After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

With Shao Niannian’s nod of agreement, Gao Hui’s negotiations proceeded with remarkable smoothness. Even though Yang Yang hadn’t intended to offer so many promises and resources from the start, Gao Hui skillfully extracted them with a beaming smile.

“I didn’t realize you were this formidable,” Yang Yang said, looking at the extra variety show resources she’d just handed over, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “And I didn’t realize your artist was so… strong-willed.”

Like a shield. From the moment Niannian sat back down, she hadn’t uttered a word, and her expression hadn’t shifted once.

If Yang Yang hadn’t personally watched Niannian’s television dramas before this meeting, she would have suspected the girl had been “possessed,” just like in those web novels. At the very least, this version of Niannian didn’t match the profile Yang Yang had constructed.

“You flatter us. I hope our future cooperation is a pleasant one,” Gao Hui chuckled, then asked, “When does the dating variety show start filming? Do we need to prepare anything?”

“No need,” Yang Yang replied. “The person in charge of the web variety will contact you in a few days. It won’t be too late to prepare then.”

The partnership was finalized. For both Jiang Yan and Shao Niannian, it was technically a win, but neither of the two involved looked happy. The atmosphere at the table, which had begun with a hint of warmth, had frozen into a state of stiff, cold detachment.

By the time the four of them emerged from the private room, the boisterous energy of the restaurant yanked Jiang Yan from her internal vacuum back into the noisy world. All the thoughts she’d been unwilling to process in the quiet room now flooded her mind.

Walking behind, Jiang Yan watched Niannian’s stubborn, upright back. She could clearly feel that Niannian was angry, yet she couldn’t pinpoint the fundamental reason.

Niannian said she liked her; therefore, this business partnership was undeniably the best opportunity to get close to her. To play the role of a couple, to naturally bridge the distance, to let feelings grow—anyone else who liked Jiang Yan would have been overjoyed.

Furthermore, Jiang Yan’s terms were clearly priced. This was the first time she’d seen someone get angry after being handed top-tier resources on a silver platter. Even if Jiang Yan rolled a twelve-sided metal die in her palm a hundred times, she probably wouldn’t understand.

After all, a love like Shao Niannian’s was something Jiang Yan had never encountered.

This was also the first time she was “acting” outside of a film set. Not only could outsiders not guess what she was doing, but even Jiang Yan herself felt it was absurd when she stopped to think about it—that she would concede to this extent for someone else.

Niannian had secured a major deal, but her brow remained furrowed throughout the entire journey. From the moment they left the stairwell and returned to the room, she hadn’t said a word. Gao Hui knew this girl was “sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.” No matter how much she ranted in the stairwell about being cold and professional, Gao Hui bet her life that Niannian wouldn’t be able to stick to it for long.

Gao Hui comforted herself: once they were in the van, she didn’t care what kind of fit her artist threw. The contract was signed, and Jiang Yan’s resources would be flowing in. Niannian was now a walking money tree. And a money tree can do whatever it wants. If Niannian told her today that she wanted to go into the woods and pretend to be a mushroom for twenty-four hours, as long as she didn’t eat a poisonous one, Gao Hui would personally go into the mountains to hold an umbrella over her.

“No need to see us out, teachers. I’ll drive Niannian back myself.” Gao Hui opened the car door for Niannian, ushering her in to insulate her from the source of her unhappiness. To her surprise, the “source of unhappiness” had no self-awareness and leaned right up to the car window.

Since the key wasn’t in the ignition, the window couldn’t be rolled down. Gao Hui had no choice but to step aside and give them space.

Niannian saw Jiang Yan standing outside through the corner of her eye. Having cried in the stairwell and being frustrated by the sudden turn of events, her cold face was partly due to sheer exhaustion. She was too tired to acknowledge Jiang Yan. She heard a few taps on the glass and bit the soft flesh inside her lip, blinking rapidly but keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead.

She didn’t grant the person outside even a sliver of her attention.

Jiang Yan politely tapped again. The person inside still didn’t respond, not even moving a finger. Outside, the sound stopped, but Niannian could still sense Jiang Yan’s presence. Niannian’s brow twitched, and her fingers gripped her pants so hard the fabric wrinkled.

Why hasn’t she left? Is she really going to just stand there like an idiot waiting for me to open the door?

Standing outside, Gao Hui wasn’t sure what the move was. Just as she was thinking of intervening, she locked eyes with Jiang Yan.

Gao Hui: “?”

Jiang Yan: “Could you step a bit further away? You’re blocking me from opening the door.”

Gao Hui: “…”

Oh. My bad. In that case, I’m clearly the third wheel here.

Gao Hui wordlessly took two giant steps back, moving from the side of the car to the front. She looked up at the sky, pretending to be fascinated by the weather, giving the two of them as much privacy as possible.

Inside the car, Niannian hadn’t expected Jiang Yan to simply pull the door open and lean in. Niannian pursed her lips, staring at Jiang Yan with a flicker of stubbornness.

