Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 43

“Mm.” Ye Youyi was still basking in her happiness as she carefully read through the messages and comments her fans had left.

Just as Qiu Qiu had said, this time she truly felt what it was like to suddenly become famous.

Yet, a shadow of doubt lingered in her mind. She was doing well under Senior Wang Lin now, with resources in abundance. But back when she had terminated her contract, she had never really understood how her former agency, Huanyue, had agreed to let her go.

Terminating a contract before its expiration usually required paying a hefty fee. But Qiu Qiu had mentioned that when she requested to end it, the higher-ups hadn’t asked for any compensation—they had agreed right away.

At that time, all she had thought about was escaping Huanyue and that infuriating manager. She hadn’t given it much thought; she had simply terminated the contract. Later, getting in touch with Senior Wang Lin and joining Xinghua was equally smooth and effortless.

Could it have something to do with Wen Tang?

For some reason, Ye Youyi immediately thought of Wen Tang. After all, at that dinner, she had told Senior Wang Lin to leave the contract termination in her hands.

Ye Youyi mused absentmindedly: Was Wen Tang really just an insignificant assistant with no influence? She wanted to ask, but she had only just managed to be with Wen Tang and feared that pressing the issue might annoy her.

After all, if Wen Tang wasn’t merely an assistant, why hadn’t she told her? Surely, she must have had a reason she couldn’t share.

While Fashion Bolai was doing booming business, Ye Youyi received a notification from Director Li Zheng to join the crew of Release.

It was already almost early April, and the weather was gradually warming. After Qiu Qiu helped her pack, they flew together to the filming location.

Since Release was a realistic drama about an Omega girl neglected from childhood and sold off by her impoverished family, the film was being shot in a relatively remote mountainous area: Qinghe Min County.

After nearly three hours on a plane, they reached Qinghe, and then another four hours on a shuttle bus to reach the small county town.

The crew had prepared ahead of time, so locals knew that celebrities would be filming here for the next few months. They were also told that anyone could join as extras for a hundred yuan a day.

So many idle locals signed up.

As soon as Ye Youyi and Qiu Qiu arrived, they saw Director Li Zheng overseeing the scene setup.

“Hello, Director Li!” Qiu Qiu waved hurriedly when she noticed her turn around, then grabbed Ye Youyi’s hand and walked over together.

Li Zheng only then saw them and immediately smiled. “Why are you here so early?” The rest of the main cast wouldn’t arrive for the table read until the day after tomorrow. She hadn’t expected Ye Youyi to come so soon.

“We wanted to get familiar with the environment first, get a feel for it,” Ye Youyi said softly, giving a shy smile.

Li Zheng nodded. “That’s fine! Go rest at your accommodation first; I’ll have Xiao Liu take you there.” She called over her assistant: “Xiao Liu, take Ye and Qiu to Heshun Inn.”

Xiao Liu smiled obligingly. “Got it!” and led them toward Heshun Inn.

On the way, Xiao Liu chatted cheerfully: “There’s no five-star hotel in this small county, only this little inn. It just so happens to fit all of us, so we booked it entirely.”

He glanced at Ye Youyi and added apologetically, “Though it’s not five-star, Miss Ye, please don’t mind. If anything’s unsatisfactory, just tell me!”

Ye Youyi’s expression remained composed, her polite smile unwavering. “Mind? Not at all. Everyone’s staying there, it’s the same for all of us.”

Xiao Liu froze for a moment, surprised at her sincere smile. He hadn’t expected this seemingly delicate Omega to be so genuine, unlike those who seemed soft but were secretly demanding.

Feeling better about her, Xiao Liu said nothing more and quietly led them to the front desk. Knocking lightly on the counter, he addressed the receptionist, a young woman: “Sister Chun, give me the key to Room 309.”

The receptionist’s eyes lit up when she saw him. She fumbled in the drawer for the key and handed it to Xiao Liu. “Liu, are these the main cast?”

Xiao Liu took the key, raised a finger to his lips, and shushed her. “Keep it a secret!”

He then led Ye Youyi and Qiu Qiu up to the third floor.

Outside Room 309, he handed the key to Qiu Qiu. “Because rooms are limited, each one will have two people. You’ll have to share for now.”

Qiu Qiu smiled. “No problem, sharing is fine.”

With them settled, Xiao Liu quietly left.

Ye Youyi and Qiu Qiu entered the room with their luggage and looked around.

Fortunately, though small, the room was tidy and had two beds.

Qiu Qiu pulled back the curtains and opened the window, revealing a bamboo grove behind the inn. She waved excitedly at Ye Youyi. “Come see! It’s so beautiful here!”

After putting down her luggage, Ye Youyi walked over.

The bamboo grove stretched quietly into the distance. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, filling the air with a refreshing natural scent that instantly cleared the mind.

Qiu Qiu watched Ye Youyi close her eyes and take a deep breath, then nudged her playfully and teased, “Isn’t your other half usually so clingy? Back in the capital, she was always checking on you. Why didn’t she come along this time?”

