My Nemesis and My Wife - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Unexpectedly Giving a Speech While Holding Hands…

That damn Jiang Yan just wanted to press against her hand a little longer.

Qin Lan was stunned: “So, you didn’t hear a single word I said to Song Man earlier? And how many times have I ranted to you guys about her before?”

“After switching dorms, I’ve come to know Jiang Yan anew.” Yun Chui shook her head: “She’s quite nice.”

“What part of her is nice?” Qin Lan looked at her in disbelief: “You like that ‘green tea’ act?”

“She doesn’t speak like a ‘green tea’ person.” Yun Chui recalled and stated with certainty: “Your stereotypes are too severe. Perhaps because she snatched your role at the very beginning, it left you with a terrible impression of her.”

“Then her acting all ‘tea-like’ while knowing full well that Wei Mengli was pursuing me is definitely suspicious!” Qin Lan subconsciously raised her voice, and Yun Chui quickly covered her mouth.

“Mmph—alright, alright, I’ll keep my voice down.” Qin Lan frowned: “I can’t believe you’re defending her.”

“I can’t explain this to you.” Yun Chui lowered her head for a moment, unexpectedly showing a smile: “But I still maintain my view; she’s quite nice.”

“You’ve really been brainwashed by her.” Qin Lan shook her head, finding it terrifying: “With that ‘fake’ act of hers, it’s like she wears a mask on her face all day.”

“Don’t all of you in the Acting Department do that? You have a lot of ‘idol baggage’.” Yun Chui smiled: “Song Man also can’t stand that kind of thing; you two are actually quite alike.”

Qin Lan tutted and laughed: “Speaking of Song Man, I just remembered why didn’t you apply to transfer to Song Man’s dorm?”

Yun Chui smiled: “We already spend too much time stuck together. A-Man likes excitement; she needs other social circles. I’m too quiet.”

Qin Lan rolled her eyes: “I don’t get you.”

Yun Chui gazed forward with a smile.

On E-net, Administrator 01 posted and pinned a thread in the Activity Section.

Casting Call for Female Historical Drama.

Beneath the title, several requirements were listed along with the time and location.

E-net included users from both home and abroad, with a significant daily active user count. As the founder of the site, Administrator 01 enjoyed a peak reputation. Yu Jintang’s move of posting and pinning this caused an immediate surge in attention; for a moment, no one was even “water-posting” (shitposting) other threads.

Admin 01 posted! Let me see what it is!

Casting call… but most people on our site are amateurs, right?

Heavens! I just saw news about this crew a couple of days ago. The title is “The Era of Pink Beauty,” and it’s a story set in the era of Wu Zetian.

The post says Shangguan Wan’er and Princess Taiping have been cast, but Wu Zetian hasn’t been settled yet.

Roles for Princess Anle and Empress Wei are also open for auditions.

Hasn’t this crew been auditioning for days? How can they be so short-staffed?

I know, I know. This is the first script with a clear romantic line after the legalization of same-sex marriage, and there are many intimate scenes. It’s likely to flop; very few actors are willing to take that risk.】

Is Admin 01 in this crew too? Could she be in trouble personally?

Being unable to find actors is quite a hassle.

Forwarded, hope it helps the Admin.

Number 4075 sat before the computer, staring intently at the post, with a cup of instant noodles in front of him.

Eleven years ago, he was sent to prison for human trafficking by that damn woman. The first thing he did after being released was to investigate her identity. During that time, he learned she was the founder of E-net, Administrator 01, and that she had passed away three years after he entered prison. Number 4075 was delighted, but he soon discovered with suspicion and uncertainty that Administrator 01 was still active on E-net.

He found a younger associate who was a former hacker and used a female ID to register an E-net account. After that woman died, the Administrator 01 account went silent for about a year, until one day the grey avatar lit up again. An unidentified person used the account to post a “comeback” thread and took over the woman’s business.

Number 4075 had investigated multiple times but still failed to uncover the identity of the new Administrator 01. After waiting for two months, he was about to give up when Administrator 01 suddenly made a post. As long as he continued investigating, he would surely find more clues; perhaps Administrator 01 herself was within this film crew.

Number 4075 finished his noodles in a few gulps and patted the hacker sleeping on the sofa: “Get up and book two tickets.”

The hacker stretched, walked over, and clicked the mouse casually. The cursor swept across the screen and finally stopped on the logo in the upper left corner. The main body was a stylized letter ‘e,’ pulled long like a bent paperclip.

