Xu Xuero walked over just as Meng Zhen was conversing with Gu Ting. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she gazed intently at the handsome man. In a soft voice, she said, “Brother Gu, thank you for coming to my birthday party. I’m so happy.”

Gu Ting cast a glance at Xu Xuero with an expressionless face. He knew the other party was the adopted daughter of the Xu family, but he couldn’t quite remember her name.

Not receiving a response from Gu Ting, Xu Xuero couldn’t help but show a hint of awkwardness on her face. He had been talking happily with Meng Zhen, so why was he so cold towards her?

“Brother Gu—”

Gu Ting raised his hand to interrupt her. “Miss Xu, I am a public figure after all. It’s better if you don’t address me so familiarly. Otherwise, it might cause misunderstandings.”

As he spoke, Gu Ting did not intentionally lower his voice. The nearby students from the affiliated high school heard him clearly, and some even laughed out loud.

“Xu Xuero is really overestimating herself, isn’t she? Who does she think she is, daring to try and get close to Movie King Gu?”

“If it weren’t for the Xu Group, no one would care about an adopted daughter. She should look in the mirror and see if she’s worthy.”

“Stop talking, can’t you see Student Xu is about to cry? She’s the same at school. Whenever things don’t go her way, she runs to the teacher’s office, crying and whining. It’s so annoying.”

Hearing the conversation of a group of young women, Meng Zhen almost burst out laughing and her eyes curved into a smile. But she didn’t want to clash with Xu Xuero in such a setting, so she picked up her juice and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to find some quiet.

Gu Ting never wasted time on irrelevant people. The reason he came there today was because of Meng Zhen. Without giving Xu Xuero a second glance, he immediately followed the young woman’s footsteps away from the crowd.

Watching this scene unfold, Xu Xuero felt as if her heart had been submerged in acid. Her face alternated between pale and flushed, and it took her a long while to recover.

Seeing her upset expression, Lin Yu spoke gently to console her, “Xuero, don’t be upset. Gu Ting has always been like this since his debut. He doesn’t give a face to anyone. Back when we were on the set of 《Investiture》, he played Bo Yikao and I played Ji Fa. Apart from our scenes together, we hardly exchanged a word. Don’t take it to heart.”

Lin Yu’s explanation not only failed to improve Xu Xuero’s mood but also added fuel to the fire. Gu Ting treated everyone without pretense, yet Meng Zhen was an exception. What was so good about a woman who lacked education?

Outside the window, golden ginkgo leaves fluttered and fell gently. Meng Zhen leaned against the cold pillar, gazing outside. Her delicate collarbones against her snow-white skin gave off a subtle sense of vulnerability, like a delicate porcelain doll.

Gu Ting, unwilling to disturb her, stood silently on the side.

The birthday party finally came to an end deep into the night. Guests filed out one by one. Zhao Rong, about to speak to Meng Zhen to ask her to stay, was stopped by Xu Xuero, who grabbed her arm.

“Mom, from today onwards, Xuero is an adult. I’ll be able to take care of Dad, Mom, and my little brother.”

Zhao Rong’s eyes became increasingly pleased. She raised her hand and tousled Xu Xuero’s hair affectionately, then warmly pulled her adopted daughter into a hug.

Xu Xuero looked at Meng Zhen, a hint of provocation gleaming in her eyes.

Meng Zhen sneered, too lazy to bother with Xu Xuero. She bid goodbye to Xu Youheng and Zhao Rong before walking out of the living room in her high heels. Before she could descend the steps, a gust of cold wind blew by, causing her to shiver uncontrollably and sneeze.

Standing nearby, Gu Ting heard the sound. He took off his suit jacket and handed it to Meng Zhen. “Put this on first to keep warm.”

“It’s okay. Xin Xin’s car is parked right in front. I’ll be there soon.”

“Put it on.” Gu Ting only repeated.

Meng Zhen wasn’t sure how to refuse his kindness, so she eventually accepted the jacket and draped it over herself. Unlike other male celebrities, Gu Ting’s clothes didn’t smell of cologne, instead, it carried a faint scent of mint.

After walking for less than five minutes, Meng Zhen stood in front of Xin Xin’s car. She handed the jacket back to Gu Ting, apologizing, “I should have washed it before returning it to you, Teacher Gu. But tonight’s weather is a bit cold, and you might need it later. This is the best I can do.”

“It’s okay. Get in the car first.”

Meng Zhen nodded and proceeded to open the car door, taking the back seat. After she fastened her seatbelt, Xin Xin snapped out of her shock and exclaimed, “Sister Zhenzhen, how come Movie King Gu is here? And you’re even wearing his clothes……”

Watching the man’s figure gradually fade into the distance, she calmly explained, “Don’t think too much. I just happened to run into Movie King Gu. It’s really cold outside, and he’s a gentleman, so he lent me his jacket.”

Xin Xin wanted to say that she was also an employee of Anmei Entertainment and had seen Movie King Gu countless times at the company. He always maintained a serious demeanor and wasn’t arrogant. It was just his nature.

