A Pair of Evil Women's Love - Chapter 41
Chapter 41:[VIP]
After the second public performance, the remaining 54 trainees were reassigned to new classes. The elimination rate for Class A was 0%, but after the reassignment, based on the dance and vocal groups, Class A was also split into different song groups due to disagreements over song choices.
Of course, going to other groups also allowed them to avoid competing with strong classmates for the C-position in each class’s performance.
Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin chose to join the vocal group where Fu Yilan was.
After finishing their training in the afternoon, they had a commercial collaboration in the evening. The advertisers had specifically requested Fu Yilan, Lin Meixue, and Lin Meilin for the ad shoot.
During makeup and styling, Fu Yilan took a little longer to change clothes. When she came out of the dressing room, she saw Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin pressing each other against the makeup mirror.
After a brief moment of surprise, Fu Yilan decided not to make a fuss. But just then, the makeup artist suddenly returned, pushed the door open, and the intimate pair snapped back to reality. The makeup artist gasped, jumped back, and fled with a theatrical limp.
Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin exchanged glances and said to Fu Yilan, “Sorry, the mirror is our favorite place. We just couldn’t help ourselves for a moment.”
Fu Yilan: “…”
Why were they explaining themselves to her?
Fu Yilan hobbled outside with her crutch.
“You won’t tell anyone, will you, Lanylan?” Lin Meilin walked over and blocked the exit of the makeup room.
Lin Meixue stood behind Fu Yilan and said with a smile, “I’m sure Yilan will understand us. She definitely won’t say anything.”
Their tone was ambiguous, as if they knew something.
Fu Yilan said, “There’s a surveillance camera in the makeup room. The dressing room is the one without one. Even if I don’t cooperate with the makeup artist’s testimony, your actions have already been recorded.”
Lin Meixue: “…”
Lin Meilin: “…”
“They’re here! Director Ren! You have to see this!”
The door was pushed open again. The makeup artist and Ren Qing had arrived.
Ren Qing was an Alpha, and she was very good at detecting omega pheromones in the air.
“Lin Meixue, Lin Meilin! What were you two doing just now!” Ren Qing said angrily. “Do you know that two omegas being intimate could trigger a social estrus event!”
Ren Qing continued, “Do you want to ruin the show!”
Lin Meixue: “We didn’t…”
“I can check the surveillance footage at any time!” Ren Qing was furious. “Pack your things and leave the TV station. I’ll contact your company!”
The makeup artist stomped his foot. “Director Ren, are we still shooting the ad?”
“Tell someone to contact Fu Haitang to handle it!” Ren Qing slammed the door and left.
Makeup artist: “Oh.”
The makeup room was empty. Fu Yilan tried to walk around Lin Meilin to leave, but the two of them blocked her again.
“How could I forget Fu Haitang?”
“Yeah.”
The two sang in harmony, exchanged glances, and held Fu Yilan by both arms, leading her to a corner.
Fu Yilan: “…What are you two doing? Wait, hey?”
Lin Meixue snatched the crutch away from her.
Five minutes later, Fu Haitang received a text message from Fu Yilan.
“…”
“Director Ren!” The advertising department was not far from the shooting area. Fu Haitang arrived in a few minutes and saw Ren Qing on the phone with an entertainment company.
Director Ren raised her hand to silence Fu Haitang, as she was in a heated discussion on the phone. “…I’ll give you the surveillance footage later. The evidence is solid. This isn’t a breach of contract.”
Fu Haitang frowned. “Director Ren!”
Ren Qing turned around and said to the person on the phone, “Do you know how big the impact would be if it gets out that two omegas went into heat together?”
“Ren Qing, do you know how much money I’ve given your production team—” The person on the phone became emotional and was about to start an argument. “I’m telling you! You won’t get away with this—”
The voice on the other end of the line stopped abruptly. Ren Qing turned around, watching in disbelief as Fu Haitang snatched her phone away.
Fu Haitang grabbed the phone and said with a fawning tone, “Director Zhang, please don’t misunderstand. Director Ren didn’t mean that. Don’t worry, we’ll cover up what happened with Meixue and Meilin.”
“Fu Haitang! Who do you think you are? How dare you steal my phone! I’m telling you, Lin Meilin and Lin Meixue have to leave. No one can stop it!”
Fu Haitang hung up the phone, silently noting down the contact information for the other party’s entertainment company. She handed the phone back to Ren Qing. “Then I’ll lay my cards on the table. Neither of them can leave!”
Ren Qing laughed out of anger. “You have some talent, but don’t forget, if this show goes under, you’ll be nothing!”
“I’ll take responsibility for keeping Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin. Director Ren, just pretend you don’t know about this. If anything goes wrong, I, Fu Haitang, will bear all the consequences!” Fu Haitang said.
Ren Qing: “Even if the show is canceled?”
Fu Haitang: “Even if the show is canceled!”
“Who do you think you are?” Ren Qing scoffed. As she turned, she bumped into Lu Jing.
Lu Jing: “What’s going on?”
Fu Haitang’s heart pounded. In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through her mind. If Lin Meixue told people about her and Fu Yilan, then Lu Jing would know very soon!
