After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ye Ruihuan’s face was slightly flushed from the alcohol, a faint smile playing at her lips, tinged with drunken haze. Yet her behavior remained composed and orderly, leaving Assistant Li, who had been tending to her all night, completely unable to read her current state. In all the years she’d followed Ms. Ye, she could count the times Ye Ruihuan had been drunk on one hand.

Truly a rare sight—she had never seen Ye Ruihuan like this before. It seemed this Miss Lin really was different from all the previous pretty faces. But Lin Ruijiao’s personality also seemed a little unpredictable. Looks like the job would only get tougher from here.

In a short span of time, rumors had already spread through the industry that Ye Ruihuan was pushing a new star. News traveled fast, and most insiders had already caught wind of it. Ye Ruihuan had tasked Ye Zhi with damage control early on, though whether it was effective remained to be seen.

Moonlit was still awaiting broadcast. During this time, Manager Wang was in training at the Huazui Entertainment headquarters, leaving Lin Ruijiao with nothing on her schedule. Nonetheless, she had planned her days meticulously: cardio, posture training, acting classes… even her diet was strictly managed. It was clear she wanted to get herself into peak condition quickly, ready to take on any new job that came her way. At her current level of fame, her priority was simply to be seen—to let the public know she still existed in the industry.

Over the next half month, Ye Ruihuan gave her acting lessons on schedule, never overstepping boundaries. She continued teasing her occasionally, delivering the same biting remarks as always. Her gaze would often fall on Lin Ruijiao, seemingly unintentionally, though Lin had trained herself to ignore it.

It was as if that strange behavior Ye Ruihuan had shown the other night had never happened. No one brought it up again, not even Ye herself, and everything returned to a strange sense of normalcy. Lin Ruijiao felt an increasing sense of repulsion but had to keep up appearances, playing along like nothing was wrong. Through all this, even she had to admit her acting skills were improving.

Still, one thing she couldn’t understand was how in her previous life, Ye Ruihuan had barely acknowledged her at this point in time. Yet now, she was actively seeking her out. The sudden attention was off-putting.

And yet, this annoying Ye Ruihuan kept trying to find her opportunities.

“Ye Zhi, isn’t there any decent commercial work lately?” Ye Ruihuan asked lazily.

“There is,” Ye Zhi replied with a knowing look, her face full of ambiguous amusement. “But not for Lin Ruijiao,” she added bluntly, cutting off any further discussion.

“Why not?” Ye Ruihuan frowned slightly, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

“She’s not high-profile enough.”

“She’s not?” Ye Ruihuan asked reflexively. That little bunny had potential. Over the past few days, her hard work was undeniable. It was obvious she genuinely loved acting, enough to make even Ye Ruihuan want to offer her more opportunities.

“She’s not. Unless you’re going to boost her popularity yourself,” Ye Zhi said, not mentioning anything about the private conversations between Ye Ruihuan and Lin Ruijiao. She simply observed Ye Ruihuan’s reactions. Clearly, she was still smitten with the girl—her attention completely fixated. That wasn’t a good sign.

Ye Ruihuan thought for a moment but didn’t respond.

“No other jobs at all?”

“None. Without Moonlit airing, she’s just a C-list extra. You should know that better than anyone,” Ye Zhi said with a side glance.

“Don’t you think she has talent?” Ye Ruihuan tried to persuade her indirectly.

“I don’t. There are tons of talented people in the industry. That alone isn’t a reason for us to promote her.” Ye Zhi rejected the idea firmly.

Ye Ruihuan had nothing to say to that—her points were valid. Plus, boosting Lin Ruijiao’s profile herself would be absurd. It would damage the company’s credibility and make them a laughingstock. She considered herself different from the shallow investors who shoved unqualified people into the industry.

So, the matter was dropped—for now. There would be other opportunities.

Lin Ruijiao, aware of her lack of work, used the time to train diligently. She was still far from her former prime—there were issues to fix across the board—but most importantly, her posture needed serious improvement.

But then, a message disrupted her plans. Manager Wang had managed to land her a magazine photoshoot—with none other than Zhou Yanyan.

Moonlit hadn’t wrapped filming yet, so Zhou Yanyan had taken time off from the set to shoot the magazine cover at Xingchen Building.

“Good to see you, Sister Zhou!” Lin Ruijiao greeted her enthusiastically as she approached Zhou Yanyan, who was striding in coolly, sunglasses in place.

“Ruijiao! Long time no see,” Zhou Yanyan responded warmly, the two walking side by side into the shoot location.

“I really owe you for this job, Sister Zhou.” Lin Ruijiao beamed.

