Chapter 2: The Dog's History. "Jiang Yan, can't a leopard change its spots? Why do you always try to steal everything from me?"

“If Teacher Jiang doesn’t mind, why should I?” Qin Lan laughed arrogantly and said fiercely, “Director Yu, I’m ready.”

Yu Jintang smiled like an aunt: "The two newcomers... oh no, cough cough cough... the two teachers can begin."

The background is that in 679 AD, the Tibetan Empire sent envoys to Chang'an to request the marriage of Princess Taiping, the youngest daughter of Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wu Zetian refused, using the excuse of becoming a nun to reject the marriage proposal.

Taiping had long admired Shangguan, and used this as an excuse to test his feelings.

Shangguan Wan'er liked to read among the flowers on summer evenings. A delicate fragrance wafted through the air as the jade hairpin flowers bloomed in profusion. The princess, also holding a jade hairpin, quietly approached from behind and patted her on the shoulder.

Qin Lan suppressed the urge to tremble and turned around to recite her lines: "Hmm? Princess."

"Shangguan, Shangguan, come and see the new hairpins. They'll look beautiful on you." Jiang Yan suddenly smiled, her smile so genuine and lovely that Qin Lan almost lost his words.

Qin Lan cursed inwardly, but quickly composed herself and replied earnestly, "Princess, this hairpin is too precious for me."

"What do you mean she's not good enough for you?" Taiping pulled her hand, feigning anger: "Wan'er is good enough for everything."

Jiang Yan enunciated clearly, her tone deliberately softening at the end, causing Qin Lan's heart to flutter. Despite being mentally prepared, Qin Lan still trembled uncontrollably the moment Jiang Yan grasped her hand, taking a moment to recover.

Holding hands with her arch-nemesis made her feel extremely uncomfortable...

Why does Dead River Smoke have to act opposite her?

Qin Lan began to concentrate, truly embracing the role with her expression. Her gaze hardened, she smiled reservedly, and a faint glimmer appeared in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Yan: "Princess...you're too good to me."

She was pleased to see Jiang Yan hesitate for a moment. But she was probably the only one who noticed, because Jiang Yan tightened her grip on her hand.

Qin Lan felt extremely uncomfortable and stiffly waited for the other person to speak. She only heard the woman in disguise mutter, "What makes Wan'er so unworthy of you..."

The princess put the hairpin in her hair, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Wan'er, do you know... about the Tibetan envoy coming to propose marriage?"

The arrival of the Tibetan envoy to propose marriage was a significant event, especially since Shangguan Wan'er had become Empress Wu's key female secretary after being freed from slavery; she couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

Shangguan Wan'er said, "I know."

"Then... what do you think?" Jiang Yan asked nervously, looking at her hesitantly.

Qin Lan knew that what was about to happen was Taiping's subtle confession, and she also knew that Jiang Yan was acting.

But when her nemesis herself was faced with her perfectly portraying the sweetness and anticipation of a secret admirer, she remained completely speechless.

Your most hated enemy is confessing his love to you...

"I know that the Empress Dowager loved the princess and built a Taoist temple for her to prevent her from being married off to a distant place." Qin Lan avoided her gaze.

Taiping was a little anxious: "I know what Mother means, but I'm asking what you mean."

Shangguan Wan'er hesitated for a moment: "The fact that Tibet is willing to propose marriage proves that the Tang Dynasty is prosperous and that all foreign countries are subservient. The princess is charming and her name is widely known."

Jiang Yan stared at her in disbelief: "Tibet wants to marry me... to marry me far away... to someone I've never even met... is that all you're thinking?"

"Shangguan is first and foremost a subject of His Majesty and Empress Dowager, and secondly a subject of the Great Tang Dynasty," Shangguan Wan'er replied.

Taiping gripped her hand even tighter. Qin Lan felt her palm was damp, like a warm rain had fallen: "Aren't you even a little bit sad? Not even a little bit, because I'm going to marry someone else!"

Shangguan Wan'er lowered her head.

A very long time passed, so long that the light in Jiang Yan's eyes gradually dimmed. "I regard the princess as my lord, as my dearest friend, and as my sister."

Jiang Yan could no longer laugh.

Qin Lan was also stunned.

Just like that morning three years ago, Qin Lan, under the influence of the drug, slowly woke up and, in a fit of despair, declared that she couldn't take responsibility. Jiang Yan back then was just as pale as paper, her face devoid of color.

