Trending Again – Chapter 14
by Little PandaThe Only Things That Can Blacken Her Are the Sun and Herself
Si Meng walked into the restroom and saw Bai Lu with her makeup mostly smeared—her face patchy with white and black, like a half-dead vengeful ghost. Light makeup would have been appropriate for this occasion, but she had insisted on painting it on thick and heavy.
Hearing footsteps, Bai Lu assumed it was her useless assistant and snapped, “Useless, get over here and fix my makeup.”
Si Meng gave a half-smile and said mockingly, “Bai-meimei1 certainly has quite the airs.”
Bai Lu looked up and saw the face she despised. She wanted nothing more than to claw at Si Meng’s striking, radiant face—why did this woman look so beautiful even without makeup, while she could only maintain her looks with cosmetics?
Bai Lu glanced around, confirmed there were no cameras, and dropped her act entirely, revealing her true colors as she said viciously, “Si Meng, it’s all your fault, you bitch. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be getting cursed out online.”
Si Meng remained completely unfazed by her insults. “Isn’t this all your own doing? I just gave you a push. Didn’t you want to go trending? Well, now you have.”
Bai Lu gnashed her teeth in hatred. She had gone trending, all right—but who wanted to trend from being hated? Her agency was already dissatisfied, threatening to shelve her entirely if she didn’t handle this. It was all Si Meng’s fault. A bitch like her was only fit to be a stepping stone.
Si Meng pulled out her phone and waved it with evident amusement. “Tell me—wouldn’t the entertainment press and paparazzi be very interested in what you just said? Should fetch a good price, too.”
Bai Lu was furious. She hadn’t expected Si Meng to have this trick up her sleeve. She lunged forward, but Si Meng sidestepped her attack and feigned a fall—tears streaming down instantly, wiping them weakly, looking so pitiful and tragic, like a painting of a beauty in tears. Bai Lu raised her hand, trying to snatch the phone.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lin Hanyue had appeared behind them at some point, followed by a rush of reporters flooding in. Bai Lu panicked, not knowing whether to grab the phone or cover her face and flee.
Lin Hanyue quickly helped Si Meng up. Si Meng leaned limply against her, tilting her head to rest on Lin Hanyue’s shoulder and blowing softly into her ear. “Jiejie2, aren’t you going to carry me home?” she murmured sweetly.
A flicker of emotion crossed Lin Hanyue’s ever-icy face, and her earlobes slowly flushed red. Si Meng flirted without even realizing it—she only thought she was getting back at Lin Hanyue for always bullying her. Si Meng wrapped her arms around Lin Hanyue’s neck and pressed her forehead against the sharp lines of her profile, her breath faintly teasing Lin Hanyue’s senses.
Lin Hanyue had always believed her self-control was extraordinary, but before Si Meng, she repeatedly broke her own boundaries. “Don’t move,” she said in a low voice.
“Oh.” Si Meng clung obediently to Lin Hanyue. Actually, Si Meng had always thought she was a “13,” until she met Lin Hanyue.
Love at first sight meant that the moment she saw her, all her standards for a partner seemed tailor-made for her.
Lin Hanyue carried Si Meng to the car. Assistant Li didn’t dare make a sound, driving in silence. Lin Hanyue’s expression was restrained—she hadn’t felt this kind of desire in years.
She remembered her last flutter of the heart—it was when Si Meng had pursued her on campus, wanting to be her girlfriend. She had been so pure then, aloof and isolated from the world, until Si Meng burst into her life like a blazing fire, offering up all her tenderness and devotion. But she hadn’t cherished it—hadn’t learned how to love someone.
Fortunately, Si Meng had come back. This time, she would hold Si Meng firmly in her grasp. Si Meng’s person, Si Meng’s heart—she wanted both!
Si Meng felt that Lin Hanyue was smelling better and better. She was soft and fragrant to hold—slim where she should be slim, and where there was flesh… it felt nice to touch.
