After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Although Peerless was a GL urban drama, many scenes required location shooting in H City. The entire crew had to relocate. Fortunately, the hotel arrangements were set, and top-tier celebrities like Ye Qin and Tan Xueying naturally received the best suites.

Shen Lu had been with Ye Qin for three years and had seen many celebrities, but this was her first time meeting Tan Xueying in person. The two parties encountered each other in the hotel elevator. Shen Lu respectfully greeted the other party, “Hello, Tan Xueying. I’m Ye Qin’s assistant. I really like your work.”

Ye Qin was displeased. She pinched Shen Lu’s arm, her eyes seeming to question Shen Lu’s loyalty.

Shen Lu felt wronged but didn’t dare show it.

Tan Xueying was very graceful, every smile exuding the elegance and magnanimity of a well-bred lady. “Hello,” she said, then greeted Ye Qin, “We’ll be seeing each other every day from now on. Please guide me.”

Ye Qin simply responded with a cold “Oh,” her attitude as aloof as possible. The elevator was filled with awkward, cold air, making even Shen Lu shiver. There was history behind Ye Qin’s distaste for the accomplished actress.

Tan Xueying debuted earlier than Ye Qin. She was a former child star with a natural rapport with the public but remained lukewarm as an adult. Then, the new wave traffic starlet Ye Qin burst onto the scene. Her sudden popularity inspired Tan Xueying’s team, who frequently released press drafts with headlines like “Tan Xueying’s Acting Decimates Ye Qin’s,” boosting their popularity by leveraging the hype. Even though a team’s decisions might not reflect the artist’s personal views, loving the house and its crow… the opposite also applies…

Shen Lu felt she could understand Ye Qin’s feelings, but even if she disliked someone, expressing it so openly was perhaps too genuine and straightforward. No wonder Sister Wang often lectured Ye Qin that she was good in every way except for her low emotional intelligence.

The elevator stopped on the same floor. Tan Xueying’s young assistant aggressively blocked the exit, letting Tan Xueying step out first, and then shot a contemptuous glance back.

Shen Lu couldn’t help but complain, “Can assistants be this arrogant these days…”

Ye Qin glanced at her, said nothing, and stepped out of the elevator haughtily.

Tan Xueying’s assistant muttered as they walked, “What’s a pretty vase celebrity got to show off about? I really can’t stand her face.”

“Alright, alright. We are all colleagues. Be more tolerant. Don’t say these things in front of people, got it?” Tan Xueying advised patiently.

“Sister Xueying, you are too kind-hearted. That’s why people don’t respect you. In terms of experience, that Ye Qin doesn’t even rank,” the assistant grumbled.

…

On the other side, Shen Lu followed Ye Qin into the room arranged by the production team. Seeing the interior, she couldn’t help but sigh, “The production team must be rich. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to afford to stay in a hotel room like this in my life.”

Ye Qin took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, twisted off the cap, and said to Shen Lu, “No ambition.”

Shen Lu sprawled on the soft sofa, closing her eyes in comfort. “I’m happy to have no ambition. After the five-year contract is up and I get five million, I’m going to stay in a room like this just once.”

Sister Wang arrived shortly after. Shen Lu was startled and quickly sat up from the sofa, afraid of being scolded for being idle.

Wang Lin was there to see Ye Qin. “The director wants to invite the lead actors to dinner. It’s an introductory meeting before filming starts so everyone can get acquainted. I’ve already accepted for you.”

Ye Qin leaned against the single-seater armchair, legs crossed, filing her nails, looking like a little socialite. Without even lifting her head, she agreed, “Got it. I’ll be there on time tonight.”

“Mhm,” Sister Wang then instructed Shen Lu, “Don’t let her drink too much. I have other matters to attend to tonight, so I won’t be joining you.”

Shen Lu nodded, “Don’t worry, Sister Wang, I’ll keep an eye on her… keep an eye on Sister Qin.”

Before leaving, Wang Lin was still uneasy and turned to emphasize once more, “Shen Lu, remember what I told you.”

“I will not fail the mission!”

Later… she was proven wrong.

…

Shortly after Sister Wang left, Ye Qin suddenly stood up, seemingly deep in thought for a while, then turned to Shen Lu and asked, “Did you bring that black off-the-shoulder tube dress of mine?”

“B-brought it. Should I get it now?” Shen Lu stood up and asked.

Ye Qin didn’t answer but used a gesture to indicate she should get it.

Shen Lu quickly fetched it without delay. She returned to the living room shortly. After Ye Qin checked and approved it, she took the dress and went into the bedroom. With nothing to do, Shen Lu sat back down, holding her face and wondering if she would see other celebrities at the dinner banquet.

About five minutes later, the door opened. Ye Qin emerged from the bedroom with a black clutch bag in hand. She walked up to Shen Lu as if on a runway, placed one hand on her hip, struck a pose, and asked, “How is it?”

“Very beautiful.”

Ye Qin still felt unsatisfied. She went back inside and fussed over another outfit. This time, she put on a V-neck long dress, came out, and asked for Shen Lu’s opinion again. After going back and forth about ten times, they finally settled on the initial little black dress.

