Chapter 33

Fang Zhenzhen's birthday banquet was arranged at a star-rated hotel in City B. Initially, Zuo Mingran thought it was just a private gathering, and the invited guests were all business partners with connections to the Fang family. However, her perspective changed when Shi Shuangxia arrived with a stylist carrying dresses, and she realized that it might be different from what she had expected.

Usually, even though a celebrity's private schedule is not managed by the company, they still need to inform the company to avoid conflicts with their schedules.

Zuo Mingran did send a message to Shi Shuangxia in advance to facilitate the arrangement of her upcoming work. Shi Shuangxia replied with a simple "got it," which Zuo Mingran didn't pay much attention to. She later found time to pick a suitable dress and had Angel, the stylist, purchase it.

The dress delivered was a new high-end design provided by a brand. It was a white long dress with a one-shoulder neckline, a fitted waistline, and a moderately wide skirt, perfectly balanced to showcase her status as a popular actress without overshadowing the birthday celebrant.

Zuo Mingran tried on the dress and after confirming its suitability, she consulted with the stylist about the hairstyle for the next day. It was then that she turned to Shi Shuangxia and asked, "What's the situation? Is the company still willing to take care of my private schedule?"

Her contract was about to expire, and there was no intention to renew. If it weren't for Shi Shuangxia's mediation, the company would have wanted to maximize her value and minimize the funds allocated to her. They wouldn't have bothered preparing for her private banquet.

Shi Shuangxia snorted coldly, "You wish! I contacted them half a month ago just as a preparation. I didn't expect it would actually come in handy."

"Half a month ago?" Zuo Mingran was stunned. At that time, she was still filming with the crew, and her schedule was all about work on the set. There was absolutely no information about this banquet.

Shi Shuangxia took a sip of her coffee and said, "Yes, I was planning to help you turn it down since you were filming at that time, and they notified you without giving you any preparation time."

Saying that, Shi Shuangxia glanced helplessly at Zuo Mingran.

Indeed, the time given by the Fang family was urgent. Several invited celebrities had declined the invitation due to scheduling conflicts. Shi Shuangxia also wanted to do the same, but Zuo Mingran had the identity of Madame Yan, which made it difficult to find an excuse. She could only agree to attend.

Zuo Mingran was completely unaware of Shi Shuangxia's tangled thoughts. She handed the dress she had taken off to the stylist and sat down on the sofa next to Shi Shuangxia, asking, "What's the meaning of this? Isn't this Fang Zhenzhen's birthday banquet? She's a wealthy young lady with no connection to the entertainment industry. How did you know about it half a month ago?"

Shi Shuangxia couldn't help but give her a helpless look and sighed, "Love makes people blind, just as the ancients said."

"It's not just me, but at least twenty or thirty media outlets are preparing for this, ready to make it big news." Shi Shuangxia swiped her phone and tapped twice on the screen before showing it to Zuo Mingran. "Take a look for yourself."

The screen didn't show anything important, just some collaboration between a few marketing accounts. Zuo Mingran quickly understood what Shi Shuangxia meant.

She blinked and handed the phone back to Shi Shuangxia, saying meaningfully, "The entertainment industry is really something. Everyone is scrambling to get involved."

Shi Shuangxia shrugged, neither confirming nor denying Zuo Mingran's statement.

Fang Zhenzhen, big or small, was also a key character in the original book's plot and had some connection to Zuo Mingran. Since their last meeting, Zuo Mingran had reorganized some of the information about Fang Zhenzhen in the original book's plot, to avoid any complications in the future. According to the original book's plot, it was true that Fang Zhenzhen entered the entertainment industry, or else she wouldn't have crossed paths with the original female lead, Yin Ruxin. The Fang family held a high position in City B, and Fang Zhenzhen's entertainment career naturally progressed smoothly, with various resources at her fingertips. Aside from personality differences, her character was quite similar to the original book's Feifei.

As Zuo Mingran applied a face mask, she scrolled through Weibo. After the preliminary hype by various internet armies, news about the birthday banquet was fully exposed in the evening. There were already three trending hashtags, and dozens of celebrities, big and small, were invited. The event even had a red carpet and a signing wall, with interviews from over a dozen media outlets. It was all arranged for everyone to see, as if it were some kind of award ceremony.

Fang Zhenzhen was very calm about it all; she retweeted the company's press release. Regardless of what netizens thought or believed, at the very least, the name Fang Zhenzhen was no longer unknown in the entertainment industry.

Overall, this marketing campaign had achieved the expected result.

