Mistakenly Married a Substitute Wife, Falling in Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 22

“Sister, the rain’s getting heavier. Let’s go home with me…”

Huh?!

Five hundred thousand!

Shen Shuangjing felt a shameful flicker of interest. She almost reached for her phone to ask if Sang Baili preferred Alipay, WeChat Pay, or a bank transfer.

But then she remembered their earlier conversation, and her vision swam. She felt so mortified she wanted to burst into flames.

What does Sang Baili need so much money for?!

“With that much money,” she asked, “are you planning to subscribe for a year?”

Sang Baili’s thoughts stirred slightly. “Can I subscribe for a year?”

“???”

Are you serious?

Sister, do you even hear what you’re asking?

You must be joking, right?

“No, you can’t,” Shen Shuangjing said warily. “I’m still the same person who sells her skills, not her body.”

The very precautions she had proposed to avoid physical contact now seemed like a deliberate transaction designed to create intimacy, especially after Sang Baili mentioned the five hundred thousand.

It carried an implication that was definitely not suitable for minors.

Sang Baili’s tone was like that of an innocent woman who had been misunderstood. “I’m just helping you with desensitization therapy, Shen Xiaojing. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

Had she projected her own petty thoughts onto Sang Baili’s noble intentions?

Shen Shuangjing believed her. There was nothing about Sang Baili that she could exploit.

She stubbornly retorted, “Fine, I wasn’t thinking anything inappropriate. But I don’t want to do desensitization therapy. What if… I get addicted? You won’t be by my side all the time.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, like a clear spring carrying peach petals after the snow melts.

Sang Baili chuckled briefly. “Thinking that far ahead?”

No, I don’t want to get touchy-feely. I just said that off the cuff.

What Shen Shuangjing thought and what she said were two entirely different things. She hypocritically lectured, “Thinking long-term means standing tall.”

Still hungry, she first poured herself a bowl of mental chicken soup.

Sang Baili saw through her pretense but didn’t call her out. Her crimson lips curved like a stroke of cinnabar ink on rice paper as she casually remarked, “You make a good point. I don’t know either. What if we get used to it?”

Exactly what I wanted to hear.

Shen Shuangjing smoothly seized the opportunity. “Just pretend my suggestion was sleep-talking. Don’t take it seriously.”

As for finding other solutions, she’d think about that after eating. She needed to fill her stomach first to have the energy to brainstorm.

Sang Baili attended a banquet, while Shen Shuangjing prepared a meal for one. She steamed the leftover potato chunks and chicken br3ast in a pot, making a bowl of cat food for Wuyun’s late-night snack.

Halfway through his meal, rain began to patter against the window, followed by thunderous roars and flashes of lightning that lit the room as bright as day.

Wuyun abandoned his snack and darted to Sang Baili’s feet, curling into a tight ball.

The downpour intensified.

Inside the banquet hall, no one paid attention to the storm raging outside. The gathering of elites was a glittering stage of fame and fortune, filled with clinking glasses, lively chatter, and endless laughter.

After exchanging pleasantries with familiar guests, Sang Baili skillfully handled each unfamiliar guest who approached her.

She never turned down conversations with strangers. After all, one never knew who might one day reach unimaginable heights. Mutual respect was both proper etiquette and a subtle investment in her network.

After spending some time socializing, she gracefully moved toward the rarely visited lounge area.

Along the way, several guests recognized her and eagerly tried to approach, but lacked the courage. They clumsily pretended to glance at her casually multiple times, but Sang Baili simply pretended not to notice.

If someone genuinely wanted to connect with her, they would always find a way to reach out.

Sang Baili selected a plate of exquisitely crafted desserts and settled onto a sofa, her flared skirt blooming like a riot of flowers.

“Baili.”

Sang Baili glanced sideways, recognized the person before her, and stood up in surprise. “Director Zhou!”

Director Zhou, around forty years old, possessed a gentle demeanor and dressed in elegant, refined attire. “Baili, it’s been a while.”

Sang Baili gestured for her to sit. “It has been a while. You’ve never been fond of these gatherings. What brings you here today?”

Director Zhou’s gaze drifted toward the charismatic woman surrounded by a crowd. “Accompanying my partner.”

She turned to Sang Baili. “Aren’t you married? Where’s your partner?”

Sang Baili: “We haven’t gone public yet.”

Director Zhou’s curiosity piqued. “What kind of person are they?”

Sang Baili had announced her marriage on social media but hadn’t shared any photos of her partner, suggesting she wanted to protect them from excessive attention.

