CHAPTER. 103. Wedding Preparations

"The PR team will handle this. You guys mustn't speak up now, or else the other party would recriminate!" He Hua said earnestly, seemingly afraid that they would personally get involved.

Hearing this, Su Shen said nothing, but Xie Yan started tapping away on his phone, not knowing what he was doing. He Hua specifically turned around and saw him on his phone, feeling helpless as he advised, "If you clarify it yourself, Cen Qing will definitely play the pity card, and she will still latch onto you. It will eventually turn into a series of messy confrontations, and she will steal all the limelight."

Xie Yan, who was still engrossed on his phone, replied without even lifting his head, "I won't clarify."

Hearing this, He Hua was doubtful. He couldn't believe that Xie Yan would be so obedient.

Su Shen leaned over and peered, catching a glimpse of something before she glanced at He Hua strangely. She then closed her eyes and leaned back to rest. She had a feeling that He Hua's phone was about to ring.

Two minutes later, He Hua kept staring at Xie Yan when his phone suddenly rang. He immediately answered, "Hello? No?"

Not knowing what he had heard, he glanced at Xie Yan again and then promptly hung up the call before going on his phone. With a look, he instantly frowned.

Xie Yan's Studio V: Our studio's artist, Xie Yan, purely has a professional relationship with Ms. Cen Qing. They have minimal personal contact outside of work. All the rumors circulating online are false, and we will take legal action to hold the responsible individuals accountable for spreading false information.

He Hua had always been in charge of the studio's account, and Xie Yan never cared about these matters. He didn't know when Xie Yan learned of the password, but when he saw this post, he immediately glared angrily at the person in the back.

The car continued to speed along the highway. By now, Xie Yan had put down his phone, and noticing He Hua's gaze, couldn't help but look back. "What's up?"

As their eyes met, He Hua said nothing and turned around to make a call to the PR team. Well, it was nothing new; they had always clarified things like this before. It was just that Xie Yan's wording this time was particularly hurtful, and it could easily spark a catfight between their two fans.

Naturally, Su Shen also saw that statement and felt that Xie Yan was indeed a troublemaker. Everyone knew that accounts of artists' studios were managed by the staff. The studio's official statement would undoubtedly be more formal and effective. Posting it from a personal account would come across as emotional and create a sense of a catfight.

"I've already instructed the PR team to draft a clarification statement. If you rashly post something without careful consideration, what if someone catches onto something in the wording?" He Hua couldn't endure it any longer and finally spoke up.

Usually, companies would hire someone to carefully craft important statements to avoid giving netizens any chance to pick at any holes. It was rare to make a statement so directly as Xie Yan. However, Su Shen felt that his post was still quite formal.

"You can delete it if you want," Xie Yan said nonchalantly as he wrapped his arm around Su Shen's shoulder, burying his head into her neck and taking a light breath.

Su Shen found it somewhat amusing. So this is how instant deletions usually happen?

Up ahead, He Hua didn't want to say anything more. He seemed accustomed to Xie Yan's behavior. When they arrived at Xie Yan's house, he specifically reminded them not to post anything else.

Su Shen responded with an "okay" and then entered the house with Xie Yan. He went to take a shower while Su Shen leaned back on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. By this time, that statement had already garnered 50,000 comments, and #Xie Yan's Studio Statement# was trending.

Netizen A: I have to hand it to He dada in this industry. Every time, he clarifies so quickly and ruthlessly. [joy]

Netizen B: The team behind Xie Yan is truly a breath of fresh air in the industry. If every artist were like him, there wouldn't be so many hype scandals in the entertainment industry. [joy]

Netizen C: Hahaha, just a "professional" relationship. Are the faces of the diehard fans hurting? [smiley face]

Netizen D: Always throwing oneself at others. Even if Cen Qing wants to be the mistress, nobody wants her anyway. [vomit]

Netizen E: My poor Su Su, minding her own business at home, yet trouble comes knocking from above. [pitiful]

As Su Shen scrolled through the comments, she also felt a headache coming on. This incident today had once again thrust them into the center of attention, and it would definitely continue for a few more days. She had no idea what else might happen next.

Just as she was about to go and pour herself a glass of water, her phone rang. Noticing it was her mom, Su Shen immediately answered the call. Her mom's voice immediately came through, asking probingly, "Where are you?"

Hearing this, Su Shen sat muddleheaded on the sofa, unsure of how to respond. Should she say that she was already living together with Xie Yan?

"Ay, I know you youngsters are quite open, but you're still a girl. Don't get yourself pregnant before getting married."

Su Shen blushed and didn't know how to explain herself, stammering, "Actually… we…"

"Alright, alright, as long as you know," Mama Su replied, continuing, "Your dad and I have discussed it. You'll be turning 26 next year, and it's indeed time for you to get married. Don't always just focus on your career. A family requires effort from both sides. No matter how loving your guys' relationship is, it will fade if you guys keep filming every day. Don't talk to me about dedication or professionalism. When you get married in the future, be more sensible and prioritize your family more. No matter how much money you have, it can't buy family happiness."

It was rare for her mom to be so sentimental. Su Shen uttered an "en", her eyes becoming slightly teary. Her parents cared about her a lot.

"I can see that his family likes you too, and your mother-in-law is easy to get along with, so I've discussed it with your dad. We know getting married right away is unlikely, so discuss it with Xie Yan and see if it's possible to have the wedding on the Lantern Festival next year. We've consulted a fortune teller, and that day is suitable for marriage."

Hearing this, Su Shen didn't know what to say as she held the phone. The Lantern Festival felt pretty near to her, just one or two projects away. However, she would most likely need to prepare for the wedding in between.

"I'll… ask Xie Yan later then?" Su Shen said softly.

