Chu Yueyi never imagined that her casual "Hey wifey" at the end of filming would cause him to turn her world upside down while she was still on set. It was quite the gentleman's revenge, ten years in the making.
Shi Guanghua knew Chu Yueyi wouldn't dare say such things, but since they were on the phone and she couldn't leave the set, he felt free to be unrestrained.
Shi Guanghua: "It's not like you can come out anyway."
Chu Yueyi almost laughed in frustration, but she really couldn't do anything to him. She could only suppress her temper and say sweetly, "Can't you wait a little..."
Shi Guanghua replied seriously, "I've already waited for a long time. We've finally finished filming."
Chu Yueyi was taken aback.
To be honest, he found it troublesome when filming the show, having to consider her feelings and those of the staff, pretending to be part of the entertainment circle. Now that no one could control him, he had thoroughly returned to his original state.
His experience of living in the entertainment world was over, and he should now be considered an ordinary person, free to do as he pleased. He thought he was quite reserved, but after following Chu Yueyi's fan club, he saw a bunch of overzealous fans online shouting things like "Sister, look at me, don't be too strict about gender!" At least he wasn't that extreme, right?
Chu Yueyi hadn't expected her education to have no effect on Shi Guanghua. He showed no signs of reflection and even provoked her remotely.
Shi Guanghua sighed, "I was afraid you wouldn't take it seriously on the show. Now we're finally not just putting on an act."
Chu Yueyi: "...You feel quite wronged, don't you?"
After Chu Yueyi hung up the phone, she realized that being far away, she could no longer control this arrogant outsider!
She had originally thought that after they finished filming, their emotions would settle, and they should gradually transition from the show to reality, slowly adapting to a genuine way of interacting. Who knew he would be even more unrestrained outside than during filming, giving off the impression that he had been holding back for a long time on the show, as if he had been suppressing himself before.
His attitude was very clear: as an ordinary person, he didn't need to follow the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry.
Chu Yueyi thought: This guy urgently needs a face-to-face beating, but I'm stuck on set!
Of course, Chu Yueyi wanted to fly back and teach Shi Guanghua a lesson, but she couldn't abandon the crew. She could only grit her teeth and continue filming, sending messages every day to warn him to behave. She didn't know if her warnings had any effect, but the content of the "Moonlight Science Club" didn't seem to decrease.
Little Walnut: Yesterday, the official blog of her new drama posted a behind-the-scenes clip of her with another male actor. Today, during the live stream, he had a sour face. When someone asked him to improvise a tune, what he played was terribly bitter.
Empty Empty: Understand the feelings of someone who's been abandoned?
Cherry White Chocolate: Don't be fooled by his few words and lack of emotion. Once he touches an instrument, his feelings come through strongly. Didn't he also express himself through piano playing on the show?
Chu Yueyi casually refreshed the content and immediately glanced at the official blog of the "Living with Spring" crew. Sure enough, there was a behind-the-scenes clip of her and Dong Yan yesterday. It was actually just a hard-edited compilation, with a somewhat awkward atmosphere. This promotional clip was even reposted by the management company's Weibo.
Thinking of this, Chu Yueyi sent a message to Shi Guanghua before starting work.
CYY: [Send me a voice message of you improvising on the piano.]
Hey Wifey: [What's wrong?]
CYY: [I want to smell what flavor you are today.]
Hey Wifey: [?]
The Moonlight Scientists said that Shi Guanghua's feelings come through strongly when he touches an instrument, so Chu Yueyi was curious about what exactly that "flavor" was. Seeing the question mark, she didn't reply further and put away her phone to start filming. It wasn't until noon that she had time to check her messages.
Shi Guanghua had already sent the piano voice message. The piano melody was beautiful and melodious, like the sound of flowing water. At the end of the voice message, after he finished improvising, he asked in confusion, "What flavor?"
CYY: [Sweet, not sour.]
Chu Yueyi just thought it was fun to tease Shi Guanghua into playing the piano, but a month later, he sold a song called "Sweet, Not Sour," causing the Moonlight Scientists online to exclaim in exasperation.
Love in Progress: I'm numb, really numb. I'm not shipping them anymore. I'll kowtow to him instead. Is being in love really that great!?
Zhi'er: Teacher Chu is about to come out of seclusion, so he's rushing for performance. It's true that selling love songs can quickly earn a hundred million. Recently, he's released two hit songs that he wrote during the show. It's said that people wanting to collaborate with him are lining up.
The summer sunlight became scorching, and the "Living with Spring" crew finally wrapped up filming.
