After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

But she wasn’t worried and immediately called Ye Zhi.

“Ye Zhi-jie…”

Before she could say anything, the person on the other end interrupted, “This is Ye Ruihuan’s order. She said to suspend your work for now.” After saying this, the tone turned teasing: “Did you two have a fight?”

“…No.” Lin Ruijiao frowned. How could there be any quarrel between them?

“Well, she gave the order anyway.” Ye Zhi said helplessly.

“Wasn’t it said before that you wouldn’t be much affected by Ye Ruihuan?” Lin Ruijiao asked anxiously.

“…Yes, but compared to her, your skills don’t seem quite enough.” Ye Zhi spoke frankly. “How about this: let’s compromise. Otherwise, I can’t explain to Ye Ruihuan. Forget about joining the crew for acting. Other appearances stay as usual—you take on as many as you can.”

“…Okay, thank you, Ye Zhi-jie.” Lin Ruijiao thought for a moment and agreed. This was better than nothing.

And so, Sister Wang at the company regained some authority; Lin Ruijiao accepted announcements and engagements as usual. But over time, there were no decent events.

Lin Ruijiao couldn’t help but miss those earlier engagements she had refused, including some low-quality web dramas. They were better than having nothing at all.

Time passed — a month or two went by — and Lin Ruijiao appeared less and less on screen. It seemed that with time, the public’s attention was drawn away by other people or events in the industry. Lin Ruijiao was like a sudden flame that briefly blazed, then quietly disappeared, slowly buried by new public opinion.

She spent more and more time at home, and with Ye Ruihuan, who she saw often at home but treated like strangers—both treating each other as if invisible. Ye Ruihuan stayed at the Yuwan Villa all along. Not only did she watch Lin Ruijiao’s online activity closely, but she also secretly kept an eye on her at home, always waiting for her to meekly admit fault and beg for forgiveness.

But weeks passed, and Lin Ruijiao never made the first move to speak. Even after stopping all outside activities and forbidding her from acting, she still wasn’t always at home—who knew what engagements she had taken on? Ye Zhi didn’t know her attitude either but showed leniency, letting her remain active in the industry. Ye Ruihuan just turned a blind eye and didn’t bother to confront her.

Meanwhile, Jingjing and Assistant Li, both at home, occasionally whispered to each other about the situation between the two ladies.

Jingjing, always serious even when gossiping, said solemnly, “What’s going on between Madam Ye and Sister Lin this time?”

Assistant Li: “It seems Sister Lin got angry with Madam Ye…” She shrugged helplessly.

Jingjing looked surprised, “Impossible. Sister Lin is very composed—not the kind to do such things.”

Assistant Li: “That’s probably true, but Madam Ye has been angry for a while.”

Jingjing: “Definitely something your Madam Ye did…” she said firmly.

Assistant Li: “…Sigh, forget it, with these two ladies like this, and us following them every day, it’s so uncomfortable…”

Jingjing: “No, I’m still the same as before.”

Assistant Li: “…Ye Jie is not the same!”

…

Outside, the autumn wind was bleak, and the leaves on the trees had all turned yellow and scattered on the ground.

Ye Ruihuan wandered around the house but didn’t see the familiar figure. That little bunny, Lin Ruijiao, wasn’t staying at home properly—where had she gone again? Ye Ruihuan, who used to see her every week, was getting restless. She sent Assistant Li to find out her schedule.

That little white rabbit had gone to all kinds of odd events and didn’t even care about her.

Ye Ruihuan felt powerless; the other party didn’t care about her at all. On the contrary, she thought about Lin Ruijiao every moment, worried about every move she made. The feeling was hollow and frustrating.

Yet she couldn’t take the initiative to break the ice, had no excuse to contact her, let alone get along well. She couldn’t lower her pride, couldn’t give up the last bit of dignity she had left.

On the other side, Lin Ruijiao was filming a show. Because of Ye Ruihuan, she had no acting roles. So she filled her schedule with all sorts of activities, hoping to meet and network with new people, to see if anyone could recommend resources.

Surprisingly, she did find a lead. She met a popular young star on a variety show. They hit it off immediately, and just as Lin Ruijiao asked about opportunities, the star mentioned a crew that was holding auditions.

Lin Ruijiao knew a little about the crew of Qie Chu — the script and staff were decent. But she had no way to contact the crew herself, especially with Ye Ruihuan sabotaging her behind the scenes.

Fortunately, the star gave her the producer’s contact information. Lin Ruijiao sent this news to Sister Wang and asked her to negotiate.

Within two weeks, she got a response: the Qie Chu crew was giving her a chance and invited her to audition.

Without hesitation, Lin Ruijiao finished filming that day and rushed there with Jingjing.

The weather was getting colder, with light rain. The breeze brought icy needles that pricked her skin. Lin Ruijiao exhaled and rubbed her cold hands. The heat pack Jingjing gave her had long since cooled. She tightened her coat around her.

The street was pitch dark, and the street lamps barely kept back the blackness. There were very few pedestrians.

The howling wind roared wildly, making her recall the last moments of her previous life’s death. It wasn’t time yet. She hoped she wouldn’t encounter such things now, but keeping alert couldn’t hurt.

The neon signs of various shops scattered colorful lights. Lin Ruijiao and Jingjing walked into the audition place. A strong bright light shone suddenly, glaring painfully. She squinted. The restaurant was brightly lit, not looking like a normal restaurant. People were performing on stage; it was lively. Lin Ruijiao’s nervousness eased a bit.

Jingjing, hesitant, tugged her sleeve: “Lin Jie, this place doesn’t look right.”

“So many people here, it should be fine. Let’s get closer. If anything’s off, we run.” Lin Ruijiao’s face involuntarily showed some seriousness.

In her previous life, relying on Ye Ruihuan, Lin Ruijiao was like a flower nurtured in a greenhouse, never experiencing the dark side of the industry. Even this life, the worst she faced was some exclusion, ridicule, and petty tricks. So she still held onto some inappropriate hope and luck for this matter.

They braved their way to find the private room and entered.

As soon as they stepped in, a strong stench of smoke and alcohol hit them. In sight were three greasy men surrounded by a group of beautiful women, then several heavily made-up, provocatively dressed women. Even the popular young star was among them, smoking and exhaling clouds.