To Shen Lu, this was just unnecessary fuss. But Ye Qin disagreed, declaring that she must be the one to outshine everyone tonight and couldn’t be looked down upon by Tan Xueying.

…

Night fell, and the lights came on. H City, a mix of modern and ethnic styles, looked even more enchanting and beautiful under the colorful lights.

The gathering place for the powerful figures was the city’s most renowned restaurant, “Haoke Lai,” which had reserved the entire second floor. Security guards checked guests at the entrance to prevent any unknown media paparazzi from sneaking in.

Sister Wang drove the two to the restaurant entrance and then left to handle her business. Now, it was time for Shen Lu to properly carry out her duties. After all, a manager couldn’t be with the artist all the time; this was the time to test an assistant’s competence and response skills.

A simple face-check granted them easy entry. Ye Qin was so famous that everyone knew who she was, and the core of her fame was her bewitching, stunning face, entirely unrelated to her acting. A male security guard, unable to contain his excitement, even tried to ask for her signature, but Ye Qin ignored him completely. To maintain her good image, Shen Lu quickly consoled him, “My artist isn’t in a good mood today, please forgive us!” She then scurried inside.

“It’s Ye Qin! Quick, quick, quick! I’m your super fan! Can we take a picture?”

The speaker was one of the drama’s investors. Ye Qin smiled faintly, “Of course.”

A little while later, Tan Xueying also arrived. Ye Qin was seated at the farthest point from her. Throughout the meal, the two barely spoke. As for the assistants, some were busy, and many others were sitting in the “Idle Zone” waiting. Shen Lu was one of them. She eventually got so hungry that she ate some fruit from the buffet area—she even stole it.

Most assistants were glued to their phones, waiting for their artists to finish the meal quickly so they could wrap up and go back to rest. Only Shen Lu occasionally looked up to check on Ye Qin. The powerful figures on either side of her seemed to be constantly encouraging her to drink. What should she do? Should she go up and intervene?

After a long inner struggle, Shen Lu finally mustered the courage to go over. She leaned in to Ye Qin’s ear and quietly warned, “Sister, stop drinking. Sister Wang will be mad when we get back.”

“Come on, continue, continue!” Ye Qin ignored Shen Lu, downing another glass, treating Shen Lu like air.

At this moment, the bosses also grew impatient. “Where did this little assistant come from? Go away, go away!”

Chased away, Shen Lu sulked back to her seat. A colleague kindly advised her, “Why did you rush into the firing line at a time like this? It’s perfectly normal for a female artist to drink with big bosses. Be careful not to mess things up; it could affect your artist’s career.”

“Ah… is it that serious…” Shen Lu looked anxiously at Ye Qin, who had drunk a lot. But drinking like this would surely get her drunk. She was just a small voice here and truly helpless.

The group drank until midnight. Shen Lu woke herself up from a doze and noticed that most people had left. She quickly went to the table and pulled Ye Qin away, knowing that the big shots were too drunk to notice or cause trouble.

As she supported Ye Qin out, Shen Lu could smell the heavy alcohol fumes. How much did she drink? She really doesn’t care about her body.

“Drink, keep drinking….” Ye Qin murmured softly.

“Yes, yes, we’ll drink more when we get back,” Shen Lu agreed, hailing a taxi back to the hotel on the roadside.

In the car, Ye Qin’s entire weight rested on Shen Lu. She was quiet as a little deer. Her long eyelashes looked indistinct yet beautiful under the faint, yellowish light.

Shen Lu thought at that moment: Actually, Ye Qin, you are most likable when you are quiet and asleep.

The walk back to the hotel room after getting out of the car felt like an eternity to Shen Lu. She didn’t dare ask anyone for help, worried that someone might see Ye Qin’s drunken state. Ye Qin usually cared most about her public image, so Shen Lu gritted her teeth and dragged the drunk star back to the room.

Once inside, she helped her into the bedroom and turned on the bedside lamp. Shen Lu said, “Sister, you lie down for a bit. I’ll go pour you some water.” She then turned and left.

When she returned, the room was pitch black. Ye Qin’s arm must have accidentally hit the lamp switch. Shen Lu had to feel her way forward in the dark. Just as she reached the bed, a hand reached out from the darkness and instantly grabbed her wrist. Startled, Shen Lu dropped the water glass, which shattered on the floor. She quickly fumbled to turn on the room light.

Ye Qin was sitting up, her eyes squinted, looking groggy. “Shen Lu, is that you?”

“It’s me, I’m Shen Lu,” Shen Lu quickly sat down by the bed. “Sister, just tell me what you need.”

Ye Qin chuckled foolishly. The next second, she cupped Shen Lu’s face with both hands and leaned in to kiss her. Shen Lu resisted, saying, “Sister, don’t do this. You’re drunk, Sister….”

But Ye Qin said, “You’re my wife. What’s the harm in letting me kiss you?” Due to the alcohol, her cheeks were flushed red, looking like they were brushed with natural rouge, utterly captivating.