Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 40

Lin Xiaomei listened and felt that the situation was largely consistent with her suspicions.

Her ex-husband pushed all the blame onto the woman who had seduced him, believing he himself was not at fault. He was a textbook example of a “scumbag.”

Lin Xiaomei waved her hand, looking utterly exhausted. “I’ve heard enough. You can go now.”

“Wait—Wait a minute!” The ex-husband was in disbelief. How could his ex-wife become so cold? When they were together, Lin Xiaomei was always gentle and kind; she was never this heartless.

“Can’t you give me one more chance?” At this, he once again burst into tears and hugged Lin Xiaomei’s leg. “I was wrong, I was truly wrong.”

Lin Xiaomei was about to refuse when she saw his grief-stricken expression, and her heart wavered slightly. This was the first time she had seen him look so vulnerable. A momentary lapse in judgment made her think that perhaps giving him one more chance wouldn’t be impossible.

She thought to herself: Besides, that charlatan has already used the ‘Soul-Snatching’ art to tie him down. As long as he stays like this in the future, it seems okay.

Just as she hesitated and was prepared to relent, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance. Someone tapped on the door, interrupting her train of thought.

Yu Lian entered, bringing Yan Zhen with her.

“Wait a second!” Yu Lian shouted.

Lin Xiaomei stood up. “Why are you two here?”

Yu Lian pointed at Yan Zhen. Yan Zhen nodded, explaining that she had calculated this would happen. She felt that since Lin Xiaomei was her boss, she should be more responsible.

From the scene before them, the two could see that Lin Xiaomei was having second thoughts. Yu Lian rubbed her forehead. “What are you doing? Don’t you know what kind of person he is yet? Listen to me—don’t let yourself be cheated again.”

Instead of listening, Lin Xiaomei countered, “Who doesn’t make mistakes? Isn’t it fine as long as he changes? I don’t think this is a problem.”

Yu Lian snapped, “Have you forgotten how he tricked you out of all your money? This is only working right now because of Yan Zhen’s technique. What if it wears off? Have you considered this man’s true nature!”

Lin Xiaomei lowered her head, hesitating again. “You said yourself it’s a technique. Actually, I never really believed in this ‘sorcery’ anyway.”

Her words directly dismissed Yan Zhen’s help and even felt like a bite to the hand that fed her. Yu Lian was furious. It was one thing to be insulted herself, but for Lin Xiaomei to badmouth Yan Zhen made Yu Lian feel caught in the middle.

The most hateful part was the ex-husband chiming in from the side: “What sorcery? I have truly repented!”

Lin Xiaomei’s expression gradually softened. “I know.”

One was unwilling to let go, and the other was harbored ill intentions; they were heading toward the same goal, deaf to advice, yet wanting to keep up appearances.

After comforting herself for a long time, Lin Xiaomei said to Yan Zhen, “Let’s leave it at this. I’ll give you the money; after all, you did put in a lot of effort.”

In her mind, it was still just “sorcery.” She figured the previous display was just a magic trick, and it just happened to coincide with her husband’s repentance. Paying the money was, in her eyes, a great act of charity.

Yan Zhen remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “You once had a daughter. Unfortunately, you were at the peak of your career advancement back then, so you didn’t keep the child.”

The softness on Lin Xiaomei’s face vanished instantly. Her heart jolted, and she looked tense. “How do you know that?!” She turned to Yu Lian. “Did you tell her?”

Yu Lian, equally shocked, shook her head. If this were leaked, it would be a major scandal. Everyone in the company knew Lin Xiaomei “couldn’t” have children; they thought she chose not to. If they knew she’d had an abortion, it would be a different story entirely.

Yan Zhen continued, “Later, you were supposed to have a son, but because of your husband, you couldn’t keep that child either. After that, it became very difficult for you to conceive.”

Lin Xiaomei’s expression could no longer be described as mere shock. She looked desperate, her eyes wide as she asked, “Was that child… a boy?”

“A son… my son?…” She walked tremblingly over to her ex-husband. “…It was you?!”

The ex-husband flatly denied it: “What are you talking about!”

