Three days later, Gucheng East Airport.
Pushing her sunglasses higher up the bridge of her nose, Liang Yan dragged her suitcase behind her and caught a cab to the hotel—alone.
She had come for the audition behind Jiang Mu’s back.
That guy had been deliberately vague whenever it came to the important parts, which only made her itch with curiosity. The more he told her not to come, the more determined she became. In the end, she simply bought herself a ticket and flew straight to the film set.
Liang Yan still didn’t know what “bad blood” Jiang Mu had been talking about. All she knew was that she desperately needed this opportunity. Miss it now, and who knew how long she’d have to wait for the next one.
In the taxi, she gazed out the window. On the massive screen of a shopping mall, an ad for a luxury wristwatch was playing—Lu Lincheng’s ad. The man’s silhouette was cool and sharp, as cold as the metallic watch clasped around his wrist.
Her lips curved faintly before she couldn’t help but recall that ridiculous blow-up doll “experience” back in B City. She gave a small snort.
Oh, he could certainly play the part in public—tailored suits, immaculate composure, an air of cold restraint and aloof pride. But in bed, he was still just a man with physical needs. He’d left her so sore she could barely move, only to turn around the next day and act like they were strangers. I don’t know you, indeed.
Well, she doesn’t know him either. Amnesia or not, they’re nothing to each other. Scowling, Liang Yan stared at Lu Lincheng’s face on the giant screen.
The audition was set for the following afternoon. Liang Yan arrived early at the agreed location, only to find that someone had beaten her to it. Outside the audition room stood several actresses, all clearly dressed to impress.
She gave the others a polite smile, then found herself a chair and sat down.
But the moment they spotted her, they stared—first at her face, then at each other in surprise, whispering under their breath.
“Isn’t that Liang Yan?”
“No way. Why would she be here? And for the second female lead?”
“What else would she try for—the female lead? With all the connections Lu Lincheng has, he’s never given her a single crumb. She hasn’t had a new role in ages.”
“What’s the point of marrying Lu Lincheng if she still comes here competing for roles with us? Honestly.”
“Did you catch that Brave Challenger the other day? She and Yan Zhun had me laughing my head off, haha.”
Liang Yan caught snippets of their conversation and cleared her throat lightly.
The women immediately fell silent. Just then, an assistant appeared with the audition list, calling names one by one.
Liang Yan was the third to be called. The assistant hesitated for a moment when he saw her name, then, seeing it really was Liang Yan, looked surprised she’d show up here.
She filled out the forms and went inside. The producer in charge of auditions was Zhou Zhibo—around fifty, balding, with a greasy, slightly overweight build.
Zhou Zhibo was staring at his phone, chuckling at something, his chubby cheeks bunching up. He held himself with an air of authority and didn’t even glance at Liang Yan as she entered. Standing awkwardly in the center of the room, she nervously tugged at her fingers and greeted, “Producer Zhou.”
Zhou Zhibo looked up, annoyed at being interrupted, about to dismiss her without a trial, but when he recognized her face, his small eyes suddenly widened. “Liang Yan?”
Liang Yan tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and forced a laugh. “Yes, I’m here to audition for the second female lead in your new drama.”
Zhou Zhibo hadn’t expected her to come to his project. He put his phone down and rubbed his hands together, appraising Liang Yan’s slim figure clad in simple black.
Even among the many actresses he’d seen, Liang Yan was one of the top-tier in terms of looks and presence.
He stroked his chin, reminding himself that no matter how tempting, she was already Lu Lincheng’s woman.
Suddenly, Zhou Zhibo stood and pulled out a chair beside him. “Come, sit. Why bother auditioning? Just give me a shout and I’d have cleared it for you.”
Liang Yan felt a bit flattered but shook her head. “No, no, Producer. I’m here to audition—fair and square.” She found Zhou Zhibo surprisingly approachable, nothing like Jiang Mu had warned her about. She didn’t understand why he was so against her coming.
Zhou Zhibo smiled, “Not at all. I was hoping maybe you could introduce me to Lu Lincheng sometime. Maybe get him on my next project.”
Mention of Lu Lincheng caught Liang Yan off guard; she forced a smile. “He’s… busy.”
Zhou Zhibo noticed her awkward reaction and chuckled inwardly.
