My Nemesis and My Wife - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Vixen.

“Waiting to be the first to say good morning to Teacher Qin.”

The gloom that had been accumulating since she received her manager’s sudden demand to change her schedule early this morning exploded at this moment. Jiang Yan lowered her head, sat silently for a while, and then stood up to go downstairs for a walk to clear her mind.

As she walked into the hotel lobby, two people entered from outside. Xiao Qing followed behind Qin Lan carrying bags, while the person in front… had her head down, phone in landscape mode, tapping away as she walked.

Xiao Qing spoke up: “Hello, Teacher Jiang.”

Jiang Yan nodded and revealed a faint smile: “Hello there.”

Qin Lan snapped her head up, her phone moving along with her, revealing a colorful interface.

Jiang Yan swept a glance at the color scheme and confirmed it was the game lobby.

The last trace of doubt vanished; the person she had just matched with was definitely Qin Lan.

This person was walking while single-mindedly clicking away all the red notification dots, only to be startled upon hearing Jiang Yan’s voice.

“Good morning, Teacher Qin.” Jiang Yan also smiled at her a polite smile laced with distance, lacking her usual seductive undertone, which made Qin Lan’s heart tighten.

“What are you doing?” Qin Lan blurted out. To mask her intent, she pointed outside and added casually, “It’s pitch black out. We have filming tomorrow.”

“I appreciate Teacher Qin’s concern.” Jiang Yan was still smiling, her eyes beautifully narrowed. However, Qin Lan was gradually discovering that the more displeased Jiang Yan was, the more she would smile and act gentle and tender.

A two-faced woman, Qin Lan thought resentfully, yet she felt like saying a few more words to her.

“Hey, Jiang Yan.” Qin Lan stuck her hands in her pockets and tilted her chin up to call her, looking exceedingly haughty.

Jiang Yan turned back as expected and gazed at her quietly.

“You don’t actually think you can’t compare to Feng Manhong, do you?”

Jiang Yan froze, staring at Qin Lan in surprise. In her vision, the woman stood with arms crossed and head held high, still as proud as the sun.

Deciphering the meaning in Qin Lan’s words, Jiang Yan slowly curled her lips, and her smile gradually lit up.

“In the beginning, it was my aunt who admired Feng Manhong, but it was my mom who became the fanatic fan. My aunt said she is the most powerful star in the country, a representative of Eastern actors. After entering the industry, I’ve always treated her as a goal and a role model, hoping to become the next her.”

“Then, Teacher Qin will have to work hard.” Jiang Yan mused with a smile, “After all, these past few years, the media has been debating who among Teacher Qin and me is more capable.”

“Bring it on,” Qin Lan said proudly. “No need to compare with anyone. Although I hate you, I don’t mind admitting that you are a very excellent actor.”

Jiang Yan continued to listen with a face full of smiles, but Qin Lan noticed her smile was becoming genuine, as if fireflies in the night had been lit—a charm different from man-made products. In truth, she looked good when she fake-smiled too, but that kind of smile was too perfect, as flawless as an AI, because that was “Actress Jiang Yan” and not the “Real Jiang Yan.”

“Then… thank you for the affirmation, Teacher Qin.” She spoke slowly, and the previously expressionless face was now brimming with a vixen-like aura; confidence had returned to her body. “If Teacher Qin is willing to give me a chance, I will also work hard to make Teacher Qin… mmm, admire me a bit.”

Qin Lan’s heart started thumping at her words, but she thought she shouldn’t give this person any “sweets,” so she gave a huff of feigned indifference, turned around, and walked away with a swaying waist. Behind her, Jiang Yan watched her back with a bright smile.

“Xiao Qing,” Qin Lan said, swaying her waist as she lay on the bed, speaking to the little assistant who was still in a state of shock. “What kind of person would you say Jiang Yan is?”

“Sister Qin.” Xiao Qing swallowed. “Why don’t you first tell me… what on earth were you and Teacher Jiang talking about tonight?”

The beginning and end of the conversation between these two were disjointed, but she sensed an air of ambiguity. Sister Qin definitely didn’t find Teacher Jiang as annoying as she claimed, and Teacher Jiang was definitely not as hateful as Sister Qin described.

“Tell you, and then you go tell Bai Ai?” Qin Lan sat up to moisturize her face, her curls cascading over her. she squinted at her with effortless charm. “I hate Bai Ai’s nagging the most. If she keeps being so disagreeable, I’ll fire her sooner or later.”

