After Transmigrating into the Villain’s Cat, I Dominated the Entertainment Circle – Chapter 73

I Will Stand By the One Who Loves Me

The One Who Loves You Will Always Be There

After all that messing around, Lin Sifei hugged her quilt and picked up her phone. She saw a reply from Lu Heng—it was short and to the point.

【Not close with Feng Tingyun.】

“Like anyone would believe that,” Lin Sifei muttered, her brow furrowed as she furiously typed on her phone.

【Yan Yafei might really be trouble. I’m worried Senior Feng¹ is being set up.】

On Lu Heng’s end, the “typing” indicator appeared and disappeared for a long while before another message finally came through. 【You don’t need to worry about him. He’s sharp as a tack.】

Lin Sifei mustered an awkward but polite smile. So much for ‘not close,’ she thought.

She put her phone down and rolled into Luo Ke’s arms, draping herself over her. “What do I do, President Luo? I think Feng Tingyun has defected to the other side.”

“Didn’t we agree you weren’t going to get involved with Yan Yafei anymore?”

Lin Sifei pouted. “But seeing all these people getting close to Yan Yafei, just like the plot dictates, makes me really nervous. I’m afraid the power of the original story is too strong.”

Luo Ke considered it. “I can have someone look into it. We can feel out Feng Tingyun’s manager.”

“Okay.”

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Lu Heng set his phone down, turned off the treadmill, and stepped off.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and stared at Feng Tingyun’s number in his contacts. After a long moment of hesitation, he tossed the phone aside and walked into the bathroom.

Whatever happens with Feng Tingyun is none of my business.

Meanwhile, Feng Tingyun was also staring intently at his phone, terrified of missing a message.

Wang-jie² sat on the armchair next to him, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Are you insane? Why would you wear matching couple’s masks out in public! Do you have any idea how much chaos you’ve caused among your fans?”

“I’ll clarify in a bit,” Feng Tingyun said, his eyes still glued to the screen.

Wang-jie’s gaze sharpened suspiciously. “What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re actually in a relationship.”

Feng Tingyun threw his arms wide and leaned back against the sofa. “I wish I were.”

He looked at Wang-jie, then suddenly sat up straight. “Wang-jie, let me ask you something. Say a friend of yours chewed you out, then ghosted you for years, but now they’re trying to make nice and patch things up. Would you agree?”

The corner of Wang-jie’s mouth twitched. “Of course not. I’m not some Licking Dog.³” She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “People like that are usually just crawling back because they see you’ve made it big. They want a piece of the pie. Utterly shameless. They deserve no forgiveness.”

“No, no,” Feng Tingyun said, shaking his head. “Your friend is doing much better than you are.”

“So what if they’re doing well? It’s not like I can’t afford to eat. I don’t need their charity.” Wang-jie got even more incensed, then suddenly stared at him. “Don’t tell me you’re talking about yourself. You need to get a grip. I don’t care if the other person is some big-shot boss. You’re a Film Emperor,⁴ for crying out loud. You don’t need their money. Have some backbone.”

Feng Tingyun sank into a state of misery and waved a dismissive hand at her. “Relax, it’s not me. Am I that kind of person?”

“You have a point. You’re the type to repay every glare.⁵ You’d never forgive someone.”

Feng Tingyun ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

“You are exactly that bad. Face reality,” Wang-jie said without a shred of mercy.

Feng Tingyun sighed and picked up his phone again, staring blankly at the screen.

The entire afternoon passed, and still no message came. He let out a despairing groan and looked at Wang-jie. “Let’s issue the clarification.”

Lin Sifei was having dinner with Luo Ke when she pulled out her phone and saw the statement Feng Tingyun had posted.

【Feng Tingyun V: I got the mask a while ago when I visited a film set. I forgot to bring one, so my assistant gave it to me. The other one went to another actor. I just grabbed it and used it again when I went out the day before yesterday. My assistant bought two because they saw a ‘buy one, get the second half-price’ deal. (This person is a Single Dog,⁶ so we can rule out the possibility of it being a gift for a partner. A moment of silence, please.)】

He even attached a screenshot of the product page from A Certain Treasure,⁷ the huge red “Second Item Half-Price” text searing everyone’s eyes.