At the airport, as soon as Chu Yueyi came out pulling her luggage, she and her assistants were surrounded by a group of enthusiastic fans who had come to greet her. She had fans meeting her at the airport before, but it was just a few people then, and she could even chat casually with them. There had never been such a grand reception.
The staff protected Chu Yueyi and guided the crowd, "Everyone, please make way. Be mindful of the airport order and don't crowd around."
Chu Yueyi hid behind the staff, not daring to linger. Faced with fans holding phones and cameras, she could only hurry along with her suitcase.
Experienced fans actually understood the rules. They would just follow her and take photos without too much entanglement. Among those meeting her at the airport were both solo fans and CP fans. Although they had different views, they wouldn't conflict in front of their idol.
The most troublesome were the casual fans at the airport. They might have watched a couple of episodes of the show but had never been into celebrity culture before, and they boldly came up to ask questions.
Chu Yueyi indeed gained a lot of exposure through "Heart-Fluttering Promise." In the past, her dramas were popular but she wasn't. Now she had gained fans through her performance on the variety show, and the public's impression of her was the Moonlight CP.
"Hey, isn't she the celebrity who was dating on that show?" A middle-aged man, standing out among the surrounding fans, asked in a loud voice, "She seems quite popular!"
A solo fan next to him frowned slightly, saying with a hint of displeasure, "No, she's an actress. She has many works..."
A CP fan also chimed in, "She just finished filming a TV drama called 'Living with Spring.' You can check it out if you're interested."
The fans were mindful of Chu Yueyi's feelings. Anyone would feel uncomfortable if their past efforts were overshadowed by a marketed CP, especially since her professional abilities were not lacking.
The middle-aged man said loudly, "How is she not? She's the one who dated a musician on the show, right? I think his surname was Shi or something?"
All the fans who heard this were extremely frustrated. The solo fans reacted most strongly, one saying in annoyance, "Can you stop mentioning that guy who's riding on her popularity? She's really an actress!"
Chu Yueyi hadn't responded to the casual remarks of passersby all along, but hearing this, she slowed her pace. She turned back to look at the uninformed middle-aged man and calmly replied, "I am an actress, and I also participated in a dating reality show called 'Heart-Fluttering Promise.' The musician I worked with is Shi Guanghua. You remembered correctly."
Her assistant panicked, "Yueyi..."
Chu Yueyi smiled good-naturedly, "My name is Chu Yueyi. I do act, and my upcoming drama is called 'Living with Spring.' You can watch it when you have time."
The middle-aged passerby might not have encountered such an approachable female celebrity before, especially since Chu Yueyi hadn't been responding at all. He awkwardly replied, "...Oh, okay."
Chu Yueyi continued walking forward with her suitcase. The fans immediately surrounded her, isolating the offensive passerby. As she walked, she casually said, "He didn't ride on my popularity, you know."
Her tone was casual, not even mentioning his name, but it made everyone around her understand immediately.
The assistant stared at her intently, seemingly in disbelief, shaking her head vigorously in warning.
The CP fans held their breath, not daring to speak at this moment.
The solo fans were also stunned. Their eyes dimmed, and with flushed faces, one said, "You don't need to please them like this. It's not like you can't act well..."
Chu Yueyi indeed had many CP fans, but she had good works in the past. There was no need to say such things to solidify CP fans.
The solo fan's voice trembled with disappointment.
Chu Yueyi said gently, "I'm not trying to please anyone. I'm just telling the truth. And it's precisely because I have decent past works that I have the courage to speak up."
"I've had times when I wasn't popular, and I did participate in a show. There's nothing to deny. It's all part of my indelible past that has shaped who I am now," she looked at the solo fan beside her and said sincerely, "This is how I truly feel."
Of course, she could have completely distanced herself from the CP after benefiting from its popularity, but openly acknowledging the past isn't something to be ashamed of. It has nothing to do with her relationship with Shi Guanghua.
Even if there was nothing between them, she wouldn't feel that any moment in the past was so embarrassing that it needed to be erased from memory. Every drop of time that has flowed by contributes to who she is now. Selective forgetting is merely avoidance. She won't avoid anything, but will move forward with a clear conscience.
"I know what you're thinking, but I haven't really changed," Chu Yueyi said gently. "There's a breakthrough in the next drama, you can check it out."
She couldn't make unfounded promises to her dedicated fan, only offer progress as proof that she hadn't stopped moving forward.
Faced with Chu Yueyi's calm attitude, the dedicated fan stood silent for a long while, finally responding with a muffled acknowledgment.
"Goodbye, Teacher Chu! Take care of yourself!"
