Being the Diva’s Rumored Girlfriend [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 3

The golden hues of late afternoon lingered in the air.

Though it was already past 6 p.m., the sky remained bright—summer days stretched endlessly, making time feel as though it had come to a standstill.

The scorching 30-degree heat radiated from the blistering pavement.

Inside the car, Mi Man sat in the backseat, nervously rubbing her fingers together. She lifted her gaze to the white building slowly approaching outside the window—this was Mu Yunshu’s private studio.

Though referred to as a private workspace, it resembled more of a three-building villa.

Vines crawled across the white walls, climbing over specially designed steel trellises, creating a rather spectacular sight.

As the car passed through the gate, Mi Man could still make out the rooftop greenhouse and the photography studio in the backyard.

“Mu Yunshu scheduled our meeting for 7 p.m.,” the manager said while steering the wheel. “Wait here for a bit. I’ll go check if she’s freed up some time.”

Mi Man nodded. The company had acted swiftly—after yesterday’s uproar, they had already arranged this meeting with Mu Yunshu, hoping to resolve the issue.

But seeing the impatient expressions on the executives’ faces, Mi Man knew she had caused them trouble.

The manager stepped out of the car and headed toward the villa’s entrance. Only after her figure disappeared did Mi Man slowly lean her head against the window.

Before leaving today, Mu Xiaoxiao had been deeply concerned about whether Mi Man could handle the situation, pulling her aside to offer endless advice.

Several members of their group had also come to see her off, all visibly worried about this trip.

They were all young girls who had trained and debuted together—losing even one of them would be heartbreaking.

Mi Man closed her eyes.

Her mind drifted to Cheng Jing, who had returned to the dorm that morning. But amid the chaos surrounding Mu Yunshu, Mi Man had completely forgotten to notice her expression at the time.

With a quiet sigh, she decided she’d apologize to her friend properly once this mess was over.

After all, her actions had inadvertently stolen Cheng Jing’s spotlight.

Thud—

Just as Mi Man was lost in thought, a dull impact sounded from the car roof, as if something had landed on it.

From the noise, it didn’t seem like a small object.

Mi Man rolled down the window and peered up but saw nothing—only a soft, mewling sound reached her ears.

“Meow…”

Following the sound, a long, orange-and-white tail lazily dangled down.

Mi Man: ???

Whose cat was this?

Stepping out of the car, she looked up at the feline perched on the roof.

The fluffy tail swayed before her eyes like a striped cat toy, while its owner shifted slightly before settling into a comfortable position, ears twitching as it let out a yawn.

The dense tree branches nearby suggested the orange tabby had likely leaped down from above—a chubby cat landing with a plop.

Meeting its gleaming eyes, Mi Man helplessly reached out to poke its tail.

The moment her finger made contact, the tail flicked away playfully.

The cat’s bright, alert gaze studied her before it lazily let out another yawn-like mewl—

“Meow—”

No one knew whose cat it was, and Mi Man couldn’t help but worry—if her manager returned to find this chubby orange tabby lounging on her car roof, she definitely wouldn’t be pleased.

“Hey kitty,” Mi Man tried negotiating, “how about you go lounge on another car?”

Of course, the cat didn’t understand human speech. It simply blinked its big eyes at her, completely unmoved.

Mi Man tilted her head, studying the cat for clues.

Its paws were snow-white, its coat glossy and well-groomed. The way it fearlessly ignored humans suggested it was used to ruling the roost at home—definitely not some stray.

After all, no stray could grow this plump.

Just as Mi Man was trying to figure out how to shoo the cat off the car, her manager emerged from the white building.

“I’ve arranged a meeting with Mu Yunshu upstairs,” Manager Gu said, then frowned at Mi Man. “Why are you outside? I told you to wait in the—”

Her words cut off as she spotted the cat on the car roof.

The domineering little orange creature couldn’t care less about the two humans. It lazily stretched, yawned, then flopped onto its side, tail dangling off the edge, swaying playfully.

The tiny movement made Mi Man’s heart flutter, but with her manager present, she didn’t dare show too much excitement.

Manager Gu reached out to shoo the cat away.

“Shoo, shoo—”

She nudged the cat’s rear, but the stubborn thing didn’t even scratch—just stayed put.

After two failed attempts, a soft chuckle sounded behind them.

Mi Man turned to see a woman standing just beyond the fence, dressed in denim shorts and a black tank top. The heat must have gotten to her—she’d tied the tank top at her waist, revealing a slender midsection and pale thighs.

