Chapter 55 Queen of Hearts & Queen of Spades: "Oh, are you cursing me in your notebook?"

Although she didn't have a husband like Helmer, she did have a father.

She finally understood what those vague, indescribable feelings were. Just now, she had seen the same smile on Helmer's face as her father's, when he teased Nora, calling her his little bird. But Nora said she was nothing more than her husband's clay doll, a toy handed over from her father to him.

She walked out of the campus, boarded the bus in a daze, got off at the familiar stop, and walked into the residential area.

Her father, Liang Jin, only had one other property left in this neighborhood. The house wasn't big, just two bedrooms and a living room, and it was decorated reasonably well. After she arrived, Liang Jin gave her the master bedroom and moved to the second bedroom, which was on the shady side.

Liang Jin seems to be a good father.

Before Nora's borrowing of money was exposed, Helmer also seemed to be a good husband.

Jiang Yan stood in the hallway for a while, took a deep breath, and adjusted her facial expression.

The door to the second bedroom was always closed, as Liang Jin was afraid of disturbing her studies.

Jiang Yan walked over and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly, and Liang Jin, wearing glasses, appeared refined and elegant, like a university professor, certainly not a businessman.

"Dad," Jiang Yan smiled sweetly, "I bought you some fruit. Remember to eat some when you're tired."

She went inside and placed the washed grapes on his computer desk.

Liang Jin followed her in with a smile: "Yanyan, you're back so early. Dad always feels like you're still in high school, back when you didn't come home until after ten o'clock every night."

“University doesn’t have that many classes,” Jiang Yan said.

"How's work lately? Even though you don't have as many classes, remember to keep improving yourself and don't slack off," Liang Jin said.

"Sister Zihan recently showed me two scripts, and I'm still considering them," Jiang Yan said. "I'm somewhat famous now, and I won't let Dad down."

"That's good." Liang Jin smiled with satisfaction. "What would you like to eat tonight? You don't look too well, so don't cook tonight. Dad will cook a good meal for you."

Jiang Yan casually named two of her favorite dishes.

Jiang Yan went into the washroom, ran water to wash her hands, but her eyes were fixed on her face in the mirror.

It seems a little pale.

She thought for a moment, then went back to her room and put on light makeup again.

"The braised prawns are here!" Liang Jin came out with a plate and placed the last dish on the table: "You can start eating now!"

Jiang Yan picked up her chopsticks and waited for him to start eating, as usual.

Liang Jin sat down and, while untying her apron, warned her, "This is your own home. When you're out, you must never start eating before the host. You can only pick up food after the host has started eating."

Liang Jin always liked to give her pointers on interpersonal etiquette, even though she hadn't done anything wrong, he would still "give her pointers" whenever he thought of it.

Jiang Yan was a little annoyed, but she still responded appropriately, thinking about how to start a conversation.

But Liang Jin got more and more excited as they talked, looking from the hardships of the past to the bright future, and even began to plan her life: "Dad plans to restore our family company to its former size within five years and provide you with the strongest support. You have to do better than Dad, become a rising star within two years, enter the film industry within five years, and win one of the three major film awards before you turn thirty."

“That way you’ll be a young movie queen, and you’ll definitely outshine everyone else.” Liang Jin said excitedly, “You can start dating after you turn thirty. Don’t worry, Dad has already prepared everything for you. Dad has an old friend who also researches new technologies. His son is three years older than you and is currently studying for his master’s degree at a top-tier university here. He’s a down-to-earth and hardworking guy.”

Jiang Yan sensed something was wrong: "Dad, I'm focusing on my career and studies right now, and I'm not thinking about anything else."

"That's why Dad is thinking of you." Liang Jin said understandingly, "Yanyan, Dad has paved the way for you. Wang Zihan is also a good agent. Dad will do his best to push you into the entertainment industry. You just need to keep going down this path, and you will definitely outshine everyone and make our family proud! Dad has also taken care of your future. She is a graduate student from a top-tier university. Isn't she more than a match for you? We're just waiting for you to win the Best Actress award and start a family."

Jiang Yan struggled to suppress the twitching of her lips: "Win the Best Actress award and then start a family? What about my career?"

