A Pair of Evil Women's Love - Chapter 63
Chapter 63:【VIP】
It suddenly started raining heavily in the early morning. The entire city of A was shrouded in mist, and the sound of water gushing from the bathroom was no less a commotion than the downpour outside.
Fu Yilan’s hands were a fiery red as she scrubbed the filthy carpet over and over and over again.
Fu Haitang’s playful whispers seemed to still be right beside her ear, little by little threatening to burn through her eardrum.
“How does it feel?”
“Is it better than me?”
“No? Then why do you look so intoxicated, even enjoying it?”
“A little harder.”
“It’ll hurt!” Fu Yilan whimpered.
“It won’t,” Fu Haitang’s gentle, coaxing voice was extremely seductive. Fu Yilan let down her guard and did as she was told. The next moment, she heard someone’s triumphant laugh. “It’ll just be a little swollen afterward…”
Fu Yilan wailed, “You’re a liar!”
Fu Yilan broke her skin. She used too much force, and her hand, scrubbing the carpet, scraped against a broken corner of the sink, peeling off a layer of her flesh.
“Hoo!”
Fu Yilan cried out in pain, and tears streamed down her face. She sucked on her finger, doing what Fu Haitang had told her to do—licking her own stuff.
Fu Haitang: “That way it won’t hurt. Try again.”
Her finger was soaked with two drops of fresh bl00d. Fu Yilan put it under clear water to rinse it. The water in the basin swirled around, turning murky with bl00d that also stained the carpet.
Fu Haitang: “Mmm~ Do you like it?”
Fu Yilan was panting heavily, her forehead glistening with a thin layer of sweat. Suddenly, she lost all strength and plopped down into the wetness.
She couldn’t wash anymore.
Fu Haitang was still like a ghost, replaying her earlier state in her ear. Getting drunk was fun for a while, but waking up felt utterly ridiculous!
Fu Yilan rubbed her injured fingertip and splashed clear water on her face again and again to cool herself down. Outside, the rain poured down. Fu Yilan took out a bandage and wrapped her wound.
Fu Yilan really didn’t have the energy to move the soaked carpet to dry it. She carefully checked her red knees, only hoping the marks wouldn’t turn into bruises the next day. She changed out of her training clothes and went to bed.
The main light went out.
Fu Yilan pulled the covers up to her stomach. She closed her eyes to rest, but then she heard Fu Haitang’s voice again.
“Baby.”
Fu Yilan: “…”
Fu Yilan got up and adjusted the air conditioning to 16 degrees Celsius.
The small nightlight was on in the bedroom, like the only warm spot in the pouring rain. Fu Yilan clutched the thin blanket to cover herself and closed her eyes again.
“Baby?”
A gust of wind blew past. Fu Yilan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Whether her eyes were open or closed, all she saw was Fu Haitang’s mocking smile and that one word: “baby.”
She got up again to confirm that the indoor ventilation system was on.
How strange… it felt the same whether it was on or off. She still felt hot in the back of her neck, and her pheromones were leaking unstably.
“Baby.”
Fu Yilan waved her hand. “Go away!”
Perhaps she didn’t even realize it herself, but her tone was full of a thick nasal sound, shy and timid, with only a hint of anger remaining.
“Baby~”
Fu Yilan: “…”
Fu Yilan turned over again and covered her ears with her hands. “I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”
“Does it feel good?” Fu Haitang asked with a laugh.
Fu Yilan pulled the blanket over her face, then slowly revealed her eyes, which were moist as she stared at the ceiling.
In the living room, after the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared.
Fu Haitang: “The carpet is dirty beyond belief.”
Fu Yilan let out a sob, hating that she hadn’t scrubbed the carpet into a pulp just now!
It was almost 2 a.m. Fu Yilan took a deep breath, knowing she couldn’t be late for training tomorrow.
She finally drifted off to sleep after much hesitation.
It rained all night, dissolving some of the summer heat. In the afternoon, Fu Haitang arrived at the coffee shop for her appointment as scheduled. She was a little surprised that Lu Jing had even arrived early.
