Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
When Zhao Meng said this, Lu Jinnian was a little annoyed, but because he didn’t know how the script was changed, he maintained his composure.
When he was filming, he would often memorize the script which resulted in him learning to go through a script really quickly. He practically flipped through a page, then another soon after.
As he went through the script page by page, his face grew increasingly more arctic.
Usually, Lu Jinnian barely wore any emotions on his face, which would stress people out very much. Right then, the atmosphere in the make up room started growing more tense due to the change of his expression. Practically no one dared to take a deep breath, besides Qiao Anhao of course, who sat cool and collected by Lu Jinnian’s side. She bit her straw and drank her juice every now and then, making sucking noises at times.
Suddenly, Lu Jinnian slammed the script shut, and let out a dull sound, which made Qiao Anhao feel a little curious, and she lifted her head up from the straw. But before she could take a clear look at what happened to Lu Jinnian, the abrupt sound of the man’s arrogantly cold voice was heard. “Now, in the next scene to be shot, she has to…”
While saying that Lu Jinnian first pointed at Lin Shiyi, then raised his hand to pat Qiao Anhao’s head, which was at hip height whilst she was sitting. “Hit her?”
In the make up room, no one dared to speak.
Lu Jinnian was clearly there to help Zhao Meng and Qiao Anhao put up a front. Yet, when Zhao Meng saw Lu Jinnian’s stance, she was still a little afraid, though she tried to stay calm, hastily nodding at him. “Yes.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, Lu Jinnian let out a cold laugh, and gave a sharp glare to everyone in the room. He ruthlessly smashed the script onto he table with a “Pa!”, scaring quite a few people in the make up room to shivers. Then he said in an emotionless voice, “All right. Then start shooting. I want to see who dares to hurt a single hair of Qiao Anhao’s under my watch!”
In that moment, not just Zhao Meng, but even Qiao Anhao was so frightened by Lu Jinnian’s brimming anger that she bit her straw, not daring to drink her juice. She didn’t even dare look at his face, just to silently sneak a glance from the corner of her eyes.
The director was so frightened by Lu Jinnian’s stance, his legs were a little numb. In that moment, he couldn’t care less about Lin Shiyi and the investment she brought to their crew. All he wanted to do was not get dragged down by Lu Jinnian’s anger. His voice trembled when he said, “No… No… Mr. Lu, this isn’t the next scene to be shot. That script… script, was just something we made to joke with Miss Qiao… we’re going with the earlier script…”
“Joke?”
This joke was such a joke in itself. He already made her so upset, and yet he said he was just joking with her?
Lu Jinnian suddenly grabbed the two scripts from the table and thrust them towards the director, smacking him directly on the head. “Who gave you the power to randomly joke around with her?”
The director lowered his head without saying a word, as he felt his legs start to shiver.
“Also, don’t tell me that you’ll go by the earlier script. Write me a new script just how you rewrote the original!”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
“My only request is that I get paid back tenfold for the amount of slaps she has written in the script you gave Qiao Anhao!”
Lu Jinnian only used a single “she” to replace Lin Shiyi. His expression spoke that it wasn’t even worth calling her by the name.
Pay back tenfold… implied that he had to think of a way for Qiao Anhao’s character to slap Lin Shiyi several times over, because she had thrown money away to change the script just to slap Qiao Anhao’s character.
So to speak… Lu Jinnian didn’t cut her screen time at all?
Lin Shiyi sat in her own seat with her chin slightly raised, and thought about that.
She couldn’t mess with Lu Jinnian. In fact, he had previously made her suffer enough, but no matter how bad it got, she would just be cast out. She didn’t need to be like the others, in a sense that she needn’t kiss up to Lu Jinnian to survive in the industry.
Since that was the case, then she didn’t need to embarrass herself in front of Lu Jinnian with so many people around, and chose to suffer in silence.
What’s more, she had her investor to back her. Lu Jinnian wouldn’t want to get on someone’s wrong side over a woman, right…
At that thought, Lin Shiyi let out a chuckle, for she wasn’t the least bit afraid, and said, “Didn’t you say that you could cut my screen time at any moment? Why haven’t you cut it? So as it turns out, Mr. Lu isn’t as good as Qiao Anhao was boasting?”
When Lin Shiyi said that, everyone in the room broke a sweat for her.
Everyone assumed that Lu Jinnian would direct his anger towards her, but who knew, he treated her as though she didn’t exist. He completely ignored her words and continued to stare at the director menacingly. “Since Qiao Qiao said to stop production, then this drama is going to stop shooting for three months.”
He really was going to halt production… that would be such a big loss… the director instinctively opened his mouth to beg, “Mr. Lu…”
Lu Jinnian didn’t even give the director a chance to speak, as though it wasn’t up for negotiation. He said, “Five months.”
