After Transmigrating into the Villain’s Cat, I Dominated the Entertainment Circle – Chapter 108
by Little PandaStirring Up Trouble
Finale Countdown
Although Luo Ke spent her days intimidating the cast and crew, the overall atmosphere on set was actually quite good.
The film’s publicity and distribution team was already prepared. The moment Lin Sifei was announced as the female lead, her fans were stunned. They never expected her to act in a horror film.
Lin Sifei’s anti-fans also caught the scent of news and mobilized, all but setting off firecrackers in celebration. They spread the word everywhere that Lin Sifei’s career had flopped, that her previous film 《Light》 must have had its stats inflated, and that the yet-to-be-released 《Migration》 was definitely going to be a terrible movie.
【Otherwise, why would she be acting in a low-budget horror film for her third movie? Haha, and it’s even produced by her own company.】
【Maybe President Luo dumped her, so she has no one to back her anymore.】
【She’s still being backed, isn’t she? Isn’t this just using one of her subordinate companies to prop her up? It’s all her own investment, but it’s not going to get her anywhere.】
The internet was flooded with voices of ridicule, which, in a way, generated a wave of publicity for the movie. Wang Zhixin was thrilled as he watched the discussion metrics climb.
Lin Sifei opened a can of pineapple beer1 and tilted her head in confusion. “What are you so happy about? They’re all mocking me and the crew. Aren’t you going to do any PR?”
“No need, no need.” Wang Zhixin beamed like a flower. “Becoming famous for being infamous is still a type of fame.2 Besides, everyone knows what domestic horror films are like. No matter how much they curse us out, they can’t possibly lower our film’s reputation any further. Then, once the movie is released, they’ll all be stunned. I can amaze everyone with a single feat!”3
Seeing him lost in his fantasy, Lin Sifei shook her head helplessly.
She stepped into the elevator and went upstairs.
In the hallway, she ran into a room service attendant and saw a pineapple mille-feuille on his cart.
She pursed her lips. “What’s this dessert called? Can I just order it through hotel services?”
The attendant replied good-naturedly, “It’s called ‘Midsummer Season.’ If you order it, it’ll be delivered very quickly.”
Lin Sifei nodded, ran back to her room, and picked up the phone to order the largest one.
“We’re having dessert in a bit,” Lin Sifei announced happily, setting the pineapple beer aside as she waited for some real pineapple.
Luo Ke was typing on her keyboard, her brow furrowed.
Lin Sifei climbed onto the bed and snuggled up beside her. “Busy with work? Is it that difficult? Even our President Luo is frowning.”
She reached out and pressed her fingers between Luo Ke’s brows, rubbing gently with a smile. Her fingertips were soft and carried a hint of her natural scent.
Luo Ke’s brow involuntarily relaxed. “It’s not work. It’s the data feedback from the PR department. A lot of the people slandering you are Yan Yafei’s fans.”
“Do you even need statistics for that?” Lin Sifei propped herself up, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with her. “Isn’t that a given? My career is rising so fast that no other actress from my generation can compare, not even Yan Yafei. It’s just that she’s picked fights with me4 a few times, so now everyone compares us.”
As she spoke, she sighed, feigning a considerate expression. “Really, what’s the point? She’s in the TV drama circle, and I’m in the film circle. And she gets crushed by me every single time. Isn’t she just asking to be slapped in the face?”
She tutted twice and wrapped her arms around Luo Ke’s. “Don’t worry about her. I ordered dessert. We can eat it together later.”
Luo Ke raised an eyebrow and turned the laptop towards her. “But I’ve already had people start attacking her. Her fans will probably go even crazier and curse you out more.”
Lin Sifei was dumbfounded. She grabbed a nearby pillow and started hitting her. “You bastard!”
Luo Ke laughed as she was hit. “She’s about to wrap up filming. If we don’t give her a little bait, she won’t enter the fray.”
“Even if you do, she might not take it.”
Luo Ke wrapped an arm around her waist, tilting her head up so her chin rested against Lin Sifei’s abdomen. “She definitely will. After all, her biggest competitor is constantly clapping back at people herself and gets praised for being straightforward. How could she stand for that?”
She had guessed correctly. When Yan Yafei saw that Lin Sifei had resorted to acting in a horror film, she was ecstatic.