“Mr. Lu?” Fu Haitang walked over, surprised. “Did you make this appointment with me?”
Lu Jing grunted in response. He was wearing a mask, and the coffee in front of him was untouched.
He raised a hand and beckoned a waiter. “What do you want to drink?”
Fu Haitang wanted to say iced coke, but instead, the words “iced Americano” came out of her mouth.
Lu Jing gestured for Fu Haitang to sit down. A moment later, the coffee was brought over. Fu Haitang took a sip, then opened the sugar bowl on the table and put two cubes in her cup.
Lu Jing: “Can’t get used to it?”
“I usually just drink water; I have a mild palate,” Fu Haitang said with a smile, her hands folded in her lap. “What did you want to see me about, Mr. Lu?”
Lu Jing: “You should know why I’m looking for you.”
“Hmm?” The sugar cubes had melted a little. Fu Haitang stirred her spoon lightly. “Mr. Lu, please, please don’t speak in riddles with me. I really don’t understand these things.”
Lu Jing: “…”
Fu Haitang gave an ingratiating smile.
“Why is Fu Yilan in the same group as Gu Jingjing?” Lu Jing said bluntly. “Have you already decided on the debut list?”
Fu Haitang choked, pulling a tissue to her mouth. “Wh-what?”
Lu Jing moved a cup of hot water toward her. “Don’t rush, take your time.”
Fu Haitang coughed, her eyes red, and she took a few big gulps of water, breathing heavily as she explained to Lu Jing, “Mr. Lu, the format of this competition was decided by the organizing committee together. You know, it’s all to make the show more interesting.”
Fu Haitang clutched the coffee cup and whispered, “And, well, we didn’t expect it to happen this way. After all, they are both favorites to win, and they both have many fans.”
Lu Jing took off his mask and said, “No need to beat around the bush. Fu Yilan must debut.”
Fu Haitang avoided Lu Jing’s eyes, looking out the window with a troubled expression.
“The network has a fixed number of spots, Mr. Lu.”
Fu Haitang: “Mr. Lu, our competition is fair and just…”
“Take this.” Lu Jing pushed a card toward her. “There’s five million in here, for you.”
Five million.
Fu Haitang’s heart was truly itching, but it was strange. The last time Lu Jing went above her head to talk to Qiao Yi during a live broadcast, it would have been much more effective to talk to Qiao Yi about this matter than herself.
The only reason he wasn’t talking to Qiao Yi was that he was likely rejected.
After returning to the country, Lu Jing hadn’t signed with a company. In the end, he was a freelancer. The entertainment industry gave him face, but there were limits to how much.
Otherwise, why would Lu Jing still be on a show like this, trying to break into the film and television industry from the idol world? And if he disliked Gu Jingjing so much, why was he still getting engaged to her?
Fu Haitang suddenly realized that Lu Jing was not out of her reach after all.
And his offer wasn’t even as generous as Gu Jingjing’s!
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lu.” Fu Haitang sighed, pushing the card back toward Lu Jing. “I can’t accept this.”
Fu Haitang straightened her back. “I can’t compromise the integrity of the show.”
Lu Jing looked as if he’d heard a joke. “You? I thought everyone knew about Producer Fu’s methods of manipulating public opinion and changing the rules to play with people’s hearts. And now you’re telling me you’re righteous and fair?”
Fu Haitang pursed her lips and slowly stood up. “I’m sorry, I can’t take this money.”
“Amongst Fu Rongdie, Qin Hai, and Yi Bingchi, how many are on your TV station’s side?” Lu Jing asked.
Fu Haitang’s phoenix eyes curved into two arcs. “Mr. Lu, you are also one of the mentors. I believe every vote you cast is for the trainees themselves.”
Fu Haitang: “You must never again show favoritism toward a trainee by giving a private performance for just one person.”
Lu Jing took off his sunglasses, his eyes sharp and menacing.