Immediately after the post went up, Feng Tingyun’s assistant replied in the comments.

【Assistant Who Definitely Doesn’t Accept Bribes: Bro! Can you leave me some dignity?! We’re both Single Dogs, why must we hurt each other!】

Their back-and-forth instantly shifted the public’s attention to the issue of rights for Single Dogs. Someone even replied to the assistant.

【Dude, you can’t find a partner. Yun-gege⁸ doesn’t want to find one!】

The assistant replied to that comment and a few others.

With Feng Tingyun’s clarification, his fans immediately began forwarding and commenting.

【Yun-gege said he’d announce it if he were dating.】

【It’s perfectly normal for Yun-gege to have a girlfriend. Focus on his work, don’t obsess over his private life.】

【I knew it was fake. These marketing accounts⁹ will post anything for clicks these days.】

Lin Sifei scrolled for a while. A small portion of fans were hurling abuse at Yan Yafei, mocking her for trying to ride his coattails only for Feng Tingyun to not even mention her name. However, other fans quickly persuaded them to delete such comments, urging everyone not to start a war for the time being.

“Feng Tingyun’s fanbase is pretty impressive,” Lin Sifei commented. “They know what’s best for him, and the overall atmosphere is pretty rational.”

Luo Ke didn’t understand any of it, only grasping the phrase “what’s best for Feng Tingyun.” She said, “They’re his fans. Of course they want what’s best for him.”

“That’s not always the case.” Lin Sifei picked up a piece of duck and placed it in Luo Ke’s bowl.

Luo Ke had completely given up on understanding the entertainment industry. From now on, if anyone slandered Lin Sifei, she would just hire a PR team and throw money at the problem.

Unaware of her girlfriend’s simple and brutal plan, Lin Sifei finished her dinner and shared Feng Tingyun’s post with Lu Heng.

Seeing her chatting with Lu Heng again, Luo Ke let a hint of jealousy seep into her voice. “Don’t you think you’re a little too close to him?”

“Um—he’s like a male bestie.¹⁰“

Luo Ke nodded. “Did you know there’s a TV show called 《Male Bestie》? The female lead ended up with her male bestie in the end.”

Lin Sifei’s mouth fell slightly open. She meekly put down her phone. “Never heard of it. Besides, I’m gay. A male bestie is the safest friend you can have.”

“With a face like yours, I don’t think you’re safe around men or women.”

Lin Sifei made a fist and held it by her cheek like a cat’s paw. “Are you saying I’m so beautiful I can charm anyone?”

“Yes.”

Lin Sifei giggled happily. “Don’t worry. My heart only has room for you.”

She made a large heart shape with her hands and pushed it towards Luo Ke’s chest.

Luo Ke wrapped an arm around her waist and rested her forehead on her shoulder. “I feel a little insecure.”

Lin Sifei stroked her hair, her eyes darting around. “Then you’ll just have to trust me more.”

Luo Ke looked up and smiled at her.

The new year was approaching, and presales for 《Light》 had begun. The movie’s cast had been announced a while ago, and Lin Sifei became the most talked-about person. With no prior experience and no formal training, no one could figure out why Director Chen would have chosen her.

The female lead was a first-time actress. The male lead had been obscure for the eight years since his debut. In the end, the person everyone was most optimistic about was the actress playing the daughter, Feng Xiao. In the trailer, her portrayal of Xiao Xing was simply too heart-wrenching.

But while the lead actors lacked fame, Director Chen did not. The film’s promotion focused heavily on him, with a hired Water Army¹¹ helping the public recall his glorious past achievements while also centering the campaign on the social issue of blindness.

Feng Xiao’s company and fans were also promoting her and the movie with all their might; after all, it was her first time working with a top-tier director like Director Chen.

