After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 23

It was too abrupt.

As soon as Ren Xuan said it, she wanted to take it back. But this wasn’t a WeChat chat; she didn’t even have a one-minute window to retract the message.

She didn’t follow up, and Lin Shuyan, as if understanding, naturally didn’t bring the sentence up again, acting as if she hadn’t heard it at all.

“I… I want to check my phone.”

Ren Xuan gave her a puzzled look.

Lin Shuyan bit her lip and said haltingly, “Actually, I wasn’t that brave a moment ago, but now I suddenly feel I can do it.”

“Must you?” Ren Xuan frowned, trying to understand Lin Shuyan’s current state of mind. Closing the phone didn’t mean the world was at peace, and how much would it really help to see everything clearly? Those comments wouldn’t dissipate anytime soon.

“Mhm.” Lin Shuyan nodded and said in a muffled voice, “I want to see exactly what they are saying.” Whether it was the same as last time, or if there were new differences.

“I am the person involved,” Lin Shuyan said. “If I… if I understand the situation, I’ll be able to solve it better when I go to the company tomorrow.”

“I’ve already asked someone to look into it.” Ren Xuan finally decided to tell Lin Shuyan this.

Lin Shuyan’s logic made some sense. There were scars Ren Xuan was unwilling to uncover, but those scars were rotting and festering. If left alone, they would cause periodic bouts of pain. Only by truly digging them out and letting new skin grow could one be slowly healed.

The process would be painful, but the result would be good.

“Thank you.” Lin Shuyan knew that a simple “thank you” could no longer express all her emotions, but for now, this cheap word was all she could offer.

From the first moment they met, Miss Ren had been helping her. Meeting her must have been truly bad luck for Miss Ren.

Lin Shuyan began to scroll through the things she didn’t want to remember.

The discussion online was growing louder. The Dragon Emperor involved a series of directors and actors, almost all of whom were currently popular. More and more people were leaving comments on Lin Shuyan’s Weibo. Just clicking on a single post revealed all sorts of foul language.

Fans worried about the drama, worried about the original characters, and groups of fans crying over their “idols” being leeched for traffic came in waves to curse her.

Ren Xuan initially let her be, but seeing her face grow increasingly pale, she hurriedly covered the girl’s eyes with her hand. “Stop looking.”

“It’s alright.” Lin Shuyan squeezed out a tiny smile. She had seen these tactics before; her body had already developed a defense mechanism, though sadness still managed to creep in.

“Do you… want to tell me about what happened back then?” Ren Xuan took the initiative to ask.

Lin Shuyan nodded.

The matter wasn’t complicated. Lin Shuyan, Bai Zhanyan, and several other artists were all managed by Zhao Meili. The time Zhao Meili had led Lin Shuyan into that man’s room was certainly not the first time she’d done such a thing.

Lin Shuyan’s information was relatively limited; she had only vaguely heard that other artists who entered with her were in similar situations, but she didn’t know specifically who.

When Lin Shuyan stumbled upon Bai Zhanyan hurriedly coming out of a room, she immediately recognized the voice inside. It was the director of the drama she was currently filming. Lin Shuyan had met him a few times at dinner. He was very kind, always wearing a smile for everyone.

In that crew, Lin Shuyan was a maid with only a few minutes of screen time, while Bai Zhanyan was the third female lead. Because they were from the same company, Lin Shuyan and Bai Zhanyan stayed in the same hotel. In Zhao Meili’s words, having such a nice room was only possible thanks to Bai Zhanyan, and Shuyan should be profoundly grateful.

These things happen constantly in the entertainment industry; Lin Shuyan saw it but acted as if she didn’t know. She had been working hard back then, racking her brain for ways to pick up more temporary jobs to make ends meet. Unexpectedly, an opportunity soon arrived: a variety show.

At that time, Bai Zhanyan had already become a minor hit playing the lead in a low-budget drama. The variety show director also invited a very popular male artist, Yang Nuo. This show shouldn’t have included a “nobody” like Lin Shuyan, but Zhao Meili said Bai Zhanyan had brought her along.

Lin Shuyan and Bai Zhanyan weren’t close. After thinking it over, she realized Bai Zhanyan was probably worried she would talk. That director had a wife and daughter, and his reputation was excellent. If she hadn’t stumbled upon it herself, Lin Shuyan would never have believed that a director who righteously filmed dramas condemning unfaithful and abusive men was that kind of person himself.

Regardless, the opportunity to be on the variety show was rare. Another artist from the company joined them, and for a moment, Lin Shuyan suspected the company had arranged it.

