Being the Diva’s Rumored Girlfriend [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 24

The chocolate commercial soon began airing on major video platforms. As it was a two-minute-plus long video, it was edited into shorter versions for TV broadcasts and app splash ads.

 

Apart from the swiftly released ads, the 10-episode variety show recorded by Chuxia also started airing on television, with simultaneous updates on various video platforms.

 

Wow, the guests in this episode are all heavyweight!

 

It’s You An! And her wife!!

 

The production team is amazing—they actually got the goddess duo to appear! They usually don’t take variety show gigs.

 

Old Qi is here too! I grew up watching his dramas!

 

I know, right? My dad loves his shows too!!!!

 

Ah—isn’t that Mu Yunshu and her girlfriend?

 

Is Mi Man really that petite? Oh my god, she’s so slim, and her legs are so slender and fair!

 

Seriously! Blame those anti-fans for making me think Mi Man was some kind of ugly duckling. She’s actually quite pretty!

 

The first episode alone earned Mi Man and Mu Yunshu overwhelming praise, even landing the show three trending hashtags.

 

The members of Xingnu gathered in front of the living room TV, cheering excitedly when Mi Man and Mu Yunshu appeared on screen: “Mi Man, come out! We see you!!!”

 

Hiding by the second-floor staircase railing, Mi Man gripped the banister and protested, “Turn it off! I don’t want to watch myself!!!”

 

Even though they were all entertainers, seeing themselves on TV always felt oddly uncomfortable.

 

It was probably the same logic as chefs never wanting to cook after work.

 

Mu Xiaoxiao dragged her downstairs by force, plopping her onto the center of the sofa and forcing her head to face the screen. “Look at yourself! How can you skip your first variety show appearance?”

 

When Mi Man saw herself and Mu Yunshu on screen—Yunshu smiling elegantly while she gaped around like a clueless fool—she couldn’t bear to watch!!!

 

Ughhh, why did she look so awful?!

 

Why had she worn that outfit? It made her shoulders look so broad!!!

 

And that hairstyle—was that really how she’d styled it that day? The messy look gave off major “haven’t washed my hair in three days” vibes!!!

 

The more Mi Man looked, the more she cringed, eventually squeezing her eyes shut and playing dead.

 

But the others weren’t about to let her off the hook. Amid laughter and teasing, they insisted she open her eyes and watch, turning the living room into a lively chaos.

 

As the group joked and laughed, Cheng Jing sat quietly on the side, scrolling through her phone and reading the comments.

 

Little Mi Man’s dazed look is so cute! I suddenly get why Mu Yunshu likes her.

 

Is Mi Man actually the clumsy, adorable type? She’s seriously charming!

 

I can’t—her panicked expression cracks me up. Is she really that shy?

 

Hahaha, I’m officially a fan! Someone drop the official fan group link—I’m signing up as a mom fan!

 

A mom fan? Seriously???

 

If you want to be a girlfriend fan, you’d have to beat Mu Yunshu first. Not happening, so count me in as a mom fan!

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

Cheng Jing’s scrolling fingers paused. She glanced up at Mi Man, who was laughing and playing along with the others, and suddenly felt as if something had risen between the two of them.

 

It was like a piece of glass—visible yet always just out of reach.

 

Cheng Jing suddenly wondered, how long had it been since Mi Man looked at her the way he used to?

 

That fervent gaze—how long had it been since she last saw it?

 

Whoosh—

 

Just as Cheng Jing was lost in thought, a message from Sister Gu popped up—

 

Sister Gu: The company is holding a meeting in half an hour to discuss Yao Xuan leaving the group. You should come too.

 

After all, the two of them were still publicly in a relationship. Yao Xuan’s situation needed to be handled carefully.

 

Cheng Jing replied: Got it.

 

She got up from the sofa, planning to change clothes before heading out.

 

The others noticed her standing and looked at her in confusion. “What’s up, Captain?”

 

Cheng Jing glanced at them and smiled faintly. “I’m going to the company. You guys keep having fun.”

 

Though they didn’t know what was going on, Cheng Jing was often called to the company, so no one thought much of it.

 

Well, she was the center, after all.

 

By the time Cheng Jing arrived at the company’s office area, Sister Gu had just stepped out of the elevator.

 

“You’re here,” Sister Gu said, walking briskly in her silver high heels. “Come with me to the meeting room. We need to wrap this up quickly—there’s other business to handle.”

 

When the two entered the meeting room, they saw that several managers had already gathered.

 

Since this was an internal meeting, no one bothered with formalities. They quickly motioned for Sister Gu and Cheng Jing to take their seats.

 

“Have you all heard about Yao Xuan?” A manager in his forties spoke up. “She’s signed with another company. Looks like she’s planning to go solo.”

 

Sister Gu was stunned. “But she hasn’t terminated her contract with us. That’s a breach.”

 

“Yao Xuan’s family is wealthy. She’s already transferred the penalty fee to us.”

 

“Well, then—”

 

The manager turned to Sister Gu. “The issue now isn’t Yao Xuan jumping ship—it’s how we handle the PR fallout.”

 

Yao Xuan and Cheng Jing were still publicly a “couple.” If the media found out Yao Xuan was leaving, it could easily spark unnecessary speculation.

 

Was there bad bl00d between group members? Was the company exploiting its trainees? Or had she and Cheng Jing broken up? Every angle would be dragged into the spotlight.

 

None of those topics would be good if they gained traction.

 

Just as everyone was at a loss, another manager added, “Next month is Star Girls’ second anniversary, and there’s a fan meet. We have to handle this properly.”

 

“What if we take the initiative and announce Cheng Jing and Yao Xuan’s breakup first? That way, Yao Xuan’s departure could be framed as heartbreak?”

