What to Do if You’re Being Targeted by the Superstar? [Entertainment] - Chapter 2

Sheng Zhinuan jolted awake with a start, her mind not yet registering that she had been dreaming, and she only realized how vivid the fantasy had been when she felt the dull ache in her puckered lips.

So, it was just a dream, she thought.

Flushed with a wave of secondary embarrassment, Zhinuan wiped a stray bit of drool from the corner of her mouth and scrambled out of bed. She felt as though she had been placed under some sort of ancient spell; otherwise, there was no logical explanation for why she would have such a scandalous dream about a woman she had only encountered twice.

She opened her laptop and searched for The Chronicles of the Magnificent Mountains and Rivers, quickly scanning the cast list until she found the actress who played the sixth-tier supporting role of the female lead’s maid.

Yu Zi.

Her name was Yu Zi.

Zhinuan whispered the name to herself a few times, savoring the syllables. It had a lovely, melodic ring to it.

With a newfound sense of enthusiasm, Zhinuan began scouring the internet for any information on the girl and eventually stumbled upon an entertainment interview from two days prior. On the screen, Yu Zi’s face remained as stunning as ever, her gentle smile never wavering for a second.

“I’m Yu Zi, and I’m originally from a small county in Y-City,” the girl said to the camera. “I play the character Linglong in The Chronicles of the Magnificent Mountains and Rivers.”

Y-City was known for being one of the more impoverished regions in China, and Zhinuan deduced that Yu Zi likely came from a very modest background. As she contemplated this, she clicked on the detailed biography page.

Yu Zi was twenty-five years old. She had dropped out of high school and began working odd jobs until, at the age of twenty-one, she was scouted by a talent agent from Huayi, a premier entertainment firm simply because her beauty was so undeniable. This history confirmed Zhinuan’s suspicions; Huayi managed numerous A-list celebrities, which meant that a newcomer like Yu Zi, who possessed no influential connections or backing, surely faced a difficult and lonely path within the company.

To be twenty-five and only just securing a minor role in a drama like this spoke volumes of her struggles.

Zhinuan felt a pang of sympathy for her. After finishing the interview, she moved to social media to find Yu Zi’s personal account. The profile showed a mere 62,000 followers, a number so small that it made Zhinuan’s brows knit together in disapproval. The comment section was equally desolate, containing only a handful of sporadic messages.

Despite the lack of engagement, it was clear that Yu Zi curated her presence with great care. Her most recent post featured photos from the H-City TV event the day before, showing the girl in her white dress with a bright, hopeful expression in her selfies.

Zhinuan scrolled through every single post on the account, finding herself more charmed with every swipe. For the first time in years, she felt the unmistakable, frantic pulse of a burgeoning obsession.

Acting on a sudden impulse, she opened her email and pulled up the photos Xiao Qi had sent her from the recording session. The lighting seemed to have a particular affinity for Yu Zi, as every single shot was flawless.

One photo in particular stood out; the one where Yu Zi had looked directly into the lens. In that close-up, her beautiful eyes seemed to be locking onto the person standing behind the camera. Zhinuan’s heart skipped a beat, and the more she stared at it, the more captivated she became.

What if… I started a fansite for her? The idea bloomed in her mind and immediately took root. In fan culture, a “Fansite Sister” was someone who stayed on the front lines to photograph their idol and managed social media accounts to promote them. Zhinuan realized she was perfectly suited for the role.

Her professional life gave her a natural advantage; not only could she gain access to exclusive events, but she was already an expert at photography, photo editing, and copywriting.

Fueled by her excitement, she left a comment on Yu Zi’s post: Your performance as Linglong was wonderful! I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work.

After hitting send, she caught sight of her current username: Honest People Don’t Fart in the Dark… “How humiliating,” she muttered, facepalming. She had originally registered the account years ago just to lurk and read industry gossip, and she had never actually posted anything herself. Fortunately, she still had a chance to change her handle. After a moment of thought, she renamed the account: YZ Daydream. YZ stood for Yu Zi.

“Daydream” was a quiet nod to that morning’s vivid fantasy.

In the bio section, she typed out: About YZ — The Official Yu Zi Fansite. She updated her profile picture and background with the shots she had taken the day before, then followed Yu Zi’s official account and joined her dedicated discussion topics. She took a deep breath and posted her very first update.