The director naturally looked over at Qiao Anhao for help. “Miss Qiao…”
“Eight months.” Lu Jinnian didn’t even think twice as he threw out those two words. “If you dare say another word, I’ll stop production for a year.”
The director didn’t dare to make even a sound.
Qiao Anhao, who sat to one side, bit down hard onto her straw, her emotions going up again after she had calmed herself down when she saw Lu Jinnian not angry. Wasn’t he taking this a little too far?
Lu Jinnian neutrally pulled his eyes away from the director and slowly landed them on Lin Shiyi, who sat to one side. “Miss Lin, your boyfriend is so rich, the several thousand million investment could stretch for seven to eight months and he shouldn’t mind at all, right?”
Lin Shiyi pursed her lips, but didn’t say a word.
Lu Jinnian continued to calmly and slowly say, “If Miss Lin really wants to kick off production, that’s isn’t impossible, you can just return my investment and let your boyfriend cover it all. By then, don’t even talk about the script, you can change it from a modern drama to a period drama.”
Lin Shiyi balled her hands into fists, but still didn’t say a word.
Lu Jinnian raised a hand and placed it sluggishly on the back of Qiao Anhao’s chair. He then asked again, as if in afterthought, “Oh right. Miss Lin, what did you just say? That I didn’t have the power to cut your part at any time?”
Lu Jinnian lowered his eyes and chuckled as though he’d heard a really funny joke.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Lu Jinnian lowered his eyes and chuckled as though he’d heard a really funny joke.
Then, in an instant, his expression suddenly became cold. “I don’t have the power to do this? Lin Shiyi, didn’t you learn from filming ‘Alluring Times’?
“I thought that you would have learned your lesson from back then. I never thought that Miss Lin had such a cockroach-like imperishable attitude, that on the road to disaster you would choose to walk further and further down it. At this point, Miss Lin, I’m quite impressed.”
Lu Jinnian’s words were as sincere as they could be. So sincere, in fact, that Lin Shiyi’s complexion looked worse for wear, as though she couldn’t hold in her anger anymore.
It seemed like Lu Jinnian had nothing more to say, as he put on a face as though he couldn’t be bothered to talk with Lin Shiyi. He turned his head and glanced at Qiao Anhao, who was biting her straw, then patted her head with his outstretched hand and said, “Get changed, let’s go home.”
“Okay.”
Qiao Anhao hurriedly put the bottle in her hand down, stood up, and just before she left her spot, Lu Jinnian, who stood beside her, suddenly saw two boxes on the table. He remembered how Qiao Anhao had told him that Lin Shiyi had treated everyone to afternoon tea, and so, as though he had just realized something, he suddenly picked up the two paper lunch boxes. Without so much as a blink of an eye, he immediately threw them into the bin to one side.
Everyone there ate Lin Shiyi’s afternoon tea, and so naturally they knew it was Lin Shiyi who had especially ordered them. Yet Lu Jinnian went and threw them directly into the bin like that, with a face of extreme disgust. He was really something…
Someone sneaked a cheeky glance over at Lin Shiyi to find that her face was pale, then suddenly red.
Even though Qiao Anhao loathed Lin Shiyi, she felt that Lu Jinnian had helped her to completely vent her anger. Just when she thought that the situation was over, who knew that after she had stepped no more than five steps towards the changing rooms, Lu Jinnian’s voice could be heard from behind her again. It was like he would never end.
He said in a lighthearted tone of voice, “Oh, that’s right. Miss Lin, I have something else to tell you. If your boyfriend pulls his investment from “Love at First Sight” because of what happened today and breaks up with you, then don’t worry. I’ll pay for you to continue as the supporting female role.”
Lu Jinnian paused for a moment, then gave a light laugh and added, “The only reason why I haven’t cut your screen time is not because I can’t, but because I want to see your face as you cannot bare to see Qiao Anhao yet have to put up with her!”
The highest point of torturing her was not to completely erase her from the eyes, but to make it so that she had no choice but to face you and see as you outdo her in every area.
Since Qiao Qiao really wanted to compete with her, all right then… let’s go all out until she completely gives in. From here on out, she’ll never dare to compete with Qiao Qiao again!
Lin Shiyi suddenly grabbed the phone of the table and stormed out of the make up room.
–
Qiao Anhao changed her clothes, removed her make up, and when she went to the bathroom to wash her face, she quickly went to the toilet as well.
When she came out of her cubicle, she saw Lin Shiyi standing in front of the sink, wiping her tears. She noticed that someone was behind her, so she quickly lowered her head, turned the tap on, and washed her face.
Qiao Anhao stood in front of the furthest tap from Lin Shiyi. She washed her hands and just when she pulled out some tissue to wipe them, Lin Shiyi coincidentally turned her head. Her eyes were full of resentment.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao pretended as though she saw nothing, nonchalantly wiped her hands clean. She pulled the door open and walked out.
