Chapter 5 : Spotlight and Shadows

When Shen Mengke appeared wearing her cap, flashes of cameras targeted her.
A burst of white light made her frown and step back instinctively.
Looking up, she saw a dense crowd ahead.

Xiao He, ever professional, stepped in front of Shen Mengke, shielding her from the lenses.
Shen Mengke rarely allowed fans to visit the set, not wanting to disrupt filming.
Puzzled, she lowered her cap and whispered to Xiao He, “Wrong place?”
Xiao He looked equally confused, shaking her head.
Even more confusing were the fans, cameras ready, waiting for their idol.

Murmurs floated over—“wrong one,” “not here yet,” “she’s in the back”…
Shen Mengke pieced it together.
Under Xiao He’s escort, she entered the set, glancing back with a flicker of envy.

Gossip sparked in her eyes as she turned to Xiao He.
“Find out who they’re here for.”
Xiao He nodded, escorting her to the makeup room before slipping away.

The drama Shen Mengke was filming, Heart’s Query, was a period revenge tale with a same-s*x romance.
Such themes weren’t rare in China anymore, with a few shows airing, though they stayed subtle, tiptoeing around boundaries.
The production kept a low profile due to the sensitive topic.
Fans rarely visited the set, and never in such a swarm as today.

As her makeup was applied, Xiao He returned with news.
“It’s Jiang Ranran.
She’s guest-starring in a role.”
Shen Mengke raised an eyebrow.
Jiang Ranran, a former idol, had exploded onto the acting scene after a hit historical drama.
She’d been quiet lately, dogged by plastic surgery rumors and tabloid fodder, yet her fans’ fervor hadn’t dimmed.

Some fans griped about her abandoning music and stages, but in this era, singers and dancers all tried acting.
Breaking through was no small feat, and Jiang Ranran had done it.
Shen Mengke stared into the mirror, her thoughts drifting to Chen Xingxing.
Did she act?
Did the Chens see acting—intimate scenes and all—as dirty, while Chen Xingxing’s singing and dancing on stage was somehow clean?
What about Chen Yanxing?
As a Chen, did she share that view of the entertainment world?
Her mind wandered, and in the mirror, she glimpsed Chen Yanxing’s distinct eyes, that hand roaming her body…

Shen Mengke frowned, letting out a soft tsk.
Spring was long gone—why was she feeling this now?

The makeup artist paused, glancing at her.
“Uh… Teacher Shen?”
Snapping back, Shen Mengke apologized.
“Sorry, not you.
Just… thinking about the role.”
The artist smiled.
“That focus?
This drama’s bound to succeed.”
Shen Mengke laughed, brushing it off as polite flattery, not taking it to heart.

Though Heart’s Query wasn’t a big-budget production, Shen Mengke loved the script.
She played a naïve princess, forced into a political marriage in a neighboring kingdom, growing through betrayal and intrigue in a crumbling empire.
The story and its themes were exceptional.
Honestly, when Shen Mengke first read the script, she suspected Fan Shi had pulled strings to get it for her.
But this role was new territory—she struggled to find the right balance.
Her textbook acting passed muster, but she wasn’t satisfied, reshooting scenes repeatedly.
It drained her confidence and tested the crew’s patience.
That frustration led to last night’s escape, not wanting to go home, and her chance encounter with Chen Yanxing—a fleeting, perfect connection that swept her worries away.
Suddenly, the role clicked with new clarity.

Who knew lovemaking could do that?

Lost in thought, Shen Mengke glanced up and saw Xiao He in the mirror, staring at her phone with a pained expression.
“What’s up?”
Xiao He set the phone down, her smile strained.
“Sis, you’re trending again.”
“Hm?”
Xiao He handed her the phone.

It started with a fan who didn’t recognize Shen Mengke, posting her photos on Weibo:

[@Just-JiangRanran: Missed Ranran, but here’s a shy beauty instead [Photos][Photos][Photos][Photos]]

The shots caught Shen Mengke pulling her cap low, stepping back.
She was a lukewarm name in the industry—her scandals outshone her roles.
Few could pick her out in a crowd.
[@Just-JiangRanran], a diehard Jiang Ranran fan for nearly a decade, posted only about her idol.
So…

[What’s going on?
Thought it was Ranran!]
[Ranran where?
J-sis, you jumping ship?]
[Haha, I got her too!
[Photo]]
[On-site, her retreat was so cute!]
[She looks familiar…]
[No kidding, she’s trending right now!]
[J-sis, don’t mix shady celebs with Ranran, okay?]
[Shady?
Shen Mengke debuted when your sis was still taking exams!
Show some respect!]
[Sure, she’s a senior, but J-sis… bad optics.]
[Shen’s fans rolling in already?
Stalking us?]
[Stalking my *ss!
It’s trending, you blind?]
[…]

Whether it was Jiang Ranran’s clout or Shen Mengke’s infamy, the photos sparked a firestorm.
Worried about Jiang Ranran’s image, J-sis deleted the post and apologized, but the images had already spread.
Plenty of others at the scene had snapped Shen Mengke—fans or not, praising or slamming—and posted them.
Two unrelated fanbases clashed, pushing the drama to the tail end of the trending list.
Despite the chaos, Shen Mengke’s unfiltered photos held up.
Her small face was half-hidden by the cap’s brim, lips pursed, sunlight glinting off the white “SMK” letters on her black cap.

[@DreamOfYou_: Sis is wearing her fan cap!!!
[Photos][Photos]]

Her fans reposted the same shots, circling the cap as proof of her loyalty.

[So mad!
@ShenMengkeStudio, do your job!
Letting the boss get slandered?]
[AHHHH!
Sis is the best!]
[I wanna see her film live!]
[Let’s not make trouble for her…]
[No leaks from the set till now—how’d jrr’s fans just show up?]
[This is sis’s turf, don’t mention others.]
[@ShenMengkeStudio, pull the trend!]
[@ShenMengkeStudio, kill the trend!]
[jrr’s fans are spreading lies in the comments!]
[Babies, don’t clap back—save the evidence!]
[@ShenMengkeStudio, work!]
[…]

The focus veered wildly, and Shen Mengke’s name climbed the trends again.
Amid the noise, one comment stood out: [Okay, but what’s on Shen Mengke’s neck?]
Her brow furrowed.
She zoomed in.
The sunlight’s glare blurred the spot, but a red mark on her neck stood out starkly.

Her heart skipped.
Sighing, she handed the phone back to Xiao He.
“Get to work.
Pull the trend.”
“We’re on it, but…”
“What?”
“Fan Jie says someone’s helping us pull it.
Maybe Jiang Ranran’s side?”
Xiao He sounded skeptical—rivals helping was unheard of, though they weren’t exactly rivals.

Shen Mengke closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as the makeup artist applied the final touch.