Lin Xiaomei was on the verge of a breakdown. She wanted to tell herself Yan Zhen was lying. But these two events were things only she and her husband knew. Even Yu Lian didn’t know. The first child—she hadn’t told anyone, not even her family, and it was gone before she could even have a check-up. As for the second incident, she had only suspected it several times; she never expected to hear it confirmed by a stranger.

With this piece of evidence, Lin Xiaomei instantly confirmed all her past suspicions. She really had been pregnant, but her ex-husband had drugged her, causing the miscarriage!

She rushed over and gripped Yan Zhen’s hand. “Can I still have children?”

“Yes,” Yan Zhen said firmly.

Lin Xiaomei breathed a sigh of relief.

“But not your own biological ones,” Yan Zhen clarified.

Lin Xiaomei’s expression turned strange. “You… what do you mean?”

Yan Zhen pried Lin Xiaomei’s hand open and tapped her palm, pointing it out to her. “Your palm lines are chaotic; your ‘progeny luck’ is clearly complicated. Furthermore, your life line is intersected, indicating a hurdle in your fate. If you cross it, you will meet your true partner and adopt a child to raise as your own, living to see a house full of grandchildren. If you don’t cross it, your life may be in danger.”

She made the hint of “life danger” very clear.

The ex-husband stiffened. “What nonsense are you talking?”

Lin Xiaomei’s face was deathly pale. She didn’t know what to do or who to believe. She stumbled back onto the sofa. A red mark appeared between her brows, turning a dark, bruised red under the rays of the setting sun.

Yan Zhen saw it and sighed, thinking Lin Xiaomei might not make it over that hurdle. But a moment later, she saw that Lin Xiaomei’s temples were flat and the lines representing vitality were still active. Life and death were separated only by a thin line.

Yan Zhen said to Lin Xiaomei, “Since you already know this man is not your ‘true partner,’ you should understand what you ought and ought not to do.”

Lin Xiaomei remained silent. The ex-husband tried to say something, but Yan Zhen slapped a talisman on his head, and he couldn’t open his mouth. Yu Lian sat by in silence; she knew she couldn’t speak. This was a decision Lin Xiaomei had to make for herself.

After about five minutes, Lin Xiaomei finally looked up at Yan Zhen. Her eyes held a plea: “How can I cross this hurdle?”

Yan Zhen said, “You should be able to feel it too. Your ex-husband’s heart hasn’t been on you for a long time. Right now, he’s likely harboring only ill intentions.”

The ex-husband lunged forward, wanting to strike Yan Zhen. Yan Zhen used her backhand to stick a second talisman on him and ripped the first one off; the previous one turned to ash in the air. The ex-husband fell to his knees, screaming in pain, “It hurts! It hurts!! Why does it hurt so much? Save me, I won’t do it again!”

Lin Xiaomei was now completely convinced of Yan Zhen’s power. Seeing her ex-husband’s behavior and remembering her previous insults toward Yan Zhen, she was too ashamed to speak. She walked over and kicked him. “So you really did want to kill me? You bastard!”

“It wasn’t me!” the ex-husband lied. “It was that woman, Wang Xuejiao, who made me do it!”

“Wang Xuejiao?” Lin Xiaomei froze for a moment and slapped him. “What nonsense are you talking? I haven’t been in contact with her for hundreds of years. Why would she mess with me?”

The ex-husband wailed, “It’s true, it’s true! Quick, my back feels like it’s on fire, save me!”

“Animal, a total animal.” Lin Xiaomei was deeply ashamed, not understanding how she could have been moved by such a person earlier. She asked Yu Lian for help, and they literally threw the ex-husband out the front door, leaving him to his own devices.

Back in the room, Lin Xiaomei called out “Master” with genuine worry. She now truly believed in Yan Zhen and knew Yu Lian had her best interests at heart. She only blamed herself for not seeing clearly sooner.

Yan Zhen looked at Lin Xiaomei’s face and saw the red mark had vanished, proving her Death Calamity had passed. Just as she was about to congratulate her, Lin Xiaomei burst into tears. Yu Lian hurried forward to comfort her.

Yan Zhen felt a bit out of place. Yu Lian, holding Lin Xiaomei, said to Yan Zhen, “Why don’t you head out first? I’ll handle things here.”

