Trending Again – Chapter 18

The method to eliminate negative information is to trend it on the hot search

In the airport of country M, a woman was shouting frantically at her phone. This person was none other than Bai Lu, who had fled in a panic.

“You said that Si Meng had no backstage support, didn’t you? I’m almost ruined because of you,” Bai Lu scolded with a teary voice. She had recently noticed someone was tracking her, and it must be someone she had provoked without intending to.

“That’s your problem, what’s it got to do with me?” The woman on the other end replied with a light laugh, showing no concern for Bai Lu’s well-being.

It was at this moment that Bai Lu realized she had been used as a pawn and had become cannon fodder for someone. But she didn’t dare confront this woman because she knew this woman’s identity was extraordinary. From their recent encounters, she could sense that this woman held a deep grudge against Si Meng.

“Don’t worry, you won’t suffer too much. After all, you have no more utility. I’ll go find the next puppet,” the woman on the other end hung up the call, and when Bai Lu tried calling back, the number had become disconnected.

Bai Lu was seething with anger, but she had no choice. She opened up the hot search in her home country, and it was filled with negative information about Si Meng. It seemed like that woman had struck again.

Si Meng and Lu Qi followed the greasy man to what he referred to as the “dining place,” and Si Meng tugged at the corner of her mouth. This was nothing more than a night club.

She was speechless. It seemed that she had overestimated this greasy man. He was just someone who was easily swayed by lust, no wonder he was only a manager despite his age.

The three of them entered the establishment, and the greasy man took out a VIP card, pretending to generously invite them for a meal. In reality, he was already bleeding inside for the money. Lu Qi and Si Meng maintained their composure, but secretly, they had already thoroughly researched the most expensive dishes.

“The menu is all in French; you probably can’t read it. Why don’t you let me order?” The greasy man acted like a gentleman.

“No need, no need. It’s even more delicious when you order randomly without understanding,” Lu Qi said with a sly smile and casually pointed to the most expensive dish, which was foie gras.

The greasy man thought to himself that he was really clueless.

“Let’s have this, and this, and these, all in one serving,” Si Meng told the foreign waiter in French, and the young man nodded. In no time, she maxed out the VIP card.

The greasy man, on the other hand, was still in the dark. He had already arranged for someone in secret. As long as he made some intimate moves with the two beautiful women in front of him, the hidden observers would capture it on camera. These two women looked ordinary and clearly did not belong to the elite. With a bit of money, he could easily bring them down.

Unfortunately, the greasy man usually didn’t pay attention to hot trends; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to provoke this formidable figure.

The greasy man tried several times to make advances towards Si Meng, but she skillfully avoided his attempts, leaving the hidden observers frustrated. They couldn’t even find an angle to exploit.

Just when the paparazzi photographer was planning to take a picture and do some photo editing later, he was suddenly knocked unconscious with a punch, and even his camera was snatched away.

Si Meng and Lu Qi were completely unaware of this. After having their fill, they were thinking about how to avoid the bill, so they wouldn’t have to split it with this stingy man, who might change his mind and ask them to contribute.

The two of them exchanged glances. Lu Qi pretended to go to the restroom first, and Si Meng stayed behind to stall for time. After a while, Si Meng received a call from Lu Qi, pretending to have to answer it.

As Si Meng was about to make her escape, a female server approached and informed the greasy man that his balance was insufficient. The greasy man’s expression changed, and he reached out and grabbed Si Meng. Si Meng felt his touch on her hand, and it made her nauseous. She tried to pull her hand away but was held firmly.

“Miss Si, you wouldn’t happen to be interested in a dine-and-dash, would you?” The greasy man showed his true colors at that moment.

“You act like a big shot but don’t have money, and you want to dodge the bill on us?” Lu Qi’s voice came from the other end of the phone.

The greasy man suddenly realized that these two women had already figured out his intentions and were playing along to mess with him. If that was the case, he couldn’t allow Si Meng to leave.

“You two bitches…” The greasy man didn’t finish his sentence before he was kicked hard and sent tumbling to the ground. His round, protruding belly made it difficult for him to get back up.

