OFCC – Chapter 92

After the auction, Yi Wulan found another project partner in Hong Kong. Their background was cleaner than the Yin family’s. After two days of negotiations, the preliminary contract was finalized.

Once the negotiations were complete, the vacation came to an end. Mu Yanxi had originally wanted to stay in Hong Kong with Bai Yu’an for a few more days, but the gossip media didn’t give her the chance.

Ever since Mu Yanxi’s family background was made public, rumors of her and Yi Wulan’s marriage falling apart had been flying around like snowflakes, never ceasing. The marketing accounts spreading these rumors were well aware of Rongjia and Xinyu’s legal teams, so they cautiously added the word ‘suspected’ to their headlines.

Even Mu Yanxi’s two-year-old interactions on Weibo were dug up and labeled as ‘suspected’ cheating from back then. Not to mention the actors she had worked with; not a single one escaped the ‘suspected’ rekindling of an old flame.

At first, this matter was just passed around by public accounts and didn’t cause much of a stir, merely serving to chase clout and meet daily KPIs.

But the day before Mu Yanxi returned to Yuncheng, a rising young actor from Rongjia Entertainment brought it up during an interview, and it shot to the top of the trending topics.

It started when the young actor was asked about his experience filming with Mu Yanxi during an event. He was in a crucial phase of his career, and if he answered poorly and offended someone, his future could be ruined.

But who would have thought that the young actor would do the opposite? He neither avoided the topic nor offered some perfunctory praise for Mu Yanxi. Instead, he looked at the camera and politely asked, “Will this interview be broadcast later?”

The reporter was taken aback, assuming the young actor was trying to use Rongjia to threaten her, and she immediately became unhappy. “Of course it will. The entire internet will know about it soon.”

Hearing this, the young actor showed no discomfort at all; in fact, the smile on his face grew wider. He had starred in a campus drama with Mu Yanxi and had since played similar roles, earning him the title of the ultimate campus heartthrob.

Just that one smile was enough to make people feel a sense of warmth. He spoke slowly, “Then I’d like to say something to Teacher Mu here.”

As soon as he said this, the bustling crowd of reporters fell silent, ready for the young actor to drop some kind of bombshell.

And the young actor did not disappoint. In the next second, he completely wowed the entire audience. “It’s a pity I didn’t know Teacher Mu’s identity back then. If I had, I would have definitely latched onto her thigh.”

He simultaneously hinted that he hadn’t known Mu Yanxi’s identity at the time and that they weren’t particularly close, while also praising her current status, effortlessly defusing the difficult interview question.

The video of this interview was quickly sent to the top of the trending list. After Mu Yanxi’s background was exposed, many netizens had joked that if you wanted your favorite artist to become famous, you should tell them to go latch onto Mu Yanxi’s thigh.

But it was just a joke. Who knew that one day, it would actually come true? Netizens flocked to Weibo, calling for Mu Yanxi to respond to this “regret.”

When Mu Yanxi saw the trending topic, she found it both funny and helpless. But since he was an artist under Rongjia, she replied with a picture and the text: 【My popularity from being hated by the entire internet?】

The comment section below was filled with laughter.

【Hahaha, that’s so you, Mu Yanxi. Instead of teaching good things, you teach people how to attract hate?】

【I told you all the little vase holds a grudge. Do you really think she forgot the two years you all hated on her?】

【To the person above, the internet has a memory. Don’t think you’re whitewashed now.】

【I can feel the little vase’s speechlessness.】

【Marketing accounts are so bold! Don’t you know the little vase is a domineering president now? The time it took to reply to this Weibo post cost her tens of millions?】

【For every second the little vase looks at Weibo, Rongjia sells a hundred fewer holographic devices.】

Just as Mu Yanxi’s anti-fans were about to twist this trending topic into a discussion about her domineering president life, the young actor unexpectedly replied: 【I don’t mind.】

This back-and-forth interaction sent the matter straight to the top of the trending list, with the comments section filled with delight.

