Why Does the Seductive Film Queen Keep Flirting with Me? - Chapter 49

Yun Chuxian received news of the online rumors immediately. The decision to issue a clarification or let the matter lie rested with her.

Cheng Huang, currently managing the company and serving as Yun Chuxian’s agent, had never faced such intense public scrutiny before.

The rumors about Yun Chuxian and Tang Wangyue were detailed and convincing, even including scattered photos of Tang Wangyue entering Yun Chuxian’s RV. However, there was no evidence of public displays of affection between the two.

This was precisely why Yun Chuxian hesitated. As someone in the entertainment industry, her mental resilience far surpassed that of ordinary people. Tang Wangyue, on the other hand, was a freelance writer who preferred staying home. Could she withstand the onslaught of online criticism?

Yun Chuxian remained skeptical.

Yet this public outcry couldn’t be forcibly suppressed. The overwhelming tide of rumors clearly indicated someone was deliberately stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

It would be best to identify the mastermind before taking action. If she struck, she would strike decisively, leaving no trace of the root cause.

Issuing a clarification would be easy, but without a counter-narrative, many would form preconceived notions about The Eldest Princess based on the rumors alone.

Yun Chuxian wasn’t afraid of scandals, but she couldn’t tolerate rumors that threatened her work.

The massive smear campaign against The Eldest Princess was clearly a preemptive strike to prevent it from becoming a breakout hit. By targeting Tang Wangyue’s scandals and then attacking the script’s demonic modifications, the campaign aimed to ruin the drama’s reputation before it even aired.

This would lead to dismal pre-premiere reservation numbers. Even if positive word-of-mouth later boosted the show, it might still fail to achieve mainstream success.

In essence, the strategy was to first target Tang Wangyue on the opening day, then redirect the backlash to the drama itself, implying that her influence had enabled her to act recklessly on set and push through the demonic modifications.

The true goal of the masterminds behind the campaign was to suppress both Tang Wangyue and the drama. Tang Wangyue was merely a spark to ignite the fire.

However, Tang Wangyue, as the spark, was bearing the brunt of the flames. One misstep could see her consumed entirely.

The individuals manipulating public opinion harbored truly malicious intentions.

Fortunately, Tang Wangyue seemed unfazed. She ate and drank as usual, and her work demeanor remained unchanged.

The production crew continued their work as normal. Beneath the seemingly calm surface, however, lurked countless dark schemes. Staff members acted cautiously in public, but behind the scenes, they gossiped like crickets.

For some crew members, the drama’s success or failure was irrelevant. All that mattered was getting paid. What did the show’s quality have to do with them?

To prevent post-production staff from cutting corners, Jingwei Video implemented a bonus system. If the drama performed well, the post-production team would receive rewards, ensuring they remained invested even after the initial release.

Jingwei Video never skimped on resources to ensure the post-production team could work diligently within their budget.

However, some members of the production crew didn’t care about these incentives. In fact, some of the leaked photos had been provided by one of them.

Sun Ran’s team, after reviewing surveillance footage and consulting with Jingwei Video and Yun Chuxian, reached a consensus let the public opinion ferment for now, then counterattack later, treating it as free publicity.

The production crew’s priority remained completing the drama without letting the controversy affect their morale.

For Yun Chuxian, this incident posed little personal impact. Her only concern was whether Tang Wangyue, now at the center of the storm, could withstand the pressure.

The three parties had agreed to keep their strategy confidential.

But Tang Wangyue isn’t an outsider, she thought.

Even before the situation was fully understood, Yun Chuxian had wanted to discuss it with Tang Wangyue. However, without identifying the mastermind behind the smear campaign or determining how to counter the narrative, she couldn’t risk raising Tang Wangyue’s hopes prematurely. Only after a concrete plan was in place could she approach her.

Throughout the ordeal, Yun Chuxian had been keeping a close eye on Tang Wangyue, determined to prevent her from being upset by the online backlash.

Every female celebrity with a thick skin had endured massive waves of cyberbullying, and Tang Wangyue was no exception. Even someone as composed as her couldn’t help but be affected.

For days, Yun Chuxian had been calling Tang Wangyue into her RV. Neither of them mentioned the online storm.

Yet, unbeknownst to Tang Wangyue, Yun Chuxian’s gaze followed her everywhere. Even while filming her own scenes, Yun Chuxian instructed Bai Yu to keep a close watch on Tang Wangyue’s mood.

Thankfully, Tang Wangyue proved stronger than Yun Chuxian had anticipated. With this reassurance, Yun Chuxian no longer felt the urgency to comfort her.

Now was the perfect time to share their plans with Tang Wangyue.

When Tang Wangyue reached Yun Chuxian’s door, she found it ajar—likely left open by Bai Yu. She stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and glanced at Yun Chuxian, who was leaning back on the sofa. Seeing her, Yun Chuxian straightened up.

Sit, Yun Chuxian said.

She didn’t specify where, so Tang Wangyue blinked and settled down on the opposite side of the room.

Yun Chuxian ? Why so far away?

Tang Wangyue immediately felt a cold draft rushing toward her. She quickly smiled and moved to another seat, obediently calling out, Sister.

Seeing that Tang Wangyue genuinely seemed to be in good spirits, Yun Chuxian’s heart lightened considerably. What are your thoughts on the online backlash?

Yun Chuxian didn’t bother asking if Tang Wangyue was aware of the situation. With the internet in such a frenzy, it was impossible for her to be ignorant. Even if Tang Wangyue didn’t use the internet herself, her relatives and friends certainly did.

Tang Wangyue lowered her gaze. Revealing my identity as the original author would debunk the ‘Demonic Modification’ claims. But I’m not sure how to clarify our relationship.

