Autograph?
Before Xie Xi could even process what was happening, Ye Qiusuo had already taken out a small notebook and a pen. She flipped to the first page and waited for him to sign.
Xie Xi, a major star who had signed countless autographs, found himself at a loss for the first time on how to begin.
He coughed lightly into a fisted hand, took the pen from Ye Qiusuo with his other hand, and bent his head, writing for a long time.
When Ye Qiusuo took it back to look, she saw he had drawn a simple sketch on the paper. It was a little figure wearing glasses, sitting on the ground with a serious expression. Next to it was an arrow pointing to the words 'Professor Ye', and behind the figure's bottom were a few little black stars.
Apart from the beautiful signature and sketch in the bottom right corner, those three characters 'Professor Ye' were written crookedly, with strokes missing.
Ye Qiusuo: "..."
"My friend really likes you. I'm asking for the autograph on her behalf," she explained instinctively.
Xie Xi was taken aback; he had thought she wanted it for herself.
"What's her surname?" Xie Xi instantly switched to his official, professional mode.
In reality, Xie Xi mostly just signed his name and rarely did personalized 'to' autographs. His team always tried to avoid having him write anything more in public. On the rare occasions when he was in a good mood, he would draw a simple sketch on it and add a few stars.
This quirk had become something of a peculiar legend among celebrity autographs. Given that Xie Xi was often labeled 'difficult' by journalists during interviews, it was hard to imagine him doing something so slightly childish.
"Rong." Ye Qiusuo turned to another blank page.
Xie Xi lowered his head and swiftly signed his name, adding 'To Rong:' very properly at the front.
"All done." He handed the pen back to Ye Qiusuo.
"Thank you." Professor Ye said earnestly.
The mid-session break was almost over, so the two parted ways, completely unaware that someone was standing around the corner.
Wan Yurou had originally come out hoping to proactively befriend Ye Qiusuo. The biggest buzz around this show was centered on Ye Qiusuo. Her agent had advised her to get on good terms with Ye Qiusuo—perhaps invite her out for a meal, or take some selfies together to dispel those online 'rumors' pitting them against each other. Then they could buy a trending topic, which might help regain some attention.
At the very start of the program, Wan Yurou's real-time search volume had actually been skyrocketing, especially during the initial comparisons between her and Ye Qiusuo. Even though she lost badly, there was discussion. However, in the later stages, perhaps because Wan Yurou and Ye Qiusuo were simply not on the same level, her attention rapidly declined. Even marketing accounts couldn't generate buzz by tagging her.
Starting from this episode, only ten guests remained, and the five celebrity guests among them had also entered an elimination round, with one person leaving each episode. Wan Yurou had scored quite a few points in the first half today and was in a good mood, which was why she had followed Ye Qiusuo out.
She never expected to witness this scene.
Ye Qiusuo and Xie Xi were standing face to face, very close, and Xie Xi was handing something like a key to Ye Qiusuo.
Malicious thoughts often surface inadvertently.
Xie Xi, as a top-tier singer with looks far above average, had an extremely large fan base. In the past, when a female star tried to latch onto him for publicity, she was boycotted by his fans and still hadn't recovered.
Wan Yurou abandoned the idea of befriending Ye Qiusuo. Standing nearby, she flipped her hair with one hand, opened her camera, and took several consecutive selfies.
She had the TV station's interior design to thank for this. Perhaps because many celebrities and artists frequented the place, there were various large and small mirrors everywhere.
After taking the photos, she posted on Weibo a set of four pictures in a grid with the caption: [Mid-session break, hoping to score well in the next half~]
Among the four photos, one had a corner of a mirror in the background where you could clearly see Ye Qiusuo and Xie Xi standing face to face.
Last time, at Tianqiu Tech, Ye Qiusuo had been accidentally captured in the background of a photo. This time, Wan Yurou was deliberate.
Wan Yurou didn't have time to check the comments before being called back to record the second half of the show, but she could already imagine the uproar that would erupt online. Xie Xi's fans would surely swarm to attack Ye Qiusuo.
After all, male idol fans always had particularly strong combat power.
Compared to transparent glass, a mirror obviously provided a much clearer view.
Almost a minute after the Weibo post went up, netizens spotted something fishy.
[Is my eyesight failing me in the bottom left corner of the third photo?]
[Are those people in the mirror Xie Xi and... who?]
[It really is Xie Xi. The person facing him looks familiar too.]
[...Isn't that Professor Ye?]
Whenever the words 'Xie Xi' were involved, marketing accounts instantly caught the wind and either reposted Wan Yurou's Weibo or edited new hashtags.
