Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 87

Amusing Ourselves to Death Arc

Agent 24

“You don’t have the qualifications to do this!”

Shen Yun struggled for a moment, but the power difference between her and Ah Kun was too great, and she couldn’t break free.

“Yun Jie, Lan Jie is doing this for your own good.”

When Xin Lan initially told Shen Yun that she needed to cut off contact with the outside world, she was quite confused.

As a result, Xin Lan informed them that Shen Yun had been secretly meeting with some investors behind her back and had been reprimanded by the legitimate wife of someone. Moreover, someone had sent compromising photos to the company, demanding money.

When Zhou Qinqin heard all this, her first reaction was astonishment, and her second was a realization of her own negligence.

After the group of assistants had a moment to catch their breath, they discovered that there were indeed several days when they hadn’t been with Shen Yun.

Zhou Qinqin couldn’t fathom it. For these past few years, Xin Lan had been wholeheartedly devoted to Shen Yun. Such dedicated agents were not common in the industry. Why would Shen Yun act like this?

Shen Yun used to look down on people like Lan Rui who slept their way up, but now she was doing something like this herself? Was she trying to become a high-end escort?

Seeing that she couldn’t break free, Shen Yun took a deep breath to calm herself down.

She was already embarrassed enough in front of this group of assistants; they clearly believed Xin Lan’s words, and she couldn’t explain herself.

“Call Xin Lan; I want to talk to her.”

“Lan Jie said there’s no need to talk to her about anything. You just need to focus on reading the script. On the day before the audition, she will come to pick you up.”

“She intends to keep me confined here indefinitely?”

Shen Yun was shocked.

She began to panic again, feeling like Xin Lan was leading her by the nose, but she was unwilling to accept it.

She knew she should pretend to comply, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Of course not. Lan Jie said you still have to attend your scheduled events; we’ll just be accompanying you to ensure you don’t wander off.”

“Are her words like a decree to you?” Shen Yun sneered. “Don’t you know who your real boss is?”

Zhou Qinqin and the others remained silent. Xin Lan was the one who paid their salaries, so they followed her instructions without question.

“Okay, fine, I understand.”

Shen Yun nodded, suppressing her anger.

She had to stay calm. The situation was not in her favor. Xin Lan had something to hold over her, so she needed to stay composed.

Shen Yun kept building herself up mentally. When Zhou Qinqin and the others saw that Shen Yun had no intention of struggling further, Ah Kun released her and closed the door.

With Shen Yun’s whereabouts under Xin Lan’s control, Xin Lan didn’t have to worry much.

Shen Yun was also very adept at behaving well, attending commercial performances and accepting roles in a completely professional manner, without stepping out of line in the slightest.

Xin Lan avoided direct contact with her, and all commands were conveyed through the assistants. Xin Lan had someone tailing her, so she was quite confident.

In this seemingly normal life, Shen Yun slowly let her guard down.

Perhaps Xin Lan wouldn’t betray her after all, and she could continue to rise to fame.

She still harbored the desire to break free from Xin Lan’s control, but every time she contemplated taking any action, she would be cautioned by Xin Lan.

Shen Yun felt a growing sense of fear as she perceived Xin Lan’s seemingly omnipresent surveillance. The constant scrutiny and tight control left her feeling suffocated.

Occasionally, she would have recurring dreams of that fateful day when she found herself amidst chaos, with Xin Lan’s hands around her throat. Xin Lan’s eyes were as dark as ink, reflecting her struggling face.

Her sleep was restless, and during the day, she had to put on a facade of composure under the glaring spotlight.

In this daily torment, she quickly grew weary, relying on makeup to maintain her outward beauty.

Xin Lan naturally noticed her discomfort, but Shen Yun’s discomfort brought Xin Lan satisfaction.

Zero Nine was also quite content. Shen Yun’s demeanor, which clearly conveyed a sense of grievance but couldn’t be shared with anyone, was somewhat amusing.

Shen Yun knew she was in the wrong, and with her host having something to hold over her, it was like being in a situation where, to make an inappropriate analogy, someone bought powdered milk from a smuggler. If she wanted to report it to the authorities, she would suffer consequences as well. If she wanted to confront the smuggler, she simply couldn’t win. However, her host was much more confident than a smuggler, given that they hadn’t engaged in any illegal activities. From whichever perspective you looked at it, they held the upper hand.

With things proceeding smoothly, Xin Lan found herself unusually at ease.

Shen Yun didn’t require much attention, and the filming for Cheng Zhi’s drama was progressing as planned, leaving her with little to worry about.

The only remaining concern was Qin Yuyan… and Xin Lan found herself contemplating Qin Yuyan’s invitation to visit the set that day, feeling somewhat intrigued.

However, that momentary intrigue quickly passed.

Xin Lan knew that being the one to make the first move was beneath her. Although Qin Yuyan had initiated it, she had never been explicit about her intentions. Xin Lan had reminded herself not to overstep boundaries. If she were to visit the set now, her previous thoughts would surely become a joke.

She didn’t want a commitment but still wanted to toy with people. Xin Lan chuckled at herself, realizing she had never been that kind of person.

In the end, Xin Lan didn’t go, even when Qin Yuyan finished filming her scenes, Xin Lan didn’t go to pick her up.

She truly couldn’t leave. When Qin Yuyan arrived, Xin Lan was in the middle of having afternoon tea with someone.

The other person was one of her close friends within her industry, the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine.

Interestingly, Qin Yuyan’s aunt also worked in a similar field as the editor-in-chief of a weekly magazine. However, her aunt’s work was more official and unrelated to the entertainment industry.

