Chapter 42

New Year’s Eve was Zhao Yu’s final scheduled event of the year. But once midnight passed and the new year began, she would only be busier than she’d been this year.

When she arrived at the recording venue, she ran into Huo Xi and his team as soon as she stepped out of the car.

Although Lin Zhinan had obtained her agent certification, she was still inexperienced in handling business matters. For Zhao Yu’s important events, Han Shuang took the lead while Lin Zhinan assisted. Spotting the group ahead, both sides exchanged polite greetings.

The two groups entered the elevator together.

As soon as the doors closed, Brother Bao said, “So, I called it pretty accurately, didn’t I?”

He was referring to the Golden Album Award.

Han Shuang smiled and gave him a thumbs up. “Truly the most blessed mouth in the industry.”

Brother Bao folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Does your Xiao Yu have any film or TV plans coming up? Interested in collaborating with us?”

Han Shuang glanced at Zhao Yu, who was hovering beside Huo Xi watching him play a game, and smiled helplessly. “She’s stubborn—completely focused on the stage. She just won’t act.”

Brother Bao said, “Makes sense. But being committed to the stage has its own advantages.”

The two agents chatted amiably. Zhao Yu watched Huo Xi’s character—Sun Shangxiang—roll into the river and couldn’t help pointing at the nearby brush. “I think someone’s hiding in there waiting to ambush you.”

Huo Xi glanced at her sideways. “Oh, really?”

This man, who had been Shen Junyi’s rival for years, was undeniably handsome—and equally cold. “Cold” wasn’t quite the right word, though; he was more indifferent, with deep, still eyes that revealed little emotion.

Zhao Yu directed, “Try throwing your second skill into the bush—you’ll see.”

Huo Xi did as she suggested and tossed his second skill into the brush.

Nothing.

Huo Xi glanced at her again, as if to ask: So where are they?

Zhao Yu scratched the tip of her nose awkwardly and gave him a sheepish smile. “You do you. Keep going.”

The elevator continued rising. When it reached the first floor, the doors chimed open. Zhao Yu instinctively looked out—and immediately saw Shen Junyi standing right at the entrance.

Half a year had passed, and he hadn’t changed at all. The same unmistakable warmth sparkled in his eyes, the same radiant light danced at his brow.

Zhao Yu was still frozen, but Brother Bao was the first to greet him. “Well, well. Seclusion’s finally over, huh?”

Not that the publicity for Mango TV’s show had only started today. Bi Zhou also put on a fake smile and replied, “Yeah, all our partners kept pushing. They can’t do without our Junyi.”

The two rival agents bristled at each other. Han Shuang shot Zhao Yu an amused, “here for the show?” look. Zhao Yu suppressed a grin and shook her head.

While the agents were locked in a staring contest, the artists themselves weren’t nearly as tense. Shen Junyi spotted Zhao Yu inside and bounced into the elevator with exaggerated cheer. “You’re here early!”

Zhao Yu said, “You’re not exactly late either.”

A few more people squeezed in, and the elevator got cramped. Shen Junyi kept crowding Zhao Yu, pushing her back several steps. She shoved him. “Why do you keep squeezing this way?”

Shen Junyi insisted on wedging himself between her and Huo Xi. “I want to see what hero Huo Xi’s playing.” He leaned over for a look. “A marksman.”

At least he could recognize it as a marksman.

Huo Xi gave a faint “Mm.”

Shen Junyi asked, “What’s your rank?”

Huo Xi said, “King.”

Shen Junyi: “How many stars?”

Huo Xi: “3.”

Shen Junyi clicked his tongue, looking unbearably smug. “I’m at 49. One more star and I hit Glorious King.”

Zhao Yu: “Tsk—”

Everyone here knew how you got those 49 stars. It was honestly embarrassing to watch.

Huo Xi ignored him and locked his screen after scoring a triple kill.

Shen Junyi exclaimed, “Why’d you stop playing?!”

Huo Xi said, “The elevator’s here.”

Shen Junyi was outraged. “You can’t just go AFK! This is why I lose so often—because of teammates like you!”

Huo Xi gave him a cold, indifferent glance, and as soon as the doors opened, walked out without looking back.

