Being a "Golden Finger" for my Movie Queen Love-Rival (GL) - Chapter 5

Song Jianzhi had considered the possibility of running into Ming Xu once she entered the venue, but she hadn’t expected Ming Xu to be mid-interview at the end of the red carpet just as she arrived. The two of them even locked eyes from across that considerable distance.

Song Jianzhi: Sister Ming Xu is so beautiful tonight. Ugh, that dress looks so good on her.

Immediately after, the thunderous roar of the crowd snapped her mind back to reality.

To the entertainment world, Song Jianzhi was a complete stranger. Appearing suddenly while clutching the arm of the currently most popular “National Little Brother,” Chen Yuanning, caused a stir; the venue fell into a brief silence before exploding like a cat that had its tail stepped on.

Song Jianzhi showed no stage fright, walking naturally down the red carpet with a faint smile. Her only discomfort was the camera flashes—they were so bright and dense that, as someone not from a celebrity background, she found it hard to keep her eyes open.

Chen Yuanning noticed and used his hand to shield her eyes slightly.

Though young, Chen Yuanning stood at a solid 183 cm (6’0″), making the scene look exceptionally protective and “sweet” enough to make onlookers jealous.

A “Mom fan” in the crowd shrieked in a heart-wrenching voice: “Chen Yuanning! Mama doesn’t allow you to date early!”

Chen Yuanning turned his head toward the voice and shouted back in mock indignation: “This is my sister!”

Now the “Sister fans” couldn’t sit still: “Chen Yuanning! Your sister is right here!”

Chen Yuanning: …I’m so young, yet my heart is so tired.

Song Jianzhi was amused and desperately wanted to laugh. Not wanting people to see she was laughing at Chen Yuanning, she could only fix a smile as bright as spring flowers toward the front, pretending to pay her respects to the host and the prestigious awards.

As she smiled, she inadvertently looked up and met Ming Xu’s gaze in mid-air.

The second time.

These words floated unexpectedly through her mind—faint and light, merging into her heart without a trace, yet leaving a small, spreading ripple.

Then, a female star in a backless gown walked past in front of her. Song Jianzhi was reminded of her embarrassment earlier that day when the stylist gave her a “kind reminder” in front of the mirror…

Song Jianzhi’s smile gradually vanished. If it weren’t for the fear of being misunderstood as having “beef” in public, she would have even liked to glare back.

From Ming Xu’s perspective, she saw Song Jianzhi—who was only a few steps away—freeze for a moment as if failing to react, then wipe away her smile and turn her head, refusing to look at her again. It was the clear attitude of someone facing a stranger.

Meanwhile, the host was still saying: “Ah, are you saying the stars tonight are all radiant? Thank you, Ming Xu. Alright—let’s see who’s entering next!”

Ming Xu handed the microphone back to the female host, lowered her eyes in a polite gesture, and turned to leave briskly.

The awards gala was being live-streamed online. When fans saw Chen Yuanning appear with a beautiful stranger, the bullet comments (danmu) exploded.

“Did He Xilan get plastic surgery???”

“Who is this??? Is the company making my son promote a newcomer?”

“OMG, this girl has god-tier beauty.”

“I think she’s gorgeous too! Miss, please debut on the spot!!”

In the chaotic stream of comments, someone finally noticed a detail.

“The entry order is wrong! Yuanning doesn’t have a nominated work, so he should have entered later with the Star Universe stars. The Like a Dream crew just finished; right now is the entry order for investors!”

“! Now that you mention it, I remember that super handsome President Wei hasn’t entered yet. Shook.”

“Is this ‘Big Sister’s’ background even bigger than the Wei family’s?”

No one could answer. Many people had already opened Weibo to post and refresh frantically, waiting for entertainment influencers to leak the truth.

Wei Xiao watched as Song Jianzhi’s Bentley followed the staff’s guidance, overtaking his Maserati to take a spot in front of him. He let out a disdainful sneer.

He Xilan glanced at the Bentley’s rear and asked softly, “Does Young Master Wei know who that is?”

Wei Xiao flicked his cigarette ash and scoffed, “Song Jianzhi. A woman trying to use this kind of trick to get my attention.”

He Xilan: ? Give me a break, you idiot.

However, she remained professional, putting on a look of admiration mixed with a hint of bitterness: “Young Master Wei certainly has many admirers.”

Wei Xiao blew a smoke ring and hooked her chin: “Don’t worry, I’m still willing to keep you. You’re very obedient, unlike that Song Jianzhi.”

He Xilan looked at the clear annoyance on Wei Xiao’s face. She couldn’t stand the smoke anymore and acted spoiled on purpose: “Then does Young Master Wei like me a bit more, or Ming Xu a bit more?”

