That day, after the crew of “Prosperous Tang Fantasy Song” wrapped filming, Peng Chenglang, who had removed his makeup and changed back into casual clothes, nudged An Juexiao’s arm and said mysteriously, “Tonight? Hmm?”
An Juexiao looked around guiltily, then quickly nodded, “Okay, quietly, do not let Wanzi find out.”
Peng Chenglang made an OK gesture and then slipped away sneakily.
An Juexiao then tugged at Su Lanxue, who was removing her earrings nearby, and whispered, “Are you going tonight?”
Su Lanxue’s manager raised his eyebrows when he saw An Juexiao acting so sneaky. Why did it look like she was dragging Lanxue into doing something bad?
With that thought, the manager could not relax. He had to keep a close eye on things.
Su Lanxue took off her earrings and placed them into her assistant’s hand. She pressed her chest, coughed uncomfortably, and said, “I think I caught a cold, I will not go tonight.”
Recently, the weather had been fluctuating, hot then cold, and many people in the crew had caught colds and fevers. Seeing Su Lanxue’s pale complexion, An Juexiao said with concern, “Alright, then rest early tonight.”
After thinking for a moment, An Juexiao felt that good things should not be kept to herself, they had to be shared with friends. She asked again, “Do you want Peng Chenglang and me to save some for you? After you recover…”
As she spoke, An Juexiao held one hand flat by her mouth and used the other to mimic eating. Her gesture was ambiguous, and in Su Lanxue’s manager’s eyes, it looked very much like… something else.
Realizing this, Su Lanxue’s manager was shocked. Oh my god, An Juexiao and Peng Chenglang actually… no, no, he had to watch over Lanxue carefully. He could not let her be dragged into this. Once drugs were involved, a life would be ruined.
Although the manager was shocked, he was someone who had seen many big situations. On the surface, he remained calm, but inside he was already making calculations. Now he had leverage over An Juexiao and Peng Chenglang.
Just then, Zhang Xiaowan walked over. An Juexiao immediately changed her expression, pulled Su Lanxue close, and said loudly, “Lanxue, the foundation you recommended is really good. After using it, my skin does not peel anymore.”
Su Lanxue was not annoyed at being used as a shield. Instead, she teased, “Your acting is so exaggerated.”
An Juexiao muttered softly, “That is because I am afraid Wanzi will find out.”
Sigh, wanting to sneak a little extra treat felt like cheating as a student, having to be so secretive. Being an artist could be this miserable.
However, there is no worst, only worse.
Zhang Xiaowan walked up to her and said, “Sis, stop pretending. Are you planning to secretly go to Peng Chenglang’s place to eat self-heating hot pot?”
“…” An Juexiao was hit right on the mark. Seeing Zhang Xiaowan’s “I already know, stop pretending” expression, there was no point in lying anymore, “How did you find out?”
“When that box of self-heating hot pot was delivered to the set, your eyes were practically falling out of your head. I knew you would not be able to resist. Plus, you two have been whispering behind my back all day, you just wanted to sneak some food and were afraid I would find out…”
“Uh, uh…” An Juexiao said awkwardly, “As expected of Sister Wanzi, wise and sharp-eyed.”
Su Lanxue’s manager: “???”
So after all that, these young people were just planning to secretly eat hot pot behind their manager’s backs?
“Alright,” Zhang Xiaowan said, “Although Sister Xi asked me to keep an eye on your weight and diet, it does not mean you cannot eat at all. One meal will not affect much. I will keep it a secret for you.”
“Wanzi, you are truly like my real sister!” An Juexiao bargained further, “Can I also have a cup of milk tea?”
Zhang Xiaowan answered firmly and mercilessly, “No.”
An Juexiao: “…”
That night, An Juexiao went openly to Peng Chenglang’s room. Zhang Xiaowan followed right after, and the group gathered lively in his room, eating self-heating hot pot.
As An Juexiao inhaled the rich aroma of meat and spicy broth rising from the steaming container, she felt like a wolf that had not eaten for a week finally seeing meat.
Half an hour later, Gu Zhanran saw two updates posted by An Juexiao on his social media feed.
An Juexiao: I am about to start eating! Of course, before that, I must present the “memorial photo” of the self-heating hot pot!
