Celebrity fan clubs usually have communication channels with the company and occasionally receive information in advance to coordinate with some artists' activities. When the management company learned of the news, they were equally perplexed. Shi Guanghua might be maintaining the couple persona, but they had never seen such a bold approach from him before.
They had witnessed celebrities personally intervening to break up their on-screen couples, but they had never seen someone use super glue to stick them together.
The company's PR team asked, "So what should we do?"
Shi Guanghua's actions indeed shocked the PR team. They had never encountered such a marketing strategy before and didn't know how to respond.
Celebrity PR teams all have unwritten rules in the industry. They excel at coordinated exposures, planted articles, and other tactics, but they don't know how to handle such directness.
The PR director said, "Don't initiate, don't refuse, don't take responsibility. After all, he's the one who attached himself to us. We haven't left any evidence."
The PR team member asked, "So we're pretending to be blind?"
The PR director replied, "... If that's how you want to interpret it, sure."
From that day on, the company's PR team collectively started acting blind. They didn't believe Shi Guanghua's team could keep up this chaotic dance. Surely there couldn't be anything more outrageous than this, right?
As it turned out, truth is stranger than fiction, and no one can constrain an outsider with entertainment industry rules.
Although Shi Guanghua didn't appear in the spotlight, he continued his work as a musician. Not only did he produce a new album for a top-tier male singer in China, but he also became the music director for a competitive music show, fully returning to behind-the-scenes production and no longer performing on stage.
This music show brought together many talented singers. While Shi Guanghua didn't appear in the main footage, he was featured in interviews and casual conversations in the behind-the-scenes clips.
The veteran singers on the show had a good impression of the young music director. Firstly, Shi Guanghua was purely a producer and not a singer, so there was no conflict of resources. Secondly, "Heart-Fluttering Promise" had just concluded, and the Moonlight Couple was still hot. Everyone had a positive filter for Shi Guanghua, remembering his performance on the show.
Therefore, even though Shi Guanghua's personality was a bit odd, no one found it off-putting. His persona on the dating show was just like that, which only proved that he was consistent on and off camera.
In the behind-the-scenes footage, the singers chatted with Shi Guanghua backstage about music and mentioned his past stage performances.
A male singer joked, "Why doesn't Little Shi sing anymore? Didn't someone give you a microphone? You could take it on stage. It's such a waste otherwise."
People in the industry had also watched "Heart-Fluttering Promise." After all, it was a couple that created powerful commercial value, so naturally, everyone had heard about it, and some even secretly shipped them.
The male singer meant no harm. He had just seen clips on Weibo and remembered that Chu Yueyi had given Shi Guanghua an expensive microphone. Shi Guanghua used to sing on shows, but now he had completely moved behind the scenes, which of course made others regretful.
A female singer nearby heard this and immediately looked panicked. She quickly tried to stop him in a low voice, "Ah, we shouldn't mention that..." Who would bring up the couple after the show ended, right in front of one of the people involved? Wouldn't that just annoy him?
Although Shi Guanghua himself hadn't chosen to develop his career in the spotlight, outsiders didn't actually know his views on the marketed couple. Maybe he didn't like the show tying them together, or maybe he didn't want to talk about this topic face-to-face.
Surprisingly, Shi Guanghua didn't avoid the question at all. He answered candidly and briefly, "That's for her to sing with."
Everyone: "?" What did that mean?
The male singer looked bewildered, "So we're not worthy of hearing it?"
Shi Guanghua remained silent, not elaborating, but his attitude seemed to confirm it. He continued to fiddle with his laptop, apparently considering the question already answered.
Why not return to the stage to sing? Why not use the Flowing Light black microphone?
Because he only wanted to give the microphone to one person to sing! The rest of you aren't worthy!
This was the entire subtext that the singers understood from Shi Guanghua's response.
Shi Guanghua's reply was slightly impolite, but the others didn't feel offended. Instead, they felt dizzy at that moment, high on the ship, suddenly unable to figure out the person in front of them.
The female singer cautiously asked, "... So do you still keep in touch?"
Shi Guanghua didn't seem to mind mentioning the couple, which naturally made those around him bolder.
"Yes," Shi Guanghua glanced at his phone, casually liked a post, and then calmly said, "She just posted on WeChat Moments."
"Didn't you not activate your WeChat Moments? How can you see hers?" someone curiously asked.
It wasn't a secret that Shi Guanghua hadn't activated his WeChat Moments, as he had work contacts with others.
Shi Guanghua gave the person a puzzled look and bluntly said, "I just click in and look?"
Although he couldn't see everyone's content through the WeChat Moments channel, he could open Chu Yueyi's Moments from his friends list and see her recent updates.
