Passionate Love After Marriage With The White Moonlight Movie Queen

Chapter 23: She's Smiling So Brightly, There Must Be Something Wrong

Due to encountering those two playful stray cats, Shen Qingzhi's carefully groomed fur suddenly became all ruffled again.

At this moment, she didn't let anyone carry her either. She stepped forward on her own, wearing 7-centimeter high heels, duangduangduang* and charged forward all by herself.

*just an onomatopoeia like boing boing or something 

Gu Jinrong drove her home, and was about to ask "Do you want to drink some water before taking a shower", when she heard the door of the bathroom "bang", and she was locked outside again.

Ai, after this reunion, the frequency of this little rabbit's fur explosion is getting shorter and shorter.

Shen Qingzhi was really sleepy, and within a few minutes after taking a shower, she entered the bedroom and closed the door firmly.

She was lying on the bed alone, every pore on her body oozed with "I'm angry", but it didn't take long for her to meet Duke Zhou.

Gu Jinrong sat alone in the living room for a while. She used to work on film shoots in Country M and often had reversed day and night schedules, so she felt more energetic at night.

When she had nothing to do, she took out her mobile phone and clicked on Weibo to see. In the middle of the night, her and Shen Qingzhi's names were still listed in the front row of trending searches.

She didn't care about her main entry, but clicked into #Shen Qinzhi's Praise: Gu Jinrong's future has great potential#

This is the first time she has been listed side by side with her wife's name on the hot search, and she is looking forward to whether someone will ship their CP.

The result was surprising when she finally took a look.

It was almost two o'clock in the morning, and the real-time comments under this entry were still surging, and almost all of them were scolding Shen Qingzhi.

Disrespectful to seniors, defiant, arrogant, and some people took the opportunity to dig out the previous recording accident of "Let's Talk Together" to prove that Shen Qingzhi's behavior is bad, and it has always been like this.

Gu Jinrong clearly saw the screen recording of that incident, and it was clearly the actor named Chen Qiang who provoked her first.

She thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, netizens love to stir fried rice* now.

*炒冷饭 (chǎo lěng fàn)- rehash old issues 

Gu Jinrong scrolled through the comments, and her fair and slender hand almost showed veins popping out: My baby, I can't even bring myself to say harsh words to you, yet they are treating you this way.

She blocked more than a dozen accounts that scolded Shen Qingzhi, but she still couldn't calm down at all.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to dial a number and said, "Are you asleep? I want to borrow your account to post a video."

The person on the other end of the call was the head of Strawberry Media, responsible for managing several marketing accounts, some of which had millions of followers and collaborations with various celebrity agencies.

Initially, Gu Jinrong had no plans for marketing, but as soon as she returned to China, the boss of the company approached her with a sincere attitude and handed her a business card.

Usually, her agent Alice would handle these matters, but it was late at night, so Gu Jinrong decided to contact the person directly.

When Wu Chuyun received Gu Jinrong's phone call, she could hardly believe her eyes.

When she had handed her business card to Gu Jinrong before, it was merely a formality, and the company's team had always been in charge of such matters. She never imagined that one day her idol would personally call her.

Once Wu Chuyun understood the purpose of Gu Jinrong's call, she immediately assured her, "It's a small matter, leave it to me."

In this world, there were always night owls. At that moment, Shen Qingzhi was peacefully asleep in her bed, unaware that her name was being repeatedly criticized online.

[Last time, Shen Qingzhi got away with insulted her senior enough to faint. It's only been a few days, and she can't control her loneliness again?]

[Exactly, Chen Qiang is also an established veteran actor. Why does Shen Qingzhi act so arrogantly and never shows respect for others in her eyes?]

[Yeah, what she did last time was so excessive, but it all went silent within a day. The production team blocked the news to death. Who is behind her?]

[It's useless to support anyone, the Internet has memory]

[I guess what she did on the scene at the time must have been much more serious than what was described, sooner or later she will reveal all the details]

[You guys, go check it out. Someone posted a video of her arguing with someone that day. #Website link#

These people are always here for the show, no matter how big the issue is. In no time, the biggest marketing account under Strawberry Media was flooded with melon-eating masses.