Xiao Qing had heard this line not a hundred times, then at least eighty. She herself had heard threats of being fired no less than seventy times. Qin Lan liked to talk tough to those around her, but she was also extremely protective. When Xiao Qing was bullied, Qin Lan would always glare and settle the score with the other party first, then scold her for not standing up for herself.

“Sister Qin, something is wrong with you.” Xiao Qing said sadly. “I think you and Teacher Jiang are very strange.”

“I’m asking you what kind of person Jiang Yan is.” Qin Lan flipped over impatiently on the large bed, lying prone to overlook the night view of Luocheng outside the floor-to-ceiling window. “Who’s strange with her?”

The crew had booked the hotel for everyone to stay in, but Qin Lan never followed the crew’s standard; she stayed in the presidential suite on the top floor. Looking down from here, one could see most of Luocheng’s night thousands of lights flickering like stars.

“Teacher Jiang…” Xiao Qing had just started when Qin Lan interrupted her. “Forget it, you’re nagging too. I’m not asking you anymore.”

Xiao Qing: “Don’t, Sister Qin, I haven’t finished…”

Qin Lan didn’t want to hear it anymore: “Go back and rest.”

Xiao Qing: “…”

Xiao Qing left feeling wronged and frustrated.

Qin Lan flipped over again, staring at the ceiling. She actually wanted to read the script for a bit, but her heart was restless. After a while, she fumbled around the bed, hooked her phone to her side with her fingertips, and opened the game.

Qin Lan frowned as she stared at the friend request list. There lay a 2-10 “Little Egg” (Luban).

Curious, she tapped into the other person’s profile. The background poster was Lan’s game model and skin, Returning to the Sea with Flowers.

Looking closer, it actually had a Gold Badge.

The other heroes were far behind; the number of matches played was in the single digits or even zero. The Luban this player used today was actually in third place, with 1 match played and a 0% win rate.

“Specially skilled in one area?” Qin Lan parted her red lips, completely bewildered. “How can one be so lopsided?”

She didn’t accept the request. She got out of bed, walked barefoot across the floor to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, then went to bed.

Have to get up early for the set tomorrow. This thought flashed through Qin Lan’s hazy mind, and she actually felt a bit of anticipation.

“No way… damn Jiang Yan.” She closed her eyes and hummed. “Can’t let you get too proud, otherwise how can I keep hating you?”

“Lan is my game ID, bought from a previous player.

At first, he refused to change his name, saying Lan was his ‘main’ and he wanted to reach No. 1 in the country with this ID. I started increasing the price, but he still refused and haggled with me for a long time, asking why I was so obsessed with this ID. I said it was a long story; his gossip curiosity was piqued, and he insisted I tell it to him if it was good, he’d give it to me.

I didn’t tell a story, but I still got the ID. After all, money makes the world go ’round. No kidding if I told him I had fallen in love with my arch-rival, or told him that Qin Lan and Jiang Yan had only ever pulled each other’s hair in bed, he might not have sold it.”

Qin Lan was woken up by Xiao Qing’s pounding on the door. Before that, she had already snoozed two alarms named Get Up. She opened the door with a dazed expression, and Xiao Qing hurriedly shook her: “Sister Qin, Sister Qin, you can’t sleep anymore! We have to go to the set!”

“The set,” Qin Lan grumbled and began washing her face, brushing her teeth, and changing her clothes.

Xiao Qing dragged her into the elevator down to the first floor, and the two walked through the lobby. A moment later, Qin Lan stopped and turned her head strangely to look at a human-shaped creature in pure white on her left.

To be precise, it was a woman striking a perfect pose under a spotlight.

Big chest, long legs, firm buttocks, thin waist, right-angle shoulders, and a vixen face.

“Whoa.” Xiao Qing gasped, staring unblinkingly at the demoness with curves in all the right places, feeling dizzy from the unexpected visual treat.

“What are you doing here?” Qin Lan asked strangely, while unable to resist scanning her up and down. The vixen had deliberately dressed very scantily, looking as if she were about to shoot a lingerie magazine—a very blatant seduction.

The “fake” woman tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and spoke very calmly, her face full of a vixen’s aura: “Waiting to be the first to say good morning to Teacher Qin.”

Qin Lan was almost bewitched by her. She remained silent for a long time, not knowing how she found the willpower to say such cold words: “Then you’re late. Xiao Qing already said it.”

Xiao Qing: “I didn’t say it?”