Was his concern for Meng Zhen really just because he’s being a gentleman?

Xin Xin didn’t dare to express the thought in her mind. She simply drove Meng Zhen back to her apartment.

———pr

A week later, Meng Zhen’s yogurt advertisement for Jinghua Company was finally aired on television, and the official social media account also released the full content of the ad.

The young woman dressed in a misty purple qipao looked extraordinarily fair and delicate, with clear, sparkling eyes. Her whole being exuded a gentle charm, as if she had stepped out of a republican era magazine, captivating everyone with her unique aura.

【Oh my gosh, Zhenzhen’s every appearance is perfect. Just now, Yellow Peach station aired the Nut Yogurt ad, and even my mom said she’s really beautiful.】

【We live in one world, we have the same destiny. My family’s queen mother also admires Zhenzhen’s looks.】

【Aaaaaahhhh, Sister is absolutely a fairy! I’m about to bend, help!】

【Upstairs, don’t leave me behind, take me with you!】

No one deliberately hired spam bots to smear Meng Zhen, so online comments were unusually harmonious. Under the official account of Nut Yogurt, there were only Hazelnuts and curious onlookers. Xu Xuero had been following Meng Zhen’s super topic for a long time and even downloaded a celebrity-tracking app to stay updated on Meng Zhen’s activities.

At this moment, Xu Xuero scrolled through the super topic and felt her heart ache with each beautiful image fans used to flood the page. She thought these people online must be blind, shallow, and lacking taste to admire Meng Zhen, a celebrity she considered lacking in sophistication and culture.

She endured and endured, but eventually couldn’t contain her frustration. Xu Xuero directly replied to Meng Zhen’s fan club president’s comment, 【Late Autumn, I used to love your comics, with its adorable and heartwarming art style, and especially interesting stories. I never expected you to become a fan of Meng Zhen. She never even attended high school. How can someone like her be a celebrity? Who knows what kind of negative influence Meng Zhen will have on young people?】

Star’s super topics were usually fan-dominated spaces where fans gathered to express their admiration. Even if haters lack insight, they typically wouldn’t seek attention in these places.

Amidst the chorus of praise, Xu Xuero’s comment stood out glaringly. Many younger fans couldn’t help but retort, while more mature fans responded calmly and reasonably, trying to explain things to Xu Xuero in a friendly manner.

After venting her frustration, Xu Xuero started feeling guilty and worried that things might escalate, so she deleted her comment before going to sleep.

However, she never expected that a schoolmate would see her comment and take a screenshot of it, before posting it on the school forum.

【Meng Zhen’s fans, take a good look. Your beloved star is indeed CEO Xu’s illegitimate daughter. Otherwise, why would our school flower target her? [Image]】

【Damn, OP’s screenshot scared the hell out of me. I also attended the school flower’s coming-of-age celebration before, and Meng Zhen was there too. Even if the Xu family isn’t strict, they shouldn’t let the illegitimate daughter attend the adopted daughter’s birthday party, right?】

【You never know. Rich people’s thoughts can be unpredictable. Meng Zhen is a female star, beautiful too. The Xu family might be considering using her for a marriage alliance, which was why they let her appear publicly.】

The post went viral on the school forum, but Meng Zhen, who was staying in her apartment, remained completely unaware of it.

Fei Yun had sent several scripts to Meng Zhen’s email for her to choose from, preparing for the next production.

As Meng Zhen was contemplating the scripts, Lei Yin, dressed in a dinosaur pajama, walked in and placed her phone directly in front of Meng Zhen. She huffed in frustration, “Sister Zhenzhen, do you think Xu Xuero is crazy? Why does she keep targeting you? If she put this effort into studying past exam papers, she’d be better off for the upcoming college entrance exams. She shouldn’t risk retribution by badmouthing people online.”

The other Meng Zhen, fearing that Lei Yin would worry, had never disclosed her relationship with the Xu family. At this moment, Meng Zhen gently patted the girl’s head and said softly, “Don’t worry about irrelevant people. Help me see which of these two scripts is more appealing.”

Seeing Meng Zhen’s demeanor, Lei Yin knew she wasn’t taking it to heart. The girl couldn’t help but sigh, feeling that her sister’s personality was too simple. She worried about Meng Zhen’s future in the entertainment industry. What if she ended up suffering a loss?

Meng Zhen raised her hand and placed the printed scripts in front of Lei Yin. Both were modern stories, differing only in length.

The short one was a low-budget art film with a hint of youthful anguish in its style. Meng Zhen would play the role of the second female lead who secretly loves the male lead.

The second female lead was introverted, gentle, and talented in many ways, and was also a model student at school. She was seen as a good child in the eyes of her parents. However, unexpectedly, this obedient girl’s character gradually turns darker due to jealousy towards the female lead. She resorted to cunning methods to frame the female lead several times, causing misunderstandings with the male lead.

In the end, the second female lead got engaged to the male lead but realized he loved someone else. This prompted her to confront her conscience. She explained the truth to the male lead, leading to a resolution and a happy ending for all.