Chapter 38

Wen Jiu rushed to the set immediately because she recognized the background in the trending photos, it was part of the set.
She’d stayed on set for three months and was familiar not only with the scenery, but also with all kinds of equipment.
From Haicheng to the film base, taking the high-speed train or driving herself were both the fastest options. But taking the train meant rushing to the station, so Wen Jiu chose to have the driver take her instead.
The driver had been left behind by the young lady before she returned to Beicheng, and all the cars in the garage were free for Wen Jiu to use.
By the time Wen Jiu arrived at the film base, night had fallen once again.
Winter nights always came together with sunset, there wasn’t even a trace of twilight left on the horizon.
A few people were gathered outside the set, all of them young girls. Wen Jiu couldn’t get in, so she could only send a message on her phone and wait for someone to come pick her up.
She looked around, craning her neck. This was her first time seeing the set from this angle, blocked off completely, airtight.
Wen Jiu thought that if they weren’t true fans, no one would come out specially in the freezing winter. Especially since it was dinnertime, even proxy photographers would’ve gone to eat by now. Only true fans would keep waiting like this.
Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Are you a Yupan too? The schedule says older brother doesn’t have any scenes today, but we came especially anyway, just in case the crew doesn’t follow the routine.”
Wen Jiu knew that Xie Junyu’s fans were called Yupan. For the past three months, they’d been in the same crew.
“I’m not”
“Oh, oh, you’re wearing our Yupan support color. I thought you were one of us.”
Wen Jiu looked at the girl, then at herself, then turned her head to look at the girls clustered around the fence beside her, every single one of them was wearing the same sky-blue color.
It was too cold. Their coats, down jackets, scarves, and hats were all in the same color family.
The trip from Haicheng to the film base had been rushed. The clothes Wen Jiu was wearing were ones she’d grabbed casually, all bought for her by the young lady while shopping two days ago.
With the same color palette, her, a non-fan, blending in among them didn’t look strange at all.
“It really is a coincidence, wearing the same color,” Wen Jiu said, finding the girl rather familiar-looking, and added an explanation.
People nearby gathered around. “Natural coincidences are fate. Do you want to join our Yupan? Oh right, do you drink ginger tea? One of the sisters brought some. It’s really cold; drinking a bit will warm you up.”
“I’ll pour it for her. We’ve got enough disposable cups.”
The girl who’d tapped Wen Jiu’s shoulder earlier bounced off to pour tea.
Wen Jiu was stuffed a cup of ginger tea and froze for a second before instinctively thanking her. “Thank you.”
Xie Junyu’s fans were really enthusiastic.
Influenced by marketing accounts and online discourse, she’d assumed that fans who chased stars offline would be more unhinged, immature and hard to communicate with. But in reality, these girls were all very cute, helping one another and extremely friendly.
“So who are you here to see?” one of them asked. “According to the schedule we bought, today they’re filming Yue Ling’s scenes.”
“I saw the gossip this morning too. If she and Film Emperor Ji are real, then I trust his taste, Yue Ling probably isn’t a bad person.”
The girls hadn’t entered society yet, and their judgment of people was simple: good or bad.
The two girls, along with the noisy Yupan behind them, spoke cautiously, a little afraid. Meeting offline, even if they didn’t like Yue Ling, they wouldn’t directly badmouth her.
The person in front of them looked like Yue Ling’s fan, what if they said something and got hit later?
“You’re all really cute,” Wen Jiu said with a smile. “I really am here to see Yue Ling. I knew her earlier than all the rumors, she’s an incredibly good girl. We’re undergraduate alumni.”
“She was the student council president at Beicheng University and later went to graduate school at XX University, graduating smoothly. She’s not only talented but versatile too, she’s amazing at painting.”
“Wow.”
The Yupan, most of whom were around twenty years old, exclaimed in unison. “Miss, I’ve been totally sold by you. From now on, I’m Yue Ling’s passerby fan.”
“So touching. You knew her earlier than the rumors,” said the first girl who’d tapped Wen Jiu’s shoulder. Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, moved to the point of crying. “We also liked older brother earlier than the rumors, we’ve followed him all the way until now.”
Wen Jiu: “……”
She just wanted to help her white-moonlight young lady attract some fans, she hadn’t meant to make anyone cry.