“Stop moving.” Lin Hanyue growled with restrained frustration.
“Oh.”
Si Meng draped herself over Lin Hanyue and fell asleep before long. Lin Hanyue gazed at her indescribably beautiful sleeping face, gently leaned close, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
…
Si Meng woke up to find herself in Lin Hanyue’s bed. She checked her clothes—still perfectly intact. So nothing had happened after all. She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed; she had thought something might happen.
Si Meng opened Weibo. The first trending topic was Bai Lu being dropped by her agency and terminated from “The Life of a Culinary Star.” Scrolling down, the second trending topic was about her.
Weibo ＆
【D-list food streamer disfigured—once beautiful as a fairy, now ugly as a toad. What a pity, what a pity】
【Can the OP stop spreading rumors? Our Mengmeng hasn’t even come out to speak yet!】
【Si Meng isn’t just disfigured—she’s also throwing diva tantrums and refusing to participate in “The Life of a Culinary Star”】
【Death to rumor-mongers! Our Meng baby is doing just fine—gentle and cute, never throws diva tantrums】
…+999
Si Meng got the gist. It seemed someone had paid trolls to spread rumors about her, but she didn’t care—it was just free publicity.
After breakfast, Butler Uncle Wang informed her that Lin Hanyue had already returned to the production team. Si Meng also called Lu Qi, preparing to head to the set.
But she had to call several times before Lu Qi’s hoarse voice finally answered, mumbling a few vague responses before hastily hanging up.
On the other end, Lu Qi’s head was spinning. She looked at the girl sleeping soundly in her bed, feeling a twinge of reluctance. She had only meant to get the other girl drunk and chat—how the MD4 had she ended up sleeping with her? Lu Qi got up and changed, pulling a stack of cash from her wallet and placing it by the bed, planning to go pick up Si Meng. But then she heard the girl mumbling in her sleep with a tearful tone.
Lu Qi’s heart melted into a puddle. She glanced at the bright red bloodstain on the sheets, then placed all the cards from her wallet on the nightstand too. She was scum—she played with women and never looked back.
Lu Qi drove up in a Barbie pink BMW. Si Meng raised an eyebrow and hopped right in. Lu Qi couldn’t do anything about her—why did this person always like to hop into her car?
Si Meng noticed her unease. “What’s wrong? Something on your mind?”
Lu Qi deflected, “Nothing. What could I possibly have on my mind?”
Si Meng didn’t buy it, guessing, “It’s because of a woman, isn’t it.”
Lu Qi felt guilty. “Enough about that. How are you planning to deal with those paid trolls?”
Si Meng said mysteriously, “The production team is the best advertisement.”
Arriving at the filming location of “The Life of a Culinary Star,” the guests and director’s team were the same as before, but the Producer and a whole batch of assistants had been replaced.
Everyone welcomed Si Meng’s arrival—genuinely fond of this kind and beautiful girl. Without Bai Lu’s passive-aggressiveness, everyone was harmonious.
Si Meng was still wearing a mask, and the Director let her be—as long as she was willing to come, that was enough.
With a new Producer, the show became more vibrant. It was simply a cooking reality show, unlike before with all those messy games and punishments deliberately fabricating nonexistent conflicts.
Everyone set up tents and cooked outdoors by the beach in joyful harmony. Suddenly, a girl suggested playing Truth or Dare, and everyone naturally agreed.
This was the newcomer who had replaced Bai Lu’s spot—just a newly debuted singer who had turned eighteen this year, so she was a bit timid. Looking at the frosty Lin Hanyue, she was too scared to speak.
“Look at you, you’ve scared the poor girl. Come play with us—it’s boring anyway.” Si Meng winked at Lin Hanyue, teasing her.
The girl immediately looked at Si Meng with gratitude—but one look, and she was lost. Ten thousand groundhogs5 were screaming in her heart. Oh my god, this masked miss is so pretty—I want to rua6 her.
