Mistakenly Married a Substitute Wife, Falling in Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 14

The more he understood her, the more his heart…

At that moment, Sang Baili didn’t realize that an adult’s desires, once unleashed, are like spilled water—impossible to recover. Though he could control his eyes and hands, his heart remained alive. The seed of desire lay dormant in his depths, swelling like a balloon, waiting for a moment of carelessness to burst forth and grow unchecked into a towering tree that would devour his thoughts.

Unless something drastic happened, there would be no turning back.

Shen Shuangjing was playing with Wuyun when Meng Manli called.

The production team had informed Meng Manli that they had found a more suitable actress for the third female lead role.

Meng Manli had argued fiercely with them, but they refused to budge. Seething with anger, she said, “They’re just bullying the weak! They dare to replace you because we lack fame and capital. How dare they use the pretense of ‘auditioning newcomers’ when they were clearly after established talent all along?”

Shen Shuangjing paused her cat wand, stunned for a moment as she processed Meng Manli’s words. She asked gravely, “Did they pay the breach of contract fee?”

Meng Manli gasped, unable to catch her breath. “What’s wrong with you? You’re still thinking about the money at a time like this?!”

Shen Shuangjing flicked the cat wand, sending Wuyun leaping gracefully after the toy. The cat’s momentum carried him past his target, and he tumbled onto the floor.

“Do you think I don’t want to see if there’s any way to salvage this situation?” Shen Shuangjing asked calmly.

Meng Manli: “There isn’t.”

Shen Shuangjing: “Mm, I know.”

Meng Manli: “They’ll definitely pay the fee. It’ll be in your account within a week. But… aren’t you angry?”

Shen Shuangjing exhaled softly. Just pay the breach of contract fee.

“Angry.”

Anger, shock, bewilderment, helplessness, resentment, sorrow, melancholy, confusion, and powerlessness—a complex tangle of emotions weighed heavily on her heart. Anger was merely a minor thread in this overwhelming tapestry.

If she had never secured the role, she would have accepted her acting skills were lacking and resolved to practice harder, accepting her failure with humility. But to win the part only to have it snatched away by capital felt like being hoisted to the clouds, only to have the dazzling rainbow and celestial vistas snatched away before she could savor them. Then, without warning, she was told she wasn’t worthy and shoved into the abyss, plummeting to her doom.

Resentment burned within her. She knew she couldn’t challenge capital’s power, but beneath her helplessness, a fierce determination ignited. She would prove to everyone that she could succeed.

Contracts could be broken, capital could replace actors at will, and those without powerful backers might progress more slowly. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t reach the finish line.

As the saying went in the books she had read: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

As long as she could act, she had endless opportunities. Eventually, she would possess an unshakeable confidence that no one could take away.

Meng Manli said, “I remember the compensation was twice the original fee.”

Shen Shuangjing couldn’t hide her shock. “Twice?!”

Meng Manli sighed. “Is twice really that much? Let’s not even talk about how much your commercial value would increase if you played the third female lead. If you breached the contract, you’d owe the production team nearly a million yuan.”

Shen Shuangjing shook her head repeatedly, sighing. “I don’t expect anything from these heartless capitalists.”

But this unexpected sum of money changed everything.

The somber atmosphere suddenly brightened, and she even spoke an extra sentence.

She was just that materialistic. Hearing she could get double her original fee made the disappointment sting less.

With her spirits lifted and her fighting spirit renewed, Shen Shuangjing even found the energy to comfort Meng Manli.

Meng Manli worried she was putting on a brave face.

But Shen Shuangjing insisted that since the die had been cast, everything that could be done had been done, and the fault wasn’t hers, there was no need to dwell on it or trap herself in self-pity.

Her resilient mindset earned Meng Manli’s respect. After regaining her composure, she began considering other suitable opportunities for Shen Shuangjing.

With her personality, Shen Shuangjing would likely attract a large fan base if she appeared on variety shows.

A faint sound of crying caught Meng Manli’s attention. Thinking Shen Shuangjing was crying, she listened more closely and realized it wasn’t her. “Is there a child crying over there?”

“No,” Shen Shuangjing replied. “I have a cat.”

Meng Manli suddenly asked, “Are you living with President Sang?”

“Yes,” Shen Shuangjing confirmed.

She had already obtained Sang Baili’s consent to reveal the details of their contractual marriage to Meng Manli.

“Why don’t you tell President Sang about this?” Meng Manli suggested. “She’ll definitely have a way to resolve it.”

In Jing City, few companies dared to challenge the Sang Family’s influence.

