After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 8

Sheng Huang Entertainment.

Even those outside the entertainment industry know this company. It is the cradle of countless stars—the place where they are born and where they burn brightest. To put it another way: more than half of the people you consider household names are associated with Sheng Huang.

“Miss… Miss Ren…” Lin Shuyan’s fingers hovered over the card as she looked up at Ren Xuan, lost.

Miss Ren. Ren Xuan listened to the address with amusement. Was this girl the type to call her by her full name only when they were alone or when she was nervous?

“Do you not want to go?” Ren Xuan asked bluntly.

I do. Lin Shuyan’s fingers clenched tightly. How could she not want to? Having stumbled into this circle by accident, Lin Shuyan’s heart had remained calm; whether it was the entertainment industry or any other field, it was a job—one that required serious effort and dedication.

Lin Shuyan hadn’t played many roles, but whenever she put on a costume, she felt a unique sensation. Those were different paths of life, allowing her to observe the world through someone else’s eyes.

Gradually, she had fallen in love with that feeling.

This was Sheng Huang—a place no artist would refuse, and a place she felt she had no right to look up to.

“I do,” Lin Shuyan’s throat felt parched as she answered with difficulty. For a moment, she felt she didn’t even deserve to say the word “want.” In fact, if she told anyone she wanted to join Sheng Huang, they would surely call it a pipe dream.

“But I’m not qualified.” Lin Shuyan shook her head. In front of Ren Xuan, she tried her best to maintain some dignity. She couldn’t tell lies against her heart, but she couldn’t ignore her own lack of ability either.

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Ren.” Lin Shuyan pushed the card back.

“Are you really prepared to quit the industry?” Ren Xuan didn’t look at the card and asked directly.

Lin Shuyan hesitated. “This circle… it might not be suitable for me.” Zhao Meili had said many things, and one point was perhaps correct: a person like her really wasn’t suited for entertainment.

“You’ve been at Xingyu for four years,” Ren Xuan stated as a matter of fact. “Xingyu has provided you with almost no resources, and your manager has never cared for you. In four years, you’ve filmed only three roles and done two variety shows.”

Has Miss Ren investigated me completely? Every sentence Ren Xuan spoke made Lin Shuyan’s eyelashes tremble a little more.

“What I’m trying to say,” Ren Xuan picked up the pushed-back card, “is that when one road doesn’t lead to your destination, why don’t you change the road instead of simply giving up on the destination?”

“Actually,” Ren Xuan smiled wryly, “you know all of this already.”

Lin Shuyan fell silent. Yes, she knew, but reality didn’t allow her to act on it. By her second year at Xingyu, she knew the environment wasn’t for her, but she was just an ordinary person. Ordinary people have very few opportunities for trial and error—if any at all.

“Why does Miss Ren want to help me?” Lin Shuyan looked up. She had wanted to ask this for a long time. Why save her at the hotel? Why meet her here?

Was today’s encounter truly just a coincidence?

But she had nothing to her name. Lin Shuyan thought self-mockingly: What could Miss Ren possibly want from me? Or perhaps, a voice in her heart whispered: If only there were something about me worth Miss Ren’s interest, so I could repay her for saving my life.

“Think of it as…” Ren Xuan couldn’t mention the System. After a moment’s thought, she said, “In the grand scheme of things, some things are just meant to be.”

“Meant to be?”

“Yes.” Ren Xuan met that clean, pure face and was dazed for an instant—but only for an instant.

“Or you can look at it this way,” Ren Xuan said casually. “I am a businesswoman. Businesspeople make investments. I trust my own eye; I want to bet on a game I know I won’t lose.”

“You won’t let me down, will you?” Ren Xuan asked.

Lin Shuyan couldn’t find an answer.

“You don’t need to feel embarrassed,” Ren Xuan continued. “A friend of mine has shares in this company. I asked her for this card.”

“She is just a shareholder, and I am just her friend. The people in the company don’t know you, let alone what you look like. I’m just giving you an entry ticket. As for whether you can be chosen, Lin Shuyan, that’s up to you.”

Ren Xuan knew Lin Shuyan’s talk of quitting was born of helplessness. Ren Xuan wanted to pave a new road for her, which was also her own road home. As for her future development, Ren Xuan didn’t plan to interfere too much.

“Do I look like I’m poaching talent?” Ren Xuan joked. “You can keep the card for now. When your current contract ends, if you don’t know what to do, open it and take a look.”

Coming out of the cafe, Ren Xuan and Lin Shuyan saw the two young girls standing obediently by the roadside from a distance. One was in sixth grade, one in third, and their heights were nearly identical. Both girls held ice cream cones that were already mostly eaten.

“Sister Yan, Sister!” Ren Ke flew toward them. She had actually wanted to bring two for her sisters, but the line was so long. By the time she finally got them, she wasn’t sure when the adults would finish talking, so she had given up.

“What were you chatting about with Xiao Ke?” Ren Xuan asked with interest, recalling the scene she had just witnessed.

“Sister, Sister Xiao Ke is amazing! While we were on our field trip yesterday, she was in the city participating in a math competition!”

“Your Sister Xiao Ke is indeed quite impressive.” Ren Xuan hadn’t expected the thin, small girl to have such good grades. A math competition in Yecheng meant she had passed through layer upon layer of school and district screening.

Standing nearby, Lin Shuyan’s eyes dimmed at this.

“What’s wrong?” Ren Xuan had been watching her; none of her movements escaped Ren Xuan’s notice.

“Nothing,” Lin Shuyan shook her head, clearly unwilling to say more. “Miss Ren, I’d like to head back now.”

“Let me drive you,” Ren Xuan suggested. Before Lin Shuyan could refuse, Ren Ke jumped in front of Xiao Ke. “Sister Xiao Ke, let’s go home together!”

Xiao Ke still looked to Lin Shuyan for permission. Seeing her nod, she climbed into the car with Ren Ke.

“Where to?” Ren Xuan asked.

Lin Shuyan hesitated for a moment and gave a street name. Ren Xuan recalled the records she had checked; Lin Shuyan’s residence, Xiao Ke’s home, and even the old orphanage site weren’t on this road. It was likely their secret base. Ren Xuan turned and gave the address to the driver.

The adults were quiet throughout the ride, while the two little ones in the back—or rather, Ren Ke—were quite active. Her mouth rarely stopped. Xiao Ke occasionally answered Ren Ke’s questions; though she was only twelve, her patience seemed bottomless.

Perhaps because of this, Ren Ke became increasingly like a “curiosity baby,” probing into what the world of a top student was like. As they reached their stop, she even invited Sister Xiao Ke to visit her home sometime.

Being home alone was truly boring. If Sister Xiao Ke could come and play with her, it would be wonderful.

Ren Xuan smiled and rubbed the back of Ren Ke’s head. She said to Xiao Ke, “Sorry, Xiao Ke, my sister talks a bit too much. But I also want to say, if you have time, you’re welcome to come over during the weekend.”

The driver timely handed over a card. “Miss Lin, there’s an address on the back. If you have time, you can call, and I will come to pick you up.”

After parting with Lin Shuyan, Ren Xuan had been home for less than ten minutes when she received a call from Ning Yinman.

‘Double contracts.’ This was the first time Ren Xuan had encountered them in real life.