Chapter 96
Into the Dream was airing weekly, and even with the bonus episode, only four episodes had been released. But its popularity was soaring, the official Weibo account and the actors’ personal accounts flooded with requests for more.
Especially Shen Shu’s.
Her follower count had reached ten million in just two weeks, and her latest Weibo post, from last month, had over a million likes, comments, and reposts. Even some A-list celebrities and influencers were asking for more episodes.
But Shen Shu rarely used Weibo, let alone replied to comments or followed anyone back, making their public displays of support seem a little awkward, leading to accusations of arrogance and aloofness from trolls and marketing accounts, even escalating to claims that she was acting like a diva.
The hashtag #ShenShuDiva was trending, alongside #ShenShuFanMeeting.
The comments were a mix of praise and criticism, some even bringing up the incident with Ren Xiaoqi during the filming of Into the Dream, which had resulted in Ren Xiaoqi being blacklisted.
I always thought she was a bit pretentious. I don’t know how she got so famous.
Money talks. That actress she offended is blacklisted now, reduced to playing maid roles… how pathetic.
But they had underestimated Shen Shu’s popularity and her fans’ fierce loyalty. Before Xu Jinnan could even retaliate, they had already shut down the trolls, her PR team rendered unnecessary.
In Shen Shu’s fan group chat:
ShuShu’sPuppy: [Ahhh, our Shu Shu is so popular now!]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [I’m so happy! Is everyone here yet? Come get your Shu Fan wristbands!]
MyNameIsKing: [I’m here!!]
ShuShu’sPuppy: [Almost there! Ahhh, I hope I get chosen to cuddle with Shu Shu today!!!]
ShuBao’sBaby: [How many fans are they choosing? Do I have a chance? Even if I don’t get to cuddle, a kiss would be nice… * suggestive emoji*]
MyNameIsKing: [A hug is enough for me~ I want to give Shu Shu the biggest bear hug ever!]
Xu Jinnan: “…”
She was still on her way to the fan meeting.
Shen Shu had stayed at a hotel near the filming location last night and hadn’t come home, which meant Xu Jinnan hadn’t been able to convince her to change her outfit.
She hadn’t intended to go to the fan meeting, but the thought of Shen Shu wearing that dress, hugging her fans… she couldn’t stand it.
A bear hug?
Cuddling?
Kissing?
What were these people even thinking?
Xu Jinnan’s lips curved into a cold smile, then she saw a private message from ShuShu’sNumberOneFan.
[Boss Lady, are you really not coming? Jia-jie said they’re choosing three fans to go on stage!!!]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [You’re the moderator! You have a high chance of being chosen! It would be a shame to miss this~]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [And we all really want to meet you, Boss Lady!]
RichSisterWithStamina: [Not coming.]
She sent the message, then turned to Viola. “How much longer?”
“Ten minutes,” Viola replied.
Xu Jinnan nodded, and her phone buzzed with another message. [Okay. I’m about to see Shu Shu! So excited! You’re really missing out, Boss Lady. With everything you’ve done for Shu Shu, you would definitely get to meet her up close!]
Xu Jinnan: “…” I’ve not only met her up close, I’ve also… She sent a brief reply, then checked WeChat. Shen Shu hadn’t replied to her messages since leaving for the fan meeting, probably busy with hair and makeup.
Just then, Viola said, “CEO Xu, you have a meeting with Mr. Qin at 3 p.m.”
“I know,” Xu Jinnan replied, touching the small, star-shaped box tied with a black ribbon on her lap.
How am I going to convince her to change her outfit? she wondered. And will she think I’m being controlling?
But that dress was… too revealing.
The image of Shen Shu in that low-cut dress, hugging her fans, made her blood boil.
Ten minutes later, her black Porsche pulled up outside the venue. No one knew she was coming, but having arranged the venue herself, she easily slipped in through a back entrance.
In the resting room, the makeup artist, putting down her brushes and adjusting Shen Shu’s hair, her gaze lingering on Shen Shu’s beautiful face, asked hesitantly, “Excuse me, Miss Shen, would you mind signing an autograph for me? My sister is a huge fan.”
Shen Shu smiled faintly. “Of course.”
Tong Jia handed her a pen and paper, and after she signed the autograph, the makeup artist left.
“That’s the fourth one,” Tong Jia commented, chuckling. “Looks like everyone here is your fan.”