Entertainment Circle V: On 4.22 "Let's Talk Together" live recording, I heard everyone wants to see this. #Video link#]

The video is less than three minutes long, with the first half-minute being a compilation of Chen Qiang's pompous "famous quotes." The latter part conveniently captures the entire process of him cueing Shen Qingzhi until he was stunned and fainted.

Never underestimate the enthusiasm of netizens. Within half an hour of the video being posted in the middle of the night, the view count soared to a hundred thousand.

The comment section under this video was also bustling. Alongside those who steadfastly saw Shen Qingzhi as the culprit and continued to criticize her, there were gradually emerging new voices.

[Emm, after watching it, why do I feel like Chen Qiang started it? His mouth is even more offensive than Shen Qingzhi's.]

[As a girl, hearing this kind of patriarchal education, I instantly got angry. If it were me, I would have wanted to clap back at him, but I don't have Shen Qingzhi's eloquence.]

[Although I don't particularly like Shen Qingzhi, I have to say, "Well done with the comeback!"]

[Even though the entertainment industry has a hierarchy, why does someone, no matter how senior, have the right to meddle in someone else's personal matters? Are they really close? It's hard not to envision certain nosy relatives at home.]

[Previously, from the description, I thought Shen Qingzhi was really terrible, but now it seems she's pretty cool. I wish I had a mouth that wouldn't let myself suffer.]

The majority of people online are young, and among them, girls make up a large portion. It's easy for them to empathize with the situation in the video by putting themselves in Shen Qingzhi's shoes.

Therefore, even though Shen Qingzhi has never been popular among the general public, she still receives support from more than half of the netizens.

Some even think she's genuine and declare their intention to become her fans.

Regardless of how sincere these statements are, it's generally a positive trend.

Of course, the voices criticizing her won't simply disappear. Just as there are young girls who empathize with Shen Qingzhi, there are also middle-aged men who empathize with Chen Qiang.

Moreover, she has been targeted by professional haters since her debut. But now, with the prevailing trend, those who dislike her can't stir up much of a storm by bringing up her past variety show appearances.

These people, seeing one plan fail, come up with another and redirect the focus to the conflict between Shen Qingzhi and Gu Jinrong.

These two fan groups had various conflicts before. Now, with Gu Jinrong winning awards and gaining more popularity in China, her reputation has skyrocketed.

Disrespecting seniors' words may not be a big deal when it comes to others, but it can be turned into a substantial issue for them.

In the entertainment industry, if someone wants to ruin a person's public image, besides spreading malicious rumors about them, another method is to provoke a conflict between that person and someone with an excellent public image.

So they started analyzing the "Future holds great potential" video frame by frame, capturing every tone and subtle expression to interpret, highlighting Shen Qingzhi's arrogance and Gu Jinrong's disdain for this arrogant junior.

However, before they could spread their lengthy interpretations, Gu Jinrong unexpectedly logged into her official Weibo account after 2 a.m. and posted a new Weibo post.

Gu Jinrong V: Thank you to the organizers of the Starlight Awards for the warm hospitality. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting many talented young individuals. [Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3]

The post was accompanied by photos taken at the banquet, which she requested from the organizers.

The photos were taken when she was sitting at the same table as Shen Qingzhi, capturing the moment she tasted foie gras. The three photos included her and all thirteen young actors at the table.

And Shen Qingzhi was seated next to her, appearing in all three photos.

This was originally just an ordinary Weibo post, but it held special significance given the current circumstances.

It is widely known that group photos in the entertainment industry are carefully arranged. The positions, frequencies, and angles of appearance all have hidden meanings. Netizens who enjoy analyzing and interpreting can deduce relationships and dynamics from a small group photo.

If there is discord among stars, it is common for a group photo to show everyone except for the person they have issues with.

Whether intentional or not, everyone understands the underlying message.

In the three group photos that Gu Jinrong posted, Shen Qingzhi appeared in all of them.

