Transmigrated as the Top-Tier Alpha's Secretly Married Ex-Wife - Chapter 44

Chapter 44

The negative public opinion surrounding Qiao Yanran quickly subsided.

The tide came in aggressively, but rumors remained rumors. Without substantial evidence, stories fabricated from a few photos could only dissipate like foam.

Qiao Yanran’s agent drove her to a hot pot restaurant. She cautiously looked around several times to ensure no one was following before entering the private room.

Su Tuantuan and Bai Xue had already ordered and were waiting for her. Jiang Zhizhi had flown out of town for a new drama; she had just landed and was in her hotel, currently on a video call with Su Tuantuan. Seeing Qiao Yanran arrive, Jiang Zhizhi cheered her on from the phone.

Qiao Yanran took off her hat and mask, smiling sweetly at the phone screen, a girl who seemed to have never suffered any hardship, raised in a honey pot.

Su Tuantuan helped prepare the sauce bowls. Bai Xue poured Qiao Yanran a cup of hot corn juice.

“I saw Lawyer Shen directly made them issue a letter of apology and admit their mistake. That speed is impressive.”

Su Tuantuan handed her a wet wipe. Qiao Yanran took one to wipe her hands. Hearing Shen Jun mentioned, she smiled, her face showing no significant change. “Yes, her professional ability is very strong. She’s just too busy, or I would have invited her to join us.”

Su Tuantuan watched her for a while, finding nothing amiss.

Since the first day she met Qiao Yanran, she had been like this—

Bright and proactive, always full of boundless energy.

“Sister, I accepted a drama earlier, and it’s a female ensemble piece. The director approached me and asked if I could recommend any actors.”

Qiao Yanran smiled. “I recommended both you and Sister Bai Xue. Zhizhi is still filming, but after she finishes her current project, she can play a small role in this one. I don’t think she’ll refuse, right?”

“That sounds great.”

Bai Xue immediately perked up, dropping beef slices into the pot. “I haven’t acted in a long time. My agent said she needed to find a suitable script for me. I feel that since this will be my first drama after terminating my contract, I’m tired of those simple romance dramas.”

Bai Xue raised her cup. “I’m good to go. Tuantuan, shouldn’t you check with your agent?”

Su Tuantuan had been looking at scripts recently, but nothing suitable had come up. She smiled. “My agent listens to me. I think I’ll read the script first, but a script chosen by Yanran shouldn’t be too bad.”

Their acting world didn’t have the concept of actor ranking like the real world.

If they told the actors about the ugly fights over ranking, they would only find it absurd.

Most actors shared the same understanding: the hardest-working people in a crew weren’t the actors but the unsung staff.

Su Tuantuan was also confident in the quality of the scripts here.

Due to the movie rating system, screenwriters faced fewer limitations in their creation. They didn’t obsess over how much advertising and profit a show could generate.

Their duty was to write good scripts.

Seeing that both agreed, Qiao Yanran relaxed. She threw tripe into the nine-grid hot pot section to cook. The three women huddled together, gossiping and discussing work, talking about anything and everything. The hot pot meal lasted two hours.

Bai Xue was burping. Su Tuantuan asked for the bill. Qiao Yanran smiled. “Sister, my agent already paid. This meal is on me.”

Su Tuantuan and Bai Xue looked at her speechlessly.

Qiao Yanran was embarrassed by their stares. “I just wanted to thank you both, you know? You spoke up for me and encouraged me so much. It’s just a hot pot meal. Next time, you treat me to a big dinner!”

Su Tuantuan picked up her bag. “You wish.”

She called Bai Xue. “I’ll take you home.”

Qiao Yanran left with her agent. The agent would drive her back. Su Tuantuan was still worried about the young girl. “Then send us the script so we can take a look. After we read it, we’ll talk. Are you—”

She patted Qiao Yanran’s shoulder. “Are you really okay?”

Qiao Yanran showed a row of white teeth. “What could possibly be wrong with me? Sister, you don’t really think those online rumors could defeat me, do you? You underestimate me. I’ve been in the industry for so long; what kind of storms haven’t I seen?”

She touched her stomach and stood up. “I probably ate too much. I’ll take a walk when I get back.”

Su Tuantuan was thoughtful. Bai Xue wanted to ask more questions, but Su Tuantuan pulled her away. “Let’s go. Any later, and I’ll miss my beauty sleep.”

Qiao Yanran smiled and saw them out of the private room. Less than two minutes later, the agent came in. Qiao Yanran grabbed her jacket, put on her hat and mask, and slowly followed him to the parking lot.

The agent remarked, “Those two are genuinely loyal. We shouldn’t forget their kindness if we ever need something from them in the future.”

Qiao Yanran mumbled, “Mhm,” and didn’t say more. The agent went to start the car. She stood in the wind, waiting. The wind was chilly. She wrapped her jacket tightly around herself. Her phone suddenly rang.

It was a message from Shen Jun, asking if she had rested.

Qiao Yanran put her phone on silent and didn’t reply. The agent drove the car out. She got in, putting her phone into her bag. The agent asked again, “That Lawyer Shen, her parents are actually diplomats. Her background seems quite good. We should thank her for helping us. Should I select a gift to send to her law firm tomorrow?”

Qiao Yanran answered, “Mhm. Thank you, Brother Sun.”