He’d seen too many hopefuls dreaming of sudden fame. But reality was harsh—no matter how high you climbed, you don’t turn into a phoenix overnight.
Rumors had been swirling in the industry that Lu Lincheng was about to dump Liang Yan, to wake her from her fantasy.
The politeness was all surface. Zhou Zhibo had been around too long not to know that even with the title of Lu Lincheng’s wife, Liang Yan had no real backing and was auditioning under him without any support.
Put simply: no one to protect you means you get pushed around.
Liang Yan bit her lip. “Um, Producer Zhou, shall we start the audition now?”
Still polite, Zhou Zhibo’s eyes gleamed with a different light. “No rush. We’re friends, right? I’ve got a gathering tonight—you should come along.”
“We can discuss the drama then.” He cut her off before she could refuse.
Scarlet was Gucheng East’s biggest and priciest bar. With the nation’s largest film base in the city, spotting stars there was commonplace. The waitstaff could casually name which celebrities ordered what drinks. Even seeing popular actors with scantily clad girls barely raised an eyebrow—whether from overexposure or professionalism.
Liang Yan sat uneasily on the sofa, surrounded by Zhou Zhibo’s “friends”: a few young actresses she had seen at the audition earlier, and some assistant directors from the crew.
She stared at the coffee table, cluttered with opened bottles of beer.
She probably shouldn’t have come. But if she didn’t, Zhou Zhibo could veto her outright. It was a delicate situation.
Prices at Scarlet were even higher than the bars back in B City. A five-figure tab per night was common. Three years ago, as an unknown, she couldn’t have afforded this. Tonight was her first time here.
Liang Yan bit her lip, suddenly feeling on edge.
Zhou Zhibo grabbed a bottle first, then slid one into her hand, brushing her fingers. Intentional or not, she wasn’t sure.
“Come on, Xiao Yan, one drink first.”
Liang Yan tried to pull back but held the bottle without drinking. “Producer Zhou, aren’t we supposed to talk about the drama?”
Zhou Zhibo laughed, “What’s the hurry? Drink first, then talk. Cheers!”
The girls beside her grabbed their beers and giggled as they tumbled on the sofa, their clothes slightly disheveled.
Liang Yan had no choice but to steel herself and down her bottle. Luckily, the beers here were small bottles, so she figured she wouldn’t get drunk.
Zhou Zhibo’s gaze fixed on her exposed white neck as she tilted her head back to drink.
Perhaps because of the added status as “Lu Lincheng’s woman,” she seemed even more alluring than two years ago.
Meanwhile, in a VIP room at Scarlet Bar.
“Lincheng, you’re leaving already? Stay a little longer,” Lu Dan rose from the sofa, eyeing the birthday cake—half still untouched on the coffee table.
Lu Lincheng glanced back at her, shaking his head. “Got filming tomorrow.”
“Alright, alright,” Lu Dan forced a smile. “Be careful getting home. Don’t get caught by the paparazzi.”
“Mm.” Lu Lincheng nodded and stepped out of the room.
Almost immediately, someone sidled up to Lu Dan. “Sister Dan, keep cutting the cake!”
“Happy birthday, Sister Dan! And here’s to your new show topping the ratings!”
Outside, Lu Lincheng pulled his hoodie over his head.
Lu Dan had been a longtime friend of his in the industry, two years his senior. When Lu Lincheng first debuted, they worked together on a project. In recent years, she’d carved out a steady career with a sophisticated, intellectual image. Though she didn’t have a huge fan base, her public goodwill was solid and endorsements plentiful.
Today was Lu Dan’s birthday. She’d already celebrated once on set earlier, then booked Scarlet for the evening. Lu Lincheng had made a point to swing by after wrapping up his shoot, just to give her a proper birthday send-off.
Lu Lincheng kept his head down as he passed through the bar’s lobby, weaving around a few drunken men and women. As he turned a corner, he glanced into one of the inner booths.
…
Liang Yan was just starting to feel woozy when suddenly, she felt the world spin—and then she was abruptly lifted off the ground by the collar at the back of her neck.
Lu Lincheng stared down at her flushed, drunken face, fury bubbling beneath his calm exterior.
“The same foolish mistake—are you planning to make it twice?”
***