Chapter 536: He Deserved To Be Single
Ten-Year Jade Light was a fashionable socialite who had a personal fashion design brand. Its market value had been estimated last month to be more than 100 million yuan. She had originally been the site administrator of the only Nangong Lengyu fansite in China, [Yu Rules the World]. She was rich, so she was followed wherever she went. She fought in the front lines and brought first-hand videos, photos, and news to her brothers and sisters, who were waiting for news of their idol.
If one were to trace this group of people back, they would definitely be the earliest example of international celebrity fans. This was mainly because Nangong Lengyu was not active domestically.
Therefore, the fans called themselves Cold Palace Fans that had been sent to the Cold Palace by their idol. No matter how passionately they’d called for her, she had not come to China even once.
However, her fans still liked her without reservations. No matter where she went, she would not forget China or her fans. When she gave thank-you speeches, she would thank them. Whenever she was on a show, she would mention them.
She had grown up overseas and had been a citizen of M Nation since she was young. Later, when she had entered Hollywood, she had resolutely changed back to her Chinese citizenship and gone to Hollywood with the identity of a Chinese woman. No matter where she was or what she said, the first thing she mentioned when she introduced herself was always her pride. She was Nangong Lengyu from China.
Ever since she had left the entertainment circle, this group of people had been living a peaceful life and doing whatever they needed to do. They were successful people in the eyes of others. They were idols with successful careers, beautiful families, wealth, and good looks. People had never seen them chase after other celebrities. Now, all their fans erupted.
Dedicated people scrolled down the comments section and realized that many celebrities in the entertainment circle were her fans.
It was a big deal to see their own idols chasing a celebrity.
This was the ideal situation for fans and idols: If the idol was there, they would follow them forever. If the idol left, they would wish them well.
“We traveled through storms and forged together all the way. In the end, we all grew up to be what we liked. We can proudly say that we are Nangong Lengyu’s fans. Our idol is the most impressive person in China.”
Ling Sheng’s Weibo private messages had already exploded. The messages were all from Nangong Lengyu’s fans, who were asking her where their idol was!
When Nangong Lengyu saw the comments on Weibo, her eyes teared up instantly. Back then, she had not been to China. This had always been her biggest regret.
In order to let them spend the least money to see her, she had arranged for her farewell concert to be held in the neighboring country, R Nation. She had not expected that ten years would pass in the blink of an eye.
The youths who had followed her all over the world over the years had become so impressive that she could only say out loud, “My fans are my pride.”
The Weibo trending topics had gone viral. Middle-aged people who didn’t seem to have any interest in celebrities, to the point that they were considered old-fashioned by their children, went to register or restore the Weibo accounts they had abandoned to support their idol.
Who said they do not know who Nangong Lengyu is? Who? Was it you? If a video was edited, hype would be created and the topic would go up the rankings. Even middle-aged people could be motivated to chase celebrities.
Since everyone knew this, so did Ling Sheng’s family.
Upon seeing the hottest topic, Su Xiyin nudged Huo Xiao, who was sitting beside her. “Hubby, why is Sheng Sheng with her? Ci Er will rebel if he sees this!”
Huo Xiao’s face was ashen as he gritted his teeth. “How dare he? When I finally found a wife for him, he ruined it himself. He deserves to still be single!”
Chapter 537: A Bystander Is Always Clear-Minded
Su Xiyin said, “Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this anymore. Ci Er was a scumbag back then. Otherwise… Sigh!”
Huo Xiao said, “How dare he rebel? I should have slapped him to death!”
Su Xiyin said, “I’ll call Sheng Sheng.”
When Ling Sheng received Su Xiyin’s call, she had just parted ways with Nangong Lengyu. Her idol had been picked up by the gentleman she had seen the other day, and she was in the Third Master’s car. “Grandma, why aren’t you asleep?”
“Did your father call you?” Su Xiyin asked.
That scumbag Ci Er better not cause Sheng Sheng trouble again, or he would definitely get a scolding if he called.
Ling Sheng shook her head. “No, did you see the hottest topics?”
Su Xiyin said, “Sheng Sheng, you know about her and your father. Your father used to have a relationship with her. Grandma didn’t stop you from being friends with her, but you have to be careful. Does she know about your identity?”
Back then, Ci Er and Yu’er had fallen out completely because of the child. She did not know how hard the two of them had quarreled, but when she’d found out about the estrangement, their relationship had been extremely tense.
When everything had been turned upside down, Yu Er had gotten pregnant. No one had told her the specifics. She just knew that by the time Ci Er had gone to the hospital to catch her, it had been too late. She had already miscarried.
