Chapter 4
Chapter 4
In less than ten minutes, the comments under Xing Ye’s Weibo were flooded:
【Brother Ye, did your account get hacked?】
【Song Shiqing, be human, don’t force our brother to do PR for someone.】
【Wake up, don’t you know Xing Ye’s temper? Could Song Shiqing even order him around?】
【…As a passerby I’m so disappointed. I originally thought I could see the legendary Xing Ye face-slapping scene again.】
【It is face-slapping, except this time he’s slapping the fans (dog head.jpg)】
【Brother Ye is really a wild man. When he goes crazy, he even slaps fans.】
【No, you’re still joking? Xing Ye reposting means he couldn’t stand it anymore, right? Something quite normal got spread like this, pity for the young lady getting scolded for nothing.】
【Pity the young lady +1, I went to apologize to her.】
Just as public opinion began to shift, someone in the comments posted a screenshot.
The image showed a certain fan-tracking app. Whenever a followed celebrity made any move on Weibo, it would be recorded with timestamps accurate to the second.
According to the screenshot, at around four in the afternoon that day—well before Pei Chuzhi posted her statement—Xing Ye had already followed her.
If it were only reposting a Weibo, it could still be seen as jointly clarifying false rumors.
But Xing Ye following Pei Chuzhi seemed more like an active gesture of goodwill.
The person who posted the image also honestly told everyone: 【I just checked, she hasn’t followed back?】
Half an hour later: 【Still hasn’t followed back.】
Three hours later: 【…Brother Ye has no face at all.】
·
Late at night, top floor of the apartment.
After finishing in the bathroom, Xing Ye came out wrapped in moisture.
His bathrobe was loosely tied, faintly revealing a firm chest.
His hair was still dripping. He casually wiped it a few times with a towel, then walked into the living room with messy black hair.
Song Shiqing hadn’t left yet, sitting by the sofa, focused on typing on the keyboard.
Hype CP wasn’t just talk. As their “relationship” gradually became public, the necessary marketing strategies all needed to be planned in advance.
Xing Ye leaned against the bar counter, poured a glass of ice water, and as he drank, his Adam’s apple rolled several times.
Song Shiqing pressed Enter and started a new line: “Pei Chuzhi still hasn’t followed you. Should I remind Tang Dong?”
“Whatever.”
Although Xing Ye said that, his right hand unconsciously reached for the phone on the bar and opened it to take a look.
“Then I won’t remind him. Let netizens play with the meme.”
Song Shiqing paused his typing, feeling it necessary to talk about today’s decision. “Actually, I still think cooperating with Pei Chuzhi isn’t the best choice. Her fame is too small. For you, aside from being a shield, she doesn’t provide much else.”
Xing Ye tossed the phone aside and turned around. “You waited for me to come out just to say this?”
Song Shiqing pushed his glasses. Having known each other for years, how could he not hear that Xing Ye didn’t want to discuss this topic.
But in Xing Ye’s five years since debut, first-tier actresses who wanted to hype CP with him existed, and he had rejected them all as troublesome.
When the video was exposed today and the PR department again suggested proactively hyping CP, Song Shiqing had originally thought Xing Ye would refuse again.
Unexpectedly, he pointed at the phone. “Alright, her then.”
The tone was casual, as if he were just ordering a dish.
As a manager, there were things Song Shiqing had to ask: “Are you sure you didn’t start liking her when filming the advertisement?”
Although the possibility was small, what if?
After all…
Song Shiqing recalled Pei Chuzhi’s appearance. She indeed was the kind of beauty who could become popular purely based on looks.
Xing Ye didn’t speak, glancing over.
His hair was slightly messy. He should have looked lazy and indifferent, but the sharpness in his eyes added a hint of irritability.
“Isn’t having no fame just right?”
After a few seconds of silence, Xing Ye finally spoke slowly. “She can’t stir up trouble. Saves effort.”
Song Shiqing thought about it and agreed.
And although Pei Chuzhi was glamorous in appearance, after today’s contact she didn’t seem ostentatious. She really did look like a worry-free “dating” partner.
After clarifying the reason, he packed his things and left.
After Song Shiqing left, Xing Ye unlocked his phone again and checked Weibo. His relationship with Pei Chuzhi was still one-way following.
Tsk.
·
By the time Pei Chuzhi discovered Xing Ye had followed her, it was already the next morning.
She received a call from Tang Dong on the way to the film base. After hanging up, she immediately opened Weibo, and sure enough, among the colorful comments were a small number reminding her to follow Xing Ye back.
The funniest was even one of her own fans mixed in urging her: 【Zhizhi baby don’t throw a tantrum. You’re an eighteenth-tier, you don’t have that much face. Hurry up and follow back or I’ll unfollow!】
This must be a fake fan.
Pei Chuzhi couldn’t help laughing.
Morning sunlight climbed over the window frame, adding a warm glow to the smile in her eyes.