“Yanyan, one must learn to retire gracefully.” Liang Jin said earnestly, “Why did your father stumble in his career back then? It was because he was never satisfied and always wanted to pursue even greater goals. As a result… sigh, I neglected your mother’s feelings.”

He lowered his head sadly: "So Dad will never let you repeat the same mistake. Dad has prepared an excellent boyfriend for you, who will definitely be your future support."

Jiang Yan was a little incredulous: "Dad, do you mean you'll retire from the entertainment industry after winning the Best Actress award?"

"It's not that she's retired from the entertainment industry. How should I put it? I asked Wang Zihan, and yes, it's called returning to her family."

Liang Jin waved her hand casually: "You'll eventually have to start your own family. You've been through so much over the years. Take a break after you get married, and slowly make a comeback after you have your child."

Jiang Yan was stunned: "You want to have a baby too??"

Liang Jin laughed and said, "Your sister Zihan has managed so many actors. As long as they take good care of themselves, you can't tell they've had children. Everyone has to go through this. That actress Chen just gave birth to her second child a couple of years ago, and she's still making movies now."

“…But I don’t want to have children.” Jiang Yan regained her voice: “I don’t want to get married either. Right now, I just want to focus on acting.”

"Who doesn't get married and have children?" Liang Jin looked at her inexplicably: "Can you act for the rest of your life? You actors are just making a living off your youth. What will you do when you get old and ugly? You have to take on social responsibility."

"I have savings," Jiang Yan said, confused. "I earned this money with my own hands, can't I spend it?"

"You're a young lady, why are you always thinking about relying on yourself?" Liang Jin lectured her, "Acting isn't a proper job. If it weren't for your great looks, I'd really like you to be my assistant. You should go back to a normal life and find something respectable to do."

Jiang Yan could hardly believe it: "Does 'serious matters' mean getting married and having children??"

“It’s a sacred social responsibility.” Liang Jin’s face suddenly blurred in front of her, gradually becoming Helmer’s face: “What will happen to actresses like you who rely on their youth once they get older? You don’t have proper jobs, you don’t have social experience, what can you do when you get older? Don’t you understand your father’s good intentions? Once you win the Best Actress award, you can return to a normal life!”

"Why do I have to win Best Actress? What will happen if I don't?" Jiang Yan retorted, unable to bear it any longer.

Liang Jin's face darkened: "Didn't you promise Dad? You can't just be a nobody actress! If you're going to do something, do it the best, win Best Actress, and make our family proud!"

Jiang Yan felt a chill run down her spine: "Dad, are you still holding a grudge against the Qin family?"

"You want me to enter the entertainment industry, is it because I'm good enough, or because Qin Lan is involved? You want me to win the Best Actress award before her, so you can gain an edge over the Qin family in this area, right?"

"That's right!" Liang Jin shouted, "Why should our family always be worse off than theirs? Your father gave birth to you, raised you, sent you to school, and paved the way for you. You have to live up to your father's hard work!"

"My grandparents raised me!" Jiang Yan shouted, unable to contain herself any longer. "But they never made any demands on me!"

"Throughout history, which parent doesn't hope their son will become a dragon and their daughter a phoenix?" Liang Jin shouted, her face red and her neck thick. "Your grandparents lived in the countryside their whole lives, how much worldly experience could they have? Now that you've come to the big city, can you still play with mud dolls like before?"

Jiang Yan stood up, feeling dizzy. One moment she saw Liang Jin's angry face, the next she saw Helmer's face.

"Stop letting my agent steal Qin Lan's resources," she said wearily. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"What do you mean by 'robbery'?" Liang Jin's face flushed crimson. "Have you forgotten how your mother died? It was because those shameless Qin family members harassed your mother—"

"Could the Qin family force my mother to commit suicide? And what does the Qin family's business have to do with Qin Lan?!"

Liang Jin glared at her: "What nonsense are you spouting! I think you've really gotten too comfortable at university and have forgotten all the promises you made to your father! Just because she was born into the Qin family, she's not innocent! Just like you are my daughter, you have a responsibility to complete what I haven't completed!"

Jiang Yan turned and left.

