Trending Again – Chapter 1

The Movie Queen¹‘s Social Death Scene

“Is your flight already here? I’m heading over right now!”

“I…” Before Si Meng could finish her sentence, the woman on the other end of the line hung up in a frantic rush.

            

Si Meng irritably brushed back the wolf-tail layers of her hair, briefly revealing the fiery red stud in her left ear. She habitually narrowed her peach blossom eyes. Actually, she could have easily taken a cab back, but remembering that Lu Qi was her only remaining friend in the country, she didn’t want to brush off her good intentions.

Si Meng scrolled through Weibo. She hadn’t logged into her domestic account in ages, and her eyes were immediately met by a wall of trending searches.

Trending Searches: ＃Movie Queen Lin Hanyue’s New Drama Explodes in Popularity＃ ＃Movie Queen Lin Hanyue Spotted at Airport Again, Radiant Even Without Makeup＃ ＃Movie Queen…＃

            

Looking at the familiar name, Si Meng frowned slightly. Even though four years had passed, the mere thought of that high-maintenance woman still made her heart leap in apprehension. She only hoped she would never run into her again.

A text from Lu Qi popped up on her phone. Si Meng pulled her face mask tight and dragged her suitcase forward. But the airport was exceptionally crowded today. Just as she was about to head out, she saw a crowd clutching support signs squeezing their way inside with desperate fervor. The three large characters of “Lin Hanyue” were strikingly prominent. Si Meng sucked in a sharp breath. Surely it couldn’t be such a coincidence? She immediately hoisted her luggage and hurried back inside.

Heading into a restroom to dodge the crowd, she ran straight into a woman wrapped up like a mummy. Si Meng stepped to the left; the other woman stepped to the left too. Si Meng moved to the right; the other woman moved to the right as well.

            

Si Meng quickly tried to clear the way for her, but the woman stood dead in front of her, even reaching out as if to grab her luggage.

“First time I’ve met a robber this brazen,” Si Meng said. “Are you looking for a beating?”

Meanwhile, Lin Hanyue, wrapped up like a mummy, watched in disbelief as this person stood there so boldly with her luggage.

            

“Miss, I believe you’ve taken the wrong suitcase,” Lin Hanyue said.

Si Meng’s eyes widened. This was definitely hers—it was a custom suitcase. How could anyone else share her exact taste? She became even more convinced that the strange woman in front of her had a screw loose.

The cheering fans suddenly swarmed in behind them. Startled, Si Meng bolted deeper into the restroom—whether out of a lingering professional habit or a pure reflex triggered by the name “Lin Hanyue,” she didn’t know.

            

Lin Hanyue reached out and grabbed the hem of Si Meng’s shirt, but the other woman scrambled further inside like a startled hamster. Left with no choice, Lin Hanyue followed her, step for step.

Lin Hanyue had realized the moment she stepped off the plane that the airport was swarming with fans, and her luggage had somehow been swept away in the crowd. Her assistant had gone to distract them, leaving Lin Hanyue without her phone or other personal belongings on her. She was also loath to borrow a phone from a stranger.

That was, until she spotted Si Meng, who was acting sneaky and looking for a place to hide.

            

Seeing that the woman was still tailing her, Si Meng thought, She’s not some kind of creep, is she?

Si Meng wanted to dart into a stall and shut the door, but Lin Hanyue braced her hand against it, and the momentum carried both of them inside. Although Lin Hanyue generally disliked strangers, she surprisingly didn’t mind being close to this person.

Si Meng suddenly spoke up. “Spit it out. Are you after my money or my body? If it’s money, don’t even dream of it.”

            

Lin Hanyue was a full head taller than Si Meng. In the narrow restroom stall, there was barely any room to stretch her arms, so she had no choice but to prop one hand against the partition wall while resting her other on the suitcase. Had any outsider seen them, they would surely have been shocked by this bizarre wall-slam pose.

Si Meng swallowed hard. That familiar sense of dread washed over her once more. Why did this woman give her a feeling so strikingly similar to Lin Hanyue?

Hearing her swallow, Lin Hanyue assumed she was acting out of a guilty conscience, and said coldly, “I should be the one asking you that. This luggage is…”

            

The distance between them was paper-thin. Si Meng could even feel the other woman’s breath brushing against her eyelashes. No, this wouldn’t do. She had to stay far away from any creature resembling Lin Hanyue.

Si Meng shoved both hands forward, and as luck would have it, her palms landed right on the swell of Lin Hanyue’s ample chest. Lin Hanyue’s expression froze, and her cheeks burned red beneath her mask, whether from embarrassment or anger. Si Meng didn’t have time to overthink—she just wanted to know if this person really was Lin Hanyue.

Using the suitcase to hoist herself up, Si Meng leaned in. With quick hands and sharp eyes, she snatched off the other woman’s sunglasses and mask. Instantly, Lin Hanyue’s perennial iceberg of a face was revealed right before her.

            

As Lin Hanyue’s face grew darker, Si Meng recognized the warning signs of her impending fury. In a flurry of panic, she thrust the suitcase into Lin Hanyue’s hands.

“I don’t even want the luggage anymore! It’s all yours! Lin Hanyue, stop following me!” Si Meng cried.

Lin Hanyue touched her own face. To catch the early flight, she hadn’t even had time to put on makeup today. This look differed slightly from her on-screen appearance, yet this person had recognized her at a single glance. She didn’t seem like a fan either; rather, she was avoiding her like the plague. How very intriguing…

            

By the time Lin Hanyue squeezed her way out of the airport, she was surprised to find Assistant Li holding a suitcase identical to the one in her own hands—even the patterns and textures were exactly the same. Hadn’t the designer claimed this was a limited-edition piece with only one in the entire country?

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Seeing Lin Hanyue walk out, the butler hurried to open the car door for her, only to notice that his young mistress didn’t seem to be in high spirits, her face looking slightly weary from catching flights overnight.

            

Lin Hanyue frowned as she suddenly realized the foolish thing she had done. She had actually snatched someone else’s luggage in public. If that person decided to post about it, it would be another trending topic on Weibo.

Lin Hanyue rubbed her temples. “Uncle Wang, look into the owner of this suitcase. Find out what their background is.”

After a brief pause, the butler spoke up with some hesitation, “Miss, the owner of this luggage is Si Meng.”

            

Lin Hanyue sat up abruptly from her light doze. A smile flickered in the depths of her eyes, mixed with a touch of annoyance. Had she known earlier, she never would have let her slip away. “Si Meng has returned to China?” she pressed.

“Yes,” the butler replied. “It’s been four years, and she has finally returned. Back then, she let you down, Miss, and…”

“And how is she doing now?” Lin Hanyue cut him off, her voice low.

            

“I heard she owes tens of millions in contract breach fines,” the butler said.

Lin Hanyue’s eyes lit up. “She’s short on money? Has my life assistant been hired yet?”

Understanding her drift, the butler replied, “Miss, we haven’t found anyone yet. There are too few who meet the criteria. I’ll contact Si Meng immediately.”

            

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