After Becoming a Film Queen, She Dumped Her Financial Sponsor - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Looks Like She’s Doing Just Fine Without Me

When Qiao Sijin joined the film crew, it was already late autumn.

She had cleared out her entire schedule for the second half of the year, leaving only a few major brand collaborations, all so she could devote herself wholeheartedly to filming the movie Night Sky.

“You’re really willing to give all that up? Those were some top-tier resources. Isn’t that just letting others pick up the scraps?”

Gu Xin, a fellow actress, had attended the same university as Qiao Sijin. Although she was a year below her, there wasn’t much difference between them in terms of popularity. Gu Xin was also one of the most in-demand actresses in the entertainment industry, with her fame rapidly rising.

Holding a bottle of an energy drink, Gu Xin walked toward Qiao Sijin. In this industry, news traveled fast. She already knew about the fallout between Qiao Sijin and Fu Qingyun.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I just want to focus on acting,” Qiao said calmly.

Besides, those big brand deals only came to her in the first place because they wanted to curry favor with Fu Qingyun. It didn’t mean anything now. Letting them go was no big deal.

“Let me guess—this is because of Fu Qingyun?”

Not many people dared to call Fu Qingyun by his full name, but Gu Xin was one of them. They had worked together before, and even on set, she would call him directly by name.

Qiao Sijin had been reading her script, but suddenly lost interest. Holding the page between her fingers, she closed the script with a snap.

“You’re so rude, kid,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes were stunning—glimmering with emotion—and made Gu Xin’s heart skip a beat.

Now she understood why someone as cold and detached as Fu Qingyun had fallen for Qiao Sijin.

If only it had been earlier… If only I’d met her before… Would she have fallen for me instead?

That’s the kind of man Fu Qingyun was—unfairly magnetic.

“Is it your first day meeting me? I’ve done plenty of impolite things. If Fu Qingyun—if President Fu—were here, I’d say the same thing.”

Gu Xin felt like a mischievous child at that moment, trying to draw Qiao Sijin’s attention with a poorly executed, mean-spirited joke.

“You’ve got a lot of opinions about her. But what does it have to do with me, Gu Xin? There’s nothing between Fu Qingyun and me anymore.”

“She’s now just the CEO of Nanshan Group. And I… I’m just Qiao Sijin.”

“No longer anyone’s accessory.”

That struck a nerve—Qiao Sijin was clearly angry.

But Gu Xin was secretly pleased with the reaction.

With a thud, Qiao Sijin tossed her script onto the table and walked away from Gu Xin, heading across the wild field toward another patch of grassland.

The production team had recently set up a new house here. The director was still negotiating with local villagers about renting farmland. As the sky darkened, Qiao Sijin was simply trying to familiarize herself with the location.

The scenery here was beautiful—almost like a tourist spot—with lots of farm stays. The crew had already booked out several homestays for the staff to rest in.

“Aiya, Teacher Gu, if you don’t know how to talk, just don’t! Our boss is in a bad mood lately,” Li Ke, Qiao’s assistant, muttered under her breath.

She was really fed up. Gu Xin always managed to say the exact wrong thing.

Just when her boss was starting to forget about Fu Qingyun, this woman threw a stone into the water and stirred everything back up.

“No worries. If Qiao deducts your salary, I’ll cover it,” Gu Xin said with a smirk.

Arms crossed, she stood in the field, letting the cool autumn wind wash over her. There was a noticeable chill in the air now.

“That’s not the point, Teacher Gu! And besides, I’m not that kind of person,” Li Ke retorted righteously.

“Still not enough? How about I throw in a bonus red envelope?” Gu Xin teased again.

“Um…”

Li Ke hesitated. Damn, that was generous. While Gu Xin had never publicly discussed her background, many speculated she didn’t come from an ordinary family. Even in interviews, she had hinted that her family was well-off, with little financial pressure.

But in the end, Li Ke firmly rejected Gu Xin’s bribe. She wasn’t that kind of person!

Even if her heart was bleeding over it…

“Thank you for your kind offer, Teacher Gu. But I can’t betray my boss.”

And with that, Li Ke fled like a rabbit, leaving Gu Xin standing there with her script, amused.

She picked it up and flipped it open again. She had invested a lot of money into the production to land the role of the painter.

Thankfully, her hard work had paid off—she was able to keep up with Qiao Sijin’s pace.

…

“President Fu, are you sure you don’t want to go take a look?”

Ye Ke, Fu Qingyun’s personal assistant, knew everything that had happened thanks to a tip-off from Special Assistant Zhou.

Fu Qingyun rolled down the car window halfway. The muddy road had splashed yellowish dirt all over the sleek black luxury car—it was a jarring sight.

Villagers carrying hoes, wearing yellow straw hats, and holding sickles passed by. Some had bundles of pigweed strapped to their waists. They all curiously eyed the large black SUV—such vehicles were rare in these rural parts, where tricycles or compact cars were more common.

This area was remote. Ye Ke, ever cautious, had brought along two bodyguards who followed in another car at a distance. It wasn’t close, but enough to keep Fu Qingyun safe.

“Looks like without me, Qiao Sijin’s doing just fine,” Fu Qingyun murmured to himself.

He could smell the soft scent of the countryside—rich, earthy, and mixed with a hint of flowers.

A memory flashed in his mind.

The first time he and Qiao Sijin had gone to a hotel together—she had been so naïve, like a pure little kitten.

He remembered her freshly curled hair, slightly damp, cascading over a white bathrobe. She stood before him, wearing white slippers.

So clean. So untouched.

Fu Qingyun still didn’t understand why he had become interested in her. At first, he assumed it was just physical desire. Even Shen Dai had joked that if someone didn’t fulfill those needs, they’d be suffocated to death.

She’d mocked him—said he looked like some godlike machine, but in reality, he was just an ordinary man with earthly urges.

The first time he kissed Qiao Sijin, he had been clumsy—biting more than kissing. His pride wouldn’t let him show any vulnerability or flaws.

Just like how he ran his company—never letting anyone see his weaknesses, his real emotions, or the things he truly liked.

Over time, he became numb.

He got used to lying.

He made deception his second skin—until he could no longer tell who he truly was.