Category: After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]

Chapter 15: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (15)

[The betting agreement has taken effect. Congratulations to the host for completing the mission “Make the protagonist owe a debt a thousand times greater than the original and lose everything.” All mission requirements for this world have been fulfilled.]

[After the protagonist rises again, the world detachment countdown will begin—]

Not long after shopping with Ying Keren, Su Mingxiu woke up to the system’s notification, its voice filled with unconcealed joy. It even sounded generous, like a boss who had been exploiting his employees finally had a change of heart:

[Without disrupting the subsequent plot or engaging in OOC behavior, you can have a pleasant vacation.]

But hearing these words, Su Mingxiu, thinking about her remaining three months of slow death, felt like the system was just fattening her up for the slaughter.

She raised her hand and yawned, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She chuckled to herself in the bedroom early in the morning: “Oh? You’re not forcing me to start a relationship with her anymore?”

The system remained silent for a few seconds, maintaining its optimistic tone: “Feelings can’t be forced. As long as you complete the mission well, that’s all that matters.”

Is that so?

Su Mingxiu’s eyes flickered. She stopped trying to pry into the system’s motives, lifted the quilt, sat up from the bed, and slowly walked towards the bathroom.

Even though she had gone to bed at nine o’clock last night, she still felt exhausted when she woke up, as if she hadn’t slept at all.

She was used to it. After washing up, she walked downstairs. As she opened the door, she heard a commotion downstairs:

“So many packages? Does Sister Su go on online shopping sprees like this?”

As the voice trailed off, a slender figure in a thin knit top descended the stairs. Perhaps due to her cold aura, even the faint light reflecting off her ankles seemed to have taken on the cool white tone of the tiles, making Ying Keren, who was looking up, unconsciously lower her voice.

“Go-good morning.”

She subconsciously stood at attention, like she was back in military training, but she was still holding a cardboard box in her arms, looking rather silly.

In fact, Su Mingxiu wasn’t strict with her, but just the artist training schedule, comparable to that of a high school senior preparing for the college entrance exam, was enough to make Ying Keren feel the same awe a bad student would feel towards their homeroom teacher.

Su Mingxiu glanced at the cardboard box in her arms and then at the mountain of packages piled up by the door. “What did you buy?”

Ying Keren: “?”

She said blankly: “Didn’t you buy these? Your name is on the packages.”

Meeting her gaze, Su Mingxiu stopped in front of her thoughtfully. She had the servant bring a box cutter and opened the cardboard box in Ying Keren’s arms. The gift inside was a luxurious silk scarf from a famous brand.

Su Mingxiu glanced at the sender’s information. It only had the address of the brand’s store. She handed the box cutter to Ying Keren and let her open the rest of the boxes.

The girl treated the packages like mystery boxes, not finding it boring at all. She sat on the floor, excitedly opening them one by one. For a while, the first floor of the villa was filled with the sounds of unpacking.

“Wow, this tie clip is so pretty!”

“There’s even a bow tie?”

“The material of this silk tie is so unique. Pairing it with a white shirt would give off a ‘refined scoundrel’ vibe.”

…

Every time Ying Keren opened a package, she would comment on the item inside. Soon, Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, hearing her mutter: “Huh? Why are they all neck accessories?”

The girl subconsciously touched her neck, and as if realizing something, her eyes lit up as she looked at Su Mingxiu: “Are you buying me so many similar items to comfort me because I accidentally lost the tie clip the other day? Sister, you’re too good to me!”

Su Mingxiu ignored her exaggerated display of affection and focused on the key point of her question: “What tie clip?”

Ying Keren raised her hand and gestured: “The one you paired with the tie you gave me when we went shopping last time. I wore it out the other day and somehow lost it.” She pouted. “That tie clip was so beautiful, but the store was out of stock. I’m still waiting for the manager to order it for me.”

Hearing this, she also belatedly realized that Su Mingxiu’s reaction didn’t seem like she was giving her a surprise. She couldn’t help but ask hesitantly: “These… you didn’t buy them?”

Su Mingxiu didn’t hesitate. She smiled faintly at Ying Keren and said generously: “If you like them, I’ll give them all to you.”

But hearing that the gifts weren’t from Su Mingxiu, Ying Keren lost interest. She put down the box cutter, clapped her hands, and said unenthusiastically: “Forget it.”

“I only like the tie clip you gave me. No matter how good these are, they’re just substitutes.”

With her poor sleep quality and lack of interest in most things, Su Mingxiu shifted her focus to training Ying Keren. The niece, who Ying Song complained was extremely difficult and troublesome, became a docile lamb in less than half a month under her guidance.

However, Su Mingxiu didn’t restrict her too much. Seeing her self-discipline, she would occasionally give her small gifts as rewards.

Ying Keren was always overjoyed to receive gifts from her. Not only would she take pictures and post them on her social media, but she also created a group chat and invited her friends every time she received a new gift, showing off in front of them like a peacock spreading its feathers.

But this pride didn’t last long—

One afternoon, Su Mingxiu was soaking in the hot spring in the garden downstairs, an old-fashioned radio playing beside her, listening to the host tell horror stories in a monotonous voice to help her sleep.

The water was warm, and mist lingered in the air. She had finally managed to cultivate a bit of drowsiness when she heard the sound of the living room door slamming shut in the distance. She could vaguely hear Ying Keren’s angry voice.

By the hot spring, she slowly opened her eyes, her sigh melting into the warm mist. She slowly got out of the water and was tying her bathrobe belt when the noisy little one came rushing towards her.

“Who upset you?”

She asked in a gentle tone.

But Ying Keren’s eyes were red, and she threw herself into Su Mingxiu’s arms. However, Su Mingxiu stopped her with a finger to her forehead. Ying Keren had to stop reluctantly and complained: “I’ve been so unlucky lately! I’ve prayed at all the temples in and out of the city, but nothing works!”

“Hmm?”

Hearing her confusion, Ying Keren raised her wrist to show her. The star and moon bracelet she had been wearing before going out was now missing the moon, only the star remained. The owner of the bracelet stomped her foot and said angrily: “This is the fourth one that’s broken!”

Although Su Mingxiu was generous with her, Ying Keren still cherished everything she gave her, especially these rewards she had earned through hard work and exams. She wanted everyone to know how much Su Mingxiu favored her.

However!

Starting with the tie clip that she had inexplicably lost, it was like she was cursed. Every time she went out wearing a gift from Su Mingxiu, it would either be lost or accidentally damaged by passersby.

But the people who damaged her jewelry were all ordinary, leaving no trace of a conspiracy. Now Ying Keren could only attribute it to bad luck.

But it was always the gifts Su Mingxiu gave her that were damaged. Wasn’t this bad luck too specific?

Ying Keren was so angry that she almost cried. Finally, she raised her hand and swore to Su Mingxiu: “Next time you give me something, I’ll buy a safe and lock it up, I’ll never wear it out again, sob sob!”

Su Mingxiu’s palm was still slightly damp. She gently stroked Ying Keren’s head to comfort her, then led her towards the living room and instructed the kitchen to prepare a plate of lotus flower cake.

The hearts of young people are fickle and easily appeased. After eating the hot and sweet pastry, Ying Keren forgot about her bad mood over the damaged gift. She leaned back on the sofa contentedly and ordered the servant to make a pot of seasonal fruit tea.

The next day.

The first floor of the villa was once again filled with packages early in the morning.

Su Mingxiu’s sleep was even lighter, the dark circles under her eyes more prominent than before. She went downstairs and saw Ying Keren already holding the box cutter. She nodded at her: “Go ahead.”

Ying Keren was even faster this time, as if she had already guessed something. She attacked the boxes with a vengeance, crushing them with her force. Soon, the contents of the boxes were exposed to the air—

It was a trendy bracelet.

Tossing the jewelry box aside, Ying Keren moved on to the next one, one, two… ten boxes in a row, each containing different jewelry. But the common point was that they all overlapped with the types of gifts Su Mingxiu had given her before.

Even a fool could tell that this was no coincidence.

Ying Keren threw the box cutter to the floor and started rolling up her sleeves, veins throbbing on her forehead: “Which bastard is deliberately messing with me? I thought it was just bad luck yesterday, but it turns out it was all a conspiracy! Don’t let me catch that jerk, or I’ll skin him alive!”

Damaging the gifts Sister Su gave her and then sending so many similar items as if to apologize, but the recipient was still Su Mingxiu. This was clearly a provocation!

And it was directed at Su Mingxiu!

Thinking of this, Ying Keren looked at Su Mingxiu and said through gritted teeth: “I’ll have someone…”

Before she could finish.

She heard a low chuckle. The person being provoked was leaning against the staircase railing, one hand on her forehead, laughing so hard that her shoulders were shaking.

But both the emotion in her laughter and the curve of her lips clearly showed that she was in a very good mood.

A question mark involuntarily appeared on Ying Keren’s forehead.

Seeing Su Mingxiu like this, she subconsciously asked: “Sister, do you know who sent the gifts?”

Su Mingxiu’s laughter subsided, her obsidian eyes still filled with a gentle light. Then, Ying Keren heard her answer in an unprecedentedly doting tone:

“A little puppy.”

Ying Keren: “???”

Su Mingxiu, who had already guessed the answer, glanced at the brand-name gifts scattered on the floor and asked the system in her mind: “Are you sure she’s really in debt?”

After receiving an affirmative answer from the system, she raised her hand and touched her chin, asking Ying Keren: “Do you want to get back at them?”

Ying Keren’s eyes lit up, and she even started cracking her knuckles.

Su Mingxiu quickly gave her the answer: “Go to a store and order a gemstone ring. Remember to post it on your social media, saying it’s a gift from me—”

“I’ll go with you to pick it up on the day it arrives.”

Ying Keren didn’t understand.

But with her own abilities, she couldn’t catch the person who dared to damage her gifts. So, full of doubts, she followed Su Mingxiu’s instructions. When the sales assistant messaged her, politely asking when she would be free to come to the store to see the finished product, she couldn’t wait any longer. Boldly skipping an acting class, she rushed home and urged Su Mingxiu to go out with her.

After arriving at their destination, the sales assistant led them to the VIP area, served them fruit platters and pastries, and knelt beside them, holding the box and introducing the material of the ring to Ying Keren. She spoke softly, asking if she was satisfied with the design and offering to change it if not.

But Ying Keren’s mind wasn’t on this. She looked around and asked Su Mingxiu in a low voice: “Will that person really come?”

Even without the system’s reminder, Su Mingxiu could guess Yu Yinglan’s whereabouts. Hearing this, her smile deepened. She got up and walked out. “You take a look first, I’ll go check out other products.”

Ying Keren looked at her hesitantly, wanting to say something, but in the end, she obediently stayed in the room.

The product manager heard that she also wanted to order a custom piece of jewelry and quickly led her to another room, offering her fruit platters and tea as well. He said slowly: “We have a batch of gemstones with excellent color recently. Please wait a moment, I’ll get the catalog for you.”

Su Mingxiu nodded and picked up the tea beside her, swirling the paper cup in her hand. She took a sip with a smile.

The cup was placed back on the table.

Soft music suddenly started playing in the room, and a heavy sandalwood fragrance filled the air.

Su Mingxiu didn’t resist the drowsiness. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the sofa, falling asleep soon after.

The room was surrounded by heavy curtains, blocking any view from the outside, providing a comfortable and private space for VIP guests.

However, at this moment, a figure silently emerged from behind the curtains and quickly walked up to the sleeping Su Mingxiu.

Leaning down, she saw the dark circles under Su Mingxiu’s eyes.

Her jade-white fingertips gently caressed Su Mingxiu’s eyelids, brushing past her long, raven-like lashes. Finding that she hadn’t woken her up, the newcomer gently touched the dark circles under her eyes.

She suddenly smiled silently.

—It turned out that only she could cure her insomnia, no one else could.

But the smile quickly faded, her dark brown eyes turning cold: But what did it matter? Su Mingxiu had still discarded her like a worn-out shoe.

A person who was so cold to herself and others couldn’t be kept with just genuine affection.

[What are you trying to do?]

At this moment, in Su Mingxiu’s mind, the system was shocked by her pretense of sleeping and couldn’t help but raise its voice to question her.

Su Mingxiu smelled the cold mint fragrance, her nerves relaxing. She actually felt a bit sleepy, not even having the energy to answer the system’s question:

[As you can see, I’m improving my sleep quality while on vacation.]

System: [?]

It warned: “Now is not the time for you to be in a relationship! You’re not allowed to touch her!”

Su Mingxiu hummed in response perfunctorily. Feeling the other party holding her hand, she lazily teased the system: “I’m not touching her, she’s the one touching me.”

She thought that since they had finally met, Yu Yinglan would stay by her side for a while longer. But even after her hand was released and the faint mint scent faded away, she didn’t feel any further movements from Yu Yinglan.

The person pretending to nap on the sofa slowly opened her eyes.

The room was still surrounded by heavy curtains, the scent of incense lingering, but the music had stopped.

There wasn’t even a single extra shadow in the room.

Su Mingxiu followed the discomfort on her finger and saw that her previously bare left ring finger now had something wrapped around it. It was…

A ring woven from thorns.

The long, dark thorns were cleverly woven and lay flat against her skin near the base of her finger. But judging from the sharp thorns that pricked her middle and pinky fingers, causing a faint discomfort, it was far from docile.

More importantly.

The thorns looked loose. If she tried to take it off, it wouldn’t be easy to remove, and the thorns that were currently lying flat against her skin would definitely pierce into her flesh. The more she tried to pull it off, the deeper it would dig in.

Su Mingxiu stared at the thorn ring for a while, then chuckled softly. Finally, she sighed with a smile: “She’s really angry.”

Chapter 14: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (14)

[Another investment company has rejected Yu Yinglan’s project. Due to her insistence on perfection, the crew is running out of funds. Two hours ago, she listed her apartment in the city center on the secondhand market.]

Early morning.

Su Mingxiu, dressed in a pale green nightgown, stood on the balcony. The golden morning light fell on her without obstruction, making her look like a tall and straight pine tree, every inch bathed in a golden glow.

She held a cup of milk in her hand, listening to the system’s report on Yu Yinglan’s progress towards bankruptcy as if it were the morning news, but she remained silent.

The system’s tone was pleased, as if praising her. It automatically calculated Yu Yinglan’s remaining assets and was about to report when Su Mingxiu spoke unhurriedly: “She’s earned a lot over the years, but the promotion of holographic technology has increased the cost of making a good movie. If she wants to make this film happen on her own, even if she puts all her wealth into it, it won’t be enough.”

“She’s not far from being in debt.”

Su Mingxiu pondered lazily. Yu Yinglan had accumulated a lot of resources in the industry over the years, and she was good at managing them. As long as she didn’t continue to throw money into this bottomless pit, she could still get out unscathed.

But that little one, although seemingly easy to manipulate, actually had higher ambitions than anyone else.

