After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 1

It was late March, late at night. Hengdian was still shrouded in a coldness like crushed snow. Inside a hotel room near the Film and Television City, the windows were wide open.

A chilly breeze drifted in, gently swaying a wind chime hanging on the window, accompanying the incessant pitter-patter of typing.

After a long while, the typing stopped. Ji Youyi relaxed her stiff neck and shoulders, looked up from the screen, and reached for a half-full water bottle on the desk.

The water had been poured before she started working; the ice cubes she’d added to stay awake had long since melted away.

Since it’s already poured, might as well not waste it.

Ji Youyi downed it in one go, stood up, and went to close the window.

The wind chime swaying before her was a common Yiwu manufactured trinket, but it was a gift from a young fan. For six years, she had carried it everywhere.

She took down the wind chime, carefully wiped the moisture off with a tissue, tucked it into her coat pocket, picked up her phone, and headed to the bathroom.

Having sent off the revised script, Ji Youyi opened a chat box to type a message:

“Filming starts at nine as usual, but the scene order needs to change. I’ve marked everything. Organize it as soon as you wake up and send out the new call sheet.”

Ji Youyi glanced at the time, 5:30 AM. She continued writing:

“I’ll be at the set by 6:30 to supervise the lead’s makeup. Reach out if you have questions. I’ll step out for a meeting in the morning, if it goes well. I’ll brief several supporting roles at noon. I’ll try not to cut into your lunch break, but tell everyone to prepare for a late night. Work hard these next few days, supper is on me tonight.”

Exiting the chat, Ji Youyi squeezed out toothpaste. Brushing with her left hand, she used her right to tap into one of over a hundred unread messages.

“Director Ji, I am so, so sorry. It’s my lack of ability that made the investors so angry. When I first wrote Male Lead No. 4, he was just a tool villain. I didn’t expect someone to buy their way into that role. I can’t stand myself .I’m a professional, yet I can’t just ‘behave’ and add scenes for him. I’m so stupid, no matter how I revise it, I can’t make him stand out. Director Ji, I feel so guilty. You appreciated and promoted me, yet I keep making you clean up my messes [Crying face].”

The message was sent three hours ago by the screenwriter of her current film.

Great, Ji Youyi thought. Her little screenwriter was losing sleep because of some “resource player” forcing extra screen time into the script.

Ji Youyi stuck her toothbrush in her mouth and tapped away with both hands:

“Nonsense, babe! The reason I took this project was because of your script. Being a newcomer isn’t a weakness, on the contrary, your lack of restraint gives you a wild imagination that builds magnificent fantasy worlds. I treasure that, and you should realize your own worth. Please keep that soul. I’ll handle the rest…”

Before she could hit send, a sharp, piercing pain suddenly shot through her heart. She lost consciousness.

At 5:30 AM, most of the city was still asleep. The bustling neon lights stood frozen in the cold silence, looking somewhat dim.

In the northeast of S-City’s center sat Changfeng Bay No. 1, the city’s top luxury residential area. To the west was the business district, to the east, a river view. The price of 600,000 per square meter and a minimum area of 1,000 square meters kept most people away.

The developer was the giant of Z-Country’s real estate industry, Changfeng Group. Twenty years ago, Chairman Meng Yuting chose this piece of land with the best feng shui for the Meng family estate.

Currently, the main villa was brightly lit, but doors and windows were tightly shut. Heavy curtains blocked all light, hiding everything in the night.

Inside, everyone was gathered in a silent room.

The room had no electricity. Lighting was provided by long candles, their deep flames casting flickering shadows of the people present onto walls covered in talismans and feng shui compasses, stretching them into distorted shapes.

In the center was an altar. Inside, it was pitch black, though the silhouette of a human figure was faintly visible. On the altar’s incense burner, expensive agarwood burned quietly.

Meng Xingshu knelt before the altar, her fair neck slightly bowed. Long candles circled her, sparks of fire reflecting on her expressionless face.

People were talking behind her.

