The Reconciliation Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Fermentation

An unwritten rule in the entertainment industry was set after Yu Xi debuted. The rule was that without any concrete evidence nor approval by the person herself, no one should publish any of her gossip.

As for the reasons why this unwritten rule even exists in the first place, using Bai Yutang’s words to explain, no news media agency would want to receive a phone call like these on the second day of publishing it:

 “Hello, I am the assistant of the government official X. I’d like to discuss with you about the details regarding the X’s rumors. Please prepare well the materials for a meeting.”

Or such as these:

“Hello, I am the assistant of X Company’s chairman. I’d like to understand more about the facts behind your report on the celebrity X. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Although the calls wouldn’t be as direct as the examples given, the meaning would still be the same.

There were rumors that the magazine publisher who did receive those two phone calls at the time did not know when to stop and continued to investigate the background of the two calls. Yu Xi was not one to hide her own family background, hence, once the truth came out, it scared all of the parties involved.

One of Yu Xi’s parents worked for the government and the other dabbled in business. In addition, her grandpa was also a very influential army general. 

No, it couldn’t be said that her grandpa was the only influential one.

Everyone in the Yu Family was super influential.

After the magazine publisher found out about this, he immediately held a conference denying the report he published and issued an apology towards Yu Xi. He then returned to his agency with his tail between his legs and quickly packed up. He disappeared and ever since, this unwritten rule was fixed in the industry.

But of course, rules are still meant to be broken, unwritten or not.

The anti-fans actually loved to use Yu Xi’s background to attack her with. However, no matter how much nonsense they loved to sprout, no one dared to make up false rumors. Which is why once Bai Yutang read the title of the post, she furrowed her brows and quickly said, “Give the phone to me.”

Zhong Chen obediently handed the phone over.

Bai Yutang assessed the post. The poster is using a small account, with this post being their first.  It seemed as if the poster had done their research. The post described Yu Xi’s high school years with a girl with the last name starting with a J. It wrote that the two had a very close relationship, always within sight of one and another at both school and outside. The two was so intimate that a classmate even witnessed them hiding in the dormitory, kissing. 

The post immediately gained massive attention with anti-fans reveling because of Yu Xi’s exposure. Immediately, there also appeared commentators who claimed to be insiders of this story. 

——Yu Xi’s actually gay? And here I thought it was just for the program effect.

——Why hasn’t her PR team come out and deny the rumors yet? Are they out of their mind?

——Nonsense, Yu Xi said it herself. Unless she wants to contradict herself?

——So what if she likes girls? And so what if her first love is a girl? Did she eat ya’lls rice? F*cking gossipers. And those anti-fans above, ya’ll think just because ya’ll changed accounts, we can’t recognize you guys?

——Wait a sec, aren’t you guys curious who this J person is?

——I was Yu Xi’s high school classmate. If I didn’t guess wrong, the girl should be jjb.

Bai Yutang stared at those letters. She pondered for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll go check on the poster. Zhong Chen, watch over Yu Xi. Don’t let her go online.”

Zhong Chen nodded, hand holding up an “OK” sign. 

Yu Xi had not moved from the coach at all and was still munching on her apple. After Bai Yutang left, she turned on the television. Zhong Chen remained at her original spot, reading the comments under the post, while occasionally glancing at Yu Xi. After a few minutes, she piqued up curiously, “Xixi, you actually started dating early?”

Her face had on a very cheap expression, hungry for gossip. Yu Xi tilted her head to look at Zhong Chen, chewing the apple, “Why couldn’t I have?”

Pondering over her words in silence for a few seconds, Zhong Chen couldn’t herself back anymore, “Then, Xixi, what does dating with a girl feel like?”

Yu Xi smiled, “You want to know?”

Zhong Chen nodded fiercely, her entire face showing her desire to know. Yu Xi reached her hand out to smack Zhong Chen’s forehead, “Find yourself a girlfriend and you’ll know first hand.”

Zhong Chen felt wronged. If she was able to find one, would she be single still??

She shut herself up.

The dramas on the television were very boring. Going back and forth, they all had the same old cliched storylines. Yu Xi fumbled with the remote control for half an hour out of boredom, before finally standing up and throwing the remote control on the coffee table. She said to Zhong Chen, “Come with me to the bedroom.”

Zhong Chen held onto her phone, her face expressing surprise, “Why?”

Yu Xi turned around and saw Zhong Chen’s face filled with an expression that seemingly said ‘I only sell my talents, not my body’. Her mouth twitched, “To pack up. We’re moving tomorrow.”

