Amusing Ourselves to Death Arc
Agent 27
After taking medicine to reduce her fever and receiving a visit from Xin Lan, Qin Yuyan miraculously came back to full health the next day.
She messaged Xin Lan, asking if she was in a hurry to leave and suggesting a genuine visit if she wasn’t in a rush.
Xin Lan didn’t refuse. After finishing breakfast, she headed to the film set, where Qin Yuyan was already filming.
“Lan Jie.”
Rabbit, upon seeing her approach, came running over to greet her.
Xin Lan nodded, her eyes fixed on the two actors in the scene.
She arrived quite coincidentally, as this particular scene seemed to involve the court lady being playfully teased by the emperor, suggesting a more intimate encounter.
Xin Lan furrowed her brows, closely observing their actions.
Qin Yuyan’s neckline was slightly pulled down, revealing her fair and beautiful collarbone. She pursed her lips, still maintaining her resolute demeanor.
The level of intimacy remained within acceptable limits, and Xin Lan crossed her arms, watching them continue with the performance.
Qin Yuyan’s performance was excellent, and the male actor alongside her didn’t fall short either. They engaged in a back-and-forth, creating a well-enhanced atmosphere.
The director seemed quite satisfied, keeping a close eye on the camera without calling for a cut.
It wasn’t until the scene was finished that Qin Yuyan stood up. Rabbit quickly approached to wipe her sweat and said a few words beside her. Qin Yuyan immediately turned her head, spotting Xin Lan and flashing a smile.
Xin Lan acknowledged her with a distant smile and a nod of approval.
After a brief pause, the next scene began, and Qin Yuyan resumed her aloof and distant demeanor, shifting her position and immersing herself in the performance.
After several more intense scenes and conflicts had passed, the intimate scene was about to begin.
However, Qin Yuyan walked out, and at the same time, her stand-in began taking her position.
When Qin Yuyan emerged, she was still in her costume. She walked over and gave Xin Lan a hug, as if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
Xin Lan hesitated for a moment, initially thinking of pushing her away, but Qin Yuyan stepped back first.
“You really came. In fact, I had mentally prepared myself for you to leave today, but I didn’t expect you to come see me.”
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Qin Yuyan momentarily couldn’t control her overwhelming emotions and expressed her excitement with a hug. However, she realized her reaction the moment they embraced and quickly pulled away.
“Are you this happy?” Xin Lan was somewhat surprised. She did find it unexpected, considering it was just a visit. If yesterday’s circumstances hadn’t occurred, she could understand Qin Yuyan’s excitement, but she had clearly seen her yesterday, so why was she so emotional today?
“Of course.”
Qin Yuyan replied, visibly delighted. Her heart’s little hidden desire had been fulfilled, and she was genuinely happy.
Shen Yun used to be the one always visited by Xin Lan, but now she had her turn.
“I’ll go change my clothes with the makeup artist first, and later, I’ll have to go to Group B.”
Qin Yuyan wanted to spend more time with Xin Lan, but time was a luxury they didn’t have.
For the production crew, time was the most precious resource, and every minute counted as money. Typically, both Group A and Group B worked simultaneously, with no delays for either.
Qin Yuyan had just finished the timeline’s conflict points in Group A, and she would soon go to Group B for scenes with other actors. She was 20 in the morning, and by the afternoon, she’d be playing a 25 year old character.
As Qin Yuyan spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Xin Lan, conveying her thoughts through her gaze.
Are you leaving, or are you staying?
Xin Lan had to leave, but Qin Yuyan didn’t want her to. If Xin Lan stayed, Qin Yuyan worried it might inconvenience her.
“Go ahead, I’ll come to check on you later.”
“Will you find it boring if you watch the whole time?”
In her heart, Qin Yuyan said, “YES,” and followed up with a slightly shy question.
“Of course not, go ahead.”
Qin Yuyan could hardly contain the smile on her face, quickly turning to walk toward the makeup room.