“…Qianzhang Construction definitely has issues. Last year, Changfeng’s IPO was halted because of them. This year, they reported me for illegal land acquisition to steal my project! Master, help me calculate what tricks they’ve played. We must break it. This is a crucial year for Changfeng, there can be no mistakes.”

“Rest assured, Chairman Meng. I shall do my utmost.”

The middle-aged woman changed the subject, her heavy voice filled with respect. “However, my daughter is entering the entertainment industry this year. Are the rituals and offerings different? And the layout of this room, does it need changing? Money and ‘nutrients’ are no issue, you must ensure my Xiaoxiao becomes a superstar and her company runs smoothly!”

The conversation gradually stopped. In the quiet room, only the rustle of a brush writing talismans remained, followed by the sizzle of burning paper.

The scent of incense was suffocating, but Meng Xingshu was used to it. She merely fluttered her long lashes, her tall frame remaining motionless.

She had been kneeling for nearly an hour. Her expression remained calm, as if the pain in her knees and the chaos behind her had nothing to do with her.

Outside the main building, a woman in a light grey suit skirt hurried up the stairs, only to be stopped by several security guards.

“Why stop me? You think I want to be in there!” Fang Ruohan stood at the door, an overcoat over her left arm, her right hand irritably adjusting her handbag.

Though she wanted to swing her bag through the door, she could only keep a cold face, showing her watch to the guards. “I said there’s a shoot at six. Look what time it is! Do you think travel takes no time? If we’re late and the hot search tomorrow says ‘Meng Xingshu acts like a diva,’ is Chairman Meng going to pay to take it down?”

The guards looked conflicted.

They couldn’t afford to offend Meng Xingshu’s agency, but tonight was a major event for the Meng family, interruptions were strictly forbidden.

Just then, the front door opened from the inside. Strands of agarwood smoke drifted into the biting night air as a woman in black stepped out.

Seeing her, Fang Ruohan’s nerves, taut all night, finally relaxed. She reached out to grab Meng Xingshu, fearing that if she were a second too slow, the house would swallow her whole again. “Teacher Meng, let’s go. We’re almost late.”

She quickly scanned Meng Xingshu from head to toe before draping the coat over her shoulders.

Meng Xingshu took back her personal belongings from the guards, followed Fang Ruohan out of the main building, and got into the car.

The door closed. Fang Ruohan started the car immediately. “Teacher Meng, I lied and told her you had a shoot today. She shouldn’t dare do anything this time, right?”

“No. She just made me drink a bowl of talisman water and let me out.”

“That’s only because you’ve been following her lead this year! Otherwise, it would be much worse!” Fang Ruohan sneered, cursed under her breath, and continued, “I’ve already contacted the doctor. We’ll pump your stomach as soon as we arrive.”

In the early morning, the outskirts of the villa area were empty. Fang Ruohan drove fast.

Meng Xingshu sat in the back, staring out the window. Her calm face seemed coated in frost. “No need.”

“What do you mean ‘no need’! Didn’t you get acute poisoning last time? She writes those talismans with cinnabar, that’s mercury sulfide! Can you drink that? If it’s so good, why doesn’t she drink it herself? Why doesn’t she give it to her own biological daughter?”

Fang Ruohan grew more agitated. If not for the seatbelt, she might have jumped. “Meng Xiao returns to the country next week. That gossip from January was dug up again. Usually, they don’t even let you in the main building, but now they use you for hype every day. They just want to step on you to get famous. If you weren’t still useful, she’d probably…”

Her voice grew louder.

Meng Xingshu glanced at Fang Ruohan and asked softly, “Do you need me to drive?”

The cold voice acted like ice on Fang Ruohan’s heated brain. she calmed down instantly. “No need. Rest, Teacher Meng.”

She drove properly but couldn’t help adding, “We should still go to the hospital. A check-up for peace of mind.”

In the final moments before dawn, the sky was as dark as a black net, stretching infinitely toward the horizon, cold and endless.

Meng Xingshu watched it for a long time before replying, “Okay.”

Actually, it doesn’t matter.

Check-up or not, health or not, none of it mattered. Anyway… it was almost over.