[@YZ Daydream: The Yu Zi Fansite is officially open. To all of Yu Zi’s fans, our journey begins today. This site will provide regular updates of her stunning live photos and creative edits, as well as positive promotions and in-depth articles. Stay tuned for fan interactions and giveaways! Today, we present photos from Yu Zi’s appearance at the H-City Television Station: “One look, and ten thousand years have passed.” #PhotoGallery]

Zhinuan had given the images a light edit, only to realize that working on Yu Zi’s face was the easiest task in the world. The girl’s skin was so perfect that there was almost nothing to retouch; a simple color grade was all it took before the photos were ready for the world.

After agonizing over the selection for quite some time, she picked nine photos to form a perfect grid. However, out of a sudden sense of possessive selfishness, she couldn’t bring herself to share the specific photo where Yu Zi was looking directly at the camera. That one, she kept for herself.

Just as she finished her task, a gentle knock sounded at her door. Her mother, Zhou Qing, spoke in her characteristically soft voice. “Nuannuan, sweetheart, breakfast is ready. Once you’ve eaten, your father will drive you to work.”

Zhinuan finally changed out of her pajamas and headed downstairs, where the family’s cook had already spread a lavish breakfast across the table, offering a feast of both Chinese and Western delicacies.

Her grandmother, who had been peering through her reading glasses at a book, immediately set it aside with a beaming smile the moment she saw Zhinuan come downstairs. She quickly ladled out a bowl of bird’s nest soup for her granddaughter.

“Nuannuan, come here, sweetheart. Come sit by Grandma.”

No sooner had Zhinuan sat down than her grandparents began their coordinated pampering; one placed a glass of milk before her while the other swept a breakfast bun onto her plate. Although the twenty-four-year-old Zhinuan had only been away on a business trip for a single day, the Sheng family treated her as if she had endured months of hardship in the wilderness, insistently piling food onto her plate.

As they ate, Grandpa Sheng happened to mention that the granddaughter of the Liu family next door had recently started dating.

“You know, since that young lady fell in love, she dresses up beautifully every single day. She looks so much more spirited,” Grandpa Sheng remarked, turning his gaze toward Zhinuan.

Zhinuan was currently dressed in a modest shirt and a long skirt, the very picture of professional decorum.

“Nuannuan’s job is the problem; it restricts my granddaughter from dressing up properly,” Grandpa Sheng noted with a touch of regret. “If it weren’t for that, our Nuannuan would certainly be in a relationship by now.”

At the mention of romance, Zhou Qing’s interest was instantly piqued. “Nuannuan truly is at the age for it. Would you like Mother to introduce someone to you?”

Zhinuan was so startled by the suggestion that she nearly choked on her breakfast, hastily taking a large gulp of milk to clear her throat.

“No, thank you. I have my own plans, Mother, so please don’t worry about it,” Zhinuan said as she stood up from the table. “I’ll head to the station on my own today. Dad, there’s no need to drive me.”

Sheng Weian had always been quite proud of his daughter’s independence. “Nuannuan is in the prime of her career right now. There is no harm in waiting a little longer for romance; you have my full support.”

Zhinuan gave her father a quick, grateful hug. “I appreciate the understanding, Comrade Sheng. I promise to work hard and ensure I don’t embarrass you.”

*****

Once at the station, Zhinuan clocked in and had barely settled into her cubicle when Xiao Qi wandered over.

“Nuannuan, there’s a film crew doing a roadshow at the cinema next door. Do you want to go check it out?”

Zhinuan was currently preoccupied with the post she had uploaded to Yu Zi’s topic page that morning. Although Yu Zi’s fan base was minuscule, the photos were so strikingly beautiful that they had already begun to attract a small crowd of curious onlookers.

“Is this your first day on the job? I’m busy,” Zhinuan replied with a dismissive wave.

There was an IMAX GT theater located near the national headquarters, and many production teams chose it as a venue for their promotional tours. When Zhinuan first started working, she had attended several of them, but the novelty had long since worn off.

Xiao Qi let out a disappointed “Ah.” “I saw how enthusiastically you were photographing that young actress yesterday; I really thought you liked her.”

