Chapter 25: Setting A Trap

After entering the house, Meng Ying grabbed a disposable cup and poured a glass of warm water for him. Whether he really drank it or not, she decided to treat it as though he did.

She filled the cup about 80% full, then opened the door. The man was outside, smoking a cigarette, his eyebrows raised as he looked at her. Meng Ying handed the water cup to him, but Xu Dian didn’t take it. He didn’t even look at the water; he only looked at her. “Is this what you meant by dating?” he asked.

Meng Ying smiled, her eyes narrowing. She took a few steps forward, and Xu Dian didn’t move. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and slightly relaxed his posture, as though his arms were open, waiting for someone to rush into them.

His scent, a complex mix of fragrances, enveloped her as she got so close she could kiss his Adam’s apple.

The scent of womanly perfume filled the air, familiar and soothing. Xu Dian’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and one of his hands lightly rested on Meng Ying’s slender waist. He tilted his head slightly, his nose brushing against her skin. A flash of intense desire crossed Xu Dian’s eyes as he leaned in, his lips almost touching hers, ready to kiss. Meng Ying, too, softly kissed his hard cheek. That one kiss made Xu Dian tighten his grip around her waist, pulling her into his arms, his lips pressing together firmly.

Meng Ying’s rosy lips brushed against his ear as she whispered, “Go away… I’m not in the mood to talk.”

After speaking, she pushed the cup toward his chest.

Quickly pushing him away, she turned and opened the door.

Bang—

The door slammed shut again.

Xu Dian squeezed the cup.

The cup wobbled, spilling the warm water all over his chest.

He lifted his gaze and stared at the closed door.

For the first time, Xu Dian raised his foot and kicked the door. He stepped forward and pressed his hand against it. “Meng Ying.”

There was no response from inside.

He waited for a moment and then said, “Come out, I still want some water.”

Still no reply.

Today’s live interview and trending video were circulating on Weibo, sparking various speculations. Many fans had a positive view of Meng Ying.

With support from Gu Yan, things were looking even better for her.

However, Yang Rou had been very good at managing her Weibo in the past couple of years. Although many people criticized her, there were also a lot of doubts. Why had Meng Ying and Yang Rou slapped each other? Plus, with support from the official Weibo of Huaying, many speculated that Meng Ying was secretly admired by a powerful figure, and Yang Rou had offended the woman the big shot liked, which led to her being torn apart by the company’s official account.

At this time, Tang Yi, the author of Twins, posted a subtle message on Weibo.

Tang Yi V: “I’ve always thought Yang Tong was more suited to play Yue Yan, such a pity.”

Yue Yan was the female lead in Twins.

Tang Yi, the author, was already quite controversial. She wrote well and had great ideas, but her plots often left readers in despair, unable to move on.

Twins had become popular for two years because the ending was so unsatisfying, causing both book fans and haters to grow in number.

What did Tang Yi’s post imply?

“What do you mean by this? Does it mean Yang Tong isn’t the one starring in the movie? With her acting skills, no thanks.”

“Hey, Yang Tong’s acting has improved a lot, haven’t you seen the variety show on actor training? She even got an A rating.”

“Forget everything else, I just want to know who is playing my most beloved Yue Yan…”

The character Yue Yan in Twins was the most heartbreaking, and the second female lead was the most liked. Even though she was the male lead’s childhood friend and had no romantic connection with him, her cheerful personality and wisdom made her a very likeable character.

By saying this, Tang Yi seemed to be hinting that she hoped Yang Tong would play the role. Did that mean she knew who would play it?

Fans started asking her.

“Who’s playing it then? You know, don’t you, Tang Da Da?”

Unexpectedly, Tang Yi responded to a comment, saying, “I know, but I don’t think she can do the role justice.”

Damn.

One of the book’s major fans exploded in response.

“The author doesn’t think the actress is good enough, this is going to ruin the original story.”

“How is Huaying handling this? Why aren’t they listening to the original author’s opinion…”

“If I find out who’s playing it, I’ll go after her.”

Tang Yi, this author, managed to, with just a few words, throw the actress who was set to play Yue Yan into the fire. And that actress was none other than Meng Ying, who was currently packing her bags, preparing to head to the training base the next day. Liu Qin wouldn’t be going with her this time; only Chen Jie was accompanying her.

As arranged by the Twins production team, Meng Ying had a good night’s sleep. Early in the morning, Chen Jie came to pick her up. “Good morning, Yingying.”

“Morning.”

