CHAPTER 30If you want to hurt each other, let’s do it!
After their hotpot meal at Pei Ying’s place, the staffers returned to the studio for work in the afternoon. Pei Ying stayed at home to clean up a bit. When she got tired, she laid down on the sofa to rest.
She pulled out her phone and swiped through her friend’s feeds.
Song Nanchuan still hadn’t posted anything to his feed, and he hadn’t even sent a message. Pei Ying thought that when news went out about her stalker, he’d have at least texted her to ask about it. Then she would have been able to continue their conversation, and they would have naturally made up.
But Song Nanchuan hadn’t contacted her even once. Pei Ying’s pretty brows knit together as she stared at the words “b.a.s.t.a.r.d Song” on her screen.
How long was he going to keep up this cold war? As a man, couldn’t he just say something first? Moreover, this all started because of his actions. Was she supposed to make the move to reconcile?
Pei Ying scrunched up her face and tossed her phone aside. When she’d left, she hadn’t taken anything with her. She’d even left behind those cats at his house. She wondered if he had been feeding them or not.
With a still irritated expression, she reached over and picked up her phone. She took a photo of her new place and, after adding some filters, she posted it to her feed. “Moved to a new place ^-^”
Not long after, lots of people had already liked her photo, but there was no sign of Song Nanchuan.
That afternoon, Song Nanchuan was having a meal with a client. It was nearly two o’clock when they left the hotel’s restaurant.
In the lobby, Song Nanchuan ran into Xie Han. She was wearing a long, white dress and looked much more fresh and innocent than before.
“CEO Song, what a coincidence.” Xie Han shot him a smile and walked over to greet him.
Song Nanchuan nodded to her and asked, “Ms Xie, are you here for a meal?”
“I am.”
“Then I won’t interrupt you.”
Xie Han, “….”
“I’ve already finished eating.” A l.u.s.tful expression appeared on her face as she watched Song Nanchuan start to walk away. She quickly caught up to him and said, “CEO Song, since we’ve met, why don’t we have a cup of coffee?”
“I’m sorry, I still have business to take care of.” After he finished speaking, his eyes swept around the room before he made an exit.
Xie Han had wanted to follow him, but she was held back by Xiao Zhang. “Ms Xie, I’m sorry, CEO Song still has business to attend to.”
Xie Han reluctantly smiled at him and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll invite him again next time.”
Xiao Zhang smiled back at her, and without saying any more, he turned to leave.
In the car, Xiao Zhang asked Song Nanchuan, “CEO Song, how did Xie Han know you were at this restaurant?”
Song Nanchuan responded, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? Who leaked out my schedule?”
“…I’ll check it out when we get back to the office.” Xiao Zhang felt like he’d just dug himself a hole to jump into. “Previously, Xie Han called a reporter over to intentionally get photographed together. Do you think she’ll try the same stint?”
Song Nanchuan muttered uncertainly and then said, “I felt like there was someone taking photos of us back there.” After being together with Pei Ying, he seemed to have gained an extra sense for sniffing out cameras.
The next day, his suspicions were confirmed. Previously, the media had reported that he and Xie Han had been “acting intimately” were now reporting that they were “meeting secretly at a hotel.” Song Nanchuan looked at the report on Weibo silently with a frown. Was Xie Han really not going to let go of him?
Upon seeing the news online, Xiao Zhang grew anxious that this may add to the misunderstandings between Song Nanchuan and Pei Ying. Before Song Nanchuan called for him, he took the initiative to seek out his boss. “CEO Song, should I get this article deleted?”
“Mm.” Song Nanchuan nodded. Then he stopped him. “Wait. Get it deleted tomorrow.”
“…?” Xiao Zhang didn’t understand, and Song Nanchuan didn’t explain himself. He simply dismissed his a.s.sistant from the room.
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For the past few days, Pei Ying had been focused on memorizing her lines. At lunch that day, she finally went online and logged into Weibo, where she was taken fully unaware by the news she saw.