Shen Shuangjing nestled into the gray-white beanbag chair, her straight legs pressed together, her feet resting on the rounded edge of the chair. Her porcelain-white fingers poked small circles into the pillow she held in her lap.

A slight smile curved her lips, her voice brimming with amusement. “She does have the means to resolve it, but why would she help me? Do you think she’s some kind of charitable saint?”

Meng Manli: “I don’t know her personally, but she went out of her way to pick you up after the audition. She seems like a decent person.”

Shen Shuangjing laughed, dismissing her argument. “You said it yourself—it was just on her way.”

Meng Manli persisted. “What if she knew you’d be there and that’s why she attended the audition that day? A friend of mine heard the director say she only watched that one session and hasn’t been back since.”

When it came to matters of the heart, it was hard to trust what others said. Meng Manli had her own suspicions, but because Shen Shuangjing had repeatedly insisted their relationship was purely professional, she hadn’t given it much thought.

Still, Shen Shuangjing was strikingly beautiful. Anything was possible. It wouldn’t be surprising if President Sang had been secretly protecting her, captivated by her charm. Meng Manli had heard countless tales of wealthy families; a CEO showering a lover with extravagant gifts was the most cliché of them all—so unoriginal, tabloids would have to pay to publish it.

Shen Shuangjing: “That’s impossible. She’s so busy. Why would she waste time watching my audition?”

She wasn’t some White Moonlight figure who could make Sang Baili willingly abandon her work.

Meng Manli: “Why don’t you just ask her and find out?”

Shen Shuangjing, busy with work, quickly forgot about her phone call with Meng Manli. When it was time to meet Sang Baili at the hospital to visit Grandma, she stepped outside and saw the Rolls-Royce parked beside the fountain. Sang Baili stood beneath a tree, waiting for her.

There were no blind spots.

Sang Baili’s gaze first fell on the woven fruit basket in Shen Shuangjing’s hand, filled with six or seven kinds of fruit, which she carried effortlessly with one hand.

Shen Shuangjing wore a full face of makeup and the same white dress she had worn for their marriage registration, paired with a sleeveless black denim jacket and black combat boots.

Clothing, too, is a language. Her sweet-and-cool style today, a departure from her usual sweetness, exuded a sharp, edgy coolness—like a little lioness who wouldn’t be out of place beside a heavy motorcycle, majestic and imposing.

Sang Baili noticed her makeup, her gaze drawn in.

Vibrant and beautiful, naturally blessed with flawless features, Shen Shuangjing’s bone structure and complexion were impeccable.

Without makeup, her appearance was pure and radiant, her demeanor delicate and alluring, radiating a youthful charm.

With makeup, her features were amplified, becoming even more striking and visually arresting, like a dazzling spectacle.

“All dressed up?” Sang Baili asked.

She felt as if Shen Shuangjing had been given a special glow effect by an artist, like a character in a vibrant comic, making her shine so brightly that Sang Baili felt like a simple sketch in the background.

Her primary purpose was to serve as a backdrop.

But today’s protagonist was always meant to be Shen Shuangjing. She was perfectly content to be the green leaves that set off the red flower.

A hint of shyness colored the depths of Shen Shuangjing’s soft eyes. “I just tidied up a bit,” she said. “I’m going to see Grandma, and makeup helps me look more energetic.”

She had put considerable thought into her makeup, and her outfit leaned toward Sang Baili’s chic, tailored suit style, making them look like a couple in the throes of early romance, so smitten they even dressed alike.

As they got into the car, Shen Shuangjing’s spine straightened unconsciously, maintaining a slight gap between her back and the seat. She faced the windshield, poised like a graceful swan.

Only her tightly pressed lips betrayed her nervousness about meeting Sang Baili’s family.

“Relax a little,” Sang Baili said. “The traffic’s heavy. Sitting like that the whole way will tire you out.”

The villa and the hospital were both in the bustling city center, not far apart, but heavy traffic and occasional accidents could turn a forty-minute drive into a two-hour ordeal.

Shen Shuangjing lowered her lashes, leaned back against the seat, and clasped her hands in her lap.

Her posture was now noticeably more relaxed, leaving no room for criticism.

Sang Baili observed her flawless composure, yet noticed subtle signs of lingering tension in her demeanor. Her heart fluttered at the realization of how deeply she was coming to understand Shen Shuangjing.

She extended her hand toward Shen Shuangjing, palm upward, fingers gently curling inward before returning to their natural, open position.

The pale hand rested naturally against the black leather, the contrast of white and black striking a captivating visual note.

Shen Shuangjing immediately understood.