Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 88
by Little PandaAmusing Ourselves to Death
Manager 25
Queen
“There’s no need to go to such trouble.”
Xin Lan instinctively refused.
Where there’s one thing, there’s bound to be another, and in this situation, things were already escalating.
“It’s no trouble at all. Besides, isn’t it normal for managers to have their artists’ house keys?”
Qin Yuyan blinked her eyes repeatedly, wearing an expression of innocent confusion.
But Xin Lan would bet that Qin Yuyan was secretly laughing inside.
“But isn’t this your private residence?”
“It doesn’t matter! I don’t need the company to arrange my accommodation anyway, and this place is so close to your home, so the whole private residence thing is irrelevant. Let’s register your fingerprint after we eat, okay?”
With Qin Yuyan putting it this way, Xin Lan naturally couldn’t refuse.
Though she thought to herself, having keys doesn’t necessarily mean she had to use them, so having them shouldn’t be a problem.
Qin Yuyan’s cooking was absolutely outstanding, and Xin Lan ate with great satisfaction.
The red wine oxtail was delicately sweet, the meat tender and fragrant, with an enticing red hue. When placed in the mouth, the wine’s aroma spread throughout, leaving a lasting aftertaste.
After the meal, she didn’t leave immediately, instead discussing upcoming work arrangements with Qin Yuyan.
“Tomorrow at three in the afternoon, you have an entertainment interview. Of course, it’s not a big production. You’re just starting out, so don’t rushβwe’ll take it step by step.”
“Mm-hmm, I’m not in a hurry.”
Qin Yuyan’s eyes curved with joy, particularly happy because of Xin Lan’s use of “we.”
Only after arranging nearly a week’s schedule for Qin Yuyan did Xin Lan leave her home.
She intended to boost Qin Yuyan’s popularity through variety shows, but there weren’t any good ones available at the moment. Being a regular guest would undoubtedly take too much time, and small shows wouldn’t increase her fame. As for big shows, not only would it be hard to get in, but there would surely be many criticisms. Xin Lan didn’t want to use controversy marketing [ι»ηΊ’ | hΔi hΓ³ng | becoming famous through negative publicity], but for special guest appearances, Qin Yuyan had no follow-up dramas to maintain her popularity, making it pointless to accumulate.
So after much consideration, they could only take it slowly.
Building a solid foundation was crucial, as a celebrity could easily collapse without one.
She wanted to elevate Qin Yuyan to godly altar [η₯ε | shΓ©n tΓ‘n | metaphor for highest level of fame], but she didn’t have much timeβnot decades to nurture her career slowly. Therefore, she couldn’t make any missteps; everything had to be perfect.
Qin Yuyan only saw Xin Lan looking at her, unaware of the deeper meaning behind it. She prepared some honey milk and put it in a paper cup.
“This is very hot, but since it’s still early, it should be cool enough by bedtime. This is honey milk, which helps with sleep. However, since it contains a lot of fluid, you shouldn’t drink too much as it affects kidney function, so I only filled it halfway. Remember to drink it, okay?”
Qin Yuyan handed the paper cup to Xin Lan. It was a special cup with a small paper bridge structure above the rim for easy holding, allowing Xin Lan to carry it without burning her hands.
Qin Yuyan was so thoughtful that Xin Lan didn’t know what to say.
“Thank you, you’re too kind. Please don’t go to such trouble next time.”
That was all she could say.
“Thank you” and “don’t trouble yourself”βshe had said these words to Qin Yuyan many times, and Qin Yuyan had replied just as many times.
“It’s just a small matter, don’t mention it. I don’t find it troublesome at all.”
Xin Lan smiled helplessly and left Qin Yuyan’s home carrying the honey milk.
Of course, before leaving, Qin Yuyan had insisted on registering her fingerprint for the door.
She sat at home, staring at the milk in front of her, and sighed.
What should she do?
How troubling.
She was typically a decisive person, not someone who would hesitate to reject others just because they liked her, but the problem was, she had feelings for Qin Yuyan too.
Looking into Qin Yuyan’s eyes, she just couldn’t bring herself to be harsh.
Ling Jiu didn’t know how to counsel Xin Lan, so she simply went to the forum.
The forum was full of anonymous posts, no one knew which system was behind which username.
Question: My host has rarely fallen for someone, but time is limited in the mission world. How do your hosts handle such situations?
1L: My host lives by ” drink today’s wine today” [δ»ζζι δ»ζι | jΔ«n zhΔo yΗu jiΗ jΔ«n zhΔo zuΓ¬ | meaning: seize the day], if there’s attraction, act on it first, won’t see them later anyway, saves regret
2L: Same as above, my host flirts without commitment, gets what they want in minutes when attracted
3L: My host is free from desires, I’ve become detached too
4L: My host encountered this before, but being very responsible, felt it would be too cruel to leave a girl heartbroken if they couldn’t stay long. So they didn’t act, just left. It’s been very long now, my host has gradually forgotten. Time heals all, they say, but I still feel regretful
5L: My host experienced this too, but unlike above, they found someone suitable in a new mission world. I don’t feel regret. We have so much time, we’ll always meet the right person… emmm I’m going off-topic. Anyway, we AIs can’t interfere with these things
6L: I asked my host, they suggested letting nature take its course, leave no regrets
Ling Jiu laboriously compiled everyone’s responses and summarized them for Xin Lan.
