Fake Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 26

After leaving the old man’s residence, Gu Nanxian was visibly distracted.

Chou Qing’an noticed her absent-mindedness and held her hand to prevent her from bumping into the nearby wall.

Softly, she asked, “Still thinking about the autograph?”

“No.”

Gu Nanxian wasn’t sure what she was feeling.

“It’s just rare to meet someone who praises me so sincerely upon our first meeting.”

To be precise, few people ever praised her like that.

Especially now, when she was being vilified online.

“Because you truly are a wonderful person,” Chou Qing’an gently squeezed her palm. “Otherwise, why would I have fallen for you at first sight?”

Gu Nanxian curled her lips into a smile, her eyes glinting as she looked at her. “Are you complimenting yourself in the process?”

Chou Qing’an chuckled. “If that’s how you see it, I can’t argue.”

Suddenly, Gu Nanxian tugged her hand, stopping in place and gazing at her. “Can you kiss me right now?”

“Of course.” Chou Qing’an pressed a kiss to her lips, meeting her light-colored eyes. “Want more?”

Gu Nanxian wrapped her arms around her waist, nuzzling against her like a spoiled child. “Yes.”

Chou Qing’an caressed the back of her neck and deepened the kiss, parting her lips with tender insistence.

“Ahem.”

Two deliberate coughs echoed from the end of the alley.

The two quickly separated, turning toward the source of the sound.

Zhou Mei stood not far away, arms crossed, an eyebrow arched as she regarded them. “Haven’t you two been photographed enough? Hmm?”

She wore a casual light-green knee-length dress, her hair loosely cascading down her back. A pair of sunglasses dangled from her fingers, and a sunhat hung from her arm—as if she had just returned from a vacation.

Gu Nanxian rarely saw her dressed like this and couldn’t help but stare a little longer.

Zhou Mei strode up to them and shot Gu Nanxian a sidelong glance. “What are you looking at? If it weren’t for you two, I’d still be fishing by the lake in peace.”

Gu Nanxian: “But you said earlier you were going to the rooftop—”

“Obviously, I was lying.”

Zhou Mei flashed a dangerous smile. “What, did you actually want me to jump?”

Gu Nanxian averted her gaze. “Of course not. I’m just surprised to see you here.”

“You’re allowed to travel, but I can’t take a vacation?” Zhou Mei rolled her eyes.

“I just arrived this morning after packing up, and you two give me such a grand welcome.”

The thought made her sigh in frustration. “I finally managed to take some time off. I stayed up all night finishing work, and the dark circles under my eyes haven’t even faded yet.”

“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve stopped Qing’an from coming to G City no matter what.”

The scenic area was crowded, and the six guests selected by the Falling for You program all had significant influence and public appeal.

If anything happened, it could easily blow up on social media.

Gu Nanxian’s previous scandals hadn’t even been clarified yet, and now Chou Qing’an had stepped forward to defend her.

It was practically stomping on the reporters’ faces.

No wonder they swarmed like flies drawn to a crack in an eggshell.

“I acted impulsively this time,” Chou Qing’an admitted. “Once the show wraps up, take a proper break. I’ll also try to cut back on public appearances in the future.”

“Are you planning to retire?” Zhou Mei asked.

“Not really. It’s just that now that I’ve won the Best Actress award, my fans and the audience will undoubtedly have higher expectations of me. If I don’t want to disappoint them, I need to hone my acting skills.”

Acting had been Qiu Qing’an’s dream since childhood, and she would never give it up easily.

She turned to look at Gu Nanxuan beside her, her gaze tender: “Besides, I also want to spend more time with Nanxuan.”

With long hours spent filming on set and promotional activities, she hardly had any free time.

Most of the time, it was Gu Nanxuan who sneaked onto the set to see her. Afraid of being noticed, they could only meet briefly nearby.

The two of them spent more time apart than together. If not for their strong bond, they might have grown distant long ago.

“Alright, alright.”

Hearing the first part of her words, Zhou Mei was moved by her dedication and sense of responsibility. But the latter part inevitably circled back to Gu Nanxuan.

“If you’ve made up your mind, I won’t stop you.”

Qiu Qing’an said, “If you find yourself with free time, you could scout some new talents. I’ve heard many in the industry want to work under you.”

“Where would I find the time? Managing you and Gu Nanxuan alone keeps me busy enough.”

Zhou Mei feigned annoyance.

“Besides, I’ve already earned enough. Thanks to your hard work, I’ve saved quite a bit over the years. Once you slow down, I’ll travel the world.”

Qiu Qing’an, sensing she wasn’t joking, smiled. “That sounds good.”

From the moment she met Zhou Mei, she had been like a spinning top, constantly busy with work. Now, finally slowing down, Qiu Qing’an was genuinely happy for her.

She had once heard Zhou Mei mention her dream of traveling the world, but the conversation was cut short by other matters.

Later, there was never time to revisit the idea.

Now that she could pick it up again…

“Zhou Mei is great, but it’d be even better if you two could give me less trouble.”

“What?” Qiu Qing’an asked.

“Well, I’ve booked a hotel room for you.”

Zhou Mei took out her phone to contact their liaison. “When you arrive, act distant at first. I’ve arranged for photos to be taken, and we’ll release a statement saying you just happened to be walking together.”

