On the Wedding Night, I Transmigrated to After the Divorce – Chapter 47
by Little PandaSights Set on New Prey
An Encounter with Fu Yunqing
Yu Yan’s world had indeed expanded beyond Li Tong. Though she still had amnesia, she had slowly made all sorts of new friends.
Lately, in order to maintain her extravagant lifestyle, she had been constantly filming videos and livestreaming. She even started doing connected livestreams1 with other influencers. This was Lu Yu’s idea. Because Yu Yan was naturally lazy and always seemed unenthusiastic during her streams, she had gradually become neglectful in her responses to the chat. Sometimes she was even too lazy to thank viewers for their gifts. Lu Yu suggested she co-stream with other women because the moment she saw a woman, her spirits would soar, and she could chatter away nonstop for an entire night.
As a result, she got to know many female influencers2, adding most of her co-hosts on WeChat. In the streams, she would play the part of the jiejies’ little puppy, and after the broadcast ended, the jiejies couldn’t resist privately messaging her for her WeChat, complimenting her on how cute, pretty, and well-behaved she was. The chats that started on the livestream would continue on WeChat, and from there, they would begin arranging to meet for meals and drinks. Her popularity surged, and her follower count surpassed one million. She had become a minor celebrity, and earning enough pocket money for a few days from a single stream was no problem. All this excitement helped fill the sense of helplessness and loss she’d felt upon waking up after her amnesia to find she’d lost everything, though she still felt a little adrift.
And even though her life was so full of joy, beautiful women, feasting, and carousing, every day when she woke up she would still fantasize about how wonderful it would be if she had never “transmigrated.” She could be more spontaneous, freer, more at ease. She wouldn’t have to live in fear or worry about her future. (Was she really going to be a livestreamer until she was old? She had to find a sugar mommy to keep her as soon as possible.) The friends she missed, but didn’t know how to reconnect with, would flock to her side on their own. In a cold winter like this, they should be watching the ocean in Southeast Asia. Then, the next day, they could change their IP address again and go see the penguins in Antarctica on a whim.
She hadn’t even finished university yet. There were so many things she hadn’t had time to do… The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, though the sadness was only ever a fleeting thing.
The weather grew colder, and in the blink of an eye, it was December. Amid her continuous happiness and intermittent confusion, Yu Yan felt the year-end rush. Lu Yu was rarely able to come home to cook anymore, sometimes having to work very late. What was going on with her travel agency? Was winter in Yuncheng also a peak tourist season? To stave off the loneliness, Yu Yan often asked the streamers she’d met online to go out to eat with her.
Dining with beautiful streamers really was a joy. Yu Yan absolutely savored the feeling of paying for a woman. She loved to see women smile, loved to hear them praise her, loved to walk arm-in-arm with them along the seaside at night and watch their reluctant expressions when it was time to part. But this time, she’d crashed and burned3!
They had agreed from the start that it was Yu Yan’s treat. They had a wonderful meal, but when it came time to pay, her card was declined. The meal was quite expensive. Having been a Young Miss for twenty years, Yu Yan found it incredibly difficult to develop the habit of checking her balance before a meal to see if she had enough to cover the bill.
What a mortifying disgrace!
“Waaaaah… I don’t want to live anymore, I don’t want to live, I don’t want to live! Waaah, I miss home so much, I miss my mommy, waaaah.”
“All right, all right, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Didn’t you run out and call me to borrow money? You were still the one who paid in the end. It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Snot and tears streamed down Yu Yan’s face, soaking Lu Yu’s clothes. It took a great deal of effort for Lu Yu to coax her back to her room. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She sat on the edge of her bed, dabbing at her tears with a tissue and sobbing uncontrollably. But when she picked up her phone and unlocked it, all of it came to a sudden halt at the sight of a certain message.
An Qiu: 【This role is really perfect for you. I hope you’ll consider it carefully. There’s no rush to refuse. Or perhaps we could find a time to talk it over properly?】
Yu Yan stared in a daze for a long while, then sniffled. She never expected… that a film production would actually approach her.
An Qiu was a formidable star. Yu Yan had known of her for a long time; as a teenager, she had especially loved her films. An Qiu had debuted at fifteen, starred in a classic at twenty, and possessed a beautiful, profound face made for the silver screen, as if she were a born actress. In her ten-year career, she had won countless awards and achieved an extremely high status in the film industry.
Yu Yan was already a loyal fan of every female celebrity in Hua Country—she was a woman who unconditionally favored and defended other women. She held a particular admiration for brilliant women like An Qiu. She had later found it a shame when An Qiu retired to work behind the scenes so early. She never thought that she would one day cross paths with her, much less that An Qiu would be the one to initiate contact.
