After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The discomfort was like insects crawling over her skin—intolerable. Shao Niannian didn’t know how to react to everything unfolding before her, but she was certain her expression was grim. It was bad enough that when the manager spoke to her, the conversation died a cold, abrupt death.

For a moment, Niannian began to suspect that Jiang Yan’s previous reply of “.” was actually a “1” in disguise. Jiang Yan clearly hadn’t wanted her to come; otherwise, they wouldn’t be sitting in such stifling silence.

To avoid the awkwardness of eye contact, Niannian kept her head down, fiddling with her phone. In reality, she couldn’t find anyone to vent to about her current situation. No one felt appropriate. She could only endure it, playing the role of a dull background character with numbed senses.

From beginning to end, Jiang Yan’s gaze never lingered on her.

Fortunately, the wait in the private room wasn’t long. When they were invited into the theater, Niannian realized her seat was in the dead center of the second row—an incredibly conspicuous spot. Only after reaching her seat did she notice something was off; some of the actors had already taken their places in the front row.

Niannian tried to ask someone to switch seats, but the actor in front of her refused, and the people behind her quickly sat down, trapping her. She stood there awkwardly, glancing left and right, thanking the heavens she had worn a mask. If the media caught the dejected expression she likely wore under it, it would cause a scandal.

She didn’t want to cause trouble, but the moment she sat down, the man to her right let out a strange, mocking chuckle. When Niannian turned to look, he was wearing a look of pure disdain, whispering something to his companion. The theater was too noisy for her to hear clearly, but the oily, nauseating expression on his face made her skin crawl.

As the movie began, Niannian watched the familiar plot and a fuzzy memory surfaced—one of the actors in this cast had dated Jiang Yan. It had been so long ago that she couldn’t remember who it was.

The theater went dark, faces blurred, and Niannian’s wandering thoughts were finally silenced by the progression of the film.

When the lights came up again, Niannian was still immersed in the movie’s afterglow when the fans’ cheers erupted. The fans weren’t seated randomly; the managers and fan clubs had organized them to make it easier for the actors to find their own supporters during the Q&A.

As the actors stood and moved from their seats to the stage, the two center rows cleared out until only Niannian remained. Her position in the middle of the second row became glaringly obvious.

Many fans were immediately drawn to her. Whispers broke out behind her as they wondered why a “special guest” was sitting in such a prominent spot.

“It’s not that weird. If she’s actually with Jiang Yan, and Jiang Yan is in the center of the first row, where else would she sit? Even if Niannian agreed to sit elsewhere, Jiang Yan might not let her.”

“Neither of them has admitted to being together. Where are you getting this news?”

“Does it even need to be said? If you were a top-tier star, why would you come promote an old movie for free? There’s no benefit…”

“Maybe she’s after Director Wang’s resources?”

“Forget it. Director Wang’s next few projects already have their leads set. Niannian isn’t in them. Coming now to try and get a piece of the pie is just stupid. Besides, Niannian has no background. If she did, she wouldn’t have been replaced in that hit comedy years ago.”

“So she’s just throwing herself at her? Another actress with no resources trying to cling to Jiang Yan?”

“Normal. From a child star to playing the ‘runaway bride’ of a CEO… Niannian’s resources are honestly pathetic. They’re so inconsistent.”

“…”

The toxic comments made a “Yan-fan” nearby roll her eyes. “Stop acting like the ‘Siren’ is some prize. Who cares!”

Niannian felt like she was sitting on a bed of nails. Even though the microphone on stage muffled the voices behind her, she couldn’t block out the prying, judgmental stares. She nervously rubbed the fabric of her trousers, questioning her purpose for being there. What had she wanted in the first place?

She wanted to retreat into her safe shell, but someone wouldn’t let her.

The person currently being questioned was the other lead—the second female lead—Ye Yin. The movie revolved around Jiang Yan, but Ye Yin’s character was her lover and confidante, a role that had catapulted her from obscurity. Though she never reached the same heights again, she maintained a steady presence as a supporting actor in costume dramas.

Niannian’s name was called twice. A staff member came down from the stage and handed her the microphone. She stood up, flustered. “Sorry… I was still thinking about the plot. I didn’t hear what you said.”

A flash of impatience crossed Ye Yin’s face. She looked at Niannian and said, “A fan just asked me: having starred in this movie with the Movie Queen and then having dated Jiang Yan for five months afterward, does re-watching this film make me miss the past or rediscover that heartbeat?”

Ye Yin tilted her chin up slightly, a faint smile on her lips that didn’t reach her eyes. Niannian felt no kindness from her.

“I said that was too long ago. If the fan hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have forgotten I even dated Jiang Yan,” Ye Yin said slowly. “But for this question, surely you have the most authority to speak, right?”

Niannian’s heart hammered. She remembered now—Ye Yin was one of Jiang Yan’s exes. Her hand gripping the microphone was slick with sweat. The question was a trap. No matter how she answered, she lost. If she said she didn’t know, it looked like she was chasing Jiang Yan for clout; if she answered in detail, she was essentially confirming a relationship that didn’t officially exist.

She didn’t want to gamble on whether Jiang Yan would play along.

“I…” Niannian started, but she was interrupted by Jiang Yan on stage.

“That question is meaningless.” Jiang Yan looked cold, her eyes sweeping over Ye Yin with disdain. “Sorry, I’ve dated too many people. Sometimes trying to recall things is like digging through old work files—the memory is too full, the files are too many, and it takes too long to find.”

Jiang Yan looked at the figure standing in the audience. “I also don’t see how your question relates to the film. A movie is a movie; an actor’s privacy is personal. If, after watching a film, all you can think about is the actor’s gossip, then that actor has failed.”

“This is a promotional event for Nights of Indiscretion, not an emotional talk show. If you want to ask those questions, have Ye Yin’s manager put you in a group chat. I’m sure Ye Yin, who always claims to be ‘straightforward,’ will tell you exactly how she feels without hesitation.”

Jiang Yan’s mockery of Ye Yin and her blatant protection of Niannian set the room on fire. Thunderous applause broke out.

Ye Yin and the fan were left in an incredibly awkward position. Even the man who had been sitting next to Niannian looked sour, and his expression worsened as Jiang Yan continued.

“Today is a happy day because the re-release is a beautiful way for me to look back at my youth. I’m grateful to have worked with Director Wang and a group of highly professional actors,” Jiang Yan said, smiling thinly toward Ye Yin and the man, Han Li. “I even have good friends who were willing to come here for free to support me.”

“I thought time only took away youth. But it seems, as the final line of the movie says: ‘Time favors the pure; it takes them away, then grinds us down.’ I give this quote to Ye Yin, to Han Li, and to myself.”

After calling out Ye Yin and the man by name, Jiang Yan looked at the “fan” still standing in the seats. “Aren’t you going to sit down? Or did you prepare a whole speech to read to us?”

The “Yan-fans”: “…” D*mn. If they’re just friends, I’ll pluck out my own eyes to prove my innocence.

The “Nian-fans”: “…” Why pick a lover with such high combat power! If they break up and fight, it’ll be a bloodbath! Looking at Jiang Yan’s tongue, Niannian is going to get roasted into tears.

In truth, Niannian wasn’t far from tears. If she couldn’t see who was targeting her by now, she’d need a brain scan.

But she didn’t understand. Why did the silent Jiang Yan suddenly step up for her? Was she just tired of the pettiness, or was she willing to take the heat of the rumors just to keep Niannian in the “friend” category?

Niannian’s hand went numb from gripping the microphone. The latter reason—that Jiang Yan was just being a “good friend”—was clearly not the one she wanted to hear.