Director Zhou had once done Sang Baili a great favor and was known for her reliability. Sang Baili trusted her implicitly and saw no reason to keep secrets.

“She recently appeared on your variety show,” Sang Baili said. “I’m not sure if you remember her—her name is Shen Shuangjing. I hope you’ll keep our relationship confidential and not mention it to anyone.”

Director Zhou’s jaw dropped in realization. “The kid who loves eating pork ribs with rice every meal!”

Sang Baili blinked, confused. “Still eating that on the show? Hasn’t she gotten tired of it yet?”

Forking a piece of dessert, she remarked, “Looks like she’s eating well with the production team. She must be doing alright.”

“Not exactly,” Director Zhou replied. “The guest traffic this season is much higher than we anticipated. The guests are working themselves ragged, and she must be exhausted too.”

Her portions of pork ribs and rice have been growing larger with each meal.

Sang Baili’s eyes narrowed. “She does look a bit thinner.”

“Buy her some good food,” Director Zhou suggested. “My partner came to pick me up earlier and brought several bags of snacks and treats.”

Though he meant to show off his affection, he was indeed showing off his affection.

Sang Baili curled up on the sofa, her slender waist clearly defined.

She made a face at Director Zhou, then took a bite of dessert. “Director Zhou, you’re the snack expert. Any recommendations?”

Director Zhou chuckled. “There’s an old-fashioned pastry shop in the southern district called Fuxinxiang. They have lines around the clock, even when they close at dawn. Their chestnut pastries are their signature dish—my partner and I both love them. The only downside is it’s a bit out of the way.”

Sang Baili swallowed the melt-in-your-mouth pastry. “I’ll have to buy some another day. These are delicious. I’ll get you a plate.”

Director Zhou stood up and gently pressed her shoulder. “No need, I’m not hungry. Just relax here for a bit. I only came to say hello. Now I need to find your sister-in-law.”

Without further protest, Sang Baili leisurely enjoyed her dessert, savoring the quiet moment. With the necessary socializing done, she could finish her treat and leave.

When the extravagantly dressed, influencer-like woman passed by her table for the fifth time, Sang Baili decided to move to another seat.

Just as she settled at the adjacent table, the influencer approached her.

This time, the influencer didn’t pretend to be passing by. Holding two glasses of wine, she sat directly across from Sang Baili on the sofa. “Good evening, President Sang. I’m Xu Song’s cousin, Zhaolu. I’m an actress and a longtime fan of yours—I especially loved your performance in Red Pagoda.”

Sang Baili glanced at her skeptically. “…I’ve only been acting for seven years. I wasn’t in Red Pagoda.”

Zhaolu chuckled. “My apologies! I was so nervous I got mixed up.”

Her tone was flippant, lacking any sincerity in her apology.

Sang Baili asked, “Where’s your cousin?” If he’s not going to keep an eye on her, why is she putting on this solo act for me?

“He’s not here,” Zhaolu said. “I came with my manager. My cousin always meddles in everything, making it impossible for me to meet new people. It’s so annoying.”

Sang Baili was usually quite talkative, but she couldn’t find a response to this.

After waiting in silence for a while, Zhaolu, who showed no sign of leaving, asked, “Did you need something from me?”

Zhaolu couldn’t hide her smug satisfaction. “I wonder if President Sang will visit the set of Night of the Murder Chase. I’m playing the third female lead, so we might run into each other.”

The air grew unnaturally still.

Sang Baili’s palms tightened, her gaze darkening with an unreadable intensity. Her voice dropped to a low murmur: “The third female lead?”

“Yes,” Zhaolu replied. “The Sang Group invested in the project, so President Sang must be quite familiar with the show, right?”

“So Jiang Mei is playing the female lead in Night of the Murder Chase?” Sang Baili asked.

“That’s right,” Zhaolu confirmed.

The composed facade Sang Baili had maintained finally cracked, revealing a flicker of turmoil beneath.

Zhaolu, oblivious to her expression, continued, “I don’t understand the director’s decision. Why choose Jiang Mei? President Sang, tell me honestly, aren’t I prettier than her?”

Her voice trailed off abruptly as she finally noticed Sang Baili’s expression.

The dark blue eyes held an overwhelming intensity, filled with a cold, scrutinizing gaze that seemed to see through everything.

A bone-chilling cold seeped into Zhaolu’s marrow, making it hard to breathe.

“Seeing you, I’m certain the female lead made the right choice,” Sang Baili said, draining her glass of wine in one gulp. Looking down at Zhaolu with a voice dripping with coldness, she concluded, “So, unwilling to be outshone by Jiang Mei, you stole someone else’s role.”