Hahaha, oh hahaha!
Qin Yuyan’s brain automatically transformed the phrase “Of course not” into a flirtatious remark like “You watching wouldn’t be boring at all.” If it weren’t for her skill in acting, she would have burst into laughter and looked like a fool.
Rabbit followed behind Qin Yuyan, feeling that something was truly amiss.
The atmosphere was just too strange.
Xin Lan didn’t have much to do and spent the whole day on the set with Qin Yuyan before taking a flight the next day.
Qin Yuyan didn’t mention another visit this time. After all, she had already had one, and having a second might seem greedy.
This visit would be enough to make her happy for a long while.
Xin Lan rested her eyes on the plane, feeling at ease.
In reality, there wasn’t much to be conflicted about. If Qin Yuyan was happy, she was happy, and that was enough.
The web series with Cheng Zhi had already finished filming, and Xin Lan’s next task was to accompany him and arrange his schedule.
On the day they returned from the set’s wrap-up, Xin Lan noticed that Cheng Zhi appeared slimmer than before and more mature.
He had bought a box of beer, insisting that they wouldn’t return until they were both drunk. Xin Lan playfully tapped his head and silently agreed.
After getting drunk, Cheng Zhi talked a lot, switching between crying and laughing, rambling on while clinging to Xin Lan’s leg, and eventually collapsing on the couch.
People often need to experience setbacks in order to grow, and this isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing.
Xin Lan hadn’t visited Shen Yun’s set, allowing her to live freely outside.
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However, this freedom didn’t last long as Shen Yun’s production encountered trouble.
When Xin Lan received the news, she was somewhat surprised. The other party’s actions were quicker than she had anticipated; she had thought they would wait until the TV series was over.
The issue revolved around the male lead.
Xin Lan opened her Weibo, and “Zhu Yu’s Bedroom Photos” had already skyrocketed to the top trending spot, with the word “scandal” attached to it.
Zhu Yu had been in the entertainment industry for a long time, achieving top-tier status, winning awards for Best Actor, specializing in period drama leading roles, and amassing a large fanbase. This scandal had attracted the public’s attention.
If it were just a matter of a love affair being exposed, it wouldn’t be considered a scandal. However, one of the female participants in this explicit photo scandal was a former female star who had retired and gotten married. Zhu Yu’s behavior was quite audacious, involving multiple partners, both male and female, to a degree that left people speechless.
Zhu Yu’s team had started crisis management, but this was a stain that couldn’t easily be washed away.
In no time, all media outlets were competing to report on this matter.
Even before receiving the script, Xin Lan knew that someone was going to target Zhu Yu.
The mastermind behind this was the husband of the retired, married female star who was involved in the scandal. Being cuckolded was something no one could endure, especially not a man with means and influence.
With the male lead in trouble, the TV series naturally couldn’t continue filming and would need to recast the male lead and start over.
When Shen Yun heard the news, she had a bad feeling in her heart. Her first thought was of Xin Lan, but she quickly dismissed the idea. The one who got into trouble was Zhu Yu, not Xin Lan. Moreover, this was clearly not Xin Lan’s doing, as such a massive scandal was orchestrated by someone else targeting Zhu Yu.
She sat in her hotel room feeling somewhat restless. With this incident coming to light, it was certain that the male lead would have to be replaced, rendering many of the previously shot scenes useless, all the hard work going to waste.
However, when she thought about her unchanged paycheck, her frustration lessened.
But considering the circumstances, it was surprising that Xin Lan hadn’t called to check on her. It seemed rather irresponsible.
Shen Yun felt a bit displeased, but then she thought about it differently. She was actually happier that Xin Lan hadn’t called her. She hadn’t had nightmares for many days now.
The director’s team was urgently searching for a replacement male lead, and at the same time, Shen Yun had to continue shooting her other scenes.
But the story wasn’t over yet.
