After Failing To Win Over the Yandere Best Actress, I Got Marked - Chapter 11

Ye Qinglan walked back toward the hospital ward, noticing the door was left slightly ajar.

Through the crack, she saw Su Jin lying on the bed, her face contorting into grimaces as if she were in a heated argument with someone yet her lips made no sound.

Ye Qinglan guessed almost instantly, the System must be coercing Su Jin into doing something against her will. Her expression flickered with a mix of heartache and fury. To avoid alerting the “enemy,” she gritted her teeth and reminded herself to be patient.

“System,” Ye Qinglan whispered internally, “Sister must be talking to the system controlling her right now. Can you detect what they’re saying?”

After a brief pause, her system replied: “Apologies. My energy levels are currently low; I can barely maintain your rebirth. Monitoring another system’s dialogue requires a significant amount of energy.”

A flash of murderous intent crossed Ye Qinglan’s eyes. “I can’t just watch Sister be controlled like this. Knowing her temper, she’ll eventually try to take the system down with her. It seems it’s time to deal with that pest Fang Qi and get you the energy you need as quickly as possible.”

“Soon,” the system noted. “The plot is approaching the point where Fang Qi threatens Su Jin to drug you, take explicit photos for blackmail, and eventually leak them online in a fit of rage to destroy your career.”

“With Sister’s character, she’d probably rather die than agree to that,” Ye Qinglan remarked, her voice carrying a trace of lingering regret.

Even her usually formal system couldn’t help but click its tongue: “Ye Qinglan, does your Master know you have such… perverted tastes?”

Ye Qinglan smiled thinly, said nothing, and pushed open the door.

Startled by the noise, Su Jin whipped her head around. Seeing Ye Qinglan, she scrambled to sit up straight and stammered, “Ye… Empress Ye, why are you back?”

Ye Qinglan didn’t answer. She walked straight toward her, stopping only when they were a fist’s width apart. She suddenly leaned down, looming over her.

“What you said before… was it true?”

Su Jin was utterly bewildered. In her rush to complete the tasks, she had no idea which specific lie Ye Qinglan was referring to.

Did she realize something is wrong? Is she back for revenge?

Tensing up, her spine stiffening, Su Jin faltered, “Wha… what words?”

Ye Qinglan leaned closer, speaking slowly and deliberately: “You said you’ve had a crush on me for a long time.”

Su Jin hadn’t expected her to bring that up. Panicking, she blurted out, “I… I’m sorry! I was just talking nonsense at the time. I’m so sorry.”

Ye Qinglan’s voice dropped lower. “So, you don’t actually like me?”

Just as Su Jin was about to apologize again, the System let out a piercing shriek in her mind: “Warning! Warning! Host, you still have unfinished tasks. Do not create a severe conflict with the target! Tell her immediately that you DO like her, but you’re just too insecure to admit it. Otherwise, if the mission fails, you will be cast into the Void World!”

Hearing “Void World,” Su Jin trembled instinctively, her face turning pale.

Ye Qinglan felt a pang of pity seeing her reaction. Without even waiting for Su Jin to speak, she said, “Su Jin, I can give you a chance. Let’s be together.”

Su Jin looked at her in disbelief. “You… what did you say?”

Ye Qinglan fixed her gaze on her and repeated, “I said, I can agree to be with you.”

“Wh… why?” Su Jin couldn’t wrap her head around it. Hadn’t Ye Qinglan just warned her not to cause trouble? Why the sudden 180 degree turn?

Suddenly, Ye Qinglan reached out, tilting Su Jin’s chin up. She leaned into her ear and whispered, “Because you look like an old acquaintance of mine. I can be with you, and I don’t even mind you riding my coattails for fame or resources. As long as you do as I say and act a bit more like her.”

Su Jin was stunned. The plot is going off the rails… did we just switch to a ‘Stand-in’ trope? She screamed at her system internally: “System! What’s happening? She really wants me to be a substitute? Who do I look like?”

