In a nanny car that drove out of the set sat a woman in the backseat who looked at the woman in the front seat with an expression of worry. The elegant woman on the front seat looked into a mirror, removing the makeup that had been done onto her to make her look like a queen for the shoot.

“Sister Qianqian,” said the woman in the back seat, “Director Qi hang has already found another second female lead for his film.”

Gu Qianqian, who was still removing her makeup, was stunned. “What?” she asked, surprised, “Didn’t we have a very pleasant chat with the Director? He even mentioned I might be an excellent match for the second female lead. Xiaomei, tell me, is it the actress he was considering before me who got the role?”

Xiaomei hesitated. “It was revealed that Yu Yaoyao has been selected for the role,” she said cautiously, “It will be announced in a few days.”

Gu Qianqian tightened her hands on her makeup wipes. Yu Yaoyao? She indeed possessed extraordinary skill in shaping and improvising a character. Did she lose to her? Gu Qianqian grimaced. Director Zhou Qiu had preferred Yu Yaoyao at that time, too. Did Director Qi hang prefer her for the role over her?

“Sis,” said Xioamei, hurriedly, “She is married and has a child. Maybe she is a good fit to play a wife. Everybody knows that Director Qi Hang selects actors who are similar to the role of the character in the script. It might not be because of talent or skill, but because of her closeness with the character that she got selected. Please don’t be unhappy.”

Xiaomei, her manager, was trying hard to make her feel better. “We could go through other scripts,” she said, “and find other characters who are more towards your liking.”

“Yes, Xiaomei,” said Gu Qianqian, “You are right. We can always find other roles.” Gu Qianqian was a very successful actress and had been in the film industry for a very long time. A loss of one or two roles didn’t affect her so much.

Although she had taken a liking to the second female lead of Director Qi Hang’s upcoming film, it would not do to wallow in frustration. She had to attend to other matters. “Xiaomei, let’s go back to the office for now,” she said, “We need to discuss some things regarding the companies which have me as their spokesperson….” Her voice trailed off as she looked into her phone. She paused scrolling.

She saw some headlines concerning the latest news from ADOLE, a brand that she followed and wanted to be a spokesperson for:

ADOLE V: The 2020 early spring series, under the guidance of the design director James, will meet you soon! Bright pink, cherry pink, tender yellow, as well as dazzling flames that look like the transition from winter to spring, will slowly descend in a classic but most romantic way, and ring the world of early spring!

“Xiaomei,” she said, “After this, will the company arrange for me to meet with the fashion executive of ADOLE?”

“Sister Qianqian,” said her manager with a bitter face, “I was just about to tell you that our company has received news that they will pay a visit to Guangxin. It is not confirmed, but some sources say that the president for the China branch has taken a fancy to Yu Yaoyao. Her webcast has been very popular lately.”

Gu Qianqian’s phone slid onto her lap. She was stunned. “They want her as their spokesperson?” she asked.

“It seems they want her as their brand ambassador,” said Xiaomei cautiously.

Gu Qianqian’s face paled. Must she always encounter Yu Yaoyao wherever she went? How many times will her opportunity be snatched by her? Her hands clenched the armrest of the car seat.

“Yu Yaoyao’s popularity has increased because of the ‘My Wife and I’ variety show,” continued Xiaomei, “I watched some while you were shooting. The viewers applaud her on her sense of humor and her decisive personality. It seems the show has gained even more popularity because of her.” She paused. “Sister Qianqian, I think we should also try out variety shows, your number of fans will probably increase a lot and the rate of exposure will help increase popularity.”

Gu Qianqian was a mess. So many thoughts raged in her mind. She looked out of the window of the car. The day seemed cloudy and gloomy. It reflected her mood perfectly. Was Yu Yaoyao really that great? She recalled a senior in the field telling her that some people are just born with luck on their side. If one wasn’t ready to fight hard, they might as well give up and spare themselves the pain. She had tried to teach Yu Yaoyao a lesson on-screen last time, which hadn’t worked well in her favor. Guangxin’s share prices have been on a rapid rise! Yu Yaoyao was now rich as well as popular. Gu Qianqian gritted her teeth.

“Sister Qianqian,” said Xiaomei, “Are you okay?”

Gu Qianqian smiled bitterly. “Yes, Xiaomei,” she said. “Let’s go home for now. I think I will have a rest. When Director Zhou’s play is over, there will be variety shows on our way. You can fix a meeting for me then. Let the marketing department decide which one to take.”

“Yes, sister,” said Xiaomei. She looked at the phone. “Sister, someone sent you a private message saying that they have some dark secret of Yu Yaoyao’s. They gave a price.”

Gu Qianqian was surprised for a minute. She picked up t’he phone and glanced at the text: ‘This dark secret is enough to ruin her. Costs only $500K. Not very expensive for you, I am sure.’

Gu Qianqian was amused. “How daring!” she said, smiling. She clicked on the delete button. Someone was obviously trying to use her as a tool because they couldn’t deal with Yu Yaoyao themselves. Fools! Gu Qianqian frowned. Is my dislike for Yu Yaoyao that obvious?

“Xiaomei, send a private message to Yu Yaoyao,” she instructed her manager, “Tell her about this and ask her to be careful.”