CH 39

Regardless of the dirt and disgrace among them, at least in the places where the light shines, the entertainment industry is a glamorous place, and being an artist is a glamorous profession.

When Wen Li went to high school, she always traveled by private car and never bothered with public transport.

Before the upheaval in Song Yan's family during his youth, he was no different from Wen Li in terms of living standards.

Both of them, who had never suffered much hardship in terms of material wealth, later didn't rely on their families and entered the entertainment industry to work hard. Over the years, they had been lucky and achieved fame, earning a considerable amount of money. They never thought about trying to blend in with the common people in terms of materialistic lifestyles. They didn't hesitate to enjoy the luxury they deserved. Riding a tricycle was truly a novelty for them.

Wen Li, disguised as a fox, sat in the back of the tricycle, fearing that Song Yan would feel embarrassed. She reassured him continuously, "It's okay, it's okay. We're wearing headgear."

Song Yan, who had been silent all along, remained calm. After all, they were filming a show, and even if they rode openly on the road, it wouldn't matter much. The entertainment industry was inherently diverse, and he had even ridden a tricycle before.

Having appeared in so many movies, experiencing various "lives" from a ruffian to a majestic hero, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

She had been fussing over nothing, merely feeling embarrassed and trying to drag him down with her.

As an idol drama actress, even the most ordinary person in an idol drama couldn't be called ordinary. It was normal for her to feel embarrassed.

He hadn't planned on wearing this costume, and he wasn't as thin-skinned as her, but seeing her cleverly put it on, the surrounding staff couldn't help but secretly laugh. He helplessly joined in, holding the oversized doll costume in his hands.

Both were foxes, with similar faces, except she wore a skirt and he wore a bow tie with a small suit, making them look like a pair.

Then let's wear it.

To cover up her embarrassment, Wen Li didn't stop chattering throughout the journey.

Even through the headgear, he found her noisy.

Song Yan remained silent, focusing on riding the tricycle. Wen Li, fearless of death, stood up on the tricycle and leaned towards him, asking, "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you unhappy?"

His heart skipped a beat, and his voice deepened, "You dare to move around without a seatbelt? Sit down quickly."

Wen Li was about to say it was fine, but she was interrupted by a loud voice from behind.

"Hey! Stop the tricycle up ahead!"

Both people on the tricycle froze and turned their heads to see the source of the voice.

At a glance, the two faces hidden under the fox headgear turned pale simultaneously.

Following behind them was a patrolling police car with a small police light on its roof.

"..."

"..."

How could they not stop when the officer asked them to? Both artists, who had never committed anything illegal, of course, couldn't run away. Running away would have caused trouble. So they had no choice but to comply.

The tricycle came to a stop. The nanny car following them slowly stopped as well.

The police car pushed the tricycle to the side of the road, then a police officer in a blue uniform came out with a handheld radio. There was also a cameraman accompanying him.

Seeing these familiar pieces of equipment, the staff members of both the artists and nanny cars immediately realized they had encountered their colleagues of the same profession.

The staff in the nanny car hadn't recovered yet, their faces full of confusion as they looked at each other. The cameraman who was responsible for filming was still foolishly capturing footage.

"What's going on? Is this an impromptu segment added by Director Yan?"

"I don't know."

"What should we do? Should we inform Director Yan now?"

"Hurry up and do it."

Without knowing the exact situation, the staff members of both cars were as timid as sweet potatoes, afraid to make any rash moves.

Wen Li thought to herself, it's over.

She had initially thought it was just routine patrol, but why would a police officer on duty bring a cameraman along?

She instinctively leaned towards Song Yan's direction.

From the perspective of the police officer, they saw a slightly shorter fox getting timid upon seeing them approaching.

"Don't be afraid. I'm Officer Tang, friendly and amiable," the police officer comforted them, "Uh, two foxes, good afternoon. Have you had lunch?"

Perhaps it was because the doll costumes were too cute, the two foxes stood together, their pair of blue eyes big and bright. Even though they were of adult height, the police officer instinctively spoke to them in a tone used when talking to children.

Wen Li was still in a daze and feeling awkward. She replied blankly, "No, we were just about to eat."

The police officer nodded and continued, "Well, let me apologize for delaying your enjoyable mealtime. But, I haven't had lunch either. Do you know why I stopped you?"

Wen Li shook her head, suddenly realizing that the police officer couldn't see her head shaking, so she adjusted the headgear and moved it from side to side.

"..."

The police officer chuckled and looked at the cameraman next to him, "Dear viewers, this captured fox is quite naive. What kind of relationship do you two have? Are you married?"

This time it was Song Yan who spoke, "Yes."

A deep male voice came from his headgear. The police officer paused before saying, "So you are actually a married couple. I'm a real detective."

Wen Li: "..."

Was this police officer on duty or filming some variety show?

