The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The CEO and Her Canary

◎The Vicious Woman Persona◎

The glass rattled and clinked, the liquor sliding into the highball glass, licking the sides and swirling. Ripples spread out in circles with the bartender’s motions, stirring up a frothy wave.

The light was dim, and the sticky, humid air was concealed in a corner. A body like white silk leaped into the water, bringing with it a few drops of liquid, outlining a magnificent arc of motion and turmoil.

It wasn’t until the tide receded that the spring rain ceased.

To not drop her persona, Jian Ke held back.

The tender moment was brief. The embracing arms suddenly felt empty, and she turned her head to see that Lou Bianxia had calmly pulled away and lay down beside her. Though a rosy afterglow still lingered on her cool face, and large swaths of her skin were marked with mottled traces.

Jian Ke wanted to say something, but the stand-in system in her mind suddenly gave a light cough.

“Phase one of the mission is complete. The mission’s capture progress has reached 100%. Please keep up the good work, host.”

Jian Ke asked, “Mission’s capture progress?”

The system replied, “As the perfect stand-in, as long as the host continuously increases their intimacy with the female lead, they will raise the mission’s capture progress. When the progress for a certain phase reaches the passing grade of 60%, the mission for that phase is considered complete. But if the current phase doesn’t reach the passing grade, you cannot unlock the next phase.”

Jian Ke said, “Oh, 60% is the passing grade.”

The system’s voice was excited and impatient. “Yes, yes! The host over-achieved in the first phase!”

The first phase mission was considered a success simply by signing the contract, but Jian Ke had gone above and beyond. She had taken the initiative and made an aggressive move, earning a significant amount of goodwill and intimacy from Lou Bianxia.

While Jian Ke was having a mental conversation with the system, Lou Bianxia saw her as simply staring blankly into space, as if questioning her life choices. Being forced to change one’s sexual orientation was probably not easy for anyone.

Lou Bianxia slowly sat up, took another contract from the nightstand drawer, and handed it to Jian Ke.

“This is the top media company under the group. The contract terms are also the best. A team will help pave several paths for you to become a star. You can choose whichever one you like… consider it compensation.”

Jiaxun Media was a well-known entertainment company in the industry. Backed by the Suimu Group, it had partnerships with many film and television companies. Its roster of artists included movie queens, A-list stars, and top-tier celebrities. Correspondingly, the selection criteria for joining the company were very strict.

If this were the original Jian Ke, she would have been overjoyed and already dreaming of becoming a top international superstar.

Jian Ke thought, ‘Isn’t it better to be a lazy person with a monthly allowance of a few hundred thousand? I don’t really need a career.’ Besides, once the white moonlight returned, her mission in this world would be complete.

Lou Bianxia said, “Don’t worry. Although I haven’t groomed anyone before, I can definitely make you a top star, no less than Qiao Jingjing.”

Qiao Jingjing was the top female star in the entertainment industry. She was everywhere—movies, variety shows, commercials, live streams. It was said that she had over a hundred announcements and dozens of endorsements a year, worked twenty hours in a row, and had to run five kilometers a day to burn off any meals beyond two.

‘That’s completely unnecessary, completely unnecessary.’

Jian Ke said, “Actually, I…”

“Phase two of the mission has been triggered. Host, please fulfill the female lead’s expectations and become a top star.”

Jian Ke gritted her teeth. “Actually, that’s my biggest dream. Thank you, CEO Lou… for helping me make this wish come true.”

Lou Bianxia got up, put on a shirt, and headed to the bathroom. “As long as you stay with me honestly, the benefits will only increase.”

Jian Ke, who only wanted to be a lazy person, said, “Haha, then thank you very much, CEO Lou.”

Suddenly, Lou Bianxia seemed to remember something. She turned her head and pointed to the corner of Jian Ke’s eye. “This mole, find time to get it removed. I don’t like it.”

…

In front of the long mirror in the dorm, Jian Ke gazed at her face for a long time. She didn’t know if it was because of the system’s introduction or some other reason, but her original appearance was identical to her current one, including the small mole an inch below her eye. The mole was faint yet very noticeable, and on her naturally vibrant face, it added a touch of liveliness and elegance. From Lou Bianxia’s words, the white moonlight probably didn’t have this mole.

“I heard someone in a luxury car drove you to school this morning. Did you find a new target, beautiful Jian?” A sarcastic voice came from the side. The woman had heavy makeup on, and before she even got close, the overly strong, sweet perfume filled the entire space. “A fifty-something bald, fat man. How can you be okay with being kept by someone like that?”

“What is that smell? It’s making me sick.” Jian Ke gagged a few times, waving her hand and making a motion of covering her mouth, successfully causing the woman’s face to turn green as she took a few steps back.

Jian Ke couldn’t be bothered with her. She brushed past her and walked out of the washroom, but Qian Jiao followed her relentlessly. “They drove you in a luxury car, but they didn’t even buy you a designer bag or anything. Your sugar daddy is way too stingy. Maybe you threw yourself at someone who didn’t want you.”