【I was about to curse you for dirtying the square I just cleaned for the little vase, but seeing ‘I don’t mind’… why do I suddenly feel like shipping this?】

【For you, I don’t mind being hated by the whole internet (doge face).】

【Damn, damn, damn, I’m shipping it too. A reckless puppy with a gentle wife? So forbidden, so exciting!】

【So, is anyone going to @ Rongjia’s official Weibo? I’ve got my melon seeds ready.】

【Fight, fight, waiting for President Yi’s response.】

Rongjia’s official Weibo account, which used to be as active as a zombie account, had somehow become incredibly prompt. Whenever there was even the slightest news about Mu Yanxi online, it was never late, and this time was no exception.

Without even needing netizens to specifically @ it, it had already shown up: 【Boss’s wife, I don’t want to work hard either (hugging thigh, nuzzling jpg).】

This immediately triggered a wave of laughter below.

【Hahahaha, so everyone at Rongjia, from top to bottom, is latching onto her thigh?】

【Other companies’ culture is hard work and progress. Rongjia’s is latching onto the boss’s wife’s thigh. You do you, Rongjia.】

【Decades from now, when my granddaughter analyzes why Rongjia developed so well, I’ll calmly tell her it’s because everyone at Rongjia was a fan of the boss’s wife? (doge face)】

The young actor had, by a strange twist of fate, helped Mu Yanxi resolve the fabricated scandals online.

She thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, the day after she returned to Yuncheng, things were quiet on her end, but trouble brewed for Yi Wulan.

It was rather amusing. Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan had wandered around Hong Kong for so many days and had run into fans on numerous occasions. No photos of them together were ever posted, but a photo of Yi Wulan having a meal with Yin Fengxia was leaked by the Hong Kong media.

Yi Wulan was a mainland businesswoman who was usually low-key. Even the mainland media wouldn’t publish her photo, so this was clearly an intentional act by someone in Hong Kong. All sorts of news about Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan’s ‘suspected’ marriage crisis once again flew everywhere.

Mu Yanxi had always known that after her family background was exposed, she would inevitably face such baseless fabrications from unscrupulous media, and she had previously thought she could accept it calmly.

But when she saw the photo of Yi Wulan, Yin Fengxia, and President Yin having dinner, even though the photo was so blurry that their features were unrecognizable, Mu Yanxi found that she still couldn’t accept it. The more she looked at it, the more the fire in her heart became uncontrollable.

At the auction, she could tolerate it and act up a little, considering her and Yi Wulan’s status.

But being subjected to the media’s constant nonsense, Mu Yanxi stewed for two days and finally couldn’t suppress her temper. That night, she started complaining to Yi Wulan.

“When you have a meal with someone, can’t you always bring Gu Yan or a few more assistants? Aren’t domineering presidents on TV always surrounded by a dozen people wherever they go? Is Rongjia going bankrupt that it can’t afford a few people?”

Yi Wulan was slightly taken aback. After patiently asking about the whole story for a long time, she finally understood what was bothering Mu Yanxi. She had been about to say that Gu Yan was also present during the negotiations with the Yin family, but seeing the look on Mu Yanxi’s face, she voluntarily swallowed her words.

She simply went along with Mu Yanxi’s words and said, “Okay.”

Seeing Yi Wulan agree so readily, Mu Yanxi felt a little guilty. “Actually, it’s all my fault. It’s because of my status as an artist that you’re also being targeted by those media outlets.”

“It’s not because of you.” Yi Wulan stroked Mu Yanxi’s hair, trying to recall, but she still couldn’t remember. “When we first got married, there was an artist named… wasn’t I used by her for clout back then? I’m in the public eye because of Rongjia. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Mu Yanxi frowned. “Chi An?”

It seemed there was such an incident. It was right after she had been reborn and had just gotten engaged to Yi Wulan. But her state of mind back then was completely different from now. Back then, she could vent her anger by swiping a credit card. Now, even if Yi Wulan gave her an entire island, it would be useless.

Yi Wulan nodded. “Besides, I’m not in the entertainment industry. Their discussions have nothing to do with me. Rather than you having an impact on me, it’s more like you’re suffering their criticism because of me.”

