Dirty Little Secret (1)

"I did say I'll help you but you didn't have to pressure yourself, Miss Lan. Whether you obtained the award or become a film empress, I approve of your hard work and skills. You just need to do your best." Li Xiuying said, knowing that her influence might pressure Lan Jinyao to meet certain expectations she set on herself. 

"Ok," Lan Jinyao responded. She didn't press the issue any further but knew that Li Xiuying had done something impressive that would surely advance her career. 

She just got her starring role and her position in the showbiz industry wasn't stable yet. There would be many people watching her, waiting for her to make a mistake. Once she does anything out of hand, they will definitely make a big deal out of it. Li Xiuying's efforts will go into waste. That wasn't something Lan Jinyao wanted to avoid.

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Lin Meirong threw everything within her reach on the floor to vent out her anger. Glass shards and clothes were strewn everywhere. Her assistant could only watch helplessly as she picked up the clothes the actress had yet to use. These would be hard to clean later when the wine stains dried off, she thought.

How did Lan Jinyao manage to turn the tables against her using Zheng Yue? Did that woman tell Zheng Yue about what happened to her and Director Yao? 

Lin Meirong paced around the room and bit her nail in frustration. Li Xiuying, Mu Jianyu's wife, had become the head of the Li Corporation, she wasn't sure what was happening now between her lover and Li Xiuying but it would be the end of her career even before it started if their indecent affair was known by Li Xiuying. 

Moreover, Lan Jinyao's sudden influence on the filming crew had aggravated her since that morning.

"That bitch! How dare she?! How dare she change the scripts in her favor!" 

This couldn't be happening to her! She almost had it… the female lead role was supposed to fall in her hands after Lan Jinyao was kicked out of the production. So how did that woman manage to counterattack her plans? 

It also didn't help that her lover, Mu Jianyu hadn't visited her for three days straight. He'd said that he wouldn't be able to see her these days so his wife wouldn't suspect him while their divorce wasn't finalized yet. Mu Jianyu needed to convince his wife to sign the divorce papers before they could go into the public as a couple. 

She hated that he was treating her like a dirty secret. This wasn't the first time she had an affair with a married man but she wanted to have Mu Jianyu only to herself. Damn that boring wife for wasting such a man. Li Xiuying should just sign those papers and move on. She'll never give up on Mu Jianyu no matter what Li Xiuying does to keep him. 

"Miss Lin, don't worry too much. She might have secured the role but that doesn't mean you've lost your chance to get the best new actress award. As long as you can overshadow her performance, there's always a chance for you to get a nomination as the second lead." Her female assistant tried to comfort her but Lin Meirong wouldn't hear any of it. 

Indeed, there's a chance for the nomination but the producer would most likely prioritize Lan Jinyao over her. A double nomination from the same film was possible but not usual. However, she knew by now that her assistant was right. She had no other chance but to overshadow Lan Jinyao's performance. 

Earlier, she had to pretend everything was fine when in truth she was simmering with rage inside. On the surface, it seemed like she had no problem with the sudden changes again. People with sharp eyes would have known right then that with the director being kicked out from the crew and the producer favoring Lan Jinyao, Lin Meirong had no choice but to resort to being low profile. 

Everyone had a tacit mutual understanding that none of them could offend Lan Jinyao now that she gained an upper hand through Zheng Yue. Not only did Lan Jinyao have Griffin Entertainment to support her but she also gained the Li family's favor courtesy of the former film empress. 

Damn, if only she could ask Mu Jianyu to inject more funds in her favor but that would surely put a red flag on her intent to compete with Lan Jinyao. 

Lin Meirong wasn't sure what kind of deal Lan Jinyao had struck with the Li Family, who she thought was unaware of her offence towards them, but now she's found herself standing on thin ice. One wrong move and everything she had worked for would crumble. 

Silence engulfed her living room as she lazed on the couch, studying the new script in her hand with irritation. It was already past nine in the evening and Mu Jianyu hadn't even given her a call. Her patience was running thin every day that Li Xiuying hadn't signed the divorce papers. 

It was just a piece of paper that still binds Mu Jianyu to his wife. Why couldn't Li Xiuying just sign it anyway? 

She was deep in her thoughts and was startled when someone banged on her door. It was as if the person outside wanted to break down her door just to get inside. 

Lin Meirong threw her script on her side table and went to her front door to see who was making a scene outside her apartment. She took a peek on the peephole and her eyes widened when she saw a familiar man standing right outside her door. 

Yao Qigang! What was Director Yao doing here?! Did he come here to put the blame on her because the producer kicked him out of the film?