Meng Ying was dressed in a white sun-protective jacket with a black camisole underneath, paired with black pants. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail that hung loosely at the back.

She looked fresh and beautiful. Once they got in the car, Chen Jie said, “I heard they’ve confirmed the male lead.”

Meng Ying sipped her milkshake and looked at Chen Jie. “Who is it?”

“Qin Jun, the charming young master from Jindu.”

Meng Ying paused for a moment, remembering him.

He was a top-tier celebrity, although his acting skills were not particularly remarkable. But considering the character of the male lead in Twins, Qin Jun would play the role quite naturally.

She nodded, “Hmm.”

The black business car drove toward the outskirts. There was a small military base in Licheng, which had housed many soldiers for training in the past. However, after a new base was constructed, this one remained, and now both the film and television industries were under national control, actively promoting heroic themes.

Both the male and female leads of Twins could be considered heroes, and the theme was great, so they were able to apply for training at this base.

They arrived at the base around 2 p.m. After arriving, Meng Ying and Chen Jie went to their accommodations, checked the environment, and did some cleaning. The dorms here were basic, similar to those used during military training, with two beds in each room—simple but neat. Training was scheduled for the next day.

The training instructors had not yet arrived.

Meng Ying was the first to meet a few other actors who were going through the training. They were all from the Twins production team, with more experience than Meng Ying. They were all skilled actors with a bit of fame in the industry.

However, Meng Ying’s popularity was currently the highest. Despite this, she remained humble and ate in the cafeteria with the other actors.

The next day, Meng Ying changed into her costume—police uniform. Her hair was styled up, and she wore short boots. As she walked downstairs, someone outside blew a whistle, signaling for everyone to gather.

She walked out into the hallway and saw Li Yi extinguishing his cigarette. He stood up and glanced over at her.

Their eyes met, and Meng Ying nodded at him. Li Yi shifted his gaze and walked down the stairs. He was wearing camouflage, and in front of him were eight actors.

One of them waved at Meng Ying. She hurried down the stairs and quickly stood next to Teacher Su Cong. Li Yi seemed a bit impatient. Furrowing his brows, he said, “From today, I and another instructor will be training you. I’ve been entrusted with this. Let’s finish training early and get some rest. Come on, follow me.”

With that, he turned and walked toward a training area. The nine actors hurried to follow him. After entering, they saw several instructors in camouflage holding prop guns. Li Yi went over to a table, placed each gun one by one, gave them a quick glance, and gestured for them to approach. Meng Ying followed them.

Li Yi began explaining the uses of the guns. “Now, each of you, take a gun and try it out.”

The other eight actors picked up the guns first. Meng Ying grabbed the last one, a prop gun. Just as she was about to examine it, Li Yi took it from her and handed her a much heavier one.

The moment she held it, it felt cold, quite different from the previous one. She looked at Li Yi, and he smiled, saying, “This one’s real…”

Meng Ying was startled.

“Turn around,” he said.

He was the instructor, so Meng Ying followed his instructions and turned around, looking at the distant target area. She loaded the gun as Li Yi had instructed.

It worked.

Her hands trembled slightly. Just then, a large hand lightly rested on the back of her hand, feeling cold. She was stunned for a moment, and when she turned around, her gaze met Xu Dian’s peach blossom eyes. He was smiling, holding her chin, and turning her face back toward the target. Then, he pressed close from behind, saying, “Pull the trigger.”

His fingertips pointed to the spot.

Meng Ying lifted her head, focusing on the red center of the target, but couldn’t bring herself to pull the trigger. Xu Dian’s voice sounded in her ear, low and teasing, “Scaredy-cat…”

Before he could finish his sentence.

Bang—

The recoil caused Meng Ying to stumble back, and Xu Dian was momentarily stunned. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, and then laughed, his chest vibrating.

“Not a scaredy-cat…”

His tone was casual, provoking Meng Ying to scoff coldly as she reloaded the gun and fired another shot. Xu Dian stood steadily, holding her hand and waist.

“Not bad,” he complimented.

The eight other actors around them looked over in surprise and asked, “Meng Ying, is that a real gun?”

“Hey, who’s this?”

Li Yi, standing behind them, casually smoked his cigarette. “He’s also one of the instructors.”

“Really? Are all the instructors this handsome?” a female actor laughed, her eyes on Xu Dian. She felt like she had seen him before, probably at a dinner with an investor.

