After We Broke Up, She Started Pursuing Me [Entertainment Industry] 5

Chapter 5

Zhou Jinsi: ?

Did she really just leave the hotel, only to have to see her at school next?

Zhou Jinsi had thought that upon her return, given how vastly different her and Shi Qin’s statuses and life paths were, they would surely have no more contact.

But perhaps fate was playing a trick on them. Sometimes, destiny was just that coincidental.

Still, if we don’t deliberately seek each other out, we probably won’t run into each other again… right?

Zhou Jinsi’s mind suddenly replayed Shi Qin’s unusually forward behavior from last night. Although it made her extremely uncomfortable and confused because she didn’t know her true intentions…

…she was still indecisive, still unable to refuse Shi Qin’s advances.

This contradiction existed within Zhou Jinsi’s psyche. It was the reason she couldn’t take the final, most ruthless step. The fact that she had loved Shi Qin for three years was an undeniable truth.

Jing’an was located in the south, so even in winter, snow was a rare sight. But the damp cold unique to the south was still biting. When the wind blew, it made people instinctively huddle deeper into their padded jackets.

Zhou Jinsi stood by the windowsill, hands stuffed in her pockets, lost in thought for a moment before the cold wind snapped her back to her senses.

She picked up her phone and, after some thought, dialed Lin Qi’s number.

The phone rang for a moment before it connected. Lin Qi sounded surprised. “Why the sudden call?”

She was still on her lunch break, eating, when she happened to see a post about Shi Qin. She had subconsciously sent it to Zhou Jinsi. When the other party replied with just a question mark, Lin Qi was still wondering what she meant. A moment later, Zhou Jinsi called her directly.

“It’s easier to talk this way,” Zhou Jinsi replied simply.

When it came to people she was familiar with, she found direct conversation quicker and more effective than typing on a phone.

Lin Qi teased her, “What do you want to talk about? About Shi Qin?”

“No.”

Hearing her curt reply, Lin Qi couldn’t help but laugh, mercilessly calling her out. “Then what did you call me to talk about? You called right after I sent you the news about Shi Qin’s movie.”

Zhou Jinsi fell silent.

“So, the school you’re working at is also Jingcheng High School?”

“Mhm,” Zhou Jinsi confirmed.

“How did you find out?”

Lin Qi: “I saw it on a gossip account. They said filming will probably start next month.”

Zhou Jinsi lowered her gaze, thinking. It was January now. In another month, the third-year high school students would be starting their term. Their schedules might overlap…

Lin Qi kindly reminded her, “You two might run into each other then.”

Zhou Jinsi blinked, her eyes on the tree downstairs.

A gust of wind blew, scattering a few leaves. They fluttered and swayed, and Zhou Jinsi felt her heart was just like one of those leaves—the moment Shi Qin got close, it began to drift and waver.

She didn’t tell Lin Qi that she had already seen Shi Qin yesterday, or that some overly intimate things had happened between them…

She just said casually, “Maybe.”

People are naturally gossipy, and someone like Lin Qi, who loved to keep up with entertainment news, was no exception. Even over the phone, she couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Speaking of which, if you saw her again now, how would you feel?”

After all, Shi Qin had once held such a significant place in Zhou Jinsi’s heart. Besides Lin Qi, not even Shi Qin knew about those three years in high school.

Zhou Jinsi didn’t answer. How would she feel? She probably already had the answer from the moment she saw her again last night.

Even when she wasn’t fully conscious, her heart would still race for her. Only for her, always for her, always for just that one person. But how could she explain what happened back then?

What was Shi Qin really thinking? Had she ever truly held a place in her heart?

Or was she, Zhou Jinsi, just a tool for her to vent her emotions…

Zhou Jinsi lowered her head, her hand on the windowsill unconsciously tightening its grip. Her eyes instantly dimmed…

.

The dinner had just ended, and Shi Qin had Mo Li drive her home.

She had rented an apartment in the center of Jing’an last year, but it was a bit far from the current filming location, so Mo Li had booked a hotel for her nearby for convenience.

But after tonight’s dinner, Shi Qin felt particularly drained. After thinking it over, she decided that only sleeping in her own bed would be truly comfortable.

The last gathering had been a cast and crew dinner. This one was more private, but since the director had invited her, what right did she have to refuse?

But that wasn’t what was bothering her. It was her manager, Chen Ming, telling her to cooperate in posting “couple-shipping” content.

Shi Qin’s rise to A-list starlet status in just two years wasn’t solely built on marketing her beauty. No matter how special she was, public taste changed daily, and trends in the industry shifted rapidly.

So, Chen Ming had arranged for her to be “shipped” as a couple with Yin Chenxuan, a popular young actor from the same company at the time.

They were of similar age and had worked together on a film before. Although they weren’t the main leads, their characters’ “ship” had gained some traction and generated buzz online. Chen Ming had seized on this potential.

Shi Qin wanted to be famous. If you weren’t famous, you didn’t get acting roles, and you didn’t get resources to develop your career.

