CH 24

Within the same crew, the relationship between the three main actors was awkward and stiff. Among them, Ye Zixuan and Shen Yu evidently stood to one side and it was even two against one, but they didn’t have the guts to oppose Lin Qinglu directly.

Yu Bo’s complexion wasn’t good when he faced Ye Zixuan, and because of his statement about making Lin Qinglu apologize, Shen Yu was also assigned to the ranks of the “brainless” by the director.

For a famous director like Yu Bo, the cast and crew were full of his own members, and their conduct and temperament were exactly alike. The two people were obviously the second and third main leads, but it were as if they had been sidelined.

Shen Yu felt very uncomfortable. Originally, he was not planning on making that Weibo post, but Ye Zixuan had personally sent over a screenshot of Ji Jing’s Weibo, and her words were so moving that he followed them in reposting it.

“Shen Yu,” Ye Zixuan said in a tender voice, “are you thinking about the situation online?”

“With you and Ji Jing joining hands, it will definitely work out this time.”

Yeah. Shen Yu forced a smile. On this side he provided Jiang Meng, the source of information, while on that side Ji Jing went on a fierce offensive and entered the stage himself, even bringing Starlight’s artists with him to—

“Did you repost it?” Shen Yu suddenly asked. He didn’t seem to notice Ye Zixuan’s movement.

And her expression turned slightly stiff: “No…,” but she quickly found a reason, “the endorsement matter still hasn’t gone through. If I stand out, they will without a doubt rave about it.”

Ye Zixuan put on a lovable and wronged display, switching to an explanation that Shen Yu would usually accept. However, this time he had personally stepped in, and Ye Zixuan still did not put in any effort. As such, Shen Yu was somewhat dissatisfied, causing his smile to begin to fade:

“It’s o—”

“Big Brother Shen!” A little assistant abruptly said in an anxious voice, “Things aren’t developing as we wanted!”

Shen Yu’s smile froze, and he no longer paid attention to Ye Zixuan, hastily snatching over the phone.

“At first, it was still going well. Now, the public opinion is all focused on…on Starlight’s discrimination against homosexuals. Moreover, they’ve listed every artist’s name, and it’s already made its way to foreign media, becoming bigger and bigger.”

“How could this be?” Ye Zixuan cried out involuntarily. As if finding it absurd, she said, “It became so big that it’s reached the foreign media?”

Why would the foreign media start caring about a single statement that was made by a domestic entertainment company?

Shen Yu pursed his lips firmly. The two mutually glanced at each other, both detecting the dread and lingering fear in the other’s eyes.

Was someone behind the scenes playing tricks once again? Time after time again, they would guide the matter until it grew extremely unfavorable for them.

Seeing the heated discussion on every big website overseas, no, it ought to be called their condemnation of Starlight, Shen Yu’s blood ran cold.

Just how much power does that person behind-the-scenes have!

The respected and trailblazing international director took a stand and made a statement, brazenly mocking the conservative and ignorant entertainment company from the East and even declaring that they would refuse to collaborate with the artists from this kind of company.

The famous light comedy screenwriter also said that they wouldn’t trust giving a role to such discriminatory people.

A certain large-scale reality show program that’s been receiving a lot of attention recently released news stating that they had already screened out Starlight’s artists beforehand and that they opposed their participation in their program.

And Shen Yu just so happened to be among them.

His eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets. In order to brush up his value overseas and improve his international image, he and his manager had exhausted all their effort before he was able to get a permanent spot in the reality show. These past few months, he had been diligently practicing speaking and next month he soon would have been preparing to enter the cast. Just because they said it’s gone, it’s gone?

Both Ye Zixuan’s heart and body were shuddering as she looked at him. She stretched out her hand to calm him down and whispered, “…Are you okay?”

Shen Yu ruthlessly stood up and threw off her hand, making a phone call to Ji Jing:

“What do we do now!” Shen Yu shouted in a low voice, “You’ve seen the news, haven’t you? If I remember, Starlight’s focus was overseas these past two years? Do you still want the overseas market anymore?”

“I also want to know what we should do!”

“This issue was caused by you! You are the president! The one that has to quickly clean up this mess and take back my spot in the reality show!”

Before Ji Jing could even reply, his secretary hurriedly came over and had a gingerly tone:

“President, Director Katherine of M Country sent us an email saying that the TV series Miyami[1] will no longer accept Miss Ye’s audition.”

“……”

Fuck!

There was a burst of noise on the other end of the phone: “Ji Jing? Is it that role you talked about with me before? I don’t have it anymore?!”

Shen Yu and Ye Zixuan jabbered on and on, interrogating him about the reality show and TV series that they had lost. They were like two panic-stricken ducks as they shouted and screamed. At the end of his wits, Ji Jing let out a yell and brutally smashed the phone onto the ground.

