After Transmigrating into the Role of the Villain Forced to Pamper the Heroine of an Angsty Novel - Chapter 21

When Yu Youqing heard the word “terminate,” her expression stiffened. It wasn’t unheard of for an actor to drop out halfway through filming, but it absolutely could not happen to the newly crowned Silver Glow Movie Queen.

However, seeing Gu Ruolan’s resolute gaze, she knew she couldn’t use force. Sometimes, with stubborn people, a soft touch is far more effective.

Yu Youqing stepped closer to Gu Ruolan and said earnestly, “Ruolan, I understand your principles and your persistence. What Xu Anying is doing is indeed underhanded. But if you choose to terminate your contract, she’ll only be more smug.”

Gu Ruolan knew that, of course. She could already visualize Xu Anying’s triumphant smirk.

“And you just won the Silver Glow award; how many eyes in the industry are fixed on you right now? There are as many people trying to pull you down as there are people trying to shove resources at you.” Seeing that Gu Ruolan didn’t argue, Yu Youqing stepped even closer. “This movie happened partly because of President Xin’s favor. If you just walk away, what happens to him? It’ll be hard to explain to the crew, and you won’t just be offending one or two people—you’ll be offending an entire circle.”

Gu Ruolan’s personality never allowed her to flatter or please others; if she hadn’t relied on her sheer professional talent over the years, she wouldn’t be standing so firmly. If she truly offended such a wide swathe of people this time, the higher she stood, the harder she would fall when everyone decided to give her a push.

Gu Ruolan frowned, hesitating for a long time, but still shook her head gently.

“I understand all of that. But if I give in this time, I’ll completely lose control over any future changes.” She looked at Yu Youqing, her eyes full of sincerity and a trace of helplessness. “Sister Qing, if I take this step back now, I’ll have to keep stepping back forever.”

Sometimes, sticking to principles and guarding the bottom line comes with a heavy price.

Gu Ruolan was holding on, and so was Yu Youqing. But as a manager, she had to find a way to solve the problem. She couldn’t push her artist into a fire pit, but she couldn’t let her block her own future path either.

She thought it over and sighed, “Let’s try… the Meng family.”

Gu Ruolan’s brow twitched. The name Meng Qiuran immediately popped into her mind, but she dismissed it just as quickly.

“When Meng Qiuran came for the set visit, do you really think she just wanted to see how a movie is made? She was definitely there for you. If she’s… if she’s easy to talk to, why not ask her for a favor regarding this matter?”

Easy to talk to? Gu Ruolan thought about it seriously. During those two set visits, she had been quite reasonable—much better than at the dinner party.

But then again, there is no such thing as a free lunch. “Sister Qing, do you really think she wants nothing in return?”

Yu Youqing fell silent. She couldn’t answer that. No adult is that naive, and she certainly didn’t believe someone with Meng Qiuran’s background would be unconditionally good to Gu Ruolan.

After a long pause, Yu Youqing tried one last time. “Asking Meng Qiuran for help is better than asking Meng Xiayan. At the very least, Meng Qiuran helped you in Berlin.”

To this day, she hadn’t made any unreasonable demands based on that incident; she almost acted as if she’d forgotten it. Wasn’t that better than Meng Xiayan’s predatory gaze?

Gu Ruolan was slightly swayed, but her long-standing defenses made it impossible for her to convince herself so quickly. “No. I don’t want to get tangled up with the Meng siblings.”

Seeing that nothing was working, Yu Youqing felt her own internal frustration rising. A breath caught in her throat, yet she couldn’t yell at her artist. She shook her head repeatedly. “I’ll head back to the office to discuss this with President Xin first. You think over my suggestion again.”

She grabbed her bag from the sofa and turned back after taking a few steps. “Don’t do anything impulsive regarding the termination. President Xin must make the final call on that.”

Gu Ruolan nodded in agreement and saw her to the door.

The next day on set, Gu Ruolan and Xu Anying both intentionally avoided conflict. Aside from standing near each other during their scenes, they stayed in separate corners. Everyone on the crew knew what was going on and tacitly looked the other way, minding their own business.

Assistant Director Chen watched the playback and said to the Director with a smile, “Their professional ability is quite something. They make that sisterly bond look real.”

The Director was satisfied with the results. “That’s how it should be. Business is business, personal is personal.”

Chen gave the Director a deep look. The Director had labeled the script dispute as “personal”—a clever way to shift the blame.

Because they had to finish all interior scenes at Qujiang Film City, the scenes were shot out of order. In a few days, they would reach the parts from the revised script. But Gu Ruolan remained adamant, refusing to accept the new script. If this dragged on, filming would halt. Chen had talked until his lips were dry, but Gu Ruolan wouldn’t budge.

He finally confessed to the Director, “I can’t handle this. The Movie Queen has a big temper, and I can’t afford to provoke her.”

Xie Qingxu was also getting impatient. If the assistant director couldn’t fix it, he’d have to step in personally. “I’ll go talk to President Xin tomorrow,” he said, patting Chen. “Hang in there a little longer.”

President Xin’s attitude was ambiguous. On one hand, he said he respected Gu Ruolan’s thoughts, noting that changing the script without consent was a major issue; on the other hand, he pressured Yu Youqing to push Gu Ruolan, wanting to use a resolution to the dispute as leverage for the contract renewal.

