Chapter 55 Half True, Half False (Completely False: How Can This Girl's Company Be Collected...)
As soon as she got into the car and turned on her phone, Shi Yao saw a new verification request from Ye Jingyu.
The other party seemed to have been waiting for Shi Yao to accept the verification. As soon as they added each other as friends, they immediately sent the address information.
Ye Jingyu: [Location]
[Ye Jingyu: Is this okay, Teacher Shi?]
[Ye Jingyu: When is a convenient time for you? I'm available anytime.]
[Shi Yao: Sure, I can get to the hotel in half an hour at most, after 6 PM is fine]
[Ye Jingyu: Okay, let's set it for 6:30 then, is that alright?]
【Shi Yao: OK】
[Ye Jingyu: Cat nodding.gif]
After turning off the screen, Shi Yao couldn't help but sigh that Ye Jingyu was indeed in a hurry; it had only just ended and she couldn't wait to meet him.
I really want to know who recommended her.
The time was tight, so after arriving at the hotel, Shi Yao simply changed her clothes, exported the photos from her camera, and then hurriedly went out to the place Ye Jingyu had arranged to meet.
Yuyang is just a small county-level city with not many entertainment facilities or high-end restaurants. Ye Jingyu booked a coffee shop with a nice ambiance and private rooms. Since it also offers light meals, it stays open until 10 p.m., which suits their needs perfectly.
The drive from the hotel to the coffee shop took less than ten minutes. After getting off the bus, Shi Yao couldn't help but sigh that sometimes living in a small city is quite convenient, as nowhere is far away.
Ye Jingyu had arrived ahead of time and was waiting at the bar in the main hall of the coffee shop. When she saw Shi Yao push the door open and enter, her eyes lit up and she quickly came to greet her and led her to the private room.
After all, she is a popular female celebrity recently. Ye Jingyu dressed quite conservatively for this trip, wearing a long-sleeved sun protection shirt and pants, and her face was completely covered with a sun hat and sun mask, leaving only her eyes exposed.
The coffee shop owner had been secretly observing Ye Jingyu, seemingly finding her to have a good presence, but because she was wrapped up so tightly, it was impossible to tell who she was. She could only guess in her mind that this person was probably a celebrity.
Yuyang's economy isn't doing too well, but people are quite self-sufficient. A few years ago, a film and television base was suddenly built in the suburbs, which excited many citizens. But nothing came of it. The film and television base isn't big, and very few film crews come here. Fans only go to the suburbs to follow their idols, so it can't boost the city's economy at all. Over time, no one really cares about the film and television base anymore.
While observing Ye Jingyu, the proprietress suddenly remembered that some big stars seemed to have recently visited their local film and television base. Her daughter had told her about this; her daughter was in junior high school and had been following a girl group last semester and another male actor this semester, so she was quite up-to-date with the entertainment industry.
Two days ago, when she picked up her daughter from school, she seemed to hear her daughter mention that some celebrities were filming at the Yuyang Film and Television Base these days. Her daughter even said it was a pity that she was in school, otherwise she could have gone to see the celebrities.
The proprietress racked her brains for a long time, but still couldn't remember which names her daughter had mentioned that day. In the end, she had to give up. She wanted to secretly take a picture of Ye Jingyu's profile with her phone, but felt that it would be very impolite. In the end, she decided to give up and wait until the customer finished her meal before asking if she could take a picture.
If it really is a celebrity, and I can get a photo or autograph, my daughter will be very happy to see it when I get home.
The proprietress pondered a lot in her mind, torn between asking for a photo now or later when it was over. She hesitated for a long time, too embarrassed to go up and greet her. So she waited until Shi Yao entered the store. Ye Jingyu took the initiative to go up and greet her. The two walked into the private room together. She sighed. Now she could only wait until it was over.
Ye Jingyu had already ordered the menu online in advance, choosing the most famous cold brew coffee here, along with a few side dishes. She didn't choose any main courses because Shi Yao had specifically told her not to eat dinner. She hadn't digested her food at noon, so she decided to order a few refreshing salads instead.