After dinner, Shi Shuangxia instructed Zuo Mingran to sleep early and left. Zuo Mingran stretched and yawned, pocketed her phone, and went upstairs.

Since their encounter with Yan Yunyang two days ago, he had returned to his usual elusive state. If it weren't for occasional things appearing at the door that didn't belong to her, Zuo Mingran would have thought she had entered the life of a lonely old person ahead of time.

As the saying goes, knowing oneself and the enemy leads to victory in a hundred battles. Without the alliance relationship, Zuo Mingran couldn't help but feel that Fang Zhenzhen had ulterior motives in inviting her this time. Unable to sleep after taking a bath, she lay on the bed, applied a face mask, and scrolled through Weibo.

Fang Zhenzhen's high-profile debut was not without signs, but recently, she had been busy filming on set and, coupled with Ren Luning occasionally giving her additional scenes, she hadn't noticed the storm brewing online.

According to the original book's plot, by this point, Fang Zhenzhen had already met the original female lead, Yin Ruxin, and the two had developed quite a feud.

Fan Zhenzhen made her debut through participating in a talent show program with a hundred contestants. Compared to others' "tragic backgrounds," Fan Zhenzhen's wealthy background immediately attracted attention. She stood out among the other contestants, not only because of her background, but also because of her talent. Her background alone was enough to overshadow many others.

Fan Zhenzhen's encounter with Yin Ruxin also happened on this program. While Fan Zhenzhen had a background, Yin Ruxin was the true protagonist of the story. With her rebirth and the halo of being the female lead, Yin Ruxin quickly became the most popular contestant on the show and successfully debuted. The title of being the first was taken away from her, which naturally made Fan Zhenzhen view Yin Ruxin as a thorn in her side. This led to the storyline in the original book where Fan Zhenzhen teamed up with Zuo Mingran to deal with Yin Ruxin.

However, things took an unexpected turn. Yin Ruxin did not get divorced from Yan Yunyang and accidentally became Fan Zhenzhen's love rival. They couldn't team up anymore, and even meeting each other without fighting was a matter of saving face.

Zuo Mingran calculated the time on her fingers and realized that, if nothing went wrong, she would probably meet the legendary female lead Yin Ruxin at tomorrow's birthday party.

Zuo Mingran sighed softly and stretched out her arms, lying on the bed in a spread-eagle position.

Someone knocked on her door a few times, and she was taken aback, thinking she had misheard. After all, the party was scheduled for the afternoon, and Shi Shuangxia and An Qi were not staying overnight. The only person who could knock on her door at this time was one person.

While she was still in a daze, the room door was opened with a swish. Yan Yunyang had just arrived home, his coat still draped over his arm, his glasses still on, and his hair, which had just been combed up, fell down slightly, framing his face.

The soundproofing of the room was too good. He waited for a while but didn't hear any noise. Just as he was about to knock again, the reddish-brown door opened in front of him.

Because she needed to sleep early, Zuo Mingran had already changed into her pajamas. Although they were tightly covered, when Yan Yunyang saw her pajamas, he immediately averted his gaze and handed her a few photos, "These are a few outfits Wen Mo prepared for me. Take a look and choose one for tomorrow."

"Ah? Outfits for tomorrow?" Zuo Mingran took the photos, confused. "You want me to choose?"

She wasn't a stylist. As Shi Shuangxia would say, her sensitivity to fashion as a female star was almost zero, which was hard to understand. Normally, she would have someone else pick out her outfits when she went out, so it was the first time someone asked her to choose clothes.

To be honest, Zuo Mingran couldn't tell the difference between men's clothes. Especially since all the photos Yan Yunyang gave her showed formal suits. In her eyes, aside from the slight differences in color and accessories, she couldn't find any distinction.

Scratching her head, Zuo Mingran looked up at him and honestly said, "They're all pretty good."

Yan Yunyang was in the process of taking off the watch on his wrist. Upon hearing her words, he looked up. The corridor was illuminated by warm night lights. Zuo Mingran had a plain face, her recently washed hair still slightly damp, cascading over her shoulders. The bedroom light cast a halo around her, enveloping her whole being.

He smiled gently and pointed at the photos in Zuo Mingran's hand. "What are you going to wear tomorrow? Choose one that goes well with mine."

Zuo Mingran instantly understood. Yan Yunyang wanted her to choose an outfit similar to his own. After all, they were a married couple, and if they each wore different outfits, the media might speculate on some gossip.

With the criteria in mind, Zuo Mingran quickly pulled out two photos and handed them to him. "Both of these are good, but I think this tie would be more suitable for this outfit."

