CH 75

The person who submitted the post had their name and profile picture censored, but their message was still published.

「Quan Quan! I want to share some information!」

「Didn't you mention Zheng Baozhu before? I was her elementary school classmate, and back then, she talked about her aunt being Su Mingmei!」

「She even wrote an essay boasting about it and the whole class knew! But at that time, many people didn't believe it...」

「Later, she became the spokesperson for JS, and when my mom and I were shopping in the mall, we saw posters of her for JS. My mom pointed and said, 'Isn't this your elementary school classmate?'」

「Zheng Baozhu was already very beautiful in elementary school and she definitely didn't have plastic surgery! Her name was unique, so I remember it even now! I never thought my mom would remember too. She told me that many parents knew her aunt was Su Mingmei. They even discussed it during the parent-teacher meetings. 」

「There's not much evidence, but I feel like it must be true. 」

After reading the submission, Tan Yao sat in front of the computer for a long time, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Although the submission lacked solid evidence and relied on mere text, Tan Yao couldn't help but believe it was mostly true.

So, is it possible that his father didn't actually like Zheng Baozhu but had a crush on Su Mingmei? Could it be that his father was a fan of Su Ming during his younger days? And perhaps her suicide deeply affected him, causing him to avoid the entertainment industry ever since?

...Everything seems to make sense now.

Online discussions and speculations about the relationship between Zheng Baozhu and Su Mingmei were rampant, some even made comparison charts to find scientific evidence.

「Oh my gosh, I don't know much about Su Mingmei, just heard her name, but now that I see this comparison chart, Baozhu really looks like her!」

「If it's not plastic surgery, the only explanation is a blood relation, right?」

「Well, not necessarily. In reality, there are people who look very similar without any blood relation.」

「Haha, I wonder if the person who said Zheng Baozhu had plastic surgery to look like Su Ming is regretting it now. 」

「Am I the only one curious to read Baozhu's essay? Hahaha!」

「People often bear resemblances. The more we look at it, the more alike they seem.」

「Ah, but this doesn't really matter, Baozhu herself hasn't brought it up.」

「I agree with the previous comments. Maybe she avoids talking about it because Su Ming's death was a sensitive issue. Let's not delve too much into it.」

After finishing her conversation with Tan Liwen, Zheng Baozhu returned to the villa with Cen Tongtong. She hadn't paid attention to what was trending online. It was only when Zhou Xiaonan called her that she found out she was on the hot search again.

"Baozhu, you're Su Mingmei's niece? How come you didn't tell me such important information!"

Zheng Baozhu was taken aback and sat up straight, asking, "How did you find out?"

"There's a post online from your elementary school classmate, but there's no solid evidence, so now everyone is speculating," Zhou Xiaonan browsed the web page while speaking on the phone with Zheng Baozhu, "So, is it true?"

"...Yes, I didn't intentionally keep it from you. It's just that there have been too many things happening recently, and I hadn't even considered this."

"It's alright, this matter... doesn't really matter. After all, it's your private affairs and you're not obligated to explain it to netizens. Once the hype dies down, people won't discuss it anymore."

"Okay... But I'm worried that someone might use this as a topic to create controversies."

"I'll have people keep an eye on the internet. If someone deliberately causes trouble, we'll figure out a countermeasure."

"Alright," Zheng Baozhu hung up the phone and furrowed her brows slightly. It didn't bother her much, but she was worried that her family might feel upset again seeing Su Mingmei's name resurfacing in public.

"What's wrong?" Cen Tongtong noticed her frowning and couldn't help but ask, "Is there another problem?"

Zheng Baozhu sighed and propped her head with one hand, "Not really, someone online revealed that my aunt was Su Ming, and I'm worried that my mom and others might feel uncomfortable seeing it again."

"Ah? Who's so bored to do that?" Cen Tongtong said while opening Weibo, "Being a celebrity these days means having your entire family history checked? How about you call your mom first to prepare her mentally?"

After some consideration, Zheng Baozhu nodded and called her mom. At this time, her mom should be preparing lunch. The phone rang for a while before someone answered, "Baozhu, what's up?"

Zheng Baozhu carefully said, "Mom, I want to tell you about something, but please don't get angry."

"...What is it again?"

"There's this person online claiming to be my elementary school classmate, saying that my aunt was Su Mingmei."

"..." Su Mingxi stayed silent for a moment and then raised her voice, "What kind of people are on the internet? They bring up any trivial matter to talk about, don't they?"

"Ah, well, my aunt was quite famous back then."

"Isn't it because you boasted about it? What did you tell your classmates?"