Soon, the matter appeared on the hot search list.
'Xie Xi in Wan Yurou's Selfie'
As soon as Xie Xi's fans saw their idol's name, they immediately clicked in. Traffic and click-through rates surged, pushing the hot search ranking even higher. The comments under the first marketing account to repost and edit had already surpassed ten thousand.
The mirror in Wan Yurou's photo was magnified several times, making it very clear that the two people were Xie Xi and Ye Qiusuo.
However, the fans' reaction this time was beyond everyone's expectations.
[My gege's side profile is absolutely killer! That perfect nose, those heaven-defying long eyelashes! I could slide down his eyelashes!]
[Professor Ye's side profile is also good-looking. She actually isn't overshadowed by Xixi. These two could be video game character models.]
[What is Xixi doing?]
Actually, Wan Yurou had deliberately chosen her angle when taking the photo. From that perspective, you could only see the two standing face to face. The notebook in Ye Qiusuo's hand was small to begin with, and the pen was a retractable portable one. At first glance, it looked like they were in an intimate, hand-holding stance.
But this couldn't escape the fans' sharp eyes. They guessed based on Xie Xi's posture.
[He should be holding a pen in his hand. When Xixi holds a pen, his index finger always likes to lift up a little bit.]
[Is he signing an autograph? Did Professor Ye ask Xixi for an autograph?!!! Does Professor Ye like our Xixi too?]
[Ahhhhh! Worlds are colliding! My two favorite people!]
[Our Xixi is truly worthy of being liked. He is a treasure among men, Professor Ye @Ye Qiusuo]
[Xixizi is good-looking, can sing, liking him is definitely not wrong! Professor Ye @Ye Qiusuo]
The comments were instantly derailed, all crazily recommending Xie Xi to Ye Qiusuo.
The fans praised Xie Xi in every imaginable way, listing his achievements over the years, and all @'ed Professor Ye.
Ye Qiusuo, a young and accomplished professor, was somewhat different from entertainment industry celebrities in the minds of netizens. She carried an academic halo in the public eye, and the fans were eager for Ye Qiusuo to like Xie Xi.
It would prove their Xixi's charm was boundless!
There was just one problem: Ye Qiusuo had not opened a verified account. A bunch of netizens had @'ed the wrong person.
There was one person on Weibo called 'Professor Ye', with 110,000 followers.
It was Ye Qiusu.
Several years ago, a research project she had worked on made the news, and she herself was hailed by netizens as a beautiful professor. That's when she gained those followers.
Ye Qiusu was an active Weibo user. That day, being @'ed by so many people, especially after realizing netizens had mistaken her for Ye Qiusuo, immediately put her in a bad mood.
For a professor accustomed to a high position in her field, it felt like her territory was being encroached upon.
Actually, most netizens who have followed "Knowledge Q&A" know that Ye Qiusu doesn't have an official Weibo account. But Weibo is a place where non-existent accounts can be created, and these people casually posted, not expecting Professor Ye to be a real person.
Ye Qiusu soon posted a Weibo, asking those netizens not to spread misinformation and affect her.
Of course, being a professor, she wouldn't say it outright. She seriously wrote about a hundred words, with enough implication between the lines for netizens to understand she dislikes being mistaken for someone else.
Fans who saw this post spontaneously tried to rein in others in the comments, but everyone's focus remained on Ye Qiusu and Xie Xi.
Meanwhile, under the trending topic, an entertainment blogger suddenly posted: ["Is no one shipping Professor Ye and Xixizi? [Animated GIF]"]
The GIF was from the scene when Xie Xi first arrived at Gaoxing TV Station to record "Tomorrow's Star," signing autographs and taking photos with supporting fans. Then, Ye Qiusu suddenly walked through the shot, holding her jacket in one hand, striding forward, just as Xie Xi glanced toward the camera.
The blogger later slowed down the GIF. Professor Ye had an aura of a big boss passing by, while Xie Xi's sidelong glance... fans could secretly imagine all sorts of emotions between them without any editing.
This Weibo post attracted many fans.
[Wow, when was this from?!]
[Professor Ye looks exactly like a mafia boss passing by, so alpha! I'm done for, I think I'm bending.]
[Wuwuwu, our Xixizi's eyes are so beautiful. How could Professor Ye not even look at him! Look at him, please!!!]
[I beg the video editors, let our Xixizi turn the tables in this scenario. I just can't stand seeing Xixizi being slighted.]
[Back then, Professor Ye ignored our Xixizi, but now she's asking him for an autograph. The 'truth comes out' law might be late, but it never misses.]