Yan Yunyang simply replied, "I'll accompany you tomorrow."

Zuo Mingran was surprised. "Are you going to walk the red carpet too?"

In Zuo Mingran's opinion, the red carpet was undoubtedly prepared for the celebrities. After all, she had only seen business tycoons in financial magazines and had never heard of any CEOs walking the red carpet on a whim. They would definitely have to enter separately on the day, but what surprised Zuo Mingran was that Yan Yunyang actually nodded in agreement, affirming what she had said.

"Yes, we'll go together tomorrow. But I've never walked a red carpet before, so I might need your help."

Zuo Mingran hadn't recovered from the shock yet and hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's not difficult."

Yan Yunyang couldn't help but laugh, but quickly hid it. "Alright then, you should get some rest."

"Agreed?" Zuo Mingran felt something was off in her mind but couldn't figure it out for a while. Just as she had applied a face mask and it hadn't fully dried, making her face slightly sticky, she impulsively stopped Yan Yunyang and turned around to find a hydrating sheet mask from the room. Sincerely, she said, "If you're walking the red carpet, the media will definitely take photos. So, tonight, I'll ask Zhuang Bo to give you a slight touch of makeup."

Finishing her explanation, she quickly added, afraid of causing any misunderstanding, "It's not because you're ugly, but because the media's cameras can be terrifying. They'll want to zoom in on your face."

Yan Yunyang took the sheet mask and smiled faintly. "I understand what you mean. Thank you."

As their eyes met, Zuo Mingran blinked, her heart pounding in her chest. However, she quickly regained her composure and smiled calmly. "Then you'll have to take me out for a meal."

Yan Yunyang didn't hesitate and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"Spicy hot pot."

I didn't expect her to still remember the last time we had hot pot. Yan Yunyang smiled and said, "Okay."

Learning from past experiences, Zuo Mingran cautioned, "But it can't be a split hot pot."

Yan Yunyang reluctantly agreed, but Zuo Mingran, who had become suspicious of him, had to grab his hand and make him swear before considering it done. Despite their combined age of nearly sixty, with one of them even wearing pajamas, there was no sense of awkwardness as they did this.

In the spacious room, there were only the two of them. Zuo Mingran stared at the man in front of him, tilted his head, and suddenly reached out, removing the glasses still resting on his nose. "Don't bring this tomorrow."

Suddenly deprived of a barrier, Yan Yunyang was stunned. He looked at the glasses in Zuo Mingran's hand and asked, "Why do you always have a problem with it?"

It was the same last time, as if these glasses were never meant to be on his face.

Leaning against the door frame, Zuo Mingran hooked the glasses with his slender fingers and smiled, "I enjoy it."

The sound of a ringing phone suddenly filled the room, instantly dissipating the hint of ambiguity that had just arisen. Zuo Mingran took a deep breath, wishing he could drag the person on the other end of the call out of the phone and give them a beating.

Zuo Mingran coughed and gestured to the person behind him. "Your phone is ringing."

The call was from Shi Shuangxia, afraid that her artist wouldn't sleep at night and cause trouble. Shi Shuangxia shouted into the phone, "What time is it? Why are you still not sleeping? If you don't sleep now, tomorrow you'll be trending for a failed plastic surgery!"

Zuo Mingran: "..."

I'm really tired of your imagination.

After hanging up the phone, Zuo Mingran turned around and looked towards the door, but the person who had been standing there had disappeared. His phone buzzed, and a message appeared on the screen.

"Blow dry your hair before sleeping."

...

The next morning, An Qi and Zhuang Bai arrived together. The door opened from the inside just as the doorbell rang twice.

Zhuang Bai exclaimed, "Has the sun risen from the west today? Zuo Mingran actually opened the door after just one ring of the doorbell..."

Zhuang Bai swallowed the rest of his sentence as An Qi stepped forward and saw Yan Yunyang inside, smiling with a hint of fear. "Mr. Yan... you're here too."

Yan Yunyang was present, and Zhuang Bai and An Qi hesitated for a while in the living room. Both of them had never encountered such a situation before. Although they had seen each other many times on set before and had also eaten food sent by Yan Yunyang, now they were in someone else's house and neither of them dared to rush upstairs to wake up Zuo Mingran, a great and difficult task.

Zhuang Bai took advantage of his male privilege and pushed An Qi, saying, "I'm not suitable. I can't just enter someone's room when Mr. Yan is here, right?"

An Qi threw the blame back at him, saying, "Don't give me that. How come you didn't know your boundaries when we were on the set? Who said they were a human alarm clock who can wake up anyone?"

