Chapter 56
Xia Qingye had intended to fish for information from Nie Zhuying, but she ended up hearing such explosive news instead. After the video call ended, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
Suddenly, her phone rang like a death knell, startling her into a sitting position.
“Sister Xiang.”
“You guessed right. Ye Xuan came prepared; she caught Xie Zhe and bit down hard. She just posted a long apology on Weibo, saying she’s liked him for a long time and begging everyone not to disturb him because it’s all one-sided on her part… That’s not an apology letter; she’s clearly adding fuel to the fire.”
Xia Qingye adjusted her sitting position and hugged a pillow, half-leaning against the bed as she listened to Wei Xianghong’s initial vent of complaints. Regarding Ye Xuan’s actions, Xia Qingye wasn’t exactly disappointed; as adults, everyone should pay the bill for their own behavior.
However, she didn’t particularly like the feeling of being used. “Sister Xiang, getting angry now is useless. After that long post, there will definitely be fans forcing Senior to give an explanation.”
Using a “retreat to advance” tactic could indeed win sympathy; moreover, from a woman’s perspective, even Xia Qingye felt there was nothing wrong with falling in love with someone. But using emotions for hype was something she deeply disliked.
Wei Xianghong’s rage was extinguished by Xia Qingye’s cold water until not even dregs remained. “No matter what we reply now, the fans won’t believe it. If Xie Zhe says it’s a misunderstanding, many people will think that since they were seen kissing, calling it a misunderstanding is too fake. If he tries to escape by saying it was a scene from the drama, he already used that once before. Plus, with Ye Xuan having admitted it first, the fans will only feel Xie Zhe is fooling them…”
Xia Qingye nodded. “Correct. The same method can only be used once.”
As for the “rehearsing a scene” excuse—forget it. Li Xian and Wang Xiaojuan have almost no romantic scenes in the script. If they use that to dodge now, once the drama Trio airs and the audience sees no kiss, bringing up old accounts would still ruin Xie Zhe’s image completely.
“Wait, I have a call coming in.”
“It’s likely from Ye Xuan’s side. They might offer you a ‘win-win’ proposal. Sister Xiang, stay calm and keep them steady first.”
Once the call ended, Xia Qingye scrolled through Ye Xuan’s long post. It glossed over the actual kiss entirely, spending the whole time describing a young girl’s crush, unrequited love, and those seemingly protective remarks.
If a clueless passerby saw this, they might think it would be nice if Xie Zhe just agreed to be with her.
However, Xie Zhe’s “girlfriend fans” clearly weren’t buying it, running straight to the comments of Ye Xuan’s long post to tear her apart. Just like when she had acted slightly close to Xie Zhe before, those fans started indiscriminate personal attacks; it was clear how terrifying Xie Zhe’s fans could be. His future girlfriend is going to have a very hard time.
Xia Qingye watched the show, reading a few lines of insults, until Wei Xianghong called back. “Hello, Sister Xiang.”
Wei Xianghong had lost her temper by now. “Qingye, how did you know Ye Xuan’s manager would call to offer a suggestion?”
Xia Qingye smiled. “It’s easy to guess. It’s true Ye Xuan likes Xie Zhe; she wouldn’t want him to be ruined, but she also doesn’t want to give up such a great opportunity. She believes she’s already taken the most difficult step; if she doesn’t seize the chance, wouldn’t her previous painstaking deployment go to waste?”
Ye Xuan’s little schemes were easy to read. She wanted to possess Xie Zhe, but the girl thought of love too simply. Xia Qingye didn’t know whether to call her stupid or clever.
Wei Xianghong didn’t even want to evaluate Xie Zhe’s endless “rotten peach blossom” luck anymore—one after another, never-ending. “Their meaning is simple: just admit the relationship. That way, Xie Zhe can gain the title of a ‘good man’ who stepped out because he couldn’t bear to see his girlfriend suffer grievances.”
It felt exceptionally stifling to hear, like being used for free and then having to clean up after that person.
