I Don't Want To Fall In Love With The Heroine [Quick Wear] - Chapter 14

Filming for The Two Sisters’ Cases finally came to an end. Her manager, likely having received instructions from above, called Bai Qian back to the company to discuss the details of her contract renewal.

Bai Qian wasn’t exactly wealthy now, but at least she wasn’t as destitute as when she only had two hundred yuan in her pocket. She had settled her accounts the night before; for the next few months, the money in her bank account would be enough to sustain her in this world until the day Shao Zizhi became the Best Actress.

When one has the option to live comfortably in leisure, no one wants to go to work.

Bai Qian refused the offer without hesitation. The manager tried to persuade her with a few kind words, but seeing her mind was made up, she finally gave up.

As soon as the call ended, Shao Zizhi, who had been eavesdropping from the side, made a very generous offer: “Then come to Zhicheng! I’ll have my manager take you on as well.”

Shao Zizhi’s manager, Yu Fei, was an “Ace Manager” so legendary that even casual bystanders who didn’t follow celebrity news knew her name. She had joined Zhicheng at twenty-four when it was just a small firm, long before it became the “Best Actress Factory” that now commanded half the entertainment industry.

The first artist Yu Fei managed, Yao Lei, took only three years to rise from a bottom-tier star to the sensational Best Actress of the Golden Orange Awards. Yao Lei’s success inaugurated Zhicheng’s “Era of Creating Queens.” To this day, almost every artist Yu Fei has managed has won major industry awards. She didn’t care if the artists she took on were already famous; she had only one requirement: they had to be women.

“Yu Fei? Didn’t she say in an interview that you would be the last person she manages? That she’d retire from the industry once you made a name for yourself internationally?”

“She did. But I can beg her! Do you want to join our company? If you do, I’ll let you use the back door.”

Tsk. To be able to use Shao Zizhi’s “back door”—she really had a lot of face.

“Thank you, but I don’t need it. I’m just curious; would someone as proud as Yu Fei really change her mind just because you begged? Is she another one of your relatives?”

Shao Zizhi laughed. “Bai Qian, you’re so smart. She’s not exactly a relative, but she has a connection with my young aunt. I lived with my aunt for a while when I was little; she has no children and has always raised me like a daughter. So, if I just ask my aunt, it’ll be fine.”

Bai Qian’s lips twitched. “Are they in that kind of relationship too?”

The girl shook her head. “No, no, no. They are in a straightforward marriage. It’s not like that brat Shao Liangrong. Though, of course, we’ll eventually be in a marriage just like them.”

Bai Qian snatched her hand back from Shao Zizhi, who had somehow managed to grab it without her noticing. “I haven’t even agreed to be in a relationship, let alone a marriage. Aren’t you supposed to be at the studio this morning? You’re going to be late.”

“Bai Qian, are you really not coming to our company? Then where do you want to go? Is there an even better company that already headhunted you?”

“I’m done with acting.”

Shao Zizhi froze.

Bai Qian said seriously, “Shao Zizhi, you focus on your acting. My only wish right now is to see you win the Golden Orange Award.”

The girl nodded. “I’ll work hard. But it’s fine if you don’t act.”

“Oh?” Was her acting really as bad as Zhao Tong’s?

Shao Zizhi gave a bashful smile. “That way, Bai Qian, you can focus on being my supportive wife at home!”

Bai Qian rolled her eyes. “Get yourself to the studio. On your way back, bring me some sugar-roasted chestnuts from Tang Chao.”

Shao Zizhi leaned in toward her. “Today I’m filming the scene where Jiang Ning’er first meets Dugu Han. The director told me to tap into that feeling of ‘love at first sight’ and a racing heart beforehand. I’m afraid I won’t be able to get into character, so Bai Qian—”

Bai Qian raised a hand, blocking the woman from leaning any closer, and said coldly, “Don’t even think about it. I am not visiting the set.”

Shao Zizhi pressed against her hand and shook her head. “I’m not that greedy. Bai Qian, just give me a kiss. We haven’t kissed in days.”

“Refused. Get off me, now.”

“No!” The girl momentarily reverted to her willful ways. “If you don’t kiss me, I’m not going to film!”

“Shao Zizhi, are you being disobedient again?”

Shao Zizhi’s face was pressed right in front of hers, the distance between them less than a fist’s width. She could have easily closed the gap and kissed her, yet she refused. She was determined to leave the initiative to the other woman. It was as if by doing so, she could prove that she wasn’t the only one who had finally fallen for this fate, a fate extended by several accidents.

“Good kids don’t get any candy! On this matter, I refuse to be good!”

The alarm on Bai Qian’s phone on the coffee table suddenly blared. It was 8:00 AM. If Shao Zizhi didn’t leave now, she really would be late.

Shao Zizhi was quick, intercepting Bai Qian’s hand as she reached for the phone. She stood her ground like an immovable statue. Her soft voice sounded like a threat, but if one listened closely, it was a piteous plea: “Bai Qian, kiss me.”

Bai Qian’s face was incredibly dark. The non-stop ringing of the alarm was maddening. With a grim expression, she broke free from the girl’s grip, her hand flying toward the other woman’s face.

Shao Zizhi flinched, but quickly tilted her head up again—a fearless stance that said: Either hit me to death or kiss me to death.

As her hand swept past the girl’s face, the rush of air didn’t end in a slap. Instead, Bai Qian gripped her jaw and pulled her down into a forceful kiss.

“I must have owed you in my past life.”

Shao Zizhi left with a skip in her step, waving her head as she called out, “Bai Qian, I’m going to work to support you! I’ll act my heart out!”

