Mistakenly Married a Substitute Wife, Falling in Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 4

After a long afternoon nap, Shen Shuangjing expected to be full of energy that evening. Instead, she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and slept soundly through the night.

At 5 a.m., just as dawn was breaking, her alarm clock rang. Shen Shuangjing turned it off, gathered her hair into a ponytail with a hair tie, and clipped her bangs back, revealing her smooth, radiant forehead in the morning light.

She went to the kitchen to check for leftover ingredients and decided to make a bacon and spinach omelette.

She chopped the washed spinach, mushrooms, and bacon into small pieces and stir-fried them until softened. She then poured the beaten egg mixture evenly over the mixture, seasoned with salt and black pepper, and waited two to three minutes for the bottom to set before flipping it. She cooked it slowly over low heat until fully cooked, then transferred it to a plate, sprinkled with chopped green onions. The delicious and nutritious omelette was ready.

Next, Shen Shuangjing roasted sliced baby pumpkin and prepared a walnut and black sesame paste.

As she carried the breakfast to the dining table, Sang Baili entered the living room.

Today, Sang Baili was dressed in a perfectly tailored business suit—a pink blouse paired with a black jacket, adorned with a silver dragonfly brooch with gemstone eyes. Her voluminous chestnut hair cascaded over her right shoulder, accentuating her alluring charm, her lips naturally crimson.

Her voice was cold and stern as she spoke on the phone.

“Terminate them immediately.”

“There’s no room for negotiation.”

“I don’t want to see the same mistake repeated.”

Standing in the open kitchen, Shen Shuangjing caught sight of the cold displeasure on Sang Baili’s beautiful face and unconsciously took a half-step back.

She had never witnessed Sang Baili’s ruthless demeanor at work. Even though the woman’s beauty carried a sharp, aggressive edge, she had always been refined and courteous, like warm jade radiating a gentle glow.

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

For a fleeting moment, Shen Shuangjing equated the cold-blooded villain depicted in the original novel with the person standing before her.

Should I just pretend I didn’t see her and slip away while she’s not looking? After all, I’m just cannon fodder in the original story. If I show up now, I’ll likely get caught in the crossfire and be obliterated.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Sang Baili hung up the phone and turned around, her gaze colliding with Shen Shuangjing’s startled eyes.

A perfect, direct eye contact.

Sang Baili’s fox-like eyes, with their upturned corners, narrowed slightly.

The frown between her brows smoothed out. “Good morning,” she said.

Her mood shifted instantly, the terrifying aura she had exuded vanishing as if it had never existed.

Shen Shuangjing silently retreated her outstretched foot, forcing a dry smile. “Good morning.”

Her voice was barely audible. Sang Baili’s brow twitched slightly, and a hint of a smile played on her lips. “Why are you standing so far away? I’m not going to eat you.”

Her gentle, seductive voice seemed capable of soothing all anxiety and unease.

But the Shen Shuangjing standing before her now was not the same woman as yesterday. The memory of the woman’s teasing smile remained vivid in her mind, and she refused to be deceived by this gentle facade.

She won’t eat me, she thought, but a woman’s heart is as fathomless as the sea. She’ll throw me into the ocean to feed the sharks later.

Her brain, slowly thawing from the cold air, began to whir. Shen Shuangjing shifted her gaze. “I’m not hungry yet. Why don’t you eat first?”

Sang Baili tilted her head, her slender fingers, like jade-green scallions, resting on the armrest. Her habitual sharpness surfaced. “Did I scare you just now?”

Shen Shuangjing paused, suspecting Sang Baili had installed an emotional radar on her. After a moment, she nodded, adding with a playful tone, “President Sang’s aura is as freezing as a thousand miles of ice. I think I’ll go warm up in the bedroom.”

The small, bright red mole at the tip of her nose bobbed up and down like a firefly.

Sang Baili watched her, a smile blooming in her eyes. “I won’t be harsh with you.”

“You’re different from them.”

Sang Baili’s eyes weren’t pure black; they held a luminous blue undertone, like mysterious, deep pools.

Incredibly alluring, but they choose their prey carefully.

Shen Shuangjing couldn’t hold that gaze for long. She averted her eyes like a cat whose tongue had been burned.

