Zoe hesitated about whether she should initiate a conversation with Song now that they were connected. They were two people who'd had nothing to do with each other until this week, when, by sheer coincidence, they'd ended up staying at the same hotel and were then caught on camera by a paparazzo. Now, their names were tangled together.
She wanted to tell Song that she had never intended to "ride his fame," but at the same time, it was impossible to deny the benefits. Being linked to his name had brought her career an unexpected boost—she'd received more job offers and higher pay this week than she'd had over the past year.
But there were things she needed to clear up with him, especially the rumors that she'd orchestrated the hotel photos.
Just then, Song messaged her first: "Did you post that message on Weibo yourself?"
At first, Zoe thought about replying with a sarcastic, Who else would post it? But then she remembered that some stars had their Weibo accounts controlled by their management, so maybe that's what he was asking.
"Yes, I did," she replied.
Song went quiet after that. It seemed like he had added her just to ask about the post.
Zoe typed, deleted, and retyped several times before finally sending: "I don't know if you'll believe me, but I need to clarify that I didn't stage those photos at the hotel."
Song replied almost instantly: "Did Hu say something to you? Don't worry about it; I never thought it was you."
Zoe was taken aback. She couldn't help but feel there was something strange between Song and his manager, Hu. By this stage in his career, Song could choose who managed him, especially since Hu wasn't some powerhouse or industry veteran.
"I'm glad you don't misunderstand. I wanted to explain before but didn't have your contact info, and I was worried reaching out would seem like I had something to hide," Zoe wrote.
"Thank you for posting that message," Song replied.
Zoe didn't expect such politeness. Song had a reputation in the industry for being difficult, with rumors about him being arrogant and hard to work with.
Before long, Zoe's Weibo post soared to the top of the trending list. To be cautious, she went to the hospital for a check-up, making sure there were no harmful substances on her skin, and felt relieved when she was cleared.
On the way back to the hotel, Lan suddenly let out a delighted scream. "Song reposted your Weibo and even followed you!"
Zoe logged into Weibo, surprised. Song had reposted her clarification, adding: "If that girl really is a fan of mine, then on behalf of my fans, I apologize to Ms. Zoe and strongly urge everyone: stop harming others in my name. I can't stand it. And if she's not my fan, I still want to remind everyone—this behavior is unethical, disrespectful, and must be condemned!"
Song really had followed her. Following suit, Zoe returned the follow.
But the simple act of mutual following unexpectedly sent Zoe onto her third trending list of the day. Some people began to complain: "Who is this Zoe? How rich must she be to buy her way onto the trending list every other day?"