Apparently, Manager Wang had somehow clicked with Zhou Yanyan’s agent. Since Zhou’s team had a decent impression of Lin—and given the rumors of her being Ye Ruihuan’s favorite—they decided to include her in the shoot.

“Oh, it’s nothing! It was just a side opportunity. The shoot’s for Moonlit’s promo anyway—figured I’d bring you along,” Zhou said casually, looking at Lin Ruijiao with sisterly affection.

“Mm! Thank you so much,” Lin replied sweetly, her eyes filled with gratitude. In this industry, finding people willing to help you was rare. She knew she had to make the most of it.

“Alright, time to get styled up.”

Lin Ruijiao nodded, and they each went to separate rooms. The theme was youthful romance, so their styling reflected that—modern schoolgirl aesthetics. Soon, both had their looks completed.

Wearing natural makeup, Zhou Yanyan appeared cool and elegant while Lin Ruijiao radiated innocence and purity. Their contrasting styles created a mesmerizing harmony, drawing admiration from everyone present.

The entire crew was captivated by the “sister duo” in front of them. They exchanged a bright smile, glowing like characters stepped out from a dreamlike campus story, filling the set with youthful warmth.

The photographer immediately began snapping away, praising them non-stop.

Surprisingly, Lin Ruijiao’s expressiveness slightly outshone even the seasoned Zhou Yanyan. The crew whispered amongst themselves:

“Who is this newcomer? She looks amazing in this outfit!”
“You don’t know her? That’s Lin Ruijiao, from the same agency as Zhou Yanyan. Word is, she’s got strong backing!”
“Really? She’s so pretty—stands out even next to Zhou Yanyan.”
“No way! Zhou Yanyan’s still prettier and more elegant.”
“Not saying she’s prettier, but Lin Ruijiao has this pure, lively vibe that’s perfect for school-themed shoots.”
“Rumor has it Ye Ruihuan visited her on set during Moonlit. There were even paparazzi pics on Weibo.”
“That must’ve been for Zhou Yanyan!”
“Anyway, both of them are gorgeous.”

With professional cooperation from the artists and an expert photographer, the shoot wrapped in under an hour—perfectly smooth.

Everyone on set now had a new impression: Lin Ruijiao, the fresh-faced rookie from Huazui Entertainment, wasn’t just a pretty face—she had presence.

“Ruijiao, you look great,” Zhou Yanyan said after checking the preview images, her expression full of approval. “You’re going to be famous soon!”

“Thank you for the kind words, Sister Zhou!” Lin responded modestly. This rare opportunity had to be seized—and she made sure to deliver her best to avoid disappointing the one who invited her.

“You look amazing too!” she smiled.

“Enough with the flattery. Moonlit is wrapping up soon—it’s going to get busy,” Zhou said. “Did Ye arrange a career path for you yet?”

“Not really. I’m still just a nobody,” Lin sighed lightly.

“No worries. You’re in Huazui now—Ye Zhi won’t let a gem slip through her fingers,” Zhou said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I know your acting—if you need help, reach out to my manager. If there’s anything I can bring you along for, I will.”

“Thank you so much, Sister Zhou,” Lin said with a grateful smile. Whatever the reason behind it, help was help.

“Don’t be so polite. I believe in you.” Zhou had a good eye for people. Lin Ruijiao had serious potential—and the way Ye Ruihuan and her team treated her was interesting. Helping a promising rookie cost her nothing. Besides, the girl reminded her of her younger self—ambitious and focused on acting.

“Well, I have to head back to set. See you next time!” Zhou said as she left.

Alone now, Lin Ruijiao booked a ride back to the Yuwan Villa. Not having an assistant was proving inconvenient—that needed to be addressed. She texted Ye Zhi but hadn’t received a reply yet.

What she did get was a Weibo notification that caught her attention.

Zhou Yanyan: “Did a shoot with my adorable lil’ sister today!” [Photo] @CheeringLinRuijiao

The post was flooded with compliments. Lin, riding the coattails of Zhou’s popularity, saw her follower count jump from a few hundred to over a thousand.

Her eyes curved into happy crescents as she tapped away replying to fans:

“Sister Zhou is sooo beautiful!! (starry eyes)”

Ye Ruihuan didn’t follow these things. But as luck would have it, Ye Zhi—who was with her—did see the post.

“Ye Ruihuan, looks like Lin Ruijiao and Zhou Yanyan are pretty close, huh? Even getting job opportunities together,” Ye Zhi said pointedly.

Ye Ruihuan’s hand paused as she toyed with a smooth jade pendant. She opened Weibo and immediately saw the interaction. Her faint smile tightened, her eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable.

It had been a few days since she last visited her little bunny, hadn’t it?