Chapter 34

When 'A Moment, A Scene' first aired, it didn’t attract much attention. However, after the tanned director joined in the second episode, the show gradually gained momentum. More and more film and entertainment content creators noticed this underrated variety show and made recommendation videos, drawing in a larger audience.
Later, with the addition of the Peach Blossom Spring cast and the Jin Huan Group team-building episode, the show dominated the hot search charts, half of the top ten trending topics were related to A Moment, A Scene.
Fans started rewatching the show from the first episode and discovered it was a hidden gem, truly deserving of its high ratings.
The regular cast consisted of a faded movie star and a newcomer whose works hadn’t yet been released. The two of them often made "outrageous remarks" on the show.
Zhu Xinyue: "Maybe I should quit the industry and go shake milk tea. It's pretty profitable, tiring but happy."
Xie Zhuguang: "Profitable because of the celebrity effect. If you remove all the cameras and everything, see if anyone would still come."
Zhu Xinyue: "Wait, 'celebrity' refers to you or me?"
Xie Zhuguang: "Refers to the production team."
Countless "Hahahaha" floated across the bullet comments.
[Very self-aware!]
[Faded movie emperor x undebuted newcomer, who came up with this genius pairing?]
[Comedy duo, stopping by for a quick bite.]
……
When the dark-skinned director arrived, the bullet comments became a chaotic mix of CP pairings.
[Milk tea duo, perfect match!]
[I really want to try the milk tea Xinyue makes too!]
[The shop owner standing next to Milk Tea Bro is so fair he practically glows, I call them the Black and White duo!]
[Milk tea duo is the real deal!]
After this episode aired, a skilled editor who loves shipping CPs supported the dark-skinned director x Zhu Xinyue milk tea duo and created an exquisitely edited video that even the individuals themselves almost believed they were in love.
Of course, Zhu Xinyue just watched it for fun, laughed it off, and moved on. Besides, high engagement in fan creations is a good thing, it can attract more viewers to the show.
Zhu Xinyue's social media account followers gradually grew from 50,000 (half of which were bought) to over 300,000, with each episode bringing her more fans.
This episode featured the guests' late-night chat about artists dating, which directly sent Xie Zhuguang and Zhu Xinyue back to the hot search.
#Xie Zhuguang Divorce
#How Popular Xie Zhuguang Was in His Youth
#Zhu Xinyue Artist Dating
This was the first time the show reached a high position on the hot search since it started airing, and it wasn't even bought, fans and casual viewers searched for it spontaneously.
Xie Zhuguang's fans have all grown up, and most are married. Seeing this hot search made them nostalgic for the past.
[Xie Zhuguang represents my youth. The first time I went to the movies with my girlfriend, we watched Xie Zhuguang's film "Old Shadows." I cried so hard my eyes turned red, and my girlfriend said it was the first time she'd seen a man cry so pitifully. Now she's my wife.]
[My mom really likes Xie Zhuguang. She hasn't missed a single episode of this show. This is the first time I've watched a variety show with my mom, and watching it, I'm starting to fall for Xie Zhuguang too.]
[Xie Zhuguang is really responsible. He fell in love with his photographer girlfriend, who is five years older, publicly announced their relationship, got married, and then faded from the industry. With his acting skills and looks, if he hadn't faded, where would there be room for others? The entertainment industry has suffered from unattractive and poorly acting male stars for too long!]
The production team cut out the part where Zhu Xinyue revealed shocking news, only using her earlier statement, "How much money do you need to make to be with the person you like?"
Even this snippet was enough to ignite public opinion. Many people in her comments section asked if she was planning to date, and even some fans of other artists, who had previously been upset by dating rumors, came to criticize her.
Zhu Xinyue had anticipated this situation from the start. She scrolled through the comments section, where opinions varied widely, but she didn’t pay much attention to them. After all, she believed that dating was a personal matter for celebrities, as long as she wasn’t pretending to be single and deceiving her fans, it was fine. So she continued memorizing her script and preparing for her new drama.