Qin Lan has never been particularly sensitive to matters of the heart, but having acted in many films and television dramas, she can roughly understand the situation after careful observation. This only intensifies her guilt, and the proud and unyielding Miss Qin has remained insecure ever since.

The two Jiang Yans from different timelines gradually merged. The Jiang Yan before her was clearly acting, yet no one doubted the sincerity of her despair. She seemed to have been rejected by her beloved as well, tears blurring her vision, even the movement of her eyelashes becoming slow and hesitant. A bitter feeling spread through Qin Lan, her heart gripped by the despair surrounding her. She felt a surge of guilt and remorse, a pang of regret and heartache. Why was fate so cruel! Why did she have to sleep with her greatest enemy…

How can she ever hold her head high and hate her again?

When she realized that Jiang Yan's pupils hadn't left her face for a moment, she suddenly understood that it wasn't Jiang Yan's acting that was so exquisitely captivating, but rather that this woman had completely immersed herself in the role, recreating the heartbreak and pain that had truly happened to her three years ago. Qin Lan was also captivated by the similar scene and expression, so much so that she couldn't look away for a long time. From the side, it looked as if she had been overwhelmed by Jiang Yan's performance.

“That’s enough,” Yu Jintang suddenly said.

"Teacher Jiang passed!" Two or three of Jiang Yan's fans cheered softly.

"Congratulations, Teacher Jiang, this role is yours." Yu Jintang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to her.

Jiang Yan smiled, a smile that was both melancholic and enchanting, her eyes still fixed on Qin Lan, looking like a wet kitten with the gaze of a puppy: "Thank you for your cooperation, Teacher Qin."

Qin Lan stared at her intently, as if bewitched, her heart pounding. Then she realized what she'd done: "No, does that mean I got rejected?"

Yu Jintang was still staring at the machine: "Didn't you just say you wanted to try different styles of roles? Well, here's the role of Shangguan for you."

Qin Lan was furious and had nowhere to vent her anger. She turned around and yelled, "Jiang Yan, can't you change your ways? Why do you always try to steal everything from me?"

Jiang Yan smiled demurely, "Don't talk about yourself like that."

Qin Lan was furious. She turned her head and walked away, her big waves drawing a perfect arc as she slapped Yu Jintang across the face.

Yu Jintang wiped her face, her anger rising slightly: "...Actors, please respect the director from now on."

The crowd wore expressions that showed they were truly irreconcilable enemies, and felt happy, joyful, proud, and honored to be able to witness the war.

＊

At six o'clock in the evening, two tall women walked into Leijiangyue. Both were wearing hats and sunglasses, and one of them had her face completely covered with a mask.

"Do the two ladies have a reservation?" the waiter asked.

"Yu Jintang." The woman with an innocent face but a head full of pins spoke, her voice slightly hoarse.

The waiter nodded knowingly: "Please follow me."

This restaurant is owned by Yang Xingji's family. When she and her close friends go out to eat, they can simply give their names. The restaurant always reserves private rooms for the host and her friends.

After the two sat down, Qin Lan took off her hat and mask and lazily ran her fingers through her curly hair.

Yu Jintang ordered a bottle of red wine and left it to rest. She habitually asked Qin Lan, "Would you like some? If not, waiter, please remove the extra glasses."

She struggled to remove the baseball cap with five huge safety pins (because a strand of hair was caught in one of the pins), and with a flick of her wrist, she revealed a row of glittering ear cartilage studs and green hair hanging from her ears.

After taking off her hat, her face was fully revealed. She had the look of a girl next door, very well-behaved and sweet, which contrasted sharply with her unconventional outfit.

Yu Jintang took a few sips of wine, her expression somewhat troubled.

"Did you notice how many people came to audition today?" she asked thoughtfully. "Fewer than I expected."

"How many roles are still needed?" Qin Lan asked her.

“Wu Zetian, the most important role is unfilled.” Yu Jintang sighed. “Among the female roles, there are still Empress Wei and Princess Anle left. We don’t have to worry about extras, but there are many vacancies for the main roles. To be honest, I am so grateful to Jiang Yan. If she hadn’t come, two of the three of us leading ladies would have been left out.”

