After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Unexpectedly, although Lin Ruijiao had returned to this house she didn’t want to come back to, she actually slept very soundly that night.
Early in the morning, Aunt Liu had already prepared breakfast for them. Sister Wang looked visibly exhausted — it was clear she hadn’t slept well the night before.
“Ruijiao, President Ye said yesterday she’d come today. Do you know what time?” Sister Wang asked nervously.
“She didn’t say,” Lin Ruijiao replied flatly. Ye Ruihuan had only casually mentioned it, and it was still uncertain whether she’d actually come.
“Oh… then did she say what it was about? A movie? A drama? Or a magazine shoot?” Sister Wang continued to press. For people like them, lingering at the bottom of the industry, opportunities like these were rare and precious. Any project Ye Ruihuan brought up could be a huge break.
“No, she didn’t say.” Lin Ruijiao silently searched her memories from her previous life. Based on the timeline, there were indeed a few decent scripts and production teams around this time. But only one drama ended up becoming a massive hit. She remembered the female lead was from Huari Entertainment, but she didn’t recall the details too well, since in her past life she had no work at this point and had rested in this villa for a long time — until she finally told Ye Ruihuan she wanted to act.
Right now, she wasn’t worried about work at all. The only obstacle was Ye Ruihuan. She would wait.
“Alright then…” Sister Wang frowned deeply, clearly still thinking hard about it.
“Ruijiao, are you sure nothing happened between you and President Ye?” Sister Wang asked again, still uneasy.
Back when they signed the contract, the terms Huari Entertainment offered were unbelievably good — so much so that she had suspected the company president had taken a liking to Lin Ruijiao. Sister Wang was very wary of hidden rules in the industry.
But Lin Ruijiao had been overjoyed and agreed immediately. She was a longtime fan of Ye Ruihuan. When the offer came, she was practically jumping at the chance. Her original words were: “Ye-jiejie is so amazing — great acting, beautiful. If I get to sleep with her, I’m the one getting the better deal.”
Sister Wang shook her head at the memory. In the end, Ruijiao even brought her along to Huari Entertainment. But judging from the current situation, the company was indeed a better fit for Ruijiao’s development.
Still, Lin Ruijiao’s recent attitude toward Ye Ruihuan had changed significantly. That made Sister Wang worry whether her artist had been taken advantage of somehow.
“Nothing happened,” Lin Ruijiao replied calmly, completely unaware of the stormy thoughts swirling in Sister Wang’s mind.
Sister Wang was only five years older than her but had always been responsible and caring. In the previous company too, she had looked after her well. Lin Ruijiao trusted her completely.
…
“Ruijiao, didn’t President Ye say she’d come today? It’s evening already and still no sign of her. Not even a message,” Sister Wang asked anxiously, eyes fixed on her phone.
“That’s what she said. Maybe something came up,” Lin Ruijiao replied thoughtfully. After all, this was President Ye — a major player, always busy. Why would she bother with people as insignificant as them?
Suddenly, Lin Ruijiao remembered the countless dark nights she had spent in her past life waiting for that person. Hope, anticipation, joy, disappointment… all like shimmering bubbles that eventually popped. As if it had all just been a one-sided dream. Her hand clenched involuntarily.
Night fell. Stars sparkled in the sky. Oddly, Ye Ruihuan felt a bit nervous. After seeing Lin Ruijiao yesterday, she had slept peacefully. She wondered if she’d dream again tonight, and what kind of dream it would be.
Suddenly, she thought of something and pulled out her tablet, logging into an anonymous account. She browsed Dong Yulan’s activity across various platforms. As expected, still no updates. She checked her assistant’s accounts too — news about Dong Yulan was becoming increasingly scarce. Ever since she and Xia Dongyang had a child, she had been semi-retired from the industry. Even if Ye Ruihuan wanted to contact her, she didn’t know how to bring it up. Better not to disturb their peaceful life.
She watched several clips of the variety shows they had appeared on together. Her usual proud expression softened, becoming serene and gentle. A quiet joy filled her eyes, and with that warmth in her heart, Ye Ruihuan slowly drifted off to sleep.
The room was pitch black when, for some reason, she suddenly jolted awake. Gasping for breath, sweat beaded on her forehead. She quickly turned on the light, and her dazed expression gradually cleared. Her eyes were full of contemplation… Lin Ruijiao? What was this complicated feeling? What had she just dreamt about? What on earth was going on?
She had no answers, but one thing was certain — Lin Ruijiao seemed… very important.
Ye Ruihuan frowned. Lin Ruijiao had definitely changed lately.
