The two went to the company canteen together. Since they arrived a bit early, it wasn’t very crowded yet. The food here was actually quite good; the best part was that it was free. At home, Gu Yinglian usually prepared her own meals, trying to keep her lifestyle refined, but her culinary skills were only mediocre at best.
Gu Yinglian looked at Ye Yansheng. Without makeup, she looked incredibly elegant and fresh. Even a mundane task like eating was performed with such grace and a sense of ritual.
Ye Yansheng looked up, caught her staring, and couldn’t help but smile. “Do I look that good?”
“Ah?” Gu Yinglian snapped back to reality, embarrassed. She lowered her head and murmured, “Naturally, you are beautiful.”
“Are you lusting after my beauty?” Ye Yansheng teased. “Well, I’m glad there’s something about me you like.”
Gu Yinglian said, “Sister Ye is perfect.”
“Thank you,” Ye Yansheng replied. “I think I’m perfect, too.”
Gu Yinglian couldn’t help but glance at her again. Aside from a complete lack of humility, she really was perfect.
By the time they finished, the canteen was starting to fill up. They stood up and left.
On the way back to the dorms, Gu Yinglian walked behind Ye Yansheng, observing her. Her gaze followed her instinctively. This woman was gentle; even the strands of her hair seemed to exude a soft tenderness. Gu Yinglian felt a wave of affection, thinking that this—just as they were—was actually quite nice.
Ye Yansheng slowed down to wait for her. As Gu Yinglian caught up, Ye Yansheng took her hand and smiled. “Walk faster. What are you thinking about?”
The moment their hands met, Gu Yinglian felt as if she’d been burned. She felt shy again, her face turning a deep crimson. Seeing this, Ye Yansheng reached out and pinched her cheek. “Why are you so easily embarrassed?”
Suddenly, a faint click sounded nearby. Ye Yansheng looked up, her expression instantly turning stern. Someone was nearby taking photos. Seeing Ye Yansheng about to step forward, Gu Yinglian hurriedly grabbed her. “Sister Ye!”
The person bolted like a streak of lightning. Ye Yansheng glared at the retreating figure, looking frustrated. She turned to Gu Yinglian and said, “Why did you stop me? He was taking pictures of us.”
“Let him take them, it’s no big deal,” Gu Yinglian urged. “Don’t go and hit someone again. How long has it been since the news about you hitting someone finally died down?”
Ye Yansheng replied, “The rest doesn’t matter, I’m just afraid they caught your face.”
Gu Yinglian looked at her. “It’s okay.”
“There are too many people posting black material about me online, I don’t care about myself,” Ye Yansheng said. “But you… you’re different from me.”
Gu Yinglian pulled her along. “Never mind that. Let’s just go back first.”
Ye Yansheng sighed. “Alright then.”
…
Sure enough, it didn’t take long for a new piece of gossip about Ye Yansheng to break online. The headline read: Ye Yansheng’s New Flame: Guess Who?
Attached was a photo. It captured a very ambiguous and blurry moment of Ye Yansheng caressing a girl’s face (the blurriness was likely due to the photographer’s shaking hands). However, Ye Yansheng was still very recognizable. Gu Yinglian was also exposed this time, identified as the other female lead in the same production.
The “melon-eating” netizens exploded once again. Everyone began speculating wildly. Ye Yansheng’s sexual orientation had always been a standalone topic of debate. Regarding her as an actress, some defended her, some watched from the sidelines, and some loathed her. Ye Yansheng knew she couldn’t make everyone like her, so she let the speculations run wild and never responded directly.
The public couldn’t help but remember the previous incident. Was the girl Ye Yansheng had “chivalrously” defended the same girl in the photo? Keyboard experts compared images from both incidents and confirmed they were the same person. Suddenly, everyone “understood”—there was a deep connection here. So, the unlucky Xu Feifan was beaten because he offended someone’s girlfriend. Soon, “Ye Yansheng’s New Girlfriend” was trending.
…
Ye Yansheng was still teaching Gu Yinglian the Tango when her manager called. She had to stop and answer. “Hello? I’m busy. Make it quick.”
Manager: “Congratulations. You’re trending again.”
Ye Yansheng: “Oh? What is it this time?”
Manager: “Because of a woman.”
Hearing this, Ye Yansheng glanced at Gu Yinglian and walked to the side. “What woman?”
Manager: “The woman next door to you! Ye Yansheng, don’t play dumb with me! The photo is very clear. Don’t you know your current situation? Do you want to be blacklisted again? Can’t you show some restraint? You spend all day causing me trouble—I just got chewed out by the higher-ups! You—”
Ye Yansheng: “Fine. Hanging up now.”
She checked Weibo and saw the photo. Gu Yinglian’s name was indeed appearing. Ye Yansheng frowned at the image.
Gu Yinglian walked over and asked, “What’s wrong? What ‘woman’?”
Ye Yansheng looked at her and said, “It’s nothing. Let’s continue.”
But Ye Yansheng was a bit distracted. Sensing something was up, Gu Yinglian decided to call it a day. After the song ended, she said, “Sister Ye, let’s stop here for today.”
“Okay,” Ye Yansheng replied.
After Gu Yinglian left, Ye Yansheng made a call. “Hello? Check the surveillance at location XX of the company. Yes, as soon as possible.”
The internal employee who took the photo was quickly identified and fired. Not long after, while he was wandering outside, he “accidentally” tripped and broke a leg.
As for the photo, Ye Yansheng’s company issued an explanation: the two had become close friends while filming together, hence the intimacy. They asked the public not to speculate wildly or negatively impact the actors. The company’s marketing teams and “water army” (paid posters) went to work, and soon the narrative was cleaned up. Seeing there was no more gossip to reap, the public was quickly distracted by other news, and the matter was suppressed.
The entertainment industry is like that—storms come and go quickly. At the end of the day, it’s just because people have too much time on their hands.
Gu Yinglian didn’t follow Weibo, so the online explosion didn’t affect her, but her friends noticed. A friend called her, asking how she had “hooked up” with Ye Yansheng and if the rumors were true.
Gu Yinglian was bewildered. “What happened online…?” Ah, did the photo actually get out?
The friend was eager for gossip. “Just tell me if it’s true.”
“What ‘true or false’? We’re just filming together,” Gu Yinglian insisted.
“But everyone online is speculating that you’re in that kind of relationship. They’re calling you Ye Yansheng’s new favorite.”