Xia Qingye was about to ask for Wei Xianghong’s opinion when she heard movement in the outer room. Opening the door, she saw Yu Lan sneaking back in. She covered the phone. “Yu Lan, did you find the surveillance?”
Yu Lan nodded vigorously. “Sister Xia, you’re not asleep yet? I thought you’d be out.”
Once Yu Lan started talking, it was like a faucet that couldn’t be turned off.
Xia Qingye tapped her phone. “Sister Xiang, let me check the surveillance first.”
From Yu Lan’s excited words, Xia Qingye saw a glimmer of hope. They both headed back to the security room. Coincidentally, Xie Zhe had also arrived with his assistant. Upon seeing Xia Qingye, he looked apologetic. “I really must say sorry; I’ve made you miss your beauty sleep.”
Xia Qingye rolled her eyes. “Let’s look first. It might not be useful.”
The segment of video showed Xia Qingye was indeed there, looking at her phone or making a call, trailing just behind the two of them. The two in front weren’t walking particularly intimately.
“This video only proves I went to dinner with you and that it wasn’t a private date. But as for the photo, Senior, you’ll have to find a way yourself.”
“No problem. Leave it to me.”
Soon, a short, edited clip of the video was posted online by Xie Zhe. Simultaneously, he @’ed Xia Qingye and Ye Xuan, drawing massive attention.
Xie Zhe: Trio [Not Simple] [Not Simple] @Xia Qingye @Ye Xuan 【Video】
The video truly illustrated what a “trio” looked like. As soon as Xie Zhe posted this, even the director couldn’t resist reposting it, hitting the theme and the drama’s title, and giving it a like. Xia Qingye followed suit and reposted to give it a boost.
I Love My Zhe: Ah hahahaha, I knew it was a misunderstanding! A trio, a trio!
The Person Above is a Pig: Please, stop tying yourselves to my Zhe for hype 24/7. Last time it was Xia Qingye, this time it’s Ye Xuan. It’s annoying.
The Only Truth Emperor: Turns out it was a misunderstanding. Scared the baby. I really don’t like Ye Xuan; I feel her acting isn’t as good as Xia Qingye’s. Lately, I’ve been following that war drama Xia Qingye is in and got fan-turned by her acting.
…
The comments gradually shifted back to a normal tone, and everyone started discussing Xie Zhe’s new drama Trio.
Shortly after, Xie Zhe posted photos of food—bowls of mouth-watering spicy crawfish. Just looking at them increased one’s appetite. Since it was posted late at night, netizens commented that the post was “toxic” (tempting).
In the face of those crawfish, the previous photo of Xie Zhe and Ye Xuan seemed to become insignificant. However, the last two photos of the set showed Xie Zhe pouting and acting cute. After eating the spicy food, his sexy lips had turned into “red sausage” lips. With him proactively pouting, it broke his usual gentle image and looked particularly dorky.
The final photo showed Xie Zhe pouting toward his male assistant, with funny text added: [Hurry, help me see if my mouth is still there?]
Same angle, same position, but this time it featured a pixelated male assistant. Without comparison, there is no harm. Netizens put the two photos together and immediately realized the malicious intent of the original photographer—it was a forced-perspective shot.
Seeing Xie Zhe’s dorky look, netizens burst out laughing. Xia Qingye looked at it and also felt Xie Zhe was a genius; that specific angle wasn’t easy to find.
The next day, Xia Qingye realized just how crazy netizens were. Overnight, Xie Zhe’s photo was widely circulated. Netizens used their various skills to take photos pouting and acting cute with their besties, friends, and loved ones, all getting into character.
A whole string of these types of photos appeared on Weibo, and Xie Zhe trended again because of it.
But that wasn’t the most important thing. The most important thing was that Xia Qingye habitually checked Nie Zhuying’s Weibo for updates and saw a post from the middle of the night.
Nie Zhuying: Quick, Xia-Xia, come kiss me [Kiss] [Kiss] 【Photo】
It was a playful photo of her pouting those sexy, fiery red lips toward a yellow-and-white hamster. In the photo, her eyes were curved with a smile toward the camera, and the cute little fuzz on her face seemed to be captured in the shot.
