Showbiz Scandal: The Official Announcement of My Ex and Myself

The image has taken a huge hit, and Yu Xia is in a bad mood, spending half the day listlessly on the deck chair in the yard.

Yuan Wang squatted next to her, eating an apple and chatting, but she didn’t respond, staring off into the distance. In Yuan Wang’s words, she looked like a person who had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness and lost all hope for life.

Xie Qingci came over, wanting to lie down with her, but she refused.

"I’m feeling really awful right now, stay away from me. I don’t want to see any ’beautiful concubines’."

"There are no ’beautiful concubines’ here," Xie Qingci was also dissatisfied with that notion, "modern society practices monogamy."

Might as well write "I’m the legit spouse" on his face.

Yu Xia still couldn’t muster any spirit, with the words "naive nouveau riche master" echoing in her mind, she gazed at the sky as if seeing the roaring He Ci.

What was he saying with his mouth opening and closing?

Oh, he’s definitely saying— "Great! The white rich beauty instantly turned into a country bumpkin! I shouldn’t have let you agree to become involved with that damn foxy guy and participate in some shitty love variety show. Now your image is so ruined that you can’t even get roles!"

She shuddered and sat up straight in an instant, startling Yuan Wang who was squatting beside her.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to change the audience’s wrong impression of me."

Yuan Wang: "So? What do you plan to do?"

She turned her head to look at Xie Qingci, and with an ominous feeling as his eyelid twitched, she said with deep emotion: "I need your cooperation."

Xie Qingci: "...For example?"

"For example, we need to keep our distance. I want to go for an ’abstinence phase,’ where career is far more important than romance."

Yuan Wang nodded on the side: "Very doable, that’s the route you’re on anyway."

But Xie Qingci refused: "I disagree."

"Why not? Because of you, my image has plummeted, and I’ll be scolded by He when I go back."

He stated his stance plainly: "We’re in the honeymoon phase. Shouldn’t couples in love always be stuck together?"

Yuan Wang, being the type to follow the wind, also nodded in agreement: "That makes sense."

When he was with Miss German Shepherd, he also wanted to be stuck close all the time.

Yu Xia glared at him, then turned back with a gentle expression, kindly saying to Xie Qingci: "But I think saving my image is more important now."

Xie Qingci looked into her eyes and softly asked, "Then am I not important?"

...How should she answer? Ah, her career drive was dragging her away from that answer!

"Important," she said slowly and firmly, "but, but my image is also very important."

"Then can we save the image in another way? For example—"

He moved closer again, leaning in to whisper by her ear: "Instead of abstinence, how about going for ’fiery passion’? I’m at your beck and call."

"..." No way! This can’t be broadcasted!

Yuan Wang glanced around, noticed her off expression, and squeezed between the two.

"What were you guys talking about? What’s there that a mature guest like me can’t hear?"

Yu Xia pushed his head away with a slap.

"None of your business."

He sat on the ground but couldn’t help digging for more: "Look at you all conflicted, like a piece of meat you want to eat but can’t reach. Tell me, I’ll give you advice. Hey, don’t forget that today I’m here to be your friend... or even your bestie."

"...You really have no limits."

She thought for a moment, gestured for Yuan Wang to come closer, and whispered a few words.

Yuan Wang’s eyes lit up, and he stood up saying: "I can do it!"

Xie Qingci: "?"

"Here’s the deal, I have recently been self-studying directing, so I know a bit about scene composition. How about I help direct your ’image makeover battle’ small skit over the next few days!"

"I’m aiming to change the audience’s wrong impressions of me, not lose my humanity in self-directed performances. You’d better keep it balanced."

He waved his hand grandly: "Rest assured!"

They got straight to business; in the afternoon, the production team called out all the male guests except for the new ones, probably to give the girls and the new guests some alone time to discuss love-related issues.

When Xie Qingci was about to leave, Yu Xia typically held his hand and walked him to the courtyard gate, the atmosphere was warm and sweet.

Yuan Wang hurriedly came over from the living room to stop them.

"Wrong, wrong, you can’t do it like this! Yu Xia, you should be more elegant and aloof, just sit over there on the deck chair, have Xie Qingci bend over, and you pinch his chin to kiss him, then brush off his collar... Come over, you two!"

Yu Xia opened her mouth to mock his aesthetics for imagery, but... she had to admit it was a bit tempting.

Reluctantly, she moved her steps back, while Xie Qingci behind her was very interested, modestly taking in ’Director Yuan’s’ scene arrangement.

Under Yuan Wang’s operation, Yu Xia lay back in the recliner, but unlike before where she looked like an old man dozing off in the breeze, Yuan Wang set her up with sunglasses and a silk scarf, asking her to let her hair down, slightly tousled, falling over her chest.

"This perfectly suits your charm, stay still like this. Okay, now it’s Xie Qingci’s turn to walk out of the living room, then you’ll stop him, remember to wave casually at him, emphasizing that vibe like you control the global economy, how could you not control a mere man, got it?"

"...Got it." Just pretend like she’s on vacation in the Maldives and meets someone arranged for her as a distraction.

Following the ’script,’ she waved at Xie Qingci, who was trying hard not to laugh, then very elegantly and coldly demanded he bend over.

Then, with one hand pinching his chin, she motioned him to obediently open his mouth.

This male actor was genuinely engaged during the kissing scene, which nearly made her forget the next step. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

After the kiss, she patted Xie Qingci’s collar, her fingers brushing against his collarbone, pretending she was patting a crisp white shirt.

"Come back soon."

This line felt a bit plain, she even wanted to extend it, maybe adding— "Man, I only give you half an hour; come back yourself in half an hour, huh?"

Xie Qingci suppressed a laugh again, nodded in agreement, and left, looking back every few steps.

After such a scene before leaving, even being out for three hours still had him thinking about home.

Yuan Wang promptly applauded for her.

"Brilliant! Ask the staff nearby, doesn’t it resemble the vibes of a domineering queen and a tender little puppy?"

Yu Xia wasn’t embarrassed to ask such a question, straightforwardly telling him: "I think you should give up on directing, focus on being an actor."

The comments section was full of laughter.

[Oh, no! Without Director Yuan, how much fun will we miss out on!]

[It has that feel, hahaha! No wonder so many people love those cheesy short videos of bosses falling for me, they really are enjoyable!]

[I’ll invest two bucks to crowdfund you guys for a real show of a female CEO × little puppy. I’ll definitely recommend it intensely at the time]

[Though it’s acting, your kisses are genuinely passionate, was what the younger brother said before about using this as an excuse to benefit himself?]

[Next Chapter, little puppy finds out the female CEO has someone else, angrily turns into the big bad wolf, evolves into a wolfdog to imprison the female CEO! Yuan Wang! Hurry and get overtime to direct this scene!]