The Trash A Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 23

Yu Youqing forced herself into the car, feeling Ye Miaoyi give her a slight push from behind.

When she turned to look, Ye Miaoyi mouthed the words “Good luck” at her.

She thought… her dear friend might have misunderstood something—perhaps believing she was helping in some way?

No, absolutely not.

The moment she stepped into the car, Yu Youqing immediately felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on her.

Wherever Jiang Musheng was present, Yu Youqing still couldn’t pretend to be completely at ease.

The car was silent, and Yu Youqing had no idea how to start a conversation.

Jiang Musheng glanced at Yu Youqing for a moment, feeling as though she were facing a startled bird. Though Yu Youqing appeared calm on the surface, she hadn’t looked at her once since getting in the car, instead staring blankly ahead in a daze.

“You seem a little afraid of me,” Jiang Musheng said, sounding somewhat resigned. Sure enough, Yu Youqing immediately turned her head and denied it: “No, I’m not.”

“Really?” Jiang Musheng didn’t intend to press the issue, so she simply nodded. “That’s good, then.”

Yu Youqing asked casually, “Teacher Jiang, what brings you here?”

Jiang Musheng replied, “Dinner with a friend.”

“Oh.” Yu Youqing nodded, and the conversation awkwardly stalled at that point.

The ride felt unbearably long.

Jiang Musheng remained silent, and Yu Youqing couldn’t shake the feeling that she was like a student who had done something wrong and was now standing before her homeroom teacher—though the comparison wasn’t entirely accurate.

She had adjusted her own mindset, but she still hadn’t managed to steady herself when facing Jiang Musheng.

“I watched the livestream,” Jiang Musheng suddenly said.

“Ah! That—I’m sorry, I pressed the wrong button. I meant to make a voice call, but luckily the camera wasn’t pointed at my phone.” Yu Youqing immediately recalled the shocking moment the call connected and lowered her voice slightly.

Jiang Musheng said, “It’s fine.” It was just wet hair—nothing too revealing.

“How is it fine?!” Yu Youqing’s tone was urgent, but she quickly reined in her emotions after realizing she was getting worked up. “I mean, I was worried the fans wouldn’t be able to handle it. They’d all be bleeding from the nose.”

But come to think of it…

Yu Youqing muttered, “Teacher Jiang, you’re way too trusting. You can’t just answer any random call that comes through. Otherwise, people might take advantage of the opportunity to call you and ride on your fame.”

Yu Youqing had checked afterward—the livestream that night had an astonishing number of viewers. But most of the attention ended up benefiting Cheng Shunzhu. No wonder he had been invited to dinner with her today—the brand had likely considered him as well.

Jiang Musheng thought for a moment, then looked at Yu Youqing, a faint trace of amusement flickering in her eyes as she agreed, “Mm, I won’t do it again.”

Yu Youqing didn’t notice anything unusual.

Thankfully, she had managed to exchange a few words with Jiang Musheng, and the tension in the car seemed to have eased somewhat. She asked another question, “Are you heading back too?”

Jiang Musheng replied, “I’ll take you home first. I still have some things to take care of.”

Yu Youqing recalled the schedule she’d seen for Jiang Musheng—definitely a workaholic. Did she really not care about her own health at all?

Jiang Musheng rarely participated in variety shows, dedicating most of her time to honing her acting skills. Like when she needed skiing skills for a mountain film, she put herself through rigorous training, even though those scenes could have been done with a stunt double. But Jiang Musheng never slacked off.

She had a lot of career-focused fans—the fiercely loyal kind—so they were quick to fend off other minor celebrities trying to ride her coattails. Over the years, countless people had tried to leech off her fame, but the only one who seemed to have faced such strong backlash was… herself?

Yu Youqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Jiang Musheng didn’t seem to be paying attention to her, so Yu Youqing stole a glance and noticed faint dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, she had been busy lately, cutting into her rest time.

Biting her lip, Yu Youqing hesitated but couldn’t resist looking again.

Jiang Musheng: “What’s wrong?”

How was she so sharp? Did she have eyes on the side of her head?