Now there were two paths: either abandon the project and accept the billions in losses, or continue investing in the project. Yu Yinglan would never choose the former. As for the latter, with her talent, many companies would want this cash cow—

Businessmen never make unprofitable deals. The most suitable method was to invest in Yu Yinglan through a “betting agreement.”

If the movie was successfully released, they would get their returns from the profits.

If not, they would make Yu Yinglan work for the rest of her life to repay the debt.

Sure enough.

Over the next half month, Su Mingxiu heard the system report one after another:

[Yu Yinglan went to the headquarters of Zhengguang Media at 9:00 this morning. Zhengguang Media is an established film studio but is very conservative in their choice of themes. They rejected her project.]

[Young Master Su Yi approached Yu Yinglan today and offered to invest, but she refused.]

[She went to Baiyao Media and signed a betting agreement.]

…

Su Mingxiu stopped writing with her brush, looking at the Buddhist scriptures she had just copied. Her handwriting carried an inexplicable murderous aura, ruining the solemn and sacred feeling. She put the brush aside and crumpled the rice paper in front of her into a ball.

“Baiyao Media?”

She remembered.

When they were casting for “Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers,” it was Mr. Song from Baiyao Media who had spent a fortune to secure the female lead role for his lover. In fact, the drama had a dual female lead script.

However, under the financial power of this sponsor, the other character’s role was significantly reduced, and Yu Yinglan played this reduced role.

The screenwriter ultimately favored this villain. Even with the cuts, they preserved the character’s charm as much as possible and made her story even more tragic. During promotion and release, the film crew used double posters, and the investors were outwitted—

This created the opportunity for Yu Yinglan to win the Best Actress award at the Bailing Awards.

When she came to this world, to avoid excessive influence on the world line, the system only showed her the plot she was involved in. She didn’t actually know the trajectory of Yu Yinglan’s later life. Since they were talking about this, she asked casually: “It seems she has a strong connection with this Mr. Song?”

The system was reluctant to reveal too much information about the future, to avoid her having undue influence on Yu Yinglan’s life.

But perhaps because Su Mingxiu was about to complete the mission, it relaxed a bit and revealed some clues.

[A book naturally can’t have only the female lead as an important character. I’m not afraid to tell you now, Baiyao Media will be Star Entertainment’s biggest rival in expanding its business empire in the future. This Song Yiran will be the most important person in Yu Yinglan’s life. You can consider him the male lead.]

“Male lead?” Su Mingxiu chuckled nonchalantly. “When the little one won the Bailing Award for Best Actress, his face looked terrible, as if something had been snatched from his mouth.”

[Yes, this is the beginning of their ill-fated relationship. In fact, Baiyao Media wasn’t interested in this project at all. It’s just that Song Yiran still remembers the embarrassment she caused his lover.

So the agreement he signed with her requires that if the project fails to make a profit for any reason, she must sign a contract with Baiyao Media for more than ten years—]

[During these ten years, she must play supporting roles in every one of Song Yiran’s lover’s works.]

The brush, dipped in ink, left a large dot on the paper.

Su Mingxiu stared at the dot expressionlessly for a long time before pushing aside the Buddhist scriptures, adjusting her palette again, and wondering if she could turn this dot into the trunk of a red plum tree.

But her next stroke failed.

She wasted another sheet of paper. This time, as she threw it into the wastebasket, she muttered softly: “What nonsense.”

Her tone was contemptuous, it was unclear who she was scolding.

Yu Yinglan, whose fate had been revealed, was completely unaware of what was happening in the villa. She had finally secured investment. She immediately threw herself into the project, working tirelessly.

If the actors weren’t suitable, she would try her best to find suitable leads. If she couldn’t afford big names, she would search among extras and drama schools.

If the special effects companies were asking for exorbitant prices, she would find another one.

In less than three months, Yu Yinglan had visibly lost a lot of weight. Her already pure and innocent aura now carried a hint of fragility, like a willow swaying in the wind, or a crabapple tree in the autumn rain.

Misfortunes never come singly. At this time, a rumor spread in the industry, saying that her contract with Star Entertainment had expired and Su Mingxiu hadn’t renewed it. Just a few days ago, the three-time Best Actress was still the highly sought-after cultural ambassador between planets, but now she had become an abandoned pawn of Star Entertainment.

Everyone knew that Su Mingxiu was tired of her.

In an instant, the partners who had already been cold towards her fled even faster. After all, her own foundation in the industry couldn’t compare to the backing of the mountain she had previously relied on.

“No wonder she went from being in front of the camera to behind the scenes. It turns out she was abandoned by that person…”

“After all, that’s the gold medal agent who’s best at training artists. It’s strange, those movie emperors and empresses who became famous under her, some of them tried to go independent. But the projects they took on after leaving her became worse and worse, as if their talent had been drained.”

“So, this shows how wise Director Yu’s decision to retreat at her peak was. Stepping behind the scenes at her most glorious moment, she’ll create another legend in the film industry.”

“Oh, come on, it’s not as mysterious as you say. Those who followed Agent Su just had good looks. In terms of real acting talent, I don’t think they’re that great. With the resources of a company like Star Entertainment, even if you find someone with no coordination and a poker face on the street, they can package them into a superstar!”

…

The set was particularly lively today because all the extras were scheduled to work.

No matter how big the film city was, there were only so many people in this industry. When hundreds of projects started filming simultaneously, even a large number of extras wouldn’t be enough. So every film project would communicate the schedule with familiar extras in advance.

Unfortunately, the rumor spread when Yu Yinglan’s crew had the most extras on set. Even if she wanted to pretend she didn’t hear it, some people’s voices were too loud, carrying those gossips to her ears.

She was originally checking the camera positions, but hearing those words, the image of the delicate white lace and sapphire collar appeared before her eyes.

“Director Yu, you have a visitor.”

At this moment, the assistant director returned from outside, bringing a familiar figure with him.

Yu Yinglan looked up and saw Su Yi’s face. Her already cold expression seemed to freeze over. She glanced at Su Yi as if he were air and prepared to instruct the actors for the next scene.

Su Yi obediently stayed put.

But this obedience only lasted until the end of her morning shoot. When the actors dispersed, he stuck to her like glue. He wasn’t angry at her cold treatment and even reminded her with a smile: “The rumors are spreading now. You should know, Sister Mingxiu never looks back at those toys she’s discarded.”

“I didn’t dare to touch you before because of my respect for her. But now…”

Yu Yinglan kept her head down, looking at her phone, ignoring his half-hearted threat.

Just as Su Yi was about to take a step closer, she suddenly held her phone up to his face, showing him a video playing silently:

“Now? Do you need me to help Young Master Su recall the scene where you tearfully swore your oath?”

“You!”

Su Yi took a step back, his hair standing on end. He didn’t know how this video had fallen into her hands.

As he retreated, Yu Yinglan put away her phone and walked out, one hand casually tucked into her pocket. Her calm and composed demeanor actually resembled Su Mingxiu’s.

As Su Yi inexplicably became even more cowardly, Yu Yinglan’s gaze swept over a luxury car outside, recognizing it as the car of the CEO of Baiyao Media, Song Yiran. She thought:

Has Su Mingxiu… really abandoned her?

Was that person so arrogant that she had already decided on the ending?

Thinking of this, Yu Yinglan, as if possessed, picked up her phone again and dialed a number. Before speaking, she licked her lips: “I want to know her whereabouts.”

The rumors also affected Su Mingxiu herself.

Learning that she was tired of being alone again and was in a career gap period, many people used their connections to recommend themselves. Not only the second and third generations of the Su family who wanted to make money in the entertainment industry, but even Ying Song found an opportunity to try and push someone onto her.

Su Mingxiu, already irritable from insomnia, finally understood why the original owner had picked up Yu Yinglan while taking a walk on the beach when she was repeatedly disturbed by these strangers.

She was currently at a dinner with Ying Song, listening to his roundabout request. Just as she was about to get up and leave, she saw a lively figure approaching from afar, as lively as a swallow, taking a seat next to Ying Song: “Hello, I’m Ying Keren. Are you that famous gold medal agent? Is it true that as long as I follow you, I’ll at least become a first-tier celebrity?”

Normally, Su Mingxiu wouldn’t pay attention to such claims.

But she stared at the girl for a while, and a face suddenly surfaced from the depths of her memory. It was a tribulation from her countless experiences in her previous life. At that time, she had just achieved enlightenment and was reborn into a mortal family, with a younger sister she relied on.

When the tribulation ended, she couldn’t save her blood relative.

Even though many years had passed and her emotions had become indifferent, she still felt a sense of nostalgia upon seeing someone she had a connection with in the past.

The words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue turned into agreement: “Yes.”

She asked softly: “What do you want? I can give it to you.”

Ying Song had originally seen the refusal in her expression and knew that it wasn’t easy to push someone onto her. If it weren’t for his love for his niece, he wouldn’t have come to Su Mingxiu to be rejected.

However, the situation unexpectedly took a turn for the better. He was overjoyed, but thinking of the rumors surrounding Su Mingxiu and the “kept woman” arrangements, he said with mixed feelings of joy and uneasiness:

“The child just wants to have some fun in this industry. It’s mainly because her family spoils her. So it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t achieve great things. We’re very grateful that you’re willing to take her on. We also know your rules. If you need anything, I—”

Su Mingxiu glanced at him and understood what he meant. She dismissed him with disinterest: “I find her likable, so I’ll take her on.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not that desperate.”

A new figure soon appeared in the video sent to Yu Yinglan’s phone.

Seeing a new person by Su Mingxiu’s side so quickly, she clenched her phone with increasing force, disbelief filling her eyes. But then, after seeing the contents of the video clearly, her clear eyes were consumed by rage!

The video showed Su Mingxiu shopping with Ying Keren after the dinner with Ying Song.

Perhaps because she was at the age where she loved dressing up, the girl favored flashy and exaggerated accessories. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, even anklets couldn’t escape her grasp. At the tender age of eighteen, her youthful face, adorned with these jewels, took on a hint of decadent maturity.

Seeing her choices, Su Mingxiu subconsciously thought of Yu Yinglan.

Completely opposite to Ying Keren, Yu Yinglan rarely wore such accessories except for important events. Her aura was too pure, making these gold and silver ornaments seem vulgar on her.

Hmm.

She wondered if Yu Yinglan liked the necklace she had given her.

Su Mingxiu rarely lost focus. When she came back to her senses, Ying Keren was holding a pink diamond necklace and comparing it to herself: “Does this look good?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, moving the necklace away and straightening the slightly crooked red tie on Ying Keren’s shirt. She casually added a simple tie clip and smoothed out the wrinkles for the girl: “Too much is as bad as too little. This is just right.”

But Yu Yinglan couldn’t hear their conversation. All her attention was on Su Mingxiu’s actions as she adjusted the other girl’s collar.

That red tie was particularly glaring—

It reminded her of the sapphire and lace gift in the box at home.

How many similar things had this person given to others?

It was ridiculous that she thought she was the special one.

Yi Jia was called back home from the lab in the middle of the night.

She saw the person staying with her acting completely out of character, throwing the wooden box that she usually treasured and wouldn’t let anyone touch into her arms. Her voice was heavy: “Help me modify something.”

“Hmm?” Before Yi Jia could ask anything, she opened the box in a daze and stared at the sapphire and lace necklace inside.

Yu Yinglan didn’t give her any chance to ask questions. She picked up the ornament, gestured to its position, and said: “Here, add a silver chain for me, the length should be about…”

“Huh??” Hearing her idea, Yi Jia became even more confused: “Didn’t you say this was your trophy? Why do you suddenly want to modify it?”

“It is a trophy.”

The light in the room was dim, casting a shadow over Yu Yinglan’s usually clear eyes. She echoed in a low voice.

She had originally planned to wear this gift openly on the day of her victory, walk up to Su Mingxiu, and declare confidently: I won’t choose failure, nor will I abandon my dignity. I can still stand by your side.

But now, she had thought of a better reward for herself—

This collar didn’t have to be worn around her neck.

It could also be used to…

Cage that arrogant and aloof goddess.

Chapter 13: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (13)

The night before the third year’s Superstar List was announced, the system started urging Su Mingxiu: “Congratulations to the host for completing the mission ‘Help the female lead hold the top spot on the Superstar List for three consecutive years.’ Please complete the remaining parts as soon as possible: let her reach the peak of stardom, then devise a scheme to make her indebted, taking away everything she has.”

At that moment, Su Mingxiu was choosing a gift for Yu Yinglan.

Various brands had sent their latest product catalogs to the villa, but she looked through them all, and the luxury jewelry and watches were either already endorsed by Yu Yinglan or were in the process of negotiating contracts. Brand ambassadors, brand friends, global spokespersons… she had all the titles, and the products in the catalogs would eventually end up in Yu Yinglan’s hands anyway.

Not to mention haute couture clothing and limited edition bags.

If she wanted to give something special, she either had to look for something unearthed or create it herself.

Su Mingxiu was hesitating when she heard the system’s reminder and responded lazily: “I haven’t even had time to ask you, what happens to me in this world after I complete the mission?”

[As a whetstone, you witnessed the female lead’s downfall, lifted her to the top, and then let her fall. Naturally, you have to live until she rises again—after the female lead repays her debts and takes revenge on you, you will first lose all your wealth, then your health, and finally your life.]

After a pause, the system comforted her: “Don’t worry, even if you die naturally according to the world’s laws, as a special consideration for task performers, the process is generally painless. You only need to hold on for another three months.”

Thinking about Yu Yinglan, who had already fallen for her, Su Mingxiu thoughtfully stroked her chin.

The system added at this moment: “Are you sure you don’t want to start a relationship with her now? Once the plot progresses to the point where the protagonist is in debt and loses everything, your identity will change to the villain who needs to be defeated. By then, even if you want to be with her, you won’t be able to.”

Su Mingxiu asked back with a smile: “Really?”

System: [?]

It became slightly wary, but remembering that since entering this world, Su Mingxiu’s greatest act of defiance was refusing to start a relationship with Yu Yinglan as arranged, it relaxed a bit.

After all, she still needed its help. So it said: “What, have you changed your mind? It’s not too late to agree to be with her now.”

“Here’s fifty cents,” Su Mingxiu coaxed, using the tone one would use with a pet. “Go find a movie to watch and stop thinking about my real-life version.”

System: [!]

Ignoring it, Su Mingxiu put down the catalog and went to rest.

The next day, she received a notice from her secretary that there was a shareholder meeting at Star Entertainment and she needed to attend on time. In the office, the CEO’s report reached her ears: “As we all know, a few days ago, we discovered signs of life in the Z star system. With the advancement of energy technology, wealthy individuals are now turning their attention to space.

Once we establish contact with the new civilization, cultural and entertainment exports… Star Entertainment has already secured advertising space on spaceships… To quickly tap into this market, I suggest promoting a cultural representative—”

Everyone present smelled the enormous business opportunities behind this. But what Su Mingxiu thought of was, is this the moment for Yu Yinglan to reach the pinnacle of her life?

