Being the Diva’s Rumored Girlfriend [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 13

“What time do you usually… go to bed at night?”

As it was already late, everyone quickly packed up and left, leaving only Mi Man and Mu Yunshu still seated.

Mu Yunshu looked at Mi Man, who seemed a little unsettled, and after a moment of thought, replied, “I’ll sleep soon. Why do you ask?”

The question made Mi Man’s face flush slightly. Her fingers tightened around the hem of Mu Yunshu’s clothes as she whispered, “Can you… stay with me a little longer?”

Mi Man still felt uneasy, as if the chilling story had left the room colder—or perhaps it was just her imagination making her feel like unseen presences lurked in the shadows.

Mu Yunshu tilted her head slightly, studying her in silence. The prolonged gaze made Mi Man fidget, and she instinctively loosened her grip.

“Never mind… I’ll sleep alone.”

Mi Man stood up from her seat without meeting Mu Yunshu’s eyes and headed straight for the stairs.

What was she thinking?

She scolded herself inwardly. At best, their relationship was just for publicity. She was already grateful to have Mu Yunshu’s support—how could she ask for more?

They… weren’t actually a real couple.

Her face still warm, Mi Man walked briskly to her room. Just as she turned the doorknob, a hand reached from behind and held it in place.

Mu Yunshu leaned in, her amber eyes flickering with an unreadable light. “Didn’t you say you wanted me to stay with you? Why run off so fast?”

The sudden closeness made Mi Man’s heart leap into her throat, pounding so hard it nearly deafened her.

Mu Yunshu pushed the door open and, ensuring the hallway was empty, grasped Mi Man’s wrist and pulled her inside.

The unlit room was pitch black, save for the faint glow seeping in from the window. Even so, Mi Man couldn’t make out Mu Yunshu’s expression—only the silhouette standing before her.

She thought she heard a soft laugh, but the darkness obscured everything. The warmth around her wrist was the only clue to the other woman’s mood.

A low, velvety voice brushed against her ears as Mu Yunshu murmured, “Should I turn on the light?”

Turn on the light?

For some reason, the question made Mi Man tense up.

Mu Yunshu’s other hand slid around her waist, pressing her gently against the door. In an instant, they were flush against each other.

A quiet sigh escaped Mi Man as she tilted her head back slightly.

The small movement seemed to please Mu Yunshu, who chuckled softly before resting her head on Mi Man’s shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of lemon-scented body wash.

So, this little one used lemon-scented soap.

“Still scared?”

Mu Yunshu’s fingers curled around Mi Man’s waist, their thin clothes doing little to mask the heat between them. The simple embrace alone was enough to make Mi Man dizzy.

“N-no…”

It wasn’t fear—more like she no longer had the capacity to think about anything else.

Mu Yunshu laughed again, her voice feather-light. “Then I’ll stay with you tonight.”

Mi Man placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded slowly.

In the darkness, Mu Yunshu’s eyes gleamed—though she suspected Mi Man had misunderstood her words to mean: I’ll stay until you fall asleep.

A little frustrating, perhaps. But how could she let such a rare opportunity slip away?

Mu Yunshu seemed to be growing fond of the show’s director now. Whether others found it sweet or not, she knew her own heart was brimming with sweetness.

Mi Man was probably exhausted, falling asleep within five minutes of lying down. Mu Yunshu gazed at her peaceful sleeping face and reached out to gently caress her cheek.

Then, she leaned down.

Her soft lips brushed against Mi Man’s cheek, causing the sleeping girl to frown slightly in her dreams, though her expression soon smoothed back into serenity.

Mu Yunshu stole a kiss, her heart pounding wildly as if she were doing something forbidden—which, in fact, she was.

“You’re just the same as when you were little,” Mu Yunshu murmured, rubbing her thumb along the corner of Mi Man’s lips with a quiet laugh. “I’m glad you still remember me.”

——————————

The next morning, Mi Man was roused from sleep by the sunlight streaming through the window.

Surrounded by dense woods, early-rising birds had gathered on her windowsill, chattering loudly.

“Coo-coo-coo—”

“Chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp—”

Bleary-eyed, Mi Man opened her eyes to see two small orange birds perched on the windowsill, where the curtains had been left open.

She didn’t recognize the species, but the birds didn’t seem frightened by her waking, huddling together and continuing their noisy gossip.

Rubbing her eyes, Mi Man sat up, struggling to recall the events of the previous night. But just as she finished freshening up and was about to step out the door—it hit her.

Last night, she had… with Mu Yunshu…

“!!!!!!!!”

Mi Man’s breath caught. Had she really been bold enough to ask Mu Yunshu—the reigning queen of pop, the industry’s top diva—to tuck her in last night?!

Aaaaaaaaaah!!!

Had she lost her mind?! Why would she ever ask something like that?!

With a groan, Mi Man crouched in the doorway, clutching her head.

