Gu Tang was actually feeling guilty.
There was no way Gu Fugui would have brought Yin Fan here for no reason. And that afternoon, Xu Piaopiao had just told her that she had reposted that ridiculous “most want to sleep with” ranking.
She didn’t need to think too hard to know that the two things were related.
After Yin Fan lowered his hand, Gu Tang felt that she should take the initiative to show some goodwill. Ideally, before he understood the truth, she could completely distance herself from the matter and dump all the blame on Gu Fugui.
“I think there may be some misunderstanding between us.” Gu Tang moved from the corner of the hall back toward her original position and cautiously suggested, “How about we talk first? Exchange some information?”
Yin Fan saw how she had gone from completely resistant to suddenly so eager.
“Sure.”
The two sat down on the sofa.
Gu Tang wasn’t sure what exactly Gu Fugui had told Yin Fan, so she began by trying to extract information from him.
“Why did you come here?”
Her cautious attitude made Yin Fan relax a little instead. He raised a finger to adjust his glasses and smiled at her.
“What do you think?”
Gu Tang blinked.
From the bottom of her heart, she praised Yin Fan for truly embodying the saying that you could know someone’s face but not their heart.
How could someone with such an innocent and immaculate face behave like an old fox?
“I think someone asked you to come here,” Gu Tang carefully considered her wording. After thinking for a while, she realized that her vocabulary really was pitifully limited. “To find me and do some… improper things.”
At the words “improper things,” Yin Fan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Apparently stunned by her choice of words, he considerately reminded her,
“You could just say ‘bad things.’”
“So is that what this is?” Gu Tang gave up on trying to choose her words.
Yin Fan smiled at her, his expression unchanged.
“You have a point.”
Oh no.
How was she supposed to communicate with someone like this?
Was he some kind of fox spirit?
Communication was completely pointless.
For a moment, Gu Tang’s heart sank into despair.
While Gu Tang wore an expression of agony, Yin Fan’s smile became increasingly gentle.
Gu Fugui had actually explained the situation to him quite clearly. His wording had been just as blunt as his daughter’s. He had used the word “support,” meaning he wanted Yin Fan to become his daughter’s kept man.
Gu Fugui had offered Yin Fan’s company an astronomical sum for someone at his current level. It was the first time Yin Fan had been able to stand on the darker side of the entertainment industry, and it had also given him an opportunity that other people could only dream of.
Just as Gu Tang was about to despair completely, Yin Fan spoke again.
“What I know is that someone is willing to invest in me for half a year. In exchange, I need to make you… happy?”
There was a slight pause when Yin Fan said the word “happy.”
It was originally meant as an explanation, but he phrased it as a question. The final syllable rose slightly because of the questioning tone, carrying with it a faintly suggestive implication.
Thinking about the fact that he had started undoing his buttons the moment he entered, Gu Tang instantly understood.
Gu Fugui was seriously the worst.
Who told her to repost “number one on the list of people I want to sleep with” instead of something like “number one in singing and dancing” or “number one at sucking up to people in the entertainment industry”? Her old man really had acted with astonishing speed.
“That was all something he did on his own. It has nothing to do with me,” Gu Tang immediately shook her head repeatedly. “I don’t mean that way about you! And I have absolutely no intention of forcing you into anything.”
Yin Fan raised his eyebrows slightly at her words but said nothing.
“I’ll definitely make things clear to him. This is a misunderstanding. I’m really sorry that I dragged you into this.” Gu Tang pressed her palms together. “I’ll definitely make him call this whole thing off.”
Yin Fan lowered his eyes.
What Gu Tang was saying made it sound as though the matter could be dismissed so easily, but everything had already been settled. If he refused, the company would simply look for someone else to replace him.
However, there was no way he could explain something like that to Gu Tang. So he switched to a reason she would be able to accept.
“The money has already been paid. It’s already in the company’s account, and I can’t return it to you myself. Why don’t you think about whether there’s anything else about me that you feel is worth having?”
His tone was gentle, making it sound like nothing more than a suggestion.
But he knew that Gu Tang would follow this line of thought.
In just a few minutes and a handful of sentences, he had already figured out the way her mind worked.
She wasn’t good at arguing back.
Sure enough, Gu Tang looked troubled. She stopped bringing up the idea of returning the “product” and began seriously considering what his greatest value might be.
Gu Tang had a striking, glamorous appearance, but she lacked that sharp, calculating air. Her personality was actually rather soft and pliable.
Yin Fan also helped her think about his own value.
Gu Tang genuinely had no interest in him, or at least she had no intention of sleeping with him. That was a good thing for him.
