Being the Diva’s Rumored Girlfriend [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 11

The first episode was actually filmed in just one day, but post-production required quite a bit of time.

Considering Mi Man had just returned from the hospital and taking the guests’ health into account, the production team ultimately decided to let everyone rest for a week to adjust before officially started filming.

That morning, after eating the breakfast prepared by the crew, Mi Man decided to go out for a walk. After all, staying indoors for days had left her feeling stifled.

Apart from the initial nervousness, she had found most people to be quite friendly during these days of interaction. For example, Qi Ye, the instructor who looked intimidating at first glance, was actually completely devoted to his wife.

He would soak her feet at night, make sure she had shrimp for lunch, and in the evenings, when there was nothing else to do, they would hold hands and stroll around the lake twice.

Despite being well past fifty, they were as affectionate as newlyweds.

Mi Man sat idly on the floor by the first-floor balcony. She had been resting for days, watching everyone else busy at work, unsure of what she should do.

Suddenly, the sound of a guitar drifted from the villa’s courtyard.

The melody was intermittent, as if someone was constantly adjusting the tuning, occasionally pausing before starting again.

It sounded like someone practicing an unfamiliar piece.

The nearby crew members heard it too, glancing over before smiling and walking away when they saw who was playing under the parasol.

Mi Man rested her head on the balcony railing, watching the pair around the corner.

You An, dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts, sat cross-legged on a wooden tatami mat, casually strumming the guitar in her lap.

Across from her was her beloved—Shi Qinglan.

Pluck—

You An abruptly stopped playing and glared at Shi Qinglan. “Your rhythm is completely off! Didn’t I say you were supposed to follow my beat with the drum?”

Shi Qinglan, her high ponytail swaying, looked at her partner with a mix of frustration, helplessness, and indignation. Pouting, she said, “I’m not a composer. I don’t understand all that jargon you’re using.”

“You just have to harmonize with me when I reach this part of the song. I need to get the chorus rhythm right.”

“What’s a chorus?”

“…Were you even listening to me earlier?”

“I was, I just zoned out a little.”

You An huffed, kicking her legs out and shoving Shi Qinglan off the mat.

Shi Qinglan landed on her backside, sighing as she sat on the ground. “I’m an actor. I can perform, but music? That’s beyond me.”

You An propped herself up on the tatami, glaring. “It’s not that you don’t understand—you just weren’t paying attention!”

Just as the two seemed on the verge of an argument, Mi Man quietly approached.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, tilting her head. “Can I help with anything?”

Though You An and the others were already in their thirties, in the youth-centric entertainment industry, the difference between twenties, thirties, and forties was barely noticeable.

You An turned and brightened when she saw Mi Man. “Manman~”

Mi Man: “??”

Manman?

Did she pick that up from Mu Yunshu???

You An crawled over from the other side of the tatami, grabbed Mi Man’s hand and pulled her up, saying cheerfully, “Since you’re a girl group member, you must know a bit about music, right?”

After all, singing and dancing go hand in hand~

Mi Man nodded slightly: “Just a little, but I’m not very good at it.”

You An smiled brightly: “That’s perfect! Qinglan can never keep up with my rhythm no matter how I teach her. Could you help me?”

Infected by her enthusiastic smile, Mi Man agreed.

The distance between them instantly closed as You An wrapped an arm around Mi Man’s waist, happily nuzzling against her—

“I knew you’d help me!”

“Uh, uh…”

Her, her br3asts touched me!

Your wife’s glare could kill me right now!!!

Stop this!!!

Later, Mi Man finally understood what they were doing.

Although “The Most Authentic You” was a series variety show, this season’s theme song hadn’t been decided yet. The director originally planned to hire someone to compose it, but changed his mind after seeing the guest list.

Who was You An? A superstar singer popular across both sides of the strait, whose songs had been chart-toppers for over a decade.

The question was: When you have such an experienced singer-songwriter on hand, why look elsewhere??

This was practically disrespecting You An!!!

These were the director’s exact words.

Mi Man nodded in understanding—You An had been tricked!

The oblivious singer cheerfully said, “I haven’t written such lively tunes in ages—it took me days to adjust.”

Holding her half-finished composition, You An told Mi Man: “Come help me!”

——————————————

“Let’s handle this matter with our usual PR approach—it’s routine anyway.” Mu Yunshu said wearily to her subordinate on the phone: “Didn’t I say I’m filming now? Don’t disturb me unless it’s urgent?”