Everyone: "..." Wow, how can you admit to stalking someone's WeChat Moments every day so righteously?!
One of the singers finally felt something was off. He confusedly rubbed his head and asked in bewilderment, "Wait, hold on, what exactly are you guys talking about? I don't understand your riddles. Who exactly are you talking about with Shi Guanghua?"
Throughout this casual conversation, Chu Yueyi's name hadn't been mentioned at all, yet they had managed to chat smoothly up to this point. Both the questioner and the responder didn't need to specify, accurately referring to a certain person.
The female singer dryly said, "Ah, it's Shi Director's partner from that show..."
The confused singer blinked in surprise, "A variety show? But aren't all variety shows fake and scripted?"
Shi Guanghua: "We were actually real."
Everyone: "???"
"Wait, wait a minute..." The female singer wanted to control her shipping tendencies, but now she was dizzy from this series of statements. She looked at Shi Guanghua with uncertainty and asked in a trembling voice, "Let's go over this from the beginning, you didn't misunderstand the show's definition, right?"
Shi Guanghua's statement that "it was real" completely shocked the industry insiders present. They seriously doubted whether Shi Guanghua had misunderstood the show, or if he had expressed himself inappropriately, leading to a misunderstanding.
Shi Guanghua hesitantly asked back, "Wasn't it a dating reality show?" The definition was just the literal explanation.
His reactions on the show were real, and the emotions he invested were real too. There really wasn't a script.
Everyone: Holy crap, you know it's a dating show and you still dare to say it was real?!
Shi Guanghua didn't understand why the industry insiders were making such a fuss. He just thought they were overreacting, so he simply lowered his head and continued working on the music.
"Are reality shows really that real now? I'm a bit confused..." someone anxiously spoke up. They weren't people who had never filmed shows, but they felt they couldn't communicate clearly with Shi Guanghua.
Because there were too many fake things in the industry, the truth actually shocked people, directly confusing the singers present. Could there really be shows that didn't hype things up or maintain a couple image, but simply set up blind dates for the guests? What was the point of that?
On the set of "Living with Spring," Chu Yueyi's filming was going smoothly. She perfectly interpreted Song Yingchun's psychology at various stages and excellently portrayed the character's growth and changes at different times, winning high praise from the director.
The only flaw was that the production team and the company always wanted to create some behind-the-scenes content with her and the male actor to facilitate promotion when the TV series aired.
Chu Yueyi thought this decision was a bit silly. Viewers were interested in the emotional entanglements of the characters in the drama, who would be interested in the interactions between the male and female actors? These were two completely different things. But she couldn't say this out loud. The PR team might argue that the Moonlight Couple was quite successful, proving that the public would eat this up, and that people could always find some sweet moments to latch onto. Therefore, under the company's instructions, Dong Yan kept trying to engage her in awkward conversations. They were artists from the same company, so if they were going to create buzz, it might as well benefit their own company.
To be honest, Chu Yueyi didn't mind bringing along new company talents in the drama. Every workplace would have seniors guiding juniors. But she didn't like being tied to someone else to leech off their popularity. She had benefited from company resources before, but she had never ridden on the coattails of a male senior!
The production had a media visit segment, and the company would also communicate privately in advance, guiding the direction of questions to prepare for the subsequent promotion of the series.
A reporter asked, "We heard that you have many scenes with Dong Yan. How do you get along with him in real life?"
Chu Yueyi absolutely couldn't say that she didn't get along well with Dong Yan, especially since they were working in the same production. Creating too much tension would affect the entire drama. But if she said they got along well, it would leave room for hyping up their relationship.
Chu Yueyi smiled sweetly and said, "We're good girlfriends."
The reporter and Dong Yan: "?"
"When he's in his period costume, we're long-haired sisters," Chu Yueyi looked innocently at Dong Yan. "Aren't we?"
Chu Yueyi's promotional smile was perfect, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. If Dong Yan dared to deny it publicly, he would probably be silently assassinated by her.
In the camera frame, Chu Yueyi appeared gentle, but Dong Yan felt her gaze was sharp as a knife. He stammered, "Y-yes."
Dong Yan still had scenes to film in the production. If he offended Chu Yueyi now, she might make things difficult for him.
The company staff listening nearby were anxious, feeling that Chu Yueyi was being too straightforward. Directly defining it as sisterly affection between long-haired girls wouldn't generate any couple vibes.
The reporter nodded in understanding, then abruptly asked, "Do you still keep in touch with Shi Guanghua now?"
Chu Yueyi was taken aback.
The company staff immediately stepped in, intervening: "I'm sorry, we won't be answering questions unrelated to the production..."
