After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 63

Chapter 63

The banquet planner had impeccable taste, selecting the latest seasonal releases from Shao Niannian’s favorite dessert shop—items so exclusive they weren’t sold over the counter but required membership points to redeem.

It was “hunger marketing” taken to its extreme. Niannian’s “refined lady” image didn’t last long. The moment she saw the cakes and the rainbow-colored drinks, the oaths she had made before stepping through the door vanished like bubbles.

Fortunately, she maintained a shred of professional sanity; she opted for eating the cakes in small, rapid bites—the most she could do to respect her career ethics while succumbing to temptation.

Jiang Yan had arrived at the venue before Niannian. As a brand spokesperson, she couldn’t afford to be late like a regular guest. After confirming she only needed to sit and applaud tonight, she excused herself from the circle of high-society “big shots” and walked to a quiet corner to check her messages.

Yang Yang knew about tonight’s event. She had dropped Jiang Yan off at the makeup studio that morning with only a few brief instructions before heading to her next task. In Yang Yang’s eyes, Jiang Yan was an adult who had handled scenes like this a thousand times. Even if she was unwilling, her public performance was always flawless.

However, Jiang Yan wasn’t looking at messages from Yang Yang. She was looking at a message from Gao Hui—specifically, one pinpointing Niannian’s exact location.

Gao Hui had messaged Jiang Yan the moment Niannian stepped into the hall, asking her to keep an eye on the “ancestor” to ensure she didn’t cause trouble. From the second-floor balcony, Jiang Yan surveyed the lobby below, instantly locating a suspicious, sneaky figure in the dessert area. She glanced down at Gao Hui’s most recent warning:

—“Watch her. Don’t let her drink, and don’t let her eat too many sweets! You HAVE to stop her, she cannot afford to get any fatter!”

Jiang Yan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and locked her screen. Then she unlocked it again.

Perfect. No new messages. She mentally decided that her routine check of the chat history had yielded absolutely nothing. I saw nothing.

With that thought, Jiang Yan watched as Niannian reached for her fifth glass of brightly colored “juice.” She immediately apologized to the group of executives she was with. “I’m afraid I can’t stay with you for the time being. I have some urgent matters to handle.”

Jiang Yan descended from the second floor to the dessert section. By the time she arrived, Niannian was piling a seventh piece of cake onto her plate—a matcha chestnut flavor. The matcha cream was topped with chestnut crumbles that melted on the tongue, hiding a refreshing coconut jelly center.

Jiang Yan frowned, staring at Niannian. The younger woman clearly sensed an “unfavorable presence” behind her and turned around, holding her plate. Due to the combination of an empty stomach, alcohol, and sugar, Niannian felt like Jiang Yan was vibrating. In the glare of the crystal chandeliers, Jiang Yan had split into two or three shimmering shadows.

Niannian unhappily set her fork down, walked closer, and grabbed Jiang Yan’s arm. She grumbled, “Are you scared? Why are you wobbling around so much?”

“…”

From upstairs, Jiang Yan hadn’t noticed much change. But now that Niannian was right in front of her, she saw that the girl’s previously thin face had filled out with soft “baby fat.” With her mouth full of cake, her cheeks puffed out, looking exactly like those viral photos of squirrels eating.

Her figure was also more curvaceous. The high-collared qipao accentuated her graceful lines. Compared to her usual sweet, light look, Jiang Yan found this version of Niannian even more captivating.

Regardless, Jiang Yan reached out and confiscated the plate. “No more.”

“Why?” Niannian lowered her eyes, looking at the distant plate with genuine anger. The “sweet, refreshing drinks” had acted as a demolition crew for her logic.

The foundation on Niannian’s cheeks couldn’t hide the flushed red blooming beneath her skin. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears, looking as though she might wail in public if the cake wasn’t returned immediately.

Before a sound could escape, Jiang Yan moved with lightning speed, covering Niannian’s mouth while asking a nearby attendant for the location of the private lounges.

The attendant was stunned. The banquet hadn’t even officially started, yet someone was already wasted? He didn’t think there were many high-alcohol options available yet, but he led them to a lounge and flipped the sign on the door to “Occupied.”

Once inside, Jiang Yan helped Niannian sit down. The beautifully dressed girl looked up with misty eyes and suddenly leaned forward to bite the fleshy part of Jiang Yan’s palm. Her teeth closed lightly, not actually breaking the skin.

Jiang Yan let out a sharp “hiss,” and the “biter” froze, looking up at her. Niannian’s gaze was clear: I haven’t even pressed down yet, what are you yelling for!

Taking advantage of the daze, Jiang Yan withdrew her hand before the drunkard could take a real chunk out of her. She rinsed a glass with clean water, poured it into an ashtray to clear the dust, then filled it halfway and pressed it against Niannian’s lips. “Drink. You smell entirely like sweet wine.”

“You must be the only person at this entire banquet who can get this drunk on dessert wine.”