It was not until Lin Shiyi heard the door close that the angry expression on her face disappeared, replaced with rolling tears down her face.
In the past, she had never accepted losing to Qiao Anhao because Lu Jinnian was always there. Every time she collided with her, she’d end up in the worst situation. Every time! Now she and Qiao Anhao were on the same set again, and she only dared to treat Qiao Anhao like that because she had heard that Lu Jinnian had left Beijing. However, who would of thought… it was just the same as before. She moved a boulder again to only smash it on her own foot.
Didn’t they say that Lu Jinnian had disappeared? How did he suddenly reappear again?
Lin Shiyi’s brows suddenly furrowed. She remembered how she saw a figure as cool as Lu Jinnian with a tall foreign woman go into a room, just when she was with her boyfriend at the Four Seasons hotel last night… At the time, she’d thought that the back of the man looked like Lu Jinnian’s but dismissed it since he was missing. Now, though, it seemed like it really could have been him…
–
When Qiao Anhao left the bathroom and returned to the make up room, Lu Jinnian was already gone. Just as she picked up her bag, ready to look for him, an eighteen year old woman curiously raised her head and cried, “Sis Anhao”. She nosily asked, “Is Mr. Lu really Sis Anhao’s boyfriend?”
–
Since Lu Jinnian had to wait for quite some time for Qiao Anhao, he went out to light up a cigarette. Just when he headed back to the make up room and pushed the door half-way open, he heard someone ask Qiao Anhao this question. He didn’t know why, but at that moment, his footsteps paused at the entrance and his eyes locked onto Qiao Anhao’s face.
Today, it was originally Zhao Meng and Lin Shiyi who had started arguing, and so Qiao Anhao had called Lu Jinnian to come over. At the very least, she could tell everyone that their relationship wasn’t normal.
She and Lu Jinnian has been married for over ten days, yet he had never announced their relationship, and so she didn’t dare to announce it either.
Suddenly, for someone to ask that question, how was she going to answer?
Qiao Anhao thought deeply about it for a moment, and eventually shook her head slowly. “No.”
Lu Jinnian, who stood outside the door, balled his hands into tight fists. His heart unexpectedly fell to the lowest pit.
In the room, Qiao Anhao gently smiled at the young woman and said in a soft voice, “Lu Jinnian isn’t my boyfriend, he’s my husband.”
It was clearly the truth, so why was she so guilty? Would Lu Jinnian be angry with her?
Lu Jinnian, who was disappointed and hurt, suddenly felt his heart tremble.
He really didn’t think that she would say such a thing.
The only reason why he didn’t announce their relationship was because he wasn’t sure about the feelings they shared. But today, she called him to show off, and openly admitted that he was her husband… Could she really like him?
Lu Jinnian felt his heart race like crazy as he watched Qiao Anhao talking to a young girl through the crack of the doors. He didn’t disturb her, but waited for her outside.
–
Qiao Anhao was afraid that Lu Jinnian was waiting for her, and so she hurriedly said goodbye to the young girl, then rushed over to the entrance. However, just as she walked a few steps forward, she suddenly heard the voice of someone crying.
“Qiao Anhao.”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao was afraid that Lu Jinnian was waiting for her, and so she hurriedly said goodbye to the young girl, then rushed over to the entrance. However, just as she walked a few steps forward, she suddenly heard the voice of someone crying.
“Qiao Anhao.”
She halted for a moment. Why was Lin Shiyi calling her?
She thought about Lu Jinnian, who was still waiting for her outside, and didn’t felt like being held back by Lin Shiyi, so she just ignored her and continued to walk away.
“Qiao Anhao!” Lin Shiyi shouted out even louder. After that, Qiao Anhao heard the hurried sound of high heels emerge behind her. Before her hand could pull the door open, Lin Shiyi was one step ahead, stopping in front to block her way.
Because she’d just been crying, her face didn’t look so good, the rims of her eyes still red.
Qiao Anhao was a little annoyed by Lin Shiyi’s pestering, so her tone of voice was hostile when she said, “Lin Shiyi, just what do you want? Perhaps you don’t think that you were embarrassed enough…”
“Qiao Anhao, save your patronizing ways in front of me!” Lin Shiyi briskly interrupted Qiao Anhao’s words. She curved her red lips into a mocking smirk, then said in a voice only the two of them could hear, clearly explaining the very reason why she had called her name. “Relax. I didn’t call you to argue with you. I called you to tell you that your man, who just stood up for you – Lu Jinnian – do you think that he would really be devoted to you alone?”