Exhaustion finally flickered in her eyes. Meng Xingshu closed them, not noticing that far behind the car, where the grey horizon met the black night, the red lights of an ambulance were flashing incessantly.

“Manager Li, please understand. My daughter is at home with a high fever. I really have to go.

“No, she’s not awake yet. The doctor said she was found in time. After the stomach pump, there shouldn’t be major issues. But who knows what craze she’ll have when she wakes up.

“Make her pay again? She’s in debt up to her ears; she really can’t afford it. Plus, her reputation is completely ruined now, so in the future…”

Ji Youyi was woken up by voices. Only one woman was speaking, likely on the phone, her tone frantic.

Her body felt weak, her stomach was burning. Ji Youyi clutched her splitting head and slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a hospital ward.

Wasn’t I filming in Hengdian? Before she blacked out, she’d finished the script and was ready to sleep before arguing with those “evil capitalists” the next day. How did she wake up in a hospital?

Was she sick? What about her set? This was going to delay the schedule so much!

Ignoring the headache, she grabbed the phone by her pillow. She wanted to check the time, but something was wrong.

The phone size was wrong. The case was soft and a cute peachy-pink. This wasn’t her phone.

The hand holding the phone was fair and soft, the nails painted with shimmering polish. This wasn’t her hand either.

Ji Youyi was stunned.

“You’re finally awake?” Xu Pin’an, who had been on the phone by the window, spun around.

Ji Youyi saw clearly as the woman hung up, her humble posture vanishing, replaced by a raging fire in her eyes.

“The hot searches have exploded! Can you stop doing stupid things and give me a break? Now everyone’s saying you failed at being a ‘mistress’ and tried to end it all for love. Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve caused the company’s reputation? Just wait for the lawsuit for damages!”

The speaker wore professional attire, her black hair pulled back. She looked angry enough to slap Ji Youyi to death.

But Ji Youyi was certain, she didn’t know this woman.

Having been in the industry for years, Ji Youyi was a top director whose films were all hits. Countless people tried to get on her good side just to be in her crew.

Since becoming famous, it had been a long time since anyone dared to dump a “pot” of blame on her like this.

Ji Youyi certainly wasn’t going to take it.

Before she even fully grasped the situation, she retorted, her voice raspy and painful. “Did I leave a suicide note? Or a farewell message?”

“Nothing!” Xu Pin’an roared. “You can’t act, you’re a ‘transparent’ ghost on variety shows, you can’t say a word during livestreams, you’re useless at everything except making a mess for me!”

Ji Youyi gave an “Oh,” ignoring all the insults, and summarized: “So, the company sold my private matters as news, and now you’re turning around to blame me, the supplier, for not being ‘classy’ enough?”

Ji Youyi’s voice was gentle, but her words were sharp, leaving Xu Pin’an stunned. “What?”

“The news of my situation was leaked by the company, wasn’t it? Probably sold for a good price.”

There are no secrets in the entertainment industry. Connecting the situation with Xu Pin’an’s words, Ji Youyi guessed most of it.

“Acting” and “Variety shows” meant she was an entertainer. This woman was her manager.

“Stomach pump” and “going crazy” to the point of a suicide attempt meant her recent mental state was terrible. The company knew this but did nothing.

As for the direct cause? She could just look it up.

Ji Youyi picked up the phone. Sure enough, the top entertainment news was about her. She skimmed it quickly.

Zhou Wenchen, a top-tier male star known for his “warm man” persona.

Two months ago, paparazzi leaked that he was in a passionate relationship with the popular Best Actress, Meng Xingshu. Later, during a variety show interview, while he didn’t explicitly confirm it, his shy smile and lowered head were seen as a “soft confirmation.”

Fans were devastated. Just as their loyalty was wavering and mass unfollowing began, another person appeared on the variety show.

Why was this 18th-tier nobody named Ji Youyi always chasing after our ‘Brother’?

Doesn’t she know Brother has a girlfriend? The other woman is the heiress of Changfeng Group, who does this flop think she is?

Suddenly, the fans found a common enemy. Under the banner of “punishing the homewrecker,” they stormed Ji Youyi’s Weibo and Super Topic.