The entire crew was worrying about the female lead. It wasn’t until the third day that a major star arrived: the “Triple Crown” Best Actress and “Goddess of the Era,” Feng Manhong, came to audition.

Opening the first page of her legendary resume, one could see shimmering awards. Her highest achievement was winning Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival the second Asian actress to ever win a Cannes Best Actress award and she was a superstar icon known by everyone in the country.

The probability of her appearing in this small, broke crew was like Mars colliding with Earth. It shocked Yu Jintang so much that when she saw Feng Manhong’s assistant approaching, she thought they had the wrong room. She turned to Qin Lan: “What’s going on here?”

Qin Lan kicked her stool, and Yu Jintang stood up staggeringly, her wrist aching from Qin Lan’s grip. Turning her head, she saw Qin Lan’s eyes glowing; only then did she remember that the only celebrity “Old Qin” had ever truly “stanned” was Feng Manhong.

Feng Manhong walked in, and the room instantly seemed to brighten. She smiled at everyone and said, “I’m here to audition for Wu Zetian.”

Amidst a flurry of polite greetings, her gaze swept across everyone and finally landed on Yu Jintang, who was covered in safety pins. She froze for a moment.

A weight lifted from Yu Jintang’s heart. She hurried forward to welcome her, inviting her to sit while calling for tea. She was so pleasantly surprised she felt dizzy; it took a while before she noticed Qin Lan’s gaze was fixed on Feng Manhong’s brooch. She looked closer: it was a very artistic brooch that didn’t quite seem to match someone of Feng Manhong’s age. It was likely silver and shaped like a paperclip.

Yu Jintang looked up and met the Best Actress’s eyes. Feng Manhong smiled, her gaze feeling like that of an old friend at first sight.

Feng Manhong didn’t change clothes; she auditioned directly in her own attire. But the moment she raised her eyes, Yu Jintang made up her mind—who could be more suitable for Wu Zetian than her?

The entire crew breathed a sigh of relief; the lead was finally settled. While everyone was celebrating, two more people walked in: one was an assistant carrying a bag, and the other was a woman with an avant-garde style and large waves, looking sexy and hot: “Is this the crew for ‘The Era of Pink Beauty’?”

“Yes, and you are?” Yu Jintang answered while looking up, freezing for a moment: “Teacher Xiahou Cheng?”

The actress Xiahou Cheng, 27, was a second-generation rich kid who reportedly entered the industry just for fun. In her early years, she starred in a hit drama and became famous overnight, but then she let herself go and stopped acting. When an interviewer asked why she didn’t take more roles, she said it was because it was “a hassle.”

When netizens asked why she entered the industry if she hated hassle, she said it was because it was “fun.” When netizens accused her of being an actress who refused to act, she replied with five words: Come and hit me then. This woman had many similar punchable remarks; her personality was quite eccentric, and she enjoyed appearing on variety shows. She was nicknamed the “Mad King of the Entertainment Industry.”

“Xiahou Cheng is me, and I am Xiahou Cheng.” This woman flew in like a galloping horse. “I want to audition for Princess Anle. Where is the interviewer?”

Yu Jintang’s eyes lit up: “I am the interviewer, and the interviewer is me. Ma’am, please sit here.”

Xiahou Cheng gave a weird smile, stood straight, and puffed out her chest. Her proud curves caused Yu Jintang to start daydreaming again: “Ma’am, we have here… wait???”

This person had a giant safety pin on her chest, so bright it was impossible to ignore.

Feng Manhong took the role of Wu Zetian, while Xiahou Cheng was settled as Princess Anle.

Once the cast was finalized, Yu Jintang coordinated everyone’s schedules and finally set the date for the opening ceremony of “The Era of Pink Beauty.” The leads flew to Luocheng to participate.

Qin Lan strolled onto the scene wearing sunglasses, with her assistant Xiao Qing following behind holding a water bottle. Staff were setting up incense burners. The cameras were covered in red cloth, and Yu Jintang held several red envelopes.

Yu Jintang didn’t care for worshiping ghosts and gods, so she didn’t hire a master to chant sutras. However, because the script involved historical figures, she had previously taken several leads to offer sacrifices at ancestral temples one by one.

Qin Lan looked around and turned her head to see Jiang Yan. She didn’t know how long Jiang Yan had been watching her, but her gaze was very aggressive.

Qin Lan turned to leave, but Jiang Yan called out: “Teacher Qin.”

Qin Lan had to turn back. Although her heart was thumping, she curled her red lips with effortless charm: “What?”

“Teacher Qin, over here.” The other woman gave a radiant smile.

