6 trending topics
Is Ye Zhenzhen really going to participate in an acting program? Why is she going to the Apple Building again?
[She really has no self-awareness; which director is she trying to torment this time??]
[How many trending topics did the Ye family buy for her? It's fate that she's still not famous despite all this hard-earned promotion. Wouldn't it be better for her to go back to being a rich second-generation princess?!]
The trolls routinely make sarcastic remarks under the trending topics, and many passersby who click on the trending topics will find a set of photos on their homepage.
The photo is somewhat blurry, clearly taken hastily with a mobile phone, with no focus or composition whatsoever.
Through a group of staff in suits, you can see Ye Zhenzhen being protected by a tall, handsome man as they walk forward, their figures occasionally blocked by people around them.
Everyone's attention quickly shifted. Ye Zhenzhen had never been involved in any scandals since her debut, and everyone's gossip was instantly ignited.
[Who's this guy? He's been accompanying the little princess the whole way. Is he a bodyguard? Wow, that aura! He'd be a perfect candidate for a domineering CEO role!]
[Holy crap, don't you guys read financial news? That's the heir to the Gu Group!!!]
Wow, what a domineering CEO!
[I need all the information about this man in one minute!]
Wow, what's their relationship? They're such a good match, I want to ship them!
Some girls also noticed Ye Zhenzhen's outfit and started discussing it in the comments section, which temporarily silenced the haters' comments.
Am I the only one who noticed Ye Zhenzhen's outfit and jewelry? Wow, so elegant!
[I always thought people who wore gold statues were nouveau riche, but wow, why does she look like an ancient princess in it?]
Wow, is that the gold necklace Baochai wore in *Dream of the Red Chamber*? Where can I buy it?!
---
"Assistant, President Ye and President Gu were photographed at the Apple Building and it's trending on social media." Song Chengcheng was reviewing Fengming's financial report for the last quarter in her office when the public relations manager pushed open the door and reported to her.
“Okay, keep an eye on the wind direction first. I’ll consult with General Manager Ye before taking any further action.” Song Chengcheng paused, put down the documents in her hand, and was also somewhat undecided.
The boss and President Gu had a cold relationship since their marriage, but it had recently improved. However, this was the first time they had been photographed together in the same industry. Gu's family has always been low-key and almost completely isolated from the entertainment industry. She was unsure how to handle this trending topic, so she simply contacted Ye Zhenzhen directly.
As soon as I picked up the phone, I received a call from an unknown number.
She answered the phone, and the unfamiliar man on the other end introduced himself, "Hello, Assistant Song, I'm Jiang Wei, the director of the program 'Let's Travel Together'..."
Meanwhile, Gu Tingshen was driving back to Mantingfang when his phone rang. He glanced at it; it was Assistant Li. He immediately put it on speakerphone.
"Mr. Gu, the photos of you and Mr. Ye at the Apple Building are trending on social media. Should we try to suppress them?" Assistant Li's voice came through clearly.
Ye Zhenzhen hurriedly opened her phone and saw several tags trending on social media: #YeZhenzhenAppleBuilding; #YeZhenzhenPrinceGu; #YeZhenzhenIAmAnActor#.
She glanced at the items and saw that, apart from those who suspected her participation in the variety show "I Am an Actor," there were those who speculated about their relationship, and others who were paying attention to her earrings and gold necklace.
After listening to Li Qingyun's report, Gu Tingshen looked at Ye Zhenzhen.
"Don't suppress it anymore. I was originally planning to buy a trending topic to promote Fengming's products." Ye Zhenzhen was quite surprised. She figured she might as well make use of her trending topic talent. Then, remembering that this person was always low-key, she added, "If you mind, you can delete the photos that were taken of you?"
Gu Tingshen saw her smiling like a little fox, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved up. He shook his head and said, "I don't mind." He then instructed the person on the other end of the phone, "Don't suppress the trending topics. Monitor the public opinion."
Just as Ye Zhenzhen was about to explain her plan to him, she received a call from Song Chengcheng.
Upon hearing about the trending topic, she immediately suggested, "Trending is a good thing. Let's take advantage of this popularity and have Fengming's official Weibo account come out and claim the jewelry I wore today, so we can do some promotion."
"Okay, there's another travel variety show that wants to invite you and President Gu as guests." Song Chengcheng couldn't help but admire Apple Media's persistence towards their boss. They couldn't invite him to "I Am an Actor," so they came to invite him to a travel variety show instead, and they even wanted to invite President Gu and the young master of the Gu family as well. They have quite the appetite.
Ye Zhenzhen was somewhat surprised. "A travel variety show? Why did you think of contacting us? You should review their program materials first and see what style they are."
Ye Zhenzhen recalls that when travel variety shows first entered the Chinese market, many of them relied on the drama and conflicts between the guests during their travels as their selling point, and she didn't like those kinds of shows.