Capturing that look, Jiang Yan found it almost funny. Looking at Niannian, she felt the girl was no different from a child; everything she felt was written plainly on her face. Yet, for such a transparent person, she had so many complex thoughts in her head. Jiang Yan wondered how her family had raised her. She thought of Li Sui, the only blood relative of Niannian she’d met—her personality was the same. Love and hate were displayed openly. Both sisters were so easy to read.

Niannian watched as Jiang Yan leaned in, her hand bracing against the leather seat beside her. Niannian’s eyes fluttered, her panic surfacing alongside her racing heart. They were so close she was worried Jiang Yan could hear it.

The frustration that had been clogging her chest vanished instantly. Looking at that beautiful face, Niannian thought spinelessly: Gao Hui was right. Even if this face is using me, I’d probably just ask if I did something wrong. Am I not asking to be used? Shouldn’t I be the one handing her the knife?

Jiang Yan didn’t know what Niannian was thinking. Seeing her dazed expression and wandering gaze, Jiang Yan sighed. Like a magician, she pulled a handful of candies from her pocket and stuffed them into Niannian’s own pocket.

Like a kindergarten teacher coaxing a child, she said, “I’m sorry. Don’t be angry anymore.”

Niannian, who had been furious a moment ago but was now mentally “surrendering”: “…”

She gave a soft “tsk,” looking at her pocket bulging with candy. Did she really look like a toddler who could be bought off so easily?

Niannian grabbed the edge of Jiang Yan’s coat. She remembered the contract they’d just signed—black and white proof that they were now “fake girlfriends.” In this business partnership, Niannian provided her presence as a girlfriend in exchange for resources.

A “girlfriend” meant there should be adult-appropriate parting rewards. Not just candy.

“As a girlfriend, shouldn’t there be some kind of… gesture?” Niannian’s hand slid from the coat to Jiang Yan’s slender waist. The warmth of her hand through the thin fabric made Jiang Yan tremble slightly.

Jiang Yan’s facial control was impeccable, but if one didn’t look at her flushed earlobes, it would be impossible to tell. “What do you want?”

“Anything.” Niannian thought about Yang Yang’s “plan” for public displays of affection. She suppressed her mixed emotions and tried to step into the role. Even if they weren’t really dating.

Niannian acted spoiled: “Surely you can satisfy this much?”

Her eyes sparkled, her lips curving into a smile. The light perfume on her had faded, replaced by the faint scent of the restaurant’s dinner.

Jiang Yan braced herself against the seat, staring at Niannian’s expression. She couldn’t understand why the girl’s attitude had flipped so drastically. It couldn’t just be because of the contract, could it?

Before Jiang Yan could react, Niannian moved. She tilted her head up, fingers clenching her own pants, and—like every unpolished romance scene she’d ever filmed on set—she pressed her lips against Jiang Yan’s with absolutely zero technique.

With her eyes still open, she could see Jiang Yan’s curled lashes and stunning eyes. Niannian instinctively tightened her grip on Jiang Yan’s waist.

Yang Yang and Gao Hui, standing outside: “…”

Tsk. We asked you to pretend to be a couple, not actually become one. Some things don’t need to be demonstrated to us, especially unnecessary “dog food.”

Gao Hui drove Niannian home. It was rush hour in the old district; every road on the map was a sea of red and orange. Gao Hui tapped the steering wheel, watching the traffic move inches at a time. She clicked her tongue impatiently. “Why do they always do roadwork during peak hours? This road was just opened, and now it’s cordoned off again.”

“No idea,” Niannian answered honestly, but her fingers were flying across her screen, asking about something in a group chat. After a few minutes of total gridlock, she told Gao Hui to pull over at a temporary stop.

“You’re getting out here? It’s a twenty-minute walk home.”

“It’s fine. I want to stop by the Xinhua Bookstore.”

Gao Hui was puzzled. “What do you need at a bookstore?” Is there anything that can’t be solved by e-books and Google?

Niannian’s face reddened. She clutched her phone and stammered, “Just buying a few things. Just drop me off ahead.” She pulled out a mask and put it on. “Don’t worry, I have my mask, hat, and glasses.”

“Alright. Be safe. Call me when you get home.”

“Will do.”

After getting out, Niannian didn’t waste a second. Following the “Knowledge List” sent by Gu Yizhi, she rushed into the bookstore. She eventually emerged with a heavy bag of books and headed home.

The moment she arrived, she messaged her mother (Mrs. Shao) to say she wouldn’t be coming over tonight, as she needed to look after her cat, “Baobei,” and might bring him home in a few days.

After a shower and a quick meal of rye bread and milk, Niannian picked up her cat, who was busy scratching a plastic bag. She tipped the bag over, and a colorful array of books tumbled out:

• 108 Things You Need to Learn to Master Romantic Emotions

• Kissing, Hugging, and Intimacy

• Love and Marriage

• Learning the Classroom of Dating…

An excited Gu Yizhi popped up in the chat: “Read those books carefully, study hard, and combine them with the digital materials I sent you. I believe it won’t be long before you have Jiang Yan wrapped around your finger!”

