Chapter 34 "You're not the person in the photo at all..."
Although Gu Mingyan didn't fully understand Yun Qingqing's intentions, out of unconditional trust in her friend, she immediately nodded:
“Okay, I’ll listen to you. But if we need to hire a more powerful online army, we’ll probably have to ask Gu Xubai and borrow some people from the group’s public relations team.”
“Gu Xubai…” Yun gently stroked her chin.
Since Miss Gu didn't want to shamelessly ask Gu Xubai for help, this arduous task was handed over to Yun Qingqing.
She hesitated for a moment, then looked down and sent Gu Xubai a string of cute emojis.
The system hesitated before asking her, "Host, why are you sending these emojis?"
Yun Qingqing said, "If I need to ask a world-weary villain like Gu Xubai for help, shouldn't I lay the groundwork and express my friendliness first?"
The system silently observed the few kissing and heart emojis amidst a sea of emoticons, and couldn't help but remind the user: "Hey, wouldn't you like to double-check what you sent out?"
"Oh, no need. They're all cute emojis, what could be wrong with them?" Yun waved her hand gently and began to seriously organize her thoughts. "Don't make a fuss, let me think about how to phrase it."
System: [...] Okay.
Meanwhile, in the top-floor conference room of the Gu Group.
The huge circular conference table was surrounded by tense executives, their gazes cautiously fixed on the expressionless young man at the head of the table.
Gu Xubai tapped the table absently with his fingertips, his gaze sweeping indifferently over a director who was giving a presentation.
The director was sweating profusely, and his speech unconsciously quickened.
Suddenly, "ding-dong," "ding-dong," "ding-dong"...
A series of crisp and frequent message notifications suddenly rang out in the conference room.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and quickly searched for the source of the sound.
Then, everyone saw their young CEO Gu pick up his phone with a cold face, and within a few seconds, his pale earlobes turned a thin layer of red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Gu Xubai raised his hand and gestured for the executive, who was giving a report and whose forehead was already sweating, to "pause".
The executives, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, immediately fell silent.
Gu Xubai lowered his eyes, his slender fingers tapping on the screen: [What's wrong?]
A few seconds later, Yun Qingqing's message popped up.
【Yun Qingqing】: Xu Bai! Did I disturb you? [Kitten peeking out.jpg]
Gu Xubai raised his eyes, glanced around at the people sitting upright in the conference room with their eyes wandering, and typed without expression.
[Gu Xubai]: No.
[Yun Qingqing]: It's just... Mingyan and I have run into a little trouble and would like to borrow the group's public relations team, is that alright? [Hands clasped together, starry eyes.jpg]
The pitiful text, coupled with the many kissing and heart emojis above the chat history, made Gu Xubai feel as if he could see Yun Qing blinking her eyes and playfully blowing him a kiss.
The finger had already responded before thinking: 【Yes.】
They didn't even ask the other person what they wanted to do.
The other end immediately sent a jubilant rabbit emoji: 【Thank you, Xu Bai! ~】
Gu Xubai stared at the lively tilde for two seconds. For some reason, he felt that this simple punctuation mark looked exceptionally elegant.
Seeing that he had been staring at his phone for a long time, the assistant couldn't help but remind him, "Mr. Gu, the meeting isn't over yet. If you encounter any tricky situations, do you need me to handle them immediately?"
Gu Xubai glanced at him and said in a calm voice, "No need. Someone just asked to borrow my PR team."
The assistant was even more puzzled after seeing his face.
It's just borrowing a PR team, why does Mr. Gu look like a lovesick young man?
The public relations team of the Gu Group is extremely efficient.
After receiving instructions from Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing to "continue to fuel the fire of the negative news," he was extremely puzzled by the request, but he still began to carry it out.
Within half a day, discussions about topics such as #GuMingyanPlasticSurgery# and #GuMingyanStealingACard# reached new heights, with related terms firmly occupying the top spots on the trending search list.
