Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 103

“So, do you both want to bet as well…?”

“I think I only have one answer…” Li Ting remained highly guarded toward Wen Xiuzhen and was the first to give her response: “My primary profession is singing. As for acting, I am not particularly skilled at it.”

Inside the VIP lounge, the air seemed to stagnate for a few seconds due to Li Ting’s cold reply.

The formulaic smile on Wen Xiuzhen’s face remained unchanged, though a faint, knowing light flickered in the depths of her eyes—as if Li Ting’s refusal was entirely within her expectations. She showed no hint of disappointment; instead, she composedly turned her gaze toward Si Xiaoxiao, who was leaning close to Li Ting. Her tone was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable edge:

“And what about you, Miss Xiaoxiao?” She leaned forward slightly, adopting a posture of attentive listening. “You will… still follow our previous agreement, right?”

“Previous agreement?” Si Xiaoxiao knew nothing of this so-called agreement. She looked at Li Ting in confusion, subconsciously seeking her help.

Before Li Ting could react, Wen Xiuzhen beat her to it by pulling out a framework contract signed previously and placing it in front of Si Xiaoxiao. She spoke: “Miss Xiaoxiao, have you forgotten what we discussed before? Once you finish filming the variety show, you can prepare to join my story.”

Like a fledgling chick instinctively seeking its mother’s help, Si Xiaoxiao took the contract and immediately handed it to Li Ting. Her movements were smooth and natural, filled with absolute trust.

Li Ting frowned at first, then took the contract. She flipped through it, her eyes quickly scanning the clauses. It clearly stipulated that Si Xiaoxiao would participate in the filming of a series planned by Wen Xiuzhen. Turning to the final page, the signature at the bottom was indeed Si Xiaoxiao’s name.

It must have been a contract signed by Xiaoxiao before she lost her memory.

“So? Is Miss Xiaoxiao satisfied with the script I’ve presented so far?” Wen Xiuzhen watched Li Ting review the contract with leisure, twirling an exquisite fountain pen between her fingers as she threw the question back to Si Xiaoxiao.

Almost reflexively, Si Xiaoxiao once again turned her inquiring gaze toward Li Ting, looking for guidance.

However, at this moment, such total reliance felt like a silent pressure.

Li Ting felt Si Xiaoxiao’s gaze. Her grip on the contract tightened as she suppressed the complexity in her heart. She spoke softly to Si Xiaoxiao: “You can state your thoughts directly.”

Si Xiaoxiao seemed to dither for a moment. She turned her head, her gaze landing once more on the fragmented script. Recalling the plot points within, she gave a heavy nod. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally clear: “I kind of want to film it.”

Before today, because of her amnesia, all of Si Xiaoxiao’s work had been selected by Li Ting. She had never proactively chosen a job for herself.

A smile that could be considered truly sincere finally appeared on Wen Xiuzhen’s face, carrying unmasked satisfaction.

“Very good,” she praised. She then turned her gaze back to Li Ting, asking once more in a calm tone that carried an underlying pressure: “And what about Miss Li Ting? Still… not changing your mind?”

Li Ting’s lips pressed into a stubborn, straight line. After a moment of thought, she finally gave her answer: “I’m sorry.”

Wen Xiuzhen looked at her and shook her head slightly, as if in resignation. She picked up her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then flipped it over to place it on the table in front of them.

“What a pity…” she drawled, her voice carrying an exaggerated, feigned regret. “Especially since… the fans are so looking forward to your second collaboration. Just look at this enthusiastic response; this event was very successful.”

The phone screen displayed a fan group chat:

[Ahhh, this way of ‘sweeping the building’ is so novel!! I declare this my favorite fan benefit of the year!!]

[It’s a shame we can’t screen-record and can only watch the live stream in the group. Will the official account post an edited version later? Please!!]

[My CP really didn’t shy away today!! Those subconscious little gestures—holding hands, hugging, eye contact… the sweetness is off the charts! How can this be fake?!]

[Amusement parks are the best! Thank you, Sponsor Mommy, for letting us ship something real!]

[I heard this event was to boost hype for an upcoming collaboration. Does that mean there will be more ‘food’ later?]

[Too bad they’re wearing masks and we can’t see their expressions. The production team really knows how to play with ‘concealment’ and ‘hunger marketing.’]

[It’s those secret interactions that are the real highlight!! Ahhh!!]

Watching those messages jump rapidly across the screen—full of excitement and fervor—Li Ting’s brow, which had just relaxed slightly, furrowed tightly again. A chill climbed up her spine. She snapped her head up, her gaze sharp as a knife as it shot toward Wen Xiuzhen. Her voice was laced with suppressed anger: “What did you do?”

She recalled everything that happened at the amusement park and realized with sharp clarity that she had fallen into a trap.

And yet, this was a move she had no choice but to counter.

“I was helping you two, of course~~” Wen Xiuzhen spoke with a hint of pride. She blinked and continued: “Because I saw Xiaoxiao say in an interview that she wanted to visit this amusement park for Qixi. As it happens, I have some connections here.”

“To ensure you both could have fun and to guarantee your absolute safety, I revealed to our core fans in advance that this was actually a special promotional event for our new drama. You two were ‘posing’ as a couple for an immersive experience to complete a mission for a top-secret program.”