Awkwardly pulling out her phone, Wen Jiu tapped into Xie Junyu’s WeChat chat.
Wen Jiu: Brother Xie, are you still in the crew? Could you come over to the set entrance, by the fence opposite the ‘Lin Residence’ plaque?
After three months together, Wen Jiu had chatted here and there with everyone.
Aside from Wen Ling, whom she didn’t interact with much, she was fairly familiar with everyone else.
Xie Junyu had a sharp, handsome face, but in reality he was a simple-minded, sweet, chatterbox-type fool.
He replied immediately.
Xie Junyu: Jiu-Older sister, I’m off today.
Xie Junyu: Hehe, but guess what? The director added a scene for me last night, shooting today. I’m still on set.
Xie Junyu: Sis, I’m coming, where are you? You can’t get in, right?
Xie Junyu: Sis, are you here to visit me or Sister Yue Ling? Didn’t expect it, huh, we’re collaborating again, male and female leads this time.
Wen Jiu usually didn’t like chatting with Xie Junyu, he really talked too much.
Filming was clearly busy, yet he always had boundless energy.
Another reason was that Shen Xingzhou would always stare at Xie Junyu from the side, making his back feel icy. He’d get startled and end up talking even more.
“Older sister Wei.”
Appearing at the same time as Xie Junyu was the small assistant the white-moonlight young lady had sent to pick her up.
“Sis.”
That was Xie Junyu, running over in costume.
The Yupan who’d been surrounding Wen Jiu immediately screamed.
“Ahhh, Xie Junyu! Mom loves you!”
Wen Jiu couldn’t believe that these young-looking girls were actually mom fans.
“Older brother is walking toward me! Ahhh!!”
“Sis.”
Xie Junyu and the assistant stopped in front of her at the same time.
The Yupan all turned to look at Wen Jiu: !!!
“Miss, you know older brother?!”
“Wow, are you Xie Junyu’s sister?!”
Under the gaze of the crowd, Wen Jiu felt no enjoyment whatsoever, only the urge to rip off her hat and slam it over her own face.
Unfortunately, the hat was tangled with her scarf and wouldn’t come off no matter how hard she tugged.
If she couldn’t avoid it, she’d face it.
Wen Jiu cleared her throat, kept a straight face, and said seriously, “Ahem. I’m Xie Junyu’s biological sister. I’m schoolmates with Yue Ling, and I came to see her this time.”
“My brother’s just like that. I suggest you all go follow Yue Ling, my schoolmate is a very good person. She won’t disappoint you.”
The Yupan whispered among themselves:
“Older sisters always dislike their younger brothers, I think she really is his real sister.”
“Supporting one is supporting, supporting two is also supporting. They’re in the same crew anyway, and it’s their second collaboration, let’s stan both.”
“Sure. We’ll go back and learn more about Yue Ling.”
Wen Jiu grabbed Xie Junyu, her wide sleeve hiding the fact that she was secretly pinching him.
Xie Junyu cooperated smoothly. “Sister Yue Ling is an excellent actress. If you like her, you can go follow her.”
The Yupan replied in unison, “If older brother tells us to, then we definitely will!”
Wen Jiu went inside, and the security closed the fence again.
Xie Junyu signed autographs for them through the fence, with no assistant by his side.
He’d only come out to pick up Wen Jiu, he hadn’t planned on bringing anyone along.
Wen Jiu had called him out precisely to satisfy these adorable girls. While waiting nearby, she also called the manager of a milk tea shop.
During her three months at the film base, she and Shen Xingzhou had eaten and drunk plenty. Sometimes, when ordering milk tea for the crew under the white-moonlight young lady’s name, she’d left WeChat contacts and phone numbers with all sorts of shop managers.
She asked the assistant sent to pick her up, “About how many people are in the crew today?”
The assistant was professional and gave her a number. On that basis, Wen Jiu added ten more and called the shop manager to arrange hot drinks and cakes.
“Chang’an Street crew, right? … Okay, I know the location. It’ll be delivered in about fifty minutes.”
“Fifty minutes is too long. Leave ten portions of milk tea and cake on your side, I’ll send ten girls to eat at your shop. Deliver the rest to the crew.”
“I’ll tell them it’s Older sister Jiu who sent them.’ Remember to give it to them.”
