Whoever Falls in Love First is the Dog - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Spring Has Long Passed, So Why Am I Getting Lovesick Now?

When Shen Mengke appeared wearing a hat, numerous flashes immediately pointed her way.

A blinding white light burst in front of her, causing her to frown and instinctively step back. When she looked up, she saw a dense crowd of people.

Xiao He, ever the professional, quickly stepped in front of her, shielding her from the cameras.

Shen Mengke usually didn’t allow fans to visit her on set, afraid it would disrupt filming. She frowned in confusion and instinctively lowered her hat, asking Xiao He in a low voice, “Did we go the wrong way?”

Xiao He looked equally confused—but the most puzzled of all were the fans holding up all sorts of filming gear, clearly there for someone else.

Snippets of phrases like “wrong person,” “not here yet,” and “she’s in the back” drifted through the crowd…

Shen Mengke quickly pieced it together. With Xiao He escorting her, she entered the filming area, but not without sneaking a glance back—her eyes full of curiosity.

Shen Mengke looked at Xiao He with a mischievous glint. “Xiao He, go find out whose fans those are.”

Xiao He nodded and, after delivering her to the makeup room, left.

The drama Shen Mengke was filming was called Asking the Heart. It was a historical revenge drama with a same-s3x romance.

Same-s3x stories weren’t rare in the country anymore; there had been a few dramas aired, but none dared to go all-in. Most just played on subtle hints.

Because of that, the production had kept a low profile since filming began, given the sensitivity. During shooting, there were hardly any fan visits—certainly never a scene like today’s mob.

As Shen Mengke was having her makeup done, Xiao He soon returned with the scoop.

“It’s Jiang Ranran. She’s doing a guest role.”

Shen Mengke was a little surprised. Jiang Ranran had debuted as an idol. A few years ago, she’d starred in a fantasy romance drama that exploded in popularity, launching her acting career. Lately, due to plastic surgery rumors and a few tabloid scandals, she’d been lying low. But who knew her fans would still be this enthusiastic?

Though some fans complained that she no longer sang or performed on stage, in this day and age, singers and dancers jumping into acting was common. To stand out was no easy feat—Shen Mengke had to admit, Jiang Ranran had something.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Shen Mengke suddenly thought of Chen Xingxing.

Could she act? Did the Chen family see actors—people who had physical contact with others in shows—as “dirty”? And saw someone like Chen Xingxing, who only performed on stage, as “clean”?

What about Chen Yanxing? She was part of the Chen family too—did she also think the entertainment industry was filthy?

Her thoughts spiraled out of control. In a daze, she seemed to see a pair of eyes completely different from Chen Xingxing’s, and a hand wandering across her body…

Shen Mengke frowned and couldn’t help but click her tongue.

Spring had long since passed—so why was she getting lovesick now?

The makeup artist paused mid-motion, looking at her in confusion. “Uh… Miss Shen?”

Shen Mengke snapped out of it and quickly apologized, “Sorry, not aimed at you—I was just… contemplating the character.”

The makeup artist chuckled. “So focused—this drama is sure to succeed.”

Shen Mengke smiled politely, taking it as empty flattery.

The drama wasn’t a massive production, but she loved the script.

She played a sheltered princess forced to marry into a neighboring kingdom. Amid political schemes and a crumbling empire, she was repeatedly pushed to grow and mature.

Both the plot and its themes were outstanding. Honestly, when she first got the script, Shen Mengke suspected her manager Fan-jie had pulled strings for her. It was her first time playing such a complex role, and she struggled with balancing the performance—her acting was passable, but unsatisfying to her.

Technically, her takes were acceptable—standard acting school level—but she wasn’t happy with them. She kept reshooting, which wore down her confidence and the patience of the crew. That was what led her to go out last night and, unexpectedly, encounter Chen Yanxing at the hotel.

She hadn’t intended to go home—but instead got a perfect one-night stand that cleared her mind of all worries. The fog lifted. She gained new insight into her role.

She never knew that s3x could be so enlightening…

While she was lost in thought, she looked up and saw Xiao He frowning at her phone.

“What’s up?” she asked.

Xiao He put the phone down with a pained smile. “Sis, you’re trending again.”

“Hm?”

Xiao He handed her the phone.

It all started because a fan who didn’t recognize Shen Mengke posted her photo on Weibo…

[@Just-JiangRanran: Didn’t get a shot of Ranran, but here’s a shy little beauty instead [photo][photo][photo][photo]]

She had captured the moment Shen Mengke lowered her hat and stepped back. Shen Mengke was a mid-tier celebrity—not obscure, but her scandals were often more known than her actual roles. Not many could recognize her at first glance.

@Just-JiangRanran was a major fan account of Jiang Ranran’s, following her for nearly ten years and exclusively posting about her—so naturally…

“What’s going on? Thought that was Ranran!”
“Where’s Ranran? Did J-jie switch stans?”
“LOL I was there too—got this [photo]”
“She looked so cute stepping back like that!”
“She looks familiar…”
“No wonder! She’s trending right now!”
“J-jie, don’t post people like this with Ranran…”
“Calling her a scandal-ridden celeb is too much. When Shen Mengke debuted, your idol was still in middle school! Show some respect!”
“She’s a senior, yes, but still not a good look…”
“Mengke’s fans came rushing in already? Don’t tell me you stalk our tag?”
“Stalk your ***! She’s trending, wake up!”

It wasn’t clear whether Jiang Ranran’s traffic or Shen Mengke’s notoriety sparked the flame, but the photos went viral, and arguments broke out. Worried about affecting Jiang Ranran, the fan quickly deleted the post and issued an apology, but the images had already spread.

Others on-site had taken more photos of Shen Mengke. Whether they knew her or not, fans started flooding Weibo with all kinds of comments. And just like that, two unrelated fandoms clashed on the trending list.

Setting the drama aside, the unedited photos of Shen Mengke were actually quite good.

She had a petite face, and with her head lowered, the brim of her hat fully shaded her features. Her slightly pursed lips, the sunlight casting shadows on her black cap—made the white embroidered “SMK” letters pop out.

[@DreamingOfYou_: SHE WORE THE FANDOM HAT!!! [photo][photo]]

It was the same photo set, reposted by Shen Mengke’s fans who highlighted the details.

“This is infuriating! @ShenMengkeStudio—do something! Your boss is being slandered!”
“Ahhhh she loves us so much!”
“I wanna see her film in person too!”
“Let’s not bother her. We shouldn’t add pressure.”
“No leaks from the crew till now—why did Ranran’s fans even show up?”
“This is her moment. Let’s not mention others.”
“@ShenMengkeStudio take down the trending post!”
“Ranran’s fans are spreading rumors under the hashtag!”
“Everyone, don’t fight. Keep evidence.”

So the focus completely shifted. Shen Mengke’s trending topic shot up again.

Amid all the noise, one person quietly pointed something out:

“That mark on her neck—what is it?”

Shen Mengke’s brows furrowed. She quickly zoomed in on the photo.

Due to direct sunlight, her neck area had a slight glare and blur—but even so, the red mark on her neck was clearly visible.

Her heart sank. With a sigh, she handed the phone back to Xiao He. “Let’s get that trending topic removed.”

“We’re on it. It’s just…”

“What?”

“Fan-jie says… someone already helped us take it down. We’re not sure if it was Jiang Ranran’s side.”

Xiao He sounded unsure. After all, a rival team helping remove a trending post? Unthinkable. Though, to be fair, they weren’t exactly rivals.

Shen Mengke closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the makeup artist finish the final stroke on her face…