Chapter 8 Fairy: "Waiting to be the first to say good morning to Teacher Qin."
The frustration that had been building up since she received her agent's sudden request to change her schedule that morning finally erupted. She lowered her head, sat silently for a while, then got up and went downstairs to clear her head.
As they reached the hotel lobby, two people entered. Xiaoqing followed behind Qin Lan, carrying a bag, while the person in front... had their head down, their phone horizontally, tapping away as they walked.
Xiaoqing greeted, "Hello, Teacher Jiang."
Jiang Yan nodded and gave a faint smile: "Hello."
Qin Lan suddenly looked up, and her phone moved, revealing a colorful interface.
Jiang Yan glanced at the color scheme and confirmed that it was a game lobby.
The last trace of doubt vanished; the person I had just been matched with must be Qin Lan.
This person was walking along, single-mindedly clicking off all the red dots, when he was startled when he heard Jiang Yan's voice.
"Hello, Teacher Qin." Jiang Yan smiled at her, polite but distant, lacking her usual alluring charm, which made Qin Lan's heart skip a beat.
"Where are you going?" Qin Lan blurted out, then pointed outside to cover up her intentions, saying casually, "It's already dark, and I have to film tomorrow."
"No need for Teacher Qin to trouble yourself." Jiang Yan still smiled, her eyes beautifully squinted. However, Qin Lan gradually noticed that the more displeased Jiang Yan was, the more cheerful and gentle she became.
A woman who's two-faced. Qin Lan thought sullenly, wanting to say a few more words to her.
"Hey, Jiang Yan." Qin Lan called out to her with his hands in his pockets and his chin raised, looking arrogant.
Jiang Yan turned around as she wished and gazed at her quietly.
"You don't think you're inferior to Feng Manhong, do you?"
Jiang Yan was taken aback, staring at Qin Lan in surprise. In her view, the woman stood with her arms crossed and head held high, still as proud as the sun.
She interpreted the meaning behind Qin Lan's words, slowly curving her lips into a smile that gradually brightened her face.
"At first, my aunt admired Feng Manhong, but it was my mother who became a fanatical fan. My aunt said she was the most outstanding star in the country and a representative of Eastern actors. After entering the industry, I have always regarded her as my goal and role model, hoping to become the next her."
“Then, Teacher Qin will have to work hard.” Jiang Yan smiled thoughtfully and said, “After all, in recent years, the media has been discussing who is more capable, Teacher Qin or me.”
"Bring it on," Qin Lan said arrogantly. "I don't need to compare myself to anyone. Although I dislike you, I don't mind admitting that you are a very good actor."
Jiang Yan listened with a smile, but Qin Lan noticed that her smile was gradually becoming more genuine, like a firefly lit up in the night—a charm unlike anything artificial. Actually, she looked good even when she was faking a smile, but that smile was too perfect, flawless, like an AI, because that was actress Jiang Yan, not the real Jiang Yan.
"Well... thank you for your affirmation, Teacher Qin." She said slowly, her face, which had been expressionless just now, now exuding a bewitching aura, and confidence returned to her: "If Teacher Qin is willing to give me a chance, I will also try my best to make Teacher Qin... um, admire me a little."
Qin Lan's heart pounded at her words, but she knew she couldn't give this person a chance, so she huffed arrogantly, turned around, and swayed away. Behind her, Jiang Yan watched her retreating figure with a bright smile.
"Xiao Qing," Qin Lan said to her still-shocked assistant as she twisted her waist on the bed, "what kind of person do you think Jiang Yan is?"
"Sister Qin," Xiaoqing swallowed hard, "Why don't you tell me first, what exactly were you and Teacher Jiang talking about last night?"
The conversation between the two was rambling and disjointed, but she sensed an ambiguity in it. Sister Qin was definitely not as annoyed with Teacher Jiang as she claimed, and Teacher Jiang was definitely not as detestable as Sister Qin described.
"You're telling me, and then you're going to tell Bai Ai?" Qin Lan sat up to rehydrate herself, her curly hair cascading down her back, and glanced at her with a captivating air: "I hate Bai Ai's nagging the most. She's too much of a nuisance, I'll fire her sooner or later."