“No problem. I’ll stay at the shop and wait for them. I’ll have the staff deliver the rest to you later.”
“You’ve ordered from us so many times, I’ll give you the usual discount. Total is twelve thousand.”
Wen Jiu transferred twelve thousand to the shop manager.
Every time she paid, she had the impulse to open a shop in the film base herself.
“Yupan,” Wen Jiu called out, “I heard you’re planning to support Sister Yue. She’s very happy and asked me to treat you to some small cakes and hot drinks. Walk straight ahead, then turn left… there’s a milk tea shop with a pink sign. Go in and say Older sister Jiu sent us,’ and you can collect them.”
The ten girls who’d gotten Xie Junyu’s autograph and free milk tea and cake spun around in place with joy.
“Thank you!” they cheered.
They weren’t in a hurry to leave, though. Even after getting the autographs, they lingered outside the fence, looking at Xie Junyu. No grabbing or touching, just shouting at the top of their lungs.
“Older brother, take good care of yourself! It’s so cold, don’t catch a cold!”
“Goodbye, older brother! You have to, ”
It was truly freezing. The environment on set was nothing like the Haicheng villa Wen Jiu had been in that morning, it felt like a completely different season.
She wasn’t wearing gloves, and her hands were icy cold.
The film base was in the south, but it still snowed occasionally. The outdoor wind wasn’t the dry cold of the north, it was damp, penetrating cold, drilling straight into your bones. Cold and wet, unbearably uncomfortable.
Only after stepping into the studio and taking the hand warmer the assistant gave her did she finally feel a bit better.
Yue Ling was still filming. Xie Junyu had finished his scenes but hadn’t left yet. He was energetic, and nosy.
“Older sister Jiu, we’re pretty familiar by now. You said you were my real sister and I totally played along…”
“Get to the point,” Wen Jiu shot him a look. “Since we’re familiar, don’t bother with useless buildup.”
“I’m just curious, are Film Emperor Ji and Sister Yue Ling really together?”
Wen Jiu smiled brightly at him, rolled her eyes all the way back, and let out a long breath without making a sound, leaving Xie Junyu’s gossip-hungry heart dangling in midair.
“I don’t know either.”
Xie Junyu was hopping around on the spot, bouncing up and down like the little jade-plate girls waiting outside earlier.
The main character and her fans were remarkably alike.
“Sis, you can’t tease people like this.”
“Relax. If there really is something going on, I’ll definitely tell you quietly.”
“But right now, Sister Yue Ling is still on the rise…”
Xie Junyu cut in immediately. “Sis, I get it, don’t worry. Even if they really get together, I’ll only listen to you quietly and absolutely won’t say a word.”
“When it’s time to promote the drama, I’ll help Sister Yue Ling as much as I can.”
Wen Jiu felt reassured, but taking advantage of this currently popular young actor, especially seeing how innocent he looked, still made her feel a little guilty.
“Brother Xie, you’re really nice. You speak so sweetly. I’ll give you a big red packet.”
Xie Junyu: Transfer 100,000 yuan.
Yesterday, Ji Yujing had given her one million. Half went to Lin Yu, and she still had five hundred thousand left unused. Wen Jiu didn’t feel particularly heartbroken, this was her first time experiencing the joy of a rich young lady making a transfer.
When Xie Junyu butted heads with Ji Yujing, he liked to call himself the “Young Master of Nancheng,” but in reality, just like Wen Jiu, he came from an ordinary family.
Seeing 100,000 yuan, even after becoming a celebrity, his reaction was exactly the same as Wen Jiu’s when she first saw her paycheck.
After all, the nature of it was different. Money you earn yourself and money given by a friend are two completely different things.
“Sis, from today onward, you’re my real big sister.” Xie Junyu, dressed in his handsome and authoritative historical costume, clasped his fists and dropped to one knee in front of Wen Jiu.
“From now on, just call me ‘Little Xie.’ No need to call me that ‘Brother Xie’ stuff.”
Wen Jiu: ?
That was a bit much.
It was just ten thousand yuan.
She nodded to confirm, then suddenly her eyes widened uncontrollably.
Huh?!
She transferred one hundred thousand to Xie Junyu?!!
One hundred thousand!
“Wen Jiu, I’m done here. Let’s head back together.” Just then, Yue Ling finished filming and called out to her.