Naturally, no one assumed that they had a close relationship based on this, but at least nothing negative could be inferred.

After all, given Gu Jinrong's status, if she had any grievances with someone, she wouldn't need to subject herself to such discomfort.

So, there were still Gu Jinrong fans who were somewhat dissatisfied with the #Shen Qingzhi praises Gu Jinrong's bright future# Weibo post and wanted to vent their frustration. However, when they saw the group photo, they all quieted down.

As the saying goes, fans follow the true master. The majority of Gu Jinrong's fans are Buddhist.

*unaware/unbothered by the hustle and bustle of the world other than theirs/laid-back

A few malicious people still wanted to rub the fire secretly, but everyone's attention already shifted to other places uncontrollably.

[Movie Queen Gu is really magnanimous, she is so good-tempered that she can tolerate clowns making faces]

[Forget it, I think Queen Gu is not angry, but you are more angry]

[Isn't it tiring to be noisy all day long? How nice it is to be quiet and clean your face. By the way, this table have such high quality looks, being young is good]

[I've noticed that too. Queen Gu, must have sat at that table because of the looks. She truly lives up to her reputation. dog head]

[Hey, there are seven florets in this table, do you think that the heroine of Queen Gu's new drama will come from here?]

[Actually, I also wanted to say the same thing just now. Although the coffee* rank at this table is a bit low, Queen Gu has never minded supporting newcomers, and she is also a face dog**.  dog head]

*popularity

**a person who values good looks a lot

[Place your bets, among the beauties at this table, who could possibly become the female lead in Queen Gu's new drama? I'm putting my money on Jiang Ke'er, a sweet girl paired with a classy older sister character.]

[I bet on Yu Kexin, the fragrance of red and white roses.]

[I bet on Chu Yingying.]

[I bet on Shu Mengchen]

Gu Jinrong, at this moment, took out her alternate account and was browsing Weibo. She noticed that in her comment section, six out of the top ten comments were all placing bets. Among the seven flowers, six of them were chosen, but her own wife was nowhere to be found.

She scrolled down persistently, hoping to find something, and finally came across a comment: [I bet on Shen Qingzhi, tsundere* and blackened** pairing, YYDS***].

*傲娇 (ào jiāo): someone who has a proud, arrogant, or cold exterior but actually possesses a caring or gentle nature deep down/ rude-mouthed, soft-hearted

**黑化  (hēi huà) refers to a person who is usually a good person and becomes crazy/negative/villainous 

***永远滴神" (yǒng yuǎn dī shén), which translates to "forever god-like" or "forever awesome, the G.O.A.T

This comment had been posted for more than ten minutes and was already pushed to the bottom, with only a pitiful one like. Perhaps it was even the commenter themselves who liked it.

Gu Jinrong moved her fingers and also gave a thumbs up.

But thinking about it, she was still upset.

She wanted to prove the depth of her relationship with Shen Qingzhi and had originally planned to post a couple photo.

However, she was afraid of being too conspicuous and putting her wife in the spotlight.

With the news of their marriage and the details of their new drama not yet public, she needed to be a bit more cautious in her actions. So, she decided to release photos of the entire table, thinking it would provide some cover and divert attention.

However, she didn't expect the "cover" to be so effective that it almost completely diverted everyone's attention, causing them to ignore the real protagonist.

Even though she initially wanted to maintain a low profile and be cautious, she now finds herself becoming resentful.

Why do netizens have such poor judgment these days?!

Well, at least there is still someone with good taste. The truth lies in the hands of a few.

Thinking this way, Gu Jinrong clicked on the avatar of the netizen who bet on Shen Qingzhi, wanting to see who is so discerning.

Upon closer inspection, a pleasant surprise is revealed.

Although she didn't understand the meaning behind the four words "Rong Shen Zhi Di" in the recent group information, she instantly recognized the two individuals in the group avatar. Aren't these her and her wife?

It is said that the group owner had just witnessed their CP interaction at the scene two hours ago, causing excitement to well up in their hearts.

