Being the Diva’s Rumored Girlfriend [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 5

In the dimly lit dance floor, the crowd surged around them.

Mi Man stood under the spotlight with her two fellow group members, letting out a long sigh of relief as she took in the unfamiliar faces.

It did seem like a rather quiet party. No one was dressed in outrageous costumes, and everything appeared perfectly safe—except for her own dress…

Mi Man discreetly tugged at the back of her dress with her pinky finger. She couldn’t shake the discomfort of feeling overly exposed. She much preferred wearing T-shirts and long pants.

As familiar music began to play, Mi Man and the others started moving to the rhythm, kicking off the performance for the evening.

“That girl looks so familiar…”

“Oh, isn’t she Mu Yunshu’s girlfriend?”

Mi Man suddenly caught snippets of conversation drifting toward her. She glanced up and saw a group of women in evening gowns huddled together, their eyes scrutinizing her.

Ignore them, ignore them!

Mi Man averted her gaze and continued dancing to the beat.

But her ears stubbornly picked up every single word they were saying!

“She looks pretty average, nothing special.”

“Her figure isn’t great either. Her chest is so flat—has she never had work done?”

“Her face is small, but her nose isn’t very defined. Probably all natural.”

“Hah, maybe you should recommend your family’s plastic surgery clinic to her?”

“Oh, come on, maybe Mu Yunshu just likes this type?”

Since it was just a small dance floor in a hotel, the stage wasn’t large. If Mi Man could hear them clearly, so could everyone else.

The surrounding crowd soon turned their attention to Mi Man’s chest and exposed back, murmuring with amused interest.

Mi Man’s face burned red. Her limbs stiffened, and she could practically feel their gazes, sharp as knives, raking over her body again and again.

Those disgusting stares, paired with their smirks of ill intent, made her stomach churn…

Her two companions also heard the loud remarks and stopped dancing, looking helplessly at Mi Man, who stood frozen in place.

“Manman…”

One of them reached out and tugged at her sleeve. “Don’t listen to them. Let’s just finish and get off the stage.”

Mi Man glanced at them and nodded.

Somehow, she managed to endure until the end, and the three of them stepped down together.

“Why don’t you ladies stay and have a drink with us?”

Just as they were about to leave, a few well-dressed men approached, eyeing them with interest. “We’re high-level executives from a film company. How about chatting with us? Do us the honor?”

The girls shrank back nervously.

One man in his forties stared intently at Mi Man, smiling as he said, “You’re Mi Man, right? Care to share a drink with me? I’d love to know what Mu Yunshu sees in you.”

As he spoke, he reached out to touch the exposed pale skin of her back.

“!!!”

Mi Man instinctively recoiled, accidentally stepping on the hem of her dress. She stumbled and nearly fell—

“Ah!”

Her friend gasped softly, only to see Mi Man caught at the last moment by someone who wrapped an arm around her waist and steadied her.

Mu Yunshu looked down at her, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk. “Why so careless?”

Mi Man looked up at the person before her. The dim corner stage lights cast shifting shadows across Mu Yunshu’s face, creating a hazy, ethereal beauty.

Mu Yunshu was dressed sharply today in a fitted blazer, her black knit sweater accentuating the porcelain fairness of her neck.

White wide-leg trousers paired with black high heels emphasized her tall, elegant silhouette through stark contrast.

She cast a fleeting glance at the group across from them, her long, wavy black hair cascading down like a dark waterfall with the movement.

“Isn’t this Manager Sun?” Mu Yunshu smiled. “Here to discuss a contract? Though I didn’t expect negotiations to happen in a corner.”

The man at the front of the group stiffened, forcing an awkward chuckle. “Yunshu, it’s been so long. You’ve grown even more beautiful.”

Ignoring the unpleasant man, Mu Yunshu instead looked down at the flustered Mi Man in her arms and grinned. “I came to see my girlfriend. She had a performance here today, so I dropped by to show my support.”

Then, turning back to the man, her smile remained bright. “I noticed you seemed particularly interested in my girlfriend earlier. Is your company planning to sign her?”

“Haha, if the opportunity arises, of course!”

“Then I’ll hold you to that.”

The men shifted uncomfortably. Though they were high-ranking figures in the entertainment industry, someone like Mu Yunshu—both an award-winning actress and a powerful CEO—was beyond their reach.

After all, her company boasted a roster of top-tier artists, any one of whom could easily overshadow them. There was no point in picking a fight.

Their excitement thoroughly deflated, the group left in clear disappointment, their displeasure written all over their faces.

Only after they were gone did Mi Man’s bandmates dare to glance nervously at her, then timidly at Mu Yunshu.

Noticing the two girls’ gazes, Mu Yunshu beamed. “Thank you for standing up for Mi Man.”

