◎Are we doing it again today?◎
After showering and blow-drying her hair, Song Chan emerged from the bathroom with a bath towel wrapped around her chest, steam rising from her body.
She heard the video call ring and immediately ran over to answer it.
The signal on Zhou Qining’s end was poor, her voice distorted into an electronic garble, words stumbling out in broken fragments.
Song Chan narrowed her eyes and listened carefully before she understood what Zhou Qining meant.
“Chanchan… you… made… the hot… search…”
The static was grating, so Song Chan reminded her, “You’re lagging too much.”
“I said you made the hot search.” Zhou Qining repeated.
“Is it better now? I switched to mobile data.”
“Much better.” Song Chan replied. She lightly pinched the spot between her brows and responded to that comment. “Didn’t it already hit the hot search during the live stream?”
Zhou Qining peeled off her face mask and gently patted essence onto her face, wearing an exasperated look of disappointment.
“Chanchan! Are you on 2G? It’s not that morning topic anymore.”
“Then what is it?”
Hearing that, Song Chan sat up.
She hadn’t been interested in the matter at first, but now her heart started to drum with unease.
She opened Weibo Hot Search. The list that filled her screen was almost entirely filled with topics related to her and Su Yicen. Every single one was marked with a red ‘HOT’ label, and ‘Chan Yi Mian Mian’ was flooding the screen.
Song Chan was completely dumbfounded. It really was nothing like the morning’s hot search topics.
She asked, “What are all these?”
“The literal meaning! My breakout goddess.”
Zhou Qining forwarded a few screenshots for Song Chan to see.
“Go check it out. Netizens are saying they’ve discovered a treasure of a goddess, calling you a fleeting beauty of the mortal world. Even screenshots from the live stream video are being hailed as one-in-a-millennium stunners.”
Song Chan didn’t take it seriously. She hadn’t expected such a huge reaction, and she felt her look that day was just her everyday level.
Even though Zhou Qining tried to control herself, her excitement was hard to hide.
“Song Chan, you’ve really blown up! Less than a day in, and not only do you have a Weibo super topic, your fans have surpassed 100,000.”
“Do you know what that means?”
“Li Shuning is super popular, right? Her super topic fans are just scraping 300,000 now, and you’ve hit over 100,000 in a single day…”
Song Chan blushed a little as she read the netizen comments Zhou Qining had forwarded.
Moon Comes Moon Rich: 【Miss, you’re so pretty!! This passerby is stunned!】
Greedy Mouth’s Greedy: 【Talented and beautiful, Chanchan don’t be too perfect, I love you so much ahhhh!】
Zhu Xiaozhu A: 【Song Chan I love you! You’re the only woman in the world who could turn me gay!】
Though she had grown up surrounded by praise, Song Chan had never imagined so many people would suddenly adore her looks.
She felt both delighted and a bit scared, because for every pro there was a con. Her personal information had been dug up completely.
Her company, her job, even the schools she’d attended—all exposed to the public eye. While everyone praised her beauty and talent, it also brought Song Chan immense psychological pressure.
She said honestly, “Actually, I don’t really like this.”
“Because your personal info got exposed?” Zhou Qining asked.
Song Chan nodded and quietly closed the share screen. “It feels like I’ve become totally transparent, with no privacy left.”
Having been best friends for so many years, Zhou Qining understood Song Chan’s feelings perfectly, but she also had to make her face reality.
“When you and Su Yicen got your marriage certificate, you should’ve known this was inevitable.”
Song Chan knew that, of course. Su Yicen was a walking headline, the weathervane of hot searches.
Anything related to him would be thrust into the spotlight.
Song Chan was also aware that, given her profession, entering the public eye was only a matter of time. It was just that the sudden live stream, combined with Top Idol Su Yicen’s heat, had caught her completely unprepared under everyone’s gaze.
She asked, “So that ‘Chan Yi Mian Mian’—that’s not our CP name, is it?”
Zhou Qining raised a brow and smirked. “Congrats, you got it right.”
Song Chan patted her forehead, utterly helpless. Their hidden marriage and certificate were just a contractual deal. She really didn’t want any more entanglements with Su Yicen.
Things were already messy enough between them.
Seeing her so helpless, Zhou Qining didn’t get it. In the Entertainment Circle, how many female stars dreamed of stirring up rumors with Su Yicen? Yet none even got a chance to get close.
And this Top Idol’s aloof, unapproachable cold demeanor was well-known among insiders.
Zhou Qining wasn’t a celebrity herself, but as a multi-million-fan internet celeb, she knew the ins and outs of the Entertainment Circle pretty well.
