Chapter 31 Hot Search, Not My Stage

"Didn't you come to Shanhai just to become famous?"

Shen Xingzhi's slender right hand casually shook the cold and hard mobile phone in his hand. His voice was light and heavy at the same time. His words that pierced the heart did not sound like a harsh question, but more like a calm statement. His tone was so gentle that it seemed as if he was just casually sighing, "The weather is nice today."

Just like a stone suddenly dropped into a calm lake, Shen Xingzhi's light words stirred up layers of ripples in Ren Limeng's heart. This force hit the bottom of the water regardless of anything, directly questioning her soul.

In the private room with only two people, Chen Xingzhi's words were without any embellishment or preparation. They were like a cold wind in winter, sharp and direct. Ren Limeng could only face it head-on.

Fortunately, it is June now and summer.

Although her heart was instantly turbulent, Ren Limeng still had a friendly and generous smile on her face. She blinked and silently met Shen Xingzhi's eyes, her expression still gentle and calm.

Chen Xingzhi pointed out her purpose of appearing on the show. Although his words were too sharp and his tone was not caring, to some extent, he had a good idea. She chose to appear on the variety show "Shan Hai" just to become famous. Only when her fame is big enough can she be valued by the Orange platform and thus complete the transformation into a host naturally.

But why did the words he said sound so unpleasant?

As if she had done something wrong, which made his statement particularly hard to hear.

Although there was no emotion in Chen Xingzhi's words, Ren Limeng still caught the faint sigh hidden in his voice. She couldn't put her finger on the feeling, but it was definitely not praise for her pursuit of fame and fortune.

"Senior Xingzhi, how many guests on 'Shan Hai' don't want to be famous? You're here, aren't you just liking the show?"

Ren Limeng tilted her head slightly, with a hint of self-mockery in her tone, as if she was just chatting casually. She still looked at Shen Xingzhi calmly, her smiling eyes meeting Shen Xingzhi's captivating cold eyes, and there was no ripple in her deep eyes.

It was as if his words were just a small pebble, which slowly sank to the bottom of the lake after hearing the sound, and the surface of the lake returned to its original calm state.

"Mountains and Seas" lasts for 20 days, visiting four cities and more than a dozen scenic spots, and preparing for four live performances. Such a high-intensity schedule is simply an impossible task. If there is no special desire in mind, who would voluntarily endure this suffering?

She just wants to become famous, but her ambition is open and honest.

What about him?

Does he dare to say that he came to record "Shan Hai" willingly?

Since everyone has their own purpose, who is nobler than who?

Why did he accuse her in such a tone?

She could hear that he seemed to lament the changes she had undergone over the years, but she didn't accept it.

Whether it was hypocrisy in his eyes or the pursuit of fame and fortune in his mouth, it had nothing to do with him.

She didn't do anything wrong, she did nothing wrong!

Shen Xingzhi snorted lightly, staring at Ren Limeng who straightened her waist, “You’re right, so why did you come to me tonight?”

Why look for him?

Of course it’s to remove the trending search!

Ren Li was dreaming when an idea flashed through her mind. In an instant, she connected everything and understood what Shen Xingzhi had left unsaid.

A hint of surprise flashed across Ren Limeng's eyes, and she confirmed with some disbelief, "Trending search, did you acquiesce to it?"

The question she blurted out was a little incoherent, but she believed that Shen Xingzhi understood her inquiry.

Shen Xingzhi's logic...

Don't you think that she was the one who designed the hot scandal, so you didn't come forward to deal with it immediately?

Could it be that he also had a hand behind the fact that Weibo has been ranking first on the hot search list, or even had his tacit approval?

Ren Limeng stared at Shen Xingzhi with mixed feelings. After so many years, she could still wait for this belated response.

When he left her quietly, was it because he felt indebted that he gave her this "indulgence"?

It turned out that it wasn't because the team behind him was incompetent, nor was it because Hanxing and his agent were inefficient, so they couldn't handle this public opinion well, but simply because Shen Xingzhi allowed it to ferment.

However, this public opinion did him almost no good.

Everyone agrees that he has transformed into a talented singer, but what is tacitly known inside and outside the circle is that over the years, he is still the top star in the entertainment industry. It is an indisputable fact that he has a large number of girlfriend fans and crazy fans.

In just two hours, he lost more than two million followers on Weibo, which is twice the number of her Weibo followers, and all of them are active fans.

Shen Xingzhi certainly knew what he was about to face, but he still acquiesced to "her marketing"?

No wonder, there was always thorns in his words tonight, and the aura around him was not high. The look he gave her was not very friendly. If anyone dared to do this to her career, she would have turned the table over and fought back!

Ren Limeng wanted to understand this matter, and suddenly understood Shen Xingzhi's actions tonight. She even felt a little relieved, as well as full of surprise and panic.

This was completely beyond her expectations.

Ren Limeng's eyes were filled with silence, and complex emotions filled her eyes. She stared at Shen Xingzhi steadily. Shen Xingzhi did not directly answer her question, but continued, "The trending search has become an established fact, Ren Limeng, people... can't have it all. There are many celebrities in the entertainment industry who are both black and red. As long as they are famous, it's easy to whitewash them."