As the variety show aired, Zhu Xinyue gained a bit of fame. The scripts she received included resources from Jin Huan Group itself as well as offers from other platforms.
She chose roles she could handle, usually supporting female characters with limited screen time. More pay, less work, it suited her perfectly.
One day, while Zhu Xinyue was halfway through memorizing her script, her phone vibrated.
The caller ID showed, Zhu Shilang.
Since their argument at the hospital, Zhu Xinyue hadn’t spoken to Zhu Shilang again, and of course, she hadn’t used his card either. Even after her eyes recovered and Zhu Shilang sent her messages, she never replied.
Zhu Xinyue set down her script and answered his call.
"Hello?"
Zhu Shilang had mentally prepared himself for her not picking up, so her answering the phone took him by surprise.
"How... have you been lately?" He had seen the negative comments online attacking Zhu Xinyue and was furious, but he couldn’t retaliate, as it would only make things worse for her.
"Memorizing my script, preparing for the new drama," Zhu Xinyue replied calmly.
"Have you seen the comments online? If not, don’t bother. They’re all meaningless nonsense," Zhu Shilang said.
Zhu Xinyue chuckled, finally understanding the purpose of his call.
"Don’t worry, I’ve mentally prepared myself. The online environment is like this now. You should look at it less too," she even managed to comfort him.
Zhu Shilang hesitated but ultimately didn’t try to persuade her to return to Qingyang. He knew she wouldn’t like hearing it, and if he brought it up again, they would surely argue. It was better to maintain this delicate balance and endure until her contract ended.
"I’m not going back to Qingyang for the New Year," Zhu Xinyue suddenly said.
"Huh? You’re not coming back?!" Zhu Shilang’s voice rose again.
Zhu Xinyue deliberately replied ambiguously, "Yeah, I’m going to spend it with my boyfriend."
With that, she hung up. No matter how many times Zhu Shilang called after that, she didn’t answer.
That evening, after returning to her hotel from the set and changing clothes, Zhu Xinyue received a call from Ji Linyu.
Lately, both of them had been busy with their careers. Since they started dating, they hadn’t had a proper day together, mostly just texting during free moments or talking on the phone at night, it felt like a long-distance online relationship.
"What’s up? Did my brother call you?" Zhu Xinyue asked Ji Linyu with a laugh.
After all, she was currently staying at Ji Linyu’s place, so Zhu Shilang must have contacted him.
His light chuckle came through the phone, followed by a knock at the door from both the receiver and the room entrance.
"Open the door," Ji Linyu said.
Zhu Xinyue's eyes lit up as she ran to the door and opened it.
There stood her boss, Ji, dressed in a black overcoat, holding a bouquet of roses, carrying a chilly aura, looking travel-weary, and smiling the moment he saw her.
"What brings you here?" Zhu Xinyue stepped aside, ushering Ji Linyu into the room and closing the door behind him.
As she turned around, Ji Linyu pinned her against the door, lifted her chin, and kissed her lips.
The room was warmed to a comfortable temperature, and she wore only thin pajamas, barefoot on the carpet. The dim light in the entryway and the mirror by the door reflected the two of them kissing.
His voice was muffled: "To be with my girlfriend."
Zhu Xinyue's ears grew hot from his kiss. While she still had some sense left, she gently pushed Ji Linyu's shoulders.
Only then did Ji Linyu release her, turning to enter the room and placing the roses on the table. He glanced around and noticed her script on the table, marked with notes in various colors.
She had always been serious about her career.
Ji Linyu turned back, took off his overcoat and jacket, and said to her, "I have a connecting flight to Country R at 4 a.m. I came to see you. How's the filming going?"
Zhu Xinyue checked the time, it was 11 p.m. With so little time, why wasn't he resting instead of coming to see her?