After ordering, she felt that coffee with salad seemed strange, so she ordered a few small desserts. Although she doesn't eat them, she might like them sometimes. Even if she doesn't like them sometimes, they look nice on the table. Otherwise, the restaurant staff would probably think their tastes are very peculiar when they see what they ordered.
The private room in the coffee shop wasn't very big, only less than five square meters, but it was decorated very exquisitely. The overall style was natural wood, the cushions were soft and comfortable, and the scent was fresh and pleasant. Shi Yao unconsciously relaxed a little.
After entering the private room, no waiter came to take her order, so Ye Jingyu took off her mask with peace of mind. However, she still wore her sun hat and her sun-protective jacket.
Ye Jingyu shyly explained that this was to avoid trouble, as the waiter would be coming to serve more food soon, and it was not convenient for her to be seen by others at the moment. If someone immediately uploaded a photo to the internet, the fans in the vicinity would definitely follow, and they would probably have a hard time leaving the area.
When Ye Jingyu first participated in the talent show, her biggest wish was to be recognized when she walked on the street, but unfortunately, she was unable to realize this wish even after three years since her debut.
She was eliminated in the second round of the talent show, and very few people remember her. Later, she went to film web dramas, but she didn't get any good roles or join any good production teams. No one remembers the dramas she filmed, so naturally no one can recognize her.
Until she finished filming this drama, this was her first time playing the female lead, and Zhou Qixue, who co-starred with her, was also playing the male lead for the first time. The production budget was not high, and the publicity was also average, but it became a huge hit in a very magical way.
Actually, the plot of this drama is quite common, and there are no particularly novel plots. In fact, it's even a bit corny. But it just inexplicably became a hit. Viewers say they are very addicted to watching it. And most importantly, the male and female leads have great chemistry. Instantly, countless fans flocked to watch the drama and ship the couple, and Ye Jingyu's status also skyrocketed.
On her first weekend after becoming famous, Ye Jingyu had a rare free day with no schedule, so she thought she would go out and buy a small dessert to reward herself for eating vegetarian food all week. Because she had been very unknown before and no one recognized her on the street, and after becoming famous, she had been running around for work. Ye Jingyu had no idea about her current popularity. She went out as before, simply changed into a casual outfit, and did not take any protective measures.
As a result, she was secretly photographed the whole way after she left the house. Fans from the neighborhood rushed over, and she was blocked in the dessert shop. The shop owner had to close the door to protect her. Finally, her manager arrived and called the police to forcibly evacuate the crowd before she was rescued.
She was naturally given a severe scolding when she got back, but Ye Jingyu was quite happy. Finally, someone recognized her, and her efforts had paid off.
But after that, she never dared to go out without taking protective measures. She had to wear a coat, mask, hat, and sunglasses, and at least cover part of her upper and lower face.
While waiting for Shi Yao in the lobby, she noticed that the coffee shop owner was glancing at her. Although the other woman's actions were very discreet, the person being watched could sense that someone was looking at her, especially someone like her who was often spied on and was very sensitive to eye contact.
She had originally planned to give the proprietress a photo and autograph if she wanted one, hoping she wouldn't take a picture without permission or upload it online, so that no one else would know her current location.
But in the end, the proprietress didn't come over to ask for a photo, nor did she take any photos secretly. She treated her like an ordinary customer, which made her feel good about her.
Ye Jingyu took off her mask, revealing a pale and delicate face. She had just removed all her stage makeup and hadn't applied any more, not even lipstick. Her lips were pale, and she looked unwell.
She smiled shyly at Shi Yao across from her and said, "I've been a little tired lately and haven't been feeling well."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Shi Yao with a nervous yet expectant expression.
She made up her mind after a long time of deliberation before taking this step.
Ye Jingyu first saw Shi Yao Studio's promotional information on WeChat Moments.
Before, she would add a lot of friends every time she joined a film crew. Whether she could use them or not, it was always good to have more people and more opportunities. The person who posted Shi Yao's WeChat Moments was a casting director from one of Ye Jingyu's previous film crews. He took a screenshot of Shi Yao's WeChat Moments and posted it on his own WeChat Moments to mock her. The caption was very impolite, basically saying that the entertainment industry is really cruel and that some people have gone crazy because they are too unknown.