The original Jian Ke came from an ordinary family. Her parents were employees, and they had spent all of their savings to support her dream of attending film school. The original Jian Ke had to work part-time to save money—and only dated rich boyfriends for money. Qian Jiao was extremely jealous of the original Jian Ke’s behavior and would often taunt and mock her. The conflict escalated when Qian Jiao found out that her crush was pursuing the original Jian Ke and buying her bags and clothes. Qian Jiao went to the school’s online forum and spread rumors that the original Jian Ke had a promiscuous private life. From then on, the original Jian Ke’s reputation plummeted, and she became a pariah.

Jian Ke rolled her eyes and retorted without hesitation, “Are you talking about yourself? Last month, wasn’t it that CEO Huang from that film company? He has a family and kids, and someone was trying so hard to get close to him that she almost got reported for sexual harassment.” She paused, then added, “It’s really funny. You don’t think no one at school knows, do you? Gossip like that spreads fastest, and you know it.”

Qian Jiao’s face turned beet red. Meeting the strange looks from her other two roommates, she gritted her teeth resentfully. “I don’t know where those rumors came from. I’ve already signed with a company. Have you heard of Huanqi Entertainment? It’s a big company. Do I need to use such low means to get ahead?”

She emphasized “low means,” and everyone knew who she was talking about.

Her roommate with short hair, Huang Meng, frowned. “Qian Jiao, say less.”

Another roommate, Lin Tian, tried to smooth things over. “Jian Ke, why are you starting to pack? Are you moving out?”

Qian Jiao interjected with a snide remark, “Looks like someone finally couldn’t bear to stay in the dorm anymore. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Huang Meng said, “We’ve lived together for almost four years. Can you just be nice for once?”

Jian Ke said, “I want to move somewhere closer to the company so it’s more convenient for work.”

Lin Tian asked, “You found a company for your internship, too? Which one?”

Jian Ke said, “Jiaxun Media.”

“Wow, Jiaxun Media is so famous! They have a strong background, great benefits, and I’ve never heard of any scandals,” Huang Meng said, glancing at Qian Jiao. “It seems like their star-making system is a lot better than Huanqi’s.”

Qian Jiao was stunned that Jian Ke had signed with Jiaxun. Her expression instantly soured. Hearing Huang Meng’s words, she became furious. “You just used a sugar daddy to get the contract! What’s so great about that?”

“They love fresh-faced college students who just graduated. But they get tired of people easily. How many years do you think you can sell your body? Don’t think just because you’re pretty, you’ll become a star. I advise you to stop daydreaming.”

The words grew more and more vicious. Jian Ke was bewildered as to why some people in the world were just so provocative.

‘Fine. I’ll give you what you want.’

Jian Ke’s face turned cold. She crossed her arms and walked over to Qian Jiao. Her beautiful face showed a dark and menacing expression that had never been there before.

Qian Jiao was so startled by Jian Ke’s sudden shift to a bad girl persona that the insults she was about to say were caught in her throat. “What… what do you want?”

Jian Ke made a move to lift her leg, and Qian Jiao instinctively took a step back. Then she heard a loud crack beside her ear. She closed her eyes and opened them to see a glass cup hanging from the bed railing, which Jian Ke had kicked perfectly. The cup hit the wall with a “clang,” which was deafeningly loud. The entire dorm room went silent. Everyone looked at the explosive Jian Ke in shock.

Jian Ke took another step forward, staring directly at Qian Jiao, who was backed against the wall. She put on her best villainous face. “You seem to know a lot about these things. Do you have experience? Have you been tossed aside many times but couldn’t get good resources? You’re so pitiful.”

“Yeah, so what if I’m a kept woman? Are you jealous?” Jian Ke patted Qian Jiao’s cheek and then instantly wiped her foundation-covered hand on Qian Jiao’s sleeve in disgust. “But what can I do? You don’t even qualify.”

Jian Ke’s lips curved into a slightly unhinged smile. “I’m the kind of person who is sentimental and holds a grudge. So you’d better think carefully before you speak.”

To deal with someone like this, you have to be even more aggressive.

She pressed down on Qian Jiao’s shoulder, using a bit of force. Seeing that Qian Jiao was too scared to move, she casually let go. “Having a sugar daddy is a pretty big deal. If you ever make me unhappy again, I guarantee I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this industry. I’m not kidding. A person who can get me a contract with Jiaxun with a single word—do you think I have the confidence to say that?”

Qian Jiao nodded frantically, her eyes welling up with tears—from fear.

She didn’t have much to pack. Lou Bianxia had already prepared most of her daily necessities and clothes. Jian Ke only had a backpack on as she said goodbye to Huang Meng and Lin Tian. Her gaze shifted to the silent Qian Jiao. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot to mention, my sugar daddy prefers to give me a card instead of buying me bags. I can buy whatever I want with it, as many as I want.”

After she walked out of the dorm building, Jian Ke couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

‘Damn, being a bad girl is so much fun.’

Her villainous monologue was simply too satisfying to deliver. Who knew she would one day get to act like a fox borrowing the tiger’s might?

After laughing for a while, Jian Ke took out her phone and sent a message to her pinned contact.

“Sister, can I come find you now?” “I was just bullied.” (crying) (crying)

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