Bai Qian didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. But the moment the door closed, her expression shifted as a realization struck her.

Shao Zizhi!

She really thought Bai Qian hadn’t read the script!

Autumn Chill on the Han River was a pure “Great Female Lead” palace struggle drama. The romance was pitifully sparse. The so-called Dugu Han was practically human wallpaper; there was no “meeting for the first time” scene!

That girl tricked her again!

******

A few days later, Bai Qian received word from Zhao Tong. She was going to do a cameo as a concubine with only two episodes of screen time in Autumn Chill on the Han River.

“Bai Qian, tomorrow at ten sharp, you visit me on set. Got it? I’ve hired some people to take candid photos at the right moments and post them on their personal X-blogs. It might not seem useful now, but later, it could become a sweet treat for the fans to discover.”

Bai Qian felt helpless. “You’re such a micro-manager. I really don’t think we need to be this detailed. What if no one notices? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

Zhao Tong was confident. “Someone will notice. I’ll hire people to edit videos on Site B to promote us.”

She really lost to this woman. “Zhao Tong, be honest. Whose CP are you actually shipping?”

“Heh. You think I’m like you? I don’t deign to do such things. When I’m not working, I’m always improving my craft as an actress, okay?”

“…”

For her first set visit, Bai Qian spent a “fortune” buying milk tea and some small desserts. When she arrived, Shao Zizhi was in the middle of a scene with the actress playing the Empress.

Bai Qian had never watched Shao Zizhi act from this close—the “fake trance” from before didn’t count. She thought that after those ten-odd days, she had become immune to “Actress Shao Zizhi,” but seeing her now, she was still stunned by her superb acting.

Shao Zizhi was truly a natural. Bai Qian had skimmed the script and thought she understood the character of “Empress Jiang,” but seeing the Empress Jiang before her now, she realized how shallow her own thoughts were. With just a look or a single word spoken with quiet dignity, Shao Zizhi transported her to that non-existent dynasty. It felt as if the person kneeling not far away truly was Empress Jiang.

“Why are you standing there like a fool?”

Zhao Tong’s voice snapped her back to reality. Bai Qian recovered, withdrew her gaze, and turned to her. “Miss Zhao, your ‘tool’ has arrived. What would you like me to do?”

After acting out a scene of “casual sisterly affection” with Zhao Tong, Bai Qian prepared to head home. She had only walked a few steps when a frantic voice called out from behind: “Bai Qian!”

Shao Zizhi had run all the way out to catch her. Seeing her, she called out her name. Only when Bai Qian stopped did she feel relieved, and her pace slowed.

The girl approached while speaking: “Bai Qian, didn’t you say you couldn’t come to the set? Why today—”

The rest of her words crumbled like dust under Bai Qian’s cold gaze.

The voice that was several degrees more distant than a stranger’s pierced her ears: “Shao Zizhi, go back.”

Shao Zizhi turned and walked away, looking utterly crushed.

Bai Qian then ran right into a reporter who was arriving with a small camera. The short-haired woman gave a curious greeting: “Hello, sorry to bother you, but is this the filming location for Autumn Chill on the Han River? I’m a bit directionally challenged and I forgot.”

“It’s right there.”

“Oh, okay, thank you!”

Bai Qian had just arrived home when she received a voice message from Zhao Tong. She was uncharacteristically excited, making Bai Qian wonder if her account had been hacked.

“Shao Zizhi actually messed up her lines and had to retake several times! Do you know what that’s equivalent to? It’s like Lin Daiyu giving up on burying flowers to uproot a willow tree, or Tang Monk taking the Golden Hoop to wreak havoc in Heaven. Do you understand how exaggerated it is for Shao Zizhi to mess up a scene? By the way, weren’t you just at the studio? Did you say something to her? Did you affect her? Tsk tsk tsk. Love… it’s truly a wounding thing.”

Bai Qian was speechless and hung up without a word. She sat quietly for a while, but eventually, she picked up her phone.

The call was answered quickly. Usually, when they spoke on the phone, Shao Zizhi would chirp “Bai Qian” several times the moment she picked up and ask what was wrong. Today, she didn’t say a word. She was clearly so hurt by Bai Qian’s attitude that she refused to speak.

“Zhao Tong told me you messed up several times just now?”

Shao Zizhi’s grievance was so thick it could have been juiced. “Bai Qian, did you call just to laugh at me?”

“No,” Bai Qian said. “I called to comfort you.”

She continued: “Shao Zizhi, no one wants to see you shine in this industry more than I do. If you want to stand higher, you will be under more scrutiny. This means that every step you take must be carefully considered before you move. You should hold yourself to this standard; after all, you’ve received the applause, so naturally, you must give something back for it.”

“Bai Qian, I don’t want to hear this right now! If you only called to lecture me, I’m hanging up!”

Bai Qian sighed. “Shao Zizhi, you are currently in a rising stage of your career. Not just me, but so many people are hoping for your success. Everyone wants you to become an even better person at the right age, rather than gradually destroying your path because of personal feelings. Do you understand?”

Shao Zizhi refused to listen. “Bai Qian, you just came to scold me! Waaa… where’s the comfort? You’re a big liar! I’m hanging up! Waaa… Bai Qian, you’re so annoying!”

“Did no one ever tell you,” Bai Qian whispered, her voice infinitely tender, “not to listen to only half of what someone says? What if the most important part is in the very last sentence?”

“Waaa… what do you mean?”

The woman’s voice was soft.

“Little girl, I only refused to date you. I never said… that I didn’t like you.”

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