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That lofty, superior expression on Ye Luoyi’s face pierced Zhou Qingyu deeply. Instead of feeling any guilt toward Ye Luoyi, Zhou Qingyu’s resentment for her only grew stronger.
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Qingyu mustered all her courage, preparing to utter the insincere apology—
“Ah, ouch!”
A sudden exclamation interrupted Zhou Qingyu. The familiar voice made her whip around, only to see Yan Xi suddenly falling to the ground, clutching her ankle, tears welling up in her eyes.
Zhou Qingyu immediately forgot about Ye Luoyi and rushed to Yan Xi’s side. “Xixi, what happened? Are you okay?”
Seeing Yan Xi in trouble, the others quickly gathered around her as well. The spotlight that had been on Ye Luoyi moments ago vanished, leaving her completely alone.
The sudden shift in attention made Ye Luoyi feel uncomfortable, but mindful of her public persona, she maintained a gentle expression, pretending not to care about what had just happened. She even joined the others in checking on Yan Xi.
Yan Xi sat on the ground, rubbing her ankle, her eyes red with tears. “I was startled by that fan earlier and twisted my ankle. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal, but when I moved just now, I couldn’t stand properly.”
Xiao Yu pulled a bottle of herbal spray from her backpack. “I’ve got some spray for injuries. Let me help you with it.”
A doctor traveling with the show’s production team came over to examine Yan Xi. Fortunately, her ankle was only slightly twisted, nothing serious.
Zhou Qingyu, however, frowned and turned to glare at Ye Luoyi. “Ye Luoyi, if you expect me to apologize to you, shouldn’t you also apologize to Yan Xi? If it weren’t for your fan causing trouble, would Yan Xi have gotten hurt?”
Ye Luoyi, suddenly cast from the role of victim to that of perpetrator, struggled to maintain the smile on her face.
Ye Luoyi’s lips twitched briefly before she reluctantly bowed slightly to Yan Xi. “Yan Xi, although I don’t know that person, since he claimed to be my fan, it’s my fault…”
Her words were expertly diplomatic, appearing to take responsibility while subtly distancing herself from the issue.
[Individual fan behavior shouldn’t be blamed on the idol!]
[Our Fan club are just like Yi Yi—humble and non-confrontational. How can extreme individuals represent all of us? Zhou Qingyu is clearly trying to smear Yi Yi’s name!]
[Yi Yi is brave and accountable. Even when it’s just an individual fan’s mistake, she’s willing to take responsibility. What about Zhou Qingyu? Shouldn’t it be her turn to apologize now?]
The ball was passed right back to Zhou Qingyu. Although Yan Xi had fallen, her injury appeared minor, with only slight redness on her ankle.
Once again, all eyes were on Zhou Qingyu.
After Ye Luoyi’s apology, it was Zhou Qingyu’s turn.
At this point, Zhou Qingyu was completely at a loss. She didn’t know why, but every time she faced Ye Luoyi, she always ended up at a disadvantage, always feeling inferior to her.
Helping Yan Xi to her feet, Zhou Qingyu was just about to apologize to Ye Luoyi when Yan Xi comfortingly patted her shoulder. “Qingqing, this is our fault. Since the script required a staged slap, how could you actually slap Teacher Ye?”
Zhou Qingyu froze, staring at Yan Xi in confusion. “What did you say? The slap was real. How could the script require a fake one?”
“The Fall of Prosperity “ was a high-society romance film. Ye Luoyi played the female lead, while Zhou Qingyu had a cameo. In the storyline, the male lead, injured and unconscious while protecting the female lead, caused Zhou Qingyu, as the male lead’s sister, to be furious. She slapped Ye Luoyi, blaming her for the male lead’s condition.
So, in the script, the slap was meant to be real, to highlight the sister’s concern for her brother and her dissatisfaction with the female lead.
Yan Xi looked shocked, her expression full of innocence and confusion. “But if the slap was meant to be real in the script, and the director asked for a real slap during filming, then why are you apologizing? I thought you improvised and went off-script, which is why the fans are upset!”
Yan Xi’s gaze was utterly clueless, almost childishly naive, as if she didn’t understand anything and was simply repeating what she thought had happened.
However, Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu, standing nearby, understood the situation. Both were familiar with the entertainment industry and the intricacies of scripts and filming.
Xiao Yu spoke up, “Some directors request real slaps for the sake of realism in the scene. If Qingyu was just following the director’s instructions, then her emotions would have been intense, and she’d naturally have hit harder.”
Jiang Tao nodded in agreement. “Given that, it’s not Zhou Qingyu’s fault. She actually played the scene perfectly.”
Thanks to Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu’s analysis, the people around quickly understood. This wasn’t Zhou Qingyu bullying anyone—she was simply following the script!
[I knew it! When I saw the clarification from Xingyao, I was so confused. I thought, if it’s part of the script, why are people attacking Zhou Qingyu? Now I see I wasn’t wrong—this whole thing isn’t her fault.]
[But Yi Yi’s face got a red mark from the slap!]
[Doesn’t that just mean Zhou Qingyu played the role well? And besides, the script was written by the screenwriter, and the director asked for the real slap. If the fans are upset, shouldn’t they be mad at the director and screenwriter, not the actress playing the scene?]
[Exactly! Zhou Qingyu has too many negative rumors, and whenever people see anything that doesn’t look good for her, they just assume it’s her fault. I’ve been following this whole drama, and this really isn’t Zhou Qingyu’s fault!]
[If Ye Luoyi didn’t want to be slapped, she should have spoken up during the scene. Instead, she goes behind and tries to smear Zhou Qingyu afterward? That’s just so petty!]