The Movie Queen And Her Rival Just Went Public! - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Late April, continuous overcast rain.

A subtle, restless heat permeated the humid air, the kind of impatience that follows the revival of all things, eager to rush toward the next phase.

“And the winner of the 20th Golden Branch Award for Best Actress is—”

The Golden Branch Award, also known as the Chinese Film Golden Branch Award, is one of the three major domestic film awards. It is highly renowned both nationally and internationally, and industry insiders call it the highest honor in Chinese cinema. It is arguably the most coveted award for every Chinese filmmaker.

After the giant screen played the short clips of the five nominees, the deep, hoarse voice of the famous director Li Hua slowly flowed out. Five faces of different styles were projected behind him simultaneously.

Millions of viewers, both online and off, watched intently. Even though they were only one step away from glory, under the intense atmosphere, they maintained impeccable expressions.

Except for the newcomer on the far right.

She was a bundle of contradictions. Having debuted only a year ago, she was also the youngest nominee in the award’s history. Framed alongside her seniors, she appeared youthful yet not naive. Her dark eyes, under thick lashes, stared unblinkingly at the camera. Her hands, with well-defined knuckles, were folded neatly over her abdomen, exhibiting a composure that was astonishingly seasoned.

“Shen Luoyan.”

After a brief pause, Director Li Hua announced the winner’s name, and the venue erupted in thunderous applause.

Light and shadow flowed, the spotlight and cameras converged on one spot, and the attention of the entire audience gathered there. The newcomer’s delicate brow furrowed slightly. She quickly blinked twice, her face immediately devoid of surprise, and then gracefully hugged and thanked those around her before walking toward the stage, carefully navigating her strapless evening gown.

The on-site camera followed her movements. As she turned, her short hair swung, and the “S” shaped colored diamond earrings dangling from her round earlobes sparkled. The camera swept across the back row, and an empty seat with the large characters “Su Cancan” labeled on the back flashed past.

Xiao Ke saw her boss taking an umbrella and walking quickly toward her from a distance. “Sister Cancan, Director Liu said it’s going to rain and asked you to rest first. This afternoon’s shoot will be notified separately.”

The palm-sized screen abruptly went dark, the awards ceremony came to a halt, and the black interface reflected the vague image of the person behind it. The girl, dressed as a student from the Republican era with two braided pigtails, hurriedly stood up. “S-Sister Cancan, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Seeing the girl flustered, Su Cancan playfully lifted her lips, a vibrant red that was captivatingly enchanting. Her eyes, sparkling with fragmented light, curved into crescent moons, quickly masking the complex emotions that had surfaced in her eyes after seeing the awards ceremony.

Lightning lit up the dim sky, making the faces of the few people suddenly bright.

Su Cancan feigned a look of blame at her assistant, Xiao Ke, and then teased the girl, “Am I some kind of monster? Why are you so scared to see me?”

“No way! There’s no monster as pretty as Sister Cancan,” the girl shook her head, and her pigtails fluttered.

Despite the compliment, Su Cancan didn’t blush or panic. She winked at the girl. “Right? I think so too.”

So cute!

The girl was an extra in Su Cancan’s crew and a loyal fan. Being so close to her idol made her heart bubble with pink adoration.

“I just wanted to remind you that it’s going to rain soon, and it leaks here,” Su Cancan dropped the playful demeanor and pointed above, gesturing for the girl to look at the hole in the roof. She continued, “The afternoon shoot might be canceled in this weather. My milk tea delivery has arrived. Want to come and pick one to drink?”

“Thank you, Sister Cancan.”

A hint of hesitation was mixed into the girl’s overjoyed expression. Su Cancan, highly sensitive as an actress, spotted it immediately and asked, “Do you have another question or request?”

It was like a secret-filled balloon being pricked; the long-suppressed gas scattered unrestrainedly. The girl blushed, nodded, and pulled out a pen. “Could I please have your autograph?”