Soon, the negative news even spread from the entertainment section to the lifestyle section, and many beauty bloggers couldn't help but follow suit with their analysis, expanding its reach several times over.
...
The production team kept the theme of the second episode a secret. The bus drove along and eventually stopped at an empty space next to a river where few people ever went.
The area was surrounded by dense forests, with rolling mountains in the distance. The air was fresh, but it was also quite desolate.
Fortunately, even though it's a bit out of the way, there's still cell phone signal.
While everyone was looking around, Meng Xian quickly took out her phone and glanced at it.
Her and Ding Manni's live stream has successfully become the top-ranked channel on the popularity chart, with the barrage full of comments from fans mocking Gu Mingyan for being a low-class copycat and comforting her not to worry about it.
A subtle smile unconsciously curved the corners of Meng Xian's lips.
The more fiercely Gu Mingyan was scolded, the happier she felt.
After dinner, the production team suggested playing Truth or Dare to liven things up.
The rules are old-fashioned: an empty bottle is spinning in the middle, and whoever the bottle's opening points to has to accept the challenge.
The first two rounds were unremarkable, and the challenge fell to Nan Xu and Yu Ran, who respectively completed the "one-legged square dance" and "calling a recent contact to say 'I miss you'" adventures, which drew laughter.
Then, the wine bottle fell into Meng Xian's hands.
Her gaze swept over Gu Mingyan sitting opposite her without making a sound, and her fingers gently moved the bottle.
The bottle spun halfway around weakly, wobbling precariously, until finally, the bottle neck was aimed precisely at Gu Mingyan.
"Ah, it's Mingyan." Meng Xian's voice was gentle and soft. "Mingyan, will you choose truth or dare?"
Gu Mingyan lifted her eyelids to look at her, feeling that this person was up to no good.
Too lazy to deal with questions that might be traps, she simply lifted her chin and said, "Truth or dare."
"Truth or dare," Meng Xian smiled gently and innocently, her eyes crinkling. "Let's make it simple. Mingyan, pinch your nose and imitate a pig pouting, okay? Just three seconds."
Gu Mingyan frowned.
She didn't find the action embarrassing; she just found it a bit boring.
Moreover, she had carefully applied makeup on her face and didn't want it to be smudged by her hands.
But with everyone watching, she couldn't be bothered to argue. Gu Mingyan lazily stretched out two fingers, gently pressed them against the tip of her nose, and then pouted half-heartedly.
"Is this alright?" she asked expressionlessly, putting her hand down.
“That’s enough, that’s enough,” Meng Xian nodded, as if she had just made a harmless little joke. “It’s very cute.”
Gu Mingyan rolled her eyes, sat back in her seat, and didn't take the little episode that had just happened to heart at all.
However, what she didn't know was that the live stream chat was already going crazy because of those few seconds of footage:
[Huh? That's it? Is Gu Mingyan worried that the implant will warp if she makes big facial expressions?]
[Is she only moving her lips? Her cheekbones and nostrils aren't moving at all; they look so stiff.]
[That's what a silicone face looks like; I can't even make a slightly forceful expression, please understand.]
Gu Mingyan was completely unaware of the surging ridicule. She casually reached out and fiddled with the empty wine bottle on the table.
The bottle spun around a few times, then slowed down and pointed towards Jiang Mingqian, who was sitting diagonally opposite him.
Jiang Mingqian lifted his eyelids and glanced at her coldly, as if he couldn't even be bothered to say another word. He uttered three words: "The truth."
His aloof demeanor made Gu Mingyan, who already had little interest in him, even less inclined to bother with him.
She showed no curiosity whatsoever about Jiang Mingqian's private life, so she casually drew a question card from the set prepared by the production team: "What is your reason for participating in the show 'Best Partners'?"
This was a very common question, and no one present took it seriously. But after hearing it, Jiang Mingqian's originally cold facial features softened slightly.