"So, visiting me was just a detour?" Zhu Xinyue teased deliberately.
Ji Linyu wore only a shirt underneath. He draped his overcoat and jacket over the sofa, lifted his gaze to Zhu Xinyue, and said meaningfully, "Hmm, at least it's better than someone who won't even make a detour. If the mountain won't come to me, I must go to the mountain."
He was referring to last week when Zhu Xinyue had returned to Tianze City to sign a contract. She was only there for half a day, going straight from the airport to the company and flying back to the set right after. Ji Linyu had thought they could at least have dinner together, but Zhu Xinyue told him she had already passed through security, which infuriated him.
After "A Moment, A Scene" wrapped up, Zhu Xinyue had become increasingly busy. Ji Linyu's schedule was also packed, and both of them were caught up in their own work, only able to meet when they could spare the time.
Zhu Xinyue knew she was in the wrong. She stepped closer to Ji Linyu, took his hand, and gently swayed it. "Sorry, sorry, I've been too busy lately. Once I finish filming this drama, I'll have more free time."
Ji Linyu pressed his advantage, pointing to the corner of his lips.
Zhu Xinyue stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.
In love, Boss Ji particularly enjoyed it when his girlfriend took the initiative to kiss him, though it was often Zhu Xinyue who ended up breathless from the kisses.
With only a few hours to spend together, Zhu Xinyue didn't want Ji Linyu to overexert himself, so she suggested they watch "A Moment, A Scene" together.
Ji Linyu didn't mind what they did, as long as she was by his side.
"Did you tell Shilang that you're spending New Year's with your boyfriend this year?"
Zhu Xinyue used Ji Linyu as a backrest, sitting in his embrace as she opened the variety show "A Moment, A Scene" on her tablet.
"Yeah. Why? Don't you want to?"
Ji Linyu’s arm rested on her waist, and upon hearing her question, he tightened his grip. “What do you think?”
Zhu Xinyue felt his undeniable presence enveloping her. His lips brushed against the shell of her ear, his scorching breath warming her cool earlobe before he kissed her neck.
He leaned his head against her neck, his short hair teasing her sensitive skin, sending tingles through her. Her body temperature gradually rose.
“...Ji Linyu.” Her voice was like the most potent aphrodisiac, sweet and irresistible, making him wish to drown in her tenderness.
Ji Linyu held her without a word.
In the room, only the background noise of a variety show could be heard.
Zhu Xinyue wrapped her hand around his wrist, which rested on her waist, and asked, “If you don’t want to, should I go back to Qingyang for the New Year?”
Ji Linyu took a deep breath and gently bit her earlobe, as if punishing her for asking a question she already knew the answer to.
Zhu Xinyue’s ears were particularly sensitive. She tried to pull away but had nowhere to escape, completely trapped in his embrace. Her back pressed tightly against his chest, as if she could feel the rhythm of his heartbeat, matching her own.
“Do you want your brother to know who your boyfriend is?” Ji Linyu’s voice was low and husky, whispering softly into her ear.
A tingling sensation spread across her lower back, as if something had been ignited by him. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on his wrist. Her body grew warmer, her cheeks flushed, and the tablet in her lap slipped to the floor.
Ji Linyu reached out and caught the falling tablet, casually placing it on the nearby table before continuing to nuzzle her affectionately.
“Did you tell him?” Zhu Xinyue asked.
“I want to.” Ji Linyu’s tone carried a hint of barely noticeable grievance as he intertwined his fingers with hers, stroking her ring finger.
Zhu Xinyue turned her head and kissed his lips in that position.
“Mmm... We’ll make it public once things are stable.”
Ji Linyu’s kiss swallowed the rest of her words, as if pouring all his grievances and dissatisfaction into it, deeply demanding more from her.
Once again, Boss Ji was pacified by his girlfriend, but his mind was preoccupied with one thought,
What exactly counts as stable?
Getting married?