Chapter 1: Lead Actress
The crew for “The Grand Feast” finished today. They reserved several tables at the Haitian Building.
Xia Lin was the lead actress… ‘s servant girl. So of course she was put in a regular room.
She was happily eating, when Liang Xiao Yu next to her tapped her arm and said quietly, “Xia Lin, don’t rush to eat. I got hold of some insider information.”
Liang Xiao Yu was also a servant girl. The two of them had the most scenes together and were in the same boat together. Gradually, they became close and would share their thoughts and wishes.
Just like now, Liang Xiao Yu spoke quietly into her ear, “Over in the VIP room, there is supposed to be quite a few hot shot directors and a distinguished guest.”
Here, Xia Lin had thought it was some big news. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen important people. So she shook her head that she had no interest.
Liang Xiao Yu saw that she wasn’t excited at all and looked at her sideways. “I haven’t finished yet. Don’t be in a hurry to shake your head. Do you know who the distinguished guest is?”
“Who?”
“Ling Yi Zhou.”
“Pff!” Xia Lin suddenly spat out the tofu she just ate. Luckily, it was to the side, or none of the food on the table would be edible anymore.
Seeing other people giving them peculiar looks, Liang Xiao Yu hurriedly helped her straighten everything up. “Even though Mr. Ling is very handsome and rich, I don’t think you have to get this excited, right?”
A lighting tech next to them heard this exchange and shook his head. “I suggest you give up on Mr. Ling. Fan Shuang Shuang already claimed him as her benefactor. Fan Shuang Shuang is the lady. You are both servant girls. Who do you think Mr. Ling would choose?”
Even though the words weren’t pretty, they were the truth. Liang Xiao Yu faced Xia Lin and sighed. “What a waste. Actually, if we’re just talking about pretty faces, it’s not clear who would win, between you and Fan Shuang Shuang.”
At that moment, the door to the room burst open with a bang. From outside came in a woman with red lips, extravagant makeup, and a ferocious look on her face.
Liang Xiao Yu was startled into standing up. God, speak of the devil. Why had Fan Shuang Shuang suddenly come over to the regular room?
And then Fan Shuang Shuang walked straight to Xia Lin’s side, pulled her up by force, and threw a photo onto her face.
Everybody present froze. Fan Shuang Shuang had bullied plenty of people in the crew while filming the movie, but it was always with mockings and insinuations. She kept plausible deniability and maintained her reputation of being a good person. She had never done anything physical before. What had Xia Lin done today?
Everybody went to look at Fan Shuang Shuang’s photo and then they all gasped.
On the photo was a man, a woman, and an umbrella. The woman had fine, delicate features, and was looking down, but it was obviously Xia Lin. The man had turned his head to the side, looking at her. He stood tall and straight, holding the umbrella steadily.
By the angry and twisted look on Fan Shuang Shuang’s face, it was clear this man was Ling Yi Zhou!
“Talk. What’s this?” Fan Shuang Shuang glared arrogantly at Xia Lin, as if she would tear her into two if Xia Lin didn’t give a good explanation.
To the side, Liang Xiao Yu was also startled and stared at Xia Lin waiting for her to speak. Ling Yi Zhou holding an umbrella for Xia Lin? That was too frightening to contemplate.
Xia Lin got a hold of herself and looked up at everyone lightly. She picked up the photo and pointed to the middle. “No way. You would believe even a photo like this? The two are each standing by themselves. They’re not holding hands or hugging. I can make the same photo in a few minutes using Photoshop cut and paste.”
Immediately, everybody realized that the fault lay with the unscrupulous reporter. Fan Shuang Shuang was also relieved after hearing this. It was true that there was no touching in the photo. When she had seen the photo earlier, she had rushed over with rage. After all, Ling Yi Zhou had always kept a low profile and never had any scandal with women. She couldn’t get an entertainment reporter to take a photo like that even if she wanted.
But why would the reporter compose a photo with Xia Lin? Fan Shuang Shuang stared at Xia Lin, still treating her like a thorn in her side. Impulsively, she reached over to hit Xia Lin’s face.
Slap!
Xia Lin caught her wrist with a thrill. She got angry, too. “Fan Shuang Shuang, are you crazy? I don’t want this kind of photo at all! When I get home, I’ll ask Shui Jun to make a bunch for you.”
Fan Shuang Shuang saw that Xia Lin actually dared to provoke her. She reached out the other hand intent to hit her face. Xia Lin subconsciously grabbed the glass of red wine at hand to block. She did block the slap, but the red wine splattered like stars across her white dress.
Fan Shuang Shuang swayed a few times. A wisp of bangs fell from her elaborate up-do, making her look quite awkward. She was so angry, just looking at Xia Lin, that her lips trembled. She wanted to rush her, but her assistant suddenly popped up and held her back.
“Shuang Shuang jie…” The assistant glared furiously at Xia Lin and said a few words into Fan Shuang Shuang’s ear.
Beneath the crowd’s gaze, Fan Shuang Shuang’s expression changed faster than sudden rain. One second, she was a malicious shrew. The next, she lowered lashes and straightened her brows as she accepted the mirror from her assistant’s hand. She fixed her hair and drew her eyeliner, and didn’t even forget to pull down a bit the fabric on her chest. Xia Lin stared so hard her eyeballs almost fell out.
“Hmph. Mr. Ling is here. So I won’t bother myself with you today.” Fan Shuang Shuang sneered at Xia Lin before leaving the room. “But I warn you: As long as the movie hasn’t hit the theaters, I can completely erase your scenes at any time.” After saying that, she left, putting on what she thought was her most seductive walk.
Her air was like as if the emperor had summoned his favorite concubine.
If there weren’t so many people present, Xia Lin really would’ve spat on the skirt that she spilled red wine all over. She gritted her teeth. How can she go out and face anyone like this?
Fan Shuang Shuang left, but the room was still silent. Many people were looking at Xia Lin strangely. Xia Lin avoided them and went to the bathroom. She knew very well that Fan Shuang Shaung’s parting sentence made her a pariah. Who would dare to go against the number one girl in entertainment? It was more probable they were all considering how to draw their boundaries with her right now.
“Xia Lin, wait.” Liang Xiao Yu actually followed, pulling on Xia Lin’s dress, under the surprised gazes of the entire table. “I mean, Shuang jie is really too much. You are also a victim.”
Xia Lin held Liang Xiao Yu’s hand. She was really moved that someone still stood by her side at this time.
“Thank you.”
“Why? That photo just now really shocked me! You shouldn’t have revealed so quickly that it was Photoshopped. You should’ve taken that woman down a peg. She’s really too overbearing.”
Xia Lin lifted the corner of her mouth. “Haha, yeah…”
The two tried for quite a bit in the bathroom, but Xia Lin ended up giving up. “Xiao Yu, this red wine won’t come out at all. I think I’ll just head home now.”
Liang Xiao Yu looked up. “Alright. Might as well save yourself from those people’s looks of contempt. Wait a bit. I’ll use the bathroom and then leave with you.”
Xia Lin headed out of the bathroom. There are two downward slopes. She just went down one, when she suddenly heard someone shout behind her, “Mr. Ling!”
Mr. Ling? Where?
She suddenly twisted her ankle and lost her balance, abruptly falling forward.
The next second, someone held tight onto her slim waist. She had jumped into the embrace of a person in front of her. In her ear, a deep and strong voice spoke, “How can you be so careless?”