The second extra to the Pei Ying – Song Nanchuan series. The scandal between Song Nanchuan and Xie Han.
Because Song Nanchuan hadn’t taken care of this news, the internet brigade had re-posted an old article about the two as well. They even said that Xie Han was Song Nanchuan’s true love and Pei Ying had been the one to squeeze between their relationship. Thankfully CEO Song turned back in time and rekindled his relationship with Xie Han.
Pei Ying, “……”
What kind of idiot wrote this article? Did they think that because she had a nice temperament that she wouldn’t get angry?
However, the netizens didn’t believe any of the news about Pei Ying being the third party in the relationship.
“Are you guys r.e.t.a.r.ded? Pei Ying’s the one that Song Nanchuan personally acknowledged he was dating. What the h.e.l.l’s up with Xie Han? Don’t turn things too unsightly :)”
“Although I don’t like Pei Ying, but Xie Han… Take a look for yourselves (picture)”
“Not going to talk and he left our Pei Pei. CEO Song, love whoever you want, but don’t ruin our Pei Pei’s heart. (smile)”
“Is Xie Han the celebrity that slept with the writers up to the producers? Do you really think CEO Song would even look at her? (picks nose)”
Pei Ying was quite satisfied to see that the netizens all had their wits intact. She flipped through a few pages of comments when she noticed that her @s had leapt up again.
She prepared herself and then took a look, but to her surprise, it was the magazine’s official Weibo page that had tagged her. Because the magazine with her photo-shoot went out that day, they were publicizing it on Weibo. She’d already seen the photos from the test printing, but she still looked through them again on the computer. And she still felt she was very pretty. Instead of responding to the article about Song Nanchuan and Xie Han, she re-blogged the magazine’s post.
[Pei Ying] (Official)
My photoshoot for Unnamed Magazine is. .h.i.tting shelves today. There’s a short interview inside as well. If you’re interested, buy a copy to check it out~ (cute)
The magazine’s Weibo originally had lots of fans, but after Pei Ying’s post, lots of people who were reading about Song Nanchuan and Xie Han also found their way to the page.
“Gosh, my Pei Pei is gorgeous (s.e.xy)”
“Saw it on the newsstand, so I picked one up! Pei Pei’s so pretty! (love you)”
“I feel like Pei Pei’s legs have gotten longer (laughing to tears) I’m buying a copy of those delicious legs now (doge)”
“Forgive me for being so blunt, but Song Nanchuan must have been blind to leave Pei Ying for Xie Han (laughing to tears)”
“There’s no (base for) comparison, and thus no harm, with (Pei Ying compared to) Xie Han.”
What caught her by surprise though, was that Mr Paparazzi, who followed her blog, had also made a post on their company’s official Weibo. “Beautiful, beautiful! After breaking up with G.o.ddess Pei, CEO Song’s taste has declined greatly (doge)”
Pei Ying, “….”
This paparazzi guy was not bad…
She returned to the front page and saw Song Nanchuan and Xie Han’s article again. Since she was currently in a good mood, she decided to look over the details of it carefully. The photograph only showed the two people in the lobby of the hotel, and they didn’t look like they were getting a room. The article author had even written that the two were “showing each other affection.” Pei Ying laughed. Surely, this person had never seen what Song Nanchuan was like when he was showing someone affection. His expression in the photos was obviously one of impatience.
She checked the time of the publication, a little past 8 AM. The morning had already pa.s.sed, but the article was still sitting right on the front page. She didn’t believe that Song Nanchuan was unaware of the situation. When news about her had gone up on Weibo previously, he’d gotten it deleted almost immediately and even sent the paparazzi a legal notice. So why hadn’t he taken care of this?
She thought about it for a few seconds and then seemed to have understood.
He left if up on purpose for her to see? Because he was angry about her news with Yu Kaize?