A couple of the other actors recognized Xu Dian, though they chose not to acknowledge him. The rest didn’t know who he was and jokingly said they also wanted to try out the real gun.

Meng Ying fired another shot, hitting the center of the target.

Xu Dian complimented her again. Meng Ying handed the gun to the female actor, then pushed Xu Dian away, turning to ask Li Yi, “Instructor, did I improve?”

Li Yi almost choked on his smoke. He lifted his eyes and glanced at Xu Dian, nodding, “A lot.”

He didn’t even really look.

Meng Ying smiled. “That’s great. I can rest now?”

“Uh, yeah. You can rest.”

Meng Ying nodded and turned to leave the shooting range, feeling the heat and sweat all over her body. After walking a few steps, her arm was grabbed. She was spun around and pressed against the wall by Xu Dian, who looked down at her. “Don’t go. Let’s talk about love.”

With her back against the wall, Meng Ying lifted her head to meet his handsome face, saying, “Alright, what do you want to do?”

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Dian’s kiss descended, sealing her lips firmly. Meng Ying tilted her neck back, and her tongue met his, but he dominated, pushing deeper.

Meng Ying’s back was tightly pressed against the wall.

He relentlessly pursued her, one hand still holding her cheek as he moved her back. Compared to his passion, he was truly fervent, while Meng Ying remained much cooler. Xu Dian furrowed his brow slightly, retreating a bit, and looked at her.

Meng Ying smiled. “Mr. Xu, your kissing skills have regressed.”

Xu Dian: “…”

“You really need to practice your kissing skills more,” Meng Ying said, patting his shoulder with a serious tone, then pushed Xu Dian away and walked toward the corridor. Xu Dian turned, standing in the shadow, his eyes clouded with a grim expression.

He licked the corner of his lips and forced out a thin, cold smile.

He turned around and went back to the shooting range.

He wore a white shirt and black trousers, looking as handsome as if he had stepped out of a comic book. The actress glanced at him again, and Xu Dian leaned against the wall, lowering his head to light a cigarette.

Li Yi was not far off, practicing shooting with someone. Seeing this, he looked up and asked, “How’s it going?”

Xu Dian remained silent.

Both his face and reputation were ruined.

After a while, the others finished their practice and left.

Li Yi walked over to Xu Dian and said, “Actually, you just fell into her trap. She’s trying to humiliate you in every possible way…”

“Oh, really?” Xu Dian responded indifferently.

“But you still fell for it. Well, it’s your own fault,” Li Yi said, adjusting his camouflage pants and leaning against the wall to light a cigarette.

Xu Dian still remained silent.

Slowly biting the cigarette, he wasn’t a fool—how could he not know?

But even knowing that, he still jumped in. Tsk.

He hadn’t struggled earlier, but his lips still tingled. After returning to the accommodation, Meng Ying drank a large glass of water. Because it was hot, Chen Jie hadn’t gone downstairs, only walking around the railing. Hesitantly, she looked up and asked Meng Ying, “Sis, I think I just saw you being kissed by a man against the wall. Was that my imagination?”

She almost ran downstairs to help.

But they quickly separated.

Meng Ying put down the glass and collapsed onto the bed lazily. “You saw it wrong.”

“Really?” Chen Jie was a bit confused, but after thinking about it, it was a bit far away. It did look like a kiss, but maybe they were just talking?

Chen Jie stopped dwelling on it.

It was really hot outside.

The training during this time was exhausting.

Fortunately, the training lasted only three or four days. In the afternoon, they would go to a nearby police station for observation. In the afternoon, neither Li Yi nor Xu Dian appeared, and the base leader took them there. After entering the police station, the officers cleared ten minutes to explain things. After the observation session, they left the police station around 3 PM.

There were no other arrangements, so Meng Ying chatted with a few of the actors in the cafeteria, discussing the story of Twins. She didn’t speak much, as her experience with actors wasn’t extensive.

One of the young actors, Zhao Yu, who played the role of Yue Yan’s senior brother, asked, “How do you understand Yue Yan’s feelings?”

Meng Ying took a sip of green bean soup, thought for a moment, and said, “The one who falls in love first loses. She obviously didn’t like him, but she still did it for Zhang Mi. She kind of lost herself, even…”

She paused, “Even almost neglecting her duty.”

Zhao Yu nodded. “Yes, that’s right. The one who falls in love first loses. Meng Ying, it seems like you really understand Yue Yan’s character well.”

“Not bad,” Meng Ying smiled.

