After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Jiang Yan remained silent for a long while. She had long ago pushed the fact that Shao Niannian’s dancing ability was near zero to the back of her mind. Every activity she had arranged for today was inspired by that secret script she was researching.

Jiang Yan bit her lip, looking conflicted. “We can arrange those low-energy activities later. Anyway, we’re not the ones paying here.”

The “big sucker,” Mina, was footing the bill; they just had to focus on having fun.

Shao Niannian thought about it reluctantly. Noticing the cameras pointed her way, she secretly tugged on the hem of Jiang Yan’s jacket, gesturing for her to lean down.

“What is it?”

“What exactly did you tell Mina? Are you sure staying overnight won’t cost us anything?” Niannian whispered. Even though she hadn’t been to Yunqing, she’d been to other high-end resorts. A single night in a room here could cost as much as a down payment on a standard apartment.

If Mina didn’t pay, the ten thousand yuan they had left wouldn’t even cover the pillows. They’d probably end up sleeping in the lake with the swans. Or worse, the staff would literally toss them out on camera, making them famous across the nation for the wrong reasons.

“Relax, truly,” Jiang Yan said nonchalantly, pulling Niannian further inside. She found it hilarious how Niannian was obsessing over their “meager” savings. The director’s plan was brilliant—it had turned people who never lacked money into penny-pinchers who wanted to split every cent in two.

Jiang Yan suspected that if she asked Niannian to buy three ice creams at Yunqing prices, the girl might actually burst into tears. No acting required; poverty was the ultimate tragedy.

After wrestling with the receptionists to register and link Jiang Yan’s secret membership data, Mina looked up only to find the two had already wandered off toward the shuttle bus without waiting for her.

Mina: “???”

You two are too much. Even an “ATM tool” has feelings.

Mina sprinted to catch the shuttle. Her first words were an interrogation: “Do you guys have a heart? Did you not see your benefactor still registering? Why are you moving so fast?”

“Is the benefactor with the money that important?” Jiang Yan mouthed silently, her lips moving without a sound. The look she gave was so cold it forced Mina to swallow the rest of her complaints.

Mina turned to look at the scenery, chanting in her head: Equivalent exchange… equivalent exchange…

Upon checking in, Niannian and Jiang Yan were assigned the same room. Naturally, they walked ahead side-by-side, leaving Mina trailing behind again.

Niannian held the travel guide map provided by the front desk. Even with both arms stretched wide, she couldn’t pull the massive thing straight. “Are there really this many projects in Yunqing? This place is huge. The maintenance costs alone must be insane. Does it actually turn a profit?”

“It does,” Jiang Yan replied. She knew a thing or two about this project. Since it was part of her family’s industry, not knowing how it operated would be embarrassing.

“Don’t let the size fool you. It’s actually split into three parts by an artificial river and electric fencing. This map is for the entire Yunqing development. The leisure center we’re in is only about half of it.”

“One half is a botanical industrial park—a key link in the corporate chain. The other half is rentable for weddings, banquets, and concerts.” Jiang Yan lightly pinched a corner of the map to help Niannian hold it. As she traced a circle over a section, she leaned her body almost entirely against Niannian. From behind, they looked intimately entwined.

Mina, walking behind them, ground her teeth. Jiang Yan is a liar. “Not close”? If this wasn’t “close,” what did “close” look like?

Mina’s soul-dead expression didn’t escape the cameras. High-definition zooms captured her eye-roll perfectly, and the live stream viewers immediately turned it into a meme: “Small couples are my natural enemy,” and “Stop the show, the dog is full of your food.”

Niannian’s grip on the map loosened. She instinctively wanted to pull away from the contact, but remembered their “relationship” status and forced herself to stay. She looked pained, not daring to look at the camera for fear of showing an abnormal reaction. She quickly improvised by hooking her arm through Jiang Yan’s. At least now there was a reason to be touching.

After a quick room check, the two changed into sportswear. The brand provided in the wardrobe was subtle but high-end; standing together in matching solid-color sets, they looked unmistakably like a couple.

The first activity: Horseback riding.

Niannian had learned the basics for a role once, but she rarely did period dramas. Everything she had learned had been promptly returned to her martial arts instructors. She thought muscle memory might kick in, but the moment she saw the horses, she realized she had no muscle memory—only a deep-seated “leg-weakness” memory.

Her grandmother had raised her to be a traditional painter, emphasizing the protection of her hands. Any extreme sport that could risk her finger bones was strictly forbidden.

“These horses… aren’t they a bit too tall?” Niannian looked at the magnificent steeds in the paddock. She wasn’t short, but next to them, she felt tiny.

Jiang Yan followed her gaze and chuckled, poking Niannian’s arm. She pointed to a different stable. “Don’t worry, I’m not making you ride those. I’m taking you over there.”

Niannian looked over and felt thoroughly insulted. In the other stable were ponies—short, stubby, and looking like the child laborers of the horse world.

“They’re cute… but isn’t this illegal?” Niannian followed Jiang Yan, sounding flustered. “Are they even adults?”

“They aren’t child laborers; they’re just ponies for kids and beginners.”

“Won’t people laugh at a grown adult riding these?” Niannian looked around nervously. Seeing no other adults on ponies, she leaned into Jiang Yan’s ear and whispered, “Did I have bad sleeping posture last night?”

“Hmm?”

“Did I offend you somehow? Why else would you want the whole world to see me riding a pony!” Niannian sounded genuinely aggrieved. “I might have poor motor skills, but I’m not that pathetic.”

The hot breath against Jiang Yan’s ear and cheek caused a slight flush. She instinctively flinched away to create space, her loose hair failing to hide her reddening ears.

“You choose then… I’ll listen to you,” Jiang Yan surrendered. Her plan had been to let Niannian practice mounting on a pony first. But clearly, logic was no match for a beautiful girl’s pout. Jiang Yan, usually a perfectionist, finally applied the advice her manager always gave: “Be strict with yourself, be lenient with others.”

If she couldn’t ride elegantly, sitting elegantly on a horse was also a skill.

The instructors at the ranch were professionals. Before the coach could even walk over to help, Jiang Yan gave him a subtle, meaningful glance. The staff here were smart; they knew when not to interrupt a guest. The coach turned on his heel and vanished before he even touched the grass.

Niannian fiddled with the chin strap of her helmet, lifting her chin to show Jiang Yan the stubborn buckle. “See? I told you these sports are incompatible with my destiny! Even a buckle is bullying me!”