C15 Need Help?

After gathering all her essentials, Shan Ruoshui felt famished. She picked up her phone, ordered takeout from her favorite spot, and ate until she was full.

Before bed, she received a message from Gu Ya: "Flight at 9 AM tomorrow. Don't be late. Good luck." Shan Ruoshui smiled, placed her phone on the nightstand to charge, and drifted into a deep, restful sleep.

The next day, she and her assistant arrived at the airport on time and boarded the flight to the first promotional stop in City H. By noon, they met up with the crew at the hotel.

Spotting the familiar figure of Xi Mu, she approached him to say hello.

"Hey! Big movie star, looks like I'll be tagging along with you for the promotions. Thanks for looking out for me the other day!" Shan Ruoshui said, feeling a bit awkward at the end.

"No worries, taking care of little sisters is what I do," Xi Mu replied with a gentle smile, playfully ruffling her hair to ease the tension.

"Also, I didn’t do anything embarrassing that day, right?" she asked, somewhat sheepishly.

"What embarrassing things? I just remember you dozing off. Did you do something after I left?" Xi Mu replied with a puzzled look, which reassured Shan Ruoshui, and she dropped the subject.

During the promotional events, the lead actor's packed schedule meant he couldn't attend all the activities. However, with director Liu Ann and Xi Mu holding down the fort, Shan Ruoshui, as the fourth female lead, didn't attract much media attention, mostly sticking to routine statements.

Xi Mu was always looking out for her, like a caring older brother, his gentle demeanor unchanged from before. Since Shan Ruoshui was closest to Xi Mu among the cast, they often spent time together, grabbing meals or taking walks in the unfamiliar city.

This became a prime opportunity for paparazzi to snap some staged and candid shots of the two appearing close, which they then sold to various media outlets.

After a few hours of speculation, the media was abuzz with reports that Xi Mu and Shan Ruoshui were dating. The news spread rapidly on social media, and fans were in an uproar.

Keywords like Xi Mu and Shan Ruoshui, Xi Mu's romance, and Shan Ruoshui trended at the top of search lists. Entertainment tabloids and gossip magazines were relentless, churning out headlines like:

"Movie Star Xi Mu in a Flirtation with Newcomer!"

"Xi Mu's Romance Revealed, Partner is the 'Redemption' Girl!"

"Newcomer Uses Movie Star Xi Mu for Fame, Clever Move!"

Meanwhile, the people involved were unaware of the storm brewing around them. By the time Gu Ya received the news, it was too late to contain it. Public relations efforts were futile, and she couldn't help but rub her forehead in frustration.

"This time, I didn't handle it well," Gu Ya admitted, standing in front of Faang Zhen's desk. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing that if she had caught the initial rumors and monitored the media's moves, things wouldn't have escalated this far.

Faang Zhen, dressed in a sharply tailored black suit, leaned back in his chair with a cold expression. "Get this sorted out quickly. Letting it drag on isn't good for anyone," he said in a deep voice. The situation was damaging for both Shan Ruoshui and Fang Company's image.

Gu Ya quickly left to contact newspapers and magazines, urging them not to publish anything more damaging.

Shan Ruoshui wasn't one to keep up with news or social media, so she only found out when Gu Ya called her. "Do you know what's going on with you and Xi Mu? Are you really dating him?"

"No! What are you talking about? What's happening?" Shan Ruoshui was bewildered.

Gu Ya frowned, "Check your social media. This is getting tricky, and if we don't handle it well, your reputation could take a hit. You need to talk to Xi Mu immediately."

They ended the call hastily. Shan Ruoshui logged onto her social media, feeling like her phone was about to explode with the constant stream of messages and notifications.

She casually clicked on a user's comment on social media and saw that he had shared some entertainment gossip. Right there was a photo of her with Xi Mu! In an instant, it was clear—she was caught up in a rumor with Xi Mu!

As a newcomer, she was flying under the radar, but Xi Mu was different. He was a beloved national movie star with a massive fan base. Shan Ruoshui could already imagine the backlash she might face.

Just as she was about to scroll through the comments to gauge public opinion, an unfamiliar phone number popped up on her screen.

"Hello, this is Shan Ruoshui. Who's calling?" she answered, her voice clear and pleasant.

"Uh... hi, this is Fang Xiao. I saw the news online and wanted to check if you're okay. Do you need any help, little sister?" Fang Xiao had somehow gotten her number and was calling to offer support. Hearing her voice, he couldn't help but be a bit taken aback.

Shan Ruoshui was surprised that Fang Xiao would call her, but she calmly replied, "No need to worry, I'm fine." Having faced many challenges in her past, this was nothing she couldn't handle.

After a brief exchange, they ended the call.