Huayu 16: I Became the Dream-Fulfilling Master for Young Actresses

Chen Xingzhou: [Don't cry, go to sleep first, check Weibo tomorrow.]

Meng Ziyi's eyes were swollen from crying, and her throat was dry and hoarse.

Suddenly, the phone rang with a notification tone that had been specially set for Chen Xingzhou's WeChat account.

Meng Ziyi, who was squatting on the ground, stiffened. Her swollen eyelids twitched as she looked at the phone lying on the floor.

She moved her numb legs, reached for her phone, and the faint light from the screen illuminated her disheveled face.

His skin was covered in dried tears, his lips were pale, and his hair was disheveled, making him completely different from the glamorous Meng Ziyi of the past.

Opening Chen Xingzhou's WeChat, one sees a concise and calm message.

The few words offered no further comfort, no questioning of why she hadn't listened to advice, and no blame for her willfulness and recklessness.

It was as warm as Chen Xingzhou's embrace, making her despairing heart start beating again.

The tears I had just suppressed welled up again, but this time they were no longer desperate sobs.

Instead, it was a sob of surprise, grievance, and sweetness.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed on the keyboard and replied:

【A-Zhou, I love you.】

After sending the message to Chen Xingzhou, several more messages came in.

Tian Xiwei: [Sister Ziyi, are you alright? Don't be sad. I saw the video online. You did nothing wrong. I support you.]

Li Yitong: [Ziyi, don't force yourself. If you want to cry, just cry, but don't do anything foolish.]

Li Yitong also posted on Weibo to protest against malicious editing:

[@Meng Ziyi, I believe in you.]

Seeing the two comforting her, Meng Ziyi's eyes welled up with tears, and her heart felt even warmer.

Especially Li Yitong, who not only didn't get angry when he targeted her in the "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" crew, but also kept giving in to him.

Even at this point, he still supports her without hesitation.

She replied to both of them, then propped herself up on the foot of the bed, stopped crying, lifted her numb arms and legs, lay down on the bed, and curled up.

She then pressed the couple's bracelet she wore with Chen Xingzhou to her lips and closed her eyes.

Just then, my cell phone rang.

She suddenly felt panicked, afraid that someone was going to come and scold her.

Even if this number is very private, it's not the one that was leaked online.

She picked up her phone and saw that it was Chen Xingzhou calling.

Her face lit up with joy, and without hesitation, she immediately pressed the answer button.

She forced herself not to let her voice betray her earlier crying, and sweetly called out, "A-Zhou."

"Okay, go to sleep, don't hang up."

Meng Ziyi was stunned again. After a few seconds, the corners of her mouth turned up, and she replied, "Hmm..."

It wasn't that she didn't want to call Chen Xingzhou; she even considered a video call.

But the thought of Chen Xingzhou seeing and hearing her disheveled appearance and hoarse voice made her worry him.

Although Chen Xingzhou called, his actions made her feel incredibly at ease.

She obediently closed her eyes and held the phone to her ear.

She could hear his steady breathing through the receiver, as if he were lying right next to her, with his arms around her waist.

The overwhelming insults and malice now seem distant and blurred.

My heart is filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and sweetness.

Her lips were pressed against the bracelet, a smile playing on her lips, as she gradually drifted off to sleep.

……

The next day, morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains onto the edge of the bed.

Meng Ziyi slowly woke up, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She hummed softly, the sound lingering, and stretched her body, feeling completely relaxed.

She hadn't slept for so long in a long time, sleeping so soundly and comfortably.

She opened her eyes, instinctively clenched her fist, and felt the phone in her hand.

She picked it up and saw that the screen was still lit up, and the call interface with Chen Xingzhou was still there.

My favorite Ah Zhou

【09:36:36】

Looking at her phone screen, Meng Ziyi smiled happily and held the phone to her ear.

The sound of water could be heard from over there; clearly, Chen Xingzhou was washing up.

In that instant, Meng Ziyi felt even more at ease.

She suppressed a sleepy, nasal voice and said, "A-Zhou? You were awake a while ago?"

The sound of water on the other end of the receiver suddenly stopped, and Chen Xingzhou's voice came through slowly: "Hmm, just woke up. Are you awake? Still feeling unwell?"

Thinking of how she cried until her cheeks were completely dry last night, Meng Ziyi shook her head. "It's okay, I slept soundly."

"I'll go wash up first, then check Weibo."

Meng Ziyi was stunned for a moment before belatedly realizing what had happened last night, and a sense of unease welled up in her heart.

"Um... Zhou, please don't hang up yet, okay? I'm scared."

"Um."

Mencius breathed a sigh of relief and slowly got up.

When she got to the sink, she realized how dry her cheeks were.

In the mirror, her eyes were swollen, and her once fair cheeks were covered with tear stains, feeling dull to the touch.

After washing up, she took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and opened Weibo. The moment the screen popped up, she froze completely.

Last night, the hashtags 【#MengZiyiPrincessSyndrome#】 and 【#MengZiyiDisrespectsHisMentor#】, which were at the top of the trending topics list, have now fallen to the bottom.

Instead, two brand new trending search terms appeared:

[#Meng Ziyi was maliciously edited#], [#Complete clip of first grade graduation season leaked#]

The two terms remained firmly at the top of the trending searches, followed by the word "hot".

Her fingers trembled slightly as she clicked on the trending topics, only to be met with a barrage of conflicting opinions.

The homepage is filled with complete clips reposted by various entertainment accounts, media outlets, and marketing accounts:

The first part is her attempt to communicate with Anita Yuen about "whether it's possible to reduce the amount of dirty makeup on her face while retaining her facial expressions."

The second part is about how she earned the lead role through her own hard work, but her classmates voted to have the teacher replace her, which made her angry.

There are several more clips of her that were maliciously edited, but these have all been made complete.

The comments section has already shifted; although there are still some people attacking her, those apologizing and expressing sympathy have clearly taken the lead.

[I'm so sorry! I misunderstood Meng Ziyi yesterday; it turns out it was maliciously edited!]

[Good heavens! This streaming platform is disgusting! They're maliciously editing and misleading people just for clicks!]

[I've become a fan. Meng Ziyi is indeed straightforward, but he didn't do anything wrong; on the contrary, he's very genuine.]

[I've invested! I've invested!]

Yesterday I told you to look at the whole story before commenting, but you still said my mom flew away.

[Permission to return to base.]

Meng Ziyi stared at the screen, stunned for a long time before recovering, a wide smile spreading across his face.

The anxiety I felt earlier vanished instantly, leaving only joy and elation.

She had no idea that Chen Xingzhou had secretly paid for the footage to be released by the media.

They simply assumed that everyone had finally seen what she looked like, and the whole truth had come to light.

She excitedly jumped onto the bed, opened Chen Xingzhou's WeChat, and her fingers flew across the keyboard.

[Ah Zhou, Ah Zhou! Look at Weibo! Everyone knows I was maliciously edited, and they're all apologizing to me!]

Thank you for being with me yesterday. I don't know what I would have done without you.