The phone was hung up, and before him the rims of Ye Zixuan’s eyes had turned red:

“Shen Yu, what do we do? Now, I only have you—”

“I’m unable to save myself right now, let alone others. You’d be better off getting help from yourself.”

“Shen Yu?” Ye Zixuan had a stupid expression on her face.

“I’ll be making a trip back to the company.” Shen Yu shoved the script into her hands and walked away.

He did like Ye Zixuan and was all the more satisfied with his affectionate self. However, when these feelings began to threaten his interests, he instantly transformed into a detestable existence.

He even went so far as to regret that of all the people he could have found to play this game of love, why did he have to settle on Ye Zixuan?

This had all started because of her.

She was truly a calamity!

Stupefied, Ye Zixuan stood in the same spot as she watched Shen Yu departing back. She awoke with a start and walked off the movie set with quick steps.

She lost her role as well and also needed to go back to the company!

In the current world, the internal situation wasn’t so closed off, so external information had a direct influence on the inside. Various screenshots circulated around the internet, and at once, as if by a gust of cold wind, they dispersed all over like an abnormal fog.

This time, they lost so much face even to those outside.

It was okay to stir up trouble at home, but embarrassing themselves this much to the point that everyone lost face completely reversed the atmosphere.

Nevertheless, they didn’t have to trouble the masses to condemn someone this time.

Shen Yu first deleted his Weibo post, the popular little flower deleted her Weibo post and apologized, the trending young star deleted his Weibo post and reposted a rainbow flag—

Starlight’s president Ji Jing deleted his Weibo post.

The official Starlight account promptly released a dull and dry statement. Besides the superfluous words, there was nothing else.

Originally, Starlight’s lowering of its head could draw many people’s attention, but at practically the same time, someone made an anonymous report that the person in contact with Jiang Meng was Shen Yu’s assistant and that Jiang Meng was now at Ji Jing’s Western Mountain Villa. The respective security recordings were attached, making it extremely persuasive.

To sum it up simply, from the endorsement incident to the Lin Qinglu-and-unspoken-rules incident shortly after that, as well as the deafening-ruckus-around-her-orientation incident, all of it was because of Ye Zixuan’s failure to frame Lin Qinglu in the very first incident.

For the sake of a little flower, a president and a popular male actor joined hands to target the entertainment circle’s first-class actor.

The love triangle, which involved all parties, was certainly much more exciting than Starlight’s fucking useless statement.

“Don’t say anymore. Everyone, even a love triangle’s concentrated efforts could not bring down my Big Sister Lin.”

“??? Is Ye Zixuan the female lead of a CEO novel”

“Then, if my Big Sister Lin was targeted by the female lead’s group, wouldn’t that mean she’s the villainess”

“This woman is soooo venomous. Have you guys noticed that even after Ji Jing and Shen Yu took action she doesnt even repost their posts. She really is a flourishing green white lotus”[2]

“Heard from insiders that she and Shen Yu both lost their resources, as they should!”

“What about Ji Jing? #LickingBloodFromAKnife”

“Starlight’s stock price has already plummeted, tsk tsk.”

Within the president’s office, where the atmosphere had frozen and simply made people feel out of breath, the secretary said:

“The Public Relations Department said that it implicated too many artists and that the accounts of all parties have been overcome by the masses, unable to handle it. Even after inviting the water troops, they still can’t take hold of the situation, so it’s been recommended that we wait for the limelight to die off before cleaning up the scene.”

“At present, there are fourteen artists that have requested to terminate their contracts. Here is the list of names.”

For the final topic, the secretary’s voice became a lot quieter:

“…Our stock has fallen by 37%, the downward trend has not yet stopped, and the market value has decreased substantially. Director Li sent a message, asking to meet at the company three hours later. Director Xi will also be returning today.”

Ji Jing’s face was frozen, as if he had been subjected to the mauling of a savage beast, and his breathing was rapid.

Since the time that he took hold of Starlight, the company’s market value had always been rising. This time, however, it had been reduced by nearly half of its original value. It was to the extent that he was about to be held accountable by the board of directors.

Ji Jing closed his eyes, his head a mess as he was unable to make heads or tails of the issue.

How could he have fallen to this degree!

Just who was protecting Lin Qinglu!

Ji Jing propped up his head while the bits and pieces of his phone lay scattered on the ground. He sat alone in the frigid and spacious president’s office, awaiting the directors’ flames of fury that would befall him.

Shen Yu was currently on his way to the company. After seeing the love triangle that broke out on the internet and the accompanying tongue-lashing on Weibo, he hastily sent out posts, asking the water troops to disclaim his and Ye Zixuan’s relationship.

Ye Zixuan flawlessly went and held a grudge against Lin Qinglu once more, was cursing Shen Yu within her heart, and thought about how to act pitifully with Ji Jing in order to take her role back. After seeing Shen Yu’s declaration, she sneered and made a misleading Weibo post, implying that Shen Yu played around ambiguously on purpose and that she was the most innocent.

