The Whole World Wants Them to Get a Divorce - Chapter 20

Lu Xi had never been close to anyone since she was a child, let alone having such intimate physical contact.

The woman was like a soft snake, twisting and turning on her. Their bare skin inevitably rubbed against each other. This made Lu Xi feel a deep sense of repulsion and a reflexive desire to push her away. But when she heard her say that she had been terribly bullied, she paused, and her raised hand stopped in mid-air.

Her hesitation lasted for only a second, but it gave the person in her arms an opportunity to take advantage of her.

Si Yu’s legs were tightly wrapped around her waist like ropes. In this position, she was half a head taller than Lu Xi. She held Lu Xi’s face in her hands, looked down at her, and pouted. “And a kiss.”

“…” A nerve in Lu Xi’s face throbbed. She resisted the urge to throw her off and tried to be patient. “Get down first. You’re heavy!”

“I only weigh 90 pounds. What are you talking about?”

There were two things a woman couldn’t stand: first, being told she was old, and second, being told she was heavy.

Si Yu squeezed Lu Xi’s face with her hands and spoke quickly. “Why are you acting like the victim and being so ungrateful? That day, you had a fever and made me fall. You crushed me and almost flattened my 34C chest into a 34B. Did I say anything?!”

She finished speaking in one breath, her mouth like a machine gun. Lu Xi only caught the two measurements. She subconsciously looked down.

The tank top of the nightgown was a thin layer of fabric. It was white, and the semi-transparent fabric vaguely showed the contours of her chest. It was full and round. It bounced like two little bunnies as she moved.

It was clearly a B. What nonsense was she talking about?

Si Yu noticed her gaze and deliberately puffed out her chest.

It just… made it more obvious.

Lu Xi couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Si Yu’s waist with both hands to get her down.

“Oh, you two…” Aunt Zhao had finished making breakfast and was waiting for them. She heard a faint argument upstairs. Worried that something was wrong, she rushed up to check. She was surprised to see them hugging at the bedroom door.

The two of them looked at her when they heard her voice.

When she saw it was Aunt Zhao, Si Yu was stunned. She quickly jumped off Lu Xi. She gave a dry laugh. “Morning, Auntie.”

Aunt Zhao, as an experienced person, was not fazed by this kind of thing. She didn’t think they were arguing. Their posture was so intimate. She thought their relationship had improved and said with relief, “It’s fine. You two continue. Go back to your room.”

After saying that, Aunt Zhao wisely left them to foster their relationship.

Continue what?

The act was interrupted halfway through. Si Yu couldn’t find her footing again. She looked up at Lu Xi and saw that her neat clothes were wrinkled. Her normally calm face had a strange expression, and her phoenix-like eyes were staring straight at her chest.

Si Yu followed her gaze and looked down. She found that one of her shoulder straps was twisted, and her chest was almost exposed.

She almost had a wardrobe malfunction!

Si Yu frantically fixed her shoulder strap and covered her chest with both hands. When she met Lu Xi’s eyes, she suddenly felt embarrassed.

She was so angry about the groundless rumors that when she saw Lu Xi at her door, her inner actress took over. She just wanted to act a little pitiful, but it had turned into something else.

Would Lu Xi think she was being flirtatious so early in the morning?

Si Yu wasn’t that wild. She was flustered by Lu Xi’s gaze and unnaturally twisted her neck. “I…”

The phone she had left in her room started ringing.

Si Yu felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly said, “I have to take this call,” and fled into her room.

It was Zhu Qi calling.

Zhu Qi woke up and saw all the rumors about Si Yu. She immediately called her and told her, “Don’t respond yet. Come to the company later, and we’ll discuss it together.”

“Got it.”

Si Yu turned to look at the open door. Lu Xi was no longer there.

She let out a long breath, put down her phone, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

When she went downstairs, Si Yu had already forgotten her embarrassment. She naturally pulled out the chair across from Lu Xi and sat down.

Lu Xi acted as if she didn’t see her. She elegantly ate the dumplings Aunt Zhao had made. After she finished, she wiped her hands and mouth with a wet wipe. She looked up at her. “What were you going to say just now?”