Who would have the leisure to say good morning to someone who was about to be late?

Qin Lan calmly moved her eyes away from Jiang Yan: “You did.”

Xiao Qing: “Right, I did say it.”

Jiang Yan smiled, her breath as fragrant as orchids: “It’s not early. Does Teacher Qin want to take my car?”

“No, there are paparazzi.” Qin Lan acted nonchalant, but her heart was actually quite pleased as she walked toward the hotel entrance with a very light step.

“Alright then, Teacher Qin, see you at the set.” Jiang Yan wore an expression that said she had expected this, slowly walking out of the lobby behind her.

Qin Lan’s van was parked outside, with Bai Ai sitting in the passenger seat. She had heard over the phone that Qin Lan and Jiang Yan had scenes together today and immediately decided to drop all her work and rush to Luocheng to supervise in person.

Qin Lan acted very indifferent: “As if you could control that vixen Jiang Yan.”

Bai Ai glared at her resentfully: “Jiang Yan is certainly a damned vixen, but are you some easy-to-handle lamp? It was one thing for you not to listen to me before, but now you’re keeping the fact that you and Jiang Yan are privately involved from me!”

“What ‘involved’?” Qin Lan blew on her nails boredly. “Blame her. She’s doing seduction all day, walking around in front of me dressed all vixen-like.”

Bai Ai booked a flight on the spot.

However, she still underestimated Jiang Yan. She didn’t expect that while the two were “not seeing each other until death” just a few days ago, Jiang Yan was now directly blocking the person in the lobby.

Bai Ai rushed out of the car as if facing a great enemy and happened to lock eyes with Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan slowly lowered her eyelids, her fingers seemingly brushing against the hem of Qin Lan’s clothes. Bai Ai’s heart skipped: This one’s methods are formidable!

She pulled Qin Lan, who was about to look back, and hid her behind her, adopting the posture of a gold-medal manager: “Teacher Jiang, I didn’t expect to meet again after three years. During this time, our artist has been diligently working in the television field. I wonder why Teacher Jiang suddenly became interested in filming a drama too?”

Jiang Yan smiled and answered nonchalantly: “Naturally, I came because of the reputation… Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people like Director Yu who put their heart into a script to convey ideas, and I happen to be very interested in Director Yu’s ideas. Presumably, Manager Bai also took a liking to the script of Era of Pink Beauty before letting your artist audition, right?”

Just as Bai Ai was about to reply, Qin Lan behind her blurted out: “Damn Jiang Yan, snatching the same thing as me again.”

Jiang Yan curled her lips and smiled: “It can’t be helped. It’s all because Teacher Qin and I have similar tastes.”

Bai Ai was almost choked by the “tea-like” scent. Since Jiang Yan’s debut and slight fame years ago, the names of the two had been tied together. Their styles were similar, their fanbases were similar in size, their brand endorsements were similar, and even the types of scripts they liked to act in were very similar.

Consequently, the teams and fans compared and fought over everything. Bai Ai hated Jiang Yan’s side to death, but her reason remained. She had always cautioned Qin Lan to stay calm, fearing her hot temper would lead her to point at Jiang Yan’s nose and scold her. Now it seemed her heart, which was always hanging by a thread, didn’t need to be in her throat anymore; she could just pull it out and pass away peacefully.

“Get in the car.” Bai Ai said nothing else in the end, turning around to open the car door with extreme exhaustion. Qin Lan felt she had suddenly aged, so she obediently shut her mouth and got in.

Once inside, she stole another glance out the window. Jiang Yan was still standing there, slowly stretching.

Large areas of fair skin reflected the sunlight, making Qin Lan’s head spin. She rolled down the window and shouted outside: “If you don’t hurry up, you’ll be late!”

Jiang Yan covered her red lips and gave a small yawn, waving her hand casually toward her. Her well-proportioned arms had beautiful lines.

“I won’t trouble Teacher Qin to worry.”

After saying that, she lowered her hand, a trace of a provocative smile still on her lips, her eyes slightly narrowed with an air of laziness.

So feisty. Truly mesmerizing.

Qin Lan decisively ordered the driver to go.

Bai Ai hammered the car door: “Madwoman! We’re still outside!”

Then Bai Ai saw that Qin Lan’s expression looked even more satisfied; she was definitely under the spell.

“Eldest Miss Qin.” Bai Ai calmed down for a bit. “Tell me the truth. What exactly is going on between you and Jiang Yan?”