Shen Shu’s smile lingered. While this sudden surge in popularity felt strange, almost unreal, she couldn’t deny the warmth it brought, the feeling of being appreciated.
“I just posted a response to those ‘diva’ accusations on the studio’s official Weibo account,” Tong Jia said. “You should also post something after the fan meeting.”
“Okay,” Shen Shu replied.
She hadn’t even been aware of the comments, or the people following her, yet she had been accused of being arrogant and aloof.
She didn’t understand it.
But she was getting used to the entertainment industry, to the absurdity of it all. Keyboards, in the hands of many, were no longer just tools for communication, but weapons, wielded by anonymous trolls who didn’t care about the truth, or the consequences of their words, their opinions presented as facts, their judgments absolute.
Fortunately, she wasn’t easily offended. She had adapted quickly, thanks to her experience in the business world, which had prepared her for the inevitable encounters with difficult people, the occasional backstabbing and betrayal.
She took a sip of water through a straw and checked the time.
Half an hour until the fan meeting.
She opened WeChat. Her last message from Xu Jinnan, from two hours ago, was about the trending topic.
She scrolled through their conversation.
Xu Jinnan: Next time you trend, can you mention me?
Shen Shu: How?
Xu Jinnan: Like, include my company’s logo in your Weibo posts, or just post our marriage certificate.
Shen Shu chuckled at the message, knowing Xu Jinnan was just trying to distract her, to cheer her up. She scrolled down.
Xu Jinnan retracted a message.
Xu Jinnan: Free publicity.
Shen Shu paused, her heart skipping a beat. The retracted message had been even more suggestive – Let me rub against you.
She bit her lip, leaning back in her chair, then heard Tong Jia’s voice. “This resting room is amazing! Our number one fan went all out! Bottled water, juice, snacks, fruit, even a massage chair! She’s truly dedicated.” Tong Jia always used Xu Jinnan as the gold standard for a perfect partner.
Shen Shu, glancing at the massage chair, smiled faintly.
“She is,” she agreed.
Someone knocked on the door, asking to speak to Tong Jia about the event’s schedule, and Tong Jia left the room, coming face to face with Xu Jinnan at the doorway.
Xu Jinnan quietly entered the room.
Shen Shu, assuming it was Tong Jia returning, her head bowed over her phone, said, “That was quick.”
Then, she smelled the familiar scent of Xu Jinnan’s pheromones, a warm, sunny fragrance that cut through the artificial scents of the room.
She didn’t look up, her gaze fixed on her phone.
A shadow fell over her as Xu Jinnan leaned in, her arms circling Shen Shu’s waist, pulling her close, the scent of her Alpha pheromones filling Shen Shu’s senses.
“I just finished my makeup,” Shen Shu said, gently pushing Xu Jinnan away and poking her forehead playfully.
Xu Jinnan kissed her hair. “Why aren’t you surprised to see me?”
Shen Shu glanced at her, her voice calm. “I’m not.”
Xu Jinnan raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Shen Shu’s dress, a rose gold slip dress, not the one she had sent her a photo of.
Then, she realized.
“Oh, so that photo was a… test,” she said, a playful smile on her lips.
“Isn’t Mr. Xu supposed to be intelligent?” Shen Shu retorted.
Xu Jinnan chuckled. “Clearly not as intelligent as Teacher Shen,” she said, then, before Shen Shu could reply, leaned in close, her lips brushing against Shen Shu’s ear, a soft, warm caress.
Shen Shu’s breath hitched, her chest rising and falling slightly as she leaned back against the chair, then, after a moment, she gently pushed Xu Jinnan away.
Xu Jinnan, rejected twice, felt a pang of disappointment, a strange mix of frustration and… something else she couldn’t quite define.
She stood up, her earlier playfulness fading.
Shen Shu, seemingly oblivious to her change in mood, didn’t say anything.
Xu Jinnan felt like Shen Shu wasn’t as… enthusiastic as before. Even if it was just an act, she hadn’t seemed particularly pleased to see her.
She thought about their earlier messages; Shen Shu’s replies had been brief and impersonal.
“Are you upset?” she asked. “About the trending topic?”
“No,” Shen Shu replied calmly, picking up a bottle of perfume and dabbing a small amount on her wrist, then gently rubbing it behind her ears, on her collarbone, and finally, in the hollow of her throat, the scent of roses and wood filling the air, a mature, almost seductive fragrance.
