The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: A Little Bit of “Girls’ Love”

Lin Chumu remained silent for two seconds. Then, her voice involuntarily rose a pitch without her even realizing it: “…Me? Care about her?”

“Why would I care about her? I just mentioned her in passing. You can do whatever you want, obviously.”

Jiang Yanqiu burst into laughter. She instinctively reached out to pat Lin Chumu’s shoulder, but as if suddenly remembering something, she retracted her hand as if burned by a flame. After a moment, she muttered to herself, “I didn’t expect her influence on you to still be this deep.”

This “her” clearly didn’t refer to Lu Chaoqing. However, it provoked an even stronger reaction from Lin Chumu. Her breathing quickened slightly as she turned her head to look over.

“Actually, I saw that she returned to the country earlier. She doesn’t seem to be doing very well.” Before Jiang Yanqiu could finish, Lin Chumu interrupted her with rare haste. A fierce expression—one Jiang Yanqiu had never seen before—flashed across the woman’s face. Though it disappeared in an instant, the thick hatred within it was palpable.

“I don’t care how she’s doing abroad. Don’t mention her to me ever again.”

During the latter half of the banquet, as it began to wind down, Lu Chaoqing remained somewhat distracted. Later, she saw Jiang Yang making his rounds to offer toasts, his face full of grievance when he looked at her.

“Xiao Qing.” Taking advantage of the fact that the people around them were temporarily discussing other topics, Jiang Yang leaned in cautiously. He looked at Lu Chaoqing with a gaze that was half-pleading and half-reproachful, his eyes filled with disapproval. “How could you talk to Uncle and Auntie like that? Didn’t I waste my effort buying those gifts? Do you no longer want to see me as your brother? In your heart, have you already…”

Lu Chaoqing was already feeling irritated by various complicated thoughts. Seeing Jiang Yang staring at her relentlessly, her anger flared up. What she detested most was someone “trying to teach a master how to craft”—the irony being that Jiang Yang still believed she was a fool kept in the dark.

She had no time to play his messy back-and-forth games anymore and was tired of maintaining a pretentious facade. Although she couldn’t tear off the mask and have a falling out right here and now, she could give him a small punishment to make him too embarrassed to bother her for a while.

So, the young girl simply stood up, grabbed him, and led him to a side area. She raised her arm and, caught him off guard, snatched away the sunglasses Jiang Yang was using to hide his face. A very obvious scratch sat right next to the bridge of his high nose. Jiang Yang had applied some foundation today, but the shade didn’t match his skin at all; it looked like cheap loose powder bought from a roadside stall, used in a hurry to cover it up.

“Brother Jiang Yang, did you get a cat? How did you get scratched by a kitten?”

Lu Chaoqing didn’t rush to answer him. Instead, she looked at him with a calm expression, mimicking the way Lin Chumu had looked at her before. He had clearly never seen her with such an unpredictable expression, and he swallowed hard. But in the next moment, her questioning words assaulted him like a machine gun:

“I thought you were being so strange today with such a big temper! If you were scratched by a kitten, you absolutely must get a vaccine. How could you be so careless as to get scratched on the face… Is that powder on your neck? How can you apply powder on a kitten’s scratch?” Lu Chaoqing reached out to grab his arm. “Let’s go, we have to go to the hospital for a rabies vaccine. You really can’t delay this, Brother! If you delay, you’ll get sick!”

Usually, Jiang Yang wouldn’t resist Lu Chaoqing’s initiative to pull him, but this time his face turned various shades of blue and red. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, refusing to budge. Yet, Lu Chaoqing was relentless, acting as if she absolutely had to take him to see a doctor, causing Jiang Yang’s face to flush a deep crimson.

Ever since that night when Lin Chumu ended their struggle by taking Lu Chaoqing away, Jiang Yang didn’t say a single word to Lu Chaoqing for a very long time.

Naturally, Lu Chaoqing didn’t care at all about how he felt toward her. The next day, she was called over by her manager. The woman’s beaming face let her know that something good was likely happening.

Du Yaqing clapped her hands excitedly: “Xiao Qing, do you know? Director Ji—Director Ji Xiuyuan—is planning to pivot and try a youth film. It’s a school bullying theme, which is quite scarce in the market. The leads have been confirmed as Qiao Shuo and Fang Qiuqi. I’m planning to get you the role of the second female lead. Don’t look down on the second lead billing; do you know what this means?”