An Qi may not be tall, but she had strength. Zhuang Bai couldn't push her, so he insisted on salvaging his dignity, saying, "Can it be the same?!"

The two of them bickered for a while, neither daring to be the first to make a move.

Yan Yunyang brought out two cups of coffee from the kitchen and offered them, "I prepared breakfast. Do you want to eat something?"

An Qi quickly waved her hand, "No need, we already ate before coming."

Zhuang Bai hurriedly nodded along, angering An Qi who pinched him hard under the table.

Yan Yunyang wasn't familiar with them, and forcing conversation only made everyone more awkward. After a brief exchange, he went upstairs to his study and only came back down when he had finished his work. An Qi and Zhuang Bai hadn't even changed their positions.

Zhuang Bai, accepting his fate, said, "We still have time. We can just let Zuo Mingran sleep until he naturally wakes up."

An Qi retorted, "Wake up a bit, waiting for Zuo Mingran to wake up naturally is the same as waiting for the end of the world."

"In the end, you'll be the one freaking out the most, not me. I'm just a makeup artist."

"...You're dreaming. We're like two fleas on the same rope. You won't be able to run away by yourself."

The two of them sat on the couch with worried expressions, talking fervently but unwilling to move an inch.

The study was on the second floor. Yan Yunyang glanced downstairs and didn't see Zuo Mingran's figure. He turned and looked at the closed door, quickly understanding what was happening.

Seeing the time, it was already ten in the morning. Although they didn't know how much time it would take for a female celebrity to prepare for such an event, judging from the state of the two people downstairs, it was probably not enough time.

Only Shi Shuangxia knew about the fake marriage, and in the eyes of others, they were a legally married couple. So, it was only natural that he should be the one to wake the other up.

With time running out, An Qi couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up from the couch and said, "If we're going down, we're going down together. Let's go up together."

Zhuang Bai was playing with his phone, completely unaware of Angel's strength as she dragged him upstairs. As they reached the corner, they saw Yan Yunyang entering the room.

Angel and Zhuang Bai both gasped and instinctively took a step back, hiding themselves behind the wall.

Zhuang Bai whispered, "See, I told you we didn't need to come up!"

Angel, annoyed by his complaint, covered his mouth with her hand and pulled him downstairs. Their sneaky behavior made it seem as if a thief had entered Zuo Mingran's house.

It was 10 o'clock in the morning, and it was an unusually sunny day in winter. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, but the room was covered with heavy curtains, enveloping the bedroom in darkness.

Zuo Mingran showed no signs of being awake. She was buried in the soft bed, her heavy blanket tightly covering her. If it weren't for her black hair scattered on the pillow, there would be no indication that someone was lying on the bed.

There was no light turned on, but Yan Yunyang glanced at the motionless bed and walked straight to the window, pulling the curtains halfway open. The sunlight poured through the window, illuminating the foot of the bed and the entire room. Yan Yunyang glanced at the oblivious Zuo Mingran and took out his phone from his pocket, setting the alarm.

The next second, heavy metal music filled the room.

As a professional at sleeping in, Zuo Mingran had experienced countless tricks like playing music to wake her up. Oblivious to her surroundings, she turned over and pulled the blanket over her head, intending to go back to sleep. But the music abruptly stopped, followed by a familiar yet unfamiliar voice.

"Are you awake?"

"Huh?"

Who? Where am I? Who was just speaking?

Lying on the bed, Zuo Mingran was stunned for a moment. Although her eyes were still closed, her eyeballs rolled beneath her thin eyelids, and her eyelashes fluttered. Before she could figure out if what she heard was a dream or reality, the voice spoke again, "If you're awake, get up. They've been waiting for you for a long time."

They?

Who?

Her consciousness quickly returned, and the sunlight that entered the room wasn't too bright, but it was enough for her to see the situation inside.

Zuo Mingran, with her messy hair, hugged her blanket, looked at Yan Yunyang by the bed with sleepy eyes, and sat in a daze for a moment. Then she opened her mouth and said with a mournful tone, "Is it necessary to retaliate against me like this just because of a spicy hot pot dinner?"

Yan Yunyang: "..."

Twenty minutes later, a well-prepared Zuo Mingran came downstairs. Angel, who had been waiting since morning, was overjoyed and quickly called Zhuang Bai to prepare the tools for her makeup.

Zuo Mingran was accustomed to this way of working. As soon as she sat down on the prepared chair, breakfast was placed in front of her.

"Have breakfast first. We'll be physically active in the afternoon, so we can't skip breakfast."

