13 – The Eighteenth Line, Blackened by the Entire Internet, is a Research Leader
Ming Huai sat in the passenger seat, turning to look at Yan Qing. “Hello, I’m Ming Huai, Ah Yan’s agent.”
A faint ripple stirred in Yan Qing’s eyes.
She remembered Ming Huai—the top agent at Yaoxing Entertainment—but their connection with Jiang Wangyan should have only begun in this lifetime.
“Hello, I’m Yan Qing,” she replied with a slight curve of her lips.
Ming Huai raised a meaningful smile. “Indeed beautiful, with clear and spirited eyes. What a waste to have been stuck with Bai Mei.”
Though the entertainment industry was never short of beauties,
Yan Qing’s looks were truly exceptional; no one in the entire industry could even match seventy percent of her charm.
Ming Huai gave a thoughtful glance at the coat draped over Yan Qing’s shoulders, certain that his own movie emperor had fallen for her.
“Keep your eyes to yourself,” Jiang Wangyan lifted his gaze, giving him a cool, sidelong glance.
Ming Huai raised an eyebrow, turned back, and settled into his seat.
The Maybach came to a smooth stop outside the apartment building. The sudden downpour had already ceased. Yan Qing smiled, her eyes curving as she thanked the man, then led Tuo Tuo out of the car.
Ming Huai watched him with keen interest. “Not ordinary, huh? What exactly is your relationship?”
He couldn’t deny that Yan Qing’s beauty could easily captivate any man, but his movie emperor was someone who valued substance.
It couldn’t possibly be a simple case of being swayed by looks.
“Senior and junior from the same school,” Jiang Wangyan replied in a calm, unhurried tone.
Ming Huai couldn’t help but feel surprised. He truly hadn’t expected Yan Qing to also be a graduate of Saint Hard. After all, her career in the industry had been so dismal—she hardly seemed like a research powerhouse…
He stroked his chin. “Is that all?”
Jiang Wangyan turned his head to watch the girl’s retreating figure.
Only after seeing the little girl skipping happily into the house with Tuo Tuo did he gradually lower his gaze. A trace of emotion flickered in his peach-blossom eyes, filled with affection, before he lazily closed them.
Feigning nonchalance, he said, “For now, that’s all.”
…
Back in the apartment, Yan Qing stared at Jiang Wangyan’s coat, which she had accidentally brought back with her after forgetting to return it when getting out of the car.
She propped her chin on her hand, sighing wistfully. “Sigh, how much would the dry-cleaning for this top-tier luxury suit cost…”
How many trolls would she have to clap back at to afford it?
[Host, don’t worry! Tuo Tuo has countless ways to earn money! Friendly reminder—even pooping can make money!]
Yan Qing: ???
Possible, but unnecessary.
Xiao Bei tentatively looked at her. “Sister Yan, what exactly is your relationship with Jiang Yandi…”
A girl’s intuition told her it wasn’t ordinary.
If stumbling upon them being intimate on the sofa last time was a coincidence, then Jiang Yandi later seeking her out alone in the dressing room, and just now doting on her by personally driving her home—it all added up!
“Well…” Yan Qing’s eyes darted away.
Xiao Bei raised a feather duster. “Don’t try to dodge! Spill it! This microscope girl noticed he touched your waist!”
Yan Qing: “…”
That was clearly just an accidental brush!
She gave Xiao Bei a sidelong glance. After all, Xiao Bei was the closest person to her. She could only keep it from her for so long, and since their relationship was pure, there was no need to hide it.
Yan Qing confessed, “He’s my senior.”
“Senior?” Xiao Bei hesitated. “From which stage?”
It couldn’t possibly be from university, right? After all, Jiang Wangyan graduated from a world-renowned top university, while her Sister Yan was a bit of a goofball—there was no way she could have such a senior…
“University,” Yan Qing suddenly stated.
Xiao Bei’s imagination came to an abrupt halt. She whipped her head around to look at Yan Qing, her entire expression turning dazed.
