big, enough for two people to squeeze for a night.

Unexpectedly, the vehicle finally pulled into a beautiful detached house with a garden.

The only poor person was actually herself. Ji Youyi was curious: “Is this rented or?”

“This.” Fang Ruohan had thought of an excuse long ago and took the opportunity to advertise, “This is our company dormitory; employees stay for free. How about it? Isn’t the benefit great? Interested? Want to sign?”

“Not bad, not bad. Wealthy and powerful.” Ji Youyi was full of praise.

She had checked the encyclopedia; Fang Ruohan’s company, Lingxing Film and Television, was a well-known company in the industry, focusing on investing, producing, and distributing film and television projects.

Since the big boss Lin Shan also served as the senior vice president of the video platform Filmily, the company had many resources and projects were backed up, making it a “film and television giant” envied by everyone in the circle.

Among Lingxing’s signed artists, there were many famous A-listers, the most well-known of which was undoubtedly Meng Xingzhu. Not only was Film Queen Meng the company’s cash cow and cornerstone, she was also a veteran of the company, so her say must not be low.

Therefore, this time she not only owed Fang Ruohan a favor, but also owed Lin Shan and Meng Xingzhu.

She sent thank-you texts to both of them before moving into her room.

The villa’s decoration was modern minimalist style, equipped with a full set of smart home and constant temperature systems.

The natural solid wood flooring and furniture looked expensive at a glance. Ji Youyi walked carefully, for fear of bumping or knocking into them—it didn’t matter if she was injured, but if the furniture was injured, that would be a big problem.

Her room was on the second floor. When the door opened, what met her eyes was a wide floor-to-ceiling window. Ji Youyi walked to the window and found a whole field of irises below.

April is the blooming season. From light blue to deep purple, interspersed with yellow, pink, and red, irises of various colors were in full bloom.

The garden lights quietly illuminated the sea of flowers. The wide hanging petals were like butterflies ready to fly, perched gracefully on the branches, dignified and beautiful.

She sat cross-legged in front of the window admiring the flowers and opened the storage box Fang Ruohan had stuffed into her hands before she went upstairs.

The box was a bit heavy, with clean clothes neatly folded inside. Ji Youyi did a rough count; there were several outfits from the inside out.

She took the top set and shook it out to look.

A comfortable casual style, soft cotton fabric, refreshing sky blue color. It was far from Fang Ruohan’s own daily dressing style, but very suitable for her.

The clothes looked very new. Could it be that Fang Ruohan bought them because she wanted to wear them, but suffered from various reasons and couldn’t wear them out?

Ji Youyi searched the clothes over and over but couldn’t find a logo, nor could she figure out the price.

She could only plan to buy some high-priced things as a return gift for Fang Ruohan once she had paid off most of her debts and had some savings—of course, the price couldn’t be too high. For example, the coat Meng Xingzhu gave her earlier clearly didn’t look like something she could afford to pay back.

For this situation, she would generally choose to express her deep gratitude with more precious emotional value—well, that is, flattery and labor.

Forget about money, that’s too vulgar.

Ji Youyi took the change of clothes into the bathroom. As soon as she opened the door, her eyes were drawn to the vase on the counter.

The vase was exquisite, filled with irises of various colors, which seemed to have been freshly cut not long ago.

The person who arranged the flowers had excellent aesthetics; from color matching to pruning, it perfectly suited her preferences.

Ji Youyi admired it for a while longer, chose two angles to take photos, and posted on her Friend Circle: “[Image][Image] Looks good!”

Just after posting, a new private message from Li Zhulan came in.

She thought it would be some praise, but she opened it to find only seven words: “Are you at Teacher Meng’s house?”

Ji Youyi: “No”

Li Zhulan: “TuT Oh”

Li Zhulan was a bit disappointed, but quickly became excited again.

Old fans all know that the only flower Meng Xingzhu likes is the iris, planting them wherever she goes.

Teacher Meng likes irises, and Little Ji also likes irises. What does this mean? It means they’re a perfect match!

Ah ah ah ah Mommy, Mommy, she’s born again, and again, and again!

The day after the wrap, Li Zhulan went back to her hometown, W City, and threw herself into her CP fanfiction creation with passion.

Already coding, she was even more full of inspiration at this time, only hating that her keyboard speed couldn’t keep up with her brain speed.

Ji Youyi knew nothing about Li Zhulan’s first-class association ability. She was exhausted today and had to continue with post-production tomorrow. After a quick wash, she lay down on the bed.

In the log box at the head of the bed, sleep-aiding essential oils were neatly arranged. She caught a glimpse and suddenly regained some spirit, lying at the head of the bed and patiently smelling the essential oils one by one.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t find the fragrance Meng Xingzhu used, so she had to randomly pick lavender and marjoram to make do.

In the quiet room, the warm sweetness with a faint pine scent slowly spread, soothing her tired body.

Ji Youyi lay on her side, hugging the quilt, and fell into a deep sleep.

Separated by a wall, in the master bedroom’s study, Meng Xingzhu sat leaning on the sofa, with a Bluetooth earphone in her left ear.