She left that home and wandered aimlessly through the streets, her heart filled with pain. She understood Liang Jin's grief over losing his wife, but she didn't think the Qin family had really done anything seriously wrong, especially Qin Lan, who was just an infant when her mother passed away.

Two girls in front of her kept peeking at her, but Jiang Yan calmly turned her head to look back.

The two men instantly became excited and shoved each other towards her: "Excuse me, are you Jiang Yan?"

"Yes, that's me." Jiang Yan nodded. "Would you like an autograph or a photo?"

"Is that all possible?" The two became even more excited.

After Jiang Yan opened for business, she hailed a taxi.

The driver asked, "Where to?"

Jiang Yan took out her phone: "Drive whatever you want first, let me think about it."

The driver glanced at her strangely in the rearview mirror: "Where do you mean, 'just drive'?"

While searching for someone in her contacts, Jiang Yan said absentmindedly, "Then let's go to the East Gate of the North Gate."

She swiped to the letter J in one breath and dialed "Aunt Jiang's" number.

After a while, the other end answered: "Yanyan?"

"...Auntie."

Jiang Yan asked somewhat awkwardly, "Would it be convenient for us to meet?"

"Hmm? Now?" Jiang Yao's tone was a little delighted. "I'm in a meeting right now. Can I see you in half an hour? Where are you?"

"Come to the east gate of my school." Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment: "Would that interfere with your work?"

"It won't take long," Jiang Yao said gently. "Go find a place and order what you want to eat. Your aunt will pay the bill when she arrives."

Jiang Yan hung up the phone and stared blankly out the window.

Forty minutes later, the car finally escaped the evening rush hour. Jiang Yan felt much better when she scanned the code to pay, because the huge sum of money had caused her excruciating heartache, and she had no time to think about Liang Jin's puzzling remarks.

Jiang Yao waited for her in the student cafe across the street. The woman, dressed in a business suit, sat on a narrow chair, looking out of place with her surroundings.

"Yanyan, why are you here later than me?" Jiang Yao asked with a smile. "What would you like to drink?"

Jiang Yan ordered a signature drink.

Jiang Yao took a sip from her cup and commented, "It's too sweet. It's obviously made for you students."

She noticed that Jiang Yan's mood was off, so she softened her tone: "Is there something you need from your aunt? Is Yan Yan in a bad mood?"

"Yes, a little." Jiang Yan forced herself to stay alert: "I want to ask about the Qin family."

"The Qin family? Why are you asking about that?"

Jiang Yao repeated the question in confusion, then realized what she meant: "Does your father still hold a grudge against the Qin family?"

Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment: "Yes. His arrangements made me very uncomfortable. I felt like he was letting me enter the entertainment industry just to compete with Qin Lan."

"No wonder, I saw that your two fans were arguing quite a bit online."

"Then I also have a question to ask Yanyan first."

She stared at Jiang Yan: "Today you've come to ask me about the Qin family. Are you representing the Liang family or the Jiang family?"

Jiang Yan frowned.

"...I don't represent any party, I just want to know the truth."

Jiang Yao shrugged: "That's good. Your father probably hates the Qin family to death. He's so childish, still so petty after all these years. But our Jiang family and the Qin family are old friends. I've met Qin Lan, he's quite upright. Don't listen to your dad's nonsense."

Why does my dad hate the Qin family so much?

"That story begins when these people were children..."

＊

When Jiang Yan returned to her dormitory that evening, there was no one there as usual.

She walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

The loose-leaf notebooks that were given to Yun Chui during the day were neatly placed on the table.

She silently opened the notebook.

The first page was blank because she hadn't had many opportunities to meet Qin Lan in person. The pages behind it were dedicated to photocards, records of her fangirling, and postcards of Qin Lan's TV dramas.

She turned to the latest page, which had Qin Lan's autograph on it.

What's your friend's name?

Qin Lan wrote "To" and looked up to ask Yun Chui.

Yun Chui thought for a moment and said, "Just write 'The mysterious fan who doesn't want to show his face'."

Yu Jintang and Yang Xingji both leaned forward and asked, "What's the name?"