Presale ticket sales climbed steadily, indicating high public anticipation.

Lin Sifei’s manager, however, remained calm. Knowing that Lin Sifei was still a newcomer, he planned to wait until after the movie was released to make a big push. He had already cleared this with Lin Sifei, who approved.

Among everyone involved, only Lu Heng’s team was completely silent, acting as if he hadn’t even been in the movie. If they hadn’t previously asked Lin Sifei about wanting to hype up a CP,¹² she would have thought his company truly intended to do nothing at all.

“Luo Ke, the movie premieres in two days. I’ll have to start attending events, interviews, and things like that. There will probably be endorsement shoots later on, too. Will you be bored all by yourself at home?”

Luo Ke was unflustered. “Don’t worry, I won’t be bored.”

Lin Sifei gave her a suspicious look before patting her on the head. “Alright, it seems our President Luo is very good at finding her own fun.”

“But!” She suddenly leaned in close to Luo Ke. “You can have fun, but you’re not allowed to touch anything you’re not supposed to.”

“I won’t.” Luo Ke gently tapped her nose and smiled as she squeezed her cheek.

Director Chen was very confident in the film and had arranged for a premiere screening,¹³ which meant Lin Sifei and the others would be there to watch it.

Early in the morning, Li Tao arrived with a team of stylists and makeup artists to get Lin Sifei ready.

Before leaving, Lin Sifei reluctantly hugged Luo Ke one more time. “Text me if you get bored, okay?”

She waved goodbye and got into the nanny van.¹⁴

When she arrived at the venue, Lin Sifei saw Lu Heng dressed in a black suit, his hair styled with Korean-style bangs. She walked up to him with a smile. “You clean up pretty well.”

Lu Heng took a breath. “It seems you have a serious misunderstanding of my good looks.”

“The slicked-back look doesn’t suit you,” Lin Sifei said with a laugh, walking with him to Director Chen’s side.

Once all the actors had arrived and a few brief words were exchanged, the movie began. Director Chen saved the interviews and other activities for the end.

Lin Sifei sat in the front row, watching the final cut for the first time. She saw Xiao Yue’s suffering and her strength, Xiao Xing’s hatred and love, their parents’ stubborn blindness to reality, and the male protagonist’s quiet companionship.

Every single character had their own story, their own emotions.

Lin Sifei could hear people crying behind her, though she didn’t know whose story had moved them to tears.

The ninety-minute film ended. As the credits rolled, the left side of the screen showed documentary footage Director Chen had shot of blind people navigating the streets with difficulty, along with interviews with them. There were old people and children, some optimistic and some pessimistic, all of them telling the stories of their lives.

Finally, the lights in the theater came up. Director Chen and the entire main cast went on stage and bowed to the audience.

Next was the interview segment, with questions from both the host and the audience.

They couldn’t avoid the usual topics: character analysis, plot interpretation, and some fun anecdotes from the set. During the premiere, everyone was on their best behavior. The questions weren’t tricky, and the actors all presented a harmonious front.

Lin Sifei had never liked promotional events. The fake pleasantries were so dull. She would rather do a proper talk show interview; she could talk about characters and plot for three hours straight without stopping. These formulaic promotional questions were just plain boring.

Just then, the host’s questions turned to Director Chen, and Lin Sifei’s gaze drifted over the audience. She began to piece together stories for them in her head, based on their clothes, their movements, and their expressions.

Suddenly, her eyes landed on a woman in a professional ladies’ suit. The woman stood out—who wears business attire to a movie screening?

She squinted, and through the blurry glare of the stage lights, Lin Sifei finally recognized her. Wasn’t that Luo Ke?

She was startled. Luo Ke came to the premiere? Why didn’t she tell me?

She remembered Luo Ke’s confident assurance that she wouldn’t be bored. So this was why. Of course she wouldn’t be bored if she was at the screening.

As Lin Sifei was plotting how she would punish her for keeping secrets when she got home, someone called her name.

“Sifei! Sifei!”

