After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 36

That evening, Sheng Yunjin received a phone call from Lin Xiaoyu.

At the time, Sheng Yunjin was in her study reviewing the script Chen Yan had given her earlier that day.

“Hello?”

She put the call on speaker and set the phone aside.

Lin Xiaoyu’s voice came through from the other end.

“Are you okay? I never expected Zhang Haochen to have the nerve to confront you at the company.”

After Zhang Haochen was taken to the police station, his agent got wind of it and immediately called Lin Xiaoyu.

Twirling the pen in her hand, Sheng Yunjin replied, “I’m fine. I heard you revoked his role?”

Hearing her mention this, Lin Xiaoyu scoffed. “Did Zhang Haochen tell you that? Did he also say I pulled his role just to protect you? The audacity of that guy, making up nonsense!”

Sheng Yunjin chuckled and teased, “Yeah, I thought you were being protective of me—can’t stand anyone saying a bad word about me.”

Lin Xiaoyu let out a sarcastic scoff on the other end.

“That role was finalized a long time ago after multiple rounds of auditions. I’m not that impulsive—charging into battle for love isn’t my style~”

Hearing this, Sheng Yunjin couldn’t help but laugh. “So, what exactly did he do that you found unforgivable?”

Just thinking about it made Lin Xiaoyu furious.

When she first noticed something brewing between Zhang Haochen and Xu Ziqiu, Lin Xiaoyu had discreetly warned their agents to look into it.

Xu Ziqiu had been upfront—she admitted they had just started dating and even discussed compromises with her agent, saying she was willing to scale back on exposure if needed.

Zhang Haochen was her first love, and she had thought carefully before deciding to be with him.

This being her first relationship, she didn’t want it to end abruptly just because of work.

Xu Ziqiu’s agent relayed this to Lin Xiaoyu, who fell silent for a moment before deciding that if the girl didn’t mind fewer opportunities, then so be it.

After all, her company had plenty of new talents eager for their big break.

Besides, Lin Xiaoyu and Xu Ziqiu were around the same age—both fresh out of college. Though Lin Xiaoyu had never been in love, she could somewhat understand the pure, idealistic pursuit of romance at that stage of life.

Then came the feedback from Zhang Haochen’s agent.

The moment his agent brought up Xu Ziqiu, Zhang Haochen had immediately declared he could break up with her right away. He was young, he said, and knew the difference between career and love.

Having landed the male lead in a major company production right after debut, he’d be insane to rock the boat now.

Of course, part of it was also because he felt he had already crossed Sheng Yunjin—if he angered Lin Xiaoyu over a relationship on top of that, his role would definitely be gone.

Up to this point, everything was fine—one chose love, the other chose career. Just different priorities, no right or wrong.

The rest was for the two of them to sort out themselves.

As the company’s boss, Lin Xiaoyu didn’t care about the process—only the outcome.

And privately, she thought it would be best if they broke up. She had even considered grooming Xu Ziqiu as a rising star in the future.

A quiet, unassuming young girl with such remarkable acting skills—clearly a talented performer who, with proper nurturing, could have a long career in showbiz. Why waste it all on love? Isn’t building a career more rewarding?

As for Zhang Haochen, well, she did care a little about him badmouthing Sheng Yunjin behind her back, but it wasn’t that serious. At most, if his new drama flopped, she wouldn’t invest much in him in the future.

But Lin Xiaoyu never expected Zhang Haochen to stir up so much trouble.

No sooner had he broken up with Xu Ziqiu than another girl showed up—this one pregnant.

Upon questioning, it turned out this girl was Zhang Haochen’s girlfriend from another school.

They had been dating for a year, but Zhang Haochen kept it under wraps. Since they attended different schools, no one around him knew about her.

Her sudden appearance had a simple reason: she had just found out she was pregnant. When she messaged Zhang Haochen, he outright told her to deal with it herself—he wouldn’t take responsibility—and then broke up with her.

Naturally, the girl was furious. Knowing Zhang Haochen had been staying at the company-provided dormitory, she went there to confront him.

The security guard at the complex entrance wouldn’t let her in, so she made a scene outside—just in time to run into Xu Ziqiu, who was returning to the dorm.

Hearing the girl say she was there for Zhang Haochen, Xu Ziqiu approached her.

And that’s when everything blew up.

The girl’s phone was filled with countless intimate photos and chat logs with Zhang Haochen. The timeline matched up, forcing Xu Ziqiu to face the truth:

She had unknowingly become the other woman.

After that, Xu Ziqiu calmly asked her manager for a few days off, saying she needed to go home and rest. She also told them what Zhang Haochen had done.

The manager reported it to Lin Xiaoyu, who promptly stripped Zhang Haochen of his lead role.

She couldn’t stand having such a despicable person in her company.

If this scandal ever got out, it would be a major stain on their reputation. So Lin Xiaoyu instructed Zhang Haochen’s manager to prepare termination papers and cut ties with him immediately.

…

After hearing the whole story, Sheng Yunjin reflected on the accusations Zhang Haochen had hurled at her earlier.

