Chapter 1: You stole my role again. "Just as you thought, I did it, thank you."
"When Qin Lan saw Jiang Yan again, she had just finished her audition. Then that damned woman walked in all dolled up and stole the role that Qin Lan had auditioned for."
She walked in, bringing darkness with her, making a grand entrance as the grand finale, radiating brilliance, as captivating as she had been three years ago. Jiang Yan looked at Qin Lan, her eyes alluring and seductive, her tone both teasing and smug: "Teacher Qin, you surely don't mind waiting a little longer, do you?"
"Cut!" Director Yu shouted.
Qin Lan looked up, her hand still on her co-star's shoulder. Although still feeling the afterglow of her emotional performance, she was in a good mood, her eyebrows raised smugly, a smug look on her face: "How was it?"
Director Yu Jintang looked at the screen, his baseball cap bobbing up and down, the five huge pins on it rattling wildly in the process: "Okay, not bad."
Qin Lan was quite satisfied, and gracefully swayed over, admiring her stunning beauty: "I'm truly beautiful..."
"If nothing unexpected happens, this role is yours." Yu Jintang clicked her tongue in disdain: "Narcissistic."
Qin Lan said, "Oh, I also want to try Shangguan Wan'er."
"Shangguan Wan'er? This role isn't really suitable for you."
Yu Jintang is her closest friend, their bond forged since infancy. After graduating from university, Yu Jintang went abroad for further studies and became the protégé of an internationally renowned director. Upon returning to China, she directed two films, both of which achieved considerable success. Not long ago, Yu Jintang officially announced that she would be directing the large-scale period drama "The Era of Red Powder," and is holding open auditions for the female lead.
The script for "The Era of Red Powder" was crafted by Yu Jintang herself, with its significance and content far outweighing its artistic techniques. Among the main characters, Wu Zetian is already middle-aged when she appears, making a young actress like Qin Lan, who has only graduated a few years ago, unsuitable. This leaves only the roles of Shangguan Wan'er and Princess Taiping as options. Her team initially applied for the role of Princess Taiping, but she herself wanted to play a contrasting character, so after auditioning for Princess Taiping, she planned to try out for Shangguan Wan'er as well.
On the screen, she wore a gorgeous princess dress, her expression one of shock and sorrow. Qin Lan was quite satisfied with her performance; besides her, Yu Jintang couldn't find another Taiping.
She pointed at the screen critically, her fingernail lingering on the frozen scene. "Hey, the acting here is a little lacking, but it's a pity I'm too beautiful. Who can look more like Taiping than me?"
The entertainment industry is currently embracing her striking, bold beauty. With her sharp, piercing eyes and a hint of innate arrogance, she is indeed very suitable for the noble Princess Taiping.
"Don't speak too soon, Teacher Qin." A charming voice rang out from outside. "Would you mind letting me try out for this role too?"
Qin Lan was taken aback, and couldn't help but grit her teeth inwardly. Before she could even raise her head, she habitually said sarcastically, "Oh dear, it's been three years, but Teacher Jiang's voice hasn't changed at all. If you didn't see her face, you'd think Teacher Jiang was still some kind of pure and innocent college student."
Tap, tap, tap.
The high heels clicked three times, neither too fast nor too slow, with a reserved elegance.
Qin Lan suppressed her inexplicably pounding heart, slightly raised her slender eyes, and tilted her chin up to look at the person who had arrived. Everyone else had already looked over, but she was a moment later, while Jiang Yan also kept her eyes on her, taking in the woman's reaction.
A faint smile graced her face, and her long, straight black hair swayed gently on her shoulders. As she walked, her waist swayed softly, appearing as supple as a willow branch, as if it could be easily broken.
Wearing clothing provided by the brand, with clips attached, she looked like she had just finished work and rushed over.
Both being striking beauties, Jiang Yan and Qin Lan inevitably become rivals when they appear together. Compared to Qin Lan's aggressively beautiful appearance, Jiang Yan possesses a more foxy allure, coupled with a gentle and elegant personality, making her much more popular with the public. Qin Lan, in particular, is known for her bad temper; she is naturally arrogant, and her upbringing in a wealthy family has instilled in her a haughty and flamboyant nature, creating a stark contrast.