Her efforts had not been in vain. She had landed a major production, a xianxia drama that was sure to be a hit. She would soar to the heavens, while Lin Sifei would sink lower and lower.
This was how it should be. It had always been this way since they were young. Anyone who competed with her would only lose in the end. She was the final winner.
There was a knock on the door. Yan Yafei quickly composed her expression, replacing it with a sweet smile. “Come in.”
Erik pushed the door open, a smile on his face. “Feifei, it’s getting late. You should rest.”
“I was just about to.” Yan Yafei’s eyes flickered, and she pouted. “But then I saw so many people slandering me online. They think that because my family background isn’t good, I must have relied on other means to get where I am.”
Hearing this, Erik’s face instantly flushed with anger. “Is it that Lin Sifei and Luo Ke again?”
Yan Yafei nodded pitifully.
Erik gritted his teeth in fury. “Don’t worry, I won’t let them bully you.” He thought for a moment. “I don’t have any businesses here, but I can acquire a company now. I’ll make sure it’s no worse than theirs.”
“Thank you, gege,” Yan Yafei said with a pure and beautiful smile.
Erik smiled back. He would definitely protect such an adorable little sister.
…
The pineapple mille-feuille arrived. Lin Sifei picked up a knife and cut it into eight slices.
“Are you going to eat all of that? It’s already very late.”
At this, Lin Sifei’s cheeks immediately puffed out. “I’m only eating it this one time. I won’t get fat.”
“I didn’t say you were fat,” Luo Ke sighed. “I’m worried you’ll upset your stomach, eating something so sweet and rich at night.”
“I won’t, I won’t,” Lin Sifei insisted, already holding a small spoon and looking at Luo Ke.
Luo Ke chuckled, picked up a spoon as well, and took a plate.
She had just taken a single bite when the phone beside her began to vibrate wildly.
Luo Ke frowned. Who would ruin the atmosphere like this?
Before she could look, Lin Sifei had already leaned over. “Hey, it’s Bai Xingrui. Aren’t you going to answer?”
Luo Ke hadn’t wanted to, but she felt that Xiao Xiao’s tone implied, ‘Hey, it’s your bestie. Aren’t you going to answer? Are you really going to treat your bestie like this?’
She sighed helplessly. To maintain her own good image, she accepted the video call.
“Hi! Luo Ke, Feifei!” Bai Xingrui waved at the camera. Behind her was a burning fireplace.
Lin Sifei leaned closer to the phone. Seeing the room’s decor behind her, she said, “You went to Russia?”
Bai Xingrui nodded emphatically. “I came over a couple of days ago.”
“Are you that free? Don’t you still have a fashion show to prepare?” Luo Ke’s words stabbed right at the heart.
Bai Xingrui gave her a look that was hard to put into words. “Luo Ke, you’re so not cute. Why do you have to bring up work?”
Despite saying that, she still explained, “The show isn’t ready yet. Diana said her parents wanted to meet me, so I came to meet them first.”
Lin Sifei’s expression was knowing. “Ooh~ Meeting the parents already.”
A faint blush appeared on Bai Xingrui’s face. “It’s just a meeting.”
The words had barely left her mouth when Diana appeared in the frame. She was holding a hunting rifle, dressed in a dark blue snowsuit.
“Just a meeting?” Her voice was soft, but it was enough to make Bai Xingrui choke on her words.
She shot Diana a glare. “Alright, alright, it’s a ‘meet the parents’ kind of thing.” Her ears turned slightly red. She cleared her throat and stiffly changed the subject. “Is Feifei still filming?”
“Yeah, we’re at the hotel right now.” Lin Sifei smiled and pointed at Luo Ke. “I dragged her into acting with me this time.”
“Really! Then I have to watch it,” Bai Xingrui said, her face full of interest.
Luo Ke didn’t mind. She was happy to let these people be fed dog food.5
“By the way, there’s something I’d like your help with.”
Bai Xingrui’s eyes widened, and she slapped the table happily. “Quick, tell me! The day has finally come when you need my help!”
“To be precise, I’m asking Diana.”
Diana, who was cleaning her rifle, looked over upon hearing her name. “What is it?”
“Erik Wesley Enwort. I want you to target the businesses under his name for a while.”
