After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Without Wang Jie around, the house felt unusually empty. The spacious villa now had only Lin Ruijiao and Aunt Liu living in it, making it feel vast and lonely — a setting ripe for stirring up emotions.
At this moment, Lin Ruijiao sat with her phone in hand, her mind elsewhere, expression unreadable, eyes filled with a hint of inner struggle. Her screen still displayed her Weibo page, though it wasn’t clear what exactly she was troubled about.
A notification sound snapped her out of her daze — a reply from Ye Zhi.
My assistant is arranging it for you.
Okay, thank you, Sister Ye Zhi.
Since she had no work lined up, she wasn’t in a hurry anyway.
Her gaze then shifted to the TV, which was playing a critically acclaimed film. She leaned back, relaxing. Maybe it was best to wait — there weren’t any good opportunities right now.
But then, sudden footsteps echoed through the space. Ye Ruihuan appeared, stepping out of the night with an air of arrogance, her eyes locking onto Lin Ruijiao, who was lounging on the sofa.
Lin Ruijiao’s eyes flickered with a hint of darkness. If she had known Ye Ruihuan was coming, she would’ve gone upstairs to bed. She quickly stood up and, in the moment her head dipped, her expression changed — a soft smile forming on her lips. “Ruihuan,” she greeted gently.
“Mm, what are you doing?”
Ye Ruihuan, wearing a plain dress and no makeup, approached and sat beside her. The moonlight gave her a cold, almost ascetic beauty, a far cry from her usual arrogance.
“Watching a movie,” Lin Ruijiao said with a sweet smile.
“Seems like you’re enjoying a pretty leisurely time,” Ye Ruihuan commented.
“No work, after all.” Lin Ruijiao blinked innocently.
“Right… Are you trying to complain to me?” Ye Ruihuan raised an eyebrow, her face indifferent.
Ever since she stopped seeing Lin Ruijiao, nightmares plagued her nightly. The dream she once had — a spring dream involving Ruijiao — never returned. Yet the lingering feelings of it, the clear image of Lin Ruijiao’s allure, remained vivid and impossible to forget.
But this little bunny still wore her fake cheerful mask, which inexplicably irritated her…
“No, I just think it’s a good time to rest while I can.” Lin Ruijiao smiled, eyes curving gently. Things might get busier soon.
Ye Ruihuan didn’t respond immediately, her gaze contemplative.
“Zhou Yanyan?” she suddenly blurted after a while.
“Hmm?” Lin Ruijiao looked confused, innocent as a lamb.
“Getting close to her isn’t as useful as clinging to me. Surely you realize that, don’t you?”
Ye Ruihuan reached out to brush aside a strand of hair from Ruijiao’s cheek, her voice laced with a faint but unmistakable threat.
“…Yes.” Lin Ruijiao smiled brightly. She had never intended to rely on anyone.
Ye Ruihuan’s smile deepened, but her eyes remained cold. Still not behaving, huh, little bunny?
“Sister Zhou treats me well. We’re just friends,” Ruijiao added, her expression pure and genuine.
Ye Ruihuan raised her eyes, finally showing a bit of warmth. “If you need resources, come to me.”
“Okay, thank you, Ruihuan,” Lin Ruijiao said, her eyes dropping. A flash of sarcasm flickered within — she had no desire to owe Ye Ruihuan any favors. She didn’t want to know what the cost would be.
“No need to be so polite.” Ye Ruihuan kept her eyes fixed on Ruijiao’s face, leaning in unconsciously.
Her warm breath brushed against Lin Ruijiao’s ear, making her shiver involuntarily. She instinctively pulled back slightly.
Immediately, Ye Ruihuan’s expression turned cold. She straightened and stared at the TV in silence. Soon after, without a word, she got up and left — just as abruptly as she’d come.
Ruijiao was left puzzled. Ye Ruihuan’s thoughts were truly impossible to guess.
The acting classes didn’t last long. After that night, Ruijiao didn’t see Ye Ruihuan again. She didn’t mind — it meant less pretending on her part.
Soon after, Half Moon wrapped up filming. The cast and director began promoting it online. Zhou Yanyan often tagged Lin Ruijiao in her posts, giving her a significant boost in exposure.
The two of them interacted frequently on Weibo, which helped Ruijiao’s follower count soar. Every new Half Moon post included her, and somehow, it seemed like her role had been elevated. She was still a minor player in the industry, but it was still worth celebrating.
Her comment section began filling up with fan reactions. While many were full of praise, the sudden attention also brought criticism:
“Ahhh, saw the trailer! You’re amazing! So excited!”