Qin Lan saw all the leads were over there, so she had to walk over. Jiang Yan watched the woman’s swaying waist, her throat moving slightly, until Qin Lan arrived beside her and stood still with a flushed face. Jiang Yan’s heart stirred, feeling somewhat flattered; just as she was about to start a conversation, she saw Qin Lan turn her head subtly and gaze toward the Best Actress, Feng Manhong.

Jiang Yan pursed her lips, her face turning cold. She heard her own uncontrolled voice: “Do you like Best Actress Feng that much?”

“Of course,” Qin Lan said subconsciously. “My mom stans her too.”

Jiang Yan’s face became even stiffer as she intentionally provoked: “Then do you have her autograph?”

“If I did, I would have posted it on Weibo to brag about it long ago, okay?” Qin Lan replied distractedly, still looking at Feng Manhong with red ears. In Jiang Yan’s eyes, Qin Lan had always been the high-and-mighty eldest miss of a wealthy family; since when did she have such cautious moments? She followed Qin Lan’s gaze; Feng Manhong truly deserved her status as a star loved by two generations. Despite being over fifty, her elegant temperament was bone-deep, and every move showed the grace of a beauty.

Jiang Yan exhaled, walked past her toward Feng Manhong, and put on an enthusiastic smile: “Best Actress Feng~”

Feng Manhong smiled and took her hand, leaning in to give her a hug. Jiang Yan rested her head on the actress’s shoulder, curled her lips mockingly, and raised her eyebrows at Qin Lan.

Qin Lan was stunned, then fury blazed in her eyes, her nails digging into her palms. She looked like she was about to explode with rage. The gloom in Jiang Yan’s heart dissipated slightly. She turned and smiled: “Best Actress Feng, I have a ‘little sister’ who likes you very much. She’s been asking me for your autograph. I wonder if you could fulfill her wish?”

Feng Manhong agreed with a smile. Jiang Yan pulled out paper and a pen, placing them on her palm. Feng Manhong held her wrist and signed her name.

“Thank you, Best Actress Feng. My ‘little sister’ will be very happy~” Jiang Yan smiled with squinted eyes, looking very sweet, but the next second when she turned to Qin Lan, her face changed again. The corners of her mouth held a half-smile, and her gaze was meaningful.

She chatted with Feng Manhong for a few more minutes, then strolled over with a swaying waist, waving the paper in front of Qin Lan: “Little sister, do you want this?”

Qin Lan’s entire face was as red as the sun it was unclear if it was from anger or embarrassment. She glared at the “vixen” and roared: “Damn Jiang Yan, you can’t be comfortable unless you’re opposing me, can you?”

“Maybe so.” Jiang Yan wasn’t angry; she was in high spirits now. “Doesn’t the internet say we’re fated enemies? To have a destiny-level entanglement with Teacher Qin is quite an honor for me.”

Qin Lan gritted her teeth: “Stop talking like that, you’re acting all ‘tea-like’.”

“I just enjoy teasing Teacher Qin.” Jiang Yan was still smiling, waving the autograph before her eyes seductively: “Do you want it? Feng Manhong’s personal signature, and there’s a little heart on the back.”

Qin Lan hated her to death: “You’re up to no good.”

“Indeed.” Jiang Yan smiled enchantingly: “As long as Teacher Qin calls me ‘Sister.’ After all, I did ask for this on behalf of my ‘little sister’.”

Qin Lan didn’t even think: “In your dreams!”

Jiang Yan withdrew her hand, looking regretful: “Ah, well then. I’ll just have to take it and give it to a ‘little sister’ who needs it more…”

Qin Lan’s eyes followed her hand involuntarily, but her tone was still uncontrollably arrogant: “Have some shame, will you? I’m actually older than you.”

Jiang Yan remained unmoved and put the autograph away.

“Alright, alright, everyone be quiet. I’ll say a few words.” Yu Jintang stepped onto the stage and began her speech. Qin Lan was seething with rage, glaring fiercely at Jiang Yan’s poster. After some time, the Jiang Yan on the poster actually seemed to have a voiceover: “Teacher Qin? Teacher Qin.”

Qin Lan suddenly snapped back to reality and realized everyone was looking at her. Yu Jintang smoothed things over: “Is Teacher Qin thinking about her speech lines? It’s fine, just say whatever you like; everyone will just listen casually.”

Jiang Yan said with a smile: “Teacher Qin, Director Yu wants us to go up and speak.”

