Liu Jinyao held her head high, but her heart was trembling. In terms of sheer aura, she had utterly lost!
But still!
“Your name is Zhong Ying, right? You just wait! I’m doing everyone a favor by not making a scene here, but remember what you said today! If you manage to land this role, I’ll change my family name!” She lowered her voice for the final sentence, her tone dripping with threat.
Beside them, Tang Qi shuddered. Zhong Ying had just said she was determined to get this role!
Zhong Ying stopped smiling altogether. She reached out and lightly pinched Liu Jinyao’s chin, the coldness in her eyes enough to freeze someone solid. “If I don’t get the role of ‘Jiang Ci’ today, you’d better remember to pray for yourself.”
“You… you…” Liu Jinyao trembled. “Are you threatening me?”
Zhong Ying released her grip and nodded. “Yes.”
Liu Jinyao: “???”
Is this Zhong Ying some kind of mobster? The thought couldn’t help but pop into Liu Jinyao’s head. It was precisely this thought that made her feel a sudden, awkward wave of fear.
“You—you just wait!” She didn’t dare argue further. Instead, she turned and stomped away toward the restroom.
“Ying Jie, your acting is as terrifying as ever!” Seeing the woman flee in a panic, Bai Lan hurried over and gave Zhong Ying a big thumbs up.
“Acting? What acting?” Zhong Ying asked.
Bai Lan: “???”
Wait, scaring Liu Jinyao just now wasn’t acting? Was she… actually serious?
“Bai Lan, I won’t step aside for this role,” Zhong Ying said deeply. Even for someone she knew, she didn’t intend to yield.
Bai Lan opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. She had known Zhong Ying for a long time, but this was the first time she had seen her like this.
However, Bai Lan soon caught the competitive spirit. “Fine then! I won’t back down either. Let’s both do our best!”
“Mm.”
Liu Jinyao held her phone, talking as she walked toward the restroom.
She was sobbing to the person on the other end: “President Chen! I was bullied by some nameless little actress at the audition!”
She complained while stamping her feet. “She said I have no class and that I don’t have a lick of acting talent! I don’t care, I don’t care! You promised me the role of Jiang Ci! We agreed on it last night!”
“Hmph…” she cooed flirtatiously. “Exactly, I knew President Chen was the most generous. Then call the crew in a bit—it would be best if you could stop this audition immediately. I want that little actress to lose her chance to even step on stage!”
“Hm? There’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t know why, but the auditions haven’t even started yet. Ah? Help me deal with her…? That works too.”
Liu Jinyao swayed her hips as she walked to the sink, smiling at her beautiful reflection in the mirror. “President Chen, you’re asking for her name? Let me think… her name is Zhong Ying. There’s another one whose name I don’t know. Yes, just taking care of that Zhong Ying is enough.”
The other end of the line suddenly went dead silent.
“Hello? President Chen?”
“What did you say her name was? Zhong Ying? The Zhong Ying who just signed with Starwood Entertainment?” The voice on the phone surged in volume, sounding almost frantic.
Liu Jinyao was taking out her lipstick to touch up her makeup. Hearing his question, she replied, “I don’t know which company she’s with. Anyway, she’s quite tall and pretty.”
The tone on the other end shifted instantly, turning into pure irritation: “Why the hell did you go and provoke that lunatic?!”
“Huh?” Liu Jinyao froze, her voice turning cautious. “President Chen… does that woman have some kind of background?”
“Heh, background… I don’t know what her background is, but she’s definitely not someone you can afford to offend!” the man snapped. “Didn’t I tell you I was beaten up at a hotel? Do you know why I didn’t pursue it? It was because of that woman! That night, after I was sent to the hospital, I went back to demand the surveillance footage, and the hotel manager told me to ‘know when to stop’! You stupid woman, do you know what that means? It means she’s someone even I can’t touch!”
Liu Jinyao swallowed hard.
She had been with “Balding Chen” for two or three years. She knew the man was lecherous and shameless, specifically targeting pretty newcomers in the industry. It wasn’t the first time he had used bought scripts and roles to coax young actresses.
But this was the first time she had heard him admit defeat so completely. Looking at herself in the mirror, a flicker of worry crossed her face. Had she really kicked a steel plate?
“Don’t you damn well just stand there silent—stay away from that woman! I haven’t received any word yet, so Zhong Ying probably doesn’t plan to use her connections to get the role. If that’s the case, I can guarantee the lead is yours, provided you don’t go looking for trouble. Otherwise, if that crazy woman wants to kill you, even I can’t save you!”
“…Okay.” Liu Jinyao stared at the phone as he abruptly hung up, her heart filled with unease.
Was it really that exaggerated? If Zhong Ying had connections, why wasn’t she using them? Was there something wrong with her head?
“Whatever… the role of Jiang Ci is mine anyway.” Liu Jinyao tilted her head and gave a playful smile.
Meanwhile, Zhu Xingtong, who happened to be using a stall in the restroom: “…”
???
Which little “spring onion” is this talking outside?
The role of “Jiang Ci” belongs to my baby! MY BABY!
Zhu Xingtong’s cheeks puffed up with indignation. She took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and pushed open the stall door.