…Ah ah, Song Nanchuan, really. Not contacting her was one thing, but what was he acting so petty for? She smiled as she looked for a video online. Then she posted it out on her friend feed. “Hundred Methods of Death for the Ex. Just thought to share with you guys ^_^”
Ah, come on then. If you want to hurt each other, let’s do it!
Song Nanchuan had been continually going refreshing Pei Ying’s Weibo and friend feed. The reason he’d told Xiao Zhang to wait until tomorrow to take down his article with Xie Han was indeed in part due to wanting to exact some revenge. But more than that, he had hoped that Pei Ying would have gotten angry and then come to teach him a lesson. That way, the two of them would be able to start talking again.
When Pei Ying’s incident with the stalker came out, he had thought that she’d have been shaken up and would have contacted him. In the end, he waited all day and night but didn’t hear from her. He was sure that she would get angry this time.
But after he refreshed her friend feed, he saw Hundred Methods of Death for the Ex.
Song Nanchuan, “….”
He clicked on the video and then he heard, “…still not here. Most of the time, it’s because candles fell onto his blanket. The river flooded. There’s a case at the hotel where he’s staying, and an accident happened. A ceiling fan with loosened screws. Stabbed in the throat…” (Note: Sorry, this part is kind of fragmented and confusing for me to translate)
Song Nanchuan, “……”
He didn’t acknowledge himself as being an ex-boyfriend, so it didn’t affect him at all.
He exited Weibo and called Xiao Zhang into his office. “Get someone to delete this morning’s article right now. Then tell my lawyers that I want to sue this media company. As fast as possible.”
“…Oh, okay.” Xiao Zhang nodded, confusion sweeping his mind. As the saying goes, accompanying the king was like accompanying a tiger. He still was unable to see through CEO Song’s thoughts.
“Also, notify Universe Pictures that not a single cent of the two billion I’ve invested is to be used on Xie Han.”
Xiao Zhang was dumbfounded. What exactly happened to cause CEO Song to change his mind so quickly?
“You didn’t hear me?” Song Nanchuan looked at him standing in place, a frown forming as he spoke.
“Understood. I’ll take care of it right away.”
“Wait. Also, buy me a copy of this month’s issue of Unnamed Magazine.
“…Okay.” Xiao Zhang was full of sympathy for Song Nanchuan as he thought about how his grand CEO had no one to hold and could only resort to reading magazines.
Ying.
Xiao Zhang considerately bought three copies back.
After Pei Ying posted Hundred Methods of Death for the Ex, she felt very refreshed. She turned off her computer and decided to go out to buy something tasty to eat. Then she’d work on memorizing her script some more.
When she got downstairs, she saw a number of reporters waiting at the apartment across from hers. Tao Tao lived in that building, and Pei Ying suspected that the reporters must have been there for her.
Although it had already been several days since her debacle with Li Sisi, the fervor online still hadn’t died down. Li Sisi’s fans bit onto Tao Tao and weren’t letting go. They insisted that she put out an apology video, but Tao Tao was also pretty famous. She definitely wasn’t going to lose face and put out an apology video, which meant this situation was currently in a deadlock.
Pei Ying thought that Chen Sheng must be having the biggest headache right now. But that didn’t have anything to do with her. She put on a pair of sungla.s.ses and quietly walked out from her backdoor, coming out from the alley.
When she was at the market, a few fans recognized her, but thankfully they didn’t attract a crowd. It seems like she really did need an a.s.sistant.
She continued preparing for her drama filming at the end of April, and then on May 1st, a serious piece of news went out on Weibo.
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[Universe Pictures] (Official)
Exultations! Our company has secured the film rights for Teacher Xing Xin’s Performer! (circling) On the casting front, Mo Zhen has already been confirmed as the male lead, Wu Yang! On another note, Teacher Xing Xin will be personally in charge of the screenplay. Qiao Yichen, Producer Qiao, will be in charge of the film’s music! Rumor has it that Ding Meng will be singing the main theme! (in love) Are you guys excited?! Well, this little editor is dying from the antic.i.p.ation!