Perhaps the company just wanted to see if they could use Bai Zhanyan’s fame to get some traction for her and the other artist. The show was set directly by Zhao Meili, and Lin Shuyan went. But her luck was truly terrible; she caught a fever the day before. She barely managed to break the fever after a sleepless night, and when filming started the next day, she had no energy.

She tried her best to participate, not wanting to miss this rare chance. There was an activity that required carrying a bucket of water. Lin Shuyan brought the water over and set it down, but the next second, she and the bucket collided with Bai Zhanyan, who was waiting there. She fell sideways, and Yang Nuo happened to be passing by—resulting in the shot where netizens accused her of forcing a “couple dynamic” with their god.

Ren Xuan had watched that program; Lin Shuyan appeared for less than half an hour. According to the footage she saw, the bucket was sitting there, and Lin Shuyan appeared to intentionally collide with it. Under that carefully arranged setup, the chain reaction followed.

“You carried that bucket of water. Where did you carry it from?”

“I remember, it was from a well halfway up the mountain.” Let’s Go Together was a lifestyle show with relatively low pressure. The episode Lin Shuyan participated in required them to spend three days at the foot of a mountain under conditions set by the director. That area was naturally handpicked, and to increase the difficulty and generate buzz, the show relied entirely on the celebrities themselves for everything from building houses to cooking.

“Was Bai Zhanyan doing it on purpose?” Ren Xuan asked.

“I have no evidence.” No matter how naive Lin Shuyan was, she wasn’t so stupid as to not realize she’d been set up by Bai Zhanyan after the public outcry exploded. “Afterward, I found there was a protruding pebble right where I placed the bucket.” Perhaps due to the discomfort of carrying water from the mountainside, she hadn’t noticed.

But she remembered clearly and checked afterward. That pebble shouldn’t have been there. The bucket was always placed in that spot; if the pebble had always been there, the plastic bucket would have been damaged long ago.

There was no need to say more. As a minor star, Lin Shuyan had fallen and “involved” others. The production team was already lenient for not holding her responsible, let alone investigating the truth for her. By the time the rumors fully fermented, no one cared about her actual situation anymore.

At that time, the on-screen “couple” dynamic between Bai Zhanyan and Yang Nuo was a minor hit, and fans of both actors attacked Lin Shuyan together. The show got its buzz, and Bai Zhanyan, as the victim, became even more famous. Netizens claimed it must be hard for Bai Zhanyan to be in the same group of interns as such a “leech.”

“Is Bai Zhanyan… mentally all right?” Ren Xuan asked after hearing the whole story.

Setting aside whether she had been with that director voluntarily, this “silencing” method wasn’t something a normal person would do. Perhaps she wasn’t abnormal; she just clearly understood Zhao Meili’s choices and Lin Shuyan’s situation, betting that Lin Shuyan would never have a chance to turn things around. By taking this opportunity, she could sell a “beautiful, strong, and tragic” persona.

Who wouldn’t feel pity for a hardworking person being leeeched by their own colleague?

Lin Shuyan said, “I was too weak back then.”

“If time could turn back, what would you do?” Ren Xuan asked.

Lin Shuyan carefully reviewed the event and gave a bleak smile, feeling as if she were still in a dead end. “It seems I still couldn’t have changed anything.”

That edited video had nailed her down. Lin Shuyan had seen it; they even deleted the scenes of her carrying water from the mountain, and many parts were spliced together. The same event viewed in a different order creates a different impression, let alone when someone is intentionally manipulating the footage.

“So what do you plan to do now?” Ren Xuan asked.

“Sister Zheng seems to believe me,” Lin Shuyan said. “I want to tell her the whole story tomorrow and ask her how to solve it.”

“Lin Shuyan,” Ren Xuan felt like laughing out of pure frustration after hearing her long explanation and seeing no intention of asking for her help, “I just said I’ve sent people to investigate.”

Lin Shuyan obviously knew that seeking help from Ren Xuan was the best option. Gathering her courage, she tried to decline Ren Xuan’s kindness. “I’ve already signed with a company, Miss Ren. This time, I want to try solving it myself.”

“And,” Lin Shuyan thought of the things Ren Xuan had said before, “Miss Ren said you were only making an investment and wouldn’t interfere with my affairs in the entertainment industry.”

A boomerang—hitting her right in the face.

Ren Xuan sat stiffly on the bed. She had indeed said that.

“I… I just want to give it a try.” Actually, that was a lie. Lin Shuyan just wanted to try and make Ren Xuan worry about her less. Not only to reduce trouble for Ren Xuan, but also because she didn’t want to always appear as a mess in front of her.