For a moment, Zhaolu felt as if the woman knew everything. She stammered, “I-I didn’t steal the third female lead’s role. I was…”

Sang Baili cut her off, pinning her in place with a single sentence: “I was at the audition for the third female lead.”

Zhaolu stared at Sang Baili’s retreating figure for a long time, pondering the meaning behind her words.

Was this a warning?

But Zhaolu’s intellect had always been lacking. Unable to decipher the message, she recalled Sang Baili’s final gaze, and a chill ran through her.

Her manager soon arrived. “Where’s President Sang? Why are you here alone?”

Zhaolu rolled her eyes. “She went back.”

The manager frowned at the empty wine glass. “Did she drink the spiked wine?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you follow her?!”

“She’s so moody. I don’t want to. Let’s find someone else!”

“Do you think this is a vegetable market where you can pick and choose? I’ve told you before, if you can get close to President Sang, all the resources you want will be yours for the taking…”

The sudden downpour hammered against the car windows like drumbeats, slowly filling the cabin with a warm, comforting atmosphere.

Sang Baili’s breathing was abnormally hot, and she knew exactly why.

She was furious.

Furious that Shen Shuangjing hadn’t told her about this crucial matter.

Unable to make baseless accusations, she called the director. After a moment’s hesitation, he confirmed that the third female lead had indeed been replaced.

The producer had persuaded the assistant director and casting director to replace the original actress with a distant cousin of a Sang Group vice president, even paying the original actress’s breach-of-contract fee.

Everyone in the industry knew this unspoken truth: in the face of profit, contracts were nothing more than disposable scraps of paper.

The director, clearly confused, stammered, “Didn’t you say you were increasing the investment and specifically requested the change…?”

Before he could finish, he realized Sang Baili was unaware of this. Someone else had been using the Sang Group’s name to funnel money into the project.

Sang Baili demanded, “Forget the additional funds. Was this nearly 300 million yuan investment just a shortcut for some connected relative?”

If that’s the case, why didn’t she just use that money to promote Shen Shuangjing?

Sang Baili hung up, confirming that Shen Shuangjing knew she had been replaced but hadn’t told her.

Resentment surged within her.

She suddenly recalled a recent incident: the day before Shen Shuangjing left to film a variety show, she had prepared an extravagant feast of white truffles, foie gras, shark fin soup, and other delicacies.

Calculating the timing, it must have been the day Shen Shuangjing received the breach of contract compensation.

Shen Shuangjing had claimed there was something worth celebrating.

Little liar. She was clearly forcing a smile, using the meal to mask her loneliness.

Sang Baili could have easily resolved the situation with a single phone call, securing Shen Shuangjing’s role. Yet Shen Shuangjing hadn’t mentioned it. Sang Baili couldn’t understand—or perhaps she did, but she couldn’t pretend not to care.

Did Shen Shuangjing think they weren’t close enough to ask for help?

Sang Baili couldn’t fathom it.

If raising a child together didn’t count as close, what would?

The driver’s voice came from the front: “President Sang, back to Zanzhu Fengyuan?”

The rain was intensifying. According to Sang Baili’s plans, she was supposed to stop by Fuxinxiang to buy chestnut pastries first.

But her emotions were unstable, as if an inexplicable fire burned in her heart.

She never imagined she would be so furious at Shen Shuangjing’s deception.

Her enthusiasm for buying chestnut pastries was extinguished as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

“First, we’ll go to Fuxinxiang in the southern district,” she said coldly.

Her anger was directed at Shen Shuangjing, not her stomach. Reward and punishment should be clearly distinguished.

The headlights pierced the gloomy rain, and the Rolls-Royce glided in a graceful arc, coming to a smooth stop at the villa’s entrance.

Sang Baili curled up in her seat, the feverish heat in her body intensifying. Only then did she realize her abnormal reaction wasn’t anger—she had been drugged.

Her mind swam in a haze, a burning sensation coursing through her veins. All the surrounding noise faded away, as if a colossal wave threatened to engulf her.

Knock, knock.

Someone was tapping on the car window.

Sang Baili glanced over with a cold, wary gaze.

The car door opened, revealing a pale, palm-sized face beneath a black umbrella.

Raindrops shimmered like drifting mist as Shen Shuangjing’s smiling eyes curved softly, like flowing water, sparkling with an ethereal glow.

She reached out to Sang Baili.

“Sister, the rain’s getting heavier. Come home with me.”