After chatting with Ye Jialan for a while, Shi Wei Yue felt the timing was right and cut straight to the point:
“I heard Wen Wen has been in touch with you recently?”
Ye Jialan nodded, seemingly having guessed why a young lady and boss like Shi Wei Yue would be so polite to her. She responded with a mix of nervousness and shyness, “Mhm.”
“It’s Sister Wen Wen’s new script. I’m playing the female lead.”
“Then, could you do me a favor?”
Shi Wei Yue pulled out a small red velvet box from her bag and opened it to show Ye Jialan. Inside was a high-quality yellow-hued diamond, delicate and translucent, clearly of considerable value.
The original owner of this body was, after all, from an upper-class family, someone who could casually start a company and lived a life of luxury, though recently fallen on hard times. This yellow diamond wasn’t extraordinarily valuable, and for someone like the original owner who was now struggling, it wasn’t much. But its rarity made it special.
After showing it, Shi Wei Yue closed the box and smiled shyly at Ye Jialan.
“We just got married, you see. I want to have this diamond made into a ring and give it to her after it’s polished. But once she joins the filming, I won’t be able to bother her too often. So, I was wondering if you could help me—have the female lead pass it to her when the time comes. Would that be alright?”
The yellow diamond wasn’t priceless, but the gesture was heartfelt. Besides, it was just a small favor to help someone out, and it would earn her some goodwill. Ye Jialan eagerly agreed and even exchanged contact information with Shi Wei Yue.
Mission accomplished, Shi Wei Yue didn’t linger. By the time Ye Jialan saw her out, her eyes were filled with admiration and envy.
Her coffee wasn’t finished yet, so she stayed behind to savor it slowly while curiously browsing Shi Wei Yue’s social media. As she scrolled, her face grew increasingly envious.
The Shi family was one of V City’s top business magnates, primarily in the fashion and entertainment industry. The eldest Shi daughter was known for her refined manners and high education, having already made a name for herself abroad, even gracing the cover of a prestigious magazine.
In contrast, the younger Shi sister, whose academic credentials were questionable and who was often photographed dining with various celebrities, sparking rumors, didn’t have the best reputation. When she recently announced her marriage to Miss Wen, many felt sorry for Wen Ruxing, assuming she was just a sacrificial lamb pushed out by the Wen family. Both were Alphas, and Alphas couldn’t mark each other, the one being marked would suffer harm.
But today, Ye Jialan saw how Shi Wei Yue spoke to her softly and politely, her light makeup enhancing her beauty. Especially when she mentioned her newlywed wife, the sweetness in her eyes was heartwarming.
Recalling how effortlessly Shi Wei Yue had pulled the ring box from her bag, her approachable tone and upright posture as she walked, Ye Jialan couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy for Wen Ruxing.
If only she could have an Alpha like that.
**
Shi Wei Yue had no idea that today’s meeting had skyrocketed her impression in the female lead’s heart. She dropped the diamond off at a jewelry workshop on her way, specifically requesting it be carved into the shape of a rose.
The counter attendant was a young man who examined the diamond for a moment before hesitantly saying,
“This diamond will produce a transparent, yellowish rose. Yellow roses…”
Shi Wei Yue glanced at him. “That’s exactly what I want.”
The young man wisely shut up and quietly processed the order, informing her of the pickup date.
On the way home, Shi Wei Yue was in such a good mood that she even felt like humming a song.
Yellow roses symbolized “fading love,” representing an amicable parting between lovers after a breakup. Although there was no “love” between her and Wen Ruxing, they still had to coexist peacefully for a while. She didn’t want their eventual separation to turn ugly.
As for Wen Ruxing wanting to get involved with the male lead?
That was nothing but a pipe dream.
In old-school novels, anyone who stood in the way of the main couple would meet a bad end especially a female supporting character entangled with the male lead. If she wanted to divorce Wen Ruxing later, she had to plan carefully, ensuring she didn’t offend the female lead in the process.
Today’s visit served two purposes: first, to make her stance clear to the female lead, and second, to remind her that Wen Ruxing was a married woman and one who was “deeply in love” with her at that. If the female lead got too close to the male lead on set, it would reflect poorly on her morals.
Shi Wei Yue couldn’t help but feel pleased with her cleverness.
According to the plot the system had outlined, Wen Ruxing would eventually take a liking to the male lead, but before that, she was a career-driven woman. Every time she signed onto a script, she would personally engage with the actors on set. Even if she didn’t interfere excessively, she would frequently offer suggestions to the director and actors, striving for perfection in the production.
So far, Wen Ruxing had only released two scripts, but both had achieved remarkable success for a newcomer, establishing her as a rising star in the industry. Naturally, as a villain, she had her flaws, chief among them being her notoriously bad temper. Rumor had it she had once reduced a minor actor to tears.
Following the original plot, both Wen Ruxing and her (the original host) were destined to race headlong toward their own downfalls.
