After Failing To Win Over the Yandere Best Actress, I Got Marked - Chapter 12

After hanging up on Sister Li, Su Jin collapsed onto the hospital bed, complaining feebly to the empty air, “What kind of mess is this? She’s the one who kissed me first, and now it’s somehow my fault?”

The System materialized gloomily: “Host, I warned you long ago to follow the assigned tasks. Now look the plot has deviated, hasn’t it?”

“You have the nerve to say that!” Su Jin was so frustrated she grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the wall. “If you didn’t issue those perverted tasks every day, would I be in such a bind?”

The System went silent for a moment before its tone suddenly turned gentle: “Host, actually, things are looking up. Since Ye Qinglan proactively suggested a contract relationship, doesn’t that make it easier for you to complete your tasks?”

Su Jin rolled her eyes. “Easier? I’m stuck between satisfying Ye Qinglan’s ‘stand-in’ requirements and Sister Li’s demands for a clarification. I’m caught in the middle!”

She ran her fingers through her hair irritably, a thought suddenly striking her: “Wait, System, what would happen if I just told Ye Qinglan the truth?”

“Warning!” The System’s voice turned shrill. “If the Host reveals the existence of the System, they will be immediately obliterated!”

Su Jin shivered, pursing her lips. “Fine, fine, I was just saying…”

Just then, the ward door was pushed open gently. A nurse walked in pushing a meal cart: “Miss Su, here is your patient meal.”

At the scent of the food, Su Jin’s stomach growled betrayingly. She hurried to open the containers and found today’s menu exceptionally lavish: steamed sea bass, shiitake mushrooms with greens, red date and wolfberry soup, and a small bowl of crystal clear white rice.

“Oh? Why is the food so good today?” Su Jin asked the nurse in surprise.

The nurse smiled. “Miss Ye specifically requested this for you. She said you need to replenish your nutrients.”

Su Jin’s hand holding the chopsticks paused, a complex mix of emotions swirling in her heart. She lowered her head and took a bite of rice. As the sweetness of the grain melted in her mouth, she whispered to the System: “System, just how deep are her feelings for ‘her’? She even micromanages the patient meals for a stand-in like me.”

The System, focused only on objectives, urged: “Isn’t this the perfect chance to finish the task? Since she treats you as a substitute, just play the part well and earn her trust.”

Su Jin picked up a piece of fish. The tender meat melted on her tongue as she grumbled softly, “But I don’t want to be someone else’s shadow…”

Right then, her phone vibrated. A video call request from Ye Qinglan popped up.

Startled, Su Jin scrambled to put down her chopsticks, nearly knocking over her soup. She took a deep breath, tidied her hair and hospital gown, and answered the call.

On the screen, Ye Qinglan looked like she had just finished a shoot, still wearing exquisite makeup. Her eyes visibly brightened the moment she saw Su Jin, her lips curving upward naturally. “Have you eaten?”

Su Jin instinctively turned the camera toward the meal. “Eating now. Thank you for arranging this.”

“How are you feeling? The doctor said you can be discharged tomorrow.” Ye Qinglan’s voice was much softer than usual, her gaze fixed intently on Su Jin through the screen.

“Much better. I should make it to the shoot the day after tomorrow.” Su Jin poked at her rice, her mind wandering.

Sensing her unease, Ye Qinglan asked softly, “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”

“No, it’s delicious.” Su Jin shook her head quickly, forcing a smile. “It’s just… Sister Li called earlier. She wants me to do a livestream to clarify our relationship.”

Ye Qinglan froze for a moment, her brow furrowing. “Ignore her. I’ll have my studio issue a statement tomorrow confirming that we are dating.”

“What?” Su Jin looked up in shock. “But… but aren’t we just a ‘contract’…”

“A contract relationship is still a relationship.” Ye Qinglan interrupted, her gaze becoming suddenly profound. “I worked hard to reach this position so I could protect the person I love, didn’t I?”

Hearing the words “person I love,” Su Jin was momentarily dazed, as if Ye Qinglan were confessing her love to her directly. However, she quickly snapped back to reality, reminding herself of her status as a stand-in.

But so what if I’m a stand-in? There’s always the saying ‘the fox borrows the tiger’s might!’

Armed with Ye Qinglan’s promise, Su Jin felt a surge of confidence. “I understand.”

Ye Qinglan seemed like she wanted to say more, but another call came in on her end. She hurriedly said, “I have to take this,” and ended the video.

Su Jin went back to her meal, but soon Sister Li’s messages started flooding in. Su Jin didn’t even need to look to know they were interrogations. Now that she had Ye Qinglan’s “get out of jail free card,” she ignored them and focused on finishing her food.

After eating, Su Jin fell into a daze, not even noticing when her chopsticks slipped to the floor.

“Host, you’re acting weird,” the System piped up. “You couldn’t possibly be falling for Ye Qinglan for real, could you?”

“Nonsense!” Su Jin jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “I just… I just feel like deceiving her isn’t right.”

The System gave an atmospheric “Oh,” and said nothing more.