Angel: "..."

Zhuang Bai: "..."

I'm sorry, we shouldn't be in the car, we should be under the car.

The two of them awkwardly sat on the sofa, pretending to be invisible.

The prepared breakfast was simple, consisting of bread, milk, and fried eggs. Having slept for too long, Zuo Mingran didn't feel hungry until she smelled the aroma, realizing that she hadn't eaten anything for over ten hours.

After finishing breakfast, Zhuang Bai quickly applied a simple daily makeup for Zuo Mingran in preparation for going out.

Although the hotel was in B City and not far from here, since there would be photographers taking pictures for Weibo, they decided to go to a studio for styling.

While Zhuang Bai was doing her makeup, Angel quickly went upstairs to collect the dress and other necessary items, preparing to bring them to the studio later.

Half an hour later, the three of them managed to leave before 11 am.

Angel and Zhuang Bai carried the dress downstairs, while Zuo Mingran put on her shoes and called out to Yan Yunyang who had come downstairs, "Hurry up, we still need to go to the studio for makeup. After that, we'll have a photoshoot and post on Weibo. We're short on time and there's a lot to do."

Yan Yunyang put on his coat and lightly chuckled at her words, "So, who was the one who refused to wake up earlier?"

"..."

Zuo Mingran didn't expect him to bring up the topic. She was still groggy and unclear when she woke up, but now she was fully awake and finally realized what had happened an hour ago. Recalling the meaningful smiles from Angel and Zhuang Bai when she came downstairs, Zuo Mingran felt that even if she honestly confessed that her marriage was a sham, it wouldn't clear her name.

Zuo Mingran: "Just shut up!"

The driver was waiting downstairs and when he saw Yan Yunyang coming down as well, Angel's eyes widened in shock. She glanced back and forth between Zuo Mingran and Yan Yunyang several times, almost pinching herself to prove that she wasn't dreaming.

Zuo Mingran didn't pay attention to her small movements. Seeing Yan Yunyang didn't plan to ride in the same car as them, she turned around and reminded him, "There might be reporters outside. Follow our car from behind later, don't let them stop you."

Yan Yunyang nodded, indicating that he understood, and Zuo Mingran then got into her own nanny car.

An Qi sat next to her, holding her bag, hesitatingly asked, "Sister Ran, why is Mr. Yan also going with us?"

Zuo Mingran said, "Yeah, he also received an invitation. Later, Zhuang Bo will help him with his styling."

Zhuang Bo, holding his makeup box, sat in the front passenger seat and promised that he would take care of it.

Zuo Mingran had only seen him do female makeup before, so she didn't know what his skill level was in male makeup. She was afraid that he would be too avant-garde and trendy, so she quickly added, "Don't make it too exaggerated, just make sure he can handle the media's cameras."

An Qi looked puzzled, but seeing Zuo Mingran calm and composed, she thought it was a prearranged decision and didn't dare to say or ask anything.

The styling studio they hired was not far from their residence, and with the morning rush hour over, there were not many cars on the road. They arrived at the location quickly. As expected, there were reporters camping outside the studio. The driver was used to such a small scene and calmly drove the car into the parking lot.

Zuo Mingran was still a bit sleepy and dozed off in the car. When An Qi brought her upstairs to the studio, she suddenly realized that Yan Yunyang hadn't followed them up.

Thinking that Yan Yunyang might have been stopped by the reporters downstairs, Zuo Mingran asked An Qi to go and see what was going on. An Qi quickly ran back and whispered, "Sister Ran, Mr. Yan has been stopped by the reporters downstairs."

Zuo Mingran: "..." It seemed that they were afraid of the very thing they were worried about.

Normally, these reporters would never dare to stop Yan Yunyang's car. But this time it was different. Right after Zuo Mingran passed, Yan Yunyang followed suit. Even if it wasn't a big news, based on Zuo Mingran's current popularity, there was at least some attention-grabbing factor.

So, someone called out, and a group of people quickly surrounded Yan Yunyang downstairs.

Zuo Mingran stood by the window and looked down. She clicked her tongue and said, "Poor guy, he's the type who only reads financial news online."

An Qi handed her a glass of water and asked, "Sister Ran, are we really not going to help Mr. Yan?"

Zuo Mingran said, "Get some security guards and buy some drinks to send down there."

By the time An Qi pulled Yan Yunyang out of the crowd of reporters, Zhuang Bo had already finished applying the base makeup for Zuo Mingran. The media's cameras were picky, and a slight carelessness could turn into a disaster. Zuo Mingran had spent almost half a year here and had seen her fair share of unflattering red carpet photos taken by others. Combined with the gossip she had heard from her best friend in her past life, she even learned that the red carpet was a battlefield for female celebrities, and walking the red carpet was equivalent to a fight between immortals.

