LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 27
Early in the morning, Bai Yin was lying on the soft big bed, half awake. Her phone on the bedside table vibrated.
She rolled over and covered her ears with a pillow. The man beside her reached over to grab her phone and threw it away.
Bai Yin was alert in a second, quickly hugged his strong arm, pried his fingers open and snatched her phone back from his hand forcibly.
It would be broken if thrown away. Chen Huaixiao, this bastard, certainly wouldn't compensate her.
Bai Yin turned sideways, got under the quilt and unlocked her phone screen.
Sun Lili forwarded her several weibo links:
"The public opinion trend has shifted. Meng Qianqian deliberately took advantage of Chen Huaixiao for hype. What a good trick!"
Bai Yin was confused: "What hype?"
Sun Lili: "See for yourself."
Bai Yin clicked on the link she sent. It was about Chen Huaixiao leaving the Starry Night Awards ceremony abruptly for no reason.
After some fermentation, there was a new speculation about this incident:
"It was obvious that Chen Huaixiao left to avoid suspicion."
"Yes, everyone knows Chen Huaixiao is a man of his word. There must be inside story about this."
"Hasn't Meng Qianqian explicitly said many times on variery shows that her ideal type is someone like Chen Huaixiao?"
"Wow, there is smoke without fire!"
Netizens spoke with such certainty because someone leaked a photo.
The photo was taken in a rather dimly lit bar. In the bar, Chen Huaixiao intimately put his arm around a woman in black dress and walked out with her.
The woman had fair skin, slender figure and looked elegant. The thin straps outlined her shoulders like snowy peaks.
Her face was shrouded in neon light so her appearance was unclear, but she gave out a vaguely cold and glamorous feeling.
The meticulous observation of Holmes-like netizens led to the shocking discovery that the black Dior high-heeled shoes worn by the woman in Chen Huaixiao's arms were exactly the same as the shoes Meng Qianqian wore in her recent street shots!
This photo directly proved the unusual relationship between Chen Huaixiao and Meng Qianqian.
Just then, Sun Lili sent another message:
"These shoes are not limited editions. Don't you have a pair too?"
Of course Bai Yin had a pair. The woman in the photo with Chen Huaixiao was her. It was her outfit that night when she went to the Seliya Club to look for Chen Huaixiao.
Wherever Chen Huaixiao went, the security was extremely strict to prevent any paparazzi.
Unexpectedly, someone still managed to take this photo.
Fortunately, the halo of light shielded her face very cleverly.
Sun Lili: "Now netizens from all sides are guessing about the relationship between Chen Huaixiao and Meng Qianqian, saying that Meng Qianqian is Chen Huaixiao's lover!"
Bai Yin: "Ridiculous, no need to care. This rumor will rot in a few days. "
Sun Lili: "That's not necessarily true!"
She sent Bai Yin a video of Meng Qianqian accepting an interview.
In the video, when the reporter asked Meng Qianqian if she really had an ambiguous relationship with Chen Huaixiao, Meng Qianqian smiled shyly and said, "I hope everyone pays more attention to my work. Some things will take their own course."
This equivocal response was very thought-provoking. Netizens became more convinced that
"It turns out to be true. Meng Qianqian is indeed Chen Huaixiao's lover!"
"Chen Huaixiao has maintained a clean reputation all these years without any scandal. Unexpectedly, he and Meng Qianqian are a couple."
"He has protected Meng Qianqian very well!"
"Ahhh they are so sweet!"
"I'm crazy about this pair!"
Sun Lili: "I'm sick. Aren't you going to do anything?"
Bai Yin: "Chen Huaixiao's wife fans are frantic. Someone willing to take the bullet for him is nothing but beneficial to me."
As long as it didn't hinder her path, she didn't need to care about any of Chen Huaixiao's scandals, even the "Ah Yao" he muttered drunkenly in his youth.
Meng Qianqian was nothing.
Sun Lili: "You are really open-minded. Mrs. Chen, not jealous at all?"
Bai Yin: "That bastard man, not worth it. [Smile]"
Just then, the man's cold low voice came from behind her:
"I'm not worth it?"
Bai Yin shuddered and looked back.
Somehow, Chen Huaixiao had woken up and was staring at her closely.
Even just woken up, this man's looks were still amazingly good. His narrow elongated eyes slightly looked up. His features were exquisite, giving off an untouchable sacred feeling.
His thin lips were so close to her ears. His hot breath blew on her ears, containing lethal allure.
Bai Yin instinctively wanted to run. Chen Huaixiao had already grabbed her wrist and pulled her back under him.
"Bai Yin, am I not worth it?"
She said anxiously: "At least people outside call you Master Huaixiao. You you you... actually peeped at my screen!"