The System was quiet for a long moment before drawling: “Host, the way you looked when you refused the mission earlier was exactly like the idiot traveler who died for her before. She must be the ‘White Moonlight’ in Ye Qinglan’s heart.”

Su Jin protested: “What ‘idiot traveler’? Can you stop being so rude?”

The System replied coldly: “Heh. How was your behavior any different from that idiot’s?”

Caught completely off guard, Su Jin stared blankly at Ye Qinglan, unable to find words.

Ye Qinglan squeezed her chin lightly. “Well? Agree to it, and we both get what we want. As long as you play her role well, I can give you everything you desire.”

As Su Jin hesitated, the System shrieked again: “What are you waiting for? Agree! This makes following the plot easier. Once the mission is done, just tell her the ‘contract’ is over and walk away. You won’t even have to feel guilty. Or do you want to be electrocuted again?”

The thought of the electric shocks made Su Jin’s heart tighten. The System’s logic seemed to offer a way out a reason to justify her actions. Yet, she still felt a deep resistance.

Seeing her silence, Ye Qinglan’s tone suddenly softened. She said tenderly, “Agree to it, okay?”

The quiet, gentle question sent an inexplicable flutter through Su Jin’s heart. Meeting those eyes full of yearning, she nodded instinctively. “Okay.”

The moment the word left her mouth, she panicked: How did I agree so easily?

Ye Qinglan smiled. “Good. Then get some rest.”

Just then, a commotion erupted outside. It sounded like a crowd of reporters had gathered, likely tipped off and looking for an interview.

Su Jin said anxiously, “You… you should go. Don’t let the reporters catch you.”

Ye Qinglan laughed. “What’s there to fear? Aren’t we a couple now?”

Before Su Jin could react, Ye Qinglan leaned in and kissed her.

Su Jin’s eyes widened in shock. It wasn’t until her face was cradled and she felt the warmth on her lips that she realized Ye Qinglan had actually initiated a kiss.

“Wait, isn’t this moving too fast?” Su Jin thought wildly.

But before she could push her away, Ye Qinglan whispered against her lips, “Didn’t we agree to play up the couple angle? This is the perfect opportunity.”

In the heat of the kiss, the reporters outside captured the moment perfectly.

When Ye Qinglan finally let go, Su Jin was slumped in her arms, breathless.

Ye Qinglan left her with a simple “Get some rest” before heading out to deal with the paparazzi.

Su Jin’s mind was still spinning. Ye Qinglan had proposed a “contract relationship” where she’d be a stand-in, then suddenly kissed her, and now they had been caught by the media in the most blatant way possible.

Even after Ye Qinglan left, Su Jin remained in a daze.

The System commented sourly: “Host, you’re incredibly lucky. Defying the system actually got you Ye Qinglan’s favor. Don’t waste this chance! Now that she’s interested, use this proximity to finish your tasks.”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear from you right now.”

Su Jin buried her head under the covers, her thoughts a mess.

Even if Ye Qinglan only saw her as a substitute, she didn’t want to do those immoral things the drugging, the photos. But for some reason, the moment she looked into Ye Qinglan’s eyes, her heart softened. It was too impulsive.

However, remembering the agonizing electric shocks when she resisted, she felt a chill. She knew she couldn’t fight the system head on. Perhaps, by being this “stand-in,” she could find a way to drop hints to Ye Qinglan and eventually escape the system’s grip.

Maybe time would provide a way for her to have both.

Comforting herself with this thought, exhaustion finally took over, and she fell asleep.

She had a dream.

In the dream, someone kept calling her: “Sister… Sister, you said you’d come back… Sister, I miss you so much.”

She couldn’t see the person’s face, but she felt them embrace her. Warm fingers brushed over her skin, pulling her tight. Passionate kisses fell on her face, deepening until she could barely breathe, as if the person wanted to merge with her soul.

The dream felt so real that Su Jin reached out, gripping the person’s waist, her fingers tracing down their spine to their neck.

At that moment, the person flipped her over, pinning her down, and whispered: “Sister said… you’re the one on the bottom now.”

