After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Shao Niannian was very familiar with the brand Mefeirios; her family owned one, which her mother, Ms. Shao, currently drove. Back then, Niannian had dragged her mother to the 4S dealership purely because Jiang Yan was the brand ambassador.

However, because Niannian suffered from motion sickness and a phobia of large trucks on the road, she had never actually driven since getting her license. The car keys remained with her mother. While Ms. Shao gave the brand glowing reviews for comfort, that wasn’t enough to get Niannian into the Mefeirios Anniversary Gala.

Asking Gao Hui was a dead end as well.

Niannian sat on the floor, leaning her head back with a sigh to stretch her tight neck, mentally filtering through who could possibly squeeze her into the guest list. She hated owing favors, and since she had few close friends in the industry, no one immediately came to mind.

“Forget it… there’s still time. No rush on that.” More important was the re-release roadshow of Nights of Indiscretion. Niannian patted her cheeks to wake herself up. She poured her focus into the movie, re-watching it and then reading the original novel from start to finish on her e-reader.

By the time she finished her preparation, the day of the roadshow arrived.

Jiang Yan had vanished again. After that single period “.” reply, there had been total silence. Niannian had analyzed that text a hundred times without understanding its meaning. She spent days in a state of trepidation; every time her phone rang, she feared it was Director Wang or Gao Hui calling to tell her the guest appearance was canceled.

Fortunately, that call never came.

As a promotional guest, Niannian dressed simply: a mid-length bodycon skirt paired with a crisp white shirt, topped with a denim jacket. She braided her hair into a fishtail and hid her face behind a hat, mask, and glasses. Before leaving, she leaned into the full-length mirror to check her skin, ensuring that two nights of early sleep and a trip to the aesthetician hadn’t gone to waste.

Once she was in the car, the “nagging mother” Gao Hui began her endless cycle of instructions.

“Just because you’re suddenly attending this event, people are saying you and Jiang Yan are dating in secret again. I don’t know who keeps spreading these boring rumors…”

“It’s normal. People need something to do,” Niannian hummed. “The audience spends money on me; discussing my love life is just another form of entertainment I provide as an artist. It only bothers me when it turns into malicious slander.”

Secretly, Niannian wished the “dating in secret” part wasn’t a rumor, but the other protagonist clearly wasn’t interested in playing along.

“You’re certainly open-minded about it…” Gao Hui muttered.

The rumors online were incredibly detailed. People were mapping out timelines and finding microscopic “evidence” of their secret romance. Gao Hui had seen posts titled “CP Candy Breakdown” and “I met her at her prime when I was fifteen, and at twenty-five, I trapped the Siren to teach her how to love me.”

Gao Hui had entered those threads with the arrogance of ‘I’m the only one who knows the truth,’ but she left them thinking, ‘Did my artist really act for ten years just to set a trap for a playgirl Movie Queen?’ and ‘They are real, when are they getting married, I’m in a hurry.’

She didn’t get it. She truly didn’t understand how netizens made a couple that had less than ten hours of total screen time over a decade look like soulmates.

Where there were shippers, there were anti-fans. Jiang Yan’s fans had moved from “shocked” to “jaded.” Compared to how many girlfriends their idol went through in a year, they cared more about her film output and variety appearances. Their impression of Niannian was mostly “top-tier vase.” However, some curious fans had looked up Niannian’s photos and discovered her role in The Courtesans of Nanjing. Seeing her natural performance and her chemistry with Jiang Yan (however brief), many “Yan-fans” quickly accepted Niannian as the “New Sister-in-Law.”

— “Sister-in-law is pretty and low-key. A vase? Sure, but a beautiful one! Who cares if her acting is inconsistent? One Movie Queen in the house is enough… Anyway, I’m holding out my bowl for fanfiction. Anyone got any ‘steamy’ scenes? Thanks!”

Niannian’s own fans: “…” Whatever, we’re just going to lie down and let it happen.

The head of Niannian’s fan club had received subtle hints from the official team: “Niannian chose to go herself.” Fine. What else could they say? Their idol was chasing after someone; all they could do was pray she didn’t end up heartbroken. After ten years of being a “good girl,” this was her one act of rebellion. The fans decided to turn a blind eye.

Nights of Indiscretion was an older classic, and its leads all carried significant weight in the industry. This meant that even before Niannian reached the ticket gate, she saw a massive, swarming crowd. Gao Hui dropped her off but didn’t go up, assuming Niannian’s disguise was sufficient.

Indeed, Niannian stood in line like a regular fan. The hallway was lined with fan-made support booths. Even though she was a guest, her own fans had set up a small stall. Niannian hesitated. She wanted to go over, but she feared her fans’ sharp eyes. After some thought, she decided to stay in the flow of the crowd.

Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed. She looked up to see Jiang Yan’s assistant. The assistant was dressed similarly, though without a mask. She nodded to Niannian and led her out of the queue, heading in the opposite direction of the theater entrance. Niannian didn’t dare ask questions as they brushed past fans holding tickets.

They went down to the second floor, the dining area, before the assistant let go. “Sorry, there were too many people. We were afraid a scene would start if you were recognized.”

The assistant wiped sweat from her brow. “It was Director Wang’s staff’s mistake. They were supposed to tell you to meet on the second floor, but they forgot.” She looked stressed, clearly having been sent on a frantic search. “Phew, luckily Yan-jie noticed you weren’t here and asked Director Wang. Otherwise, this would have been a mess.”

Niannian felt bad for causing trouble and offered the assistant a tissue. “Are they all on the second floor?”

“Yes, there’s a restaurant here with private rooms.”

Entering the private room, Niannian found it packed. It didn’t look like there was a single seat left. She reflexively put on her professional smile but stayed frozen at the door, nodding to those greeting her, secretly wishing she could vanish.

Awkwardness was written all over her face. Multiple sets of eyes darted between her and Jiang Yan, ears pricked for any gossip. Niannian stood there, her smile turning brittle.

It wasn’t her imagination: there really was no seat. The assistant beside her made a confused sound, remembering there had been a spare chair when she left.

Niannian looked at Jiang Yan, who sat in the center of the crowd. She hoped that as “friends” who had spent months together, Jiang Yan would step in to rescue her from this uncomfortable scrutiny.

But she didn’t. Jiang Yan sat beside Director Wang, looking cold—almost indifferent—as she gave Niannian a brief, emotionless glance. She saw Niannian’s distress. She simply chose not to help.

Niannian’s brow furrowed slightly. Her hand behind her back gripped her shirt. She could feel the atmosphere in the room shift; the curiosity in people’s eyes turned to disdain. It was as if they were saying: Just another person overestimating themselves trying to climb onto Jiang Yan. The rumors are clearly false; Jiang Yan isn’t interested.

Luckily, Director Wang and Jiang Yan’s manager were there. Though the air was icy, the manager smiled and gave up her own seat to Niannian to break the tension.

Niannian sat down. She felt wronged and a little angry. She lowered her head and played with her phone, refusing to make eye contact with anyone at the table. She only spoke when Jiang Yan’s manager asked her a direct question, giving short answers.

Jiang Yan and Niannian weren’t far apart—only Director Wang sat between them—but the atmosphere felt as if Mount Everest had dropped between them. It was freezing.

Niannian bit her lip, trying to ignore the bitter resentment in her chest while avoiding the prying gazes of the others.

Tick, tick, tick. The wall clock in the room marked the time, mirroring the heavy, wronged beating of Niannian’s heart.