Chapter 73

“Sister Yaya, it’s applied properly now.”

After Gu Yuanyuan smoothed down the edges of the medicated plaster, her gaze remained fixed on the glaring patches of bruising around it. With worry etched on her face, she asked, “Do you really not need to go to the hospital for a check-up?”

Injuries in a place like that could range from minor to serious.

Song Guiya touched the plaster on her lower back—it was perfectly smooth. She then lowered her clothes, straightened up, and gently leaned back against the seat of the nanny car. Her expression remained calm, but a thin sheen of sweat still beaded on her forehead from the pain.

“It’s fine. It’s already much better. Two more applications should have it fully healed. Right now, the audition is the priority.”

Gu Yuanyuan couldn’t persuade her and didn’t know what else to say. She turned to the driver, explained the situation, and asked him to drive steadily. Then she turned back and gave Song Guiya a sympathetic look.

Although she had heard plenty of outrageous stories about gold masters keeping lovers before entering the industry—most of them involving overly kinky play, and even unlucky actresses who crossed paths with perverted gold masters ending up covered in bruises all the time—she had always felt that the relationship between Teacher Xi and Sister Yaya was different. Compared to those cases, it seemed more like a normal romantic relationship.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she never would have imagined that someone as ethereal and radiant as Teacher Xi could be so…

Simply unbelievable!

But there was no helping it. After all, they had a contract in place. Sister Yaya enjoyed all the resources Teacher Xi provided, so she naturally had to fulfill the contract’s “obligations.”

It couldn’t be helped.

Since they were both willing participants, what could a little assistant like her do?

Song Guiya had no idea that Gu Yuanyuan had already conjured up countless steamy, taboo scenes in her mind to explain the injury on her lower back. She simply closed her eyes quietly to rest.

The nanny car drove steadily along the bustling streets.

No matter how much Gu Yuanyuan mulled it over, she still felt uneasy. She was afraid that one day Song Guiya might end up like those “disappeared” 18th-tier actresses, suddenly “suicided.” So she quietly lowered her voice and asked, “Sister Yaya, how much longer until your contract with Teacher Xi ends?”

Song Guiya, not understanding why, tilted her head and asked, “What’s wrong?”

After a fierce internal struggle, Gu Yuanyuan said euphemistically, “Next time you two are getting intimate, make sure to act all cute and coquettish with Teacher Xi. Ask her to go easy on you.”

She absolutely couldn’t afford to get roughed up to death by accident.

Otherwise, where would she find such a great artist to assist?

Song Guiya froze for a moment. Seeing the genuine worry in her round, wide eyes, she immediately caught on. The scene from that afternoon in the top-floor office of Huazhao Building flashed through her mind.

To show her sincerity to Xi Tongyue, Song Guiya had taken the initiative to kiss her. Just as passion peaked and their clothes were half off, a sudden knock at the door jolted them awake.

Song Guiya had already been tense from fooling around in such a non-private office space. The instant she heard the knock, she sprang apart, but her brain was foggy from the haze of desire and lack of oxygen. When she leaned back, she lost her balance, bumped into the desk corner, and fell.

Even worse, she landed on the soft, plush carpet, and the pain in her back kept her from getting up right away. Lying there with reddened eyes and disheveled clothes, looking utterly wrecked—in Xi Tongyue’s eyes, it came across as something entirely different.

Xi Tongyue gazed at her with a teasing glint in her eyes and deliberately quipped, “I didn’t realize Zhaoheng was so eager. That was my oversight.”

…

Song Guiya explained earnestly to Gu Yuanyuan, “You have it all wrong. I accidentally bumped into the desk corner.”

Gu Yuanyuan looked deeply skeptical. As she pondered the credibility of those words, her peripheral vision caught the delicate lobe of Song Guiya’s ear flushed with an unnatural hint of red.

Hmm, not convincing at all.

But since the person herself had said so, it meant things hadn’t gone that far. And from the looks of it, she even seemed to enjoy it somewhat.

In that case, as just an assistant, she shouldn’t pry.

Gu Yuanyuan let out a couple of awkward laughs. “As long as you’re happy. But remember—safety first!”

Song Guiya: …

Soon, the car pulled up at the audition venue.

The staff led them straight to the floor for the lead role tryouts and settled them in a large shared lounge.

The lounge was communal, filled with several other actresses—all familiar faces regularly seen on TV.

At the moment, the room was crowded, not just with actors but also their assistants and makeup artists.

Song Guiya’s expression showed a trace of surprise. Seeing this, Gu Yuanyuan immediately channeled the professional poise and initiative of an outstanding assistant. She stepped forward, leaned close to Song Guiya’s ear, and whispered, “I’ve heard Director Chen is notoriously strict and incredibly picky with actors. He especially hates divas, so during his auditions, performers never demand private lounges or makeup rooms if they want to make a good impression. They all cram together instead.”

Song Guiya nodded and strode inside with calm composure. She casually claimed an empty seat, sat down, and bent her head to review the audition scene.

Gu Yuanyuan settled in beside her, her gaze sweeping the room like radar, quietly taking in the scene.

Beep beep.

Her mental alarm blared. Gu Yuanyuan nudged Song Guiya’s elbow, directing her attention across the room with a glance.

Sitting opposite were two female actresses, there for the female lead role in Carving Jade.

They were clad in elaborate armor, encircled by several makeup artists who labored over their faces, sculpting the fierce visage of a battle-hardened general.

Heroic brows, a prominent nose, the weathered lines of a veteran soldier—yet all crafted to preserve the on-screen allure an actress needed.

Sweat beaded on the makeup artists’ brows as the performers sat ramrod straight, every second counted in their race to embody the role with palpable intensity.