After updating the "Memorabilia of Rong Shen" she felt it was not enough. She decided to create a dedicated Chaohua for their CP and build a small house for them, just like other CPs have.

However, the number of members in the group was limited, and they couldn't even gather ten members to get the Chaohua approved.

Seeing the progress at 9/10, it made the group owner extremely anxious. Staying up all night, they attempted to find a lost little lamb online to increase the number of members.

It's just that although there are many people eating melons on the Internet to watch the excitement, there is no one who is a cult like them.

Just when the group leader was thinking about opening a small account by herself, she suddenly received an application.

[Bunny is so cute, I want to eat Bunny, applying to join Rong Shen Zhi Di]

The question to verify the message is also answered correctly.

Q: Who is Gu Jinrong's wife?

A: Shen Qingzhi.

The group leader was overjoyed and immediately welcomed the person into the group.

By now most of the group had gone to bed, and she and the other two night owls were the only ones who were there to give a warm welcome.

The old members in the group quickly exchanged secret signals with the new member, and they began actively sharing the glorious history of the group, which had been established for several hours.

The new member had a long ID, so everyone affectionately called her "Eating Bunny".

Different from such a cute ID, Eating Bunny's personality is obviously much colder than other people, and he speaks sternly like an old cadre.

It doesn't matter, they are a very tolerant group.

Eating Bunny: Speaking of our group avatar, is it a photoshopped image? It looks a bit peculiar.

Group Owner: Yes, I photoshopped Zhizhi and Boss Gu's wedding photo. We're all novices here, so this is the best we can do for now. But don't worry, as our group grows and becomes stronger, we'll have more talented individuals joining us. Struggle.jpg

Eating Bunny: ...

The group owner seems to have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit.

Eating Bunny: How about I give it a try? What if we change the group avatar to this? [Image]

It is also a photo of two people with a red background, this photo is obviously much more natural and smooth than the previous PS that looked like it was chewed by a dog.

The two people in the photo are sitting side by side, one with a shy demeanor, the other gentle and charming. Even if it is just a photo ID, they look like a very well-matched couple.

After seeing the photo, everyone exclaimed Eating Bunny is a master, and the group owner quickly updated the group avatar at lightning speed.

[Master's craft 666*!, this photo doesn't look like PS at all.]

*666: nice or smooth, a praise usually in gaming when someone showed an impressive skill.

[I really hope that one day Zhi Zhi and Boss Gu will have the chance to see our group's avatar. Maybe it looks even more like their actual wedding photo.]

[Master, click on the super chat application, from now on you will be the veteran Meitu Zone* of Rong Shen Zhi Di]

*Meitu refers to a popular Chinese photo editing and enhancement app called "Meitu XiuXiu." It provides various tools and filters to edit and beautify photos, allowing users to enhance their images by applying filters, adjusting colors, removing blemishes, and adding various effects.

Gu Jinrong didn't expect to post a wedding photo on a whim and get herself a job.

However, it is not a problem for her to take a photo together.

This new CP Chaohua with just ten members has already caused the group owner to divide several special areas in the first place.

However, a couple's photo is not a challenge for her.

This new CP Chaohua with just ten members has already prompted the group owner to create several dedicated areas in no time.

[Fanfiction] [Casual Chat] [Material Sharing] [Video Zone] [Meitu Zone] [Memorabilia]...

Even though there is no material available at the moment, it's important to establish a strong presence.

As the proclaimed "veteran of the Meitu Zone," Gu Jinrong feels the need to make some contributions.

So she selected a few aesthetically pleasing photos from tonight's Starlight Awards ceremony and uploaded them, receiving three likes.

Gu Jinrong accepted these praises with a clear conscience, feeling as happy as when she received the award.

While she didn't personally take or edit any of these photos, she still contributed to each and every one of them. 

After building up the Chaohua, Gu Jinrong put away her phone and went to take a shower.

She has lived in this house for nearly a month after returning to China, and finally felt a sense of popularity in the past few days.