Yan Zhen nodded and left Lin Xiaomei’s home.

The sun was setting. The red glow of the twilight fell on the river, reflecting light like fish scales. On the grass by the river, artists were sketching, and someone was playing the erhu. Yan Zhen looked into the distance, seeing a vast expanse of orange-red clouds revealing patches of sky-blue, which made her feel at peace.

Under the overpass, some men in traditional jackets were playing chess, and others—of dubious authenticity—held banners claiming to “know the past and present,” sitting by the stone walls doing fortune-telling business.

Lin Xiaomei’s calamity was over, but the Eldest Princess’s still loomed. Yan Zhen thought that once the Princess’s hurdle was passed, she wouldn’t mind being like those people—setting up a stall under an overpass to make money.

She returned to school. When she reached the dorm, she received a WeChat message from Zhao Baoshang asking if her classes were over. Feeling guilty, Yan Zhen poked the screen and replied that they were. Zhao Baoshang replied instantly, telling her to come to the small landing of the fire exit.

Yan Zhen thought something was wrong and ran over. Halfway there, she was grabbed, pinned into the dim corridor against the wall, and had her mouth “devoured.”

“Mmph—” Yan Zhen gave a little push.

Her nose was filled with a strong scent of peppermint and the milky fragrance of Zhao Baoshang’s specific body wash. They kissed in the quiet, dim corridor for several minutes, saliva dampening Yan Zhen’s collar. Yan Zhen wiped it with a tissue, not having the heart to ask what kind of “madness” Zhao Baoshang was having.

“Was it tasty?” Zhao Baoshang stroked Yan Zhen’s head and took the tissue to help her wipe her collar.

Yan Zhen dazed for a moment. “You mean the peppermint?”

“Mhm.” Zhao Baoshang nodded, used her thumb to wipe a stray drop of moisture from the corner of Yan Zhen’s mouth, and put it in her own. The movement was fluid and suggestive, instantly reminding Yan Zhen of what happened the previous night.

Yan Zhen quickly turned her face away and complained, “Where did you get it? It’s too strong.”

“It has to be strong. I looked up materials—peppermint is refreshing and can increase ‘interest’.” Zhao Baoshang stared intently at Yan Zhen, her gaze traveling from her face to her collarbone, then a bit lower.

“Were you eating peppermint candy?” Yan Zhen asked.

Zhao Baoshang nodded.

Yan Zhen said, “Then remember to brush your teeth when you get back, or they’ll rot.” She thought about how Zhao Baoshang often started biting while kissing; she was afraid Zhao Baoshang would end up with jagged teeth that would make her bleed.

Zhao Baoshang nodded again. She felt it was good to occasionally listen to her “little fan” and give her a bit of confidence. Besides, the way the fan looked while making suggestions or complaining—so soft and mellow—was absolutely adorable.

Happily, she pinned Yan Zhen against the wall again and kissed her intensely.

When Yan Zhen was finally dizzy from the kissing, she suddenly remembered something. She pushed Zhao Baoshang away and grabbed her hand. “By the way, the antidote for the Love Gu has been refined. I have it in the dorm.”

“What?” Zhao Baoshang didn’t hear clearly. Before she could ask, she was already being pulled back to the dorm by Yan Zhen.

Kuang Ying was playing games and nearly rolled off her bed when she saw Zhao Baoshang. She quickly fled the dorm to the library to continue her boosting orders. Only Yan Zhen and Zhao Baoshang were left.

Yan Zhen rummaged through her cabinet, found a white porcelain bottle, and held it in her palm. “This is it.”

Zhao Baoshang finally realized what the fan had said. She had refined the antidote? Zhao Baoshang froze, turned her face away, and asked dismissively, “How do I take it?”

“Just swallow it with hot water.”

Yan Zhen poured a cup of water. Knowing Zhao Baoshang liked honey, she scooped a spoonful in and handed it to her. Zhao Baoshang looked at the water and the bottle, and for some reason, she felt a trace of resistance in her heart. She felt her current state was very good—so good she didn’t want to change it. Even if she really was infected with a Love Gu, she was healthy, not sick, and she could sleep with her little fan.

Her face turned sour.