Gu Ruolan realized her options were dwindling. The crew seemed to blame her, believing her “diva behavior” and refusal to compromise were stalling production. Her agency didn’t say she was wrong, but their leisurely, stalling attitude showed they weren’t in a hurry to resolve it—instead, they brought up the contract renewal multiple times.

Sitting on her sofa, she suddenly thought of Meng Qiuran again—remembering how the woman had sat right there not long ago, smiling and saying, I want to help you.

Does anyone really want to help me?

After a moment of daze, Gu Ruolan shook her head helplessly to clear her mind. In this circle, there are only interests, no fools. Unless Meng Qiuran was a fool, her claim of wanting to help unconditionally was a lie.

Gu Ruolan held out under the pressure, but she sensed a new storm brewing. Sure enough, rumors soon appeared online about her “acting like a big shot” on set. Besides the photos of her standoff with Xu Anying, there were shots of her looking stony-faced while alone.

For a moment, public opinion was divided. But this time, fewer people chose to believe her than before. After all, the photos were clear, the production hadn’t issued a denial, and Xu Anying took the chance to “play the victim” during a live stream with fans.

When fans asked about the incident, Xu Anying didn’t answer directly. She just pulled out a tissue and dabbed at her eyes, sighing helplessly. “There’s nothing that can be done. If I accidentally affected someone’s billing order, they’re bound to be unhappy.”

The implication: Gu Ruolan was not only a diva but also obsessively petty about top billing.

Yuan Yi scrolled through her phone, her face scrunched up with worry. “Sister Qiu, didn’t you say Gu Ruolan could handle it?” She pointed at Xu Anying’s face in the live stream, her lips trembling with anger. “It’s getting worse and worse!”

Meng Qiuran was also helpless. Gu Ruolan was just too stubborn. If she had bowed her head even slightly to any side, this might have been over. But Meng Qiuran couldn’t say who she should bow to. If it were her, she’d likely be exactly like Gu Ruolan.

She closed her laptop and urged Yuan Yi to leave. “I have a social function tonight. You head home.”

Meng Xiayan and Xie Yuzong were having a dinner party. Meng Qiuran had asked who was attending and, guessing what they’d talk about, insisted on coming along. They were eating at Qidu Mansion again, but this time without any actresses.

Halfway through the drinks, someone brought up Gu Ruolan.

“Gu Ruolan is out of luck this time. She’s fallen into a deep pit. This movie… most likely has no hope.”

Xie Yuzong tapped his chopsticks indifferently. “Isn’t that good? If this one flops, she’ll know to choose people who actually back her next time.” He had a faint smile, seemingly happy to see her struggle.

Meng Xiayan was a bit worried. “I’ve seen some of the comments online. It’s having a big impact on her reputation. If this drama fails, it’ll be a stain on her career.”

Xing Qu laughed while refilling their wine. “What ‘future’ is there? This drama is basically a ‘dead movie’ now.”

Meng Qiuran had been silent, listening to the industry gossip. Only when the topic landed on Gu Ruolan did she focus. “Why is it a dead movie?”

Xing Qu, always eager to please Miss Meng, explained seriously, “The funding chain broke. Ding Shenhai put in money to patch it up later, but it only covered 80% of the original budget. Costs will have to be cut. If Gu Ruolan keeps refusing to cooperate and stalls, it’s uncertain if the film can even be finished.”

“Ding Shenhai…” Meng Qiuran repeated the name. No memory of it.

“He owns Youtao Bread,” Xing Qu said disdainfully. “A bread seller meddling in movies. The investment threshold in this industry is getting lower and lower.”

Xie Yuzong looked at Xing Qu with equal disdain. “You don’t understand. This film has a public service angle; it’s linked to rural education. Youtao Bread’s plan is to target the contracts for poverty-alleviation school meals.”

The group realized the play. Xing Qu swore under his breath, “Bold move.”

Meng Qiuran’s heart sank. If this film followed its original theme, it could genuinely promote rural education. But if it got tangled in these dirty interests, it would drag Gu Ruolan down with it. Gu Ruolan shouldn’t touch this muddy water.

She joked feignedly, asking Xing Qu, “What if someone put up the money to kick Ding Shenhai out?”

Xing Qu laughed. “My dear Miss Meng, you really treat money like paper. Unless someone wants to replace Youtao Bread and steal that cake, who would be stupid enough to throw money at a drama like this? At this stage, the movie itself is impossible to profit from.”

“But a new investor could take over and stick to the original style,” Meng Qiuran argued. A script that attracted Gu Ruolan couldn’t be bad.

“A fruit that’s half-rotten costs more to make fresh again than just buying a new one,” Xing Qu explained patiently. “The funding, the script, and the public reputation are all in trouble. Even if someone wanted to take over, they’d first have to pay a massive sum to clean up these old wounds. It’s a bottomless pit.”

This was why Xie Yuzong and Meng Xiayan hadn’t moved. They had the tens of millions, but they weren’t stupid. Such a thankless task required a reason. For a female star to buy a “dead” movie while refusing to touch the underlying dirty profits… they wouldn’t do something so brainless even if they were rich. Gu Ruolan was attractive, but compared to their own interests, she was in a completely different league.

At the table, they discussed Gu Ruolan like an object, which made Meng Qiuran feel sick. Gu Ruolan was so invested on set and so cautious about production, yet in their mouths, her effort was just “laughable stubbornness.”

This dead movie—no one wanted it. She did.