Forced to Pretend to Be an A and Marry the Best Actress Omega - Chapter 47

“Props Team Camera One, all clear. Guests can exit via the lift platform now,” Xu Mifei reported methodically through her earpiece. “Team Leader Hu, this side gig you took on today is really great.”

Hu Huaimeng’s voice came through, “No need for thanks, you handle it. I’ve granted you control permissions for the lift platform… By the way, why are you making so many odd gestures? The backstage crew can see everything.”

The program’s organizers were watching along, and since this was a crucial position, Hu Huaimeng had assumed they might think Xu Mifei was unprofessional. She had even planned to smooth things over with a few compliments, but when she turned around, she found everyone wearing expressions of delight, as if they were witnessing something romantic.

Were those gestures some kind of courtship???

Baffled, Hu Huaimeng could only offer a brief reminder through the earpiece before turning to coordinate with other teams on-site.

Xu Mifei nodded toward Jiang Lingyu, who stood at the center of the stage, and touched her walkie-talkie mic. “Testing earpiece. Jiang Lingyu, can you hear me? This is Xu Mifei from the Props Team.”

The crisp voice, tinged with static, sent a faint tingle through Jiang Lingyu’s ear.

“Loud and clear.”

“Stay where you are. The lift platform will take you back to the staff passage,” Xu Mifei said, a slight smirk curling her lips. “I’ll ensure your safety.”

Jiang Lingyu also touched the mic clipped to her ear, her voice lighter than ever before. “I trust you.”

The stage began its descent.

Jiang Lingyu was quickly met by her assistant, Zhao Zhao, who eagerly supported her. “Come on, Lingyu-jie! We’ll take the underground elevator straight to the car.”

“Shouldn’t I change out of this dress first?”

“Change what?!” Zhao Zhao leaned in, eyes sparkling. “This is a battle dress—Young Mistress Xu bought it for you. The more chaotic it gets outside, the better for us. Sister Meng said we should head straight to the car.”

As Jiang Lingyu’s longtime personal assistant, Zhao Zhao had seen countless admirers shower her with gifts, but none had ever been as meaningful or as ingeniously thoughtful as Young Mistress Xu’s.

It was hard to believe that this version of Young Mistress Xu was the same person who had once haphazardly shoved scripts at Lingyu-jie. She had completely transformed.

Whether by accident or design, Jiang Lingyu could still hear Xu Mifei’s voice through her earpiece as she coordinated from the sidelines.

“Security Team, please secure the exits. Don’t let the scene get out of control.”

“Apologies, but I should remind you—Madam Xu Wanzhi has professional bodyguards with her. You might want to station a few people at Exit One first to prevent any accidental injuries.”

“Neither the celebrities nor the reporters should be harmed. Otherwise, the media’s sensationalized reports could damage the show’s reputation. I trust you all understand?”

“Orderly evacuation is the only way to maintain control. Miss Rose’s interests come first.”

“Copy that!”

“Understood!!”

Jiang Lingyu even heard Miss Rose’s design director, Wen Tianyun, respond with thrilled excitement: “Young Mistress Xu, having a partner like you is an honor for Miss Rose! For you to condescend to experience being part of our Props Team has truly illuminated our humble event…”

“You flatter me,” Xu Mifei replied with a smile. “After today, my wife will finally be able to wear your gowns.”

“This is an honor for our brand. As long as Lingyu is willing, we can sign the contract immediately.” Wen Tianyun teased, “No need for Young Master Xu to personally ask—you went through all this trouble just for your wife, didn’t you?”

“Don’t say it like that. Don’t let her know.” Xu Mifei chuckled lightly. “I just want her to wear a dress she likes. It’s just a small gift.”

Wen Tianyun adjusted her earpiece, watching the slightly chaotic scene inside with satisfaction.

Her assistant worriedly whispered beside her, “Director Wen, is this really okay? How will we handle Xu Wanzhi’s side? We can’t afford to offend the Xu family…”

“You still have a lot to learn. Can’t you see?” Wen Tianyun glanced at the surveillance monitors. “The Xu family is about to change its leader.”

…

Jiang Lingyu touched her cheeks, feeling the warmth spreading to her ears. The way Xu Mifei had so naturally referred to her as “my wife” in front of others left her momentarily dazed.

She had always despised such titles yet hearing it from Xu Mifei only brought a faint blush to her face.

Perhaps it was because it felt so effortlessly natural.

And Xu Mifei had quietly secured the collaboration with Miss Rose.

Considering how she had prioritized the brand’s interests at every turn, she had effortlessly secured the partnership with Miss Rose.

Unsurprisingly, Miss Rose was only willing to work with Xu Mifei—not Xu Wanzhi.