That “acting emperor” Xia-Xia was also crouched innocently in the palm of Nie Zhuying’s hand. One beauty and one adorable little creature—the photo reached a new height of aesthetic beauty.
Panda’s Bamboo: Aaah, Goddess! Take more selfies, I beg you!
Moe Little Orange: So cute! Since the Goddess started raising Xia-Xia, she’s ditched the cold style. Is she planning to go the dork route from now on?
Am I the only one who found the truth: Covers face. To be honest, since the New Year livestream, I thought Xia-Xia was already a goner 2333. Didn’t expect the Goddess only “destroys flowers with a heavy hand” (is clumsy with things).
Bamboo Fan Support Squad: The person above is clearly new. Let me fill you in on the history of Bamboo “destroying flowers,” and you’ll understand. To be honest, Xia-Xia is really lucky 2333. Didn’t expect the Goddess to be clumsy with things but have a way with animals. But does everyone remember Nuonuo by the Daming Lake?
…
The thread immediately derailed into a discussion about Nie Zhuying’s history of being a “clumsy flower-destroyer.”
Xia Qingye looked at that segment of coquettish text and those enticing red lips, her face turning inexplicably red. She tapped the image, saved it, and set it as her phone wallpaper. Then, after a thought, she sent a WeChat message.
Xia Qingye: Zhuzi, kiss. 【Gives you my little heart】
After waiting a while with no response from Nie Zhuying, Xia Qingye put her phone in her pocket and went to work.
The incident with Xie Zhe and Ye Xuan concluded with that red-faced photo. The scandal came fast and left just as quickly, like a dream. After Xie Zhe posted the video and photos, Ye Xuan vanished from the internet for a while.
Wen Wan’s past dark history caused a stir for a period but also gradually faded from public view.
After three long months of filming, the Trio crew was nearing the end. Many people had finished their parts—like Ye Xuan, who played Wang Xiaojuan. Many familiar and unfamiliar faces had left.
Xia Qingye and Xie Zhe’s relationship had indeed grown closer through these two scandals; they joked around like fellow disciples. However, Xia Qingye always remembered her place. Any lively interaction happened in public; she never stayed alone in a room with Xie Zhe, and both assistants were present when necessary.
Regarding sneaking out for spicy crawfish, after one warning from Wei Xianghong, they just ordered delivery whenever they were craving it, inviting the screenwriters and directors to join for a lively group meal.
In this way, time flew by. There was only one day left until the production wrapped up.
Xia Qingye sat cross-legged on her bed messaging Nie Zhuying. The other seemed busy; there was no video call, just intermittent replies.
Yu Lan was in the outer room packing. When they arrived, they had two suitcases of simple clothes; by the time they were leaving, two suitcases weren’t enough.
Xia Qingye: What have you been busy with lately? I haven’t seen your face at all.
Zhu Shang Ren Jian (Nie): Learning how to film TV shows and movies from Old Baldy Xun. Maybe I’ll become a director later. Please call me Director Nie from now on.
Xia Qingye: 【Laughing until twitching】
Zhu Shang Ren Jian: 【Baby is angry】
Xia Qingye thought of the other’s pouting face and took a photo of herself pouting first, then used an editor to combine it with Nie Zhuying’s previous photo. The result looked like Xia Qingye was leaning in to kiss her while she pouted.
Xia Qingye: 【Kiss】
Nie Zhuying was indeed studying key filming techniques with Xun Guang. She was secretly messaging Xia Qingye, and when she saw the photo, she froze.
“Nie Zhuying!”
“I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to teach you key points, and you’re playing on your phone? Is that appropriate?”
Nie Zhuying quickly saved the photo and let out a huff, like a dead pig that doesn’t fear boiling water. “I’m not playing on my phone. I’m discussing serious business with my darling.”
