After Transmigrating, I Fell in Love with a Top-Tier Movie Queen - Chapter 60

Zheng Lanwen looked at the photos on her phone and felt her breathing constrict, as if someone had a hand clamped around her throat. The air she drew into her body cycled once, but couldn’t get out.

Her eyes were fixed on the new photo in the Super Topic: Ye Linghua held a bottle of mineral water in each hand and was currently handing one to Lin Xin. Lin Xin was bowing her head to accept it, her face a shy pink, with a faint smile, her eyelashes lowered, casting a shadow beneath her eyes.

Ye Linghua also looked down at her, her gaze resting on the crown of Lin Xin’s head, her expression gentle.

This was taken while they were waiting in line for the Pirate Ship—perhaps just a casual snapshot by a fan. But it was taken perfectly, with a beautiful cinematic quality that made the viewers feel the ambiguous flutter between the two.

Zheng Lanwen’s fingers unconsciously scrolled down, fueled by a surge of anger, and she quickly saw a new picture. In a dim environment, the two sat on the Space Shuttle ride, the safety bar locked in front of them. Lin Xin held the bar with both hands, turning her head to look at Ye Linghua beside her, her smile so bright it was like the only sun in the dark environment.

Her slightly parted lips seemed to be saying something.

Ye Linghua had turned her head away and wasn’t looking at her, her face displaying a mix of helplessness and indulgence.

The fans in the comments section were only screaming and sending blessings—a world away from the situation when she and Lin Xin had been together.

When Zheng Lanwen and Lin Xin announced their marriage, they posted a photo of their marriage certificate on their Weibo  accounts.

However, the comments section received no blessings from fans. Everyone mocked their flash marriage, saying it wouldn’t last long. Some even claimed it was a marriage of convenience, but that was quickly refuted.

What could a top Movie Queen and a new celebrity gain from marrying? Even promoting a newcomer wasn’t done this way.

Everyone speculated, and various malicious comments flooded the section, yet no one said, “Happy wedding!” under their marriage post.

But thinking back, she hadn’t seemed to care at the time.

Looking at the comments, she even felt a surge of gratification.

What good were blessings for a marriage devoid of love?

She hadn’t cared back then, but now she couldn’t let it go. In fact, seeing the blessings others gave Lin Xin made her uncomfortable.

Why did seeing others’ blessings for her now make her so miserable?

There was even a fleeting moment when she thought, If the person in that photo wasn’t Ye Linghua, but me, it would be great.

The thought lasted only an instant, but it startled Zheng Lanwen, making her repeatedly ask herself, How could I have such a thought?

Before she could reach a conclusion, the Super Topic automatically refreshed, and new photos appeared.

It was Ye Linghua and Lin Xin’s turn to ride the Pirate Ship after finishing their queue. Walking at the front of the line, Lin Xin boarded first, then turned around and reached out her hand, intending to pull Ye Linghua up.

Ye Linghua seemed to look at the offered hand, then frowned at her, as if she wanted to refuse. Lin Xin, with her stubborn personality, only looked at Ye Linghua, refusing to withdraw her outstretched hand. The two, in their black and white clothes, engaged in a silent game in the sunlight, one inside the ship and one outside.

The second photo showed Ye Linghua compromising, reaching out to grasp Lin Xin’s hand, while Lin Xin laughed and pulled her up…

The comments on this post increased at a visible rate, still full of screams and blessings. Zheng Lanwen didn’t even need to open the comments section to know what they would say.

As the Super Topic updated their situation in real-time, fans from all over flocked there. Those who had unfollowed were now returning. It even attracted new fans. Seeing Lin Xin actively showing affection for Ye Linghua, everyone, besides shouting, “She’s so doting!” also frantically urged them: “Get married quickly!!!”

Zheng Lanwen was so angry that she smashed the cup she was holding!

Why?!

She and Lin Xin had married fast enough! Yet, the comments section was full of conspiracy theories because their marriage was too quick. Lin Xin’s fans thought she was a ‘vixen’ who seduced people. Her own fans thought Lin Xin was abusing her power to deceive her.