"Jiang Yan! It really is Jiang Yan!" From the production assistants to the lead actors, everyone covered their mouths and whispered among themselves. Suddenly, the area was filled with the soft quacking of three hundred ducks, which annoyed Qin Lan. "It's Jiang Yan! Jiang Yan! Ahhh, Jiang Yan and Qin Lan have met!"
"What?! Jiang Yan will appear where Qin Lan is?"
"What?! The arch-rivals of the Chinese entertainment industry have met?"
Am I witnessing a famous scene?
"Oh my god, Teacher Qin looks terrible."
"An epic meeting! I've already come up with the trending headlines, they're guaranteed to go viral within half an hour: #JiangYanQinLanReunite #JiangYanBreaksDownThreeYearColdWar #JiangYanQinLanCompeteForRole #JiangYanQinLanTaunt Each Other"
Jiang Yan stood at the doorway, a considerable distance between the two. But everyone could hear the crackling sounds coming from between them, like a string of firecrackers connected in the middle…
Jiang Yan's agent, Wang Zihan, squeezed through from behind, staring at Qin Lan with an unfriendly expression, seemingly wanting to accuse her of her sarcastic remarks earlier. But Jiang Yan raised her hand, her slender palm blocking the aggressive Wang Zihan, and looked at Qin Lan nonchalantly with a faint smile.
Qin Lan was the first to concede defeat in the eye contact, even though she was usually the one who would glare at the other person like a bull, unwilling to back down. Perhaps out of some embarrassment and guilt, she admitted defeat this time.
"Hello, Director Yu." Jiang Yan smiled. "I have work to do, so I'm late. I'd like to try out the role of Taiping."
His tone was very calm and casual. Filmmaking has always been considered more prestigious than television drama, and Jiang Yan had recently won several awards, giving her an edge over most of the people present in terms of seniority.
"Good heavens, Teacher Qin's face looks even worse."
"You missed the time three years ago. Back then, the trending topics were all about Qin and Jiang bickering, Teacher Jiang stealing scenes from Teacher Qin, Teacher Qin taking away several endorsements from Teacher Jiang, and the two of them allegedly fighting backstage at a variety show. Pulling hair and scratching nails were just basic stuff..."
The whispers were so loud you could hear them from outside. But Jiang Yan remained calm and composed, nodding and smiling at the director, assistant director, and investor representatives. Her heavy, almost seductive eyeshadow made her look even more like a fox. Qin Lan listened silently, pretending not to see Yu Jintang's coughs, winks, and strange, phlegm-like noises.
She is different from Jiang Yan. Although both are known for their striking beauty, Jiang Yan is a hypocrite who pretends to be innocent, while Qin Lan is very straightforward.
Although she felt so guilty that she didn't dare to look that deadbeat in the eye.
Yu Jintang was practically vomiting blood but hadn't received a single instruction from Qin Lan. Suppressing the urge to torture him, he turned around, clutching his chest, and clapped his hands: "Nice to meet you all, thank you for coming..."
Everyone respected her master's reputation and, of course, also appreciated the excellent script; they all held this young director, directing a large-scale TV series for the first time, in high regard. Jiang Yan went downstairs to change her makeup and costume, and the set was tidied up again. Yu Jintang kidnapped Qin Lan, standing at the toilet door, grabbing her by the neck and asking, "I hear your sophistry! Didn't you say you two would never see each other again?"
Qin Lan looked around somewhat awkwardly: "Don't say that here. Everyone's had too much gossip and now they all need to go to the bathroom."
"Ha, as long as Jiang Yan isn't here, that's fine, isn't it?" Yu Jintang glared at her and continued, "I checked every bathroom door, and they were all empty. Explain yourself, what's this new trick? Did you seduce her again?"
"I seduced her? Seduced her again?" Qin Lan's voice rose eight octaves, her anger blazing: "Don't pin this on me!! I'm annoyed with her enough, why resort to such despicable tactics? What's the point? In the end, she'll lose both her wife and her money..."
"So it's true that you lost your wife?" Yu Jintang's face was full of gossip: "Speaking of which, one day three years ago, you suddenly asked my company to sign her. The people in the company told me that when they saw Jiang Yan, she looked distraught and her clothes were disheveled, like a fallen girl... Did something happen between you two that day?"
Qin Lan: "………………"
"What's the point of having any shame? You might as well just tell the truth."
Qin Lan leaned back and said casually, "It's just as you think. I did it. Thank you."