A light rain began to fall. Xiao Ke opened a long-handled umbrella, covering both of them. Su Cancan naturally took the pen from the girl’s hand, but before she could ask where to sign, the girl cleverly flipped her phone and pointed to the blank space on her phone case, which was printed with a picture of two women kissing.

Su Cancan carelessly lowered her eyes. Identifying the main characters in the picture, she became dizzy and momentarily stunned, causing a short brown line to streak out from the tip of the pen in her hand.

Her?

And Shen Luoyan?

Xiao Ke was also shocked by the sight. Her heart rate rapidly increased, and blood rushed to her brain. She knew that her boss and Shen Luoyan were sworn enemies. Let alone forming a CP, they hadn’t even met. Fortunately, Su Cancan regained her composure in time, signed the name generously, and didn’t cause any fresh bad press that could lead to the deduction of Xiao Ke’s annual bonus.

The dark clouds gathered, and the rain began to intensify, forming a dense mist. After signing the name and saying goodbye to the girl, Su Cancan and Xiao Ke walked away side-by-side.

They walked through the long street set with Republican-era backdrops. Around a corner, a short distance away, was an open space where RVs used by various cast and crew members for on-set breaks were parked. Su Cancan, who had been unreadable the entire way, pulled the metal door handle of her RV when a familiar voice called out from behind her.

He Wei, the second female lead of Nian Qing. As a newcomer, her company only provided her with a chauffeur-driven van, which was parked next door. She saw Su Cancan and called out to her despite the inquisitive glances of passersby. “Sister Cancan, I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet.”

Su Cancan turned around at the sound. He Wei had just finished her scene, taking off her jacket and draping it over her arm, revealing the undershirt. Her attractive figure, with curves in all the right places, was enviable.

Su Cancan wasn’t sure what the other party was congratulating her on, so she didn’t rush to reply. Her gaze swept past He Wei’s chest and calmly fixed on her undisguised joyful face, waiting for her to continue.

He Wei went on, “Sister Cancan, don’t be a stranger to me! The news of you and Film Queen Shen Luoyan forming a CP on FOR U is already trending! Don’t tell me you wanted to keep it a surprise for us? But that’s Shen Luoyan! The youngest Film Queen of the Golden Branch Awards! Sis, you are so lucky!”

Shen Luoyan, Golden Branch Award, Film Queen, CP.

These four terms accurately hit all of Su Cancan’s triggers. Her expression evolved from confusion to increasing coldness.

Xiao Ke’s eyes widened. She stared fearfully at Su Cancan. Having worked at the studio for two years, she was intimately familiar with her boss’s moods. This moment was clearly transitioning from deep anger to full-blown rage.

He Wei suddenly realized the atmosphere was wrong. She swallowed the rest of what she was going to say, forced a stiff smile, and bid the two farewell. She turned and scurried into her van to gossip with her manager.

Su Cancan stood still for a few seconds. Xiao Ke was afraid they would be photographed and written about, so she nervously reached out and gently poked Su Cancan’s delicate forearm. “Sister Cancan?”

Su Cancan didn’t respond. She turned and walked silently into the RV, sitting down. The white light above shone on her face, making her fair, translucent skin appear slightly cold, like ice. She slowly exhaled, expressionlessly looking into the mirror as she meticulously removed her accessories one by one.

When the black clip holding her long hair was pulled out, her black hair cascaded down. She stared at herself in the mirror and suddenly became lost in thought.

So, after all this time, being associated with Shen Luoyan still makes her feel sick.

Su Cancan remained silent, and Xiao Ke dared not disturb her. The topic of the dating show had already caused a headache with the fan encounter, and she had originally planned to tell her about it when she was in a better mood. Unfortunately, He Wei beat her to it. She didn’t know what to do, her heart pounding with anxiety, praying for her manager, Liu Yimin, to arrive soon and rescue her from this predicament.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. Her eyes began to feel strained, and Su Cancan lowered her gaze to calm her mind.

A moment later, she spoke softly, “Xiao Ke, give me my phone.”