The situation gradually developed in a bizarre direction. People actually started digging up various video clips of the two, wanting to create a saga of love and hate.
Of course, the main theme was Xie Xi's later comeback.
Many hands make light work. As netizens dug deeper, they suddenly discovered some small details.
[The milk tea Professor Ye drank in a certain episode is actually the same brand as Xixizi's?!]
[Not just that, during that knockout round, I remember the "Knowledge Q&A" guests were standing below the audience seats. Everyone around was excitedly cheering, but Professor Ye just stood there with a serious face.]
[I'm feeling it! I'm feeling the vibe! Please, great editors, cut the video quickly!!!]
The video editors got right to it, fueled by passion, and soon produced a fan-made shipping video for the two.
Their first encounter at the TV station entrance: Professor Ye walks right past Xie Xi, completely ignoring him, while Xie Xi falls for her at first sight. Later, he secretly sends her the same brand of milk tea—the screen splits to show both of them holding a cup. Then, Professor Ye receives Xie Xi's invitation to his concert and stands expressionless in the audience.
A voiceover from a movie line is added, suggesting that Professor Ye actually liked Xie Xi early on too, but had to hide her feelings due to family reasons.
Yes, in the video, Ye Qiusu's surface identity is a professor, but she's actually from a mafia family.
After going through various trials, Professor Ye finally has an epiphany, goes to find Xie Xi, and they stand face-to-face as she confesses her admiration.
[Hahaha, our Xixizi's charm is irresistible!]
[Suddenly happy. Professor Ye and I like the same person, so by extension, we're sisters!]
[Ahhhhh, this is so good to ship! Is there any creator who can make a story about a top student and a slacker? I'd love to see that!!!]
After finishing recording the show, Wan Yurou opened Weibo only to see this kind of trending topic and comments. Everyone had suddenly started shipping this pair.
Wan Yurou: "..."
This feeling of things not going her way was something she hadn't experienced in a long time.
Mo Hong, after all, was the agent who managed Wan Yurou. She soon called to ask if the photos on Weibo were intentionally posted by Wan.
"In the future, if you do something like this, tell me in advance. And don't do it yourself personally. It's better to have an outsider 'accidentally' leak your photos," Mo Hong said, already formulating a counter-strategy. She told Wan Yurou to rest early as she had an audition the next morning.
Most netizens only see what others show them. That night, Mo Hong hired a batch of marketing accounts and paid commenters to control the narrative, forcefully clearing Wan Yurou of suspicion and even pushing her onto the trending list to generate goodwill among netizens.
#WanYurouInTheShot
Major marketing accounts spoke in unison, all saying that Wan Yurou always manages to get others in her shots, having her spotlight stolen—poor her.
Comments below expressed sympathy for Wan Yurou, saying she was unlucky. They advised her to improve her photography skills and avoid taking selfies anywhere with glass or mirrors from now on.
With good enough marketing, black can be spun into white.
However, people within the industry can spot this kind of marketing at a glance.
Wei Qi hadn't paid much attention to Wan Yurou initially. After all, they were all recording at the TV station, on the same floor; it was possible Xie Xi accidentally walked into the shot.
But the reaction from Wan Yurou's team made Wei Qi realize this might not have been an 'accident' after all.
Mo Hong had worked under Wei Qi for two years in the past. She wasn't particularly clever. She had the ambition of an agent but lacked the skill, only being average at best.
For her to seize this opportunity out of thin air to generate heat for Wan Yurou—Mo Hong didn't have that kind of marketing instinct. It was only likely due to certain reasons that she took this step.
Working backwards, Wei Qi deduced that the photos were intentionally released by Wan Yurou herself.
Wei Qi had only managed Xie Xi all these years, practically treating him like her own son. Someone scheming against Xie Xi naturally earned a mark in her mental book.
Pushing open the balcony door, Wei Qi stepped outside and made a call to a director she knew.
"Director Liu, I heard you're recently casting for the female lead in 'Red Ear'? Our company just signed a new girl, very spirited, absolutely perfect for the female lead's image." Wei Qi didn't manage other artists herself, but that didn't stop her from recommending talents from within the company.
"When did you start handling actor-artists?" Director Liu asked curiously on the other end.
Wei Qi laughed. "I don't. Xixizi alone keeps me busy enough. It's just that I heard you were searching everywhere for the female lead. I've read the original novel for 'Red Ear,' and I happened to see that girl the other day. I thought she was especially suited for the role."
A recommendation from someone with no vested interest carries the most sincerity. Director Liu on the other end was indeed swayed. "Then have her come for an audition tomorrow."
