Chapter – 60
Seeing that her own second child had been persuaded, Fang Xinhua felt extremely gratified. As long as things were explained clearly, Second Bao was always very sensible. Such an understanding and well-behaved child—who wouldn’t like her?
“Even if you do have feelings for Actress Lin, there’s no need to rush. There’s plenty of time ahead,” Fang Xinhua comforted her.
“Who said I have feelings for her?” Qin Shiyue unconsciously raised her voice and immediately denied it.
Fang Xinhua thought to herself: your reaction told me so. Otherwise, why would your volume suddenly jump up several notches? That’s clearly a sign of guilt. Still, she had noticed that this time, Second Bao’s liking for Actress Lin wasn’t as direct and decisive as her feelings for her ex-wife had been. Instead, it was especially awkward and shy, with a hint of pride. But this kind of reaction felt more like how a woman in love should act.
“She doesn’t even think highly of me. I’m not stupid—how could I possibly still have feelings for a woman who looks down on me?” Qin Shiyue said again, as if afraid Fang Xinhua wouldn’t believe her.
“I think Actress Lin treats you quite well, and in a very special way. I don’t think she’d be willing to spend so much time and energy every day on someone she looks down on,” Fang Xinhua said objectively. After interacting for more than ten days, she had gained a rough understanding of Actress Lin’s temperament.
“That’s because you don’t know that I promised her benefits. Maybe she’ll need my sister to help her with something in the future,” Qin Shiyue said with full self-awareness, believing she herself had nothing of value, and that it was quite possible her sister would end up repaying this favor.
Fang Xinhua had thought the same before, but now she felt that Actress Lin was more likely interested in Second Bao herself. She had noticed that Actress Lin’s attitude toward others was always calm and distant, but whenever she faced Second Bao, the corners of her mouth would unconsciously lift, her smile impossible to hide. Moreover, during rehearsals, Actress Lin often teased Second Bao until her face turned red. Once or twice might be accidental, but when it happened repeatedly, it was hard not to suspect she was using her position for personal reasons. Even if Fang Xinhua didn’t yet fully understand Actress Lin, Bai Wenxi—who had been by her side for many years—was adamant that Actress Lin had feelings for Second Bao. Fang Xinhua trusted Bai Wenxi’s judgment.
“Maybe,” Fang Xinhua said without exposing anything further. She felt that Second Bao had already been drawn to Actress Lin, though that attraction was still hazy and undefined. Realizing one’s feelings too early might not be a good thing for Second Bao. Emotions themselves involved push and pull, a kind of game—whoever fell first or invested more would be more passive and disadvantaged. Naturally, she would side with her own Second Bao. Even if she believed Second Bao would inevitably be the one at a disadvantage, she still hoped that moment would come a little later.
Qin Shiyue had originally hoped Fang Xinhua would say more about how Lin Qingyi might like her just a little. Instead, Fang Xinhua immediately agreed with her own reasoning. Even Fang Xinhua thought that Lin Qingyi’s kindness and help toward her might be driven by ulterior motives. Feeling frustrated, Qin Shiyue stopped talking.
“By the way, M Station’s variety show ‘Hi!’ is about to start recording its second season. They still want to invite you to be a permanent female guest this season. I checked the schedule—if the recording is arranged for evenings, the timing should still work,” Fang Xinhua said.
Other less important projects had either been turned down or postponed. Fang Xinhua felt that ‘Hi!’ was still worth accepting. It was a major variety show, very helpful for consolidating Qin Shiyue’s popularity, and the pay was extremely generous—far more profitable than this drama.
Qin Shiyue’s acting skills were a bit lacking, but her variety show sense was excellent. In the past, the variety shows she appeared on helped her gain fans more easily than her dramas. That was why Fang Xinhua tended to focus her resources on variety shows and high-end luxury endorsements. If Qin Shiyue hadn’t insisted on acting this time, Fang Xinhua likely wouldn’t have let her take on this drama.
In the first season of ‘Hi!’, the lineup consisted of top-tier male idols in the entertainment industry, along with Qin Shiyue—a traffic queen who would never harvest male stars’ fandoms yet somehow had CP chemistry with everyone.
Several handsome male idols and one female star who would never “steal” fans—every one of them a traffic powerhouse. A visual feast for looks-focused audiences. Unsurprisingly, the first season was a huge hit. Both Qin Shiyue and the male idols gained many fans. It was a case of mutual success—the show boosted the stars, and the stars boosted the show. By the second season, major traffic stars were scrambling to become regular guests.
“I’m not taking it. I want to focus on filming,” Qin Shiyue said. Just thinking about having to record a variety show at night and not being able to rehearse scenes with Lin Qingyi made her feel like it would affect her daytime performance. She had made up her mind to act seriously this time and didn’t want distractions.
“The pay is very high, and it’s very effective for stabilizing popularity…” Fang Xinhua felt it was an excellent opportunity, and turning it down was a pity. A few days earlier, Qin Shiyue had been accused online of acting like a diva—clearly malicious marketing bought by a rival to squeeze her out and seize this very resource. Fang Xinhua had quickly suppressed the smear campaign. Compared to Qin Shiyue, the rival artist still fell short in popularity, variety show presence, and persona. That was why, even with a much higher quote than last season, M Station had still agreed.
“Do I lack money? Do I lack popularity? I lack neither. What I lack is a representative work I can truly stand behind,” Qin Shiyue said righteously. Money and popularity were things she already had. What she wanted now was to shed the label of being an ‘acting black hole.’ Under Lin Qingyi’s guidance, she was acting more and more smoothly. If she got distracted and lost her current rhythm, it would be disastrous.
“Alright, I’ll turn it down for you,” Fang Xinhua said, seeing how resolute Qin Shiyue was. She stopped persuading her. Although she felt that making an idol drama into a representative work wasn’t exactly glorious, Qin Shiyue truly didn’t lack money or popularity. Her happiness was what mattered most. It was just frustrating to think that such a good resource might end up benefiting their long-time rival.
“Thank you, Sister Fang,” Qin Shiyue said. She knew Fang Xinhua wanted her to accept it and that it would likely help her popularity, but she still wanted to do her best with what was right in front of her.
That night, while rehearsing with Lin Qingyi, Qin Shiyue told her about turning down the variety show. She wasn’t sure whether her decision was right. Even though she had only spent a little over ten days with Lin Qingyi, she knew Lin Qingyi was smarter than she was and felt an inexplicable sense of trust toward her—one that was almost on par with the trust she had in Fang Xinhua, who had been with her for so many years.
