Chapter 75: Big Mimi Calls Zhao Liying

Zhao Liying’s portrayal of Bai He in Palace Locks and Pearls had caught the attention of many tourists at Ming-Qing Palace. For those unfamiliar with Yang Mi, mistaken identity was understandable.

However, not everyone gathered at the palace entrance were mere sightseers; numerous Yang Mi fans were among them, including some Zhang Yang had spotted the previous day. These fans now joined the fray, chanting “Yang Mi” at Zhao Liying with unmistakable intent—to provoke and disrupt her composure.

Such behavior could only stem from either foolishness or malice!

“He’s got no leg to stand on,” Zhang Yang muttered to himself as he packed up and left.

The following afternoon, Zhang Yang returned to the Ming-Qing Palace entrance and bore witness to a similar incident unfolding once more.

“Am I really that similar to Yang Mi?” Zhao Liying began doubting her own identity amidst the confusion.

On the fourth day, after changing into her costumes at the filming set, Zhao Liying found herself repeatedly mistaken for Yang Mi by several crew members, who even requested photos with her. Though initially understanding, her patience wore thin when, during lunchtime, a production assistant mistakenly delivered her meal to Yang Mi, leaving her utterly exasperated.

For a self-proclaimed foodie, this was akin to torture. Even though her personal assistant later retrieved the meal, it was too little too late for her bruised psyche.

Around 2:30 PM, her role as a supporting actress for the day was finished. After bidding farewell to the director and scriptwriter, she left the filming set.

As she reached the entrance, a tourist recognized her and suddenly called out, “Isn’t that Yang Mi?”

Some Yang Mi fans who hadn’t gotten a clear look at the actress also joined in, chanting, “Yang Mi! Yang Mi!”

Zhao Liying struggled to maintain her composure and hurriedly got into the car with her young secretary.

Even that didn’t help her escape requests for autographs, leaving her in a foul mood.

Back at the hotel, she brooded the entire night, growing angrier by the minute.

Being mistaken for a big star might be nice, she thought, but constantly getting confused with someone else? It’s frustrating!

I, Zhao Liying, have my own unique features!

“That’s it, I refuse to accept this anymore.”

The next day at noon, fueled by a burst of determination, Zhao Liying logged into Weibo and penned a post:

After posting this, Zhao Liying exhaled deeply, feeling a sense of relief.

At the time, not many people were using Weibo, and many celebrities treated it like their personal social circle, just as Zhao Liying did.

She had merely vented her complaints on Weibo, hoping some Yang Mi fans might see it and open their eyes a little.

After posting, Zhao Liying felt much better and even ate an extra bowl of rice at lunch.

“Big Sis Liying, if you keep eating like that, your face will get rounder, and Miss Ru will have something to say again,” the secretary warned with a frown.

“It’s alright. I’m in a good mood today, so I’m having an extra bowl,” Zhao Liying replied with a slightly dazed smile.

However, her happiness was short-lived. Soon after, her phone rang, and she saw it was from her agent, “Miss He Ru.”

Zhao Liying shot a blank look at the secretary, wondering, Is she such a snitch?

“Hello, Miss Ru,” Zhao Liying answered the call.

“Zhao Liying, you’re not even a big star yet, and you’re already getting ahead of yourself?” He Ru’s angry voice reverberated over the phone.

“Huh?” Zhao Liying looked down at her food and silently put down her chopsticks. “Miss Ru, it’s just an extra bowl of rice, surely you’re not serious?”

He Ru was taken aback.

“Who cares about an extra bowl of rice?” He Ru’s fury was palpable. “That Weibo post of yours—did I give you permission to post it? Did you even consult me?”

Weibo? Zhao Liying frowned. “Miss Ru, I was just telling the truth. It’s not like I did anything wrong.”

“Of course you did!” He Ru snapped in anger. “Do you have any idea what Yang Mi’s status is compared to yours?”

“Your manager called me, implying I used this clumsy accident to boost your career.”

“If I had done such a thing, her comments wouldn’t bother me. But I never did; you’re the one who acted foolishly.”