Si Yu’s cheeks were puffed up from the dumplings. She said in a muffled voice, “You’ve never used Weibo, have you?”

A long time ago, Chen Yan helped her register a Weibo account. Lu Xi had never logged in. She said lightly, “I’m very busy.”

She didn’t have time to use Weibo.

Si Yu took a sip of soup and said unhurriedly, “Last night, the official Weibo account of Your Smile announced the start of filming. A lot of people were praising how good I look. But when I woke up, people were already trying to smear me. They said I used connections to get into Guangying, that I’m just a pretty face with no acting skills, and that the role of Chen Shuang was originally for GQ.Q and that I stole her role.”

Lu Xi knew that Your Smile was about to start filming, but she never paid attention to gossip.

It was a little unreasonable that an actress was being smeared before the filming even started, and it was a rookie like Si Yu.

Lu Xi frowned slightly. “Did you offend someone?” she asked.

“You,” Si Yu said casually.

Lu Xi’s lips curved into a smile. She looked at her with a smirk. “Are you saying I would try to smear you?”

Of course not.

Si Yu had offended quite a few people: Lu Wei, Lin Shuang, Liang Yufei, and now this GQ.Q?

She didn’t want to tell Lu Xi about all this messy stuff.

Si Yu looked at the person across from her with a pitiful expression. “Will you protect me?” she asked.

The word “protect” was too intimate. It shouldn’t be used between them. Lu Xi looked away from her pure eyes. “If something like this happens, your agent will contact you,” she said lightly.

Si Yu didn’t mention that Zhu Qi had already called her. In fact, she didn’t plan on asking Lu Xi for help with this small matter. She just felt a little down when she saw how apathetic she was. “Oh.”

Her soft, long hair fell on her face, making her face look even smaller. Her bright eyes had lost their light. Her head was lowered, and her voice was a little low, with a hint of disappointment.

Lu Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She softened her tone. “The company’s PR team is very capable. There’s nothing they can’t handle.”

“Oh.”

“…”

As soon as Lu Xi left, Si Yu followed her to the company.

When she saw Zhu Qi, Si Yu got straight to the point. “Who is GQ.Q? You gave me the script. Why are people saying that I stole her role?”

Fans liked to use acronyms. Si Yu didn’t know much about the entertainment industry in this world. In the novel, the author didn’t mention a character named GQ.Q. She thought about it for a long time but couldn’t figure out who it was. She was too lazy to look for the answer in those toxic comments.

“It’s Guan Qiaoqiao,” Zhu Qi said. “We couldn’t find a suitable actress for the female supporting role for a while. Then Director Qian Lei found Guan Qiaoqiao and thought she was a good fit. He had already agreed to the terms with her. But before the contract was signed, Assistant Chen suddenly told me that you would be playing the role.”

“Did they not sign a contract with Guan Qiaoqiao before you gave me the script?”

“No.”

Si Yu’s voice rose. “If she didn’t sign a contract, how did I steal her role?!”

“…You’re a public figure now. You need to be careful with what you say and do.” Zhu Qi briefly scolded her for her inappropriate language. Then she changed the subject. “There’s no such thing as you stealing Guan Qiaoqiao’s role. I’ve already contacted Guan Qiaoqiao’s agent, and they said they would cooperate with us to clarify the rumor.”

“As for whether you used your connections to get into Guangying or whether you’re a talentless pretty face, we won’t address that for now. Once the show airs, the rumors will be disproved.”

Si Yu thought the same thing.

Half an hour later, Zhu Qi and Guan Qiaoqiao’s agent had prepared a draft of a public statement. Afterward, Guan Qiaoqiao posted it on Weibo.

Guan Qiaoqiao V: Regarding the role of Chen Shuang in Your Smile, Director Qian did contact me half a month ago. However, the filming schedule clashed with my work schedule, so I regrettably had to decline. The post I made before was just about my regret for missing out on a good script. I didn’t expect it to cause such a huge misunderstanding. I’m very sorry. The cast and crew decide who is suitable for a role. There’s no such thing as someone stealing a role from someone else. I hope everyone doesn’t get misled by the rumors. My new drama, Burning Love, will air next Monday on Orange TV. I hope you’ll all support it. I love you all (づ￣ 3￣)づ

As soon as the clarifying post came out, public opinion changed again.