Jiang Mingqian's gaze lingered in the air for a moment before subtly sweeping towards Meng Xian.
Then he said slowly, "I'm here for the person in this photograph."
This statement, though seemingly without context, piqued the curiosity of many viewers in the live chat.
[Photos? What photos? Why is Brother Jiang being so cryptic?]
His tone and expression... I feel like there's more to his story.
So, can anyone tell me who Jiang Mingqian is talking about?
[Have you guys noticed that Jiang Mingqian seems to have been treating Meng Xian quite differently since the beginning of the show? Could it be...?]
[Holy crap! Could the photo he's talking about be that viral, iconic picture of Meng Xian?! That photo completely swept the internet back then!]
[Ahhh, if it's true, I'm totally shipping them! Falling for someone because of a photo, then going on a show to get closer to them—this is like something out of a romantic novel! Why is the Jiang-Meng couple so adorable?!]
Gu Mingyan neither confirmed nor denied Jiang Mingqian's vague answer, nor did she press him further. She simply nodded to indicate that she understood, thus ending this round.
Despite the others being incredibly curious about Jiang Mingqian's seemingly random statement, the game had to continue.
The wine bottle spun around a few more times, pointing at Ding Manni and then at Yu Ran, the atmosphere neither too hot nor too cold.
Finally, the bottle fell into Yun Qingqing's hands.
She rested her chin on her hand and said listlessly, "To be honest, this truth or dare game is so unchallenging! If someone secretly lies, we won't be able to tell. It's so boring. I think it would be more interesting if we added a lie detector."
Gu Mingyan shrugged with a smile: "Stop joking, where would we find a lie detector in this desolate wilderness?"
"Oh right, we don't have a lie detector." Yun sighed softly, feigning regret, then raised her left wrist and shook the simple-looking sports watch on it. "But my watch has a real-time heart rate monitoring function. Generally speaking, a person's heart rate may change when they lie. How about it? Everyone want to give it a try?"
No sooner had she spoken than Ding Manni surprisingly agreed, saying, "That's a good idea. It's a bit boring with just you asking and answering."
No one else had any objections.
Yun smiled even sweeter. She didn't say anything more, and casually flicked her fingertips across the bottle.
The bottle spun rapidly, its speed gradually decreasing, as it wobbled past several people before finally pointing at Meng Xian.
Meng Xian's eyelids twitched suddenly.
“Oh dear,” Yun said softly, mimicking Meng Xian’s tone, “it’s Teacher Meng’s turn now.”
As she spoke, she made a gesture as if to untie her fitness tracker. "Teacher Meng, do you want to play Truth or Dare?"
Meng Xian's gaze lingered on the watch for a few seconds.
Rather than answering questions while having your heart rate monitored, it's safer to choose dare.
In any case, with everyone watching, Yun Qingqing certainly wouldn't dare to make any excessive demands.
In a flash, Meng Xian made her decision: "I choose dare."
“Okay.” Yun Qingqing stopped untying her bracelet and smiled at her. “To be honest, I’ve always admired Teacher Meng’s viral photo. How about Teacher Meng dances a ballet for us?”
Ballet?
Meng Xian's pupils suddenly contracted.
"What's wrong, Teacher Meng?" Yun asked, tilting her head slightly. "Don't you know how to dance ballet?"
Everyone present was taken aback upon hearing this and turned their gaze to Meng Xian.
"How could that be?" Meng Xian quickly composed herself and gracefully stood up. "Since Qingqing wants to see me dance, then I'll make a fool of myself."
Ever since she fraudulently claimed that divine image, Meng Xian knew that this lie would eventually be exposed.
To cover up her lie, she spent a lot of money to hire a professional ballet teacher for intensive training after entering the entertainment industry. In her opinion, she was more than capable of handling performances in such situations.
Meng Xian walked lightly to the center of the open space and stood there gracefully.
As the soft ballet music began, she raised her arms and made a standard starting pose, lightly touching the ground with her toes, and slowly rotated her body.