Xiaoqing had heard these words at least eighty or a hundred times, and she herself had heard the threat of being fired no less than seventy times. Qin Lan liked to say harsh words to the people around her, but she was also extremely protective of her own. When Xiaoqing was bullied, Qin Lan would always glare at the bully first and teach him a lesson, and then scold her for being so unyielding.
"Sister Qin, something's wrong with you," Xiaoqing said sadly. "I think there's something strange about you and Teacher Jiang."
"I'm asking you what kind of person Jiang Yan is." Qin Lan impatiently rolled over on the large bed, leaning over the edge to look out at the night view through the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Who's weird about her?"
The film crew booked a hotel for everyone, but Qin Lan, who never travels with the crew, stayed in the presidential suite on the top floor. From there, one could see most of Los Angeles at night, with thousands of lights twinkling like stars.
"Teacher Jiang..." Xiaoqing had just started to speak when Qin Lan interrupted her: "Forget it, you're rambling on and on, I won't ask you anymore."
Xiaoqing: "Wait, Sister Qin, I haven't finished speaking yet..."
Qin Lan didn't want to listen anymore: "Go back and rest."
Xiaoqing: "..."
Xiaoqing left feeling frustrated and resentful.
Qin Lan rolled over again, staring at the ceiling. She actually wanted to read the script for a while, but she felt restless. After a while, she fumbled on the bed, hooked her fingertips over her phone, dragged it to her side, and opened a game.
Qin Lan frowned as she stared at the friend request list, where a 2-10 hard-boiled egg was lying.
Curious, she clicked into the other person's homepage. The background poster featured Lan's game model, along with a skin: 【Chasing Flowers Back to the Sea】.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out there was even a gold label.
The other heroes are far behind, with only single-digit or even zero matches played. During the day, this player, using the champion "Lu Dan," was ranked third with one match played and a 0% win rate.
"Uneven academic performance?" Qin Lan parted her red lips slightly, utterly puzzled: "How could it be so unbalanced?"
She didn't accept it. She got out of bed, walked barefoot across the floor, brushed her teeth and washed her face in the bathroom, and then went back to bed.
I have to get up early to go to the film set tomorrow. This thought flashed through Qin Lan's mind in her drowsy state, and she was actually a little excited.
"No... Jiang Yan, you're dead." She closed her eyes and snorted, "I can't let you be so smug, otherwise how can I continue to hate you?"
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"【Lan】is my game ID, which I bought from the previous player."
At first, he refused to change his name, saying that "Lan" was his destiny and he wanted to use this ID to reach the top of the national server. I started to raise the price, but he still refused. He argued with me for a long time, asking why I was so insistent on this ID. I told him it was a long story, and he became gossipy, insisting that I tell it to him, promising to give it to me if I told it well.
I didn't tell him a story, but I still got his ID. After all, money talks. Don't be ridiculous, if I told him I'd fallen for my nemesis, or that Qin Lan and Jiang Yan had only ever pulled each other's hair in bed, he might not have sold it.
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Qin Lan was woken up by Xiao Qing's banging on the door. She had already turned off two alarms set to "Wake Up." With a dazed expression, she got out of bed and opened the door. Xiao Qing hurriedly shook her, saying, "Sister Qin, Sister Qin, you can't sleep anymore! We have to go to the film set!"
"On set," Qin Lan muttered, and began washing her face, brushing her teeth, and changing her clothes.
Xiaoqing dragged her down the elevator to the first floor, and the two walked through the lobby. After a moment, Qin Lan stopped, turned her head curiously, and looked at a snow-white humanoid creature on her left.
To be precise, she was a woman posing in the spotlight.
Big breasts, long legs, perky buttocks, slim waist, square shoulders, and a seductive face.
"Wow!" Xiaoqing gasped, staring intently at the curvaceous fairy, feeling dizzy from the unexpected windfall.
"What are you doing here?" Qin Lan asked curiously, while also glancing up and down. The vixen was deliberately dressed very scantily, as if she were going to shoot for a lingerie magazine, a blatant attempt to seduce.
The woman, dressed as a ghost, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke calmly, her face full of alluring charm: "I'll be the first to say good morning to Teacher Qin."
Qin Lan was almost bewitched by her. She remained silent for a long time, not knowing how she regained her will and was able to say such cold words: "Then you're too late. Xiao Qing already said so."
Xiaoqing: "I didn't say that?"
