Upon seeing the comments online, the official social media account of the production crew responded with a single line:
“Tomorrow, you’ll finally see Jin Tan’s true face. Please stay tuned.”

Knowing that they would uncover Jin Tan’s identity tomorrow, everyone felt a bit more at ease.

Anticipation filled the air as viewers eagerly awaited the next day—the moment when Jin Tan would unveil her face.

In today’s episode of Undercover on the Bund, Jin Tan was set to reveal herself.

After so much buildup, the time had come. Everyone was brimming with excitement.

On the screen, a veiled beauty walked forward, her steps deliberate and graceful.

Under the spotlight, Jin Tan slowly raised her snow-white hand to her veil. With a gentle motion, the veil slid down, gradually exposing her face.

A perfectly straight nose, elegantly curved lips, and a finely sculpted chin.

Every feature was flawless, breathtakingly beautiful.

Her beauty was both radiant and cold, exuding an unparalleled and distinctive charm.

She was, without a doubt, a true beauty.

The ratings for this episode continued to climb, breaking the show’s previous record once again.

Within seconds, the production’s official social media account was flooded with comments:

“Ahhh! Jin Tan finally revealed her face! As expected, our dancer queen is absolutely stunning. I wonder how the haters feel now?”

“I always knew Jin Tan would be gorgeous, but her beauty still took my breath away!”

“Let’s not only talk about her looks. Her acting is just as incredible as anyone else’s. Props to our queen!”

Some viewers even started comparing Tang Jin and Ye Fan.

“Am I the only one who thinks Jin Tan is prettier than Tang Jin? She’s easily the most beautiful character in the whole series!”

“Even though I’m just a casual fan of Tang Jin, I have to admit—Jin Tan outshines her in this drama.”

The hashtag #JinTanRevealed even made it into the top ten trending topics.

The production team hadn’t hired any bots to generate buzz, nor had Ye Fan’s agency orchestrated any campaigns. All the discussion online was entirely organic.

Fans had been eagerly anticipating this moment for so long that they poured all their excitement into expressing their feelings on this day.

The next day, the production team posted on their official account:
“The Jin Tan you all adore—her official character portrait is here!”

Typically, minor characters like Jin Tan wouldn’t have a dedicated character portrait. However, given her overwhelming popularity, the production made an exception. They invited Ye Fan back to the set to take an official portrait.

In the photo, Ye Fan wore a traditional qipao and held a pale cyan oil-paper umbrella.

Unlike the sultry and languid dancer she portrayed in the show, her look this time was simple and refined. Her complexion was snow-white, her eyes calm and light in color, exuding an aura of cold elegance.

She seemed like the purest breeze in the midst of the indulgent decadence of 1930s Shanghai.

Though her style was completely different, her beauty remained captivating, drawing all eyes to her once more.

At the bottom of the portrait, one line was written:

Actor: Ye Fan.

Ye Fan’s name officially entered the public eye.

No one could have anticipated that the actress playing Jin Tan was a complete newcomer. Her very first role, not even a lead but a supporting character, had sparked such widespread discussion.

When the director initially cast Ye Fan, it was just to give her a chance. He never imagined she would grow to this level.

From being a stand-in working behind the scenes to someone people now remembered, Ye Fan had truly made it.

As soon as the photo was posted, the official account was flooded with messages of admiration. Since fans couldn’t find Ye Fan’s personal social media, they used the post to convey their support.

Some fans even edited CP videos of He Han and Ye Fan’s scenes together.

Although Jin Tan’s role was minimal, and there was no romantic storyline between her and the male lead in the drama, some fans still managed to pick up on a hint of chemistry.

When one of these fan-made videos was uploaded, its views skyrocketed to several million in just a single day.

In contrast, the official CP of Tang Jin and He Han received far less attention. Their CP videos had lackluster view counts, only about half of what the Ye Fan and He Han videos achieved.

With He Han’s established fame and Ye Fan’s growing buzz, the show’s popularity showed no signs of fading.

At this moment, only Tang Jin and her makeup artist were in the dressing room.

Tang Jin’s makeup was already done, and now the stylist was working on her hair. She held her phone in her hand, her gaze fixed downward.