Jiang Lingyu hadn’t worn an MR gown earlier because MR had no partnership with the company—it was merely a second-tier brand, and even its haute couture wasn’t prestigious enough.

But now, things were different.

The star-studded runway show had made a spectacular impact, instantly elevating the brand’s status. Meanwhile, Xu Mifei had already negotiated the collaboration in advance, securing the goodwill and commitment of the design director.

In just a few words, she had even secured fresh fashion resources for Jiang Lingyu.

The brilliance of this move was undeniable.

As the finale’s butterfly rain descended, reporters at the Miss Rose Spring-Summer All-Star Runway Show received the latest updates and swarmed toward Xu Wanzhi.

“Zhizhi! Was the contract leaked online signed by you? You previously claimed you were the one who signed Actress Jiang to your company.”

“Back then, your fans said you rescued Actress Jiang from dire straits—but now it seems that was all a lie, wasn’t it?”

“Wanzhi, Wanzhi, can you respond? It’s said that Jiang Lingyu’s new agent exposed this out of anger over the mistreatment of their artist. How does the company plan to handle the PR fallout?”

“Actress Jiang gave you a pointed look when the contract was mentioned earlier—do you have any explanation for that?”

“What’s the current status of Jiang Lingyu’s case against your company? Was the case Lawyer Qi Kaiyu mentioned really commissioned by Xu Mifei?”

“Some fans now believe Xu Mifei is the better match for Jiang Lingyu by comparison. What are your thoughts on that?”

“Did Xu Mifei really pull you out of the water in one go? She’s pretty impressive, isn’t she?”

What kind of ridiculous questions were these? Were they just messing around? Xu Mifei impressive? What was so impressive about her! And why did they have to bring up that incident where she fell into the water during the show! Which media outlet had a death wish in this industry?!

Xu Wanzhi was seething with anger. She glared in the direction of the questions, only to be met with a sea of cameras and microphones chasing after her.

“Qin Lu, stop them and let me leave now!”

Qin Lu’s hand gripped Xu Wanzhi’s shoulder as she warned, “Miss, I’m already doing my best to cover your retreat. I warned you earlier.”

Retreat? What retreat? Why was it taking her so long just to walk to Exit One?

“Respond to us! Wanzhi! Isn’t this supposed to be interview time? Why are you leaving?”

“If you’ve got nothing to hide, why run away?”

Chaotic voices swirled around Xu Wanzhi as camera flashes nearly blinded her. When had she ever been subjected to such treatment? Never before had she been forced to flee an event venue in such disgrace.

Nothing to hide? What did she have to hide? She was barely restraining herself from cursing them out!

Qin Lu had a splitting headache—mainly because the swarm of reporters was overwhelming. Were the security guards at this fashion show completely useless? They’d failed to hold them back initially, and now the entire horde had gathered at the exit, clearly determined to block Xu Wanzhi’s escape.

Glancing back at the stage, Jiang Lingyu had long since vanished. The props team had done their job too well—what the hell was going on here?

If this dragged on any longer, forget retreating—they’d be trapped here for good. And the storm brewing outside? Xu Mifei was undoubtedly behind it.

She couldn’t wait any longer. In such a large venue, using pheromones was out of the question—given the current media frenzy, it would reflect poorly on the Xu family.

She had no choice but to push through the crowd herself. For someone as well-trained as Qin Lu, this shouldn’t have been difficult.

But then, the useless security team finally showed up.

And they were pulling her back!

“Please refrain from physical contact. Everyone can leave peacefully if we maintain order,” a staff member announced. “We have surveillance. The media are our friends, and so are our guests. Let’s all remain civil.”

Friends? Civil? No physical contact? Those reporters were practically shoving their cameras into her eyes!

Xu Wanzhi finally snapped, her face dark with fury as she spat, “Get the fvck out of my way—”

Qin Lu was too late to cover her mouth.

The reporters erupted in frenzied shouts,

“Xu Wanzhi actually cursed! Her image is ruined!”

“Did she say ‘fvck’? Not ‘damn’ or ‘hell’ but actual ‘fvck’?”

“Is this the behavior expected of the Xu family’s most prized alpha? I don’t recall Xu Mifei ever swearing—at least not to my face.”

“No wonder Jiang Lingyu glanced at her on stage—how often does she get cursed out by her?”

“Explain yourself! Xu Wanzhi, explain!!”

The situation spiraled beyond control. Fearing what else Xu Wanzhi might blurt out, Qin Lu clamped a hand over her mouth and forcibly dragged her through the chaotic crowd.

“I’ll have them blacklisted! Every single one of them!!!” Xu Wanzhi shrieked as she was shoved into the car, her dress wrinkled and dirtied, her flawless makeup twisted with rage.

