Yang Liyun was ecstatic when she finally received an invitation to a popular variety show. However, her joy turned to dismay when she arrived at the studio and discovered that Wei Yumeng had also been invited.
"Hello," Wei Yumeng greeted her calmly.
Yang Liyun, with an air of arrogance, retorted, "Oh, I didn't expect the show's taste to be so poor that they'd have you on with me."
Wei Yumeng simply smiled. "The producers must have their reasons for arranging this."
Truth be told, Wei Yumeng was also surprised when she received the invitation, but she agreed to participate to promote her film. What she was more concerned about was Zhan Mohan's reaction.
"Going on a show?" Zhan Mohan mused. "I think it's fine. With your capabilities, you can handle something like this."
Wei Yumeng felt a bit helpless. "But I've never participated in a variety show before."
Zhan Mohan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you think you couldn't handle your first filming either? Yet, you performed exceptionally well. You should have confidence in yourself."
Wei Yumeng found it peculiar that Zhan Mohan seemed so eager for her to participate. Nevertheless, she eventually agreed.
"Ladies, we're preparing the set. Please rest for a moment," a man who appeared to be the director said to them, looking rather nervous.
Wei Yumeng didn't think much of it, assuming the director was just unaccustomed to interacting with people. "It's alright. You can go ahead. Setting up the scene is a crucial part of filming, so don't rush."
Relieved by Wei Yumeng's words, the director began to relax. But before he could fully settle, Yang Liyun interjected, "It's alright? Only an unprofessional actor like you would think it's alright. Our time is precious; time is money. Don't you understand this?"
The director flustered, and his gaze towards Yang Liyun was filled with surprise, as if he had never expected her to be so difficult. This made Wei Yumeng even more perplexed. His expression suggested he had never imagined Yang Liyun to be so disagreeable. However, she supposed it was understandable; one wouldn't see this side of Yang Liyun unless they knew her well.
"Ms. Yang, we sincerely apologize. This was entirely an accident, because..." Another staff member, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward to explain. But before she could finish, Yang Liyun cut her off.
"Accident? How do you people work? You can't even handle something this simple?"
Seeing the situation escalating, Wei Yumeng intervened. "Alright, Ms. Yang. Accidents are unpredictable. I'm sure the production team will compensate you for the wasted time."
However, upon hearing Wei Yumeng defending the staff, Yang Liyun became even more infuriated. "Compensation? What use is compensation when things have already happened? I'm not filming today. Find someone else!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the sound of a camera shutter echoed, and someone had captured her outburst. Yang Liyun turned towards the sound and found a girl holding a mobile phone, clearly caught off guard. Yang Liyun immediately swiped the phone out of her hand, and it shattered on the ground.
The girl gasped. "How could you do that? My mother gave me this phone!"
Yang Liyun remained imperious. "Who told you to film? Shouldn't there be a consequence?"
It was then that Wei Yumeng realized what was happening. Although the girl was wearing staff attire, she looked more like a student, and her words hinted at her situation. Could it be...? A thought struck Wei Yumeng. Combined with Zhan Mohan's earlier encouragement, she suddenly understood the entire situation. Zhan Mohan intended to expose Yang Liyun's true character to her fans through this incident.
Under Yang Liyun's intimidation, the girl finally broke down in tears. "I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"
"What kind of person am I? I've won the Best Actress award! How dare you disrespect me like this?" Yang Liyun declared, turning away smugly.
Wei Yumeng, unable to stand it, approached the girl. "Don't cry. It's okay. I'm sure the show will compensate you for the phone."
Wei Yumeng's gentle voice slowly calmed the girl. "Wei Yumeng, I used to dislike you, thinking you stole my sister's position. But now I realize I was wrong. I'm sorry!" The girl then bowed deeply to Wei Yumeng.
The director approached next. "I must apologize as well. Some of the online comments were initiated by me. I used to admire her greatly, but I never imagined she was like this!"
Yang Liyun finally sensed something was amiss. Looking around, she saw everyone present staring at her with expressions of resentment.
"I never imagined that the actress I've admired for so long would be like this."
"I'll tell everyone the truth when I get home today, so they won't be fooled by you anymore."
"You..." Yang Liyun's eyes widened as she looked at the others. "Who are you all?"
"I'm the president of your Northwest fan club."
"And I'm from the Northeast."
"Ms. Yang, I'm 'Forever Loving Yun.' Do you remember that day you found me and told me your so-called plight, asking me to rally other fans to help you reclaim the lead role that rightfully belonged to you? I never thought you were lying to us all along."
"No, please listen to me, I thought you were..." Yang Liyun stammered, a look of panic on her face. Her current predicament was entirely due to her fans. Now that even these few remaining fans had abandoned her, she knew she couldn't possibly stay in the entertainment industry.
"From today onwards, I will disband the Northeast fan club."
"I've already informed everyone. The Northwest fan club has been dissolved."
"You can't do this! Didn't you say you liked my work?" Yang Liyun pleaded desperately.
Wei Yumeng looked at Yang Liyun. "Don't think that just because you produce good work, people will overlook your character. As a public figure, you must be mindful of your actions. No one will continue to tolerate your misconduct!"