Furthermore, part of Gu Fugui’s investment in the company would be used on him. Since he had already accepted the arrangement, there was no reason for him not to receive some compensation from it.
“I heard you’re studying acting?” Yin Fan asked, taking the initiative to question her. “Are you planning to enter the entertainment industry in the future? If your family already has connections in that field, that’s actually quite a good thing.”
“Yes, yes.” Gu Tang smiled and waved her hand. “But my school is pretty average, and my own abilities are limited too. I’ll just give it a try.”
Everything Gu Tang said, Yin Fan already knew.
Everything Yin Fan said, Gu Tang failed to understand.
“Actually, the school doesn’t matter that much.” Yin Fan still wore his considerate expression as he patiently guided her. “My school is pretty good, but I’m starting from scratch now too. I think you have a lot of talent. You’ll definitely be fine.”
“Oh.” Gu Tang blinked, then asked somewhat blankly, “Which school did you graduate from?”
“Z University. It’s a pretty good school for acting.”
Unlike his previous roundabout approach, this time Yin Fan explained everything clearly and plainly. He was even considerate enough to make sure Gu Tang knew what Z University was.
Fortunately, Gu Tang did know Z University.
Suddenly, she looked as though she had come up with a brilliant idea and clapped her hands.
“You can be my teacher! That way, it’s a win-win!”
Even she wanted to applaud her own cleverness.
Yin Fan sincerely applauded her for coming up with the suggestion as well.
After they finished applauding, he saw Gu Tang lick the corner of her lips.
She had probably gone a long time without drinking water. Her body had begun to feel uncomfortable, but she herself hadn’t noticed at all.
Yin Fan stood up and casually poured her a glass of water.
Gu Tang was still immersed in the joy of realizing that she was truly a genius. She accepted the warm water Yin Fan had poured for her and took a sip.
Then she suddenly realized something.
“This is my house, isn’t it?”
Why was he so naturally at ease, casually pouring her a glass of water like he was the owner of the place?
Yin Fan considerately replied,
“I was afraid you’d forget to drink water.”
Gu Tang vaguely felt that she had somehow been suppressed in certain areas.
But the other man’s smile was so gentle and sincere that she actually found it difficult to imagine the worst of him with such a dark mindset.
The next morning, Gu Tang went to school looking dejected again.
Xu Piaopiao teased her.
“Don’t make that face this afternoon. Be careful, the teacher might eliminate you on the spot. I heard half the contestants will be eliminated in the first round.”
Gu Tang turned her expressionless face toward Xu Piaopiao.
Then, all of a sudden, she gave her a bright smile.
Her features were naturally striking and glamorous, and with this expression, she looked even more cheerful and radiant, with an infectious charm.
“How is it?”
Xu Piaopiao was startled by her. Then she cautiously leaned closer again, looking incredulous.
“Not bad. How come I’ve never seen you smile like that before? Did some expert give you pointers?”
“Something like that.”
Gu Tang instantly returned to her dejected expression, the brightness disappearing without a trace.
“My dad has a… friend. He studies acting. He said this kind of expression suits me. It makes me look like a good person.”
Xu Piaopiao burst out laughing.
“He really got that right. I’ve been wanting to tell you for ages that you’re seriously unlucky. Your personality is actually nothing special, but you just happened to be born with the face of a vicious supporting female character. Anyone who sees you automatically gives you a wide berth.”
Gu Tang forcibly ignored the part about her “personality being nothing special” and countered,
“Do you think you look like a good person? Tell me, what female protagonist wears smoky eye makeup, silver chains, and leather pants?”
“Hmph. You’re the vicious supporting female character. I’m different. I’m a rock-and-roll girl fighting for her dreams.”
Xu Piaopiao was truly talented at flattering herself.
“When those teachers see me, they’ll think I have a story and want to explore my inner world. Then I’ll tell them my dad died young, my mom and I depended on each other, and I made a living performing on the streets.”
“Please, be a little kinder to your father while he’s still alive,” Gu Tang pleaded. She thought Xu Piaopiao was truly ruthless and hoped she wouldn’t keep dragging those poor voice actors into her imaginary tragic backstory.
“My dad knows he’s sacrificing himself for art. He’ll be happy.”
Xu Piaopiao’s answer was firm.
“That line is very cultured. You should say it to your dad’s face.”
Gu Tang offered the suggestion amicably.
Although it was still class time, there weren’t many students actually paying attention.
There were a lot of girls who had signed up for the girl group audition. Many of them were covering their phones with textbooks while reading through their lines, or secretly wearing earphones to familiarize themselves with the songs.
An atmosphere of anxiety filled the classroom.
The teacher had always been the type who didn’t bother managing the students, so he simply pretended not to see any of it.