Director Xun was nearly fainted by her righteous attitude, but catching a keyword, he immediately started gossiping. “Darling?”
Nie Zhuying gave a hum of affirmation.
Xun Guang remembered the marriage contract Nie Zhuying admitted to during the New Year. “The one your parents set up for you?”
Nie Zhuying hummed again and nodded, the corners of her mouth curling up in an exceptionally good mood.
Xun Guang saw her looking so infatuated and figured she had finally found the right person. “Since the person is right, settle down early. When you announced the contract, your fans only wailed for a bit; many still blessed you. A woman is happier when she has a family. Anyway, how’s the person?”
Nie Zhuying pondered for a moment. “Great cook, very good temper, easily embarrassed. Well, everything is good. The only bad thing is they like me too much and can’t live without me.”
Xun Guang looked at Nie Zhuying suspiciously and said with a bit of pity, “So you found a ‘soft rice’ eater [leech]?”
Nie Zhuying: “…”
Nie Zhuying immediately glared at him. “Where did you get the idea they’re a leech? You’re the leech!”
Xun Guang counted on his fingers. “Which man nowadays still cooks, gets embarrassed, and can’t live without you? From what you said, they sound like a leech clinging to your leg.”
Nie Zhuying glared at him with gritted teeth. “Who told you the person is a man? My Qingqing is clearly a woman.”
Xun Guang: “What?”
…
Trio wrapped up. Everyone had a final dinner together and then went their separate ways.
Xia Qingye learned from Qi Jiani that Jin Manxi had been at Nie Zhuying’s studio lately; the studio had just been established and was very busy. So, she didn’t tell Nie Zhuying about her return. She took an early morning flight, intentionally taking a different flight from Xie Zhe.
If Xie Zhe’s fans saw her returning with their idol, they would likely go crazy again. Female fans are terrifying when they lose it.
“Sister Xia, are we going straight to the apartment or to the company?”
“To the apartment. Sister Xiang is likely picking up Senior. We won’t run into them at the company, and there shouldn’t be much to do.” As Xia Qingye spoke, she thought about calling, but as she was about to walk out, two young girls suddenly lunged out from the side. Xia Qingye thought someone was stealing her phone and was startled.
“Excuse me, are you Xia Qingye?”
“Yes, and you are—”
“We are your fans! I want to ask you for an autograph.”
The two girls looked about fifteen or sixteen, wearing ponytails and looking like high school students. They nervously pulled notebooks from their backpacks and held them out to Xia Qingye.
Yu Lan, who was pushing the luggage behind her, nearly let her eyes fall out of her head. She frantically searched her backpack for a pen, but the more anxious she got, the harder it was to find. Her palms were sweating until she finally found one. “Sister Xia, Sister Xia! The pen!”
Xia Qingye knew she wasn’t famous, so she hadn’t dressed up much—she only wore a pair of sunglasses. She didn’t expect to be recognized at a glance. She smiled and quickly signed her name in the notebooks. “Thank you for your hard work.”
The two girls shook their heads vigorously, clutching the notebooks and staring at Xia Qingye with wide eyes, too nervous to speak. Then, holding hands, they ran off with flushed faces.
Yu Lan was dancing with excitement. “Sister Xia! You actually had fans waiting for you at the airport! This is great!”
Xia Qingye watched the girls disappear. A strange emotion welled up in her heart—it felt different from when fan groups met her at the airport in her previous life. She didn’t feel a sense of loss; instead, it felt grounded.
She was Xia Qingye, and this was just the beginning.
“Yu Lan, don’t just be excited. You need to hail a taxi to take us back.”
“Ah! Oh, right. No one came to pick us up. Sister Xiang is so biased.”
“Say that to her face next time if you have the guts.”
Yu Lan stomped her foot and ran off.
Xia Qingye stood there for a bit and signed a few more autographs before getting into the car and letting out a quiet sigh of relief. She had actually been a little nervous while signing just now. How strange.
