Chapter 28: Arrived

The handcrafted pastries from the downtown shop are available only to a select few top-tier VIPs, and they can order at any time. The Xu family is one of these VIPs. To show their exclusivity, they always choose special packaging with their family name embossed on the seal.

When Yang Rou saw this, she became even more unsettled. Sitting next to Tang Yi, she looked lethargic. Tang Yi adjusted her glasses, her gaze fixed on Meng Ying, who was flipping through a script ahead of them. Meng Ying wore jeans and a black top today—simple and elegant. From the moment they entered, she hadn’t given them a single glance.

Liu Qin wanted to speak, but seeing Meng Ying’s demeanor, she fell silent. The three of them quickly became calm and composed. The air around them had an indescribable intensity, causing Tang Yi to squint, silently observing. She sat still, but Yang Rou remained in a droopy state, prompting Tang Yi to nudge her a few times.

Finally, they could board the plane.

Meng Ying stood up first, holding her script. She walked ahead in her high heels, with Liu Qin and Chen Jie quickly following behind her. Tang Yi and Yang Rou lagged, trailing behind as they exited.

By coincidence, the VIP lounge had only the five of them. Meng Ying walked in front, with the four behind her like followers.

Tang Yi’s expression shifted slightly as she grabbed Yang Rou’s arm and quickened her pace, squeezing ahead in just a few steps. They passed security first, as though it would mean they’d outdo Meng Ying.

Meng Ying lagged two steps behind, wearing sunglasses.

People around them glanced at her.

“Hey, it’s Meng Ying. She’s really pretty, and her legs are so straight.”

“I’ve bought her magazine. I heard she’s the current spokesperson for Xianji, and I’ve bought a lot of their skincare products.”

“No wonder Gu Yan is chasing her. She’s so beautiful.”

“Don’t mention it, I even heard a big shot from Huaying secretly admires her…”

Yang Rou’s legs went weak, and she grabbed Tang Yi’s sleeve, glancing back at Meng Ying. In her mind, Meng Ying was just a substitute. Why could she live so beautifully? She looked at the people gathered in twos and threes, praising Meng Ying with sparkling eyes, feeling an urge to rush over and tell them, “This person… was once just a substitute.”

Tang Yi tightened his grip on her and said, “Come on, walk faster.”

She had also overheard the compliments and saw Yang Rou’s face turn pale, feeling as though she was being overshadowed. A sense of unwillingness rose in her heart.

Yang Rou nodded. “Mm.”

She hurried to catch up, and once they were a bit farther away, Tang Yi said, “Why don’t you have any spirit? How are you going to compete with her for a man like this?”

Yang Rou remained silent.

Tang Yi continued, “Her face might have been plastic-surgery enhanced. You’re from the Yang family, a young lady with confidence. What’s there to doubt? Besides, you’ve beaten her once. Why can’t you win a second time?”

Yang Rou glanced at Tang Yi but couldn’t find the words. She almost wanted to tell him that it seemed like she had never actually won. The only time she could remember was during those years when Li Yi was in the army, and Xu Dian and Zhou Yang went out for drinks. After drinking a bit too much, they came back to find her staying at his house under his mother’s arrangement, but he had never touched her.

“Alright, stop thinking about it. Help me this time, and I’ll return the favor.” Tang Yi had been working on this project for years. It went through numerous revisions during serialization, with some details added later on. Adapting it into a script was a bit tricky, so only part of the script had been released.

There were three screenwriters in the crew, but Tang Yi was eager to collaborate with Yang Rou, so she was personally invited to help.

This time, Meng Ying and her team were all in business class. As they entered the cabin and sat down, they were just across the aisle from Tang Yi and Yang Rou. Meng Ying didn’t even spare them a glance. After sitting down, she had a cup of coffee while Liu Qin and Chen Jie chatted beside her. She put on her eye mask and drifted into sleep.

The filming location was not in the film and television city, but in Songshan, which resembled the environment described in the book. After getting off the plane, Meng Ying’s phone buzzed.

It was a WeChat message from Xu Dian.

Xu Dian: “Arrived?”

What a coincidence. Meng Ying glanced at the message but didn’t reply. She put her phone away and walked toward the exit of the airport. This city was a third-tier one, not very developed, so there were fewer fans around.

