I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 5

An Ningqing could tell from the surrounding commotion that the crowd had gathered to watch a spectacle—specifically, Third Miss Xie’s spectacle, with her as merely a side attraction.

No wonder Third Miss Xie had resorted to blackmailing her with favors.

Well, it’s good to settle debts, An Ningqing thought.

Xie Anran hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, “Be good.”

An Ningqing obediently leaned her weight against Xie Anran, fully embracing her role as the patient. Having detected the faint scent of alcohol on Xie Anran’s breath earlier, she asked, feigning ignorance, “Have you been drinking?”

Young people’s bodies are truly remarkable, An Ningqing mused. Yesterday, she was as drunk as a dead fish. Today, she’s flipped the script.

An Ningqing felt a pang of envy. Unlike her own frail body, which would have been sound asleep in bed if Xie Anran hadn’t insisted on her presence.

Xie Anran’s submissive demeanor gave Xie Anran a sense of superiority, as if she were the one in control. She hadn’t expected An Ningqing to be so compliant—too obedient, almost. She tilted her chin upward and announced, “Let me introduce my fiancée, An Ningqing. You all know her. We have private plans now, so we won’t be staying. See you next time, everyone.”

“Alright, it’s getting late anyway. Let’s call it a night.”

“Alright, next time you have an event, be sure to bring your sister-in-law along.”

“Anran, let me see you two off.”

Xie Anran declined Zhuang Qingxin’s offer, confidently wrapping her arm around An Ningqing as they moved through the crowd. Her face beamed with joy, making it clear that An Ningqing’s arrival had lifted her spirits. As they reached the door, they encountered Zhuang Yanxin.

“Sister Anran, are you leaving already? Why not stay a little longer?”

“No, we have other plans. It’s your birthday today, so enjoy yourself.”

“Okay.”

Hearing the girl’s tearful, hoarse voice, An Ningqing glanced at her. The young woman looked on the verge of tears, yet forced a smile, her entire demeanor fragile and wavering like a delicate white flower crushed by hardship.

Xie Anran, however, seemed oblivious. She pulled An Ningqing out the door, acting as if she couldn’t wait to take her fiancée out for a night of revelry. This prompted a chorus of laughter from the crowd behind them.

“When did those two even get together? They kept it so secret—not a single hint leaked before!”

“If they hadn’t been photographed, they probably would have kept hiding it.”

Zhuang Qingxin glanced at Zhuang Yanxin, whose eyes were red-rimmed. “Anran might be doing this to protect Miss An. Her profession is… sensitive.”

Her words put an end to the wild speculation. Everyone present was perceptive enough to see through Xie Anran’s earlier nervousness and understand her true feelings for An Ningqing. They would be more careful with their jokes in the future.

As the two women left the room, An Ningqing glanced at Xie Anran’s hand gripping hers and reminded her, “Third Miss, you’re squeezing too hard. Let go.”

Xie Anran’s body temperature ran hot; even in this short time, her palm had already become sweaty. An Ningqing couldn’t stand the sticky sensation.

Instead of releasing her grip, Xie Anran tightened her hold, dragging An Ningqing to her car. She flung open the back door, shoved An Ningqing inside, and pinned her against the seat. Wedging half her leg between An Ningqing’s thighs, she leaned in close. “Now, let’s talk about what you said before you hung up on me.”

“What was that?”

“You know exactly what I mean—what you said right before you hung up.”

That you don’t love me anymore. That you want to break up.

Seeing the clarity in Xie Anran’s eyes, An Ningqing realized she wasn’t just drunk and acting out. The position was too compromising. She shifted back, trying to create some distance between them. “Didn’t I just repay my debt? From now on, you take your path, and I’ll take mine. We owe each other nothing.”

Xie Anran knew An Ningqing hadn’t changed at all. Her supposed gentleness and charm were all an act. “You started this game, and now I hold all the cards. As long as I don’t call it off, you’ll remain my fiancée, got it, darling?”

“……”

This wasn’t going as planned.

Xie Anran relished the bewildered expression on An Ningqing’s face. Beneath her vulnerability lay a fragile, almost broken quality that made her want to tease her even more. She couldn’t resist reaching out to touch An Ningqing’s cheek, smooth as water. She remembered An Ningqing had once filmed a skincare commercial, her skin glowing like milk. She’d dismissed it as advertising hype, but now she realized it was even softer than she’d imagined.

This woman must be made of water.

Slap!

An Ningqing slapped her hand away.

Xie Anran flinched in pain, glaring at her.

“Third Miss, have you had your fill of touching me?”

“As if I’d want to touch you!”

As if to distance herself, Xie Anran stumbled backward, nearly pressing herself against the glass. She quickly concocted a perfect excuse: “I just saw a mosquito landing on your face. Yes, I was just swatting it away for you. Ungrateful wretch!”

She would never admit that the moonlight had momentarily blinded her, making her perceive this woman as gentle enough to squeeze water from. Damn it, was my hand being a pervert just now? Xie Anran turned her hand away and pinched herself hard.

Stupid hand, not listening.

An Ningqing smiled warmly. “That’s good. I thought the Third Miss might have taken a fancy to me. A lowly starlet like myself shouldn’t even catch your eye.”