“Is that so?”

Shen Shuangjing’s hands twitched, yearning to hear her repeat the words. She wanted to record this promise as a future get-out-of-jail-free card.

Lost in these chaotic thoughts, she circled around the island counter.

Perhaps because Sang Baili had never been truly harsh or harmed her, Shen Shuangjing didn’t feel the overwhelming fear her subconscious had suggested.

Even if things went terribly wrong, wasn’t it possible that the person mentioned on the phone had done something wrong, causing Sang Baili to appear cold and heartless?

Shen Shuangjing had always maintained a positive mindset, refusing to mentally exhaust herself by dwelling on worst-case scenarios. Even after transmigrating, she quickly adjusted to her new identity, convincing herself in an instant.

No longer apprehensive, she felt hunger returning. Shen Shuangjing sat down at the dining table and yawned.

Sang Baili’s gaze swept across her face. Though she wore no makeup, her natural beauty shone through, yet a hint of fatigue lingered in her eyes. “Didn’t sleep well?”

Shen Shuangjing squinted slightly. “I woke up a bit early. I was worried some ingredients might need thawing, which would make cooking more complicated and time-consuming.”

Sang Baili noticed the meticulous presentation of the meal: a beautifully arranged spread of dishes, including meat, vegetables, and a nutritious sesame paste. It was clear the cook had put considerable effort into preparing it.

A subtle warmth spread through Sang Baili’s heart as she gazed at the simple smiley face drawn with ketchup on the spinach omelette. She fell silent.

Suddenly, the corners of her lips curved upward, a faint smile mirroring the one on the omelette lighting up her eyes.

It wasn’t a specific happy thought that triggered this, but rather a pure, inexplicable sense of contentment.

It was like waking up to a clear, cloudless morning, like finding your favorite drink at the convenience store, like stumbling upon the perfect dish at a randomly chosen restaurant. Similarly, seeing a carefully prepared breakfast filled her heart with a rare lightness and joy, as clear and boundless as a cloudless sky.

The headache and frustration from hearing about the vice president’s disastrous blunder earlier that morning vanished completely.

All that remained was the tomato-flavored smiley face, triggering a chain reaction of smiles.

Sang Baili pulled out a chair and sat down. Her inconspicuous black trousers made her legs appear exceptionally long and straight. “If you have nothing planned later, you should go back to sleep for a while.”

Take good advice, and you’ll have a good meal.

Shen Shuangjing’s almond-shaped eyes sparkled like gemstones. “Mm, I’ll rest if I have time in the morning. But I need to go to the company in the afternoon. My manager said there’s something to discuss. Will you be back for lunch?”

Sang Baili shook her head twice. “I always eat at the company cafeteria for lunch.”

After finishing her walnut and black sesame porridge, she tasted the perfectly cooked Baby Pumpkin but hesitated to touch the Spinach Omelette in front of her.

Across from her, Shen Shuangjing took a bite of his omelette, constantly watching her out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and asked, “How’s the sesame porridge?”

Sang Baili clasped her long fingers together. “Delicious.”

“What about the Baby Pumpkin? Is it cooked?” Shen Shuangjing asked.

“Perfectly cooked,” Sang Baili replied. “Very soft and tasty. You controlled the heat perfectly.”

Shen Shuangjing loved hearing compliments. She puffed out her chest proudly, her thin lips curving slightly as she asked, “Then why aren’t you eating the Spinach Omelette? Don’t you like spinach or eggs?”

Sang Baili lifted her pale eyelids, her eyes clear as autumn water. “It’s too cute to eat,” she said calmly. “I can’t bear to become a ‘smiley-face killer.'”

Smiley-face killer.

What an amusing description.

Shen Shuangjing imagined a cool, black-clad assassin in her mind, unable to suppress a single dimple. “If it’s that cute, it’s meant to be eaten,” she said. “If you like it, I’ll draw more tomorrow. I can even do rabbit patterns.”

This fresh experience felt like coaxing a child.

Yet it held an inexplicable allure.

Sang Baili subtly raised an eyebrow, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she lowered her head. Her eyes crinkled with amusement as she asked, “How about a little lamb?”

