Hating Her, While Still Having to Address Her as Mother - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: How Close are Teacher Jiang and Teacher Jian?

Chapter Brief: Close enough to wear the same clothes.

Nan Xi does not like her boss—which is to say, she isn’t particularly fond of Jiang Shenwei.

Before becoming Jiang Shenwei’s manager, Nan Xi actually liked her quite a bit; Jiang Shenwei was something of a “National Goddess.” Back when Nan Xi was just a primary schooler heading home with a tattered backpack, she’d toss her bag on the sofa and turn on the TV to find that face—a face one could never tire of—starring in every hit drama.

However, after becoming her manager, Nan Xi realized this person was problematic. At critical moments, she always dropped the ball. She was an artist far too casual, far too prone to following her own whims.

Take right now, for instance. Nan Xi is “scouring the streets” looking for Jiang Shenwei. The press conference is about to begin, yet the star is nowhere to be found backstage. Nan Xi is worried sick; she has already dialed Jiang Shenwei’s number eighteen times.

Today’s press conference was convened by Jiang Shenwei to promote her new drama and to slightly clarify that her relationship with Jian Yu isn’t as terrible as rumored.

Nan Xi could never have imagined that her employer was currently in an abandoned dressing room, locked in a passionate kiss with her “arch-rival.”

“A-Yu, be good… stick out your tongue.”

“Jiang… mmm, stop it, the press conference is going to be late.”

Jiang Shenwei spoke in a voice as sweet and lush as a honeyed peach: “There’s time.” She reached out to smudge Jian Yu’s lipstick. “Your lipstick is a mess. I’ll reapply it for you.”

Jian Yu glared at Jiang Shenwei with a hint of indignation. Whose fault was it that the lipstick was ruined in the first place?

As she spoke, Jiang Shenwei pulled a lip glaze from behind Jian Yu’s waist. She narrowed her fox-like eyes patiently. “Don’t move, Master.”

The compliant Jian Yu was like a docile doll in her arms. However, Jiang Shenwei loved to refer to her petite lover—the one she held firmly in her grasp—as “Master.” It was as if she were handing the “remote control” of their relationship to the doll, giving her a false sense of agency. In reality, what Jiang Shenwei enjoyed was the thrill of pretending to offer her own throat to be throttled. By appearing to surrender control, she could see the other person’s truest self.

Jiang Shenwei gripped Jian Yu’s slender waist with one hand while meticulously applying the lipstick with the other. Her fingers, like agile serpents, strayed into Jian Yu’s defenseless sensitive zones. She knew exactly where Jian Yu was ticklish.

Trembling, Jian Yu allowed the lipstick to be perfectly restored.

“Alright, let’s go, Master.” Jiang Shenwei admired the way the other woman looked at her—eyes brimming with tears and fury. It gave her a sense of peak satisfaction. Jiang Shenwei had always harbored some unmentionable hobbies; “tormenting” her lover was apparently one of them.

With that thought, she took the other’s hand and left the dressing room, heading toward the red carpet and the public eye.

…

Under the Spotlight

Surrounded by media reporters, Jiang Shenwei calmly answered every pointed question.

“Oh, no. Teacher Jian Yu and I have always had a very good relationship.” Jiang Shenwei spoke naturally, without a hint of stiffness. Under the flashing lights, the media couldn’t catch a single scent of scandal.

Sometimes Jian Yu had to agree: some people are born to be actors. From their skin to their core, to every facet of their personality, some are destined to stand in the spotlight. Regardless of outside rumors, all they see is the infinite stretch of the red carpet before them.

Jiang Shenwei was not only an excellent actress on screen, but also in reality—or at least, in the version of herself she showed the world. Her flawless upbringing provided her with enough confidence and grit to face the world. Her success wasn’t just about acting talent; it was a perfect accumulation of innate “luck” that created the persona known as Jiang Shenwei.

“Teacher Jian, is your relationship with Teacher Jiang truly as good as she says?”

“I’m sure you’ve seen the rumors online recently, Teacher Jian. Some even say you’ve been at odds for years and can’t stand each other.”

The media couldn’t find a single flaw in Jiang Shenwei’s polished perfection, so they turned their attention to the quiet Jian Yu. They believed they might find the viral scoop they craved from her instead.

Two female stars getting along? That doesn’t get clicks. They wanted a story of bitter rivalry with a “Catfight” headline: The Truth Behind the Feud Between Jiang Shenwei and Jian Yu. Then, they’d dig up some male co-star they both worked with, and the audience would “write” the rest of the scandalous story themselves.

Standing there, Jian Yu saw right through everyone’s intentions. She saw the predatory media waiting for a slip-up, and she saw the relaxed, nonchalant Jiang Shenwei silently observing her, waiting for the daily “surprise” Jian Yu might provide.

