Pretending to Be a Submissive O: My Fiancee Is a Little Pup - Chapter 6

The two leads for this drama had been settled long ago: Tang Rui, a popular starlet known for both beauty and talent, and a top-tier male idol. Their combined acting skills and fame were more than enough to guarantee the show’s baseline popularity.

This was precisely why so many people had flocked to the auditions.

To have the chance to work with Tang Rui, even in the role of a spiteful third-tier female antagonist, was a golden opportunity for exposure. It was far better than being a nobody that no one cared about.

Song Qingxue had secured this audition for Ji Yaran with exactly that in mind.

The character’s name was Min Qing, a colleague of the lead character, Shu Tong, in a ballet troupe. Born into a wealthy family and possessing good looks, Min Qing was nevertheless always overshadowed by Shu Tong, fueling a deep, secret jealousy.

When she learned that Shu Tong had been chosen as the lead for Yu Bin’s stage play, Min Qing’s envy reached its breaking point.

She sabotaged Shu Tong’s practice, causing a ligament sprain that left her unable to dance, all in an attempt to take her place. Later, she repeatedly seduced Yu Bin and intentionally sparked misunderstandings between the leads, throwing all the dirt she could find at Shu Tong to ruin her reputation.

In the end, the truth came to light, and Min Qing was sent to prison, full of regret.

In short, every villainous deed in the show was perpetrated by this third-tier character. Her personality was malicious to the extreme.

Before transmigrating, Ji Yaran had graduated from a professional film academy and possessed solid foundational skills. More importantly, she had built her career playing villains. She had played countless antagonists, each one making the audience’s skin crawl with hatred, earning her the title of “Villain Specialist.”

Playing a malicious antagonist was what she did best.

The turnout for the third-tier antagonist role was high, and Ji Yaran was last in line.

While waiting, she replied to Song Qingxue’s message. Just as she hit “send,” she heard someone inside the room shout, “Next!”

The next person happened to be Xiao Rongrong.

She and Li Qiongyue were right next to each other in the queue.

The auditions were held inside a hotel room, and the door was closed behind each actor, so Ji Yaran had no idea how they performed.

A short while later, Xiao Rongrong emerged looking triumphant, clearly satisfied with her performance.

Li Qiongyue, however, was not faring as well. Whether it was a poor performance or some other reason, she came out with a pale face, grabbed her bag, and left immediately without even waiting for the results.

Ji Yaran waited for another two hours. It wasn’t until the sun had set that her name was finally called.

Pushing the door open, she saw two people sitting in the room.

One was the director, Zhao Qingyan. Though she was nearly forty, she looked very young. She wore glasses and had a somewhat serious expression.

Sitting next to her was Xu Zhi, the investor for the show. At only twenty-eight, she was already a “Double Crown” Best Actress, and her career was currently at its zenith.

For such a powerful woman, she seemed unexpectedly approachable. She sat quietly beside Zhao Qingyan, elegant and dignified, not trying to steal the spotlight. She looked like a serene, refined ink wash painting.

She gazed at Ji Yaran with dark eyes that seemed to be sizing her up. After a long moment, she smiled and asked, “Ji Yaran, is it?”

“Yes,” Ji Yaran replied, giving them a polite bow. “Hello, teachers.”

Zhao Qingyan didn’t say much. She adjusted her glasses and said flatly, “Let’s begin.”

The scene Ji Yaran had to perform was the moment the villain’s deeds are exposed. Having nothing left to lose, she confesses everything in public, using vicious words to provoke the female lead. The emotion required was a mix of intense hatred and zero regret.

Ji Yaran let her emotions brew. She dropped to her knees, prostrating herself on the floor, and let out a smile that looked more painful than crying. Her voice sounded desolate and desperate.

“That’s right, I’m jealous of her.”

“She steals everyone’s gaze. Every word she says is worshipped by countless people. The resources I fight so hard for, she gets them without lifting a finger…”

“Why does someone like her have to exist in this world?”

“But I’ve never harmed anyone else… except for her, I’ve never harmed a soul…”

As she delivered these lines, every muscle in her face trembled. Her micro-expressions were crystal clear, and the emotional transitions were fluid. It was a high-intensity, explosive performance that lasted only a few dozen seconds, yet it wasn’t superficial. She deeply understood the life experiences that had twisted the character’s personality. Within the malice, there was a glimpse of the character’s deep self-loathing, a sense of superiority born of her status and ability, and the frustration of being constantly outshone.

In her interpretation, the villain possessed her own pride and dignity. She was a living, breathing person.

Watching her performance was like witnessing the villain’s entire life.

Once she finished, Xu Zhi smiled and nodded at her. “Well acted. Your delivery is excellent.”

She turned her head and whispered a few words to Zhao Qingyan.

Zhao Qingyan frowned, looking at Ji Yaran in silence for a moment before speaking. “Xu Zhi wants to do a scene with you.”

Ji Yaran was stunned.

Xu Zhi wanted to act with her?

Despite her surprise, Ji Yaran quickly seized the opportunity. “Please, Teacher, tell me which one.”

The corners of Xu Zhi’s mouth curled into a slight smile that could make anyone lose their focus. She slowly lifted a fair finger, pointing at her with a charming, captivating motion.

“Let’s do the scene where you intentionally push Shu Tong.”

Because of the extra scene, it was very late by the time Ji Yaran headed back.

The audition hotel was in a remote area, making it difficult to find a taxi at night. Ji Yaran waited by the road for half an hour before finally catching a ride-share car.

After driving for a while, she received a voice call from Song Qingxue.

“Sister, is the audition over? How did it go today?”

“It’s over. I don’t know the results yet, they just told me to go home and wait for a notification.” Recalling the final added scene, Ji Yaran didn’t want to sound too overconfident.