Exhausted, Qin Lu told the driver, “Take us back first.”

“I’m not going back! I need to oversee the PR team at the company—”

“Enough, Miss! These are your father’s orders!” Qin Lu’s patience finally snapped. She slammed the car door shut with a bang and said coldly, “You’ve humiliated the entire Xu family.”

“Me?… What did you say that I’ve been utterly humiliated?” Xu Wanzhi’s face turned deathly pale, unable to believe her ears. She was the pride of the Xu family—the one who’d always brought shame was Xu Mifei!

But suddenly, all strength left her limbs, and she collapsed into her seat.

Only then did she remember—

In this grand farce, Xu Mifei hadn’t even made an appearance, yet her name was on every reporter’s lips.

——

After changing out of her staff uniform, Xu Mifei emerged, expecting Jiang Lingyu to have already left. Instead, she spotted the familiar car waiting for her.

As she opened the car door, she overheard Zhao Zhao holding a phone and saying, “How are people so easily swayed? This morning, they were all talking about you, and now they’ve completely turned against Young Miss Xu. What did she ever do wrong? It’s not like she forced you to sign that contract!”

“This ‘Lazy Frontline’ account—never heard of this gossip blogger before? How did Sister Meng choose them for the exposé? Their followers shot up to 800,000 overnight, becoming a major influencer. What incredible luck.”

“I found them,” Xu Mifei chimed in with a smile. “They used to post many hate pieces about me—a hidden die-hard fan of Lingyu’s. Even if we hadn’t approached them this time, they’d still have influence.”

Of course, Xu Mifei wouldn’t tell Zhao Zhao it was because she remembered a passing mention in the original text. She settled beside Jiang Lingyu. “Isn’t it satisfying to turn someone who hated me into my supporter? Makes it more credible too.”

“The outside world is in even more uproar,” Jiang Lingyu said, watching her. “After tonight, our interests will be completely intertwined. Are you ready?”

Xu Mifei beckoned her closer.

Uncertain of her intention, Jiang Lingyu leaned in. The shimmering fabric of her dress flowed like liquid diamonds, illuminating every curve of her body.

Like a serpent, a temptress, or an untouchable goddess.

A simple pearl choker adorned her neck, perfectly concealing the wound there.

Xu Mifei reached into the hair cascading down Jiang Lingyu’s back and plucked out a butterfly-shaped petal, whispering, “Jiang Lingyu, this dress is beautiful. Do you like it?”

The proximity made Jiang Lingyu momentarily dazed. “…It’s lovely.”

“That’s all that matters. You don’t need to think about anything else or worry about what happens to me.” Xu Mifei couldn’t help but laugh, her warm breath lightly brushing Jiang Lingyu’s neck. “Why are you being so kind to me now?”

Logically, Jiang Lingyu should have been angry with her—berating her for not following the script, or saying she’d brought this on herself.

Yet there wasn’t a trace of disdain in her. Beneath those calm eyes swirled emotions Xu Mifei couldn’t decipher.

Jiang Lingyu countered, “How else did you expect me to treat you?”

Her expression was no longer as tense and aloof as during their past interactions, putting Xu Mifei in a playful mood.

“I thought you might slap me twice.” Xu Mifei’s face was alight with amusement. The atmosphere was pleasant, and she meant it as a lighthearted remark.

But Jiang Lingyu’s expression shifted abruptly, a faint blush rising to her ears.

Seeing her silence, Xu Mifei tensed, fearing she’d overstepped. How could she joke with Jiang Lingyu?

Realizing they were too close, she straightened up just as Jiang Lingyu asked softly:

“Back when we were playing Director Jin’s little kink game, I always wanted to know, Xu Mifei…” Jiang Lingyu’s breath drew near, making the car’s interior feel unbearably cramped, leaving no room for escape.

She lifted her gaze and asked the remaining half of the question: “If I really slapped you, would it be your punishment… or your reward?”

No matter how composed Jiang Lingyu appeared.

The moment she asked, the rising heat at the nape of her neck brought with it a sudden burst of sweet fragrance in the car.

Like an overripe bergamot fruit, exuding an irresistible richness, it fell right into Xu Mifei’s palm.

Xu Mifei’s mind blanked for an instant—her thoughts crashing to a halt.

Jiang Lingyu was the one asking the question, yet her flushed ears, neck, cheeks, even her fingertips—it was as if Xu Mifei had been the one to tease her senseless.

The air grew thin, as if they were exchanging damp, heated breaths between them.

What… what had she asked again?

A reward, right? Xu Mifei thought dizzily. Jiang Lingyu wanted to reward her—wasn’t that it?