Yu Jintang leaps from the spot and performs a series of backflips in mid-air. Street dance, jazz, rumba, cha-cha, gliding, 360-degree somersaults. Powerful and vigorous.
Qin Lan: "You're sick."
Yu Jintang returned to her original spot: "She's a zero, right? I think so at first glance."
Qin Lan: "You're sick."
Yu Jintang: "Why would you think of sleeping with your nemesis? Was it love or torment? A desire for revenge? Anger? Hatred of lesbians?"
Qin Lan: "You're sick."
Yu Jintang said solemnly, propping her face up with her hand: "Qin Lan, you really have changed. Three years ago, when you mentioned Jiang Yan, you sounded like you wanted to eat her alive."
"I'm using the same tone right now," Qin Lan said nonchalantly.
“No.” Yu Jintang shook her head: “Your tone right now is like: you ate someone and you feel guilty, so you feel guilty.”
"Who wronged her?" Qin Lan raised her head and retorted loudly, "…………"
Yu Jintang listened attentively: "Explain in detail."
"..."
Is it that hard to say?
"..."
"Okay, I'll just ask one question. You two might be working together in the future. As the director, I'd like to know if there was any romance between you two? Or any other love-hate relationship that arose from that?"
Qin Lan said awkwardly, "How would I know what she's thinking?"
"I won't ask her; I want to know what you think."
"What else can I think?" Qin Lan unconsciously swallowed, her slender eyes glancing at the weeds beside her. "It's all so inexplicable from beginning to end. How can there be an end if it didn't even start? Who would develop feelings for something like this? It's ridiculous. Who cares? It's just sleeping together. We're all adults. The way adults handle one-night stands is—never to see each other again, and that's it. We just understand each other and go our separate ways."
Yu Jintang: "..."
She knew Qin Lan quite well and sensed something was wrong: "Tell me the truth, are you interested or not? You know I'm very tight-lipped, Yang Xingji and the others will never find out from me."
Qin Lan raised an eyebrow, leaned back, and smiled frivolously: "Me, moved? Don't joke around. What's there to be moved about? It's just sleeping together once, and besides, Jiang Yan is such a pretentious jerk..."
Yu Jintang seemed to want to speak, but as soon as her lips parted, her eyes involuntarily glanced back.
Qin Lan felt a chill in her heart, and slowly turned her head to see the "Deadly Sister" herself standing at the WC entrance, holding a handbag and looking at her. The "Deadly Sister" had no smile on her face, which was rare for her.
Yu Jintang pursed her lips.
Qin Lan's face went blank as she started smoothing her hair.
Oh no, it seems like Sister Pretending to be Dead is giving up.
The three women locked eyes. Yu Jintang was the first to lower her head, and Qin Lan, lacking support from her friends and feeling extremely guilty, followed suit and began to look away. Only Jiang Yan remained, staring at her with a detached gaze, giving off a feeling of utter despair amidst ruins.
Jiang Yan said calmly, "Teacher Qin must have been a fish butcher in the past, which is why he is so ruthless."
Qin Lan, though outwardly fierce, replied weakly, "Thank you, but my family mainly works in real estate."
＊
Outside the restroom door, Qin Shihou's voice could be heard breaking down.
"Didn't you say you pushed open each of the toilet doors?!"
"What normal person would stick themselves up to the crack behind the door?!"
"Things have changed. This damned guy actually did something like this."
"You're being too prejudiced. Jiang Yan is known in the Chinese entertainment industry for being warm and polite."
"What do we do now? She heard everything."
"So what if you heard it? Why are you so bothered by it?"
"Who cares? Who cares? Absolutely nobody cares!!!"
＊
Jiang Yan is in very poor condition.
Qin Lan noticed this when she returned to the venue. Jiang Yan had already reapplied her makeup and was standing to one side with her arms crossed. Her manager kept pulling her aside and whispering, but she didn't reply, occasionally nodding, her gaze drifting through the objects in front of her, eventually settling aimlessly on a certain spot.
Although she was dressed in gorgeous clothes, her aura was not pleasant at the moment.
The lighting crew and cameramen were all ready, and Yu Jintang was arranging for people to act alongside her. Jiang Yan's eyes lingered for a moment, then slowly fell on her.
Several girls who were paying close attention to Qin and Jiang were the first to notice Jiang Yan's gaze and began to whisper among themselves: "Teacher Jiang is looking at Teacher Qin."