An Juexiao: Burp! Finished eating! So delicious! Thank you Sister Xi for showing mercy! Thank you little angel Chenglang for your selfless contribution!
Gu Zhanran looked at the two posts, only ten minutes apart, and suddenly gained a deep understanding of someone’s eating speed. He curled his lips slightly and gave An Juexiao’s post a like.
Half a second later, his gaze fell on the words “little angel Chenglang,” his brows lifted slightly, and then he canceled the like.
The next day, entertainment marketing accounts posted a set of nine photos online. The first few were of An Juexiao and Peng Chenglang rehearsing scenes on set, some standing face to face gazing deeply at each other while delivering lines, some with their heads close together whispering. None of the poses were inappropriate, yet they somehow gave the impression that the two were quite close.
The most shocking were the last three photos. In the first, An Juexiao knocked on Peng Chenglang’s door. In the second, Peng Chenglang opened the door and faced her. In the third, An Juexiao entered his room.
“Late at night, Peng Chenglang and An Juexiao actually did such a thing!”
“From acting together to real feelings, Peng Chenglang and An Juexiao meet secretly at night, interacting frequently”
Peng Chenglang was a popular young star, and An Juexiao’s popularity was also on the rise after the previous incident. When onlookers saw their names together, they immediately got excited and clicked in eagerly, only to leave disappointed.
“I thought there would be high definition scandalous pictures, turns out there is nothing, not even any intimate actions. These paparazzi are really not good this time.”
“I even thought there would be window shaking, I am too dirty minded.” The so-called “window shaking” came from a previous celebrity couple who were photographed kissing by a window without closing the curtains, leading netizens to coin the term.
Besides the disappointment of the onlookers, Peng Chenglang’s fans also reacted unusually.
In the past, any actress rumored with Peng Chenglang would be fiercely attacked by fans, but this time there was a small surprise. Quite a few fans were not as resistant to the rumor between Peng Chenglang and An Juexiao. Although there were still wails everywhere, many were crying while also showing approval.
“By my calculation, our brother is already twenty-five, it is time for him to date.”
“So when An Juexiao spoke up for him last time, she was actually defending her boyfriend?”
“So this is what love looks like, I suddenly feel a bit envious.”
“I actually quite like Sister Xiao, at least this rumored partner is better than the previous ones.”
“I heard that in this movie, brother and Sister Xiao are childhood sweethearts, suddenly I am really looking forward to it.”
It would have been one thing if they only said this under Peng Chenglang’s posts, but some bold fans even went to An Juexiao’s page to leave comments, greeting her as the official consort. Then other fans corrected them, saying An Juexiao was a princess, so Peng Chenglang should be the prince consort, therefore she should not be called consort.
“… ” An Juexiao looked at Zhang Xiaowan speechlessly, “This direction and momentum are not right.”
Zhang Xiaowan pursed her lips, trying not to laugh, “Exactly, things like unintended success happen all the time. Those actresses before tried to hype scandals with Peng Chenglang and ended up being scolded badly. You had no intention of creating a rumor, yet you ended up as his official partner.”
“I would rather just be the princess,” An Juexiao held her forehead, “I never thought eating hot pot would lead to a dating rumor.”
As she spoke, she looked at her phone again, “These marketing accounts are really good at making things up, they almost have me believing it. So what should I do? Should I release a statement to deny it, or just stay silent?”
Zhang Xiaowan’s phone rang. She glanced at it and said in surprise, “Sis, we just received news. Peng Chenglang’s team is extending an olive branch. They want to collaborate with us, to create a friendly CP pairing to boost traffic for both sides. After a year, the collaboration will end, and both teams will release statements saying they parted on good terms.”
Peng Chenglang was a rising idol. His willingness to pair up with newcomer An Juexiao in a staged CP was indeed a valuable opportunity.
As for why his team was willing to do this, there were two reasons. First, the backlash among fans toward this rumor was not strong, making it suitable as psychological preparation for fans, paving the way for Peng Chenglang’s future real relationship. Second, it was Peng Chenglang’s way of returning the favor.
Looking at the one year timeline, Zhang Xiaowan calculated and said knowingly, “Their team is quite good at timing. One year later happens to be when the movie will be released. They can use the breakup to create another round of publicity.”
“Debuting under the title of Peng Chenglang’s girlfriend and interacting for a year, it actually benefits us more. Of course, Sister Xi said we should respect your opinion.”
