The Trash A Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 6

“Just joking around, Professor Jiang. You’re magnanimous and won’t hold it against me, right?”

“Professor Jiang, you didn’t hear anything just now, did you?”

“It’s not what you think! I was just rehearsing lines with my junior.”

…

What a mess.

After a brief moment of blankness, countless excuses flooded Yu Youqing’s mind. But since she already knew they were just excuses, she didn’t dare voice them in front of Jiang Musheng.

Was there anything more mortifying than this? Absolutely not.

Yu Youqing moved her lips but found her mouth no longer obeyed her—she was speechless.

Especially when she saw Jiang Musheng walking toward her, she instinctively took a step back.

That step brought her closer to the cold air outside, and she immediately shivered.

Jiang Musheng: “…”

“Am I that terrifying?”

In those few short seconds of silence, Jiang Musheng had already closed the distance between them.

Out of sheer guilt, Yu Youqing shook her head vigorously and blurted, “No, no, of course not!”

Jiang Musheng was already five or six centimeters taller than Yu Youqing, and with her higher heels adding to the height difference, combined with the natural domineering aura of an alpha, Yu Youqing felt like she was being looked down upon—literally and figuratively.

She panicked.

Yu Youqing knew she was being a little weird. After her rebirth, her temperament should have been smoothed out by life’s hardships. Even when Liang Yitang and Zhao Guili had mocked her, she had managed to laugh it off.

But before her rebirth, Yu Youqing’s personality could only be described as… problematic.

Three words: utterly insufferable.

She had risen to fame young, barely in her teens, and the sudden success had gone straight to her head. She hadn’t done anything illegal, but her personality had been unbearable—she couldn’t tolerate the slightest slight. Back then, she was the company’s biggest cash cow, so no one dared rein her in, no matter how outrageous she acted. After all, she was popular.

Yu Youqing herself admitted she had been a drama queen back then, incapable of enduring even the tiniest grievance. She couldn’t even recognize veiled insults, exploding at the slightest provocation like a firecracker. Looking back, she realized her younger self had been overwhelmed by fame and had used her temper as a shield.

Later, all of that became ammunition for scandals—first built up by Zhao Guili, then ruthlessly weaponized by Zhao Guili’s team to tarnish her reputation beyond repair.

So now, standing before Jiang Musheng with zero confidence, Yu Youqing felt that old, bratty side of herself threatening to resurface.

Come on, girl! You’re a reborn person now! Don’t screw this up! No one likes a petty drama queen!!

“I’m just a little cold,” Yu Youqing steadied herself. Too nervous to meet Jiang Musheng’s eyes, she fixed her gaze on the other woman’s collarbones instead.

Damn, how many fish could Jiang Musheng’s collarbones hold?

Her thoughts were still wandering when warmth suddenly enveloped her.

Jiang Musheng had draped a coat over her shoulders—and upon closer inspection, wasn’t that her own cashmere coat?

Meeting Yu Youqing’s stunned expression, Jiang Musheng said calmly, “I found this left behind in the venue. Is it yours?”

Freezing and overwhelmed by Jiang Musheng’s act of kindness—yet another timely rescue—Yu Youqing nearly teared up and immediately issued a “good person” card: “Professor Jiang, you’re so kind!”

Jiang Musheng: “…”

One moment she was being complimented for her beauty, the next she was being handed a “nice person” card.

Yu Youqing didn’t notice much of this. Standing closer to the exit, she was genuinely freezing. Shivering, she tried to wrap the coat tighter around herself when she noticed Jiang Musheng was still only wearing a dress.

Truly·beauty that moves people to action.

Yu Youqing paused mid-movement. “Aren’t you cold, Teacher Jiang? Maybe you should—”

Jiang Musheng: “I’m not cold.”

Yu Youqing could only repeat, “Teacher Jiang is so considerate of juniors.” In terms of debut seniority, they were actually similar, just moving in different circles with little overlap.

But humility was still important.

Jiang Musheng glanced at Yu Youqing and said slowly, “Otherwise, how could I live up to such high praise from you?”

“Huh?”