Later, Yu Er had gone overseas and never returned. Ci Er had been alone for many years and had not found another girlfriend.
“I told her he was my uncle.” Ling Sheng did not dare say he was her father. Otherwise, things would be over between the two of them.
She had a feeling that the two of them had definitely broken up due to various messy misunderstandings. Perhaps they would have a chance to be together after the misunderstandings were resolved.
Her father had not been with a woman in years, and he had kept a photo of the Best Actress. The Best Actress had had many rumored boyfriends in the past few years, but none of them had been real.
The two of them still had each other in their hearts, so she really could not think of any other reason for them to stay in this state.
“She…” Su Xiyin paused before asking, “Is she doing well?”
Back then, the two families had talked about marriage. The young lady had come all the way to the capital. When he hadn’t yet known who she was, Ci Er had actually been a little fond of her.
However, he had been going through his rebellious phase at the time. He had been born with a rebellious nature, so he liked to oppose his family. When he had found out that she had been chosen by his family to be his wife, he had felt like everyone had lied to him, so he had been unhappy. Back then, she and her grandfather had been unable to take it anymore and had wanted to slap him to death.
Speaking of that, the person who had suffered the most was the lady. She had let him down. She had not taught her son well, and he had become too arrogant and spoiled. He had developed a lawless personality. If he had restrained himself or had a better personality, things would not have ended up like this.
Ling Sheng nodded. “Yes, she’s quite well. Grandma, if you don’t want me to, I won’t interact with her again. I don’t want to anger my father.”
Su Xiyin said, “No, why would I not want that? Don’t think too much. Don’t worry about your father. He’s a scumbag.”
There was no need to implicate the younger generation for the grudges of the previous generation. She knew that the Lu Family’s Fifth Brother and the others were still acquainted with Yu-er. The eldest son of the Rong Family was even more understanding. They were all bystanders who saw things clearly. This meant that the past incident had only been a result of the two parties involved being too obsessed.
After Ling Sheng spoke to her grandma, she felt a little relieved. She was touched. Her grandma was understanding and had a nice personality. Why couldn’t her father have her personality?
Chapter 538: Returning to the Capital After Wrapping Up
Jun Shiyan looked at the young lady. “What did your grandma say?”
When she’d gotten in the car, she had been extremely worried and scared. She was afraid that Huo Ci would call and punish her, so she’d kept nagging him.
“Grandma told me to be bold and do what I like without worrying about my father.” Although Ling Sheng only said that, how could she ignore her father?
However, she was sure that her father had seen the hottest topic. It had been trending for half an hour, but he had yet to call to reprimand her. She did not know if he was too angry and had yet to recover or if this meant that there was still room for negotiation.
This incident eventually eased up miraculously. The storm Ling Sheng had expected had not happened, and her father had not caused her trouble because of her relationship with Movie Queen Nangong.
In the afternoon on December 31st, Ling Sheng’s scenes officially ended.
Almost every member of the film crew came to see her off. She was a barrel of laughs in the film crew, and she had a good relationship with everyone. She could remember the names of every staff member, which was even more difficult, and she treated everyone kindly. She did not put on airs, and she got along with others.
Fang Hua hugged her. “We have agreed to meet when we get back. Don’t stand me up!”
Ling Sheng nodded and promised her. “Definitely not. I’ll pick you up at the airport when you get back to the capital. We’ll go shopping and eat. My treat.”
Chen Zhiji also went up to her to hug her. “Send us a WeChat message when you get home to tell us you’re safe!”
The sweet, adorable girl was leaving. She was a barrel of laughs in the film crew. Every time the atmosphere was stifling, she was in charge of moderating everyone’s emotions and coaxing Director Chen. After she left, how would they live on?
Gu Shen was also standing with the main cast. Since everyone had come out to see her off, it would be inappropriate for him not to come out, lest others gossiped about him.
Ling Sheng bade them farewell one by one. Fang Hua, Chen Zhiji, Sheng Xichen… When she reached him, he nodded and gave her a fake smile.
Then, she smiled and patted the shoulder of a stand-in actor beside him to cheer him up. “I wish you all the best. You’ll definitely become the most impressive stunt double in China. I believe in you.”
Gu Shen’s eyes narrowed as he choked. His eyes darkened, as he knew that he should not have come out. Look at her smiling at others like a flower. When she was in front of him, she had a perfunctory attitude! What did she mean by that?
Ling Sheng knew a lot of people. In less than a month, she had memorized the name of every member of the film crew. She could even say a few words about their preferences, dreams, and living conditions.
The farewell lasted half an hour, to the point that Chen Mo started feeling unhappy. He coughed, and everyone looked at each other and left with a smile.