At that, Mama Su said a few more words and advised her to take necessary precautions before she hung up the call.

Su Shen covered her face in embarrassment and leaned back on the sofa. Her mom definitely knew that she was living with Xie Yan.

"Ask me what?"

Suddenly, Su Shen heard a voice coming from nearby. Placing her hands down, she saw Xie Yan slowly coming down from upstairs, his hair still wet.

"Nothing much," Su Shen took a nearby cushion and hugged it in her arms, her gaze wandering. "It's just… my mom said… to have us get married on the Lantern Festival next year. What do you think?"

Approaching her, he looked down at her from high above. He frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Although it's a bit far away, we can take our time planning."

Su Shen: "....."

"I want both a Chinese and Western wedding. During the toasting, I want to wear a traditional Chinese wedding gown. As for the venue, have you thought about where to have the wedding?" As she spoke, Su Shen suddenly realized that there were still many things she hadn't prepared for.

Xie Yan sat beside her and arched a brow. "So, it turns out you're even more eager than I am."

"No way!" Su Shen suddenly got up and glared at him while pretending to be calm, blushing. "Don't spout nonsense. It's clearly you who keeps going on and on about these things every day."

Seeing her about to leave, Xie Yan quickly grabbed her hand and lowered his head to kiss the back of her hand. "En, it's me who's been longing for you. That's why I have time for the latter half of the year. We have plenty of time to prepare."

Tugging her hand, Su Shen realized once again how cunning this man could be. He knew that she was thin-skinned, yet he continued to tease her like this. To make matters worse, he would put on a pitiful facade, tugging at her soft-heartedness.

"Prepare however you want, I'll go make some soup," Su Shen said, retracting her hand and heading toward the kitchen.

Su Shen actually felt quite helpless. She knew that Xie Yan must've planned this for a long time, going as far as refusing any work for the latter half of the year. But did he ever consider the possibility that she might not accept his proposal?

Su Shen didn't know where he had gotten his confidence from, and she didn't want to think about it. There was still plenty of time, so she decided to take it slow and simmer a soup.

Looking at her retreating figure, Xie Yan gazed at her for a while and couldn't help smiling. He then picked up the nearby laptop and started playing with it.

The next day, Su Shen had to go on set, and Xie Yan had to go back abroad to film. However, his movie was about to finish shooting. Nevertheless, Su Shen felt very vexed. Being abroad, she didn't think much of it, but once she returned home, the paparazzi would swarm in and take photos of her. Headlines like "Xie Yan & Su Shen's First Appearance After Going Public, Smiles Indicating Stable Relationship" would definitely emerge.

Su Shen had already figured out the patterns of the media. However, she knew that it was inevitable for reporters to show up at the opening ceremony the next day.

The filming location was in Zhejiang, and the opening ceremony was at 1:00 pm, so Su Shen had to go to the airport a bit earlier. Xie Yan accompanied her, just that they wouldn't be on the same flight.

He Hua was following behind Xie Yan, accompanied by a few bodyguards. Knowing that there would be fans trying to take photos of them once they appeared, Su Shen took off her sunglasses before entering the lounge. Turning back and glancing at Xie Yan, she said, "I'm going now. Take care of yourself."

Xiao Zhou held her suitcase while keeping an eye on the people taking photos of them. There were people coming and going at the airport. Wearing a cap, Xie Yan pulled Su Shen into his arms and whispered, "When I come back, we can go and register our marriage first."

Su Shen: "...."

Blushing, she pushed him away and put on her sunglasses. Without looking back, she headed toward security to join the queue. Meanwhile, He Hua glanced at Xie Yan helplessly. The lovey-dovey phase between these two lasted quite long. They didn't even care about their public image and openly hugged each other in such a crowded place.

Su Shen couldn't help but notice that a gaze was fixed on her from behind until she entered the lounge, only then did she feel a bit more at ease. Sitting in a corner with a mask and sunglasses on, she suddenly realized that Xie Yan thought and planned too much. They had just set a wedding date, and now, he had already planned for them to register their marriage. His planning skills were truly impressive.

Just the thought of getting married to Xie Yan after being together for over a year felt surreal to her, like a dream. In a blink of an eye, she was already at the stage of getting married.

It all felt so surreal. After arriving in Zhejiang, Yao Yin picked her up from the airport before going to the filming location together. There were a lot of reporters waiting outside. As they saw Su Shen, they immediately swarmed around her. Thankfully, there were security guards on site who quickly separated them.

Since she was the most famous one among the cast and was also the female lead, she occupied center stage during the incense-burning ceremony. The rest of the cast were all newcomers and were all easy on the eyes. The male lead was somewhat shy and would smile whenever he saw her. However, the actress playing the supporting female lead, who was also a newcomer, would sweetly call her "jie" this or that. But that was how the entertainment industry worked; if you weren't famous, no one would pay attention to you.

However, the reporters outside were still crowding around. This was her first public appearance after going public, and they definitely wanted to get an exclusive scoop. Yao Yin said that evading them wasn't a solution and suggested that it would be better to openly accept interviews. It could even form a beneficial relationship with these media outlets.

Unable to avoid it, Su Shen could only accept interviews from those few reporters. As soon as they were let in, Su Shen was immediately surrounded, and the sound of camera shutters clicking incessantly filled the air.

"Su Shen, what do you think of the rumors online?" A female reporter from a news outlet asked, extending her microphone toward Su Shen.

Knowing that she was referring to the matter involving Cen Qing, Su Shen maintained a solemn expression in front of the numerous cameras. "I'm not quite sure why people would say such things. These baseless rumors are undoubtedly groundless."

Immediately after, another reporter extended their microphone. "Before, netizens captured photos of you and Xie Yan meeting each other's parents at a restaurant. Is there good news on the way?"