Who has the time to say good morning to someone who's about to be late?
Qin Lan calmly looked away from Jiang Yan: "You said it."
Xiaoqing: "...Yes, I did tell you."
Jiang Yan smiled and said with a gentle breath, "It's getting late, Teacher Qin, would you like to ride in my car?"
"No, there are paparazzi." Qin Lan pretended to be nonchalant, but was actually a little pleased inside, and walked briskly towards the hotel entrance.
"Alright then, Teacher Qin, see you on set." Jiang Yan followed her out of the lobby with an expression of expectation.
Qin Lan's van was parked outside, with Bai Ai in the passenger seat. She had heard on the phone that Qin Lan was filming a scene with Jiang Yan today, and immediately decided to drop everything and come to Luocheng to supervise it personally.
Qin Lan said nonchalantly, "It's as if you can control that vixen Jiang Yan."
Bai Ai glared at her hatefully: "Jiang Yan is indeed a damned vixen, but are you some kind of pushover? It was one thing for you not to listen to me before, but now you've been hiding the fact that you and Jiang Yan are having an affair from me!"
"What kind of thing is this? It's all her fault. She's always trying to seduce me, dressing up in a seductive way and parading around in front of me." Qin Lan idly blew on her nails. "It's all her fault. She's always trying to seduce me, dressing up in a flashy way and parading around in front of me."
Bai Ai booked her plane ticket on the spot.
But she underestimated Jiang Yan. She didn't expect that just a few days ago the two were complete strangers, but now she was blocking her way in the lobby.
Bai Ai jumped out of the car as if facing a formidable enemy, only to find herself face to face with Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan slowly lowered her eyelids, her fingers subtly tugging at Qin Lan's sleeve. Bai Ai's heart skipped a beat: This young man is cunning!
She pulled Qin Lan, who was about to turn around, behind her and hid her behind her back, striking the pose of a top agent: "Teacher Jiang, I didn't expect to meet you again after three years. During this time, our artist has been working diligently in the field of TV dramas. I wonder why Teacher Jiang has suddenly become interested in filming TV dramas?"
Jiang Yan smiled and replied casually, "Of course I came because of your reputation... Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people like Director Yu who put their heart into making scripts to convey their ideas, and I happen to be very interested in Director Yu's ideas. I suppose Manager Bai also took a liking to the script of 'The Era of Red Powder', which is why he sent the artist to audition, right?"
Before Bai Ai could reply, Qin Lan interrupted from behind, "You dead Jiang Yan, you're trying to steal the same thing from me again."
Jiang Yan smiled and said, "There's nothing I can do about it, it's all because Teacher Qin and I have similar tastes."
Bai Ai was nearly suffocated by the strong smell of tea emanating from her. Ever since Jiang Yan's debut and subsequent rise to fame, the two names had been inextricably linked. Their styles were similar, their fan bases were similar, the endorsements they received were similar, and even the types of scripts they preferred were remarkably similar. Therefore, their teams and fans constantly compared and competed for everything. Bai Ai was incredibly annoyed by Jiang Yan's family, but she remained rational. She had been constantly telling Qin Lan to calm down, fearing her fiery temper would lead her out and yell at Jiang Yan. Now, it seemed her ever-present anxiety was gone; she could finally breathe a sigh of relief and die peacefully.
"Get in the car." Bai Ai ultimately said nothing, turning around wearily to open the car door. Qin Lan felt as if she had aged in an instant, so she obediently shut her mouth and got in the car.
She got into the car and glanced out the window again. Jiang Yan was still standing there, slowly stretching.
Large swaths of snow-white skin reflected the sunlight, making Qin Lan dizzy. She rolled down the car window and shouted outside, "You'll be late if you don't hurry!"
Jiang Yan covered her red lips, yawned slightly, and waved casually at her, her well-proportioned arms displaying beautiful lines.
"No need to trouble Teacher Qin with your concern."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her hand, a provocative smile still lingering on her lips, her eyes slightly narrowed, exuding a lazy air.
Energetic. Truly captivating.
Qin Lan decisively ordered the driver to start the car.
Bai Ai pounded on the car door: "You lunatic! We're still outside!"
Then Bai Ai saw that Qin Lan's expression was even more satisfied; he was completely bewitched.