The banquet was scheduled to start at 6 PM, with the red carpet beginning at 5 PM and expected to last for an hour.

After finishing the styling, the photographer also set up the shooting area. As usual, they would take a set of photos before the red carpet and post them online. At this time, Shi Shuangxia also arrived and helped them look at the photos.

Zuo Mingran's looks and figure were excellent, and the photos turned out well. After selecting a few of them, she handed them over to the post-production team to do some simple retouching and chose one to post on Weibo.

On the other side, Yan Yunyang, who had been styled by Zhuang Bo, came out of the dressing room. The people in the studio usually dealt with the entertainment industry, and their deepest understanding of him was as the wealthy husband of Zuo Mingran. When they saw him, they immediately pointed out where Zuo Mingran was.

Yan Yunyang thanked them and walked towards the shooting room.

Shi Shuangxia didn't know that Yan Yunyang had also followed them. She was discussing the details of the red carpet entrance with Zuo Mingran when suddenly someone appeared behind her, startling her.

"Mr. Yan is here too." Shi Shuangxia's gaze shifted between him and Zuo Mingran. Zuo Mingran, feeling guilty, averted her eyes.

Since he was here, Shi Shuangxia proposed enthusiastically, "Why don't we take a few photos with Mr. Yan? I see that all the photos online are just paparazzi shots. It's a good opportunity to take some pictures with Mingran."

Zuo Mingran didn't have time to refuse, and Yan Yunyang, as if not understanding the implication in Shi Shuangxia's words, smiled and agreed, "Sure."

Upon hearing his response, Zuo Mingran cursed silently in her heart and desperately signaled to Shi Shuangxia. The two of them walked aside, and Zuo Mingran lowered her voice, saying, "Xiajie, don't play like this."

Shi Shuangxia coldly snorted, "Don't act innocent with me. Do you think I don't know you?"

Zuo Mingran said, "What's wrong with me? I'm a positive and upright young person, doing things honestly!"

Shi Shuangxia said, "Then tell me, why did you answer my call so late last night?"

Zuo Mingran said, "...I was asleep."

Shi Shuangxia crossed her arms and watched her performance. "That's a lie. An Qi told me. Not only did you sleep late today, but someone also personally woke you up."

No matter how cautious you are, you can't guard against a traitor in your own home.

Zuo Mingran tugged at her skirt and lowered her head without saying a word.

Shi Shuangxia's tone slowed down, whispering, "Go and do whatever you want, because if you miss it, it will be too late."

Zuo Mingran suddenly looked up, but Shi Shuangxia just straightened her clothes and pushed her forward half a step. "Go, finish the shoot quickly."

This was the first time they were taking such serious couple photos. As husband and wife, some intimate actions were naturally unavoidable. The photographer directed their movements while frantically pressing the shutter.

The distance between the two was extremely close. Zuo Mingran stared at him for a while, and Yan Yunyang turned his face, his deep and bright eyes collided with hers. "What are you looking at?"

Zuo Mingran chuckled softly, "How much shadow did Zhuang Bai leave on your face?"

Yan Yunyang didn't understand, "What?"

The photographer shouted to change poses, and Zuo Mingran withdrew her hand from his arm, diagonally resting it on his shoulder. Her gaze and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "Nothing."

The flash lit up in that instant. The two people in the picture seemed to be telling a joke, and the laughter in their eyes and brows seemed to overflow from the screen. The girl was slightly shorter than the boy, but she stubbornly placed her arm on his shoulder. Both of them turned their heads to look at each other, and there seemed to be a faint twinkling of starlight in their eyes.

...

All the netizens knew that Zuo Mingran, a popular actress, got married early, marrying into a genuine wealthy family, and her husband was a typical handsome and rich man. The only downside was that they rarely showed affection publicly. To the point that even the haters said her wealthy husband was like Schrödinger's cat—believable and unbelievable at the same time. Until the divorce announcement was released, no one knew if she had already been kicked out.

Since they were going to walk the red carpet, Zuo Mingran's fans had been waiting on Weibo, waiting for her to post high-definition beauty photos.

It wasn't until 4 o'clock in the afternoon that Zuo Mingran's Weibo was finally updated with a photo. The fans, eager to shower her with praise, quickly noticed that this photo was different.

It wasn't just one person.

There seemed to be two.

