Gu Ting waved his hand and strode to the set’s rest area. His assistant, Chen Xiao, came up to him immediately and said while holding his chin, “Boss, Bo Yikao’s role is indeed quite good. He’s the eldest legitimate son of Marquis Xibo. Not only did he have a noble status, but he was also a famous handsome man from the Shang dynasty. He’s known for his pure filial piety, kindness, and exceptional talent. It’s a pity that he has too few scenes.”

“It’s just a cameo. If he has too many scenes, we probably won’t be able to finish shooting in three days.”

Chen Xiao nodded, handed a cup of water to Gu Ting, and continued, “That actress named Meng Zhen performed quite well too. I thought idols can’t act, but she’s much better than Jiang Lianqin.”

“Other people’s matters have nothing to do with us.” Gu Ting glanced at him and said calmly.

“Hey, I just think Meng Zhen is quite good, but it’s a pity she’s having a tough time. Not only was she shelved by Yunlai Entertainment, but she was also repeatedly smeared online. Just now, I was scrolling through Weibo and saw someone posted a photo of her talking with Lin Yu. Lin Yu’s fans are all saying she’s shameless and always seducing men.”

Gu Ting frowned slightly, took the phone from Chen Xiao, and opened Weibo. As soon as he did, he saw that photo trending at the top.

Meng Zhen was wearing loose clothing and standing at the doorway of a room, facing Lin Yu. The two of them were talking about something, though it was unclear what.

Even though the photo was somewhat blurry, it was still clear that the young woman’s expression was particularly indifferent, and she was consistently keeping a distance from Lin Yu. Calling it a seduction was certainly an overreaction.

“Marketing accounts always spout nonsense. Have someone delete the post.”

Chen Xiao’s eyes widened in surprise. He had been by Gu Ting’s side for five years and never imagined that his indifferent boss would help a small star.

“No, didn’t you just meet Meng Zhen? You don’t know her well. How can you be sure it’s nonsense? What if it’s true? Besides, Lin Yu is quite popular, and he’s also the young master of the Lin Group.”

“You seem to be talking a lot today?”

After Gu Ting said that, Chen Xiao immediately closed his mouth, realizing his boss was annoyed. Fortunately, Chen Xiao was competent in his job, otherwise, he might have been the first assistant to an actor to lose his job for talking too much.

———pr

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

At that moment, Xu Xuero was sitting on the swing in the garden, her fingers continuously scrolling on the screen. Seeing Lin Yu’s fans mercilessly insulting Meng Zhen, a sense of satisfaction surged within her.

Wasn’t Meng Zhen trying to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry?

Then she would ruin her future and cut off her dreams. In this way, Meng Zhen could only stay with the Xu family and live a mediocre life.

Xu Xuero’s plan seemed well thought out, but in less than a minute, the marketing account that posted the photo deleted it.

Any content containing the words ‘Lin Yu’ couldn’t be posted, and many inappropriate phrases were also blocked.

How could this be?

Xu Xuero’s eyes flashed with surprise. Both Lin Yu and Meng Zhen were in the entertainment industry, and even with marketing accounts stirring up gossip, it shouldn’t have escalated to involve the Xu family’s company like last time. Why did the marketing account delete the post?

Some haters voiced Xu Xuero’s inner doubts online.

【Has the marketing account been bought by Meng Zhen? How much did she pay you?】

【Maybe Meng Zhen has some powerful connections? After all, she’s related to CEO Xu. The other day, I studied their photos and noticed Meng Zhen’s resemblance to the other party in her features. She might even be his illegitimate daughter kept outside. The upper class is very dirty, Meng Zhen definitely isn’t a good person.】

【Regardless of Meng Zhen’s true identity, please keep her away from Lin Yu. Our brother has been in the industry for so many years without any scandals. We can’t let him be tied down by a scheming woman.】

【Come on, even if your Brother is famous, can he be more famous than King Luo? Meng Zhen is the lead actress in King Luo’s short film. If she wants to climb high, grabbing onto King Luo’s thigh would be much quicker than seducing Lin Yu. You Lin Yu fans shouldn’t flatter yourselves too much. Not every woman would go for your Brother, okay?】

The comment section of the marketing account had turned into a battleground between fans and haters, making it look especially chaotic.

Meng Zhen hadn’t been in the industry for a long time. Even though she appeared in the short film and the variety show 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》, her fan base was still less than seven million.

However, Meng Zhen didn’t have a management company, and she had been struggling to earn money for her contract termination fee, so she didn’t have spare cash to buy fake followers. Therefore, her fans were people who genuinely liked her. They have strong combat capabilities and quickly cleaned up the comment section with their idol’s beautiful pictures.

The president of Meng Zhen’s fan club added Brother Da Lei on WeChat. Now, looking at the desolate place in her phone, she couldn’t help but ask, 【Brother Da Lei, why hasn’t Zhenzhen been online recently?】

【She joined the crew a couple of days ago. Since she doesn’t have an assistant, her phone has been off during filming. Sometimes she even shoots night scenes, so she doesn’t have time to check Weibo.】

Seeing those words, the fan club president couldn’t help but feel sorry for her idol. She took a deep breath and posted a small comic based on Meng Zhen on Weibo, along with a caption, 【Sister is working hard. Please be patient, everyone. There will be good news soon.】

The fan club president was a well-known comic artist in the country, with a considerable fan base even before becoming a star chaser. Now, everyone saw the adorable chibi^[1]an art style common in anime featuring characters with large heads, large eyes, and small bodies figure of Meng Zhen in a qipao, busily humming as she carried bricks. They couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement and quickly saved the image to use as their phone wallpaper.