Fu Haitang shrugged. She was leaving TV Station A anyway. She pursed her lips and continued to retort, “Mr. Lu seems to have never considered how ordinary people are supposed to accept the favors he lets slip through his fingers.”
Lu Jing: “What do you mean?”
“You’ll know when you watch the show in a couple of days, Mr. Lu. By the way, you can also occasionally pay attention to what your fans are up to. After all, you’re an Alpha male idol with so many ‘wife fans.’”
After lunch break, it was usually a time to rest. Delivery services and customers should have created a small rush, but the cafe was empty. It seemed it had been cleared out in advance.
Fu Haitang pushed the door open, and the scent of wet earth after the rain rushed in. She took a deep breath and relaxed her palms, which were sweaty from being clenched.
Oh my god!
What ordinary passerby could say so much to a king-like figure?
Fu Haitang!
Get your stuff together and level up quickly!
“Pfft.” Fu Haitang almost laughed out loud, then reminded herself not to get too carried away. She quickly clutched her small bag and left.
“How was it?” Chen Yi appeared out of nowhere, watching Fu Haitang’s retreating figure through the glass window. “She fled in panic! You must have won!”
Lu Jing: “Go and check.”
Chen Yi: “Huh?”
“Find,” Lu Jing picked up his coffee. “Find evidence of her malpractice and contact entertainment reporters and marketing companies. You know what to do.”
Chen Yi: “This… After all, you’re still new to acting, Brother Jing. If you do this… will we still be able to accept investment dramas from TV Station A in the future?”
Lu Jing: “You’ve gotten a lot of backbone recently.”
“I’ll check!” Chen Yi clasped his hands together. “I’ll contact them! I promise to handle it properly!”
…
“Ah-choo!” As soon as she entered the lobby, the cold air hit her, and Fu Haitang sneezed several times. She muttered, “The air conditioning is set so low on a cool day like this.”
“You say you’re cheap, but you’re worried about the company’s electricity bill?” Sini handed her ID card from behind and swiped the entry gate before Fu Haitang. “Where were you?”
Fu Haitang: “I went to have a cup of coffee.”
“Oh, the group meeting is in five minutes. Are you attending?” Sini asked.
Fu Haitang: “No, I’m going back to deal with something. I have to go out again later.”
The two rode the elevator up together. Sini brought up the recording, laughing as she said, “You haven’t been to the set for a few days. They all miss you.”
Fu Haitang: “Hmm? Miss who?”
“You!” Sini chuckled. “The beautiful, elegant, and irresistibly charming Omega. You don’t know how many young Alphas you’ve captivated with just your back~”
Fu Haitang: “……………”
Sini giggled. “Of course, there are many young Omegas, too.”
Fu Haitang: “Don’t talk nonsense.”
They reached the 23rd floor. Sini held the elevator door for Fu Haitang. “Someone said that if they get eliminated, they’ll come and confess to you. They said since they’ll basically have no future in the entertainment industry anyway, they might as well seize the last opportunity to pursue the Omega sister they like.”
Fu Haitang: “Shut up.”
They parted ways after leaving the elevator. Fu Haitang returned to her office to finish her work and then suddenly remembered what Sini had said about her not being on set for a while.
Everyone else missed her.
So why was there not a single message from that certain person, except for one photo of lunch?
Oh.
Fu Yilan didn’t miss her at all?
Fu Haitang raised an eyebrow, then glanced at her watch. She still had half an hour until her scheduled departure time.
Maybe I should go and check it out?
Fu Haitang took out her phone and sent a message to a colleague on set to confirm that Lu Jing had left before noon. Then, Fu Haitang sauntered over.
“Hey—Teacher Chen!”
A person hurriedly passed Fu Haitang in the hallway. The person was on the phone, a document clamped between their teeth, and didn’t notice Fu Haitang standing in the deep part of the intersection.
“Teacher Chen, please, just ask. You can speak directly about whatever it is…”
“Asking around? What are you asking about?”
“Oh, that’s it. Hey, what kind of place is this, anyway?”
Fu Haitang hissed, lightly retracting the foot she was about to step out with.