The remaining people, who had yet to speak to Ling Sheng, were extremely sad. They all knew that they would not see her again after this farewell. They waved their hands vigorously at her retreating back.
When he saw her get in the car with Chen Mo, Gu Shen’s eyes darkened. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. That d*mn woman! Why had he come out to see her off? She had even stayed there for so long. She was simply wasting his precious time!
About four hours later, Gu Shen had just finished filming when he heard the few workers around him have their WeChat chime at the same time. Then, he saw them take out their phones and look at them. They were excitedly chatting.
Chapter 539: Grew Up Eating Cuteness
“She’s home. She’s home. How adorable!”
“Ha ha ha! Did she deliberately change her style to record a peaceful video for us?”
“She has too many tricks up her sleeves. When can we work together again? Oh my god, I like this young girl too much. Did she grow up eating cuteness?”
“Yes, yes. She definitely grew up eating cuteness.”
Gu Shen took a look. Around him, everyone who was not working was holding their phones and discussing happily.
Chen Ge walked over, smiling at his phone. Upon seeing Gu Shen’s dark face, he hurriedly put his phone away and pretended to be calm as he shouted, “Little Liang, get Brother Shen a bottle of soda!”
Oh my, my heart has melted. She’s too adorable. Before he had interacted with her, he had always felt that Ling Sheng was not simple because of this person in front of him. She was a scheming b*tch.
After interacting with her, he had realized she was a cheerful, adorable, beautiful young lady. She was not scheming and she treated others sincerely. She did not treat Gu Shen’s agent differently either.
Although she did not talk much, one could tell from the way she’d interacted with the film crew that she knew how to talk. Her sincerity made one feel respect and comfort when interacting with her.
“What are you hiding?” Gu Shen’s face darkened, and his brows furrowed slightly as he looked at him. “Give me your phone.”
Chen Ge did not dare disobey. He passed his phone over and hurriedly explained, “Ah Shen, they added me to the group. I didn’t want to join it.”
Gu Shen took a look. It was the film crew’s chat group. There were more than 100 people in it, and the top news was a video sent by Ling Sheng.
In the video, the girl was wearing a giant furry panda-eared hat and had even painted her nose black. It was a 10-second video of her telling everyone that she had safely returned home. It was adorable and spirited.
Gu Shen’s lips curled up subconsciously. Then, as though he had realized something, he let out a cold snort and returned the phone to him before leaving.
Cute?
How was she cute?
She was adorable just because her nose was black? She should be pretending to be adorable!
Also, was she stupid? She could find such special effects in just any random beautification camera, alright? Did she have to apply the paint herself?
Chen Ge had smiled upon seeing the video, but now, he was full of suppressed anger and darkness. He shook his head and sighed.
The video on the internet was about #Holy #CP. He had initially thought that it was nothing. He had thought that the CP fans were having fun and the netizens were blind.
However, he had been with the team for nearly a month. He had seen Ah Shen staring at the woman from time to time. Sometimes, he would smile knowingly. However, after a while, he had become anxious and angry.
Based on his limited dating experience, he’d guessed that he cared about her and had fallen in love with her. However, he was unwilling to admit it. On one hand, he had fallen in love with her. On the other hand, he was trying his best to tell himself that he hated her. He hated her very much. Whenever he saw her, he felt disgusted. Therefore, he would frequently have this kind of angry expression despite being fine a second ago.
After Ling Sheng finished filming the movie, there was not much left on her schedule. Besides her advertisement with Gu Shen, only her cooperation with L-Star remained. The brand promotion, press conference, and advertisements would all happen in the middle of the month.
The Lunar New Year was at the end of January and the beginning of February. After the New Year, Ling Sheng would have to prepare for the upcoming college entrance examination, so there would be even fewer jobs.
Mei Xuelin was a very qualified agent. That night, Ling Sheng called her.
Chapter 540: Exaggerating
Mei Xuelin did not waste her breath. She did not even bother making small talk. She got straight to the point. “I’ve found a mathematician for you. He will meet you at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. I’ve sent you his contact details. Contact him yourself. If there’s a problem with the time, you can find him and adjust it. From tomorrow and until you go to the Maldives to film the advertisement, you’ll get some mathematics tutoring.”
Ling Sheng wanted to cry, but she pulled herself together. “Okay, I understand. I’ll contact him immediately. By the way, Sister, I just got back. Don’t you know how to show some concern? Don’t you have a human side?”
Mei Xuelin said, “Sister, how did filming go? Are you tired? Are you thirsty? Do you want me to massage your shoulders and back and bring you some tea? You’re gorgeous. You said you wanted to take the college entrance examination, so I’m letting you take it. I’m giving you time to study. Ask the whole entertainment circle if there’s another manager with a good temper like me.”
