After Failing To Win Over the Yandere Best Actress, I Got Marked - Chapter 3

The next morning, as soon as Su Jin arrived on set, she felt the weight of strange looks from everyone around her.

Staff members were huddled in small groups, whispering and casting meaningful glances her way. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively gripped her phone. The System’s voice rang in her ear: “Host, something feels off. Everyone is looking at you.”

Before she could respond, her phone vibrated.

A news notification popped up on the screen: “New Best Actress Ye Qinglan and Su Jin’s Intimate Interaction: Romance Sparked on Set?”

Su Jin clicked on the news. The headline featured a photo of her and Ye Qinglan from the previous night. Their posture looked incredibly ambiguous, leaning into Ye Qinglan’s arms, Su Jin looked as if she were truly dead-drunk and helpless.

“Isn’t this a good thing?” the System said excitedly. “Even though the mission failed, the paparazzi still got the shot. You’ve successfully leeched off her popularity!”

Su Jin frowned. She suddenly recalled the moment Ye Qinglan had caught her the night before there had been a flicker of an unreadable smile in those eyes. She felt that things were heading in a strange direction, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

Just then, Ye Qinglan walked over.

Dressed in a simple white dress, she carried an air of cold elegance. Her gaze swept over Su Jin’s phone screen, and the corners of her lips curled slightly. “Miss Su, it seems we were photographed last night.”

Su Jin’s heart skipped a beat. she managed a forced smile. “Yes… what a surprise…”

Ye Qinglan’s smile turned meaningful. “A surprise? I, on the other hand, feel like… this might be a trap carefully designed by someone.”

Su Jin froze. The System gasped in her head: “Oh no, she’s onto us!”

Panic flared in Su Jin’s chest, but she maintained her facade. “Hahaha… Empress Ye, you must be joking.”

Ye Qinglan didn’t press further. She simply gave her a profound look before turning to leave, dropping a casual remark: “We’re filming soon. I hope Miss Su can bring her best performance.”

Watching her back, Su Jin felt a hollow sense of dread. Ye Qinglan definitely meant more than she was saying.

The Set of Behind the Starlight

The cameras officially started rolling.

The movie, titled Behind the Starlight, told the story of two girls whose relationship evolved from simple friendship to youthful love, only to drift apart due to desire, power, and the dark undercurrents of the entertainment industry. It was a high-stakes drama where the characters balanced restraint with passion, eventually spiraling toward mutual destruction.

Ye Qinglan played the female lead, Lin Xia, while Su Jin played the second lead, Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu was an unlikable character. Initially, she pursued Lin Xia, but after they became a couple, she hid the relationship to protect her career. Later, she became ruthless in her pursuit of fame, accepting “hidden rules” and involving herself with directors and producers.

Reading the script, Su Jin felt conflicted. Not only was she forced to play a “Scumbag Alpha” in real life, but she also had to play a “villainess” on screen. Why is it so hard to just be a good person?

“Host, this role suits you perfectly,” the System chirped. “Since your reputation is already in the gutter, this is basically typecasting!”

Su Jin rolled her eyes. “Can you shut up?”

The first scene was a confrontation between Lin Xia and Zhou Yu.

In the plot, Zhou Yu had spread rumors about Lin Xia to steal a resource. When they met on set, Lin Xia confronted her, only to be met with cold mockery.

“Action!” the director shouted.

Ye Qinglan’s eyes turned ice-cold instantly. She stepped toward Su Jin, her voice low and suppressed: “Zhou Yu, why did you do it?”

The sheer pressure of Ye Qinglan’s aura made it hard for Su Jin to breathe, but she adjusted quickly, flashing a mocking sneer. “What do I want? Lin Xia, you’ve been in this circle so long; don’t tell me you don’t understand. Resources are limited. If you don’t fight for them, someone else will.”

Ye Qinglan’s eyes filled with disappointment. “So you resort to such despicable methods?”

Su Jin let out a light, flirtatious laugh. “Despicable? Lin Xia, you’re too naive. In this industry, whose hands are actually clean?”

“Cut!” the director yelled, nodding with satisfaction. “Excellent! The emotions are spot on. Keep it up!”

The “Twisted Ankle” Mission

As Su Jin prepared to leave, Ye Qinglan leaned in and whispered, “Miss Su, your acting both on and off camera is quite impressive.”

Su Jin stiffened, but Ye Qinglan was already gone.