Jian Yu pursed her lips and offered her trademark faint, imperceptible smile.

“Our relationship is exactly as Teacher Jiang described. She is my senior in the acting world, a guiding light. It is truly an honor to collaborate with her,” Jian Yu replied with a graceful, official statement.

She chose her words carefully, defining their bond as a “senior-junior” relationship. Jiang Shenwei could afford to tell the media they were close, but Jian Yu couldn’t. A superstar can say she’s friends with a junior, but a junior can never easily claim to be close to a superstar without being accused of “clinging to fame.”

But the media wouldn’t let her off.

“Are you close in private? Do you contact each other off-camera? And how do you feel about being nominated for the Magnolia Award multiple times but never winning?”

Jian Yu’s smile was practiced to her very bones, but such pointed questions were hard to deflect. How close were they?

Close enough to go to bed? We don’t just meet off-camera; we live together.

Obviously, she couldn’t say that.

Jiang Shenwei seemed to enjoy the spectacle. She picked up the microphone, her brow lifted with amusement. She shrugged her shoulders and, with her usual warm smile and clear diction, said:

“We are very close. Close enough to wear the same clothes.”

The room fell silent for a moment. No one quite knew how to process that ambiguous statement. When the reporters finally reacted, the camera flashes intensified. They sensed something big and surged forward, shifting the focus from Jiang Shenwei alone to the two of them together.

Before the topic could spiral, Jiang Shenwei pivoted skillfully. “We can be very good, but we can also be very bad—just like the relationship between Shen Manci and Su Zhixi in our drama. The bond between women is always subtle. Our main creative team is here today, and I believe Director Zheng has much more to say on this topic.”

She winked playfully, passing the “hot potato” to the director. The “interrogation” into their private lives successfully turned back into a promotional event for the film.

…

Behind the Scenes

After the press conference, they went their separate ways in their respective cars.

In the car, Jiang Shenwei watched the night view of Qinhai. Using the window as a mirror, she unfastened her tassel earrings, rubbing the outer rim of her ear a few times.

From the moment she got in, Nan Xi hadn’t stopped rambling, complaining about Jiang Shenwei’s disappearance before the event.

“Boss, are you even listening?” Nan Xi asked, hands on her hips. Because Jiang Shenwei always maintained a “nice person” facade, those around her sometimes lost their sense of professional boundaries.

Usually, Jiang Shenwei didn’t mind. But Nan Xi, seemingly intent on “reforming the workplace,” began to lecture her “disobedient” boss.

“Where did you actually go today, Boss?”

“Mm-hmm. Why don’t you guess?” Jiang Shenwei was in a rare good mood and humored her.

“You’re making things hard for me. Next time, don’t put your phone on silent. I was really worried,” Nan Xi pouted. “And you didn’t even tell me what you were doing…” Her voice trailed off. In the months she’d worked for Jiang Shenwei, she often mistook her boss’s kindness for friendship.

“I went to see… fun people and fun things.” Jiang Shenwei spoke with a hint of lazy amusement, making it impossible to tell her true mood.

Nan Xi froze. She had a good idea of who her boss was talking about. She had always thought Jiang Shenwei valued Jian Yu; after all, she had recommended Jian Yu for roles and they had been together for five years. Nan Xi never expected Jiang Shenwei to describe Jian Yu in such a frivolous tone.

“You know, I like fresh things. Whether it’s people or events. Once that spark is gone, everything loses its meaning.” Jiang Shenwei raised her arm, holding the silver tassel earring. The yellow glow of the passing streetlights softened the sharp edges of the jewelry.

“So, Nan Xi, don’t let me feel that you, as my manager, have lost your ‘freshness’ as well.” That wouldn’t be fun.

Jiang Shenwei’s smiling eyes were far more honest than her silver tongue. The subtext was clear: Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.

Nan Xi covered her mouth tightly. She had forgotten her aunt’s warning again. Before she started this job, Nan Jiang had warned her: Don’t be fooled by Jiang Shenwei’s surface. She seems easy-going, but all her malice and poison are hidden behind a veil of night. You never know the moment you might offend this woman who is always smiling.

Nan Xi stared at the woman in front of her, her curiosity still burning despite her fear. If Jiang Shenwei treated outsiders like this, was Jian Yu really no exception? Even after five years of sharing a bed, if the day came where Jian Yu was no longer “interesting,” would Jiang Shenwei discard her without a second thought?

The thought gave Nan Xi goosebumps.

Good grief, Nan Xi thought, I want to go home to my mom. I’m not cut out for Qinhai. Mom, the entertainment industry is way too messy!