Yan Ji’s scenes were more prominent in the early and middle stages of the story. In the later part of the plot, the narrative shifted entirely to Fu Zheng and Lian Dong throwing themselves into the revolutionary cause together— a journey that no longer had anything to do with her.
Today marked Yan Ji’s final shoot. Arriving early on set, she changed into her costume and makeup, and before long, the rest of the cast and crew had gathered. Director Liu looked over at Yan Ji sitting beneath a parasol and chuckled cheerfully. “Xiao Yan, you’ve worked hard lately. It’s your last scene today. Give it your all.”
“I will.” Yan Ji nodded slightly. Her gaze casually swept toward Meng Yiming in the distance, only to unexpectedly collide with his. Yet, far from showing any embarrassment at being caught staring, he curled his lips into a smile of roguish charm.
Yan Ji withdrew her gaze and lightly waved her fan, reflecting that Meng Yiming and Qin Yu still had another half a month left on set together. What if something unexpected happened during that time? After all, if there was one thing Qin Yu excelled at, it was seducing men into bed.
Forget it.
Yan Ji twisted open her water bottle and took a sip, her eyes narrowing slightly. She was still perfectly confident in her own charm.
《Twins》 had already entered its climactic middle stage. The twin sisters, Lian Dong and Lian Chuchun, had inevitably fallen in love with Fu Zheng and, simultaneously, used their identities to secure a wealth of critical intelligence for him.
However, secrets were bound to come to light eventually. Fu Zheng’s true identity and his relationship with the Lian sisters were both exposed. The instant Fu Zheng received the news, he resolved to flee Jiangcheng with the sisters.
But his superiors informed him that because the current period was extremely sensitive, he could only take one person with him. Naturally, he chose Lian Dong, his true love. Lian Chuchun would be left behind.
“You’re leaving?”
Fu Zheng and Lian Dong packed their belongings. The moment they opened the door, Lian Chuchun, who had been standing in the hallway gazing out the window, turned and glanced at them. Jiangcheng’s winters were freezing cold, yet she seemed oblivious to the chill, wearing only a slightly old-fashioned qipao. Her face was still adorned with exquisite makeup.
An unlit cigarette rested between her fingers. Lowering her eyes slightly, a delicate smile graced her face. “I couldn’t find a lighter anywhere in my room. Young Master, could you light this for me?”
Faced with Lian Chuchun, Fu Zheng felt a deep pang of guilt. Yet harsh reality forced his hand. He could not bear to watch the woman he truly loved die before his eyes.
After a brief silence, Fu Zheng pulled a lighter from his pocket and kindled the cigarette in Lian Chuchun’s hand.
Lian Chuchun bit the cigarette between her lips, took a slow drag, and exhaled a ring of smoke. The rising plume obscured her features, leaving her face hazy and indistinct. In that moment, Fu Zheng unexpectedly recalled their very first meeting, when Lian Chuchun had asked him a similar thing.
‘Young Master, may I borrow a cigarette?’
“I’m not feeling well, so I won’t see you off.” Lian Chuchun flicked away the ash and lifted her gaze to Fu Zheng and Lian Dong. There was not a trace of warmth left in her beautiful eyes. Her dark pupils resembled a dead sea, devoid of the slightest ripple.
She slowly forced a smile, though it looked unbearably repressed. Turning her eyes to the sky outside the window, Lian Chuchun blinked and said, “You should go. Looking at those dark clouds, it will probably rain if you wait any longer.”
“You……” Fu Zheng’s lips moved slightly. Looking at the woman before him, whose beauty remained as radiant as ever, he sighed inwardly and said, “Take care of yourself.”
Lian Chuchun did not answer. Only when the two of them were about to disappear down the stairwell did she softly murmur, “Spring came rather late this year.”
Fu Zheng’s footsteps paused. A wave of bitterness suddenly rose within his heart— faint, yet impossible to ignore.
After the two left, Lian Chuchun, who had been staring at the sky the entire time, smiled once more. She blinked, and a single tear fell onto her hand.
“Oh my, it really is raining.”