Hah! Not a single word of it was true.

Just before hanging up, Sheng Yunjin suddenly remembered something.

It was just a guess, but considering Zhang Haochen’s behavior, she decided to mention it to Lin Xiaoyu.

“You know he was wearing a hidden camera when he came to the company today, right?”

Lin Xiaoyu replied, “Yeah, that’s why we sent him to the police.”

Using covert recording devices without consent is illegal.

Sensing Lin Xiaoyu hadn’t grasped the implication, Sheng Yunjin spelled it out.

“We don’t know when he bought that camera or if he’s used it for other purposes.”

“You said his ex-girlfriend was pregnant…”

Her tone was hesitant, but Lin Xiaoyu finally caught on.

“…I’ll have someone contact that girl. Let’s hope Zhang Haochen didn’t use it to… Ugh, he wouldn’t be that sick, would he?!”

Sheng Yunjin sighed. “It’s just a guess. I hope not.”

On the other end of the line, Lin Xiaoyu’s voice carried a hint of gritted teeth, “There better not be, otherwise his contract termination won’t be so simple!”

With a helpless smile, Sheng Yunjin shook her head.

After finishing this conversation, Sheng Yunjin’s gaze fell upon the script before her.

She had already read through it—a rather innovative story with well-developed, distinctive main characters. It was clear this script had been carefully polished by Chen Yan.

Yet, such an excellent script with such remarkable roles was being handed to a complete novice like her with zero experience.

Should she say Teacher Chen placed too much trust in her, Sheng Yunjin, or in herself?

Chen Yan had been hired solely to tutor her and wasn’t bound by any company constraints. Logically, she shouldn’t concern herself with miscellaneous matters.

But now, she had proactively offered Sheng Yunjin this script.

If it were about talent appreciation, Sheng Yunjin knew her own limitations—she wasn’t that outstanding in acting yet.

So, Chen Yan’s interest couldn’t possibly be in her.

At the very least, she was merely a facade.

Within seconds, Sheng Yunjin had pieced together the underlying scheme.

Closing the script in her hands, she calmly spoke to Lin Xiaoyu, “Teacher Chen wants me to play the lead in her newly prepared play.”

Silence filled the line for two seconds before Lin Xiaoyu erupted in seal-like cheers, “Wow! I knew you were the best, Xiao Jin! To gain Chen Yan’s recognition in such a short time!”

“Hahaha, I can already picture the day when I’ll personally present you with an award on stage!”

Sheng Yunjin listened quietly with an amused smile, not refuting the praise, only teasing, “Since when do company CEOs give out awards?”

Lin Xiaoyu snorted proudly, “Why not? Under my leadership, Qingguo will definitely become the top entertainment company in the industry.”

“Then I’ll stand on that awards stage with you—our company’s grand slam leading actress—and bask in the audience’s applause together!”

Detecting the sincerity beneath Lin Xiaoyu’s words, Sheng Yunjin curved her lips, “Alright, I look forward to that day too.”

At that moment, Lin Xiaoyu, still curled up in her home study reviewing documents, instinctively grinned.

She would personally elevate the company to its peak to prove herself to her father.

And Sheng Yunjin, as her future partner in glory, deserved to stand at the summit too!

…

“I want to discuss something with you.”

Unaware of Lin Xiaoyu’s daydreaming, Sheng Yunjin suddenly turned serious.

“What is it?” Lin Xiaoyu asked, puzzled.

“Since Teacher Chen thinks so highly of me—casting me as the lead—shouldn’t my boss show some appreciation?”

After a pause, Lin Xiaoyu pondered, “That does seem appropriate…”

By all accounts, securing a lead role for a newcomer like Sheng Yunjin warranted gratitude from her as the boss.

“How about I double her tutoring fees?”

Sheng Yunjin’s mouth twitched, “Isn’t that a bit… cheap?”

Lin Xiaoyu bristled at this, “Cheap? Do you have any idea how much she charges per session?”

Compared to other acting coaches, Chen Yan’s lessons were exorbitantly priced.

Sheng Yunjin was currently being entirely supported by her at the company, yet hadn’t earned a single penny for the business!

Hearing this, Sheng Yunjin smiled meaningfully and said, “I checked the stocks the other day and helped you make a small profit again. Take a look at your account when you have time.”

Lin Xiaoyu immediately beamed without blinking, “Oh dear, that does seem rather meager. Do you have any good suggestions?”

Sheng Yunjin paid no mind to her sudden change in demeanor. “Teacher Chen has her own theater troupe, doesn’t she? Why not cater to her interests and provide some financial support for her career? What do you think?”

Lin Xiaoyu countered, “How come I didn’t know about this?”

She’d only heard that Chen Yan had taken a liking to performing in plays in recent years, but never about her forming any theater troupe.

Sheng Yunjin glanced at the scant information about Chen Yan’s theater troupe displayed on her computer screen, her expression remaining unchanged.

“I happened to hear Teacher Chen mention it once.”