Neither the two stars involved in the Trending Search scandal nor their agencies had responded, but the internet had already exploded.
Both were top stars in their respective fields. Once their names became linked, another storm was bound to sweep across the internet.
All sides were quietly watching to see how the two would respond. Some brazen gossip accounts, however, couldn't wait to cash in on the traffic and began spreading all sorts of rumors.
Their girlfriend fans went to war, while casual onlookers and laid-back fans watched the fighting and shipped the pair on the side. Even old clips of the two mocking each other were dug up again, and the more people watched, the more chemistry they found.
Their ship fandom grew at lightning speed. The "mutual dislike duo," previously dismissed by fans as a crack ship, racked up over a million check-ins overnight, with everyone flocking to its fan community to enjoy the drama.
[I actually believed you two hated each other. Turns out I was the clueless third wheel all along!]
[If you're going to love and fight each other, could you at least give us fans a heads-up?]
[Does anyone understand how I felt when I woke up and saw Trending Search this morning? I thought I'd crossed into another universe!]
[Holy shit, look at this. Shen Yanci has been making movies for seven years, and not one fucking romantic scene has ever hit this hard!]
[Sob, having them together is a feast for my eyes! These days, they'll let just anyone act in TV dramas!]
Song Yunxing, who had debuted as an idol, had exquisite, bewitching features. Fans dubbed the video of his underwater solo at his first concert "240 seconds of soul-stealing," and it lured countless people into his fandom.
The young man had long, silvery-white hair, with a glittering blue diamond and silver chain clipped to his ear. The elaborate jewels adorning him did nothing to overwhelm his presence; instead, they made him shine even brighter.
On the specially designed aquarium stage, his white shirt was soaked through and clung to his lean waist. His pale chest, defined abs, and V-lines were clearly visible, while the magnificent fish tail behind him swayed gently.
With his heavenly voice and alluring figure, no one could resist him the instant his amber eyes met the camera.
Shen Yanci, who had debuted as a film actor, had created plenty of iconic villains.
Whether he played a beggar who rose from the streets to become the head of a conglomerate controlling the steel industry's lifeblood, a brilliant criminal with his life hanging by a thread, a bankrupt gambling legend starting over, or a double agent, he imbued them all with fierce conviction and overwhelming charisma.
The plots and characters were equally compelling, and every film left viewers wanting more.
A three-piece suit was all the adornment he needed. He also possessed an innate air of restrained desire and elite authority; a single look could send his fans into a mental climax.
Both stars caught up in the rumors were exceptionally talented. Combined with the unparalleled chemistry in the Trending Search video, they were downright addictive.
Overnight, countless fans began creating content, and all kinds of explicit fanfiction appeared online.
The ravenous fans devoured it, but none of that content could compare to a single word from the stars themselves. Fans and casual onlookers alike were practically clawing at themselves as they waited for a statement, frantically tagging both men's managers and agencies. Even their collaborators and the hosts of variety shows they'd appeared on were bombarded with questions.
Two days passed, and Trending Search remained high on the list. Both men's personal Weibo accounts actually saw another surge in followers.
The PR departments at both agencies were alarmed that the buzz was growing rather than fading, and hurriedly paid to push other Trending Search topics up the rankings.
Song Yunxing had just come out of the recording studio when Meng Ruo glanced at the flood of messages in her Weibo inbox and sighed helplessly. "At this rate, the whole internet is going to think you and Shen Yanci really are a couple."
Over the past two days, Meng Ruo had also fielded questions from their partner brands and artists at various agencies, brushing them all off. To guard against unexpected developments, she had even been staying at the office.
Yet Shen Yanci's agency remained maddeningly patient, refusing to clarify things first.
"I was going to clear it up in the first place. You were the ones who insisted I wait." The young man took a sip of water, put on his headphones, and listened to his recording.
Song Yunxing was preparing his third solo album and had already spent most of the day in the recording studio.
Meng Ruo gave a helpless smile. That was just how he was. Even if the world outside turned upside down, he had to finish his own work first.
