Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Counterattack (Part 2)

“I have something to say to Teacher Wei.”

The topic of #TangBinAndWenYi# remained high on the trending list. Following the initial video released by the first media outlet, more accounts jumped on the bandwagon, and even observant netizens found some clues.

[@GuysGetOuttaHere: I knew it. Why were all of Wen Yi’s commercials filmed by Tang Bin? Turns out they’re a couple.]

[@UnderTheMicroscope: There’s nothing wrong with two single people dating. But Wen Yi has been pretending to be gay for the past two years. Just last month, she said in a livestream that she likes women. I can’t believe she was already dating a guy.]

[@LittleBullyBigIdiot: My classmate, who works part-time, took this. During a break, Wen Yi was sitting on Tang Bin’s lap. She liked Wen Yi so much that she unfollowed her after that part-time job. She kept it to herself because she was still a fan. Now that the paparazzi caught them, it’s a taste of their own medicine.]

A relationship usually doesn’t affect an actor’s career much, especially since Wen Yi has been acting for years and isn’t a fan-voted idol. But the problem was that in the past two years, yuri dramas had been popular, and Wen Yi had used this trend to make many lesbian-themed comments. For example, “I wish there was a girl who would be with me,” “Girls can only understand each other when they’re in a relationship. I don’t think you can find true love by dating a man,” and “A fan just called me ‘wife,’ and I’m so happy. I wish you were my wife.”

In fact, the movie she was nominated for Best Actress for, along with Wei Jiuyi, was also a yuri-themed film. Wen Yi was a first-tier celebrity. Her popularity wasn’t at the top, but she had a significant following. When the “straight girl pretending to be gay” narrative was magnified, it quickly created a huge uproar online.

What added fuel to the fire was that right after Wen Yi posted on Weibo denying the relationship, Tang Bin admitted it in an interview at almost the same time. The public outcry intensified. Wen Yi was criticized for “pretending to be gay” and “denying the relationship to keep making money.” Tang Bin was criticized for “a toad wanting to eat swan meat” and “pestering her.”

To minimize the damage, Sheng Qiao Entertainment’s public relations team worked all night. They first canceled all business collaborations with Tang Bin and issued a statement saying they only had a work relationship. Then they had Wen Yi release a statement admitting that they “used to be together but are currently single.” Finally, they made a donation to a foundation for girls in mountainous areas in Wen Yi’s name, with the note “always proud to be a girl.”

After all this public relations work, they managed to save Wen Yi’s reputation. She only lost two endorsements that were about to be signed and an audition for a major film.

“Keep a low profile for a while. Cut all ties with Tang Bin. Go back and rest, take a vacation. When things have calmed down, I’ll find you a new job,” Dou Qinwen repeatedly instructed, telling her assistant to take Wen Yi back to rest.

But Wen Yi was not satisfied. Her eyes, which had been up all night, were bloodshot. “Wen-jie, can you help me find out who is behind this?”

Dou Qinwen adjusted her glasses. “My connections aren’t that strong.”

Wen Yi insisted. “How can you say that? You’ve been in the industry for so many years. You must know who is behind a coordinated leak like last night’s.”

Dou Qinwen advised, “Even if you find out, what can you do? The most important thing right now is to fix this mess and minimize the damage.”

“But I need to know who is trying to mess with me.”

“The company will handle that. What you need to do is go back and get some rest. Stay low-key for a while until things blow over. And let me remind you of something else. Tang Bin is a married man. You should cut all ties with him as soon as possible.”

“What?!”

“His wife is not in the industry. They’ve been separated, but they haven’t filed for divorce. This news was also supposed to be leaked, but I stopped it. Otherwise, the public opinion against you would not be as mild as it is now.”

“How is that possible…”

“That’s the truth. The public’s demands on female celebrities are very high. A man who cheats can still act, but if a woman is labeled as a mistress, it’s pretty much a career-ending move. Xiao Yi, Tang Bin was confident enough to admit to the relationship because he wants to become famous for his scandals. I’ll talk to him and make things clear. In short, he’s not trustworthy, and you should get out as soon as possible.”

Wen Yi’s eyes seemed to crack, and the bl00d vessels in them convulsed. She couldn’t believe that the man she had secretly chosen was married and wanted to use her fame to get ahead. What she couldn’t believe even more was that the person behind all this had managed to get the paparazzi who had been following them for half a year to leak the information.

Who was it?

“Sister Lin, I need to look into someone. I don’t know if it’s convenient for you.”

…

The next day, Shi Qing’s stomach had mostly recovered. She could eat normally, but she was advised to stick to bland food. After breakfast, she took the shuttle bus to the set.

