March, cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Shen Fu dragged her luggage and got out of the car in front of several French-style retro villas.
The surroundings were flourishing and beautiful beyond words, and the moment she got out of the car she smelled the refreshing floral scent.
The pool near the villa, the lawn, and all the tree-lined paths were decorated with starlight-like lamps regardless of cost, creating a romantic luxurious atmosphere.
Looks like the program team really poured money into this for those few big names.
Shen Fu rarely breathed such fresh air in the city, couldn’t help slowing her steps, leisurely walking toward the second villa as indicated by the program team’s sign.
The bullet comments were already complaining:
【Why is she the first to come out？？？？？Where’s Wen Zhenghan? Where’s Zuo Mei?? I paid to enter the livestream to watch the Film Emperor and Film Empress reunite after a long time and appear together again, not to watch this 18th-line vase steal scenes.】
【In previous dating shows the female lead almost always had important scenes… I waited at the livestream for so long, thought even if the female lead wasn’t Zuo Mei, it would be Xu Tiaotiao… can’t believe Shen Fu is the first to appear, unbelievable.】
《Limited-Time Heartbeat》was the largest-investment variety show at the moment, spending heavily to invite Cannes regular Film Emperor Wen Zhenghan and Film Empress Zuo Mei, who had retired from the industry for years.
If a show wants to be popular, relying on big-name leads alone won’t work, so the production team invited Shen Fu, who had produced twelve Douban Rotten-Tomato-rated works in three years, as a contrast, creating talking points for viewers.
Despite knowing that at this hour most of the viewers bitterly waiting before the livestream were fans of those big names, they deliberately let Shen Fu appear first.
Firepower instantly concentrated on Shen Fu.
【When they announced the cast I already felt this person bought her way in. Look at the tiers of the other guests and then hers, what gives her the right to come on? A vase-face? Her debut “masterpiece” Entanglement?】
【Calm down, what variety show doesn’t have someone who bought their way in?】
【Walking so slow, did her leg break and get reattached?】
The bullet comments were nastier one after another. The other guests hadn’t even come out yet, so naturally everyone judged Shen Fu alone.
Shen Fu’s agency was small, but they treated her with great care.
Her appearance for today had been prepared long in advance.
Shen Fu had a great figure, curvy and delicate, skin like mutton-fat jade ointment, and just wearing a simple wrap dress could make her beautiful enough that people couldn’t look away.
But the other female guests were all seniors, several Himalayas above Shen Fu in terms of status.
Dressing boldly like that, wouldn’t she be scolded to death?
So the agent Liang Xiaochun handled things carefully, choosing a black knit top and casual wide-leg pants for Shen Fu. The hem of the knit top was tied in a knot, faintly revealing a bit of her fair slim waist, pretty yet low-key.
For hairstyle they also didn’t choose the long curls that suited Shen Fu best, but let her wear a baseball cap, half her face hidden under the brim.
It could be said this was extremely cautious, error-free styling.
The bullet comments also had a few sporadic compliments: 【Have to admit, Shen Fu’s reputation is bad, but her features are flawless, even such a plain outfit looks stylish on her.】
But those were drowned in a sea of nitpicking.
【Plain? How is this outfit plain? This styling is cunning as h*ll.】
【It’s like ten degrees today and cold, yet she still finds ways to show off her figure, tsk, we know she has an A4 waist, would she die if she didn’t create appearance anxiety?】
【LOL, what’s the use of being pretty, whether it’s Film Emperor Wen Zhenghan or whoever, no one would want to be associated with some vase-tier eighteenth-line.】
Liang Xiaochun was also watching the livestream, furious: “Are these bullet comment people that bored? Dress her up and they call her scheming, don’t dress her up and they call her ugly.”
The assistant awkwardly said: “I heard that Chu Wei’s and Xu Tiaotiao’s fans each opened eight group chats.”
Shortly after Shen Fu debuted, she had dated trainee Chu Wei, who had little fame at the time, secretly for about three months.
Back then in terms of status, it was actually Shen Fu lifting Chu Wei up.
But after they were exposed, Chu Wei’s agency implied everywhere that the woman was maliciously hyping it, causing Chu Wei’s fans to fiercely tear Shen Fu apart. They said all kinds of ugly things, that so-called representative work Entanglement, stepping on good-boy Chu Wei to climb up.
Liang Xiaochun was furious, scolded Shen Fu, and spent money on paid commenters to settle the matter, and that was that.
