Chapter 60: Reporting In Part 2

“Jian Yan is in the lounge. Go in and go over the script with her to find the right feeling. The recording won’t officially start for another hour.”

Knowing that Xu Yinian and Ji Yan were already “well-acquainted,” Lin San tactfully walked away.

Yinian was naturally shy around strangers, and having just heard those unpleasant rumors…

The door was slightly ajar. She approached with trepidation but stopped at the threshold, holding her breath, not quite daring to enter.

To her surprise, a sweet, unfamiliar female voice drifted from inside. It didn’t sound like Jian Yan.

“Teacher Jian, I’m serious about you. It’s not for the sake of fanservice. I heard you chose a newcomer this time and refused to work with me again… Are you going to keep avoiding me forever?”

Xu Yinian had unexpectedly stumbled upon a piece of juicy gossip. Her first instinct was to turn and leave.

But the voice that followed made her footsteps freeze.

“You’re overthinking it. This role has nothing to do with you.”

The moment the person spoke, Xu Yinian recognized it. That low, lazy tone, that signature indifference…

Who else could it be but Ji Yan?

Wait, but isn’t this Jian Yan’s lounge?

Xu Yinian suddenly took a deep breath, everything finally clicking into place.

Ji Yan and Jian Yan were the same person!

When she had seen Ji Yan at the studio last time, she had assumed the woman was just the boss behind Monologue. She hadn’t even considered the possibility of her being a voice actress. Their voices were so similar; she should have realized it sooner.

Now she finally understood why Ji Yan had gone through the trouble of using Senior Qin and Lin San to trick her into coming here.

With all those shameful lines in the script… Ji Yan’s intention to tease her couldn’t be more obvious.

At the thought of having to face Ji Yan while saying those seductive lines…

In an instant, Xu Yinian’s cheeks burned hot, and her breathing grew ragged. If the contract hadn’t already blocked her path of retreat, she would have turned and run right then.

Inside the room, the conversation continued.

“Teacher Jian, you were clearly so… passionate when we were recording. Do you really feel nothing at all?”

The person speaking was Ji Yan’s previous co-star, a well-known voice actress in the circle named Thousand Cranes.

She had heard of Jian Yan’s merciless style before and hadn’t thought much of it. But when they met, she had been stunned by Jian Yan’s beauty and aura. During the recording sessions, she had been completely captivated.

She had tried to subtly express her feelings during the behind-the-scenes recordings, only to be shut down by Jian Yan’s “I’m not interested in CP fanservice.” Months had passed, but she still couldn’t let it go.

Lately, the internet had been guessing who would play the “little stutterer,” Sang Chu, in Improper Thoughts. Thousand Cranes had a lot of support, and many fans hoped the two would work together again.

She had looked forward to it for so long, only to find out a newcomer had been chosen. Having worked with Jian Yan, she knew how strict the woman was in the booth. She truly didn’t believe Jian Yan would tolerate a newcomer’s amateurism.

So, she had come to watch the recording—a last-ditch effort to see if the newcomer would fail, perhaps giving her a chance to step in.

“Senior, you’ve been in the industry longer than I have. You should know that’s just part of the job. Don’t take it seriously.”

Ji Yan’s lazy, indifferent voice suddenly hitched at the end.

Xu Yinian had lost count of how many times she had been forced to witness Ji Yan’s “Shura Fields.”

She really is a player, Yinian thought. Flirting with people and then refusing to take responsibility…

Her silent scolding of Ji Yan was met with immediate karma.

As if growing impatient, Ji Yan walked straight toward the door without warning.

Startled, Xu Yinian turned to flee, but it was too late.

Finding herself caught by Xu Yinian in such a situation once again, an unreadable emotion flashed through Ji Yan’s eyes.

“Xu Yinian.”

Yinian knew there was no escape. She turned around with great difficulty.

Before Ji Yan could say a word, she launched a preemptive strike in her most timid voice: “Y-You’re the one who tricked me into coming here… I had no intention of eavesdropping on your private business.”

Thousand Cranes also walked to the door, stunned. She looked between the two of them, her gaze shifting back and forth.

When had she ever seen the cold Jian Yan take such an active initiative?

Ji Yan had always known that Xu Yinian viewed her as a heartbreaker who toyed with people’s emotions. Previously, she hadn’t bothered to clarify. Teasing Xu Yinian had felt natural, and she had even lied about Qin Jiashu being her girlfriend just to mess with her.

But since that night, the boomerang had come back to hit her where it hurt. She had started to care about Xu Yinian’s bad impression of her.

The reason she had suddenly gotten up to leave was that she knew Xu Yinian would be arriving soon, and she didn’t want the girl to see this and misunderstand.

She just hadn’t expected Xu Yinian to have been standing outside the door listening to the whole thing.

Ji Yan stared at Xu Yinian’s almond eyes, which were fixed on her own toes in a display of sheer cowardice. She could almost imagine the disdain in those clear eyes for her “player” behavior.

For the first time, she tasted the bitterness of caring about someone else’s opinion. She was completely at Xu Yinian’s mercy.

Left with no choice, she softened her tone, attempting to coax and clarify.

“There’s nothing you can’t hear. It’s strictly a professional relationship. Aside from our lines, I have never said a single ambiguous word to her.”

Yinian had expected Ji Yan to be as overbearing as usual, berating her for eavesdropping.

She never expected a clarification like this.

An odd feeling welled up in Xu Yinian’s heart.

This sounds… a lot like someone reporting in to their girlfriend to make sure she doesn’t get the wrong idea.

But shouldn’t she be saying this to Senior Qin?

Why is she telling me?