How could an international superstar compare to a universal superstar?

Thinking of this, her mood brightened even more. Perhaps it was because good things bring good spirits, but when she returned home and continued browsing through the jewelry catalogs, she happened to see a few sapphires with high clarity. They were clear and pure, just like Yu Yinglan’s clean and beautiful eyes, captivating.

She immediately instructed someone to order those sapphires.

Yu Yinglan tore off another page from the calendar.

Her schedule was extremely busy now, and it was difficult to even squeeze out a full day of free time. To make matters worse, Su Mingxiu was being heartless and hadn’t come to visit her on set recently. If the mountain wouldn’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.

She asked Assistant Lu to compress her schedule, finally squeezing out half a month of free time. She decided to use this time to properly spend time with Su Mingxiu and try to make her acknowledge her feelings.

She waited eagerly for her break, packing her things even more enthusiastically than Assistant Lu. As she folded the last piece of clothing into her suitcase, she suddenly heard Assistant Lu knock on the door. Turning around, she saw the other party’s troubled expression.

“Teacher Yu…”

“What’s wrong?” Yu Yinglan guessed that there must have been a change in her schedule and frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to inform the publicity department that any changes to my work arrangements need to be communicated in advance? What’s the problem now?”

Having worked with her for a long time, Assistant Lu knew that she wasn’t as innocent and harmless as she appeared to be at first glance. She knew when she was easy to talk to and when she was difficult to deal with. Clearly, this was the latter.

But she still had to bite the bullet and explain: “It’s… Agent Su’s arrangement.”

Yu Yinglan’s eyes widened slightly.

Assistant Lu closed her eyes, ready to face her fate as she explained: “Star Entertainment has a promotional event on a new planet this time, and they’ve chosen you as the cultural ambassador. Agent Su booked a spaceship for you a month ago. They just informed us that you must attend this promotional event. She said that considering your recent work pressure, the event will be relaxed, so you can treat it as a space vacation.”

“Ugh…” Yu Yinglan said through gritted teeth: “Is she that afraid of being alone with me?”

The oblivious Assistant Lu didn’t understand what she meant: “Huh?”

Yu Yinglan stood still for a few seconds, let out a breath, and lowered her head to pick up her phone, sending a message to Su Mingxiu: “I can change my plans, but this doesn’t count as a vacation. When I come back, I still get my break.”

The reply came quickly: “Okay.”

Still feeling angry, Yu Yinglan typed another message: “By then, shouldn’t you give me an answer about that matter?”

She waited for five minutes.

No reply came.

Yu Yinglan clenched her phone, thinking that no matter what Su Mingxiu did then, she would insist on getting an answer.

Thinking of this, she rubbed her inexplicably flushed cheeks.

“Cute.”

Su Mingxiu put her phone aside, adding the final stroke to the red peach she had painted on a branch. Her voice carried a hint of affectionate laughter, unsure if she was praising the peach or something else.

While waiting for the painting to dry, she went to her computer and saw the contract she had tailored for Yu Yinglan to fall into debt. She carefully checked the terms and nodded with satisfaction, feeling that she was one step closer to completing the mission.

Then, she put down her brush and walked to the other side of the room.

Only half of the study remained as it was. The other half had been completely transformed. An expensive diamond cutting machine had been brought in, along with various polishing tools. Su Mingxiu walked over to her work chair, picked up a piece of pure white lace, and compared it to a sapphire in the glass cabinet, nodding with satisfaction.

Seven days later.

Yu Yinglan finished her promotional activities and landed at night. The skyscrapers and billboards along the coast of the port city were covered with her promotional materials, congratulating her on becoming the cultural ambassador between the two planets, and playing her brand endorsements.

The night sky became colorful, but her gaze went beyond the glitz and glamour, towards the forest villa.

A few hours later.

She stepped into the villa, exhausted, handing her luggage to the servant, and headed straight for the brightly lit bedroom on the second floor.

As she entered the room.

The usually aloof woman was standing by the balcony. She was wearing a burgundy nightgown that didn’t reach her knees, revealing her long, slender legs. Hearing the movement, she turned her head, the moonlight still lingering in her eyes, making them sparkle: “You’re back?”

Yu Yinglan nodded and gathered her courage to walk towards her.

She had only taken one step when Su Mingxiu said: “There are two things on the table for you.”

Yu Yinglan looked over and saw a flat, rectangular wooden box, made of luxurious yet understated material. Beside it lay a thick stack of paper that looked like a contract.

She walked over and picked up the contract first, realizing it was a project, with the script inside.

Su Mingxiu leaned against the railing, her long hair cascading over her shoulders and collarbone, exuding a casual charm: “You’ve reached the peak in front of the screen, do you want to try being a queen behind the scenes?”

“What is this?”

“A project I really like,” Su Mingxiu said, looking at her intently. “Although it has a good cast, it hasn’t found the right investors and director. If someone can make it happen, I would be very happy.”

Yu Yinglan’s heart pounded under her gaze.

She was like a traveler in the desert, parched with thirst, and the mirage of an oasis appeared before her eyes. For a moment, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was a deceitful illusion.

But the reward at the end was too tempting. Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance that it was real, she would go for it without hesitation.

Su Mingxiu slowly walked up to her, gently placing her hand on the jewelry box, smiling as she kissed the corner of her lips, her voice more intimate than ever: “It’s okay if you fail—”

“Just open this box, put on what’s inside, and come find me.”

Yu Yinglan was sent away in a daze.

When she came back to her senses, she realized that she had already left the villa, holding the box and the project proposal.

Under the moonlight, she gazed at the balcony where Su Mingxiu had been standing, her eyes fixed on it for a long time, as if imagining the view from below when Su Mingxiu was standing there.

After a long while, she turned and left the villa, tucking a fallen green leaf into her pocket.

She thought she would be back soon.

However, when she poured all her savings into the project, contacted the actors, and was ready to start filming, Yi Jia rushed over with a pile of information: “This is impossible to film!”

“This theme is taboo. Even if it’s adapted and filmed, it’s unlikely to pass censorship. This is a movie, who would be stupid enough to invest billions only to see it disappear without a trace? Besides, have you checked the backgrounds of these actors? I spent half a month investigating them, and guess what?”

Yu Yinglan was discussing script revisions with the screenwriter. Hearing this, she only glanced at Yi Jia: “Tell me.”

Yi Jia looked at her with a sneer: “I wouldn’t say they’re all scum, but let’s just say they’re a complete mess—even if your script is revised, miraculously passes censorship, and somehow gets released, these actors are all ticking time bombs. If even one of them gets exposed, this movie will definitely be taken down.”

“Who on earth brainwashed you into taking on such a money-losing project?”

“You’re a successful superstar, why would you suddenly want to become a director? Are you living too comfortably? Are you going for a retro style? Do you want to go back to the days when you couldn’t even afford to eat?”

Hearing her words, Yu Yinglan’s expression remained unchanged, but she carefully looked through the information Yi Jia had given her.

At a glance.

The scandals surrounding the lead actors were so numerous that they couldn’t be written down on a single A4 sheet of paper.

She put away the information and smiled at Yi Jia: “Thank you for your help, I’ll be careful.”

Seeing that Yu Yinglan was determined to jump into the trap, Yi Jia crossed her arms and stared at her for a long time, her thoughts suddenly finding the truth: “This can’t be a trap set by Su Mingxiu, can it?”

“What did she promise you that made you lose your mind?”

As expected, Yi Jia received no answer.

Seeing that Yu Yinglan was wholeheartedly devoted to this project, even willing to invest her own money and become the director herself, Yi Jia gave up on trying to persuade her and decided to wait and see how long it would take for her to hit a wall.

Since the owner of the house wasn’t entertaining her, she found her own amusement.

There were a few holographic game keys on the bookshelf. Remembering the prices of these games, Yi Jia was tempted. She stood on her tiptoes, stretching out her arm to reach for the game box—

“Thud,” “Clang.”

The item she wanted fell to the floor.

Along with it, a long wooden box also fell.

Yu Yinglan, who heard the sound, glanced over. She was about to look away when her eyes landed on the wooden box. She suddenly said: “Don’t touch it.”

Yi Jia: “!”

She immediately raised her hands in surrender, knowing that she had touched something important.

Only when Yu Yinglan put down her work and walked over to her, picking up the box, did Yi Jia curiously crane her neck: “What’s so precious? Let me see?”

Yu Yinglan originally intended to open this box on the day of her victory.

But now that it had been dropped, she wasn’t sure if the contents were damaged, so she opened it to check.

Several clear sapphires were nestled on a delicate white lace.

She picked up the ornament and, as if by instinct, knew where it should be worn. Walking to the full-length mirror in the room, she raised it to her neck—

It fit perfectly.

Yi Jia’s question came at this moment:

“This is a necklace?”

Yu Yinglan, looking at the fragile and precious necklace in the mirror, thought of the disastrous cast lineup in the information her friend had just brought, and the project that all investors had avoided.

Su Mingxiu’s smiling words still echoed in her ears: “It’s okay if you fail, just open the box, put on what’s inside, and come find me.”

Her fingers suddenly tightened.

The question that had been lingering in her mind finally had an answer.

So…

That person wasn’t unaware of her feelings.

It was just that, if she wanted to stand by her side, she had to change her identity.

Yu Yinglan closed her eyes, as if she couldn’t feel the pain of the sharp-edged sapphires digging into her palm. Her voice, suppressed by her emotions, became a little hoarse. She let out a short, abrupt laugh and answered Yi Jia’s question: “It’s a collar.”

Chapter 12: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (12)

Su Mingxiu’s fingertips landed on Yu Yinglan’s slender, pale ankle.

The ankle, adorned with a delicate strap, was as white as snow. Anyone who held such a delicate ankle in their palm would feel an inexplicable surge of possessiveness, wanting to leave messy marks on such pristine skin.

From Yu Yinglan’s angle, she could only see Su Mingxiu’s slightly lowered eyelashes, casting a shadow over her already dark pupils. She felt inexplicably nervous, her heartbeat accelerating. Subconsciously, she licked her dry lips.

She noticed the grip on her ankle tightening.

The thought that popped into her head was:

Would it be too casual to do it here?

Which hotel nearby is closest?

As Su Mingxiu pulled her ankle away, Yu Yinglan couldn’t help but rub her back against the mirror, seeking the coolness to remind herself of her nearly lost rationality—

The next second.

The hand that was holding her ankle only moved her transgressive action away before releasing its grip.

The faint redness left behind would disappear without a trace in a few minutes.

Yu Yinglan’s anticipation vanished along with the loosening grip, leaving her feeling empty and disappointed. However, as Su Mingxiu stood up, she didn’t even glance at her wrinkled shirt. Instead, she opened the bathroom door and walked out, calling: “Xiao Lu.”

Only when she heard the conversation outside did Yu Yinglan realize… that Assistant Lu had already arrived.

Soon, a new set of clothes was delivered.

Su Mingxiu turned off the wailing karaoke music in the private room and sat on the sofa, using her phone to search the company’s list of signed artists. She felt that the man who had just left looked familiar and decided to start her search within Star Entertainment.

Halfway through scrolling through the document, the bathroom door opened, and Yu Yinglan, now wearing a new dress, peeked out: “Can you come in and help me with something?”

Assistant Lu immediately stepped forward, but Yu Yinglan stopped her with a look. Just as she was feeling confused, Su Mingxiu had already put down her phone, got up, and walked towards them.

The stained glass door was half-closed, revealing the silhouettes of the two figures inside.

As soon as Su Mingxiu entered, she saw the broken belt that Yu Yinglan was holding. It was a pearl string accessory, now snapped in half. She raised an eyebrow, and Yu Yinglan quickly lowered her voice to defend Assistant Lu: “Maybe it was because things happened so suddenly, Assistant Lu didn’t have time to check it.”

The dress was cinched at the waist, simple and elegant, with the highlight being the waist ornament. But even with the broken belt, Yu Yinglan’s aura was enough to transform the long dress into a casual style, creating a different look.

However, the movie queen smiled brightly and gestured towards Su Mingxiu’s collar, leaning in with a suggestive tone: “Can I borrow something from you?”

Su Mingxiu looked at her calmly, catching a whiff of the approaching mint fragrance. Yu Yinglan took her reaction as acquiescence and reached for the first button of her shirt.

The cold, aloof style was disrupted by the unbuttoned button. As the second button was undone, the open neckline transformed Su Mingxiu’s distant aura into a flirtatious allure.

Seeing that Yu Yinglan’s fingertips were still moving downwards, Su Mingxiu’s fingers twitched.

Before she could stop her, Yu Yinglan abruptly changed her target, untied the silk tie that served as a decorative collar for Su Mingxiu’s shirt, and pulled it out from under her collar.

Then, in front of Su Mingxiu, she turned around and threaded the dark red tie around her waist, tightening it little by little, tying it into a bow.

The pristine white dress, cinched by the dark red tie, hanging on her slender waist, inexplicably evoked certain images.

It was as if…

The one wearing the dress had just gotten out of someone’s bed, casually picked a tie from the owner’s closet, and tied it around her waist with a devil-may-care attitude.

The clash of styles between the white dress and the dark red tie created a strong visual impact.

Like the most triumphant display.

A display that the owner of the tie was her conquest.

Looking at the pure face, now innocently holding the hem of her dress, twirling in front of the mirror, then turning back with a bright smile and asking: “Does it look better this way?”

Su Mingxiu had to admit, she couldn’t resist such blatant seduction.

Her throat moved. She raised her right hand and pressed her temples, closing her eyes and dropping a cold reply: “Nonsense, when did I teach you such terrible taste?”

With that, she reached out to remove the tie from Yu Yinglan’s waist.

Her outstretched hand was stopped mid-air.

Yu Yinglan blinked, her amber eyes under the light filled with trust, bringing the conversation back to where it was interrupted: “You haven’t answered my question yet.”

Su Mingxiu pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

Facing that eager face, the previous scene flashed through her mind like lightning—the fleeing man, the silent system, the relentless questions… She chuckled inwardly, realizing she was being led by this little one.

Yu Yinglan hadn’t given up on her and gone to pursue someone else. Today’s performance was clearly a ploy with ulterior motives. Thinking of this, Su Mingxiu lost interest in the remaining names on the document on her phone.

She asked with a half-smile: “You want me to help you?”

Meeting that insightful gaze, Yu Yinglan hesitated for a moment, feeling that all her plans were transparent.

But since she had come this far, there was no reason to back down. She nodded without hesitation: “I trust your judgment.”

Su Mingxiu hummed in response and lowered her head, leaning towards Yu Yinglan.

The person locked in her gaze felt inexplicably nervous, her fingertips that were still holding Su Mingxiu’s wrist unconsciously tightening.