“…You shouldn’t push yourself too hard, Teacher Jiang. You should rest more.” The words slipped out before Yu Youqing could stop herself, but she immediately realized she had no right to say such things. Hurriedly, she added, “Your fans all say that. Actually, I’m also your… fan.”

Right! Wasn’t it normal for fans to care about their idol?

“You’re right,” Jiang Musheng replied, glancing at Yu Youqing, whose thoughts were written all over her face. Her tone was light as she said, “Then I’ll cancel one thing and go home to rest tonight.”

Yu Youqing: “?” She choked.

When she’d voiced her concern, she never expected it would lead to this.

Jiang Musheng being at home made her nervous!!!

Wasn’t this just shooting herself in the foot?

But she couldn’t say anything—after all, the apartment technically belonged to Jiang Musheng.

Yu Youqing swallowed her tears. “…That’s good, then.”

The faint curve at Jiang Musheng’s lips never faded, but Yu Youqing didn’t notice.

Soon, they arrived at the residential complex, the car smoothly entering the underground garage. Privacy was guaranteed here, so Yu Youqing had already pulled down her cap.

Sigh. Should she talk to Jiang Musheng later or not?

After her awkward “That’s good,” Jiang Musheng hadn’t spoken to her again. Did she somehow guess what Yu Youqing was thinking?

Yu Youqing panicked slightly as she remembered one thing—no matter what, Jiang Musheng was still her landlord.

Yu Youqing had little real-life experience outside of acting. Most of her roles had been spoiled, arrogant characters—her former agency had typecast her that way.

As a tenant living with her landlord… uh, shouldn’t she at least make some conversation?

After much deliberation, Yu Youqing opened the car door and stepped out, only to realize Jiang Musheng wasn’t following. Puzzled, she turned back.

“Just teasing you. I’m not going up.” Jiang Musheng’s tone was breezy, clearly in high spirits. “Let me know if anything comes up at home.”

Her words made it sound like they were a married couple. Yu Youqing hesitated for a moment before tactfully responding, “Teacher Jiang, you’re so busy—I wouldn’t want to trouble you. Besides, nothing major will happen to me…”

Jiang Musheng: “Shouldn’t tenants turn to their landlord when issues arise?”

Well, that was one way to put it. Yu Youqing felt she might have overthought things. She nodded humbly, “Understood, Teacher Jiang.”

Jiang Musheng chuckled. “No need to keep calling me ‘Teacher Jiang’ all the time—it sounds odd.”

But Yu Youqing noticed nearly everyone else addressed her that way. Swallowing her words, she nodded again. “It’s hard to change habits suddenly.”

“It’s fine. Take your time.” Jiang Musheng seemed ready to leave. Yu Youqing faltered, then took two steps forward. “Teacher Jiang—oh, I mean, Jiang… no, Teacher Jiang, aren’t you worried about ruining your health by pushing yourself so hard for work?”

“I know. My health is fine for now.” Sensing Yu Youqing’s concern despite her awkward phrasing, Jiang Musheng smiled gently. “If I work harder now, I can enjoy life properly later.”

After returning home, Yu Youqing kept turning Jiang Musheng’s words over in her mind.

Something about them felt off—almost as if Jiang Musheng’s meaning strangely aligned with her own thoughts.

“After this big job, I’ll retire and live my best life!”

…No way. She must be overthinking it.

If Jiang Musheng left the industry, it would be a huge loss. But for Yu Youqing? No big deal—she hadn’t achieved much anyway.

As something of a fan herself, imagining things from a fan’s perspective, Yu Youqing felt she’d cry if Jiang Musheng ever disappeared from the screen.

That week, Yu Youqing had little work—just a few magazine photoshoots that wrapped up in half a day. She didn’t cross paths with Jiang Musheng again. On New Year’s Day, Ye Miaoyi, who hadn’t spent the holiday with her family, dragged Yu Youqing out for hotpot.

Though they’d been apart for years, their bond remained as strong as ever. Yu Youqing was thrilled Ye Miaoyi had returned to the country.

The next morning, Ye Miaoyi called.

“Good news and bad news—which do you want first?” Her tone was off. Knowing her, Yu Youqing guessed she’d just vented her anger before calling.