……
In 《Twins》, Lian Chuchun’s final ending was suicide by a gunshot. Originally, when reading the script, it hadn’t seemed like much. But under Yan Ji’s portrayal, Lian Chuchun— a woman who loved without reciprocation and was ultimately abandoned by the man she adored— instantly became vivid and unforgettable. By the time the director called cut, several girls on set were already crying uncontrollably.
As Weiwei helped Yan Ji pack her things, she sniffled and muttered, “Fu Zheng is not only blind, he’s also a scumbag. Lian Chuchun was thousands of times better than Lian Dong!” After a moment’s thought, she added, “Men are nothing but big pig trotters[1]a popular internet slang term used by women to complain about men being fickle, unreliable, unfaithful, or clueless jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2454309_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2454309_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });!”
Meng ‘Scumbag’ Yi ‘Big Pig Trotter’ Ming, who had just walked over to see Yan Ji off: “……”
His expression turned distinctly complicated.
Yan Ji couldn’t help but laugh softly. Turning her head, she noticed Meng Yiming standing nearby with a conflicted look on his face. She asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just came to see you off.” Meng Yiming replied, quickly masking his expression as he stepped forward.
Yan Ji took the bag Weiwei handed her, brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and cast him a meaningful glance. Her demeanor was somewhat gentler than usual. “Thanks. Let’s work together again if there’s a chance.”
Meng Yiming narrowed his eyes slightly and replied with underlying meaning, “There will be a chance.”
Yan Ji shot him a sideways glance, raising her brows without a word. The two walked out of the set together, and only after watching Yan Ji board her nanny van did Meng Yiming turn back.
────ρя
Having barely rested properly for over half a month, Yan Ji boarded a flight back home the moment filming wrapped, urged along by Zhang Tong. The instant she landed and walked out of the airport, reporters waiting in ambush and fans who had rushed over upon hearing the news immediately swarmed her. Fortunately, Zhang Tong arrived just in time with bodyguards to escort Yan Ji through the crowd.
【Goddess! Goddess, look at me!】
【She looks even prettier in real life!】
【Yanyan, I love you forever!】
【Goddess Yan, I’m your die-hard fan!】
The overwhelming screams blended together, loud enough to pierce the heavens. Suddenly, Yan Ji stopped walking. She removed her sunglasses and handed them to Weiwei beside her.
“My little ancestor, what are you doing?” Zhang Tong asked hurriedly.
Yan Ji ignored him. Turning back to face the crowd of fans, she smiled, and the faint traces of exhaustion on her face instantly dissolved into a dazzling brilliance.
The crowd fell dead silent for two seconds before erupting into even more ecstatic screams.
Yan Ji raised a slender finger to her lips. At the gesture, the fans quieted down almost in unison. Brushing back her hair, she said, “Thank you all so much for loving me this much. Don’t worry, your goddess definitely won’t let you down. I’ll make sure to deliver work that satisfies every single one of you. I’m deeply grateful for your support.”
She offered a playful blink and continued, “Now, your goddess is going home to get some rest. Those of you working should focus on work, and those studying should focus on school. We’ll meet again another day.”
Yan Ji waved goodbye. Only after she finished speaking did she slip her sunglasses back on and exit the airport. Zhang Tong hurried along beside her, already rattling off her upcoming work schedule and future arrangements.
Suddenly, another massive commotion erupted behind them as the crowd shouted in unison, “Goddess, keep it up!”
Beneath her sunglasses, Yan Ji’s eyes curved into crescents, her mood improving considerably. Even though Zhang Tong kept droning on about her packed itinerary, she no longer found it as grating as before.
“The company secured the endorsement for Red Moon for you. Next Monday, you’ll have to fly to Sanya to shoot the commercial. And on Sunday night, CEO Chen is hosting a banquet at Fugui Pavilion. You absolutely must attend.”
The moment she slid into the car, Yan Ji closed her eyes to rest. Zhang Tong didn’t mind. Sitting in the passenger seat, he scrolled through her schedule on his phone and kept rambling.
Red Moon? CEO Chen?
Yan Ji’s mind instantly filtered out the crucial details. She abruptly opened her eyes and locked her gaze on Zhang Tong. “The Red Moon endorsement?”