Director Ji Xiuyuan was a premier director in the industry. Every script he chose was top-tier, and the movies he filmed either aimed for awards or became massive hits. Fang Qiuqi was a young Cinema Empress who held the top spot among A-list actresses, and Qiao Shuo was the unshakable “Top One” idol among solo male artists. The lineup alone showed that this was a top-tier production.

“You mean Teacher Jiang’s script, Inversion, right?”

Lu Chaoqing had already been asked by Jiang Yanqiu the previous night, so there was no need to pretend she didn’t know in front of her manager. Du Yaqing nodded, satisfied with Lu Chaoqing’s reaction: “Yes, Inversion. If it were any other script, I would probably decline it so you could focus on music, but this one is quite friendly to those not classically trained in acting. Plus, they are collaborating with MT and EM this time. Qiuqi’s side is already set, and Qiao Shuo is a senior you will definitely collaborate with in the future.

“Most importantly, the second female lead in this script is a dance major, just like you. I think there are similarities to your own personality. Opportunities like this don’t come twice. This is a top-tier resource for you; it’s worth more than three or four endorsements. What do you think?”

Du Yaqing had laid it out so clearly that Lu Chaoqing would be a fool not to understand.

She wasn’t opposed to acting and actually had some interest in it. Nowadays, many idols try roles within their capabilities; an idol acting isn’t strange, and if one has the ability, it’s worth a try. Most importantly, if the character setting was similar to her own personality, it meant it would be much easier for her to handle. With Fang Qiuqi and Qiao Shuo involved, the film’s box office was already guaranteed.

These two were leading figures in the acting and idol worlds, respectively. Combined with Ji Xiuyuan’s name, the quality was practically a guarantee to the audience. Lu Chaoqing didn’t have to worry about this being a losing venture.

The role of a music student would also give her a chance to showcase herself. In most cases, any sensible person would say: why not?

She happened to be in need of resources right now. The difference between an idol and a pure singer is that a singer might not need massive “traffic” (popularity/engagement), but an idol absolutely needs traffic to survive, regardless of their strength. To get traffic, one must take on variety shows, endorsements, or acting. Since there aren’t that many stages to perform on, it’s impossible to just bury oneself in making albums all the time.

Lu Chaoqing was naturally moved by her words, but she also remembered Jiang Yanqiu telling her that the second and third female leads had a “Yuri” (lesbian) plotline: “So, has the third female lead been decided?”

“It’s Lin Chumu.”

Lu Chaoqing: “…”

In the original plot, Lin Chumu was also supposed to enter the acting world, but Lu Chaoqing didn’t expect the plot to accelerate so much.

She also didn’t expect the “Big Straight Girl” Lin Chumu’s first time on screen would be filming a Yuri line.

Jiang Yanqiu had actually sent her the script last night. Lu Chaoqing hadn’t had time to finish it and only skimmed the summary. The Yuri line added there was actually quite well-written. It wasn’t overly subtle, and it managed to present the characters’ personalities and emotions independently without stealing the spotlight from the main leads. Lu Chaoqing had a hunch that taking this role would be very beneficial, but mainly, doing it with Lin Chumu…

“I know Xiao Lin isn’t related to you by blood.”

Du Yaqing’s voice rang in her ears at the right time. The way she looked at Lu Chaoqing was more serious than before. After all, this was an unmissable resource, especially since the director’s side had proactively extended an olive branch; if she had to fight for it herself, she might not have secured it.

If Lu Chaoqing only didn’t want to film because of Lin Chumu, Du Yaqing didn’t mind giving her some quick psychological counseling.

Lu Chaoqing did hesitate for a second, but without needing anyone else to remind her, she soon became completely at ease with it.

Because she had transmigrated into this world, she knew Lin Chumu had no blood relation to her, so naturally, she had never considered Lin Chumu her sister from the start. Similarly, given Lin Chumu’s attitude, she certainly didn’t see Lu Chaoqing as a sister. Since the other party was willing to take the role, it meant they had no psychological barrier either.

The only thing that might be hard to explain was her parents, but in the original owner’s memory, her parents were very open-minded. As a heterosexual couple, they had both coincidentally voted “Support” in the poll for the “Same-Sex Marriage Legality” two years ago.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Sister Yaqing.” Lu Chaoqing smiled in relief, making Du Yaqing breathe a sigh of relief as well. She had been worried about what to do if Lu Chaoqing was still unwilling to take this resource, but since the girl agreed so quickly, she was naturally very happy.