Yu Youqing froze momentarily before realizing—

Ahhhh!

So Jiang Musheng had heard everything she said!

Could her face get any redder? To think her chuunibyou ramblings like “How would you know Teacher Jiang wouldn’t want me?” had reached the person herself! In Jiang Musheng’s ears, it probably sounded no different from her shouting “Jiang Musheng likes me!” in public.

The cold wind had already tinted Yu Youqing’s cheeks pink earlier—now they burned crimson.

Too embarrassed to remain, she lowered her head in mortification, muttered a goodbye to Jiang Musheng, and dashed through the wind toward her waiting van outside. At least now, with the coat covering the moonlight dress, she wouldn’t draw as much attention.

This embarrassment lingered even as she lay in bed that night.

What exactly did Jiang Musheng mean?

Was she making conversation, or teasing her?

Impossible. They weren’t close. Then why did Jiang Musheng give her the coat…

It was just a casual gesture, right? Big shots helping small fries don’t need reasons. That’s all it was—no overthinking.

Her appearance naturally sparked considerable discussion on Touchbo.

The next day, Tiantian came to her saying, “Ignore all that nonsense, sis. Don’t look—it’ll just upset you. This is just part of your comeback journey. You… Sis, are you even listening?”

She noticed Yu Youqing spacing out, gaze fixed on the now perfectly pressed dress.

Tiantian asked, “Sis, what should we do with this dress?”

Since Jiang Musheng provided it, protocol dictated returning it. But the assistant had made it clear upon delivery—it wasn’t Jiang Musheng’s size, obviously unneeded.

Yet such brand-provided gowns were typically loaned to celebrities, only gifted to top-tier actresses or brand ambassadors. Those without sufficient status had to return them properly.

Yu Youqing wasn’t a spokesperson, nor did she have the clout—even looking stunning yesterday didn’t earn official recognition from the brand.

“Send it back,” Yu Youqing snapped out of her daze. “Contact Moly’s team about it.”

Tiantian nodded and made the call, only to return speechless with shock.

Yu Youqing looked up. “What? Did they yell at you?”

Tiantian shook her head vigorously, “No, Moly told me the dress doesn’t need to be returned because… Teacher Jiang bought it. It wasn’t sent by the brand.”

Yu Youqing: “?” What did that mean?

Tiantian said, “Why would Teacher Jiang buy a dress that’s not her size? Then… should we clean it and return it to her?”

Yu Youqing wasn’t narcissistic enough to think Jiang Musheng had specially prepared this dress for her.

She recalled Jiang Musheng’s previous interview—wasn’t there talk about Jiang Musheng having a white moonlight? Could it be true and not just publicity?

So when the dress was on her, Jiang Musheng probably wasn’t looking at her but seeing that white moonlight through her.

Thinking this way… Yu Youqing suddenly understood.

“Let’s not pry into Teacher Jiang’s affairs,” Yu Youqing patted Tiantian’s hand. “You’re still young, you wouldn’t understand. If I get the chance to meet Teacher Jiang again, I’ll definitely ask for her contact to return the dress.”

That day at the event, she had fled in such a hurry that returning the dress was the last thing on her mind.

Tiantian nodded vaguely, “Aren’t you moving soon? How’s the house hunting going?”

“Don’t even mention it.”

Yu Youqing was troubled by this. Her previous apartment had been rented by Zhao Guili under the company’s name, with half the high rent covered by the company, so it hadn’t been a burden.

But now the company stopped paying, and with no gigs coming in, she couldn’t afford it. After being reborn, she terminated her contract with the company immediately, making moving urgent.

Otherwise, the balance in her bank account wouldn’t last till next month, and she’d be left penniless.

Seeing her distress, Tiantian asked, “Are your requirements very high? I can help you look.”

Yu Youqing said, “Good privacy, not too small, and the rent shouldn’t be too expensive.”

Yu Youqing had already prepared herself to stay in a hotel temporarily, but three days later, Tiantian excitedly told her, “I found the perfect place for you!”

“It’s in the famous wealthy district, Yijing Garden—a three-story standalone villa, and the rent is three times cheaper than what you’re paying now!”