“Teacher Shi? You’re feeling better?”

“How are you? Are you still feeling unwell?”

“Why didn’t you rest for a few more days?”

Shi Qing was kind and pleasant to everyone, so they all cared about her. A colleague even gave her their spot in front of the air conditioner to keep her from getting cold.

Shi Qing thanked each of them. “I’m much better. I’m sorry for causing everyone trouble yesterday.”

“No way! We’re all family in the same crew.”

“Exactly. We didn’t do anything. It was Teacher Wei and her assistant who took you to the hospital.”

“Oh, right. Teacher Wei had to rush back to film after dropping you off. She finished very late.”

“I even made a video of you two. The one where she carried you to the car. It has over a million views.”

Unbeknownst to them, a silent understanding had formed among the crew. When they mentioned Shi Qing, they would also mention Wei Jiuyi. On the surface, they were just following the publicity and shipping the couple, but it made the relationship between the two of them even more complicated. Taking a step forward was impossible, but trying to avoid suspicion seemed to go against everyone’s wishes.

Over time, their relationship became closer in the eyes of outsiders. This included Wen Yi, who had come uninvited.

It was already dark. Shi Qing had just left the set when she saw an unfamiliar car parked on the side of the road. But the person who got out of the car was familiar—Wen Yi’s assistant.

It was the same restaurant, the same private room, and the same seat. Wen Yi threw her down jacket onto a nearby sofa and took off her scarf and sunglasses. Her eyes were bloodshot and looked menacing. “The last time I came to see you was here, to talk about the role in Empress.”

Shi Qing sat across from her. Her coat was folded and placed on the side. The caramel-colored knitted top was loose on the outside and tight on the inside, making her look even thinner. “Yeah. It’s been a while.” She followed Wen Yi’s lead.

Wen Yi studied the calm, unassuming face in front of her. Suddenly, a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips. “Such a pretty face. If I were Wei Jiuyi, I’d probably go crazy for you too.”

Crack!

Her heart felt as if it had been ground by sandpaper, and bl00d spilled out. The bl00d flowed through her veins and reached her throat, where it turned into a gentle spring breeze.

“Is Sister Yi misunderstanding something? Teacher Wei just saw that I wasn’t feeling well and took me to the hospital.” She said it calmly, as if it wasn’t her she was talking about.

Wen Yi, however, wasn’t in the mood to play games. She got straight to the point. “Shi Qing, are you truly clueless, or are you just pretending? The person who leaked my information last night was Wei Jiuyi.”

Shi Qing’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s impossible.”

Wen Yi scoffed. “My friend from the magazine told me herself. The person who bought the information from the paparazzi was surnamed ‘Wei.’ Besides Wei Jiuyi, I can’t think of anyone else with that last name who would stand up for you.”

“Sister Yi, I’m very sorry about what happened to you. But we’re from the same company. We’re not enemies. Even if she were to stand up for me, why would she expose your relationship?”

“Tang-ge taught you a lesson during the commercial shoot, and in return, you had Wei Jiuyi stand up for you. Shi Qing, I didn’t realize you held grudges.”

At this point, pretending to be clueless was no longer an option. First, if Wen Yi could find out about Wei Jiuyi and come to her so confidently, it was probably true. Second, Wen Yi knew the ins and outs of the entertainment industry better than her. There was no way to hide.

“Sister Yi, why are you here?” she asked directly.

Wen Yi leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her upper body almost pressing against Shi Qing. “Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re with Wei Jiuyi. She may be a Best Actress, and her mother may be powerful, but I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and I’m not a pushover. I lost this time, and I admit it. But go back and tell your lover that you and she had better not have any dirt on you. Otherwise, I won’t let you get away with this.”

Shi Qing had been with the company since the beginning. She had always been a good girl, never fighting for anything. She always followed instructions from her superiors without a single complaint. Wen Yi knew Shi Qing too well. She had a shallow background and weak connections. She was afraid of offending people and would always choose to avoid trouble. This time, however, Wen Yi was the one who lost, and Wei Jiuyi, that little girl, found an opportunity to take advantage of her. What if she was a Best Actress? She was still a rookie. She was young and couldn’t keep her cool. Luckily, Shi Qing was smart. She knew what to do and what not to do. She would weigh the pros and cons.

But the most calculative Shi Qing’s attitude was not as docile as before. “Sister Yi, you’re taking this too seriously.”

Her eyes curved slightly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Wen Yi noticed the change in her expression, and her voice dropped. “What do you mean?”

Shi Qing’s smile remained calm and unhurried. “Teacher Wei and I are just colleagues. She wouldn’t risk offending you for me. Besides, during that commercial shoot, Director Tang had a good reason for the retakes. It was my own problem from eating too much ice cream and not feeling well. What, was it you who told him to do the retakes?”