Xin Lan’s invitation this time was aimed at securing an opportunity for Qin Yuyan to be featured in a photoshoot.

“I thought you were going to offer this to Shen Yun or Qin Yuyan… Are you in such a hurry?”

Qin Yuyan didn’t have any significant works under her belt yet and couldn’t be considered famous. Although she had the recognition of a child star, it still wasn’t enough to land her on the cover or get a featured interview in their magazine according to Su Li’s standards.

Their magazine usually invites A-list celebrities for interviews, including actors, models, and singers.

“I’m not going to ask for the moon and stars. I’m not demanding an exclusive feature for her right away. But, with the connections you have in the magazine, can you at least give her a start? Let her warm up the stage first, and she’ll become famous.”

Xin Lan was confident in her request. She glanced at the time; Qin Yuyan had messaged her about an hour ago. Considering the short distance from the airport, she probably had already arrived.

As expected, a message from Qin Yuyan came through.

Xin Lan saw it but didn’t respond. She turned off her phone and continued her conversation with Su Li.

In her private car, Qin Yuyan wore sunglasses and stared at her phone intently.

It wasn’t until she arrived home that she still hadn’t received a response to her message.

Qin Yuyan felt a sense of disappointment and tried to console herself by thinking that Xin Lan might be too busy to have noticed her message.

But deep down, she knew that this self-consolation didn’t hold water.

Xin Lan was aware that she was returning because she had replied to her previous message and even mentioned that a car would be sent to pick her up.

The car had indeed arrived, but the person Qin Yuyan hoped to see was nowhere to be found.

“Yan Jie, do you want me to come in with you?”

Rabbit’s question interrupted Qin Yuyan’s continuous phone-checking behavior. Qin Yuyan nodded.

She hadn’t been home for nearly two months. Yesterday, she had called a familiar domestic service company to have her house cleaned. Her home should be clean now, but the kitchen would likely be empty. She planned to go shopping at the supermarket in the community to buy some groceries. One person might not be able to carry everything, so she needed some assistance.

In reality, the movie hadn’t finished filming yet, but her scenes had wrapped up. Xin Lan hadn’t arranged any further work for her, so she should have time to cook for herself.

Of course, Qin Yuyan silently added Xin Lan’s portion to that meal in her heart.

After finishing her conversation with Su Li, Xin Lan replied to Qin Yuyan’s message and called her.

“Have you arrived home?”

Xin Lan had a Bluetooth earpiece in her ear as she started her car.

“I just got home,” Qin Yuyan’s voice sounded cheerful. “I bought a lot of groceries just now. Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?”

“Maybe I won’t be available.”

Xin Lan instinctively declined, considering her schedule. She likely had a dinner engagement tonight.

“Oh, I see… Well then…”

Qin Yuyan’s voice trailed off, her last sentence almost inaudible.

Xin Lan felt strangely uncomfortable. Qin Yuyan had just finished shooting and rushed back on a flight. She immediately thought of this, and now she had declined. Qin Yuyan must be feeling quite upset.

However…

Xin Lan tightened her grip on the steering wheel, feeling a bit annoyed with her own indecision.

“Skipping the dinner is fine,” Xin Lan said after some inner turmoil.

“But don’t you need some rest?”

“Is it really okay not to go?” Qin Yuyan’s voice turned cheerful again, and even through the phone, her happiness was palpable.

Xin Lan couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s okay,” Qin Yuyan chirped, “I’ll prepare the ingredients now, and then I’ll take a shower and rest. By the time I wake up, it’ll be almost dinner time, and I can start cooking then!”

Qin Yuyan happily washed the vegetables, her spirits high.

In reality, as long as you’re with me, I don’t feel tired at all.

Of course, she could only let that thought spin in her head; Qin Yuyan didn’t dare to say it out loud.

“Okay, just let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll check the time to head back.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Xin Lan pinched the bridge of her nose.

Zero Nine: Host, you don’t really need to agonize like this. Just do what makes you happy.

Xin Lan knew this, of course. It’s just that she was never one to act too recklessly. The restraint ingrained in her as a military officer had become a part of her very nature, even after all these years. She still habitually overthought things, which sometimes made it hard for her to let loose.

To take pleasure in doing things and willingly accept the consequences, but the problem was, if she found joy, the one who might have to bear the sorrowful consequences would be Qin Yuyan.

Did she like Qin Yuyan?

She didn’t really know.

But what was unquestionable was that she enjoyed the feeling of being with Qin Yuyan.

If she were to seek a partner, she hoped for someone who was organized, proactive, disciplined, and passionate about life.

It was precisely because she felt that Qin Yuyan was a good person that she didn’t want her to fall into her own struggles.

The hedonistic otaku, Zero Nine, couldn’t understand the host’s troubles, so she decided to remain silent.

Emotions were something they AI didn’t fully comprehend, but she knew that once you committed, you would continue down that path.

However, humans and AI were different, especially people from the world of missions and hosts. The distance between them was like billions of light-years.

She had lost track of time in her busyness, and it wasn’t until Qin Yuyan’s call that she emerged from that state of being occupied.

When Xin Lan knocked on Qin Yuyan’s door, Qin Yuyan greeted her with an apron on, beaming.

“You’re here! Just wash your hands, and we’ll be ready to eat. Today, I made spicy stir-fried shrimp, fish-flavored eggplant, and braised ox tail with red wine. I’m not sure if you like them.”

Qin Yuyan chatted away as she walked towards the kitchen, her words reminiscent of a young wife welcoming her spouse home.

“You know, it’s quite a hassle for you to knock on the door every time you come. Next time, I’ll just add your fingerprint to the access.”

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