This anxious atmosphere continued all the way until noon.
Even the number of people eating in the cafeteria was much lower than usual.
Gu Tang and Xu Piaopiao were both completely relaxed. They were basically treating this as an outing to broaden their horizons and see what the fuss was about. Since the afternoon might be a long one, they even ate an extra chicken leg.
After finishing their meal, Xu Piaopiao asked Gu Tang, “What if the afternoon really does take a long time? Should we go to the supermarket and buy a deck of cards?”
Gu Tang agreed.
The stadium had become the waiting area for all the students who had signed up. Besides students from their own school, there were also students from other schools who had come to participate in the audition. The program’s teachers were seated inside separate booths, and the contestants entered one by one in order. Groups could go in together if several people had formed a team.
While sitting in the waiting area, Gu Tang asked Xu Piaopiao, “Should we form a group? That way, the two of us can go together and it’ll be faster.”
“Sure.” Xu Piaopiao also thought it was a good idea. The group name came to her instantly.
“Let’s call ourselves Blood Rock.”
Gu Tang: “…”
She pulled a deck of cards out of her pocket and pretended she hadn’t heard anything.
“Let’s play cards.”
They invited the people around them, but no one wanted to play. Gu Tang and Xu Piaopiao could only play Old Maid against each other.
Yet, strangely enough, both of them had unusually good luck. A simple game of Old Maid somehow became tense and thrilling.
Although the girls around them didn’t want to play, they were extremely enthusiastic about watching. One after another, they poked their heads over to see what Gu Tang and Xu Piaopiao had in their hands, gradually forming a small circle around them.
To Gu Tang and Xu Piaopiao’s surprise, there was even a female host and a cameraman at the stadium.
Such shamelessly relaxed behavior naturally meant they had to be interviewed.
“May I ask if you’re very confident?”
Xu Piaopiao and Gu Tang exchanged a glance, just about to brag a little when a pleasant, clear voice suddenly rang out.
“Ow!”
A slender, frail-looking girl had accidentally fallen to the ground.
She looked up at them, her eyes filled with tears, her palm-sized face looking utterly pitiful.
The girls around her immediately helped her up. The kind female host and cameraman hurried over to check her knee.
“Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
Gu Tang, however, stared in surprise at the place where the girl had fallen.
“The ground is completely flat. How did she even fall?”
Her gaze landed on the name tag attached to the girl’s waist.
Lin Yueyue.
The name of the female protagonist of the novel.
…
She had almost become the vicious supporting female character right from their very first encounter.
If her question had been any louder, it would practically have sounded like a provocation.
After the female host handed Lin Yueyue a tissue, Lin Yueyue burst into tears. The host immediately comforted her and asked if she was feeling uncomfortable anywhere.
“No, I’m perfectly fine.”
Lin Yueyue looked at the host, then at the other contestants who were supporting her. Her delicate face broke into a blissful smile.
“I’m just so moved. It feels like the warmth of a big family. Thank you, everyone, for being so kind to me. Thank you, everyone.”
Gu Tang: “…”
Lin Yueyue continued, “I come from a single-parent family, so I grew up lacking the warmth of a home. But the moment I saw everyone today, I truly felt the warmth of family. Thank you all.”
Gu Tang: Is being from a single-parent family really that special? Who isn’t from a single-parent family these days?
“Gu Tang.”
Gu Tang turned around and saw Xu Piaopiao furiously spinning her skull ring around her finger. She had fully entered her irritated-girl mode.
“Can I trip her later? Just to be clear, I don’t have a problem with her hogging the camera. I’m purely annoyed because I can’t stand listening to those lines.”
“Yes, but there’s no need.” Gu Tang immediately calmed the agitated Xu Piaopiao down.
After thinking for a moment, she added, “Wait and see if someone else trips her. I also think someone needs to trip her awake.”
She really didn’t want to be the vicious supporting female character.
Could someone please come and deal with Lin Yueyue already?!
Author’s Note:
Little Theater:
(1)
Yin Fan’s first meeting with Gu Fugui:
Gu Fugui: “How much does it cost to keep you?”
Yin Fan’s first meeting with Gu Tang:
Gu Tang: “Are you trying to do something improper with me?”
Yin Fan: …
You really are father and daughter. Is being unable to speak properly something inherited in your family?
Gu Tang, confidently: “We’re just a little less ashamed of ourselves.”
Yin Fan: “That was not a compliment!”
(2)
Gu Tang before meeting Lin Yueyue:
“Being a vicious supporting female character sounds like such a hassle. You put in all that effort and get nothing in return.”
Gu Tang after meeting Lin Yueyue:
“I can do it. Let me do it. I’ll do it myself!”^