She listened absentmindedly to the voice on the phone, her gaze landing on the phone screen.

On the Friend Circle interface, her thumb hesitated for a few seconds to find the entire collection function, so she pressed the screenshot key, cropped off the edges, and went to the album to tap collect.

“…Anyway, I’ve suppressed it for you for now.” Lin Shan said, and after half a day without a response, she had to ask, “Anyone there? Give me some indication.”

After saving the photo, Meng Xingzhu switched back to the Friend Circle interface, her reaction flat: “What indication.”

Lin Shan was speechless: “It’s about those photos of you being taken tonight. Some netizens have guessed it’s you. Look at how to handle it.”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever?”

“Don’t handle it; let them talk.”

“No, really let them talk? The trending searches are about to explode!”

Lin Shan was anxious. She suspected Meng Xingzhu didn’t realize the seriousness of the problem at all.

Meng Xingzhu was once an artist who made public relations very worry-free.

She spoke with a brain, had a healthy private life, didn’t date, didn’t like going out, spent most of her time at work, and her most frequent pastime was tending to her flower field and visiting the S City orphanage a few times a year.

She didn’t take romance dramas, let alone hyped CPs. She had a cold personality and a clear distance from everyone. She had zero scandals in the eleven years since her debut—which was why, even though there was no evidence at all, the Meng family could use her to create such a huge momentum just by starting rumors out of thin air.

The person with zero scandals had her first non-existent scandal at the beginning of the year, and Lin Shan believed that there was about to be a second one, the kind with real material.

In front of the Home Guesthouse in the evening, the police car caught the attention of the tenants upstairs. Many people put their heads out of the windows to watch the fun, and some busybodies took photos and posted them online.

The light at night was insufficient, so the vast majority of photos were blurry, but someone happened to take a god-tier picture.

The shooting angle of that second-floor tenant was excellent, just above the side of the photo’s protagonist. The device pixels were also high, and a filter was added after shooting.

Thus, the dim light instead became atmospheric lighting. The picture was hazy just right, making the gaze and hug between the two in front of the police car look full of attachment.

The tenant posted the two pictures with a romantic BGM on the most popular short video platform in the country, with the caption: “Probably the best hug of the year [heart]”

Once sent out, it directly hit the real-time hot list.

Initially, the comment section was full of people calling it sweet. But soon someone pointed out: “Best wishes to the couple. Both sisters are so beautiful and elegant ovo one of them even looks a bit like Meng Xingzhu.”

So someone immediately took a screenshot and enlarged it, attaching a comparison of the same angle: “This is Teacher Meng. And I see the poster’s IP is in D City. Hasn’t Teacher Meng been in D City lately? It matches.”

Someone questioned: “How many stars are filming in D City? Judging a case by the IP’s nature…? Only showing this much profile, to be able to tell who it is is also impressive, anyway, I’ve been a seven-year fan of Meng Xingzhu, and I can’t tell.”

“Then you’ve really failed as a seven-year fan. I’m a ten-year ‘Post-it’ [fan name], and I dare say, it’s her. This is her being photographed visiting Lingxing’s crew last week [Image]. The hair ends are almost identical to the photo (secretly, this hairstyle was permed by her for the Lingxing artists’ collective New Year greeting video, she doesn’t style her hair when she’s not on camera, which fits her shut-in persona quite well [manual smirk])”

“Even ten years, don’t make me laugh. Then do you think hugging someone in the street fits her persona? Has her brain snapped or has she been possessed by an alien? It’s already been reported to the police; do you think it’s a good thing? Must you claim it for your own?”

The comment section was arguing non-stop, and the flames spread to major platforms, quickly catching the attention of Lingxing’s public relations department.

Meng Xingzhu looked at the Friend Circle for a while, then clicked into the profile picture and read the new message she received tonight twice, her tone casual: “Send me the photos to see.”

“You, how can you not be anxious at all? It’s really ‘the emperor isn’t anxious, but the grand emperor is dying of anxiety.'” Lin Shan sighed and sent the picture and the original link.

Meng Xingzhu opened the photos in order.

The angle was indeed very good, coincidentally capturing the left side of Meng Xingzhu’s profile and Ji Youyi in front of her.

The first photo was taken when Ji Youyi had just put both hands into her pockets. In the photo, her body leaned forward, proactively getting close to her, her smiling eyes bright as stars.

Switching to the second photo, the bright smile was gone. She leaned submissively in her arms, her hands still in her pockets, but her body had softened, her head resting on her shoulder.

The two photos in succession were full of narrative. Like a farewell in a movie, or a reunion, in the frozen spring night, ambiguity flourished.

“Well taken.” Meng Xingzhu looked for a few seconds, saved the picture as usual, clicked collect, and opened the link.

“Whether it’s well taken or not isn’t important.” Lin Shan’s voice came faintly, “What’s important is that many people have already recognized you.”

Lin Shan said, “Did you forget who Little Ji is? Wan Tao is now putting all his effort into shifting the blame onto her. You stand by her side; I don’t care what Wan Tao thinks, but Changfeng and Wan Tao have a cooperation, and I’m just afraid Meng Yuting has ideas. Didn’t we agree to take it slow? Being caught by her, the unlucky one will be you.”