Xu Jinnan watched her, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You don’t usually wear perfume.”
“Today is different,” Shen Shu replied.
“Because you’re hugging your fans?” Xu Jinnan asked, her voice tight.
Shen Shu, her head bowed as she adjusted her dress, her lips curving into a faint smile, said, “Yes.”
Xu Jinnan’s face darkened.
After a moment, she said, her voice low and slightly hurt, “You seem more concerned about your fans than me.”
Shen Shu, as if she hadn’t noticed the subtle resentment in her voice, said, “They’ve done so much for me. They’re so supportive. Haven’t you heard of fan service? I should be nice to them.” Xu Jinnan didn’t even register the “them”; she only heard that Shen Shu was offering her fans a special treat – hugs, scented with perfume.
She felt a strange tightness in her chest, a sudden surge of possessiveness. “So, you don’t care about me anymore? Am I not good enough?” she asked, stepping closer, her earlier annoyance replaced by a mixture of hurt and frustration, her hands gripping the arms of Shen Shu’s chair as she leaned over her.
“Hmm?”
Shen Shu’s eyes narrowed slightly, feeling the pressure of Xu Jinnan’s gaze, the subtle dominance of her Alpha presence.
Her eyelashes fluttered. “Are you jealous? Jealous of my fans…” she began, but Xu Jinnan’s lips silenced her, the kiss sudden and demanding, her earlier playfulness gone.
Shen Shu had initially intended to push her away, but her hands, as they rested on Xu Jinnan’s shoulders, softened, her body responding to the kiss, her own desire flaring.
This kiss was different from their previous ones, more forceful, more possessive, Xu Jinnan’s teeth gently nipping at her lower lip.
As Shen Shu’s breath hitched, Xu Jinnan pulled away slightly, her forehead still resting against Shen Shu’s. “No hugs,” she said, her voice husky, a rare display of possessiveness.
Then, her tone softening, she whispered, “Promise?” Her gaze lingered on the curve of Shen Shu’s breasts beneath the thin fabric of her dress, her eyes darkening.
Ignoring Shen Shu’s lack of response, she moved her lips from Shen Shu’s, her mouth finding the sensitive skin of her collarbone, her teeth gently grazing it, a subtle punishment.
Shen Shu moaned softly, tilting her head back, her voice a breathless whisper. “I can’t promise that.”
Xu Jinnan’s teeth nipped a little harder, her hand moving from Shen Shu’s waist to her hip, her touch sending shivers down Shen Shu’s spine.
She almost lost control.
“You can,” Xu Jinnan insisted, her voice a low growl.
“I can’t…”
Xu Jinnan, hearing her refusal, felt a pang of disappointment. “Then… just one hug. Is that okay?” she asked, her voice softening.
Shen Shu, her own desire building, her body aching for more, said, “Fine. I’ll hug my number one fan. She’s my oldest fan, and she’s quite sweet.”
Xu Jinnan’s eyes narrowed, the earlier gentleness replaced by a flicker of annoyance. “…Your number one fan?”
“My fans are… mine, aren’t they? What’s the problem?” Shen Shu asked, her voice playful, though she knew she was playing with fire.
Xu Jinnan’s hands gripped the arms of the chair, her eyes fixed on Shen Shu’s face. “Why not your… moderator?” she asked after a moment.
Shen Shu didn’t flinch. “That… ‘sister’? She’s not coming,” she replied casually.
“She is,” Xu Jinnan said, her voice low and steady. “I’m that ‘sister’.”
Shen Shu stared at her, then burst out laughing, her hand resting on Xu Jinnan’s arm.
Xu Jinnan, stunned, paused, then realized what Shen Shu had been doing.
“Xu Jinnan, do you think I’m stupid?”
“…No,” Xu Jinnan replied, her voice slightly unsteady.
Shen Shu’s fingers gently caressed Xu Jinnan’s cheek. “You gave yourself away a long time ago, you know.”
Xu Jinnan hadn’t realized. She had never appeared in person, even the money being handled through Viola.
Had Tong Jia said something?
“It wasn’t Tong Jia. She’s just as oblivious as you are, thinking she’s being so discreet,” Shen Shu said, gently pinching Xu Jinnan’s earlobe, her fingertip leaving a faint pink mark on her pale skin.