After spending time together, Li Xi felt that An Juexiao was someone with her own ideas, so she was willing to give her more say in career decisions instead of forcing things on her.
“Thank you for Sister Xi’s kindness,” An Juexiao said, “Please decline this collaboration for me.”
“Oh? You are not willing?”
“Popularity gained through rumors will not last. I would rather rely on my acting skills so that fans remember me,” An Juexiao shrugged, “And it would be unfair to my boyfriend.”
“You have a boyfriend???” Zhang Xiaowan was so shocked her mouth could fit an egg.
An Juexiao glanced at her, “Not right now.”
“Then why are you talking about a boyfriend…”
An Juexiao lifted her chin proudly, “Not having one now does not mean I will not have one in the future. With my looks, do I need to worry about finding someone?”
Zhang Xiaowan: “…”
After holding it in, Zhang Xiaowan still broke her fantasy, “Sis, the single rate in this industry is quite high.”
An Juexiao: “…”
“Everyone is busy making money, flying around every day, where is the time to date? And there are big conflicts of interest between artists. Today you might be lovers, sisters, or brothers, tomorrow you could be tearing each other apart publicly. There are plenty of cases where couples, sisters, or brothers fight over sponsors and end up in ugly conflicts.”
“???” An Juexiao felt like she had just heard something shocking.
Zhang Xiaowan was blunt by nature. After speaking, she realized she should not discourage An Juexiao too much, so she added comfortingly, “But do not lose heart, casual partners are quite common, and they are all good looking, so it is not a loss.”
“!!!” An Juexiao took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “You city people really know how to have fun.”
After talking with An Juexiao, Zhang Xiaowan conveyed her decision to Li Xi. Li Xi quickly replied to Peng Chenglang’s team, and the two sides began discussing other ways to respond to the rumor. As for Peng Chenglang, he rushed straight to the front line, messaging An Juexiao on WeChat.
Peng Chenglang: Why reject it, could it be that a handsome guy like me is not worthy of you? 【crying.jpg】
An Juexiao: Do not let the complicated entertainment industry and tangled interests taint our pure friendship!
Peng Chenglang: That makes so much sense! 【excited.jpg】
An Juexiao nodded in satisfaction, “This kid is really easy to coax.”
Zhang Xiaowan, who witnessed the whole exchange: “…”
She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Was Peng Chenglang’s silly charm really not a persona created by his team, but actually genuine?
An Juexiao’s dating rumor was like a thunderclap out of nowhere, making her fan group lively as well. Similar to Peng Chenglang’s fans, An Juexiao’s fans were also quite supportive of the rumor.
Fan 1: I knew it, there must be something going on between them!
Fan 2: Sister Xiaoxiao and Peng Chenglang look great together, they really have couple vibes!
Just as everyone was discussing enthusiastically, an out of place voice suddenly appeared.
Open-the-lid-and-win: Fake.
Fan 1: What is fake?
Open-the-lid-and-win: The rumor.
Fan 1: How do you know?
Open-the-lid-and-win: I just know.
Fan 2: Not necessarily. Look at the online posts and photos, they seem pretty convincing.
Open-the-lid-and-win: It is fake.
Fan 2, who had just raised the banner for the couple, got annoyed: Are you blind?
Fan 3: Alright, alright, stop arguing. We should keep harmony in the group.
After Fan 3 said that, everyone agreed: We are all Xiaoxiao’s fans, do not fight.
Fan 2: Fine, I admit I was a bit impulsive just now.
Fan 2 apologized, but still seemed unwilling to let it go, and typed again: Maybe Open-the-lid is still young and cannot accept her idol dating?
Open-the-lid-and-win: …………
Open-the-lid-and-win: Maybe that night they were just eating hot pot in the room.
All the fans: …………
Fan 2: Hahahahaha oh my god, little Open-the-lid, you are too cute and naive. Who goes to a handsome guy’s room in the middle of the night just to eat hot pot???
Fan 2: That sounds as ridiculous as a guy knocking on a beauty’s door late at night saying he wants to borrow the bathroom, and then actually just taking a shower!
Open-the-lid-and-win: ………………
Lurking in the group and reading the fans’ comments, An Juexiao recalled past events and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her knees. Could everyone please talk normally and stop hurting each other.