Clarify? Yun Chuxian gave her a probing look. How do you propose we clarify it?

Tang Wangyue remained unfazed, pondering for a moment. We could just say we’re close friends discussing the script.

It’s perfectly normal for close friends to sleep in the same bed, right? Besides, she had only stayed in Yun Chuxian’s RV for a while—well, a day—but what’s the big deal?

After all, who would automatically assume a lesbian relationship between two women? This explanation should work fine.

If the online backlash had been organic, they could have ignored it and let it die down in a few days. But this wasn’t the case they needed to intervene.

Yun Chuxian’s mood soured the moment she heard the word best friends.

Clarify to the public that we’re just best friends? What happens after we get married? Will we stop being best friends then?

Yun Chuxian had long planned to marry Tang Wangyue. If possible, they could tie the knot as soon as this drama wrapped up.

Her expression darkened. Jingwei will deploy their Water Army. Does the Original Author know their work has been subjected to Demonic Modification? When this trending topic reaches its peak, you should release a statement clarifying that you are the Original Author of the novel and expose the circulating script as fake.

As for clarifying our relationship… we don’t need to do that for now.

Tang Wangyue looked puzzled. Why not?

Exactly as you said, who would ever assume two women together are doing that? What’s the point of clarifying?

During the initial discussions, Yun Chuxian had opposed the company and Jingwei Video’s proposal to clarify her relationship with Tang Wangyue.

In the entertainment industry, where male-female, male-male, and female-female relationships were commonplace, everyone assumed a simple clarification would suffice.

In reality, netizens were just enjoying the spectacle. Clarifying this one point would be enough. As for the rumors about her and Tang Wangyue, Yun Chuxian had never intended to address them.

Her official explanation was that tabloid gossip didn’t warrant clarification. If this incident hadn’t been related to her work, she wouldn’t have given it a second glance.

Hearing this explanation, Cheng Huang and Bai Yu gave her a thumbs-up. If they hadn’t known Yun Chuxian wanted to marry Tang Wangyue, they would have believed it.

Sun Ran simply gave her a single word.

As close friends, she had seen Yun Chuxian’s true feelings for Tang Wangyue. These so-called reasons were just for show, but they were good enough to fool the public.

Jingwei wasn’t just her own Jingwei the public needed a convincing explanation too.

Yun Chuxian’s words to Tang Wangyue were even more direct. The logic was the same, but the way she phrased it made Tang Wangyue’s whole body heat up, as if she were burning with fever. She probably needed to gulp down a glass of ice water.

Then I’ll do as you say, Sister, Tang Wangyue replied.

She didn’t understand public relations, so since Yun Chuxian had made the decision, she would cooperate.

Tang Wangyue pinched her earlobe, feeling the heat at its tip, and her gaze drifted down to Yun Chuxian’s feet.

Pale, delicate feet with beautifully shaped toes—a beauty was beautiful everywhere.

As if sensing her gaze, Yun Chuxian suddenly placed her foot on Tang Wangyue’s lap. Tired. Massage it.

Though the request was sudden, Tang Wangyue obediently took Yun Chuxian’s calf in her hands and began gently kneading it.

The public opinion crisis seemed to have resolved itself, but in reality, Cheng Huang had a private conversation with Yun Chuxian. Homosexuality remained a minority view, and even in the present day, it wasn’t universally accepted.

While heterosexual relationships were frequently exposed in the entertainment industry, very few same-s3x couples had been publicly revealed. Even when such rumors surfaced, the parties involved never officially acknowledged them. As long as they denied the allegations, the controversy would eventually die down. However, admitting the truth would likely force them to retire from the industry.

Faced with Cheng Huang’s concerns, Yun Chuxian’s expression turned cold. If I issue a clarification, aren’t you afraid they’ll produce evidence?

The other party might be eager for her to admit the truth, just to keep humiliating her.

Her coldness wasn’t directed at Cheng Huang, but at whoever had orchestrated this scheme. By dragging Tang Wangyue into the fire, they had crossed her line.

She was willing to leave the industry, but she would never allow anyone to involve Tang Wangyue.

So, she told Cheng Huang, If they want to fight, let them. If I can’t win, I’ll ask Uncle for help.

Cheng Huang was astonished. Throughout Yun Chuxian’s years in the industry, no one had dared to pressure her into doing anything against her will, thanks to her uncle’s influence. Yet she had never deliberately invoked his name for personal gain.

The Yun Family’s protection against compromising situations was enough. She refused to let them secure resources or roles for her.

She didn’t want to owe her uncle too much, but without him, she wouldn’t have been able to protect herself.

She had never proactively sought her uncle’s help.

Years ago, when she refused to accompany clients for drinks and nearly faced a career-ending ban, she didn’t ask her uncle to intervene. Instead, she relied on her work to make a comeback.

Throughout her years in the industry, Yun Chuxian had faced at least three attempts to blacklist her. Each time, she had overcome the obstacles through her work, leading some to speculate that she had no connection to the Yun Family.

However, only those in positions of power had glimpsed the truth of her relationship with the Yun Family—a select few.

The last time a clueless paparazzi photographed her uncle, the circle of those in the know had widened slightly. Yet even under these circumstances, someone dared to provoke her, leaving her no choice but to retaliate.

The person who leaked this information was likely the same one from last time, but this time they were smarter, possibly with new backers pulling the strings.

As Yun Chuxian felt the gentle movements on her calf, she suddenly grabbed Tang Wangyue’s arm and stood up. While Tang Wangyue froze, Yun Chuxian rested her chin on Tang Wangyue’s shoulder.

Her lips brushed against Tang Wangyue’s ear as she whispered in a warm, ambiguous tone, A Yue, since the whole internet is buzzing about us, how about we start dating?