The more Tang Jin scrolled, the darker her expression became. Even before Undercover on the Bund aired, there had already been some buzz online about Ye Fan. Now that the show was airing, almost all the discussions seemed to revolve around her.

People were praising Ye Fan’s beauty, her acting skills, and some even dared to say she was more beautiful than Tang Jin.

Today, Ye Fan had even made it onto the trending topics list.

Tang Jin swiped through post after post, all of them showering Ye Fan with compliments. The positive comments were overwhelmingly one-sided.

Anger bubbled up within her as she gripped her phone tightly.

Why was Ye Fan everywhere? Why was she so impossible to shake off?

Tang Jin’s face darkened further. She was the female lead of this drama. In the past, the spotlight had always been on her. When had it shifted to Ye Fan?

A faint sense of panic began to creep into Tang Jin’s heart.

One day, Ye Fan might completely overshadow her, leaving Tang Jin as nothing more than a backdrop for Ye Fan’s success.

At that thought, a sharp pain suddenly shot through her scalp. Tang Jin snapped her head toward the stylist, her tone harsh.

“How can you be so careless?”

The makeup artist quickly apologized, flustered. “I’m so sorry, Miss Tang.”

She had accidentally tugged Tang Jin’s hair while working.

Tang Jin’s voice turned icy. “If you make another mistake, you can pack up and go home.”

This makeup artist had been working with Tang Jin for a long time, yet Tang Jin still directed her anger at her without holding back.

The makeup artist lowered her head. “Yes, understood.”

Just then, the dressing room door opened, and Tang Jin’s assistant, Xiao Yan, entered, holding a cup of iced coffee.

Earlier, Tang Jin had asked her to buy it, and Xiao Yan had just returned.

Xiao Yan handed the coffee to Tang Jin. “Miss Tang, here’s your coffee…”

Tang Jin frowned and didn’t even bother to take it. Instead, she lashed out. “I asked you to get iced coffee. Why did it take you so long?”

Xiao Yan explained softly. “The line was very long…”

“I don’t want it anymore,” Tang Jin cut her off, completely ignoring her explanation. With a sudden motion, she knocked the coffee out of Xiao Yan’s hand.

The coffee spilled all over Xiao Yan’s clothes. She stood there, head bowed, not daring to say a word.

The atmosphere in the dressing room grew tense and stiflingly quiet.

Agent Li sighed. Tang Jin had been spoiled by her family from a young age, which left her with a willful and arrogant temperament. While she restrained herself in public to maintain her image, her frustration often spilled over onto her staff when she was upset.

Thanks to her team’s efforts, any incidents were swiftly covered up. Their public relations work was impeccable, and Tang Jin’s image in the eyes of the public remained spotless.

“Jin Tan’s unveiling is just a temporary buzz,” Agent Li reassured her. “Give it some time, and the hype will die down.”

Although Agent Li was surprised by the attention Ye Fan was getting, he didn’t think much of it.

She was just a rookie with no strong backing. Without support, she wouldn’t go far.

What neither the public nor Tang Jin knew was that Ye Fan had recently signed with Hua Rui Entertainment, a fact the company had deliberately kept under wraps for the time being.

Tang Jin, seething, snapped. “She’s just my stand-in. How dare she overshadow me?”

She added. “Get her off the trending topics. I don’t want to see anyone talking about her anymore.”

Tang Jin’s studio acted quickly. Before long, Ye Fan’s trending hashtag was removed.

However, within half an hour, #JinTanRevealed climbed back into the top 50 trending topics.

Even more alarming, its rank continued to rise steadily.

45th, 30th, 25th…

The enthusiasm of netizens searching for Jin Tan showed no signs of fading. Eventually, #JinTanRevealed reclaimed its spot in the top 10 trending topics.

No matter how much Tang Jin didn’t want to admit it, she had no choice but to face the truth.

Ye Fan had truly made it big.

Ye Fan was aware of the heated discussions online, yet she maintained her calm, zen-like mindset.

She understood that the entertainment industry was unpredictable. Fame could come in a flash and disappear just as quickly—no one stayed in the spotlight forever.

After skimming through a few comments, she set her phone aside and got back to her own tasks.

Her life hadn’t changed because of her newfound fame. At home, she was still just Du Du’s mom.

