After I Picked Up the Movie Queen Who Was Pretending to Be an Alpha - Chapter 16

Pei Suyuan finally used the excuse of having things to do to decline dinner with Qiao Yaning, opting instead to take the car driven by Mu Xinyi home.

Before leaving, Mu Xinyi informed her that she would receive a notification before the next recording and mentioned that Tong Lin had found a few scripts for her, which would be sent over within a day or two. Pei Suyuan acknowledged everything, but after Mu Xinyi left, she couldn’t help but recall Wei Jinzhi’s cold expression. She felt awkward at the thought of having to spend the next few days in the same space as her.

“Pei Suyuan, you’re spacing out again. I’ve been calling you for ages. Can’t you pay attention when we’re walking outside?” Yan Xin grumbled. Knowing she was in the wrong, Pei Suyuan pursed her lips and remained silent.

Yan Xin was only concerned about her and didn’t mean to harp on it. She shook the bags in her hand. “I bought a lot, enough for both of us. Why don’t you go home, shower, and then come over?”

“Okay.”

Back home, the first thing Pei Suyuan did was tidy the apartment. While cleaning the bathroom, she decided to strip off her clothes and shower again. Afterward, she lay down on her fresh bedding to rest for a moment.

Her mind remained active, though. She had lived in this apartment for nearly a year, and the bedding and larger household items were bought back then. Given how often she washed them after returning from trips, it was time for a change. The ones she was lying on now… well, they were washed so much they were turning white.

Pei Suyuan’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies were hit-or-miss; usually, if a thought struck her, she had to act on it immediately. But today, she didn’t want to. Between the recent filming and everything else, she had enough on her mind.

After a quick shower, she looked at the dust in the room, hesitated, and called Yan Xin to say she’d be a bit late. Yan Xin guessed she was cleaning and said without a second thought, “Then I’ll start my stream first. When you come over, bring some snail noodles (luosifen) and fried skewers. What I bought isn’t enough…” Yan Xin’s voice trailed off, sounding a bit sheepish. She had bought chips, chicken feet, and a large portion of malatang at the supermarket, thinking it would be enough, but she had overlooked her own “bottomless pit” of a stomach.

Pei Suyuan let out a low chuckle. Not feeling embarrassed at all, Yan Xin pinched her voice and acted spoiled: “Xiao Yuan~ I want a lot of fried skewers!”

“Alright, alright, zip it!”

She hung up and headed over to Yan Xin’s to clear her head. Pei Suyuan changed into a T-shirt and casual pants, grabbed a thin jacket, and left. It was late September, and it shouldn’t have been this chilly, but the greenery in Huajiang Court was so lush that the paths always felt breezy at night.

Pei Suyuan was excellent at taking care of herself. She might not wear the jacket if it got hot, but she couldn’t be without it. She walked to the small alley at the entrance of the complex, bought some skewers, and then went to the supermarket for several bags of snail noodles. There were stalls selling them on the street, but the smell was quite pungent, and she didn’t want to bother people on her way back.

When Pei Suyuan entered, Yan Xin was in the middle of a final circle battle in her game and had no time to spare her even a glance. Not wanting to disturb her, Pei went to the kitchen to start the snail noodles. By the time Yan Xin finished her match, the noodles were ready.

“Family, I’m going to eat first. I’ll carry some fans later, but today won’t be the usual rule,” Yan Xin told her stream. Her “usual rule” was to prioritize carrying whoever sent the most gifts.

However, she felt a bit conflicted. The ID Xin Baby Carry Me had occupied her top donor spot for a month; if she was carrying anyone, it had to be her. Right now, the “carrying fans” segment felt more like a “specifically carrying her” segment. Normally, Yan Xin followed the money. Today, she just wasn’t in the mood. Before eating, she added, “I’ll take a screenshot in a bit; whoever is first on the screen is who I’ll carry.”

As soon as she said it, predictably, Xin Baby Carry Me stopped sending gifts and started spamming the chat instead. Yan Xin was so annoyed she took a huge gulp of noodles and ended up choking. Pei Suyuan looked at her with pure judgment and handed her a wet wipe.

Pei Suyuan never appeared on camera during Yan Xin’s streams, but today her hand entered the frame. The chat immediately exploded with questions about who the person was.

【Wow, those fingers are so long and white, so pretty!】

【Definitely an Alpha!】

【Longer than Xin Xin’s fingers. Alpha or not, I want her to be my wife!】

Pei Suyuan inevitably saw the comments. Her face flushed instantly. Frowning, she looked down at her noodles, wanting to ignore it. Yan Xin, however, took the chance to tease her. “She’s blushing from your comments, stop it~~” She eventually couldn’t hold it back and started laughing at Pei Suyuan, who moved away with her bowl.

