Mistakenly Married a Substitute Wife, Falling in Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 38

Carefully crafted, effortlessly stunning…

“No sugar,” Guo Yu said, pouring hot water from his thermos into a cup. He adjusted his glasses and added, “It tastes sweet because of the lactose in the milk.”

“It’s delicious,” Shen Shuangjing replied. “It would be even better with tapioca pearls.”

Her dream tea.

Guo Yu said wistfully, “Want me to add more sugar? You can have pearls too, if you don’t want to film…”

Mid-sentence, the image of Sang Baili’s multi-billion-yuan investment flashed through his mind, along with the ambiguous relationship between the woman before him and President Sang. Guo Yu abruptly changed course, his tone hardening. “If you don’t want to film, that’s too bad. Suck it up. You can drink all the milk tea you want after we’re done shooting. I won’t stop you then.”

Shen Shuangjing: “Director Guo, blink twice if you’ve been kidnapped.”

Guo Yu’s lips twitched. “Same rules as always: gain half a kilogram by tomorrow morning, and you’re packing your bags.”

Shen Shuangjing sighed in relief. “Director Guo, you’re back! Are there any ghosts on set? Should we get a Taoist priest to check?”

Guo Yu’s lips twitched so hard they went numb. “Have you been watching too many dramas? Believe in science!”

Hold it in. This is billions of yuan. Can’t afford to scold her, can’t afford to scold her.

“Alright,” Shen Shuangjing said, placing her milk tea on the nearby table. Her dark eyes shone with anticipation as she rubbed her hands together like an otter. “So, since it’s the Winter Solstice, will the cafeteria serve dumplings tonight?”

Guo Yu: “No, we’re having tangyuan.”

Shen Shuangjing: “???!!!”

Shen Shuangjing looked disgruntled as she opened the small plastic container of vinegar and carefully plucked a splinter from her disposable chopsticks. “Eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice brings prosperity and abundant wealth in the coming year,” she explained. “That’s how it’s always been. How could we eat tangyuan? So I ordered dumplings from the hotel.”

Wuyun’s sharp canines rubbed against the snow-white fabric. “Meow, meow, meow.”

A smile played at the corners of Shen Shuangjing’s eyes as she settled into a more comfortable position. “Wuyun agrees with me, right?”

“Meow, meow, meow.”

“This is Balmain’s new sweater, not your teething toy.”

Her gentle, alluring voice carried a hint of exasperation. Suddenly, a jade-like hand appeared on the screen—its back pale, knuckles tinged pink—and gently pulled the fabric from between Wuyun’s teeth.

Then, with steady hands, the hand lifted Wuyun away from the screen, the kitten mewing in bewildered protest.

Long, cloud-like hair brushed across the camera lens, and the smooth screen reflected the image of a strikingly beautiful woman. Her features were exquisite, her aura refined, her beauty almost otherworldly.

Shen Shuangjing had never seen a woman who could make crimson lipstick look so alluring and sophisticated as Sang Baili.

Sang Baili swallowed her multivitamin with water and asked, “What kind of dumplings did you have?”

“Shepherd’s purse and pork,” Shen Shuangjing replied.

Sang Baili nodded. She hadn’t had dinner yet and had ordered the same dumplings from a food delivery app.

Shen Shuangjing’s eyelashes lifted slightly, and the corners of her lips curved into a faint smile. “Let me show you a special trick,” she said.

She picked up a dumpling, flicked her wrist gently, and sent it soaring upward. The dumpling arced gracefully away from the screen, tracing a trajectory that would have landed it on the table. But just as it was about to touch down, there was a faint click, and the dumpling was deftly caught between her chopsticks.

The delicate blue veins on the back of her pale hand were clearly visible.

Sang Baili raised an eyebrow. “Impressive hand speed.”

Shen Shuangjing’s almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents, a radiant glow flashing across her face. “Of course! My hand speed has always been exceptional.”

Sang Baili’s red lips twitched in a half-smile. “What was the commercial about?” she asked.

“Sister Manli got me this gig,” Shen Shuangjing replied. “I’m the brand ambassador for a chewing gum company.”

Come to think of it, the commercial shoot had been quite amusing.

“My character is a vampire,” she explained. “The commercial depicts a vampire who traveled from a thousand years ago to modern society and struggles to adapt to human life. Just as the vampire is about to break the law and feed on someone, someone offers them a piece of chewing gum and says—”

“‘Feeling down? Don’t act impulsively. Chew a piece of XX brand gum first—it’s flavorful and helps you forget your troubles,'” Shen Shuangjing recited dramatically.

Sang Baili smiled calmly, guiding the conversation. “That’s quite creative. But do you personally believe in time travel?”

Shen Shuangjing’s amusement was perfectly measured. “I believe in science, just like I believe in eating dumplings on the winter solstice.”

She rested her cheek in her hand, poking a dumpling shaped like a gold ingot with her chopstick tip. “You don’t believe in it either, do you, Sister?”

Sang Baili replied, “Of course not. I believe in science too. The dead cannot return to life. The best way to honor life is to live it well.”

Shen Shuangjing felt struck by her words.

She wanted to tell Sang Baili that these were the very words she told herself every day.

For someone who had believed they were certain to die but was given the chance to open their eyes again, living was a divine reward—the hidden jackpot of a lottery and a priceless gift.

Sang Baili set down her empty glass and continued, “Time travel narratives have been making a comeback lately. Our company has a time travel-themed film project with high projected profits, but the corresponding risks are equally high.”

After work, Sang Baili brought the assessment report back to her villa and placed it beside her. After ending the video call, she reviewed it again.

The dead cannot be resurrected, and time travel is nonsense.

If someone stood before her claiming to be a time traveler who possessed Sang Group’s secrets, Sang Baili would simply have security drag them away and commit them to a psychiatric hospital for timely treatment.

