When the Villainess Transmigrates as the Heroine of a Sadistic Novel [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Entertainment Industry Arc

“This little girl is truly poor.”

As Ning Yunqing regained consciousness, these words drifted faintly into her ears. She let out a soft “Mm,” as if in agreement.

“You’re awake?”

Ning Yunqing opened her eyes to see Yin Fengxuan watching her, chin resting in her hand. There were dark circles under the director’s eyes, and she covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. Could she have stayed by my side all night? Ning Yunqing felt a surge of sweetness in her heart. She propped herself up into a sitting position, her long hair falling forward to veil half of her face. A faint smile touched her lips. “Thank you, Director Yin.” Catching sight of a small bandage on the back of her hand, she lifted it to examine it closely.

Yin Fengxuan replied, “You fainted yesterday. I had the family doctor give you two bags of glucose. How do you feel now?” She paused, then added with a mischievous smile, “Are you still hungry?”

Ning Yunqing lowered her head again. Driven by the “blushing” character trait, her cheeks turned crimson. “Director Yin,” she whispered.

Yin Fengxuan chuckled, resting her cheek in her palm. “Alright, I just ordered breakfast. Get up and eat.”

Ning Yunqing nodded with a smile, her face carrying a hint of shyness. She felt that her current appearance must be very “submissive” and endearing.

After breakfast, Ning Yunqing felt her energy returning. However, this body was far too frail. She thought to herself that if she weren’t the one inhabiting this body, she might not be able to resist bullying it her current soft, bashful demeanor was simply too tempting.

“What are you thinking about?” Seeing her staring at an empty plate, Yin Fengxuan asked with a smile, “Not enough?”

Ning Yunqing shook her head, turning bashful once more. She suppressed the shyness and looked Yin Fengxuan in the eye, saying solemnly, “Director Yin, thank you for the medicine and the breakfast. I don’t have money right now, but I will pay you back in the future.”

Tsk, quite a bit of backbone. Yin Fengxuan found the girl increasingly interesting. she replied nonchalantly, “No need. The crew covers food and board. As for the medicine—” She lifted her eyelids to glance at Ning Yunqing, a smile playing on her lips, “That’s on me.”

It seemed her Fengxuan was already interested. Ning Yunqing said apologetically, “How could I do that? I haven’t earned it. How about this: once I receive my salary, I’ll pay you back?”

Yin Fengxuan gave a noncommittal hum. Her eyes traveled from Ning Yunqing’s bony wrists on the table up to her chest. Seeing a bit of a curve there, she let out a silent sigh of relief. Her female lead was meant to be a rebellious, sexy woman who set men’s hearts on fire; being flat-chested wouldn’t have worked for that charm. Noticing Ning Yunqing blushing again, she realized her gaze was a bit improper and cleared her throat. “The doctor said you’re malnourished. Stay here and rest for a few days. Eat more.”

“Yes, thank you, Director Yin,” Ning Yunqing answered obediently. She thought to herself: This is a perfect opportunity. ‘A pavilion near the water enjoys the moonlight first.’ I must win Yin Fengxuan over before anyone else gets the chance. Seeing Yin Fengxuan rising to leave, she quickly asked, “Don’t you need to rest for a bit, Director?”

“No, I need to go scout locations.” Yin Fengxuan shook her head. After a moment’s thought, she took a room card from her bag and handed it to Ning Yunqing. “Keep this. Go out and get some fresh air this afternoon, but don’t wander too far. Give me your phone number.”

Ning Yunqing’s voice was as quiet as a mosquito: “I don’t have a phone.”

Right, she’s that poor. Yin Fengxuan asked tentatively, “Young Master Yin didn’t buy one for you?”

Ning Yunqing frowned slightly. “I didn’t ask for one.”

A smile flickered on Yin Fengxuan’s face. “Rest then. This suite has two bedrooms; the one you slept in this morning is yours. If you want anything to eat, just call the front desk. I’m off.”