"Alright." Wei Qi hung up, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes.
The news of Wan Yurou going for the audition had made quite a stir, and it was true Director Liu had been leaning towards her.
However, the newly signed girl at the company wasn't weak either—gentle, soft-spoken, and full of spirit.
What Wei Qi had said to Director Liu wasn't entirely false. She really had read "Red Ear," and that company girl was much more suitable for the role than Wan Yurou.
...
As for one of the key figures in this whirlwind, Xie Xi, he remained completely unaware. He was lying on the carpet playing games until He Feng chased him onto the sofa.
"The weather's getting cool. Don't just lie on the floor. Play for twenty more minutes, then go upstairs and rest." He Feng worried endlessly about Xie Xi, who always had these little bad habits.
Xie Xi lay on the sofa with his phone, playing for a while. Then, catching the aroma of food, he turned his head and saw Zhang Dong having a late-night snack.
"...Zhang Dong, eating so late will make you gain weight."
Zhang Dong had just finished a large prawn. He looked up, wiping his mouth. "Bro Xi, it's fine. I'm not a celebrity."
Xie Xi put his phone down and got up, intending to mooch some of the snack, but He Feng slapped his hand away.
"You have twenty minutes before bedtime."
He had already come back quite late, and Xie Xi still wanted to play games. If he ate a late-night snack now, sleep would be out of the question.
Moreover, Xie Xi's stomach had always been delicate and couldn't handle this kind of takeout.
Xie Xi sat down next to Zhang Dong. "Read me what's trending today."
"Bro Xi... let me finish this prawn first." His brother Xi was doing this on purpose. The assistant's heart was bitter as he reluctantly swallowed the last bite of prawn.
He Feng stood nearby shaking her head. "Zhang Dong, you should eat less too. I'm going back to my room first. Xixizi, you go upstairs to sleep in twenty minutes."
Zhang Dong scrolled through the trending list a few times and suddenly exclaimed in shock, "Bro Xi, you and Professor Ye are on the hot search together!"
Xie Xi wasn't bothered. "It's not the first time."
When two of their shows aired on the same day, he and Ye Qiusu sometimes both ended up on the hot search.
"No, Bro Xi, let me read it to you." Zhang Dong read out both of their hot search topics, then clicked open a fan-edited video. "Bro Xi, there's even a video of you and Professor Ye here."
Xie Xi leaned over to watch the entire video, finding it quite interesting. "How did they know I was the one who sent the milk tea?"
"Bro Xi, they just edited it together randomly." Zhang Dong never expected there were people shipping the professor and his brother Xi. How could anyone digest this CP? Didn't they find it bizarre?
After all, Professor Ye was different from others—she was a professor! Not that his brother wasn't good, but someone like Professor Ye, with that scholarly aura, just didn't seem suited for the entertainment world.
Xie Xi, however, found it very amusing. He had Zhang Dong share the video with him, then went back to the sofa to get his phone and forwarded the video to Ye Qiusu.
He also sent a voice message, clearly finding it extremely funny.
"Professor, so you're secretly a mafia boss."
Ye Qiusu didn't reply, obviously not having her phone nearby.
Xie Xi went upstairs holding his phone, but didn't sleep. He was scrolling through videos.
Other video editors had created different versions, which Xie Xi watched with great relish.
Even after waking up the next day, stories of love and hate between the two of them were still echoing in Xie Xi's mind.
...
"Once you secure the female supporting role two, we'll treat the company to a dinner today." Mo Hong reached out to tidy Wan Yurou's hair. "With Director Liu's production and this big IP, it's bound to be a hit."
In "Red Ear," the designation of female supporting role two is just one way of dividing it. Because the male lead ends up with the female lead and not with her, she's called the female supporting role two. In fact, among the book's fans, there has always been controversy over this classification of female lead and female supporting role two.
"Sister Mo, thank you for yesterday's matter," Wan Yurou said intimately, holding Mo Hong's hand.
"Just don't be so rash next time. Do well in the audition later."
"Mhm, I will definitely get the female supporting role two." Wan Yurou was very confident about this audition. She had previously spoken with Director Liu, and besides, she had read the original novel several times and could already recite the female supporting role two's lines by heart—all things Director Liu knew.
"Number 12, you can come in now," a staff member called out from inside the room.
Wan Yurou checked her number. She was number 13. It was almost her turn.
"Where is number 12?"
"Here."
A girl squeezed through from the back of the crowd, waving her number plate in her hand.
Wan Yurou instinctively turned to look, and her heart immediately sank: This person looked almost as if she had stepped right out of the pages of "Red Ear."
