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Translator: tarararawr

Chapter 1 – She Is the Substitute

It was evening in the middle of the summer. As the dark clouds gathered together, there was the sound of muffled thunder from time to time.

However, the thunder did not drown out the sound of a woman stomping her high heels in anger.

Xing Qing rushed in. She was carrying a silver strappy dress and threw it on top of the dresser.

Her face was extremely pale. “I think Song Yun’s team is really insane. They dared to use this kind of disgusting trick on you.”

Ruan Yan was looking at her phone. When she heard Xing Qing, she picked up the dress and looked at it. Sure enough, there was a cut on both straps.

The cuts were very small and difficult to find without looking closely. If the dress was worn, then the fabric for these straps would snap as soon as it was pulled and everything would be exposed immediately…

Ruan Yan put the dress back. “Don’t blame Song Yun if you don’t have any proof.”

“No proof?” Xing Qing was even angrier. “I asked for the hotel’s surveillance tapes. Yesterday, at the pre-show party, Song Yun’s assistant left and went to our room while the housekeeper was cleaning!”

Ruan Yan was still looking down at her phone and her expression did not change. “Do you or do you not believe that the surveillance tapes of this five-star hotel will suddenly be lost tomorrow?”

At this point, Xing Qing still couldn’t understand what she meant. Song Yun had the backing of the Song family in Nanchen and this fact was well known in the circle.

If she didn’t, then how could she have been popular for six years and sweep a lot of awards during her career when her acting skills could only be considered mediocre?

Xing Qing pressed the space between her eyebrows. “Forget it. Fortunately, I had already guessed that Song Yun’s team would definitely make trouble with today’s press conference and prepare a spare dress beforehand…”

Xing Qing talked for a while before she realized that Ruan Yan was not paying attention to her and was still looking at her cell phone. She leaned over suspiciously, “What are you looking at? You’re not looking at that man behind my back…”

Ruan Yan didn’t have enough time to switch screens. There really was a man on her phone.

It should be the dressing room. The man was standing in front of the mirror with one hand in his pocket.

He was very tall, with two buttons open on his dress shirt. It revealed a severe scar on his Adam’s apple. Even though he was wearing a suit, his cruel aura was about to overflow from the screen.

However, this person who was unwilling to bow to anyone was only focused on the woman applying her lipstick.

The beautiful woman was Song Yun.

Xing Qing stared blankly. “Is this man… a newly signed actor in Song Yun’s company?”

She regretted the words she just said. The man’s imposing and dignified air in the picture could not be hidden.

He did not look like an actor who made a living with his face, but rather like…

A recklessly brazen superior.

Ruan Yan lowered her eyes and held back her emotions. “I don’t know.”

Xing Qing asked, “Where did you get this picture?”

Ruan Yan: “An alternate account sent it to my work email.”

Xing Qing frowned. “It’s most likely someone who wants to instigate something and see you and Song Yun in a disagreement. They probably want to use you to reveal this photo to the paparazzi. Let’s leave it alone.”

Song Yun and Ruan Yan were currently working together on “Double Life”, a film with two female leads. However, Song Yun’s team was dissatisfied from the start. They wanted to make permanent changes to the script, but Director Xie Mian was a man of integrity and refused to give in.

Song Yun’s team did not dare to touch such a big director, so they poured their anger on Xing Qing and frantically put out negative articles on Ruan Yan. They gave her ugly labels such as “Little Song Yun” and “Song Yun’s Low-Qualified Substitute”.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that they were at odds with each other.

Xing Qing patted Ruan Yan on the shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. Go prepare for today’s press conference.”

Ruan Yan agreed. She picked up the lipstick and began to apply it.

When the room was quiet, Xing Qing began to slowly examine Ruan Yan.

She wore a loose bathrobe. She had a large white chest, a slender neck and a beautiful face.

In particular, the face with those sparkling phoenix eyes was unforgettable at first glance.

Xing Qing didn’t know why she thought of the picture that Ruan Yan showed her just now.

Song Yun’s face flashed through her thoughts. In the photo, Song Yun was sitting at the same angle as Ruan Yan. Similarly, there was also a pair of unforgettable eyes in the mirror.

She usually didn’t think about it, but when she did right now, the so-called “Little Song Yun” from the negative articles… was a bit true.

Xing Qing suddenly realized that something was wrong. “Why are you doing your own makeup? Where is the makeup artist?”

“Song Yun borrowed her just now. The makeup artist said she has her hands full over there.”

“She has her hands full? The crew gave Song Yun three makeup artists, and yet she came over to borrow ours? Is her face so big that three makeup artists are not enough for her?!”

The anger that Xing Qing tried very hard to control rose again. From cutting up the dress to making things difficult for the makeup artist, Song Yun made it clear that she didn’t want Ruan Yuan to live peacefully.

“Forget it. I’ll call the crew next door and borrow one from them. I hope there’s still time.”

“No.” Ruan Yan closed the metal lipstick with a pop. She said, “There’s no need to borrow a dress either.”

“Why? Aren’t you going to the press conference?“

“I’m going.” Ruan Yan looked up at Xing Qing. “But I want to go like this.”

Xing Qing did not understand what she meant. In the next second, she heard Ruan Yan’s six unsympathetic words:

“Xing Qing. Take. Off. Your. Clothes.”

*

At dusk, the muffled thunder stopped. Later in the evening, the torrential rain fell.

The venue was busy. The people who came to the press conference gathered around Xie Mian to praise him. They said that the film was destined to sweep the scene at this year’s major film festivals, just like today.

Xie Mian enjoyed these praises.