The caller sounded guilty but pressed on: “Yes, yes, but this matter might have negative repercussions, so we had to check…”

Mu Yunshu paced around the room absently: “Schedule a video conference in two days. We’ll address everything then.”

“Understood.”

“Mm.”

Hanging up, she tossed her phone onto the bed, watching it rolls across the soft bedding before coming to rest.

Mu Yunshu sighed. Filming this show felt like a vacation—at least here she wasn’t constantly bothered by people at her studio.

Opening the window for fresh air, she admired the villa arranged by the production team. The setting was excellent, with ample space between villas ensuring privacy.

Each villa boasted front and back yards, complete with swimming pools and ponds—every conceivable amenity.

Leaning on the windowsill, Mu Yunshu enjoyed this rare moment of tranquility.

Then melodic guitar notes drifted in, drawing her gaze to the yard below.

Everyone had gathered for something—even the crew were rushing over with cameras.

Looking down from above, Mu Yunshu noticed that Mi Man and You An seemed to be… playing musical instruments?

You An was holding a guitar in her arms, skillfully plucking the strings, while Mi Man sat beside her with a small drum resting on her lap, tapping out a rhythm to complement the guitar’s melody, adding layers to what would otherwise be a rather monotonous tune.

After the piece ended, You An picked up a pen and began scribbling on her draft paper, muttering to herself, “This part still needs some tweaking, and here too…”

Meanwhile, Shi Qinglan sat nearby, craning her neck to watch her beloved jotting down notes. She didn’t really understand what was being written, but she watched intently all the same.

Qi Ye and his partner had also arrived at some point, sitting off to the side and listening with interest as You An composed.

Even Mrs. Jian Mo, who was in her fifties but still retained her grace and charm, looked on with childlike curiosity. “So, this is how you compose music?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t know how others do it,” You An replied while revising the score, “but this is how I like to create.”

Rather than holing up indoors to write songs, she preferred stepping outside, basking in the sunlight and feeling the breeze—it sparked her inspiration.

“The melody itself is fine now,” You An said, chewing on the end of her pencil thoughtfully. “But who’s going to write the lyrics?”

This question stumped everyone.

You An was indeed brilliant at composing, but lyrics weren’t her forte. Her previous songs had all been collaborations with lyricists, so now she found herself at a loss.

The director watched the scene through the camera lens, thoroughly pleased. Whether used in the main show or as bonus footage, these shots would be captivating.

But someone seemed to be missing.

No sooner had the director thought this than Mu Yunshu emerged from the villa.

You An looked up and waved enthusiastically. “Mu Mu, come over here!”

Mu Yunshu smiled from afar, her gaze lingering on Mi Man. Since it was a day off, Mi Man hadn’t dressed up, but her youthful figure still looked exceptionally fair and slender in the sunlight.

Those slightly timid eyes instinctively avoided Mu Yunshu’s gaze when they met—it was just… too adorable.

She walked over slowly and asked, “What are you all up to?”

You An explained the day’s activities in detail, then said with some embarrassment, “But what about the lyrics? With my high school flunking skills, the best I could probably come up with is something like ‘The weather’s really nice today.'”

Mu Yunshu thought for a moment. “Isn’t Professor Jian a university teacher? Why not ask her for help?”

At this, everyone turned their heads in unison toward the middle-aged woman who had been watching with curiosity.

“Me?” Mrs. Jian said, flattered. “I’ve never written lyrics before. Are you sure I can do it?”

Qi Ye encouraged his wife cheerfully, “Give it a try! Haven’t you always said you wanted to try new things? This is a perfect opportunity.”

“Yeah, yeah!” You An chimed in happily. “Professor Jian, we’re counting on you!”

Blushing slightly, Mrs. Jian said, “Well then, I’ll do my humble best.”

Amidst the lively scene of everyone working on the lyrics and music, Mu Yunshu took advantage of the commotion to quietly pull Mi Man aside.

Mi Man was surprised to feel someone grabbing her, but when she saw it was Mu Yunshu, she quietly sighed in relief. “Oh, it’s you. What’s wrong?”

Mu Yunshu pinched Mi Man’s cheeks with a hint of jealousy in her voice. “When did you get so close with You An and the others?”

From what she’d just heard, they’d been sticking together all day.

How could Mu Yunshu feel comfortable knowing her little girlfriend had been spending time with other women behind her back?

Thinking Mu Yunshu was complimenting her social skills, Mi Man looked up at her with a shy smile. “Because… I didn’t want to keep being a burden to you.”

Making friends was something Mi Man was quite good at~