“Oh, Sister Bai, there’s really nothing going on right now.” Qin Lan leaned forward, her chin resting on the back of the seat, her red lips moving.

“So there was something going on before.” Bai Ai nodded.

Qin Lan leaned back again, looking like she didn’t plan to open her mouth.

“Forget it, I don’t want to know either.” Bai Ai spoke bitterly. “I only hope you can cherish your career and not let my record of bringing out successful artists be broken.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Qin Lan fumbled for a chocolate in the car, her smile very arrogant. “I hate her to death.”

Bai Ai let out a heavy sigh: “You always say that, but three years ago, you hated her with much more genuine emotion than you do now.”

“Don’t joke, Sister Bai.” Qin Lan’s long eyelashes rested impatiently under her eyes. “Is it possible for me to be with her? I would never like Jiang Yan—not three years ago, and not three years from now.”

“Sigh, I think it’s not that you don’t like Jiang Yan, it’s that you simply don’t understand love.” Bai Ai lamented. This lady had been raised as a “golden branch and jade leaf” since childhood; after seeing all the good things, she developed a sense of world-weariness. Fans said Qin Lan’s face was high-end, with a sense of pride and a bit of cynicism in her eyes. She was brilliantly arrogant and dazzlingly overbearing; the fans who stayed were extremely combat-ready and as famous as Jiang Yan’s fans.

“No, I told you long ago that if I were to like someone, it would definitely be a woman. I’ve just never met someone I liked.” Qin Lan shrugged. At the same time, she suddenly remembered the woman’s smooth, warm body; she still remembered the texture of Jiang Yan’s back, smooth and hot, and the red marks she had scratched into her under the flashing lights.

However, she still said: “Regardless, I don’t think I’ll date. These women are all too ordinary.”

Bai Ai said: “Don’t say it so absolutely; I don’t want you to become a nun. But at least not during the rising period of your career. Sigh, forget it—if you really do date, I won’t be able to control you. I just pray that if you do, at least give me the right to know…”

Qin Lan said impatiently: “Alright, Sister Bai, you’ve said it eight hundred times.”

Bai Ai lamented: “Is it of any use? When have you ever listened to me?”

Qin Lan smiled with a face full of vixen-like aura: “Don’t worry, I won’t in the future either.

Since Princess Taiping discovered that the one Shangguan Wan’er actually liked was her mother, the two had not spoken a single word. Wan’er sensed that Taiping was intentionally avoiding her, so she also kept her distance, until the news of Princess Taiping’s impending grand wedding spread throughout the two capitals.

One day, Princess Taiping entered the hall to pay her respects to Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu, and Shangguan Wan’er was also standing in attendance.

The Princess walked in, dressed in men’s clothing a purple robe and a jade belt looking handsome and heroic.

“Taiping, what is this for?” Li Zhi asked her with a smile, and Empress Wu also beckoned for her to come to her side.

Shangguan Wan’er kept her eyelashes lowered, but at this moment, she couldn’t help but steal a curious glance. When Qin Lan raised her eyes, Jiang Yan also happened to be looking at her, with a proud and certain smile on her lips, as if she were waiting for her to look up.

See, a Princess is a Princess; even after being rejected, she is as proud as the sun.

Qin Lan quickly lowered her eyes again without a word, standing silently beside Empress Wu.

“Cut!”

Four assistants rushed up, busily wiping sweat for the “teachers.” The makeup artist raised a brush and began to touch up their makeup. Xiao Qing worked hard holding a small fan, blowing it toward Qin Lan’s sweaty collar.

“Teacher Jiang is so handsome.” Several extras playing palace maids stared with stars in their eyes at Jiang Yan in her wide robes and jade belt. “I didn’t expect Teacher Jiang, who is usually so charming, to not look out of place at all in men’s clothing.”

Qin Lan pouted. Damn Jiang Yan, all flashy and showy, just attracting little girls’ attention.

Jiang Yan stood in place with a cold and lofty expression. Her upper body was indeed dashing and handsome, but her lower body…

This scene didn’t have a wide shot, so everyone was wearing shorts with bare legs under their robes, which were wide open not dignified at all.

Qin Lan turned her head to avoid looking at her, but after a while, someone called her from behind.

“Teacher Qin.” Jiang Yan walked over naturally, while deliberately extending her bare legs. “I think you should have looked up a bit later just now; the effect would be better.”

“Do you need to teach me?” Qin Lan said crossly, involuntarily stealing a glance.

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