Yu Youqing looked at her skeptically, “Are you sure you weren’t scammed? How could a standalone villa be that cheap?”

Tiantian insisted, “It’s true! It’s the landlord’s first time renting it out. It’s a shared space—three floors, with the first floor as a common area. The landlord and tenant each have their own floor, completely undisturbed.”

“Shared?” Yu Youqing thought for a moment. “Is the landlord a woman?”

“Yes, but it’s practically like living alone. The agent specifically mentioned the landlord barely stays there—maybe two or three times a year. Isn’t that a steal?”

Yu Youqing: “…Sounds too good to be true.” It sounded like a scam—how could such luck land on her?

Tiantian: “We won’t know unless we check it out.”

With doubts in mind, Yu Youqing viewed the place in the morning and signed the contract by noon.

It was exactly as Tiantian had described. If she didn’t seize this opportunity today, she might never get another like it!

The apartment had excellent lighting and layout. She lived on the second floor, and the landlord never came home. She could handle everything directly with the property manager without needing to communicate with the landlord at all.

Yu Youqing was glad she had packed everything from her old place before moving, so when the movers arrived in the afternoon, it was a quick and seamless transition.

For the next week, she had nothing scheduled and spent her time at home watching movies. True to form, the mysterious landlord never returned.

At first, Yu Youqing was a bit reserved, avoiding the living room.

But after a week without any sign of the landlord, she happily set up a small hotpot in the living room one evening, sipping wine while binge-watching dramas.

After a few drinks, she flipped the channel and landed on an entertainment news program.

It was a prime-time show that summarized and commented on the latest celebrity gossip. The screen behind the host displayed footage from the charity gala, showcasing various female stars walking the red carpet before finally freezing on the moment Jiang Musheng arrived.

The camera work was impeccable—it captured Jiang Musheng’s glance in her direction, followed immediately by the scene where Yu Youqing draped her coat over Liang Yitang’s shoulders.

The host then cut to a montage of netizens’ reactions, with sensitive keywords blurred out.

Yu Youqing squinted at the screen, struggling to hear clearly, so she turned up the volume.

“To everyone’s surprise, long-absent actress Yu Youqing has suddenly reappeared in the public eye. Netizens speculate that her act with Liang Yitang was actually a ploy to catch Jiang Musheng’s attention. Some even claim she stole the moonlight gown originally intended for Jiang Musheng, though she has yet to respond…”

“Respond? Respond to the response you want?” The alcohol was hitting hard now. Yu Youqing swayed as she stood, her vision blurring, but the words rang clear in her ears. She mimed holding a microphone to her lips, raising her voice childishly, “I won’t! Let it eat you up! Let it eat you up!”

For rising stars, such harsh criticism might be devastating, but for someone like Yu Youqing, who had already been through it all, it meant nothing. She might as well argue with the haters head-on.

“Hmph.” Yu Youqing glared at the TV with a light scoff. “Let me tell you—”

She had no idea that someone had just entered through the front door.

“So what if Teacher Jiang noticed me? What’s it to you? The moonlight gown was given to me by her—who’s stealing what? Shallow! That dress suited me perfectly. Even if… even if Jiang Musheng’s so-called ‘white moonlight’ showed up, could she possibly wear it better than a disciplined actress with a flawless figure?”

Muttering to herself, she twirled as if still wearing the gown, laughing at her own antics. She lifted an imaginary hem, bowing slightly, a strand of hair brushing against her fair, slender neck. Softly, as if asking no one in particular, she whispered,

“Who were you really looking at that night?”

Her? Or the internet’s collective fantasy of the “white moonlight”?

The program cut to an ad for a rising star’s new song, and just then, a cool, detached voice spoke.

“You.”

Yu Youqing looked up suspiciously, and when she saw Jiang Musheng standing at the entrance, her brain short-circuited again.

She must be dreaming. She had to be.

If she just closed her eyes, this nightmare would be over!

Yu Youqing shut her eyes and opened them again, only to find Jiang Musheng staring at her as if she were an idiot.

Yu Youqing: “???”