Meng Xingzhu didn’t care: “I still have some utility value; she won’t move against me.”

After watching the video, she wanted to click collect, but the prompt popped up telling her she must download the software and register.

She chose to bookmark the webpage, and then, opened the comment section.

Lin Shan was still nagging: “What if? Listen to me, really. Limit traffic, suppress popularity; you must not get involved in this. I know Little Ji hasn’t had it easy, and this thing happened tonight, but we’ll help her secretly; there’s no need to put it on the surface. You haven’t broken ties with the Meng family yet; if they mess with you and make you end up like you were six years ago…”

Meng Xingzhu didn’t listen to much of Lin Shan’s words; she was looking at the comment section.

There was a hot layer that first recognized Ji Youyi: “Uh uh uh oh my god, stop arguing about whether the profile is Meng Xingzhu, take a good look at this full face, can you really not recognize who it is?”

A whole row of agreement below: “Okay, I believe she isn’t Meng Xingzhu.”

“I said long ago it couldn’t be. Who doesn’t know Teacher Meng is a sister-loving maniac, she must hate her.”

“Maybe it’s some ‘Post-it,’ imitating Teacher Meng’s style, quite normal.”

“Did you eat poisonous mushrooms? What are you babbling about? A ‘Post-it’ would get involved with that woman???”

“Ah ah ah ah I imagined it, too much of a cult, I’m done [dead]”

Among the replies was also a high-upvote one, IP in D City: “Haha, an eyewitness is here! Let me tell you, it’s Ji Youyi, no mistake! See the background of the photo? That’s a police car because a kind-hearted passerby acted for heaven, saw this sl*t was unpleasant, and beat her up hahaha. It was right under my house, quite a scene~ so happy~~”

Below was another row of replies:

“Satisfying”

“Well done”

“Poster share the address, I’m ready to place an order for Didi-beat-up here!”

Meng Xingzhu reported with a cold face, and a prompt popped up requiring her to download the software and register.

While the software was downloading, she stared at the wall in silence for two seconds, suppressed the irritation in her heart, and spoke: “If you want to spend dozens of times the price to achieve the same effect, it’s not impossible, but why not use a cheap and efficient method.”

“What method could there be?” Lin Shan didn’t believe it, “Look at the mess on the internet.”

“Is there a repost of this video on Weibo? Send me one.”

Weibo was the only public account Meng Xingzhu used; even so, she didn’t use it many times a year.

Lin Shan was puzzled but still sent her one that, although not very popular, had the best atmosphere in the comment section.

Half a minute later, Lin Shan’s scream came from the earphone: “Why did you like it!! What are you doing! Didn’t we say we were going to suppress it!”

“I never said that.” Meng Xingzhu closed her phone and added, “Spend some more money to control the public opinion; remember to delete the personal attack remarks.”

Thinking of how Ji Youyi silently scrolled through her Weibo in the car that day, Meng Xingzhu’s eye color darkened, and she added, “Not just tonight’s, but every single one from the past, the extreme remarks that violate the community guidelines, delete them all.”

Lin Shan felt a heart block: “You call this, cheap…”

“The money will come from my personal account; you don’t need to feel bad.” Meng Xingzhu said flatly, “I’ll remind you where the focus is. If Filmily wants to buy her drama, then the better her reputation, the less likely it is to lose money. Calculate for yourself how many potential viewers will be lost by letting public opinion defame her. Tell the law firm to hurry up; send out the lawyer’s letter tonight. Also, I’ve drafted a few emails in your name; go take a look, and if there’s no problem, send them directly.”

“When did this happen? I checked the mailbox in the evening; how did I not notice? Ghostly, you’ve been so diligent lately. Didn’t you say you were unwell and didn’t plan to go get the Golden Xiezhi Award next week?”

Lin Shan muttered as she opened the draft box, looked through them one by one, and was startled, “You want to ban Zhou Wenchen??”

Meng Xingzhu’s voice was unwavering: “Not that capable. Just losing a few projects and endorsements; can that even be considered a ban?”

“…Having the crew return him, having luxury brands cut ties with him—how is that different from taking a loudspeaker and telling everyone ‘this person must not be used’?”

Lin Shan wasn’t unwilling to do it; she was just curious. At the beginning of the year, when Zhou Wenchen attached himself to Meng Xingzhu to spread scandals, she and Fang Ruohan were one more furious than the other, but this person involved had the coldest reaction, not even bothered to listen. Why start settling scores now?

And this settlement was too absolute!

Not allowed to film, no business either, Blue blood, Red blood, Five Majors, and Two Minors—not allowed to have a single one. Anyone in the circle with eyes can understand Meng Xingzhu’s attitude.

“Didn’t you not care before?” Lin Shan asked.

Meng Xingzhu gave a hum, her tone ambiguous: “I didn’t know who he was before.”

Lin Shan was puzzled: “Then how do you suddenly know now?”

“He’s too eyesore-inducing; I saw him.”

So, she didn’t want to see him anymore.