But Ye Jingyu was drawn to the contents of the picture; every service listed there appealed to her.
She had actually heard of Shi Yao's name before. Although they had never worked together, they had been neighbors. She was filming in crew A, while Shi Yao was in crew B. The two crews were next to each other, and the actors often visited each other's crews, and the extras also shared space.
Shi Yao wasn't a very sociable person, so Ye Jingyu didn't get to know her back then. Now, seeing this post on her WeChat Moments, she wanted to add Shi Yao but couldn't find a way to do so.
It's unrealistic to approach this casting director, since he's already publicly ridiculed Shi Yao, clearly looking down on her behavior. If she were to approach him again and ask for his WeChat, he might just block her out too.
But she really didn't know anyone else who knew Shi Yao. Later, she even asked her agent if they had Shi Yao's studio's contact information. Her agent was surprised and helped her find the contact number. After calling, she was told that Shi Yao had terminated her contract and was no longer an artist with the company.
So the trail went cold again. The agent was puzzled as to why Ye Jingyu kept looking for Shi Yao, but Ye Jingyu couldn't explain it to her. She could only make up some weak reasons to brush it off, praying in her heart that she would have a chance to contact Shi Yao.
But fate was kind to her, and she actually ran into it.
Ye Jingyu initially refused to participate in the first episode of "Shining Idol". Although she had participated in a talent show, it was several years ago, and her performance was not good at the time, which was a dark history. She usually did not want to think about it. Her manager actually asked her to bring up this past, which was too harsh.
But after her agent analyzed the current situation for her, he persuaded her again.
The company she works for is a very small media company. The entire company, including her, only has three artists. The other two are much less famous than her. Before Ye Jingyu became famous, the popularity of the three of them was very average, consistently at the bottom of the entertainment industry.
The company has fewer than ten employees in total. It is a very, very small company. Apart from being able to pay social security, it has no other advantages.
Because there are too few employees, most people in the company wear multiple hats. For example, her agent is also the company's accountant. Sometimes, the company boss has to come in to discuss business matters. Also, the three of them share an assistant (this has improved since she became famous and now has her own personal assistant).
The sudden and unexpected rise to fame not only left Ye Jingyu bewildered but also overwhelmed the entire company. The company had no experience in managing popular artists and was indeed lacking in ability, but fortunately, they had a sincere heart and were willing to work hard to learn. Ye Jingyu and the entire company were growing step by step.
The whole thing about them being paired up was actually forced upon them by the male side, Zhou Qixue.
When the drama first showed signs of becoming a minor hit, Zhou Qixue's studio sent a collaboration request, asking to work together to create a romantic pairing and make the drama even more popular.
It's normal to do promotional work during the broadcast of a drama. Even without being specifically reminded, Ye Jingyu would cooperate with the promotion. So when Zhou Qixue made the suggestion, they immediately agreed.
But little did she know that the two sides had very different understandings of what it meant to create a CP (couple pairing). Zhou Qixue's interpretation of creating a CP was far more exaggerated than she had imagined. Originally, Ye Jingyu thought that creating a CP together meant interacting more in drama promotions and variety shows, mentioning it a few times in interviews, and occasionally releasing behind-the-scenes footage and photos.
But who knew that Zhou Qixue would do it many times better? He would not only promote Ye Jingyu on variety shows related to the drama, but also mention her in other interviews and programs that were completely unrelated. Releasing behind-the-scenes footage and photos was a daily routine for him. If it was a private interview, he would mention Ye Jingyu in every single sentence from beginning to end, and sometimes he would even make up some things that never happened.
For example, Zhou Qixue said that the two of them were acting partners on set. Whenever Ye Jingyu was not in the right state and could not get into the role, she would go to him, and he would cooperate and act together. When the emotions of the two of them were in place, the final effect was so good.
For example, the two got along very well on set, had many common interests, and kept in touch frequently after leaving the set, sometimes calling each other at night to chat.