Ye Youyi opened her eyes, patted Qiu Qiu’s arm, and relaxed her expression. “She said she had some work to handle first, so she’ll be busy for a while.”

Qiu Qiu made an “oh” sound, then frowned slightly. “But didn’t she already quit working as Lin Shuang’s assistant? She’s had months of free time. How did she find work all of a sudden? What kind of work is it?”

Finally, these were questions that Ye Youyi couldn’t avoid.

To be honest, she didn’t really know what Wen Tang was busy with. Wen Tang hadn’t gone into details, and she hadn’t pressed her for answers.

“I’m not sure either,” she said, stretching out a finger to tap Qiu Qiu’s forehead. “Anyway, she said she’s a bit busy these days. And I’m here to shoot a drama, not on vacation. Bringing your girlfriend along—what would that look like?”

Still, the scenery in this county town was really nice. Once filming wrapped up, she could definitely bring Wen Tang along for a proper visit.

A few days later, the full cast of Release had gathered. After taking promotional photos and doing a script reading, filming officially began.

Ye Youyi focused all her attention on the shoot, while back in the Capital, Wen Tang was restless with anxiety.

Not long ago, she had received news from Wen Qi, who was abroad, that the mission to rescue her original body’s father had run into complications. In the end, the father hadn’t been saved.

Fortunately, the failed rescue hadn’t drawn the island guards’ attention—otherwise, he might have been relocated by now.

So, when preparing for the second rescue attempt, they had to be extra careful.

On top of that, after taking over Bai Corporation, there were countless follow-up matters requiring her signature. Juggling all of this, she was literally running herself ragged.

Yet no matter how busy she got, every night before bed she would video call Ye Youyi. Whether sharing amusing events from the day or simply talking about what they’d eaten, even these small moments brought her a sense of contentment.

Though she couldn’t hold Ye Youyi in her arms, just seeing her face and chatting with her eased the ache of longing.

One day, after signing a set of documents, she was about to message Ye Youyi when her phone rang.

She picked it up and saw it was Aunt Mei, who hadn’t contacted her in a long time.

Eyebrows raised, she hesitated before pressing the answer button. “Aunt Mei, what’s the matter?”

“Miss, have you been doing well lately?”

Wen Tang didn’t want idle chatter, letting out a faint laugh. “I’ve been fine, Aunt Mei. But I assume you didn’t call just to ask that?”

Meiru chuckled softly on the other end. “To be honest, it was the matriarch who asked me to call. She still cares for you quite a bit.”

Wen Tang’s expression remained steady. “Then just say what you came to say.”

There was a brief pause before Meiru delivered the purpose of her call. “The matriarch misses you a little. Would you have the time to come back and see her?”

Wen Tang offered a polite smile. “I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve been quite busy. I probably won’t be able to make it.”

That was her refusal.

Meiru knew what life had been like for Wen Tang at home. Hearing her decline, she didn’t press further, just sighed softly. “Very well. Take good care of yourself out there, when you have time, come back to see the matriarch. She misses you dearly.”

After hanging up with a mix of emotions, Wen Tang called on the system in her mind. “Er Que, what’s the matriarch thinking now? Why would she ask Aunt Mei to call me and say she misses me?”

“That’s odd,” the system mused, uncertain. “Could it be that after you left, she realized you’re actually not so bad? And now regrets sending you away? But since she can’t admit it, she waited a few months before asking Meiru to call?”

Wen Tang rolled her eyes. “Do you really think the matriarch is the type to do that?”

The system gave a nervous laugh. “Well, maybe not.”

“Forget it. Whatever she thinks now isn’t important. What matters is Mr. Wei’s situation.” Wen Tang didn’t dwell on it, returning her focus to rescuing her original body’s father.

At the Wen family estate, after the private doctor finished examining her, Matriarch Wen sat up with Meiru’s help.

“Don’t worry. It’s just high blood pressure. Rest and you’ll be fine,” the doctor said, prescribing some medication and offering a few reassuring words before leaving at her signal.

Once it was just her and Meiru, the matriarch weakly murmured, “I can’t go on. I’m too old. My body can’t take it anymore.”

Meiru gently massaged her. “Please don’t say that, matriarch. You’re still healthy. Dr. Hu just said it’s only a minor high blood pressure issue. It’s nothing serious.”

The matriarch shook her head, eyes closed. “I know my own body best.”

After a moment of silence, she asked lightly, “How did she respond when you called her?”

Meiru hesitated, unsure how to tell the matriarch that Wen Tang had refused to come back. Her silence made the matriarch understand immediately.

“Do you think I went too far back then? Sending her away like that?”

Meiru smiled to comfort her. “Madam, don’t think that way. I know you wanted to challenge her, not really expel her from the Wen family.”

“She still has rebellious tendencies, which are a potential risk. I just hoped that being out in the world and facing hardships would make her appreciate the family.”

The matriarch had her own reasoning. She had always thought Wen Tang was too aloof and cold, failing to see her or Wen Xin as family. Sending her away was, in part, meant to teach her a lesson.