“Goodbye, Director Yin.” Ning Yunqing waved, her smile gentle and serene, looking very much like a pure university student. Yin Fengxuan began to understand why Yin Ziming was obsessed with her; she was indeed refreshing and lovely. With a slight curve of her lips, she walked out.

At 8:00 PM, Yin Fengxuan returned to the hotel and knocked on the door. No one answered. Did she faint from hunger again? Yin Fengxuan frowned and knocked again. Still no response. She grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator. The doors opened to reveal a sweat-drenched Ning Yunqing, who looked at her in surprise. “Director Yin.”

Yin Fengxuan was slightly displeased. “You went out for a run?”

Ning Yunqing nodded and jogged over to open the door, apologizing repeatedly with her head down. “I’m sorry, I… I just ran two laps in the park nearby.”

Yin Fengxuan replied indifferently, “Mm. Go take a shower.”

Ning Yunqing obeyed. As warm water flowed over her, she looked at the misty mirror, lamenting her lack of nutrition—her ribs were practically sticking out. However, since the camera adds weight, she only needed to eat a little more to look perfect on screen.

Suddenly, she heard Yin Fengxuan ask from outside, “Did you bring pajamas?”

Ning Yunqing replied, “No, I’ll just use the hotel bathrobe.” She was so poor she didn’t even own pajamas; it was truly pathetic.

Yin Fengxuan said, “I used the bathrobe yesterday. I brought an extra nightgown; I’ve left it at the door. Change into it when you come out.”

“Okay. I’ll buy you a new one later.” Hearing this, Yin Fengxuan smiled and returned to her bedroom.

Two days later, Yin Fengxuan took Ning Yunqing to the set. Seeing this unfamiliar female lead, the crew was surprised. She looks so pure; can she really portray the seductive, rebellious ‘delinquent’ lead? They were skeptical.

That afternoon, a “dashing” figure arrived on set, causing many young women to flutter with excitement.

“Ah, Yunqing!” Young Master Yin waved, walking over with his signature white teeth flashing. “You joined the crew and didn’t even tell me! Honestly. Where are you staying? Are you eating well? Do you need anything?”

Ning Yunqing deliberately kept her distance and said with a smile, “Everything is fine. I’m staying at…”

Before she could finish, Yin Fengxuan walked over. “If you want to chat, go over there. You’re disturbing the shoot.”

Ning Yunqing apologized repeatedly. Yin Ziming glanced at his sister and huffed, “Yunqing, let’s go talk in the car.”

Noticing the look on Yin Fengxuan’s face, Ning Yunqing coaxed Yin Ziming: “Young Master Yin, thank you for your kindness. Everything is great here, don’t worry. There are so many people here, and this is my first time acting. Let me stay and learn a bit more, okay?”

Yin Ziming looked around at the various gazes—some blatant, some sneaky—and thought that being too outstanding was indeed a problem. He smiled and said comfortingly, “Since you’re so studious, of course you can. By the way, where are you staying? I’ll come find you at your hotel tonight.”

“…” That sounds incredibly suggestive. The expressions of the people around them turned bizarre. Ning Yunqing suppressed the urge to crack Yin Ziming’s head open and gave a forced smile. Before she could answer, Yin Fengxuan grew impatient. “Xiao Ning is staying with me now. You are not welcome.” She then glanced at Ning Yunqing with a faint threat, “If he dares to disturb my rest, you can get out of my crew.”

Is she jealous? Ning Yunqing laughed inwardly, but maintained a troubled look on the outside. “Young Master Yin…”

Yin Ziming gritted his teeth, glared disdainfully at Yin Fengxuan, then turned back to Ning Yunqing with an “understanding” expression. “It’s fine, I’ll come see you another day. Don’t be afraid; I’ll go check if there are any other big productions lately.” Thinking about the card he gave her that she hadn’t used, he felt frustrated that he couldn’t spend money on her. “It’s inconvenient without a phone, especially since you’ve left home. How about this: I’ll buy one for you, so don’t refuse.”

Ning Yunqing was a person of principle; once she refused, she stayed refused. “No need. I’ll receive my pay soon and can buy one then. Thank you, Young Master Yin. Goodbye.”

