When the Villainess Transmigrates as the Heroine of a Sadistic Novel [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Entertainment Industry Arc

The early autumn air was crisp and refreshing. Even though she was layered in heavy, complex costumes, Ning Yunqing remained radiant, offering smiles and thanks to those around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ding Xiaoyao approaching, flanked by a protective group of assistants, and gave a polite nod.

Ding Xiaoyao returned the gesture with a look of impatience. She looked down at her own blood-stained, tattered inner garment, then glanced at the exquisite, finely embroidered royal attire Ning Yunqing was wearing, and gritted her teeth. The role was supposed to be a maid—how did she suddenly become a princess? She didn’t voice her frustration, and Ning Yunqing didn’t press her, simply asking warmly, “Sister Xiaoyao, would you like to rehearse the scene?”

Sister Xiaoyao? Ding Xiaoyao’s eyes flickered. She wanted to snap back, but facts were facts: the girl in front of her had just reached adulthood and was indeed younger. Suppressing her anger, she narrowed her eyes and smiled. “No need, let’s go straight to it.” She had no intention of suffering through the scene more than once.

“But…” Ning Yunqing hesitated. Ding Xiaoyao, however, cut her off without a second thought. “No ‘buts.’ I trust your acting.” She turned and shouted, “Director, let’s begin!”

Ning Yunqing knew exactly what Ding Xiaoyao was worried about, but since Ding Xiaoyao had made her choice, she couldn’t be blamed for what followed. With a faint smile, Ning Yunqing entered her character. In this film, she played a princess a “cameo princess” who pined for the male lead in vain while the female lead played by Ding Xiaoyao was her rival.

Her eyes turned icy instantly. Ning Yunqing tilted her head slightly, staring down at Ding Xiaoyao, who was forced to her knees by guards, with a gaze bordering on contempt. Gradually, envy and hatred surfaced in her eyes. Her wrist flicked, and she swung her hand toward Ding Xiaoyao’s face, which was covered in stage-makeup wounds.

Normally, Ding Xiaoyao should have turned her head immediately to create the illusion of being hit. However, Ding Xiaoyao was busy fuming about her bruised knees. Ning Yunqing’s palm came fast and fierce; Ding Xiaoyao tried to turn, but her reaction time failed her. Her head had barely moved when Ning Yunqing’s palm made contact.

“Slap!”

“Ah!” Five finger marks slowly appeared on the face painted with fake blood. Unable to take it, Ding Xiaoyao cried out. She tried to break free from the guards to slap Ning Yunqing back, but the extras held her down so firmly she couldn’t move an inch.

“Let go! Let me up!” The fuse was lit, and Ding Xiaoyao exploded. The extras looked at each other and finally let go. Ding Xiaoyao lost her balance and pitched forward toward the ground; fortunately, Ning Yunqing reached down to catch her, otherwise, she wouldn’t have needed fake wounds for the next few scenes.

“Are you alright?”

Looking up to see Ning Yunqing watching her with concern, Ding Xiaoyao—who lacked any real professional poise dropped her mask. Fueled by the grudge of the slap, she angrily grabbed Ning Yunqing’s clothes and raised her hand to strike, causing a chorus of gasps from the crew.

Ning Yunqing looked panicked on the surface, but she was calm inside. She was calculating how to dodge so that Ding Xiaoyao would look like a fool, but before she could act, Ding Xiaoyao was restrained.

“Xiaoyao!” Yin Ziming’s voice boomed from behind. As his hurried footsteps stopped, he appeared before them. “Yunqing! Xiaoyao, let go!”

Truly a lingering ghost, Ning Yunqing thought. She looked at the frustrated Ding Xiaoyao, who had been forced to let go, then smiled at Yin Ziming. “Thank you, Young Master Yin.”

“It’s nothing.” Yin Ziming flashed his white teeth, but then turned to scold Ding Xiaoyao, “What are you doing in public?”

Ding Xiaoyao’s face turned green with rage. To maintain her “sweet” image in front of her benefactor, she forced a shy smile and clung to Yin Ziming’s arm, acting cute. “Ziming, I’m sorry. Look, is my face red?”

She intended to hint that she had been hit by Ning Yunqing, but she forgot she already had “wound makeup” on. Yin Ziming stared for a while but couldn’t see any difference. Instead, he nodded approvingly. “The makeup looks good.” He turned to peek at Ning Yunqing, but her expression was flat, showing no hint of jealousy. Yin Ziming felt a wave of disappointment. Just as he was about to approach her, someone else beat him to it.

“What are you doing? Do you know how many days of leave you took? And you’re still idling here.” Yin Fengxuan strode over. Her presence as a famous director completely overshadowed Ning Yunqing’s princess persona. Ning Yunqing smiled faintly, apologized in a low voice, and then began chatting happily with Yin Fengxuan.

Watching the two of them look so close, Yin Ziming felt as if a fishbone were stuck in his throat. He huffed, brushed off Ding Xiaoyao, and questioned Yin Fengxuan, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to visit the set. Yunqing is an artist under my studio,” Yin Fengxuan said without looking back. Yin Ziming wanted to ask more, but Yin Fengxuan turned directly to the director. “Let’s begin.”

Yin Fengxuan was one of the most decorated directors internationally in recent years; the industry already viewed her as the next “Grandmaster.” Getting advice from her or making a connection was a dream for most. The set director wasn’t about to miss this chance and began working extra hard. “That was an accident! Everyone, adjust your states! Alright, action!”

Ding Xiaoyao glared at Ning Yunqing and began her “torment” scene with deep resentment. As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, twice shy of a rope. Having had a bad experience, Ding Xiaoyao dodged so quickly that her head turned before Ning Yunqing’s hand even came down.