When An Qiu had left a comment on her video last time, Yu Yan had assumed she was just casually bestowing a favor on a whim. She hadn’t realized… Had she been paying attention to her all this time? Because she was a good fit for her character?
Whether she acted or not was another matter entirely. The main thing was, it would be utterly senseless not to meet her. Only a fool would refuse to set a time to talk things over.
And so, the afternoon after receiving the work invitation, Yu Yan was sitting across from her.
She was completely bare-faced, with no makeup, and her eyes were still a little swollen.
Having stepped back from the screen for five years, An Qiu lived with an increasing casualness. She no longer bundled herself up when she went out, not even bothering to wear sunglasses. She wasn’t wearing any makeup either, her skin looking perfectly natural. Her beauty was one of composure and freedom.
From the moment she entered the coffee shop, Yu Yan had been staring at her, so struck by her beauty that she couldn’t look away. An Qiu was perfectly composed and tolerant, allowing Yu Yan’s fervent gaze to roam as it pleased.
Teacher An’s personality was just as the rumors say, as cool and assertive as she is gentle.
“The first time I saw you, I felt you were perfect for this role. But because you’re not professionally trained4, the others all advised me to keep looking, so I did… But after searching for so long, I still haven’t found the most suitable candidate. Every time I read her script, I think of you. At this point, I believe you are the one and only choice.” The “her” An Qiu was referring to was the character in the film.
To be called the one and only choice in a field she’d never even touched—Yu Yan hadn’t received that kind of validation in her entire life. “Am I really that amazing?”
Whether “amazing” was the right word was debatable, but An Qiu affirmed it with a soft “mhm.” “Yes. I think you’re just like her. You’re both very…” She paused in thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Very sly, very smart, very spirited, and also very fragile. She’s a very captivating character, provided she’s played well.” Teacher An seemed a bit strict.
How does she know I’m fragile? Yu Yan thought. She must have been paying very close attention.
“But I’ve never acted before. I don’t really know how. I feel like if I get up there, the moment I remember I’m acting, I’ll burst out laughing.” As she said this, Yu Yan smiled, and An Qiu laughed out loud as well. “Of course, we’ve thought of that. We’ll arrange special training for you, which might be a bit tough. Our shooting location will be deep in the mountains, in a high-altitude region, which will also be tough.”
“…”
It was over. This was a bust. The one thing Yu Yan couldn’t handle was hardship.
But faced with Teacher An’s initiative and hopeful expression, she found she couldn’t quite bring herself to say the words.
“Um…” Yu Yan felt a little awkward.
“Do you have some concerns?” An Qiu leaned forward slightly, her gaze focused on her.
Yu Yan met her eyes.
An Qiu truly was beautiful, especially her deep-set eyes. She had high brow bones and the corners of her eyes tilted upward, and her gaze was so intent… She wore no makeup, the texture of her skin and the traces of time openly displayed as part of her, creating an effect that was at once wild and sexy. There was also a gentle, feminine compassion in her, which gave one an indescribable sense of security. She was beautiful and dependable, and…
As Yu Yan looked at her, mesmerized, a bold thought suddenly surfaced in her mind. Teacher An must be very rich, right?
She pressed her lips together and made an excuse. “I don’t know how to act, and I can’t handle hardship. I’m actually quite pampered. I won’t be able to stand rigorous training or the environment in the mountains. Teacher An, why don’t you… try looking for someone else?”
An Qiu had been making films for so many years, with people practically breaking down her door for a role, that this was likely the first time she had ever heard such a reason for refusal. To think someone would so lightly cast aside such an opportunity.
Yu Yan was unique, and full of contradictions.
“Is that the only reason?” An Qiu asked. “Are there any other concerns?”
“Um…” Yu Yan wracked her brain, then gave up.
“It’s okay. That’s okay.”
An Qiu wasn’t about to give up over such a small obstacle. She chose to accommodate her. “We’re not in a rush to start filming. Many things are still in the preparatory stages, so you’ll have plenty of time for training. It won’t be overly demanding. You can rest whenever you’re tired. It won’t be strict, and no one will blame you.”
“You don’t need to worry about being in the mountains, either. We’ll arrange the best of everything for you—food, lodging, transportation, assistants, and an accompanying medical team. At the very least, we won’t let you find it unbearable. It’s just that some scenes might require running, climbing, or rolling around in the mud. That’s unavoidable. I hope you can overcome that. The salary we’ve budgeted for you is not low. Acting has much better long-term prospects than being an influencer. And that role is truly perfect for you.”