As she reached the airport’s entrance, she took off her sunglasses and heard a scream from the side. She turned her head to see a man in a black top and jeans, who also took off his sunglasses at the same time. Their eyes met in the air, and the man suddenly smiled at her.

A flirtatious smile, Meng Ying thought.

That was Qin Jun.

He smiled, took a long stride, seemingly heading her way. At that moment, the crew’s business cars arrived in front and behind them, blocking Qin Jun’s path. He raised an eyebrow, smiled at Meng Ying again, then bent down and got into the car.

Meng Ying also bent down and entered her car, with Chen Jie and Liu Qin following behind. Liu Qin closed the door, and the car grew silent.

Liu Qin said, “That was Qin Jun, the male lead.”

Meng Ying nodded in acknowledgment.

The car headed toward the crew’s location. They had arrived a bit late, and Li Yuan’er and the others were already there, dressed formally. The offerings for the ceremony were ready. Director Lin wore a white shirt and black trousers, with glasses. He looked polite and refined, not at all like a typical director, but more like an intellectual.

When Meng Ying got out of the car, the sun was a bit harsh. She shielded her eyes and lifted her black top slightly, revealing a sliver of her slim waist. People waiting around immediately looked over, and their gazes instinctively followed her. As she walked, Qin Jun’s car stopped as well. He strode over, arriving next to her, and called out, “Meng Ying, looking forward to working with you.”

This man had a notorious reputation.

Meng Ying turned her head, giving him a quick glance and smiled. “Likewise.”

“Too polite,” Qin Jun replied with a smile.

Director Lin adjusted his glasses and set aside the script he had been rolling up. “Although today is the start of filming, after the ceremony, we’ll begin with some promotional photos. Afterward, we’ll take a break. Tonight, the crew will have a dinner together.”

“Sure!” Li Yuan’er was the first to agree, flashing a bright smile as she instinctively pushed out her chest. Her figure was fuller than Meng Ying’s, but it was Meng Ying’s long legs and slim waist that captured everyone’s attention. Not a single man could take their eyes off her. Li Yuan’er repeatedly spoke up, trying to draw some of the attention toward herself.

After the ceremony, they began taking promotional photos.

The lunch break was mixed in between the shooting. This was Meng Ying’s first time playing the female lead in a film, and there were many costume changes. She also had to shoot scenes with the male lead, Qin Jun. During one of the shots, Qin Jun’s hand was loosely placed around Meng Ying’s waist, his breath near her ear. He smiled slightly, about to pull her closer, when a message popped up on his phone. He glanced down at it, and his expression shifted slightly, causing him to move a little farther away from Meng Ying.

Xu Dian: “The photographer is my friend. He has photographed Zhao Yanjun’s cheongsam show.”

Aside from red wine and luxury watches, Xu Dian’s greatest passion was photography. He had won awards and sold several of his photographs for astronomical prices, all of which he eventually donated. He had become well-known in the photography world, with many photographer friends, so it wasn’t surprising.

Qin Jun couldn’t resist looking at the photographer, who was chewing gum while holding a camera. The photographer looked up and seemed to remind him.

“Mr. Qin, this distance is just right. Don’t get any closer, please.”

Qin Jun: “…“

Damn.

He glanced at Meng Ying. What was her connection to the Xu family’s young master? Was it really like what was said online—that a big shot from Huaying was secretly infatuated with her?

No way.

There was no sign of that at all.

After finishing the promotional photos, the sun began to set. They were scheduled for a dinner later that evening. Since everyone was exhausted, the crew decided to let them rest. They had come straight from the airport to the opening ceremony without even going to the hotel. The dinner was set for 7:30 PM. After taking the photos, Meng Ying was sore and tired. She returned to the hotel, and as soon as she lay down, she didn’t want to move.

Liu Qin saw her like this and suggested, “Should I go with Chen Jie instead?”

“Of course not,” Meng Ying shook her head and smiled as she sat up. “I still have to go.”

Back during Nine Heavens, when she was troubled by personal issues, her mindset wasn’t great. Fortunately, the director didn’t hold it against her. Now, looking back, she realized how foolish she had been. What was more important than a career?

