After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 12

It was around 10:30 AM by the time they left Lin An’s house. Ren Xuan politely declined Auntie Lin’s warm invitation to stay for lunch.

“Auntie Lin, Shuyan will be coming here often from now on. Are you really worried you won’t have time to eat with her?”

Lin An thought about it and found it made sense. Listening to the way Ren Xuan addressed the girl, she couldn’t help but notice the effort Ren Xuan was putting in. Was it really as simple as the “friend” label Ren Xuan used?

“Alright,” Lin An said softly, waving as she had her helper see the two of them out.

Ren Xuan had only accompanied Lin Shuyan today to help her get familiar with the route and the people. The actual lessons were scheduled to start next week. Even after they walked out the door, Lin Shuyan was still in a daze.

Looking back at the villa once more, Lin Shuyan’s heart was racing. Lin An—the real Best Actress Lin. She had met her in person. If she told anyone, even her friends wouldn’t believe her, right?

“Earth to Shuyan!” The car had traveled a long distance before Ren Xuan laughingly waved a hand in front of Lin Shuyan’s face.

“Miss… Miss Ren, Best Actress Lin, she…”

“It’s Auntie Lin,” Ren Xuan emphasized solemnly. “I told you to call me by my name, and if you don’t want to, forget it. But if Auntie Lin finds out you distanced yourself from her the second you left her house, she’s going to be unhappy.”

Lin Shuyan’s face turned red, and she began to stammer an explanation again. “I didn’t mean to… not call… her…”

She was grateful to Ren Xuan from the bottom of her heart. If she called her by her first name, it felt a bit… but if she kept calling her “Miss Ren,” it did feel somewhat distant. Suddenly, Lin Shuyan had an idea. “Miss Ren, can I call you ‘Boss’ from now on?”

Ren Xuan said she was an investment; calling her “Boss” should be correct, right?

Ren Xuan: “…”

For the first time, she doubted her own competence. If only she were a simple investor.

“Lin Shuyan,” Ren Xuan held her forehead and called her by her full name, “I am only twenty-five years old.” She was in her twenties, not her fifties. Even if she were in her fifties, Ren Xuan absolutely did not want to hear anyone call her “Boss”!

Lin Shuyan smiled sheepishly. Right, it’s not appropriate.

“Forget it,” Ren Xuan decided not to quibble over such trivialities. “Call me whatever you like.”

She only had herself to blame for having ulterior motives from the start—using the name of “investment” to pursue a romantic relationship. Since she was the one who put those words out there, she couldn’t exactly take them back and slap her own face just a few days later.

As for love—though she had never been in it—she figured it was a matter of a long-term approach, letting the other person feel it through every small detail. As the saying goes, “Moistening things silently like the spring rain.” Effort would eventually yield a harvest.

Lin Shuyan was quiet for a moment but eventually couldn’t hold back. She had wanted to ask much earlier, but it felt impolite while in someone else’s home.

“Miss Ren, for me to be able to ask Best Actress Lin…” Shuyan corrected herself abruptly, “Auntie Lin, that…”

Lin Shuyan didn’t know how to phrase the rest of the question. Ren Xuan, however, always seemed able to see through her thoughts at a glance. “Auntie Lin is very happy to help you with this.”

“Auntie Lin once had a daughter,” Ren Xuan began. She hadn’t intended to tell Lin Shuyan these things; she wanted her to just focus on learning happily. But considering Shuyan would be spending a month at the Lin residence, she decided to share.

“She passed away in an accident, and Auntie Lin divorced her husband afterward. Now, she lives alone.”

“She has always treated me like a daughter,” Ren Xuan said, then shook her head. “I haven’t been a very dutiful junior. For certain reasons, I don’t go over there very often.”

“She is quite lonely in her daily life. She’s very happy to have you there to learn; you can consider it doing a favor on my behalf to keep her company.”

“Mhm.” Lin Shuyan responded softly, though she understood in her heart that it wasn’t exactly like that. As a legendary actress who now taught at the Ye Academy of Film and Television, if Lin An truly wanted company, she could have invited any number of students to her home. It was a rare, coveted opportunity.

She herself had nothing outstanding about her. The fact that Lin An was willing to take her in was solely due to the immense effort Ren Xuan must have put in behind the scenes. Lin Shuyan clenched her small fists, secretly vowing to study hard and not let Ren Xuan’s kindness go to waste.

With one side settled, Ren Xuan didn’t stay idle on the other. Ning Yinman had recommended a lawyer who specialized in entertainment industry litigation.

“Miss Ren can rest assured,” the man Ning Yinman sent was a tall, lean young man with wire-rimmed glasses, looking very refined and scholarly. “These types of documents inherently contain loopholes. If we truly go to court, they won’t gain any advantage.”

“What about the timeline?” Ren Xuan asked. She planned to use both soft and hard tactics. Sheng Huang was recruiting next month; she wanted Lin Shuyan to escape that garbage company as soon as possible. Litigation wasn’t the ultimate goal—she just wanted a professional to exert pressure.

“Please don’t worry, Miss Ren,” Zhang Shaoyuan came prepared, knowing Ren Xuan’s intent. “I will interface directly with Xingyu’s lawyers and make them understand that they stand to gain nothing from a lawsuit.”

“However…” Zhang Shaoyuan looked a bit hesitant. The deadline Ren Xuan gave was extremely tight, which the other side would likely notice. He was well-versed in the tricks of these entertainment companies, especially “rogues” like Xingyu; they would definitely take the opportunity to make demands.

With just a few words, Ren Xuan understood. “I can compromise on the money,” she said. She knew that even if the contract wasn’t signed voluntarily by Shuyan, the fact that her name was there in black and white made it impossible to walk away completely unscathed.

“As long as you’re prepared for that, Miss Ren.” Zhang Shaoyuan let out a long breath, feeling more confident. This deal was a guaranteed win, and it allowed him to establish a connection with the Ren Group.