So Qiaoqiao rejected the role, and SY didn’t steal it?

Did the director really want Qiaoqiao to play Chen Shuang? I love you and would have loved to see you as Chen Shuang.

Sigh, I thought I was going to get some major tea. Turns out it was just a misunderstanding.

Even if she didn’t steal the role, they still shouldn’t have let SY play it. My heart is in so much pain thinking about my Sister Shuang being ruined. What was the director thinking? If Qiaoqiao wasn’t available, they could have at least found a skilled actress!

Exactly. Instead of a talented actress, they got a rookie who has never acted before. It looks like the rumors about SY using her connections to get into Guangying are true.

She got into Guangying and is playing a female supporting role in her first drama. What kind of powerful backer does SY have?

I don’t want SY to play Chen Shuang. I beg you to change the actress.

I’m so mad. If they don’t change her, I’m not watching.

If they don’t change her, I’m not watching +1

The show hasn’t even started filming, and you all already think SY is a bad actress. I, for one, love her look. She is the Chen Shuang in my heart.

Okay, everyone, stop arguing. Let’s focus on our Qiaoqiao’s new show, Burning Love.

…

Netizens were still fixated on the “using connections” and “no acting skills” accusations against Si Yu. They were demanding an explanation from Guangying and for them to change the actress.

Guangying didn’t make any comment.

According to Zhu Qi, the more people argued now, the more exciting the comeback would be later.

Before the filming even started, Si Yu was getting a lot of attention because of these baseless rumors. Her popularity even surpassed the male and female leads. But most of the attention was negative, with people criticizing and questioning her. There was a small group of people who were her fans because of her looks.

Zhu Qi knew she was a rookie and was worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure from public opinion. She comforted her. “Don’t go on Weibo for a while. Don’t respond to anything online. Just focus on preparing for the script.”

Before she transmigrated, Si Yu had been in the entertainment industry for almost ten years. Even though she wasn’t famous, she had been through a lot.

She said with an easygoing attitude, “Don’t worry, Sister Qi. I know what to do. But I do have a question. Not many people should know about Director Qian approaching Guan Qiaoqiao, right? Is it possible that Guan Qiaoqiao is the one behind the ‘stealing the role’ incident?”

“It’s hard to say how many people knew, but it’s probably not Guan Qiaoqiao. It’s not good for her to cause a commotion.”

“What if she’s trying to make a name for herself?” Si Yu said. “Even though the contract wasn’t signed, my getting the role that was supposed to be hers must have made her angry. The Weibo post she made about a done deal falling through shows that she was not happy. Is it possible that she deliberately spread the rumor that I stole her role, and then clarified it once it got big? That way, she would get a lot of attention.”

Zhu Qi hadn’t thought that far. She pondered for a moment. “I still think it’s impossible. Her agent and I are very close. From what I know about Qiaoqiao, she has a very easygoing personality and wouldn’t do something so underhanded.”

Si Yu didn’t know Guan Qiaoqiao, so she reserved her judgment.

She wanted to find the person who started the rumors but had no idea how.

The Weibo post from the user “GuZeyanIsMyHusband” that caused the public outrage was vague. The comments hinting that Si Yu stole Guan Qiaoqiao’s role were also unclear. She couldn’t even report it to Weibo to get the user’s information.

The person behind the scenes was very careful and was clearly prepared.

Who could it be? Si Yu was dying to know.

At the Lu family home…

Lu Wei was scrolling through Weibo when she saw the news that Si Yu had stolen the female supporting role from Guan Qiaoqiao. She was so disgusted. She sent a voice message to Liang Yufei on WeChat. “I’ve never stolen a role, and she dares to steal a role in her first drama! No way. I’m going to log in to my dummy account and scold this shameless woman.”

Liang Yufei was eating her tasteless diet breakfast. After listening to the voice message, she showed a smug smile. She pressed the talk button. “Exactly. Stealing roles is the most disgusting thing. First, she pushed me into the water, and now she’s stealing someone else’s role. Ugh, how could your sister marry such a malicious and terrible woman? What a shame for Ms. Lu.”