His words of advice were faintly tempting. Ren Limeng understood Chen Xingzhi's obvious hint. What he said was the truth. Black and red might not be red.

Is he trying to secretly compensate her by doing this?

The box fell silent for a moment, and the two people's eyes met in the air. Their eyes, with emotions unclear, seemed to be thinking about the pros and cons of the matter, and seemed to be looking at the person in front of them again.

Ren Limeng pursed her lips into a line, looking at Shen Xingzhi silently, and secretly moved her wrist which was a little sore from practice. The faint tingling seemed to remind her what day it was.

After a long moment, she suddenly smiled. "Senior Xingzhi, why are you helping me? I thought you didn't like these tactics."

"Schoolgirl, we are all adults, does it matter if you like me?"

Shen Xingzhi glanced at the vibrating phone, and when he looked up, his expression was unclear. He curled the corners of his lips slightly and avoided Ren Limeng's question again, "You won't suffer any loss in this matter."

"Then what good is it for you, Senior?"

"It's not bad to let Orange Platform owe me a favor. Besides, this way, I can repay you for the help you gave me back then."

Chen Xingzhi looked indifferent, as if losing seven figures of active fans was just as trivial as the midnight snack he treated her to in the private room.

The guess was confirmed, and Ren Limeng clenched her hands unconsciously, but her smile became even more intense. She leaned forward slightly, looked at Shen Xingzhi carefully, and opened her red lips slightly, "Oh? Senior, I made that suggestion back then because I liked him, not to help you."

Where are you now?

The meaning in Ren Limeng's eyes was very clear. She didn't believe that the top star Chen Xingzhi would care about a small hot search favor on the platform.

Even if there were personal reasons involved, Shen Xingzhi still suffered a huge loss in this deal. When did he become such a loyal person?

She couldn't see clearly what he was doing now.

Is it a debt or mercy?

"If it was ten years ago, I would have been so happy that I couldn't sleep if my senior said that."

Looking at Ren Limeng who was only a step away, Shen Xingzhi's expression did not change. His deep eyes were like a bottomless dark hole. Ren Limeng turned away her gaze without any further desire to explore. She said softly, "But now, it's not necessary."

Her voice was unusually calm, shedding the gentleness and kindness she had in front of the camera, and carried a hard and cold tone that Shen Xingzhi had never heard before. In his impression, she always greeted him with a smile, her heart full of laughter, and her bright eyes were filled with a scorching brightness.

"I long to become famous overnight like you, senior, and have everyone know my name, but that depends on me."

Even if the audience likes the perfect female host she created, that is her own effort in every shot, not someone else's charity. She has to walk her own path.

"I'm a host. I'm not interested in becoming a big star like you. Trending is not my stage."

As the trending searches exploded, countless invitations for cooperation came pouring in. Ren Limeng never even knew that she had so many WeChat friends who cared about her and were curious about gossip.

But Ren Limeng knows very well what she wants. She can go with the flow, but she cannot lose sight of the important things.

Chen Xingzhi's gaze fell on Ren Limeng's sparkling eyes when she talked about "hosting". He was in a trance for a moment, looking at Ren Limeng's familiar face which had become much more mature, and he suddenly realized that he had long lost those bright and charming eyes. The firm gaze that was as bright as a star and always looked at him had long become a fleeting glimpse in his memory.

Silence returned to the box. After a long moment, Chen Xingzhi raised the corners of his lips again. It was clearly the same arc, but Ren Limeng felt that his tone had changed a little. "You want to rely on yourself? That will be difficult. Are you sure... you don't need my help?"

“I don’t need your special treatment, Shen Xingzhi, you don’t owe me anything.”

Ren Limeng answered very seriously. Although she would intentionally or unintentionally take advantage of his hidden sense of guilt, she knew clearly that those were just some small tricks that should not be taken seriously and would never come true.

"Back then... we gave willingly, and there's no need to dwell on those trivial matters. It's all in the past."

Ren Limeng leaned forward, and there was only each other's reflection in their eyes. They were so focused that it seemed as if they were the only ones left in the world. The quiet box and the noisy sounds coming from the corridor intertwined in their ears.

At this moment, she and Shen Xing were so close, yet so far away.

Taking into account the program crew outside the door, Ren Limeng's voice was very soft, like an intimate whisper between the two of them. She did not say the words in detail, but Shen Xingzhi still heard them clearly.

"It's all over..."

Shen Xingzhi murmured and repeated Ren Limeng's answer. His hoarse and low voice was like the wind at night, carrying a hint of imperceptible emotion, gently brushing past his ears.

Ren Limeng couldn't see through Shen Xingzhi's expression at the moment. It was still cold, but also hazy like fog. She couldn't empathize with his thoughts at the moment, but she still felt a little emotional.

Just like her, no one can completely forget those regretless years of youth.

Memories are like a beautiful dream. No matter how foolish or crazy the actions were, they are pure and beautiful enough under the filter of time, making those who have been in society for a long time miss them unconsciously. Compared with the entertainment industry where people only do things for show, the true feelings expressed in those memories are too rare and precious.