Zhao Yu said from behind, “He was playing a bot match.”

Shen Junyi turned and glared at her. “Even in a bot match, you can’t—huh? Bots?” His face instantly lit up with glee, and he lifted his chin smugly. “No wonder he got a triple kill. What’s so impressive about dominating in a bot match?!”

Half a year apart, and he seemed even more ridiculous than before. Zhao Yu felt relieved, yet also couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation.

Their green rooms weren’t in the same area. After getting off the elevator, they went their separate ways. Zhao Yu had only taken a few steps when she heard Shen Junyi call after her: “Hey, Zhao Yu.”

She turned back. “What?”

He grinned. “It’s been a while. Want to grab a late-night snack after this?”

As soon as he said it, Zhao Yu noticed Bi Zhou behind him frown, looking like he wanted to say something. Before she could answer, Shen Junyi added, “Xia Yuan and Zheng Wanyi are here too. We’ll call them along.”

Bi Zhou’s expression relaxed.

Zhao Yu said, “Sure.”

Shen Junyi grinned and waved at her, watching her group walk away. Once his smile faded, he turned to Bi Zhou and asked flatly, “Now that she’s a top idol too, are you still worried she’ll use me for clout?”

Bi Zhou glared at him. “I’m worried her fans will tear you apart!”

Shen Junyi: “…………”

Recording started at 7 PM.

This was Zhao Yu’s first New Year’s Eve gala in China. Mango TV had basically invited half of the entertainment industry’s biggest names. Like Shen Junyi and Huo Xi, Zhao Yu’s performance slot was later in the night—Huo Xi was scheduled to perform right before midnight, securing the highest viewership window.

When Zhao Yu took the stage, she saw a sprawling sea of shining pink lights.

At events like New Year’s Eve galas, where fan support battles were fierce, fans brought the biggest, brightest light-up signs they could—aiming to blind the competition.

The venue was overwhelmingly dominated by gold, red, and pink. When Zhao Yu walked out to the extended stage to interact with the audience, she was almost dazzled by the glowing signs.

Xia Yuan and Zheng Wanyi had already finished their performances and were crouched in the front row, waving two glow sticks each as they cheered her on. The camera caught them, and the screams from the crowd grew even louder.

By the time Shen Junyi finished his performance, went backstage to remove his makeup and change, it was past midnight. The New Year’s Eve gala was pre-recorded, so it wasn’t actually New Year’s Eve yet. Since Path of Thorns wrapped, everyone had been busy with their own schedules and hadn’t had time to catch up.

As soon as Shen Junyi got in the car, he heard Zheng Wanyi telling Zhao Yu: “Director He knew I was close with you, so he asked me to talk to you. There really aren’t many domestic stages—trying out film and TV wouldn’t hurt. I’ve worked with Director He before—he’s truly one of the good ones!”

Zhao Yu had turned down quite a few acting offers this past year. A while back, an esports-themed drama had approached her, and after being rejected, they refused to give up, sending people through various channels to put in a good word.

Zheng Wanyi said, “If Director He hadn’t set his sights on you, I’d have gone for that role myself. An esports goddess—how cool is that?! The novel it’s based on is super popular too. And the male lead is Wei Chi—he can guide you. It’s time he repaid you for teaching him to dance!”

Spotting Shen Junyi getting in, Zheng Wanyi turned to him. “Don’t you think I’m right? Which top idol doesn’t act these days? Look at Shen Junyi—his acting’s terrible, yet he still manages to win viewership ratings. Why can’t you?”

Shen Junyi: “…… You can persuade her without throwing me under the bus, okay?!” He pointed at Zhao Yu. “Someone like her, a Bronze-level noob, what does she know about playing an esports goddess?!”

A noob who constantly hired boosters actually had the nerve to look down on her???

Zhao Yu nearly exploded. “And you played a cultivation drama about building foundations and refining qi—did you ascend to immortality after that?!”

Shen Junyi: “Ooh, keeping tabs on me, huh?”

Xia Yuan / Zheng Wanyi: “Ugh! Shameless!”

Zhao Yu was this close to kicking him out of the car.

Love and hate were only a moment apart.

