Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 28

Zhao Baoshang was so angry she nearly coughed up blood.

She smashed the popcorn onto the ground, not caring if she was causing a disturbance, and stomped home in a huff.

When she arrived, Old Zhao poked his head out from the sofa and asked, “Where’s the Yan girl?”

“She ran away!” Zhao Baoshang snapped.

Old Zhao was shocked. “How did she run away?!”

“She was too excited,” Zhao Baoshang explained after a moment of thought. “She admires me so much. I was about to give her a little reward, and she ran away out of joy.”

Old Zhao slapped his thigh. “Oh, that girl.”

Zhao Baoshang changed her shoes and walked further inside. Old Zhao called out, “What kind of reward were you going to give her to make her that excited?”

“It was nothing major,” Zhao Baoshang said. “I was just going to kiss her a couple of times.”

Old Zhao froze. “What?”

Zhao Baoshang repeated herself and marched toward the stairs to go to her room. Just as she lifted her foot, a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and saw her eldest brother.

Zhao Da was standing at the top of the stairs with a casual air, clearly having overheard the conversation. He stood there with his hands in his pockets and said, “Has my second sister finally seen the light? Impressive. Your first time and you go straight for a woman?”

Zhao Baoshang paused. She knew her brother was mocking her, so she replied bluntly, “Scram.”

“Don’t be so cold, little sister,” Zhao Da said. “I’m only looking out for you. I’m worried you don’t know the… specific procedures.”

Zhao Baoshang sneered. “Don’t pretend to be kind. I haven’t settled the score with you for trying to have me killed last time.”

Zhao Da’s face turned pale.

Old Zhao stood up and asked, “What’s going on?”

Zhao Da said hurriedly, “Second Sister is joking, right, Second Sister?”

Zhao Baoshang glanced at him but didn’t respond. In a family fighting over inheritance, these things were common. The Zhao siblings had a tacit “underground rule”: any means were allowed as long as they weren’t brought into the open or found out by the elders.

But Zhao Baoshang had never participated in those games. Therefore, she was fearless.

“Hurry up and explain!” Zhao Da hissed under his breath, looking sinister.

“Get out of my way,” Zhao Baoshang said.

Zhao Da gritted his teeth. “You’re really something, aren’t you?”

“Takes one to know one,” she replied coldly.

“Believe it or not, Third Brother and I can team up to make sure you can’t survive in this industry,” Zhao Da threatened.

Zhao Baoshang didn’t blink. “Try it.”

Once they finished their barbed exchange, Old Zhao walked over slowly. “What exactly is going on?”

Zhao Baoshang didn’t answer. She made Zhao Da move and went straight to her room.

Lying on her bed, she could still hear Zhao Da’s smiling, flippant explanations downstairs. She felt disgusted. As she lay on her side, she thought about how to kill off Zhao Da’s influence once and for all. But before she could get deep into a ruthless scheme, her little fan suddenly jumped into her mind.

The smiling fan, the frowning fan, the fan whose eyes darted around in fear. Now, Zhao Baoshang’s entire mind was filled with Yan Zhen.

The memory of the movie theater surfaced again. She thought carefully about what Yan Zhen had said and the confession of “liking” her. Her mood improved significantly.

She said she likes me.

But do I like her?

Zhao Baoshang couldn’t be sure. She thought for a long time. She thought from her childhood up to the moment she met Yan Zhen. She thought of Yan Zhen’s eyes, her hands, her soft belly, and her soft chest that felt like a marshmallow.

Zhao Baoshang began to laugh.

She rarely laughed before because there wasn’t much worth being happy about. Even when she won the Movie Queen award or was praised by her elders, she was rarely this happy. The few times she had truly smiled lately were all because of Yan Zhen.

This Love Gu is truly powerful.

She tossed and turned on the bed, unable to sleep. Her chest felt warm; she wanted to go on Weibo and announce the news to the world. But then she thought the little fan would be scared out of her wits. And she would probably get too proud—what if she stepped on her head after they got married? What if she refused to do housework?

That won’t do.