Until Su Mingxiu stopped in front of her lips. As Yu Yinglan closed her eyes, Su Mingxiu dropped a line with a chuckle: “Wait.”

Then, the warmth in her palm disappeared. When Yu Yinglan opened her eyes, she saw only an open door, the other figure gone.

Assistant Lu, who had only heard muffled sounds outside, saw only Su Mingxiu leaving and couldn’t help but walk inside, wanting to see what was going on with Yu Yinglan. However, the first thing she saw was the extremely mismatched tie. She said subconsciously: “Isn’t this Agent Su’s?”

Yu Yinglan followed her gaze to her waist. Remembering the ambiguous “Wait” and seeing herself being left alone in the bathroom, she couldn’t help but bite her lip.

But under Assistant Lu’s gaze, she quickly adjusted the tie and asked confidently: “Doesn’t it look good?”

Assistant Lu was about to shake her head, but under her insistent stare, she began to doubt her own taste.

[Are you incompetent?]

Outside the KTV, inside a luxury car, the system voiced Yu Yinglan’s thoughts.

Su Mingxiu’s expression remained calm and indifferent. She even unscrewed a bottle of mineral water from the back seat and brought it to her lips. “Oh? Are you disappointed that you didn’t see any R-rated scenes?”

System: “I’m telling you again, I’m not that vulgar.”

[Really? I don’t believe you.]

Successfully rendering the system speechless again, Su Mingxiu slowly drank her mineral water. After instructing the driver to head towards the villa, she glanced out the car window and saw Yu Yinglan and Assistant Lu coming out of the main entrance, wearing hats and masks as they walked towards a van.

The bright crimson tie was still around her waist.

In a moment of distraction.

Water went down the wrong pipe, and Su Mingxiu couldn’t help but cough violently. The system, which had just lost an argument with her, immediately dropped its act and started mocking her.

Su Mingxiu argued with the system while catching her breath, her face flushed red from coughing.

But she didn’t care.

She was just thinking that she should have taken that tie back.

Chapter 11: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (11)

“Little girl, next time you ask for something, think carefully about whether you can handle it.”

That unforgettable night ended with Su Mingxiu’s advice.

It had to be said that this lesson left a deep impression on Yu Yinglan. After leaving the villa, she cancelled her schedule for two whole days, recuperating in her own apartment.

Whether she was eating or talking, the feeling of her jaw aching and her tongue tingling from being played with by the other party would resurface.

Even though her lips showed no trace of it anymore, she would often touch them unconsciously, making Assistant Lu ask in confusion: “Teacher Yu, are you getting a mouth ulcer? Is your mouth uncomfortable?”

Yu Yinglan paused in her actions and shook her head silently.

After this experience, she felt a surge of frustration and threw herself into her work on set, not approaching Su Mingxiu for more than half a year, until Yi Jia visited her during her break.

The new drama was being filmed in the desert. The night wind seemed to want to blow the sand into people’s bones.

Yi Jia, holding a cup of freshly poured hot tea, stood in front of the RV, looking at Yu Yinglan sitting on the steps. The woman, who had firmly established herself on the Superstar List, had lost her childishness. Her flawless face and clean aura were still startling, like a lotus from the heavenly pond descending to the mortal world, her posture graceful and elegant.

Even Yi Jia, who had witnessed her friend’s charm since their youth, couldn’t help but fix her gaze on her face, thinking that she would get used to this beauty if she looked at it long enough. But after staring for a while, she had to admit that Yu Yinglan’s appearance was not only stunning at first glance but also incredibly captivating. She sighed subconsciously: “Who in this world can resist your charm?”

No wonder in those works, her every frown and smile tugged at the hearts of the audience.

The wind blew, strands of hair brushing past Yu Yinglan’s face. She hooked a strand of hair with her pinky finger and replied nonchalantly: “Her.”

Yi Jia gasped, just as a gust of wind blew past, almost making her swallow sand. She spat a couple of times, unsure if it was because of the wind and sand or the unexpected display of affection. Staring at Yu Yinglan for a while, she seemed to have figured something out: “You don’t look like you got what you wanted. Don’t tell me you haven’t won her over yet?”

She remembered Yu Yinglan’s previous boasting, deliberately repeating: “Didn’t you say you were special? That she also liked you? That can’t be right, can it?”

Yu Yinglan lowered her hand, the sapphire blue wool turtleneck accentuating her fair skin. A breathtaking smile appeared on her delicate features:

“I suddenly remembered, I only booked your flight ticket here.”

“You can walk back in a few days. You’re always cooped up in the lab, you should get some exercise.”

Yi Jia: “?”

She raised her hand and slapped her mouth. She had forgotten how black-hearted this person was despite her innocent appearance.

Making a gesture of begging for mercy and showering her with flattery, Yi Jia finally persuaded this ancestor to retract her order. Eager to redeem herself, she asked: “Tell me about it, maybe I can give you some advice?”

“You?” Yu Yinglan’s tone was full of doubt.

Yi Jia let out an indignant “Woof!” “I have a wealth of theoretical knowledge, do you?” If it weren’t for the strong wind and sand outside, she would definitely show off the contents of her terabytes of hard drives right there.

Yu Yinglan looked into the distance. The starry sky of the desert night was dazzling. The Milky Way, hidden by the lights of the city and tall buildings, was generously displayed here, filling the vast expanse of the sky.

She rested her head on her hand, the starlight reflected in her eyes. As if possessed, she confided her troubles to Yi Jia:

“She… always treats me like a child.”

The preferential treatment remained, but it was more like an elder indulging a younger one. She was given the best in terms of material possessions and life, but she was not allowed to have any improper thoughts.

The carefully nurtured seedling, the tender vine, was afraid of climbing the wrong pole, so she was gently guided back to where she should grow. At first, it was gentle, but if she didn’t learn her lesson after repeated attempts, even breaking off the branches was not out of the question.

Yu Yinglan touched her lips, helplessness and annoyance welling up in her eyes. She wasn’t stupid, of course, and she understood Su Mingxiu’s meaning—

That person thought she was still young, unable to handle her affection, nor her… desire.

But apart from working harder and reaching the same level as Su Mingxiu as soon as possible, there was nothing else she could do.

Yi Jia lived up to her title of longtime friend. Even from these few words, she guessed the situation and suddenly realized: “I understand, you want her to acknowledge your feelings, right? I’m familiar with this routine.”

That night, Yu Yinglan, who had just gone to bed, heard her phone buzz.

She received a bunch of files, the first things that caught her eye were words like “overbearing CEO,” “substitute lover,” “marriage before love,” and so on. She thought: “?”

Yi Jia quickly replied.

“Based on my experience, there are generally two approaches. First, if she doesn’t like you yet, pretend to have your feelings hurt by someone else, arouse her sympathy, and make her want to protect you. Then she’ll realize that the only person who can satisfy your need for love without hurting you is herself.”

“Second, if she likes you but doesn’t dare to admit it, create some situations that make her jealous and force her to face her feelings for you.”

Thousands of miles away.

Su Mingxiu had just finalized Yu Yinglan’s next work project. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Unable to sleep, she decided to take advantage of this energy to finish all her work at once. Thinking that she hadn’t seen Yu Yinglan for a long time, she suddenly asked the system: “What is she doing?”

[Reading pirated 18+ novels.] After a pause, the system asked: “Do you want me to read you the passage she’s looking at?”

“Hmm?” Hearing an unexpected answer, Su Mingxiu couldn’t help but be surprised. She refused the system’s offer and then thought of something: “You seem to be particularly interested in this kind of romance. I forgot to ask you before, were you watching every time I kissed her?”

The system was immediately shocked: “Do I need to? Why would I watch you mortals engage in such low-level pleasures?”

“That’s not what you said when you were pushing us to get together, stepmother.”

“Are all you systems like this, saying one thing and doing another behind our backs?”

---

The system felt deeply wronged, its core overheating as it frantically hammered out code.

Su Mingxiu heard a clanging sound in her head. Finding that it didn’t affect her in any way, she ignored the system’s impotent rage and picked up her phone, transferring a sum of money to Yu Yinglan.

Yu Yinglan, who was reading a novel: “?”

Immediately afterwards, she saw the message in the chat window: “Be generous to yourself.” If you want to read novels, read them openly. Why bother with pirated copies?

But she couldn’t hear Su Mingxiu’s inner voice. Staring at the message with a bitter expression, she felt that she needed to quickly learn the essence of these love stories so she could use them on Su Mingxiu.

The opportunity soon arrived.

As soon as filming wrapped up, Yu Yinglan rushed back. She even found a junior in the company who she had a good relationship with and offered him a hefty sum to act in a scene with her.

For this, she used her resources for the first time, subtly inquiring about Su Mingxiu’s schedule.

That day, Su Mingxiu happened to be out discussing business with a partner. After going through the usual dinner etiquette, they moved on to a KTV, even calling in a few celebrities to liven up the atmosphere.

Amidst the noisy, brightly lit environment, Su Mingxiu sat alone in a corner, calmly waiting for these people to have their fun.

People in the industry were used to her indifference, but under the dim lights, some people, emboldened by alcohol, became blinded by lust and dared to approach her.

Su Mingxiu didn’t want to embarrass her partner. When she could no longer bear their gazes, she excused herself to go to the restroom and left.

However, as she opened the door and walked a few steps, she heard the sound of a glass breaking.

She followed the sound and saw a half-open door of a private room at the intersection. A trembling voice came from inside: “Don’t, don’t pester me anymore. I already told you, I have someone I like…”

Inside the private room.

Yu Yinglan, who had noticed the commotion outside earlier, raised an eyebrow. Looking at the junior in front of her, whose voice was trembling even while reciting his lines, she glared at him, reminding him of the money she had paid him.

Then, raising her voice, she added a hint of weeping and used her acting skills as a movie queen to continue the scene: “She’s so ordinary, with no acting talent at all. I’m a hundred times better than her. What future do you have liking her? I’m doing this all for your own good!”

Footsteps approached.

The young man, who had already seen the approaching figure through the gap in the door, panicked. However, it unexpectedly fit the current situation: “I hate your type the most, using your power to bully others. You’re just clinging to Su Mingxiu, what’s there to be proud of? No matter how successful you are now, you’re worthless in my eyes. If you keep pestering me—”

“I’ll send all these chat records to the entertainment reporters!”

Outside the door.

Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, surprised that the little white rabbit she had raised at home could actually be so domineering outside. She stopped with interest, wanting to see what would happen next.

However, the person inside was also waiting for her to barge in. After a long silence, the person acting with her turned pale with fright. He picked up a glass and wanted to create a commotion again. Under Yu Yinglan’s gaze, he steeled himself, closed his eyes, and splashed the wine.

Then, he turned around and ran without hesitation.

The woman leaning against the wall reached out and easily grabbed the back of his collar. Despite being a 1.8-meter tall man, he was effortlessly pulled back by her. This time, his legs truly went weak: “Agent, Agent Su…”

A cry of “Ah!” came from the room.

Su Mingxiu frowned, let go of the man, and walked inside. Seeing Yu Yinglan, drenched, her heels askew, looking utterly disheveled, she subconsciously asked the system:

[Playing dead? Why didn’t you remind me that the protagonist was in trouble?]

The system had known about Yu Yinglan’s plan all along, but thinking about its own goal, it could only swallow its anger and bear the loss: “The detected danger level was low, not high enough to trigger an alert.”

In the past, Su Mingxiu would have seized the opportunity to mock it. But now, seeing Yu Yinglan lowering her head and shedding tears, she could only sigh, walk over, and carry her to the bathroom counter, instructing Assistant Lu to bring a new set of clothes.

Then, she had Yu Yinglan step on her knee, re-adjusted the loose straps of her askew heels, and asked casually: “Tell me, what are you playing at?”

Yu Yinglan had been crying her heart out for a while, finally waiting for Su Mingxiu to ask her. She started to stammer out excuses.

Halfway through her explanation, Su Mingxiu interrupted her indifferently: “Whether you want to fall in love or just play around on a whim, remember—don’t look for a partner in the trash can.”

The light green vine-designed high heels glimmered under the lights, the ornaments wrapping around her slender ankles, showcasing every curve. Seeing that the shoe was properly put on, the thin heel suddenly pressed against the shoulder blade of the person half-squatting in front of her.

The dark red shirt wrinkled slightly.

Su Mingxiu calmly looked up and saw Yu Yinglan like a gardenia that had been overwatered, its snow-white petals drooping haphazardly, yet releasing its fragrance unrestrainedly.

And at this moment, this white flower was looking down at her from the branch, asking with a faint smile: “Then where should I look?”

The carved pattern on the high heel traced along her shoulder blade, reaching her neck, like a caress or a cold kiss, but the woman who bestowed these actions was still unaware as she asked in a sweet voice:

“Will you help me?”

Chapter 10: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (10)

A year had passed since Yu Yinglan reached the top of the Superstar List.

During this time, her schedule was even busier than when she was an unknown actress. She originally thought that once she sat on that throne, she would be one step closer to her wish.

But whether it was filming movies abroad, attending various business events, or learning financial and management knowledge as arranged by Su Mingxiu, it was enough to fill all her time.

—Surrounded by fame, the time she could spend with Su Mingxiu actually decreased year by year.

Moreover, the frequency of Su Mingxiu seeking her out was also gradually decreasing.

At first, Yu Yinglan was a little anxious, thinking that Su Mingxiu no longer needed her. But once, when she was attending a high-end jewelry exhibition in the city, she declined the sponsor’s invitation to a business dinner and quietly returned to the villa, only to find Su Mingxiu asleep in the study.

The sandalwood paperweight was pressing down on a freehand ink painting, spread out beside her elbow. It seemed that the woman had fallen asleep from exhaustion while waiting for the painting to dry. There were obvious dark circles under her eyes.

But the sleeping person was clearly frowning, either disturbed by the light coming in from the window behind her or the absence of a familiar presence, unable to sleep peacefully.

As if possessed, Yu Yinglan raised her hand and gently shielded Su Mingxiu’s eyes from the light.

She stood like this for two hours.

When Su Mingxiu finally woke up, her eyelashes fluttered, and she first saw the familiar lines of a palm. Her eyes focused and shifted to the owner of the hand. She didn’t know how long she had been holding this position, but even her arm was slightly trembling, and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

She sat up from the desk, tapping Yu Yinglan’s wrist with her finger, signaling her to withdraw her hand. Her voice carried a slight nasal tone from just waking up: “You’re back?”

She didn’t seem to care about Yu Yinglan’s appearance today, whether it was a casual stop on her way back or a specially arranged visit.

But she was very good to Yu Yinglan. For example, right now, she took the arm that had shielded her from the light and gently massaged the sore muscles with just the right amount of force. She also called the Su family’s servant and instructed them to bring some of Yu Yinglan’s favorite afternoon tea and asked the kitchen to prepare two of her favorite dishes for dinner.

Yu Yinglan obediently stood beside her, letting her massage her arm, but as soon as the numbness subsided, she immediately withdrew it.

