The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 29

“Grandma really likes you. She kept whispering to me about how stunningly beautiful you are and how exceptionally polite you are, telling me to take good care of you. She’s already started making new batches of nougat and snacks for you.”

Lin Wan hadn’t expected her grandmother to be such a fan of appearances. After just one meeting with Bai Yin, she couldn’t stop praising her.

Lin Wan was more than happy to relay these compliments to Bai Yin, hoping they would boost her confidence.

Bai Yin listened attentively, her smile tinged with a hint of shyness as she lowered her gaze, occasionally glancing up at Lin Wan with sparkling eyes. Though she said nothing, a myriad of emotions seemed to swirl within those beautiful orbs.

Some people were born with an innate sense of storytelling.

Lin Wan’s thoughts drifted, and she couldn’t help but recall Bai Yin’s major.

She had heard that during Bai Yin’s time at film school, she had ranked first in her class.

Lin Wan couldn’t quite picture Bai Yin acting. Since they’d met, Bai Yin had always carried an ethereal, otherworldly aura, never revealing any other hobbies.

But Bai Yin’s striking looks and delicate demeanor made Lin Wan feel that even if Bai Yin did nothing at all, simply sitting there would be like gazing upon a perfect painting, one that could inspire countless heart-stirring stories.

A person like Bai Yin should shine brilliantly on screen.

…

Lin Wan secretly made up her mind. Once she hung up the phone, she would search for clips of Bai Yin’s past performances at school.

The more time she spent with Bai Yin, the more Lin Wan discovered there was so much she wanted to do. She didn’t just want to take care of Bai Yin’s health; she also wanted to nurture her happiness, ensuring Bai Yin would always be joyful.

Lin Wan then brought up her grandmother’s little shop.

Though her grandmother never said it outright, she spoke about running the shop with such expertise that it was clear she had long harbored the idea.

Grandma didn’t want to limit the shop to just her specialty soy products. With more shelf space available, she planned to make a variety of longer-lasting snacks to sell in the store. Bai Yin and Lin Wan would be her first taste-testers.

“Yin Yin, I hope you’ll honestly tell me what you think of the snacks Grandma brings over. Your opinion is really important to us.”

If the flavors could win over even Bai Yin’s discerning palate, selling them would be no issue at all.

Truthfully, Lin Wan wasn’t too worried about the shop’s sales. What she feared was that her grandmother might be disheartened by losses. Her original intention was simply to give the elderly woman something to focus on. If it ended up causing her stress, the effort would be counterproductive.

Lin Wan didn’t voice these concerns.

“Wanwan, don’t worry.”

Yet Bai Yin seemed to sense the hidden anxiety in her heart and softly reassured her, “The rumors about demolition here are just that rumors. There won’t be any construction in this area for years.”

Bai Yin’s voice carried absolute certainty.

Lin Wan blinked in surprise and couldn’t help asking, “How do you know this so clearly? Did you get some insider information?”

Bai Yin’s father, Bai Jian, ran a real estate company. There were widespread rumors that the Bai family had heavily invested in a certain firm, planning to jointly bid for this land to build a supermarket. The scheme also seemed to have some connection to the male lead, Shen Shen’s family.

“I’ve heard some rumors.” Bai Yin’s lips curved slightly, but she didn’t elaborate further. She let out a soft yawn: “Anyway, Wanwan, you just need to trust me!”

“Of course I trust you, Yin Yin.”

Bai Yin didn’t go into detail, and Lin Wan didn’t press further. After all, Bai Yin would never harm her, nor would she covet the meager family assets Lin Wan had.

It was unclear what Bai Yin had been doing during the day, but she looked utterly exhausted. As Lin Wan spoke, Bai Yin yawned again, curling up under the blankets like a lazy kitten.

“Sleep now, Yin Yin.”

Lin Wan lowered her voice to a whisper: “I won’t hang up. I’ll watch over you as you sleep.”

Bai Yin gave a drowsy “Mm,” her voice tinged with sleepiness. Leaving a dim bedside lamp on, she closed her eyes, her breathing gradually evening out.

Watching Bai Yin’s sleeping face on her phone screen, Lin Wan’s heart suddenly felt incredibly calm and tender.

Even though she was back home, where she should have slept better, Lin Wan found herself wide awake, likely because she was thinking about Bai Yin.

Lin Wan minimized the video call window with Bai Yin, muted the sound, and navigated to Bai Yin’s university website. She typed Bai Yin’s name into the search bar.

She had heard that some universities posted students’ outstanding works on their official websites, and Lin Wan wanted to try her luck.

As expected, the film academy’s website had a dedicated section for uploading exemplary student works. Once administrators uploaded the videos, viewers could watch, leave anonymous comments, and rate them.

A search for Bai Yin’s name yielded a highly popular video, marked with a “Top Trending” label in the upper right corner, followed by countless anonymous five-star reviews.

Afraid the comments might contain spoilers, Lin Wan skipped them and went straight to the video.

It was a short film, just over ten minutes long, in which Bai Yin had no lines at all.

Lin Wan had just been thinking Bai Yin resembled a kitten, and now here she was, playing a cat spirit.