Media outlets are usually briefed on celebrity taboos before interviews, with some topics being off-limits for casual discussion. However, there are always those who disregard the rules, ignoring company requirements in search of sensational content.
The reporter persisted, "So you've completely cut off contact since joining the production?"
"I'm sorry, we should have mentioned earlier..." The staff member raised their voice, attempting to stop the media person's questioning.
Faced with the chaotic scene, Chu Yueyi actually communicated with Shi Guanghua daily, but fearing media speculation, she cautiously replied, "I'll like his posts."
She thought to herself slyly, but didn't say out loud, that she only likes posts without chatting.
The company staff felt slightly relieved upon hearing this. Categorizing it as a mere "like" relationship wasn't a bad approach.
The reporter continued probing: "So was everything in the show real?"
Chu Yueyi gave an official response: "That was all for the show's effect." As if the real stuff could be seen by you, she thought. The production team shouldn't dream of capturing that.
Reporter: "But Shi Guanghua said it was real."
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Hearing this, Chu Yueyi's mind instantly became chaotic. She thought to herself, I talk to him every day and never heard about this!
Their daily chats were about everyday life, and the content wasn't even that flirtatious. Wasn't it agreed to discuss things after returning? How did it suddenly become real!?
Chu Yueyi's head was buzzing from this statement, and she asked in confusion: "...What else did he say?"
Reporters can dig holes through questioning to trick her, but they can't fabricate things Shi Guanghua never said, as that risks being sued. Even if there's emotional bias in their relaying of information, it still means Shi Guanghua indeed mentioned this topic.
The reporter pondered for a few seconds, and facing the bewildered Chu Yueyi, sincerely suggested: "Why don't you two align your stories privately first? Go back and agree on a unified answer?"
"..."
"After all, he likes your Moments posts, so he probably opens the chat window every day."
"..."
After the interview, Chu Yueyi was dazed, and the company staff were extremely frustrated: "I told you not to casually engage, these reporters are watching very closely now, anything you say will be deliberately misinterpreted!"
Chu Yueyi talked about being just "like" acquaintances and it being for show effect, but the reporter danced around it wildly, refusing to listen to explanations.
"What is Shi Guanghua thinking? Does he want to completely leave the entertainment circle? He's been acting crazy lately!" The company staff couldn't understand this guy's thoughts. Logically, he should have distanced himself after gaining popularity, but now he's self-destructively providing after-sales service, as if fearing he might have any loyal fans left.
If he hadn't been so wild, he should have had some fangirls just based on his looks. How did it get so bad?
"But he is indeed an outsider to the circle..." Chu Yueyi reflexively answered, then suddenly realized and cautiously asked, "...What else has he been saying out there!?"
She had been in a state of internet disconnection recently, not paying attention to online public opinion.
Shi Guanghua was always polite and proper when chatting with her, so she naturally didn't know he would speak so recklessly.
The company hadn't informed Chu Yueyi about these things, after all, Weibo management was the publicity team's job, and her main task was to focus on filming.
The company staff showed hesitation, struggling to say: "...There's so much, I don't know where to start."
Chu Yueyi: "Okay, I'll catch up myself."
There was a media interview event today, so the break time was longer than usual. Chu Yueyi promptly took out her phone and retreated to a secluded corner to open the "Moonlight Science Club," intending to see what Shi Guanghua had been up to behind her back.
She was in for a shock.
From Weibo follows to show highlights, Shi Guanghua had been so wild that even the Moonlight scientists found it outrageous. Now the couple fans weren't even interested in solving problems, they just shared "Shi's Shocking Statements" every day.
[Term explanation]
Shi's Shocking Statements: Also known as world-shocking statements, referring to outsider Shi Guanghua's surprising words, giving couple hints in his own words to the point of shocking insiders.
Strawberry Goo: Latest news, in the behind-the-scenes footage, a singer asked him if he feels lonely not opening his Moments, like doesn't he ever have the urge to share something. This guy replied, "If I want to share something, I'll send it directly to that person."
Bear: Outrageous, truly outrageous. Let me answer for all the singers: I'm here to sing on the show, not to be force-fed your dog food.
Taluo: What are these singers thinking? They know he'll answer like this, yet they keep asking when they have nothing better to do. The behind-the-scenes footage is full of this stuff.
Little Zebra: Single dogs curious about couple life? Is the essence of humanity gossip?
Mushroom Kid: Tsk tsk, I think there are some shippers among the singers. They even asked him when he wrote the songs he recently sold, and smiled knowingly when they heard it was inspired during the show's recording.
Little Dan Doesn't Speak: What's this about selling songs?