But when she turned around, she found Lin Hanyue watching her with a faint, cold glare, sending a chill down her spine.
At the start, Lin Hanyue was selected. Everyone asked her truth questions: Were there any male actors she had enjoyed working with? What about that rumored fresh-faced actor? And her relationship with the new Movie King…?
Lin Hanyue’s answers were either “No” or “Who?” She genuinely didn’t know who was being rumored with her—there were so many people rumored to be with her, except they all got banned the next day.
Finding this boring, everyone turned their attention to Si Meng. The first time, Si Meng chose truth.
“Is there anyone here you like?”
Si Meng smiled slightly. Under everyone’s expectant gaze, she said, “Yes. I like every single one of you.”
It sounded like she had answered, but also like she hadn’t.
Everyone pressed on, and Si Meng was selected again. This time she chose dare.
“Kiss someone here,” the girl blurted out. All eyes turned to her in unison, and she covered her face in embarrassment—she was done for, her lsp7 nature was exposed.
Everyone looked at Si Meng, and the audience looked at Si Meng too. They thought Si Meng would refuse this unreasonable request, but she actually accepted.
Si Meng’s mom-like fans8 felt vindicated. Who dared say their baby was throwing diva tantrums? She was incredibly approachable.
Si Meng caught sight of the utterly cold Lin Hanyue beside her, then glanced at the eager Zhang Biliang and the excited girl.
The comments section had already started placing bets: #1 Movie Queen Lin, #2 Zhang the Husky, #3 Ning Ke’ai.
Si Meng smiled, took off her black mask, and revealed that flawless face—skin as delicate as porcelain, long lashes as lush as dandelion fluff, willow brows unpainted yet dark, lips untouched yet red and moist. Everyone was dazzled by the beauty before them.
Si Meng stood up and walked toward Lin Hanyue—but passed right by her, came before Zhang Biliang, paused for three seconds, then turned toward the stunned Ning Keke, ruffled Ning Keke’s ahoge9, and walked to the camera behind Ning Keke.
Danmaku went wild: 【The cameraman is in danger!】【The cameraman is the real winner!】【I want to be a cameraman!】
Si Meng finally stopped in front of the lens, her beautiful eyes flickering with a hint of a smile, and swiftly pressed a kiss to the camera. No one had expected this—so Si Meng was kissing the audience.
Danmaku:
【Ahhhhh, my mom asked why I’m gnawing on my phone】
【I’m done for, I’m not pure anymore, but I’m inexplicably thrilled】
【We were actually candidates, and we beat all the guests! Hahaha, what an achievement】
Footnotes
- Meimei (妹妹) means 'younger sister' in Chinese. Prefixed with a surname, it becomes a mock-affectionate form of address for a younger woman.
- Jiejie (姐姐) is a Chinese affectionate term for 'older sister,' commonly used to address an older female intimately regardless of blood relation.
- In Chinese queer community slang, '1' refers to the dominant/top role in a relationship, while '0' refers to the receptive/bottom role.
- MD is a pinyin acronym for 妈的 (ma de), a common Chinese expletive equivalent to 'fucking' or 'damn.'
- 'Ten thousand groundhogs screaming' (万只土拨鼠尖叫) is Chinese internet slang expressing extreme excitement or fangirling, akin to 'screaming internally.'
- 'Rua' is Chinese internet slang meaning to pet, rub, or knead, often used to express the urge to squeeze or fondle something cute.
- 'Lsp' is a pinyin acronym for 老色批 (lao se pi), internet slang for 'old pervert' or 'horn-dog,' describing someone openly lustful.
- 'Mom-like fans' (妈妈粉, mama fen) are fans who adore and protect their idol like a mother dotes on a child.
- 'Ahoge' (呆毛, daimao) is a Japanese-derived term for a tuft of hair sticking up from a character's head, signifying cuteness.
0 Comments