“A group of guests suddenly got into a scandal, and filming was about to start, but they couldn’t find suitable guests.” Song Chengcheng learned the details from Jiang Wei. “He sent the information to my email. I took a look at it. It’s a slow-paced variety show that focuses on family travel. I also looked into Director Jiang’s past variety shows. They are all more humanistic and don’t rely on creating conflicts to attract attention.”
Song Chengcheng felt that Jiang Wei was quite reliable. The relationship between her and her husband had recently improved, and it would be a good thing if they could travel together to get to know each other better and nurture their feelings.
"I'll think about it."
Ye Zhenzhen hung up the phone and looked at Gu Tingshen, unsure of how to begin.
Gu Tingshen was waiting at a traffic light when he turned to look at her. Her bright face showed hesitation. In fact, her expression didn't change much, but he could still sense her emotions. It was a very novel experience.
"What variety show?" he asked, also a little curious about what had happened.
Ye Zhenzhen poured out the story like beans spilling from a bamboo tube, and then Gu Tingshen asked, "Do you want to go?"
“I think this is a good opportunity to take Nan Nan out to play. I don’t usually have time to spend with him,” Ye Zhenzhen said, somewhat conflicted. “But I’m worried that exposing a child to the public so early might have a negative impact on him. And what if his parents don’t agree?”
"You can go back and ask Nannan for her opinion, and have them send over the filming schedule and contract. See how it goes," Gu Tingshen said, seeing her furrowed brows, clearly troubled.
"What about you? Do you want to go? Won't it interfere with your work?" Ye Zhenzhen turned to him seriously and asked.
As the light turned green, Gu Tingshen lightly pressed the accelerator, teasingly saying, "You forgot, Dad gave me a holiday."
Ye Zhenzhen's ears felt hot again. The man's voice was tinged with laughter, reminding her of what Gu's father had said when she last returned to the old house. The old couple were eager for them to cultivate their relationship, which was why they had given Gu Tingshen a long vacation. Otherwise, how could such a big CEO be so leisurely, spending all his time running around with her and neglecting his duties?
When the two arrived home, Uncle Li had already picked up Gu Sinan and brought her back. Dinner was already set in the dining room, waiting for them to return.
"Dad, Mom, you're back." Gu Sinan was reading a book when she saw them return and greeted them happily.
"Did Nan Nan's skateboarding lesson go well today?" Ye Zhenzhen's foot was much better. She took Gu Tingshen's arm and went to the restaurant, where she hugged the little girl.
"Mom, what's wrong with your feet?" Gu Sinan snuggled against her, noticing that her walking posture was a bit off.
"Oh, I was wearing high heels when I got off the bus today and I accidentally twisted my ankle," she explained, seeing the child's worried look. "It doesn't hurt anymore. My dad treated it for me right away, and it'll be fine in a couple of days."
"Mom, help me across," Gu Sinan said sensibly, taking Ye Zhenzhen's hand and offering her support in a proper manner. However, she wasn't tall enough, so she placed her hands on her own shoulders, trying to share the weight.
"Great, Nannan has been a great help." Ye Zhenzhen felt a warmth in her heart and patted his head.
After dinner, Gu Sinan volunteered to help Ye Zhenzhen upstairs.
Ye Zhenzhen supported the child with one hand and used Gu Tingshen's arm for support with the other as they walked upstairs, chatting with the child as she went, "What does Nannan usually do on weekends? Does she go out to play?"
“I have to practice piano, skateboard, and swim on weekends. My grandparents are quite busy and don’t go out to play often,” Gu Sinan said, her tone somewhat forlorn.
The Gu Group is a complex organization, and Gu's parents and Gu Tingshen are busy with work every day. The children are either in class or with the housekeeper or nanny, which is not conducive to their happy growth. Ye Zhenzhen recalled her own childhood, when she was this age spent playing wildly every day at her maternal grandmother's house in the countryside, going up and down mountains and rivers.
With a touch of pity, Ye Zhenzhen squeezed his little hand and promised, "It's okay, Mommy will take you out to play on weekends and holidays from now on."
Thinking about how indispensable a father's role is in a boy's growth, she added, "When Dad has time, can he spend it with us too?"
As she spoke, she shook the man's arm, and then heard a voice from above her head, "Okay."
Gu Sinan's eyes widened immediately, and she turned her head. "Really?!" Her voice was filled with excitement and joy.
As they reached the second floor, Ye Zhenzhen bent down, smiled gently, and earnestly promised, "Really, Mom keeps her word, and Dad promised too."
"Thank you, Mom!" Gu Sinan's little face blossomed into a bright smile, no longer acting like a little adult, and she even hugged her mother with a slightly shy expression.
"Go play, sweetie." Ye Zhenzhen hugged him, feeling herself infected by his happiness.
After watching Gu Sinan return to her room, Gu Tingshen waited for her to straighten up before leading her to the study.