A week after the Bedroom Photo scandal, news broke that a certain director from a production crew had used the unwritten rules to coerce a certain actress into compliance, leading to the actress suffering from depression and attempting suicide.
When this news came out, it caused another uproar.
The director immediately issued a statement denying the allegations, but the person who came forward with the accusations presented evidence, and even played a video of the actress’s parents condemning the situation with heart-wrenching words. The video was widely shared, with up to two hundred thousand retweets, and everyone was passionately criticizing the chaos in the entertainment industry.
Onlookers were busy discussing the situation, and some astute individuals noticed that both the male lead in the Bedroom Photo scandal and the director involved in this unwritten rules controversy were from the same production crew. This led to speculation that someone might be targeting this particular production crew.
With the director embroiled in a scandal, it became impossible to continue filming the TV series.
Investors expressed frustration over the series of unfortunate events and decided to withdraw their funds and exit.
The actors were disbanded, each going their separate ways, and Shen Yun sat in the airport lounge feeling uneasy.
She should have been angry about the entire fruitless endeavor, but right now, she felt more panicked than anything else.
She also realized that someone might be targeting the production crew, as it seemed too coincidental that these crises were happening one after another.
She dialed Xin Lan’s phone number, only to find that she couldn’t get through.
She was completely panicked, thinking that Xin Lan still had compromising material on her. If Xin Lan wasn’t answering her calls, did that mean she was going to use it against her?
Shen Yun’s hand holding the phone was ice-cold, and she was trembling involuntarily. She persistently dialed Xin Lan’s number again and again.
Xin Lan, sitting in her office with one leg crossed over the other, enjoyed Shen Yun’s panic for a while before leisurely answering the call.
“Is there something you need?”
“You said we were on the same boat, right? You said our interests were aligned, didn’t you?”
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“Tsk, I haven’t done anything yet, and you’re already so scared?”
Xin Lan’s voice carried a hint of amusement, but Shen Yun instantly recalled the fear of having her throat squeezed by her, causing her to shudder uncontrollably.
“You promised me!”
“What did I promise you?”
“Xin Lan! You can’t do this! You can’t ruin me. Have you forgotten that you’re the one who nurtured me from the start? How can you bear to destroy me like this?”
“Bear to? Haha.”
Xin Lan seemed like a cat toying with a mouse, watching her prey cower in her palm, wanting to escape but too afraid to.
“Xin Lan, I’m begging you. Considering our past relationship, you don’t need to be this ruthless, do you?”
Shen Yun’s voice even had a hint of a quiver, and her hands were shaking severely.
Actually, if Shen Yun had only been involved in an affair, Xin Lan wouldn’t have needed to be this ruthless. But it was because Shen Yun had the original host’s life hanging in the balance.
“Let’s talk when you get back.”
After saying this, Xin Lan hung up the phone, and no matter how many times Shen Yun tried to call back, she couldn’t get through.
Shen Yun’s face turned ashen, and she clenched her palm so hard it hurt as she left the bathroom.
What should she do, what should she do, what should she do!
Shen Yun felt almost hopeless; she couldn’t think of any ideas.
During the several hours of the flight, she gazed out at the clouds through the window, even wishing for the plane to crash just to end it all.
But that thought was fleeting. She still wanted to live, and she wanted to thrive more than anyone else.
Once the plane landed, Shen Yun dialed Xin Lan’s number again, but still, no one answered.
Sitting in the car, she opened her Weibo and saw new revelations.
A certain screenwriter was revealed to be a serial plagiarist, copying and imitating various works, with a long history of such behavior.
Normally, such revelations might not have caused a big stir, but when this screenwriter was tied to a certain director and a certain male lead actor, it ignited a new round of public criticism and outrage.
Under this exposé, the heated discussions were almost blinding.
@DiehardOtaku1999: The male lead, director, and screenwriter of the drama, which can no longer continue filming, have all crashed and burned in succession. Now, we can look forward to the performance of the female lead, haha. @ShenYun, I have high hopes for you. You mustn’t lose!