Chapter 12: Distant

After resting at home for another day, she headed to the company for a meeting the next day. It was a small company with only a handful of artists. Unless it was something important, meetings were usually held individually rather than with the entire company. Today’s meeting was mainly to discuss Meng Ying’s recent performance and upcoming opportunities.

Meng Ying was great in many aspects, but she rarely posted updates on social media and seldom interacted with Gu Yan deliberately. The company president wanted Meng Ying to be more proactive. Others, however, felt her current approach was just right. This disagreement sparked a lengthy debate.

Before the meeting ended, Liu Qin cleared her throat, flipping through Meng Ying’s contract. She said, “Meng Ying’s contract is about to expire. President Yu, isn’t it time to renegotiate the terms?”

President Yu, who had been brimming with confidence, froze slightly. He glanced at the contract and tapped the table. “Oh, the contract is expiring? Time flies.”

Liu Qin smiled broadly in agreement. “Indeed, time flies. We should draft a new one.”

“Fine.” President Yu glared at Liu Qin before getting up and leaving. After he walked out, the others chuckled, gesturing at his back with the “stingy miser” hand sign.

Liu Qin laughed, pulling Meng Ying up as they left the office together. While walking, she said, “Listen, don’t rush to sign the contract this time. I’ll handle the terms—you just focus on your work. If you rush, that stingy boss will pluck you bare.”

“Alright,” Meng Ying said with a smile, thinking about how quickly time had flown by—it had been three years in a blink of an eye.

As Liu Qin continued to rant about their boss’s stinginess, her phone rang. After a few seconds on the call, she gasped, then grabbed Meng Ying’s shoulders and exclaimed, “Congratulations! You got the fourth female lead in Starbound! You got it!”

Meng Ying was momentarily stunned before she realized what was said. “I got selected?”

“Yes, we’ve been notified to go review the script in a couple of days. The script needs to be finalized, and all the actors need to be involved,” Liu Qin explained. She thought the process for Intersteller seemed quite intricate, different from other films she had encountered. However, since Liu Qin had been managing Meng Ying and this was her first movie, there was no comparison to be made.

Who knew how many quirks other films might have? No one could say for sure.

“I’m so happy! Shouldn’t we celebrate?” Liu Qin exclaimed excitedly, tugging at Meng Ying.

Meng Ying chuckled. “That’s up to you.”

“But there’s an endorsement in the afternoon,” Meng Ying reminded her.

Liu Qin snapped back to reality. “Ah, yes, the endorsement! I fought tooth and nail to snatch this deal from Yang Tong. We have to make it count.”

With that, she called the driver to have the car brought around.

Downstairs, Chen Jie and Yu Lin were waiting with some equipment for Meng Ying.

Once Meng Ying and Liu Qin got in the car, it started heading to the Xianji Skincare Company located in the suburbs. This was a domestic brand that had become hugely popular over the past couple of years. Many actors wanted to endorse it, but Yang Tong had monopolized the ambassador role for years, standing unshaken. Now, however, Meng Ying had claimed a significant portion of the endorsement rights.

The Xianji Skincare headquarters was a single-story building, though it covered a large area. When the business vehicle pulled up to the entrance, Meng Ying and her team got out. Meng Ying instinctively put on her mask before entering the lobby and heading toward the makeup room.

Once inside, Meng Ying removed her mask. Just as she was taking it off, Yang Tong came out from the room. Her expression wasn’t good, and when she saw Meng Ying, it became even worse. This time, she didn’t bother hiding it, striding toward Meng Ying in her high heels with a distinct clack, clack, clack.

The two of them met face-to-face. Meng Ying opened her mouth, about to say something, but before she could, Yang Tong’s shoulder rammed into hers forcefully. Meng Ying stumbled, and Liu Qin quickly steadied her, glaring. “What’s wrong with your eyes? Can’t see where you’re going?”

Guan Xiao quickly intervened with a polite smile. “Apologies. She’s been in a bad mood lately.”

As she spoke, she gave Yang Tong a gentle pat. Yang Tong turned back, her expression still stormy, as though she wanted to tear Meng Ying apart. A few seconds later, her gaze landed on Meng Ying’s ears and face. Her expression suddenly softened.

She smiled faintly, her tone warm. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. My sister…”

Guo Xiao picked up where she left off, explaining to Meng Ying and the others, “Her sister has been through something recently and is hospitalized. She’s not in the best mood, and it’s affecting her…”

Liu Qin clicked her tongue, ready to say something, but the image of the pregnant woman who had collapsed at the building’s entrance crossed her mind. Deciding to keep her opinions to herself, she said no more. Meng Ying withdrew her gaze and gave Liu Qin a tug, signaling for them to leave.

Liu Qin nodded, turned around, and led the group into the dressing room.

Watching them go in, Guo Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and gave Yang Tong a sharp look. “I know you’re upset. You’re working with her on this movie, lost an endorsement to her, but you can’t give anyone something to use against you. Huaying Studio has been worrying over your issues lately.”

“I get it,” Yang Tong replied, still looking toward the dressing room. The door had closed, obscuring the scene inside. Her lips curled slightly. “Actually, I feel great now. My mood is fine. Let’s go. I want to visit my sister.”

Guo Xiao nodded.