“Didn’t I tell you before? With that round face of yours, the entertainment industry isn’t the right fit. It’s not what’s popular now. Even the unspoken rules won’t work for you. Acting is your only chance to break through. Why would you consider taking shortcuts?”

These harsh words stung, and Zhao Liying felt a lump in her throat. She explained, “Miss Ru, I didn’t mean it. You know me better than that. I wouldn’t stoop so low just for attention.”

“I just don’t know what I’ve been going through these past few days!”

He Ru’s anger flared even more at this response. “I don’t need to know! All I know is that you’ve barely made a name for yourself, while Yang Mi is already a top-tier star. In this business, obscurity is a sin – and that’s your problem!”

“Yang Mi’s prowess can turn black into white, just as easily as it could do the reverse, do you understand?”

“I do now,” Zhao Liying said, as if struck by lightning.

Her nature was straightforward, but she wasn’t foolish. She could discern right from wrong.

In 2006, Zhao Liying had won a competition to work under the renowned filmmaker known as Little Cannon and made her debut in the industry. After signing with Huateng Film & Entertainment, however, she didn’t receive much attention. For five years, she’d been stuck playing minor roles.

Along the way, she’d met many industry veterans, but they all looked down on her, saying her face was only suited for playing maids or bit parts.

Then, early this year, He Ru brought her over to Hairun. She landed the role of “Princess Qing” in the new Legend of Pearl. After the TV series premiered two months ago, she’d finally gained some minor fame.

While several lead actors received harsh criticism, she received mostly positive reviews. That’s how Yu Zhen invited her to act in his film and promised more lead roles if things went well.

He Ru had been recently competing for the position of Vice President at Hairun. Though he’d ignored Zhao Liying a bit, once he succeeded, he could bring her and their team more resources. Their interests were aligned; He Ru wouldn’t harm her.

“So should I delete my Weibo post and apologize now?” Zhao Liying asked.

“You fool!” He Ru said, so angry he nearly fainted. “You’re not famous yet, so at most you’ll just get cursed at by Yang Mi’s fans. As long as your conscience is clear, just wait a few weeks before deleting it. Then the matter will be over.”

“But if you delete it now, people will think you were just trying to extort money and stir up attention.”

“If Zeng Jia had just bought a press release, you’d have given Yang Mi a front-page news even by sacrificing yourself.”

“The popularity you gained from playing Gege Qing would all be wasted here.”

Zhao Liying inwardly sighed at the complexity of the entertainment industry. Why can’t we just focus on acting properly?

“Ruru, what should I do? I’ll listen to you on everything,” Zhao Liying said.

“Don’t do a thing. Just let this simmer down,” He Ru’s tone softened considerably. “But from now on, come to me before you act. Don’t be foolish!”

“Oh,” Zhao Liying responded, feeling somewhat inadequate.

Am I truly that foolish?

After hanging up, Zhao Liying opened her Weibo.

She noticed that her post had been forwarded over ten thousand times, with two-digit comments, yet only just over a thousand likes.

This revealed the stark difference in popularity between herself and Yang Mi.

The top comment was clearly from a Yang Mi fan:

It had garnered over ten thousand likes.

Zhao Liying’s face turned stark white in an instant.

How dare these people… talk like that?

Can you really compare mistaking someone abroad with mistaking someone here?

If she were mistaken for someone else by the media, of course she’d put on a good show. She wasn’t stupid.

She hadn’t even expressed her displeasure immediately upon being asked to impersonate someone; instead, she had gradually accumulated her frustration over time, keeping it private…

How could they babble nonsense like that?!

Zhao Liying wanted to respond to this post, but remembering He Ru’s words, she held back.

It was… unbearably frustrating.

Just then, her phone rang again.

Seeing it was an unfamiliar number, she hesitated briefly before answering anyway.

A voice with a heavy nasal tone came through: “Hello, I got your number from Mr. Yu Zhen. Is this Zhao Liying?”

Doubt clouded Zhao Liying’s eyes. “Yes, and you are?”

That voice sounded so familiar, as if it were… Yang Mi?

But how could that be?

“It’s me, Yang Mi. Do you have time to grab a meal together?”

Zhao Liying was left speechless.

What’s going on here?