After exchanging a few humorous remarks, the police officer finally regained a serious tone and looked at the larger fox, "Now, I want to ask this fox husband of yours. You let your wife sit on the rear carrier, such a dangerous place, without a seatbelt. Your intentions are quite malicious. Is she your real wife?"

Song Yan: "..."

So it turned out to be a traffic police officer on duty.

Wen Li thought that she couldn't let Song Yan take the blame for this. She had to speak up, "I am his real wife, and I was the one who voluntarily got on the tricycle. It's not his fault."

"You're even speaking up for your husband. That's true love," the police officer nodded, "Very well, among these cunning foxes, there are couples like you who are devoted. I admire that. But I still have to say, your husband wearing this headgear that obstructs his vision, even if it's a temporary helmet, can easily lead to accidents. Moreover, sitting on the rear carrier of a tricycle is not allowed, especially on such busy roads. If you get into an accident, you lovebirds might become a couple in heaven, you know?"

So that was the issue.

Both Song Yan and Wen Li, who were accustomed to riding in small cars, were not aware of this. They suddenly realized their mistake.

The police officer used this humorous approach to educate them on traffic rules, without damaging their dignity, but still being effective. The two immediately recognized their mistake and nodded, acknowledging their error.

"Very good. You two foxes have a good attitude in admitting your mistake," the police officer nodded approvingly, "However, the fox disguise is just a disguise. You are actually humans, I can't be fooled. So now, take off your disguises, remove the headgear, and let me see the true faces behind the fox masks."

"..."

"..."

Song Yan was clearly stunned, while Wen Li immediately pressed her headgear with both hands and vigorously shook her head.

"What's wrong? Won't you take it off?"

As an obedient citizen, Wen Li didn't dare to defy the police officer's intention and could only say, "I look too ugly, I'm afraid of scaring you, Officer."

"That's not a problem," the police officer waved his hand and started talking about the principles, "As long as people who are willing to abide by traffic rules are beautiful."

While Song Yan and Wen Li maintained eye contact with the police officer, the staff members in the car had already received a response from the director.

It was an astonishing coincidence. When they were filming the program, they happened to encounter another well-known local traffic safety show.

This show was quite famous in the area because of the host officer's humor and approachability, which made it highly popular.

The staff immediately got off the car and pulled the police officer aside to talk.

Several passersby noticed the gathering crowd and approached, pleasantly surprised, "Oh, Officer Tang!"

"Officer Tang, I finally ran into you!"

"Officer Tang, let's take a photo together. Our whole family loves you."

Wen Li whispered to Song Yan, "Teacher Song, this officer seems to be more famous in Rong City than us."

Song Yan murmured in agreement.

The staff members and the police officer conversed for a few minutes. Suddenly the police officer widened his eyes and instinctively said, "Is this being recorded for a show?"

The staff member quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, we are filming a show. These two people are our guests. They are not familiar with riding tricycles, and neither are we. We didn't know about this. We're really sorry for causing trouble for you, Officer."

The police officer looked at the two foxes and asked, "So, these two are celebrities?"

The staff member replied, "Um, yes."

The police officer was taken aback but soon burst into laughter.

"I've done hundreds of episodes for my show, but it's the first time I've caught two celebrities on the street," the police officer became enthusiastic, "Come, come, come, take off the headgear. Let me see which two celebrities they are. Let me see if I recognize them."

There were already a few onlookers, and with the police officer's announcement, more people gathered.

These onlookers even called out to others passing by to come and join in the fun.

"Officer Tang caught two celebrities! Come and see!"

The staff members helplessly looked at Song Yan and Wen Li, "Teachers, please take off the headgear."

"..."

The staff member comforted them, "Even if you don't take it off now, once our show and the police officer's show are broadcasted, everyone will know."

"..."

Wen Li let out a heavy sigh. After working in the industry for so many years, she had sacrificed her image for the sake of variety show effects many times, but this level of embarrassment was truly a first.

But then she thought, Song Yan had been in the industry for just as long, and he had hardly participated in any variety shows. The burden of being a celebrity was even heavier for him, so this time, he should be even more embarrassed than her.

Having a comparison brought her some psychological comfort, so Wen Li took off her headgear.

And so, the two white foxes, one tall and one short, took off their headgear in front of everyone.

As soon as they removed the headgear, the cute and cartoonish image was instantly reduced by half, revealing two human faces.

Even though they were sweating on their foreheads due to the heavy doll costumes, their faces were undeniably attractive.

The onlookers who didn't recognize them were stunned. Just by looking at those two faces, they knew they were real celebrities.

Officer Tang was really lucky to have caught actual celebrities.

There were also people who recognized them. One young man among the crowd exclaimed with his mouth wide open, "It's Song Yan and Wen Li!"

In the crowd, the young men and women who snapped out of their daze started screaming. They immediately started pointing and explaining who these two were to some elderly people who didn't watch TV or use the internet.