Lu Wei was logging into her dummy Weibo account and replied, “Last time, my sister didn’t believe that she did it on purpose. But this time, with her stealing a role, my sister should be able to see her true colors. I’ll share that Weibo post with my sister later.”

Before she could share it, she saw the clarifying post from Guan Qiaoqiao on her homepage. Lu Wei immediately took a screenshot and sent it to Liang Yufei. “What the heck? Guan Qiaoqiao rejected the role because of a scheduling conflict.”

Liang Yufei’s smile froze when she saw the clarifying post. She didn’t want to eat her diet meal anymore.

How could Guan Qiaoqiao have rejected the role?

On the day of the photoshoot, she heard Director Qian Lei and his assistant talking. It wasn’t like that at all!

From what Qian Lei said, Liang Yufei clearly heard that he preferred Guan Qiaoqiao and was unhappy that Guangying had given the female supporting role to Si Yu. She thought Si Yu had stolen Guan Qiaoqiao’s role, so she found a marketing account to spread rumors online. But in less than half a day, it was clarified as a misunderstanding?

Liang Yufei didn’t believe it was a misunderstanding. She believed that Si Yu had abused her power and put pressure on Guan Qiaoqiao, forcing her to come out and clarify the situation.

It was just so hateful!

She had finally found a weakness to exploit and wanted to use public opinion to crush Si Yu. But she didn’t expect the reversal to come so quickly.

But it doesn’t matter. The accusations of using connections and having no acting skills were a done deal. When the show starts filming, Si Yu will be buried in criticism.

With that thought, Liang Yufei’s mood improved. She happily ate her diet meal.

…

This public outrage was a wake-up call for Si Yu.

Before she left Guangying, Si Yu asked Zhu Qi for a private investigator’s contact information.

Zhu Qi asked her what she was going to use it for. Si Yu said mysteriously, “You’ll know later.”

Zhu Qi didn’t ask any more questions. She only reminded her to be more careful in the future.

“Oh, right, Sister Qi, can you help me find a dance teacher?”

The female supporting character, Chen Shuang, was a street dance master. She had three dance scenes in Your Smile. Si Yu had some dance experience, but she had only learned classical dance and knew nothing about street dance.

Guangying provided comprehensive training for its artists. They had actors and singers under contract.

This year, the company had signed a group of trainees. They were going to make guest appearances as students in Your Smile. A few of them were partners for the female supporting character’s dance scenes. Zhu Qi arranged for Si Yu to practice with them.

These trainees had signed with the company before Si Yu, but they were all younger than her. They called her “sister” affectionately.

Si Yu had an easygoing personality and quickly bonded with them.

When Lu Xi and Chen Yan came to the practice room, they saw more than a dozen young, handsome men surrounding Si Yu. Someone was hugging her waist, someone was hugging her legs, and someone was holding her hand. Si Yu was smiling very happily.

Through the glass, Lu Xi couldn’t hear what they were saying. She looked at Si Yu, who was surrounded by handsome men, and her brows furrowed slightly. “What is she doing here?” she asked.

Training trainees had been a priority for Guangying for the past two years. She heard that this year’s batch of trainees was very good, so Lu Xi came down to check on them. She was surprised to see Si Yu among them.

She was the only woman among many men. The atmosphere was harmonious and loving. Anyone who didn’t know would have thought Si Yu was one of them.

Chen Yan’s mind was racing. “These trainees are guest stars in Your Smile. Si Yu is probably here to learn how to dance with them.”

Lu Xi had read the script before. She remembered that the female supporting character, Chen Shuang, had dance scenes.

But did it take so many people to teach her how to dance?

Si Yu performed a backbend. Her dance outfit was a little short, and it exposed a small, fair, and slender part of her waist.

The young men next to her applauded and cheered loudly. The sound was so loud that it could be heard from outside.

Lu Xi stared at her slender waist, and her frown deepened.

A few of the men were worried that Si Yu would fall. They all eagerly helped her up.

Lu Xi was staring intently. “Does the company not have any female dance teachers?” she asked.

Chen Yan thought for a moment. “We usually hire teachers from outside. I think there are female teachers. Ms. Lu, why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Lu Xi pursed her lips and stared at the dance studio, lost in thought.

