After Transmigrating, I Fell in Love with a Top-Tier Movie Queen - Chapter 35

It took Lin Xin, Meng Kelin, and Zhu Fang three hours to finally arrive in Hong Kong.

When they got off the plane, they were met by crew members and, of course, Lin Xin’s fans, who were held back by airport staff with retractable barriers at the exit.

Seeing Lin Xin, the fans shouted, “Xinbao, Xinbao!”

“Xinbao, look over here!”

“Ahhh, Xinbao is so pretty!”

“Welcome to Hong Kong, Xinbao!”

“Go, Xinbao, go!”

Each fan cheered their best wishes. Although Lin Xin couldn’t respond to everyone, she smiled and asked everyone to be mindful of the airport’s rules and to get home safely.

Seeing their idol was so kind, the fans screamed even louder.

Outside the airport, the film crew had arranged a car. Under the protection of Meng Kelin and Zhu Fang, Lin Xin walked toward it. As she passed two girls with long hair, she heard one say disappointedly to her friend, “I didn’t see Little Qiming.”

“Yeah, why isn’t she with her?”

“Oh, it’s just Xinbao alone. Little Qiming must be worried about her, right?”

“Of course!”

Hearing their conversation, Lin Xin couldn’t help but look at them. When the girls saw Lin Xin looking, they quickly called out to greet her, and Lin Xin smiled back.

This made the two girls scream with excitement. Lin Xin couldn’t help but think of Ye Linghua, who wasn’t with them. She wondered if that girl had found her phone.

Since it was an office drama, the filming location wasn’t in a remote area. They had rented an entire floor of a building in Hong Kong to use as their main set.

The crew member who picked them up handed Meng Kelin a piece of paper with the next day’s filming location, as well as the schedule for the upcoming script readings and the tentative shooting schedule. He meticulously recorded everything and gave it all to Meng Kelin.

After dropping them off at the hotel arranged by the crew, he left.

The crew had arranged a single room for Lin Xin and a standard room for Meng Kelin and Zhu Fang.

There were other celebrities from the crew staying at the hotel, but Lin Xin didn’t go to greet them for now.

Just as they were settled, Meng Kelin received a call from Ye Linghua. She said she couldn’t make it on the same day’s flight but had bought a ticket for the next day and would try to get there as early as possible.

Meng Kelin agreed and asked her to arrange a car when she arrived the next day. Although the crew had provided a van, it was not convenient for private use. Meng Kelin figured it wouldn’t cost much to rent a car for a few days.

Ye Linghua happily agreed on the phone and said she would arrange it. She asked Meng Kelin to send her the address.

Meng Kelin sent her both the hotel’s location and the filming location so she could find her way on her own the next day.

Ye Linghua happily agreed. After she hung up, Meng Kelin realized what she had been so giggly about on the phone.

The next day, Zhu Fang was tasked with buying some essentials, while Lin Xin and Meng Kelin took the crew’s van to the filming location.

By then, all the main actors had already arrived. Since Lin Xin was a last-minute addition, she was the last to arrive, but no one found it rude. They all stood up and greeted each other.

The office drama Lin Xin was in was an ensemble piece with three female leads: Lu Tianyu, Jiang Miaoran, and Lin Xin. Besides Lin Xin, Lu Tianyu was a popular actress, and Jiang Miaoran was a recent graduate.

Many people were at the script reading, including the female leads, other actors, the director, the screenwriter, the cinematographer, and the production designers.

Before the script reading began, Meng Kelin told Lin Xin, “Director Ding values this drama a lot. He’s planning to have a six-day script reading.”

That was indeed very dedicated. Some film crews only spent one or two days on script reading.

Six days meant they were very serious about making a good drama.

Meng Kelin looked around and whispered, “His previous two dramas failed to air on satellite TV and went straight to online streaming. This one, he must be aiming for satellite TV again.”

Lin Xin nodded. After taking her seat, Director Ding Shuiyao personally handed her the complete script and welcomed and thanked her for her arrival.

The script reading officially began at 9 a.m. It went on all morning until lunchtime, when the director let them go. He reminded everyone to eat and rest well in the afternoon to avoid feeling sleepy. He also suggested everyone go back to the hotel for a nap before coming back.

The script reading was important work, so to ensure everyone was in the best state, the afternoon session was pushed to 2:30 p.m.

When they came out of the office, Lin Xin was a bit tired. She looked over and saw that Meng Kelin, who was resting outside, seemed even more exhausted.

Lin Xin asked, “What’s wrong?”

Meng Kelin said, “You might not believe me, but Zheng Lanwen… she’s popular again.”

That’s when Lin Xin learned about Zheng Lanwen’s new variety show.

Zheng Lanwen’s variety show premiered last night. The first episode broke viewership records and ranked first among all variety shows in the same period.

Such a result was the envy of many in the industry.

But even after hearing this, Lin Xin felt nothing in her heart. She only thought that Zheng Lanwen’s luck was not to be underestimated, but since they were divorced, her success or failure had nothing to do with her anymore.