After laughing, Pei Chuzhi planned to find Xing Ye among her newest followers, but when she scrolled to the top, she realized that overnight her follower count had surged by tens of thousands.
Although Tang Dong always said Xing Ye’s popularity was astonishing, only at this moment did she finally feel it firsthand.
As a bottom-tier unknown in the entertainment industry, Pei Chuzhi felt a little unaccustomed.
This discomfort peaked when she entered the actors’ makeup room for “Who Is the Murderer.”
The room suddenly fell silent.
Three or four actors playing NPCs and their makeup artists all stopped at the same time and looked over.
No need to guess—everyone present had seen yesterday’s trending topic.
Pei Chuzhi wished she could write “Don’t look at me” on her forehead.
She quietly walked to a corner seat and sat down, waiting for the makeup artist to finish the previous person.
Whispers came from around her.
“So she’s Pei Chuzhi? She’s alright, not especially pretty.”
“Pretty or not is secondary. Her methods are impressive—first spread rumors, then clarify. She gained popularity in one go.”
“But I thought she wouldn’t come today. She’s already been on trending topics, why still compete with us for food…”
Pei Chuzhi opened the script and closed it again, really wanting to complain: she got this role by her own ability—why couldn’t she come?
Did she look like someone without professional ethics?
After a while, a makeup artist called her name.
Pei Chuzhi got up and sat down. Lowering her head, she saw the prepared makeup design sketch on the dressing table.
The role she played today was a femme fatale having an improper relationship with a big boss, so the makeup style naturally leaned toward seductive.
The makeup artist raised a delicate finger and applied foundation to her face. “Darling, your face suits this kind of role too well. Just standing there you look like a devastating enchantress who could ruin a nation.”
Pei Chuzhi smiled slightly. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Of course I’m complimenting you.”
“But last time when you played a pure female college student, you looked quite convincing too.”
“Speaking of which, I watched the previous episodes. Some more famous actors didn’t perform as well as you. Your acting skills in a variety show are really a waste of talent.”
“Please don’t flatter me to death,” Pei Chuzhi’s tone cooled a little.
She recognized this makeup artist. The last few times she came, his eyes were practically rolled to the sky, and he hadn’t even looked at her properly.
The entertainment industry loved to fawn over the high and trample the low.
Even for an originally unknown actor like her, as long as there was a possibility of turning things around, the attitudes of people around her would quickly change.
It was absurd, but everyone was used to it.
After finishing the makeup, Pei Chuzhi looked at herself in the mirror.
Her eyes were beautiful, the outer corners slightly upturned, but the inner lines curved back inward.
Usually without makeup she appeared somewhat cool, but once bright colors were applied, she could show a natural charm without deliberately trying.
The makeup artist seemed to be meeting Pei Chuzhi for the first time and praised her from head to toe again.
Pei Chuzhi really didn’t want to listen to the rainbow praise, so she found an excuse and quickly left the makeup room.
The corridor leading to the recording site was narrow, filled with equipment and cables. Wearing a pencil skirt and high heels, she walked carefully.
Just as she was about to reach the studio, a figure suddenly walked out from the stairwell nearby.
The person walked quickly with head lowered. Pei Chuzhi tried to step back but didn’t have time, and the two collided solidly.
Pei Chuzhi was a bit taller, so the other person’s forehead directly hit the bridge of her nose. It hurt so much she hissed, tears almost welling up.
“Do you even have eyes?”
The other party instead scolded her first, voice crisp but mixed with a spoiled arrogance.
Pei Chuzhi covered her nose, thinking wasn’t it you who bumped into me?
But soon she paused, recognizing the person—it was Sun Yuxin, the celebrity guest participating in today’s program.
A singing-and-dancing idol from a talent show, recently quite popular.
In a work setting, Pei Chuzhi didn’t want to conflict over such a small matter. “Sorry.”
“Next time watch where you’re walking, I’m telling you…”
Halfway through speaking, Sun Yuxin suddenly stopped. She seemed to recall something and sneered coldly, “Oh, I wondered who it was. What’s so impressive about you.”
After saying that, she twisted her waist and walked away.
Everything happened too fast, leaving Pei Chuzhi confused.
If Sun Yuxin’s initial attitude was just personality, then the last sarcastic remark was clearly aimed at her personally.
But Pei Chuzhi couldn’t recall ever offending her.
She quietly touched her sore nose bridge and only entered the studio after half a minute.
As soon as she went in, Pei Chuzhi saw Sun Yuxin standing not far away, pointing at her while talking with someone who looked like an assistant.
A certain scene deep in her memory gradually surfaced.
Pei Chuzhi remembered.
This was one of the female artists who had once tried to ride Xing Ye’s popularity—and then got fiercely slapped in the face by him.
Author’s note: The updates have been a bit late these past two days. As compensation, I’ll give everyone who comments on this chapter within 24 hours a red envelope!