After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 20

Of course, Yan Xun wasn’t actually going to let Lin Shuyan go downstairs to buy a band-aid. It was just an excuse; was his intention not obvious enough, or was the person in front of him trying to play hard to get?

His status and net worth in the entertainment industry were more than enough for Lin Shuyan—could it be that she already had someone? Yan Xun had carefully investigated Lin Shuyan; she had no notable works, and her reputation online wasn’t great. However, Yan Xun didn’t care much; things in the entertainment industry were often half-truths. Some people from Sheng Huang had no background, so perhaps Lin Shuyan signing with them wasn’t an accident—had someone pulled strings for her?

“Don’t worry about it,” Yan Xun said with an unnatural smile. “I’ll ask someone else.”

Lin Shuyan watched him enter the elevator and was about to close her door when Chen Yan popped out. “Teacher Lin, did Teacher Yan need something?” Chen Yan had seen Yan Xun through the peephole long ago. She had thought about coming out but decided against it since she wasn’t sure what Lin Shuyan’s stance was.

“He hurt his hand and asked if I had a band-aid.”

“Isn’t there one in the room?” Chen Yan asked, gesturing toward the interior. She hadn’t seen Lin Shuyan or Yan Xun enter the room.

“His wound was very small,” Lin Shuyan frowned. If he didn’t bandage it soon, it would have healed on its own.

“Teacher Lin, regarding him…” As an assistant, Chen Yan usually kept silent about an artist’s romance. Clarifying Lin Shuyan’s attitude would make it easier for her to handle things in the future.

“I just want to act well,” Lin Shuyan said.

Seeing that Lin Shuyan spoke with a determination that didn’t seem faked, Chen Yan felt much more relieved. “Teacher Lin,” Chen Yan began vaguely, as speaking ill of others wasn’t right, “Teacher Yan changes girlfriends very frequently.”

How frequently? He practically changed girlfriends with every drama he filmed, breaking up before the next production started. Because he moved so fast, only a few people in the industry knew; the paparazzi couldn’t even keep up. His “passionate loves” happened during filming, so even if the media caught wind of something, it was easy to brush off. Yan Xun’s fans all believed their “big brother” had never been in love.

In fact, before joining the crew, Chen Yan and a few others had made a bet on who it would be this time. She hadn’t expected Yan Xun to set his sights on her own artist. Chen Yan was initially worried Shuyan might actually fall for him; after all, he was handsome, and there had been actresses in the past who were so head-over-heels they were willing to give up their careers to pressure Yan Xun into marriage.

“Xiao Yan, thank you for telling me this,” Lin Shuyan thanked her sincerely. Chen Yan hadn’t been with her for long. Sister Zheng had mentioned these things cryptically, so Chen Yan being open about it meant their relationship was growing closer.

“You’re welcome,” Chen Yan smiled. She gave a few more instructions for the next day’s tasks before leaving.

The Dragon Emperor finished filming, and Lin Shuyan returned to Yecheng. Another month passed before the entire production wrapped up. On the day of the wrap-up, the crew made an official announcement at 12:00 PM.

[The Dragon Emperor is coming! A youth’s ambition reaches the clouds; once promised to be first-rate in the world! Starring @YanXun @RongYuSister]

[Character Poster of Yan Xun.jpg] [Character Poster of Rong Yu.jpg]

As soon as it was posted, fans flocked to the comments.

“Teacher Yan finally has a new role!”

“Ahhh, finally waiting for Sister’s new character!”

“I’m here! These two are collaborating? Is this a ‘daydream comes true’ series?”

The crew of The Dragon Emperor had done a great job with secrecy, so the first wave of promotion only happened after wrapping up. Some fans hadn’t even reacted yet. The Dragon Emperor followed up by releasing posters for the supporting male and female roles, as well as information on the producer, director, soundtrack, and stylist.