It must be said that, with deliberate practice, her movements are indeed quite impressive; at least her stretching and jumping are stunning to the untrained eye.
[Ahhh, I finally get to see Xianxian dance ballet! She dances so lightly and gracefully!]
[Who's been frantically taking screenshots and admiring the screen? Oh, it's me.]
[Hmm, as a professional ballet dancer, I have to say, Meng Xian's instep wasn't even fully pointed... Her first floor-scratching move looked completely staged.]
[Don't be so harsh on her. Xianxian is an actress; acting is her main profession, okay? Dancing is just a hobby and a bonus, so it's definitely not that perfect.]
Jiang Mingqian's eyes never left Meng Xian! He adores her!
Jiang Mingqian's gaze followed the dancing figures in the arena, and he watched for a while with his lips pursed.
It wasn't until Meng Xian noticed his gaze and smiled at him that Jiang Mingqian said encouragingly, "Very beautiful."
"Thank you." Meng Xian finished gracefully.
Gu Mingyan watched from the sidelines with her arms crossed, and couldn't help but complain, "Your lower body is unstable, and your basic skills are not up to par, yet you claim to know how to dance ballet."
Jiang Mingqian immediately frowned and defended Meng Xian: "It's already very good that you can jump like this on uneven grass. Don't be so harsh."
"Heh, can't you hear the truth?" Gu Mingyan sneered. "Ballet requires years of hard work. Just learning some fancy moves might fool laymen, but professionals can see through it at a glance."
Meng Xian's fans flooded the live chat with messages expressing their indignation:
Does Gu Gou even understand ballet? Why is he pontificating like this?
Jealousy makes people ugly. They're just jealous because Xianxian dances so well.
[The rumors about her having plastic surgery haven't been clarified yet, so stop nitpicking.]
Meng Xian lowered her eyes at the right moment, her tone a little aggrieved: "I've been too busy filming lately, and I haven't practiced for a long time, so I'm a bit rusty."
"You don't need to explain so much to her." Jiang Mingqian stood protectively in front of her, looking coldly at Gu Mingyan. "You talk so professionally, why don't you jump if you dare?"
The surrounding guests were all taken aback by how things had turned out, and they all looked embarrassed.
Yu Ran tried to smooth things over: "Teacher Gu, please don't mind him, Mingqian is just like that..."
Gu Mingyan interrupted him, standing up decisively: "I'll jump, then I'll jump."
She walked to the center of the open space, casually moved her wrists and ankles, and then touched the ground with her toes.
Despite using the same basic movements, Gu Mingyan's jumps were as light as a feather. Her arms were both extended and powerful, and even on the uneven grass, her axis of motion remained completely still.
Even a layman can see the marks of years of training.
Gu Mingyan finished with an elegant arabesque, came to a steady stop, and looked at Jiang Mingqian with a slight raise of her eyebrows: "How was it?"
Jiang Mingqian opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound immediately.
His gaze shifted between Gu Mingyan and Meng Xian, his expression growing increasingly uncertain and doubtful.
After a brief pause, a few stubborn comments drifted across the comment section:
[His dancing was just so-so, what's there to show off?]
[What's the point of dancing well if your face is fake?]
However, these comments were quickly overshadowed by an increasing number of questions filled with shock and confusion.
【Wait a minute, I'm a little confused?】
I think I've discovered something incredible?
[Damn, so I'm not the only one who feels this way!]
The unsuspecting audience was completely bewildered by the riddle-maker's sudden statement: ?
What's going on?
From the moment Gu Mingyan accepted Jiang Mingqian's provocation and agreed to dance in public, Meng Xian's eyes kept flickering.
"Bravo!" Someone shouted first, followed by a round of applause.
Meng Xian snapped back to her senses, quickly concealing the panic in her eyes, and joined the others in clapping.
Her voice remained gentle and soothing, without the slightest hint of weakness: "Mingyan, you dance so well, much better than me."