Who knew that two years later Chu Wei would suddenly become explosively popular through a talent show, his fans shooting from a few million to tens of millions overnight.
His past with Shen Fu was dug up by the new fans in an instant, and Shen Fu was dragged out and beaten again.
Even that was fine, just some old rotten gossip, who in this industry doesn’t have old rumors tied to them?
The real deadly issue was that among the guests announced for this variety show, not only was there Chu Wei, but also Xu Tiaotiao.
Chu Wei and Xu Tiaotiao had just collaborated in a hit costume drama earlier this year, their CP fans were crazed and plentiful.
Shen Fu choosing to go on this show at this time meant she’d be torn apart by a 1+1 greater than 2 fanbase.
Before the show started, Liang Xiaochun tried to persuade Shen Fu to give up this invitation entirely. Even if she did nothing on the show she’d be attacked by those two fanbases until she was covered in dog’s blood!
But Shen Fu, who knew what she was thinking, didn’t even discuss it, directly signed the contract.
When asked, Shen Fu just smiled squinting and said it was because the program team really gave too much.
Of course Shen Fu couldn’t possibly tell Liang Xiaochun that others go on variety shows for fame and profit, she goes for her life.
“Such a worrisome thing.” Liang Xiaochun cursed while still running around preparing everything front and back.
【I’m here to ship Chu–Tiao sugar, I hope Shen Fu lets me this plain and ordinary sugar-eating chicken go, don’t come sticking again.】
The more she watched the angrier she got, Liang Xiaochun just shut the computer screen altogether.
The livestream was still going on.
Shen Fu had already dragged her suitcase to the bottom of the villa steps.
The steps were about a dozen, visibly laborious.
She looked left and right, put the suitcase down where it was, and went straight up alone.
【She doesn’t want her luggage anymore?】
【emmmm do your own things yourself, is she waiting for staff to help carry it or waiting for a male guest to carry it?】
After Shen Fu entered the building, at the end of the gentle slope the second guest finally appeared, shifting the audience’s attention.
【Zuo Mei is here!】
【aaaaaaa it’s been so long, jiejie* is so beautiful so stunning.】
* jiejie = older sister
【Where’s Wen Zhenghan, why isn’t he here yet.】
Zuo Mei had been wildly popular ten years ago, then after marriage more or less semi-retired. At her retirement fan meeting back then, old classmate Wen Zhenghan even surprised her with blessings; the number of people shipping this pair online was countless.
Last year, news of Zuo Mei’s divorce and comeback, and the news she would be on a romance variety show with Wen Zhenghan, came out together, directly driving half the internet insane.
Wen Zhenghan hadn’t gone on any variety show for ten years, and now for Zuo Mei he finally accepted a notice, and it’s a romance show notice, if this isn’t true love what is?
A white moonlight kept in the heart for over ten years, now circling back and finally meeting again, who wouldn’t ship this to death?
Zuo Mei also came alone, dragging her suitcase, wearing a red dress, smiling at the cameras along the way, greeting the audience and fans watching the live, speaking kindly.
The barrage was full of praise again.
She came to the same steps, and without any hesitation directly lifted the heavy suitcase and stepped up.
【Jiejie really deserves to be jiejie, and she’s even wearing high heels… debuting so many years, not a trace of diva attitude.】
【A stark contrast with the one before.】
Mixed with a few bits of gossip:
【Speaking of which, someone from a certain group said they recently photographed Wen Zhenghan waiting outside a crew for a female artist, someone said the silhouette looked like Shen Fu, is it real?】
【Here we go again, here we go again, how much water army did Chunqiu Entertainment dump in, willing to do anything to get hype? Before this show the film emperor probably hadn’t even heard your Shen Fu’s name, and you still dream he’d accept you? Shen Fu is worthy? Sticking to Chu Wei for hype wasn’t enough, now dragging the film emperor down too? Male guests probably will get stuck by her one by one!】
Very quickly Zuo Mei’s fans brushed the barrage back: 【Certain fans please learn to walk independently.】
【uuu don’t let Mei-jie twist her ankle, why isn’t staff helping?】
Zuo Mei smiled.
Having mixed in showbiz for over ten years, even if she couldn’t see the barrage, she knew exactly what was being discussed.
Every suitcase had a name tag on it, and the one thrown down under the steps earlier had Shen Fu’s tag.