Fu Haitang clenched her fist. Before Ren Qing could explain, she said, “Two artists were caught in a relationship. Teacher Lu, Director Ren wants to expel them, but…”
Lu Jing knew Fu Haitang, the person beside Gu Jingjing. He had also seen Fu Haitang when she had a conflict with Fu Yilan last time.
Why would this person still speak up for Fu Yilan? Lu Jing frowned, but he had seen plenty of opportunists in the entertainment industry, so he didn’t think too much of it.
“Fu Yilan is also involved in this. They are friends, and Fu Yilan asked me to try to convince Director Ren,” Fu Haitang said with a difficult expression, glancing at Ren Qing and shifting the responsibility. “I didn’t expect you to walk in on us.”
Lu Jing frowned. Since it concerned Fu Yilan, he would naturally intervene. For the sake of goodwill, he didn’t mind being a busybody.
Ren Qing and Lu Jing moved aside to talk. Fu Haitang clenched her fists, anxiously waiting for ten minutes until Lu Jing left. Then, Ren Qing pulled out a cigarette.
Fu Haitang was quick. She stepped forward, took out a lighter, shielded it from the wind, and lit Ren Qing’s cigarette.
Ren Qing said, “Lu Jing talked to me. This time, because of Fu Yilan, he asked me to let this matter go. Don’t you think I should hint to Fu Yilan to do something?”
Fu Haitang avoided the topic and only talked about the blackmail. “This is a small matter. As long as we keep it a secret until the end of the show, we won’t have any more trouble!”
Ren Qing: “You’ve made up your mind to take the path of ‘black and popular’.”
“You’re a bit old-fashioned, Director Ren,” Fu Haitang joked.
Ren Qing: “…”
8 PM.
The ad shoot was over. Fu Yilan didn’t see Fu Haitang. Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin only knew that the matter had been suppressed and breathed a sigh of relief. Then they received calls from their respective companies, ordering them to break up. If any other issues arose, they would be completely blacklisted.
“Why didn’t Fu Haitang come?” In the middle of their vocal practice, Lin Meixue moved next to Fu Yilan. “Thank you for what you did about Meilin and me.”
Fu Yilan smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“And thank you to Instructor Fu. Oh~ no, now she’s Director Fu.” Lin Meixue’s eyes curved. “Please pass on my thanks~”
Fu Yilan was stunned. “I’m not close to her.”
“Not close, and yet a couple of your texts and Fu Haitang immediately solved the problem?” Lin Meixue laughed. “Who are you trying to fool!”
Fu Yilan defended herself. “We’re really not close.”
“If you’re really not close, then what about the dressing room incident?” Lin Meixue covered her face and giggled flirtatiously. “A lot of things happened there, didn’t they!”
Lin Meixue cupped her face and sighed. “I thought Meilin and I were done for. I never expected things to turn around. It seems Fu Haitang really has connections at the station! She can even solve such a serious problem!”
“She’s so reliable!” Lin Meixue raised her elbow and nudged Fu Yilan. “Hey, isn’t that heart-fluttering? Your boss solves a problem for you with just one word. I’d fall in love!”
“…”
“So you two…” Lin Meixue aligned her thumbs and wiggled her fingers, making a kissing gesture. “Is it love, or are you just partners?”
Fu Yilan stood up with her crutch. “I’m going to practice my song.”
“I’ll teach you! My vocal lessons are very good!” Lin Meixue chased after her. “Do you still want to hear about that secret technique? I’ll tell you!”
Fu Yilan: “…No need.”
“Don’t say no. I know you’re shy. Hey—let’s be friends!” Lin Meixue followed Fu Yilan persistently.
It wasn’t until late at night that Fu Haitang still didn’t appear. Just before training ended, Fu Yilan received a message from Fu Haitang telling her to go home early.
Would interfering in Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin’s matter get Fu Haitang into trouble?
Should she say thank you?
Fu Yilan didn’t know. Now, it seemed, was her decision back then too rash? But after thinking it over and over, telling Fu Haitang was the most logical decision when faced with Lin Meixue’s threats.
Returning to the apartment, Fu Yilan took a short nap in the living room. Ji Xiaotong brought a blanket and covered Fu Yilan’s exposed legs.
“Lanylan, you should go to bed,” Ji Xiaotong said.
Fu Yilan shook her head. “Did Fu Haitang say what time she’s coming back?”
Ji Xiaotong shook her head. “Do you want to take a bath? I can help you.”
Fu Yilan instructed Ji Xiaotong to prepare the bathroom. After tidying up, she sent her away. Ji Xiaotong stayed guard by the bathroom door, not going far. She took out her phone, and the top message was from Fu Haitang half an hour ago.
(Stay close when Fu Yilan is taking a bath. Don’t let anything happen.)
Ji Xiaotong pouted, and slid down to see the second message.
(Don’t let her find out.)
Ji Xiaotong mumbled, “This Fu Haitang, she’s actually pretty good to Lanylan.”
When Fu Yilan came out of the bath, Ji Xiaotong had already fallen asleep by the bathroom door. She carefully walked around her and looked around the master bedroom. Fu Haitang’s bedroom was very simple. There was no sofa, not even a reading lamp in the corner by the window.
