Amusing Ourselves to Death Arc
Agent 21
Tossing the divination blocks, Xin Lan could only throw them three times, and she found the probabilities involved to be utterly unscientific. She got up somewhat dazedly, but deep down, she was quietly delighted.
If this deity was truly as miraculous as it seemed, then she would discover a companion for her journey.
But who could that companion be?
Subconsciously, she glanced at Qin Yuyan, who wasn’t in the same line as her but in the adjacent queue. Xin Lan’s line was moving faster, and she had already completed her divination, while Qin Yuyan’s side was just beginning to toss the divination blocks.
As she watched, she couldn’t help but sense something subtle in the atmosphere. She didn’t know what question Qin Yuyan had asked, but the outcome was completely opposite to hers: it was the divination of anger.
Could she possibly be asking if there will be an outcome between them?
In reality, Xin Lan’s guess was right on the mark. After Qin Yuyan had offered her sincere respects, she indeed posed this very question. However, her question was whether she could successfully confess her feelings to Xin Lan.
Upon receiving the result of anger divination, Qin Yuyan didn’t put much faith in it.
So, she joined her hands together, asked once more, but rephrased her query. She asked whether she could capture Xin Lan’s affection.
The outcome that emerged was the divination of sanctity.
Qin Yuyan was overjoyed. Just to be safe, she asked once more if she could win Xin Lan’s affection.
Sacred divination.
When Qin Yuyan stood up, the smile on her face couldn’t be hidden. She didn’t mind; this deity was unquestionably accurate!
But why did she receive the divination of anger when she asked the first question? Did the deity believe she couldn’t successfully confess her feelings to Xin Lan? However, why did it then confirm that she could win Xin Lan’s heart?
It’s quite strange. Could it be implying that she shouldn’t confess her feelings to Xin Lan?
This isn’t going to work, is it?
Qin Yuyan was conflicted as she and Xin Lan left the temple. She noticed Xin Lan’s three sacred divinations, and she was particularly curious about the questions Xin Lan had asked. However, she hesitated, as she didn’t want to intrude on someone else’s privacy by asking.
Xin Lan wasn’t naturally a very curious person, but upon seeing Qin Yuyan receive both the divination of anger and the divination of sanctity, she couldn’t help but wonder. However, she was concerned that if she inquired, the answer might be related to the question she had just thought of, which would be rather awkward.
After leaving the temple, the two of them headed to a nearby street famous for its street food.
The entire street was permeated with the delectable scents of various dishes. With just a glance, one could spot grilled gluten, roasted chicken legs, chicken wing rice wraps, foil-wrapped brain flowers1, rice noodle rolls, fried oysters, mango sago desserts, and more. It was Qin Yuyan’s first time visiting such a street, and everything appeared novel, igniting her desire to sample a bit of everything.
Upon seeing the foil-wrapped brain flowers, Qin Yuyan’s face was filled with eagerness to try them, but she hesitated and couldn’t bring herself to order them.
Xin Lan, on the other hand, had a preference—not for or against the brain flowers themselves, as she found them neither particularly delicious nor distasteful, but for the garlic sauce.
After briefly contemplating the taste of garlic sauce, Qin Yuyan decided to forgo it.
After a leisurely stroll and their return to the hotel, it was already one or two o’clock in the afternoon.
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The Rabbit had arranged a room next to Qin Yuyan’s for Xin Lan, and both of them retired to their respective rooms to rest.
Qin Yuyan did think about resting in Xin Lan’s room next door but couldn’t muster the courage.
With a contented grin, she shared a social media post, then set her phone aside and went for a shower.
Qin Yuyan’s social media post was visible to her close friends, and Xin Lan could naturally see it as well.
“Is that the divine will?”
Xin Lan read aloud, noticing a little heart emoji at the end of the post, hinting at the poster’s cheerful mood.
Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, once again unable to resist doubting the authenticity of this deity.
When Zhang Haishan and his group set off, Xin Lan, along with Qin Yuyan and Rabbit, followed suit.