The four gathered and headed to a restaurant they’d booked in advance. Zheng Wanyi genuinely believed the drama would be a hit. After giving a full analysis, Zhao Yu finally agreed to at least read the script.

She wasn’t opposed to acting, per se—she just felt that she’d only been back in China for a year and wanted to spend more time honing her stagecraft. But Zheng Wanyi was right: domestic stages were few, and if she wanted to solidify her top-idol position, both film/TV and variety shows were essential.

Xia Yuan chimed in sourly: “There’s a kissing scene in the drama, right? Wei Chi’s so lucky.”

Shen Junyi poked at his phone and pursed his lips.

The gathering didn’t end until past 3 AM. Fortunately, no one had any commitments the next day, so Zhao Yu slept until the afternoon.

While waiting for takeout, she asked Han Shuang to bring over the esports script she’d previously turned down.

Han Shuang was so delighted she practically flew over, afraid Zhao Yu might change her mind. The food hadn’t even arrived before Han Shuang showed up with the script in hand.

Zhao Yu nearly died laughing at her breathless entrance. “Did you teleport here? That was fast.”

Han Shuang beamed. “What made you change your mind?”

Zhao Yu said, “Just taking a look. No harm in looking.”

Han Shuang nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly—that’s the mindset of a true top idol! Here, I’ve already read it. It’s basically a romance drama disguised in esports clothing, but the content is genuinely good. Some scenes are sweet and flirty, and there’s none of that over-the-top melodrama. Passion, dreams, youth, love—it’s perfect for your first acting project.”

Zhao Yu took it. “Alright, I’ll read it first.”

Han Shuang reminded her anxiously, “Give me an answer within two days. The director is dead set on you, but there are plenty of other young actresses fighting for this role. Don’t let someone else snatch it.”

So after lunch, Zhao Yu was practically supervised as she dove into the script.

She had no events for the next couple days anyway, so she managed to finish reading it quickly. She also sought opinions from friends in the industry and finally gave Han Shuang a positive response.

Han Shuang moved swiftly, contacting the production team to sign the contract—everything was finalized within a day.

Zhao Yu’s schedule for the year was already quite packed: in January, she’d be a mentor for this season’s Shining Girls; in the second half of the year, she was preparing for her first domestic solo concert; and now with this esports drama, three major projects filled her calendar.

After coordinating schedules with the production team, the drama was set to start filming in April, wrapping up around the end of June or early July, which would seamlessly transition into preparations for the October concert.

After the New Year’s Eve gala, Shining Girls officially announced its mentor lineup. Gossip accounts had been hinting that Zhao Yu would join, and netizens were pretty excited. Now with the official announcement, the Yu Mei Ren dove into a new year of supporting and promoting.

Zhao Yu’s contract with Muyi was also up for renewal, but since both sides had enjoyed a good working relationship, they extended it for another two years. The company was so pleased that they landed her several more endorsements, making her schedule even fuller.

Once she got busy, she lost all sense of time.

Han Shuang even hired a drama coach for her. Aside from public events, Zhao Yu spent her time studying the script and working on her acting skills. By the time Lin Zhinan cheerfully informed her that she’d be joining the production set tomorrow, Zhao Yu was surprised to realize spring had already arrived.

The esports drama was titled Love Neighboring the Throne. The male lead had long been set as Wei Chi. As a top-tier young actor, Wei Chi spent almost the entire year on set—Zhao Yu hadn’t seen him since Path of Thorns wrapped.

That evening, Wei Chi tagged her in their eight-person WeChat group:

– Wei Chi: @Zhao Yu, what time are you arriving tomorrow? I’ll take you to meet the two directors beforehand.
– Zhao Yu: Around noon. Lunch together?
– Wei Chi: Sure. We’ll find a restaurant near the hotel.
– Zhao Yu: OK.
– Xia Yuan: I want to be in this drama too QAQ
– Wei Chi: You should’ve said something earlier. All the roles are cast now. If you’d had your agent reach out earlier, maybe you could’ve snagged a cameo.
– Xia Yuan: I did. The director didn’t agree.
– Wei Chi: Which role did you want?
– Xia Yuan: Yours.
– Wei Chi: ??? Let’s just unfriend each other. Don’t contact me again.