Moreover, she didn’t have a powerful sponsor. Compared to some of the “unspoken rules,” simply faking a relationship for publicity—a collaboration for mutual benefit—seemed like a viable option to Shi Qin.

Unfortunately, Yin Chenxuan was not as elegant and gentlemanly in private as he appeared in public. He was arrogant and rude, and would occasionally say “strange” things to Shi Qin, which she had grown used to.

But what annoyed her even more was that while this fake couple did boost her fame, it also brought a slew of negative press.

She was accused of latching onto Yin Chenxuan, or that her status didn’t match his. She was so tired of seeing posts from his die-hard “girlfriend fans” cursing her out every day.

Later, as her career path smoothed out, their “couple” act became less frequent. But now, the male lead of her new movie was Yin Chenxuan again. Chen Ming wanted Shi Qin to leverage their connection one more time to generate buzz and pre-promote the film, which would also make joint promotions easier later on.

“Chen-jie, do I have to post it?”

Lying on her bed at home, Shi Qin frowned as she looked at the pre-written post Chen Ming had sent her.

Her mind was a mess. Unable to hold it in, she called her.

Chen Ming was a woman in her forties, decisive and ruthless in her work. She didn’t believe in sentiment, only in results, regardless of the means.

She had managed several A-list artists, all of whom shared a common trait in their early careers: they were plagued by negative publicity. But in Chen Ming’s eyes, being “infamous” was still being famous. As long as an artist could become famous, some sacrifice was necessary.

Thus, Shi Qin heard the voice on the other end say without room for discussion, “Of course. Yin Chenxuan has already posted. You should hurry up. I’ve already had people prepare the press releases.”

Shi Qin reluctantly tried to argue. “Chen-jie, didn’t you say a while ago that I could move on from this ship? I think if we continue to force it, the negative impact might be even greater later on. It would be better to try and uncouple now.”

Chen Ming’s voice turned angry over the phone. “Shi Qin, can you just be a little more obedient? If you had just listened to me, you wouldn’t be in this position now. Also, you need to understand that the traffic from this couple act isn’t just for you personally. The movie promotions will be a whole new wave. It’s a win-win situation. Why are you refusing?”

“I really don’t understand what you’re thinking.”

After being lectured like that, Shi Qin’s already agitated mind became even more chaotic. She wanted to say more, but Chen Ming cut her off with a single sentence.

“If you want to discuss this further, I think it’s a waste of time. You figure it out.”

Another command that allowed no refusal. Shi Qin felt a lump of anger stuck in her chest, unable to be released. She could only swallow it down and reply meekly, “I understand.”

In her current position, she had no power to defy her manager. Chen Ming was managing several artists, including some promising new talents. Although Shi Qin often disagreed with her methods, she wasn’t stupid.

A newborn calf isn’t afraid of a tiger, but that’s because the calf at least has the courage and capital to fight back. She had neither. To survive in this industry, let alone thrive, a certain amount of feigned obedience was essential.

At least for now, while she was still at this company, antagonizing Chen Ming would bring her no benefits whatsoever.

Shi Qin took a can of soda from the fridge, popped it open, and took a large gulp.

Drinking an ice-cold beverage in the middle of winter was bad for her health, but it was also incredibly satisfying. It helped calm her racing thoughts.

She opened Weibo on her phone and went to Yin Chenxuan’s page. His latest post read: A special day, with a special person.

The accompanying picture was a selfie of his profile. He did indeed look gentle and refined, but when Shi Qin thought of his private persona… she could only feel a pang of pity for some of his loyal “girlfriend fans.”

Expressionlessly, Shi Qin copied the text Chen Ming had edited for her. She then took a photo of herself from a similar angle to Yin Chenxuan’s selfie and posted it to Weibo.

A special day. She even added a heart emoji after the text.

After posting, Shi Qin tossed her phone onto the bed and went to get ready for a shower.

Who doesn’t know how to play the couple game? Shi Qin had come to terms with it. While Yin Chenxuan still has some value, I might as well use it as much as I can. At least for now, it’s not entirely without its benefits.

But what Shi Qin hadn’t expected was how thoroughly Chen Ming had prepared this wave of publicity. In the few dozen minutes it took her to shower, she and Yin Chenxuan had already climbed to the top of the trending charts.

Not only were there their similar Weibo posts and pictures, but there were even photos from the dinner tonight.

No wonder she had specifically arranged for me and Yin Chenxuan to share a car today. They had been snapped by paparazzi the moment they got out of the car. Of course, it was obvious that these paparazzi had been hired in advance by Chen Ming.

They had left separately, so there were no pictures of their departure, only photos of them arriving at the dinner together. This was, in a sense, taking things out of context. Paired with their vague and intimate posts from tonight, and a push from the gossip accounts, a storm of astonishment, confusion, cheers from their couple fans, and battles between their individual fans erupted instantly.

They shot straight into the top three trending topics.

[Yin Chenxuan and Shi Qin: Staged Publicity or Relationship Reveal?]