Xie Anran scoffed, half amused and half annoyed. “Me? Take a fancy to you? An Ningqing, stop flattering yourself. What kind of women haven’t I had? I wouldn’t waste my time on someone like you.”

An Ningqing had been waiting for this. She continued smoothly, “Then don’t waste your time on me, Third Miss. If you’re still angry about me using you last time, you can retaliate. For example, you could have the Company blacklist me.”

“???”

“Wouldn’t that feel satisfying? It would also show the world what happens to those who dare to mock you. Kill two birds with one stone—what do you think of my idea?”

“……”

She’s gone mad. This woman must truly be insane.

Xie Anran had met countless minor celebrities. Whether male or female, they all greeted her with fawning smiles, and many had even tried to climb into her bed, each one eager to exploit her connections for better opportunities. She had never encountered anyone like An Ningqing before.

For a moment, Xie Anran couldn’t fathom what An Ningqing was up to.

Could this be a ploy to pique my interest?

An Ningqing glanced at the time. “Third Miss, please consider my proposal carefully. I hope to receive your reply. It’s getting late, so I’ll be heading back to sleep.”

The door swung open.

With a graceful exit, she strode away.

Xie Anran stared at her retreating figure for a long time. Could she be facing some hardship, deliberately saying such distressing things to me?

An Ningqing returned home and collapsed onto her bed, falling into a deep, restful sleep. She had no idea that her words had kept someone else tossing and turning all night. The next day, she asked Su Guo to buy her several more potted medicinal herbs.

“An An, what are you doing with so many medicinal herbs?” Su Guo asked. “The apartment is getting crowded.”

Su Guo had initially assumed An Ningqing was buying acupuncture needles for a medical drama role. But after An Ningqing kept buying more and more potted herbs, she wondered if it was getting out of hand.

An Ningqing surveyed the living room, now nearly overflowing with plants. “You’re right,” she admitted. “This place is too small.”

Having once possessed the entire Medicine King Valley, with its vast fields of medicinal plants stretching across the mountains, her current cramped apartment—less than 100 square meters—felt stifling. Moreover, the herbs, confined to pots, often didn’t get enough sunlight. It was a pitiful existence for them.

She decided to move.

She began searching for properties on her phone, and when she saw the price tags, her eyes widened in shock.

How much?!

Over 6 million yuan for a 100-square-meter apartment?!

The further she scrolled, the more astonished she became. The real estate market here truly embodied the saying “every inch of land is worth its weight in gold.”

Her original body had been a struggling, eighteenth-tier celebrity. If not for the recent success of her web drama, she wouldn’t even have been able to afford this modest apartment. Worse still, her previous contract with the Company had stipulated that they take 70% of her earnings, leaving her with only 30%—a blatantly exploitative agreement.

As a result, the original owner had barely any money in her account.

Truly, even a hero can be brought down by a single coin.

She had never imagined she would one day be troubled by such mundane financial concerns. After all, in her past life, countless people had spent fortunes just to obtain a single dose of her miraculous medicine.

An Ningqing couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Su Guo hesitated, “An An, Brother Lang said… he’s worried you’re working too hard. So, from now on, I’ll be managing your social media updates. If any private messages aren’t important, I’ll handle the replies for you.”

An Ningqing had no objections. “Fine.”

Su Guo gasped, “You agreed?”

An Ningqing had never enjoyed posting those photos anyway. She wasn’t the original owner, and she certainly didn’t find any pleasure in chatting with strangers. “Is that a problem?”

Su Guo couldn’t say whether it was good or bad. She just felt that An Ningqing had changed drastically, no longer scolding her at the slightest provocation. This must be an improvement, right? She couldn’t help but defend Guan Lang, “An An, Brother Lang just wants you to focus on your career. He’s doing this for your own good.”

An Ningqing didn’t care. Her only concern now was how to earn enough money to buy a place suitable for cultivating medicinal herbs. This cramped, overpriced apartment was definitely unsuitable. She picked up her phone again and resumed her search.

Large area, preferably with a vast plot of land.

Soon, listings matching her criteria appeared: sprawling estates of all kinds, including one covered entirely in crimson roses.

Su Guo leaned over to take a look. “Wow, this house is huge and beautiful! Rose Manor—how romantic!”

Little did Su Guo know that An Ningqing was planning to tear out all the roses and replace them with the medicinal herbs she had been longing for. After all, what was the appeal of red roses compared to a lush expanse of greenery?

An Ningqing glanced at the price tag above, a string of countless zeros.

Just then, two or three text messages popped up on her phone.

I’ve made up my mind. I refuse.

Since you’re my ‘fiancée,’ here’s a tip: someone’s plotting against you.

Add me on WeChat: V67894321. Hurry.

Xie Anran lay on her bed, rolling around restlessly, her face practically screaming, “Come beg me!” She kept switching between checking for WeChat friend requests and refreshing her text messages. After waiting for ages without a single reply, she grew frustrated. Could she have missed my messages?

Her finger hovered over a string of numbers, hesitating whether to call.

No, last time I called her fifteen times.

This time, I’ll call An Ningqing fifteen times too. No fewer.

Xie Anran wriggled around on the bed like a caterpillar for a full half-hour before her phone finally pinged.

Here’s a tip for you too: that adorable little sister at yesterday’s birthday party has a secret crush on you. (^_^)

Thwack!

The phone landed squarely on her face.