Zhong Chen nodded, “Oh.”

After entering the room, Yu Xi hugged her bathrobe and left to take a bath. Zhong Chen struggled to pack everything up. There was so many things that it was impossible to bring it all. In addition, as paparazzi surrounded them downstairs, if they moved everything, that news would be able to start trending within minutes.

Zhong Chen placed Yu Xi’s makeup and a couple of her typically worn clothing into a small suitcase. The rest of the things would have to be slowly replaced when they arrive at the new house. After finishing up, she tapped on the bathroom door. Inside, Yu Xi took off her earphones and yelled out, “Come in.”

Despite boldly peeping at Yu Xi washing up in the past, Zhong Chen only opened a small crack in the doorway this time and poked half a head in. She said, “Xixi, I already finished packing. Do you want to double check it? Later tonight when I leave, I’ll help you bring a small portion of it out.”

Yu Xi waved a hand towards Zhong Chen, who subsequentially closed the door. She stood up and wrapped the bathrobe around herself. With her dripping wet long hair falling loosely behind her, she walked out of the bathroom barefoot.

Admiring the beauty that had just walked out after taking a bath, Zhong Chen couldn’t help but look at her a couple more time.

Yu Xi’s facial features were very dashing with a dignified look. She had moon-like eyebrows, starry eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips. Having received her parents’ and grandfather’s influence since young, she displayed a sense of tenacity that isn’t easy to detect and a cold personality. When quiet, she gives off a very alienating sensation of grandeur and elegance.

In particular, whenever she would display an indifferent expression and sweep her eyes impassively over people, her fans wouldn’t be able suppress themselves and would start screaming, ‘goddess, top me’.

Zhong Chen hasn’t forgotten how she also used to be of one of Yu Xi’s biggest fans. During the first week of becoming an assistant, she couldn’t sleep out of excitement. Instead, she fantasized 108 positions that her goddess can top her in and posted it in the fan group chat.（lmao this is so gay, I’m living）

Later——

Yu Xi crouched by her suitcase, checking it.

 “I don’t want this clothing. The color’s too common. It doesn’t suit my image.”

Zhong Chen, “……”

 “I don’t want this one either. The skirt’s too long. I won’t be able to take advantage of my long legs and show it off.”

Zhong Chen, “……”

 “Is this the clothing I wore on that one program last year?”

Zhong Chen clenched her teeth, “Last month.”

Yu Xi stared at her blankly, “Is there a difference?”

Zhong Chen, “……”

What noble and elegant, all of that is fake!

Yu Xi continued to check the inventory and eventually grabbed a few more new clothing pieces of the latest fashion from her wardrobe. At last, she closed the suitcase and looked up, “It’s good now.”

Zhong Chen stood off to the side, “Then, I’ll send this over first.”

Yu Xi nodded, “You’ve received the address, right?”

 “Yeah,” Zhong Chen said while rummaging through her purse. After finding the sticky note, she continued, “Then I’ll leave first. Remember to not go on Weibo.”

Yu Xi grunted, “How naggy.”

Before leaving, Zhong Chen was still worried. She thought about adding a few more words but was quickly shooed away by Yu Xi.

Without Zhong Chen’s nagging, the entire apartment quieted down a notch. She turned around to return to her room. She applied a face mask and laid on top of the bed. Bored, she started to count stars. She had counted until she reached a couple hundred when her phone dinged. She grabbed her phone and saw the text Zhong Chen sent her.

——I’ve arrived.

Yu Xi texted back: Show me some pictures.

Zhong Chen turned on all of the lights in the apartment, lighting the entire area up. Finding good angles, she took a few pictures for Yu Xi. The apartment was pretty big, similar in size with the apartment Yu Xi was currently living in. It was fully equipped and everything, including the couch, coffee table, and TV cabinets, were all European-styled and very unique. The walls were of a very warm color and the lighting from the crystal chandelier only added to the coziness of the place.

She took a few pictures of the inside and then walked onto the balcony, taking a few more pictures of the outdoor environment. However, because it was already nighttime, the pictures were all pitch black and nothing could be seen.

Yu Xi replied her: Good.

Zhong Chen stood on the balcony, still holding onto her phone. Sound could be heard from either sides of the balcony. Even though the balconies were not connected, as long as one stood and leaned their head forward, they would be able to see the next door’s balcony.

A girl walked out onto the balcony next door. Tall and lean, one hand lodged in her pant pocket while the other carried a beer bottle. Her facial features were sharp and displayed a very grave expression. She should be talking to the person in the living room. Zhong Chen could only hear a little bit.