Shen Yu and Ye Zixuan pulled at each other’s hair, Ji Jing was confronted with the blame from the board members, netizens happily ate melons and were either busy standing up for or condemning them.

There was chaos everywhere, and the ground was covered in chicken feathers.

Not only that but the cause of all of this was just the few phone calls Jian Yixin had made while in the executive lounge with the bright and beautiful autumn scenery.

“Where is Shen Yu? What about Ye Zixuan? Ah?” Yu Bo was just then swinging around the script, losing his temper: “They don’t want to do it anymore, is that it? Terminate the contracts! Replace them!”

While Director Zhao was calming Yu Bo down, the others withdrew to the side to eat melons.

Once Jian Yixin answered the phone, her roomate Su Ting gave her a comprehensive lesson on the latest developments.

“Y’know, the thing on the internet! Pianxian, do you not know?”

Jian Yixin revealed a small smile, her eyes full of curiosity: “Hm?”

“Oh, Shen Yu and Ye Zixuan are being torn apart! Look at Weibo, quickly look, Ye Zixuan’s feigned pitifulness is being called out by Shen Yu’s fans, haha. It’s really such a huge dogfight.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is…” Jian Yixin looked at it while nodding.

When Su Ting saw her mild, thinly-smiling appearance, she deeply sighed with emotion and said, “Pianxian, you are too pure. You’re not gossipy at all.”

09, seeing the pure and tender affection on Su Ting’s face, deeply sighed with emotion and said that her host was awesome.

After saying goodbye to Su Ting, Jian Yixin went to speak to Director Zhao about the matter of leaving for a few days.

Before the movie’s solo dance, they had said that they would have to rework the choreography, and it was only until recently that they provided the new one. Director Zhao thought that Jian Yixin would go back to practice the dance, so he straightforwardly gave her a vacation.

The whole time, Lin Qinglu was in the middle of filming, and even during the breaks, she was talking with Yu Bo.

Jian Yixin waited a bit and noticed that she didn’t seem to have the idea of resting. As such, she didn’t go over and bother her, said a few words to Liu Lele, and left.

“…If it weren’t because most of scenes have already been shot, I would have talked to the producer about replacing them immediately— What are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” Jian Yixin’s figure went farther and farther away, and Lin Qinglu withdrew her gaze and also her thoughts. She said perfunctorily, “What are you tossing and turning for? Think about it: just how much money can you save by using this particular incident to promote the movie once it’s out?”

Yu Bo crossed his arms: “Tsk, do you really not care about their evil actions? Even we, the ones watching the commotion, are more worried than you are.”

Lin Qinglu’s lips curved into a smile, and the tip of her tongue curled softly: “After going on for so long with many twists and turns, in the end they’re suffering the consequences of their own actions. Simply think of it as watching a good show.”

Just a couple of clowns, that’s all.

Compared with them, she was more concerned about who on earth the person helping her was.

Before the scene had ended, Lin Qinglu once again glanced in the direction Jian Yixin had left.

What did Song Pianxian talk about with Director Zhao? Wasn’t she waiting for me a moment ago? Why did she leave? Why isn’t she back yet?

Nevertheless, Movie Queen Lin was prideful and wanted to teach the little dance understudy a lesson. She even went so far as to avoid her once, so Movie Queen Lin had to let her know that even she had a temper.

And let her wait awhile.

Movie Queen Lin’s plan was absolutely perfect. The only problem was, why didn’t this person seem to be returning?

After the scene was completed, she summoned over the competent and capable Liu Lele as if nothing had happened:

“Where’s Song Pianxian?”

“Oh, she left the cast.”

Movie Queen Lin’s hand slipped and the bottled water’s cap fell onto the ground.

“She’ll probably return in about three to five days.”

“……”

The author wants to say something:

So the situation is like this.

Jian: I am avoiding doing anything that will arouse suspicion.

Lin: Just what is she doing? Nevermind, I have to teach her a lesson. Let her wait a little longer and only then can she speak with the noble me (head held high)

When she turned her head around to steal a glance: ?? Where is she?

Lin is not the sensitive and low self-esteem type. She won’t, just because of an extremely slight avoidance, think that she’s hated.

Lin is like this → confident, proud, fluffy

TL Notes:

Btw i’ve seen some TL’s put smth like “she (character’s name)…” for vague pronouns. So far, i’ve been using TL notes but i was wondering what y’all preferred: a TL note or smth like “she (LQL)” or “she (Lin Qinglu)” for those translations 

Please let me know if you prefer one over the other!

[2] this person is pretty much calling Ye Zixuan a “绿茶婊” or “green tea bitch” and calling her very scheming and two-faced, pretending to be a “white lotus”