Whoever Falls in Love First is the Dog - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Aren’t I your assistant? Wherever you go, I go

In the morning, while Shen Mengke was getting her makeup done, Chen Yanxing stepped out to take a call. When she returned, her expression had darkened.

Shen Mengke glanced at her briefly and asked casually, “What’s wrong?”

“The trending topic got taken down.”

“Huh?” Shen Mengke chuckled. “Shouldn’t you be happy the trending topic got removed?”

“I can’t annoy the Chen family anymore. What’s there to be happy about?”

Chen Yanxing sat nearby, watching Shen Mengke as she got her makeup done, her voice carrying a faint note of grievance.

Shen Mengke smiled but didn’t respond. She often found Chen Yanxing’s thoughts a bit baffling—maybe that’s what comes with the age gap. Like that time with bungee jumping—Chen Yanxing hadn’t even asked whether she had a heart condition until they were practically at the jump site. She only remembered to check if Shen Mengke was afraid of heights when they were already at the foot of the mountain.

Someone once said that dating someone younger meant you’d have to watch them grow up. Shen Mengke glanced at Chen Yanxing in the mirror. Fortunately, she didn’t need to worry too much—Chen Yanxing seemed capable of handling herself.

At their age, people like her were impulsive, often careless. But ultimately, her relationship with Chen Yanxing was strictly professional. Whatever quirks or habits Chen Yanxing had were none of her concern.

So, Shen Mengke simply said, “The next three days of filming will all be on the cruise. You can decide whether or not to come on board—but once you’re up there, you’re not getting off.”

“Aren’t I your assistant? Wherever you go, I go,” she replied.

Shen Mengke smirked. “Well then, Assistant Chen, go get me a glass of water.”

Chen Yanxing immediately got up, poured a glass of warm water, and brought it over.

Just as Shen Mengke reached out to take the cup, Chen Yanxing lifted it slightly, dodging her hand.

Meeting Shen Mengke’s puzzled gaze, Chen Yanxing slowly brought the cup to Shen Mengke’s lips.

Strangely, it reminded Shen Mengke of the night at the club—they had drunk like this, too.

She dipped her head and took a sip, then frowned. “It’s hot.”

Chen Yanxing raised her eyebrows and took a sip herself. “It’s not.”

Shen Mengke gave her an annoyed glare. “Are you going to listen to me or yourself?”

Chen Yanxing shrugged, finished the glass, and went to pour another, this time handing it to Shen Mengke directly.

Shen Mengke didn’t complain about the temperature this time, but the water was clearly just as hot.

This shoot was different from the last one. That time, they were on land—fans could even climb hills or trees next to the cottage to sneak photos of the stars.

But this time, once the cruise ship’s horn sounded and the vessel left port, there would be no chance of unofficial leaks.

Of course, that also meant Shen Mengke couldn’t walk off set on a whim this time.

Their hotel was by the sea, and from her window, Shen Mengke could see the cruise ship docked nearby. From above, it didn’t seem all that big. A crowd had gathered at the shore—fans holding cameras or phones, security guards keeping order, celebrities getting ready to board. She noticed a few familiar-looking figures among them, but they were too far to identify clearly.

“The director said we can board now,” Chen Yanxing said, walking in.

Originally, Fan Shi was supposed to accompany her for filming, but Shen Mengke had refused. So it was Chen Yanxing who ended up handling coordination with the production team.

Anyone who paid attention to trending topics already knew Chen Yanxing was part of the crew, and since she still worked in the entertainment industry, she typically avoided the cameras.

But now, as Shen Mengke’s so-called assistant, Chen Yanxing no longer seemed afraid of being filmed.

Though it wasn’t officially stated, everyone on set understood—Chen Yanxing was here to back Shen Mengke.

Why else would the low-key Miss Chen show her face on camera? The trending topic had stayed up for almost a full day—wasn’t that just a way to publicly declare their relationship?

And really, what heiress would willingly take on the role of a lowly assistant unless it was love?

Not just the crew—even internet sleuths reached the same conclusion. They dissected every bit of Shen Mengke’s social media activity and behind-the-scenes footage to chart the entire arc of their supposed romance—from strangers to partners to lovers. Their analysis was so detailed, it could pass as a thesis.

Chen Yanxing, who had been online all day, found these theories oddly entertaining and even shared them with Shen Mengke. But Shen Mengke remained calm, saying if Chen Yanxing was bored, she should read fanfiction instead—more amusing than these half-baked analyses.

Chen Yanxing read some.

Then she got upset.

