After Transmigrated as the Movie Star's Omega - Chapter 4

Jiang Shen also shook his head: “No can do.”

“Why?” the two asked in unison.

Jiang Shen extended his index finger and wagged it in front of them. “In this world, the two of you have already gone public with your relationship. You are now the nation’s favorite CP!”

He emphasized the words “Nation’s CP” heavily, then continued as their expressions shifted through a complex mix of distress, confusion, and disgust. “The Nation’s CP! The entire country is watching you. If you get a divorce now, do you want your popularity to fall off a cliff?”

The two looked bewildered. Did this mean that as two stars—one of whom was a top idol—going public and getting married hadn’t caused their popularity to drop, but actually made it soar? What kind of third-rate novel plot was this? It was too surreal!

As expected of fanfiction; it really dared to write anything.

“Furthermore, you two are currently tied very tightly together. Most of your upcoming work involves joint appearances. If you divorce, it would be a breach of contract, and the penalties would be astronomical,” Meng Lu added. “If you are truly dead set on a divorce, you’ll likely have zero income for the next ten years. Oh, and that’s calculated based on your current peak earnings. If your popularity tanks because of the divorce and your commercial value drops, you’ll probably be shackled by debt for the rest of your lives.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Xia Ran could no longer control his facial muscles. Getting a divorce was this difficult?

Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous! Going public didn’t lose fans, getting married didn’t lose fans, but getting a divorce would? This was enough to drive someone mad!

Shen Baibi couldn’t maintain his composure either. With a grave expression, he asked, “So I’m stuck with him for the rest of my life?”

Xia Ran was even more dissatisfied: “Hey, watch your phrasing! It’s not like I’m willing to be stuck with you either!”

Shen Baibi glanced at him and gave a cold smirk.

“You!” The easily provoked Xia Ran looked ready to slam the table and stand up.

Seeing they were about to fight again, Meng Lu shook her head and spoke up just in time: “That’s not quite the case.”

Xia Ran’s eyes immediately lit up as he stared at her, and Shen Baibi watched her intently as well.

Under their expectant gazes, Meng Lu uttered the words that saved them: “The longest duration of your current contracts is three years. After three years, once these contractual obligations are gone, you can get a divorce peacefully.”

“Three years?”

Hearing the timeframe, both men nearly lost their breath. They exchanged a look, both seeing nothing but mutual disdain.

Xia Ran was the first to protest: “I don’t want to be tied to him for a single second!”

Shen Baibi wouldn’t be outdone: “I wouldn’t want half a second.”

Xia Ran counterattacked instantly: “Right, right, half a second. You ‘half-second man’!”

Shen Baibi’s eyes flashed dangerously: “What did you say!”

Watching the two of them, Jiang Shen wore a meaningful smile: “Oh my, it seems something did happen between you two before we arrived…”

His gaze became suggestive, lingering between the two as if trying to find a clue.

Xia Ran immediately issued a triple denial: “I didn’t, I haven’t, don’t talk nonsense!”

Shen Baibi also denied it: “Nothing happened!”

Jiang Shen summarized their behavior with four simple words: “The lady protests too much.”

The two shouted in unison: “We are NOT protesting too much!”

Jiang Shen began to clap. “What great chemistry! Truly a rapport worthy of people who have ‘something’ going on!”

“NOTHING HAPPENED!”

Again, in unison.

Meng Lu reached her limit and barked: “Alright, that’s enough!”

The most senior person on the scene had spoken. All three shut up and listened.

Meng Lu’s gaze swept across the faces of Shen Baibi and Xia Ran. Her voice lowered. “To put it bluntly, this marriage is no longer just about the two of you. Pull one thread and the whole web shakes. Divorce isn’t something you can decide just by flapping your lips. Whether you want to or not, you have to maintain this!”

Seeing the resistance and rejection on their faces, she sighed softly. “I know you’re unwilling, but there’s no other way. This is the hand we’ve been dealt; we just have to grit our teeth and play it. No matter how deep your personal grievances are, at the very least, you must act loving in front of the cameras. Treat it as a job where the job description is ‘Playing a Loving Couple.’ Baibi, you’re a professional actor. Xia Ran, your acting is decent too. I believe this won’t be hard for you. Adjust your mindset and face the challenge, okay?”

The two looked at each other. Although the reluctance hadn’t faded from their eyes, they both eventually nodded.

Xia Ran ground his molars and made up his mind: “I guess there’s no choice.”

Shen Baibi ran a hand through his hair and sighed: “Fine.”

Meng Lu nodded with satisfaction. “Good. Since you’ve both agreed, let’s discuss the next step.”

“Next step?”

“In a few hours, your first joint job since arriving here will begin. I need to go over some precautions first so you don’t blow your cover.”

“Joint job?” Xia Ran nearly choked. They had work already, and it was a duo job? Was this a surprise or a horror story?

Shen Baibi’s emotions weren’t as visible, but he frowned and asked, “What is the job?”

Meng Lu looked them straight in the eye and said, syllable by syllable: “A duo magazine cover shoot!”

