Chapter 297: Unusually Bad Luck in Relationships

Xia Yangyang chuckled. "Mr. Gu, are you jealous?"

"Xia Yangyang," Gu Qichen said, "you seem to attract a lot of unwanted romantic attention."

Xia Yangyang laughed, then grew serious. "Don't worry about Shen Shichuan; he's in love with someone else."

Gu Qichen's face tightened. After a moment's thought, he frowned. "Impossible."

"Nothing's impossible," Xia Yangyang countered.

Gu Qichen's expression darkened. He understood her implication, but hadn't considered it.

The next day, Xia Yangyang's phone exploded with messages. The SH Film Festival had been broadcast live, and news of Xia Yangyang's seemingly deliberate tripping of another actress—and other alleged misdeeds—had spread like wildfire. But the morning brought a shocking reversal. Headlines screamed:

• "SH Film Festival's Shocking Turnaround"
• "Shen Manbing and Xia Yangyang Team Up for New Drama; Dress-Tripping Incident Was Scripted"
• "Stars Create Havoc at SH Film Festival for Global Brewing's New Drama"

The festival had been a meticulously planned rehearsal for the movie queen's new film. Several prominent actors released copies of the advance script, and a pre-recorded video featuring Xia Yangyang and Shen Manbing clarified the events. Public opinion erupted:

"It was all a misunderstanding! A new drama starring the Movie Queen and the young starlet! I heard it's a multi-billion dollar Global production, with them playing themselves in a story about the unpredictable entertainment industry."

"Wow! They even got the SH Film Festival to cooperate! This is huge!"

"So the feud between Xia Yangyang and Shen Manbing was fake? I bet the rumors about Shen Manbing and Mr. Gu were part of the script, too."

"Did you hear? Xia Yangyang and Shen Manbing withdrew their nominations for Film Queen. Jiang Yuxin won. The SH Film Festival will hold another award ceremony in three days."

"Why her? If Shen Manbing withdrew, Yang Xiaomi should have been the only choice."

The internet buzzed, but the new Film Queen received significant attention. Because of her collaboration with Shen Manbing, most believed Shen Manbing and Gu Qichen's romantic entanglement was also for the script. Previous rumors of their relationship were thus "clarified."

At breakfast, Gu Qichen asked, "Were you serious about signing with Time yesterday?"

Xia Yangyang nodded. "Now that it's public, I have to film the entertainment industry drama with Shen Manbing. It was fortunate; Cui Chenghao had already approached Shen Manbing, and I seized the opportunity. The script's almost ready."

"I thought you didn't want to stay in the entertainment industry," Gu Qichen observed.

He remained silent, never opposing Xia Yangyang's pursuits. But Xia Yangyang hadn't revealed the whole truth: she was short on money and couldn't ask Gu Qichen for help. She signed because of Shen Shichuan's generous upfront payment. Her current popularity meant more films and advertisements could alleviate her financial difficulties. She had no choice.

After breakfast, Xia Yangyang went to Time. Unexpectedly, Shen Manbing arrived first.