She rubbed her ears. “What kind of senior?””University.” Yan Qing lazily flung herself onto the sofa. “We were in neighboring majors within the same college.”
Xiao Bei: …!!!
“Saint Hard!” she suddenly shrieked.
Yan Qing was so startled she immediately covered her ears, and even Tuo Tuo buried its head in a cushion.
“What are you doing?” Yan Qing frowned at her.
Xiao Bei lunged toward her uncontrollably, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her wildly. “Saint Hard! That’s Saint Hard! A world-class top university, the kind ranked number one! Sis Yan, you actually graduated from Saint Hard?!”
Yan Qing: “…”
She was shaken so hard her head spun.
Pushing Xiao Bei away in annoyance, she said, “It’s just Saint Hard. What’s so special about it?”
Xiao Bei: “…”
Damn, you’re showing off again.
She smiled at Yan Qing through gritted teeth. “Out of China’s 1.4 billion people, Saint Hard admits fewer than ten students each year. Yeah, totally not special at all.”
Yan Qing blinked in surprise. “Really?”
Xiao Bei simply collapsed onto the sofa. She was already utterly crushed by this academic overachiever and couldn’t understand how someone like her could fare so poorly in the entertainment industry.
“Sis Yan, maybe you should just quit the industry and do some scientific research to contribute to the country instead,” she advised.
Yan Qing’s eyes were clear and innocent. “I am doing that. Aerospace research… never mind, it’s a state secret, can’t talk about it.”
Back then, Teacher Yu had helped her a lot with her studies, and she had promised to assist him at the research institute after graduation. So even while navigating the entertainment world, she never abandoned her scientific pursuits.
But the projects she led were all state secrets, so she never mentioned them to others.
Xiao Bei was dazed. “So… an obscure, universally hated D-list celebrity is actually a top-tier researcher for the national team… When the haters find out, they’ll probably kneel and apologize.”
Yan Qing didn’t care much about that.
She had chosen aerospace purely out of interest back then, and now she was repaying Teacher Yu’s kindness. Besides, researchers tend to have pure hearts—she never intended to use this identity to clear her name.
Bang, bang, bang—
Just then, violent knocking erupted at the door.
Xiao Bei ran to open it, only for Bai Mei to storm in furiously. “You little bitch!”
Striding over in her high heels, she stood before Yan Qing and raised her hand to deliver a slap. Xiao Bei cried out in panic, “Sis Yan!”
After the warning, she closed her eyes, too afraid to watch. But the expected sound of a slap never came.
Yan Qing stood up swiftly and caught Bai Mei’s hand. “Ms. Bai, you came all this way just to give me such a grand gift?”
Bai Mei glared at her, humiliated and enraged.
“Let go!” she snarled. “Yan Qing, giving you just one slap is already the limit of my tolerance! It wouldn’t even be too much to make you kneel and beg Xia Xia for forgiveness!”
Yan Qing lazily lifted her eyelids.
It was clear enough—the person behind the dog who relied on their master’s power couldn’t sit still anymore and had come to back up their pet.
Tuo Tuo angrily gathered saliva in its mouth.
Let your daddy see which bastard dares to bully my delicate and helpless host!
Yan Qing: “…”
A voice soon echoed in her mind.
Ding! Random task triggered!
Don’t back down, just fight! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! Slap that bastard right across the face for Tuo Tuo!
Task reward: Bai Mei gets struck by lightning the moment she steps outside!
Yan Qing: “…”Her system was indeed a bit capricious when issuing tasks, but she truly adored it.
“Kneel down and apologize to Su Jinxia, begging for her forgiveness, right?”
Yan Qing curved her lips into a smile, gazing lightly at the woman before her. Bai Mei inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine. In the next moment, a crisp, whip-like slap suddenly rang out.
“Slap—”
Yan Qing raised her hand and struck it across Bai Mei’s face.