Qiao Anhao’s eyes slightly froze. Her lips moved, wanting to fight back with words, but Lin Shiyi didn’t give the slightest chance. She continued to say in a low voice by her ear, “I’ll tell you the truth. Last night at twelve at the Four Seasons hotel, I saw Lu Jinnian drive a beautiful foreign woman into the hotel. What’s more, he entered the hotel room with her and stayed there for a really long time…
“Qiao Anhao, a man and a woman alone in a room together… in the middle of the night… what do you think happened between the two of them in the room? Most importantly, why was your man not spending the night with you, but with that woman?”
Lin Shiyi let out a chuckle. “Qiao Anhao, you can only be this arrogant because you’ve got Lu Jinnian in the palm of your hands, isn’t that right? If you didn’t have him, then what are you even? Yet, from what I see, you don’t even really have any pull on that man!”
With those words, Lin Shiyi swept a glance towards Qiao Anhao’s delicate white hands and said, “You just told someone that Lu Jinnian was your husband? You both got married? After marriage, he didn’t even buy you a wedding ring?”
When Lin Shiyi said this, Qiao Anhao instinctively hid her hands behind her handbag. She tried hard to maintain a calm expression on her face. “Are you done? If you are, then please do move aside.”
Lin Shiyi seemed like she hadn’t imagined that Qiao Anhao would have that kind of response, as she was stunned for a second there before asking, “You don’t believe what I said?”
“Lin Shiyi, don’t you find your own question funny?” Qiao Anhao looked like she had just heard a hilarious joke, suddenly laughing out loud. She turned her head around and scanned Lin Shiyi up and down. “From head to toe, what part of you exactly is worth believing?”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
When Qiao Anhao finished speaking, she walked right around Lin Shiyi, and pulled open the make up room door.
Her words drained the blood from Lin Shiyi’s face. She slowly lifted her chin, turned around, and faced Qiao Anhao, who was eager to leave. She purposefully opened her mouth again to speak in a serious tone, “Oh, that’s right. Qiao Anhao, I forgot to tell you just now… The room they booked at the Four Seasons is room 1002, the presidential suite.”
The hand Qiao Anhao used to hold the door trembled slightly, but from behind, she looked incredibly calm. She leisurely stomped out with a crisp ‘ta-ta-ta’ sound of her high heels, as though Lin Shiyi wasn’t talking to her at all.
–
When they left the set, it was already time to have dinner. On their way back to Mian Xiu Garden, they coincidentally passed a Cantonese restaurant, so Lu Jinnian turned the car towards it.
He ordered the food, choosing only light dishes.
The restaurant served the food very quickly. Before they started eating, Lu Jinnian personally handed Qiao Anhao a wet towel. Throughout their meal, he would pick up some food and place it onto her plate, but he didn’t really eat himself at all. From the start, it seemed like he was at Qiao Anhao’s beck and call, circling her.
When she put down her chopsticks, he immediately handed her a napkin. When she almost finished drinking her cup of tea, he immediately filled it up for her. When she sneaked a glance at a plate, he immediately grabbed food from that plate for her. When there was a dish with fish or shrimp, he would debone or deshell it and hand her the soft meaty flesh.
In the days since Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian had gotten married, they’d spent three meals a day together. It wasn’t like Lu Jinnian had never pulled out a chair for her, handed her a napkin, or poured tea for her, but he was never as attentive and enthusiastic as tonight.
Just as Qiao Anhao chewed the shrimp Lu Jinnian had just peeled, she couldn’t help but raise her eyes. She observed him, who was pouring her tea, to find that he still had the same cold expression on his face. However, his relaxed brows told her that his mood was particularly good after leaving the set tonight.
But on the set, she clearly caused him trouble…
At that thought, Qiao Anhao remembered Zhao Meng’s boastful words, causing her little face to immediately heat up.
If it wasn’t enough for Zhao Meng to not think before speaking when she randomly gloated, Qiao Anhao then had relayed it all to him. And after that, he actually went along and carried out every word.
Especially the part where he stopped production of “Love at First Sight” for eight months! Also, for Lin Shiyi’s boyfriend to contribute such a big investment, he must be someone with a powerful background… Before Lu Jinnian even asked who the investor was, he stopped production just like that, with her single word… Her momentary unruliness and impulse… will it cause Lu Jinnian trouble?
At that moment, Qiao Anhao became a little shy. She couldn’t help but lower her head, from which she discovered that there were two peeled shrimps and a piece of deboned fish already in her bowl.
She felt even more uneasy and guilty. She pouted and picked up a shrimp and put it into her mouth, then raised her head and stared at Lu Jinnian in front of her, carefully asking, “This afternoon on set… did I cause you trouble?”
Compared to Qiao Anhao’s genuine restlessness, Lu Jinnian appeared calm and composed. So much so that he seemed like he didn’t care at all. “How much trouble could you have caused me?”
With Lu Jinnian’s vague and lighthearted question back, another peeled shrimp fell into Qiao Anhao’s bowl.