As soon as her words fell, her phone rang, and she turned her head to glance at it.

There was a brief pause before she answered the call. On the other end, the man’s deep voice came through: “I’m heading back to Licheng now. Once you’re done with training, should I pick you up?”

He paused and added, “When the time comes, we’ll talk.”

They hadn’t really had a serious conversation since they started dating. Meng Ying fiddled with her earlobe and replied, “No need to pick me up. As for talking, I’ll wait until I have time.”

With that, she hung up the phone.

A female actor sitting across from her, the one who had been eyeing Xu Dian earlier, named Li Yuan’er, propped her chin up and smiled brightly. “By the way, Meng Ying, Tang Yi posted on Weibo saying you’re not suited for the role of Yue Yan. What do you think?”

Immediately, everyone at the table turned to look at her. Li Yuan’er’s smile grew even brighter as her black hair cascaded over her shoulders. Meng Ying knew her well.

She was good-looking and a skilled actress, but she was also a bit much—always daring to ask questions others wouldn’t dare to. To put it nicely, she was direct, but to put it bluntly, she was nosy.

Meng Ying wasn’t that surprised by her question. She stirred her soup and replied, “We’ll find out once the filming starts.”

“Haha, I’m really looking forward to it. By the way, do you know the instructor in the white shirt from today? I feel like I’ve seen him before…”

Meng Ying put down her spoon and, mimicking Li Yuan’er, propped her chin up. “I don’t know him.”

“Oh, I thought you knew him. I was going to ask you for his contact info,” Li Yuan’er said, glancing at Meng Ying’s phone. Meng Ying kept a calm smile and thought for a moment before replying, “You could ask Instructor Li Yi. He might have it.”

“Ah, I’d never dare ask him,” Li Yuan’er said, seemingly recalling the fear of being scolded by Li Yi during the morning training. He wasn’t as gentle with Meng Ying as Xu Dian.

Li Yi stood off to the side, watching intently.

He was often impatient, carrying the harshness of his military background, and no one dared approach him.

Even someone as smooth as Li Yuan’er wouldn’t dare.

“Then I guess there’s no hope,” Meng Ying shrugged.

The conversation continued, and everyone chatted and laughed, finishing dinner before heading out of the cafeteria to return to their rooms for rest. The training base was located in a remote area with poor internet, and there wasn’t much to do for entertainment. By nighttime, everything became eerily quiet, surrounded by darkness. They didn’t dare stay outside too long and preferred to return to their rooms and leave the lights on.

Over the next few days, Li Yi conducted the training. He was a man of few words. Knowing they were actors, he didn’t push them too hard, but his silence and habit of watching while smoking made him all the more intimidating. The others didn’t dare slack off under his watch, and the male lead, Qin Jun, had yet to appear. It was said that he had already acted in many roles and had military friends, so the police station scenes were a breeze for him.

He didn’t need training at all.

Meng Ying thought to herself that, after more years of filming, she’d probably be the same.

On the morning they left the training base, Meng Ying received another call from Xu Dian. He asked, “Are you free today?”

Meng Ying leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment. “I should be free, though I have an event to attend in the evening. How about we meet after?”

Xu Dian’s voice on the other end carried a faint smile.

“Alright.”

“Hang up now,” Meng Ying said.

“Okay.”

She ended the call.

The outskirts were quite far from the city center, and they arrived in Li Cheng just before 4 PM. It was too late to go directly to the television festival venue, but with Nine Heavens nominated this year, she wasn’t just there to accompany others.

The television festival was held in the fashion capital, which was also the venue for the last film festival. Since there wasn’t enough time, Liu Qin had rented a makeup room backstage.

As soon as Meng Ying arrived, she was immediately ushered into the fitting room. A red evening gown and black shawl hung in the fitting room. Meng Ying changed into the dress, and Liu Qin entered to help zip it up.

While zipping, Liu Qin said, “Later, you and Gu Yan will go out together. Nine Heavens is nominated, so you two, as the on-screen couple, should stir up some attention.”

“I’ve already discussed it with Gu Yan’s manager,” Meng Ying replied.

“Mm.” Meng Ying lifted her head, pulling her hair out from under the shawl. Then, she was pulled out of the fitting room and led to the makeup table, where the makeup artist began working on her.

Meng Ying closed her eyes, and after a while, the door opened. Gu Yan walked in, smiling. “Is it ready?”

“Almost there,” the makeup artist quickly responded as they continued working. Gu Yan smiled and glanced at the mirror. The makeup artist had added a small red beauty mark to the corner of Meng Ying’s eye.