Niannian looked at the bright covers and opened one at random: “To capture a lover’s heart, you must first capture their stomach.”

Niannian: “?” What does that mean? Going out to eat? Food vlogging? She read a few more lines. “Oh, it means cooking for them.”

Niannian looked at Baobei eating his cat food and took a photo of the passage to send to Gu Yizhi. “I want to see how far I can get with Jiang Yan, not commit voluntary manslaughter via food poisoning and go to jail.”

Gu Yizhi: “Tsk… Learn to take the essence and discard the dregs!”

Niannian had a headache, but remembering the task she’d given Gu Yizhi, she bit her lip. “How long will it take for you to find out what I asked for?”

“Sister, how should I know? I have to ask people for help. I’m not a cop or a private eye. Besides, Jiang Yan has changed girlfriends like clothes since she debuted. If you want info on everyone, you’ll have to be patient.” Gu Yizhi said expertly, “You won’t get a detailed report for at least two or three months.”

Niannian gave an “oh,” closed the chat, and began her “Great Plan.” She opened her planning app. Her previous plan—”Get Close to Jiang Yan”—had been scrapped.

The moment she’d signed the contract, she realized something. Falling in love with Jiang Yan was impractical. What she could do now, as Gao Hui suggested, was embrace the “immersive experience.” What happened afterward wasn’t as important.

Her mother had once taught her a famous quote: “Look at the present, don’t worry about the future. Live life day by day, and when the moment of destiny arrives, life will tell you the answer.”

Niannian typed away. Her brain, once clouded by Jiang Yan’s beauty, was now surprisingly clear. As she wrote her plan, she began to outline how to fulfill the contract for maximum commercial value. She also recorded details she’d previously found strange but had ignored.

By the time she finished, it was time for the Mefeirios anniversary banquet that Li Yuan had promised to take her to.

To fit the image of the law firm, Niannian asked her makeup artist and stylist to give her a more mature, cold, and elegant look—different from her usual sweet style. Li Yuan picked her up from the studio. He looked at his “daughter” through the rearview mirror and smiled. “Is your studio sending anyone tonight? If not, will there be no one to take promotional photos?”

“Huh? Why?”

It was impossible for there to be no photos. Once the contract was signed and resources shared, Jiang Yan’s side had told Gao Hui not to send staff—they would use their own people. Gao Hui had asked Niannian, who agreed, effectively entrusting her to Li Yuan and Jiang Yan’s team for the night.

“Nothing, it’s just that my daughter looks beautiful today! I have to take some photos to show off to your mom.” Li Yuan complained about his workaholic wife. “She promised to take a break until I finished this busy period so we could travel. But before I’m even done, she’s already found another job. She really can’t stop for a second.”

Niannian thought of the WeChat message Li Sui had sent her—a transcript showing a city-wide high score in English and Chinese, but a dismal 25 in Math. Niannian stayed silent. If that was the case, it was understandable that Mrs. Shao had gone back to writing scripts. Otherwise, she’d eventually have to face the embarrassment of a parent-teacher meeting for Li Sui.

“You’ve known she can’t stay idle for a long time, it’s normal.” Niannian rubbed her cheeks. “Do I have to stay by your side all night?”

“No need.” Li Yuan knew Niannian wasn’t one for small talk; her greatest hobby was staying home. “You’re the spokesperson. Just eat and drink quietly. President Huang and I will handle the rest. Once we’re inside, you can go play on your own.”

“And don’t eat anything suspicious, especially if someone hands it to you.” Mefeirios was a massive brand, and the guests were the elite, but predators often wore human skin. As a father figure, Li Yuan was naggy, worried his adult daughter might get into trouble where he couldn’t see.

Tonight, Niannian wore long diamond drop earrings that looked like teardrops, surrounded by soft platinum vines. They matched her deep green emerald necklace and her black silk mermaid-cut qipao. As she moved her head, the diamonds swayed. She adjusted her black and gold silk shawl and nodded. “Don’t worry, Mr. Li. I’m twenty-five, not fifteen. I can take care of myself.”

The father and daughter entered with their invitations. Before they even got inside, Li Yuan ran into an acquaintance. He had to socialize. Niannian maintained a faint, gentle smile, fully entering her role as spokesperson as Li Yuan introduced her.

“I didn’t expect a law firm to hire an actress as a spokesperson. That’s a rare sight for a century-old firm.”

Li Yuan replied calmly, “Just keeping up with the times. Kids these days love their stars. My younger daughter likes her, so I had no choice.”

“We haven’t seen each other in ages, this might take a while. Let’s not make Miss Niannian stand here in heels with us.” Li Yuan found an excuse to let Niannian go, then whispered in her ear again, “Keep your wits about you. Don’t eat things from strangers.”

“Yes, yes, I know.”

Niannian acted poised and elegant, thinking she mustn’t lose face as the spokesperson for the firm. However, this beautiful resolve lasted exactly five minutes—the time it took to walk from the entrance to the buffet area.