“Yeah. The agency poured a massive amount of effort into securing it. Tons of popular actresses and A-list celebrities were competing for it, but it was probably because you’ve been trending lately……” Seeing Yan Ji finally react, Zhang Tong launched into a non-stop explanation.
Yan Ji narrowed her eyes slightly. Red Moon was a high-end luxury perfume brand. Snagging its endorsement was a direct reflection of a celebrity’s popularity, influence, and industry status. Of course, none of that actually mattered to Yan Ji. What caught her attention was the fact that Red Moon belonged to Chen Jin’an’s company.
And Chen Jin’an…… was one of Qin Yu’s men.
The CEO of the Chen Group was a legendary business tycoon with countless brands under his name and a net worth in the hundreds of billions— the ultimate eligible bachelor in the eyes of women everywhere.
Yan Ji had been racking her brains on how to cross paths with the financial giant. She had assumed she would have to wait for the timeline to progress before making a move, but unexpectedly, an opportunity had presented itself so soon. Her eyes narrowed into a sly, scheming smile.
In the altered timeline, Qin Yu had taken advantage of a drugged Chen Jin’an at a business banquet and slept with him. Finding her performance in bed to be quite impressive, Chen Jin’an had casually decided to keep her as his woman. Over time, feelings gradually developed, and before he knew it, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her.
Yan Ji lightly licked her lips. What a touching tale of ‘gradual development’.
“052.” Yan Ji called out in her mind. “Can I sleep with Chen Jin’an?”
052 fell silent for a moment before replying, 〖As long as you’re willing.〗
Willing? How could she not be?
Yan Ji smiled brilliantly. It had been a very, very long time since she last truly indulged herself.
────ρя
Please only read this translation at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m to support the translator
On Friday afternoon, wanting to show the utmost professionalism and respect toward Red Moon and Chen Jin’an, Zhang Tong deliberately brought Yan Ji to a high-end salon to get styled.
“This season’s signature Red Moon perfume is called Pure Allure. Pure yet seductive……” Zhang Tong frowned, studying the brief. “Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction? How can someone be pure and seductive at the same time? Big shots really do think differently from the rest of us.”
Yan Ji glanced at Zhang Tong and let out a soft laugh. How was ‘pure yet seductive’ impossible to pull off? She studied her wavy hair in the mirror and, after a moment’s thought, turned to the stylist. “Straighten my hair and dye it jet black.”
The stylist nodded in agreement.
Four hours later, Yan Ji’s once voluminous waves fell smoothly down her back. The sleek, straight hair gave off an innocent, untouched vibe, yet the innate, lingering charm between her brows created a completely different, dangerous allure. Looking at her, Zhang Tong finally understood exactly what ‘pure yet seductive’ truly meant.
He sighed with emotion, privately thinking that the transformation she had undergone since her breakup was genuinely astonishing.
With her hair done, Yan Ji picked out an ankle-length white dress. Paired with high heels and her long black hair cascading down her back, she looked exceptionally gentle and graceful whenever she lowered her gaze.
She snapped a quick photo, casually sent it to Meng Yiming first, and then uploaded it to Weibo. Almost the exact instant she hit send, Meng Yiming’s reply flashed across her screen.
【Meng Yiming: Yo, whose gentle beauty is this?】
【Nine-Tailed: Of course, I belong to my fans.】
……
Meng Yiming rolled over on the bed, his long fingers quickly tapping across the screen.
【Meng Yiming: I’m a fan too, so does that mean you’re mine?】
The moment the message went through, Meng Yiming held his breath. When his phone finally buzzed with a notification, he didn’t even dare look right away. Two agonizing minutes later, he finally unlocked his phone to see Yan Ji’s reply.
【Nine-Tailed: Sure, I’m yours. Happy now?】
Happy? He was practically exploding with joy!
It felt as though fireworks were bursting inside Meng Yiming’s heart, and a slightly foolish grin spread across his face.
……
While Yan Ji was teasing Meng Yiming, her car had already pulled up outside Fugui Pavilion. She pushed open the door and stepped out, raising her eyes to sweep over the lavishly extravagant restaurant before following Zhang Tong inside.
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