Xiao Ke, whose name was called, fumbled nervously, knocking over an entire box of cotton swabs with a wide gesture. She quickly pulled out the phone from her bag, handed it over, and then squatted down to clean up the mess.

Su Cancan didn’t follow suit. She swiped up with her index finger to unlock her phone and headed straight for the Weibo hot search list.

The internet speed at the film studio was poor. It took a moment to load before she saw her name at the top of the list.

#ShenLuoyanSuCancanFORU# was above all other terms, with a red box and a white “Explosive” character on the right. She clicked in.

Luoyan Hubby Hugs: #ShenLuoyanSuCancanFORU# Don’t these marketing accounts ever die? Spreading rumors before the official announcement. This hellish CP ranking first must be because a certain person paid to rig the votes. Trying to leech off my hubby’s fame? You don’t know your place! Disgusting! Get lost, b*tch! Finally, taking my Luoyan home. We decline! /rollseyes /vomit

This fan’s post was spontaneously pushed into the top three trending topics, with a flood of supportive comments below. Su Cancan roughly scrolled through a few pages. The occasional comments defending her were attacked indiscriminately.

It was expected. Shen Luoyan had the highest status among the younger actresses and was hailed by major seniors and famous directors as the most talented new-generation actor—a goldmine for marketing accounts. In contrast, Su Cancan’s current selling point was only her beauty, which indeed lacked the same commercial value as Shen Luoyan. She could fully anticipate the one-sided public opinion.

Understanding was one thing, but why was dirty water being poured on her prematurely when the matter wasn’t settled?

Who knew that she was the victim? Three years ago, a role she had successfully auditioned for was inexplicably snatched by Shen Luoyan. Three years later, she was inexplicably rumored to be paired up with her sworn enemy for a dating show. Su Cancan was not the kind of person to sell herself out for money and pretend to cooperate with her enemy. Why should she be put on the spot and criticized?

Xiao Ke finished cleaning up and found Su Cancan’s hands trembling as she held the phone. Anxious to the point of tears, her tearful eyes met Su Cancan’s, which involuntarily made her flinch and look away.

Su Cancan controlled her breathing, suppressed her anger, and tried not to lash out at the innocent Xiao Ke. “Did you see it?”

She didn’t force Xiao Ke to look at her. Her neatly trimmed fingernails lightly tapped the screen twice. “Yesterday, that CP ranking didn’t have Shen Luoyan and me in the top ten. Why did the votes increase so much overnight? Have you checked who rigged the votes and who bought the hot search? Has the company been contacted about how to handle public relations and clarify the matter?”

Normally, Su Cancan was easy to talk to, but this issue had crossed the line. Xiao Ke chose her words carefully. “Sister Cancan, I saw the hot search while you were filming. We haven’t figured out who rigged the votes yet, and the company… the company’s intention is not to clarify and to wait for the program’s invitation to accept this variety show.”

The light strips above radiated warmth, but in early summer, Su Cancan felt a bone-chilling cold that seemed to penetrate her very being. The glaring white light hurt her eyes. The company’s top executives all knew her role had been snatched. They were indignant and on her side at the time, yet they could turn around and push her out for profit. How pitiful and ridiculous.

The long-suppressed anger and resentment exploded with unprecedented force. She slammed the phone onto the table. Bottles and jars of different heights were knocked over and rolled, spilling their contents and splattering spots everywhere.

The air solidified. A sudden sense of suffocation enveloped both of them. After the violent emotional outburst, Su Cancan’s temples throbbed, and her heart ached with every breath.

For a second, she thought she might pass out, but then she thought of the embarrassment of being known for causing a scene over such a matter, and quickly tried to calm herself.

As her heaving chest stabilized, her voice was flat when she spoke again, without a trace of irritation. “Did I not tell you: I will not accept any variety show that she is in.”

Xiao Ke clasped her hands tightly together. In the tense stalemate, the door of the RV was opened from the outside.

Liu Yimin calmly locked the door and walked in, speaking as she clicked across the floor in her stilettos.

“You have to accept this variety show, whether you want to or not.”