After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 28

After commuting to and from work with Si Mu for half a month, Sheng Yunjin had almost grown accustomed to such simple, heartwarming days.

Yet during breaks between classes, Sheng Yunjin would still recall the moment Si Mu kissed her.

Her fingers unconsciously brushed against her lips as she drifted into thought, as if the soft sensation from that day still lingered.

This was the scene Lin Xiaoyu stumbled upon when she arrived.

It was lunchtime, and the classrooms on this floor were filled with newly signed artists from Qingguo Entertainment. Some were graduates from film academies, while others were promising newcomers scouted by agents for their exceptional looks.

Before officially debuting in acting roles, Lin Xiaoyu had arranged for them to take classes here—voice, movement, expression—everything had to be learned. They received monthly salaries until they were ready to take on acting projects.

Groups of artists walked out, greeting Lin Xiaoyu respectfully whenever they saw her.

At the company, Lin Xiaoyu maintained a strict demeanor, rarely smiling, which helped lend credibility to her youthful, slightly rounded face.

Noticing Lin Xiaoyu heading toward the innermost acting classroom again, a few artists exchanged glances before silently smirking—everyone knew what that meant.

Sheng Yunjin sat leaning against the corner of the classroom. Through the glass wall, she could clearly see the expressions on their faces and the hidden envy or resentment in their eyes.

She was the most unique among this batch of signed artists.

The others attended classes in groups of three or five, with meals and accommodations provided by the company—specialized nutrition meals and single-occupancy apartments. One agent managed an entire group.

But Sheng Yunjin?

She received one-on-one coaching, had her own private training studio, and was taught by a renowned theater actor who had won multiple industry awards.

She didn’t eat with them, didn’t live with them, enjoying privileges none of them had.

And all of this was because she was friends with the company’s CEO.

She was an insider.

The so-called “golden child.”

Lin Xiaoyu frowned at her increasingly casual posture, plopping down wherever she pleased. She pursed her lips and said, “Let’s have lunch together. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Sheng Yunjin chuckled softly, her lively eyes glinting as she stood up and dusted off her clothes—though there was no actual dust to brush away.

“Let’s go. I knew you wouldn’t be able to hold back any longer.”

Over the past half-month, every time Si Mu came to pick her up, Lin Xiaoyu had worn an expression of barely restrained curiosity. Sheng Yunjin wasn’t blind—she’d noticed.

Walking side by side, they headed out. The elevators were slow during lunch hour, so Lin Xiaoyu checked the time and suggested, “Let’s take the stairs. My secretary already got lunch—we can eat in my office.”

Sheng Yunjin nodded in agreement.

The moment they pushed open the door to the emergency stairwell, a voice echoed inside.

“That Sheng Yunjin is totally an insider. Aren’t you worried she’ll steal your female lead role?”

A sharp male voice rang out in the quiet stairwell. Lin Xiaoyu froze, instinctively glancing at Sheng Yunjin beside her.

Shrugging, Sheng Yunjin said nothing.

While hesitating whether to walk away or interrupt, another calm and composed female voice spoke up.

“It’s normal for her to have privileges since she’s President Lin’s friend. Moreover, the role was finalized a month ago, and my agent never informed me about any changes.”

Seeing her remain unfazed, the male voice grew even more agitated.

“Ziqiu, I’m thinking about you! The whole company is buzzing—everyone knows President Lin will force Sheng Yunjin into the crew to replace you before filming starts!”

Lin Xiaoyu’s expression turned complicated upon hearing this. Since when was she aware of such a plan?

“Are you really upset on my behalf, or are you just using this as an excuse to vent your own frustrations?”

Surprisingly, the other woman’s tone remained steady throughout.

Leaning against the wall, Sheng Yunjin raised an eyebrow at the remark.

The man seemed infuriated, his breathing heavy.

“Fine, I am frustrated—but it’s all for your sake! This is our first project together; I wanted it to be a beautiful memory for both of us. What does Sheng Yunjin have besides her looks? She only got signed because of her connections with President Lin!”

Sheng Yunjin idly twisted the ring on her finger, completely unfazed by his words.

“If you had those connections, you’d probably act even more arrogantly than her,” the woman countered flatly.

Footsteps followed shortly after.

Two seconds later, Lin Xiaoyu watched as the pair noticed her and Sheng Yunjin. She remained silent, her expression neutral.

The young woman looked startled and awkward, glancing back at the panicked man before greeting Lin Xiaoyu. “Hello, President Lin.”

Her gaze then shifted to Sheng Yunjin, whose expression was unreadable.

Meeting her eyes, Sheng Yunjin gave a slight nod before flashing a radiant smile at the sweating man behind the woman.