How could she be so picky? Shen Shuangjing thought. Aren’t rabbit patterns cute enough?

As a staunch advocate for equal affection for all small animals, she protested internally.

“Drawing a little lamb will cost extra,” Shen Shuangjing declared sternly.

After Sang Baili left for work, Shen Shuangjing was alone in the duplex villa.

Having moved in the previous day and slept through the afternoon, she hadn’t had a chance to properly explore the interior. She wandered through the common areas, pausing at the corner cabinet.

The roses she had brought yesterday were slightly wilted, their heads drooping dejectedly.

After some deliberation, she took a photo and sent it to Sang Baili, adding the contact to her pinned list while waiting for a reply.

Big Whale Eats Little Whale: Do you have any vases at home?

A few minutes later:

AAA Beautiful Boss: Any empty vase will do.

Big Whale Eats Little Whale: Image.jpg This one?

AAA Beautiful Boss: Mhm.

Shen Shuangjing carefully removed the two bouquets of roses from their packaging and placed them in the lotus-patterned long-necked vase, adding the appropriate amount of water.

When it was time to leave, she put on her shoes, grabbed the spare key, and heard the dull thud of the front door closing behind her.

Filtered sunlight streamed through the room, illuminating the bright, clean space. On the corner cabinet, the newly added roses bloomed in vibrant, fiery hues.

Sang Baili sat languidly on the leather sofa, her elbow resting on the armrest as she twirled a strand of her pale gold hair around her finger. “How could that wooden Special Assistant Sheng come up with such an idea? Of course, it was my suggestion, all for my sister’s happiness. I specifically asked him to slip in that little surprise.”

She scrutinized Sang Baili’s expression. “Something’s off. She wasn’t wearing it?”

Sang Baili shot her a cold glare. “She was wearing it. She thought it was my idea. If I hadn’t explained in time, I would have been stuck with the blame for lusting after her body, and I’d never have been able to shake it off.”

That nearly ruined my virtuous image.

Fang Han mused, “So, she wasn’t willing?”

Sang Baili recalled the girl’s shy yet frank gaze, her beautiful eyes meeting hers. She pressed the tip of her tongue against her teeth, her own eyes gleaming with a knowing glint.

Willing or unwilling—it doesn’t matter. Our agreement never included sleeping together.

If she were willing, that would be the real problem.

“Stop fishing for information.”

Sang Baili, guessing her friend’s ulterior motives, set down her pen, pushed back her chair, and stood up. “It’s lunchtime. I’ll treat you to the company cafeteria.”

“I came all this way to check on the newlyweds, and you’re fobbing me off with cafeteria food? You should be treating me to delicacies!” Fang Han rose, smoothing the wrinkles in her strapless top, and teased with a smile, “Next time, take me to the Treasure Fortune Restaurant. I’m going home for lunch today—my girlfriend made me a meal.”

Sang Baili glanced at her. “Didn’t you just break up a few days ago? You’re back together already?”

Fang Han announced, “New girl. She’s a flight attendant—beautiful, fiery, and passionate. We’re in the honeymoon phase. If we get the chance, I’ll bring her over for dinner so you can meet her.”

Sang Baili admired Fang Han’s ability to fall in love. She met one girl after another, quickly developed a relationship, and just as quickly broke up when the initial passion faded, only to swiftly move on to the next.

She always seemed to have the time and energy to fall for someone new.

Sang Baili, on the other hand, couldn’t manage it.

She could only maintain passion for her work. As for romance, she lacked the patience and time for flirtatious banter and had no interest in pleasing another person. If not for an unexpected circumstance, she wouldn’t have even considered a fake marriage agreement.

But so far, this emotionless, respectful marriage was proceeding as smoothly and simply as she had imagined, which satisfied her.

With that thought, Sang Baili waved her hand, her arm’s graceful curve on display. “We’ll see. Maybe after you’ve been dating for a month.”

Sang Baili went to the cafeteria, got her lunch, and returned to her office. After taking a few bites, she couldn’t help but recall the tomato-sauce smiley face from breakfast.

Creative.

And so cute.

Unless someone had a quirky and whimsical personality, it would be hard to come up with such a lively idea.

The cafeteria cooks were highly paid professionals, and while the food wasn’t extravagant, it was flavorful and visually appealing.