“Then go look at the script first. Meanwhile, your classes for this period can be lightened slightly, but they cannot stop.” Du Yaqing was a qualified and strict manager. “Your main profession is still here, after all.”

Lu Chaoqing gave her a “peace” sign.

When she went back to the dormitory to rest that day, Lu Chaoqing skimmed through the script.

Inversion was a youth film where passion and love coexisted. The character Lu Chaoqing was to play was named “Xiang Yunchen,” and together with “Xu Mulin,” whom Lin Chumu was to play, they were written as supporting females. In reality, they were characters of the main group and occupied quite a lot of screen time.

This movie combined the dreams and realities of university students, featuring both plot twists and emotional stimulation. Furthermore, it featured dual plotlines of BG (Boy/Girl) and GL (Girl/Girl). The GL line as a hidden thread was very full. One had to admit that Jiang Yanqiu’s creative ability was very powerful; every character was flesh and blood.

Lu Chaoqing wasn’t classically trained and had never self-studied acting. After deciding to act, she immediately had her assistant help her buy professional books to cram, preventing herself from being mocked as a “useless beauty” in her first movie.

The following period wasn’t exactly a gap in her schedule; variety shows were airing, and she did some follow-up interviews. Fans could see a “fresh” idol every few days. Lu Chaoqing naturally loved taking selfies; except for times when she practiced too late and wasn’t in good condition, she insisted on posting on Weibo every day.

Looking at the praises in the comment section one after another, Lu Chaoqing responded very thoughtfully—sometimes a few, sometimes even dozens. When the girls praised her beauty, she would also share makeup tutorials and details, or engage in a mutual-praising frenzy with her fans.

During that time, all the “Qingtian” (Lu Chaoqing’s fan name) were as happy as if it were New Year’s. When word got out that she was entering a film crew, and when fans saw Lu Chaoqing obediently dyeing her hair back to black in leaked photos, everyone was even more excited.

Who wouldn’t want to see their idol shine not just on stage, but on the silver screen as well? No one doubted their idol’s acting ability; as long as it was that person standing on stage, they were willing to give her their full trust.

This expectation reached its peak when Lu Chaoqing’s casting was officially announced. Especially when the promotional posters were released by the official Weibo, the top of the comment section became a battleground for the three fanbases. They didn’t intentionally try to control the comments, but various messages were still pushed to the top.

“I won’t say whose wife ‘Xiang Yunchen’ is.”

“Wife Yunchen, Wife Yunchen is so cute! First time seeing Xiao Qing with short hair, I want to ruffle it so badly!”

“Stop talking about nonsense, Xiang Yunchen has to take responsibility for turning me gay!”

“To be honest, seeing a main group of three girls and two boys gives me a slightly uncomfortable feeling. I bet one girl will be single, and maybe that single girl will like the male lead. Ahhh, I don’t want to see such a cliché plot anymore, I’m tired of it.”

“A contest with no prize: Who is the “vicious female supporting character,” Xiang Yunchen or Xu Mulin? Lu Chaoqing won’t get her first ‘vicious supporting’ kill in her first movie, will she? Acting as a weak ‘White Lotus’ in her true colors?”

“Is that person with the ID ‘6E38DE’ sick? Have you even seen Xiao Qing’s stage performances? Is it a crime to look cute?? You’re just talking nonsense. My daughter is so ‘Alpha’ on stage she’ll make your legs go weak, okay? Find any live video; if there’s heavy breathing or a mistake in the moves, I lose. She sings and dances through the whole set without a break.”

Because the official announcement didn’t mention the emotional line between the second and third female leads, the audience still thought this was a plot involving one male lead, one supporting male, and three girls. Some people or anti-fans were even expressing disappointment in Director Ji’s script choice in advance, believing that this director was ignoring the quality of the script for the sake of “traffic.” They were shouting about the script failing and predicting its downfall early.

Only when the behind-the-scenes footage of the poster shoot was released did some eagle-eyed viewers notice something was wrong.

What was going on with the actress for Xiang Yunchen pinching the face of the actress for Xu Mulin? This atmosphere in this unreleased photo… why did it look more and more like there was a bit of “Girls’ Love” going on?