Mu Yanxi was slightly stunned. “Is… is that so?”

“If I weren’t the president of Rongjia, they wouldn’t be watching my every move, and naturally, they wouldn’t make things difficult for you,” Yi Wulan sighed.

Rongjia’s holographic products had practically created a monopoly in the country, and because they cooperated with the government’s work, other companies couldn’t find any faults. So, they had to find trouble elsewhere, and they set their sights on Mu Yanxi. Destroying Yi Wulan and Mu Yanxi’s marriage meant destroying the cooperation between Rongjia and Xinyu.

Mu Yanxi had only wanted to act up a little and complain to Yi Wulan. But Yi Wulan took all the blame on herself, which, in turn, made Mu Yanxi feel a bit uncomfortable.

Mu Yanxi mumbled blankly, “It can’t be all your fault. If we have to blame someone, blame…”

“Blame what?”

Mu Yanxi thought for a moment, her eyes darting around twice, before she said smugly, “Blame my excellent taste for picking you, someone everyone covets, at first glance!”

Yi Wulan pulled her into an embrace. “Mm.”

With her mood improved, Mu Yanxi’s hands couldn’t help but get restless. She wriggled slightly away from Yi Wulan, extended two fingers, and poked the corners of Yi Wulan’s mouth upwards, trying to force a smile.

Yi Wulan, who always had a cool expression, now frowned slightly. Paired with the forcibly upturned corners of her lips, her expression looked rather odd.

Yi Wulan let her poke for a while before reaching out to stop her. “What are you trying to do?”

Mu Yanxi didn’t let go and leaned forward to kiss Yi Wulan’s lips. “I want to see you smile.”

But when she pulled back, Yi Wulan still had the same expression as before.

Undeterred, Mu Yanxi poked her again. “No, no, not like that. Come on, smile.”

Yi Wulan…

Ever since Yi Wulan woke up from her surgery, her expression of the seven emotions and six desires had actually become much richer than before.

But people are never satisfied with the status quo. Now that Mu Yanxi was in a good mood, she started pestering Yi Wulan to smile.

“Good Elder Sister, please smile.” Mu Yanxi pulled her hands back to poke her own cheeks, revealing an incredibly brilliant smile. “Just like me.”

“You look so much better when you smile. You have to act serious at the company, but do you have to act that way with me too?” Mu Yanxi had a whole pile of twisted logic. “Or could it be that you’ve really had a change of heart and are cheating on me, so you’re starting to keep your distance from me too?”

Yi Wulan…

Yi Wulan couldn’t smile.

Being suddenly asked to smile like this made the smile feel forced. For a moment, Yi Wulan didn’t even know how to smile to satisfy her little ancestor.

Seeing Yi Wulan’s still-indifferent face, Mu Yanxi pouted in dissatisfaction. “We’ve been married for almost a year, and you won’t even give me a smile. If word gets out, I’ll be laughed to death.”

Yi Wulan helplessly twitched the muscles on her face, producing a very forced smile.

“You’ve already smiled once, so it must be easy to do it again, right? Can you smile a bit more brightly? Please?” Mu Yanxi pushed her luck. “I’m begging you, President Yi. Elder Sister Yi?”

This time, Yi Wulan simply ignored her and turned to walk towards the bed.

Mu Yanxi followed like a little tail, pattering after her. She latched onto Yi Wulan’s waist, peeking around and nuzzling against the long hair on Yi Wulan’s back, doing her utmost to please her. “Elder Sister, smile for me again.”

Yi Wulan couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled the person out from behind her, composed herself, and the curve of her lips lifted a bit more than before.

Mu Yanxi was satisfied and turned to pull back the covers.

Then, she didn’t manage to lift the covers, but was instead pushed down onto them by Yi Wulan, and her mouth was summarily sealed.

Not only that, but that night, it was as if Yi Wulan was trying to make up for all the smiles she hadn’t shown in the past year. Her smiles, which started out perfunctory, gradually became more genuine.

But… Mu Yanxi lost her initial interest in appreciating them.

She couldn’t even lift her eyelids to appreciate the smiles anymore.