Chen Yan turned her head to look. She saw Si Yu laughing and playing with the young men. She then looked at the tense side of Lu Xi’s face. It was as if she suddenly understood something. “Ms. Lu, are you saying you want a female teacher to teach Si Yu how to dance?” she asked.

Lu Xi seemed to not hear her. She looked away. “Let’s go,” she said, without answering her question.

Chen Yan didn’t dare to say anything else.

Inside the dance studio, the laughter and playing continued.

One of the trainees pointed to the two figures walking away outside the glass door. “Look, aren’t those Ms. Lu and Assistant Chen?” he asked.

“Ms. Lu who?”

“Which Ms. Lu?”

“Our beautiful CEO?”

Everyone looked over at the same time.

The two figures were one tall and one short, one in black and one in white. The person in the white shirt had a tall and slender back. Her conservative business suit looked elegant on her. She was so beautiful from behind that people couldn’t look away.

The young men were still guessing if it was Lu Xi. Si Yu recognized her at a glance. She was suspicious. What was Lu Xi doing at the dance studio?

At that moment, a trainee who had just come back from the bathroom rushed in. “I saw Ms. Lu! I think she came to watch us practice. Did she say anything to you all? Did I miss something?”

“Ms. Lu came to watch us practice? Is that for real?!”

The person said, “I saw her standing outside, looking in. But she was gone by the time I ran over. I wanted to greet her, but when I saw her face, I just… I couldn’t say anything. Ms. Lu is so beautiful! It’s a shame she’s not a celebrity.”

Everyone loves beauty. And the person was the CEO of Guangying, their boss. The young men were so excited. Some of them screamed, and some of them groaned.

“Oh no, did Ms. Lu see me pick my nose?”

“I was picking my foot. She must have seen it.”

“If I had known Ms. Lu was coming, I would have shown off my eight-pack abs.”

“You want to seduce her? Stop dreaming. There’s no way Ms. Lu would like a scrawny chicken like you.”

The others burst into laughter.

Si Yu was also thinking about what she had just done. I didn’t do anything, right?

The trainees were very hardworking. Si Yu practiced with them for a whole day. Her back and waist were sore.

Around 5 p.m., she received a call from the old woman, who told her to come back to the Lu family home for dinner.

When she heard that she was at the company, the old woman said, “Then tell Xi Xi to not work overtime tonight. Come back with her.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Si Yu remembered that Lu Xi had blocked her. She couldn’t call her or send her a message on WeChat. She had no choice but to go to the top floor to find her.

The top floor was the CEO’s office. Si Yu was stopped as soon as she got out of the elevator.

It was an unfortunate coincidence that the person who stopped her was Liu Meimei, the person she had messed with before.

Maybe the loss of more than ten thousand yuan that night was too much of a blow. Liu Meimei looked very dejected. She forced a smile and said, “This is the CEO’s office. May I ask what you need?”

Si Yu smiled back. “I’m here to see Ms. Lu.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

“Then you can’t. Ms. Lu is very busy and doesn’t have an appointment with anyone…”

“Si Yu?” Liu Meimei’s words were interrupted. Chen Yan walked over directly. She looked at Si Yu. “You’re here to see Ms. Lu?” she asked.

She’s truly the CEO’s assistant. What a sharp eye.

Si Yu nodded.

Chen Yan wasn’t sure about Lu Xi and Si Yu’s relationship, but she instinctively felt that it was special. “Just a moment,” she said.

Si Yu smiled. “Okay.”

Chen Yan turned to announce her.

Liu Meimei looked at her in shock. “Your name is Si Yu?”

“You heard wrong. My name is Si Ji (driver),” Si Yu said seriously, making up a name.

Liu Meimei: “…”

Chen Yan came back shortly. She said politely to Si Yu, “Ms. Lu will see you now.”

Si Yu: “Thank you.”

Before she knocked on the door, Chen Yan specifically told her, “Ms. Lu seems a little upset. Be careful with what you say later.”

Si Yu was confused. “Is it because of work stress?” she asked.

Chen Yan’s expression was a little strange. She hesitated. “We went to the dance studio downstairs to see the trainees. We saw you and those young men being very friendly. After we came back, Ms. Lu has been acting weird and has had a somber look on her face.”