This was why Qin Lan always said Jiang Yan was sick in the head. Even though Yu Jintang had already prompted her once, Jiang Yan insisted on making her presence felt by Qin Lan once more.

Qin Lan shot her a glare and followed Feng Manhong up. Jiang Yan followed behind her and even reached out gentlemanly to lift her skirt hem (though it wasn’t necessary at all).

The three stood on the stage and together pulled the red cloth off the camera. The crowd cheered. Feng Manhong spoke a few words first, receiving a round of applause. She looked left and right and handed the microphone to the unfamiliar Qin Lan first: “Xiao Qin, say a few words too.”

Qin Lan took it, her heart still fuming because of Jiang Yan. Standing on the same stage as Feng Manhong didn’t make her much happier. Her words were particularly perfunctory: “Looking forward to the upcoming work… I wish the crew a successful start and that everything goes smoothly.”

As soon as she finished, she extended her arm and shoved the microphone in front of Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan smiled, a flash of craftiness passing through the corners of her eyes. She directly grasped Qin Lan’s wrist with both hands and began her speech using the microphone still in Qin Lan’s hand.

Qin Lan’s whole body shuddered; she nearly dropped the microphone in front of the cameras.

The audience gasped.

Heavens, what is Teacher Jiang doing? I don’t get it, look at Teacher Qin’s expression. Don’t they have a bad relationship? Teacher Qin was just cursing her out a few days ago. Teacher Jiang is a dignified person; she would never publicly embarrass someone. Maybe she wants to ease the tension? After all, they have scenes together coming up.

Qin Lan tried to pull her hand away, but it wouldn’t move. She pulled harder, but it still wouldn’t budge.

Qin Lan turned and glared at Jiang Yan. The other woman wasn’t looking at her, but her fingers moved imperceptibly, stroking the back of Qin Lan’s hand as if to soothe her. Qin Lan felt miserable and uncomfortable. Hampered by the cameras, she couldn’t lash out and could only hope Jiang Yan would finish quickly. For some reason, her heart was beating violently, and her breathing was uneven.

On stage, Jiang Yan spoke slowly: “Mmm… teachers of the crew, staff members, hello everyone, I am Jiang Yan. This is my first time attempting a large-scale period drama, and it’s a multi-perspective script. When I saw the script, I liked the story very much and felt a strong sense of anticipation.

I hope to briefly participate in the life of one of these characters. Mmm, to let these names that once shone brightly become vivid once more, and to give the audience some new understanding of this period of history. Mmm… I also researched some of Director Yu’s previous works and gained a new level of understanding regarding her reason for choosing this script…”

At this point, she even turned her head specifically to smile at Yu Jintang, successfully stalling for another two seconds.

At first, Qin Lan thought Jiang Yan was just being “fake.” Then, she couldn’t help but suspect Jiang Yan was saying so much to buy press releases to smear her, highlighting how perfunctory her own speech had been. It wasn’t until she heard those several “mmm”s that she finally understood the truth.

That damn Jiang Yan just wanted to press against her hand a little longer.

Realizing this, Qin Lan felt annoyed, but after a while, other feelings surfaced. Jiang Yan was being quite well-behaved; aside from holding her hand, she didn’t do anything else. Qin Lan listened absentmindedly to Jiang Yan’s rambling; the voice in her ears grew more distant, but the warmth on her hand became closer.

Something was wrong. A little bell in her heart began to jingle. Qin Lan, something is wrong with you right now.

She tried to focus on her idol, Feng Manhong, beside her, but the hands wrapping around her seemed to also be wrapping around her heart. It throbbed in her chest, surging and soaring. Her face felt hot and her ears flushed; she was at a loss. A bizarre thought emerged in her mind.

Could she really be starting to like Jiang Yan a little?

After the “one-night stand” incident (419), besides regret and self-blame, she had vaguely sensed something was off with her. For instance, she’d had an erotic dream about Jiang Yan once. When her friends mentioned words like “partner” or “girlfriend,” her heart would jump, and that “fake” face would appear before her.

She would repeatedly think about the expression Jiang Yan had before she left how she had gazed at her so seriously. She realized that the Jiang Yan of that time seemed… to genuinely like her.

Her thoughts couldn’t help but drift far away. It had been three years; did Jiang Yan still like her? What did her coming here this time actually mean?

She thought of Jiang Yan’s tears, the decisive words she’d spoken, and the terrible end they’d had three years ago.

One moment, she felt maybe Jiang Yan was just here for revenge to annoy her. The next, she felt they should just maintain the status quo having a crush on one’s arch-nemesis was just too dramatic.

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