Being the Diva’s Rumored Girlfriend [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 14

You An wasn’t particularly clever, but she wasn’t a fool either.

The strange atmosphere between Mi Man and Mu Yunshu was obvious to anyone with eyes. Though unfamiliar with them, You An had mostly pretended not to notice.

But today, for some reason, she really wanted to know what was going on between them.

It wasn’t unheard of in the entertainment industry—veterans boosting newcomers through this kind of publicity stunt was an effective, albeit risky, method. Many had followed suit.

The nervous, flustered look on Mi Man’s face only seemed to confirm You An’s suspicions.

She couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Biting her lip, Mi Man looked at her companion—someone she’d only known for half a month but had grown close to—and whispered, “Yunshu and I… we really do like each other.”

You An glanced up at her.

“You’re saying you like Mu Yunshu?” You An tilted her head, looking past Mi Man’s shoulder at the person behind her, and said coolly, “But the two of you don’t seem close at all. It’s like you barely know each other. Are you really dating?”

Mi Man nodded. “It might seem strange, but I really do like her. Yunshu is so outstanding, and so many people admire her. The fact that she chose me makes me happy, so of course… I’m careful, afraid of losing her.”

You An opened her mouth, then laughed. “Then tell me—have the two of you kissed?”

Mi Man’s face instantly flushed crimson. “K-Kiss?!?!”

The image of being pinned against the door by Mu Yunshu, their lips locked together, flashed through her mind, making her ears burn bright red!!!!

“Hmm?” You An reached out, lifting Mi Man’s flushed face with a mischievous grin. “Are you blushing? How adorable~”

Before You An could tease her further, Mi Man felt a warm arm wrap around her waist, pulling her into an embrace.

Mu Yunshu had appeared out of nowhere. Holding Mi Man close, she smiled faintly at You An and said, “Don’t bully Manman like that. Only I get to make her cry.”

The words were dripping with implication, and with Mi Man nestled against her, the girl’s face burned even hotter.

You An pouted and shrugged helplessly. “Can’t I tease your girlfriend a little? She’s just too cute.”

Mu Yunshu glanced down at the flustered Mi Man, pressing her lips together before replying, “No, you can’t.”

Mi Man clutched at Mu Yunshu’s costume, wrinkling the neatly pressed fabric, her eyes darting everywhere in embarrassment.

Watching the two exchange glances, You An decided not to play third wheel. After reminding Mi Man, “Don’t forget about your performance later,” she headed backstage.

Once she was gone, only the two of them remained by the empty railing.

The stage had been set up in the plaza, so by nightfall, the area was deserted—nothing but the faint chirping of insects and the pounding of Mi Man’s heart.

“I thought you were going to slip up earlier,” Mu Yunshu murmured, looking down at her. “But you handled it well.”

Even though You An was part of the industry, it was better to keep their secret between the two of them.

To avoid unnecessary complications.

Mi Man nodded. Her clothes today were rather thin, making their close proximity feel particularly… ambiguous.

“Can you let go of me first?” Mi Man looked up at Mu Yunshu with some unease and said, “You An has already left, so…”

There’s no need to hold her so tightly, right?

Mu Yunshu blinked, seemingly disappointed as she loosened her grip, allowing Mi Man to slip out of her embrace.

Gazing at the endless mountain range, she said, “Go get ready. It’s almost time for your performance.”

Mi Man noticed Mu Yunshu’s inexplicably disappointed expression and wanted to reach out and tug at her sleeve, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided against it.

Though the two were quite familiar with each other, it was better not to engage in such intimate gestures.

“Then I’ll go get busy.” Mi Man nodded at Mu Yunshu before quickly running backstage.

Mu Yunshu watched her retreating figure, her eyes flickering with frustration.

If her initial closeness with Mi Man had merely been a pretext to get closer to her, now, these light and casual touches were no longer enough to satisfy Mu Yunshu’s desires.

She kicked a small stone at her feet and reined in her thoughts.

Patience was key—Mi Man wasn’t ripe yet, and rushing things would only spoil them.

——————————

The show recording went smoothly, and ever since that night, Mi Man noticed Mu Yunshu’s physical contact had increased.

Sometimes it was holding hands, other times helping her carry things, and occasionally leaning against her with an arm draped around her waist.

Mi Man knew it was all to avoid raising suspicions, but every time Mu Yunshu touched her, her heart would race uncontrollably, her face flushing crimson to the tips of her ears.

She had to admit—her thoughts had strayed.

But who could remain unaffected when a girl as beautiful as Mu Yunshu held their hand or wrapped an arm around their waist? Mi Man wasn’t some saint—she did harbor… some fondness for Mu Yunshu.

That day, everyone was out in the field pulling radishes—yes, pulling radishes.

After all, staying at a countryside inn meant doing things they couldn’t in the city, and radish-pulling was clearly a great recreational activity.

Since none of them had ever done farm work before, they all ended up covered in mud. Even Qi Ye and his wife admitted that fieldwork was a bit too much for them.

The entire field had been rented out by the crew, and after recent heavy rains, the ground was especially muddy—several crew members had already slipped and fallen.

Mu Yunshu currently had a handful of radish greens in her grip, and Mi Man watched her nervously. “Are you sure this is the biggest radish?”