Lin Sifei snapped back to reality and looked at the host.

The host chuckled. “Looks like our female lead zoned out. Is my hosting really that boring?”

“Not at all,” Lin Sifei immediately replied, smoothing things over with a smile. “We have the audience interaction segment coming up, right? I was just busy picking someone.”

“So eager, Sifei? In that case, you can be the first to pick someone to ask a question.”

“Sounds good,” Lin Sifei said, smiling at the audience.

With the mood lightened, the host returned to the previous question. “Sifei, this is your first time acting. Are there any special feelings you’d like to share with everyone?”

Lin Sifei blinked. She honestly couldn’t remember what her first time acting felt like, but she had to make something up.

“My feeling is that it was a lot of fun. During filming, everyone ate and lived together, and we were all tormented by the director together. It felt like we were sisters-in-arms, sharing our joys and sorrows.”

“Was Lu Heng a good sister, too?” the host asked, eyes wide.

Lin Sifei nodded emphatically. “Of course! A really solid sister, at that. He taught me so much on set, especially how to dodge Director Chen’s wrath.”

“It sounds like Sifei holds quite a grudge against Director Chen,” the host said, laughing as he glanced at his cue card. “Actually, I was trying to ask if you developed any feelings for Lu Heng, but it seems you gave all your feelings to Director Chen instead.”

Lin Sifei couldn’t help but laugh. She knew the host was fishing for an ambiguous answer to generate some hype for the movie.

She bit her lower lip and glanced in Luo Ke’s direction. Though she couldn’t see her expression clearly, she had a feeling Luo Ke was watching her with a half-smile.

Thinking of the walking vinegar jar at home, Lin Sifei smiled but refused to give them what they wanted. “Of course there were feelings. Sisterly feelings.”

The host looked helplessly at Lu Heng. “Lu Heng, does that evaluation break your heart?”

“It’s fine. After being single for so many years, I’m well aware that I’m immune to romance,” Lu Heng said, throwing his hands up in resignation.

Lin Sifei patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t be sad, Lu Heng-gege. At least our love in the movie was real.”

After the host finished his interview, it was time for audience questions.

“As we said earlier,” the host announced, “Sifei gets to pick first. She was so eager just now.”

Lin Sifei nodded, an irrepressible, mischievous smile spreading across her face as she pointed at Luo Ke.

“Let’s go with the lady in the professional suit. It’s so surprising to see someone dressed for business at a premiere.”

Lu Heng, recognizing Luo Ke, raised an eyebrow and joked, “Aren’t you afraid she’s a professional reporter?”

Lin Sifei put on a matching look of surprise. “I hope not.”

The host laughed along with them. “Alright, what question does our audience member have?”

Luo Ke took the microphone, her gaze fixed earnestly on Lin Sifei on the stage. “I want to ask Sifei, were you happy while filming? Was it tiring?”

“Wow, Sifei has quickly captured a fan’s heart,” the host said, applauding.

But Lin Sifei didn’t play along. She just looked back at Luo Ke. She knew this was what Luo Ke genuinely cared about. Although Luo Ke always told her to speak up if she was tired, she also knew that once Lin Sifei started filming, she would never complain.

Lin Sifei felt her nose tingle. “I was incredibly happy while filming, and it wasn’t tiring at all. Because I knew someone was behind me, supporting me, waiting for me. I’m trying my best to fly higher, to be worthy of the one who loves me.”

The white stage lights shone down on Lin Sifei and Luo Ke. It was as if everyone else in the room had disappeared, leaving only the two of them gazing at each other from a distance.

Luo Ke looked at her and suddenly broke into a smile. “That’s good, then. The one who loves you will always be there—by your side, and behind you.”

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The author has something to say:

Future Feifei Fan: That’s it, I’ve decided! Jiejie’s two lines are now our official fan chant. Feifei, fly without worry, your Snowflakes¹⁵ will always follow! We’ll forever be by your side and behind you.

Must be a Body Splitting Technique,¹⁶ I guess.

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