“Miss Qin,” Bai Ai said after calming down for a moment, “tell me the truth, what is the situation between you and Jiang Yan?”
"Oh dear, Sister Bai, there's really nothing going on right now." Qin Lan leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of the chair, her red lips opening and closing.
“That means there was something going on before.” Bai Ai nodded.
Qin Lan leaned back again, looking like she wasn't going to say anything.
"Fine, I don't want to know anymore." Bai Ai said sadly, "I just hope you can cherish your career and not let my record of bringing out such successful artists be broken."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Qin Lan touched the chocolate in the car, her smile arrogant: "I'm so annoyed by her."
Bai Ai sighed heavily: "You always say this, but three years ago you hated her much more genuinely than you do now."
"Don't tease Sister Bai." Qin Lan's long eyelashes drooped impatiently under her eyes: "Do you think I could be with her? I would never like Jiang Yan, not three years ago and not now."
"Sigh, I think it's not that you don't like Jiang Yan, it's that you simply don't understand love," Bai Ai sighed. This girl, pampered from childhood, had seen it all and developed a profound apathy for the world. Fans said Qin Lan's face was sophisticated, her eyes arrogant and somewhat world-weary. She was dazzlingly radiant, her brilliance overwhelming, and her remaining fans were incredibly powerful, just as famous as Jiang Yan's.
"No, I told you before that if I were to like someone, it would definitely be a woman. It's just that I've never met anyone I like." Qin Lan shrugged. At the same time, she suddenly remembered the smooth, warm body of a woman. She still remembered the feel of Jiang Yan's back, so smooth and hot, with the red marks she had scratched showing in the light.
However, she still said, "Anyway, I don't think I'm good at dating; these women are all too ordinary."
Bai Ai said, "Don't be so absolute. I don't want you to become a nun. But at least not during the peak of your career. Sigh, whatever, if you really do date someone, I can't control you. I'm just praying that if you do date someone, at least I'll have the right to know..."
Qin Lan said impatiently, "Alright, Sister Bai, you've said it eight hundred times."
Bai Ai sighed, "What's the use? When have you ever listened to me before?"
Qin Lan smiled with a bewitching air: "Don't worry, it won't happen again."
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Ever since Princess Taiping discovered that Shangguan Wan'er actually loved her mother, the two hadn't spoken a single word to each other. Wan'er sensed Taiping's deliberate avoidance and kept her distance as well, until news of Princess Taiping's impending marriage spread throughout both capitals—
One day, Princess Taiping entered the palace to pay her respects to Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu, with Shangguan Wan'er standing by her side.
The princess entered, dressed as a man in a purple robe and jade belt, appearing handsome and dashing.
"Taiping, what are you doing?" Li Zhi asked her with a smile. Empress Wu also waved her over, signaling her to come to her side.
Shangguan Wan'er lowered her eyelashes and couldn't help but glance at her in surprise. When Qin Lan looked up, Jiang Yan was also looking at her, a proud and confident smile on her lips, as if she had been waiting for Qin Lan to look up at her.
Look, a princess is a princess; even when rejected, she remains as proud as the sun.
Qin Lan quickly lowered her eyes again without showing any emotion and stood silently beside Empress Wu.
"Card!"
Four assistants rushed over, busily wiping the sweat from the teachers' brows. The makeup artist picked up a brush and began touching up their makeup. Xiaoqing diligently held a small fan, blowing it towards Qin Lan's sweat-drenched collar.
"Teacher Jiang is so handsome!" Several palace maids stared at Jiang Yan, who was dressed in a flowing robe and jade belt, with starry eyes. "We never expected that Teacher Jiang, who is usually so charming, would look so natural in men's clothing."
Qin Lan curled her lip, saying that Si Jiangyan was so flirtatious and only attracted young girls.
Jiang Yan stood there with an aloof expression. His upper body was indeed dashing and handsome, but his lower body...
There were no distant views in this scene; everyone was wearing shorts and bare-legged, with their robes wide open, showing absolutely no manners.
Qin Lan turned her head away from her, but a moment later someone called her from behind.
“Teacher Qin.” Jiang Yan walked over naturally, deliberately stretching out her bare legs at the same time: “I think you should have looked up a little later, it would have been more effective.”
"Do you need to teach me?" Qin Lan said irritably, glancing at him involuntarily.
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