Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 90
by Little PandaAmusing Ourselves to Death
Manager 27
Queen
Having recovered from her fever thanks to medicine and Xin Lan’s visit, Qin Yuyan was fully revitalized the next day.
She messaged Xin Lan, asking if she was in a hurry to leave. If not, she suggested Xin Lan could visit her on set for a proper behind-the-scenes look.
Xin Lan didn’t refuse. After breakfast, she went to the film set. Qin Yuyan was already filming.
“Lan-jie,” someone called.
Tuzi saw her arrive and hurried over to greet her.
Xin Lan nodded, her eyes fixed on the two actors rehearsing.
Her arrival was timely. This scene appeared to be the one where the imperial official (played by Qin Yuyan) is being propositioned rather indecently by the emperor, a scene with implied intimacy.
Xin Lan frowned, observing the unfolding action.
Qin Yuyan’s collar was pulled open slightly, revealing her elegant, fair collarbone. She pursed her lips, her demeanor remaining dignified and imposing.
The level of intimacy was still within acceptable limits. Xin Lan folded her arms and watched them continue the scene.
Qin Yuyan’s acting was captivating. The male actor beside her was equally impressive. Their back-and-forth exchange created a compelling atmosphere.
The director also seemed very satisfied, his gaze glued to the camera monitor, without calling “cut!”.
Once the scene ended, Qin Yuyan stood up. Tuzi immediately stepped forward to wipe her sweat and whispered something to her. Qin Yuyan turned her head and, upon seeing Xin Lan, broke into a smile.
From a distance, Xin Lan returned the gesture, a hint of approval in her smile.
After a short pause, the next scene began filming. Qin Yuyan resumed her aloof and proud character, shifting her position and immersing herself back into the role.
After filming four or five takes like this, the intense conflict built to the point of the intimate scene. However, Qin Yuyan walked off set, and at the same time, a body double began to take her place.
Qin Yuyan, still in costume, walked directly over to Xin Lan and gave her a hug, as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
Xin Lan was taken aback. She had intended to pull away, but Qin Yuyan released her first.
“You really came! I was prepared for you to leave today. I didn’t expect you to actually visit me.” Qin Yuyan, momentarily overcome with emotion, had expressed her excitement with a hug, but quickly realized her forwardness and pulled back.
“Are you that happy?” Xin Lan was surprised, genuinely taken aback. It was just a set visit. Had it not been for their interaction the previous day, she could understand Qin Yuyan’s enthusiasm. But they had just seen each other yesterday. Why was she so excited today?
“Of course!” Qin Yuyan was delighted. A secret wish had been fulfilled, and she was overjoyed. So what if Shen Yun always got visits from Xin Lan before? Now I do too, she thought to herself.
“I’m going to change my clothes with the makeup artist. I have to go to Set B later.” Qin Yuyan wanted to spend more time with Xin Lan, but she didn’t have the time. For the film crew, time was the most precious commodity; every minute and every second was money. Typically, Sets A and B operated concurrently, ensuring no delays.
Qin Yuyan had finished filming the pivotal conflict scene on Set A and was now due on Set B to film scenes with other actors. In the morning, her character was twenty years old; in the afternoon, she would be twenty-five.
As she spoke, Qin Yuyan kept her eyes fixed on Xin Lan, conveying her unspoken question: Will you stay, or will you go? If Xin Lan left, Qin Yuyan would be reluctant. If she stayed, Qin Yuyan worried about imposing on her time.
“Go ahead,” Xin Lan replied. “I’ll come watch later.”
“Won’t you be bored watching all day?” Qin Yuyan asked, a shy undertone to her question, though inwardly she was screaming YES!
“Of course not,” Xin Lan reassured her. “Hurry along.”
Qin Yuyan could barely contain her grin as she turned and headed towards the makeup room. Ha ha ha ha ha! In her mind, Xin Lan’s “Of course not” had transformed into the flirtatious “Of course not, watching you is never boring.” If it weren’t for her acting skills, she would have burst into laughter.
Tuzi trailed behind Qin Yuyan, a nagging feeling that something was amiss. This atmosphere…it’s so strange.
With nothing pressing on her schedule, Xin Lan spent the day on set watching Qin Yuyan. She left on a flight the next day.
This time, Qin Yuyan refrained from suggesting another set visit. After all, having had one so recently, asking for another would seem greedy. This one visit was enough to keep her happy for a long time.
On the plane, Xin Lan closed her eyes, her thoughts clear. There was nothing to overthink. Qin Yuyan was happy, and so was she. That was enough.
Cheng Zhi’s web drama had wrapped up filming, and Xin Lan’s next task was managing his schedule and accompanying him to events.
The day Cheng Zhi returned from the set after the final shoot, Xin Lan noticed he looked thinner and more mature.
He bought a case of beer, proposing a drinking session with Xin Lan until they were both drunk. Xin Lan playfully knocked him on the head, but tacitly agreed.
Once drunk, Cheng Zhi became very talkative, alternating between laughter and tears. He clung to Xin Lan’s leg, rambling on and on before finally collapsing on the sofa. People often grow from setbacks. This is neither inherently good nor bad.
Xin Lan had never visited Shen Yun on set, allowing her to enjoy her freedom.
However, this freedom was short-lived. Trouble brewed on Shen Yun’s set.
Xin Lan was surprised when she received the news. The other party had acted faster than she anticipated. She had assumed they would wait until the drama aired.
The incident involved the male lead.
Xin Lan opened Weibo. “Zhu Yu Bed Photos” was trending at number one, marked with the “explosive” tag.