"...I was just a primary school student, how would I know so much! Look at Yao Yao, she also told her classmates that she's related to me! She even asked me for ten signed photos of Lin Ziqin!"

"..." Su Mingxi had no words to say.

"And I actually read the post that classmate made. It's because her parents didn't do a good job of keeping things under wraps. Don't blame me for it," Zheng Baozhu retorted, "I called you today just to let you know in advance so that you won't be caught off guard if you see Aunt's name mentioned online."

"It won't come to that, alright, I get it. I'll look into it myself," Su Mingxi said before hanging up the phone.

As Zheng Baozhu put her phone away, it rang again. Cen Tongtong was sitting beside her, scrolling through Weibo, and couldn't help but sigh, "President Zheng, you really are busy."

"Tell me about it," Zheng Baozhu picked up the phone and glanced at it. It was Zhou Xiaonan calling again, "What's up? Is it another trending topic about me?"

"Forget about trending topics; it's about becoming a spokesperson!" Zhou Xiaonan's voice was full of excitement, "Remember the Zhenyi Jewelry?"

"Zhenyi Jewelry?" Zheng Baozhu was momentarily confused.

"I told you before that Sun Jing's contract with them was about to expire, right? After the expiration, they extended it for a month but didn't give a clear answer until yesterday."

Zhou Xiaonan had previously informed Zheng Baozhu that Zhenyi Jewelry's crown prince had been sidelined for a long time but recently regained control of the company. The choice of spokesperson was an external representation of the power struggle between the two factions. However, they couldn't reach a conclusion, so the spokesperson contract had been dragged on.

"Now it seems that the situation in their company has finally settled down and the ambitious crown prince has won!"

"..." Zheng Baozhu remained silent for a moment and asked Zhou Xiaonan, "Hold on, why are you so excited? What's your connection with Zhenyi's crown prince?"

"...I have no connection with him, but I have a connection with you!" Zhou Xiaonan explained, "Zhenyi used to hire established actresses like Su Ming as their spokesperson. But in recent years, the faction that gained power had a different management philosophy and believed they should follow the trend of using popular celebrities. So, they chose Sun Jing. Now that the crown prince faction has regained control, they must be going back to their original path."

Zheng Baozhu blinked, "Ah, I see. So, they've actually recognized me as a serious actress? I feel a bit embarrassed."

"..." This time, Zhou Xiaonan fell silent for a moment, "I think they really like Su Mingmei."

After all, after Su Mingmei's incident years ago, they hadn't employed any new spokesperson for a long time.

Zheng Baozhu scoffed, "Oh, I get it now. I'm just a substitute? What a scumbag!"

Zhou Xiaonan: "..."

How did the conversation suddenly shift from palace intrigue to someone's backup plan?

Coughing lightly, Zhou Xiaonan redirected the conversation back on track, "Anyway, that's the situation. They've extended an olive branch to you. It's up to you whether to accept it or not. I respect your decision."

Having known Zheng Baozhu for this period of time, Zhou Xiaonan felt that Zheng Baozhu was hesitant about using Su Mingmei's name to advance her career. It seemed that she cared about this matter or didn't want to rely on her aunt's fame to gain recognition.

After considering for a while, Zheng Baozhu asked, "Why do you think Zhenyi wants to hire me as their spokesperson?"

Zhou Xiaonan explained, "Firstly, as I mentioned before, the crown prince has regained control, so they must be looking for someone different from Sun Jing. Secondly, remember the spring photo shoot you did where you wore Zhenyi's jewelry? That attracted some attention and laid the foundation. Thirdly, they genuinely admire Su Ming. I overheard the person in charge mention that Zhenyi's patriarch specifically wanted you as their spokesperson."

"..." Zheng Baozhu was taken aback.

The patriarch is truly Su Mingmei's real uncle; he's even more influential than the current top star.

"Yeah, I think...," Zheng Baozhu found herself unsure, "They may like my aunt, not necessarily me, and that bothers me a bit. But on the other hand, I like this brand, and I'd be happy to be their spokesperson."

"Well, actually, I think you're overthinking it. They chose you, so you must have your own value, and they're not charity; they won't give you an endorsement fee for nothing," Zhou Xiaonan said logically.

"You're right... But I'm worried that if I accept, netizens will start criticizing me again, saying I'm getting endorsements through my aunt's connections!"

"Hah, you're too naive. Do you think if you don't accept, they won't say anything?" Zhou Xiaonan chuckled, "Back then, Su Mingmei had acted in 'New Moon Wuxin Sword', so now some people are already saying that took on the new iteration of 'New Moon Wuxin Sword' using your aunt's connection."