The taxi driver was a chatterbox, talking non-stop from the moment they got in. Yu Lan did all the answering. Xia Qingye checked Nie Zhuying’s WeChat, then scrolled through her Weibo; the latest post was a photo of Xia-Xia and Lazy-Egg.
Nie Zhuying: Living apart [Heartbroken] [Pitiful] 【Photo】【Photo】【Photo】
Panda Munching Bamboo: 233 So pitiful. Two hamsters who love each other actually can’t live together. The greatest tragedy of a hamster’s life is: Xia-Xia loves Lazy-Egg, Lazy-Egg loves Xia-Xia, but we can only look at each other across two cages.
Hamster Spirit Zhuzi: Why not put them together?
I’m buying a hamster like the Goddess too: Hamsters cannot be caged together; it causes injury or death. My previous two hamsters killed each other; I’m heartbroken.
Encyclopedia Cheng: Goddess, I beg for a selfie! Don’t just focus on the hamsters!
…
Xia Qingye could feel Nie Zhuying’s mournful look through the screen. Seeing her metaphorical words, her heart felt itchy. An inexplicable sense of anticipation grew; she really wanted to just rush over recklessly and give her a surprise.
She picked up her phone and called Wei Xianghong. The other side was noisy—likely at the airport. “Sister Xiang, I’m almost at the apartment. I want to take three days off this time.”
Wei Xianghong was busy with the airport pickup; Xie Zhe was surrounded by fans. She didn’t hear Xia Qingye clearly and just said, “Okay, I got it. Let’s talk later.”
Having settled the time off, Xia Qingye looked at Yu Lan. “Yu Lan, you’ve worked hard these past few months. I’m giving you three days off to go see your parents.”
Yu Lan was so surprised she jumped from her seat and hit her head on the roof. “Ouch!”
The driver said in his unstandard Mandarin, “Don’t get so excited, little girl. You jumping up like that gave me a fright. If my hand slipped or my leg twitched, do you know how serious the consequences would be?”
Yu Lan was lectured into a daze. The driver didn’t stop, talking all the way until they reached their destination.
Xia Qingye stifled her laughter until they reached the apartment. She handed the things to Yu Lan and left without even going inside. Yu Lan watched her eager silhouette. “She’s definitely going to see Sister Nie.”
Xia Qingye had asked Jin Manxi for the address of Nie Zhuying’s studio while in the car; the other sent a location pinned immediately. The studio was newly established and still in the startup phase. It took Xia Qingye another forty minutes to arrive.
“Are you Miss Xia?”
“Yes, and you are—”
Xia Qingye was surprised. She wanted to surprise Nie Zhuying; had she already found out? But on second thought, she knew who it was.
“Senior Jin asked me to pick you up, fearing you couldn’t find your way.”
“Thank you.”
Nie Zhuying’s studio was on the thirty-third floor of an office building. As soon as Xia Qingye stepped out of the elevator, she saw Jin Manxi leaning against the door, smiling at her. When they met, Jin Manxi reached out for a warm hug. “Welcome back.”
Xia Qingye was helpless. “It seems I can’t hide anything from you. I only asked for a location.”
Jin Manxi winked at her. “I haven’t hidden my affairs from you either. And, thank you for reminding me. I’ll remember this favor.”
Xia Qingye was helpless against her solemnity. Strictly speaking, she should be the one thanking Jin Manxi, but she couldn’t explain the reason. Fortunately, Qi Jiani had finally found a good boss; whether she could become famous again would depend on her own hard work.
“By the way, where’s Zhuzi?”
“She’s been seeking advice from Director Xun lately and goes to his place quite often.” Jin Manxi poured her a cup of coffee. “I’ve already called her; she should be back by 1:00 PM. Just wait a bit.”
Xia Qingye checked the time; there were still thirty minutes until 1:00 PM. She was a bit restless, not wanting to wait even half an hour.
Jin Manxi caught a glimpse of Nie Zhuying’s photo on her phone wallpaper. Seeing her check the time constantly, she said with a smile, “By the way, since there’s half an hour, let me show you around Zhuying’s studio.”
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