“Hmm…” Mu Yunshu said seriously, “I don’t actually know.”

Mi Man sighed helplessly. Trying to identify the largest radish still buried in the ground was indeed a challenge—it was practically a guessing game with prizes.

“Let’s just pull it out first.” Mu Yunshu applied some force, and a plump, white radish peeked out from the soil.

Mi Man gasped excitedly. “Look at its head—it’s huge!”

Mu Yunshu nodded. “Manman, come help me. This one’s definitely a monster!”

Mi Man eagerly scooted over, and together, they dug and tugged until they finally wrestled the radish—weighing at least twenty pounds—out of the ground!

“Wow!” Mi Man clutched the radish greens, beaming at Mu Yunshu. “This has to be the biggest one in the whole field!”

After all, the radishes in their hands were plump, white, and hefty—completely dwarfing the ones they had dug up earlier!

The thought of securing first place in this mission filled Mi Man with overwhelming joy.

In previous tasks, Mi Man and Mu Yunshu had always lagged behind, either falling short on points or failing to complete the objectives. Though the rewards weren’t substantial, since they were filming a show, they still had to put in more effort.

Now that victory in this episode was within their grasp, Mi Man’s smile grew even brighter.

Mu Yunshu watched Mi Man’s sparkling eyes, both of them covered in dirt, their faces smudged and their feet caked in mud. Yet, seeing Mi Man’s radiant smile filled her with deep satisfaction.

“Happy?”

“Mhm!”

Mi Man lifted her head cheerfully and said to Mu Yunshu, “We’ll have so many radishes to eat tonight!”

The thought of an extra meal made her grin even wider.

For some reason, Mi Man suddenly noticed a shift in Mu Yunshu’s gaze. Her dark eyes flickered, and before Mi Man could react, Mu Yunshu slowly leaned in.

A soft, unexpected kiss landed on the tip of her nose.

It was tender, carrying the faint scent of earth.

The cameraman immediately captured the moment, while You An and the others, who were still pulling radishes nearby, turned to stare at the pair.

Mi Man froze, clutching the large radish in her hands, unsure whether to drop it or hold on.

Fortunately, Mu Yunshu didn’t linger—just a brief brush of her lips against Mi Man’s nose before pulling away.

Gazing at her, Mu Yunshu smiled. “Consider this your reward.”

Mi Man’s cheeks flushed red, and the radish in her hands plopped back into the dirt.

You An, exasperated, tossed a few radish greens at them and yelled, “Hey, stop flirting in front of us! Save it for later!”

Shi Qinglan, standing beside her, pouted. “We’re not dogs, and I want some affection too.”

Mu Yunshu wrapped a muddy arm around Mi Man and teased, “If you’re jealous, go kiss someone yourself.”

“Fine! Hand Mi Man over, and I’ll do just that!”

“An’an! I’m right here!!”

“Oh, sorry Qinglan, I’ll come back after kissing her!”

“????”

Qi Ye and Jian Mo exchanged glances, choosing not to interfere with the youngsters’ antics, merely sharing a look that said, Ah, youth.

Mi Man never quite understood why Mu Yunshu had kissed her at that moment. Even by the end of filming, she hadn’t found the right opportunity to ask.

But she knew—the look in Mu Yunshu’s eyes hadn’t been an act. It felt… genuine.

The entire summer, Mi Man spent filming with Mu Yunshu and the crew. Originally planned to wrap up in a month, the season ended up stretching to nearly two due to weather and other delays.

From the start of summer through the hottest days, by the time Mi Man realized it, she and Mu Yunshu had already known each other for over three months.

During this period, since they were busy with work, there weren’t many rumors circulating online about the two of them. Those fans who used to flood Mi Man’s Weibo comments to make their presence known had also mostly disappeared, giving her a sense that everything had quieted down.

On this day, the final episode recording concluded, officially marking the wrap of the production.

Two months was enough time for Mi Man and Mu Yunshu to grow closer. Now when Mi Man saw Mu Yunshu, she no longer felt nervous or awkward. Even when Mu Yunshu held her hand, she would instinctively respond in kind.

“Everyone has worked hard!” The director personally cooked a lavish meal tonight for the guests and crew to celebrate the successful completion of the third season of “The Most Authentic You.”

Some hung banners while others set off confetti poppers.

A few of the livelier crew members even joined hands to sing “Unforgettable Tonight” for Mi Man and the others, turning the celebration into a boisterous affair. Drunken guests lay sprawled across the villa’s floor, creating quite the spectacle.

Noticing that Mi Man had drunk a bit and was slightly tipsy, Mu Yunshu reached out and pulled her into an embrace.

Mu Yunshu had a high alcohol tolerance and rarely got drunk, so seeing Mi Man in this state was rather novel to her.

Mi Man nestled softly in Mu Yunshu’s arms. When she opened her eyes and saw Mu Yunshu’s exquisitely beautiful face, she couldn’t help but smile.

Mu Yunshu bent down, scooped her up bridal-style, and sighed as she carried her upstairs. “Stop grinning at me like that. I’ll take you back to your room.”

After tucking Mi Man into bed, Mu Yunshu turned to leave, only to feel a tug on her sleeve.

Mi Man, eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushed, buried her face in the pillow.

Through muffled words, Mu Yunshu heard her whisper faintly, “Don’t go…”