"??!" Zheng Baozhu's temper flared up again, "Why are they so meddlesome? It's like they're targeting me every day! Am I not using my aunt's name for nothing if could only land to play Ye Ling?"

"That's why I'm saying you're getting tangled up in unnecessary things. No matter how well you do, they'll always find a way to criticize you," Zhou Xiaonan advised, "So, instead of worrying about that, why not accept the offer, make them angry, and earn money? As for why the brand chose you, you don't have to worry about that. They must have made that decision after evaluating various factors. If the patriarch's words were that influential, the crown prince wouldn't have been sidelined for so many years."

"..." Zheng Baozhu was completely convinced. She felt that Zhou Xiaonan's talent for negotiating was a wasted opportunity in not going to the mall! She had the other party's intentions firmly in her grasp.

"Alright, let's do something big!" Zheng Baozhu declared, not allowing the haters to get to her!

After agreeing, the legal team immediately began the contract signing process. During this time, Zheng Baozhu took the opportunity to check the trend on Weibo. Netizens were still actively discussing the matter. If they had put in that much effort during their university entrance exams, Weibo would have been filled with top university students.

She also noticed comments suggesting that she got to play Ye Ling through Su Mingmei's connections. She was tempted to create a fake account and argue with them a few times, but considering her announcement as Zhenyi's spokesperson, she resisted the urge.

So, she let them enjoy their last moments of revelry.

"Haven't slept yet?" Qu Zhi walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower and looked at Zheng Baozhu, who was sitting on the bed, propping herself up with one hand, and kicking her slippers with her feet.

"I can't sleep. It's been a turbulent day," Zheng Baozhu said, grinning as she watched Qu Zhi blow-dry his hair.

Qu Zhi smiled and took out the hairdryer, filling the room with its buzzing sound, "They should give you an award on Weibo. You single-handedly boosted their KPI!"

Zheng Baozhu also laughed and watched the man dry his hair after coming out of the shower. Suddenly, an idea came to her, "Qu Zhi, let me blow-dry your hair!"

Qu Zhi turned back to look at her and handed her the hairdryer. Zheng Baozhu walked over in her slippers and started blow-drying Qu Zhi's hair, doing it in a somewhat professional manner, "Do you want me to style it for you?"

"No, thank you. Just dry it."

"Alright then," Zheng Baozhu imitated the tone of a hairstylist in a salon and asked Qu Zhi, "Your hair quality is quite good. What shampoo do you usually use?"

Qu Zhi looked at the mirror, "I use the one you have in the bathroom."

"..." Zheng Baozhu gave him a sharp look, annoyed that he wasn't cooperating. Seeing her reaction, he couldn't help but laugh, "You're such a grown-up, and you still like to play house?"

"I have a young heart, so what?" Zheng Baozhu shrugged at him, "But you, why did you come to my room to take a shower when I already arranged a room for you?"

Qu Zhi calmly replied, "I don't know why, but I just feel that the shower in your room is better."

"Oh, then why don't we switch rooms?"

"No need, moving around is too much trouble," Qu Zhi said resolutely, "I'll just come over to take a shower every night."

"..." How can a scientist behave so naturally while being flirty?

"Okay, it's done," Qu Zhi's short hair was easy to blow dry quickly. He turned his head to check his hair's dryness and told Zheng Baozhu, "It's dry now."

"Oh, good," Zheng Baozhu turned off the hairdryer and sighed somewhat enviously, "Short hair is so convenient. It takes me forever to blow-dry my hair! Maybe I should get a short haircut too!"

"If you like it, then go for it. I don't mind," Qu Zhi replied.

Zheng Baozhu looked at him, "Really? Meng Yaxin's ex-boyfriend broke up with her just because she changed her hairstyle!"

Qu Zhi said, "That was that particular man's problem. It doesn't mean that all men have the same issue."

"Oh," Zheng Baozhu sat closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling playfully, "But you must have a preference for a certain hairstyle, right?"

Qu Zhi held her waist, and with his other hand gently caressed her hair, "I personally like long hair, but when I thought about it just now, I realized that you would look good in short hair too."

As he spoke, he lightly kissed Zheng Baozhu on the top of her head, "Maybe it's mainly because it's you. Any hairstyle suits you."

"So sweet?" Zheng Baozhu raised an eyebrow teasingly, moving closer to Qu Zhi, "It seems like you have a motive."

Qu Zhi slowly curved his lips, his beautiful eyes filled with Zheng Baozhu's reflection, "What motive? Don't you know?"

Before Zheng Baozhu could reply, Qu Zhi's kiss silenced her. She knew that tonight, Qu Zhi didn't plan on returning to his own room again.