She stretched and massaged her muscles, then went to take a shower. This time, she had a single suite while Liu Qin and Chen Jie were in the next room. After her shower, she changed into a beige dress, dried her hair, and it was almost time to leave. The three of them headed to the restaurant.

In the private dining room, there were two tables set up. As soon as Li Yuan’er walked in, she spotted Tang Yi and Yang Rou, especially Tang Yi. They had been chatting quite a bit in the group earlier. Li Yuan’er smiled and walked over, intending to speak with Tang Yi, but just as she was about to greet her, the sound of footsteps came from the door, and all three of them looked up.

They saw Meng Ying enter, wearing high heels and letting her hair fall loosely around her shoulders. She was speaking to Liu Qin with a gentle smile, her eyes curved in a pleasant way. Li Yuan’er’s words got stuck in her throat as she noticed that the moment Meng Ying appeared, all the eyes in the room turned to her. At that moment, Meng Ying was wearing a dress that revealed a bit of her back.

The dress had a strap tied around her back, and there was a faint rose-shaped design visible on her back.

That back…

A man nearby muttered, “Her back is perfect for …”

Li Yuan’er clenched her teeth in jealousy. She quickly pulled out a chair and sat next to Tang Yi, noticing that both she and Yang Rou were looking at Meng Ying. Tang Yi even gave Yang Rou a nudge on the shoulder and said, “Alright, stop staring. She’s not as pretty as you…”

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan’er’s eyes narrowed, a victorious smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

It seemed that Li Yuan’er wasn’t the only one feeling threatened.

At that moment, Director Lin, sitting at the same table, waved. “Meng Ying, come here, sit here.”

Meng Ying looked up, then got up with Liu Qin and Chen Jie to move over. She smiled as she took a seat, directly across from Li Yuan’er and the others.

Yang Rou’s face turned pale.

Tang Yi had been observing Meng Ying the entire time.

But Meng Ying didn’t seem to notice the others. After sitting down, she listened to Director Lin talk. Lin said, “I watched your performance in Interstellar and that part with the alien species. It was excellent. I even heard from Gu Yan that you have great empathy?”

Meng Ying smiled, “Senior Gu is too kind to someone like me.”

“Hahaha!” Director Lin laughed heartily, while Li Yuan’er pouted, noticing that Lin didn’t ask her any questions at all. His attention was entirely focused on Meng Ying. Li Yuan’er tried to interrupt a few times but eventually gave up. She turned her attention to Tang Yi to chat instead.

Soon, Director Lin was called away, and things quieted down at Meng Ying’s side. Liu Qin nudged Meng Ying’s arm and whispered, “The three people across from you.”

Meng Ying lazily responded with a sound of acknowledgment, taking a glass of water with a straw and drinking it slowly while propping up her chin.

She was listening to Liu Qin speak when suddenly, Li Yuan’er turned away from looking at Meng Ying and leaned over to talk to Tang Yi and Yang Rou.

“I met a guy recently,” Li Yuan’er said, “He’s so handsome. Broad shoulders, long legs, tall and straight, and so cold and sexy, but he’s a bit hard to chase.”

Tang Yi became interested. “Oh, really? How is he hard to chase? Don’t tell me you haven’t even gotten his contact information yet?”

“I have it, just haven’t added him yet. I met him one night at a bar. Actually, I know what his background is…” Li Yuan’er paused for a moment, as if she could still see the man’s Adam’s apple in front of her. When he drank, his throat bobbed. It was so captivating, she blushed as she spoke. Yang Rou leaned in to listen, gently asking, “You still haven’t added him? How long have you been trying?”

“Two days, I’ve been adding him on WeChat, but he still hasn’t accepted,” Li Yuan’er said, getting more into the story, her face turning even redder. Yang Rou, seeing this, smiled and said, “You can do it, keep going.”

“Thank you…”

They exchanged words of encouragement and thanks.

Meng Ying, however, was biting the straw.

Suddenly, she felt like laughing.

She leaned back in her chair, smiling with her eyes and mouth curving lazily, still holding the straw. Her gaze swept around, and she noticed a man entering, holding a suit jacket and smoking. He looked a bit rough around the edges, but his eyes, visible through his glasses, locked onto Meng Ying’s face.

Meng Ying bit the flat straw again and said, “Li Yuan’er, the man you’re chasing just walked in.”

Previous

Next