But Lin Xin was still curious. “Did it make it to satellite TV?”

Meng Kelin said, “Yes, it did.” At the time, they said it would be hard to even get it on satellite TV. I can’t believe it did and became so popular.

Lin Xin nodded, feeling a little down. She can succeed even after all that?

Meng Kelin was more upset than her. The wrinkles around her eyes seemed to fold together. She said, “When someone pulled their investment, I thought she wouldn’t make it. I can’t believe she got to the end of filming. And even then, I thought she would never get a chance to be on satellite TV. I can’t believe it not only did but… it also became popular.”

Despite the setbacks, My Leisurely Rural Life still caught the last wave of summer vacation traffic at the end of August and became a huge hit.

Seeing her like this, Lin Xin no longer felt down. She said to her with a laugh, “If she’s popular, what are you upset about?”

Meng Kelin replied, “I hate that the heavens have no eyes!”

When Lin Xin heard this, she felt a pang of sadness and smiled faintly. She knew Meng Kelin was fighting for her, but when it came to her emotional investment, she didn’t feel like she had lost anything. It just didn’t have a happy ending. She had forced the relationship, so it was normal, wasn’t it?

But it still hurt and made her feel sad whenever she thought about it.

“I can’t believe a disloyal person like that managed to get back on her feet…” Thinking about Zheng Lanwen showing off in front of her in the future, Meng Kelin felt sick. “Her manager must be laughing at us! No, wait, we got popular first. We’ll leave them in the dust in the future.”

Lin Xin sighed. “Okay! Don’t overthink it. There’s a long road ahead of us.”

The topic was a bit unpleasant, so they stopped talking about it. After a morning of script reading, they were both hungry. As they walked to the building’s exit, Lin Xin thought she saw two people standing by a black car outside.

They walked along the corridor and left the building. As their eyes adjusted to the outside light, they saw the two people clearly. It was Zhu Fang, who had finished her shopping, and the familiar back of Ye Linghua.

Zhu Fang quickly spotted Lin Xin and Meng Kelin and happily shouted, “Sister Xin! Sister Meng! Over here!”

Ye Linghua paused and turned to look at them.

Lin Xin’s gloomy mood immediately vanished. Her heart leaped with joy. Just as she was about to take a step forward, Meng Kelin held her back. She whispered, “Show some dignity.”

Lin Xin was speechless.

Seeing her look so annoyed, Meng Kelin explained, “If you run over, you’ll look so cheap!” She was truly afraid of being tricked by Zheng Lanwen again. She hoped that if Lin Xin started a new relationship, she would take the lead. After all, one stupid, love-drunk incident was enough.

Lin Xin was defiant. She thought her relationship with Ye Linghua was innocent and that Meng Kelin was overthinking. “I don’t know why you’re thinking like that! If I get into a relationship, I’ll definitely tell you.”

Meng Kelin scoffed. “…You got your marriage license, and I was the last to know. How am I supposed to believe you?”

Lin Xin was speechless.

As the two of them argued, Ye Linghua couldn’t help but laugh. She said to Zhu Fang, “You go ahead to the restaurant I told you about. Order the food, and we’ll be there soon.”

Zhu Fang said okay and got back in the car.

Ye Linghua walked toward Lin Xin. Just as she arrived, she heard Meng Kelin say, “Do you not know how to be a little more dignified? Dignified! Dignified!”

Lin Xin said, “I’ve always been dignified!”

“What are you talking about?” Ye Linghua asked curiously. Meng Kelin and Lin Xin immediately went silent.

Ye Linghua didn’t care and didn’t press the matter. Instead, she said, “I told Zhu Fang to go to the restaurant and order. Let’s go eat now, okay?”

Lin Xin calmed her excitement and glared at Meng Kelin. She then asked with a calm, aloof expression, “Did you find your phone?”

Thinking of something funny, Ye Linghua put her hand over her mouth. Her joyful smile was half-hidden. Her voice was full of delight. “I found it.”

Lin Xin narrowed her eyes. Is she that happy to have found her phone?

Meng Kelin saw that Lin Xin wasn’t acting lovestruck and relaxed. She asked Ye Linghua, “Did you book a car?”

Ye Linghua said, “Yes, I did.”

Ye Linghua waved her hand to a vehicle in the distance, and a black Alphard came driving toward them. The car wasn’t actually that expensive, but its value in China was strangely far greater than its actual cost.

And its seats were very comfortable. This film crew was a bit poor and spent their money where it mattered most, so they wouldn’t have arranged such a luxurious car. Meng Kelin had intended to rent a car for convenience, but the rental fee for an Alphard couldn’t be cheap.

She looked at Ye Linghua in shock. “Do you know what our budget is?”

Ye Linghua was even more shocked. “Haven’t we earned any money yet?”

Meng Kelin said, “We have money, but our expenses are huge! Look at how many people are on Lin Xin’s team. Look at our company’s monthly rent…”

Ye Linghua paused, thought for a moment, and said, “Actually, this car belongs to a friend of mine.”