The next day was the weekend, and Qu Zhi didn't have to work. He woke up early and found Zheng Baozhu still asleep. He went to his room, spent some time writing his paper, and then calculated the time to prepare breakfast in the kitchen.

Smelling the faint aroma of breakfast, Zheng Baozhu woke up on her own. Qu Zhi wasn't in bed; he must have been up for quite some time. She sent him a message and lay in bed, playing with her phone lazily.

Qu Zhi: I'm making breakfast, come over when you're ready. Brush your teeth first.

Zheng Baozhu: Sure.

She replied and stayed in bed, skillfully scrolling through content on Weibo.

It seemed that the online discussions had an impact. The official Weibo account of the drama [New Moon Wuxin Sword] posted a Weibo to clarify the casting issue.

New Moon Wuxin Sword V: Regarding whether Zheng Baozhu is Su Mingmei's niece or not, the crew doesn't know and cannot provide an answer. When we found Zheng Baozhu, she was just a contracted actor in the Film and Television City. We selected her for the role of Ye Ling through a formal audition process. Zheng Baozhu's acting skills are evident to the crew members. We made a short video specifically for everyone to enjoy. [Link] Also, thank you for your attention to [New Moon Wuxin Sword]. The post-production is almost complete, and we will meet you in the second half of the year. [Link]

Zheng Baozhu was overjoyed and clicked on the video attached to the Weibo post, watching it with great interest. The video was only about thirty seconds long, indeed a short one, but it compiled all of her action scenes, mostly fight scenes. Zheng Baozhu's movements were sharp and beautiful, showing strength and agility at the same time.

The previous official trailer released by the crew was only a little over a minute long, but this time they managed to cut a thirty-second compilation of her solo scenes!

This move was a win, and there was no need to say more. Thank you, haters.

As Zheng Baozhu's popularity surged recently, the comments on this Weibo post were similar to the ones on the previous official trailer.

「Ah, it looks so good! This is what a Wuxia should be like!!」

「Finally, no more slow-motion shots! Please use this standard for all the fight scenes in the future!」

「Zheng Baozhu is too amazing! What kind of immortal is she?! 」

「The fight scenes are indeed beautiful, but you can still tell that dance skills are being used instead of actual martial arts. Nowadays, it seems there are no actors with real martial arts skills left. Although it's a bit regrettable, this is much better than what I've seen before. 」

「Now! Immediately! Give us the release date! Don't underestimate our support!!!」

「I really want to see the full movie. Don't tell me the second half of the year means December?」

「I love liking posts that counter the haters of Zheng Baozhu. 」

Zheng Baozhu happily reposted the Weibo and then surprised them even more unexpectedly.

Due to the delay in the announcement of Zheng Baozhu becoming the new spokesperson for Zhenyi Jewelry, after officially signing the contract with her, they didn't even have time to shoot the endorsement poster. They decided to announce the news first.

Zhenyi Jewelry V: Welcome @Zheng Baozhu to be the new spokesperson for Zhenyi Jewelry! In the future, we will work together with Zheng Baozhu to progress and move forward side by side! Additionally, Zhenyi Jewelry will sponsor all the jewelry needed for the filming of [The Pursuit of the Heart] drama! [Link]

This was undoubtedly a heavyweight announcement, causing various parties to come out in excitement. Amidst the fierce competition, Zheng Baozhu, who had been silent for so many days, finally responded to the matter regarding Su Mingmei.

Zheng Baozhu V: Hello, everyone, I am Zheng Baozhu. Su Mingmei was indeed my aunt, and I do not deny that. When I first wanted to become an actor, it was because of her influence. I have never publicly claimed my relationship with Su Mingmei (except during elementary school) because it's my family matter, and I didn't want to bring it up deliberately. Moreover, I don't want people to know me primarily through Su Mingmei. When you think of me, I hope the first thing that comes to your mind is Zheng Baozhu, not 'Su Mingmei's neice'.

Being an actor has always been my dream, and it was my aunt who inspired me. However, because of my aunt's situation, my family was against me pursuing an acting career (which has now been resolved). So when I took the university entrance exam, I couldn't apply for a film academy. Initially, I could only work as an extra in the Film and Television City. Over the years, no matter what setbacks I faced, I never gave up my dream of becoming an actor. In the future, I will continue to pursue it.

Let me introduce myself again. I am Zheng Baozhu, and my dream is to become an actress loved by a wide audience.

At the end of the Weibo post, there was a photo. The photo showed a torn and reassembled essay from third grade.

Those weathered traces witnessed the journey thus far and would continue to witness the journey ahead.