While the constant shuffling of bottles and jars in the bathroom can be a bit of a headache, her little girl never tires of such little pranks.

However, every time she saw the traces of these items being deliberately manipulated, an image of a certain fried-haired bunny with a tense face would come to her mind.

Suddenly, she felt that her OCD didn't bother her as much anymore.

Gu Jinrong changed into silk pajamas and was about to go back to her room, but she couldn't help but stop for a while when passing by the master bedroom.

The room across the door was very quiet, she stood at the door for a while, her slender hand fell on the handle unconsciously.

The door was unlocked, and the bedroom was completely silent, except for the moon shining through the window.

Gu Jinrong walked lightly to the bed, and all the bedding in the master bedroom had been changed.

The pink bed and pink quilt are covered with a dreamy atmosphere by the moonlight.

The little girl who sleeps quietly with her eyes closed under the quilt is as soft as a bunny when she is not fussing.

The quilt was very thin, and half of it was kicked to the side of the bed, barely covering the belly below. It reveals a smaller bunny that is held in the arms of the bunny.

Gu Jinrong recognized this bunny. She held it by the ears and flipped its face over.

The beige plush bunny, though slightly worn from washing, still looked very clean.

The bunny had a three-lobed mouth and two large front teeth, making its appearance quite unique. It's rare to find this style in the market nowadays.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969

This translation is originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

By estimation, the bunny must be around nine years old.

[Gu-jiejie, didn't you promise to stay at my house tonight for tutoring? Why are you leaving again?]

Qingqing, be good, jiejie has an urgent group assignment these days and needs to stay at the dormitory. How about I stay at your house next week? Is that okay?]

Little Shen Qingzhi bit her lip and lowered her head, with unhappiness written all over her face.

Gu Jinrong left for less than half a minute, and when she came back there is a plush bunny in her arms.

[Qingqing, look at this bunny. Isn't it cute? Do you like it? How about I let it keep you company for these two days while I'm away?]

Little Shen Qingzhi glared at the bunny, putting her hands in her pockets.

[Not cute, don't like it!]

Gu Jinrong pretended to be regretful.

[Since you don't like it, I'll have to give it to another kid. I'll buy you a bunny you like next time.]

Little Shen Qingzhi became anxious and snatched the bunny plush from her.

[If you bought it for me, then it's mine. Even though I don't like it, hmph!]

 Gu Jinrong smiled gently and patted the little tuft of hair sticking up on Shen Qingzhi's head.

[Be good, I'll definitely come visit next week, okay?]

***

So you still have it.

Gu Jinrong didn't notice this bunny two days ago when she was helping her move, presumably it was deliberately hidden by Shen Qingzhi.

Now that the old items reappeared, she couldn't help but feel sentimental as she looked at the two rabbits, one big and one small, on the bed. Her heart was filled with a gentle warmth.

Gu Jinrong stayed by the bed for a while this time. As Shen Qingzhi, who was sleeping, sensed the light coming in from outside, she turned over and buried half of her face in the pillow, away from the light.

Her light blonde hair was pressed down by her movement, causing a slight discomfort to her eyelids. Gu Jinrong reached out her hand and gently freed her hair from being pressed, then pulled up the thin blanket that had slipped down halfway.

With her eyes closed, Shen Qingzhi obediently allowed Gu Jinrong to take care of her. Perhaps she had a sweet dream, as a cute smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

Gu Jinrong, filled with affection, leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, Qingqing."

Shen Qingzhi slept well that night, and when she woke up, a lot of sunlight had already fallen in the room.

With her tousled hair, she finished washing up and shuffled in her slippers to the dining room, where she successfully caught sight of a tall figure arranging dishes on the table.

The rectangular table that had caused her to bump into it earlier had been replaced, and now a smoothly curved round table was placed in the center of the dining room.

"Qingqing, you're awake. I was just about to call you for breakfast."

With a gentle smile, Gu Jinrong, dressed in a neat home outfit, stood in her own living room, radiating the effect of a poster.

Shen Qingzhi was momentarily dazzled and paused for a moment, walking over to the table to observe.