Yu Youqing: “The good one.”

“Wind’s endorsement deal is settled. That Liang Yitang who kept giving you trouble? The company rejected her.” Ye Miaoyi sounded almost resentful. Yu Youqing simply hummed—this wasn’t surprising. She finished the thought herself: “So the bad news is I wasn’t chosen either?”

“…You stole my line.” Ye Miaoyi’s anger was clearly directed at her family. “Their audacity! They gave the endorsement to Cheng Shunzhu instead. I’m sorry, Qingqing—this should’ve been yours. It’s my fault for not being able to secure it.”

Truthfully, Yu Youqing had expected this outcome. But the dejection in Ye Miaoyi’s voice hinted at deeper issues. Frowning, she asked, “Did you have a falling out with your family?”

“There was never any falling out to begin with—we’ve never gotten along. You know how my family is,” Ye Miaoyi said with a self-deprecating smile. “Before I returned, my stake in Wind was split fifty-fifty with the family. Now they’ve given thirty percent to that adopted son, trying to sideline me and push me out of Wind.”

Yu Youqing fell silent for a moment before asking, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t expect them to be this ruthless, to still treat me like this in the end… I also couldn’t bear to see my hard work destroyed like this.”

Yu Youqing understood what Ye Miaoyi meant.

Wind had been built from the ground up by Ye Miaoyi, but as a mid-sized independent brand, it was insignificant compared to the Ye family’s conglomerate. The Ye family could easily dismantle it if they wanted.

The adopted son Ye Miaoyi mentioned was Ye Jibai.

The Ye family had little regard for daughters, and Ye Miaoyi’s mother, in poor health, had only given birth to her. Later, they adopted Ye Jibai as their son.

Yu Youqing asked, “What do you plan to do now?”

“I’m cutting all ties with them!” Ye Miaoyi declared.

“More than that—you should take back everything that’s rightfully yours from the Ye family. Don’t let Ye Jibai benefit from it,” Yu Youqing said with a light scoff. “Remember when I helped you beat him up as kids?”

Ye Miaoyi immediately recalled the incident. After a brief pause, she asked, “How do we do this?”

Yu Youqing replied, “First, find yourself a lawyer—one who’s bold enough to stand up to the Ye family.”

“That’s a good idea, but it’s tough at this stage,” Ye Miaoyi admitted awkwardly. “…I don’t have enough money.”

Yu Youqing: “…”

Seriously? She hadn’t expected that to be the reason.

After hanging up, Yu Youqing couldn’t stay idle at home. She hurriedly arranged to meet Lin Xuqiao at the company. When Lin Xuqiao saw her in the office, she was surprised.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you in such a rush. What’s so urgent that you had to come here in person?”

Yu Youqing sat on the sofa and looked up at Lin Xuqiao with a serious expression. “President Lin, can I meet the investor you mentioned—the one who wanted to back me?”

Lin Xuqiao raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I want to ask him a question. If I were to… beat someone up and possibly get even more backlash, would he terminate my contract? And the penalties…” Yu Youqing trailed off.

Lin Xuqiao stared at her in shock, already pulling out her phone to type a message. “Beat someone up? You? Who?”

“It’s just a hypothetical. I just have some unfinished business with this person,” Yu Youqing said quickly, mentally calculating. She knew Lin Xuqiao might even be acquainted with them—these elite circles were tightly knit—so she didn’t hide it. “It’s Ye Jibai from the Ye family.”

“Oh, Young Master Ye…” Lin Xuqiao’s expression barely flickered. Without hesitation, she typed out Yu Youqing’s words and sent them. Seeing the urgent reply, she swiftly asked, “Did he cause trouble for you? Or… was it during that dinner last time?”

“No.” Yu Youqing knew what Lin Xuqiao was thinking. Now aware that Lin Xuqiao was a good boss who even worried about potential workplace harassment, she simply shook her head and said, “It’s personal.”

Lin Xuqiao: “Then let me ask for you.”

After a while, Lin Xuqiao looked up with a beaming smile: “Your investor says—”

Hmm?

“Thank you for ridding the world of scum. She’s willing to give you a raise.”