Chen Huaixiao's lips curved up in a faint smile. His fingertips dropped to the strap of her nightgown: "Master Huaixiao wants not only to peep at your screen, but also to peep at you."
"..."
Two days later, on the set of The Rainbow Gown.
Sun Lili looked at Bai Yin who was having her makeup done, and said: "I just learned from the music director that the singer of the ending theme song of The Rainbow Gown, is Meng Qianqian."
"It's her?" Bai Yin said in surprise: "But I heard Ye Xiao was chosen."
"Previously the powerful vocalist Ye Xiao was decided. Her ethereal voice suits the style of the ending song very well. But I don't know why... Meng Qianqian got it in the end."
Sun Lili moved closer to Bai Yin and gossiped: "The whole entertainment industry now believes that Meng Qianqian is Chen Huaixiao's woman. Recently her resources have been so good that she's flying high. Endorsements and variety shows come one after another."
"Oh."
"Just oh? You are too calm!"
Bai Yin said casually: "Chen Huaixiao is not in a hurry to clarify things. Why should I be anxious?"
"But it's strange." Sun Lili frowned: "Master Huaixiao is not good-tempered. It's been so long and he hasn't said a word, acquiescing to Meng Qianqian using his name for hype. This is too weird."
Bai Yin thought of Chen Huaixiao venting his anger intimately that morning. He was probably unhappy about her "bastard man not worth it".
He had always been arrogant.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she lazily said: "As long as she doesn't hinder my path, even if half of the entertainment industry were his scandal girls, I wouldn't bother."
Sun Lili looked at Bai Yin and couldn't help marveling inwardly: "A woman focused on her career is so charming!"
In the afternoon, the makeup artist spent nearly two hours putting special effect makeup on Bai Yin.
This scene was about the female lead Yanhuan being bullied at the laundry bureau.
Bai Yin changed into dirty palace maid clothes, her face dirty and sallow, squatting wretchedly at the laundry bureau, doing the dirtiest jobs in the entire palace.
Director Zhao Xun looked at Bai Yin in the camera with a scrutinizing gaze.
She wore ugly special effect makeup in order to arouse the audience's empathy for the female lead's destitution. She didn't care at all about her image in front of the camera. She was willing to get her hands dirty doing anything filthy.
When Song Anti tried this scene before, she absolutely refused to put on ugly makeup and didn't even go bare-faced. She acted Yanhuan's suffering scenes with red lips and powdered face, which was extremely out of character.
There is contrast from comparison.
Looking at Bai Yin's sallow and grimy haggard face, in ice and snow, wearing such thin clothes, yet still able to act steadily,
Zhao Xun couldn't help thinking that with such temperament, if she couldn't become the most dazzling star in the entertainment industry, then the entire starry sky would dim.
"Cut, very good. Bai Yin worked hard. Take a break and get ready for the next scene - being splashed with water and bullied by the second female lead."
Sun Lili immediately came over and thoughtfully put a down jacket on Bai Yin.
Bai Yin sat on a chair, warming herself with hot tea. Her teeth chattered from the cold.
Sun Lili helped warm her hands: "Should we slow down?"
"No need. After two more scenes...I can rest."
At this moment, the music director came to find Bai Yin: "Bai Yin, I need to discuss something with you."
Bai Yin turned her head and saw Meng Qianqian behind the music director.
She wore a warm white mink coat with a little cotton skirt. Her long straight black hair draped over her shoulders. Her face had light, noble and cold makeup.
"Director Tang, what's the matter?"
The music director brought Meng Qianqian to Bai Yin and introduced: "This is the singer of our ending theme song Dance in the City - Meng Qianqian. She just tried singing in the studio but couldn't get into the feeling. She requested to meet the female lead. She thinks if she could watch the female lead Yanhuan dance the rainbow gown dance in person, she may be able to find the right feeling."
Bai Yin was easy to get along with. She took off her down jacket and said, "I can dance a bit right now."
The music director said gratefully: "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome."
Meng Qianqian crossed her arms and sized up Bai Yin's special effect makeup and dirty palace maid clothes. She frowned slightly: "Dressed like this, covered in dirt, can you dance out a feeling of fascinating the country and the city?"
"What Miss Meng means is..."
"Change into Yanhuan's rainbow gown costume and put on a rosy cloud makeup."
Bai Yin patiently explained: "I have another scene later. I can't change costume. Also, the rosy cloud makeup takes at least two hours to put on."
Meng Qianqian had no intention to talk to this unknown newcomer at all. She just turned to the music director: "Since your female lead is not cooperative, there's no way to record today. Let's talk another time."
Director Tang was anxious: "Qianqian, didn't we agree to record today? You are so busy every day with schedules. Next time...I don't know when will be. We all have our own work schedules and can't let the whole music team wait for you."