There was oatmeal salad, Portuguese egg tarts, and especially a plate of adorable bunny-shaped jelly, exactly like the photo Gu Jinrong had sent her on WeChat last time.

Crystal clear and delightful, it instantly lifted her spirits.

Previously, Shen Qingzhi went to bed feeling a bit sulky, but upon waking up, most of her discontent had dissipated. Gu Jinrong noticed Shen Qingzhi's interest in the bunny jelly and decided to tease her.

"Qingqing, this jelly was made with fresh milk this morning. It's not only delicious but also fun to play with. Look."

She held a slender stainless steel spoon and gently tapped the bunny's bottom, causing the soft and tender little bunny to tremble all over.

The bunny's eyes and ears were dyed red with strawberry sauce, and with its trembling appearance, it looked particularly pitiful.

Shen Qingzhi, while looking at it, inexplicably blushed: This person is too mischievous, even the bunny isn't spared.

"Childish," Shen Qingzhi snorted lightly, pulling out a chair and sitting down, deliberately showing disinterest in the bunny jelly. She took the spoon and scooped some oats from the bowl.

Hmm, the taste is not bad.

At that moment, her phone rang, and it was her manager, Song Ling, calling. Shen Qingzhi glanced at Gu Jinrong, who was dining nearby, but without hesitation, she answered the call.

"Qingzhi, did you sleep well last night?"

The voice suddenly softened by three degrees, which was quite different from the usual stern style.

Shen Qingzhi: ...

She's afraid of her manager's sudden concern.

Shen Qingzhi swallowed the food in her mouth and cleared her throat. "Ling-jie, I slept well last night."

A soft scoff came from the other end of the phone. "Your mentality is not bad. If only your EQ could match your mindset, I could rest in peace with a smile on my face."

Shen Qingzhi was startled. "Ling-jie, it's not that serious. Didn't I... perform well yesterday?"

"Did you see the hot search?" There was a five-second silence in response to Song Ling's question.

Song Ling sighed, "Never mind, I guess you didn't see it. Praising a senior for their efforts and bright future, only you could pull off such a thing."

Shen Qingzhi, still groggy from just waking up, didn't immediately grasp the meaning, until she saw a certain someone playing with the rabbit on the same table. Finally, it clicked in her mind.

"Senior? Do you mean Gu Jinrong?"

Upon hearing her name, Gu Jinrong paused her spoon and gave Shen Qingzhi an ambiguous smile, only to receive an eye-roll in return.

"You're still openly calling Queen Gu by her name!" Song Ling was on the verge of shouting, but she managed to maintain her composure through her utmost self-restraint.

"You've only just settled down for a few days, and now you're giving people another reason to talk."

"Luckily, Queen Gu is magnanimous enough to help you out of this, otherwise you would've been criticized for another week."

Shen Qingzhi immediately grasped the key words this time. "Gu... how did Senior Gu help me out?"

Song Ling didn't answer directly. "You can check Weibo later for that. But I'm curious, what exactly is your relationship with Queen Gu? She seems quite protective of you."

Shen Qingzhi couldn't hide the fact of their marriage from her manager, so she spoke the truth.

"We have a legally married relationship."

Gu Jinrong, who was currently biting into an egg tart, had a smile that curved into a crescent shape: This is truly sweet.

However, on the other end of the phone, Song Ling had a completely different mood. Her pride and composed demeanor that she had maintained for over thirty years was about to burst. She let out a fierce roar into her phone.

"Shen Qingzhi, I'm talking to you about important matters, and you're running the train with your mouth full*!

*满嘴跑火车 (mǎnzuǐ pǎo huǒchē) talk nonsense/talking big/bragging 

The force of her voice was so overwhelming that Shen Qingzhi's ear felt a bit numb.

Shen Qingzhi had initially wanted to explain further, but realizing that Song Ling was still furious and wouldn't listen to her explanations, she decided to change her approach, disregarding the intense gaze from someone beside her.