Qin Lan quickly signed her name: "What should I write as a blessing?"

Yun Chui pondered for a moment: "My friend has been a bit unhappy lately, so please wish her happiness."

"Understood."

Qin Lan nodded and wrote eight large characters with a flourish: "May everything go smoothly and may you be happy and carefree."

Six hours later, Jiang Yan hugged her blessing and burst into tears.

She cried so bitterly, as if the sky had fallen, then laughed again, carefully wiping away her tears on the notebook: "Qin Lan, Qin Lan..."

Two months later, the official account of renowned Chinese photographer Luo Ya released a new set of photos and tagged Qin Lan.

This set of photos exudes a strong cyberpunk vibe. The woman in the center of the picture sits on a steel moon made of gears, with red hair and a red dress, looking down with a haughty expression. She holds a Queen of Hearts in her right hand and a four-leaf clover in her left. Her gorgeous and elaborate clothing is half-hidden behind roses, and her slender and smooth back is reflected in the mirror diagonally opposite her. The heart made of gears is the finishing touch.

As Jiang Yan was downloading the original image, a call from her agent, Wang Zihan, popped up at the top of the screen.

She glanced at it for two seconds and then answered: "Sister Zihan."

“I’ve arranged for you to meet Luo Ya,” Wang Zihan said directly. “She’s agreed to take a set of photos for you.”

Jiang Yan had a bad feeling: "What's the theme? It can't be... the Queen of Spades, can it?"

"It seems you're paying close attention to Qin Lan's movements. That's a good thing. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. I'll let Mr. Liang know."

Jiang Yan sighed, "Can we change the topic?"

"No, this is a huge topic of discussion, your father won't let it go. You need to prepare yourself, and make sure you don't eat anything oily or salty lately, and don't let your condition drop."

Jiang Yan sighed; she had no say in the matter.

A week later, Qin Lan also came across Luo Ya's latest photo album.

"Damn it, she's trying to ride my coattails?!" She jumped up, pointing at the iPad and yelling, "Isn't this just replacing the red with black? She didn't even change the elements!"

Bai Ai examined it carefully and said, "It has been changed a lot. The overall style is just similar. For example, here, she is holding roses and a spear, the crown is simpler, she is wearing a black feathered dress, and the roses on the ground have been replaced with books."

Qin Lan's photos are flamboyant, while Jiang Yan's exude composure and mystery.

Bai Ai quickly scrolled through the comments, and sure enough, it was a huge argument. Qin Lan's fans accused Jiang Yan of plagiarizing their idol, while Jiang Yan's fans were relentlessly attacking and discrediting her. The argument was absolutely fierce.

“You’re really haunted by a ghost.” She shook her head. “I’ll go talk to her agent.”

Qin Lan scrambled to her feet, exuding an imposing aura: "No need, I'll go find her myself!"

Bai Ai frowned: "Who are you looking for?"

"Of course we should look for Jiang Yan, not some prince, right?"

She spotted Jiang Yan's dorm room and went there, banging on the door. Yun Chui opened the door, looking surprised: "Alan? Is something wrong?"

Qin Lan looked past her into the room, where Jiang Yan was sitting at the table, staring at her in great surprise.

Before Qin Lan could speak, the man slammed a leather notebook shut in a panic and frantically stuffed it into the cabinet.

Qin Lan's impression of her worsened, and she immediately mocked her: "Oh, you're cursing me in your notebook? You know you're feeling guilty?"

Jiang Yan remained silent, focusing solely on hiding her notebook.

Yun Chui could tell she was there to cause trouble, so he closed the door, pulled up a chair for her, and poured her a glass of water: "Sit down and tell me, what's wrong?"

Qin Lan finished her water in two gulps, crushed the paper cup, and threw it into the trash can: "I'm going to find her. You go about your business."

Jiang Yan finally stood up: "Classmate Qin..."

"Stop pretending." Qin Lan interrupted her, "What do you mean? Not satisfied with just bickering, now you're copying me, huh? What did I do to offend you that you have to keep bothering me?"

Jiang Yan's face paled slightly; she clearly hadn't expected her to come to her door directly.

"I meant no harm...it really was the company's arrangement."