Wei Xiao glanced at her and pulled back slightly as a warning: “Behave yourself, understand?”

He Xilan could finally breathe less secondhand smoke. she turned her head toward the window with a feigned pout while secretly opening the window to let the air out. Looking into the distance, she saw Ming Xu standing by the host. Even from afar, her grace and posture were impeccable.

Compared to the sharp-edged Ming Xu, it’s better to just tolerate this moron. He Xilan closed the car window again.

After entering the venue, Song Jianzhi and Chen Yuanning separated. Chen Yuanning had no nominated work and his status wasn’t particularly high in this star-studded gala, so his seat was in the fourth row.

The staff led Song Jianzhi to a seat right in the middle of the first row, saying respectfully, “The Song Group’s seats are here. Miss Song, please take a seat.”

Song Jianzhi sat down as instructed. Within two minutes, Wei Xiao entered.

Wei Xiao’s seat was directly to her right. He sat down, crossed his long legs, and said in a low voice, “I underestimated you.”

Song Jianzhi: Is something wrong with you?

Fortunately, Wei Xiao likely feared she would cling to him, so he closed his eyes to rest. With his mouth shut, it wasn’t easy to tell he was an idiot; instead, he attracted a wave of fans based on his “male lead” looks. When the camera panned over, the bullet comments screamed.

“Aaaaah, I want to have the President’s babies!”

“The President spoke to the girl next to him!! Is her seating really that good?”

“Terrifyingly powerful… which socialite has descended to earth?”

In the fourth row, Chen Yuanning’s good friend in the industry, Peng Zhou, was hooking his arm around Chen’s neck and interrogating him: “Is that really your sister?!”

Chen Yuanning brushed the hair off his forehead and said gloomily, “Really. Could it be fake?”

“Biological sister?”

“Cousin. My mom is her aunt.”

Chen Yuanning’s family background wasn’t widely publicized—only those in the inner circle knew a bit. But Peng Zhou had played his older brother in a drama when Chen was still a child star. They had been “iron brothers” for years, so he knew more than others. Hearing this, he lowered his voice: “So, she’s from the Song family?”

“Yeah. She was sent abroad as a child to live with the elders. I’ve only seen her a few times; we aren’t close. This time, my Eldest Cousin [Song Jianyin] was the one who pushed us together to walk the red carpet.”

Peng Zhou said enviously, “Look at how well your cousins take care of you. Entering with the biggest investor—what a display of status, bro!”

Chen Yuanning looked at Peng Zhou like he was a naive child and said with the weariness of age: “This is the first WeChat message I’ve received from my Eldest Cousin this year.”

“I think she only remembered me because she was afraid my Second Cousin would be scared for her first appearance.”

Peng Zhou’s gaze was suddenly filled with pity, but then he thought about how that cousin looked like a goddess descended to earth—who was he to pity her?

He sighed: “If only I were a few years older.”

Chen Yuanning looked confused: “Why?”

“To be your brother-in-law.”

Chen Yuanning started yelping and pounced to tickle him: “I treat you like a brother, and you want to date my sister!”

As the two nineteen-year-olds were fooling around, the person in the seat in front of them tilted her head slightly and looked back.

She was looking at Peng Zhou.

Peng Zhou shivered under that cold, clear gaze. He nudged Chen Yuanning and said, “Hey, hey, stop it. We’re bothering Sister Ming Xu.”

Chen Yuanning saw it was Ming Xu. They had collaborated on a variety show and had a friendly professional relationship, so he quickly sat up straight: “Sister Ming Xu.”

Ming Xu’s gaze moved from Peng Zhou and she replied calmly, “Good evening.”

Chen Yuanning didn’t know what else to say, so he was surprised when Ming Xu asked him: “Your cousin is…?”

“Oh, she’s the one who just entered with me, Song Jianzhi.”

“Does Sister Ming Xu know my cousin?” Chen Yuanning asked suddenly, watching Ming Xu’s expression.

It should have been a simple question, but Ming Xu found it difficult to answer.

Do I know her or not?

That would depend on Song Jianzhi’s wishes.

Seeing this, Peng Zhou stepped in to smooth things over: “Your younger cousin just returned to the country; it’s normal if Sister Ming Xu doesn’t know her.”

As soon as he spoke, Ming Xu’s gaze snapped toward him. Whether it was psychological or not, Peng Zhou felt that Sister Ming Xu’s look was sharper toward him than it was toward Chen Yuanning. It made him subconsciously lean back against his chair.

Ming Xu looked at Peng Zhou, who didn’t dare speak again. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her eyebrows quirked. Her voice carried a hint of intimacy as she spoke:

“I know her. How could I not know her?”