Her words were unyielding and even turned the tables, questioning the retakes from a few days ago. Wen Yi’s left eye twitched, and her voice became deep. “So, you’re planning on fighting me to the end?”

Shi Qing shook her head. “Sister Yi, I never wanted to ‘fight’ you. That’s why I never thought you were the reason for Director Tang’s retakes. As for Teacher Wei, we just happened to cross paths. She happened to take me to the hospital yesterday, and the media happened to catch it and put it on the trending list. It might look like we have a good relationship, but public relations teams always exaggerate. Sister Yi, you’ve been in the industry for so long. You should have more experience than I do.”

Wen Yi didn’t believe it. “Shi Qing, don’t treat me like a three-year-old. We’re both actors. When Wei Jiuyi carried you to the hospital, I saw the look on her face. I don’t believe there’s nothing between you two. Besides, my friend helped me look into it, and she’s the one who bought my dirt.”

Shi Qing shrugged. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression gentle as if she were reading from a book. “You just said you only found out that the person’s last name was ‘Wei.’ That’s not an uncommon last name. Maybe you offended someone else? Isn’t that how this industry has always been? And even if it was Wei Jiuyi, Sister Yi, why didn’t you go directly to her instead of coming to me? Because you’re also worried about her company and her mother. You’re afraid that getting into a conflict with her would only be a greater loss for you. Since you can’t control her, what can I do?”

Wen Yi was speechless. Her mouth twitched. “So, you’ve decided to let her stand up for you.”

Shi Qing emphasized once again, “I’m just telling you the truth. I don’t have the power to make a Best Actress stand up for me. And, Sister Yi, for the sake of being in the same company, I’ll give you a sincere piece of advice. Instead of fighting and ruining each other’s reputation, why not just lay down your weapons and live in peace? Why make it a lose-lose situation?”

Wen Yi understood the meaning behind her words and suddenly laughed. “Ha… Shi Qing, you’re asking me to back off for her, aren’t you? You said it had nothing to do with her, but it looks like you care about her a lot.”

Shi Qing leaned back, her back against the sofa. “Sister Yi, I’m just worried about you. What’s the point of fighting and getting hurt?”

Wen Yi narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on the table and slowly standing up. “You two ruined me. I lost two endorsements, and a movie fell through. Even Wen-jie told me to take a break. You two made me suffer so much, and now you’re telling me to back off? I’m telling you, that’s not going to happen.”

Winter nights get dark early. It was windy, and it was raining a little. The rain felt like needles on her face. Wei Jiuyi went to the city center after work and bought an electric hand warmer. She could turn it on when it got cold, and it would heat up in a few seconds. She chose an ice-blue one for Shi Qing because it matched her vibe. She was worried it would be too obvious, so she bought three more, pretending to be a good-for-nothing shopper. This way, she could say she bought one for herself and brought one for Zhang Yulan, Dong Ya, and Shi Qing. She was being a little obvious, but Shi Qing was a decent person and wouldn’t reject her outright, and that was enough.

She got back to the hotel around 9 p.m. Zhang Yulan, who opened the door, seemed troubled. “Uh, Teacher Wei, Teacher Shi is looking for you… she has something to talk about.”

Over Zhang Yulan’s head, Shi Qing was sitting in the living room. When she saw Wei Jiuyi, she put a bookmark in her script and closed it. “Teacher Wei, you’re back.”

Shi Qing stood up. The hem of her long dress rustled as it fell, creating a slight ripple. Wei Jiuyi’s whole body lit up. Not only was Shi Qing looking for her, but she had also come to her room to wait for her. But when she quickly changed her shoes and walked closer, her excitement disappeared. Shi Qing wasn’t smiling. Not even the polite, perfunctory smile she usually wore. There was only a slight curve on her lips, which made the stranger, Zhang Yulan, feel a superficial warmth. But anyone who knew Shi Qing knew that her eyes held a million words.

Wei Jiuyi had seen that look before. When they were intimate and Shi Qing said, “Little cat, there is no future for us,” she had that same look in her eyes.

“Yulan,” Shi Qing said gently, looking at Zhang Yulan. “Could you please give us some privacy? I have something to say to Teacher Wei.”

Zhang Yulan looked confused. She glanced at her artist. When Wei Jiuyi didn’t say anything, she asked, “Sister, should I leave?”

Wei Jiuyi nodded with a serious expression, her hands in her coat pockets. Her long, slender fingers were gripping the ice-blue hand warmer, the matte surface almost crumbling under her grip.