[The Eldest Senior Sister of Fusheng Sect, Bai Ling, is here. Following Master’s orders, never retreating. @LinShuyan]

Below was a set of photos. The woman’s eyes were like clear springs, holding a long sword. Behind her were snow-capped mountains that hadn’t melted for years. Her cold, detached aura seemed to merge with the mountains, making those who saw it catch their breath.

“I’m so in love with this sister’s face. Is she a newcomer? Why haven’t I seen her before?”

“It’s the Senior Sister! My favorite Senior Sister. Is it okay to let a newcomer play her? T_T”

“I love Teacher Yan. Is this his character’s Senior Sister? In the novel, I ship the Senior Sister and Junior Brother so hard. The White Moonlight CP.”

Lin Shuyan’s face was unfamiliar to most people; those commenting were mostly book fans or fans of the leads. There were doubts and worries, but not much else.

As a novel that had topped the charts for years, The Dragon Emperor had been quiet since the project started. Now that the news was out, fans of the book, the actors, and the director were all incredibly active, and the attention skyrocketed. At home, Lin Shuyan barely dared to open her phone. When she finally did, she became even more nervous looking at the comments. That was when Ren Xuan’s call came in.

“I saw the new drama,” Ren Xuan chuckled. “You look very beautiful in the posters.”

“Does it really look good?” Lin Shuyan asked, lacking confidence.

“Of course it does,” Ren Xuan laughed. “Lin Shuyan, have some confidence, okay? If you don’t believe me, look at the comments.”

“They…” Lin Shuyan’s face turned red. There were no doubts about her looks online—mostly just about her acting.

“So you have no confidence in your acting?”

“Just a little bit.” Lin Shuyan was naturally uneasy; in all her years since debut, this was her first time playing such an important role. If she dragged the team down, she would be too ashamed.

“Lin Shuyan,” Ren Xuan thought for a moment. “You’ve finished filming. After handing in the exam paper, it’s mostly up to the teachers’ evaluation. All you could do was act with your heart at the time. Did you act with your heart?”

“Mhm,” Lin Shuyan nodded.

“Then that’s it,” Ren Xuan said. “Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Besides, regarding Director Wu’s eye—you can doubt yourself, but you don’t need to doubt her. If your acting wasn’t up to par… in my impression, Director Wu isn’t someone who settles.”

Wu Wenshan certainly wasn’t one to settle. On that set, almost everyone except Teacher Rong Yu had been scolded by her. Recalling the days of polishing her lines over and over, Lin Shuyan’s anxious heart steadied quite a bit.

“Miss Ren, thank you for specifically comforting me.” Lin Shuyan blushed as she accepted Ren Xuan’s kindness.

Without realizing when it started, the phone calls between Lin Shuyan and Ren Xuan had become more frequent. Since Ren Xuan had business in Yecheng, she hadn’t visited the set again after that one time. Occasionally, they would call; sometimes it was Ren Ke on the line, sometimes it was Xiao Ke.

They had spent the New Year on set while filming The Dragon Emperor. By the time she returned to Yecheng, the weather had already warmed. The willow trees were sprouting buds. Lin Shuyan soon dove back into the company’s training; aside from visiting Auntie Lin An, she was mostly busy with work.

“I’m not comforting you; I just wanted to talk to you.” Ren Xuan thought of the messages she had received. Knowing that Shuyan was truly dedicated to her acting and ignoring everything else made her both gratified and a little worried.

If she stays this “un-enlightened” about romance, it might be a bit troublesome for me.

“Huh?” Lin Shuyan was stunned.

“Is that not allowed?” Ren Xuan chuckled. “Lin Shuyan, talking to you is very comfortable. But I have another call coming in; let’s talk next time.”

“Oh, okay.” Lin Shuyan’s dazed brain barely had time to process before Ren Xuan hung up.

There wasn’t actually another call coming in at that moment. Ren Xuan hung up, imagining the girl holding her phone in a daze, and found it quite amusing. Shaking her head with a smile, she methodically continued with her work.

A few minutes later, an actual call came in.

“Xuan, have you been following the news online?”