Then she stopped looking at her phone altogether.

Shen Mengke couldn’t understand her reaction. She had been so delighted reading rumors about herself, but the moment she read about others, she turned gloomy and cynical.

Still, since Chen Yanxing didn’t say anything, Shen Mengke didn’t ask.

Soon, Shen Mengke completed her pre-show interview. From the moment she walked out of the hotel, filming began.

Chen Yanxing held an umbrella over her while she greeted fans along the way.

But Chen Yanxing, being so close, could see the stiff wave, the forced smile, and even behind Shen Mengke’s sunglasses—there was no real joy in her eyes.

Chen Yanxing didn’t understand. If she didn’t like it, why force herself to smile?

But as they were about to board the cruise, Shen Mengke motioned for her to put the umbrella away. Then she turned, took off her sunglasses, and bowed to her fans—just like last time.

This time, Chen Yanxing could tell—her smile was genuine.

It was the first time Chen Yanxing truly saw the power of an actor.

As fans screamed with excitement, Shen Mengke slowly straightened up, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, as if trying to etch every face into her memory.

But truthfully, she could only make out the ones nearby.

“Sis!”

A sharp voice suddenly rose above the rest. Instinctively, Shen Mengke looked in that direction—and when she saw who it was, her expression darkened, and she took a step back.

The girl in the crowd was striking, but unlike the other fans who held signs or cameras, she just waved her hand, calling out Shen Mengke’s name.

Shen Mengke quickly lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact. Then she turned and walked up the ramp without hesitation.

“You don’t like her.”

Now that the crowd noise had faded and only one camera followed behind, Chen Yanxing spoke quietly.

Normally, assistants and celebrities were supposed to enter separately, since from this point on, everything would be part of the show—every word and step could end up in the final cut.

But Shen Mengke didn’t stop her, and no one dared to.

The director told the crew to focus only on Shen Mengke, film from a distance, and do everything possible not to upset Miss Chen.

Chen Yanxing hadn’t intended to pressure anyone, and truthfully, she didn’t have that kind of power. But the arrangement suited her—she genuinely didn’t like being on camera.

Shen Mengke glanced at her and put her sunglasses back on. “When the cameras are on, speak carefully.”

It was a warning.

Chen Yanxing shut her mouth and followed her into the room.

Shen Mengke changed into more comfortable clothes and touched up her makeup. Then she headed to the fourth-floor dining area, leaving Chen Yanxing behind.

Sitting on the couch, Chen Yanxing looked at a text message on her phone for a long time, then pressed and held to delete it.

Thanks to the show’s arrangement, Shen Mengke was the last to arrive.

After all, she had skipped a full day of filming last time. The official excuse was that she was sick and had to go to the hospital.

When she entered, Shi Shuiying stood up right away.

“Shen-jie! Are you feeling better now?”

The incident between her and Chen Xingxing was kept under wraps by the crew, so everyone assumed Shen Mengke had genuinely fallen ill.

Shen Mengke smiled. “All better. Nothing to worry about.”

When money’s on the line, any lie is worth telling.

She exchanged greetings with the others and sat down beside Shi Shuiying at the long table—the only seat left was at the far end.

“You may begin serving.”

Once everyone had arrived, Liu Xiangqi called out. Waitstaff began bringing in dishes one after another.

Amid the flurry of movement, Shen Mengke discreetly scanned the group, surprised to see Chen Xingxing still participating in the shoot.

From what she knew, someone like Chen Xingxing, a typical heiress, should’ve stormed off the moment things didn’t go her way.

Then her mind flashed to last night’s trending topic that refused to go down—could the Chen family be going bankrupt?

The thought was so wild it made Shen Mengke momentarily lose control of her expression, eyes wide in disbelief.

She stared at Chen Xingxing for so long that Chen Xingxing couldn’t ignore it. She frowned and looked up—only to see Shen Mengke’s shocked and complicated expression. She was completely thrown off.

Was her makeup that bad today? Or were Shen Mengke and Chen Yanxing plotting something behind her back?

She’d seen the trending topic, too, and never imagined Chen Yanxing would defy her mother so publicly.

When their eyes met, Shen Mengke quickly looked away.

Then she realized how ridiculous her own thoughts were and chuckled softly to herself.

But Chen Xingxing saw all of it. And as the saying goes, guilty people fear ghosts. Seeing Shen Mengke smile like that filled her with goosebumps. She even began imagining scenarios where Shen Mengke would poison her at night.

Somehow, everything seemed plausible when it involved Chen Yanxing.