She looked at Su Mingxiu’s beautiful profile and asked softly: “Haven’t you been sleeping well lately?”

Su Mingxiu was about to nod, but halfway through the motion, as if guessing what she was about to say, she replied indifferently: “It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

Yu Yinglan became anxious.

She half-squatted beside the armchair, looking at Su Mingxiu’s face, allowing the other party to see the worry and anxiety on her face more clearly: “If you need anything, I, I can cancel some of my appointments…”

“Yu Yinglan.” The person sitting in the chair smiled, her tone as gentle as ever. But calling her full name still made the girl shiver involuntarily, instinctively obeying her words: “I didn’t keep you by my side for you to do these things.”

As if to remind the girl of the original agreement with the original owner, Su Mingxiu raised her hand and caressed her cheek, saying softly, word by word:

“It’s only been a year since you ascended to the throne.”

“Show me more of your potential, don’t disappoint me, hmm?”

Yu Yinglan’s jaw tightened.

She was reminded of the past movie emperors and empresses whose potential had been fully exploited and then discarded by Su Mingxiu.

She was now like a passenger on a moving train. She wanted the train to stop and take away all the beautiful scenery she had seen along the way, but she was also afraid that once the train stopped, she would be immediately kicked off, without even the chance to buy a ticket and get back on.

Seeing her stiffen and nod, Su Mingxiu smiled again, taking her hand and leading her out, saying with a smile: “The kitchen recently hired a good Cantonese chef. His pastry skills are excellent. Let’s try some together.”

For Su Mingxiu—

After repeatedly pondering the system’s final mission requirements, she felt that she could completely avoid playing with Yu Yinglan’s emotions. She didn’t want the girl with this appearance to experience the heartbreak of a deep love.

The first love of a young person is like a delicate seedling sprouting in a greenhouse. Even with gentle spring rain and sunshine, it’s difficult for it to thrive. But once it withers, the vine becomes thorny, forever buried in the heart, causing a subtle, lingering pain in every sleepless night.

Before figuring out the system’s final evaluation criteria, Su Mingxiu didn’t dare to easily reject Yu Yinglan’s requests. The only solution was to let her grow quickly and reduce their contact at the same time.

When they had to interact, Su Mingxiu tried her best to leave a deep impression on Yu Yinglan, making her afraid to easily make those intimate requests.

An unrequited crush was better than being betrayed by promised loyalty.

But Yu Yinglan seemed to have a bad memory in this regard.

With less time spent together, the longing that accumulated in her daily life became even more intense during their interactions, like old wine buried in a cellar. The longer it was buried, the richer the aroma after the mud seal was broken.

Not long after dinner, Yu Yinglan, as if forgetting the warning in the study that afternoon, went to Su Mingxiu’s room on her own, carrying the faint scent of mint from her bath, and slipped into her bed.

Despite her pure and innocent appearance, unlike other celebrities who preferred fruity, milky fragrances, the most common scent Su Mingxiu smelled on her was this light mint.

Her warm body leaned closer, wrapping around Su Mingxiu’s waist, her voice soft and gentle: “I just finished filming abroad, and I haven’t adjusted to the time difference yet. I’m not sleepy now. Su Su, can you tell me a bedtime story?”

Su Mingxiu closed the poetry collection she was using to help her sleep, glancing at the person acting coquettishly beside her with a chuckle. She felt that this girl was getting bolder and bolder, now actually daring to ask her, an insomniac, to tell her a bedtime story?

She raised her hand and lightly pinched Yu Yinglan’s earlobe. With a few casual movements, her ear turned from white to red, as if it had been dyed. “If you can’t sleep, go back to your room.”

“Don’t bother me here.”

Yu Yinglan looked up from below. The neckline of her loose nightgown was open, and under the dim light, the shadows outlined the dangerous curves. She still smiled innocently, “But I want to be with you.”

The system seemed to see that Yu Yinglan’s seductive skills were becoming more and more refined, guessing that Su Mingxiu would soon succumb to this offensive. It added fuel to the fire, urging: “Agree to her!”

Since being exposed as a “wicked stepmother,” it became even more straightforward in instigating Su Mingxiu, its eager tone resembling those of parents online urging their children to get married.

Su Mingxiu’s eyes were unreadable. She picked up the poetry collection and opened it again, casually placing it on her lap, and began to read perfunctorily:

“If you come in autumn / I will gently brush past summer /

Half smiling, half rejecting /

…

If I can look forward to you in a year /

I will wind the months into balls of yarn / separate them and put each in a drawer / lest they merge…”

The person lying beside her was originally just listening obediently, but hearing these words, she climbed up Su Mingxiu’s shoulder, slowly entwining herself around her. Her kiss landed on the corner of Su Mingxiu’s lips, then moved closer, gently sealing the lonely love poem.

The room had fallen silent at some point. Su Mingxiu, being kissed, lowered her eyelids and sat motionless, letting the other party trace her lip shape with her tongue. Only when the enchanting warmth gradually subsided did she ask: “Not listening anymore?”

After spending so much time with her, Yu Yinglan already knew how to get the sweetest reward. She immediately shook her head and, in the position of sitting in Su Mingxiu’s lap, kissed her way down with wet kisses, even daring to gently bite her throat with her teeth.

“Not listening anymore,” Yu Yinglan said with a smile, staring at the mark she had left. “I want Su Su to kiss me.”

As she pushed her luck, she heard the deer in her chest frantically crashing around.

This was the first time she had expressed her feelings honestly and without disguise.

Su Mingxiu moved the book aside to prevent it from being creased by their movements. Hearing this, she only lifted her eyelids, her dark eyes gazing into Yu Yinglan’s eyes, sharp as if piercing her soul, making Yu Yinglan flush with heat.

They remained silent like this for a while. Just as Yu Yinglan was using all her willpower to encourage herself not to back down, she suddenly heard Su Mingxiu speak slowly and deliberately: “Are you sure?”

The person sitting on her lap didn’t dodge or flinch. Her throat moved slightly, and she nodded.

A smile spread across Su Mingxiu’s lips.

Before the other party could discern the meaning behind her smile, her jaw was grasped, and what followed was…

A torrential storm.

Yu Yinglan had once regretted that stingy mint candy, and even the kiss in the Su residence only carried comfort and coaxing—in other words, she had never truly experienced Su Mingxiu’s desire.

Until tonight.

The girl, who thought she had honed her skills in the script and had a glimpse of the doorway, found herself like a small boat in a sea storm, swaying and unable to steady herself. She didn’t even know how the storm was swirling, only feeling dizzy, her head pounding, and gasping for air as she tried to turn the bow of the boat.

But how could the storm allow her to escape?

The more she tried to escape, the tighter the grip on her jaw and waist, even her tongue was forced.

Her thoughts in this frenzy were just a drizzle. Wherever the wind wanted her to go, she could only drift there, soft and powerless.

Only when her chest ached from lack of oxygen was she allowed to breathe. The moment she regained her freedom, she wanted to turn her head and speak, but before she could utter a single word, her teeth were pried open by the other party’s fingers.

Su Mingxiu, however, wasn’t satisfied with her reception and vowed to give her another lesson tonight, making sure that Yu Yinglan’s mouth was occupied for two hours after making her request.

During this time, Yu Yinglan tried to act weak, her clear eyes filled with tears, the mist condensing into droplets that left a trail of dark marks on the sheets. But in the end, she was pulled back into Su Mingxiu’s arms, her ankle grasped.

Until—

The one who had asked for it lay limply in Su Mingxiu’s arms, her lips like fallen flowers trampled in mud, even the tip of her red tongue uncontrollably poking out, her tears flowing silently.

Only then did Su Mingxiu ask her leisurely:

“Do you still want more?”

Chapter 9: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (9)

[She likes you.]

The system, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly reappeared, making its presence known.

Su Mingxiu’s expression remained calm, as if she didn’t hear the sincerity in Yu Yinglan’s words. The system, unable to bear the silence, added: “You should give her a response.”

[Oh? What kind of response?]

She picked up the red wine glass beside her, swirling the crimson liquid inside, her eyes fixed on the shimmering reflection on the rim of the glass. As the mellow aroma of the wine wafted into her nostrils, she heard the system’s urging: “Be with her.”

Su Mingxiu glanced at the protagonist, who was sitting across from her, having dinner, and stealing glances in her direction, thinking she was being discreet. She quickly responded: “I’ve noticed that you’re very interested in getting us together.”

System: “I’m just helping the host complete the mission better.”

That’s not right.

Su Mingxiu narrowed her eyes, recalling that when she first transmigrated, the system had only given her brief reminders about supporting the protagonist’s career. Later, when it appeared more frequently, it was mostly urging her to do something with the protagonist.

First, it hinted that she could have an intimate relationship with the protagonist, and now it was eager for them to be together.

Compared to career setbacks, the system seemed…

More eager to see Yu Yinglan being played by her emotionally.

Why?

Su Mingxiu put down her glass, feeling that the heating in the room was too high. She got up and walked to the window. The Su residence’s architecture was traditional, with exquisite gardens and layout, full of ancient charm. The window lattice design was a mix of wood and glass. As she pushed it open, she saw a potted red crabapple tree with several flower buds on its emerald green branches.

Yu Yinglan’s voice came from behind: “Is the food not to your liking? I’ll tell the housekeeper—”

“No need.” Su Mingxiu replied without turning her head.

The cold wind from outside blew in, lowering the lingering heat in the room. She stood there for a while, then walked to the door and instructed the Su family’s housekeeper: “Move the crabapple tree outside my room to another place.”

“It’s not the season for it to bloom.”

In the room, Yu Yinglan, who heard her voice, tightened her grip on her chopsticks, subconsciously thinking, was this Su Mingxiu’s controlling nature acting up, even wanting to control the flowers? Or… was it a subtle reminder directed at her?

The New Year holidays passed in a blink of an eye.

Yu Yinglan gave Su Mingxiu another New Year’s gift and returned to the set of “Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers.” Filming, wrapping up, promotion, release…

Under Su Mingxiu’s busy work arrangements, she went from one project to another, her free time filled with charity work and various endorsements.

By the time she finally found a moment to breathe in the year, the release of “Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers” had completely made her famous. She was so busy that she couldn’t even spare the time to return to the villa.

Fortunately, Su Mingxiu would appear at her workplaces every now and then.

Just like now.

The woman, dressed in a silk spliced shirt, was flipping through a current magazine on a dark red leather chair. Hearing the movement from the dressing room, she looked up and saw Yu Yinglan gracefully emerging in a silver-blue gradient long dress, Assistant Lu helping her with the train behind her.

Silver threads were interwoven on the long dress, dotted with countless sparkling lights, like a galaxy falling down, the night sky splashed on her skirt, forming the deepest blue.

The front of the dress gathered the fabric from bottom to top at the neckline, the back adorned with glittering silver ornaments that cascaded down her spine, perfectly showcasing her butterfly bones and slender waist.

Yu Yinglan stood in front of Su Mingxiu and twirled, the pendants on the silver ornaments on her back clinking together, making a crisp sound that, along with the dazzling expanse of her fair skin, crashed into Su Mingxiu’s senses.

As if that wasn’t enough, she took two steps forward, leaned down, and rested her hand on Su Mingxiu’s leg, asking in a low voice: “Can I wear this to the awards ceremony tonight?”

Assistant Lu had quietly retreated at some point, even closing the door behind her.

The person sitting on the chair with her legs crossed continued to observe her calmly. Thinking about how Yu Yinglan’s ranking on the Superstar List had been steadily rising since the broadcast of “Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers,” she guessed that if Yu Yinglan won the Best Actress award tonight, she would definitely enter the top ten. And with the New Year’s film being released at the end of the year…

If the box office results were good, she would definitely be the top star next year—it was difficult to climb to the top, but easier to maintain the position.

Yu Yinglan saw her own beautiful reflection in those dark eyes. Apart from the initial amazement, there was no trace of emotion or desire. She felt a little dissatisfied, and her thoughts began to stir again.

Suddenly, a weight pressed down on her leg.

Su Mingxiu came back to her senses and realized that the distance between them had become very close. This person also had a legitimate excuse, her finger resting on Su Mingxiu’s second button, leaning in with a focused whisper: “Your button is loose.”

Her slender waist brushed against Su Mingxiu’s fingertips, as if Su Mingxiu only needed to beckon, and she would slip herself between the white silk and the luxurious fabric, grasping the soft and warm skin beneath.

Even the hand resting on the shirt was causing trouble.

Pretending to button the second button, she only half-inserted it into the buttonhole before pulling it out again. Back and forth, the button wasn’t fastened, but the heat transmitted through the thin shirt intensified.

The second button, above it was the neck, below it was the unspoken territory of intimacy. Yu Yinglan was dancing on this dangerous red line, making Su Mingxiu recall how, in her previous life, a woman with the same appearance had seduced her in this way.

Were all people who looked like this natural-born seductresses?

She suddenly chuckled.

Yu Yinglan, her palm resting on the shirt, timidly looked up.

In the past six months, although Su Mingxiu’s favoritism towards her had remained unchanged, her responses to her advances were still minimal. More often than not, Su Mingxiu would teach her a lesson.

Hearing her laugh now, Yu Yinglan’s entire spine tingled. Unsure if it was a sweet reward or a whip-like warning, the mixture of anticipation and tension made her unable to decide whether to stay or leave.

Su Mingxiu grabbed her restless hand, leaned back into the chair, lowered her eyelids, and looked at her with gentle eyes: “You want to help me that much?”

After Yu Yinglan, lost in her gentle voice, nodded absentmindedly, Su Mingxiu grabbed her other hand, clasped both wrists together, and pressed them behind Yu Yinglan’s back, forcing her to fall deeper into her embrace. Only then did she hear a slow and deliberate voice from above: “But your hands are too clumsy.”

Yu Yinglan raised her neck again, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Until Su Mingxiu’s thumb pressed against her lips: “Is the makeup artist still here?”

The 37th Bailing Awards ceremony was in full swing.

The audience was vast, watching as the holographic projection equipment played each nominated work one by one. With the organizers’ ingenuity, the characters from the dramas would occasionally break free from the screen and surprise the audience.

When it was “Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers’” turn, the bewitching demon who had broken the protagonist’s bones summoned her Xueji longsword. The sword hummed, flicking off countless blood droplets. As the blood droplets seemed to splatter towards the audience, they gasped and raised their hands to block—

The next moment.

The blood-red droplets swayed, transforming into ice crystals, slowing down their momentum. When they reached the audience, they had condensed into red snowflakes.

Someone reached out to catch one, and the red snowflake landed gently on their palm, gradually fading in color, becoming jade-white and clear. The six-pointed ice crystal was pure, and the voice of the character from the drama followed: “I am covered in sin, I dare not let you see me like this.”

“Look at the snow I send you, is it clean?”

The female audience member holding the snowflake projection suddenly screamed. Then, the whole venue erupted, the audience who had watched “Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers” chanting the character’s name.