Then, Su Jin felt a gentle bite on the back of her neck. A numbing sensation spread from her glands as the person’s breath tickled her ear: “I really want to tie you up and keep you by my side forever.”

The intensity of the sensation made her cry out, “Qinglan…”

She opened her eyes to see a familiar face.

It was an exquisite, radiant face features like a painting, red lips, and white teeth. Su Jin froze until the owner of that face asked softly, “Su Jin, were you dreaming about me?”

Hot breath fanned across her face. Realizing where she was, Su Jin shook her head frantically. “No, I wasn’t dreaming about you.”

“Not dreaming about me? Then why were you calling my name?” Ye Qinglan’s voice held a teasing edge.

Su Jin grew more flustered, the steamy images from her dream flashing through her mind, turning her face bright red. Seeing this, Ye Qinglan found it even more amusing. She leaned in closer. “You look quite guilty. Tell me, what exactly were you dreaming? Was it kissing me, or…”

“No! I only… I only touched you a little!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Su Jin realized she’d been baited. She quickly corrected herself, “No! I didn’t do anything!”

Ye Qinglan chuckled and didn’t press further, just watching her with a knowing look.

Suddenly, a realization hit Su Jin about something that had felt off from the start. She blurted out, “You… you knew all along that I was doing those things on purpose while filming…”

Ye Qinglan nodded. “Of course. How could I not see that you were intentionally getting close to me and taking liberties? Wasn’t it just to ride my fame and create a ‘ship’? It’s just… you look so much like her, so I hesitated on whether or not to expose you.”

This was Ye Qinglan’s calculated lie to mislead the system. She had long known Su Jin’s “intentions” weren’t pure, but she pretended to believe Su Jin was just a social climber. By framing her own indulgence as a search for a “White Moonlight” substitute, everything appeared logical to any listening ears.

Hearing this, Su Jin felt a surge of annoyance. It felt as though Ye Qinglan had been sitting back and laughing while Su Jin was agonizing over her internal conflicts.

Seeing the spark of indignation, Ye Qinglan felt a sense of relief. She was afraid Su Jin was too soft hearted and was being tortured too much by the system. She decided to add fuel to the fire, pinching Su Jin’s cheek lightly.

“I want you to be more like her,” she whispered. “She never gave me attitude. She was always gentle and considerate. Also, don’t call me ‘Empress Ye’ anymore. Call me ‘Qinglan.’ You can be more affectionate with me; I liked it when she smiled.”

Su Jin was fuming. She hadn’t expected Ye Qinglan to so brazenly demand she roleplay as someone else. She huffed, “Fine, I get it.”

“Good. Now, call me ‘Qinglan,'” Ye Qinglan insisted.

Su Jin snapped, “Qinglan.”

Ye Qinglan was still dissatisfied. “More affectionate. Softer.”

Su Jin forced a gentle tone: “Qinglan.”

“Don’t be so artificial. Make it natural.”

They went back and forth until Ye Qinglan finally let go, satisfied. “Good. Rest now. I’ll pick you up for filming tomorrow.” With that, she turned and left the room.

Su Jin slumped back onto the bed, speechless.

Just then, her phone rang. It was her manager, Sister Li.

The moment she picked up, Sister Li’s roar came through the speaker: “Su Jin! Tell me what you’ve done! Why did I just get a call from Ye Qinglan’s agency demanding we release a statement clarifying you two aren’t in a relationship?!”

“I told you to trend a bit, not to actually jump her! I’m telling you, if you keep making trouble, you’re going to get blacklisted!”

Su Jin cried out in defense, “Sister Li, I didn’t! Ye Qinglan was the one who started it!”

Sister Li knew exactly what kind of person “Su Jin” usually was and didn’t believe a word of it. “Enough with the clever acts! I’m ordering you to start a livestream right now and clarify your relationship with Ye Qinglan! I’ll be watching the stream!”

Click. Sister Li hung up.

Su Jin felt like crying. She was more wronged than Dou E!