The agent chuckled. “Ah, you. I’ve been managing you since you were sixteen. I know your temper. Don’t worry. It’s not a big deal. Your sister-in-law said she’s making desserts tomorrow. I’ll bring some over to you. For any huge problem, as long as we’re alive, there’s always a solution.”

Qiao Yanran looked out the window. The parking lot was poorly lit, a sheet of dark shadows. She sat in the back, wiping away a tear.

“Mhm.”

Her tone was utterly casual. “Got it.”

If this hadn’t happened, she might have let her thoughts wander and hoped for something.

But this incident made her understand.

Perhaps, for her, love was an illusory thing.

Something you couldn’t grasp or hold.

There were still many things she needed to do.

Su Tuantuan read the script for Blazing Sun. The script was very detailed, focusing on several college-graduated girls who, through different opportunities, came together and then each followed different life paths.

The role suitable for her was named Meng Ting, a quiet girl from a complex family background. After graduation, during her internship, she was repeatedly subjected to cold shoulders because she didn’t understand the rules of the big city.

Yet, relying on her steadfast and steady nature, she earned her boss’s recognition again and again.

Qiao Yanran’s role, Lu Yuan, was an intern reporter, a delicate girl spoiled with love since childhood. When everyone thought she was too fragile and couldn’t handle responsibility, she mustered the courage, overcame difficulties, and did her best to complete every assignment.

Finally, Bai Xue’s role, Zhang Lu, was a bright, alluring woman with a strong career focus. She navigated social situations. Others thought she only relied on charm to sign deals, but they didn’t realize her strength. To achieve her goals, she showed no pity to anyone.

None of the protagonists in this script were perfect.

Like Meng Ting, though steady and dutiful, she initially lacked confidence and wasn’t good at communicating. She eventually gained the leader’s appreciation and improved her social skills, but she hated all the networking that came with it.

Lu Yuan also had a bit of a princess temper. If someone at the office gave her a subtle insult, she would fire back without hesitation. When sharing an apartment, she would innocently share her luxury items with her roommates from ordinary backgrounds, regardless of whether they liked them or could afford them.

And Zhang Lu, played by Bai Xue, was a shrewd and hypocritical person, someone who would haggle over an egg. When she was close to achieving the top sales, and saw that the last-place person was about to be eliminated—she could have easily helped the person avoid unemployment—but she refused to yield.

This kind of realistic script deeply moved Su Tuantuan.

At the end of the story, not everyone achieved success, and the definition of success wasn’t the same for everyone.

Meng Ting returned to her hometown to teach. When teaching the children, she talked about her time in the big city, encouraging more children to study hard.

Lu Yuan did well as a reporter and was arranged by her family to become a host. From then on, she avoided the hustle and bustle of fieldwork. She relied on her family connections, but she didn’t feel ashamed.

Zhang Lu earned enough money to start her own team. After a business failure, she opened an inn by the clear, peaceful Lugu Lake, becoming the most beautiful innkeeper to go viral online.

There were many paths in life. This script deeply touched Su Tuantuan.

After finishing it, she messaged Qiao Yanran in their group chat.

Su Tuantuan: “I’m definitely taking this role!”

Bai Xue: “+1. I just finished it too. It’s not a sad script at all, but I somehow shed tears.”

Qiao Yanran: “The moment I saw it, I thought it was perfect for you two. Now it seems my intuition was right.”

The three women hit it off immediately. After signing the contracts, they jointly headed to Shenzhen for filming.

This drama would only have about twenty episodes, but the filming would take over two months, wrapping up close to the New Year.

December in Shenzhen felt like spring to Su Tuantuan. The three of them set off together and immediately shed their thick jackets upon arrival. Su Tuantuan absolutely loved this weather. The cold in City A was bone-chilling, and even with the heating on now, there was hardly any greenery outside.

This was the first time the three of them were acting together. Su Tuantuan focused completely, with no distractions. Occasionally, she would receive messages from Mo Xian. They updated each other on their work progress.

Mo Xian had two New Year’s Eve galas to attend, both in different cities. Before the New Year, she also had a concert featuring some of the most popular singers in the industry, and tickets were already on sale.

The concert venue was in Shenzhen. Su Tuantuan calculated that she might be able to see her then.

In any case, she could watch Mo Xian perform without being noticed by Mo Xian.

Her schedule was also busy. Many New Year’s films were coming out, and a producer had already approached her for a cameo in next year’s holiday film. She naturally agreed. The role was small, so there was no conflict with her current filming.

Sun Qiushuang had tickets to the concert and sneakily shared them with Su Tuantuan. Su Tuantuan checked and saw they were front-row VIP tickets.

Su Tuantuan added a bit to the ticket price and transferred the money to Sun Qiushuang.

Sun Qiushuang was displeased and immediately called to complain. “Why did you transfer money to me? Do you think I’m a ticket tout?”

Su Tuantuan: “…No, but I can’t keep taking things from you for free.”

This wasn’t the first time Sun Qiushuang had given her tickets. Although she had sent Sun Qiushuang merchandise made by other bloggers, the nature of this was different.

Sun Qiushuang huffed. “Just treat me to a few meals! If Bai Xue bought you a ticket, would you give her money?”

Su Tuantuan thought, No, I wouldn’t. Her relationship with Sun Qiushuang was different from her relationship with Bai Xue.

Sensing Su Tuantuan’s silence, Sun Qiushuang impatiently said, “Forget it. If you feel better giving it, then give it. Anyway, you never really liked me as a friend.”