And the person who played the ruthless yet deeply affectionate villain was currently in a separate dressing room, her elegant demeanor nowhere to be seen. Instead, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was pitifully held in another person’s arms. The color on her lips had been wiped away by something, leaving them pale and slightly swollen.

As if they had been thoroughly used.

And the other person still wasn’t satisfied, asking with a chuckle: “Your mouth is clumsy too?”

Yu Yinglan couldn’t speak, her tongue numb. She looked at Su Mingxiu’s shirt, which was no longer in its previous state. It was stained with suspicious lipstick and damp marks.

But the round button still stubbornly stood outside the buttonhole, the tears in her eyes welling up even more.

She wanted to retreat, weakly acting coquettishly: “Su Su…”

But her neck was pinched. Su Mingxiu pressed her head closer to her own, her smile undiminished, her voice slow and deliberate: “Help me all the way, Teacher Yu. You’re running out of time.”

Yu Yinglan was reminded by her words and, thinking about the upcoming awards ceremony, could only hold back her tears. She leaned forward resentfully and, amidst the other party’s light perfume scent, bit down on the small button.

The silver edge of the button was already covered in tiny teeth marks.

It was unclear how many were from restraint and how many were from desire.

[You did that on purpose.]

Half an hour later.

Su Mingxiu sat in the star-studded audience, waiting for the awards ceremony to proceed, but the system’s voice appeared in her mind, unusually tinged with anger.

“What did I do on purpose?” she asked innocently. After thinking for a moment, she said as if realizing something: “You think I’m deliberately tormenting her? I’m not. I’m strictly following the mission requirements, fulfilling all the protagonist’s wishes.”

The system analyzed her interactions with Yu Yinglan over the past six months. Seeing the results, its program almost crashed in anger.

[You know exactly what she wants, and it’s not this!]

“Really?” Su Mingxiu, under the confused gazes of others, wrapped her down jacket tightly around herself. Compared to her usual stunning appearance, she was dressed very low-key today. No one knew the secret hidden under her down jacket, assuming she was just afraid of the cold: “She hasn’t even said what she wants herself, but you seem to know her better than she does.”

System: “…”

Seeing that the Best Actress award was about to be announced, Su Mingxiu looked away and saw Yu Yinglan, bathed in the spotlight, radiant like the moon in the sky. Yu Yinglan looked at her immediately, noticing Su Mingxiu’s fingers fiddling with the zipper of her collar, a playful smile on her face. Yu Yinglan seemed to guess something and blushed even harder.

—Could it be that Su Mingxiu hadn’t changed out of that shirt?

And the person she was looking at enjoyed her anxiety with a clear conscience, even starting a conversation with the system, which had fallen silent:

[You know, the way you’re acting, like you can’t wait to wash her clean and send her to my bed, is very much like those evil stepmothers in TV dramas who mistreat the protagonist and send them to other people’s homes as servants to earn money.]

System: [?]

The host’s voice on stage echoed through the venue at this moment:

“I announce that the winner of the 37th Bailing Award for Best Actress is—”

The system was about to say something, but Su Mingxiu interrupted it:

[Shh.]

[Get ready to applaud, stepmother.]

System: “…”

Chapter 8: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (8)

The long black jade ruler was heavy, and the sound it made when it landed on flesh was not to be taken lightly.

In reality, Su Mingxiu only wanted to teach Yu Yinglan a lesson. Methodically, she only struck her ten times. This naturally wouldn’t cause any real injury. Besides, the pain on her backside wouldn’t affect her walking or going out.

But somehow—

Su Mingxiu placed the paperweight aside and saw Yu Yinglan burying her entire face in the quilt, as if trying to suffocate herself. She subconsciously reached out to pull her shoulder.

“Does it hurt that much?”

Recalling that the other party hadn’t made a sound, making her wonder if she had been too heavy-handed, Su Mingxiu wanted to see Yu Yinglan’s expression. However, the more she tried to look, the more the other party burrowed into the bed.

Only a half-circle of flushed red was visible amidst her scattered hair.

Unsure if it was from embarrassment or suffocation, Su Mingxiu’s movements were a beat slower due to her resistance. Still, she applied a bit more force and finally saw Yu Yinglan’s face.

…Even when Yu Yinglan had thrown herself into her arms upon their first meeting, Su Mingxiu had never seen such an expression on her face.

Her face was so red it seemed like it would bleed, her eyes tightly shut in panic, a tear track trailing from the corner of her eye amidst her messy hair.

Su Mingxiu straightened her up. As she leaned closer, her slightly cool breath landed on Yu Yinglan’s lips: “Speak.”

Yu Yinglan’s eyelashes trembled. Just as Su Mingxiu thought the trembling would spread throughout her body, she finally heard a sound escape from between the girl’s teeth.

But the sound was too muffled, dissipating into the air the moment it was uttered, making it impossible to discern what was going on.

Su Mingxiu remembered that she had made Yu Yinglan cry once last night. Now, unable to see her thoughts and thinking that since she had already punished her for this matter, there was no need to bring it up again, she moved her palm that was resting on Yu Yinglan’s lower back. “Want me to rub it for you?”

Suddenly!

Yu Yinglan, who was already mortified and determined not to let Su Mingxiu see her current thoughts, opened her eyes and, with a burst of energy she didn’t know she had, slipped out of Su Mingxiu’s arms. She stepped barefoot onto the carpet and ran towards the bathroom.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Only when she heard the sound did Su Mingxiu seem to react belatedly. She raised an eyebrow, picked up the tablet from the bedside table, and replied to work messages while shaking her head: “Such bad manners.”

In the bathroom.

Yu Yinglan turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face, as if this could calm her down.

The coolness spread, but her mind was restless with her eyes closed. All the sensations from just now… replayed in her mind as if resurrected.

Hot and cold alternated. After washing her face with cold water for a full five minutes, she raised her head and could still see the blush on her cheeks reflected in the mirror, like rouge that couldn’t be rubbed off.

Water droplets slid from her overflowing eyelashes into her eyes, then, as she blinked, they fell like raindrops on glass, precariously hanging from her jawline.

She met the gaze of her tear-streaked reflection in the mirror.

Yu Yinglan saw the surging desire in her eyes, like magma that couldn’t be extinguished by cold water, churning in the depths of her soul, even though the pain was still screaming on her skin.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

After a while, she lifted her clothes, turning her back while looking back at the mirror to see the red marks on her body. They should have been punishment, but she…

Yu Yinglan bit her lip, refusing to acknowledge those fleeting, absurd thoughts.

She angrily threw her pants into the laundry basket. After a moment of thought, she threw her shirt in as well. Still not satisfied, she took another shower under the showerhead.

When she came out of the bathroom, Yu Yinglan didn’t dare to go near the bedroom. She hastily made an excuse about meeting a friend and slipped out.

In the room, Su Mingxiu finally figured out a bit of shyness from Yu Yinglan’s evasive attitude.

She quickly understood the reason—

While disciplining her, she had only thought about not letting the marks affect Yu Yinglan’s daily life and keeping them hidden as much as possible.

But for Yu Yinglan, who was already an adult, being spanked by a stranger, a girl with strong self-esteem, she would definitely not want to see her again for a while.

Thinking of this, Su Mingxiu frowned, starting to worry about what to do if Yu Yinglan avoided her during this period and she had insomnia again when sleeping alone at night.

She should have just slapped her hand a few times.

After getting used to a good night’s sleep, who would want to return to the state of insomnia all night long?

Several thoughts flashed through her mind. Su Mingxiu put the tablet aside, intending to tell the housekeeper that if Yu Yinglan came back at night and had any requests, to remember to prepare a separate guest room for her and some ointment for external injuries.

The tablet was resting on the quilt that had been lifted earlier.

Su Mingxiu’s gaze inadvertently swept over it, and she saw a small, dried water stain on the quilt.

She remembered that the bed was clean when they slept last night.

This was where Yu Yinglan had slept.

Maybe it was a water stain from her clothes last night?

She thought about it for a moment before dismissing the meaningless thought, preparing to have the housekeeper change the bedding again.

Meanwhile.

In a quiet cafe in the city.

The golden spoon clinked against the porcelain cup, making a “ding” sound. The person sitting opposite Yu Yinglan, who had been dozing off with her head propped up, was instantly startled awake by the sound. Before her chin hit the table, she abruptly raised her head: “What’s wrong?”

After seeing the person in front of her clearly, she gradually calmed down, letting out a sigh of relief, and then said helplessly: “I’ve done my best with the collar clip design. Although there are needle-free injection designs now, your collar clip is too small to store enough. The thin needle is still the most convenient—if someone discovers it, it’s your carelessness, not my fault.”

Yu Yinglan’s attention was drawn back by her voice.

The person in front of her was her friend, Yi Jia.

When she was born, her gambler father disliked her for being a girl and refused to raise her. He simply left her at the entrance of an orphanage, letting her eat the free food there and forbidding her mother from taking her back.

After she started remembering things, she was begged by her mother and had to take food from the orphanage to supplement their income, which led to her being discovered and kicked out.

She was a fake orphan, while Yi Jia was a real orphan from that orphanage.

Later, Yi Jia was adopted by a good family, and they met again at school, maintaining contact ever since.

To some extent, it was also thanks to Yi Jia that she “happened to run into” Su Mingxiu, who was out for a walk, on that beach.

Otherwise, how could a gambler’s daughter with no skills and no backing have such good luck to enter Su Mingxiu’s world?

Hearing her mention the collar clip, Yu Yinglan became restless.

Even though the cafe chair was cushioned, she felt the pain start again. She simply put down the spoon and said through gritted teeth: “Don’t let me hear those two words again!”

Perhaps it was because of the collar clip that Su Mingxiu had settled accounts with her this morning. Now, whenever she heard those two words, she felt those unspeakable sensations and emotions welling up again…

“Why is your face so red?”

“I’m not!”

Yi Jia felt that something was off about her today. Since they met, she was one of the few who knew Yu Yinglan’s true nature. She knew that all her harmlessness and innocence were just a disguise to lower people’s guard. Anyone who tried to scheme against Yu Yinglan would end up suffering a crushing defeat.

Who could make this black-hearted lotus show such an expression?

Biting on the straw, Yi Jia took a sip of cola and stared at Yu Yinglan for a long time. She didn’t understand why Yu Yinglan called her out, mentioned that the collar clip design had been discovered, but wasn’t holding her accountable. Instead, she was just sitting there doing nothing.

She hadn’t slept all night, working on the experiment assignment given by her professor. Now she just wanted to catch up on sleep.

“What on earth did you call me out here for? If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

Yu Yinglan picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. When the bitterness spread, she realized that she hadn’t added any sugar at all. She simply put it down again: “Help me investigate Su Mingxiu’s past relationships. Don’t miss any details.”

Yi Jia: “?”

She said incredulously: “What strange plan do you have now? Didn’t we confirm it last time? She doesn’t like being touched by others at all. Because when she was a child, she accidentally walked into her mother’s room and saw some things, which made her particularly averse to desire. And because of her father’s strict upbringing, she has a strong desire to control both herself and others. Forget about relationships, I don’t think she’s ever even had a crush, okay?”

While her friend was talking, Yu Yinglan kept rubbing the rim of the cup.

Compared to her previous probing attitude when she tried to seduce Su Mingxiu, she was listening much more attentively this time, as if wanting to etch every word Yi Jia said into her bones.

She thought of the scene last night where her hands were bound, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t kiss the other party’s lips, crying out of frustration.

In Su Mingxiu’s eyes, was she, consumed by desire, very ugly?

But because she cried, the other party could only overcome her instinctive aversion and condescend to kiss her.

Su Mingxiu hated being touched by others, but when facing her, she indulged her again and again, giving her hugs, letting her wear her clothes, and even willing to kiss her.

Recalling how she had even felt wronged yesterday, suspecting that Su Mingxiu’s hot and cold behavior was just playing with her, Yu Yinglan’s fingertips holding the coffee cup couldn’t help but curl up.

Her heart was filled with regret.

—Was there anyone in the world who loved her more than Su Mingxiu?

This person was willing to overcome her own instincts for her, to conquer those shadows and principles.

And what about her?

Fortunately, the New Year’s gift she had finally thought of hadn’t been given in the way it almost was last night. Otherwise, she didn’t know what Su Mingxiu would think of her.

Yu Yinglan breathed a deep sigh of relief, unaware that her changing expressions had made Yi Jia even more confused.

“Why are you always inquiring about her love life? Could it be that you’ve fallen for her?” The person biting the cola straw joked with her vaguely, not knowing that she had accidentally hit the truth.

“Yes.”

Yu Yinglan admitted it readily.

Yi Jia was so shocked that she almost choked on her cola. She stared at Yu Yinglan wide-eyed: “Are you crazy? Didn’t I tell you that this woman is dangerous, and you shouldn’t be fooled by her appearance? Don’t you know what happened to those artists who fell for her in the past?”

“It’s different.”

Thinking of the kiss last night, Yu Yinglan pursed her lips and quickly smiled, a bright smile that Yi Jia had never seen before: “I’m special to her. Maybe she hasn’t even realized how many rules she’s broken for me—she loves me very much.”

Yi Jia listened to her confident declaration with worry, unsure whether to suggest she see a neurologist or an ophthalmologist.

And the person who had fallen in love was still lost in her own thoughts.

She had been too impatient yesterday.

They still had plenty of time.

They could build a foundation of feelings first and then slowly try to get the other party to accept more of her. If Su Mingxiu really didn’t like too much physical contact, then it wouldn’t matter if they did things in a way that Su Mingxiu was comfortable with in the future.

7:00 PM, Su residence.

Unwilling to watch any more drama at the dinner table, Su Mingxiu simply asked the housekeeper to bring her meal to her room. At the same time, she ordered someone to pack her things, planning to return to her own place tomorrow and spend less time in this uncomfortable environment.

Just as the meal was set, someone approached the door.

She glanced over and saw that it was Yu Yinglan, who had fled from her bed blushing this morning. The other party seemed to have forgotten the embarrassment from earlier, walking towards her with a smile, her voice warm: “I’m back.”

Su Mingxiu didn’t start eating immediately. She looked her up and down, initially not wanting to mention what happened in the morning. But she was also afraid that she had been too harsh and the other party was hiding her injuries.

So she slowly said: “This morning…”

“I was wrong this morning. What happened last night was also my fault. I was being unreasonable and made you worry.”

Yu Yinglan picked up the topic, walked over to her, knelt on one knee beside her, and held her wrist through her sleeve, her cheek resting on Su Mingxiu’s palm.

She looked at Su Mingxiu with trust and focus, promising earnestly: “I guarantee that I won’t do anything to make you angry again in the future.”

Su Mingxiu was momentarily bewildered.

What had the protagonist been doing?

Why had she suddenly become so well-behaved?