"I can ask the actors I've worked with before if they're willing to help, but Wu Zetian is something you'll have to figure out yourself." Qin Lan thought for a moment: "Do you have any candidates in mind?"

Yu Jintang smiled wryly: "I contacted several seniors, but they all politely declined."

Qin Lan was also a little worried. "I'll ask my aunt later to see if she's willing to come out of seclusion."

Qin Lan's aunt was a former film queen who left the industry after winning numerous awards. She is currently reportedly vacationing in the Southern Hemisphere.

Yu Jintang nodded reluctantly: "Aunt Qin is more than capable of playing Wu Zetian, but the problem is her age isn't quite right. I remember Aunt Qin is not even forty years old this year..."

"How old does Wu Zetian need to be?" Qin Languang looked at the character information for Shangguan Wan'er and Princess Taiping and thought that his aunt was old enough.

"She should be at least fifty years old, right?" Yu Jintang said helplessly. "Wu Zetian's life trajectory is too long. Later on, we even need to film her when she's seventy or eighty. She doesn't have many scenes later on, so we can use makeup. Anyway, makeup techniques have improved now. But the filming time in the early stages is long, so the actress herself needs to maintain the appearance of someone in their fifties or sixties."

When Qin Lan's plan failed, she decided to continue making a living: "Then I'll have my aunt ask the veteran actors she's worked with to see if any of them are willing to take the role."

“That’s acceptable.” Yu Jintang nodded.

"Do you have any other plans?" Qin Lan raised her chin.

“Of course.” Yu Jintang pondered, “Later I will post on eNet to recruit actors... I hope there are suitable actors in our group. Posting as an administrator will have a stronger appeal.”

"I almost forgot you had this channel," Qin Lan said.

Putting aside her worries, Yu Jintang thought of Jiang Yan's amazing acting skills during the audition earlier that day and couldn't help but ask her a probing question.

"So, did Jiang Yan go abroad for further studies without our knowledge?"

Qin Lan poked at the crab shell without tasting it, and then sneered, "What further studies? She's clearly being genuinely emotional."

Yu Jintang clicked his tongue: "So, three years ago, Jiang Yan was willing when you slept with her..."

Qin Lan, enraged, poked a hole in the crab shell: "You damn green tea, you white lotus! You're rotten to the core! She's been plotting this for a long time, just trying to get my attention!"

Yu Jintang's expression was subtle: "Why do I get the feeling that you're actually enjoying this?"

Qin Lan glared at her angrily: "What do I enjoy? Do I look like the kind of person who likes to drink tea?"

"Have you ever thought about it? Jiang Yan is actually a pretty good person, except she can be a little teasy sometimes..."

"Her? Good? What's good about her besides her face? She's got a sharp tongue, she can drink Longjing tea even if she jumps into the Yellow River, but one kiss from her could kill someone. Who would like her???"

"Oh, so you've kissed."

Qin Lan was furious: "Get it back on the national highway!"

"You two are trending again." Yu Jintang clicked her tongue. "The people who came today were too diverse... Do you want me to help take it down?"

Qin Lan glanced at it; it read: #JiangYanQinLanStealsRole #JiangYanSuppressesScenes #QinLanActsWithJiangYan

Every single one of them is trending.

After all, the two companies had a huge falling out three years ago, followed by a long period of silence. This first joint appearance in three years was something she was prepared for, and she even felt the trending topics were too peaceful.

"This is nothing, why take it down? Just leave it up, consider it a free promotion for your show."

Yu Jintang was overjoyed, but pretended to be very calm. She secretly swiped the screen to re-enjoy the content that Qin Lan hadn't seen.

#Qin Lan insults Jiang Yan, calling her a dog

#Jiangyan's implication is that Qin Lan is a historical figure.

#Qin Lan was furious

#Jiang Yan won!

#JiangyanQinlanDogHistory

Yu Jintang was about to burst out laughing. This can't be removed; this kind of embarrassing history must be preserved as evidence for the future…

Her hand trembled slightly as she swiped into the comment section of a popular influencer. Suddenly, she saw someone comment: "First of all, I'm a die-hard fan of both of them. So, should their CP be called 'Dog History CP' from now on?"

Yu Jintang's eyes widened.

[Swearing openly]: 666

[Introverted Girl]: Haters rack their brains but can't beat a big fan's quick thinking.