The sugar and alcohol were a cloying combination. In the crowded hall, Niannian had felt out of place, so she had focused entirely on the food. The drinks had tasted like sweet fruit at first, with only a slight bitterness at the end, and because they were full of ice, she hadn’t realized the proof was actually quite high. By the time she noticed, she was already drifting, thinking: If I’ve had one, I might as well have five.

And so, Jiang Yan suffered.

Jiang Yan held the glass to Niannian’s mouth. At first, the water level dropped, but soon, she only heard “glug, glug” sounds while the water stayed still. The drunk girl was holding Jiang Yan’s hands like a child, biting the rim of the glass and blowing bubbles.

“Fine, don’t drink then.” Jiang Yan pulled her hands free, set the glass aside, and used a tissue to carefully wipe the water from Niannian’s lips, avoiding her lipstick.

“I want to drink!” Niannian acted spoiled, wrapping her arms around Jiang Yan’s waist and rubbing her cheek against Jiang Yan’s midriff. She whispered, “Want water. Thirsty.”

“Are you drinking? Even toddlers don’t play with water like that.” Jiang Yan felt a strange sensation where Niannian’s face pressed against her. She hooked a finger to stroke Niannian’s cheek. “If you can’t handle wine, why did you take those drinks? If you had a few more, you’d be the top trending topic on Weibo tomorrow.”

“Water…”

Niannian wasn’t truly thirsty; she was subconsciously seeking attention. She called out several more times, and when Jiang Yan didn’t move, she got grumpy. Even while drunk, her “inner tyrant” was alive and well. Looking up was too tiring—the ceiling lights made her dizzy.

Seated on the sofa, Niannian huffed and pulled Jiang Yan down. The side slit of Jiang Yan’s qipao restricted her movement, so she ended up half-kneeling beside Niannian. Niannian immediately leaned into her embrace, seemingly boneless.

At first, she was relatively well-behaved, resting her face against Jiang Yan’s stomach and breathing softly. Jiang Yan wasn’t sure what the “ancestor” was up to, but she recognized that this position was a “danger signal” for both of them. She didn’t dare move.

Jiang Yan’s plan was to wait for Niannian to fall asleep, call Gao Hui to see where to drop her off after the banquet, and then have her own staff watch over her once the event officially started.

But the drunkard wouldn’t stay still for five minutes. Niannian suddenly looked up, her porcelain skin flushed pink. Her teardrop earrings swayed with her movement.

In an instant, Jiang Yan, pinned against the sofa, went stiff as a board. She didn’t dare move—but that didn’t mean Niannian wouldn’t.

Niannian truly acted like a “toddler,” scrambling over Jiang Yan using her hands and feet. Despite her attempts to be careful, she stepped on Jiang Yan’s thigh, nearly sending them both tumbling off the sofa. Jiang Yan reached out to steady the “child,” letting the drunkard explore her like an uncharted world. Niannian’s bright eyes slowly approached Jiang Yan’s face, blocking out the overhead light.

Niannian braced her hands on either side of Jiang Yan’s head, then unexpectedly buried her face in the crook of Jiang Yan’s neck. She muffled, “Don’t go out, okay? Stay here with me. Just the two of us.”

“I’m here for work, not for play.”

Jiang Yan knew it was useless to explain to a drunk person. Before she could finish, Niannian bit down on the flesh of her shoulder. At first, it was a light grind of teeth, but then, perhaps worried it would hurt, Niannian transitioned into soft licks. Her lips moved along the neckline with an overflow of affection, kissing all the way up to Jiang Yan’s jawline.

Jiang Yan’s hands, resting at her sides, clenched into fists. She trembled as if struck by an electric current. She stared with wide eyes at Niannian, whose lips were now dangerously close to her own. The top button of Niannian’s qipao had somehow come undone, and the silk fabric at her waist was bunched up, the slit now exposing most of her thigh.

Their posture was intimate and heavy with tension.

“I want water.” Niannian seemed tired after reaching the lips; she slumped against Jiang Yan, refusing to move, hugging her tight as if afraid she would vanish.

“I have to get up to get the water.”

“You feed me.”

“I know… just let me get up to get the glass first, okay?” Jiang Yan coaxed.

“I’ll hold it for you, you feed me.” The drunk girl negotiated. As soon as Jiang Yan agreed, Niannian fumbled blindly for the glass on the table and held it out.

Jiang Yan, intending to continue coaxing the “child,” felt the scent of sweet wine get closer. The warm, jade-soft body against her was pressed tight. The glass sparkled under the lights, matching the heat in Niannian’s gaze.

“Feed me with a kiss…” Niannian shoved the glass into Jiang Yan’s hand and muttered, “Otherwise I’ll cry.”

“And if you make me cry, I’ll tell on you. If I tell, my mom and dad won’t let you off. You’ll have to take a very, very big responsibility then.”

Jiang Yan, holding the glass: “?”

I really want to splash this water on her to wake her up. What kind of kindergarten logic am I even dealing with right now?