But why wouldn’t a flash marriage have some reason? She had indeed chosen a flash marriage after being hurt emotionally.

But it was also a fact that her fans speculated with extreme malice.

Why, when it came to Ye Linghua, did the fans feel their progress was too slow!!!

These people were so exaggerated that they wanted to move the marriage registry to them! What kind of joke is that? Even more outrageous, some even said they wished they could be the marriage registry!

Zheng Lanwen was beside herself with rage: “What on earth is this nonsense!!!”

Luo Tian, who had returned from buying a takeout lunch for Zheng Lanwen, glanced at the shattered cup on the floor, then looked up at Zheng Lanwen with a puzzled expression.

Who upset her this time?

Zheng Lanwen’s external qualities were actually quite good. Although she wasn’t the kind of person with a stunningly beautiful face, she was good-looking. Most importantly, Zheng Lanwen had an excellent demeanor—cool and distant, like a snow lotus from the heavenly mountains.

Perhaps because of her family’s poor background, she always felt others looked down on her, so she deliberately maintained this cold and isolated image.

It had an effect. Her fans loved this aloofness. That’s why, when she married Lin Xin, they refused to believe Zheng Lanwen was the one who sought out Lin Xin.

Under deliberate guidance, they naturally came to believe that Lin Xin must have used her power and status to pressure Zheng Lanwen.

It was truly laughable. Even in this day and age, though the entertainment industry was still messy, given Zheng Lanwen’s temperament, if she didn’t want to marry Lin Xin, let alone Lin Xin, even the CEO of Zheng Lanwen’s own company might not be able to pressure her.

She was so used to maintaining her cold image that she often got angry over trivial matters that Luo Tian found inexplicable.

“What’s wrong this time?” Luo Tian sighed, asking her.

Zheng Lanwen realized her loss of composure. She looked at the broken cup on the floor and shook her head: “It’s nothing. I didn’t hold it properly.”

Luo Tian pretended not to see the screen on Zheng Lanwen’s phone and quietly said, “I’ll get you a new one. Also, Lin Wan from Tianlei  called you.”

Zheng Lanwen frowned. She didn’t look down on Lin Wan for her current bad reputation. However, she found herself less and less willing to be close to Lin Wan.

Unfortunately, Lin Wan’s current predicament made it impossible for Zheng Lanwen to quietly distance herself from her.

Things had dragged on this way until now. The Morning Star fan base had attracted the envy of various capital investors. Even her own fan group was displeased that Lin Xin was thriving and more popular after leaving her.

And she, herself, couldn’t do anything. Or rather, what should she be doing?

Watching Lin Xin drift further and further away from her life, Zheng Lanwen felt a piece of her heart was missing.

“Did she say what it was about?” Zheng Lanwen asked distractedly. She couldn’t calm down as she looked at Lin Xin’s smiling face in the photo.

But the more she didn’t want to look at Lin Xin’s photos, the more she couldn’t take her eyes off them.

Luo Tian: “A large number of her fans started unfollowing her today. Her manager is looking for me, hoping we can cooperate to fuel our CP.”

Zheng Lanwen frowned. Considering her relationship with Lin Wan, calling it “cooperation” felt too formal. Although they hadn’t explicitly confirmed they were a couple, their relationship was very close.

In fact, they already had CP fans—the Net Pattern CP.

In many cases, the size of a CP fan base was indeed large. Zheng Lanwen and Lin Wan had a significant number of CP fans from their early days in the audition show. This fan group only started to drastically unfollow them when Lin Wan went abroad and she got married.

But as her relationship with Lin Xin deteriorated, the Net Pattern CP was barely holding up. They firmly believed her feelings for Lin Xin were false and that she hadn’t managed the marriage well because she couldn’t forget her old feelings for Lin Wan.

With Lin Wan’s return and Zheng Lanwen’s divorce, the Net Pattern CP saw a massive revival. They believed Zheng Lanwen’s divorce was surely to rekindle her old flame with Lin Wan.