Zhinuan snapped her head up. “Is it the cast of The Chronicles of the Magnificent Mountains and Rivers?”

“That’s the one,” Xiao Qi confirmed.

“I’m going!”

Since her morning workload was light, Zhinuan gave her supervisor a quick heads-up and eagerly slipped away to the theater next door.

The venue was already a hive of activity with staff setting up the stage. While police tape cordoned off the exterior, a significant number of fans were already gathered in anticipation. Zhinuan, however, was wearing her official headquarters press badge and carrying a professional camera, allowing her to walk through the entrance with her head held high.

“Sister Xixi, which members of the cast are here today?” Zhinuan asked, spotting a familiar face and leaning in to gather some intelligence.

“All the leads are here,” Xixi replied with a grin. “What’s gotten into you? Are you here to play fan-girl?”

Zhinuan didn’t offer a verbal answer, though the way she gripped her camera spoke volumes.

Xixi laughed softly. “I suppose you young girls all enjoy this sort of thing. They’re over there,” she said, pointing toward a specific area.

Zhinuan flashed a grateful smile and hurried off with a light step. She told herself that if she didn’t see Yu Zi today, she would simply head back to work.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she looked up and saw Yu Zi entering through the doors.

Today, Yu Zi wore a water-blue camisole dress. The V-neckline elegantly showcased her porcelain-white neck and collarbones, and as Zhinuan’s gaze drifted further down…

She caught herself and quickly jerked her eyes back up to Yu Zi’s face, not daring to look any further.

Yu Zi noticed Zhinuan as well. Seeing the press badge around Zhinuan’s neck, she offered a polite, graceful smile.

Zhinuan’s inner voice was screaming. Oh my god, she smiled at me!

As Yu Zi brushed past her, Zhinuan realized that the actress, who was wearing thin stilettos, stood half a head taller than her. In that fleeting moment of proximity, Zhinuan caught a trace of the girl’s perfume.

It was exactly the same scent from her dream the night before: a unique, cool fragrance that seemed to linger in the air.

The interview session began shortly after. Yu Zi was once again relegated to the very edge of the seating arrangement. Zhinuan found a spot in the press section directly opposite the girl and sat cross-legged on the floor, where she could clearly observe every subtle movement Yu Zi made.

The host made a full round of questions before finally addressing Yu Zi. “Now, we know Yu Zi is a newcomer and that this is your first major project. Did anything interesting happen on set?”

As the “newbie” began to speak, the previously attentive crowd seemed to lose interest. Han Li’s manager crouched down to hand his client a bottle of water, and even the host began to idly flip through the script.

Yu Zi appeared to be entirely accustomed to being sidelined. She maintained a gentle smile and took the microphone. “During filming, Mr. Song’s cat was often on set. I really enjoyed interacting with it; it was quite a charming experience.”

It was a safe, deflected answer, and as Zhinuan looked around the room, she saw that almost no one was truly listening. Once she finished, Yu Zi bowed slightly and returned the microphone to the staff, her polite smile never wavering.

The event moved into the fan interaction phase. Among the two hundred fans in attendance, nearly everyone was waving banners for the two main leads; Zhinuan couldn’t see a single one for Yu Zi.

Setting her camera down, Zhinuan watched the girl from just a few feet away, feeling a sudden pang of sadness at the actress’s situation. By the time the event concluded, Yu Zi had spoken for less than ten minutes in total.

Zhinuan had always known that the entertainment industry was a place where people “climbed high and stepped low,” but seeing the person she admired being treated with such cold indifference felt remarkably painful.

Later, standing on the glass walkway, she watched the cast depart. When the leads, Song Yixiao and Li Annian, appeared, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of screams. Despite the security team maintaining a safe distance, fans still scrambled to hand over flowers and gifts.

Yu Zi followed behind them, accompanied only by a small girl in a hoodie who appeared to be her sole assistant.

Without the protection of security guards, the two women were jostled and pushed by the surging crowd. They looked small and vulnerable as they struggled to make their way to their car.

Zhinuan’s heart ached as she watched the scene, but she silently sent a surge of encouragement toward the girl.

Keep going, she thought. You can do this, little actress.

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