If anyone found out about this, they’d surely mock her for having the audacity of a fool—how could she dare do something so reckless?!

And now she had to face her so-called “rumored girlfriend” on camera today! Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!

Still crouched in despair, Mi Man heard the click of a door opening across the hallway.

You An and Shi Qinglan stepped out, yawning, only to stop in surprise at the sight of Mi Man curled up in the corridor.

“Manman?” You An asked curiously. “What are you doing? Morning exercises?”

Mi Man glanced up, her face instantly flushing crimson as she stammered out an excuse about just trying to do some sit-ups while holding her head…

The two women, ever kind-hearted, didn’t press further and simply pulled her along to breakfast downstairs.

“There’s a local festival today,” the director announced as everyone ate. “We’ve invited some artisans and arranged folk performances. You’ll all be taking the stage too.”

Performing was second nature to the celebrities, but Professor Jian Mo looked uneasy, so she was assigned to hand out sachets with the craftsmen instead.

“Remember, there’s a mission today—follow my cues,” the director added with a grin. “Each of you has a camera crew, so don’t lose them!”

After all, there had been instances before where someone ran off during a mission, leaving the cameraman behind. If the cameraman got lost, who would do the filming? That was a big problem.

Mi Man looked at the printed schedule in her hand, which listed the event timetable and performance setlist. As a girl group member, singing and dancing were her forte, so she wasn’t worried about that part.

It was just… having to complete missions with a partner that made her feel somewhat awkward.

Stealthily.

Mi Man glanced up at Mu Yunshu sitting beside her drinking coffee. She noticed Yunshu was dressed in refreshingly simple clothes today, sipping the richly aromatic beverage while reviewing some documents.

From this angle, Yunshu’s profile appeared soft yet defined – her smooth forehead and prominent nose bridge creating a striking three-dimensional effect.

Like a sculpture crafted by an artist, breathtakingly beautiful.

Noticing someone’s gaze, Yunshu blinked and turned her head.

When their eyes met, Mi Man immediately flushed red, quickly turning away to pretend she was getting water.

Watching her “girlfriend” flee in panic, Yunshu felt particularly amused.

Today’s mission promised to be quite interesting.

After the initial lively ice-breaking activities, it seemed everyone received different tasks. Mi Man’s assignment was to collect smiles from ten people at the event.

A straightforward mission without complications, Mi Man soon gathered several passersby for cheerful group photos.

By evening, the main event arrived – the folk performance.

Being a scenic area, this place frequently hosted festivals, especially during peak seasons like summer vacation when they organized many such activities, with the participants serving as special guests.

Backstage, Mi Man and the others prepared for the evening show.

The crowded dressing room gave Mi Man flashbacks to her Starlight Girls days. After looking around, she found her designated preparation area.

Just then, You An emerged from the changing room in a sleek performance outfit for her singing and dancing act. Spotting Mi Man, she greeted cheerfully: “Manman, you’re on after me, no need to rush.”

Mi Man nodded: “I just wanted to prepare early.”

You An tugged at her collar, complaining: “It’s still quite hot today. Let’s catch some breeze outside before we start~”

Without waiting for agreement, she pulled Mi Man through a backstage exit.

The evening air outside had cooled considerably, much more comfortable than the stuffy backstage.

Stretching her arms, You An turned to Mi Man with a grin: “Yunshu won’t get jealous that I dragged you out here, will she?”

Mi Man laughed: “Probably not, she’s not the petty type.”

“Oh~” You An studied Mi Man with interest: “You know her well, huh? Come to think of it, I’ve never asked how you two got together.”

Mi Man stiffened slightly, stammering: “We… met during a show.”

This was their prearranged cover story to avoid slipping up.

Noticing Mi Man’s evasive eyes, You An tilted her head – was her friend… lying?

“I see,” You An nodded and said, “Qinglan and I also met on a show. Back then, she was so aloof and barely paid me any attention, but later she ended up falling head over heels for me.”

As she spoke, she lazily rested her hand on the railing and added, “Being with someone you like really is joyful—you can’t stop thinking about them. Do you feel the same way?”

Mi Man pondered for a moment, and an image of Cheng Jing surfaced in her mind.

It seemed true—when you like someone, they occupy your thoughts constantly, impossible to shake off.

Mi Man nodded. “Yes, she’s all I can think about.”

Even though Cheng Jing already had a girlfriend, even though the two of them could only ever be friends, never anything more…

You An studied Mi Man’s melancholic expression and slowly smiled as she asked, “Mi Man, who are you thinking about right now?”

She tilted her head and continued, “I’m thinking of Qinglan. Is it Mu Yunshu you’re picturing?”

Under You An’s penetrating gaze, Mi Man found herself momentarily speechless.

She suddenly felt as though her innermost thoughts had been laid bare…

Flustered, Mi Man quickly explained, “Of course it’s Mu Yunshu. Who else could it be?”

You An pressed her lips together in a knowing smile. “Really now? Don’t lie to me.”