As they walked away, Guo Xiao remarked after a few steps, “At first, I thought Meng Ying looked like you, but over time, not so much. By the way, what does your sister look like? The Li family keeps her so well-hidden.”

Yang Tong smiled meaningfully. “My sister…”

She’s stunning.

Yang Tong originally endorsed both cosmetics and skincare. This time, Meng Ying landed the deal for a better-selling cosmetics line, leaving Yang Tong with just skincare. The cosmetics brand, Xian Ji, offered products suitable for a variety of looks and styles. Meng Ying, with her gentle and kind demeanor, was often compared to Yang Tong. While fans praised Yang Tong for being a good person, they also vilified Meng Ying online, labeling her as a manipulative schemer or a fake. In truth, Meng Ying was genuinely easygoing and rarely voiced her opinions, making her quite approachable.

For the endorsement video, she let the team’s makeup artist take full control of her look.

The makeup artist, who had been tense due to Yang Tong’s earlier numerous critiques, finally relaxed. Meng Ying, unlike Yang Tong, was straightforward and cooperative, closing her eyes and letting them work freely, demonstrating her professionalism.

Meanwhile, Liu Qin stepped aside to take a phone call. Her eyes lit up. “What? Sold that many?”

“Yes, it shows that Meng Ying’s fresh and pure image works perfectly for that makeup style.”

Liu Qin chuckled proudly, exchanging compliments with the person on the other end. After hanging up, she glanced at Meng Ying, who was calmly getting her makeup done. The head makeup artist hesitated while drawing the eyeliner. Meng Ying’s naturally long eye corners gave her a striking look, making the artist wonder whether adding to it would enhance or ruin the effect.

Liu Qin suddenly thought of the magazine that had sold out and pointed at Meng Ying’s eye corners. “Why not try emphasizing them?”

The makeup artist paused. The eyeliner she held was from Xian Ji, the brand they were promoting. A perfect application would certainly boost sales. Bending forward, she carefully added some finishing touches.

As she worked, excitement sparkled in her eyes.

After finishing, she thanked Liu Qin, who waved her off, clearly pleased. Soon, Meng Ying’s makeup was complete. She opened her eyes and glanced at the mirror, momentarily dazed by her reflection. But she quickly adjusted, got off the chair, and prepared to leave.

Liu Qin leaned in to share some good news. “Guess what? The magazine sold out.”

“Really?” Meng Ying’s eyes brightened.

“Absolutely. It sold way more than Yang Tong’s issue. You’re incredible.” Liu Qin patted her on the shoulder. Meng Ying returned her gaze to the mirror, smiled slightly, and then left to shoot the video.

The shoot lasted until evening. Meng Ying’s professionalism, speed, and seamless delivery of lines made her several times more efficient than Yang Tong.

The Xian Ji team couldn’t help but marvel at her talent. “The internet lies. Meng Ying’s clearly the better one.”

After the shoot, Meng Ying invited the team to dinner at a private, cozy restaurant. They wrapped up around 8 p.m., and the group headed back to the company to part ways and go home.

Meng Ying requested a car.

Liu Qin clicked her tongue. “Who are you meeting?”

She couldn’t help but suspect that Meng Ying might secretly have a boyfriend. Meng Ying simply smiled without responding, dropping Liu Qin off first before driving to one of Xu Dian’s apartments. When she pushed open the door, the stillness of the room greeted her. She paused, her fingers brushing across the billiard table. It was spotless, as if untouched.

The cue stick and the red-marked ball were still in the same spot they had been left last time, indicating he hadn’t returned since. Even the tablet and magazines on the coffee table remained as they were. She hesitated for a moment, walked around the apartment, and then turned to leave.

Driving to Xu Dian’s other residence—a place she had only visited once before—she entered after the fingerprint scanner confirmed her access. The house was just as quiet. She switched on the lights, and her gaze landed on the coffee table, cluttered with familiar-looking magazines.

Meng Ying quickened her steps and bent down to take a closer look.

A dozen or so magazines were stacked on the table, their covers featuring the bold Chinese characters “Feminine Charm”. Beneath those words was a stunning photo of herself. With her long, accentuated eyeliner and wavy hair, she exuded elegance tinged with allure, striking a perfect balance between sophistication and sensuality.

Meng Ying chuckled, crouching to count the magazines. Eighteen.

Beside them was a box she dragged closer. Opening it, she found another seventeen magazines. The box was labeled “100P”, suggesting it once contained 100 copies. That meant there were 35 copies accounted for.

Where were the remaining 65?

Could he have taken them with him? Meng Ying flipped through the magazines one by one. Inside was also her interview. In one section, the reporter had asked her:

“Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?”

Her response: “Yes.”

Reporter: “When was that?”

She replied, “During university.”

That page of the magazine had a lighter tucked inside—a familiar one Xu Dian often used. Why had he specifically left the lighter there? What was on his mind?

Meng Ying picked up the lighter, fiddling with it for a moment before pulling out her phone to call Xu Dian. The call rang for quite a while before someone answered. But it wasn’t Xu Dian—it was a younger male voice.

“Hello, this is Mr. Xu’s assistant. He’s currently busy. May I ask what this is regarding?”

Meng Ying froze for a moment before replying, “It’s okay, sorry for disturbing you.”

The assistant responded, “Alright.”

The call ended. Meng Ying glanced at her phone, thinking, why is he still busy so late? He’s given his private calls to his assistant?

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