The place they had arrived at wasn’t bustling; the streets were filled with people coming and going, and there were piles of trash at street corners. Everything carried a sense of decay, the typical appearance you’d expect in an average small county town. It was also perfectly suitable for scenes in X-rated undercover operations and serendipitous encounters with first loves.
The production crew had arranged accommodations, and after Xin Lan had inspected the place they would be staying and the filming locations, she exchanged greetings with Zhang Haishan and Qin Yuyan and prepared to depart.
Qin Yuyan really wished Xin Lan could stay a bit longer, but she understood that such a gesture would be immature and might delay Xin Lan, so she waved her hand and wished her a safe journey.
“When you arrive, remember to send me a message,” Qin Yuyan pinched her fingers, appearing somewhat unhappy, but quickly adopted an expectant expression. “And if you have some free time, remember to visit the set, okay?”
“Alright.”
Xin Lan left decisively, leaving Qin Yuyan standing alone, watching Xin Lan’s retreating figure, looking quite desolate.
The Rabbit internally commented on how attached her new boss had turned out to be, appearing so miserable without her manager. Just as she was about to offer some words of comfort, she noticed the manager’s car had already driven away. The boss’s expression of reluctance had disappeared, and when her gaze swept over the Rabbit, it carried a hint of cool indifference.
In her subsequent professional career, the Rabbit eventually concluded that Qin Yuyan was two-faced. She was polite and distant in front of others but transformed into a virtuous and devoted partner in front of her manager, leaving people with nothing to say except to marvel at the change.
Xin Lan didn’t take a break and returned directly to the company. After a short rest, she continued to be busy with her work and various social obligations.
In her spare time, she also visited Cheng Zhi’s set. Cheng Zhi was currently filming a web series, and the on-set results were quite satisfactory. While there were still some imperfections in his acting, it had improved significantly compared to his previous work, especially when working alongside others.
When Cheng Zhi saw Xin Lan during a break from her scenes, he invited her for a meal.
They ended up in a private room at a barbecue restaurant, with a table full of grilled dishes and a chilled glass of orange juice on the side.
“Do you think you’ve lost weight recently, which is why you’re indulging yourself like this?”
Xin Lan didn’t hesitate to instruct Cheng Zhi’s assistant to keep an eye on him and ensure he didn’t overindulge. Assistant Chu dutifully reported that everything was normal and even mentioned a couple of days ago that Cheng Zhi had lost two pounds. However, now that she had come to visit, this little rascal had ordered so much barbecue. Was he afraid she wouldn’t scold him?
Upon hearing Xin Lan’s words, Cheng Zhi pouted, looking quite aggrieved.
“Sis, I feel like I’ve just experienced a breakup.”
Cheng Zhi said, looking very upset. He lifted the glass of orange juice and took a big gulp. He had originally wanted to order beer and declare “I won’t return until I’m drunk,” but considering he was currently filming, he thought Sister Lan might actually beat him to death for doing so. Therefore, he timidly settled for orange juice.
“A breakup?”
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Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. From the company’s perspective, she should probably offer congratulations at this point, but she wasn’t that heartless. She expressed her concern for her artist first.
Xin Lan remembered Cheng Zhi’s girlfriend, Yuan Xiaoyuan, a slender girl who performed traditional Chinese opera. The second time Xin Lan saw Qin Yuyan at the event, it was Yuan Xiaoyuan who had introduced them.
“Xiaoyuan hasn’t sent me any messages for several days, and when I replied to her, I got a bit worried. I contacted her best friend, and her best friend said that Xiaoyuan hasn’t had anything unusual going on lately. Then she mentioned that there’s been a guy pursuing her quite persistently.”
When Cheng Zhi learned this news, he nearly wanted to rush to his girlfriend’s side and knock that guy down.
“She hasn’t responded to your messages. Do you know the reason?”
“A few days ago was her birthday, and I was so busy that I forgot.”