After hearing so much, Xin Lan remained silent.
She understood all this already. After thanking Ling Jiu, she swirled the honey milk in her cup.
She took a small sip, the warm, sweet liquid sliding from her mouth to her stomach, bringing a sense of comfort.
She still felt that someone as warm as Qin Yuyan shouldn’t waste time on her.
She deserved a lifetime of happiness.
Xin Lan stood up, and after showering, she worked on her laptop, marking schedules according to planned itineraries.
Cheng Zhi had broken up with Yuan Xiaoyuan. The day they broke up, Cheng Zhi called Xin Lan crying.
A young man in his twenties, crying like a dog on the other end of the phone.
Cheng Zhi said, “Jie, I really love her, but why couldn’t we make it to the end?”
Cheng Zhi didn’t say anything about not entering the entertainment industry. Both he and Xin Lan understood that if she hadn’t recruited him into this circle, he might never have met Yuan Xiaoyuan, let alone dated her.
The opportunity that brought them together and made them fall in love ultimately became the reason for their breakup.
Xin Lan told him that’s how life isβthings don’t always go as wished, and being together isn’t sustained by love alone.
Like Cheng Zhi and Yuan Xiaoyuan, like her and Qin Yuyan.
She wasn’t being pessimistic; she just felt that turning one-sided feelings into something more mature required taking responsibility.
She didn’t want Qin Yuyan to be sadβthat was her way of loving.
The day after Cheng Zhi finished crying, Xin Lan called Chu Chu to ask about his condition. Chu Chu said aside from his eyes being red and swollen from staying up late, his state was better than usual.
Xin Lan felt quite relieved.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for Shen Yun to audition for that big-budget palace fighting drama.
Shen Yun had prepared thoroughly but wasn’t very happy coming out. She worried this time would be like last timeβempty joy.
The feeling of shock, defeat, and disappointment was enough to experience once. Shen Yun didn’t want to go through it a second time, so she didn’t have high expectations this time, sitting quietly in Xin Lan’s passenger seat, trying to make herself invisible.
How could Xin Lan play the same trick twice? When she told Shen Yun that she passed the audition and would be joining the crew soon, Shen Yun could hardly believe it.
Shen Yun was truly surprised, and with peace in her heart, she had her first good sleep in a long time that night.
Shen Yun happily jumped into the trap, and Xin Lan expressed her happiness too.
She just loved seeing Shen Yun approach something with joy, only to experience the pain of disappointment in the end.
Xin Lan had already investigated this drama thoroughly. It looked like a big production that, even if not explosive, wouldn’t flop [ζθ‘ | pΕ« jiΔ | entertainment slang for commercial failure]. As long as it aired on a high-ratings TV station, viewership was guaranteed. However, there were deep undercurrents in this production team, with the risk of disaster at any time. Xin Lan had the information and knew others were watching, waiting for them to fail after filming.
After running promotions for half a month, Xin Lan got a new drama for Qin Yuyan, coincidentally also a palace drama.
But unlike Shen Yun’s harem drama, Qin Yuyan’s script had a grander scale, involving dynastic changes, more magnificent in scope.
The protagonist enters the palace, becomes a female official, and by chance becomes the dynasty’s first female historian.
Being a court historian isn’t easyβone must be upright and record all imperial actions, but no emperor is without fault. Every emperor hopes to leave their name in history for generations, so historians often meet tragic ends.
As a historian, the female protagonist is righteous, objectively recording the emperor’s deeds one by one. The current emperor killed his brother to ascend the throneβa wise ruler but with a violent temperament. Naturally, he dislikes the female protagonistβs approach, and precisely because she’s beautiful, he deliberately humiliates her.
Xin Lan read the script and thought it was excellent. It showcases the female protagonistβs talent and character from the start, creates conflict, and moves quicklyβthe emperor’s humiliation and attempt to force her into the harem happens as early as episode five.
Xin Lan let Qin Yuyan read the script and asked just four words:
“Can you act it?”
“Yes.”
Qin Yuyan nodded.
“But what about the bed scene?”
Qin Yuyan felt troubled. She knew that as a dedicated actor, she should perform it herself. If she didn’t have someone she loved, she could maintain professional standards, but with Xin Lan right in front of her, she was unwilling to maintain such professionalism.
“I’ve discussed this with the director. There won’t be any extreme content, mainly focusing on conflict. If there’s anything unavoidable, we’ll discuss it further. I won’t force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
Xin Lan spoke with certainty, her aura confident and powerful, just like when Qin Yuyan first saw her at the banquet.
TV dramas are more detailed than movies because with longer episodes, character development can be more complete. However, because of the length, actors’ weaknesses also become more apparent.
But Xin Lan felt Qin Yuyan had no weaknesses, absolutely no problems.
Indeed, Qin Yuyan lived up to her expectations, conquering everyone present at the audition with her acting skills.
The director immediately made the decision, saying this was exactly the female protagonist she wanted.
At this time, Zhang Haishan’s filming was also entering its final stages.
Qin Yuyan’s acting career was progressing according to Xin Lan’s plans, everything as she had anticipated.
She was always confident about everything, except for Qin Yuyan’s feelingsβor rather, her feelings for Qin Yuyanβthis was the variable she hadn’t predicted.
“If you’re not busy, remember to visit the set, okay?”
Qin Yuyan said with a smile, just like last time.
LP: Re-translated on March 09, 2025
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