In truth, wasn’t Zheng Lanwen thinking the same thing?

But, but, but, five years had passed. What had changed?

“Is Lin Wan looking for me for the same reason?” Zheng Lanwen asked softly.

Five years had passed. Everything had changed. She had long forgotten the innocent and kind Lin Wan from the show, forgotten the sweet and adorable Lin Wan when she smiled, and even forgotten the Lin Wan who adored her.

Ordinary love can’t withstand the erosion of time, let alone five years! Had her own feelings changed? Or had she changed?

It was impossible to find the answer now.

Luo Tian carefully thought about Lin Wan’s tone and said: “I don’t know about her, but judging by her voice, she seemed to have been crying. She’s having a hard time now. If you don’t help her, she won’t be able to survive in the entertainment industry.”

Hearing this, Zheng Lanwen felt even more uncomfortable. She most disliked relationships mixed with personal gain, but finally, there were strings attached between her and Lin Wan.

Just like her and Lin Xin, unequal status would inevitably lead to this problem, and it had to be resolved.

Zheng Lanwen could only say: “I understand. I’ll contact her.”

Luo Tian hesitated but said nothing.

But Zheng Lanwen noticed. She raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes, asking him, “What is it? Just say what you need to say!”

Luo Tian finally spoke: “Actually, given Lin Wan’s current situation—her reputation is completely ruined—why bother?”

Zheng Lanwen let out a cold laugh and asked him, “If I leave her now, how do you think the fans will talk about me?”

Luo Tian was stunned. He looked at Zheng Lanwen, who had already turned her head away. Luo Tian felt a chill in his heart. She didn’t refute me this time?

After Luo Tian left, Zheng Lanwen called Lin Wan.

As soon as the call connected, she heard weeping on the other end. Zheng Lanwen suppressed her impatience and comforted her: “What’s done is done. Don’t be sad anymore. Look forward.”

Lin Wan cried even harder when she heard this: “Sister Lan, it’s easy for you to say! That Lin Xin didn’t leave any room for me to maneuver. Everyone says I have a serpent’s heart now. How can I look forward in the entertainment industry?” She already had difficulties developing her career because of her baby face.

She had originally thought of going abroad to try her luck and study hard. A normal person wouldn’t return to get involved with a married woman, but Lin Wan’s relationship with Lin Xin always made her want to test the boundaries. At the same time, she truly couldn’t forget Zheng Lanwen’s special treatment of her.

Thus, she made an eccentric decision.

She returned to the country to win Zheng Lanwen back. After all, she had no fame, so what if she was cursed a couple of times?

But when she was truly in the eye of the storm, Lin Wan realized that being cyberbullied was not as easy as it looked.

Especially when Lin Xin exposed her and Lin Haiqi (林海豈) by showing their true colors through a livestream. This not only made Lin Wan famous across the internet for all the wrong reasons, but Lin Xin also gained a huge wave of fans on Doudou (TikTok) because of the incident, which made Lin Wan even more miserable.

Zheng Lanwen was somewhat speechless after hearing her story: “Why didn’t you tell me you were Lin Xin’s sister back then?”

Lin Wan: “What kind of sister is she? She never acknowledged me.”

Zheng Lanwen closed her eyes, then told Lin Wan: “The first drama Lin Xin filmed when she debuted was about a poor child from the mountains—it was a true-to-life performance.”

Lin Wan frowned. She hadn’t investigated all of Lin Xin’s life and didn’t know all her circumstances. From the time she first knew Lin Xin, she was already a ‘National Daughter.’

Zheng Lanwen: “The entire entertainment industry knows that when Lin Xin was at her poorest, even the shoes on her feet had holes in them. That was at a time when Lin Haiqi’s business was thriving.”

Just thinking about that situation made Zheng Lanwen’s heart ache. Lin Xin, abandoned by Lin Haiqi since childhood, grew up in such poverty.

How could Lin Wan possibly say Lin Xin never acknowledged her?