The furniture was even sparser than in a hotel. If this apartment had been lived in by Gu Jingjing, it would have been fully furnished. It seemed Fu Haitang had sold everything she could.
Her ankles were sore. Fu Yilan endured the pain and left the room. Since a certain person hadn’t returned tonight, she would have to apply the medicine herself. In just a few days, she had become lazy from being pampered by Fu Haitang.
She hastily rubbed some on and then took a thin blanket to sleep.
The lights in the living room were on, and the entryway had a motion sensor light. No matter how late Fu Haitang came back, she wouldn’t have to walk into a dark apartment. Fu Yilan told herself to go to sleep, but her heart still felt a little unsettled.
Is a promotion so demanding that she has to be this busy?
Fu Yilan opened her eyes and frowned, examining her own heart. She… she was actually growing fond of this temporary home and the people here?
…
The desk was piled with instant coffee. Fu Haitang and the planning team held an all-night meeting, finally finalizing the shooting for the second and fourth phases. The advertisers had been contacted, and the contracts had been bound and sent to legal. They could be faxed back early tomorrow morning.
At that time, they would start shooting and recording, and new sponsorships would have to be integrated. At 5 AM, Fu Haitang was hungry. She opened her desk drawer, but her emergency food supply was gone. She remembered needing to restock and then suddenly remembered there was someone at home.
She looked at the time: 5 AM. She had been so engrossed in her work. Was she really a “workhorse saint”?
She left the TV station as the sky began to lighten. The nearby breakfast stalls were already open for business. City sanitation workers were already on duty. The city of A in the early morning was not as deserted as Fu Haitang had imagined.
Fu Haitang bought breakfast. The sweet soy milk was delicious. She put a fried dough stick into it and stirred it. A couple of bites filled her mouth with a wonderful aroma. After breakfast, it was already past 5 AM. Fu Haitang paid and packed two more portions to take home.
When she paid, her bank card showed a transaction history, and the balance was different from what she remembered. Fu Haitang tapped into it and saw that her salary had been deposited during the day: 20,511. The amount was exact.
The bonus made up the largest part, but there were also allowances for overtime, meals, and housing. Fu Haitang took a deep breath. Her all-night fatigue disappeared, and the worries of dealing with a day’s worth of trivial matters vanished.
She had just been promoted. Her salary next month would only be higher!
If she could stay at the TV station, with a yearly salary of around 300,000, why would she need to worry about Gu Jingjing’s moods?
If… if…
Those unrealistic fantasies appeared again. Fu Haitang slapped her forehead, forcing herself to be alert. She entered the apartment, changed her shoes, and tiptoed into the second bedroom. The person on the bed was sleeping soundly.
Fu Haitang lifted a corner of the blanket and glanced at the injury. The medicinal oil had stained her skin yellow, a clear sign that it hadn’t been rubbed in properly. Fu Haitang glared at the person on the bed, washed her hands, and then re-massaged Fu Yilan for half an hour.
At 6 AM sharp, the alarm clock had been ringing for ten minutes, and Fu Yilan was always woken up by it. The sound of water came from the master bathroom. On the living room table was a steaming breakfast. She sat down to eat, picking out the flavors she liked.
Halfway through, she suddenly realized that she was a guest. Why was she so familiar with the movements of finding food?
“I worked all night.” Fu Haitang came out, wiping her head. “How did you sleep last night?”
Fu Yilan: “I slept well. I just had a dream all night that a dog was licking my feet.”
Fu Haitang: “…”
Fu Yilan: “What happened with Lin Meixue and them caused you a lot of trouble. I didn’t want to trouble you. Thank you for this.”
Fu Haitang wanted to say something but held back. Fu Yilan’s eyes were bright, and her gratitude was genuine. If she were to say that this was all thanks to Lu Jing’s intervention, would Fu Yilan’s feelings of gratitude be transferred to Lu Jing instead?
“Why are you so picky?” Fu Haitang changed the subject, pointing at the breakfast items on the table that had only been poked at with chopsticks. “Are you just tasting the dishes? Eat up!”
Fu Yilan was momentarily stunned. She had always been this picky at home. Later, although the hardships of eating had changed many of her bad habits, pickiness was a stubborn habit buried deep within her bones. As soon as her life became comfortable, the bad habits began to stir and pop up.
Fu Yilan pursed her lips and retorted, “I like to eat this way. Didn’t you buy these for me? I can eat them however I want.”
“You’re so spoiled!” Fu Haitang smiled gently. “Eat up. They’re all for you.”
Fu Yilan: “…”
Lin Meixue’s words echoed in her mind: “You have someone who is more excellent than you in every way taking care of you, indulging you, and spoiling you. She even helps you with your career. Did you see that short video? Fu Haitang said she would give you a free pass, and she’s getting roasted by the haters because of it! Are you really not moved? I don’t believe it!”
Fu Yilan wasn’t sure if it was the anchor point that Lin Meixue had set, but those words really made her heart flutter. “Fu Haitang, did you throw away that love letter?”