Zhu Yu was a well-established actor, having reached A-list status, won the Best Actor award, and become a specialist in historical dramas. He had a large fan base, and this scandal quickly caught the public’s attention.
If it were merely a dating reveal, it wouldn’t be considered a scandal. However, one of the women involved in this “yanzhaomen” [艳照门 | yànzhàomén | scandalous photos incident, similar to a sex tape scandal] incident was a married actress who had retired from the industry. Furthermore, Zhu Yu’s behavior was revealed to be quite promiscuous, involving instances of “shuangfei” [双飞 | shuāngfēi | threesome; sexual slang], even encounters with two men and two women. The explicit nature of the photos was shocking.
Zhu Yu’s team initiated crisis management, but the damage was irreparable.
For a time, all media outlets were scrambling to report on the story.
Before even receiving the script, Xin Lan had known someone was targeting Zhu Yu. The mastermind behind it all was the husband of the retired actress, the man who had been cheated on. Anyone would be furious in such a situation, let alone a man of influence and means.
With the male lead embroiled in scandal, the drama couldn’t continue filming. They would have to recast the role and reshoot.
Upon hearing the news, Shen Yun had a bad feeling. Her first thought went to Xin Lan. However, she immediately dismissed the idea. The scandal involved Zhu Yu, not her. Besides, such a large-scale operation wasn’t Xin Lan’s style. Someone was clearly targeting Zhu Yu specifically.
Sitting in her hotel room, Shen Yun felt agitated. With this incident, the male lead would have to be replaced, and much of the footage they had already shot would be scrapped. All that work, wasted.
But then she remembered her pay would remain unchanged, and her anger subsided.
Still, it was rather unprofessional of Xin Lan not to call and check on her after such an incident.
Shen Yun felt a flicker of annoyance, but then a different thought crossed her mind. She was happier without Xin Lan’s calls. She hadn’t had any nightmares in days.
The production team was scrambling to find a replacement male lead, while Shen Yun continued filming her other scenes.
But the trouble wasn’t over.
A week after the “yanzhaomen” incident, news broke that the director of the drama had used his position to coerce an actress, leading to her depression and suicide.
This news caused another uproar.
Naturally, the director immediately issued a statement denying the allegations. However, the source of the exposé then presented evidence, including a video of the deceased actress’s parents tearfully denouncing the director. The video went viral, garnering 200,000 reposts, with widespread condemnation of the corrupt practices within the entertainment industry.
The online community was buzzing with activity. Some astute observers noticed that the male lead of the “yanzhaomen” scandal and the director accused of coercion were both part of the same production. Speculation arose that someone was deliberately targeting the drama.
With the director now implicated, the drama was completely shut down.
The investors, expressing their disgust at the string of scandals, pulled their funding.
The actors were dismissed and sent home. Shen Yun sat in the airport lounge, filled with unease.
While she was angry about the wasted effort, her predominant emotion was fear.
She, too, realized that someone might be targeting the production. Otherwise, how could such incidents occur one after another with such impeccable timing?
She dialed Xin Lan’s number, but the call wouldn’t connect.
Panic set in. Xin Lan possessed incriminating information about her. Xin Lan not answering her calls… could she be the next target?
Shen Yun’s hand holding the phone was ice-cold, trembling involuntarily as she persistently redialed Xin Lan’s number.
Xin Lan sat in her office with her legs crossed, savoring Shen Yun’s panic before leisurely answering the phone.
“Something you need?” she asked casually.
“You said before that we were in the same boat, didn’t you? You said our interests were aligned!”
“Tsk, I haven’t even done anything yet, and you’re already this scared?” Xin Lan’s voice held a hint of amusement. Shen Yun, however, was instantly reminded of the terrifying feeling of Xin Lan’s hand around her throat, and she shuddered.
“You promised me!” she cried.
“Promised you what?”
“Xin Lan! You can’t do this! You can’t ruin me! Have you forgotten that I’m the one you cultivated, nurtured? How can you be so heartless?”
“Heartless?” Xin Lan chuckled, like a cat toying with a mouse, watching her prey cower, desperate to escape but too afraid to move.
“Xin Lan, I beg you. For the sake of our past relationship, you don’t have to be so cruel.” Shen Yun’s voice cracked with desperation, her hand shaking uncontrollably.
In truth, if Shen Yun’s only transgression was infidelity, Xin Lan wouldn’t have resorted to such harsh measures. But Shen Yun was implicated in something far more serious—the death of the original Xin Lan.
“Come back first, and then we’ll talk,” Xin Lan said before hanging up. No matter how many times Shen Yun redialed, the call wouldn’t go through.
Shen Yun’s face was ashen. She dug her nails into her palm as she left the restroom, her mind racing. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?
Shen Yun was near despair, unable to think of a solution.
During the hours-long flight, gazing at the clouds outside the window, she briefly wished the plane would crash.
But the thought was fleeting. She still wanted to live, to live better than anyone else!
After the plane landed, Shen Yun tried calling Xin Lan again, but the call went unanswered.
Sitting in the car, she opened Weibo and saw a new exposé.
Apparently, the screenwriter was a plagiarist, notorious for stealing ideas and with a long history of such behavior.
Normally, such news wouldn’t cause much of a stir. However, with the screenwriter now linked to the disgraced director and male lead, the online community was eager to join the condemnation.
Among the comments under the exposé, one stood out, almost mockingly:
@OtakuGirl099: The male lead, director, and screenwriter of this now-defunct drama have all fallen from grace. We can look forward to the female lead’s performance. Hee hee hee. @ShenYun I’m rooting for you! Don’t lose!
LP: Re-translated on March 13, 2025
Cmon mc, just be with FL already.