Chapter 378: Chapter 316: Rising Phase: 152_5
The reporters laughed, saying, "The prize money hasn’t reached my hands, we’re here to cover top stories."
Zhou Lan waved his hand and said, "Can you guys give these two some space for now? There’ll be plenty of time in the future, right? Let’s start by joining a group, and we’ll discuss more later. Behave yourselves – whoever badmouths our Xiao Yun behind her back won’t get any red envelopes from me!"
"The red envelopes still need to be sent out, can’t skimp on that!" the reporters chuckled.
...
Meanwhile, the internet was still abuzz with discussions.
The news about Zhou Yun and Song Chi could be traced back two years ago.
It was quite magical – the first time they were rumored to be involved, it was because they coincidentally stayed at the same hotel, and now, the rumors were confirmed because they were seen walking into a hotel hand in hand.
Some joked that the hotel should ask them to be spokespersons.
Zhou Yun saw the comments on Weibo and couldn’t help but laugh.
Song Chi watched her, incredulous.
"You’re laughing so happily?"
"Happy, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?" said Zhou Yun. "No one’s cursing me out."
Song Chi looked surprised and asked, "No one’s cursing you? That can’t be right."
Zhou Yun replied, "I ignore the voices that curse me. They’re just jealous."
Song Chi: "...Alright then."
Zhou Yun said, "We really went all out, just casually going public like that."
"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Song Chi said. "My phone has been blowing up."
"How come I didn’t hear it?" Zhou Yun asked in surprise.
"I put it on silent a long time ago," replied Song Chi as he charged his phone. "I don’t want to respond for now."
Zhou Yun sighed. "Same here."
Song Chi added, "Director Kang also said we’re not being fair, having to go public right before ’Heart Inquiry’ airs."
"Ah?"
"He said it affects the way the audience watches the show," explained Song Chi.
Zhou Yun finally understood, later than sooner, "Oh, right!"
Song Chi said, "I told him it doesn’t matter. In the show, you and I are tortured lovers, never getting together throughout."
Zhou Yun asked, "What did Director Kang say?"
Song Chi replied, "Director Kang said that’s exactly why, because if we’re together in real life, it’s less excruciating for the audience."
"..." Zhou Yun said, "When the show airs, I’ll make sure the audience knows how much Director Kang wants to twist the knife in their hearts."
Song Chi mentioned, "If there are no surprises, ’Heart Inquiry’ might air by the end of this month. We’re waiting on the TV station’s schedule."
"Really? Then don’t we need to do promotions? Oh no, I might not have time for that!" Zhou Yun’s eyes widened, her face betraying a ’what should I do’ expression.
"You’re going to be on Brother Lew Yuan’s show; warm up the audience a bit first," said Song Chi. "By then, both Su Yan and I will have time, and Su Yan isn’t filming."
Zhou Yun nodded and said, "That’s good then. After all, she is the lead actress, as long as she has time, it’s fine."
Song Chi smiled and said, "To me, you are the lead actress."
Zhou Yun said, "Don’t say that. If Su Yan hears you, she’ll be fuming mad."
"I reckon she’s already fuming at the news of us holding hands today," Song Chi said. "Hasn’t she always been worried about us stealing her limelight?"
"Don’t say that. She’s just worried about me," replied Zhou Yun. "I wonder how she’s feeling now."
...
Of course, Su Yan wasn’t feeling great.
Her mood today was as disgusting and uncomfortable as if she had soaked in shit.
So much so, she didn’t even want to cooperate with the promotions for "Heart Inquiry."
She lashed out at her agent: "Zhou Yun is doing this on purpose to disgust me! ’Heart Inquiry’ is set to air at the end of the month, and she just had to choose this moment to assert her dominance, drawing all the attention to herself. By the time ’Heart Inquiry’ airs, who will still care about me?"
"Don’t be angry, don’t get wrinkles from getting angry," her agent He Ting immediately consoled. "Don’t even think about it; you are the undisputed female lead of ’Heart Inquiry.’ Don’t neglect your hard work on the drama just because you’re upset at the moment."
"Sister Ting, do I not care? Do you think that if I go promote this drama now, I won’t just be making a wedding dress for someone else? In ’Heart Inquiry,’ Zhou Yun’s screentime isn’t much less than mine, and since Song Chi likes her, who knows if they’ll edit to minimize her scenes and cut mine, making us appear as equals!"
"That’s never going to happen. We’ve outlined everything clearly in the contract; if they dare to do that, we’ll take them to court."
"I’m so angry right now! Zhou Yun, that bitch! She just has to be against me!"
He Ting didn’t continue to console her, and after letting Su Yan vent her anger, she sighed and said persuasively, "Yanyan, I know you’re angry, but anger isn’t going to solve anything. The key thing is ’Heart Inquiry’ is of great quality, and your performance has made a breakthrough. Let me tell you, no matter how you feel about Song Chi, don’t show it. In any case, wait until after the drama has aired! Zhou Yun’s temporary triumph means nothing; even if she triumphs, she’s just a supporting actress in this drama, you are the lead actress. When it’s time to submit for the Best Actress award, you will be the one, not her, eligible for Best Supporting Actress."
Su Yan bit her lip, silent for a moment, then asked, "So do you think I can win the award?"
He Ting replied, "There’s a great chance. Based on the current situation, your biggest competitor is Wei Ru Xue. But ’Spring Cold’ is a palace drama and not favored by the officials. Others with the potential to win Best Actress don’t have reputable works released this year, so as long as ’Heart Inquiry’ is well-received upon airing, you stand a good chance of winning. I’ve heard that Zhou Yun won’t be able to participate in the drama’s promotional period."
Hearing this last sentence, Su Yan’s eyes instantly lit up.