But she already knew everything about the girl. A graduate from A Film Academy, with no resources, no connections, and no background. Her childhood dream was to become an actress. She’d worked in the industry for a few years but was still an unknown extra — with no real acting talent, frankly. Ye Ruihuan considered herself to have some talent, though nothing like Yulan’s innate brilliance. Even she was a little envious.
Then she recalled Lin Ruijiao’s shy words: “Ye-jiejie, you’re my idol.” Her gaze darkened slightly. Lately, the girl didn’t seem like a fan at all. Something was off. She needed to keep an eye on this.
Right then, Ye Ruihuan immediately added “Lin Ruijiao” to her schedule. If these dreams kept up, she was going to lose her mind.
Unable to fall back asleep, Ye Ruihuan went out for a jog at dawn, dressed in sportswear.
When Ye Zhi arrived, she saw her slowly eating breakfast. Just from her pursed lips, she could tell Ye Ruihuan had dreamt again. The first time this happened was strangely timed — the day the news broke on Weibo that Dong Yulan and Xia Dongyang had a child. Ye Ruihuan had cried her eyes out that day. Everything seemed normal afterward, but in the past three months, the dreams had started again — this time, because of Lin Ruijiao.
That was also the reason Ye Zhi agreed to help her sign Lin Ruijiao. But the main reason was the 200,000 yuan Ye Ruihuan paid her.
Seeing her sister’s gloomy expression, Ye Zhi just curled up on the sofa and started working.
Ye Ruihuan ignored her too. After finishing breakfast, she headed straight to Yu Wan Villa.
When word came that Ye Ruihuan had arrived, Lin Ruijiao was immediately dragged out of her room by Sister Wang. Aunt Liu also rushed to prepare tea.
“Good day, President Ye!” Sister Wang greeted enthusiastically. Compared to her, Lin Ruijiao looked aloof — as if she didn’t welcome the visit at all.
“Sit,” Ye Ruihuan said, placing her bag to the side and staring directly at Lin Ruijiao. Her gaze was light, with a hint of scrutiny. Even as the tea was served, she said nothing.
“President Ye, is there something you’d like to discuss with Ruijiao?” Sister Wang asked cautiously.
“Yes. You can all leave now,” Ye Ruihuan said, glancing toward Aunt Liu.
“Yes, President Ye.”
Sister Wang paused for a second before realizing she was being asked to leave too. “Of course, of course. Take your time,” she said, glancing back several times as she went upstairs.
“Have you experienced anything strange lately? Like… dreams?” Ye Ruihuan finally asked after some thought.
“…No, President Ye. Why?” Lin Ruijiao’s heart skipped a beat. Did Ye Ruihuan know something?
“Nothing. You’ve just seemed different lately.” Ye Ruihuan quickly dismissed her suspicion.
“Do you have any thoughts? Any plans?” she asked, changing the subject abruptly.
“Plans?”
“For your career in the entertainment industry,” Ye Ruihuan said as she took a sip of tea.
“I want to act,” Lin Ruijiao replied honestly, meeting her gaze.
“Alright.” That was all Ye Ruihuan said, falling silent again.
Only now did she notice that Lin Ruijiao hadn’t even dressed up today. That was very similar to Yulan — though the bare face was even more so.
“There’s a decent script recently. Small supporting role,” Ye Ruihuan said, her tone lofty and indifferent.
“Great. That’s fine with me.”
Lin Ruijiao agreed immediately. Ye Ruihuan raised an eyebrow. Not greedy. That’s good.
“Aren’t you curious what the script is? What role you’ll be playing?”
“As long as I get to act, that’s enough.” Lin Ruijiao answered sincerely. A flicker of bitterness flashed in her eyes. Actors at the bottom like her didn’t get to be choosy. Even begging might not land you a role.
“Alright. My assistant will send the script over later. You can read it then,” Ye Ruihuan said, tapping away on her phone.
Lin Ruijiao just sat calmly on the sofa, sipping tea with complete ease — totally unfazed by the presence of her “sponsor.”
“I remember you once said I was your idol?” Ye Ruihuan’s tone had a teasing edge.
“Yes.” At her request, Lin Ruijiao dropped the honorifics and answered plainly — whatever Ye Ruihuan asked, she would answer.
“Really? You don’t seem like it.”
“President Ye, I have many idols.”
Time seemed to freeze in that moment. Ye Ruihuan was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond. Lin Ruijiao truly didn’t treat her like a boss.
Wherever she went, people fawned over her, terrified of upsetting her. But this girl? So infuriating. Clearly, she needed to be taught a lesson.
“For example?” Ye Ruihuan finally asked after a long pause.
“Dong Yulan. The film queen.”
The moment those words left her lips, even the leaves outside the window seemed to stop rustling. Everything fell silent.