Yet something felt missing, off. It wasn’t as delicious as breakfast.

Sang Baili remembered Shen Shuangjing mentioning she could cook Sichuan cuisine. She wondered if Shen would make it tonight, a flicker of anticipation she hadn’t even realized she harbored.

Her phone vibrated twice, signaling a new message.

It wasn’t from the person who had just crossed her mind.

Mountain Valley Letter King: Image.jpg My girlfriend’s homemade lunch is the best~

Sang Baili pinched the screen to zoom in. The photo showed two classic home-style dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes and stir-fried celery with beef tripe—dishes anyone could make well.

The celery with beef tripe was unremarkable, but the scrambled eggs were clearly burnt, with a blackened, charred patch.

The burnt smell seemed to waft through the screen.

If he thinks this is delicious, his love-struck brain must be affecting his vision. He’s literally lying with his eyes open.

Sang: New variety of black eggs? Bitter?

Mountain Valley Letter King: Not bitter at all! I only taste the sweetness of love. I don’t understand why some married people still eat in the cafeteria for lunch.

Every word avoided mentioning Sang Baili directly, yet every word was aimed at her.

Sang Baili: “……”

She casually snapped a photo of the Sang Group’s second-quarter financial report lying nearby and sent it to Fang Han.

Sang: Probably because they’re busy making money.

Mountain Valley Letter King: ……

Mountain Valley Letter King: Woke up too fast and saw the cold, heartless money-making machine has a wife. I’m going back to sleep.

“You’ve really changed a lot,” Meng Manli said, her sharp, almond-shaped eyes sliding over Shen Shuangjing through her black-framed glasses, unable to find any trace of her familiar demeanor. “The online persona I’d planned for you is completely useless now.”

Shen Shuangjing sipped her tea and glanced up. “A genuine, quirky, straightforward tomboy with a cute side?”

Meng Manli lost her composure, yanking open a drawer. Remembering she’d shredded all her original persona drafts to ensure no one else would ever see them, she slowly exhaled. “Where did you learn to read minds?”

Shen Shuangjing chuckled mischievously. From books, of course.

Unable to reveal the truth, she blurted out, “The Bodhisattva told me in a dream.”

Meng Manli raised an eyebrow. “And changing your style to chase new trends was also the Bodhisattva’s idea?”

Shen Shuangjing nodded solemnly. “Exactly! The Bodhisattva said I’d definitely become a sensation if I switched to a new style.”

Intrigued, Meng Manli admitted, “This Bodhisattva seems reliable—at least they recognized your original style wasn’t working.”

“What else did the Bodhisattva say?” she pressed. “Did they mention tonight’s lottery numbers?”

Shen Shuangjing pinched her thumb and middle finger together, pretending to calculate. “No, but they said you’ll become a gold-medal manager within five years, famous across the entire internet.”

Meng Manli laughed so hard she nearly fell out of her chair, clearly envisioning herself standing on the awards stage. Her exaggerated laughter drew the attention of a colleague passing by on their way to the restroom, who stopped to see what the commotion was about.

Meng Manli shooed the colleague away, locked the door, and cleared her throat. “That’s enough. Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed. Keep the rest confidential—no need to tell me more.”

Shen Shuangjing smiled wryly. She knew nothing more; the original novel contained no further details.

Meng Manli flipped the script over and pushed it across the table to Shen Shuangjing, her expression turning serious and professional. “I’ve secured you an audition for Night of the Murder Chase. It’s for the third female lead. The role isn’t large, but she’s a tragic, righteous character who dies for the heroine. If you play it well, it could be a breakthrough role.”

Shen Shuangjing leaned back in her chair, picked up the script, flipped through a page, then closed it and set it back on the table.

“Wouldn’t the third female lead be a bit… beneath me?”

Meng Manli frowned. Shen Shuangjing’s previous comments had hinted at her ambition to play the lead, but Meng Manli had always felt the timing wasn’t right. Even when smaller production teams had offered her roles, she had turned them down.

Shen Shuangjing’s ambition was still too grand; she even looked down on the third female lead.

But in the entertainment industry, capital reigns supreme. To land a lead role, you either need to bring your own funding or have massive online popularity—otherwise, it’s just wishful thinking.