During the next few scenes, Su Jin’s performance faltered. Whenever she shared the frame with Ye Qinglan, she felt overwhelmed by the other woman’s presence. She couldn’t keep up.

The director called “Cut” several times, his voice growing impatient. “Su Jin, what’s wrong? Your energy is off. Reset!”

Su Jin sighed in frustration. “I don’t know,” she muttered to the System. “Ye Qinglan’s eyes are terrifying. It’s like she can see right through me.”

“Host, you have to stay steady. If we’re exposed, it’s over,” the System warned.

After filming wrapped, the System chimed in again: “Host, the mission isn’t finished! You need to hug Ye Qinglan and hold it for at least 3 minutes!”

“Are you insane?” Su Jin nearly screamed. “How am I supposed to hug her now?”

“The mission must be completed, or you face the penalty.”

The thought of the “Void World” penalty made Su Jin’s skin crawl. “Fine. I’ll try.”

She spotted Ye Qinglan talking to the director. When the director left, Su Jin decided to use an old trick. As she walked past Ye Qinglan, she “slipped,” letting out a cry: “Ah!”

She lunged forward, and Ye Qinglan seemingly unable to dodge was caught in her arms.

Su Jin clung to her, a pained expression on her face. “My… my ankle. I think I twisted it.”

Ye Qinglan looked down at her foot, her voice calm. “Can you walk?”

Su Jin shook her head piteously. “No… it hurts so much.”

Ye Qinglan leaned down slightly to support her arm. “I’ll help you to the dressing room.”

As they limped along, Su Jin was laser focused on the System’s countdown: 100 seconds left! At this pace, they would reach the room before the timer hit zero.

“Empress Ye… I… I really can’t walk anymore,” Su Jin groaned, trying to look even more frail.

Ye Qinglan stopped and looked at her. “Should I carry you on my back then?”

Before Su Jin could even process the offer, Ye Qinglan had already bent down. Su Jin hesitated for a second before climbing onto her back.

Ye Qinglan’s pace was steady. Su Jin’s heart hammered against her ribs. Through their clothes, she could smell the faint, cold fragrance of Ye Qinglan’s perfume mixed with a hint of body heat. It made her head spin.

3… 2… 1…

“Mission accomplished!” the System cheered. “One million dollars has been credited to your account!”

A million! I’m rich! In her excitement, Su Jin completely forgot her “injured” persona. As Ye Qinglan set her down in the dressing room, Su Jin stepped firmly onto the floor and even did a little celebratory stomp.

“Miss Su,” Ye Qinglan’s voice rang out, laced with teasing. “Your foot… it’s healed?”

Su Jin froze. She quickly tried to limp again, laughing awkwardly. “Ah, maybe it wasn’t that serious… it feels much better now…”

Ye Qinglan smiled enigmatically. “Is that so? How fortunate.”

Terrified by that look, Su Jin ducked her head. “Thank you, Empress Ye. I-I’ll be going now…”

“Miss Su,” Ye Qinglan called out coldly. “The photos… were well-taken.”

Su Jin looked up, startled.

“However,” Ye Qinglan continued with a dangerous glint in her eyes, “certain private photos… shouldn’t be shared so carelessly. Come to my room tonight. We need to have a proper talk.”

The Secret Susicion

That night, alone in her hotel room, Ye Qinglan stood by the window.

“System,” she whispered, her voice trembling with suppressed urgency. “I still feel it. Su Jin is her. I wouldn’t mistake that feeling.”

Her own System hesitated. “Host, I have scanned her soul multiple times. Her fluctuations are different. The ‘Master’s’ soul dissipated. That is an irreversible fact.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Ye Qinglan gripped the window frame until her knuckles turned white. “The way she looks at me, her scent, even the warmth of her body when she’s near… it’s identical to my Sister. I cannot be wrong.”

The System was silent for a moment. “If you are certain, there is only one explanation: Her soul has been modified by a higher power or her signature is being masked. But that would mean…”

“What?”

“It would mean her actions are not her own. She might be bound to another System, forced to approach you for some grander scheme.”

Ye Qinglan’s eyes hardened with resolve. “If that’s the case, I have to find out what she’s being forced to do. She gave up everything for me once. Now, it’s my turn to save her.”

She looked out into the night, her gaze determined.

“Tonight, I will test her again. I hope… I hope it’s really her.”