Su Jin picked up her chopsticks again but had lost her appetite, her mind filled with Ye Qinglan’s smiling eyes.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated manically again. Sister Li had sent over a dozen messages, and seeing no reply, she had decided to storm the hospital in person.

“Su Jin! Do you think your wings have grown strong enough to ignore my calls?!” Sister Li, wearing ten-centimeter heels, burst into the room. The door slammed against the wall with a deafening thud.

Su Jin, who was calmly munching on an apple, nearly choked. She slowly tossed the core into the bin and looked up with an innocent smile. “Sister Li, my phone was on silent.”

“Silent?” Sister Li sneered, her red-nailed finger almost poking Su Jin’s face. “I think you’ve lost your mind! Get on that livestream and clarify everything right now!”

Su Jin pouted and muttered, “But we really are dating…”

“Bullsh*t!” Sister Li pulled a stack of contracts from her bag and slammed them down. “Look at your breach of contract clauses! If you don’t clarify today, you can expect to be bankrupt by tomorrow!”

Su Jin glanced at the astronomical figures on the contract and her mouth twitched. Under Sister Li’s predatory gaze, she slowly pulled out her phone and opened the livestream app.

“Hurry up!” Sister Li snapped, giving her no room to explain. “Just say you and Film Queen Ye are ordinary colleagues and that last night was just a camera trick!”

Su Jin had no choice. She started the stream, and viewers flooded in like a tidal wave. The comments exploded instantly:

[Another clout chaser!]

[Stay away from our Goddess Ye!]

[Shameless! No lower limit for hype!]

Su Jin looked at the screen full of abuse, her smile turning stiff. She took a deep breath and began according to Sister Li’s instructions: “Hello everyone, regarding what happened last night, I want to clarify…”

Before she could finish, the comments grew even more frantic:

[Get out of the industry!]

[An 18th-tier star thinks she’s worthy of Film Queen Ye?]

[Ban this clout-chasing dog!]

Sister Li mouthed from the sidelines: “Say it!”

Su Jin rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to continue, the livestream erupted with dazzling special effects. Ye Qinglan’s officially verified account entered the room and immediately showered the stream with countless high-value gifts!

The screen was buried under gift animations. The chat went silent for a second before exploding:

[Holy crap! The main lead is here!]

[Waiting for the slap in the face!]

[Film Queen Ye, come put this clout chaser in her place!]

Su Jin froze, staring blankly at the screen.

Ye Qinglan’s account slowly typed out a single line: “Let me introduce you all, this is my girlfriend @SuJin.”

The livestream went nuclear.

[????]

[Am I blind??]

[Impossible! Absolutely impossible!]

Sister Li’s face turned deathly pale. She snatched the phone from Su Jin to check the handle. When she confirmed it was indeed Ye Qinglan’s official account, she began to tremble. “You… you two are actually dating…?”

Su Jin blinked innocently. “I told you that already.”

The tide of the comments shifted rapidly:

[I ship it!]

[Where are the people who were talking trash earlier?]

[Ahhh, my girl has finally made it!]

Of course, some discord remained:

[Su Jin must have used some dirty tricks!]

[Is the Film Queen blind?]

[Waiting for the breakup!]

Just then, Ye Qinglan’s account sent another message: “To those insulting my girlfriend: the lawyer’s letters are ready.”

The room fell into a dead silence. Sister Li’s hand shook, and the phone clattered to the floor.

Su Jin leaned over to pick it up and gave the camera a sweet smile. “Thank you for the blessings, everyone! We will definitely be very happy together!” She blew a kiss to the camera and decisively ended the stream.

Sister Li’s face turned from white to green, then red, before she forced a smile that looked more like a sob. “Xiao Jin… Sister Li was just a bit impulsive earlier…”

“About the breach of contract fee…” Su Jin tilted her head, looking naive.

“Voided! All voided!” Sister Li waved her hands frantically. “We’ll renegotiate your contract later. You can decide the profit-sharing ratio!”

Su Jin was cheering internally, but she kept up appearances. “Oh, I’d feel so bad about that…”

“It’s only right! Only right!” Sister Li stammered. “Um… do you think you could ask Film Queen Ye to star in our company’s new drama?”

Before Su Jin could answer, the door opened again. Ye Qinglan, dressed in casual clothes and carrying a thermos, walked in.

“Ye… Qinglan!” Su Jin cried out in surprise.

Seeing Sister Li, Ye Qinglan’s expression immediately turned cold. “Why are you here?”

Sister Li backed away two steps, stuttering, “I-I was just leaving!” With that, she bolted out of the room.

Ye Qinglan set the thermos on the nightstand and walked over. “Did she threaten you?”

Su Jin shook her head and curiously opened the thermos. “What’s this?”

“Porridge I made myself.” Ye Qinglan spoke with a hint of seeking praise. “It’s my first time, so it might not be great…”

Su Jin took a taste, and her eyes lit up. “It’s delicious!”

Ye Qinglan smiled. Suddenly, she leaned in close to Su Jin’s ear and lowered her voice: “Since you’re mostly recovered, why don’t you get discharged now and come stay at my house?”

Su Jin’s whole body went stiff. Her spoon fell into the porridge with a loud clink.

“You… what did you say?”