After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Director Mo stood by the battlefield of unspoken tension between Wen Jing and Jiang Yan as if she were a scarecrow in a rice field—stoic, professional, and utterly silent.

Only after Wen Jing turned and left did Mo Yu finally speak up. “Ran into a tough one this time, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, hit a brick wall,” Jiang Yan muttered, her brow furrowed as she pulled a pair of metal dice from her pocket and began rolling them in her palm. Whenever she felt restless, she played with metal objects; the rhythmic, subtle clicking sound provided her a modicum of peace.

“I don’t care about your drama, but Shao Niannian is a promising talent,” Mo Yu said bluntly, making no effort to hide her thoughts. “Don’t let you and Wen Jing ruin her.”

Jiang Yan rolled her eyes. “What kind of image do I have in your head? Like I ruin everyone I meet? Please, open your eyes and see—between me and Wen Jing, who is ruining whom?”

Mo Yu gave a short “tsk.” “If you hadn’t provoked her, why would a rich young lady like her make life difficult for you?”

“…”

“Nothing to say?” A slight smile touched Mo Yu’s lips. “Seriously, what does your doctor say about your… situation?”

The clinking of the metal dice, which had paused for a moment, started up again. Jiang Yan didn’t answer; she simply slid her sunglasses back on.

Seeing her silence, Mo Yu suddenly remembered something. “Actually, based on your usual ‘habits,’ you shouldn’t be interested in Shao Niannian anyway.”

“Hmm?”

“You’ve worked with her before,” Mo Yu reminded her. “Shao Niannian’s debut film was with you—The Courtesans of Jinling. There’s no connection there, right?”

Seeing no reaction from Jiang Yan, Mo Yu laughed. “Not that a connection would matter. Given Niannian’s current acting level and popularity, she won’t be sharing a screen with you anytime soon. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Drop it. It’s too early to talk about that,” Jiang Yan interrupted, standing her ground with practiced calm. “I won’t interfere with your filming progress. Wen Jing is just playing childish games. I only let her manipulate me because I don’t want my private life and ‘quirks’ exposed to the public.” Her gaze cooled. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Every person I’ve been with was my ‘current’ partner at the time, and I treated every one of them seriously. Relationships start and end—that’s normal. Why say I’m not serious?”

There was a hint of lonely arrogance in her expression. It was hard to tell if she truly believed her own words, but Mo Yu, standing closest to her, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The director’s raspy voice made the laughter sound more like a mocking cackle.

Mo Yu laughed until she coughed. “Jiang Yan… has anyone ever told you that you are… truly terrible at relationships?”

Jiang Yan looked at her flatly. It was clear many people had told her exactly that—complaints, anger, and even slaps to the face were not uncommon in her past. Of course, some left quietly after receiving a few benefits, while a small few, like Wen Jing, threatened her with leverage. The ones without backgrounds were easy to settle; someone like Wen Jing was a massive headache.

Jiang Yan felt a wave of regret. She shouldn’t have let her curiosity get the better of her when she saw that script on her manager’s desk. If she hadn’t signed on, she’d be on vacation right now instead of working overtime in the heat.

While the conversation between the giants passed like a breeze, the relationship between Shao Niannian and Wen Jing was progressing rapidly. Both harbored restless plans, but while Niannian felt frequent pangs of guilt, Wen Jing was a master of performance.

They were like two cats meeting in a new environment—sniffing out unfamiliar scents, inching closer, and trying to find a comfortable rhythm. Eventually, Niannian realized Wen Jing’s personality wasn’t nearly as villainous as the tabloids suggested.

“The media really has nothing better to do than make up nonsense about us,” Niannian decided after an hour of chatting.

In reality, Wen Jing—who had been told she had a foul personality by countless people—was at a loss for words. She could hardly respond to Niannian’s praise with: “Actually, the media is right. I did all those things they scold me for. I have a huge ego, so please be polite to me.” Wen Jing stayed quiet. She had a temper, but she wasn’t an idiot. Besides, their reputations were both in the gutter, so they had common ground.

One irony was their industry standing. Though they were about the same age, Niannian had debuted much earlier. Having started at fifteen, she was technically Wen Jing’s senior. But because she had spent years in second-tier “trashy” dramas, the media often called her a “fallen prodigy.” Now, in terms of resources and status, she was lumped together with Wen Jing as a “starlet with no future.”

Netizens were even harsher: “Take these two, add Huo Lülü and Zhang Rusi, and you have the New Four Vases. You can find anything you like about them—except acting.”

“You’re very different from how you appear on TV,” Wen Jing noted, thinking of the variety shows she’d watched to research Niannian.

“How am I on TV?” Niannian asked curiously, sitting casually on her suitcase.

“More lively,” Wen Jing said. “In person, you seem more… introverted.”

Niannian pursed her lips, smiling shyly.

“I used to know someone… who had a similar personality to yours,” Wen Jing said, instinctively clutching her right sleeve in her palm before trailing off.

The conversation was cut short by the arrival of the new transport. When the vehicles appeared, everyone’s expression shifted. The company had sent over a dozen minivans… along with ox carts and pony-drawn carriages.

The question of who would take the modern cars and who would take the “ancient” transport became immediate.

Niannian looked at the small, dark pony with a mix of fear and excitement. I really want to see what it feels like to ride in one!

However, no one else wanted to touch the animal-drawn carts. The roads in the villages surrounding the small county were bound to be rough; one bad bump and you’d roll right off. Most of the crew discussed using the carts only for non-essential luggage and equipment.

Niannian stood by, waiting for an opening. Finally, the staff realized someone needed to stay on the carts to hold the luggage steady, or the items would spill onto the road.

As they deliberated, Niannian’s hand shot up like an eager student. “Me! I can do it!” She was fascinated by the way the pony’s hooves clattered on the asphalt, completely forgetting her manager’s warnings.

By some twist of fate, Shao Niannian ended up sitting on the back of the pony cart with Jiang Yan.

With minivans leading the way and following behind, they moved down the country road like a strange parade. The atmosphere on the cart, however, turned incredibly awkward.

On the outside, Shao Niannian maintained a cool, distant expression. On the inside, her fingers were flying across her phone screen, sending a string of eighteen “AHHHHs” to her group chat. She wanted to scream it to the world.

“I’m with Jiang Yan.”