"Um... Didn't I graduate from Y University? And, well... Gu... Senior Gu also studied at Y University before, so we have a senior-junior relationship."

At this moment, Gu Jinrong has finished devouring a whole egg tart, and the crescent shape at the corner of her mouth takes a different direction.

Song Ling ponders for a moment, then suddenly realizes.

"Oh, right! I actually forgot about this matter."

"If you have this connection with Queen Gu, it's a good opportunity to establish a relationship. She is a nice person, and it won't hurt to get along well with her.

"But with your personality... Even if you find me nagging, I still have to say it. You really need to be more careful. Luckily, this time it's Queen Gu, but it wouldn't have been as easy if it were someone else."

Holding her phone, Shen Qingzhi glanced at someone sitting next to her, looking pitiful for not eating breakfast properly, and thought to herself: We're already in the same room and sitting at the same table. How much more relationship can we establish?

On the other end of the phone, Song Ling continued her well-meaning advice. Although Shen Qingzhi still didn't fully understand what had happened, she showed a proactive attitude in accepting her mistakes.

She absorbed all of Song Ling's teachings until the latter finally stopped lecturing her. Then, she voiced her question that had been lingering in her mind.

"Ling-jie, I've remembered everything you said, but I have a question to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"Why can you believe that Senior Gu and I are senior and junior sisters, but you don't believe that we are legally married?"

Song Ling replied with annoyance, "Do you really think your marriage is legal? You can't just say things like that casually. If such rumors spread online, even the Buddhist fans could tear you apart."

Shen Qingzhi held her phone in silence, feeling a bit gloomy and unable to find the right words to respond.

Meanwhile, Gu Jinrong, who had stopped stirring her food with the spoon, seemed deep in thought.

Song Ling was accustomed to Shen Qingzhi's occasional silence and continued speaking on her own.

"Actually, I called you for another reason. The 'Sword Of Chivalry' drama team just called me. They said they have found a suitable actress for Nan Gongxue. As for you..."

"Got it..." Shen Qingzhi responded in a low voice, this time she was really depressed.

Having accompanied Shen Qingzhi for a year, Song Ling understood her thoughts and tried to console her.

"Don't be too upset. This issue isn't your fault. I've mentioned before that the production team already had someone in mind for this role. It's not uncommon in the entertainment industry, right?

I know you've put a lot of effort into preparing for this role, but now that the role is gone, we have to look ahead, don't we?"

As Shen Qingzhi's manager, Song Ling couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation, but she had to comfort her at this moment. Shen Qingzhi felt a bit embarrassed by it.

She took a deep breath and when she looked up, she wore a sunny smile on her face.

"Ling-jie, I'm fine, actually. These past few days, I've been reading scripts at home and it has been quite rewarding. Although it's disappointing that the role is no longer available, I didn't read the script for nothing.

"I will work even harder to improve myself, and next time, if there's another good opportunity, I'll grab it firmly!"

As she spoke with such determination and grandeur, even the bunny-shaped jelly in the dish seemed to tremble in response.

Hearing her vibrant voice, Song Ling also felt relieved. "I sometimes think that your mindset is quite admirable. Don't worry, tomorrow I'll bring you a few more scripts, and we'll carefully choose again."

She turned a pile of villainous roles into the aura of a great leader ready to conquer the world.

After ending the call, Shen Qingzhi finally remembered to log in to Weibo on her phone to check.

The hot search #Shen Qinzhi's Praise: Gu Jinrong's future has great potential#, although the popularity had decreased significantly, it was still related to her name, making it easy for her to find.

She clicked on the hot search and browsed through it for a while, then followed the trail of comments to Gu Jinrong's Weibo post, finally understanding what Song Ling was talking about.

All along, she regarded Gu Jinrong as a friend of her elder sister, a childhood friend who suddenly disappeared and reappeared, and the cunning person she contracted to marry.

In any case, their relationship should be quite equal.

So, until she saw this hot search, she had no idea that there was anything inappropriate about her words from last night.