For example, Ye Jingyu's dog is very cute and clingy, but it's inconvenient to bring it to the set, so she can only see the dog via video. Once, Ye Jingyu was in a very low mood, and Zhou Qixue noticed this and asked the director for leave. The two of them spent one night going back to Ye Jingyu's house, petting the dog for a few hours, and then returned to the set. After that, Ye Jingyu was full of energy again.
All of the above are false, or rather, some are true and some are false. Ye Jingyu and Zhou Qixue were not particularly close on set, but they weren't bad either. They were just ordinary colleagues. Zhou Qixue's company was much better than hers, and he had countless staff members around him. This drama was just an insignificant stepping stone in his several big productions afterward. He couldn't be bothered to maintain relationships with these colleagues who he would definitely not have any contact with afterward.
Of course, Ye Jingyu wouldn't go out of her way to fawn over him. They weren't on the same path; he didn't even look at her, and she didn't care for him either.
The drama was filmed over two months. As a low-budget web series, the production was fast-paced. The male lead had slightly more screen time than the female lead, so Ye Jingyu finished filming first. On the day of the wrap party, Zhou Qixue didn't even send flowers. He just stayed in his RV enjoying the air conditioning, so there were no wrap party photos.
Who knew this drama would become an unexpected hit? During the filming of the drama, the relationship between the two main characters was not very good, so there was not enough material to promote the couple. So how should they promote it?
Of course it's fabricated.
So Zhou Qixue started talking nonsense and creating a CP (couple pairing). Ye Jingyu first learned that Zhou Qixue said they were acting partners a week after the interview aired. After all, her company was small and short-staffed, so she was slow to act. After becoming famous, she was too busy to deal with various business deals and preparations for business operations, so she naturally couldn't pay attention to her partner's side.
It was only when a female HR colleague at the company stumbled upon the real-life couple's supertopic and discovered this interview that she learned Zhou Qixue had fabricated so many stories behind the scenes.
The idea of being acting partners was obviously fake. Except when filming was in progress, Zhou Qixue would never speak to Ye Jingyu, let alone show any concern for her feelings.
In fact, acting opposite Zhou Qixue made Ye Jingyu quite nervous. Zhou Qixue was a professionally trained actor, so his basic skills were naturally more solid than hers. Sometimes Ye Jingyu would be slow to get into character or get stuck, but the director wouldn't mind because these were normal mistakes. However, Zhou Qixue would be very dissatisfied and would feel that Ye Jingyu was wasting time. Whenever Ye Jingyu didn't do something perfectly, he would have a dark look on his face. But it has to be said that this did force Ye Jingyu to improve her acting skills.
Watching her colleagues, with whom she wasn't particularly close, calmly and without batting an eye talk about how much they cared about her, Ye Jingyu felt nothing but irony.
She knew why Zhou Qixue said that. The key point of what he said wasn't just about acting partners, but about many things.
The fact that the two often rehearse together indicates a good relationship; Ye Jingyu seeking out Zhou Qixue when she's not in the right frame of mind suggests a close relationship and that she trusts and relies on him; Zhou Qixue's attentiveness to Ye Jingyu's condition and his immediate cooperation in rehearsals demonstrates his care for her; and their eventual perfect chemistry and excellent final result hint at a romance blossoming between them, suggesting that their on-screen relationship extends beyond the drama.
This series of moves not only directly made the CP fans ship them, but also made countless people in the super topic shout that they had found the real couple, and that their parents were truly in love. Little did they know that at least half of these claims were fake.
That day, Ye Jingyu's company contacted Zhou Qixue's studio to ask about this matter. They felt that it was okay to promote a romantic pairing, but it was wrong to fabricate such baseless things. After all, it was just to promote the drama, and it would be bad if it went too far and couldn't be controlled in the end.
Instead, they were criticized by the other side. Zhou Qixue's agent was quite arrogant, as if it was Ye Jingyu's good fortune that they were willing to create a CP with her. They hadn't criticized Ye Jingyu for agreeing to the CP but not actively promoting her, so how could they have the nerve to say that she was doing too much?
Finally, he said that this is how it is now when people create couple pairings. Don't worry too much about whether it's true or false. Anyway, fans don't need solid evidence. All they want is for the celebrities to show their attitude. After the show finishes airing, the fans will forget about it once the hype dies down.