Yu Yan fell silent. An Qiu knew she was considering it and didn’t want to rush her into another refusal. Instead, she switched to a lighter topic. “The lead actress we’ve chosen is Wen Luo. Do you know her?”
“Wen Luo?” Yu Yan’s eyes lit up. “I’m her fan!” (A complete fabrication. No matter who the lead was, she would have claimed to be their fan.)
“Is that so?” An Qiu wasn’t surprised. “She’s very nice, very easygoing. If you want a photo or an autograph, she’ll give you one. You’ll also get to spend every day with her for several months. Being able to live and work with an actress you like, wouldn’t that be very motivating?”
Yu Yan suddenly looked at her and asked, “What about you?”
“…Me?” An Qiu was momentarily taken aback.
“Will you be there too, Teacher An?”
“I’m the director,” An Qiu said. “Of course I’ll be there. I’ll be there the entire time.”
Yu Yan immediately agreed. “Then I’ll do it!”
An Qiu froze, staring at her. “You’re agreeing, just like that?”
Yu Yan countered, “If I came to meet you and then refused, would you think I was wasting your time?”
An Qiu shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t. But I don’t want you to accept this film just because you’re afraid I’ll think you’ve wasted my time. I wouldn’t think that at all. It’s perfectly normal.”
“That’s not it…” Yu Yan clutched her warm latte, shifting a little. She looked up, her eyes filled with a shy yet bold adoration. “Actually, I’m your fan, too. I’ve liked you since I was a teenager. I like you even more than I like Wen Luo.”
“Even though I don’t have much confidence in myself, if Teacher An is also on set, and I can be guided by you and spend all that time with you, then I don’t want to refuse at all.”
“I really, really like you.”
Like you.
A tremor ran through An Qiu’s gaze. She looked at the girl’s dazzling, expressive eyes and was, for a moment, speechless.
“…”
For some reason, she didn’t want this girl’s affection to be in vain. Faced with this almost childlike earnestness, she felt she couldn’t fend it off. Her tone softened, as if she were coaxing her. “So you don’t have to be afraid. You can rely on me on set. I’ll make sure you do a good job, okay?”
With that one short sentence, an ambiguous warmth seeped into the air from some unknown crevice, perhaps from Yu Yan’s deeply bewitching eyes. The way An Qiu looked at her changed, becoming more gentle, and also more…
Conflicted? Or troubled?
Yu Yan blinked obediently, a smile curving her lips. “Director An,” she sighed, “you make me feel so secure.”
After talking for nearly an hour, An Qiu had to rush off to her next engagement. They both stood up and walked toward the cafe’s exit side by side.
“I have a dinner meeting tonight that I can’t get out of, so I can’t treat you. Next time.”
Yu Yan accepted gracefully. “Okay~”
The rising tail of her voice sounded playful and harmless, yet it was undeniably tantalizing. An Qiu turned her head to look at her, momentarily lost in thought. At that very same instant, Fu Yunqing was walking down from the second floor of the coffee shop, her gaze colliding with the smile still lingering in Yu Yan’s eyes.
They both froze. As Yu Yan stared at the woman standing on the third step from the bottom, her heart began to race. A full month. It had been a full month since she had resolved to stop pestering Fu Yunqing, and she had stuck to it. She had faded out of her life, about to be packed away and forgotten along with all the other past events that felt so unreal, like they had never belonged to her. But to appear before her now, in this way—Yu Yan was struck by a pang of guilt, the kind one feels when being caught cheating5.
Fu Yunqing’s gaze was too deep.
Yu Yan desperately wanted to flee.
An Qiu noticed her strange behavior and followed her line of sight to Fu Yunqing. She, too, was stunned. She asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
“…It’s fine. It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Yu Yan suppressed the damned palpitation in her chest, linked her arm through An Qiu’s, and pulled her away. They quickly disappeared through the glass door, which was decorated with a Christmas tree.
Only Fu Yunqing was left standing there, her hand gripping the stair railing tightly.
Footnotes
- A 'liánxiàn' is a feature on platforms like Douyin that allows streamers to connect their broadcasts for a joint session or a 'PK battle'.
- A 'wǎnghóng' (internet red) is the standard modern Chinese term for an internet celebrity or influencer.
- 'Fānchē' (to flip a car) is common internet slang for a plan going disastrously wrong, a public figure having a scandal, or an embarrassing public failure.
- 'Kēbān chūshēn' refers to someone who has received formal, academic training from a professional school (e.g., a drama academy) rather than being self-taught.
- To 'zhuō jiān' (捉奸) is to catch a cheating partner in the act. Yu Yan uses this metaphorically to describe her guilty feeling of being 'caught' with An Qiu by her ex-wife.
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