She overlooked the fact that both of them were public figures, and public figures with seemingly disparate identities in the eyes of the outside world. A casual remark from her could cause a huge uproar.

Ironically, the truth would go unnoticed, and no one would believe it.

Just as Song Ling had said on the phone, if it wasn't for Gu Jinrong's defense this time, she would still be scolded by the netizens for at least another week.

Shen Qingzhi kept looking at the photos on Gu Jinrong's Weibo, feeling a slight sting in her eyes.

Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time someone had defended her like this, without considering their own interests.

Well, this time she owed Gu Jinrong a favor.

Shen Qingzhi put down her phone and looked up, meeting Gu Jinrong's concerned gaze.

Her eyes fell on the almost untouched bowl of oatmeal salad in front of Gu Jinrong, so she spoke up.

"Are you fussing so much over breakfast? Your figure is already great, you don't need to lose weight anymore."

Gu Jinrong: ?

Qingqing, are you caring for me?

Shen Qingzhi noticed that Gu Jinrong still hadn't made a move, and she looked at the plates and bowls on the table, which were arranged in a somewhat irregular manner. She thought that someone's OCD had kicked in again.

So she stood up and rearranged the plates and bowls, trying to make them appear symmetrically paired.

"There, it looks better now. Go ahead and eat."

Gu Jinrong was horrified: This unusual level of concern...I haven't offended her recently, have I?

Seeing the friendly light shining in Shen Qingzhi's eyes, she felt even more confused, and said cautiously.

"Qingqing, are you okay?"

"I'm okay." Shen Qingzhi smiled brightly.

Although she just received bad news on the phone, it doesn't conflict with her intention to repay someone's kindness that she cares about.

Gu Jinrong: ...

She's smiling so brightly at me, there must be something wrong.

Gu Jinrong is usually confident and composed, but in the face of Shen Qingzhi's current state, she truly feels uncertain.

She carefully considers and says, "Qingqing, if you have something on your mind, feel free to tell me. The way you are right now..."

I'm afraid.

Gu Jinrong didn't say the last half of the sentence out loud, but the expression on her face already said it all.

Seeing her hesitating appearance, Shen Qingzhi felt upset, and tried to bear it, but still couldn't help but blew up.

She slammed the table, causing her dumb hair to swoosh up: "Do you or don't you want to eat properly?!"

"I'll eat." Gu Jinrong picked up the cup of oatmeal with swift and precise movements, even more efficient than her military training years ago.

Seeing Shen Qingzhi return to her usual self, Gu Jinrong finally felt relieved: She's finally back to normal.

Shen Qingzhi, on the other hand, was puzzled by Gu Jinrong's demeanor: Does she like me speaking harshly to her?

Ai, it is not easy to be nice to people.

With their own thoughts in mind, the two of them finally finished breakfast and tidied up the dining table together. Gu Jinrong was the first to enter the study.

Shen Qingzhi, holding a glass of water, passed by the study door and happened to see Gu Jinrong sitting at the computer desk, clicking on the mouse.

She was puzzled: "Aren't you supposed to work today?"

She knew that she herself had been somewhat idle recently, but as far as she knew, the internationally acclaimed actress sitting in front of her had a busy schedule.

Gu Jinrong stared at the computer, not taking her eyes off the screen. "I also work from home."

Shen Qingzhi didn't believe it. "Playing on the computer counts as work? It's like being a white-collar worker sitting in an office."

Gu Jinrong adjusted the headphones on her right ear and continued to focus on the screen. "Is checking the profile of the female lead in the new drama considered work?"

Only then did Shen Qingzhi remember that earlier, when she was looking at Gu Jinrong's Weibo, there were numerous netizens in the comment section enthusiastically "choosing a consort" for her. From her current position, she couldn't see the contents on the screen clearly.

She had no idea who this person was and why the black hearted was so invested in it that she couldn't be bothered to exchange a few more words.

Shen Qingzhi pouted, her tone somewhat sour: "Well, then you better look carefully and choose someone pretty."

Gu Jinrong nodded, "She must be beautiful."

Shen Qingzhi: Hmph!