He was 58 this year. He was the leading domestic director in the fifth generation of directors. He had already won two “Best Director” awards at three major film festivals. He hoped to use this film to win at the festivals and the award he had never won before in one fell swoop, as a gift to himself for entering his 60s.

As he thought of this, he glanced at some of the leading actors.

Song Yun came early. She wore a glamorous red strapless dress today. Xie Mian did not approve of Song Yun’s acting skills. It had been six years since she had debuted and she was only better than most actors after some small adjustments.

The person he was anticipating the most was Ruan Yan.

Although this young lady was a newcomer and didn’t talk much, she was the only actress who used surgical scissors correctly during the audition. She was so smooth when she acted in the scene. Even Xie Mian couldn’t help but ask Xing Qing if she used to be a medical student.

Xing Qing said, no, she was a recent graduate from the film academy and had only signed to the company for less than a year.

What made him feel even more profound was that Song Yun and Ruan Yan really had a subtle resemblance.

It was similar to the plot in “Double Life”: two close sisters who really looked alike… It was simply like the heavens were helping him by sending Ruan Yan to his camera!

However, his expectations froze at the sight of the figure coming in through the side door——

Ruan Yan came wearing only a white blouse and a black skirt, which he saw her agent wear at the crew dinner last night…

“Director Xie,” Ruan Yan greeted him.

Xie Mian examined her and became worried. “Is everything fine?”

“Something went wrong.” Ruan Yan hesitated. “An accident.”

Was it really an accident?

Xie Jun’s face darkened and his eyes shifted between Song Yun and Ruan Yan for a moment. Just as he was about to speak up, the host on the stage began to introduce the guests one by one.

He straightened the collar of his zhongshan suit1, turned and walked on stage. Ruan Yan followed him politely.

They stood according to their statuses. Song Yun stood in the center position, with the leading actor and director standing to her side. Ruan Yan was aware that she stood at the edge. She was dressed in a black and white outfit. She was effortlessly beautiful, while her elegant appearance implied a bit of passiveness.

When the reporters were asking questions, they would occasionally ask one to her, the newcomer who had just graduated from the film academy. However, they realized that no matter what they asked, the clever girl could always politely play Tai Chi. As a result, they refocused their questions to Song Yun.

“Miss Song, you were photographed in a car with the president of Xunke last week. Are you two in a relationship now?”

Song Yun played with her hair. No one knew why, but she slightly turned sideways and gave Ruan Yan a meaningful glance before she answered the reporter’s question.

“Today is the press conference for the new movie, not a press conference about a new relationship. I will not be answering personal questions, I hope all of you will give us some personal space. Thank you.”

Us. 

She said us.

…

All the present reporters blew up.

Even the reporter who asked the question laughed and said, “It seems like our performance for the second half of the year can be supported by your news alone!”

Amid the crowd of people laughing, Song Yun looked at Ruan Yan again. This time, she smiled at Ruan Yan.

It was ambiguous and her smile had a hint of sympathy.

Countless cameras were taking shots of the stage, but Ruan Yan was not timid at all. She just opened her mouth and silently said to Song Yun, “Congratulations.”

Song Yun’s smile was frozen immediately. It was like a fist had hit cotton. It didn’t make any sense.

She didn’t bother to answer any more questions from the next reporters.

The press conference was busy the entire time.

However, Xie Mian suddenly stopped Song Yun and Ruan Yan when they stepped off the stage.

Song Yun asked, “Is there anything I can do for Director Xie?”

Xie Mian’s eyes instantly flashed between them, and then he looked at Ruan Yan’s simple outfit. He spoke up and replied, “Song Yun, stay and let’s talk.”

Ruan Yan tactfully left.

When she was about to go backstage, she looked back at them. She didn’t know what Xie Mian said, but Song Yun’s expression became more and more upset.

Ruan Yan didn’t know if Song Yun could see her, but she smiled at her—just like how Song Yun smiled at her on the stage.

Xing Qing came over. She saw Song Yun and Xie Mian in the distance, and then looked at the calm and composed Ruan Yan. She couldn’t stop herself from giving Ruan Yan a thumbs up. “Classy, really classy. Song Yun must have thought that we would panic about borrowing an outfit and finding a makeup artist. Then, she’ll watch us make mistakes as we rush things. In the end, she never thought we would beat her at her own games and go on stage!”

The more Xing Qing thought about it, the more she thought that Ruan Yan was brilliant. She repeatedly exclaimed, “You did it without any resistance. It was so magnanimous that Director Xie could see it for himself. It was much better than coming forward and complaining for his sympathy…”

Ruan Yan rolled up her shirt’s sleeves and said to her, “Don’t boast about it. I’m going back to rest. Remember to book the plane ticket for me tomorrow.”

Xing Qing nodded and waved goodbye to her.

When she left the hotel, there was still a downpour. Ruan Yan went to the back of the hotel and entered the underground parking lot in the rain.

The parking lot was dimly lit, so she took out her key and pressed it. The moment the headlights suddenly came on, she was caught off guard and someone from behind pulled her.

A familiar manly scent came, and the aggression was very heavy and strong.

She was tightly held in his arms, her wet shirt clinging to his chest.

His big hands caressed her waist, and the temperature of his palms passed through the two thin layers of cloth. It was like she was infected with a spark. It made Ruan Yan’s cold body, which had been soaked by the rain, gradually become hot.

“Shen Jin.” She whispered his name with some annoyance.

However, she was like a cat meowing and it would only tickle him even more.

He pinched her chin and forced her to look up. In the low light, he looked into her bright phoenix eyes, gazing intently.

She thought he was going to kiss her eyes. It was where his kisses would most often land.

But this time he lowered his head and breathed heavily on the corner of her lips. “You’re so wet. Who are you trying to seduce?”

Footnotes