The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 52

In the early hours after the finale, Zhang Jing organized a celebratory feast for the production crew and trainees. He booked an entire hot wall restaurant nearby, and the place was packed. Yan Shi and the mentors attended as well, sitting at the head table with Zhang Jing and other high-level executives from the platform.

Zhang Jing had initially invited Zhong Yan to join their table, but she politely declined. She felt there was no need for special treatment; on the night of her debut, she wanted to sit with her teammates.

With the show a massive hit and the group successfully formed, everyone was in high spirits. After months of intense pressure, they finally let loose. The restaurant was filled with laughter, cheers, and the clinking of glasses.

Zhong Yan’s table had also ordered alcohol. Jin Li had been the first to suggest a celebratory toast, and Zhong Yan, feeling the festive mood, agreed that everyone deserved a bit of wild fun. They raised their glasses together.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhong Yan got up to use the restroom. On her way back, she passed the restaurant’s back exit. The restaurant was on the top floor of a shopping mall, and the back door opened onto a rooftop terrace garden. Through the glass door, she spotted a familiar silhouette standing alone in the night.

“Yan Shi? What are you doing out here?”

Yan Shi turned around and saw Zhong Yan pushing the door open. “Just getting some air,” he replied.

Yan Shi didn’t enjoy noisy environments or social maneuvering. Usually, he would avoid these kinds of drinking parties. But tonight’s gathering was to celebrate the debut of Zhong Yan and her group, so he had to come.

Deep down, he had hoped that by attending, he could spend a little more time with her. He hadn’t expected them to be seated at different tables so far apart. He had barely caught a glimpse of her all night. This chance encounter was an unexpected joy.

The weather was perfect—not a cloud in the sky, with a bright, clean moon. Under the moonlight, Yan Shi noticed something off about her. “Have you been drinking?”

Zhong Yan grinned. “Everyone was happy, so I had a little with them.”

Yan Shi noticed her hazy eyes and flushed cheeks. Her smile was a bit dazed; she certainly looked like she’d had more than “a little.” He had never seen this side of her. He was worried, yet he couldn’t help but find it adorable.

Zhong Yan took two steps closer. She noticed Yan Shi looked completely sober and smelled clean, without a hint of alcohol. “You didn’t drink? Are you not happy?”

Yan Shi shook his head and smiled. “I’m very happy, I just don’t like drinking.”

Initially, he had no strong feelings about alcohol, but life had been hard. Every cent he earned went toward his tuition; there was no money for leisure. Moreover, he believed that the harder life became, the more one needed to stay clear-headed. If he drowned his sorrows in the illusion of alcohol, he would only sink deeper into the abyss. Over time, he simply lost the taste for it.

“Besides, I have work tomorrow. I don’t want to mess it up.”

The word “work” circled around Zhong Yan’s sluggish brain for a few seconds before slowly triggering a memory. “Oh right… your new drama. You’re joining the cast, aren’t you?” Li Xing had mentioned he was taking a role in a suspenseful police procedural.

“Yes. I head to the set tomorrow, and the opening ceremony is the day after.”

As he spoke, the realization hit him that once he joined the set, he wouldn’t be able to see her every week like he did during the show. A wave of loneliness washed over him.

The alcohol was starting to hit Zhong Yan harder. Her vision blurred, and she failed to notice his melancholy. She just grinned. “Then I’ll wish you a successful shoot in advance!”

Yan Shi hid his sadness and offered a gentle smile. His gaze was like the moonlight—tender and focused on her. “About the new drama… I should thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?” Zhong Yan blinked her hazy eyes. She hadn’t negotiated the contract for him.

“For indulging my stubbornness?” Yan Shi lowered his head with a chuckle. “I know that if it weren’t for you, Sister Xing wouldn’t have agreed to let me take this role so quickly.”

After Yan Shi’s rise to fame, he wasn’t short on scripts. The difficulty was choosing high-quality ones. Before this police drama, Li Xing had picked out two scripts for him: one historical idol drama and one modern romance. Both were “top-tier” projects guaranteed to be hits.

However, Yan Shi wasn’t interested. He was drawn to the police procedural. It was a serious drama with many veteran actors. But Li Xing had reservations: Yan Shi would only be the second lead, and the pay was significantly lower than that of a lead role in a “traffic” drama.

As the CEO, Li Xing wanted to maximize the company’s profits. She also felt that at twenty-five, Yan Shi should capitalize on his “idol” popularity for a few more years before trying to transition into “serious” acting. It was a risky move; if he failed, he’d lose his current momentum and become a laughingstock.

