After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“No… don’t…!”

Shen Lu struggled to resist, so much so that Ye Qin’s rushing red lips landed haphazardly on her forehead and neck. Later, she grew tired, completely out of strength, and simply gave up the struggle. Or perhaps Ye Qin like this was too tempting; Shen Lu couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality anymore.

She only remembered her lips were very soft, fragrant, and sweet, with the scent of alcohol, and her body… felt wonderfully comfortable.

Shen Lu, at twenty-five, devoted her first time to the woman she was in a contract marriage with, who was also her boss. That night could be described as a frenzied one. They did it many times. Having suppressed their desires for twenty-five years, they were both ravenous, seemingly wanting to release everything in a single night.

The next day, the dream ended. She was still her boss, and she was still a mere assistant.

Shen Lu slowly climbed out of Ye Qin’s bed, trying to leave stealthily, hoping not to catch her attention, so maybe all this could be treated as if it never happened. Unexpectedly, Ye Qin was a light sleeper and woke up anyway.

However, Ye Qin’s reaction was quite calm, or perhaps last night’s passionate night was half-sober and half-intoxicated. “Last night…”

She only heard the person behind her utter two faint words.

Shen Lu, sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to Ye Qin, quickly preempted her, saying, “Nothing happened last night. I will pretend everything didn’t happen. You can rest assured, you are still the boss, and I am still the assistant.”

The person behind her was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, “Good that you know. You can leave now.”

For some reason, even knowing the likely outcome, hearing those words still caused a small pang in Shen Lu’s heart. “Okay.”

She didn’t expect to accidentally step on a piece of broken glass from last night as she got out of bed. Shen Lu instinctively cried out in pain, thinking how one misfortune followed another.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qin, sitting on the bed, asked in a peaceful tone.

“N-Nothing,” Shen Lu desperately covered her foot. “I’ll go out first. Sis, you should get ready too. We need to go to the set for makeup tests today.” After saying this, she hobbled out.

After Shen Lu left, Ye Qin sat alone on the bed, lost in thought, inwardly frustrated. How could she… have slept with Shen Lu? It seemed alcohol truly was a menace.

Just as she was about to get out of bed, she suddenly saw a piece of broken glass on the floor next to the bed, one piece even stained with blood. She vaguely understood what had happened and immediately called Wang Lin.

“Sister Wang, please have the hotel cleaner come up.”

Shen Lu went to a restroom in the outer living room, closed the door, and cleaned her wound alone inside. Thankfully, it was just a cut. If she had stepped down harder, and the glass had embedded itself, she would have needed stitches at the hospital.

Her bag hanging on the door had a small, portable first-aid kit she carried with her. She would just clean it up and bandage it herself. While following Ye Qin to various sets, she had occasionally seen Ye Qin get minor scrapes and bruises, and Shen Lu had already mastered the art of bandaging.

Besides, she didn’t want Sister Wang to know about this. Otherwise, she’d be chastised again for being careless.

Although Shen Lu wasn’t an artist, she had one foot in the entertainment circle. In these few years, she had heard and seen how messy this circle was. What was a one-night stand? It was a perfectly normal thing. She shouldn’t take it to heart, absolutely not. She should just treat it as smoke passing by and forget it.

Shen Lu was busy mentally lecturing herself while carefully disinfecting and applying medicine to the wound. The sharp stinging pain made her wince. Shen Lu, just endure it a little longer. Endure these five years, and the rest of your life will be worry-free.

Sister Wang Lin quickly arrived with the cleaning lady. Seeing the mess in Ye Qin’s room, she couldn’t help but pull her aside to the living room while the cleaner was tidying up and quietly asked, “Were you drunk again last night?”

Ye Qin helplessly pouted and spread her hands. “Those old men, one is more lecherous than the next. If I don’t get them drunk, how else can I get away safely?”

Wang Lin was furious and casually asked, “Where is Shen Lu? I didn’t see her.”

Ye Qin looked around and said nonchalantly, “I haven’t seen her since she left my room.”

She accidentally let slip a detail, which Wang Lin noticed. She pressed her, “Left your room? Did she sleep in your room last night?”