Label: No way, no way, are there still people who don't know that after the finale he sold several love songs, covering everything from passionate love to heartbreak? Back then, Brother J transformed into a love song tycoon overnight, even though he used to say writing love songs was boring.
Zhanlu: [Love affects my songwriting speed.jpg]
It's Moonlight: [Brother J doesn't understand today's music market's obsession with love.jpg]
cuicui: [Eating your words.jpg]
83234: [Writing love songs to earn 100 million is really fast.jpg]
Shrimp Paste: He probably wants the entire entertainment industry to sing about his love, so he's written all the love songs that circle singers are going to release [Goodbye]
Willow: Teacher Shi: Surprise, you pay for songs, but you're singing about my love.
Chu Yueyi: "..."
After catching up through the "Moonlight Science Club," Chu Yueyi's mind was numb. From shock to helplessness, and then to a monk-like calmness.
As if!
Has he gone mad!?
Does he want the entire entertainment industry to know about this!?
Chu Yueyi's idea was that after the finale, there would be a buffer period where they gradually faded from public view, and then they could naturally develop their relationship, avoiding a lot of noisy controversy.
But his unrestrained wild behavior, not avoiding others' probing at all, would only keep the show's couple hype from cooling down.
Chu Yueyi's mood was devastated for a while. She directly called Shi Guanghua, intending to quickly confront the culprit. She was so anxious now that she didn't even send him a message first. Now was the time to make that call!
On the other side, Shi Guanghua was walking with the singers when he saw the incoming call. He immediately stopped in his tracks.
Everyone was about to have a meal together and looked back at him in confusion.
Shi Guanghua: "Sorry, I need to take this call. You guys go ahead."
After saying this, he quickly slipped away to answer the phone.
"So happy? Who's calling?"
"Alright, I bet tonight's composition will definitely be a sweet song! Want to bet?"
After the call connected, Shi Guanghua could barely contain his excitement as he answered, "Hello?"
It had been a while since Chu Yueyi heard his voice. As the familiar low male voice sounded in her ear, her heartstrings trembled slightly, but she forcefully suppressed her turmoil and said, "What have you been saying out there while I've been filming!?"
"I didn't say much?" Shi Guanghua recalled in confusion, "Just the truth."
Chu Yueyi exclaimed in surprise, "What do you mean you didn't say much, you told them it was real..."
Shi Guanghua suddenly realized and frankly said, "It is real, isn't it?"
"..."
Chu Yueyi was at a loss for words. Faced with his directness, she inexplicably felt her face heat up. Suddenly losing the strength to confront him, and unable to bring herself to deny it, she said stiffly, "But you can't say it like that..."
Shi Guanghua asked in confusion, "Why not?"
Chu Yueyi spoke with difficulty, "You'll get criticized for this..."
Shi Guanghua was being so forward, he would be cursed at by solo fans, and others would think he was lowering himself too much. She was afraid he would be gossiped about, which is why she wanted to wait until after the show to hold hands, not wanting the external storms to destroy their fragile new sprout.
Outsiders would misinterpret their feelings, using the most malicious thoughts to speculate about the two of them, tainting this affection with the stain of self-interest.
He shouldn't have to bear all this.
Shi Guanghua said carelessly, "Let them criticize if they want. They're just jealous of me."
He had been disliked many times along the way, but if he truly cared about that, he wouldn't have this kind of personality.
Did he need others' understanding?
He didn't.
He just wanted to pursue her, regardless of what others might say. It had nothing to do with him.
He didn't need everyone to like him; he only needed one person to like him.
Chu Yueyi was stunned by his straightforward words. She had always known his true personality, but never expected it to have such a devastating impact.
He didn't care about others' opinions and would often be misunderstood, but at this moment, he conveyed a firm and stable strength.
Chu Yueyi's previous concerns were shattered by him. She couldn't find any excuses for a moment and stammered, "But, but we haven't..."
She didn't know how to phrase it. She had originally planned to discuss it later, but suddenly found herself cornered.
She always felt that face-to-face would be more solemn, who knew he would start his advances prematurely.
Shi Guanghua decisively said, "That's your problem."
Chu Yueyi was taken aback: "Huh?" What problem do I have?
Shi Guanghua: "You said it before, didn't you? Everyone uses their own abilities to take advantage."
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Shi Guanghua: "It's not my fault you didn't have the chance to take advantage on set. Society is just that cruel; it's on you if you couldn't seize the opportunity."
The implication was that he was freely using his abilities, and she had taken advantage in the past, so now it was payback time.
Chu Yueyi: "???"
Facing his provocation, Chu Yueyi gritted her teeth and said, "...You don't think I'm not going back, do you?"
If she were to leave the film set, would he still be so arrogant!?!