Because of this upbringing, even after Lin Xin grew up, her lifestyle was never extremely extravagant.

Thinking about it this way, she realized that this Lin Xin had repeatedly made exceptions for her. Lin Xin’s special treatment of her had been genuinely real.

Hearing Zheng Lanwen speak up for Lin Xin, Lin Wan paused, her voice suddenly filled with guilt and panic: “Sister Lan, why are you saying that? I was just a child back then!” What fault could I have? Was it my choice to be this way?

Zheng Lanwen paused, then felt that Lin Wan had a point. Lin Wan was just a child. The love and hate between her parents were not something a child could decide.

Lin Xin’s tragedies were not something Lin Wan had wished upon her.

However, during the audition show, were her and Lin Wan’s actions motivated by Lin Xin showing interest in her, or by Lin Wan’s genuine interest in her?

The two failed to find common ground and parted on bad terms.

After hanging up the phone, Luo Tian immediately started sowing discord: “Given Lin Wan’s current situation, she’s not being considerate of your newly established reputation. Sometimes, I even doubt if she truly likes you.”

Zheng Lanwen gave Luo Tian a cold look. Luo Tian was stunned by her glare and fell silent.

Zheng Lanwen finally said: “You don’t need to say anything more about her.”

Luo Tian’s heart leaped for joy upon hearing this. Although Zheng Lanwen seemed unhappy, she didn’t scold him. This was certainly a good sign!

And to his surprise, something even more surprising came next…

Zheng Lanwen seemed to deliberate for a long time, then finally asked hesitantly, “Do you know if Lin Xin is preparing to accept any shows recently?”

Luo Tian’s eyes widened. He was somewhat incredulous at the intention behind her question.

Zheng Lanwen was embarrassed. A blush spread across her fair cheeks. It was as if the snow lotus from the heavenly mountains had been tinged with pink, making her lose a little of her ethereal quality and appear more lively and realistic.

Luo Tian finally understood Zheng Lanwen’s thoughts. He was both shocked and relieved.

He had always felt that Zheng Lanwen and Lin Xin were the best outcome. From a career perspective, Lin Xin had wider connections than Zheng Lanwen and could help pull her up.

Emotionally, Lin Xin hadn’t looked down on Zheng Lanwen. Luo Tian, for one, didn’t understand why Zheng Lanwen had been so averse to Lin Xin.

In contrast, Zheng Lanwen’s life was never good when she was with Lin Wan. Apart from the time of the audition show when their CP fans were everywhere, Lin Wan abandoned people without a word. After that, everything Zheng Lanwen achieved was dependent on Lin Xin.

Therefore, if he had to choose again, Luo Tian believed Lin Xin’s character was far better than Lin Wan’s.

Because of this, he had actually inquired about Lin Xin’s work.

He just hadn’t found a chance to mention it, and had even thought about forcing Zheng Lanwen to go. But the fact that Zheng Lanwen was asking about it herself was a good thing.

Luo Tian’s voice was full of excitement: “That… have you heard of The Leisurely Courtyard?”

Zheng Lanwen paused, looking up at Luo Tian: “Is Lin Xin planning to take it?”

Luo Tian smiled and shook his head: “The variety show is planning to approach her. Her new TV drama is already scheduled for broadcast on a major channel this week. It’s expected to have excellent ratings, plus her recent fame. Also, the… livestream incident suddenly made her the ‘Strong Lin Xin’ across all platforms. She has the perfect narrative for a story, a great topic.”

Zheng Lanwen choked. She was also a part of that story.

Luo Tian: “The Leisurely Courtyard‘s ratings have been dropping season after season. I heard this sixth season is the last one, so they’re trying to make a big splash. Lin Xin is one of the hottest topics in recent years, so The Leisurely Courtyard naturally doesn’t want to give up on her.”

Zheng Lanwen frowned, asking cautiously and a little shyly, “Do you think I could go?”