Seeing she couldn’t hide it, Ye Qin simply told her everything. After all, Sister Wang Lin wasn’t an outsider; it didn’t matter if she knew. “I was drunk last night and accidentally… did it with her.”

“You, you, what am I going to do with you?” Wang Lin was exasperated.

Ye Qin jutted out her lip. “What’s the big deal? When the five years are up, I’ll just give her an extra million.” The way she said it made it sound as easy and simple as buying or selling an object.

But Shen Lu was right in the restroom behind them, and she heard every word of their conversation.

Just then, Shen Lu carefully pushed the door open and came out.

Ye Qin saw her and slightly froze. “…You heard it all.”

Shen Lu’s face was a little awkward. Although she loved money, she also had her pride.

“Um, you don’t need to give me an extra million. We’ll just stick to the contract.”

“…” Ye Qin looked at her. “Alright, if that’s what you say.”

Sister Wang Lin coughed twice nearby. “Let’s both say less for now.”

As the words fell, the cleaner quietly came out of the room with the trash she had collected and left.

It was then that Ye Qin asked again, “Is your foot okay?”

Shen Lu shook her head. “It’s fine. Thank you for your concern, Sis.”

“Well, since everyone is okay, let’s get ready and head to the set. Otherwise, the director’s team will start rushing us,” Wang Lin said.

Twenty minutes later, Shen Lu and her group drove off to the first shooting location for the production. Clearly, they weren’t the first to arrive. Upon arrival, the set assistant told them that Tan Xueying had come very early for her makeup test, and even the director praised her for being so dedicated and diligent.

Ye Qin felt a knot in her heart, but she couldn’t show it. Right now, she just had to do her best, at least to make the director see that she was still the other female lead and couldn’t let Tan Xueying steal all the spotlight.

A staff member then led her to the dressing room with Ye Qin’s nameplate on it. Any dressing room with a specific name was an artist’s private room on set, clearly showing their status, which was not on the same level as minor supporting roles or extras who did their makeup out in the open.

When they entered, the air conditioning was already on, and the temperature was pleasantly cool—like leaping from a furnace into the icy polar regions.

“Please have a seat. I’ll inform the makeup artist to come immediately,” the staff member said and then opened the door and left.

Shen Lu stood dumbfounded in the room, with nothing to do for the moment. Just as she thought this, Sister Wang Lin called her. “Go make two cups of coffee and bring them in. Remember, don’t put sugar in Ye Qin’s cup.”

Shen Lu nodded and obediently opened the door to leave.

After Shen Lu left, Wang Lin finally dared to ask, “What are your thoughts on Shen Lu?”

Ye Qin said, “Nothing, why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just don’t understand how you could… with her. Remember, this is your prime time for career development. Don’t think about romance.”

“I know. Besides, I only see her as my assistant, nothing more.”

“That’s good.”

… The makeup artist knocked and came in, and the two stopped their conversation.

When Shen Lu returned, Ye Qin was already having her makeup done. “Sis, here’s your coffee.” She then gently placed it on the table.

While applying makeup, the makeup artist moved Ye Qin’s long hair and accidentally discovered bruises on her neck—purple and red, several of them. Everyone knew what it meant, but no one stated it explicitly. “I’ll use a darker foundation to cover this up later.”

Ye Qin looked in the mirror without expression and simply hummed in acknowledgment.

Wang Lin, standing nearby, didn’t know what to say and just glanced at Shen Lu, with everything left unsaid.

Shen Lu was extremely embarrassed too. How was she supposed to know she had kissed her neck that badly last night?

In that moment, standing there, she truly didn’t dare to breathe, as if a slight movement would reveal that the “perpetrator” was right there.

The first round of makeup was finished. The makeup artist prepared to leave, and Sister Wang Lin quickly followed her out. It looked like they were going to discuss the bruises and do some damage control.

The makeup room was suddenly left with only Ye Qin and Shen Lu. “Hand me my bag,” Ye Qin said.

Shen Lu did as told and handed it to her.

A moment later, Ye Qin took out a small tube of ointment from it and handed it to Shen Lu, looking into the mirror as she spoke. “Imported, very effective for healing wounds; it won’t leave a scar.”