Yin Ziming assumed she was just scared of Yin Fengxuan. He gave his sister one last glare before reluctantly getting into his car.

Once he left, the crew began whispering.

“I wondered why she was cast as the lead; she’s just a ‘connections’ hire.”

“She’s Young Master Yin’s girlfriend—can’t afford to offend her.”

“Girlfriend? Hmph, looks like a plaything to me.”

“Alright, alright, she’s coming over. Stop talking and get to work. She’ll be stunned once we actually start filming anyway.”

Stunned? Hearing their mockery, Ning Yunqing’s lips curled. Fine, let’s see who’s the one who ends up stunned.

A week later, Yin Fengxuan asked Ning Yunqing, “Are you ready to shoot?”

Ning Yunqing replied, “I’m ready.”

Yin Fengxuan ordered the makeup artist to style her. A while later, Ning Yunqing emerged wearing a leopard-print tank top and ultra-short leather shorts, her eyes heavy with smoky makeup. Yin Fengxuan looked her up and down, then nodded. “Let’s begin.”

The protagonist Ning Yunqing played was a “taimei” (delinquent girl) who dropped out of high school. She smoked, drank, and got into fights there wasn’t a vice she hadn’t mastered. On the outside, she looked wild and unrestrained, but her heart was soft and craved love. Ning Yunqing paid close attention to this; no matter how arrogant her expression, she kept a hint of melancholy in her eyes the so-called “faint sorrow.”

This scene depicted her time as a KTV hostess, dealing with several wealthy playboys. It was heavy on dialogue. Usually, a newcomer would be nervous on camera and fail to find their angles. The crew was waiting to see Ning Yunqing make a fool of herself. However, she wasn’t shy at all. Her expressions and movements were spot on, her lines were fluid, and she had a natural sense for the camera. If the actors playing the playboys hadn’t forgotten their lines, she wouldn’t have had a single NG (No Good) take.

This continued all day. Ning Yunqing’s performance was flawless in every scene. Even the notoriously picky Yin Fengxuan couldn’t find much to criticize and was beaming with satisfaction.

“Holy crap, she’s amazing!”

This was the collective thought of the crew. They felt this newcomer was playing with “cheat codes.” She filmed over a dozen scenes a day without forgetting a line or dropping her standard. A natural-born actress! They had previously pitied Director Yin for being “bought,” but it turned out they were the ones who were blind!

The crew grew increasingly friendly toward Ning Yunqing, and the positive atmosphere made filming smoother. Yin Fengxuan felt she should be happy, but the scenes on the monitor of Ning Yunqing acting intimately with men kept bothering her. Seeing Ning Yunqing plant a kiss on an actor’s cheek, her brows furrowed deeply.

She endured until the scene ended and called out with a dark face, “CUT! Pass!” Looking up, she saw Ning Yunqing chatting and laughing with the actor playing the “Prince Charming.” Her already poor mood darkened further. Seeing Ning Yunqing smile at her, she looked away and gave a small huff.

Ning Yunqing’s smile widened. She took a can of water from a staff member, opened it, and walked toward Yin Fengxuan. “Director Yin.”

The combination of a pure smile and seductive makeup created a strange kind of beauty. Yin Fengxuan gave a lukewarm hum, took the water, and had a sip, remaining stingily silent.

Ning Yunqing knew she was jealous. Without exposing it, she leaned in and whispered, “Don’t believe your eyes too much. Sometimes, what you see isn’t real.” She was referring to the fact that she had spent 5 points to cast an illusion, using a phantom to stand in for the intimate physical contact with the actor.

This was too supernatural for a normal person to grasp; Yin Fengxuan, lacking her previous memories, obviously wouldn’t think of that. She assumed Ning Yunqing was hinting that her relationship with Young Master Yin wasn’t what it seemed that she was trying to please her, or perhaps even making a subtle confession?

Her lips curled into an almost imperceptible arc. Yin Fengxuan glanced at Ning Yunqing with a look of feigned disgust. “Stand further away. That cheap perfume on you is too strong.”

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