Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Beginning of the Scandal

”Geology Talk” has been on air for many seasons, enjoying lasting popularity. This success is in part due to local government support, but also because the show is very well produced.

With Song Chi’s reminder, Zhou Yun was ready for the surprise ”ambush” from the production team the next morning.

She wasn’t afraid of being seen without makeup, but the lighting had to be good, to avoid looking worn out on camera. The internet is rife with so-called ”shocking make-up-free photos of celebrities”; often, those pictures are unflattering not because the celebrities are actually ugly without makeup, but due to poor lighting and other factors that could make anyone look like a dinosaur or a monster.

Zhou Yun tried several setups, turning on only the bedside lamp, the ceiling light, or the hotel room’s lighting, among others. She tested each to see how she looked in her phone’s native camera. Finally, she chose the lighting that made her look best and fell asleep with the lights on.

Zhou Yun didn’t have the habit of needing lights on to sleep.

In fact, this was also a little trick on Zhou Yun’s part.

When the production crew entered the room, they captured not a pitch-dark space, but a room with gentle lighting.

Zhou Yun was lying in bed, fast asleep.

She didn’t need to pretend; a person’s most unguarded and likable moment is when they are truly asleep.

Zhou Yun knew that at this stage of her career, her biggest advantage was her face; she just lay there quietly asleep, not needing to do anything to look beautiful.

But what Zhou Yun didn’t expect was that, the next morning, instead of the production team’s ”ambush,” she received a notice that the filming for this episode had been suspended.

Zhou Lan said, ”It seems one of the guest artists had an accident, suddenly couldn’t continue filming, and the whole shooting was disrupted.”

”Who?” Zhou Yun asked.

Zhou Lan said, ”I don’t know, I’m trying to find out, but no luck so far.”

Zhou Yun sat up in bed, barefaced, and yawned lightly.

”So, if the shooting can’t happen today, do we have to reschedule?”

Zhou Lan said, ”It’s possible. I don’t know how the production team will handle it, but we have other work scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. If the delay is too long, we won’t be able to accommodate their new schedule. I guess others are the same; everyone has one job lined up after another, and no one has the time to adjust for others.”

Half an hour later, Zhou Lan received a message from the production team.

”It really can’t be filmed, only postponement is possible,” Zhou Lan hung up the phone, her expression a bit complicated, ”It’s not a guest having problems, it’s the director who had an incident.”

”Zhao Qin?” Zhou Yun was surprised, ”What happened to him?”

”He had a sudden heart attack and was taken to the hospital,” Zhou Lan said.

Zhou Yun was even more surprised, ”He has a heart condition? He looks so young, and he has a heart problem?”

Zhou Lan sighed, ”In this industry, it’s common to stay up late and eat irregularly; it’s not unusual for people’s health to suffer.”

With the director suddenly hospitalized, filming indeed could not continue.

Zhou Yun asked Zhou Lan, ”So what do we do now?”

”I’ll go change our flight tickets and head back earlier.”

Zhou Yun asked, ”Should we visit Zhao Qin in the hospital?”

A look of surprise appeared on Zhou Lan’s face, ”Visit him? Are you close with him?”

”Not close, but we were about to work together on the show. Doesn’t it seem a bit indifferent to just leave without visiting him in the hospital after hearing what happened?” Zhou Yun asked.

Zhou Lan shook her head, ”We’re not really acquainted; I don’t see the necessity. But if you want to visit, that’s fine.”

Zhou Yun asked, ”Will Su Yan and the others go?”

Zhou Lan said, ”I heard Su Yan is already checking out.”

”That fast?” Zhou Yun was quite surprised.

Zhou Lan scoffed, ”Once they heard the show couldn’t be filmed, they hurried off.”

She asked Zhou Yun, ”Are you going to the hospital? If you want to go, I’ll contact them to find out which hospital they’re in.”

”Forget it, if others aren’t going, me going alone would be too strange, as if Zhao Qin and I are particularly close,” Zhou Yun shook her head. ”I thought it would be normal etiquette for everyone to visit the hospital after such an incident.”

”An artist’s time is more valuable than anything and harder to coordinate,” Zhou Lan said. ”Unless there’s a close personal relationship, no one wants to waste that time. It’s just a professional acquaintance, after all. Perhaps the regular members of the cast might visit, but I haven’t heard that they intend to. It’s not just Su Yan; several people are ready to leave.”

At that moment, Song Chi sent Zhou Yun a message: Heard your show director’s hospitalized?

Zhou Yun saw it and replied: You’re quite well-informed, eh? I just found out myself.

Song Chi: So you can’t continue filming the episode?

Zhou Yun: Yeah, everyone’s getting ready to leave.

Song Chi: Just like that?

Zhou Yun: Can’t film the show, why stay?

Song Chi: Hang on, how about lunch together at noon?

Zhou Yun: ??? Lunch? Are you crazy?

She thought, they had only just been photographed together recently; if Song Chi invited her out to lunch and someone snapped a photo, haha, that would be the final proof of a romance. Zhou Yun didn’t want to take that risk; her Weibo account was still being spammed by some of Song Chi’s diehard fans.

Just yesterday, a girl spilled tomato juice on her at the airport.

But Song Chi said: If you have lunch with me at noon, I’ll tell you the real story behind your director’s hospitalization.

Zhou Yun frowned skeptically, ”What are you talking about? Wasn’t he hospitalized because of a sudden heart attack?”

Song Chi: Of course not, that’s just the official statement. I guarantee this gossip is worth a lunch.

Zhou Yun: Why suddenly have lunch with me? Brother, you’re a top celebrity, don’t trap me, okay? Do you know how many eyes are watching you?

Song Chi: The more they watch, the more we need to act nonchalant. Later, we’ll just take a photo together and post it on Weibo.

Zhou Yun: You posting?

Song Chi: I’ll post, okay?

Zhou Yun: Well, maybe I could consider lunch then.

She told Zhou Lan, ”Sister Lan, let’s change our flight to the afternoon.”

Zhou Lan looked up, puzzled, ”Why?”

Zhou Yun sighed, ”You might not believe it if I tell you.”

”What?” Zhou Lan looked at her suspiciously.

Zhou Yun shrugged, ”Song Chi has asked me to have lunch with him. He’s also in Hainan.”

Zhou Lan was stunned.

That was the reaction Zhou Yun had anticipated.

Zhou Lan crossed her arms maliciously, staring at Zhou Yun, ”Tell me the truth, are you and Song Chi really not secretly dating?”