Before the girl could turn around and leave, Zhong Chen sneaked a picture to send to Yu Xi.

——Xixi, your new neighbor! She doesn’t look like she’ll be easy to get along with but she’s very beautiful!

Yu Xi had just removed her face mask and was currently washing her face. She squinted at the picture in the phone. When she saw the figure’s silhouette, her brows scrunched and she zoomed in on the picture for a better look. However, she could still only see the woman’s narrow shoulder, slender waist, and long black hair. She pursed her lips and sent a text to Zhong Chen: Can you take a picture of her face?

By that time, Zhong Chen was already in elevator, ready to head back. She immediately refuted: I can’t. What do you want to do?

Yu Xi typed a few words but hesitated, deleting it and texting something else instead: I wanted to check if she’s as pretty as me.

Zhong Chen, “……”

The rest of the night was very long.

Around 3AM, the Tianya post containing the gossip was deleted. This caused all sorts of rumors and slanders to start spreading. Yu Xi’s anti-fans would say that she used her connections to suppress the facts and would even say that as an actress with such a stain on her records, she didn’t deserve to act anymore. By the time Yu Xi woke up in the morning, the online community was already in an uproar.

The entire web was filled with her news. It was like an invisible flame, expanding uncontrollably.

That morning, Zhong Chen quickly hurried to Yu Xi’s apartment but upon reaching, saw her eating breakfast leisurely with very graceful movements. She wasn’t playing on her phone, looking through her tablet, nor scrolling online. Upon seeing this, Zhong Chen sighed in relief. She walked next to Yu Xi and sat down.

Yu Xi passed a cup over to her and asked, “Was it Bai-jie that took the post down?”

Zhong Chen shook her head, “It wasn’t.”

 “But Bai-jie found out who leaked the info.”

 “Xixi, guess who it is.”

Looking at her acting secretively, Yu Xi thought about it for a few seconds, “Was it Liu Yuyao?”

Zhong Chen nodded, “It was!”

 “Tell me, do you think she’s crazy or something. Every time there’s a scandal, she’s related. How did you wrong her?”

Yu Xi laughed.

It was because she once snatched away Liu Yuyao’s role in a drama.

Liu Yuyao was originally set to act as the female lead in Yu Xi’s first drama. However, when Yu Xi auditioned for the supporting female role, Director Mei directly picked her and made her the female lead instead. Ever since, Liu Yuyao hated her.

Yu Xi finished her breakfast and put down her chopsticks. She spoke to Zhong Chen, “When are we heading down to the company today?”

Zhong Chen muttered, “Nine. Bai-jie said she wanted to bring you to see the new boss first and then discuss the next plans.”

Yu Xi nodded, “I’ll go change.”

Right as she reached her bedroom door, her phone’s ringtone started sounding. She took out her phone and saw a name on the screen that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Once the call connected through, the other person immediately asked, “What happened? I just went online and saw that you said you like women.”

Yu Xi lodged the phone between her shoulder and cheek, her head tilting askew as she replied, “Your village finally got internet?”

 “Nonsense! I never go online when I’m doing research. If I didn’t hear it from other people, I still wouldn’t have known.”

Yu Xi selected a blue skirt and placed it on top of the bed. She described what happened during the program from the day before and when the person from the other side of the line heard, he exploded and started to curse. Yu Xi cleaned her ears and asked, “Is there anything else you want to ask?”

 “Yeah, there is.”

The person on the phone cleared their throat and said, “I was just looking at the high school group chat. Guess what they were talking about.”

Yu Xi frowned, “What?”

“They’re saying that Jiang Jingbai is coming back to China.”

 “Did you know?”

Originally choosing jewelry, her movements stopped suddenly, and her eyes dropped. Her voice dropped two decibels, “I didn’t.”

The author has something to say:
(this contains characters from 3 other novels, I haven’t really read them so they don’t really make sense, but if any of you guys have, maybe this will make some sense to you?)

Yu Xi: The person I like is returning to China but I actually had to hear it from someone else? Is there anyone else as miserable as me?

Li Muqing: I’m more miserable than you. The person I liked forgot who I was.

Yu Xi: ……

Lu Ruyun: I’m also more miserable than you. When I confessed, she thought I wanted to harm her.

Yu Xi: ……

Chi Wanzhao: I…..

Yu Xi: No need to say anymore! I know you were more miserable than me!

Chi Wanzhao: You’re thinking too much. I was sleeping on my wife’s bed from the first day.

Yu Xi: ……

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