Suddenly, Lin Hanyue appeared behind Si Meng. In the distance, Lin Hanyue’s assistant Xiao Li held a camera. Lin Hanyue rested her head on Si Meng’s shoulder, her left arm around Si Meng’s waist, and her right hand took out a wet tissue to wipe Si Meng’s hand.

A subtle fragrance wafted into Si Meng’s nostrils, and she heard Lin Hanyue quietly whisper in her ear. Perhaps it was the neon lights’ reflection, but in that moment, Si Meng found Lin Hanyue incredibly enchanting.

“Who is this blind fool daring to kick me? This… Ms. Lin? You, ma’am, are forgiving. I didn’t know this is your woman,” the greasy man bowed on the ground, offering a comical apology.

“You’re blacklisted. I suggest you leave City A tonight before I decide to blacklist you nationwide,” Lin Hanyue couldn’t be bothered to engage with him any further. If it weren’t for the fact that he had a family, a scumbag like him should be sent to labor camps in Africa.

Lu Qi waited for a while and then saw Lin Hanyue coming out while holding Si Meng. Were these two addicted to hugging each other? She couldn’t help but feel a bit redundant, another day of being the third wheel.

Lin Hanyue glanced at Lu Qi in the car, as if telling her that she was taking Si Meng with her.

Si Meng, sitting in the car, absentmindedly played with her phone. She noticed that all her negative information had disappeared, replaced by trending searches about her and Lin Hanyue’s relationship.

She opened the trending searches, and the first one was a link. Si Meng curiously clicked on it, and as a result, her phone slowed down for a moment and then displayed a question: “Which CP are you shipping?” Si Meng thought for a moment and typed “MengYue,” which was a combination of her and Hanyue’s names.

Another link popped up. Upon opening it, she saw a website interface, which turned out to be a link to a novel on a certain fiction website. Si Meng wondered why they made it so secretive.

She clicked on the first three chapters, and the further she read, the hotter her cheeks became. What’s wrong with this author? How could they write explicit content about her and Lin Hanyue?

Writing was one thing, but portraying her to be the bottom! Did she really come across as so “0”?

Si Meng scrolled through the author’s profile. Surprise, they even wrote fanfiction – “Clueless Corgi x Dominant British Shorthair.” After checking the reviews, she finally understood. She was the “Corgi,” the short legged dog!

Si Meng was unwilling to accept it. After all, she was 1.7 meters tall, just slightly shorter than Hanyue, by a smidge.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you running a fever? Your face is so hot,” Lin Hanyue reached out and touched Si Meng’s cheek, only to find that Si Meng’s face had become even redder.

“N-No, it’s nothing. Did you enjoy your meal today?” Si Meng felt embarrassed to admit she had been reading explicit content where the two of them were the main characters, so she awkwardly changed the subject.

“Yeah,” Lin Hanyue obediently replied, with a satisfied smile on her face.

The two of them remained silent on the way back to the villa. Once they arrived, Si Meng jumped onto her large bed. It was just so comfortable. Whether they were recording programs outdoors or staying in a hospital with the smell of disinfectant, there was nothing like the comfort of home.

As soon as Si Meng returned home, she received a video call from Lu Qi.

“What’s up?”

“You’re trending again.”

“Yeah.”

“Trending as a bundled CP with Lin Hanyue isn’t a good thing,” Lu Qi’s voice held a hint of concern. While Si Meng’s past controversies had been sealed by her family and turned into state secrets, her fall from grace back then was not a fluke. If her foundation was unstable and she was elevated too high, she was bound to have an even harder fall.

“You gained popularity through other people’s fans, but one day, those fans might leave you because of someone else,” Lu Qi said, unusually serious. She had been guiding Si Meng step by step, always concerned about this issue, just as her sister had always advised her.

“Don’t worry, I have boundaries,” Si Meng responded nonchalantly.

“Boundaries, my foot! Tonight, you’re going to do a live stream to clarify that you and Lin Hanyue have no relationship. You’re you, and she’s her. Don’t be lazy. Are you trying to go to sleep?” Lu Qi’s guess was spot on.

Si Meng felt a bit aggrieved; she did want to sleep and didn’t want to do any live streaming. Nevertheless, she silently turned on her computer, which showcased her groggy face.