Hearing this, Meng Qianqian got angry straight away and retorted: "Please get this straight. It's your female lead who is playing diva. How can you blame me instead!"
Director Tang had no choice but to plead Bai Yin again, pulling her aside and saying in a low voice: "Bai Yin, can you postpone your scene for a bit and dance for Qianqian to see first?"
Bai Yin said: "You can show her the recorded videos. I don't need to dance personally. The videos have presented the rainbow gown dance very thoroughly."
"I showed them to her. She said she didn't feel it and still wants to watch you dance in makeup personally."
"This request is completely unreasonable. Did you agree to her?"
The music director said awkwardly: "She's the apple of Master Chen's eye. Master Chen invested in our crew. We can't afford to offend him lightly!"
If he hadn't mentioned Chen Huaixiao, Bai Yin wouldn't have minded. But hearing Chen Huaixiao, Bai Yin felt a bit angry.
She looked back at Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian had an arrogant expression as if she was bound to get her way.
If Meng Qianqian didn't hinder Bai Yin's path, she wouldn't have cared who she hyped up with. But now that Meng Qianqian made such an unreasonable request, Bai Yin naturally wasn't easygoing either.
She walked over and said bluntly to Meng Qianqian: "I won't dance specially for you to watch. If you feel it, sing. If you don't feel it, don't sing. I believe there are many singers in the entertainment industry who can sing without needing to feel it first."
No one in the industry had ever spoken so bluntly to Meng Qianqian.
The music director listened nervously with his back chilled. Cold sweat streamed down as he desperately signalled Bai Yin to stop talking.
Meng Qianqian was so angry that her face lost all color. The muscles on her face trembled: "You... Who do you think you are to talk to me like this!"
"I've already said it. I don't care if you like hearing it or not. If you don't, you can leave."
"Good! You wait and see!"
After saying that, Meng Qianqian angrily left the studio.
Director Tang anxiously stamped his feet and was about to confront Bai Yin.
At this time, director Zhao Xun walked over and said, "Bai Yin still has the next scene to shoot. She is very busy with filming and has no time for someone to dance for her. She will sing when she feels it and leave when she doesn't."
The supervisor Tang anxiously said, "You don't know that Meng Qian Qian has a background and cannot be offended! Now it's all messed up..."
"No matter how much background she has, it can't be bigger than our female lead..."
Before Zhao Xun could finish speaking, Bai Yin gave him a look, hoping he wouldn't mention her and Chen Huaixiao's affairs.
He immediately stopped talking and patted supervisor Tang on the shoulder, "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
...
That night, Meng Qian Qian posted a Weibo—
"Sorry to my fans, I regretfully missed the theme song of The Red Robe. @Bai Yin who doesn't drink orange juice anymore, maybe you did nothing wrong, it was my fault. I apologize to the female lead of our Yuanhuan."
This ambiguous and sarcastic Weibo directly pointed fingers at The Red Robe's female lead—Bai Yin.
In the comments, there were all kinds of speculation. Some said Bai Yin and Meng Qian Qian fought over popularity; some said Bai Yin was jealous of Meng Qian Qian and deliberately made things difficult for her; some also said Bai Yin wanted to monopolize the theme song...
Because Meng Qian Qian was so popular, she had many brainless fans. Those who blindly defended her were countless—
"Bai Yin come out and apologize!"
"She's just a newcomer, what right does she have to compete with Qian Qian?"
"Feel sorry for Qian Qian, she's such a gentle person."
"Don't you guys know what kind of person Bai Yin is? She's just using the same tricks that got Song Anti kicked off set before."
"@Chen Huaixiao, your beloved is being bullied by a bad artist, aren't you going to do something?"
Immediately after, many people @'ed Chen Huaixiao in the comments, asking him to come out and protect Meng Qian Qian.
Bai Yin was lying on the sofa browsing Weibo with a face mask on.
She knew Chen Huaixiao was still in the study having a video conference call. He rarely logged into Weibo, maybe only once in a few months. She directly copied a comment and posted it on her main account—
Bai Yin who doesn't drink orange juice anymore: "@Chen Huaixiao, your beloved is being bullied by a bad artist, aren't you going to do something?"
"??? What is Bai Yin doing?"
"Don't understand this move."
"Same, don't get it. Did she go crazy?"
"She dares to @ Chen Huaixiao? Her brain must have collapsed!"
"Hahaha, I just want to laugh."
"Feel Bai Yin is a bit cute for some reason."
"Same!"
Chen Huaixiao had been ignoring Meng Qian Qian's marketing gimmick the whole time. But within three minutes of Bai Yin's comment, Chen Huaixiao's Weibo account came online—
"I'm married and don't know any deep or shallow."
The photo was a "Don't mess with me" emoji.