After the fans' initial excitement subsided, some viewers who had rushed to watch the live stream after hearing the news raised a question: "Why are the male lead, second female lead, and third female lead all here, but not the female lead? Where's Xia Shuangshuang?"
[What are you thinking, you upstairs? Xia Shuangshuang is Xu Zifan's ex, why would she be here?]
[Xu Zifan wouldn't have invited her. Aside from the director and screenwriter, all three actors present were handpicked by Xu Zifan; it has nothing to do with anyone else.]
[This is Manman's live stream. Xia Shuangshuang's fans, please don't come here looking for attention.]
[You're the ones trying to get attention, aren't you? Asking your masters for resources, your groveling faces are truly disgusting! Investors taking actors to dinner with directors and screenwriters, what else could it be for? It's definitely to get more screen time! The unspoken rules of the entertainment industry, haha.]
[Exactly, some people are actually saying Yao Kexin and Xu Zifan are a good match. At most, she's just another girlfriend about to be dumped. Isn't this kind of hype about unspoken rules?]
[Xu Zifan also promoted Xia Shuangshuang, so that counts as an unspoken rule? You guys really know how to tarnish your master's image. If I remember correctly, Xia Shuangshuang is still living in the apartment Xu Zifan provided, right? Tsk, what a shameless face.]
Fans from different camps started arguing, and Shi Xueman's fans quickly flooded the chat with gifts and colorful comments to shut them down, demonstrating strong control over the situation. Seeing this, Shi Xueman ended the live stream, and she and Meng Yuncheng raised a glass to Xu Zifan. They hadn't expected that just having a meal and doing a live stream would land them an endorsement deal. Moreover, Xu Zifan had promised to provide Shi Xueman with resources in the future, which was a truly unexpected surprise. Shi Xueman was just one step away from securing her place as a top-tier star.
The director was even happier to see Xu Zifan's generosity. If he could build a good relationship with Xu Zifan, perhaps he could get Xu Zifan to invest in his next film. The seafood feast was enjoyed by everyone, but Yao Kexin kept a low profile, focusing on eating. She remembered the director's attitude when he asked her to have Xu Zifan visit the set, especially since Xu Zifan actually came after she did… it felt a little strange. Although she could sense that Xu Zifan had no feelings for her, it was still bad for the director and the others to misunderstand. She didn't want this kind of preferential treatment, but it wouldn't be appropriate for her to step in and explain, so she decided to remain invisible.
Xu Zifan understood Yao Kexin's meaning, so he didn't interact with her at the dinner table. But when the meal was over, Xu Zifan said, "I need to talk to Kexin about something, I'll take her home."
The group didn't know if they had any connection, but based on their interactions, they could tell Xu Zifan wasn't the type to act recklessly; he hadn't done anything wrong. So they trusted him and left without hesitation. Liang Fei drove, and Yao Kexin sat in the back seat with Xu Zifan. She was a little nervous, and after a few minutes of driving, she couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Xu, what do you need me for?"
Xu Zifan turned his head to look at her and teased, "You seem afraid of me? I've been giving you all sorts of perks, you can't be that scary, right?"
Yao Kexin said earnestly, "Young Master Xu, I am really grateful to you for promoting me and giving me such good resources. The director and the others have also taken good care of me on set. But... I... I'm not afraid of you. I just feel that the director and the others seem to have misunderstood. I think I should avoid suspicion so as not to cause you any trouble."
Yao Kexin felt she had been a bit too direct, but she wasn't very good at expressing her thoughts tactfully, and couldn't help but blush. Not out of shyness, but out of nervousness. She took a deep breath and continued, "Young Master Xu, I've always been very grateful to you and remember your kindness, but I don't know how to repay you. If you ever need my help in the future, I will definitely do my best."
Xu Zifan waved his hand and laughed, "Don't be so serious, just treat it as casual conversation." He thought for a moment, looked Yao Kexin up and down, and stroked his chin as he said, "No wonder they misunderstood that I like you. You're so beautiful, hardworking, and talented. Not to mention me, there must be quite a few people in the crew who like you. I think it's not bad. How has your treatment on set compared to Xia Shuangshuang's lately?"
Yao Kexin blushed even more. "I... I'm not that good either." She didn't understand why Xu Zifan suddenly mentioned Xia Shuangshuang. After thinking carefully, she said, "The director and Sister Xueman have taken good care of me. I think my treatment is about the same as Sister Xueman and Xia Shuangshuang. I'm sorry, Mr. Xu, I don't know how to explain this to the director. Anything I say will seem like I'm trying to cover it up and make them misunderstand."
Xu Zifan placed his right hand on his lap, tapping his fingers lightly. After a moment, he said, "I have a suggestion. Listen and see if it suits you. The outside world is very curious about my love life, and I do need an outstanding girlfriend to help me do some things that will embarrass me. Your career is on the rise, but your resources aren't great, and you don't have many opportunities. I'd like you to pretend to be my girlfriend so I can legitimately promote you, and you can use my fame and resources to become a big star. It's just pretending; maybe I'll even ask you to move into my guest room. But don't worry, I won't do anything to you."
Yao Kexin's expression changed, a mix of surprise and astonishment in her eyes. "I can't pretend... I can't do it. I don't know how to slap someone's face, and I don't know how to argue with people..."