Her long black hair was loosely pinned up, with a few curled strands framing her delicate face. A high nose bridge and peach-colored lips added a striking charm.

Mi Man thought her eyes looked like amber—deep, bottomless, yet shimmering.

Mu Yunshu.

A woman even more beautiful than her retouched photos.

When her gaze landed on Mi Man, it lingered for a second before drifting away.

“Sorry, my cat’s a bit spoiled,” Mu Yunshu said, resting her slender wrist on the railing with a slight tilt of her head. “No parking tickets here, and it’s not crowded. Your car will be fine.”

Manager Gu sighed. “Won’t it bother others?”

Mu Yunshu smiled. “Not at all. Come on in.”

With that, she lifted her chin slightly and called, “Guazi, come here,” before turning away.

The previously unruly cat immediately stood, shook its fur, and leaped off the car, darting inside.

When Mi Man and her manager stepped into the house, the cool air washed over her, a welcome relief.

The studio lobby was decorated in a modern yet cozy style. A receptionist or someone of that sort came forward and led Mi Man to a meeting room on the first floor.

The small meeting room didn’t have a large office desk, just a round table and a few partitioned spaces.

Mu Yunshu was sitting on a chair, stroking the head of an orange tabby cat curled up beside her. When she looked up and saw the two enter, the corners of her lips curved slightly.

It had to be said—even in an entertainment industry filled with stunning beauties, Mu Yunshu was the kind of woman who could take one’s breath away at first glance.

The moment Mi Man met her gaze, she felt her breath hitch. It took her a second to steady herself.

That was close. I almost froze on the spot.

“Have a seat,” Mu Yunshu said, giving the staff member behind her a look, signaling her to leave.

Once the room was confirmed to have only the three of them, Sister Gu gestured for Mi Man to sit down.

“We came today to formally apologize,” Sister Gu said with an awkward yet polite smile. “Mi Man acted recklessly, causing such a big mess. It’s really… not easy to resolve.”

Mu Yunshu’s eyes held a soft amusement as she looked at Mi Man. “What’s so hard to resolve?”

“Since the news is already out there and everyone knows, why not just make it official?” Mu Yunshu said lightly. “After all, being linked in a scandal with me isn’t exactly a bad deal.”

There had been instances before where rumors about Mu Yunshu had trended—mostly baseless gossip stirred up by the media, later proven entirely false. But even so, the people involved had skyrocketed from obscure D-list celebrities to overnight sensations, climbing the ranks of fame.

Before this meeting, the company had already discussed things briefly with Mu Yunshu. What’s said can’t be unsaid—if they couldn’t change the situation, they might as well adapt to it.

And that was precisely why they were here today.

Mi Man hadn’t lifted her head the entire time. She just clutched the hem of her skirt, listening to the conversation between her manager and Mu Yunshu as if it had nothing to do with her.

The orange tabby beside her seemed to sense something and lazily stretched its tail toward Mi Man.

It was almost as if it was saying: Not happy? Here, you can pet me.

Mi Man peeked up—only to immediately lock eyes with Mu Yunshu across the table. Neither spoke first.

“Can I talk to Mi Man alone?” Mu Yunshu propped her chin on one hand, watching the girl whose gaze kept darting away. “After all, this is between the two of us.”

Mi Man stiffened. She instinctively didn’t want to be left alone with Mu Yunshu, but under Sister Gu’s sharp look, she couldn’t bring herself to protest. She could only watch helplessly as her manager stepped out of the meeting room.

Click—

As the glass door closed, Mi Man felt goosebumps rise all over her skin.

She could distinctly catch Mu Yunshu’s scent—not the usual perfume most female celebrities wore, but something fresher, like the crisp aroma of new grass sprouting from the earth. Subtle, yet impossible to ignore.

“Now that we’re alone, you still won’t look at me?”

Mu Yunshu didn’t stare at her. Instead, she idly pinched the ear of the cat—Guazi—lounging on the table and said mildly, “I can’t be that terrifying, can I?”

Mi Man glanced around, then took a deep breath in her heart before looking up at Mu Yunshu.

“I’m sorry,” Mi Man apologized sincerely. “I didn’t mean to tag you that day. I never expected you would actually respond to me…”

Looking back now, there were so many people tagging Mu Yunshu every day—why had this rising diva chosen to reply to her, of all people?

If she hadn’t responded, no one would have noticed the incident, and it certainly wouldn’t have blown up into such a huge scandal.

Mu Yunshu stroked her cat, remaining silent for a moment before curling her lips slightly. “No matter what, from now on, you’re my girlfriend. I look forward to getting to know you better.”