The next day, Mu Yanxi slept until noon. Yi Wulan was long gone.

She habitually opened Weibo, intending to see if Yin Fengxia was still up to her antics.

But to her surprise, all the gossip about Yi Wulan had vanished from Weibo, not a single word remained.

The gossip-loving netizens were clearly more shocked than Mu Yanxi herself.

The news had vanished into thin air. In what seemed like an instant, all related hashtags disappeared, and any Weibo posts containing the keywords were completely deleted.

These were veteran Weibo gossip-mongers; how could they not know that this was a cleanup job?

The netizens weren’t as indignant as they were when celebrities tried to silence them. Almost in unison, they all flocked to Mu Yanxi’s Weibo to tease her.

【You’re the little tattletale who deleted it, right? Clearing Weibo at 3 AM, that’s so you.】

【Did it end at three? So what time did you guys start last night, how many positions did you try, and how many little props did you use to satisfy President Yi?】

【We’re all friends here, what’s there to be shy about?】

【I’m just saying, when is the domestic entertainment industry going to remake Investiture of the Gods? There’s a nation-toppling Su Daji right in front of you (doge face).】

【Daddy’s kindly reminding you, don’t act up just because President Yi pampers you. Which president doesn’t have a few flings on the side?】

【Forget it, I won’t join the bandwagon and tease the little vase. She really pampers you.】

【So can’t you two just go on a variety show and show your faces? Haven’t you noticed that President Yi has so many paparazzi photos, but none of them are with you? (doge face)】

Mu Yanxi was initially unfazed by the comments, but when she saw the last one, a subtle emotion stirred within her.

Yi Wulan had indeed been secretly photographed several times, and it seemed… she was never in them.

But going on a variety show with Yi Wulan would be too embarrassing. Besides, she had been on a dating show before. Cooperating with those male artists to create CP hype for a drama was as awkward as it gets.

Mu Yanxi quickly pushed the matter to the back of her mind, spending her days idly communicating with various wedding designers about the details of the ceremony.

But unexpectedly, a few days later, her manager suddenly sent her a notice for a dating variety show called Let’s Fall in Love Together.

The manager specifically emphasized that the invitation came directly from Rongjia Entertainment.

Mu Yanxi had been about to take a nap, but this news woke her right up.

This move by Rongjia Entertainment was most likely related to Yi Wulan. Mu Yanxi was surprised not only by Yi Wulan’s action but also by the show itself.

Although Rongjia Entertainment was the biggest entertainment company in Yuncheng, not all its decisions were successful. This show, Let’s Fall in Love Together, was like a monster-revealing mirror among dating shows.

There are two types of dating shows: one invites celebrities for random pairings to act out a romance, and the other invites real couples to participate.

Let’s Fall in Love Together was the latter.

Perhaps Rongjia Entertainment, with Rongjia Group as its backer, had gotten a bit arrogant this year. They actually dared to produce a completely unscripted dating variety show, broadcast live, and let the couples have free rein.

Rongjia Entertainment’s intention was to present real love, but the consequence of giving so much freedom was that the audience could also freely search for clues.

Last year, four of the five couples initially invited to Let’s Fall in Love Together had their relationships fall apart. The remaining couple got married this year. This year was slightly better; only two couples’ relationships had fallen apart by the eighth episode.

The reason for the breakups was always cheating.

Netizens watched this show with a magnifying glass. At first, they would just tease about the clues they found, but in the end, they all turned out to be true.

From the one who acted like an old cadre in public but was a time management master in private, to the one who was cold and aloof in public but a player behind the scenes, they were exposed one by one.

Let’s Fall in Love Together became a huge hit because of this, and was once called the entertainment industry’s touchstone for true love. Only by passing this show could a couple prove their love was genuine; otherwise, it was all for show and marketing.

The show had a total of ten episodes to record, and there were few celebrities in the entertainment industry who were publicly in a relationship. The director of Let’s Fall in Love Together had searched high and low and only managed to find one couple to fill in. The next recording date was getting closer and closer, and they were worried sick.