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "You don't need to do anything. As long as you are good enough and become more and more popular in the entertainment industry, that will be enough to prove me wrong. In the future, if you encounter a situation on set where Xia Shuangshuang bullies you like she did today, you can just turn your back and refuse to cooperate. You're in the right, and you have powerful backing, so no one can say a bad word about you. How about that? It's all beneficial to you."
It sounded like nothing was wrong, but Yao Kexin had never heard of such a thing before. A girlfriend could be an imposter? She remembered that Xu Zifan had mentioned Xia Shuangshuang a few times, and that Xia Shuangshuang had personally discussed the script with them because she wanted to add scenes. She couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Xu, is it because Xia Shuangshuang splashed water on you as revenge?"
Although she also felt that Xia Shuangshuang went a bit too far, but retaliating like this for splashing a cup of water also seems a bit excessive.
Xu Zifan shook his head, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Of course not, it's because of other things. I have a lot of conflicts with her, you'll find out later, now is not the time to talk about it." He looked at Yao Kexin and smiled, "How about this, you go back and think it over carefully, and call me in three days. Give me your phone."
"Huh? Oh." Yao Kexin was a little confused, mainly because her mind was a bit foggy. She quickly took out her phone from her bag and handed it to him.
Xu Zifan dialed his phone number, saved his name, and then added her as a friend on WeChat. He smiled and handed the phone back to her, saying, "Okay, this makes it easier for you to contact me. I can contact other people too, but since some people have already misunderstood that I like you, I think it's more appropriate to go with the flow. Besides, you're good enough, and I believe you can be a great help to me. Think it over carefully."
Yao Kexin lived in the company dormitory, and Liang Fei parked the car some distance away from the dormitory. Yao Kexin opened the car door and turned around, saying, "Young Master Xu, I'll head back now. Thank you for your hospitality today."
Xu Zifan said jokingly, "If you really want to thank me, then help me out. Didn't you just say you didn't have a chance to repay me? Now you have a great opportunity."
Yao Kexin's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected Xu Zifan to be so shameless, telling her to consider it while simultaneously cutting off her escape route. Xu Zifan waved his hand and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "I was just kidding. You're taking it too seriously. Go on up, I'll watch you go in before I leave."
Yao Kexin nodded shyly and got out of the car. She wasn't quite good at getting along with people yet. She had just graduated and entered the entertainment industry, and it hadn't been long. She didn't know how to deal with A-list actresses like Shi Xueman and rich young masters like Xu Zifan. After getting out of the car, she waved to Xu Zifan and turned to walk quickly into the residential area where her dormitory was located.
Ten minutes later, Xu Zifan sent her a WeChat message: Have you entered the dormitory yet?
Yao Kexin immediately replied: I got in.
Xu Zifan asked Liang Fei to drive, and typed in the input box: OK! I'm leaving now, goodnight.
Goodnight. Yao Kexin replied, holding her phone as she quickly walked to the window. Looking towards the parking lot, she saw the taillights of a car drive away. She looked down at the chat interface, remembering how viewers in the live stream had suddenly realized how charming Xu Shao was. She thought she had suddenly realized how charming Xu Zifan was too.
He seems like such a carefree and unreliable person, yet every little thing he does is so heartwarming. Last time, seeing her eating too many different kinds of food, he kindly reminded her what she should eat. This time, he walked her home and waited until she entered the door before leaving. He's clearly a very considerate person. But what exactly is he pretending to be her girlfriend for?
Yao Kexin stared blankly out the window, unsure whether to agree to his request. For the next three days, she thought a lot, considering the chaos of the entertainment industry, the playboy nature of rich young men, and the dangers of trusting too easily. Ultimately, she leaned towards agreeing to Xu Zifan's offer to repay his kindness. Perhaps it was her naiveté and willingness to trust, or perhaps it was an intuition gleaned from their time together—a gut feeling that Xu Zifan wouldn't harm her. In any case, after much complex deliberation, she called Xu Zifan.
"Young Master Xu, I've thought it through. I'm willing to pretend to be your girlfriend."
Xu Zifan chuckled and said, "Okay! Thank you. After you finish filming, come over to my place so we can discuss how to go public and how to get along in the future."
"Okay." Yao Kexin gripped her phone tightly. At that moment, she felt that many things were different. She genuinely wanted to help Xu Zifan, and at the same time, she had found a powerful backer for herself, making the road ahead much easier.
The first to notice this change were the crew members, because Xu Zifan started visiting the set every few days, each time bringing a huge amount of stuff. It was either afternoon tea or boxed lunches—large portions and delicious—making everyone happy and giving them even more energy to work. Then they noticed something: Xu Zifan seemed to be eating with Yao Kexin, Shi Xueman, and Meng Yuncheng several times, but actually, it was mainly Yao Kexin. Once, they even saw Xu Zifan give his chicken leg to Yao Kexin!
There's definitely something going on here! The director felt he had a keen eye and had seen through Xu Zifan's intentions long ago. However, Xu Zifan's visit to the set not only didn't bother them, but also brought them a lot of benefits. Yao Kexin was also working hard and diligently. He didn't dislike anything about her and even wished Xu Zifan would come more often.
Xia Shuangshuang was unhappy. Comparisons are hurtful. Both of them have men supporting them, so how come Xu Hao can't even compare to Xu Zifan?!