Evidently, Diana knew of this person. She frowned slightly. “His family has a long history and immense wealth. Targeting him won’t even register on his radar.”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Seize the opportunity and just keep him overwhelmed for a period of time.”
“Alright.” Diana didn’t ask any more questions, simply nodding. “Consider it repaying the favor for the investment in the last fashion show.”
“Deal.” Luo Ke nodded. After saying that, she hung up the phone.
She looked at Lin Sifei. “Let’s continue eating.”
Lin Sifei, biting her spoon, nodded. “Are you really going after Erik?”
“Mhm. He scared you last time, so I’ll scare him this time,” Luo Ke said as casually as if she were just talking about making a funny face at someone.
Lin Sifei couldn’t help but laugh. Luo Ke really knew how to hold a grudge.
The next day’s scenes involved Luo Ke again. This time, she just needed to quietly watch Lin Sifei sleep and gently stroke her head.
Luo Ke was all too familiar with this action. She sat by Lin Sifei’s bedside and reached out to stroke her hair.
Everyone held their breath. Suddenly, Luo Ke turned her head to the director. “Can I lie on the bed for this shot?”
This angle wasn’t very comfortable.
The director thought for a moment. “Let’s try it.”
Luo Ke lay down beside Lin Sifei. This time, she was even more practiced as she caressed her hair and cheek.
The entire set was silent, but everyone could feel the undercurrent of affection.
Finally, watching Lin Sifei’s slightly trembling eyelashes, she couldn’t stop a smile from appearing on her face.
“Cut!”
Wang Zhixin and Liu Zheng sat in front of the monitor, frowning in deliberation.
“She smiled just now. Logically, she shouldn’t smile here. She’s a ghost, right? What we want is that eerie love that still has a hint of humanity. With that smile, isn’t there too much humanity?” Liu Zheng rustled the script in his hands.
Wang Zhixin shook his head. “No, the spirit from behind loves herself, so she loves the protagonist who resembles her. But in fact, loving oneself, or even transference, is a very human thing. The ghost is supposed to be devoid of reason and emotion. So, that final smile shows that through her constant protection, she is gradually becoming more human.”
In the end, the result of their dispute was to keep the take.
The main reason was that President Luo did not want to do it again and was staring at them with a death glare.
During the break, everyone was playing on their phones. Without exception, they all saw the online comments about the film, but everyone remained calm, just waiting to prove them all wrong.
The production team continued to announce the cast. Most were artists from Xinghe and Ju Luo, but a few were also moderately well-known and had their own fanbases.
The fans who had been watching the drama from the sidelines immediately dropped their melon seeds6 and started promoting the movie online, insisting that it must be a major production. “Otherwise, my gege/jiejie would never have accepted the role!”
And so, another argument erupted. Wang Zhixin watched the data and laughed heartily.
Innocent netizens online kept seeing this movie being torn apart in arguments. They’d stop to look and realize it was a horror film. A closer look revealed that the actors weren’t some 108th-tier7 nobodies, which made things a little interesting.
Horror films were a niche genre, but they had a decent number of viewers. It was just that the domestic offerings in this area were too terrible.
This time, they finally had some proper actors, and the production team didn’t seem to be dirt poor. Could it be that domestic horror films were finally about to rise?
A crowd of people gathered to watch the production with great interest, urging the crew to hurry up and finish filming.
Meanwhile, Yan Yafei’s major production xianxia drama had already set its release date. It would premiere on Fruit Channel, with two other channels broadcasting it two days later.
Now, Yan Yafei’s fans began to feel proud and vindicated.8
【Feifei is such an excellent actress. Her drama was bought by so many TV stations!】
【The TV stations recognize Feifei’s acting skills and popularity. None of Feifei’s dramas have ever flopped!9】
【Go, Feifei! Tune in to Fruit Channel at 8 PM on X month, X day!】
But at the same time, there were many questioning voices, wondering how it could be broadcast so quickly—at least a month faster than other dramas.
Amidst a sea of conspiracy theories, Lin Sifei sighed helplessly as she read them. All these people had guessed wrong.
The truth was that President Luo couldn’t wait to get her revenge on Yan Yafei, but since she had also invested in the drama, she needed to recoup her costs.
So, she went all in, investing another sum of money to have the post-production team work overtime and hire more people to get it done quickly. The moment post-production was finished, it was immediately scheduled for broadcast.