Xie Junyu was still immersed in the joy of receiving a 100,000-yuan red packet from a friend without going through the company. Like a loyal lackey, he patted Wen Jiu’s hat and the scarf hanging down her back. “Sis, take care.”
Wen Jiu honestly wanted to kneel on one knee in return and ask him to give back the remaining ninety thousand.
But the White Moonlight Young Lady was more important. She left this sorrowful place with tears in her eyes.
She’d just consider it building good karma for the young lady. In the future, Xie Junyu would surely take good care of her.
When she turned around and saw the young lady, Wen Jiu’s mood inexplicably lifted again.
“Sister Yue!” Wen Jiu jumped up and waved, her voice instantly bright and cheerful, completely different from how she’d treated Xie Junyu earlier.
“Come on.”
Back at the hotel together, Yue Ling needed to take off her wig first.
“Wen Jiu, why did you make a special trip over? This really doesn’t affect me much. Don’t worry.” Yue Ling was genuinely a little surprised. From the reflection in the makeup mirror, she saw Wen Jiu. Wearing the falling-horse bun, Yue Ling turned around; the hairpin slanted among her coiffure reflected a soft glow under the lights.
Her voice was as gentle as ever, yet filled with strength.
“I was worried about you, Sister Yue.
“And I haven’t had much going on lately, so I came to check on you.”
“It’s already been investigated.”
Yue Ling’s team wasn’t just for show. The trending topic from the morning had been thoroughly looked into by noon.
Her previous drama hadn’t aired yet, so in terms of status she was technically still an eighteen-tier actress. But the previous crew all knew she wasn’t simple, and no one had dared to kick her while she was down.
This time, the new crew didn’t know her well. Aside from a few well-informed people, most had no idea about her background.
The person who secretly took photos of her with Ji Yanting was actually a set assistant who’d gotten in through connections, specifically the assistant director. He had no real skills, but plenty of greed.
Who would’ve thought the photos would end up sold to a marketing account that loved smearing people, turning them into weapons against Yue Ling.
Wen Jiu listened and frowned. “So that’s how it was. That person is way too much.”
“And those marketing accounts too, just one photo, and they made up a whole story.”
She’d been so anxious on the way here that she hadn’t checked the follow-up on Weibo at all. She didn’t know things had gone this far.
“So you can rest easy. The studio has already sent a legal notice.” Yue Ling removed one of her hairpins and smiled gently at Wen Jiu.
Wen Jiu clasped her hands together, momentarily dazzled by the young lady’s smile.
It had been less than a week since they’d last parted, but seeing her again after the trending scandal felt almost like a lifetime ago.
This historical styling perfectly brought out the young lady’s beauty, serene like a secluded valley, exuding ancient charm from the inside out.
Her overall temperament completely overshadowed her looks. Sometimes Wen Jiu nearly forgot that the reason the White Moonlight Young Lady was a “white moonlight” was because she was a cool, unforgettable full moon that lingered in people’s hearts.
Drawn in by Yue Ling’s curved brows and smiling eyes, Wen Jiu unconsciously stepped forward two steps, leaving her blind spot, and saw the other protagonist of the scandal.
“Actor Ji?” she hesitated for a second.
“Just call me Cousin. I’ve already retired, I’m no longer an actor,” Ji Yanting said. He was wearing a soft sweater, yet his bearing was outstanding, as if he were dressed in historical robes.
Ji Yanting knew about Wen Jiu’s relationship with Shen Xingzhou. His cousin posted about his girlfriend on social media every day, everyone in the family knew.
Standing together with Yue Ling, who still hadn’t removed her ancient hairstyle, they fully deserved to be called a classical-style couple.
Both of them were gentle in temperament, but together it felt different.
The Young Lady’s gentleness was that of a cultured woman, rich in learning, strong in spirit, and materially secure. All three combined into a powerful softness. It was an utter disregard for slander, a calm indifference like drifting clouds.
Ji Yanting’s gentleness was more like a breeze passing through a bamboo grove, bringing comfort.
Wen Jiu summarized: Ji Yanting was perfect for home and marriage.
“You two…?” She glanced left, then right, cautiously confirming the relationship between the White Moonlight Young Lady and the novel’s male lead.
If they weren’t together and she kept talking, it’d be too awkward.