“Hahaha! I’ve bullied her so much she can only huddle in the corner and eat her noodles!” Yan Xin laughed hysterically. Eventually, Pei Suyuan couldn’t help but give a helpless smile. Her friend simply had that magic—making the smallest thing seem hilarious. Pei Suyuan ended up giving her a light, playful kick to make her behave, a faint smile still on her lips.

Seeing her friend happy made Yan Xin even more excited. She began bragging to her fans: “My very best friend is an amazing singer! Those songs I usually play were written by her! She wrote them specifically for me!!”

The words made Pei Suyuan feel warm inside. All her irritation vanished, and she fed Yan Xin a piece of chicken skewer. Eating happily, Yan Xin forgot she was on camera and shouted: “Xiao Yuan, I love you, mwah~!”

“Gross~” Pei Suyuan muttered, though she was genuinely happy.

Although Yan Xin set a new rule and the person in the screenshot wasn’t Xin Baby Carry Me, she was still stunned when she accepted the team invite. Pei Suyuan was equally stunned.

The person who invited them was [Marshmallow 301].

Once the game started and they were on mic, Pei Suyuan relaxed, but Yan Xin was frustratedly scratching her head. The person operating Marshmallow 301 was still Xin Baby Carry Me.

After the stream ended, Yan Xin was in a bad mood and wanted to drink. Pei Suyuan didn’t join her, sticking to her Coke. They chatted for a while, and the low-tolerance Yan Xin was soon tipsy. Pei Suyuan dragged her to bed and then headed home. Normally she might have stayed to drink, but Mu Xinyi had sent her a message after she arrived at Yan Xin’s. Aside from the web drama scripts, there was also a “Dating Variety Show” proposal she wanted to look at.

At home, Pei Suyuan washed off the smell of snail noodles and sat on her balcony lounge chair to review the files. Most of the scripts were for web dramas similar to her previous ones, but instead of the second or third lead, these were for the female lead.

Mu Xinyi had highlighted The Runaway Omega Sweetheart. Her co-star would be another Yuefeng newcomer, Lin Qianwen—a 21-year-old college student with a sweet look who had previously done cameos in Yuefeng-funded movies. According to Mu Xinyi, Lin’s manager and Tong Lin were on good terms and had agreed not to force a “ship” (CP) narrative, but they wouldn’t stop fans from shipping them and might collaborate again in the future.

Pei Suyuan felt relieved. “Shipping” was standard promotion, and while she’d never done it, she didn’t mind as long as everyone knew it was fake. Mu Xinyi was right: she needed to move up, but not too fast. Accumulating fans through these web dramas was a good fit.

The only thing was… The Runaway Omega Sweetheart sounded exactly like The CEO Alpha’s Little Sweet Wife Runs Away with His Baby. Same CEO Alpha, same running away… the only thing missing was the “baby.” But Mu Xinyi analyzed it logically: this genre had a dedicated audience and was hard to fail. So, Pei Suyuan gave in.

Furthermore, Tong Lin called her to discuss the pay. It was three times higher than her last second-lead role. She had spent two months on the last one for 150,000 yuan; for this one, she’d take home over 400,000, and her variety show fee had increased as well.

It was a wonderful feeling.

The drama and the variety show would film concurrently. Tong Lin’s plan was to time the release of her previous drama with the launch of Hello, Detective, and then follow the new drama with the dating show to strike while the iron was hot. Pei Suyuan didn’t have grand expectations; she was just happy to be making money.

The one thing she was truly excited about was that she would sing the theme song for The Runaway Omega Sweetheart. Tong Lin had even asked if she could write the lyrics and music herself. She absolutely could! This boosted her motivation, and she spent three or four days studying the script before starting to write.

Before filming began, she was called to the office by Tong Lin to finalize the contract and discuss her career path in detail. Pei Suyuan was satisfied with the five-year plan.

She wanted to visit Lin City before she got too busy. The next recording for Hello, Detective was during the National Day holiday, so she wouldn’t be able to go then. She called Zheng Xuncheng to let him know, only to find out that Zheng Yi was coming to West Beijing for the holiday and was bringing local specialties for her and Yan Xin.

Pei Suyuan hung up the phone feeling listless and strangely uneasy. However, the discomfort regarding Zheng Yi didn’t last long. That night, while packing, she received a WeChat message.

It was from Qiao Yaning. They hadn’t spoken since a few brief exchanges after the group disbanded years ago.

【What time are you leaving tomorrow? Want to go together?】

Pei Suyuan didn’t want to. It took her a long time to reply.