Seeing Yan Yafei’s fans cheering and celebrating, Lin Sifei didn’t have the heart to burst their bubble.
After this drama airs, your jiejie is finished.
As expected, Yan Yafei’s drama was a huge success. Its ratings soared, and it quickly became a hot topic of discussion.
Yan Yafei’s fame was momentarily limitless. Countless offers flew into her hands, but she looked down on all of them. She had become picky now. Endorsements had to be high luxury brands, and her future scripts had to be for top-tier films.
Her manager kindly advised, “That might be a bit difficult. Your foundation isn’t stable yet.”
“Then how does Lin Sifei have it?” Her expression was awful as she snapped at her manager.
The manager wasn’t annoyed at all. He even smiled placatingly. “Lin Sifei is in the film circle, so she inherently has an advantage, and she’s acted in works by major directors back-to-back.”
Yan Yafei let out a mocking laugh. “But isn’t she acting in some obscure horror film now?”
The manager nodded along with her, praising her for being amazing.
She snorted coldly, crossed her legs, and took out her phone to check the hot search list. She was surprised to find that she wasn’t number one. Bai Su was.
Yan Yafei’s face changed, and she clicked on it. That old woman Bai Su who’s been pregnant before, why won’t she just retire gracefully at her age? What hot search is she buying?
But the moment she clicked, she saw the horror film’s promotional material. Bai Su was part of the cast.
Although it was only a special guest appearance, it was enough to stir up massive discussion.
Bai Su had starred in too many films and held numerous awards. Her appeal with the general public10 was very high.
For her to suddenly appear in a minor supporting role was truly shocking.
Some netizens summarized the cast list that had been revealed so far and were shocked to find that although it was mainly artists from Ju Luo and Xinghe, among them were popular actors, true nobodies, and genuinely famous stars.
【This film crew is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons!11】
【Have the capitalists finally seen the potential profits in this area? Horror fans are ecstatic!】
Watching the discussion get diverted, Yan Yafei gritted her teeth in anger.
She had to drop another bombshell. Right now, the most sensational news would be her family background. But she didn’t want to release that yet. It would be best to have a substitute.
Her phone rang. The screen displayed a contact name—Little Silly He.
Her lips curled. It seemed she had found a suitable candidate.
He Li was completely unaware of the danger, still immersed in the joy of his girlfriend’s drama becoming a huge hit because of his script.
However, his call was disconnected.
He Li froze for a moment, then redialed.
It didn’t go through.
He frowned, wondering if Yan Yafei was busy, when the phone in his hand began to vibrate.
【Incoming Call: Gongbi】
Footnotes
- Pineapple beer is a popular low-alcohol or non-alcoholic fruit-flavored beer-like beverage in China.
- Original term: 黑红 (hēi hóng), literally ‘black-red’. A slang term describing a state of being famous due to negative publicity and controversy. ‘Black’ refers to being hated or slandered, while ‘red’ means being popular.
- Original idiom: 一鸣惊人 (yīmíngjīngrén). It describes someone who achieves sudden and spectacular success after a period of obscurity.
- Original term: 碰瓷 (pèngcí), literally ‘to touch porcelain’. A slang term for deliberately picking a fight with or leeching off a more famous person to gain attention and traffic.
- A popular internet slang term for public displays of affection. Single people are jokingly referred to as ‘single dogs,’ so watching couples be affectionate is like being ‘fed dog food.’
- A reference to the slang term ‘eat melon’ (吃瓜 chī guā), which means to be a bystander watching drama unfold.
- A slang term for a celebrity who is so obscure they are far below even the C-list or D-list. The number 108 is used for exaggeration.
- Original idiom: 扬眉吐气 (yángméitǔqì). It describes the feeling of elation that comes from finally achieving success after a long period of frustration or humiliation.
- Original term: 扑街 (pūjiē). A loanword from Cantonese, literally ‘to fall on the street’. It’s used to describe a project or career that has failed completely.
- Original term: 路人缘 (lùrényuán), literally ‘passerby fate’. It describes a celebrity’s popularity and reputation among the general public, as opposed to just their dedicated fanbase.
- Original idiom: 卧虎藏龙 (wòhǔcánglóng). A famous phrase meaning a place is full of hidden, formidable talents.
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