After the original host offended Wen Ruxing, their relationship deteriorated into open hostility. Whispers of their marital discord spread throughout V City shortly after their wedding, making them the laughingstock of high society. The original host only made things worse, even bringing Omegas home for parties right under Wen Ru Xing’s nose.
To make matters worse, the original host would visit Wen Ruxing’s sets under the pretense of “checking in,” only to flirt with attractive actors and deliberately sabotage Wen Ru Xing’s work, causing chaos on set.
Eventually, Wen Ruxing had enough and teamed up with the male and female leads to bring down the original host’s company.
Truth be told, the original host’s failing company had been on the brink of collapse for a while. She had started it mainly to appease her family’s demand for a respectable job and to facilitate her own indulgences. Aside from using the company seal for registration, she had barely lifted a finger to manage it.
Her family had grown deeply disappointed in her. Her doting grandmother, now elderly, no longer intervened in family affairs. With no power or influence at home and no financial support from the Shi family, the company was already teetering on the edge.
So even if Wen Ruxing hadn’t acted, the original host would have ruined herself sooner or later.
Over the past few days, Shi Wei Yue had been busy adjusting. Now that she felt settled, she decided it was time to visit the company.
The system demanded she stay in character, so she couldn’t just sit back and let the company slide into bankruptcy. Though she had studied law in college, hardly relevant to running a business her broad knowledge base gave her some confidence. She could always draw parallels from other fields. With that thought, she felt slightly more at ease.
Perhaps the continuous mental exertion was too exhausting, as Shi Wei Yue unknowingly fell asleep on the sofa. She had a dream, Wen Ruxing appeared in it, the graceful woman leaning against the male lead, looking at her disheveled state with mocking words:
“What’s with this look, little princess?”
A term of endearment reserved for the most intimate moments between lovers became a sharp weapon in Wen Ruxing’s mouth, stabbing her heart with pain.
Her voice was soaked in exhaustion, barely audible, and the dark circles under her eyes were unmistakable when she lifted her gaze. From the dream’s perspective, the woman kneeling on the ground was covered in wounds, her once beautiful face now unrecognizable in the exposed corner.
“Wen Ruxing, can’t we just part amicably? I never did anything to you later. ”
Wen Ruxing looked down at her with utter disdain:
“Just seeing you every day is already disgusting enough.”
“Ding.”
The crisp electronic chime jolted Shi Wei Yue awake from the nightmare. The person lying on the sofa was drenched in sweat, breathing rapidly. Shi Wei Yue tensed as the unfamiliar door was pushed open, the motion-activated light from outside flooding into the dark room, forcing her to squint to adjust.
Wen Ruxing had returned.
“Stop pretending.”
After tossing out those words, Wen Ruxing closed the door without turning on the lights, walking forward in the darkness until she reached her room and switched on the light. The soft glow from the second floor was much gentler than before.
Soon, the main antagonist reappeared before her.
Wen Ruxing’s bedroom was on the second floor. She didn’t come downstairs but stood on the staircase, turning on a small corridor nightlight. The tiny teardrop mole under her right eye was accentuated by the halo, adding a vivid touch to her striking features.
With a flick of her hand, Wen Ruxing accurately tossed an exquisitely wrapped bag onto the sofa. Shi Wei Yue didn’t ask what it was, instinctively dodging. The woman above had no intention of elaborating, simply stating:
“Come back with me tomorrow. There’s something at home, and they want me to bring you along.”
Only then did Shi Wei Yue turn her head, catching sight of the high-end fashion brand’s logo on the bag.
The original agreement between her and Wen Ruxing included acting as a couple in front of their families. Since the other party had made the request, she couldn’t refuse.
Looking at that face, Shi Wei Yue slowly regained her composure, arching a delicate eyebrow:
“Why would I need you to buy me clothes?”
Wen Ruxing scoffed:
“Wear it or not, just don’t embarrass me later.”
Shi Wei Yue stayed silent.
Years of endurance had taught her to protect herself with a fragile demeanor in public, rarely retorting, especially not in front of someone as domineering as Wen Ruxing. Even when the other’s words upset her, her emotions were slowly ground down.
After sitting on the sofa for a few more minutes, Shi Wei Yue steadied herself and stood up. Too lazy to go to the dressing room, she pulled a thin sheer curtain, the angle here ensured no one outside could see and simply changed here.
Shi Wei Yue had a slender figure, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. She wasn’t the type with a particularly petite frame, yet her bone structure wasn’t as pronounced as some well-developed female Alphas.
Upon unwrapping the package, she discovered the dress had a silk-like texture, smooth against her skin. From the shoulders to the waist, the fit was impeccably tailored, and the ankle-length skirt was just the right length to be perfectly complemented by high heels unlike the standard sizes found in clothing stores. The dark living room was only illuminated by the faint moonlight streaming through the window, yet the delicate stitching on the dress was still faintly visible.
Beneath the collarbone neckline, a single snow-white embroidered pear blossom swayed slightly with each step, unexpectedly suiting her well.
Shi Wei Yue’s mood rippled like water in response.
A whimsical thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Could this dress have been custom-made for her by Wen Ruxing?