【Chai Ke Chou Driver】: This is why CP fans are universally hated.

[No apprenticeship]: What are CP fans called then? Dogs?

The original poster replied: How wonderful! These are the nicknames they give each other.

Yu Jintang glanced at Qin Lan, who was completely unaware, calmly exited the app, locked the screen, and hid her phone.

In the van, Jiang Yan, dressed elegantly and with a composed expression, reached out her slender hand, entered her private account, paused for a moment, and posted a comment: "Go to hell with your dog history."

The assistant, sitting beside him, felt a chill silently envelop the entire carriage.

She turned her head cautiously: "Sis, are you in a bad mood?"

"How could that be?" Jiang Yan smiled at her, poised and elegant. "I couldn't be happier."

Then, maintaining a composed expression, he continued to leave a comment: "Idiot, from now on, every CP you ship will be a dog's history, and your whole family will be a dog's history."

The original poster retorted: How can you talk like that? This is what the person in question said themselves.

Jiang Yan smiled, smoothed her hair, and typed: Jiang Yan can be a dog, but Qin Lan can never be Shi.

【It's red bean paste! It's red bean paste!】: ? ? ?

【Shark Doesn't Wink】: Jiang Yan's anti-fans forum.

[The aloof and melancholic CEO of Dior]: Qin Lan's fans were instantly captivated.

【momo】: Reported

【Smoke Envelops the Cold River Embraces Me】: Please ignore this person, she's a hater of Yanyan. Welcome to support Yanyan's new drama "Stars and Fireworks Are All You".

Qin Lan, who knew nothing about these things, felt a little better. She had just picked up a piece of chicken breast when her phone rang.

She glanced at it; it was her agent: "Hello? Sister Bai."

Bai Ai was furious: "Miss Qin, can't you control your mouth? I said you are usually quite polite to others, so why do you change when you're with Jiang Yan? You two are destined enemies, mortal foes. She probably took your life in her past life."

Bai Ai deeply regretted granting her assistant Xiao Qing leave at the last minute. Xiao Qing had something urgent to attend to in the afternoon and couldn't leave. She thought that since it was Qin Lan's childhood friend's place, there shouldn't be any problems, so she let Qin Lan go out on her own.

Qin Lan narrowed her eyes and stared coldly at Yu Jintang: "What else was written on the trending topics that you didn't show me?"

Yu Jintang quickly stood up: "I'm going to have a smoke."

"I don't care if you smoke or not, but I can smoke you to death right now!" Qin Lan got up with a ferocious expression. When she chased him to the door of the private room, she realized that she was not wearing a mask and had to stop. She swayed her waist unwillingly and retreated angrily.

Bai Ai called out into the unanswered phone for a long time: "Hello? Hello? Miss Qin, are you listening? Or are you still there? Miss Qin?"

"Alive." Qin Lan gasped for breath. "Immediately, right now, remove this from the trending topics and make everyone forget about it!!"

Bai Ai: "They're already withdrawing... I'm telling you, you should mind your own business next time. I'd be grateful if you didn't provoke Jiang Yan."

Qin Lan got angry again, her eyelashes fluttering: "I provoked her? I provoked her? Sister Bai, don't make baseless accusations! Jiang Yan suddenly went crazy and came up to me! She stole my role, Sister Bai! What happened to our tacit agreement to never speak to each other again?"

Bai Ai: "I've already contacted her agent. I've thought about it carefully, and they might be trying to play dirty tricks. It seems like you get all worked up whenever you see Jiang Yan. These trending topics were definitely bought by them to deliberately provoke you and then set you up."

Qin Lan subconsciously said, "She didn't mean that."

"Who is she? How do you know? What does she mean? Could it be something like that?" Bai Ai asked herself four questions and answered them directly to the conclusion: "My goodness, Miss Qin, next time, could you please tell me in advance if there's anything going on?"

Qin Lan was so annoyed she wanted to slap herself.

She angrily slammed her phone down and hung up.

The screen lit up, and Bai Ai's phone vibrated loudly as she dialed.

Qin Lan turned off her phone.

The spare phone in the bag rang again.

This phone number is rarely called; only her parents and her agent, Bai Ai, know it, so it's usually not on silent. The ringtone is "Red Peony Blossoms," which is very catchy.

She turned off the screen and put it in her bag, but couldn't help recalling the last time she heard that ringtone.