A friend of hers…

A friend…

Friend…

Meng Kelin laughed heartily. “You have so many friends!”

Ye Linghua didn’t deny it. She nodded. “Yes, I do.”

Lin Xin said, “Didn’t you say your friends were all housekeepers? It’s rare enough to have a friend who’s an investor, and now you have a friend with a car that costs over a million yuan? Are housekeepers that rich now?”

Ye Linghua said, “…A part of my friends are housekeepers.”

Lin Xin didn’t think too much about it. Instead, she asked with concern, “Should we invite them out for a meal?”

Ye Linghua paused. Meng Kelin nudged Lin Xin from behind. Lin Xin realized what she had said and her face turned completely red. “I just… I just thought since they came, shouldn’t we…” She almost blurted out what was on her mind but stopped in time.

Then she added awkwardly, “They lent us their car. Wouldn’t it be rude not to treat them to a meal?”

Ye Linghua smiled indulgently. “I’ll take care of it.”

Lin Xin nodded. She realized that she and Ye Linghua weren’t in a relationship; they were just boss and employee. Why would she need to invite her friend out to a meal to show her respect?

Even without a meal, it wouldn’t be rude.

Lin Xin’s mind connected the dots. She thought about what she had almost said. Feeling embarrassed, she didn’t want to say anything else and just pulled open the back door of the car and got in.

Meng Kelin saw her get in and was about to follow, but Ye Linghua stopped her. “Sister Meng, why don’t you take the passenger seat? I have something to say to Lin Xin.”

Meng Kelin had no excuse. She reluctantly got into the passenger seat.

Ye Linghua got into the car and sat next to Lin Xin. She glanced at the driver, and the driver began to drive away from the office building.

Lin Xin continued to lean against the car window, looking dejected. Through the reflection in the glass, she could see that Ye Linghua was staring at her. Lin Xin didn’t want to face her at all. Of course, Ye Linghua didn’t force it. The “something to say” was just an excuse. After getting in the car, the entire car fell silent, and Ye Linghua had nothing to say to Lin Xin.

In the silence, even the sun outside seemed to feel oppressed and hid behind a thick layer of clouds.

The world became a bit dim. Lin Xin closed her eyes, thinking that what she couldn’t see couldn’t hurt her. Since she had already been embarrassed, she might as well give up.

Seeing that she still wouldn’t speak, Ye Linghua finally asked softly, “Do you want to go back to the hotel to rest after we eat?” She had clearly heard that the afternoon script reading had been delayed.

Lin Xin hummed. She opened her eyes, about to say that they didn’t need to go to another place for lunch and that there were plenty of restaurants near the hotel, when she suddenly saw a reflection around Ye Linghua’s neck.

Lin Xin was startled. She quickly turned her head and saw a rose-gold chain around Ye Linghua’s neck.

Since the pendant was hidden in her clothes, Lin Xin couldn’t be sure if it was the necklace she had given her.

But in the past few months, Ye Linghua had never worn a necklace. She seemed to dislike them. But in the two days since her birthday, she was suddenly wearing a necklace with a similar chain.

This made Lin Xin suspicious.

Noticing Lin Xin’s gaze, Ye Linghua turned to look at her. The sharpness in her eyes softened instantly, becoming gentle and doting. She smiled faintly. “What are you looking at?”

Lin Xin paused and looked at her, then shook her head.

It must be a mistake. It’s impossible. I saw her throw it away. How could she be wearing it?

Lin Xin looked away, almost as if she were running away.

The car soon stopped at the restaurant Ye Linghua had booked. When they got out, Zhu Fang was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing them, she happily went over and said, “This place is so cheap! The staff said the boss is a friend of Sister Hua’s.”

Meng Kelin was speechless.

She looked at Ye Linghua, wanting to say something, when she spotted the necklace on her neck. She was so surprised that she forgot about the friend who owned the restaurant. She asked, “You’re wearing a necklace?”

“Are you talking about this?”

The sun, which had been hiding behind thick clouds, suddenly peeked out. The bright sunlight shone down. Ye Linghua took the pendant from inside her clothes, and it sparkled in the sunlight.

It was a fishtail design, adorned with small diamonds and a large pearl.

Ye Linghua said proudly, “It’s a birthday gift from a girl I really, really like.”

The words somehow reached Lin Xin’s ears. Her face turned bright red with a “pop,” and steam seemed to rise from her head.

Meng Kelin frowned and slowly looked at Lin Xin…

Lin Xin turned away stiffly and walked straight into the restaurant.

Zhu Fang covered her mouth and giggled, following her.

Ye Linghua proudly tucked the pendant back into her clothes. “I’ll be sure to cherish it.”

Lin Xin walked with a stiff gait. If she hadn’t had some last bit of sense, she would have covered her ears and run away at top speed.

Ye Linghua saw her reaction and smiled.

Yes, it really is a girl I like very, very much.