Ling Sheng shivered. She could picture her murderous expression as if she were in front of her now. She hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, I understand. My good agent, you’re the best in the world.”
Mei Xuelin said, “Stop flattering me. Do you know how fast the entertainment circle is changing? You just started to become popular. This is the time to consolidate your popularity and pursue this trend. It’s the best time to take on jobs and complete them to earn money. Try getting another manager or management company. Let’s see if they’ll give you time to study and take the college entrance examination. Those that don’t try to suck you dry are already people with a good conscience.”
She also opened her eyes to take a look. Many people in the entertainment circle had been criticized for their academic qualifications, especially male and female idols who had debuted in talent shows and had yet to reach adulthood. Some of them had not even finished junior high school, let alone high school. How many of them had gone to take the college entrance examination again? Did they not want that?
No, the fast-food consumption culture in the entertainment circle meant that if one was not popular and had absolute power, one had to appear in the eyes of the public all the time to make people familiarize themselves with them and remember them.
The public was forgetful. Once one disappeared, they would quickly shift their attention elsewhere. One was not unique. The fans would soon fall in love with a newcomer. There were many young and beautiful men and women. One second ago, they’d called someone their husband or wife, but in the blink of an eye, they changed husbands and wives.
The investors behind them also knew the final outcome of these mass-produced influencers. They could only continuously squeeze their commercial value and pursue the biggest benefits in the shortest time possible. They would arrange endless appointments and jobs for them. No one cared about their lives. As long as they worked hard at their jobs and strived to earn money, it was fine.
As for what would happen in the end, the capital was cruel. One could only become popular enough to compete with others and make them invest the best resources in them forever. They would listen to their opinions and start supporting them. Otherwise, they would be ruined. When one became worthless, they would nurture new people and harvest their fans one after another.
The entertainment circle was a cruel arena of life and death where one only saw new people laugh, not old people cry. Only those who laughed until the end were winners. However, how many people could really laugh until the end?
Ling Sheng needed tutoring, but she could not have classes at home. The whole family was there, so she informed her grandparents and prepared to go to their new house next door for her classes.
The next morning, Ling Sheng got up early. Before she could open the door, she heard her son shouting excitedly about snow outside. She opened the curtains and took a look. The area was covered in silver snow.
On the first day of the new year, the first winter snowfall had occurred. Grandma smiled and said that it was a good sign before urging her to wash up, eat, and go to class.
Ling Sheng had not been to school for many years, so she felt like she was being driven to school by her parents again. Even Xiaoqi stuck his head in from outside and asked curiously, “Mommy, Mommy, are you going to school?”
Ling Sheng’s mouth was full of toothpaste foam as she muttered incoherently, “Yes, I’m going to school.”
While they were eating, Xiaoqi kept putting food in her bowl. “Mommy, hurry up. Don’t be late. Eat more.”
Ling Sheng: Why do I feel like you’re all very excited?
When she went out, Grandma wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck and even put on a red wool cap that came with two adorable ears. The wool cap only revealed her eyes.
Xiaoqi strode over on his short legs and took out his snacks. He stuffed them into her bag and reminded her in a nice manner, “Mommy, eat when you’re hungry. Listen carefully during class. You’re not allowed to have snacks during the lesson.”
Huo Xiao took a look at the time and urged her anxiously. “Hurry up, it’s time to leave. It will be eight in half an hour. It’s the first day of class. Don’t be late. You’ll leave a bad impression on the teacher.”
Ling Sheng did not know whether she should laugh or cry. Am I still a child? I’m just going to attend some classes. Is there a need for the whole family to crowd around me?
Upon seeing her leave, Su Xiyin hurriedly handed her an umbrella. “Don’t come back at noon. It’s snowing heavily outside. Grandma will bring you food!”
Xiaoqi smiled and waved goodbye. “Mommy, Xiaoqi will bring you food. Hurry up, don’t be late.”
Ling Sheng: You’re exaggerating. I’m not a child. Will I get lost if I come home to eat, or will I fall on the way?
Huo Ci was woken up by the urge to urinate. He got up and went to the washroom. When he saw the whole family blocking the door, he narrowed his eyes sleepily. Then, he saw the brat, who was dressed like a bear and looking around, smiling gloatingly.
The snow kept falling, and it was a beautiful snowfall.
Ling Sheng did not like holding an umbrella on a snowy day. She liked the feeling of walking in the heavy snow. It was a very romantic feeling. Before she left the district, she saw the man standing at the entrance thanks to her excellent vision.