“Wait for notification” was often a polite way of rejecting someone. During the scene where she had to “seduce” Xu Zhi, Ji Yaran had performed steadily and believed she hadn’t made any mistakes, but sometimes, “flawlessness” could become a limitation in a performance.

Every director had their own preferred style. There were many actors at the audition today, and until the final result was confirmed, no one could be sure they were the one chosen.

“Don’t worry too much, Sister. That’s just how Director Zhao’s auditions are. The results should be out in a few days.”

“It’s fine, I’ll take it slow. Even if I wasn’t chosen, there will be other opportunities.” Ji Yaran wasn’t a pessimist. Failing an audition was a normal part of life in this industry, something every actor had to go through.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that,” Song Qingxue said with a laugh. “You’re on your way back, right? How much longer?”

“Almost there, I’m already near the neighborhood. Probably…”

Ji Yaran stopped mid-sentence.

Through the car window, she caught sight of a familiar figure under the streetlights, walking toward the community gate.

The woman had shoulder-length short hair and vibrant makeup. She was dressed in a designer black suit, her silhouette slender and her aura capable. Even in towering high heels, she walked with a brisk, steady pace.

Ji Yaran’s heart sank, and her hand tightened around her phone.

It was Yu Shi…

Why was Yu Shi here?

Looking at the direction she was headed, she was clearly going to the apartment to find her.

This wouldn’t do. Song Qingxue was still staying at her place, and she absolutely couldn’t let Yu Shi find out. Although Ji Yaran had rented this place herself, Yu Shi had paid the initial rent, and she wasn’t sure if Yu Shi had a spare key.

“Sister? Sister?” Song Qingxue’s confused voice came through the phone. “Can you hear me?”

“Listen to me, turn off the lights right now and go find a place to hide outside. Remember to bring a jacket, the temperature is low tonight,” Ji Yaran’s speech sped up instinctively. “Do not come out until I tell you to, do you understand?”

“Sister, what’s happening?” Song Qingxue asked, picking up on the urgency in her voice. “Why do I have to go out?”

“Director Yu is at the apartment,” Ji Yaran said, seeing Yu Shi already entering the gate. She didn’t have time to explain further. “In any case, she can’t find out you’re living there. Just do as I say.”

“I understand, Sister. I’m leaving right now. I promise I won’t cause you any trouble.”

With Song Qingxue’s promise, Ji Yaran finally felt a bit relieved. She hung up the phone and watched Yu Shi’s back disappear into the neighborhood. She immediately told the driver, “Sir, please stop here. I need to get out.”

The car stopped at the gate. Ji Yaran pushed the door open and followed her without a second thought. She kept a safe distance from Yu Shi along the way. Fortunately, the night was dark, and she managed to hide behind a parked car whenever needed. Yu Shi never noticed her.

She looked up at the fifth floor. The lights were off. It seemed Song Qingxue had already left.

Once Yu Shi entered the building, Ji Yaran didn’t follow. If she bumped into her in the elevator, she would be in trouble.

She waited for half an hour. During that time, Yu Shi called her several times, but Ji Yaran didn’t pick up. Later, Yu Shi sent a WeChat message, and Ji Yaran only replied with, “I’m not at the apartment tonight.”

Ji Yaran felt a headache coming on. If Yu Shi was determined to wait there all night, what would she and Song Qingxue do?

Just as Ji Yaran was about to consult Song Qingxue, she found that the girl had already sent a message.

[Song Qingxue: Sister, it looks like she’s leaving.]

Ji Yaran was surprised.

She waited patiently downstairs. Five minutes later, she indeed saw Yu Shi emerge from the building and leave the neighborhood.

It seemed Yu Shi was far less patient than she had imagined.

Since the “stand-in” wasn’t showing her any appreciation, the great Director Yu simply walked away.

Ji Yaran thought that this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, she didn’t want much to do with Yu Shi anyway.

However, Yu Shi clearly didn’t want her “stand-in” to leave just yet, given she had personally come to the apartment. If Ji Yaran wanted to shake her off, she would have to think of another way.

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor.

Returning to the apartment, Ji Yaran saw Song Qingxue sitting on the living room sofa with a cup of coffee, swinging her long, fair legs.

“Sister, you’re back?” Seeing her enter, Song Qingxue stood up, her voice full of concern. “How was it? You didn’t run into her, did you?”

“No, she’s gone,” Ji Yaran shook her head. She hesitated, then added, “But… I’m afraid she’ll come back.”

“Then what do you plan to do, Sister?”

Ji Yaran fell silent.

What could she do?

A famous director like Yu Shi had power and wealth and was used to people obeying her every word. How could she shake her off easily?

But then…

Ji Yaran suddenly remembered the excuse she had blurted out to Yu Shi at the hotel that day.

 “I’ve differentiated into an Alpha.”

“I already have an Omega I like.”

 “She’s my girlfriend.”

Even though it was a temporary lie, Yu Shi had genuinely hesitated because of it.

Perhaps… she could continue with the act.

“Song Qingxue,” Ji Yaran began tentatively. “You… do you want to stay here for a while longer?”

“Of course I do, Sister,” Song Qingxue nodded. She had been worried Ji Yaran would kick her out. “I have nowhere else to go right now. If you don’t want me, I’ll have to sleep on the streets…”

Hearing this, Ji Yaran knew her chance had come.

She sat down slowly on the edge of the sofa, intentionally being mysterious. “How about this: let’s make a trade. You help Sister with a favor, and Sister will provide room and board. What do you think?”

Song Qingxue was stunned, her bright eyes fixed on her. “Sister, what kind of favor do you need?”

Ji Yaran blinked and gave her a clever smile.

“Pretend to be my girlfriend for one month.”

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