【My time isn’t set yet. My manager is picking me up.】 She went back to packing. Later, after her shower, she saw a simple 【Oh.】 from Qiao Yaning and went to sleep.

The next day, Mu Xinyi arrived a bit later than planned. While waiting at the complex entrance, Pei Suyuan ran into Qiao Yaning.

“Suyuan, what a coincidence~” The Omega’s sweet, lingering tone made Pei Suyuan uncomfortable.

“It is a coincidence,” she replied flatly.

Qiao Yaning didn’t mind her coldness. She walked up to her and asked with a smile, “Do you live in Huajiang Court? I live in the neighboring Huaqing County…” She pointed nearby. Pei Suyuan followed her gaze. She knew Huaqing County; the sales agents had tried to take her and Yan Xin there, but they couldn’t afford it. Huajiang Court was for apartment housing, while Huaqing County featured high-end villas and manors. Both were developed by Chi Real Estate. The fact that Qiao Yaning lived there meant she had earned a lot in recent years.

Pei Suyuan felt a brief flash of envy—they had debuted from the same platform, yet their opportunities were worlds apart. But the feeling passed quickly. She knew envy wouldn’t make her money; only hard work would.

“Since it’s so coincidental, shall we go together? We’re heading to the same place anyway.”

Pei Suyuan didn’t want to, but she couldn’t think of a polite excuse. As she hesitated, a Toyota Alphard drove out from the main gate of Huajiang Court. Both turned to look as the car slowed down.

“Ah, I’ve seen that car,” Qiao Yaning said. “It’s Teacher Wei’s. But why is it coming out of Huajiang Court?”

Confused, Pei Suyuan instinctively asked, “What’s wrong with it coming out of Huajiang Court?”

“Because Teacher Wei lives in Huaqing County. I’ve seen her there several times…”

Wei Jinzhi’s presence was powerful; Qiao Yaning, who had been eager to talk to Pei Suyuan, now kept her eyes glued to the car as it drove off, looking quite reluctant as she withdrew her gaze.

Ultimately, Pei Suyuan didn’t go with Qiao Yaning. Her manager’s car arrived shortly after. Qiao Yaning politely asked again if she wanted to join, but Pei Suyuan declined. Qiao Yaning didn’t push it; she was very obedient in front of her manager.

Ten minutes later, Mu Xinyi arrived. “Sorry, Suyuan. I was delayed by some personal business.”

Mu Xinyi looked rushed—her makeup and hair were messy, and her shirt collar was flipped outward. Pei Suyuan valued punctuality, but she understood emergencies. She nodded to signal it was fine.

As they started the drive, Pei Suyuan couldn’t help but say, “Your collar is flipped, your hair needs fixing, and… your lips.” Her voice was tiny at the end. As an adult, it was impossible not to see what Mu Xinyi had been doing.

Mu Xinyi checked the rearview mirror. Not looking embarrassed at all, she thanked Pei and added with a mix of helplessness and sweetness, “Sigh, you really don’t know how exhausting a little temptress at home can be.”

A little temptress… Pei Suyuan felt nothing toward that sentiment and simply urged her to drive so they wouldn’t be late.

They arrived at the Qijiang Hotel just after noon. After dropping their bags, they went to a meeting. Most of this recording would take place in Linshan City. They were supposed to head there directly, but Director Lin Ling had issued a notice for an extra segment to be filmed first—apparently because of the guest star.

When Pei Suyuan arrived, only Wang Pei, Zhai Linna, and Jiang Zhan were there. She felt relieved she wasn’t late. A moment later, the director arrived, followed by several others.

Pei Suyuan saw Wang Shiming, Qiao Yaning, and… Wei Jinzhi!

Wei Jinzhi was wearing a white shirt and black casual pants—a simple look, but her striking features and cool aura made it eye-catching. Almost everyone’s attention was on her.

Except for Pei Suyuan. She didn’t dare look, fearing she wouldn’t be able to manage her expression. But Wei Jinzhi was greeting everyone, and it would soon be her turn.

Keep it together! she told herself.

When Wei Jinzhi smiled and greeted her, Pei Suyuan dazed out for a split second. Qiao Yaning lightly tugged her sleeve. Pei’s gaze focused on Wei Jinzhi’s face, and she bowed her head slightly, her tone incredibly obedient: “Hello, Sister Wei. I’m Pei Suyuan.”

When she looked up again, she saw Wei Jinzhi looking at Qiao Yaning with a trace of a smile in her eyes. Pei Suyuan felt a chill down her spine, while Qiao Yaning looked back with a shy, blushing face.