Trembling hands clicked on the picture, and the fans instantly received double the happiness.

"Mom! My ship is real! My ship is the sweetest in the world!"

"I'm so envious. What kind of divine looks are these?"

"I'm so sour. Can goddesses only be with gods?"

"I'm hesitating between taking away my wife and taking away Mr. Yan."

"Give up, you can't take anyone away. Mr. Yan's knife has already been drawn 39 meters."

"Ship, let's ship with all our might, the main couple is giving us sugar!"

"Not sweet, not surprising. When it's sweet, it's astonishing!"

...

Zuo Mingran leisurely scrolled through the comments on Weibo, wondering if she had inadvertently contradicted herself. Surprisingly, there weren't many emotional experts in the comment section asserting that she had already divorced. After a few days of replying, Zuo Mingran handed her phone back to Shi Shuangxia, leaned back on the chair, and asked, "It's almost five o'clock, and we still haven't decided on the order for the red carpet?"

Walking the red carpet was troublesome. Who would go first and who would go last required lengthy discussion. Even if they had prepared the order in advance, it could still change on the spot.

Zuo Mingran rolled down the car window slightly. The parking lot was large and already filled with luxury cars, all shimmering. They would all go from here to the red carpet later, and there were too many paparazzi waiting, so everyone stayed in their cars.

Shi Shuangxia was busy replying to emails and dealing with work-related matters. She casually said, "The first one to go will definitely be Fan Zhenzhen, so you don't need to think about it."

Zuo Mingran casually replied, "When do I need to rely on the order of the red carpet to attract attention? Isn't it that no matter when I go, I will be the best in the room?"

Shi Shuangxia: "..."

Shi Shuangxia reluctantly turned back to continue looking at her emails. It had to be said that although Zuo Mingran's words sounded narcissistic, they seemed normal coming from her mouth.

Usually, Zuo Mingran's red carpet outfits overshadowed the main characters. This time, she was walking with Yan Yunyang, and Shi Shuangxia didn't need to think twice to know what would trend on Weibo later.

After looking around and not seeing anyone, Zuo Mingran boredly rolled up the car window and messaged Wen Feifei, who was still filming on the set.

Wen Feifei had also received the invitation, but she didn't feel like wasting time outside. It wasn't an important awards ceremony anyway, so she simply made an excuse and declined.

Well, having connections meant being able to do as one pleased.

Apart from Wen Feifei, Ren Luning also stayed on the set, which surprised Zuo Mingran. After all, in terms of popularity, Ren Luning could definitely be considered a popular young actor. He and Fan Zhenzhen both came from talent shows and followed the idol path. No matter how you looked at it, Ren Luning was Fan Zhenzhen's senior, so it was unlikely that he didn't receive an invitation.

Zuo Mingran sent his question out, and Wen Feifei happened to have just finished a scene with Ren Luning and was infuriated. She immediately grabbed her phone and replied, "It's not that he doesn't want to go, it's his agent who won't let him go."

Zuo Mingran: "Is that even a thing?"

Wen Feifei is straightforward and quick to speak her mind, especially since her relationship with Ren Luning has progressed rapidly since they formed a revolutionary friendship.

"I heard it from Xiaofei, he always knows gossip." Wen Feifei said.

For some reason, when she heard Wen Feifei say this about her own assistant, Zuo Mingran strangely thought of Anqi and Mao Mao, who had been by her side before.

Wen Feifei said, "His agent probably wants him to focus on filming. If his acting is so bad and he keeps running around, which director would dare to use him in the future."

Zuo Mingran: "That's not necessarily true. Since he's popular, even if his acting is bad, he has fans to support him."

She spoke the truth, and Wen Feifei paused for a moment. Just when Zuo Mingran thought she had been pulled away by the director to film another scene, the girl sent an angry voice message, "I wonder how long he can stay popular."

Zuo Mingran: "..."

Without headphones, the phone volume was not loud, but it was particularly noticeable in the small space. Shi Shuangxia glanced up briefly from her busy schedule and raised an eyebrow, "Wen Feifei?"

Zuo Mingran awkwardly nodded, "Just talking about something."

"Oh."

Shi Shuangxia lost interest and turned back around. Yan Yunyang, sitting across from them, made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut, silently saying, "Don't worry, I didn't hear anything."

Zuo Mingran facepalmed.

The group waited in the car for a while. After chatting with Wen Feifei for a few more sentences, she got busy filming another scene. Zuo Mingran started a small game on her phone to pass the time. Still on the loading screen, the car window next to her was suddenly tapped twice.