The police officer, who had a wide range of knowledge and hobbies, including surfing, also recognized the two individuals. He immediately turned to the camera of his own show and excitedly exclaimed, "Dear viewers of 'Tang Talks Traffic', this is a historic episode! Our show unexpectedly encountered Song Yan and Wen Li, who came to Rong City to record a program! These are two big stars! For those viewers who are not familiar with them, please search their names on Baidu or wait for the program to air and we'll include their profiles at the bottom of the screen."

"Wen Li, as a celebrity, how can you not be honest?" the officer jokingly said to Wen Li, "If you consider yourself unattractive, then what am I?"

Surrounded by people, with various smartphone cameras pointed at her face, Wen Li blushed and flattered, "Officer, you are the most beautiful."

The officer burst into laughter again.

In this comical misunderstanding, the officer felt a sense of fate. After reminding the production team a few times, he let them go and even kindly dispersed the onlookers.

"Alright, everyone, go home and have dinner. Our celebrities here still have a program to record. Let's not make people from other cities think that we in Rong City don't even eat," the officer said.

Before leaving, the officer jokingly said to Song Yan, "Next time, don't put your beautiful wife in such a dangerous situation during the recording of the show."

Song Yan had a complicated expression, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, making his handsome face look somewhat funny.

He could only helplessly say, "I'll remember."

"Yes, as a man, you must treat your wife well. We Rong City men don't fear our wives; we respect and love them. You should learn from us Rong City men," the officer added, giving praise to the local men.

Due to the incident with the tricycle, the production team didn't dare to let them ride again. They escorted the two artists onto the nanny car.

After getting into the car, Wen Li was still in a daze from the scene of being caught by the on-duty officer while riding the tricycle. She placed her hands on her forehead and sighed deeply.

Song Yan's expression wasn't much better. Sitting by the window, he adjusted his mood by pressing his temples.

"Wen Li, try to be more optimistic," the staff member comforted her, "Once this officer's traffic program airs, your and Song Yan's popularity in Rong City will further increase. So, if you think about it, it's actually a good thing."

"That depends on whether it's positive or negative," Wen Li said despondently, "I will never come to Rong City again."

"...Well, think about it this way, now you've saved money on buying trending topics. Isn't that worth it?" the staff member replied.

Wen Li rolled her eyes and said, "Will you give me the money you saved from buying trending topics?" Then she suddenly panicked and asked, "It hasn't already become a trending topic, has it?"

"Um, it probably hasn't happened that quickly," the staff member said.

Wen Li thought to herself that it wasn't certain. With so many people surrounding them, who knows how many photos were taken.

"Can someone lend me their phone so I can go online and check?"

She took the staff member's phone and found that the Weibo trending topics hadn't appeared yet. It takes time for something to trend, so it wouldn't happen so quickly.

Just as she let out a sigh of relief, she searched a certain fan forum.

This forum was a haven for entertainment gossip, filled with all kinds of rumors and scandals. Regardless of their authenticity, fresh or rotten, everything was posted there.

She searched for [In This World With You], and sure enough, there were several posts already.

「Exclusive scoop in the mortal world! Encounter with Yan Zhun and Qi Sihan near Xiaxi Road in Rong City. These two look amazing in the candid pictures!」

「Latest scoop in the mortal world: Qiu Hong and Chen Zitong.」

「Exclusive scoop in the mortal world, juicy gossip, too dramatic to believe.」

The last post seemed to be referring to herself and Song Yan. Wen Li's fingers trembled, but she gritted her teeth and clicked on it.

0L:「As a non-friend and non-informed person, I saw this post on the forum this morning -- someone bumped into Song Yan while recording the program near the Old Century area. I knew they were recording in Rong City today, but unfortunately, I couldn't go in the morning. However, I ran into them at noon. I don't know what kind of game 'In This World With You' is playing, but Song Yan and Wen Li were riding a tricycle and violated traffic rules, leading to their capture by a very famous traffic police officer here.」

3L:「?」

5L:「Are you a fan, hater, or just a passerby? Are you playing some undercover game?」

18L:「This is so silly that I can't tell if it's serious or a parody.」

...

237L:「Don't mock the original poster for mistaking a luxury car for a tricycle.」

The post quickly gained hundreds of comments, then the original poster replied.

「No mistake, it was indeed a tricycle. Song Yan was paddling, while Wen Li was sitting in the back wearing a fox plush suit. They were riding a tricycle on the road and got caught by a very famous traffic police officer here.」

255L:「...OP, if you're a fan, please go see a psychiatrist. If you're a hater, I advise you to find a new hobby. This rumor you started is just outrageous.」

325L:「Salt Grain CP fans don't recognize you anymore. Expelled from the fandom.」

355L:「I am here to represent haters. Don't recognize you. Expelled from the anti-fandom.」

Desperate and enraged, the original poster replied:「I didn't start a rumor!!!」

Then, the original poster posted a picture.

It was a scandalous picture that made both fans and haters burst into laughter, not knowing where to begin.