At first, the director was sympathetic to her trauma, but after five or six NGs for the same reason, he grew irritable. However, with Yin Ziming present, he had to save face for the “kept” female lead. After a few more failures at the exact same point, his patience snapped. He looked to Yin Fengxuan for help.

Yin Fengxuan wasn’t looking at him. She beckoned Ning Yunqing over and straightened her clothes.

Yin Ziming felt another surge of nameless rage. He pulled Ding Xiaoyao up from the ground and scolded her, “What is this? Xiaoyao, you’re a trained professional, how can you lose to a fraud?!”

This comment made everyone on set chuckle secretly, but it galvanized Ding Xiaoyao. She blinked her lashes, preparing to steel herself, only to hear Yin Ziming grit his teeth and say, “There have been too many NGs. Just let her slap you and be done with it. Let’s finish this and stop making a laughingstock of ourselves.”

“…” Ding Xiaoyao was stunned. “What?”

“Consider it a sacrifice for art,” Yin Ziming said, patting her shoulder. He ordered the director to start.

Filming resumed. This time, Ding Xiaoyao gave up all resistance and took the slap head-on. A poisonous light flashed in her eyes—though it didn’t fit the female lead’s supposed cold temperament, it added a layer to the character. Thinking that she had already taken two slaps, the director wanted to do Young Master Yin a favor and called “Cut.” He was about to say “Pass” when he saw Yin Fengxuan gesture to him.

A lesson from the master! The director was delighted and hurried over. “Director Yin, how was that take?”

Yin Fengxuan tapped a finger on Ning Yunqing’s script. She didn’t speak, but the director understood: the female lead’s emotion was wrong. He looked at Young Master Yin with difficulty and whispered, “Young Master Yin is right here, and she’s already taken two slaps…”

Yin Fengxuan replied flatly, “The acting is wrong. You are the director, I am a spectator. Do as you wish.” She closed the script and leaned back in her lounge chair.

Cold sweat poured down the director’s forehead. He felt this was a test. He looked at the Great Director he wanted to connect with, then at the dissatisfied Boss. Gritting his teeth, he threw the problem to the room: “What does everyone think of that take?”

Everyone knew what the two directors had discussed. The underlings didn’t dare speak. Yin Ziming glared at Ding Xiaoyao and growled, “If it doesn’t achieve the effect, reshoot! We’re aiming for awards! Reshoot!”

The director sighed in relief and ordered the cameras to roll. Back to the familiar scene: Ning Yunqing looked down at the kneeling Ding Xiaoyao and raised her hand high.

“Slap!”

“You were quite formidable today,” Yin Fengxuan teased Ning Yunqing back at the hotel. Ning Yunqing held out her hands helplessly. “My hands are red from all that hitting. If we had just rehearsed properly, none of this would have happened. I wanted to finish this weekend and go back, but now the work has doubled.”

“You want to go back that badly?” Yin Fengxuan took Ning Yunqing’s hands and rubbed them gently, though her words were a probe. You want to leave? You don’t want to be here with me?

Ning Yunqing understood her perfectly. She smiled and shook her head. “I wasn’t finished. I’m glad you came; otherwise, I would have suffered a loss.”

“Hmph.” Yin Fengxuan glared at her with a smile. “By the way, what do you plan to do with that ten million?”

Ning Yunqing thought for a moment. “Give me three million. The rest can stay with you.”

Yin Fengxuan was curious. “What do you need three million for? You aren’t taking it home, are you?”

“Of course not.” Ning Yunqing shook her head; she wasn’t that saintly. “I want to do some research and need some capital.” She stroked Yin Fengxuan’s face and leaned in. “Seven million should be enough to pay off my debt, right? Fengxuan… it’s time you let me ‘become permanent’.”

The end of her sentence was a playful whine. Yin Fengxuan laughed, leaned down, and kissed her. “Depends on my mood.”

After extorting money from Yin Ziming, Ning Erbai had moved into a casino, playing cards every day. At first, he won, but eventually, his luck turned. His capital was long gone, but he never gave up, believing the next hand would win it all back. With this stubborn spirit, Ning Erbai went from penniless to deeply in debt.

When the casino boss approached him with a group of henchmen, Ning Erbai’s limbs went numb.

“Luck not so good? Lost again?” the boss asked with a smile. Ning Erbai wanted to run, but his legs were jelly. He leaned against the table and forced a grin. “Hehe, I… this next hand, I can definitely turn it around.”

The boss didn’t say a word, standing there with men covered in dragon tattoos. Moments later, Ning Erbai lost again.

“Next hand, next hand…” Cold sweat poured down his face. The boss didn’t entertain him, simply asking his men how much was owed. Upon hearing the figure, he didn’t waste words; he kicked the chair Ning Erbai was sitting on, breaking it.

With a thud, Ning Erbai fell to the floor, curled into a ball, still muttering “next hand.” The casino boss was a man of some reputation in the area; he was busy and didn’t have time for nonsense. He gave the ultimatum: money or your life.

Ning Erbai had nothing. The boss ordered his men to beat him. The men were young and reckless, hitting him everywhere without regard for his face. Within ten minutes, Ning Erbai was unrecognizable.

“I heard someone say you have a daughter who’s an actress? Named Ning Yunqing?” the boss asked.

Ning Erbai nodded frantically, blood dripping from his face onto the floor.

The boss thought for a moment and suddenly smiled. “For her sake, I’ll give you an extension. If you can’t get the money, bring your daughter here to clear the debt. How about it?”

Ning Erbai was a man who would sell his own daughter in a heartbeat. Hearing that his life could be saved so easily, he agreed without a second thought. “No problem.”

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