Li Xing had tried to explain this to him, but Yan Shi was unmoved. Frustrated by his stubbornness, she had asked Zhong Yan to talk some sense into him.

But after hearing the details, Zhong Yan had told Li Xing to let Yan Shi choose. Although Li Xing was puzzled, she trusted Zhong Yan’s judgment and relented.

“Sister Xing told me that you trust me and my choices,” Yan Shi said. “Your trust means a lot to me.”

He saw Zhong Yan tilt her head as if thinking. Suddenly, she let out a silly giggle.

“Because I know… that you’re a future Best Actor.”

Yan Shi froze. Zhong Yan’s eyes were even more glazed now. She spoke again, her voice stumbling.

“Yan Shi, I… I picked you a long time ago.”

“You’re a treasure. Hehe, only I know.”

“You’re much better than that Lu… Lu Tingshen. A hundred times better. I’m going to make this treasure shine. I’m going to make you the lead.”

“That’s right, you’re the only one fit to be a lead. Those investors who didn’t pick you… they have no taste!”

“It’s okay now, I’m here! Haha! I don’t have to listen to their… their crap anymore!”

She puffed out her chest, looking immensely satisfied despite the silly grin. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you from now on. I won’t let anyone bully you, hehe…”

As she spoke, she leaned in close—so close they were only half a step apart. She reached out, wanting to pat his head for encouragement. But perhaps because she was too close, or he was too tall, or a sudden wave of dizziness hit her—her hand never reached his head. Her vision blurred, her feet wobbled, and her whole body tipped forward—

Inside the restaurant, the girls were mostly drunk, except for An Tao and Jin Li. An Tao had an alcohol allergy and hadn’t touched a drop; Jin Li simply couldn’t get drunk and was still full of energy after drinking a whole bottle.

An Tao was watching the restroom area. Zhong Yan had been gone for a long time. Just as she was about to go check on her, she saw Zhong Yan return.

More accurately, she was leaning dizzily into Yan Shi’s arms, being half-carried back.

An Tao rushed forward to take her. Zhong Yan was muttering under her breath that she wasn’t drunk and could walk on her own. Yan Shi gently handed her over to An Tao, gave a few instructions, and took one last lingering look at Zhong Yan before turning to leave.

Only then did An Tao notice that Yan Shi was flushed from his face to his ears. Did the Producer drink too much too? she wondered. But he seems so clear-headed. Strange.

The next morning, 11:00 AM. The Dormitory.

Zhong Yan woke up with a pounding headache. She rubbed her temples and vowed never to drink with Jin Li again. She thought she had a high tolerance, but compared to Jin Li, she was a lightweight.

An Tao came out of the bathroom, fully dressed. “How are you feeling? I have tea bags if you want some to sober up.”

Zhong Yan nodded, climbed out of bed, and dropped a green tea bag into a cup of hot water. As she sipped it, she asked, “I didn’t do anything embarrassing last night, did I?”

“Not really, but…” An Tao paused.

Zhong Yan’s nerves tightened. “But what?”

“You went to the bathroom and ended up being carried back by the Producer. Do you remember?”

Zhong Yan froze and shook her head violently. “…I didn’t pass out in the bathroom and get rescued by him, did I?” Dear god, how embarrassing!

“I didn’t ask,” An Tao said.

“Did he say anything when he brought me back?” Zhong Yan asked urgently.

“He just told us not to let you drink anymore and to give you some sobering tea. That’s it.”

Seeing Zhong Yan looking like she wanted to curl up and die, An Tao comforted her. “You probably didn’t pass out in the toilet. I checked your clothes; they were clean and dry. You probably ran into him outside.”

Zhong Yan tried to recall the night, but it was a total blank. “Did he seem… different when he brought me back?”

“Different? Not really,” An Tao thought for a moment. “Oh, wait. His face was red. Very red.”

Red? Zhong Yan’s heart skipped a beat. That sounds even worse. Her imagination went wild. She pictured herself stumbling out of the bathroom, looking utterly ungraceful, and Yan Shi being so embarrassed for her that his face turned beet red.

How ridiculous did I look? She flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling in despair.

As the Chairman of Yanxing Media and Yan Shi’s boss, where was her dignity? Where was her authority? She swore she would never drink again. And she definitely wouldn’t contact Yan Shi for a while. She would let time erase his memory.

At the same time, Yan Shi was heading to the airport for his new shoot.

In the car, his assistant Wang Li noticed Yan Shi seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. He had never seen Yan Shi’s smile stay on his face for so long.

Wang Li thought, Brother really must love this new drama. He’s so happy just to go to work.