But that wasn’t all. Yu Yinglan’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly suppressed it and continued: “No matter what you do in the future, I won’t run away again.”

As long as it’s from you, I’ll like it.

Whether it’s love or pain, I’ll accept it.

Chapter 7: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (7) 

Su Mingxiu carried Yu Yinglan all the way back to the Su family home.

Her own coat was draped over Yu Yinglan, shielding her from the biting wind. However, this only made Yu Yinglan’s cheeks flush even redder, the color spreading down her neck like a melting ice cream under the scorching sun.

The coat carried Su Mingxiu’s scent, a faint fragrance of jasmine.

Yu Yinglan’s fingers, intertwined behind Su Mingxiu’s neck, were tightly clenched from her unease, their edges turning white.

Su Mingxiu had already notified the family doctor on their way back. As she carried Yu Yinglan through the hall and reached her room, she saw the doctor waiting with his medical kit.

She kicked open the door with her foot and carried the person in her arms to the bed, preparing to make space for the doctor to examine her: “She just drank a glass of water that was spiked with something. Do a blood test first—”

Her words were cut short as her little finger was gently touched.

It was Yu Yinglan’s index finger, peeking out from under her coat, attempting to curl around Su Mingxiu’s finger but only brushing past fleetingly due to her lack of strength.

Su Mingxiu lowered her gaze. Her deep-set eyes, accentuated by her sharp features, often gave the illusion of gentleness when she looked down at someone like this.

Yu Yinglan happened to receive this illusion. Even though her burning palm couldn’t grasp the pleasant coolness of Su Mingxiu’s hand, she weakly rested it on the edge of the bed. Still, she tried her best to look up at the other party, calling out in a hoarse voice: “Su, Su…”

She hesitated. In her nearly twenty years of life, she had never acted coquettishly towards anyone. For a moment, she didn’t know how to address the other party to express her closeness.

But this pause caused Su Mingxiu’s breath to hitch.

She suddenly grabbed Yu Yinglan’s wrist with her backhand.

Her calm and orderly instructions abruptly ceased.

Fortunately, the family doctor was well-versed in the secrets of wealthy families. His gaze never left the medical records in his hand, seemingly oblivious to everything else as he planned the examination while inquiring about Yu Yinglan’s current symptoms.

After the doctor reached a preliminary conclusion, only needing blood test confirmation, only the two of them were left in the room.

Luckily, the drug Yu Yinglan ingested didn’t have any hallucinogenic components and the dosage was small. It only caused her to feel feverish. After soaking in a herbal bath and drinking another dose of medicine to sweat out the drug’s effects, she would recover after a night’s sleep.

The wrist in Su Mingxiu’s palm was still warm. Her thumb unconsciously rubbed against the back of the girl’s delicate hand as she squatted down beside the bed, her expression still unreadable.

But Yu Yinglan seemed to be satisfied with her closeness. She leaned her head over and rubbed her nose against Su Mingxiu’s finger affectionately.

Her hot breath almost made Su Mingxiu’s fingertips turn red.

She had to raise her other hand and press it against Yu Yinglan’s forehead, her voice still cold and indifferent: “I remember teaching you how to protect yourself outside.”

“Even a five-year-old knows not to eat anything from strangers. Yu Yinglan, how old are you this year?”

The person being reprimanded only acted weak, even repeating the nickname she had accidentally called out before, closing her eyes, her eyelashes trembling, and her lips pouting slightly:

“Su Su… I’m uncomfortable…”

As if this would soften Su Mingxiu’s heart and make her overlook her carelessness.

Su Mingxiu’s finger, which was pressed against her forehead, moved down, tracing her nose bridge, touching the corner of her lips, casually hooking her chin, and then suddenly pressing against her jawbone, lifting her face, and staring at her as she asked: “Who taught you to call me that?”

Yu Yinglan didn’t dare to meet her probing eyes, afraid of being seen through. She simply closed her eyes, her free hand pulling down the coat that was her only cover, pretending to tug at her shirt collar, and mumbling: “Hot…”

She didn’t know if it was the poor quality of the shirt buttons or her sudden burst of strength, but when the pearly white button flew past her cheek, Su Mingxiu couldn’t help but narrow her eyes.

She saw the flushed skin revealed beneath the snow-white shirt.

Even her collarbone wasn’t spared.

Pink amidst white, like jade stained with color.

The culprit still hadn’t realized the scene she had created, clearly unbuttoning one button wasn’t enough to quench her desire. Her fingertips crumpled the front of her shirt and reached for another button.

Su Mingxiu didn’t consider herself a saint, unable to watch someone with this appearance put on a live erotic show. Since the other party wouldn’t be in any life-threatening danger, she followed her heart and grabbed Yu Yinglan’s other restless hand, pressing both above her head.

Yu Yinglan was truly uncomfortable now.

She opened her eyes tremblingly, her eyes filled with tears. Looking at the exquisite face above her, the force holding her hands above her head made her tremble uncontrollably. She wanted to break free but didn’t have the strength to do so.

She watched helplessly as Su Mingxiu leaned down little by little, like a leopard hunting in the jungle, bending her slender waist, preparing to close in on her prey.

But Yu Yinglan, who was being stared at intently, had no intention of running away, even offering her slender neck as if in sacrifice.

Their lips were very close.

Their moist breaths mingled.

The blush on Yu Yinglan’s face deepened, her temples damp with sweat. However, Su Mingxiu stopped at this distance, chuckling softly as she asked: “Hot?”

Without waiting for her answer, she let out a short laugh and said slowly: “Endure the heat.”

As Yu Yinglan looked at her in astonishment, Su Mingxiu drew out her words, slowly giving her answer: “You need to learn a lesson so you’ll know what to eat and what not to eat next time.”

She was so close, yet she became a delicacy that Yu Yinglan couldn’t taste.

Yu Yinglan thought of the slightly sweet mint candy from last time. No matter how many she had chewed since then, she couldn’t find the taste of that night. Like a traveler parched for too long, she even wanted to desperately bite into this delicacy.

—She didn’t want to miss the opportunity to taste it again.

No sooner said than done.

The moment Su Mingxiu finished speaking, Yu Yinglan tilted her head back with all her might. Just as she was about to kiss her, Su Mingxiu raised her eyebrows and retreated deftly, avoiding her moth-to-a-flame action.

At the same time, Yu Yinglan hooked her foot around Su Mingxiu’s waist, catching her off guard. Su Mingxiu lost her balance and fell onto the bed beside her…

“Knock, knock.”

A maid stood respectfully by the door with her head bowed: “Miss Su, the medicine is ready. It’s been warmed up in the pot. Should I pour it into the bathtub now?”

Su Mingxiu looked up, and Yu Yinglan’s lips landed on her neck.

The heat made her unconsciously tighten her grip on the other party’s wrist.

She began to doubt whether the medicine was as harmless as the doctor had said. Why did Yu Yinglan seem so unable to bear it?

But the most urgent task was to alleviate the drug’s effects. She turned her head and answered the maid: “Yes!”

Her voice suddenly dropped at the end.

Su Mingxiu’s neck was caught by a certain unrestrained little one. The roles of hunter and prey seemed to have reversed. The prey’s true identity was actually a hungry wolf, biting into this delicacy and refusing to let go. The dampness and heat gathered on her neck, causing her throat to move involuntarily.

She reached back and cupped the bold one’s cheek, the words on the tip of her tongue stopping short at the sight that met her eyes.

Yu Yinglan’s tears, which had previously only welled up in her eyes, were now streaming down, silently wetting her face. Her usually clear eyes had become a lake in the misty rain. She was the one biting, yet she was crying so miserably, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Tears fell on her fingertips and slid into her palm.

As if Su Mingxiu wasn’t trying to settle accounts with her, but only to catch her exposed vulnerability.

The reprimands and warnings vanished into thin air. Looking at the beauty crying, Su Mingxiu finally just sighed, sat up from the bed, picked Yu Yinglan up by the waist, and walked towards the bathroom.

The dark green tiles reflected a faint light.

Su Mingxiu carried Yu Yinglan, walking barefoot on the cold floor. The mirror in the bathroom faithfully reflected her appearance, allowing her to see the neat teeth marks on her neck and the tear-stained woman in her arms who had left those marks.

For a moment, Su Mingxiu wondered if she had bullied her too much?

She looked down and asked the person in her arms: “Can you stand?”

Yu Yinglan was still immersed in the regret of not kissing her, wondering why this person was so mean. She clearly liked her so much, but she domineeringly only allowed others to be the receiver, not allowing them to take the slightest initiative.

As if Yu Yinglan could only wait for her to give.

What kind of unreasonable love was this?

She felt extremely wronged, like a wounded little animal, wanting to lick her wounds alone in a secluded place. She only lowered her head and squeezed out a “Yes” from her throat.

But Su Mingxiu wasn’t very reassured.

She found that she seemed to have no way to deal with Yu Yinglan. When the other party acted coquettishly, she couldn’t handle it, and now that she was trying to be strong, she was even more helpless.

After thinking about it, she still chose her usual firm and uncompromising attitude: “I’ll soak with you.”

Yu Yinglan: “!”

She was so surprised that she couldn’t speak. While she was still in a daze, she saw that Su Mingxiu had already stepped into the bathtub.

Anyway, this medicinal bath was only for absorption, not for bathing. Su Mingxiu didn’t even take off her clothes and even pulled her in.

In the misty steam of the medicinal bath, seeing that Yu Yinglan’s crying hadn’t subsided, the system started warning:

[Give her everything she wants! Please follow the mission requirements, host!]

At this moment, the soft long sleeves Su Mingxiu was wearing indoors had been soaked in the medicinal liquid and turned dark, but she didn’t seem to care at all.

Only when she was annoyed by the system’s constant nagging did she click her tongue and make Yu Yinglan, who was huddled in her arms, motionless, raise her head.

The next instant.

The warmth on her lips made Yu Yinglan involuntarily widen her eyes.

The previous fleeting touch, the candy she had tried so hard to taste but couldn’t, was now perfectly pressed against her lips. They were tightly pressed together, time seemingly standing still.

After a long while.

Su Mingxiu pulled back slightly, her thumb brushing against the corner of Yu Yinglan’s eyes, wiping away the last trace of moisture. She resumed her usual languid demeanor: “I’ve kissed you, and you’ve soaked in the medicine. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable anywhere now, right?”

Yu Yinglan subconsciously licked her lips.

She swallowed the moisture, thinking she could still taste the minty sweetness.

She saw Su Mingxiu leaning against the bathtub, one hand propping up her head, looking at her with a smile: “Are you still crying?”

“Uh…” Yu Yinglan’s cheeks flushed even redder.

She felt that all her thoughts had been seen through by the person in front of her, even her soul seemed to be floating in the other party’s palm, at Su Mingxiu’s mercy to be lifted to heaven or cast down to hell.

They soaked in the medicinal bath for half an hour, until the water in the bathtub turned cold.

Su Mingxiu didn’t want any more trouble tonight. To prevent anyone from catching a cold, she got up and casually wrapped herself in a bathrobe, heading straight to another guest room in the Su family home to shower and wash away any traces on her body.

When she returned to her room, the sound of water still trickled from the bathroom. She simply walked towards the bed.

There was a video on her phone sent by one of her subordinates.

The video showed Su Yi being thrown into a club, surrounded by male escorts, his face flushed, crying and apologizing to the camera. He cowered in a corner, waving his hands repeatedly: “Don’t come near me! Stay away from me! You filthy men, don’t touch me!”

“Mingxiu! Sis, Sister, I was wrong! I didn’t touch her! I really didn’t touch her!”

“I won’t do it again… I really won’t! Please forgive me!”

Seeing this, she lost interest and turned off the video.

But there was a new commotion outside the door.

It was the Su family’s housekeeper, who came to tell her that Su Yi’s parents had heard about their son’s mischief that angered her and were coming to personally apologize. They also sent over the item Yu Yinglan had left in Su Yi’s car.

A sapphire blue collar clip.

Su Mingxiu took the collar clip and played with it between her fingers for a while before saying to the housekeeper: “It’s late. I don’t want anyone to disturb my sleep tonight. If my uncle and aunt are worried about their son, tell them to come pick him up themselves.”

As for what state their son was in after being rescued, it wasn’t within Su Mingxiu’s consideration.

The housekeeper looked at her with a troubled expression. Seeing that she wouldn’t change her mind, he had to leave.

Su Mingxiu was still playing with the collar clip. She didn’t know which part her finger had touched, but suddenly a thin, needle-like object popped out of the collar clip.

She instinctively let go.

The collar clip fell silently onto the bed.

Su Mingxiu stared at it, frowning, feeling more and more that something was wrong tonight.

If she remembered correctly, there was another time when the system had also notified her that Yu Yinglan might be in danger. But when she arrived, the other party had already left the banquet safe and sound.

Now…

Since Yu Yinglan had the means to protect herself and seemed to have experience dealing with this kind of situation, how could she still fall for it?

At some point, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Yu Yinglan walked out and saw Su Mingxiu yawning by the bed. Even under the dim light, the woman’s beauty was breathtaking. She walked closer step by step, and just as she sat down by the window, she was pulled into a warm embrace.

Su Mingxiu touched her forehead and found that her body temperature was only the warmth of a hot shower, her eyes no longer seductive. Relieved, she carried Yu Yinglan to bed.

Yu Yinglan’s heart melted. Feeling that her wish had been fulfilled tonight, she smiled and prepared to fall asleep. However, her hand touched something by the pillow, and she turned her head in surprise.

Su Mingxiu was about to turn off the light when she saw Yu Yinglan’s gaze. Seeing the collar clip she had placed on her pillow, she said casually: “You left this in Su Yi’s car. Someone just brought it back.”

Yu Yinglan tried to compose herself. “Really?”

After staring at her expression for a while, Su Mingxiu picked up the collar clip and gently placed it in her palm. “Returned to its rightful owner. Don’t lose it again.”

But Yu Yinglan didn’t dare to close her hand, afraid of touching the trigger mechanism of the anesthetic. Her breathing changed rhythm a couple of times before she casually tossed the collar clip onto the bedside table and buried herself in the shadow beside Su Mingxiu.

“Thank you for finding it for me. Good night?”

Su Mingxiu curled her lips. A few seconds later, the light in the room went out.

Perhaps the drug’s effects were too draining.

Yu Yinglan slept very soundly this time, only slowly waking up when the sun was high in the sky.

The warmth beside her hadn’t left yet. When she rubbed her eyes and looked over, she found that Su Mingxiu had already changed out of her pajamas from last night and was only wearing a thin turtleneck sweater. It seemed like she had already had breakfast and was now…

Playing with a jade ruler.

A faint scent of ink emanated from her, like the kind you’d accidentally get on yourself when practicing calligraphy.

Yu Yinglan stared at the paperweight in her hand. It was a long strip of black jade, with rounded edges, heavy and opaque, with a lifelike plum blossom pattern carved on it. Su Mingxiu’s fair fingertips were casually stroking the plum branches, the contrast between black and white stark.