But what else could cause such a drastic change in someone’s personality?

Sang Baili casually returned the assessment report to its folder on the bookshelf, revealing the personal profile beneath it.

I shouldn’t be developing unnecessary curiosity about this person.

Sang Baili’s fingertips pressed repeatedly against her temple.

But, but…

Rather than passively speculate, she preferred to be in control, to have the initiative.

The night was as dark as ink.

Wuyun’s deep, rhythmic snores, like soothing white noise, filled the room. Under the soft lamplight, Sang Baili’s gaze drifted to the profile she had reviewed several times. After a few breaths, the rustling sound of turning pages echoed through the room.

Her focus was absolute, as if she were scrutinizing a financial report that couldn’t afford a single error. She analyzed each word, pondered each phrase, searching for clues to unravel the mystery that had captivated her.

A few days later.

“Director Guo is definitely targeting me,” Shen Shuangjing groaned, collapsing onto the hotel bed as she complained to her manager, Sister Manli, who had come to visit.

Meng Manli sat cross-legged on a black wooden chair, her hands on her hips. “What makes you say that?”

“Ever since the winter solstice, Director Guo has been unusually harsh on set,” Shen Shuangjing explained. “She’s made me reshoot several scenes, even after they were perfectly fine.”

“Wouldn’t it be more unusual if Director Guo wasn’t like that?” Meng Manli countered.

“No, this is different. Before, some takes were usable right away, but now she’s scrutinizing every detail, demanding perfection. I suspect she won the lottery and suddenly became rich. With endless funding, she can afford to ‘torture’ me slowly.”

Meng Manli pondered. “There are two possibilities.”

“What are they?” Shen Shuangjing asked.

“First, her strictness might be to push you toward winning the Golden Elephant Award for Best Actress.”

Shen Shuangjing slammed her fist into a pillow. “Then it’s definitely the second possibility.”

“You’re being targeted,” Meng Manli confirmed.

“……”

Shen Shuangjing sighed, then tried to console herself with wishful thinking. “Fine, fine. I’ll just treat this as a chance to improve my acting skills. Who knows, maybe I’ll actually win Best Actress.”

Meng Manli smiled reassuringly. “I’m relieved to hear you’re keeping busy on set. I should get going now—I just signed a new artist and need to discuss her career plan with her.”

Shen Shuangjing’s eyes lit up. “Will you pass by Qinghai Hui on your way? It doesn’t matter if it’s out of the way—can you just force it to be on your route?”

Meng Manli raised an eyebrow. “?”

As Shen Shuangjing opened the car door to get out, Meng Manli called her back. “You’re going on a date with President Sang,” she reminded her. “Make sure to cover up well. We don’t want any paparazzi photos—they’d be hard to explain.”

Shen Shuangjing corrected her. “We’re not going on a date. We’re going to study. The film starring this year’s Golden Shark Award for Best Actress is currently showing, and Sang Baili has booked the entire theater. We won’t be photographed.”

Study?

Meng Manli’s tone dripped with deliberate ambiguity, teasing her. “You can fool me, but don’t fool yourself. Have a great date.”

“……”

Even though they video-called daily, the sudden prospect of seeing Sang Baili in person made Shen Shuangjing feel as nervous as if she were meeting an online friend after a long time apart.

The plan to watch a movie together had come about simply.

One day, Shen Shuangjing mentioned being interested in a recently released film. Coincidentally, Sang Baili hadn’t been to the movies in ages and was looking to unwind. They quickly agreed to go together on a day when both were free.

Since they lived in different cities, Sang Baili had promised to come to her.

After entering the mall, Shen Shuangjing first went to the café to buy two coffees before heading straight to the cinema on the sixth floor. After retrieving their tickets from the self-service kiosk, she bought a box of popcorn and sat down at one of the tables in the waiting area to wait for Sang Baili.

Since it was a weekday, the area was deserted. Shen Shuangjing sat there bored for a while before asking a staff member to watch her drinks and snacks while she went to the restroom.

Standing in front of the mirror, Shen Shuangjing stared at her reflection, Meng Manli’s dating advice suddenly popping into her head.

Sister Manli is really overthinking things, she thought.

From top to bottom, her reflection showed a baseball cap worn to hide her unwashed hair, a bare face without makeup, and a super-thick black down jacket and furry black slippers—all chosen for warmth rather than style.

This outfit had nothing to do with dating attire; it was more like what you’d wear to see a movie with an online friend.

Returning to the waiting area, Shen Shuangjing played a round of Candy Crush. Suddenly, a voice behind her said, “Excuse me, miss.”

Her first thought was that someone was trying to sell her something.

A curly-haired boy who looked to be around high school age approached her and asked, “Are you an artist?”

Shen Shuangjing instinctively touched her jaw, her fingers brushing against the edge of her mask. She let out a sigh of relief. Unsure of the young man’s intentions, she shook her head.

The young man smiled, displaying a QR code on his phone. “I’ve been noticing you for a while now,” he said shyly. “Could I add you on WeChat?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

The woman’s voice, warm and mature, carried an air of authority. Her seemingly gentle tone held a firm refusal, leaving no room for argument.

Both the young man and Shen Shuangjing froze in surprise.

Shen Shuangjing turned toward the source of the voice, immediately recognizing the woman in sunglasses. Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly.

The woman’s newly dyed chestnut-brown curls cascaded softly, their edges gilded by the light. Dark-rimmed sunglasses concealed most of her face, the designer logo subtly inlaid on the temples.

She wore a cream-colored trench coat, buttoned neatly, paired with wide-legged tassel pants and pointed-toe ankle boots—an effortlessly glamorous look that exuded carefully cultivated nonchalance.

Tall and slender, she radiated both elegance and allure.