Just then, a new employee in the planning team suddenly said, “Have you ever thought of inviting the boss’s wife?”

Someone immediately retorted, “Then do you know who would have to go on the show with the boss’s wife? The boss.”

The new employee immediately shut up.

Somehow, this news reached Gu Yan’s ears. Gu Yan mentioned it casually, and to his surprise, Yi Wulan actually agreed.

And that’s how Mu Yanxi received the invitation.

But Mu Yanxi’s first reaction was… could Yi Wulan really want to cheat and not be with her anymore?

Didn’t she know this show had become a breakup machine?

Mu Yanxi didn’t give her manager an immediate answer, only saying that she needed to think about it.

The two couples who had problems on Let’s Fall in Love Together before were already players to begin with. A player settling down is almost impossible, so of course, their true colors were revealed on the show. She and Yi Wulan were already married; they didn’t need this show to prove the authenticity of their feelings to netizens.

But on the other hand… the words of her anti-fan from a few days ago flashed in her mind. In all of Yi Wulan’s many gossip stories, the female lead was never her!

Mu Yanxi had been holding a grudge about it, unable to let it go for a long time.

So, she actually really wanted to go!

She wished she could leave behind a ton of video evidence to declare to the entire world that Yi Wulan was hers alone.

To stop her anti-fans from mocking her for never being the female lead in the scandals.

After making up her mind, Mu Yanxi still didn’t reply immediately. She waited and waited until Yi Wulan came home that night, then pretended to give her the cold shoulder, hoping Yi Wulan would be the first to bring up the matter.

But who knew that this big-tailed wolf, Yi Wulan, wouldn’t mention a single word about it and would just lead her straight into the bathroom.

The open and attentive service of the hotel in Hong Kong seemed to have opened a new world for Yi Wulan. After she returned to Yuncheng, some small props quietly appeared in their home as well.

The craftsmanship was even more exquisite than the ones in the Hong Kong hotel. Especially those long tails that could drag on the floor; Mu Yanxi had to clench very tightly to barely keep them from falling out. But the tails were remote-controlled and carried a slight electric current. Whenever she tensed up, her whole body would go weak.

Mu Yanxi gnashed her teeth at this.

When Yi Wulan pinched one of the tails again, Mu Yanxi’s conditioned reflex was to run. But remembering what she wanted to say, she forced herself to stop. “Um, I have something to ask you.”

Yi Wulan fluffed the fur on the tail. “What is it?”

Mu Yanxi fidgeted and said, “It’s just… my manager received a variety show invitation from Rongjia Entertainment.”

Yi Wulan wrapped her arm around Mu Yanxi’s back. Her hair brushed against Mu Yanxi’s neck as she moved, causing a tingling sensation. She asked softly, “And?”

“And what? You’re asking when you already know. Weren’t you the one who had them invite me?”

Mu Yanxi desperately leaned back, trying to dodge Yi Wulan’s hair. But the tail Yi Wulan was holding was already close, so this movement made it seem like she was actively accommodating it, actively swallowing the tail.

“Mmph…” Mu Yanxi let out a muffled groan, her thighs trembling.

Yi Wulan held Mu Yanxi’s waist to keep her from sliding down, pulling her back into her arms and whispering gently in her ear, “Mm, so do you want to go?”

Mu Yanxi bit her lip, about to tell Yi Wulan not to be so handsy while they were discussing serious matters, but when she looked up, she was met with Yi Wulan’s smiling peach blossom eyes.

Mu Yanxi had always been powerless against Yi Wulan’s smile.

She felt a little dazed and nodded honestly.

Yi Wulan’s voice moved closer to her ear, warm breath puffing into it. “Then we’ll do as you wish.”

Mu Yanxi bit her lip, hesitating. “What about Rongjia? You’re so busy.”

“I’ll handle it.” Yi Wulan’s kiss finally landed on Mu Yanxi’s ear. The moment they touched, a tingling and vibrating sensation suddenly shot through her, and all the strength seemed to drain from Mu Yanxi’s body.

She didn’t even have the strength to pull the tail away.