Shen Fu really was still too green, not knowing that in this kind of variety show even the smallest action and expression would be magnified and judged by the audience.
But as she thought of Wen Zhenghan’s absent-mindedness when they met a few days ago, the smile at Zuo Mei’s lips faintly faded.
Some things, she could leave sitting there untouched for decades, but that didn’t mean she allowed others to touch them.
Zuo Mei carried the case up the last step, just about to reach out to open the door.
The villa door was suddenly pulled open from inside.
Shen Fu walked out.
Zuo Mei stared for a moment.
She never fought an unprepared battle; although she had watched some of Shen Fu’s films beforehand, facing her in person, she was still stunned for a moment.
Young, fair, glowing.
Even more eye-catching than she had been back then.
…No wonder Wen Zhenghan had a bit of interest in her.
“Miss Shen, a pleasure.” Zuo Mei covered the subtle jealousy in her heart, and first smiled and extended her hand to Shen Fu.
So what if she’s prettier?
The reason a white moonlight is a white moonlight is because there are over ten years of sediment settled in memory.
Shen Fu first looked at the suitcase at the bottom of the steps, confirmed it was still there, then looked to Zuo Mei: “Hello.”
【lol she even first checked if her suitcase was there, is she serious? If she isn’t low IQ then she’s low EQ, does she think the Film Empress would steal her suitcase?】
【emmmm that sounds like forced blackening, isn’t checking the suitcase kind of reflexive?】
【Seeing the Film Empress carry her own suitcase up, and she herself waiting for staff to help, doesn’t she feel awkward?】
Shen Fu said to Zuo Mei: “Looks like only the two of us have come, I just checked, the third floor is…”
Zuo Mei smiled and cut her off: “Let me explore by myself, after all I’ll be living here for thirty days, if I don’t explore myself I’ll miss a lot of fun, right?”
Shen Fu looked at her, then had no choice but to close her mouth.
【Honestly, the Film Empress seems very guarded.】
【Wouldn’t she be? Who knows you, coming up trying to get close right away.】
Shen Fu turned and went down the steps.
The barrage mocked her again in a wave.
【lol now she remembers to take the suitcase, what was she doing earlier?】
【Wait, where is she pushing the suitcase?】
The live audience puzzled as they watched Shen Fu push her suitcase farther and farther away from the steps, circling instead to the back of the villa.
The entire area was full of cameras, dense and without blind spots, so the audience could clearly follow Shen Fu’s perspective and see the sightseeing elevator behind the villa.
【…So she tossed her suitcase down there earlier because she was exploring the terrain? Makes sense, with such a luxurious location there’s no way there wouldn’t be an elevator.】
【Hehe, forcibly trying to save face, insisting on finding an elevator? Isn’t it just a dozen or so floors of stairs, in this short amount of time you could’ve carried it up already, is it necessary?】
Shen Fu pushed her suitcase, went into the elevator, and pressed the third floor.
【Why is she going to the third floor?】
【……Just now she seemed like she wanted to say the third floor is actually the co-living floor.】
Meanwhile, on Zuo Mei’s side, she pushed open the villa’s front door, and the smile at the corner of her lips slowly solidified.
The first floor of the villa was completely empty, aside from some wine cellar racks, there was only the endless staircase in front of her that she needed to carry her heavy suitcase up.
【………………】
【……Actually, if you look carefully, you’ll notice only the third-floor windows have curtains. It’s obvious the first and second floors aren’t living spaces.】
【……pff.】Zuo Mei’s anti-fans couldn’t resist popping out:【Who was it just now saying someone had low IQ? Come out.】
Shen Fu’s fans, from the official announcement until now, had been surviving in the cracks under endless ridicule, earlier they didn’t even dare watch the livestream, and only now did they dare peek out a little.
Pretending to be passersby speaking:【Yes, can you stop pointing fingers at Shen Fu, what did she ever do to offend you guys?】
But compared to the other fanbases, Shen Fu’s fanbase was really thin, and soon the speaking rights in the barrage were taken back.
【What’s the use of trying to gain a tiny advantage at the start.】
【This is a dating show, not some little brain-teaser show.】
【Look at the four male guests, which one of their sides would ever send even one text message to your family’s 18th-tier? Don’t cry too ugly when the time comes.】
【Especially that heavyweight guest from outside the industry, I heard he had some past conflict with Shen Fu, hilarious, can’t wait to watch the show.】