Because she had received the raw footage of the interview beforehand, Wen Xiuzhen had coordinated with Si Xiaoxiao’s manager, Yan Guan. They decided to capitalize on the hype by planning a unique fan event at the amusement park and generating buzz for the upcoming series Soul Hunt.

Yan Guan was the type of person who wouldn’t hesitate to play dirty to get ahead. Seeing Si Xiaoxiao “selling the ship” so blatantly in the interview, she assumed this was the result of a prior agreement between Wen Xiuzhen and Si Xiaoxiao. Upon learning of Wen Xiuzhen’s plan, she didn’t bother mentioning it to Si Xiaoxiao. After all, she was busy with many artists and had no time for anyone to delay her from making money!

As for Li Ting and Gao Mengya, since they weren’t in the same circle and had refused multiple times before, Wen Xiuzhen naturally didn’t have their contact information. Thus, it resulted in the current situation.

Li Ting, the most perceptive of the two, had essentially played the “blind man” all day, treating the outing as nothing more than an ordinary Qixi date.

As for the amnesiac Si Xiaoxiao, her mind was entirely occupied by her “Sister,” and she had absolutely no memory of the information she had leaked back in her “younger” (pre-amnesia) days.

Meanwhile, the fans had reaped the rewards of natural, close-range CP (Couple) interactions. A segment of the die-hard, level-headed fans had even acted as human cameras, broadcasting the events to their group chats, allowing everyone to immerse themselves collectively in this grand, “Truman Show”-esque carnival.

As for Wen Xiuzhen, she had secured the buzz she craved. At that moment, the trending topics looked like this:

• #The Two Beauties of Tongque Return to the Scene, Collaboration Possible#
• #My CP—A Very New Style of Marketing#

On Weibo, numerous text descriptions and GIF screenshots of the amusement park trip began to leak. This “clandestine code” style of circulation actually fueled the fire even more.

After all, human nature is a strange thing. If you present something openly and market it grandly, people might not necessarily care to look. But if you use small-group broadcasts—where only a few “privileged” individuals are on-site—and adopt a “will-they-won’t-they” stance, curiosity skyrockets.

The harder something is to obtain, the more relentlessly people want to figure it out. Humans always love to be meticulously stubborn in the strangest places.

Taking advantage of this very trait, another keyword exploded across the internet: Soul Hunt.

Wen Xiuzhen appeared very sincere. Although she had already begun using tactics to “coerce” Li Ting into participating, she remained earnest in Li Ting’s presence: “I repeat my hope that you will participate in the filming of my series. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” Li Ting hated being threatened, so she arched an eyebrow and countered.

Wen Xiuzhen spread her hands, expressing a feigned helplessness: “Otherwise, Miss Xiaoxiao will have to become someone else’s leading lady~”

Li Ting remained noncommittal, but Si Xiaoxiao decisively snatched the script from Li Ting’s hand and threw it back onto Wen Xiuzhen’s desk, declaring her loyalty righteously: “If Sister doesn’t act, I won’t either! You’re not allowed to threaten her!”

“Is that so? Well, that’s truly a shame.” Wen Xiuzhen scratched her head and flipped the contract to a specific page, pointing at a figure followed by many zeros. “In that case, let’s talk about the liquidated damages!”

Though she spent money like water, Wen Xiuzhen was no fool.

Si Xiaoxiao, who subconsciously knew she was poor, maintained her “fearless and arrogant” front: “Talk! Let’s talk then!”

Li Ting felt conflicted. She pulled at Si Xiaoxiao’s sleeve, shook her head at her, and asked Wen Xiuzhen weakly: “Why does it have to be us?”

If it was just about popularity, there were plenty of others in the entertainment industry with massive buzz. Why was she so obsessed with them?

“Because I want to reboot Tongque Wujian!” An inextinguishable fire burned in Wen Xiuzhen’s eyes. “I’ve signed a gamble agreement with Director Yan. To prove that I have the ability to direct Tongque, I need to film a series with you two as the leads and win the Golden Lion Award.”

The Golden Lion Award?

Li Ting couldn’t help but gasp at Wen Xiuzhen’s audacity. “You actually dared to sign that kind of gamble?”

It was undoubtedly the most prestigious award domestically, and even one of the top honors internationally.

Back in the day, even the legendary Director Yan had suffered multiple defeats at the Golden Lions. It wasn’t until the twilight of her career, with Tongque Wujian, that she finally secured that trophy, marking a perfect conclusion to her journey.

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Wen Xiuzhen displayed the spirited recklessness of youth—a wild arrogance that made her appear incredibly vivid. “How will I know it’s impossible if I don’t try?”

“You…”

“So, do you both want to bet as well?” Wen Xiuzhen smiled, extending the invitation once more.

How could she stand it—

To see former dreams reduced to this state? One had fled the acting world, indifferently releasing a few songs only to be forgotten by the world; the other was wasting her talent in a pile of trashy films, fading into obscurity.

And so, starting from that lounge with the ugly sofa, she had set her plan in motion. It was time to let her phoenixes soar once again…

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