Why would Jialin say that to her?
Zoe had doubts in her heart.
Did Jialin dislike Ru Xue and think she belonged to the "I don't like Ru Xue" alliance, which was why she said those things?
Or was Jialin simply trying to stir up trouble between them?
Regardless of Jialin's motive, Zoe wasn't the kind of person who would gossip about others in front of people she had just met.
She always believed that caution was never a mistake.
At worst, she could play dumb.
"Huh? Jialin, what did you just say?" Zoe flashed her signature sweet smile, as if she didn't understand what Jialin had just said. "Sorry, I just spaced out for a moment."
Jialin seemed to look at Zoe as if she was seeing her for the first time, staring at her with a strange expression for several seconds. She then wiped the smile off her face and turned to leave.
She left without any hesitation, not lingering for even a moment.
The store opening ceremony was simple enough; Zoe's job was just to show up and pose for photos with the media.
That was easy.
The complicated things often had nothing to do with the event itself.
In places full of celebrities, it was inevitable that comparisons would be made.
Who was the most beautiful?
Who had the best outfit?
Who had the best status?
Who wore the best clothes?
There were so many ways to compare, and Zoe knew that when the event was over, the internet would be full of bloodshed over these things.
She had mentally prepared herself, but the trending topic that emerged was something she had not anticipated.
Her photo with Ru Xue actually surpassed all the other photos edited by various teams, rising to the top with an overwhelmingly high level of attention and gaining a lot of CP fans.
Zoe couldn't bear to look at it for long, and quickly scrolled past a few posts. The sight made her eyes burn.
One fan artist with a million followers shared the photo, saying, "It's like the queen and her sweet princess. Don't blame me for thinking too much."
These days, people online were obsessed with pairing up celebrities, and the barriers of gender had long been crossed.
But Zoe simply couldn't bear to see how intimate she looked with Ru Xue in that photo. In that instant, both rookie Zoe and the seasoned Ru Xue had unleashed acting skills that could rival those of an award-winning actress. It was all too obvious.
Zhou Lan, seeing this trending topic, sighed deeply. "No need to guess, it's definitely the company's doing."
"Huh?" Zoe didn't react at first.
"A trending topic that promotes two of our own artists—what a profitable move." Zhou Lan made a sharp point.
Zoe, determined, said, "Lan Jie, I really think I can make it as an actress."
"Where's this confidence coming from?"
"From these photos, the explosive acting skills, I didn't even expect it from myself." Zoe said, still a bit dissatisfied with the overdone look in the photos. "Honestly, before the photo was taken, I was worried that my facial expression would give away how much I disliked Ru Xue. That would've been bad. Heh."
"Are you mocking yourself?"
"Yes."
"Is your moral standard really this high?"
"If I don't make fun of myself, I'm afraid I'll lose all my principles."
"Is it really that serious?"
"I thought I was someone pure, someone who couldn't control my emotions, and I took pride in that, thinking it meant I hadn't been corrupted. But..."
"Where do you get the audacity to think you're so pure?"
"Am I not?"
"Are you?"
They stared at each other, eyes wide.
At that moment, Zoe's phone rang. It was Song calling.
Zoe answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"You're quite something, huh? First, you're playing the CP game with me, and now you're playing it with Ru Xue. You're bi-winning." Song teased, laughing.
"Shut up." Zoe immediately shot back. "You can't say anything nice, can you? You should go see a dentist. No, wait, your dog mouth needs a vet."
Song, by now immune to Zoe's jabs, replied without missing a beat, "Then you must know where the best vet is."
"You're calling just to say this? I'm hanging up."
"Hang up, and you won't get the good news."
Zoe paused for a second.
Song remained silent.
"What good news?" Zoe couldn't resist asking.
"A rude little girl can't get any candy." Song put on a serious tone.
Zoe switched to a more girlish voice, mimicking a child and saying, "Song, do I sound polite now?"
Song fell silent.
Zoe continued, "Song, is this better?"
Song sucked in a breath. "Stop it! You're gonna make me throw up my leftover meal!"
"Don't be like this." Zoe kept teasing.
"I'm hanging up."
"Good news, hurry up."
"Are you really going to threaten me?" Song sounded almost exasperated.
"Are you going to say it or not? If not, I'm hanging up." Zoe couldn't take it anymore.
"Alright, alright, I'm impressed with your thick skin. You'd definitely win first place in a competition for that."
"Why don't you hold such a competition and see if I can win?"
"Alright, fine, so here's the deal. I've already talked to Yuehai Network about it. Your 'Eighth Heartbeat' drama wraps in September. My 'Heart of the Matter' will go until the end of the year. If your schedule works out, you can come take the role in my drama. I've saved a spot for you."
Zoe was stunned.
She and Song had become familiar with each other and could now joke around, but the more she understood the industry, the more she realized there were things beneath the surface that she couldn't always read.
"Song, you... you..." Zoe was at a loss for words.
Song chuckled and said, "Don't say thanks. Just invite me to dinner when you can."
"No, I really don't know how to face you after you've done this." Zoe felt embarrassed and guilty, remembering her previous hesitance. She hadn't wronged the company, but she felt like she had wronged Song. "Why did you do this?"
It was an instinctive question from Zoe.
Song said, "I believe in you. You'll shine in this role."
"If it's because I'm pretty, then I definitely live up to that." Zoe muttered.
"Stop kidding yourself." Song replied.
"What now?"
"You want to scold me again?"
"Am I crazy to scold you?"
"Then what do you want to say?"
Zoe fell silent.
Song waited without rushing.
"Thank you."
"Huh?"
"Thank you."
"Thank me? When are you going to treat me to dinner?" Song said, in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Are you in Shanghai now?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah." Song answered.
"How about you come over to my place? I'll cook for you." Zoe offered.
Song was incredulous. "You're going to cook? Wow, Zoe, are you really this cheap?"
Zoe was momentarily speechless.
Song continued, "Well, if you insist, I'll accept your offer, but only because you're just starting out and probably don't have much money."
"Go away, that's it."