Pretending to Be a Submissive O: My Fiancee Is a Little Pup - Chapter 25

When Ji Yaran returned from work that evening, she changed her shoes at the door and saw Song Qingxue by the window, hanging up their laundry.

Since they moved into the production hotel, Song Qingxue had taken charge of washing all her clothes, from outerwear to undergarments. Song Qingxue was consistently meticulous in this regard, so much so that Ji Yaran occasionally felt a bit embarrassed.

She doubted that even a future girlfriend, could ever be this attentive.

Actually, scratch that future girlfriend part, even if she were dating someone herself, she wouldn’t be able to provide a partner with this level of care.

Although this was technically Song Qingxue’s job as a lifestyle assistant, it was really just an excuse Song Qingxue had used in the beginning just to stay by her side. Now that Song Qingxue was her manager, there was absolutely no reason for her to do so much.

“Qingxue,” Ji Yaran said, placing a bag on the table, “A new bakery opened outside, so I brought you a few boxes of desserts.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

Song Qingxue stood on her tiptoes to hang the final piece of clothing, then walked over to the table. She opened the bag to find chocolate rolls and cream puffs.

She lowered her gaze and opened a box, using her slender fingers to pick up a puff and take a bite.

In that moment, Ji Yaran noticed her hand. There was a small red mark on her originally fair skin, looking very much like a frostbite from cold water.

“Qingxue, if it’s inconvenient to wash the clothes, just send them to the laundry service. You don’t need to do it personally every day.” Many artists in the production crew didn’t have time for laundry and had their assistants take everything to a nearby shop.

Lately, the weather had been getting colder, making it easy to chafe the skin, and prolonged contact with detergent would make her hands rough.

“It’s okay, Sister, I can handle it.”

“But your injury…”

Song Qingxue froze. Following Ji Yaran’s gaze, she looked down at the mark on her hand. Her expression shifted slightly, and she instinctively moved her other hand to cover it, her face becoming somewhat strained.

“It’s nothing, Sister,” Song Qingxue said softly, “It’s an old injury.”

“Is it really nothing?” Ji Yaran was skeptical. “I see some redness. If it’s uncomfortable, you should apply some ointment.”

“I really don’t need it…” Song Qingxue’s mood seemed to sink, her expression looking even more somber under the dim light. “I’m fine, Sister.”

Seeing that Song Qingxue seemed to have something she was hesitant to say, Ji Yaran didn’t press further. Instead, she looked at the dessert boxes on the table. “Is it good?”

Song Qingxue nodded. “It’s delicious, thank you.”

Ji Yaran gave a gentle smile. “So… are you still angry?”

Song Qingxue was stunned. “Sister?”

A flash of confusion crossed her eyes. After staring at Ji Yaran for a moment, she suddenly denied it frantically. “I, I’m not angry with you…”

“But you’re unhappy, aren’t you?” Ji Yaran interrupted her, her tone serious and sincere. “Ever since we came back from filming that day, you’ve been brooding. I know my tone wasn’t great back then. I went too far that day, and I’m sorry.”

The sudden apology caught Song Qingxue completely off guard.

Her breathing became slightly labored. “Sister…”

“Qingxue, if there’s something you’re unhappy about, you can tell me directly instead of sulking alone. I want us to be honest with each other, alright?”

“Sister, no, that’s not it. I’m not mad at you,” Song Qingxue explained hurriedly, “I’m just mad at myself…”

She lowered her head, her fingers gripping the hem of her shirt like a child who had done something wrong.

“I, I felt like I caused trouble for you, so I felt guilty. I was afraid of bringing you a negative reputation…”

Ji Yaran stepped forward, placing her hands on Song Qingxue’s shoulders with a soft sigh. “Qingxue, I’m not blaming you. Perhaps I was too harsh, but I thought things were settled once we talked it out. I didn’t realize you would dwell on it for so long. I don’t want there to be a rift between us, do you understand what I mean?”

“No, Sister, it’s me…” Song Qingxue bit her lip, her once-bright eyes slowly filling with tears. “It’s because I was afraid you would make up with her. That’s why I was so impulsive that day…”

“Afraid I’d make up with her?” Ji Yaran couldn’t help but laugh at that. “How could I? If I wanted to get back with her, I’ve had plenty of chances. Why would I go through all the trouble of moving out?”

“I know… I know you wouldn’t…” Song Qingxue’s voice grew quieter, yet the grievance in her tone remained clear. “I was just jealous, and it made me afraid you’d leave.”

Song Qingxue looked up at her, her voice laced with nerves. “I’ve been reflecting a lot since we got back. I know you’ve already moved on, but whenever I think about how much you used to like her, I, I just…”

“Qingxue,” Ji Yaran thought for a moment before speaking with absolute seriousness, “Only sincerity can earn sincerity. I would never love someone who only wants to use me.”

The moment she finished speaking, she felt the shoulders beneath her palms tremble slightly. That soft body had unconsciously stiffened under her touch.

“I dislike deception and calculation, and I won’t forgive a relationship built on them.”

Song Qingxue stared at her, murmuring, “Sister…”

Gazing at her expression, Ji Yaran couldn’t help but chuckle. “Look at how scared you are. I wasn’t talking about you.”