After Universe’s announcement went out, the entirety of the entertainment industry shook. One could responsibly say that it had been a very long time since there was a production of such a scale, with such a lineup and such a sophisticated story in this country.
The male lead for the movie was already confirmed to be emperor Mo Zhen, but there was no news on the female lead. The company wouldn’t reveal a thing about it. Pei Ying was also a reader of Xing Xin’s novels. She’d collected all of his books inside her house and the Enron Detective Series was her favorite.
Although she felt the possibilitiy was nearly nonexistent, it was the first time that she called Chen Sheng to inquire about the female lead for the movie.
“After news about Performer went out this morning, Universe’s phone lines have been jammed with people who have their eyes on the role of Zhao Yue. But I heard a Universe rep say that Xing Xin is extremely picky about actors. Li Sisi and Ni Bai were already both rejected by him.”
After hearing this, Pei Ying grew suspicious. Li Sisi was the most famous star in the country at this moment. Ni Bai had won top acting awards. But neither of them was good enough for Xing Xin?
Chen Sheng said, “From what I heard, he finds Li Sisi’s acting too poor. And while Ni Bai has the skills, her age doesn’t fit Zhao Yue’s character. You know how difficult it was for Universe to buy the rights for the film, and Xing Xin is very famous. The production greatly values his opinions.”
Pei Ying nodded. “I understand.”
“The screenplay is still being written right now. I suspect that they won’t announce the female lead until after it’s completed, but I don’t know how they’ll chose the actress. I’ll keep tabs on the process here. Don’t worry and just do a good job with your drama. You have to build your fame to build your confidence.”
“Mm, don’t worry, I’ve got the drama script down.”
“That’s good.” Chen Sheng sighed. “You’re the one who stays out of trouble. Tao Tao’s situation is giving me a deathly headache. It wasn’t easy for her to gain popularity, and now she’s imploded on herself. Season of Love starts filming tomorrow. I won’t head over, but I’ll have your a.s.sistant prepare everything.”
“Okay.”
“Let me tell you one more thing. GuangChen Productions said that Blooming can be released this month.”
“Really?!” Pei Ying’s eyes glistened with excitement. “Post production is all done for it?”
“Mm. I’ll send it to you later.”
“Great!” Pei Ying felt that this was the best news that she’d received recently. This was the first solo single that she was ever releasing and it was produced by Qiao Yichen!
“There will definitely be a round of promotions for it, so your schedule will be very busy. Prepare yourself.”
“I’ll be fine.” She’d been idle for so many years, so she ought to get a bit busy now.
Bright and early the next morning, Pei Ying’s a.s.sistant drove her to the filming location for Season of Love. Her a.s.sistant looked to be about the same age as herself, early 20s. But she was very composed and calm, and she didn’t talk very much, which was unlike a lot of girls their age who loved chattering.
Since it was the first day of filming, the entire crew held a booting ceremony, where each member lit incense and prayed for the filming to go smoothly. Not only did the filming staff and cast partic.i.p.ate, even the original writer was there, along with several media members.
Before they even finished the ceremony, photos started circulating on Weibo. Season of Love was also trending. Pei Ying’s fans sprinkled flowers on her Weibo page, and some of her longtime fans were moved to tears. (Note: No literal flower tossing–I don’t think–but “sprinkling flowers” is a phrase that expresses joy or approval/support)
After so many years, she was finally playing the lead character!
Although Pei Ying didn’t have the time to keep checking her Weibo, she was of the same mind as her fans. While she was still on set, she shared a bit with her fans about the character she’d be playing.
Everyone was very enthusiastic on the first day of filming. Working with Zhang Chengyi was very pleasant as well. Before they wrapped up for the day, the director told everyone that Universe Pictures invited the whole crew out for dinner. It would be a waste not to go, so everyone was expected to show up.
As the female lead, Pei Ying naturally had to partic.i.p.ate. It was only after she arrived though, that she found out that Song Nanchuan was also present.