"Does Teacher Jiang want Teacher Qin to act alongside her?"
"What a joke, Teacher Jiang is definitely glaring at Teacher Qin. If Teacher Jiang gets this role, then the two of them will have to do romantic scenes together."
"That's right. I feel like Teacher Jiang has started to hate. Her face is so pale, but her eyes are blazing with fire."
"Teacher Qin should be the one who hates her to the core, right? After all, Teacher Jiang stole her role..."
Yu Jintang coughed loudly: "Teacher Jiang? Teacher Jiang? Are you listening?"
Jiang Yan turned around and smiled politely at her, her expression as if nothing had happened: "Yes, Director Yu. I heard that Teacher Qin is planning to audition for Shangguan Wan'er's role. How about we film a scene together?"
Yu Jintang looked at Qin Lan as if she had a toothache: "Teacher Qin, is this a convenient time for you?"
Qin Lan stared at Yu Jintang with a look that looked like she wanted to devour him.
Yu Jintang gave a helpless, bitter smile.
Be patient, kid. After all, people are complaining that you were heartless when you pulled out a finger...
"Convenient." Qin Lan squeezed out two words, strode forward, and fiercely stepped over Jiang Yan's shadow, inwardly cursing Yu Jintang's entire family. Her father and Uncle Yu were so close they were practically inseparable, and she and Yu Jintang were even closer; they could go without pants. But this guy was cunning and always eager to push her into trouble.
And that dead Jiang Yan, she's messing with her again.
The feud between Jiang Yan and Qin Lan was common knowledge both inside and outside the entertainment industry. Their two management companies went from covert rivalry to open conflict. Fans engaged in frenzied comparisons, to the point that if one company trended on social media, the other could save on search fees. Comparisons ranged from looks to acting skills, from works to character. After a one-night stand, their rivalry finally ended with Jiang Yan leaving for the film industry. It quickly became clear that their respective stars had reached a tacit agreement: they would never appear under the same sky.
Moreover, Qin Lan has started to focus on television dramas and rarely takes on film roles anymore.
Qin Lan's fans are very angry, believing that someone has hindered their sister's rise to fame.
Jiang Yan was dragged out and criticized by Qin Lan's fans. #QinLanNotInTheFilmIndustry #QinLanIsBeautifulAndKind #QinLanIsGenerousAndTolerant
Jiang Yan's fans retaliated by flooding Qinlan Square with posters of Jiang Yan's latest movie.
Qin Lan's fans were so angry that they boycotted Jiang Yan's film, and another war broke out.
The organizers of an awards ceremony, seemingly unafraid of consequences, arranged for the two to sit in adjacent rows. Qin Lan arrived a little later, and there was only one empty seat left in that row. As soon as she stopped, everyone knew where her seat was. While everyone was discussing Qin Lan's refusal to sit down, Jiang Yan simply stood up and walked away from the other side.
The camera shakily panned to the side, capturing Qin Lan's eye-roll. Jiang Yan's fans immediately started cursing, while Qin Lan's fans retorted that Jiang Yan was ill-mannered and couldn't even be bothered with social niceties before leaving.
Jiang Yan's fans were initially a little hesitant, but then Qin Lan turned and left, and Jiang's fans immediately became more determined.
This verbal battle lasted for a week, and the fact that the two left the room at the same time sparked heated discussions among passersby.
Later, Jiang Yan's new film was nominated for three major domestic awards, and Qin Lan's fans started mocking Jiang Yan for working so hard only to be a runner-up. As a result, Jiang Yan's fans flooded Qin Lan's social media feed, to the point that when Qin Lan clicked in to find a couple of her own beautiful photos to save, all she saw was Jiang Yan's deadpan face.
With a fake smile on her face, Sister Deadface answered the reporter's question about being a runner-up with grace and poise. "Today's nominees and winners are all my seniors. I'm very happy to be able to add my own touch to their glory. I think that's one of the reasons I'm here, and it's also a way for me to constantly hone my skills."
"You've set up that again, Dead River Smoke!" Qin Lan angrily slammed her hand on the screen and threw the iPad away.
The woman in front of him, pretending to be dead, gradually merged with the woman in his memory who had given her "almost-competed" speech: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Teacher Qin. You don't mind, do you?"
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