At the shoot, Xia Ran and Shen Baibi were surrounded by staff like stars orbiting a planet. They moved into various poses for the camera as directed by the photographer.

“Teacher Shen, hug Ran-ran from behind. Make the movement more tender, more intimate. Ran-ran, your expression needs to be sweeter. This is your most beloved person; you must look blissful—haha, of course, I don’t even need to tell you that, you must feel blissful already!”

The photographer teased them with a laugh, and the other staff members followed suit with quiet chuckles. Upon closer inspection, every one of them was wearing a “shipper” smile.

The entire atmosphere of the set turned rose-colored.

Hearing the request, Xia Ran and Shen Baibi looked at each other and simultaneously shuddered. Hugging this person and looking “sweet” was quite literally…

Asking for the impossible!

“Ahem.“

Meng Lu, standing by the sidelines, gave a light cough. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the two of them to hear.

They both knew that a gold-standard manager like her wouldn’t cough unless she was reminding them to mind the occasion, cooperate with the performance, and act like a sweet couple. In short, they couldn’t leave any openings for people to find out the truth.

Xia Ran whispered to Shen Baibi: “Just a hug, but you better watch it. No funny business, no wandering hands, or I swear I’ll flip!”

Shen Baibi smiled—an elegant, gentle smile—but his words were anything but: “You’re thinking too much. If it weren’t for work, I wouldn’t bother hugging you even if you threw yourself into my arms.”

Because they were afraid of others noticing anything wrong, even while they were bickering, they were smiling and whispering into each other’s ears. To the oblivious staff, it looked like they were sharing intimate secrets to decide on a pose. It looked incredibly affectionate.

“So sweet, so sweet! The ear-whispering is so sweet!”

“Ah, I’m dead, it’s really too sweet. They’re so happy, I’m so jealous!”

“Ran-ran is so cute, and Teacher Shen is so handsome. Baibi Wu-Xia is truly the best!”

“Ugh, I usually hate it when people show off their love, but Baibi Wu-Xia’s ‘dog food’ is so delicious, I can keep eating!”

“Me too!”

Amidst the pink atmosphere, the photographer’s voice sounded almost heartless: “Have you two finished discussing? We’re starting now.”

“Yes, we’re ready,” the two said, speaking in unison.

“Hahaha, such chemistry!” the photographer teased. “Is this what they call ‘the husband sings and the wife follows’?”

Both were doing their best to suppress the urge to roll their eyes, maintaining their flawless, sweet smiles.

After the teasing, the photographer announced: “Get into position.”

Xia Ran turned his head to Shen Baibi: “Then let’s—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Baibi had already wrapped his arms around him from behind.

Xia Ran’s body went rigid.

It was a contact he was completely unprepared for.

The clothes they were wearing for the shoot weren’t thick. The contact through the thin fabric couldn’t hide anything; Xia Ran could clearly feel Shen Baibi’s solid muscles and powerful arms. Even Shen Baibi’s chest was pressed tightly against his back.

His heart rate accelerated, and his breathing became a bit uneven.

Shen Baibi had prepared himself mentally, but the moment he hugged Xia Ran, it was still somewhat unexpected. This body held easily in his arms was so slender and fragile, it felt as if it would break with just a little force, instinctively making one feel a sense of pity and a desire to be gentle.

Shen Baibi took a deep breath, trying to suppress the stray thoughts in his mind. However, he didn’t just inhale air; he inhaled a milky scent.

The scent was faint, but enough for him to realize how sweet and fragrant it was.

Shen Baibi felt a surge of restlessness.

“Ran-ran, what kind of reaction is that? Why are you so stiff? Don’t be shy, this doesn’t look like you at all! Come on, loosen up, relax, okay?” The photographer noticed some details through the high-powered lens and offered a tip.

“Ah? Uh… right!” Xia Ran snapped back to his senses, nodded to the photographer with a smile, then turned back—smile still in place—to hiss at Shen Baibi through gritted teeth, “You’re holding me too tight, you bastard!”

Shen Baibi didn’t argue but cooperatively loosened his grip.

“Hey, hey, hey, Teacher Shen, don’t, don’t, don’t!” the photographer immediately shouted. “Don’t let go! How you had it just now was perfect! Quick, quick, quick, hug him back, hug him back!”

The photographer’s tone was frantic, as if blaming him for ruining such a beautiful moment. Left with no choice, Shen Baibi tightened his arms, pulling Xia Ran even closer.

That milky scent was still there; it seemed a bit stronger than before.

Shen Baibi exhaled. Due to their position, the hot breath sprayed directly onto the graceful curve of Xia Ran’s neck. The person in his arms shivered slightly.

Xia Ran gave his abdomen a light nudge, and a tiny voice came through: “It tickles, stop it!”

The intentionally lowered voice lacked its usual liveliness and arrogance, feeling soft instead. But it was a warning nonetheless—it felt like a kitten’s paw, scratching and scratching at his heart.

It was itchy.

Shen Baibi’s gaze instantly darkened.