“Ge Jiang will also corroborate your story.”

She had anticipated this situation.

After sending the messages, Zhou Mei turned back to Qiu Qing’an. “I know your plans, but this needs to be done step by step. Acting impulsively isn’t like you.”

Qiu Qing’an met her gaze, her eyes flickering slightly, her smile unchanged. “I know.”

“What plans are you talking about?”

Gu Nanxuan caught a hint of something off in their conversation.

She eyed Qiu Qing’an suspiciously. “Are you keeping something from me?”

“What else could it be?”

Before Qiu Qing’an could explain, Zhou Mei interjected, “Qing’an doesn’t want your relationship to stay hidden forever, so she’s planning to reveal it sooner.”

The explanation sounded reasonable, but Gu Nanxuan’s intuition told her it wasn’t that simple.

However, Qiu Qing’an’s gentle voice quickly dispelled her doubts.

“I didn’t tell you earlier because I didn’t want you to worry. But I did keep this from you—are you upset?”

Gu Nanxuan huffed. “Since you’re apologizing so earnestly, I’ll let it slide this time.”

Zhou Mei clicked her tongue beside them. “Disgustingly sweet.”

“Alright, let’s go. Any later, and we won’t even get dinner.”

She turned and strode down the alleyway.

Gu Nanxuan and Qiu Qing’an followed her together.

A low-key black sedan was parked at the mouth of the alley, inconspicuous under the dimming sky.

Zhou Mei opened the passenger door and got in, while Gu Nanxuan and Qiu Qing’an took the back seat.

“To the hotel,” Zhou Mei stated the name of a hotel.

The assigned driver started the car and headed toward the destination.

On the way, Zhou Mei carefully explained her arrangements: “Nanxuan, you’ll get out first and walk back to the hotel. Qing’an and I will get out at the entrance.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already had people check the surroundings. No other reporters will be around.”

She was always thorough, eliminating any possible mishaps in advance.

Even the posts to be published had been pre-written. All that was left was for the two to make their appearance before they went live.

Originally, she had considered booking two separate hotels but then thought it might seem “too guilty.”

Instead, she arranged for them to stay at the same hotel, entering separately and occupying different floors.

All she needed was for the reporters to subtly guide the narrative—this ambiguous situation would naturally invite speculation.

The more it looked real, the faker it seemed; the more it looked fake, the more real it appeared.

Coupled with the fact that the two were already on the same dating show, the audience would be even more confused about their true relationship.

Gu Nanxuan had no objections to the plan. When they were close enough, she got out alone.

Shortly after Qiu Qing’an and Zhou Mei entered the hotel, she also appeared at the entrance.

Reporters lurking nearby “coincidentally” captured the moment.

A new post soon dominated the trending section on Weibo.

Since it involved Qiu Qing’an and Gu Nanxuan, it quickly climbed alongside other hot topics.

At the same time, the dating show’s official account also posted: Due to the negative impact caused by reporters today, all guests have been relocated to a hotel. The livestream is temporarily suspended. We appreciate your understanding.

Netizens quickly flooded the comments:

Weren’t these two just photographed going out to eat together this afternoon? Why did they enter the hotel separately?

Isn’t that the actress’s manager next to her?

Why do they look like complete strangers? Were their earlier interactions scripted?

The livestream was already suspended. Who scripts a meal?

Maybe it was arranged by the production team.

Speculation about the show being scripted wasn’t new, but this time, more people were convinced.

Has this show ever produced an official couple so far?

Once this comment surfaced, more and more people believed the production team was deliberately stirring drama.

Even if they’re trying to create hype, why pair the actress with Gu Nanxuan?

Blame the team assignments.

The netizens’ criticism soon shifted toward the show’s production team.

Instead of focusing on good content, they’re just forcing fake pairings.

Uh, guys… isn’t the whole point of a dating show to create pairings?

…

Honestly, the moment the actress joined this show, I expected her to be paired with someone. But why Gu Nanxuan?!

If Gu Nanxuan can actually clear her name, I wouldn’t mind.

You might not mind, but I do! Hands off our actress!

The buzz around “Qiu Qing’an defending Gu Nanxuan” gradually faded, while the hashtag #DatingShowForcedDrama climbed the trending list.

Many fans began demanding that Qiu Qing’an withdraw from the show.

Some impulsive individuals even mindlessly rushed to the official account of the dating show, hurling insults and nearly causing the show’s official Weibo to crash.

The show’s team remained silent.

This incident occurred because they had failed to properly screen the area around the filming location, allowing a flood of reporters to swarm in.

To minimize the impact on Qiu Qing’an, the production team had no choice but to take the heat.

Thus, when Zhou Mei made these arrangements, the show’s chief director, Xiang Ying, had no objections and even instructed the rest of the crew to cooperate as much as possible.

Besides, even with the barrage of criticism, they weren’t entirely without benefits—at the very least, the dating show gained another wave of publicity.

If handled properly afterward, this attention could be converted into valuable traffic.

When Zhu Ningyue, Ge Jiang, Sikong Yuan, and Yu Qianxue appeared near the hotel, reporters quickly approached them for interviews, asking whether they were aware of the publicity stunt.