“Hurry and take it. You won’t have to worry about feeling uncomfortable afterward,” Yan Zhen urged.

Zhao Baoshang’s face fell, looking very unwilling.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Zhen asked curiously.

Zhao Baoshang didn’t speak.

“Are you afraid of the bitterness? How about I do another hexagram reading for you?” Yan Zhen pulled out six coins for Zhao Baoshang to toss.

Zhao Baoshang felt this was like coaxing a child. She suddenly grew angry and pushed the cup away. “I’m not taking it!”

The mug clattered onto the floor, spilling water everywhere. The cup didn’t break, but the atmosphere was shattered. There was a moment of silence. After a while, Zhao Baoshang said coldly, “I didn’t mean it. Also, I’m not taking it.”

Yan Zhen didn’t know how to persuade her. “…The Love Gu is not a good thing. Why are you unwilling to take the medicine? Over time, it will certainly be bad for your body.”

Zhao Baoshang stayed silent.

“Has the Gu already reached your brain, causing serious consequences?” Yan Zhen touched Zhao Baoshang’s forehead. Her cool hand against the slightly warm forehead made Zhao Baoshang feel a bit more sober.

She asked angrily, “Why do you want me to take it? Do you know what the consequences will be if I do? I don’t like you at all—if it weren’t for this Gu—”

Zhao Baoshang’s eyes were red, a flood of words stuck in her throat. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if she stopped liking her little fan. They had just been… intimate last night; she didn’t want it to end so soon.

If she didn’t like her anymore…

“Then don’t like me,” Yan Zhen said.

Hearing this, Zhao Baoshang’s anger hit the roof. Her eyes were red and fierce. “Do you really think I like you that much? I’m telling you, I don’t—if it weren’t for this Gu, I wouldn’t even look at you!”

Yan Zhen froze, feeling a bit hurt. “I see. Take the medicine first.”

“Is this what you want?” Zhao Baoshang gradually calmed down, her tone turning icy. “Then I will do as you wish. Give me the antidote.”

Yan Zhen handed the bottle over. Zhao Baoshang poured out a brown pill, swallowed it directly, gave Yan Zhen a deep look, and turned to walk out.

Yan Zhen followed a few steps. Zhao Baoshang turned around, about to say something cold. But just then, the dorm door opened, and their roommate Xu Xiaoya returned.

Xu Xiaoya was still in her pink Lolita outfit, holding a parasol, with her exaggeratedly beautiful nails. Several girls were behind her asking for autographs. After signing, she turned around, saw Zhao Baoshang, and froze. Then she shouted excitedly, “Zhao Baoshang?”

Zhao Baoshang was in a foul mood and just gave a casual glance. She acknowledged her but didn’t seem interested.

Xu Xiaoya dropped her arrogant attitude and ran over excitedly. “You live here too? This is incredible! It must be fate; I live in this dorm too!”

Yan Zhen asked habitually, “You two know each other?”

Zhao Baoshang whipped her head around and said viciously, “Is it any of your business? Who do you think you are to me?”

Yan Zhen fell silent and walked straight back to her bed. After speaking, Zhao Baoshang looked like she was about to cry; she felt terrible inside too. The antidote hadn’t even taken effect yet; she still liked the fan very much, and she could still smile just by looking at her. But she couldn’t smile. She knew their relationship would gradually change; she was just “rehearsing.”

At that thought, she grew even more manic. Damn Love Gu, when will you stop messing with me?

Xu Xiaoya didn’t sense the awkwardness. She didn’t know why Zhao Baoshang didn’t answer, so she answered for her: “Of course we know each other! We have a great relationship, right, Baoshang?”

Zhao Baoshang was immersed in an infinite loop of: the Gu is fading, I’m going to stop liking the fan, the fan will be left pining for me alone, the fan is so pitiful.

Xu Xiaoya tried to grab Zhao Baoshang’s hand, but Zhao Baoshang shook her off.

“Why are you so tense?” Xu Xiaoya laughed. She walked into the dorm, sat down, and looked at Yan Zhen. Suddenly, she realized Yan Zhen looked very familiar. It seemed not long ago, her older sister had been holding this person’s photo and cursing her.