“Someone spends a fortune on LED screens to promote me, worried I’ll be overshadowed, even paying for the other lead actors’ promotions as well. Securing endorsements and sponsorships, even personally negotiating deals Tong Jia can’t handle. Funding an entire PR team to counter negative comments, and single-handedly financing all the fan events…” Shen Shu continued, her voice soft and low, “Yet this incredibly generous fan has never appeared in person. There’s no such thing as unconditional kindness, and the only person I know who would do all this for me is…”
Her hand cupped Xu Jinnan’s face, pulling her closer.
She leaned in, her lips finding Xu Jinnan’s.
“Xu Jinnan,” she whispered against her lips, “no one else in this world would do this for me.”
She had initially been suspicious, then, after the LED screen incident, her suspicions had grown, the pieces falling into place, one by one. Her career had been too… easy, too smooth, not just the filming itself, but the entire experience, the lack of obstacles, the unwavering support… she had too much freedom, a freedom she knew Xu Jinnan had provided, allowing her to pursue her dreams without fear, without restraint.
Xu Jinnan, stunned by the kiss, her mind reeling, realized Shen Shu had known all along, while she had thought she was being so clever, so discreet.
She quickly recovered, her own passion flaring, the kiss deepening, their bodies moving closer, their arms entwined.
When they finally pulled away, Xu Jinnan’s breathing was ragged, her voice husky. “So, you were teasing me earlier?”
“You deserved it, for keeping secrets from me,” Shen Shu replied, her voice soft.
“I did,” Xu Jinnan agreed.
“So, you’re not jealous of the hugs anymore?”
Xu Jinnan, still slightly bothered by the thought, was surprised; she hadn’t expected Shen Shu to remember. Xu Jinnan was usually so restrained, so composed, rarely showing such possessiveness.
“Even if I hug them, it’s not what you think,” Shen Shu said.
If it weren’t for that photo, and Shen Shu’s deliberate use of perfume, Xu Jinnan wouldn’t have reacted so strongly. A simple, platonic hug wasn’t something to be jealous of.
But with those two factors, it had become a symbol of something more, a potential threat.
Shen Shu leaned in and kissed her again, her voice a soft murmur against Xu Jinnan’s lips. “And besides, I’m hugging you now. And the perfume… it was for you… Do you like it?”
Xu Jinnan felt a warmth spreading through her, a pleasant, comforting sensation.
She chuckled softly, nuzzling against Shen Shu’s neck, inhaling her scent. “It’s nice,” she murmured, then added, “But you smell even better.”
Shen Shu’s back stiffened, a shiver running down her spine. As she had suspected, Xu Jinnan’s voice, whispering those words in her ear, was incredibly seductive.
—
Xu Jinnan had a meeting and left the fan meeting early. Viola noticed her unusually good mood.
Shen Shu’s fan meeting was being live-streamed on Weibo, and Xu Jinnan watched it in the car for a while, her gaze fixed on Shen Shu, who had changed into the dress she had sent her, a beige, off-the-shoulder gown.
She smiled faintly, then, snapping out of her reverie, realized she hadn’t been thinking clearly.
If she had, she would have seen through Shen Shu’s deliberate attempt to provoke her.
But Shen Shu had a way of disrupting her thoughts, her emotions, her very being.
She didn’t dislike the feeling, the way Shen Shu made her heart race, her palms sweat, her thoughts a jumble.
It was a strange sense of belonging, a connection to this world, to herself.
Then, a familiar face flashed across the screen, and her blood ran cold as she recognized the woman.
“Viola! Turn around!” she exclaimed, her hand slamming against the back of the passenger seat. “Go back! Now!”
Viola, seeing her panicked expression, a look she had never seen before, her heart sinking, knowing something serious must have happened, immediately turned the car around.
Xu Jinnan took a deep breath, her hand trembling as she searched for Li Lan’s number, the few seconds stretching into an eternity.
“Bai Xiao is at Shen Shu’s fan meeting!” she exclaimed as soon as Li Lan answered, then hung up and called Tong Jia, her mind racing, the memories of Bai Xiao’s attack on Shen Shu, of Xu Li’s cruelty, flashing through her mind.
The thought of Shen Shu being hurt again made her hands shake. As long as Tong Jia got there in time, as long as she had someone protect Shen Shu, she would be safe.
But before she could even dial Tong Jia’s number, the orphanage director called.
She almost ignored it, then accidentally answered.
“Miss Xu,” the director’s voice, heavy with concern, said, “Little Crescent Moon is missing.”