In the video, Bai Yin looked no different from how she did now, dressed in ancient attire with no makeup. A cat tumbled from a tree, lifted its eyes, and transformed into a stunning young girl.

Bai Yin’s makeup was subtle, with just two fluffy white tufts adorning her dark hair, giving her a playful and lively appearance. From her initial unsteady steps after landing to her stumbling attempts to mimic human movement, Bai Yin’s eyes were incredibly expressive, filled with a childlike innocence that made it easy to believe she truly was a little cat.

The cat learned to walk like a human but could never master human speech or behavior.

The cat spirit wandered into a wealthy household, lured by dried fish offered by the young lady of the house. The two became close friends. The lady taught her embroidery, but she only drooled over the fish in the pond. The lady gifted her hairpins, but she dismantled them, stringing the largest pearl around her neck. When the lady married, the cat spirit said nothing, climbing onto the high rooftop to watch her depart with the same bewildered gaze.

The lady seemed to treat the cat spirit well, yet every time their eyes met, she was the first to look away.

On the wedding day, the lady stared at her through tears, demanding to know why she wouldn’t take her place in the marriage. But the cat spirit ignored her, tossing aside the poisoned dried fish the lady had given her and retreating back into the shadows of the wall.

The young lady returned with her husband in tow. At night, she stood guard at the door, her gaze fixed on the lady’s husband with a hint of surprise. She shifted slightly, her nose twitching faintly, as if puzzled by the unfamiliar scent lingering on the lady.

The young lady wore a melancholy expression, while her powerful and philandering husband, catching a fleeting glimpse, became utterly enchanted by the cat demon’s beauty. He incessantly questioned the lady about the cat demon’s whereabouts.

The lady revealed the cat demon’s true nature as a supernatural being, but her absurd husband showed no fear. Instead, he used the lady to lure the cat demon into a trap.

Reading this, Lin Wan could barely contain her fury.

It was painfully clear that the young lady’s kindness toward the cat demon came with a price. She wanted the stunning cat demon to marry the philandering and hideous husband in her stead. When the cat demon refused, the lady flew into a hysterical rage, wishing death upon her.

Simply because the cat demon hadn’t been tamed or successfully exploited, the lady turned murderous.

This plot felt eerily reminiscent of Bai Yin’s real-life experiences.

Bai Yin had never intended to harm anyone, yet her wealth seemed to have become her original sin, drawing covetous eyes that sought her demise.

The remaining actors’ performances were still somewhat raw, their acting noticeably artificial, but Bai Yin’s movements and expressions flowed naturally, as if she truly were the cat demon.

One could say it was Bai Yin who elevated this likely student-made, amateurish work into something with the refined quality of a film.

Filled with indignation, Lin Wan continued reading, sensing the cat demon was in grave danger this time. After all, in the story, the lady’s absurd husband had hired numerous rogue priests to imprison the cat demon.

After being wounded and surrounded by one such priest, the usually naive cat demon’s eyes flashed with a rare sharpness.

She raised her hand, a fierce glint streaking across her palm, and the priest instantly collapsed.

Everyone was stunned!

They had underestimated her, thinking her a newly transformed kitten, never expecting the cat demon to possess such formidable power.

The others quickly closed ranks, preparing to unite against her. No matter how strong the cat demon was, she couldn’t fend off so many attackers alone. Victory seemed unlikely.

Yet the cat demon’s gaze remained fixed on the lady and her husband, hidden behind the crowd.

Her eyes held no murderous intent, still carrying their usual naivety, even a hint of lingering grievance. It wasn’t the look of a killer but of an accuser.

Why had they lied about bringing her fish, only to unleash these priests bent on killing her?

As the cat demon advanced, she faced wave after wave of attacks, and towering flames erupted.

In the final scene, countless bodies lay scattered around. The camera zoomed in, revealing the cat demon as the sole survivor, her hands stained with blood.

She lifted her head slightly, meeting the camera’s gaze with eyes unchanged; defiant, indifferent, as if never tamed by the world’s rules, even carrying a hint of disregard for life itself.

For a moment, Lin Wan found herself unable to meet Bai Yin’s on-screen gaze, her heart gripped so tightly she could barely breathe.

Only when the screen went dark did Lin Wan snap back to reality, exhaling deeply before scrolling down to the comments.

As expected, compared to the other actors whose performances still showed traces of artifice, most discussions centered on Bai Yin.

“Is this the legendary top student the professors still reminisce about? Her talent is downright terrifying!”

“Me at the beginning: Wow, the kitten is so cute, I want to keep it; me after watching: Wuwuwu, don’t look at me, I’m scared…”

“How did she manage to play such a terrifying character with that beautiful face of hers?”

“Where is she now? Why haven’t we seen her? Is she filming? Doesn’t the school prohibit university students from acting?”

…

Among the various comments, all were filled with admiration for Bai Yin’s acting skills.

Lin Wan liked each one, then couldn’t resist downloading the video.

Yin Yin truly has talent!

Such ability must not be buried any longer.

Even if she’s in a wheelchair, so what? She can still become the most dazzling leading lady!

Thinking of the popular short video platforms now, Lin Wan opened her phone, a vague idea forming in her mind.