“The entertainment industry. Isn’t it a common thing to pay for a debut spot? You’re close to Teacher Lu, so you must know better than me!”
“If you want to know, Fu Hai… Oh, crap! Producer Fu!”
Lu Jing was investigating her.
Fu Haitang took a deep breath and stepped out.
The tapping of her high heels on the ground came from behind him. The Beta heard it clearly, and before he could speak, goosebumps appeared all over his body.
Sure enough, a hand snatched his phone away.
Fu Haitang ended the call and said, “You tell everyone everything, aren’t you afraid of being recorded?”
“Producer, Producer Fu… I…”
Fu Haitang gave him a light glare, checked the call duration, and handed the phone back to the employee. “Send me the recording.”
“Producer Fu, this is… I don’t think that’s appropriate.” The Beta was in a difficult position. One was his boss, and the other was a big name in the industry. He couldn’t afford to offend either.
“I won’t blame you for this. We’re all lowly people; I get it. You send me the recording, and when you get back, I’ll handle it. It’ll be better than you getting exposed and reported.” Fu Haitang’s smile was gentle. Her image at the TV station was always that of a kind person who smiled often.
It was easy to get people to like her.
With the recording in hand, Fu Haitang put in her earphones and listened as she walked toward the practice room.
“Wow! Director Fu! You’re here!”
There was a commotion around her.
Fu Haitang smiled at each of the voices and exchanged a few pleasantries.
“Have you been training well?” Fu Haitang asked with a smile.
“Hey, you little brat, stay away from me!” Fu Haitang picked up a document and slapped away the “pork hand.” “You don’t have a notice for this here.”
The trainee said, “I just want to know what mission you’ve come with today.”
“An advertisement,” Fu Haitang said, shaking the document in her hand.
“Ugh, then we don’t have a chance, do we?”
“Exactly… It’s always Jingzhao, or if it’s not her, it’s Fu Yilan. And if it’s not them, it’s Gu Jingjing and Lele, or Lin Mei and Meixue.”
Fu Haitang feigned anger. “Alright, this is a group advertisement for a sportswear brand. The last one to be the face of this brand was the national sports team!”
“Wow!”
The room cheered.
Gu Jingjing, upon hearing the news, immediately went back to the practice room to call Fu Yilan. “Why aren’t you coming out to chat? We’re getting an ad.”
Fu Yilan: “…”
Fu Yilan turned around to memorize her lines. The new song’s rap was a mouthful. She could either get through the lines, but her dance moves would fall behind, or she could stay on beat, but her singing would be unclear.
Gu Jingjing: “Fu Yilan, what are you doing being so difficult? Are you going to make everyone wait for you?”
“You guys go get your makeup and styling done first. I’ll go check on Yilan,” Fu Haitang’s voice echoed from the hallway.
The surrounding noises gradually quieted down. Fu Yilan stared at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, clearly seeing Gu Jingjing step on Fu Haitang’s foot.
Fu Haitang: “…Miss, what did I do wrong now?”
“Did you forget I told you to stay away from this ‘green tea’?” Gu Jingjing said viciously. “If you weren’t still useful, I would have torn you to shreds a long time ago for what you did with her!”
Fu Haitang apologized in a low voice, repeatedly promising to maintain her distance. “Miss, I’ll go talk to her so she doesn’t delay your filming schedule.”
Gu Jingjing frowned. “I’m leaving!”
The room was finally empty.
Fu Haitang took off her high heels and tiptoed toward Fu Yilan. Before she could get close, when she was still a meter away, a person stopped her with a quiet “huff.”
“Director Fu, please maintain your distance.”
Fu Haitang: “…”
“What kind of distance? Positive or negative?” Fu Haitang teased.
She stepped closer, reached out, and turned off Fu Yilan’s microphone. With a teasing smile in her eyes, she said, “Hmm? Why aren’t you talking, baby?”
Fu Yilan glanced at the ceiling and the various fixed cameras scattered throughout the practice room. “The cameras are on.”
Fu Haitang shrugged. “Then it’s even more exciting.”