“Teacher Meng is too modest,” Yun said softly. “Mingyan’s skills are far inferior to yours. She can never do the bent-over arabesque in your viral photo properly, and she has practiced it countless times.”
Meng Xian was highly vigilant about every question Yun Qingqing suddenly asked, especially those involving details of the photograph.
She smiled cautiously: "You flatter me. It was someone else who took the good photo. My dancing was actually just so-so."
“Qingqing, you’re wrong.” Gu Mingyan suddenly spoke up to correct Yun Qingqing, “The pose in that photo isn’t a bent-over arabesque, it’s a back crane pose on tiptoe, and the arms are in the third position.”
A thin layer of cold sweat suddenly seeped out on Meng Xian's back.
She had only crammed on ballet movements and hadn't bothered to memorize the professional ballet terminology, so much so that she hadn't even noticed when Yun Qingqing mispronounced a term.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, which she wiped away with the back of her hand without making a sound.
"Oh dear!" Yun covered her mouth exaggeratedly. "I'm so sorry, Teacher Meng. I'm just an amateur. I don't know the names of these professional movements at all. I made a fool of myself."
She changed the subject, looking at Meng Xian with pure eyes, "But Teacher Meng, why didn't you correct me just now? Did you also misremember the name of this action?"
Meng Xian forced herself to remain calm: "It's been too long, I can't remember what moves I was doing when I was filmed."
"Oh, I see." Yun nodded in sudden understanding, then showed a longing expression. "Speaking of which, the composition of Teacher Meng's photo is really beautiful, the atmosphere is amazing. Can I ask where that photo was taken? I really want to go and check out the same place."
Meng Xian's nerves were stretched to the limit.
She realized that Yun Qingqing was not just chatting idly; every seemingly innocent and curious question she asked was a linguistic trap.
We can no longer let the other party lead us by the nose!
Her face showed an offended expression: "Yun Qingqing, that's just an old photo. Why are you asking about it again and again? Is there some other meaning behind it?"
Yun Qingqing seemed frightened by her sternness, pouting aggrievedly: "Teacher Meng, why are you so fierce? I just really liked that photo, so I wanted to ask where it was taken... Is that wrong?"
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and anyone who saw her would think that Meng Xian was overreacting and bullying an ordinary person.
Having no other choice, Meng Xian could only bite the bullet and explain, "I'm not being mean to you, it's just that I've been to so many dance studios over the years that I really can't say exactly where I was photographed."
"Of course you can't say,"
Yun suddenly raised her head, looked at her calmly, and said, word by word:
"Because that photo wasn't taken in the dance studio at all."
Upon hearing this, not only did Meng Xian's expression change drastically, but everyone present was stunned, and all eyes turned to Yun Qingqing.
Yun Qingqing met the surprised and uncertain gazes of the crowd and said calmly, "Let me tell you, Meng Xian."
"The photo was taken in the lecture hall on the third floor of the art building at Yuncheng International High School."
Jiang Mingqian turned his head sharply, looking at Yun Qingqing in astonishment, then at Meng Xian, whose face was deathly pale. His mind was momentarily in a state of confusion.
He instinctively asked, "How did you know?"
Yun turned to him gently, her tone calm: "Because Mingyan was going to participate in an international ballet competition, she specially borrowed that classroom from the school for rehearsals. That's how that amazing picture was taken by a passing classmate."
Apart from Gu Mingyan, everyone present had a "Holy crap" expression on their face.
Yun Qingqing's gaze returned to Meng Xian's face, and she finished speaking with a smile: "Misremembering ballet terminology, not knowing the exact location where you were photographed... Besides 'forgetting because it's been so long,' there's actually a simpler, more direct reason—"
Yun paused slightly, then her voice suddenly rose in pitch, becoming clear and powerful.
"That means you're not the person in the photo at all."
"The ballerina in the photo, from beginning to end, is our Mingyan."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com