Meng Manli spoke earnestly, “You want to play the female lead? Night of the Murder Chase is a major IP, and every young actress is vying for the role. It’s highly likely to go to Jiang Mei, last year’s Golden Elephant Award winner. I’ve reviewed the scripts from other productions, and while they offer female lead roles, none match the quality of Night of the Murder Chase. They’re unlikely to become hits, and wouldn’t help you hone your acting skills—more harm than good.”

A troubled expression clouded Shen Shuangjing’s exquisite profile as she countered, “No, I meant… would it be possible for me to audition for the third female lead? I’ve never played such a significant role before.”

Her insecurity was palpable.

The original owner of her body had acted in several productions, gaining some experience. But Shen Shuangjing, before her transmigration, had been a diligent university student majoring in acting, with only a handful of minor roles to her name. Every character she’d played had been a background figure—either a maid or a corpse, with no lines at all. Suddenly being asked to play the third female lead felt like an overwhelming challenge.

Shen Shuangjing didn’t want to be a duck pushed onto a roasting spit.

Meng Manli, however, admired her humility. As long as she doesn’t look down on it, that’s all that matters.

“It’s just an audition,” she said. “What’s there to overthink? Consider it experience. Besides, the pay for this production is excellent. Isn’t your family short on funds?”

Meng Manli, fearing Shen Shuangjing would become arrogant and complacent, deliberately concealed the fact that the director had been captivated by Shen Shuangjing’s audition video. He was pleased with her raw talent, considering her a blank slate for acting, and the audition was essentially a formality. The role of the third female lead was practically hers.

Shen Shuangjing blinked, automatically ignoring the last part of Meng Manli’s statement. “How much are they paying?”

Knowing she’d be tempted, Meng Manli wrote “6” in the air and lowered her voice. “Six figures. The director’s looking for newcomers, so the pay is a bit below industry standards, but I think it’s more than enough for you.”

More than enough? It was a fortune.

Clutching the script to her chest, Shen Shuangjing declared decisively, “I’ll work hard.”

Meng Manli nodded. “Also, the third female lead has specific image requirements. You’ll need to lose ten pounds before the audition.”

“……”

Shen Shuangjing stared at the numbers flickering on the scale until they settled at a final reading. With a long sigh, she recorded her current weight and the date in her phone’s notes app.

Sang Baili had texted her earlier, saying she’d be working late and wouldn’t be home for dinner.

Determined to lose weight, Shen Shuangjing skipped dinner and instead cooked a pot of silver ear mushroom porridge.

The fragrant aroma seemed to have sprouted legs, slowly spreading through the apartment. Shen Shuangjing, her stomach growling, tried to focus on memorizing her lines and taking notes. But as she closed the script, the lines she was reciting morphed into images of roasted chicken, Peking duck, and juicy xiaolongbao.

“So hungry… so, so hungry.”

The rose-patterned bedsheets were crumpled and wrinkled as Shen Shuangjing tossed and turned, imagining herself as an emotionless AI reciting lines.

Thankfully, the third female lead’s role was small.

She had painstakingly memorized the lines for the first scene, but the roasted chicken still haunted her thoughts.

“Do you need help?” Shen Shuangjing asked demurely, then immediately whined, “Yes, I need a roasted chicken with an ice-cold Coke, please.”

After rambling nonsensically, she sat up. Her restless tossing had left her looking disheveled, her full lower lip pressed against her upper lip, radiating a tempting crimson hue. Her peach-blossom jade face exuded an air of utter despair, like a rain-soaked puppy, pitiful and forlorn.

The “puppy” surveyed the room, finding neither the beloved, fragrant roasted chicken nor any other steaming delicacies. But at the doorway, she caught a glimpse of seemingly endless jade-like legs.

“?”

The dejected puppy looked up and met the gaze of the woman towering above her.

Sang Baili’s fox-like eyes held a complex mix of emotions, her words caught in her throat.

In the dim light, Shen Shuangjing’s bright eyes shimmered faintly in the golden glow, while the shadows concealed the blush on her delicate, cherry-blossom cheeks.

Ahhhhh!

Is there a hole?

Please let me crawl in.