Even Gu Yuanyuan, mere observer, could feel the cutthroat competition in the air.

She glanced back at Song Guiya—lightly made up in a simple white tee—and a flicker of worry stirred in her chest. “Sister Yaya, are you confident?”

Song Guiya observed the scene in silence for a moment before replying softly, “No.”

Gu Yuanyuan’s eyes flew wide. “Huh?”

The exclamation came out louder than intended, snapping heads around—including those of the two actresses across from them.

One of them noticed Song Guiya sitting there with the audition script in hand. Surprise flashed across her face, swiftly replaced by a derisive snort, her contempt plain as day.

“The public lounge’s only flaw is how it lets any riffraff wander in.”

She pitched her voice just right—not shouting, but carrying to every ear in the room. Every gaze converged on Song Guiya.

Song Guiya remained utterly composed in her seat, weathering the stares without a hint of embarrassment, as if the barb had sailed right past her.

Gu Yuanyuan, meanwhile, buried her face in her hands and pretended nothing had happened.

Once the attention shifted away, she groaned in regret. “Sorry, Sister Yaya. That wasn’t on purpose.”

Song Guiya shook her head to show it was no big deal.

Relieved, Gu Yuanyuan exhaled and promptly branded her forehead with a mental stamp of “calm and collected,” vowing never to slip up like that again.

Song Guiya’s reputation was finally gaining traction; she couldn’t be the one to sabotage it and invite scorn.

Remembering the actress’s jab, Gu Yuanyuan murmured, “Sister Yaya, you know Ding Qingyuan?”

Song Guiya nodded, offering no further explanation.

Ding Qingyuan was one of the New Generation Four Little Flowers. Back then, she and the original Song Guiya had both been nobodies under Fang Shi—thirty-sixth-tier flops scraping by, supporting each other at the company with a solid rapport.

But two years prior, at a swanky gathering packed with industry titans, Ding Qingyuan had jumped at the chance to rub elbows. Fang Shi had given the okay.

What she hadn’t anticipated was Fang Shi fielding hints from major investors. He’d pressured the reluctant Song Guiya into attending while steering Ding Qingyuan toward a sleazy parvenu’s low-rent bash.

From there, their paths had split irreparably.

Song Guiya’s attendance had led, by sheer stroke of luck, to Xi Tongyue rescuing her. She’d signed a contract, jumped ship to Kejin Entertainment, and received Huo Yao’s personal grooming—no expense spared on marketing and resources. They’d bootstrapped her from obscurity to eighteenth-tier status, and now two variety shows had turned her into the internet’s hottest hidden gem.

Ding Qingyuan’s story ran the opposite course. At the parvenu’s party, she’d been groped relentlessly and nearly strapped to a spinning wheel for their twisted games. Only her desperate act—shattering a bottle and pressing the jagged edge to her own throat, nearly drawing blood—had forced them to back off.

Even so, she’d trashed the whole affair.

The upstarts had no desire for a death on their hands but weren’t about to swallow the humiliation. They colluded afterward, leaning on Fang Shi and his agency with threats. The company, though dismissive of such small fry, shelved the then-unknown Ding Qingyuan to dodge the hassle.

Realizing her plight, she’d sunk into utter despair—and seethed with resentment toward Song Guiya for snatching her golden opportunity.

Although she had no idea that the gold master backing Song Guiya was Xi Tongyue, Ding Qingyuan couldn’t deny that Song Guiya had changed her fate at a cocktail party dozens of times more upscale than the one she’d attended.

Song Guiya, in turn, had grown deeply disappointed and resentful toward Ding Qingyuan after Fang Shi explained that she’d been chosen for the event only because Ding Qingyuan had balked at the last minute upon realizing she’d have to entertain a guest with drinks and recommended her friend Song Guiya as a replacement.

In this way, Fang Shi had played both sides against each other, sowing misunderstandings that turned the two women into enemies.

Or rather, it was Ding Qingyuan’s one-sided vendetta.

A year earlier, Ding Qingyuan—who had been shelved by her agency—suddenly found herself back in the spotlight. She landed the role of second female lead in the coming-of-age film Really Miss You, earning widespread acclaim and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Hot on its heels, she starred as Bai Xun, the female lead in the smash-hit drama Tianxun Chronicles, snagging the Best Actress award for xianxia series that year. Endorsement deals poured in after that, propelling her into the ranks of the New Generation Four Little Flowers.

Throughout this rise, Ding Qingyuan took every opportunity on public platforms to praise her old friend Song Guiya to her face while subtly tearing her down behind her back, painting Song Guiya as a backstabbing schemer with rotten character.

Ding Qingyuan had poured no small effort into fueling Song Guiya’s torrent of bad press over the years.

The reborn Song Guiya had only vaguely known of Ding Qingyuan’s existence at first and was clueless about all these twists and turns. But once Xi Tongyue learned that Song Guiya still planned to make her mark in the entertainment industry, she compiled exhaustive dossiers on everyone connected to her and handed them over for reference—to ensure Song Guiya wouldn’t be caught flat-footed if trouble arose down the line.

At the thought, Song Guiya felt her lips curve upward of their own accord.

She had never once considered it shameful to rely on the money and opportunities Xi Tongyue had provided since her rebirth. Far from it—her heart brimmed with a cool, sweet refreshment, like gulping down a tall glass of ice-cold honeyed juice on the hottest day of summer.

Someone happened to catch sight of the moment.

As Song Guiya lost herself in her thoughts, that person sauntered up to her with a swaying gait, her voice soft and alluring.

“Miss Song, long time no see.”