“We’re not together. Just friends,” Yue Ling said.
At the same time, her phone rang.
After she finished the call in the room and came back out, placing the phone on the vanity, she spoke softly, answering Wen Jiu’s earlier question again.
“We’re together now. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Ah?” Wen Jiu opened her mouth slightly, confusion written all over her face.
“Grandma knows about it. She wants me to bring you back to Beicheng tomorrow.” Yue Ling’s voice was light, but there was a clear fluctuation in it, like a chime striking its loudest note, breaking the harmony of the melody.
Wen Jiu didn’t know whether she should speak at this moment. She even felt like she shouldn’t have come here at all.
It seemed the online incident truly had no impact on the White Moonlight Young Lady, clearly, her grandmother’s call had far more influence.
“When A-Ling calls me, of course I’m going back with her to see Grandma,” Ji Yanting said naturally.
Wow, the young lady’s ancient-style boyfriend. Wen Jiu pressed her lips together to suppress her smile, quietly backing out and gently closing the makeup room door behind her.
When the door was left with just a small crack, she accidentally glanced inside and saw the White Moonlight Young Lady stand up. Gone was her serene, hands-still demeanor, she shoved Ji Yanting straight down onto the sofa.
Wen Jiu’s ears, perked high, caught the young lady’s words:
“Since you’re an award-winning actor, cooperate properly when we go back and put on a good show. If Grandma gets suspicious, I can change to another ‘boyfriend’ at any time.”
Her young ladies always had their own opinions about love. How nice.
Well, Su Yaoyao was temporarily excluded.
Wen Jiu quietly closed the door, sneaking away like a thief.
Compared to his older brother, Young Master Ji really lost without injustice. If he came to learn from his brother, maybe he’d still have a chance to win Lin Yu, why else would he need Wen Jiu just to push a WeChat contact card?
The young lady was staying in a suite, and even backing out, Wen Jiu still hadn’t reached the entrance. Because she was walking backward, she nearly tripped over a chair.
“Thud, ” A dull sound rang out. She thought some part of the chair had fallen off.
When she couldn’t find anything and the sound rang again, she realized it was a knock on the door.
“Wen Ling? You’re also filming with this crew?” Wen Jiu opened the door and found a familiar face. She immediately squeezed herself out, turning sideways to talk in the hallway. “What do you need?”
She chatted in the corridor but still left a crack in the door behind her. She didn’t have the young lady’s room card, if the door closed completely, she’d have to make a call. And if she ruined the young lady’s good thing, that’d be terrible.
Wen Ling was squeezed aside twice. Standing in the corridor, she didn’t get angry, just found it a bit funny. A kind of helpless amusement at Wen Jiu.
“Wen Jiu, we worked in the same crew for three months. We’re half colleagues at least. Why do you need to guard against me like this?”
Wen Jiu glanced up at the ceiling light, pouted, and said nothing.
Why are you guarding against me? Don’t you have any idea yourself?!
“I admit that back then I lost my head and did something irrational. But after that, I didn’t do anything else, I finished filming properly. You were following Yue Ling the whole time for those three months. You know that.”
That was true.
Wen Jiu withdrew her gaze and looked at her. “Sorry. Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a rope.”
“Why are you here to see Sister Yue? She’s on the phone with her grandmother. Tell me first, I’ll see if it’s convenient before letting you in.”
Wen Ling almost blurted out: Are you a eunuch? Passing messages like this?
After calming down, she remembered she was here to reconcile, so she forcibly swallowed the breath she was about to exhale.
“I’m here to apologize to her. And I also want to clear my own name, this incident has nothing to do with me. But I do know who did it.”
The young lady had just said the studio already investigated everything and sent a legal notice… Could there still be details they hadn’t uncovered?
“What do you know?” Wen Jiu asked, instinctively stepping back half a pace. “Wait, why did you come specifically to tell Sister Yue? Are you trying to get something from her?”
Wen Ling stiffened for a moment. “You’re still sharp.”
Then she relaxed. “I just want to cooperate with you for mutual benefit. I’m not trying to take advantage of you.”
“You can check my Weibo first. I really am on your side.”
Wen Jiu decisively took out her phone.
She opened Weibo and searched for Wen Ling.
She wanted to see exactly how “on their side” she really was.