Zhao Baoshang’s thoughts drifted further and further into the future. Finally, she decided not to tell Yan Zhen yet. She’d hold it in for a few more days.

After holding it in for two minutes, she prepared to send a text. First, she typed: “I miss you.”

Then she felt that was showing too much weakness, so she changed it to: “Do you miss me?”

That was so sappy she wanted to vomit. She changed it again: “If you miss me, come to my house. Address: XXXXX.”

No, that was too direct. She edited dozens of versions, rolling from the bed to the sofa and then to the floor, banging her head against the wall a few times. After drafting so many, she felt none of them were perfect.

Finally…

…Forget it. She wouldn’t send one.

Yan Zhen had been idle at home for two days. She was bored, but the incident at the cinema kept replaying in her mind.

She was worried about the “Eldest Princess’s” condition. She wanted to call and ask if she was sick, but she was afraid the Princess would act up again and try to kiss her. Kissing was a sacred act to Yan Zhen. If she hadn’t respected the Princess so much, she wouldn’t have kissed her just for a practice scene.

And now look what happened—the Princess wanted to kiss her all the time? How could she allow that?

Yan Zhen brooded over it for a long time. Her phone vibrated.

She answered. The other end was noisy, sounding like a party. After a while, she heard footsteps, followed by Zhao Baoshang’s voice.

“Where are you?”

Yan Zhen whispered, “At home.”

“Why are you whispering?” Zhao Baoshang snapped. “Do you think my hearing is too good?”

Yan Zhen clamped her mouth shut and didn’t speak.

“It’s the old man’s birthday,” Zhao Baoshang said. “He’s asking if you’re coming.”

“Old Zhao?” Yan Zhen asked.

“Mhm.”

“I… I won’t be coming,” Yan Zhen said.

“Why not?” Zhao Baoshang’s voice tightened. “Is it because you ran away that day and think I’ll look down on you? It’s okay. I think… it’s only human nature. If you need it, I’m still willing to kiss you again.”

“No! No need!” Yan Zhen blurted out.

She got annoyed just thinking about it. She felt the Princess was being completely unreasonable, but she didn’t dare say it to her face.

“What are you shy about?” Zhao Baoshang asked.

“I’m not.” Yan Zhen paused and took a sip of water to calm her nerves. “I really don’t need it. When you kiss me, it’s like tilling a field—it hurts too much.”

Zhao Baoshang’s face went dark instantly. “Say that again?”

“…” Yan Zhen banged her head against the wall. She didn’t know how the truth had slipped out. She felt her life might be coming to an end.

“Are you complaining about my technique?” Zhao Baoshang asked.

“No, no, no.” Yan Zhen gripped her phone, stammering for a long time without saying more.

“Then why won’t you let me kiss you?”

Yan Zhen gripped the phone. Static came through the receiver. She couldn’t tell if it was a bad signal or the sound of Zhao Baoshang grinding her teeth in rage. Yan Zhen was terrified. She considered hanging up.

As if reading her mind, Zhao Baoshang threatened: “If you dare hang up, you’ll never see me again.”

Yan Zhen fell to her knees with a thud. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Then come over.”

“Then… you’re not allowed to kiss me…”

Zhao Baoshang frowned. “You dare set conditions?”

Is this little fan getting cocky?

The fan didn’t used to be this bold. Zhao Baoshang thought back—whether it was the first or second time they practiced, the fan had always been obedient and lovely, with clear eyes that made her feel warm. Especially during the second “kiss practice.”

Suddenly, Zhao Baoshang remembered something. She asked:

“That day… why did you call me ‘Princess’?”

Author’s Note:

SHOCK! This story will update 9,000 words tomorrow! Is it a twist of human nature or a loss of morality! It’s that time again—this story enters the Paid tier tomorrow with a 3-in-1 mega update!

Zhao Baby: Quickly, tell me why you called me Princess.

Yan Zhen: Because you are my Princess.

Zhao Baby (writing in diary): My little fan has no other skills, but her sweet talk is top-tier. (Crossed out) I like it. (Crossed out) I don’t like it at all!