Their faces instantly flushed red. Mu Yunshu was already stunning, but her smile was downright lethal.

Combined with her effortlessly chic outfit today—sweet yet sharp—it was impossible not to blush.

“It’s nothing! Manman’s part of our group—we couldn’t just let her get bullied.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Mu Yunshu paused, then looked down at Mi Man with a smirk. “Is that so, Manman?”

The way she said “Manman” sent shivers down Mi Man’s spine. Even though her bandmates called her that all the time, coming from Mu Yunshu’s lips, it somehow carried a… flirtatious edge.

“Th-Thank you,” Mi Man stammered, too embarrassed to meet Mu Yunshu’s eyes. “You… you…”

Could you let go of me first?????

Mu Yunshu seemed to read her mind, her grin widening as she tightened her grip around Mi Man’s waist instead.

Mi Man: “…”

Bandmates: “…”

Were they just going to flaunt their relationship like this, as if the two of them didn’t exist?????

“W-Well, we’ll head out first,” the bandmates exchanged glances, deciding not to third-wheel. “We’ll wait for you in the dressing room~”

With that, they shuffled out, nudging each other along the way.

Mi Man opened her mouth to cry for help, but no sound came out. She could only watch helplessly as they disappeared around the corner.

The people around seemed to have their eyes fixed on them the whole time. Those who had been making sarcastic remarks earlier were now staring intently, eager for some drama, which made Mi Man feel extremely uncomfortable.

But the most uncomfortable part was the person beside her.

Ignoring Mi Man’s glare, Muyun Shu smiled brightly at the person in her arms and said, “Tired? Why don’t you come with me to the private room and rest for a bit?”

What?

Go to the private room and… rest???

Everyone pricked up their ears—rest how exactly????

Mi Man looked at her in confusion, only to see the other woman slowly lean down and whisper in her ear, “Everyone’s watching. Don’t embarrass me.”

The implication was clear—Mi Man was still Muyun Shu’s rumored girlfriend, so she ought to act the part.

Mi Man pouted unhappily. She barely knew Muyun Shu—how was she supposed to pretend to be her lover???

Wasn’t this just setting her up for failure???

Muyun Shu blinked playfully, then took Mi Man’s hand with her free one and, right in front of everyone, pressed a kiss to her fingers.

The crowd: “!!!!”

Mi Man: “!!!!!!!!!!!!”

If you have something to say, just say it—don’t use your mouth like that!!!!!!!!

Once the kiss ended, Muyun Shu grinned at Mi Man, whose expression looked like she’d seen a ghost. “Stop being mad at me, okay? I admit I didn’t think things through when I announced our relationship publicly. Forgive me?”

The crowd: “Ooooh—”

The reigning pop princess was actually begging her girlfriend for forgiveness in such a meek tone—what kind of drama was this?!

Mi Man was completely bewildered, blinking in utter confusion.

Muyun Shu, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her performance. She casually intertwined their fingers, locking their hands together.

“There are too many people out here,” Muyun Shu said with a smile. “Let’s go back—somewhere quieter.”

The crowd: “!!!!!!”

Quieter??????

In an instant, everyone’s minds flooded with scandalous images of Muyun Shu and her little girlfriend in the private room, clothes disheveled, doing this and that…

This was way too inappropriate for a public figure!!!

Mi Man, being dragged away, had no idea what kind of positions people were imagining her in. But since she had nowhere else to go, she might as well follow Muyun Shu to the private room for now and leave later.

Once the door to the private room closed behind them, Muyun Shu finally released Mi Man’s hand.

The warmth of her touch vanished instantly, leaving Mi Man momentarily dazed. Nervously, she turned her head away, avoiding eye contact.

“Thank you,” Mi Man murmured. “I didn’t interrupt your time at the party, did I?”

“Not at all,” Muyun Shu replied with a smile. “I wasn’t really enjoying it anyway—I only came for work.”

If she hadn’t spotted Mi Man, she probably would’ve made a brief appearance and left.

Muyun Shu suddenly felt grateful that the hotel had arranged this small private room for her. Though it wasn’t spacious, it was perfect for escaping the noise.

“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll take you out later.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Mi Man sat properly on the sofa, her gaze drifting to the lively dance floor outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Performances had begun on stage, filling the space with energy and excitement.

This was probably the first time she’d ever watched a party from a private room. The novelty of it struck her—was this the privilege of the wealthy?

Mu Yunshu found Mi Man’s curious and cautious demeanor utterly adorable and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Mi Man,” she called out.

Mi Man turned to look at her.

Crossing her slender legs, Mu Yunshu smiled warmly. “We’ll probably be seeing each other often from now on. Why don’t we exchange phone numbers?”

Mi Man stared at her blankly for a moment before nodding in agreement.