Ye Zhenzhen had already asked Song Chengcheng to send the information about "Let's Go Traveling" to her email address.
"Let me take a look at the documents. Please have a seat."
When Ye Zhenzhen saw that he was about to help her up, she quickly refused, saying, "Go ahead and go see. I'll be fine walking slowly."
Seeing that she was indeed unharmed when she walked, the man turned and went behind his desk.
This was Ye Zhenzhen's first time visiting the study on the second floor. The decor was the same as the rest of the villa, leaning towards a Chinese style with a touch of modern simplicity. Just like Gu Tingshen, it was meticulous and tidy, but lacked a bit of human warmth.
"May I take a book to read?" she asked, standing in front of the bookshelf.
After receiving an affirmative reply, she picked out a Chinese book from the bookshelf and began to read. The bookshelf contained many original English books; she had forgotten all her English after the CET-6 exam and held the thick English volumes in great awe.
After Gu Tingshen finished reading the program materials, he looked up and saw Ye Zhenzhen nestled in the single sofa in front of the bookshelf, engrossed in reading. The single sofa was just the right size for him, but Ye Zhenzhen looked tiny in it, nestled like a docile cat, quietly keeping him company.
He leaned back in his chair, somewhat reluctant to break the tranquility.
Ye Zhenzhen was so engrossed in watching that she became thirsty and was about to stand up for a drink when she noticed that Gu Tingshen was sitting at the tea table making tea.
The tea table was right next to the bookshelf. She got up and took a couple of steps over. "Have you finished reading the documents?"
"After you've finished reading, have some water first." Gu Tingshen poured her a cup of tea with a fairness cup and handed it to her.
She reached out to take it, and her hands appeared small and white against the backdrop of the man's large, tanned hands.
The amber-colored tea rippled in the sky-blue lotus cup. Ye Zhenzhen admired it for a moment before bringing the cup to her lips, taking a sip, and immediately feeling the lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth.
Gu Tingshen noticed the thin layer of moisture on her lips and silently looked away. "The script from the production team is fine, and they've taken into account the privacy of the guests, especially the children. The contract is also quite reasonable. Overall, it's not bad."
"That sounds pretty good." Ye Zhenzhen put down her cup, sat up straight, and said seriously, "I was a little tempted before because I'm usually busy and don't have much time to spend with Nannan. Taking this opportunity to travel together will allow me to take him out to play, interact with other children, and spend more time with him."
She paused, then hesitated, "But it's a variety show after all, they film it 24/7, and then it gets edited and broadcast, and people will judge it. I don't know if it will affect your and Nan Nan's lives in the future, and your parents will probably find it hard to agree, right?"
“Born into a family like this, he will face far more than this in the future.” Gu Tingshen poured her some more tea. “It’s morning in Country A, you can call and ask them.”
Under the warm yellow light, the man's expression appeared softer than usual. He had taken off his suit jacket when he returned, and was now sitting on the sofa in a shirt. He wasn't sitting upright, and his every move carried a casualness, a relaxed feeling unique to mature men, a sense of complete control.
"What about you? Do you want to participate? Although Dad asked you to take a break to be with us, you don't have to force yourself to participate in a program you don't like." Ye Zhenzhen felt that this man had a special charm. She forced herself to stop thinking and looked into the man's eyes as she asked.
“No one can force me.” Gu Tingshen rubbed his fingers holding the cup a few times, met her watery eyes, and smiled slightly. “So, don’t worry, I did it voluntarily.”
Ye Zhenzhen didn't come to her senses until the man picked up the phone and went to the French windows to start the call. She secretly covered her face with her hand; it was a little hot. The man's voice was too alluring, especially when he was smiling; it sent shivers down her spine and made her heart skip a beat.
She picked up the tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp. The slightly cool tea slid down her throat, taking away some of the heat.
The man walked over and handed her the phone. Gu's mother said on the other end of the line, "Zhenzhen, if you want to participate, go ahead and have fun. You two haven't gone out to play before, so consider it a belated honeymoon trip. Don't worry about Nannan, just have the legal department review the contract terms."
Ye Zhenzhen chatted with Gu's mother for a while longer before hanging up the phone.
She returned the phone to Gu Tingshen, saying, "My mother is very supportive. She said we just need to have the legal department review the contract."
Gu Tingshen nodded. "Tomorrow I'll have Li Qingyun bring the legal department staff and your company's people to sign the contract."
Ye Zhenzhen returned to her bedroom and called Song Chengcheng, asking her to meet with Gu Tingshen's special assistant, Li Qingyun, the next day to discuss the contract. Lying in bed after her shower, she was still somewhat incredulous; it had been so casually arranged to participate in the variety show.
Li Qingyun, who had just returned home from working overtime, stared at her phone, questioning her life choices: Is this really our workaholic CEO? Taking a vacation is one thing, but why is she going to participate in a variety show?!
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