“How will your company solve it?” Ren Xuan persisted.

“There will always be a way.” Lin Shuyan looked down and thought to herself; she hadn’t pushed Bai Zhanyan on purpose, nor did she want to form a couple with Yang Nuo.

“Does your solution not include me?” Ren Xuan laughed, her eyes curving as if they were discussing something delightful. “Lin Shuyan, do you know how to utilize the resources around you?”

Without waiting for a reaction, Ren Xuan said word for word, “If you want to succeed, if you want to stand on that bright and beautiful stage, you must use everything around you that can be utilized.”

“As long as it doesn’t violate laws or ethics, you can use any means necessary.”

Lin Shuyan didn’t understand.

“Take me, for example,” Ren Xuan suddenly didn’t want to keep going in circles with her. She needed Lin Shuyan to take a path to success; since that was the case, why not tell her personally how to walk that path?

Proper acceleration allows you to reach your destination earlier.

“I can be your resource.” Ren Xuan looked at Lin Shuyan steadily.

It wasn’t the first time Lin Shuyan had heard such sentiments. As an orphan, she had encountered people who said things even more extreme than Ren Xuan; someone once taught her to get whatever she wanted by any means, as long as it became hers.

But no one had ever said so bluntly, “You can utilize me.”

Why? Why? Lin Shuyan didn’t understand. What exactly was Miss Ren’s “investment”? Did she need to tell the investee this kind of information?

But a voice in her heart quietly told her not to look too deep into it.

Wasn’t this good? In the twenty-plus years of her life, only this person had gone to great lengths to help her, only this person was willing to call her every day, and only this person was willing to spend such precious time listening to her meaningless, messy stories.

“I—” Lin Shuyan’s bottom line was retreating bit by bit. She wasn’t an innocent girl who had just entered society.

She had been in this world for many years. What Miss Ren ultimately wanted, she didn’t know, and she didn’t particularly want to know. She was like a miser counting her few copper coins. The coins in the clay jar were growing fewer, and Lin Shuyan only wanted to grip the last one tightly.

Regardless of what Miss Ren wanted, wasn’t what she wanted right now just for Shuyan to rely on her more?

If she met Miss Ren’s requirements, wouldn’t Miss Ren be very happy? And if she was happy, then Shuyan would be happy too. In her state of confusion, she didn’t yet understand these emotions; she only knew she wanted to be closer to Ren Xuan.

“Miss Ren, this matter might be very troublesome.” Lin Shuyan lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers. “If you help me, will it be very difficult for you?”

Ren Xuan let out a sigh of relief. Lin Shuyan had either been persuaded by her words, or the difficulty of the company solving it was indeed too great, or after careful comparison, she had finally decided to turn to her.

None of that mattered.

A major reason for the collapse of the original world was that the female lead didn’t follow the intended career path. This could not be forgotten.

“It shouldn’t be,” Ren Xuan said. “I don’t actually know much about this either. Yinman helped me look into it.”

“Yinman?” Lin Shuyan felt the name was familiar.

“My friend, Ning Yinman,” Ren Xuan immediately added.

“I’ve heard of her.” Seeing that Ren Xuan was willing to tell her everything, Lin Shuyan’s heart beat even faster.

“She’s half-involved in the entertainment industry.” Without any embarrassment at revealing her friend’s secrets, Ren Xuan picked and chose a lot of things to chat about with Lin Shuyan.

Miss Ren really knows her friend well. Lin Shuyan thought about it, then found it normal. Even someone like her, who hadn’t known Ren Xuan for long, was seen through clearly; a friend of many years would obviously know more.

The incredibly busy Ning Yinman naturally didn’t know what was happening on Ren Xuan’s side. After obtaining Lin Shuyan’s consent, Ren Xuan shared her situation with Ning Yinman, and the direction became even clearer.

“It will take some time for Yinman to investigate those things.” Ren Xuan finally brought up the unfinished topic from before. “Do you want to go to my place?”

“My place is…” Seeing Ren Xuan bring it up again, Lin Shuyan’s recently settled heart became restless. She looked around her room. It was a bit crowded, and it wasn’t really her home, but every corner was kept spotless. To her, it counted as half a home. “I think it’s okay here.”

“It’s very good here,” Ren Xuan said. “But while we’re searching for evidence, can you guarantee that no one will come here to cause trouble?”

Lin Shuyan shook her head. She couldn’t.

“So, will you move in?” Ren Xuan asked persistently.