 

“But they’ve only been ‘dating’ for less than half a year. A breakup this soon would hurt Cheng Jing’s reputation too.”

 

“Then should we let Yao Xuan announce the breakup and her departure herself? Some media outlets are already sniffing around. A few bold ones have even asked me directly if Yao Xuan terminated her contract—I didn’t dare answer!”

 

“That’s exactly why we need the best solution. We have to figure something out today!”

 

The meeting room descended into chaos. Star Girls was the company’s flagship girl group, cultivated over the past two years with a focus on youthful energy.

 

Originally, Cheng Jing and Yao Xuan’s public relationship had been a promotional tactic. But no one expected Yao Xuan to leave so abruptly—without even leaving room for negotiation.

 

It was a real headache.

 

In the entertainment industry, everyone just puts on an act, giving each other face for future encounters.

 

Cheng Jing spent the entire day sitting in the conference room chair, listening to the discussions around her without saying a word.

 

In the evening, Mu Yunshu called Mi Man—she had just finished work.

 

“Did you watch the show?”

 

Mu Yunshu seemed to be driving, the sound of navigation audible in the background.

 

Mi Man glanced at the group having a hot pot party in the living room. Since the album recording was finally done, they had used celebrating Mi Man’s success as an excuse to throw a hot pot feast in the dorm.

 

“Yeah, I did,” Mi Man said, stepping onto the balcony with a sigh. “I looked kinda ugly.”

 

“Did you?” Mu Yunshu chuckled softly. “I thought you were adorable.”

 

Mi Man pursed her lips. How could this woman say such shameless things so casually?

 

“Have you eaten yet?”

 

“Just had dinner with some investors before heading back.”

 

“Did you drink?”

 

“No, they’re old friends. They know I don’t like alcohol.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Mi Man suddenly didn’t know what else to say. When they met in person, they could chat about this and that, but now that they were actually making small talk over the phone, she found herself at a loss.

 

Sensing her silence, Mu Yunshu couldn’t help but laugh. “Want to meet up?”

 

Mi Man’s face warmed. “Meet up for what?”

 

So she could get pinned down and kissed in the car again?

 

This woman really had no shame.

 

“Because I miss you,” Mu Yunshu said smoothly while turning the steering wheel. “Don’t you want to see me?”

 

Mi Man’s ears burned. “No,” she huffed. “I’m having hot pot with everyone today.”

 

“Then… can I come?”

 

“No!”

 

Mu Yunshu pouted, feeling wronged. Why so distant? It wasn’t like she hadn’t met those girls before.

 

Mi Man kicked her feet lightly. “Everyone’s dressed super casually today, and the dorm’s a mess. Just don’t come. We’ll go out another time.”

 

After all, if Mu Yunshu saw their dorm littered with ratty clothes, slippers, and colorful bras draped over the couch, she’d probably be horrified.

 

So, after some thought, Mi Man decided it was better not to let her come—meeting outside was safer.

 

Rejected by her little sweetheart, Teacher Mumu had no choice but to agree and settle for another day.

 

After hanging up, Mi Man returned to the living room, where her friends teased her mercilessly until her face burned red before finally letting her join the hot pot feast.

 

That night, as she curled up under the covers, Mi Man suddenly wondered—why hadn’t Cheng Jing come back yet?

 

Early the next morning, a phone call rudely woke her up.

 

Grabbing her phone and burrowing deeper into the blankets, she answered without checking the caller ID, assuming it was Mu Yunshu.

 

“Yunshu…”

 

Her voice, soft and drowsy, carried an unintentionally seductive tone in the warmth of the blankets.

 

Had Mu Yunshu heard Mi Man’s sweet, sleepy murmur of her name, she probably would’ve rushed over immediately to whisk her away.

 

Unfortunately, the caller wasn’t her.

 

Fu Yilan, her voice laced with morning irritation, snapped, “It’s me.”

 

Mi Man lay there with her eyes closed, struggling to place the voice, before jolting upright in bed, trembling. “F-Fu… President Fu…”

 

Fu Yilan clicked her tongue in displeasure. “Stop stuttering. It sounds like you’re calling me ‘Vice President Fu.’”

 

Mi Man said somewhat awkwardly, “Sorry, is there something you need?”

 

Fu Yilan got down from her bed and replied with a hint of resignation, “Someone from Mu Yunshu’s studio called. They want you to attend her concert next month, and I agreed.”

 

“Concert?” Mi Man asked in surprise.

 

Fu Yilan nodded calmly. “She only holds one concert a year. It coincides with her new album release, so they’re combining the events. Otherwise, why do you think she’s called the ‘Little Diva’?”

 

Only then did Mi Man realize why Mu Yunshu had been so busy since returning from filming the variety show.

 

Fu Yilan continued, “From now on, you’ll frequently participate in events with Mu Yunshu. Besides arranging new albums for Star Girls, there will also be variety shows and commercials. I’m giving you a heads-up.”

 

This was clearly setting her up for stardom…

 

Mi Man asked uneasily, “Just me?”

 

“If we only promoted you, it would cause unnecessary trouble. After all, Star Girls is a team. We’ll try to arrange for you to participate in programs with the others.”

 

“Thank you, President Fu.”

 

Fu Yilan chuckled lightly. “Don’t thank me. You should be thanking Mu Yunshu.”

 

Mi Man blushed and nodded. “I’ll thank her too.”

 

After a long silence on the phone, Fu Yilan finally said, “Mi Man, there’s something I should tell you.”

 

Mi Man: “?”

 

Fu Yilan continued, “Your popularity has grown significantly compared to before, and you’ll have more engagements coming up. You need to start preparing now, because it’s only a matter of time before you become the center of Star Girls.”