Her smile was as dazzling as ever. The woman opposite her sighed inwardly—Sheng Yunjin’s face was the most beautiful she’d ever seen. Even if she were just a flower vase, she’d still carve out a place in the entertainment industry.

As for the man, Sheng Yunjin’s deliberate smile only terrified him. Yet now, he could barely manage a stiff expression, his lips frozen in place.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Lin Xiaoyu asked the woman.

Regaining her composure, the woman replied, “I left my phone in the classroom and was just heading back to get it.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded and waved her off. “Go ahead. Rest after lunch—you have classes this afternoon.”

The woman hesitated before tugging at the man behind her. “P-President Lin, I—”

Under her prompting, the man stammered, his face pale.

Lin Xiaoyu glanced at him but said nothing, instead turning to Sheng Yunjin. “Hungry? Let’s eat.”

Smiling, Sheng Yunjin pocketed her phone. “Let’s go.”

The two walked downstairs without another glance at the pair behind them.

Once in Lin Xiaoyu’s office, Sheng Yunjin poured herself a glass of water and began eating in silence.

Sitting across from her during lunch, Lin Xiaoyu didn’t bring up what had just happened.

To be honest, such a minor incident wasn’t enough to weigh on their minds.

However, there was one thing Lin Xiaoyu felt she should pay attention to.

“From what I gathered from Zhang Haochen’s tone earlier, does he have something going on with Xu Ziqiu?”

Sheng Yunjin picked at the vegetable salad in her lunchbox, somewhat distracted.

“Are they the male and female leads of the new drama you mentioned?”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded. “Yes, they were both selected through auditions.”

“They just graduated from film school this year.”

Sheng Yunjin took a bite of the few small pieces of steak left. “Hmm. Sounds like the guy has a thing for the girl.”

Recalling the earlier scene, Sheng Yunjin noticed that the guy had been the one emotionally expressive the whole time, while the girl showed little reaction.

Lost in thought, Lin Xiaoyu tapped a few notes into her phone. “Looks like I need to check in with their agents.”

“The drama hasn’t even started filming yet—what kind of mess would it be if the leads fell for each other?”

“This is a company. I signed them to make money, not to date on my dime.”

As she said this last part, Lin Xiaoyu’s gaze lingered on Sheng Yunjin, clearly implying something more.

With a faint smirk, Sheng Yunjin took a sip of water.

Playing dumb, she asked, “Why are you looking at me while saying that?”

Gritting her teeth, Lin Xiaoyu forced a smile. “What do you think?”

“You and CEO Si downstairs are practically attached at the hip. Anyone would think you two are already openly dating!”

Wiping her lips with a napkin, Sheng Yunjin pushed a glass of water toward her.

“Drink some water. Don’t work yourself up.”

With a huff, Lin Xiaoyu downed the entire glass in one go.

Sheng Yunjin then spoke thoughtfully, “Alright, I admit it—I really can’t help but have feelings for Si Mu.”

Clunk. The sound of a glass hitting the table.

Lin Xiaoyu took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

“And what about Si Mu? Does she like you?”

The moment she asked, Lin Xiaoyu saw an expression she’d never witnessed on Sheng Yunjin’s face in all their twenty years of friendship—something akin to bashfulness.

“She… she kissed me last time.”

Blinking in shock, Lin Xiaoyu asked, “So, are you two together now?”

Sheng Yunjin shook her head. “No.”

“No?!”

“And she just kissed you? She’s not going to take responsibility?!”

“The CEO Si I admire so much is actually a player?!”

Two rhetorical questions in a row were enough to reveal Lin Xiaoyu’s inner turmoil.

Glancing at Sheng Yunjin’s clueless expression only made her angrier.

“Did she trick you? Lure you into her trap? Are you caught in her web of seduction without even realizing it?!”

Seeing how worked up she was, Sheng Yunjin quickly held her back, amused.

“No, no, I don’t know where you get all these wild ideas. You’ve got a whole script ready.”

Lin Xiaoyu glared. “And who do you think I’m doing this for? I’m just worried about you!”

“Alright, alright, my bad.”

Pacifying her, Sheng Yunjin finally calmed Lin Xiaoyu down before slowly recounting what had happened that day.

After hearing this, Lin Xiaoyu’s expression turned somewhat complicated.

“But you just returned to the country. Before this, you were abroad for seven years. Could Si Mu have fallen in love with you at first sight overseas?”

Sheng Yunjin froze for a moment. That kiss had clouded her judgment, making her unconsciously overlook these details.

Now that she thought about it, she had never come back in those seven years. So, when exactly did Si Mu start liking her?

Si Mu’s image surfaced in her mind, and Sheng Yunjin grew uncertain.

How likely was it that someone as calm and rational as Si Mu would experience love at first sight—especially with her?