If this were a few months ago, Luo Tian wouldn’t have been confident, or he would have outright said it was unlikely. Although Lin Xin had tried her best to pull Zheng Lanwen up, she was always a little short on fame.

What Luo Tian hadn’t expected was that Zheng Lanwen eventually relied on her own strength to fight her way out of that desperate situation.

Luo Tian admired her for that.

And because of this miracle, when Zheng Lanwen asked him to negotiate, Luo Tian could confidently say without shame, “We can definitely try.”

Zheng Lanwen smiled and said, “That’s good.”

Luo Tian then asked: “But I heard they’re planning to go big this year. In addition to filming in China, they’re also planning to travel abroad. If that’s the case, it will be hard to follow up on your domestic announcements.”

Zheng Lanwen was silent for a moment. She looked down at Lin Xin’s smile on her phone, then gritted her teeth and said, “That’s not urgent.”

—”Those things can be recovered.” But some people couldn’t be waited for any longer.

Ye Linghua and Lin Xin spent the whole morning at the park. Because there were too many people, most of the time was spent queuing. They didn’t ride many attractions, but they were exhausted.

Seeing messages from her friends saying it was time to gather and eat, Ye Linghua breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Lin Xin, who was still by her side, still full of energy. Lin Xin’s eyes, looking at her, were shining.

Ye Linghua was speechless: “…Aren’t you tired?”

Lin Xin shook her head, smiling brightly: “Not tired at all!” The smile was so radiant it was like a hundred flowers blooming in the middle of winter.

Ye Linghua: “…”

Lin Xin then asked curiously, “Are you tired?”

How was she supposed to answer that? Saying she was tired would make her seem incompetent.

Ye Linghua didn’t answer but said: “Everyone’s waiting at the restaurant. Let’s go eat first!”

Lin Xin happily replied, “Okay!”

When Ye Linghua dragged her weary body to the restaurant that Tang Qiaozi had mentioned, she discovered that, apart from herself, everyone else was energetic.

They didn’t look like they’d been queuing all morning. Each one was full of spirit and in a great mood. It was as if something delightful had happened to them, but Ye Linghua was genuinely confused by their happy expressions, wondering what could have happened at the amusement park.

Seeing Ye Linghua and Lin Xin arrive, Xing Yan smiled and asked Ye Linghua: “Why do you look so listless? You’re usually so energetic! Are you just rusty at entertaining?”

Ye Linghua looked at her, rather speechless, and said, “And you—don’t you usually hate coming to places like this?”

Xing Yan was a doctor, always surrounded by noise at the hospital. She hated crowded and noisy places the most.

Xing Yan: “…I don’t entirely hate it.”

Ye Linghua ignored her and looked around at everyone.

Tang Qiaozi, afraid of being found out, smiled and said: “This restaurant is one I checked out this year. I can’t say the food is the best, but the view is great!”

Ye Linghua looked up at the environment. To be honest, it wasn’t bright enough, not airy enough, and the so-called beautiful view was just a river.

In fact, there was a ride at the park—a boat ride—that passed right by here, meaning tourists on that ride could clearly see the restaurant and the people eating inside.

Ye Linghua didn’t even know where to begin praising it: “You don’t need to specifically check out a restaurant for a gathering next year. Any place in the city will do.”

It’s just a gathering, what’s wrong with other places? Why come all the way here, just to eat in front of tourists?

Tang Qiaozi looked at Ye Linghua with dissatisfaction. Seeing her look of disdain, she grumbled, “No one asked you to do the surveying. Why are you complaining?” Then she turned to Lin Xin and loudly challenged, “Little Sister-in-law, she’s so boring, what do you even like about her?”

Lin Xin was very cooperative, lowering her head shyly and replying, “I like everything about her.”

Ye Linghua choked. Although she looked speechless, her heart leaped suddenly—a mix of surprise and shock. Even more apparent was the feeling of being moved, surging back like the roaring sea. But remembering the novel, Lin Xin’s previous attitude, and Lin Xin’s expectations, Ye Linghua ruthlessly suppressed the flutter in her heart.