In the end, Ji Youyi swallowed pills.

Maybe it was guilt, maybe a broken heart, or more likely, she was just “playing the victim” to get sympathy. It definitely wasn’t because of cyberbullying!

Didn’t the agency say she didn’t die? It’s just a script! She’s acting!

Ji Youyi scrolled to the bottom, glanced at the disgusting comment section, and showed it to Xu Pin’an. “I’m such a flop, no paparazzi would follow me. If the company didn’t leak it, who would know I tried to kill myself?”

“If I had actually died, the news would have been suppressed. but someone sent me to the hospital and found out a stomach pump would fix it, of course, they’d release the news to grab eyeballs. To the company, my reputation is already trash, so they might as well squeeze out whatever value is left. Am I wrong?”

Her voice was soft yet raspy, her eyes calm and clear, as if she could see right through people.

Xu Pin’an looked at the insults in the comments, then at Ji Youyi’s thin frame, and bit her lip. “Yes, but…”

The fire from before was extinguished like a bucket of water on coals. She paced uneasily and explained, “I didn’t sell it. The company picked up a new script for you. I sent it last night but didn’t get a reply, so I went to your hotel this morning. After I found you, I did call Manager Li, but only to report the situation.”

When she finished, Ji Youyi didn’t respond immediately. She just watched her silently. That emotionless gaze made Xu Pin’an bite her lip again and look away uncomfortably.

Having taken full control of the rhythm of the conversation, Ji Youyi finally chuckled, breaking the silence.

She patted Xu Pin’an’s arm. “It’s okay. It’s all for work. I understand, it hasn’t been easy for you either.”

Her stomach, which had suffered recently, was churning. She suppressed the nausea, got out of bed, pulled the woman to sit on the edge of the bed, and handed her a glass of warm water. She then took a small stool and sat down.

The stool was lower than the bed. This way, when she spoke, she was looking slightly up at the other woman, making her gaze appear non-threatening and sincere.

Ji Youyi was a director. A director is much like a homeroom teacher. Students always have this or that problem, she was very good at choosing the right way to handle emergencies.

Like a director explaining a scene, she coaxed out the details of her current situation while systematically dismantling Xu Pin’an’s arguments.

“Sister Xu, you can’t say things like that. If it gets out, it’ll hurt my reputation. I have nothing to do with Zhou Wenchen.”

Xu Pin’an was displeased. “What am I making up? You liked him. You listened to everything he said. Haven’t you been like that for years?”

“That’s a logical leap. He’s the company’s ‘A-lister’, would I dare not listen to him?”

Ji Youyi slapped her thigh and sighed. “Let’s not mention the past. Just look at that variety show. Don’t you find it strange? Zhou Wenchen was clearly the focus. Why would a ‘transparent’ person like me, who can’t even speak, stick to him in front of everyone?”

“Because you like him,” Xu Pin’an said as if it were obvious. “He blocked you as soon as the show ended, and you’ve been crying for a month because of it.”

Crying for a month over a piece of trash? Ji Youyi was exasperated but remained calm.

She shook her head and sighed again. “Wrong. It was because I took the script the company forced on me. After Zhou Wenchen’s relationship was leaked and fans were leaving, they needed a target to unite the fans again. I was that target.”

Xu Pin’an’s frown was deep enough to crush a fly. She was skeptical. “Impossible. With your acting skills, you could pull that off?”

Ji Youyi looked certain. “Otherwise? As a minor artist, did I have any choice but to listen to the company? Think about it, wasn’t I always ‘caught’ crying exactly when you or someone else could see or film it?”

“Actually… yes, but…” Xu Pin’an felt something was still off.

Ji Youyi clapped her hands together with a sharp pop, breaking Xu Pin’an’s train of thought.

“Exactly!” Ji Youyi said dramatically. “Because I was acting on purpose! And it was quite convincing, wasn’t it?”

Ji Youyi didn’t actually know the truth.

Just as she didn’t know why she had suddenly become another person, or how long she’d have to manage this stranger’s life.

But, since she, Ji Youyi, was the director.

She was the one who decided how the script would be played.