"Goodbye, sister!"
As the door of the private car slowly closed, the CP fans outside waved goodbye to Chu Yueyi, then turned back worriedly to look at the dedicated fan, fearing she might turn hostile on the spot.
The dedicated fan lowered her head, fiddling with her DSLR camera, muttering softly, "...Don't look at me, I'm fine. People can even divorce after marriage, this is nothing."
CP fan: "?" But none of us were thinking about marriage?
Chu Yueyi's words at the airport naturally spread among the fans, providing new material for the Moonlight Scientists.
Little Black Hand: Goodness, I was afraid the girl might cry at the airport, but she replied that even married couples can divorce. I wouldn't dare to even think about that.
Panpan: Tsk tsk, when outsiders misunderstand her, she stays silent, but when he's mentioned, she speaks up. Don't you think the dedicated fans understand her better than we do?
Hugging Pillow: I also feel the dedicated fans understand better. When the company wanted to pair her with a male actor for the new drama, the official blog was flooded with angry comments. The dedicated fans said if they really wanted to create buzz, they should pair her up with someone else [smile].
Lakeside Moon: Quotes from the dedicated fan sister: "If you bring your male actor again, your company will go bankrupt on the spot. At least the guy next door who could create buzz is good-looking and fit. Don't you see your Dong surname male artist's looks aren't up to par?" "I'm disgusted, I'm disgusted. At least the other guy has talent and doesn't cause trouble. Yours can't even act properly and still tries to ride on the coattails of a senior female artist."
Cloud Bud: Highlight this: in the dedicated fan's heart, Teacher Shi is good-looking, fit, and talented.
Fenfen Ya: That's high praise, I wouldn't dare to compliment so much.
The dedicated fans originally had resistance towards Shi Guanghua, but who knew the company would pull such a risky move, insisting on pairing Chu Yueyi with Dong Yan, which directly caused the dedicated fans to explode.
People's bottom lines are broken step by step. The dedicated fans looked back and thought Shi Guanghua was at least better than Dong Yan. At least he wasn't flaunting himself in the spotlight, and he didn't conflict with her resources. Rather than being leeched off by a useless person from the same company, it was better to revive the previous CP. At least Shi Guanghua had no problems with his hardware conditions!
Whenever the company instructed the official blog of "Living with Spring" to post about interactions between the male and female leads, the comment section would be flooded with curses from dedicated fans. After several attempts, they didn't dare to risk it again.
In the cultural creative park company, Shi Guanghua received a call from Chu Yueyi. He immediately curved his lips in pleasure and answered softly, "You're back?"
Chu Yueyi had just wrapped up filming and returned from the set. Today was the day she came back to Beijing.
Chu Yueyi: "Mm, I'm back to settle accounts with you."
Shi Guanghua was on the phone while leaving the company. Looking at the deep night, he headed towards the parking lot and said calmly, "That's at least tomorrow's business."
It was already late at night, and he estimated she had just arrived home and needed to rest for the night.
She exclaimed, "You won't believe it until you see the coffin?"
Shi Guanghua: "Right, we'll talk when we see the coffin. At least we haven't seen it yet."
"I'm afraid you'll be scared when you see the coffin."
"I won't be."
Not long after, Shi Guanghua drove to the residential area. He skillfully entered the password and pushed the door open, only to find the lights on. He looked up in surprise and saw her sitting on the sofa.
Under the light, Chu Yueyi's figure was tinged with a warm yellow. She waved at him like the owner of the house, saying naturally, "Now that you've seen the coffin, you can start shedding tears."
After months apart, her appearance hadn't changed much, only her face had become a bit thinner, possibly due to the busy schedule on set. But her beautiful almond eyes still shone brightly in the light.
Although Shi Guanghua had been hopeful, he didn't want to disturb her when she was tired, thinking it would be good enough to see her tomorrow. He never expected her to come looking for him today!
He was overwhelmed with joy, feeling a dreamlike dizziness, and said in disbelief, "How did you..."
Chu Yueyi saw the happiness overflowing from his eyes. She blinked deliberately and said, "I came for a surprise inspection, to see if you've been hiding any young girls."
She was indeed tired after the journey, but she still wanted to come and see him.
She had been hesitating where to go, but when she heard his arrogant tone, she decisively came to check on him.
Shi Guanghua looked at her smiling face under the light, finally calming his surging and intense emotions. He lowered his eyes and said softly, "I have hidden someone."
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Shi Guanghua: "She's sitting on the sofa."
She had come in by herself, which could also be considered hiding. At least she had been hiding in his heart for many years!