Song Qingxue lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening one by one. After a long silence, she asked softly, “Then, what if… I really did hide something from you?”

“Then it’s not too late to tell me now,” Ji Yaran said with a slight curl of her lips. “Do you have something?”

“I was just asking,” Song Qingxue avoided her gaze, her voice lacking confidence. “I’m just afraid that one day, I might accidentally deceive you…”

“If you’re afraid, then don’t deceive me.”

Song Qingxue went silent.

“What, is there really something you’re keeping from me?” Ji Yaran got the sense that Song Qingxue had something heavy on her mind.

“No, there isn’t,” Song Qingxue masked her emotions, offering a smile. “Sister, I would never hurt you.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” Ji Yaran pinched her cheek. “If you ever dared to, just see if I don’t punish you severely.”

“Sister…” A blush crept onto Song Qingxue’s cheeks. Although a smile lingered on her lips, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Don’t bottle things up anymore, and don’t be so hard on yourself, okay?”

“I understand… Sister.”

After that night, the relationship between Ji Yaran and Song Qingxue returned to normal.

A month later, Ji Yaran reached her final day of filming. Her character in this drama met a tragic end, and despite being a villain, the role earned her a massive surge in popularity. For the first time, her acting skills received widespread professional recognition, something she had never achieved back when she was playing lead roles under Yu Shi.

During this month, Yu Shi had sent Ji Yaran a few sporadic messages, but Ji Yaran never replied.

Over time, the frequency of Yu Shi’s messages dwindled.

It was as if she was being gradually forgotten.

Ji Yaran thought things would simply end this way, but she never expected that on the day her final scene aired, something would happen.

That evening, Ji Yaran’s acting trended on the search charts. The vast majority of viewers gave her glowing reviews, which should have been a good thing. However, another “black” trending topic pushed Ji Yaran into the eye of a storm.

#Ji Yaran Outshines Liu Jiayan#

The title of this trending topic alone was explosive enough.

One was an underground lover who had been rumored with Yu Shi for a long time, and the other was a newcomer Yu Shi was heavily promoting, rumored to be Yu Shi’s long-lost “White Moonlight” first love.

The two even shared a slight resemblance, making it inevitable for people to view this as a clash between rivals.

Liu Jiayan was currently at the height of her popularity, debuting with the labels of a wealthy socialite and a top-tier student. She had excellent resources, collaborating with Yu Shi shortly after her debut. With one anticipated hit drama after another, she seemed poised to become the next top-tier actress.

In comparison, Ji Yaran seemed much dimmer.

She was the discarded ex, demoted from lead roles to supporting ones. Although her acting was recognized, she hadn’t fully established her footing yet, and her fan base was nowhere near the size of Liu Jiayan’s.

In an instant, public opinion shifted almost entirely to one side. The social media feeds were flooded with people accusing Ji Yaran of “clinging to the hype.”

[Is Ji Yaran that desperate for attention? Does she really think playing one supporting role makes her a superstar?]

[What is Liu Jiayan’s status compared to her? Are these two even in the same league?]

[A knock-off is a knock-off, it will never compare to the original.]

[To be honest, this is just a low-tier actress trying to pick a fight way above her weight class.]

Following the incident, Song Qingxue immediately contacted the company to handle it. Although the company’s PR was fast, it still had a negative impact on Ji Yaran’s reputation.

The topic had appeared out of nowhere. Someone had even posted photos of the two of them filming endorsements on the same day, intentionally using an unedited, candid shot of Ji Yaran alongside a heavily retouched photo of Liu Jiayan, clearly aiming to trash Ji Yaran’s looks.

Fortunately, Ji Yaran’s face was too resilient. Even without filters, her features and poise were flawless, causing the opponent’s plan to backfire.

However, this incident was enough to show that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Ji Yaran and Liu Jiayan had filmed those endorsements a month ago. At the time, no media had linked the two of them. Releasing this “black material” exactly on the day Ji Yaran finished her current drama was clearly a calculated move.

Ji Yaran prided herself on not having offended anyone in the industry. Even her previous fierce rivals were of a similar status to her and likely didn’t have the power to smear her like this.

The only possibility…

Was Liu Jiayan.

Could Yu Shi be behind this?

Less than half an hour after the topic trended, Liu Jiayan’s team issued an emergency PR statement, claiming the matter had nothing to do with Liu Jiayan. They used the opportunity to promote her new drama, playing the victim to stir up fan loyalty while gaining sympathy from the general public.

Fans were up in arms for Liu Jiayan, believing that Ji Yaran was jealous of her relationship with Yu Shi and was acting out of malice.

“Sister, a production crew wants to invite you. The producers said they want to chat with you in person.” On the other side of the room, Song Qingxue had just finished a phone call and relayed the news to Ji Yaran.

“Which production is it?”

“Yu Sheng Han.”

Hearing the name, Ji Yaran furrowed her brows, finding it somewhat familiar.

“Qingxue, hasn’t the lead actress for that drama already been decided?”

“The producers said it’s not finalized yet. They want you to audition for the female lead or the second female lead.”

“Go investigate it. Don’t be in a rush to agree to the producers.”

“I understand, Sister.”

Song Qingxue contacted the company as quickly as possible to look into the details of the drama. The results were indeed unexpected.

The original lead actress for that drama was Liu Jiayan.

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