Paparazzi would never interrupt them at this time, Zuo Mingran and Shi Shuangxia glanced at each other and rolled down the window slightly.

A man and a woman approached, wearing professional attire and carrying work badges around their necks. They appeared to be event staff.

Zuo Mingran sat in the car and asked, "What's going on?"

The leading man glanced into the car and smiled, "Miss Zuo, we're here to find Mr. Yan."

"Yan Yunyang?" Zuo Mingran looked across at herself. "He's here to see you."

Having come all the way to find someone, Zuo Mingran decided to play on her phone while listening to what they had to say. The staff member in charge of communication couldn't help but sweat in the middle of November, in the cold winter, seeing her seemingly interested look.

"Mr. Yan, Mr. Fan invites you to enter, taking the VIP passage, so you won't encounter any reporters."

This statement was clearly guilty conscience. After all, everyone knew that Yan Yunyang was Zuo Mingran's husband. Even if they walked the red carpet together, it was completely justified. It was no secret that they could avoid the reporters' entrance, so there was no need for them to come and run errands.

Remembering what had just happened in the banquet hall, the staff member pitied Zuo Mingran, who seemed to know nothing.

See, she was a popular female star, yet even marrying into a wealthy family was so troublesome. If it were an ordinary person, who knows what kind of torment they would be subjected to.

Zuo Mingran, who received an inexplicable concern, said, "?"

After finishing a game, she put down her phone and listened to their conversation.

The already nervous staff member saw her action and swallowed nervously. "Mr. Yan, would you like to go ahead with us?"

Yan Yunyang knew without thinking who had called him over. Since he had rejected Fan Zhenzhen several times, both openly and secretly, she seemed to have suddenly realized this and calmed down for some time. Coincidentally, he had been busy with company matters and was often away from B City, gradually forgetting about this matter.

Aside from not being interested in Fan Zhenzhen, he was now married, so it was neither appropriate nor reasonable for him to have unnecessary contact with other women. If it weren't for the so-called father's insistence, he wouldn't even attend this birthday banquet.

Looking at Zuo Mingran across from him, who was engrossed in watching the scene with her chin propped up, Yan Yunyang said calmly, "No need, I have my own plans."

The man wanted to say something more, but the girl standing behind him tugged at his sleeve and smiled towards the car, "Since Mr. Yan has his own plans, we won't disturb you."

After speaking, the girl pulled the man away.

When the two were far away, the man turned around to look at Zuo Mingran's car, his tone displeased, "Why did Zhou Tong drag me? If I hadn't been invited, I would still have to face criticism later."

The girl called Zhou Tong hugged her arms, smiling coldly at the man, "Do you really think we can make someone leave just by calling them? That young lady is deluding herself and using us as cannon fodder."

"The man complained, 'Now even as cannon fodder, nothing has been accomplished.'" 

Zhou Tong waved her hand nonchalantly, "Forget it, I'll explain later. Go check how the preparations are going."

Grateful for someone helping to divert attention, the man gladly accepted and quickly left, leaving Zhou Tong alone in the parking lot.

With no one around, Zhou Tong could no longer contain her excitement and quickly took out her phone, typing a message and sending it out.

"Ah ah ah, I saw Rang Rang baby, she's so beautiful, wuwuwu." 

The group chat consisted mostly of Zuo Mingran's loyal fans. They usually had lively discussions and jokes, and many were still reeling from the impact of Zuo Mingran's recent lovey-dovey relationship. When Zhou Tong exclaimed, there was a momentary delay in their reaction.

"Do we need to question the beauty of my wife? Take her out and cut her!" 

"Isn't the key point that you saw her in person? Has the red carpet started?" 

"Not yet, let me tell you a secret. The hotel I work at is the one handling the reception for this event."

"!!!!"

"What??? You've been hiding this from us for so long! Prepare to die!" 

The group chat erupted in chaos, but after a while, everyone quieted down. Zhou Tong shared some of the information she could, and concluded, "Anyway, I'm now a CP fan of Rang Rang and Yan Zong. There are many female celebrities who have married into wealthy families, but how many have a husband accompanying them on the red carpet?" 

"You really know how to pat yourself on the back."

Although the words were teasing, they held some truth. This group of loyal fans had witnessed the grand wedding and had seen the doubts surrounding the marriage. Sometimes, even they would question if the rumors were true, especially since Zuo Mingran and Yan Yunyang had not appeared together in public for a year after their marriage. This questioning had only added to the credibility of the rumors, leading to their fans often losing in online arguments.

Now, they could finally openly support and promote their CP, with official certification from the government. No sweetness, no charge!