This post moved many fans to tears. They had been with Meng Zhen along the way and understood the hardships their idol had endured. They only hoped she could find the right direction for herself and move forward smoothly.

【Hey, that marketing account just posted a photo of Meng Zhen and Lin Yu staying at the same hotel. Besides dating, they might also be filming together! If I remember correctly, Lin Yu is currently filming 《Investiture》 which is being directed by Qian Xubing. Could Meng Zhen be working with Director Qian again?】

【OMG, could it really be that? What role could Sister be playing? The pheasant spirit? Or the pipa spirit? I’ve forgotten which female characters were in the story.】

【Our Zhenzhen is still a little unknown, so she probably won’t play a major role. Luckily, 《Investiture》 is a big-budget production backed by CCTV^[2]China Central Television; PRC State TV network, and with Director Qian in charge, the quality should be guaranteed. As long as the work is good, the amount of screen time doesn’t matter.】

【Wow, no matter what role Sister is playing, I beg the crew to release some official photos. It’s been so long since I’ve seen new pictures of Zhenzhen, and I can only drool over old ones.】

【Meng Zhen’s fans really have thick skin. The official account of 《Investiture》 released a batch of official photos long ago, and your idol wasn’t in them at all. Stop licking the screen. Is being a lickspittle even fun?】

Many haters started to mock and ridicule, believing Meng Zhen’s fans were daydreaming. After all, 《Investiture》 is a New Year’s drama to be broadcast on CCTV. They questioned whether Meng Zhen, a semi-illiterate actress, was even worthy of appearing on CCTV.

Watching the comments online gradually calm down, Xu Xuero tightly gripped her phone, breathing heavily.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. Xu Xuero quickly composed herself, putting on a gentle and sweet smile, appearing as harmless as a lamb.

“Ruixi, what brings you here?”

“Sis, you’ve been sitting in the garden for two hours. Is something on your mind?” Xu Ruixi grew up with Xu Xuero since childhood, and even though they weren’t related by blood, it didn’t affect their close bond.

Xu Xuero lowered her eyes, deliberately showing a melancholy expression. “Nothing, I’m just sitting outside for some fresh air. Don’t guess randomly.”

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Xu Ruixi leaned in closer, lowering his voice, “No matter what Mom and Dad say, you will always be my only sister. Meng Zhen has been through a lot, but as long as we give her money to make up for it, everything will be fine. Why let her come back and disrupt our lives?”

“You can’t say that. Meng Zhen grew up in an orphanage without ever experiencing parental love, and I took her place instead. I’ve always felt guilty towards her. Even if she wanted to kick me out of the Xu family, I wouldn’t complain.” As she spoke, Xu Xuero gently bit her lower lip, tears rolling down her cheeks like beads on a broken string. She looked utterly pitiful.

“She dares?! You’re the daughter of the Xu family and the adoption has long been official. What does Meng Zhen have to do with you? Sister, please don’t worry about unnecessary troubles.”

Xu Ruixi did his best to comfort Xu Xuero, and the siblings spent the entire afternoon chatting in the garden. They only returned to the house with Xu Xuero’s eyes red from crying when the Auntie finished cooking dinner.

“Xueruo, who bullied you?” Zhao Rong couldn’t help but ask.

Human hearts are made of flesh, and Zhao Rong had personally raised Xu Xuero from a child into a graceful young woman, treating her like her own daughter. Combined with Xu Xuero’s frail health, Zhao Rong naturally showered her with the most care and attention.

Xu Xuero approached and hugged Zhao Rong’s waist, choking back tears as she said, “Mom, now that you’ve found your biological daughter, will you no longer want Xuero?”

Upon hearing that, Zhao Rong couldn’t help but smile, reaching up to ruffle Xu Xuero’s hair and gently wiping away the tears from her face with a tissue. She comforted softly, “Don’t let your imagination run wild. Regardless of whether Zhenzhen returned to the Xu family or not, you are my daughter. Remember that, okay?”

With Zhao Rong’s assurance, the heavy stone hanging in Xu Xuero’s heart finally disappeared. She nodded tearfully, feeling immensely relieved and proud inside.

So what if Meng Zhen was the biological daughter of the Xu family? Her parents still love her the most, and Xu Ruixi didn’t even see Meng Zhen as a sister. It seemed she didn’t need to worry too much.

———pr

Meng Zhen was unaware of the online storm. After finishing her scenes for the day, she was called over by Director Qian.

“Look at my memory, I almost forgot to have someone take a set of character photos for you. After all, you’re playing Daji, the audience should at least see your appearance first.”

Meng Zhen was always very cooperative when it came to work. She nodded slightly and walked into the makeup room with the stylist. She changed into a bright red costume and had her makeup slightly enhanced. After all, photoshoots could easily wash out one’s features, and if not done properly, the artist’s facial features could appear flat, and the photos might not achieve the desired effect.