As she scrolled through Weibo, two new entries suddenly appeared on the Trending Search list.
#Song Yunxing toys with people's feelings#
#Song Yunxing goes for alphas and omegas alike#
Alarm bells went off in Meng Ruo's head. She had been on guard day and night, but someone had finally made a move!
His status as a top star wasn't just talk. Anything associated with the name Song Yunxing could quickly draw traffic, let alone at such a sensitive time.
Everyone wanted to suck him dry, and unfortunately, Song Yunxing was softhearted and especially forgiving toward his juniors.
But not everyone deserved his help-like this boy from the New City Dance Troupe! He was practically trying to sink his teeth into Song Yunxing and tear away a chunk of his traffic.
The delicate male omega was livestreaming, accusing Song Yunxing through tear-filled eyes.
"We chatted every night until we fell asleep. My manager heard he was even going to give me a contract for the dating show True or False Lovers. We were about to go public, and then he hooked up with Shen Yanci! They even took back the True or False Lovers contract."
"I know I'm just a nobody, and I'm young, but that doesn't mean he can play with my feelings like this!" The pretty boy wept pitifully, looking utterly heartbroken.
The boy had also posted screenshots of their chats and photos of the dating show contract on his Weibo profile. He had previously appeared on the same show as Song Yunxing and showered him with attention, so there were plenty of photos of them together. Gossip accounts had even spread rumors about them before, leading some casual onlookers to genuinely believe they had dated.
The livestream kept gaining traction, and the boy's follower count soared.
[How could this happen? Is Song Yunxing really two-faced?]
[I told you Song Yunxing was fake as hell! He's fickle and doesn't deserve our award-winning actor Shen's love!]
[I can't even. Isn't this boy only eighteen? Song Yunxing really will take anyone! Alphas and omegas alike!]
[I thought that Trending Search video of those two was weird too. Song Yunxing was clearly the only one making a move, yet he still dragged our brother into it!]
Haters' comments flooded the livestream, drowning out every message from genuine fans trying to explain.
Someone was obviously pulling strings behind the scenes! They just wanted to seize this opportunity to rake in traffic.
Meng Ruo slammed the table in fury. When had their Xingxing ever suffered such humiliation?
She immediately called the PR department, telling them to stop taking down the Trending Search topics for now and track down the paid trolls behind the livestream!
"Yunxing, stop listening for a minute. Come look at this-what's going on?" Meng Ruo shot to her feet and shoved her phone into his hand.
"...Isn't this boy a member of the New City Dance Troupe?" Song Yunxing watched the boy accuse him on-screen, completely baffled. "When did I ever say I was going public with him?"
"He also says you chatted with him every night!"
"He asked me questions about dancing, and I just answered honestly. Later, he got so annoying that I stopped replying." Looking perfectly at ease, Song Yunxing opened his WeChat conversation on his phone and showed her.
His unruffled attitude only made Meng Ruo angrier. "Don't casually add juniors from other agencies on WeChat anymore. Every last one of them is bad news!"
Song Yunxing obediently nodded, then went back into the soundproof recording booth.
Meng Ruo took his phone and strode out of the recording studio in her high heels, heading straight for the PR and marketing department.
"I want this off Trending Search within an hour! Here's the complete chat history—release it! Dig up everything on this guy! That dating show contract was only mentioned in passing; it was never given to him! Check whether their agency has any artists invited to the show! Find out where those photos came from!" Meng Ruo planted a hand on the bald PR director's shoulder.
"Meng Ruo, Shen Yanci just posted on Weibo. Don't you want to take a look?" The bald director pointed at his computer screen.
Shen Yanci's Weibo profile was displayed on the screen. His latest post, published one minute earlier, included a photo of an official dating show contract.
Everything else had been blurred out, but the signatures at the bottom remained visible: Shen Yanci's flamboyant scrawl and Song Yunxing's neat, orderly signature.
[Shen Yanci: Tsk. A delusional fanboy's having a meltdown. (Image attached)]
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