Ye Jingyu's agent was stunned by what she was saying. The person opposite her was a seasoned veteran agent, and she couldn't get a word in edgewise. Although she still felt that something was not quite right, she ultimately did not continue the argument.
However, they didn't let Ye Jingyu do the same kind of promotion as Zhou Qixue. They felt that it was very wrong to do that. If you have something, you have it; if you don't, you don't. You can't lie like that just to become famous. Even if you can gain fans that way, you won't be able to keep them in the end.
But who knew that Zhou Qixue's studio would go too far? In interviews, they said things that went beyond just proving that the two had a good relationship on set, but also that they had a good relationship off-screen, and even implied that the two were very close to dating.
Moreover, Zhou Qixue's rhetoric was very skillful. He said that the two of them had many common interests, that Ye Jingyu would consult him when she had troubles, and that they would often keep in touch even after leaving the film crew, and even have heart-to-heart talks on the phone.
Two young, good-looking, single men and women who have just finished working together on a sweet romance drama—what kind of relationship would involve them having long phone conversations? Isn't that an indication that they're dating?
The CP fans did not disappoint him. They immediately received the message and began to spread the word that Zhou Qixue and Ye Jingyu had been talking for a long time.
The last one was even more outrageous, bringing up Ye Jingyu's dog. She does have a dog, and it is indeed very clingy, but it belongs to her mother. The dog is clingy to her mother. When she shared this story on set, she said that every time she went back, her dog didn't recognize her and had to sniff for a long time to recognize who she was. Moreover, it was her mother's shadow, following her everywhere. So every time Ye Jingyu went back and clung to her mother, her dog would give her a hard time.
The story was actually fabricated by Zhou Qixue: the dog belonged to Ye Jingyu and was very attached to her. Ye Jingyu was even depressed because she couldn't see the dog. So the two of them took leave from the film crew in the middle of the night to go to her house to see the dog. The two of them spent several hours alone at the woman's house just to pet the dog. After petting the dog, they left satisfied, and Ye Jingyu also regained her good mood.
Ye Jingyu was stunned after reading the interview. She was amazed by Zhou Qixue's ability to lie through his teeth. If the rumors he made up before were half true and half false, then everything in this one, except for the fact that Ye Jingyu had a dog at home, was fake.
Moreover, Ye Jingyu remembered that when she shared the story about the dog, Zhou Qixue was in the RV and didn't come out at all. So how did he come up with the idea of using her dog to make up stories and deceive CP fans?
Ye Jingyu and her company staff became increasingly aware of Zhou Qixue's studio's lack of principles, but the other party simply wouldn't listen to their advice or stop there. They would only continue to hype things up, and judging from the fandom, the CP fans were currently very satisfied with Zhou Qixue, pushing him to do business and data, while they were only so-so with Ye Jingyu.
Ye Jingyu wasn't thinking about how to win over these CP fans; she just wanted to end this absurd CP hype. Last week, she participated in many public events, trying her best to separate herself from the character in the drama, but she was criticized by drama fans and CP fans for forgetting her roots.
She realized she couldn't rush things, but as soon as she got close to any promotional material for the show, Zhou Qixue would tag her, which she couldn't stand. So, in the end, she chose "Shining Idol".
According to the production team, the show will air at least next week, by which time the drama will be almost over. After the promotion ends, she can air some unrelated variety shows without any impact. There's no shortage of male idols in boy group auditions. If she comes to collaborate on stage, she can work with five or six trainees at once, and no one will ship them anymore.
But there was an unexpected surprise: Shi Yao.
Ye Jingyu was overjoyed when she confirmed Shi Yao's identity. Although she was already working on solving the current problem, it would be even better if she had the help of a more professional person. So she quickly got the other person's contact information before she left.
At this moment, Shi Yao sat in the private room and listened to Ye Jingyu briefly explain her current situation, and couldn't help but sigh.
This is a bit tricky. Why is this young woman's company collectively throwing their employees away?
Author's Note: I'm here! I'm here!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-07-13 23:47:24 and 2024-07-14 23:45:30!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: TickTick 10 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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