“Became a fan — Ruijiao is gorgeous! Love your face!”
“…”
“Seriously? With that face, you’re trying to make it in showbiz? Wake up.”
“Just a side character. All this attention? Must have someone powerful backing her.”
“Ah, turns out she’s from Huari Entertainment — figures. Rumors have been flying about someone high up pushing her…”
Lin Ruijiao read every comment, smiling more and more. The reactions weren’t bad. Negative feedback was normal — it meant she had heat. That’s what mattered. Now she just had to wait for Half Moon to air. Judging by the level of official promotion, it wouldn’t be long.
Meanwhile, at the company, Ye Ruihuan was busy with work, unaware of everything happening with Lin Ruijiao. Or rather — she hadn’t been paying attention. But her assistant, Li, had been keeping tabs.
Ever since Lin Ruijiao showed up, Li had followed her Weibo updates closely. That last outburst from Ye Ruihuan — where she stormed off and ghosted Ruijiao — was likely because of her interactions with Zhou Yanyan. They seemed pretty close. Did Ruijiao say something that upset her? Or was Ruihuan… jealous?
Li Assistant mulled over the possibilities. Ye Ruihuan hadn’t returned to the Yuwan Villa since. She even skipped out on the acting lessons she had scheduled. Was she done with Lin Ruijiao?
But Lin Ruijiao seemed to be struggling — online trolls had swarmed in, attacking her appearance, acting skills, and accusing her of getting roles via favoritism…
Li Assistant debated whether to report all this to Ye Ruihuan. She had asked about Ruijiao before…
Just then, Ye Ruihuan finished signing a stack of contracts. Turning from the window, she noticed Li’s furrowed brow.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Snapping back to reality, Li Assistant hesitated under that indifferent gaze. Then decided to just say it.
“Miss Ye, Miss Lin seems to be having some difficulties.”
“Oh?” Ye Ruihuan walked back to the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the view.
“She’s being heavily criticized online because of Half Moon,” Li said simply.
“Let her be.” Her tone was dismissive, the words chilling. But her reflection in the glass was contemplative and strangely intense.
“…Got it, Miss Ye.”
Li Assistant couldn’t figure her out anymore. Ye Ruihuan had always been composed. Even when faced with Dong Yulan’s scandals, she merely seemed sad. But now — her face had darkened with what looked like genuine frustration.
Sigh… Miss Lin really doesn’t play by the rules.
Because of the growing buzz, many events had started inviting Ruijiao. Zhou Yanyan’s manager helped, and with Wang Jie back in the picture, they accepted everything that came their way — though most were promotional gigs for Half Moon and involved Zhou Yanyan too.
Ruijiao accepted every offer gratefully, whether she was just a sidekick or part of a talk show. She even got onto a trending variety show.
In the show, the Half Moon cast was split into teams for games. By coincidence — or perhaps not — Zhou Yanyan was often paired with Lin Ruijiao. Their rapport during games like charades won over audiences, and the “sister duo” marketing strategy took off.
Behind-the-scenes clips further boosted her popularity, and her Weibo followers continued to grow. Naturally, the haters came too.
But Ruijiao didn’t care at all.
Ye Ruihuan, on the other hand, was not as calm. She kept checking Lin Ruijiao’s Weibo. When she saw the trending topic #ZhouYanyanLinRuijiaoSisterDuo, she clicked in — only to find countless affectionate clips and fan-made edits. Some fans had even started shipping them.
Her brows furrowed deeply. That little bunny really has grown wings. Completely ignoring my words and cozying up to Zhou Yanyan?
Her hand gripped her jade pendant tightly, emotions storming behind her eyes.
Li Assistant, seeing her expression, silently noted: This is bad.
Ye Ruihuan was rarely this agitated. Not even when facing news about Dong Yulan. But now — she looked genuinely annoyed.
Miss Lin really doesn’t know how to behave.
“She’s done with all her recent schedules, right?” Ye Ruihuan suddenly asked, brows still furrowed.
“Yes. She should be at Yuwan Villa now.”
“What do you think of Lin Ruijiao?”
“…Huh?” Li Assistant blinked. “She’s very sincere. Passionate about her work,” she answered carefully.
“Is that so…”
Ye Ruihuan looked away from her phone. Her expression flickered — unreadable, shifting too quickly to grasp. Just like her unpredictable questions.
She stared at her chat thread with Lin Ruijiao — no new messages. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out her hand and started typing…