Aunt Li’s little grandson had fallen ill, so she asked Ye Fan for a day off. Ye Fan, understanding the situation, told her to take a few extra days to stay home.

Since Ye Fan had been home recently, she was more than capable of taking care of Du Du herself.

“Du Du, come here,” Ye Fan called, holding out her arms.

Du Du was waddling along at his usual leisurely pace, but the moment he heard his name, his tiny legs sped up. He beamed, showing off his little white teeth.

Ye Fan lifted him up, supporting him under his arms. The chubby little toddler felt so solid in her grasp. After carrying him so often, Ye Fan felt like her strength had noticeably increased.

In the past, holding Du Du for even a short while would leave her arms aching. Now, she could carry him for ages without breaking a sweat.

The sofa was spacious, and Ye Fan sat cross-legged on it. Du Du sat snugly on her lap, his chubby little body nestled against her. He was so soft and squishy, she couldn’t resist giving him a gentle pat now and then.

Du Du hadn’t quite broken his bad habit of sucking his thumb. As usual, he had his thumb in his mouth, noisily sucking away.

Ye Fan didn’t scold him too harshly. Instead, she gently pulled his little hand away. Before he could protest, she turned on the TV to distract him.

As Ye Fan flipped through the channels, Du Du quickly clapped his little hands in excitement, completely forgetting about what had just happened.

“Look, Mommy! Look!” Du Du called out excitedly.

Since the show had started airing, Ye Fan had watched a few episodes with Du Du. Now, whenever it was time for the show to air, Du Du immediately recognized it.

However, Ye Fan only showed him select parts of the show, always skipping over the scenes involving He Han.

So, Du Du was only seeing Ye Fan’s appearances on screen, with no real understanding of the plot.

Tonight’s scene was the intense rain-soaked confrontation between Ye Fan and Tang Jin.

As the music swelled, heavy rain poured down, soaking Ye Fan’s clothes. She stood facing Tang Jin, demanding answers.

As the scene unfolded, Ye Fan was carefully observing her own movements, critiquing herself to see where she could improve.

Just as she was focused on the TV, she suddenly heard Du Du call out. “Mommy, Mommy.” Ye Fan quickly snapped her gaze away. “What’s wrong?”

Du Du pointed his chubby little finger at the screen, where Tang Jin appeared. “Mommy, there’s a bad person there.”

Ye Fan froze for a moment. By all accounts, she was the antagonist in this drama, while Tang Jin, as the female lead, was the righteous, patriotic character.

Du Du immediately crawled into Ye Fan’s arms. “The bad person made Mommy cry. I don’t want Mommy to cry.”

Du Du was just a child. He didn’t understand the complexities of the situation, nor did he grasp what he was watching. He saw Ye Fan crying, and instinctively, he didn’t like Tang Jin.

Seeing Du Du upset, Ye Fan quickly turned off the TV. Du Du pouted, snuggling into her embrace. Ye Fan gently pinched his little pout and carried him toward the bedroom.

Ye Fan stood by the window, holding Du Du in her arms. The lights outside twinkled, and as night fell, the city transformed into a vibrant, colorful spectacle.

Though Ye Fan had become familiar with caring for the baby, she had little experience in child-rearing. All she could do was quickly distract him.

She scanned the room and her eyes landed on an advertisement flyer on the cabinet. “Next time, Mommy will buy you a robot, okay? Would you like that?”

Ye Fan figured that most little boys would love something like that.

To Ye Fan’s surprise, Du Du didn’t seem any happier. He pouted and shook his head. “I like Mommy more.”

Ye Fan’s heart softened. She looked at him seriously and said. “Then I promise you, Mommy won’t cry anymore, okay?”

At that, Du Du finally broke into a smile, hugging Ye Fan’s neck affectionately.

Before Ye Fan had taken over, the original mother had often cried in the middle of the night, something Du Du had witnessed many times, leaving a deep impression on him.

So, Du Du didn’t like seeing his mommy cry. He was afraid that if she cried, the always-smiling mommy might disappear.

Ye Fan held him tighter and said softly. “Mommy only needs you, baby. Nothing else matters.”

With that promise, she kissed Du Du’s chubby little face.

=^_^=