“Awake?”

A soft voice asked beside her ear.

She suddenly came back to her senses, moving her gaze away from the jade ruler, and smiled at Su Mingxiu: “Good morning.”

“Did you sleep well?”

Su Mingxiu tapped her palm with the jade ruler, making a soft sound. As Yu Yinglan hesitated and nodded, she continued with concern: “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

Yu Yinglan shook her head, relaxing in her three questions, preparing to get out of bed.

However—

Her shoulder was pressed down by the other party’s ruler. Even though she was wearing thick pajamas, she seemed to feel the coolness of the jade, trembling involuntarily.

Su Mingxiu took in her reaction but remained unmoved, smiling faintly as she continued: “Since you’ve recovered, let’s talk about what happened last night.”

Seeing the other party trying to shrink back into the quilt, Su Mingxiu’s brow twitched. “Hiding?”

Yu Yinglan seemed to hear the unspoken implication in her words and didn’t dare to move for a moment.

Soon, the black ruler was pointed at the soft quilt in front of her. Su Mingxiu’s chillingly amused voice fell into her ears, neither too light nor too heavy: “Lie down.”

Chapter 6: The Future Movie Queen About to Be Abandoned (6) 

When Su Mingxiu woke up, she was met with a pair of exceptionally focused and earnest eyes.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and the blurriness in her vision quickly dissipated. She was about to ask the time, so as not to delay Yu Yinglan’s work, but the other party spoke first: “There’s only half a month left until the New Year.”

Su Mingxiu pushed aside the quilt. Because of the thick pajamas she had changed into and the heating in the room, her face was now flushed, and even her breath was warmer than usual.

But the warmth only lingered on Yu Yinglan for a moment before shifting away without hesitation. The woman beside her sat up, her ink-black eyes sweeping over casually from the side:

“Hmm?”

Yu Yinglan had already lost both her parents when she started following Su Mingxiu. She only shouldered the debts her father had left behind out of a sense of duty. Previous New Year holidays were either spent working or at the villa, experiencing the festive atmosphere created by the servants.

Thinking about the ultimate mission, Su Mingxiu casually tucked the stray strands of hair that fell in front of her behind her ear and chuckled: “The projects I helped you take on before have had good feedback. You can try to get on the local TV station’s New Year’s Gala this year—and when ‘Celebrating the Mountains and Rivers’ airs next year, you can step onto an even bigger stage.”

Perhaps it was because she was wearing home pajamas, the fluffy white softened the cold aura around her. Hearing her arrangements, Yu Yinglan didn’t immediately agree. Instead, she explained: “I… I wanted to ask if you have any New Year gifts you want?”

Her voice still held her usual cautiousness.

But this time, it also contained immense determination.

Neither the original owner nor Su Mingxiu had much sentiment for the New Year. Hearing this, she was slightly taken aback and even repeated the other party’s words in a rare moment: “Gifts?”

Su Mingxiu, who was already thinking about which TV station’s New Year’s Gala to arrange for her, quickly thought of her own needs: “You can just come back early after work.” Being able to sleep well was also a way to celebrate the New Year.

Yu Yinglan’s ears turned pink when she understood the meaning behind these words.

Did Su Mingxiu want her to come back early to spend the New Year with her?

This time, Su Mingxiu finally couldn’t resist and reached out to pinch her earlobe, even kneading it casually a couple of times. Her eyes held a smile, with a hint of playfulness, as she asked as if to herself: “Why do you blush so easily?”

The person being pinched didn’t dare to move at all. After kneading for a while, Su Mingxiu found that the earlobe had turned so red that it seemed like it would bleed. She couldn’t help but ask the system in her mind:

[Is there something wrong with her body? Should I arrange a physical examination for her after the New Year?]

System: “…”

It wanted to ask if Su Mingxiu was doing this on purpose, but remembering the other party’s previous warning, and considering that the current plot was still within a controllable range, it simply answered truthfully: “She’s very healthy.”

That’s good.

Su Mingxiu came to a conclusion and quickly stopped dwelling on this matter. She let go of her hand, got out of bed, and sat down on the sofa in the living room. Seeing some scattered mint candies in the fruit bowl, she picked one up, peeled it, and put it in her mouth.

Yu Yinglan, who had also come from the bedside, saw her action. Remembering what happened in the car that day when she was drunk, she couldn’t help but stop, swallowing hard, and licking her lower lip.

The half month before the New Year passed in a flash.

Su Mingxiu stayed at the hotel with the crew for three days, basically never leaving her room, and only left after getting enough sleep.

Seeing her disappear from view again, everyone had different interpretations. And after Ying Song learned that she didn’t even book a separate suite and was eating and living with Yu Yinglan every day, his attitude towards Yu Yinglan became even warmer.

Everyone in this industry was shrewd. They all interpreted different meanings from Su Mingxiu’s actions and adjusted their interactions with Yu Yinglan accordingly.

Yu Yinglan could certainly feel the difference. She had a deeper understanding of Su Mingxiu’s status in the industry and secretly resolved to work harder and strive to stand on equal footing with the other party as soon as possible.

While she was preparing for the program at the local TV station, Su Mingxiu returned to the Su family as usual.

The Su family had a vast business structure, and Star Entertainment was not the most important pillar supporting the family’s development. However, Su Mingxiu, who owned 30% of its shares, was the wealthiest person in the Su family, even surpassing her eldest uncle, who had inherited real estate.

Su Mingxiu’s position in the family was very special, so special that it was somewhat awkward.

Her father was originally designated by her grandfather as the sole heir, but he encountered a plane crash when Su Mingxiu came of age. The family’s new helmsman died in the accident, forcing the Su family to make temporary adjustments. As the only bloodline of Su Mingxiu’s father, countless people sighed, lamenting that Su Mingxiu was unfortunately a woman.

However, in her youth, she obtained a voice in Star Entertainment through exchanging interests with the family, and then, as an agent, created one legend after another for the company—

The wealth she possessed made everyone in the Su family envious.

Because of this, she had to personally deal with some bizarre situations every year at this time.

“Sister.” A little boy dressed in exceptionally fashionable clothes suddenly appeared in her path, rushing towards her legs. She casually closed the antique fan she had just taken from her grandfather’s room and placed it against the boy’s forehead.

The boy’s young mother chased after him, smiling at Su Mingxiu: “Lele, you should call her Auntie. Quickly show Auntie Mingxiu your new clothes today. Our Lele has been so handsome since he was little. He will definitely be more handsome than that Movie Emperor Qi in the future, right?”

Su Mingxiu pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

Then, she expressionlessly pushed aside the little boy, who was still looking confused, and looked at the instigator of this scheme, staring until the woman subconsciously stepped back before she walked away.

On the first day back at the Su family home.

Su Mingxiu was “coincidentally” encountered by relatives five times on the way, probed for information three times at the dinner table, and subtly urged to get married twice.

She was even asked by a mischievous younger relative if she could invite Star Entertainment artists to accompany them while drinking.

Those who wanted to enter the entertainment industry, those who wanted her to share her profits… Su Mingxiu saw more drama in one day at home than the Star Entertainment marketing department saw scripts.

It was only after she “accidentally” spilled tea all over the face of a man who said he wanted to meet Yu Yinglan—

That these people finally calmed down.

New Year’s Day, 2:00 AM.

After recording the gala program, Yu Yinglan sent a message to Su Mingxiu and learned that the other party wasn’t at the villa. She asked Assistant Lu to drive to the Su family home. After cracking open the car window in the back seat, she used the cold wind to wake herself up and picked up her phone, flipping through the information on the Su family that she had someone find for her earlier.

She hadn’t changed out of the suit she wore for the skit performance. She had already loosened her tie, preparing to change into other clothes in the back seat. When she flipped to a certain page, her hand paused.

In the end, she put on a long wool coat and even pinned a jeweled collar clip on her shirt collar.

At the same time.

Before going to bed, Su Mingxiu specially called the housekeeper and instructed: “Yu Yinglan will be arriving later. You don’t have to arrange a separate room for her, just bring her to my room.”

However, just as the housekeeper finished responding and left the hallway, he bumped into the young master who had been splashed with tea earlier that day.

This person was Su Yi, the son of Su Mingxiu’s youngest uncle. His only pleasures in life were drinking, clubbing, and sleeping with models. Now that his father was the head of the Su family, his status had naturally risen. Thinking about how he had been snubbed by Su Mingxiu, he was still somewhat dissatisfied and wanted to find an opportunity to get back at her.

Bumping into the housekeeper coming out of Su Mingxiu’s room, he casually inquired: “Did Sister Mingxiu need you for something?”

“Yes, Miss Su has a guest visiting.”

Su Yi didn’t expect his opportunity to come so quickly: “Oh, her guest must be extraordinary. Which room are you arranging them in? I’ll go visit them tomorrow.”

The housekeeper hesitated for a moment and told him the truth.

Hearing that Su Mingxiu was taking the person to her own room, how could Su Yi not understand? He didn’t expect that after he had expressed interest in Yu Yinglan, who was under Su Mingxiu’s management, during the day, he would be publicly given the cold shoulder, but Su Mingxiu herself was enjoying herself in a luxurious den!

He revealed a wicked smile, patted the housekeeper’s shoulder, and turned around to call his driver and his buddies up in the middle of the night, driving out in a business car. There was only one road leading in and out of the Su family home. He was going to intercept Su Mingxiu’s bed partner.

Sure enough, high beams soon appeared on the mountain road.

Su Yi had his driver park the car horizontally across the road, a packet of powder clasped between his fingers. He got out of the back seat and, in the cold mountain wind, reached out and pulled open the rear door of the car that was forced to stop, meeting a pair of clear, startled eyes.

It was actually Yu Yinglan!

Su Mingxiu’s taste was actually…

In that brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through Su Yi’s mind. His fingertips, resting on the car door, twitched slightly, concealing the powder. Then he gave Yu Yinglan in the car a crooked smile.

“Big star Yu?”

“I’m Su Mingxiu’s cousin. I was instructed by her to come pick you up so late at night. Oh my, you just finished recording the program at Mango TV, right? Look at your little face, all windblown—”

His outstretched hand was avoided by Yu Yinglan.

Su Yi’s gaze swept over her face, feeling that she was indeed even more beautiful than on TV, and even the conspicuous sapphire blue collar clip looked exceptionally harmonious. Even being rejected didn’t dampen his mood, as he continued: “Why don’t you come to my car and have a cup of hot tea?”

Yu Yinglan was about to refuse when she heard a loud bang. Assistant Lu’s expression changed slightly. “The tire seems to have burst.”

She blinked slowly, looked at Su Yi for a few seconds, and said calmly with a smile: “Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Su.”

“Just call me Xiao Yi.”

[The protagonist is about to encounter danger! Please prepare to resolve it, host!]

2:30 AM.

Su Mingxiu was reading a book in her room when she heard the system’s alarm. In this environment, with a little thought, she knew who had put Yu Yinglan in danger. It was none other than those restless relatives of the Su family.

She sighed lightly, but her eyes were cold. When she went out, she slowly rolled up her sleeves.

However, just as she reached the door of the Su family home, she heard the system say: “Danger averted.”

Su Mingxiu: “?”

She lowered her hand, remembering that this situation wasn’t the first time it had happened. She felt that the protagonist was indeed sensible and wouldn’t be defeated by such a small tribulation, so she turned around and went back.

After taking a few steps.

The system changed its tune again: “The protagonist is about to encounter danger! Please prepare to resolve it, host!”

Su Mingxiu: “?”

This time, she was amused: “Are you playing with me?”

System: “I’m just making real-time reports based on the protagonist’s situation.”

Hearing its infuriating mechanical voice, Su Mingxiu thought, could it be that Yu Yinglan was particularly unlucky and encountered another member of the Su family right after the crisis was averted?

Before she could figure it out, the system said again: “Danger averted!”

This time, Su Mingxiu learned her lesson and stood still at the door. Sure enough, within the next three minutes, she heard the system repeat those two sentences over and over again, seven or eight times.

Now she was a little curious.

What was going on with Yu Yinglan?

…Was she exploiting a system bug?

On the mountain road in front of the Su family home.

Yu Yinglan sat in the car with her shirt disheveled, her collar clip lying on the side. Su Yi was also unconscious, slumped beside her.

Because the partition in the car was raised, the driver didn’t know what had happened and just dutifully waited outside. The wind was too strong at night, so he didn’t dare to look back, unaware that his boss had already been taken down.

There was a cup of hot water on the tray in the car.

Yu Yinglan picked up the cup of hot water for the ninth time. Compared to her previous swiftness in taking down Su Yi, she was much more hesitant now. From their previous conversation, she had already guessed that the water most likely contained something that could make people lose consciousness.

However.

Thinking about the person she was about to see, the little devil in her heart jumped out again to instigate her.

“Don’t you want to know how much she cares about you?”

“If you’re worried, you can call her first and drink it when she’s almost here?”

“It’s New Year’s today. Giving yourself to her is also a special New Year’s gift, isn’t it?”

Every word hit her heart, making Yu Yinglan blush as she stared at the cup of hot water. She held the cup for a long time, and finally, while dialing Su Mingxiu’s number, she took a small sip of the water in the cup.

But before the call connected, there was a commotion outside.

Immediately afterwards, the car door was abruptly pulled open. The newcomer appeared in her sight, bathed in the cold wind. Her gaze swept around the car, and she understood the situation. Then, she suddenly knocked the cup out of Yu Yinglan’s hand.

“You dare to put anything anyone gives you in your mouth?”

Su Mingxiu saw her flushed cheeks and thought she had fallen for Su Yi’s trick. Her dark eyes held a hint of anger as she grabbed Yu Yinglan’s collar and pulled her out.

Car headlights illuminated the dark road.

Yu Yinglan saw the dust floating up and down around Su Mingxiu in the strong light and saw her eyes lit up with anger, brighter than the stars in the sky.

Her legs went weak for no reason, and she stumbled forward—

Su Mingxiu caught her just in time. Thinking of her condition, she simply picked her up.

Thinking about the danger Yu Yinglan had encountered with Su Yi, which had been reported by the system so many times, she paused for a moment and ordered the people who had come with her: “Since Young Master Su likes this game so much, let him also experience the feeling of being drugged and left with a man.”

Just at this moment.

Yu Yinglan’s head really felt a little dizzy and hot. She subconsciously reached out and grabbed Su Mingxiu’s collar, her fingertips tightening and loosening, like a cat’s claws, scratching Su Mingxiu, who couldn’t help but pat her.

“Behave yourself.”

Her voice held a warning: “I’ll deal with you later.”

Yu Yinglan was completely shocked. She hadn’t intended to do anything, but Su Mingxiu’s pat just landed on her butt…

It hurt a little.

But—

She buried her blushing face deeper into the other’s arms.

And couldn’t help but squeeze her legs together.