Lie to Me Again - Chapter 1

Under the dim, amber light, Qi Yuqiu covered her face, peeking through the gaps in her fingers to observe her unfamiliar surroundings.

One moment, she had been bitten by a snake on set, and the crew was rushing her to the hospital. The next, a car crash happened. Before losing consciousness, she was certain she was about to “meet her ancestors.” Yet, when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a strange room she had never seen before.

There was no pain, no wounds. She was dressed in an elegant, form-fitting qipao, standing in front of someone.

Panic flared in her chest. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor. She had no idea who the person in front of her was. It took a long moment of self-encouragement before she dared to peek up, following a pair of straight, slender legs with her gaze.

She had realized someone was in the room earlier, but she hadn’t dared to look, terrified she might actually see her late grandmother and faint from the shock.

To her surprise, above those elegant legs was a face of staggering beauty—rosy lips, snow-white skin, and a high, delicate nose. Her features were like a painting, though her expression was entirely blank. A flash of white light from the open window illuminated her ethereal face, followed by a thunderous roar from the sky.

The cold, beautiful woman sat leisurely on the sofa, her red lips parting slightly. “Choose: money, or being run out of the entertainment industry.”

Wait.

The beauty just took a hit. Where did this “overbearing CEO” dialogue come from?

The decor was foreign, and the woman was a stranger. Qi Yuqiu’s head was still swimming from the crash. She gave herself a sharp pinch, and only one thought remained.

I survived a crash like that? I’m… I’m incredible.

She didn’t immediately respond to the beautiful woman. Instead, she hurriedly felt around her body to confirm there were no injuries. She was wearing a high-slit qipao, and when her fingers brushed her ankle where two puncture wounds should have been, the skin was smooth and pristine. It was as if she had never been hurt.

While Qi Yuqiu was still reeling, a slender, jade-like finger tilted her chin up.

The stranger frowned, clearly displeased. “I’m talking to you. Don’t drift off. She wouldn’t be this rude.”

Qi Yuqiu asked instinctively, “Who?”

Jiang Songtang hadn’t expected such a stupid question at a time like this. Her thin lips pressed into a tight line, and she glared at the girl with sharp, piercing eyes.

Her tone remained icy. “My assistant should have told you why I looked for you.”

Having been rejected during her first-ever confession, Jiang Songtang was in a foul mood. She could mask it in public, but behind closed doors, her expression was wretched. Her eyes were involuntarily reddening, so she silently slipped on a pair of sunglasses.

Qi Yuqiu’s head was still spinning, and she lacked the strength to stand. She could only follow the woman’s lead and ask, “Who is your assistant? I don’t know them. And who are you? You’re so pretty, but why are you so mean?”

She muttered the last part under her breath.

Jiang Songtang’s expression darkened instantly, her brow furrowing even tighter than Qi Yuqiu’s. She gritted her teeth. “Are you playing with me?”

Qi Yuqiu was the one who had actively approached her. How could she not know who she was?

“I’m warning you, with a single word, I can make sure you never work in this industry again!”

Damn, she really is an old-school overbearing CEO!

Being a minor celebrity herself, Qi Yuqiu didn’t doubt that the woman might know her. She hugged herself shiveringly, tugging at her qipao to cover more skin. It wasn’t that she was conservative, but she felt this beautiful woman was coveting her body.

Once she felt covered, she spoke cautiously, “Could you… could you just tell me exactly what you want me to do?”

She still needed to survive in the industry. As long as it didn’t violate her morals, she would endure. A little impatience could lead to unemployment and poverty.

Jiang Songtang looked down at her and let out a frustrated “tsk.” She didn’t know what game the girl was playing, but she picked up a document from the table and tossed it over. “Don’t act weak in front of me again. She wouldn’t do that.”

Qi Yuqiu: …?

Who? Who’s acting weak? Me?