She asked her, “Chanchan, do you really have to act like bitter enemies?”
“Have you two already slept together?”
The words slipped out without thinking, and Song Chan blurted, “How did you know?”
“See?”
Zhou Qining smacked her lips with a knowing look, scrutinizing the guilty Song Chan on screen.
“If not, why would Su Yicen say he had good stamina while looking at you?”
“And why were you blushing?”
After holding back a few sentences, Zhou Qining couldn’t contain her excitement anymore.
“So Chanchan, you two really slept together?!…”
Seeing how thrilled she was, Song Chan hurriedly turned the volume all the way down and pressed the phone to her chest. She peeked at the locked bedroom door.
The room’s soundproofing was excellent, so Su Yicen definitely wouldn’t hear. She didn’t even know why she felt so guilty.
She let out a long breath and calmed herself down.
Song Chan raised the phone, frowning slightly as she pressed a finger to her lips.
She whispered, “Keep it down.”
“Scared?” The person on video teased, eyes crinkling with laughter. “Mr. Top Star isn’t right there beside you, is he?”
Song Chan gave up explaining and simply panned the camera 360 degrees around the bedroom so Zhou Qining could see she was alone.
But her words lacked confidence. “Your voice is too loud. You’ll disturb the neighbors.”
Had their performance during the live stream really been that obvious?
Recalling the scene, Song Chan’s heart pounded wildly, the panic making her uncomfortable.
Seeing she took it seriously, Zhou Qining stopped teasing.
“Don’t worry, it’s not obvious. Netizens are just into edited clips and wild imaginations.”
Zhou Qining’s gaze locked onto her neck, her sly eyes gleaming with a dangerous perceptiveness.
Zhou Qining quirked the corner of her eye, lips curving up.
“You didn’t even try to cover it. Those hickeys on your collarbone are way too obvious.”
“I really couldn’t miss them if I tried.”
Hearing that, Song Chan relaxed a fraction, then quickly yanked the blanket over everything below her neck, leaving only her head exposed.
Zhou Qining sighed. “Chanchan, I didn’t expect you to move so fast. I just told you to pounce on the Top Idol, and you actually did it.”
Song Chan’s voice trembled. “That was an accident.”
“So you really did pounce on Su Yicen!” Zhou Qining’s eyes widened, mouth agape enough to see her uvula. “Quick quick, tell me the details.”
Song Chan covered her face with her hand. How could she even describe the process?
“Hanging up. I need some quiet.”
Quiet was impossible.
Almost every app on her phone was pushing the live stream content, the buzz fermenting rapidly.
Song Chan knew that the more it spread, the more people would believe the fake as real.
She didn’t have the guts to stir up rumors with Su Yicen, and as a fashion editor, she didn’t need to ride a Top Idol’s coattails.
But only Su Yicen could fix this.
She lightly knocked on his bedroom door—two shorts, one long. Polite and formal.
A clear, noble male voice sounded from inside. Just two simple words.
“Come in.”
With that, Song Chan pushed the door open and entered.
The moment she stepped in, she saw the smile in Su Yicen’s eyes. He seemed to be in a good mood.
Needing a favor, Song Chan forced a smile and asked, “Have you checked Weibo?”
Su Yicen nodded and sat up straight, looking at her. “I have.”
His deep eyes fell on her, as if waiting for her to continue.
Song Chan went on, “It’s all about us.”
Su Yicen nodded. “I know.”
She’d hinted this much, but seeing his nonchalant attitude, she stated it plainly.
“So, can you find a way to get the hot searches taken down?”
“Why?” Su Yicen countered instead. “You don’t like it?”
Before Song Chan could answer, he cut her off.
“ZE Fashion’s 20th Anniversary Issue needs the buzz. As the main person in charge, if you don’t want to cooperate with the promotion, fine—but pulling the hot searches?”
His words rang true, leaving her no room to argue.
She turned. “Then never mind. Goodbye.”
“Wait.” Su Yicen stopped her, his rich voice unhurried.
“Are we doing it again today?”
Su Yicen approached step by step. Song Chan retreated until her back hit the door.
Click—the door locked shut.
She had locked herself in this familiar yet strange room, last night’s entanglement impossible to shake.
And the man walking toward her now had eyes full of danger.
Instinctively, Song Chan raised her hands to guard her chest. “What are you doing?”
“What am I doing?” Su Yicen said playfully. “Didn’t you say you wanted to do it with me…”
“…the pre-interview.”