Cheng Zhi said with a dejected expression.
“Well, then you deserve her not responding to you. How could you forget something so important?”
“Because the night before her birthday, we were shooting night scenes, and it didn’t go smoothly. We ended up filming until two in the morning, and I passed out from exhaustion. It was Chu Chu who woke me up, and my mind was still foggy. I went back to shooting, and we had a water scene that kept us busy all afternoon. I didn’t even have time for dinner, so I ended up sleeping until the next morning. That’s how I forgot.”
Cheng Zhi explained with a wry smile, appearing gloomy.
Xin Lan lightly tapped his head to stop him from being so disheartened.
“Did you explain it to her?”
“I did, but she’s not responding.”
“One of the reasons the company doesn’t allow artists to date is because they’re worried about upsetting the fans. Another reason is that it might affect the actor’s state of mind. After all, dating a celebrity isn’t easy. Celebrities are constantly busy, and sometimes, just to generate publicity, they have to create rumors and form fake couples with co-stars. Their partners might not be happy about it because who likes it when their significant other is too busy to go on dates and has to meet in secret, like having an underground affair? And there’s the occasional rumor about them dating someone else.”
“I know you understand all of this in your heart. I didn’t force you to break up like other managers initially because I believed you could handle it.”
Cheng Zhi responded with a disheartened nod, eating his barbecue with a gloomy expression.
As Xin Lan watched his dejected demeanor, she felt a mix of emotions. Love could change a person, and she hoped to meet that special someone to walk hand in hand with, but she didn’t want to become this dispirited and unhappy version of herself.
In that moment, she thought of Qin Yuyan. If it were this person, she probably wouldn’t feel unhappy, would she?
When this thought surfaced, Xin Lan found herself surprised.
Perhaps it was time to calm down and focus on her mission. The version of herself dwelling on these matters didn’t seem like her at all.
Xin Lan’s gaze turned slightly cold, but Cheng Zhi didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he channeled his sadness and frustration into his appetite, making an effort to eat the barbecue. After all, he didn’t know when he would have the chance to eat barbecue again.
To show care for the artists under her management, Xin Lan decided to contact Yuan Xiaoyuan.
She didn’t play the emotional card but simply stated the facts.
Cheng Zhi wasn’t exceptionally busy at the moment, but in the future, as his career took off, he would become busier. He would have to endure longer periods of separation, and perhaps he wouldn’t be able to be by her side when she was ill. Maybe he would have to comply with the company’s arrangements for generating rumors…
Xin Lan wasn’t trying to encourage a breakup; she just hoped they could face their issues realistically.
Cheng Zhi was only 21, and Yuan Xiaoyuan was more than half a year older than him. From Xin Lan’s perspective, they were still too young to withstand the storms of such emotions.
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After sharing her thoughts with Cheng Zhi, Xin Lan didn’t delve further into the matter. She left the future to him, and she didn’t dwell on it too much. As she had mentioned before, she believed Cheng Zhi could handle it.
As time passed, Shen Yun’s audition for “Xiao Man” approached.
Naturally, Xin Lan accompanied her to the audition. On that day, she gave Shen Yun a smile and talked to her about how her career would blossom if the project succeeded.
Shen Yun appeared extremely delighted, and her spirits were high.
Watching Shen Yun’s triumphant expression, Xin Lan’s smile deepened.
During this period, Zhou Qinqin and Miao Miao had been subtly and tactfully flattering Shen Yun. Xin Lan even encouraged them to mention Lan Rui, and she sent them red envelopes as an incentive.
The two girls, upon receiving the bonuses, became even more dedicated to praising Shen Yun. They intentionally belittled Lan Rui in front of Shen Yun, making her burst into uncontrollable laughter. During this time, her confidence had inflated.
Today, Xin Lan continued with her compliments, feeling that she was already in a winning position.
When the audition was over, Shen Yun wore a confident smile on her face.
However, when Xin Lan called to inform her of the results, the smile on her face froze completely.