At that moment, Meng Ying opened her eyes and met Gu Yan’s gaze in the mirror.

In the reflection, her eyes were as clear as fresh water, and the small red mark added a touch of allure, making her look even more enchanting. Gu Yan was momentarily stunned.

Meng Ying smiled, got up from the chair, and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Gu Yan snapped out of his daze.

“It’s fine.”

Shen Chong pushed the door open and urged, “Hurry up, they’re already letting people in.”

Gu Yan extended his arm to Meng Ying, who smiled, linking her arm with his. Gu Yan smiled and led her out. As they walked down the red carpet, flashes of light from cameras went off nonstop. Meng Ying’s shawl slipped slightly, revealing her smooth, fair shoulder. She looked radiant, almost glowing.

The perfect couple of handsome man and beautiful woman made the reporters outside frenzy with their cameras. Some even recorded short videos and uploaded them. Suddenly, that small red beauty mark by Meng Ying’s eye became a hot topic.

“Ahhhhh, what a goddess!”

“That beauty mark on her eye adds so much charm, I’m totally falling for her red dress!”

“They really suit each other…”

“I’m going to follow Meng Ying, she’s so beautiful.”

After signing some autographs, Meng Ying lifted the hem of her dress and climbed up the stairs. Her eyes scanned the area, and she noticed a black Hummer parked nearby. The window was rolled down slightly, and Xu Dian rested his elbow on the edge, lips pressed tight, holding up his phone, signaling her to look.

Meng Ying averted her gaze.

She didn’t look at the phone and proceeded into the venue.

This time, her seat was in the second row. As soon as she sat down, she saw Yang Tong glance back at her. First, Yang Tong shot her a glare, and then her gaze fixed firmly on Gu Yan, whom she greeted, “Gu Yan.”

Gu Yan looked toward her and nodded faintly.

Yang Tong pursed her lips, smiling as she said, “My birthday is in a couple of days. Will you be free to come?”

“Depends on the time,” Gu Yan replied.

“Okay.” Yang Tong seemed pleased, turning back around. Her mood appeared much better, as if the feeling of being “shelved” was eased a little. Meng Ying, resting her chin on her hand, observed Yang Tong for a moment before her gaze shifted to the stage.

As expected of the Yang family’s daughter— even if she were to be hidden away, she still had a way out. Meng Ying recalled the words Liu Qin had said earlier. She lowered her head to check her phone.

Xu Dian: “I’ve booked a restaurant. The event ends at eight, and we’ll come out from the backstage.”

After reading it, Meng Ying didn’t respond.

Gu Yan leaned in and asked quietly, “Did you take Twins?”

“Yeah,” Meng Ying nodded.

“Too bad, my schedule is packed,” Gu Yan replied.

His schedule was already planned through the next couple of years, with TV shows, movies, and magazine shoots piling up. Meng Ying smiled. “You’re a busy person.”

Gu Yan chuckled softly.

“Yeah.”

They both fell silent as they continued watching the stage. After a brief hesitation, Gu Yan spoke again. “It might be a while before we can meet. How about after the event ends, I take you and everyone else out for supper?”

Meng Ying turned to look at him. Their eyes met, and Gu Yan smiled. Meng Ying thought for a moment. “Sure.”

Gu Yan nodded.

At that moment, others started approaching both Gu Yan and Meng Ying to chat. Xu Qing waved at Meng Ying from a distance. Meng Ying waved back, and the two of them shared a private joke, laughing happily. Soon after, the host appeared on stage, and indeed, Nine Heavens was nominated.

But they didn’t win.

Still, it was an accomplishment. Being nominated for such a topic was already quite impressive. It was also a boost for Meng Ying’s popularity.

The event ended, and it was just after eight. After a few interviews, Meng Ying and Gu Yan went backstage to remove their makeup and change into their own clothes. They, along with Liu Qin and others, got into the business cars and headed to the restaurant that Gu Yan had arranged through Shen Chong. The two cars stopped, and the doors opened.

Meng Ying stepped out of the car.

At that moment, a black Hummer came roaring toward them, stopping arrogantly right in front of her. The door opened, and Xu Dian stepped out, leaning against the car door.

“What’s this? Planning to break your promise?”

Meng Ying instinctively took a few steps back. She looked at Xu Dian and then smiled. “Did I promise you?”

Xu Dian’s expression darkened.

Previous

Next