The person on the floor clutched the contract with an innocent look, which only made Jiang Songtang more irritated. She can’t even act properly? Utterly useless.

“I wasn’t acting weak,” Qi Yuqiu muttered again, seeing the other woman cross her long legs and ignore her. She lowered her head to flip through the document.

One look, and she nearly jumped. It was a “stand-in” contract!

She was an actress by profession, and while investors often tried to hit on her, this was the first time someone had asked her to be a “body double” in real life.

Could a woman this beautiful really be so unlucky in love that she needs a stand-in for comfort?

Qi Yuqiu read the contract in silence until she saw the name at the end. She froze. A sudden, inexplicable chill washed over her.

Jiang Songtang?

Wasn’t that… the villain from the novel she had read last night? At first, she thought it was a classic “villain loves the hero and fights the heroine” plot, but it turned out the villain was in love with the heroine and spent her days sabotaging the lead couple.

The novel mentioned that the heroine, Ji Qiuchi, was bisexual but had rejected Jiang Songtang’s confession. Heartbroken, Jiang Songtang found a celebrity look-alike as a substitute. The substitute’s name wasn’t mentioned, and her career was only briefly touched upon, but it was written that Ji Qiuchi distanced herself even further from Jiang Songtang because of this. Eventually, not wanting to be hated, Jiang Songtang threw the substitute out of her house.

…

Was it possible they just shared the same name?

Qi Yuqiu instinctively reached down to touch her ankle. No wounds. The snake bite was gone.

So… she had transmigrated into the book? Into the role of the villain’s substitute?!

Wait, what happened to this substitute in the end?

As she recalled, after the resources were cut off, the substitute wasn’t satisfied and tried to sabotage the heroine to take her place. In the end, Jiang Songtang blacklisted her from the entire industry.

Sssss—

Qi Yuqiu took a sharp breath. Her gaze toward Jiang Songtang was no longer casual; it was now filled with a mix of respect and a hint of flattery.

Please, just don’t blacklist me, okay? It’s hard being a worker bee in show business QAQ.

Jiang Songtang sat on the sofa, looking down at her. “Have you made up your mind? I don’t have time to wait for you to hesitate.”

She… she had dignity, too! She wouldn’t just be someone’s substitute. She wanted to be herself!

“If you don’t want to sign, get out of the industry.”

“If you sign, you can pick any S+ tier resources you want.”

Having struggled so hard in the industry, Qi Yuqiu genuinely loved acting. She certainly didn’t want to leave. Before transmigrating, she was an 18th-tier star with pitiful resources, never even touching an S+ project. At most, she played third-tier supporting roles in A-tier scripts.

Qi Yuqiu’s heart swayed instantly. She looked up cautiously and asked, “Then… do I have to do… that kind of thing?”

She was straight! If “that” was required, she’d have to think long and hard.

Unexpectedly, the woman glanced at her, her beautiful face tightening and her lips thinning further. Disgust practically overflowed from her expression. “I’m warning you, don’t covet things that don’t belong to you. Aside from resources, I’ll give you nothing. All you have to do is play her part well!”

Qi Yuqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She could get immense wealth and fame without “selling herself”?

That was pure bliss.

“There won’t be any life-threatening danger or illegal activity, right?”

Jiang Songtang was losing patience. She stood up abruptly. Sitting on the floor, Qi Yuqiu was met with the sight of those slender, straight legs and looked up blankly.

“Of course not. Are you signing or not!”

The woman was a bit scary, and her expression had been icy since the moment they met. Not a single smile.

Qi Yuqiu chickened out instantly. Afraid of being blacklisted, she nodded frantically, her expression honest and sincere. “I’ll sign! I’m signing! Do you have a pen?”

A fountain pen was tossed onto the floor. The woman’s tone remained cold, sounding like a command. “Get up. She wouldn’t sit on the floor. If you act that poorly again, you won’t need to worry about acting ever again.”

“Oh…”

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