Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 6

“Who? Her? That useless basket case?” Han Ning’s beautiful face twisted in disgust as she spoke, her eyes filled with disdain.

The “useless basket case” she referred to was Nie Lan, a fellow actress of similar fame.

Han Ning silently blamed herself. If she had paid attention to the other female lead when she accepted the role in Nan Yan, instead of just focusing on whether the script was written by Shen Xi, she wouldn’t be so frustrated now.

Nie Lan never even attended the script reading for Nan Yan. She claimed she was recovering from an injury sustained during her previous action film. However, her lie was soon exposed online when someone spotted her shopping during her so-called recovery period. And not just a little shopping—she had four bodyguards carrying bags full of purchases.

Besides, the role of Zhou Yan wasn’t originally meant for Nie Lan. It was first given to a young actress from her agency, a fresh-faced beauty named Xu Lier, who was just in her early twenties. With her bright, clear eyes and youthful glow, she perfectly matched the description of Zhou Yan from the novel.

Xu Lier was recommended by her agency to audition for Zhou Heyang and was easily selected.

However, just two weeks before the script reading, her agency, Shuo Xing Entertainment, suddenly announced that due to personal reasons, Xu Lier had to drop the role.

Zhou Heyang felt regretful upon hearing this and was considering casting Cheng Nian instead. But Shuo Xing quickly pushed Nie Lan as a replacement.

“Nie Lan is just a little older than me and has been in the industry a bit longer. But now, look at her acting all high and mighty…” Han Ning rolled her eyes dramatically and continued ranting.

Liang Xun pressed his lips together, staying silent. After all, Han Ning had a point—Nie Lan was known for being pretentious.

“She’s exactly that type of person! Always thinking she’s the biggest deal. Do you remember? At last year’s awards ceremony, Cheng Nian was filming a project with Director Shu Ningxiang. She rushed over after work but was just ten minutes late due to traffic.

Yet Nie Lan publicly mocked her, saying she was putting on airs!”

Liang Xun nodded, remembering the incident. He casually tossed a nut into his mouth and said disdainfully, “Cheng Nian ignored her completely. But soon after, Shu Ningxiang found out about it. And once the old lady knew, it spread through half the entertainment industry. Nie Lan ended up trending for an entire week, getting roasted online. I even heard that her team tried to pay to remove the trending topic, but they couldn’t. She was furious!”

Hearing that, Han Ning burst into gloating laughter.

Liang Xun glanced around and asked, “Where’s Coco?”

“She went to get some clothes. She should be back soon.”

Just as they were chatting, a loud commotion erupted outside. A group of people approached, chattering noisily. Han Ning frowned and muttered, “Who the hell is this?”

She strode to the door, ready to retaliate with equal volume. But as soon as she opened it, she saw a procession of over ten people filling the hallway. In the center was a tall woman with luscious, jet-black hair, striking fox-like eyes that gleamed with mischief, and a curvaceous figure clad in an all-black outfit exuding femininity.

Even from a distance, Han Ning caught a whiff of the overpoweringly sweet floral perfume that surrounded the woman. Rolling her eyes skyward, she sighed.

Nie Lan, smiling sweetly, approached her, took her hand affectionately, and cooed, “Darling, it’s been so long! I missed you so much. Looking forward to working together!”

Then, she pulled Han Ning into a hug. The overwhelming scent of her perfume made Han Ning’s head spin. Without hiding her distaste, Han Ning fanned her nose and muttered near Nie Lan’s ear, “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t call me ‘darling.’ Who do you think you are?”

Nie Lan let go, but a sharp glint flashed in her eyes before she quickly masked it with a wider smile. She lowered her voice and said through gritted teeth, “Must you embarrass me like this? We’ll be working together on this drama, and they might even pair us up for publicity.”

Han Ning sighed inwardly. Making money was not easy.

Just then, both elevator doors opened at the same time. From one side stepped Coco, while from the other came Shen Xi.

Shen Xi walked briskly ahead, while Coco, carrying the clothes, stared at her back, finding it familiar. She hurried to catch up, then looked closer and gasped in surprise.

“Shen Xi? What brings you here?”

Shen Xi glanced at her and recognized her as Han Ning’s assistant, though she didn’t know her name. “You’re Han Ning’s assistant…”

Coco nodded eagerly, her eyes shining. “Shen Xi, I’m Coco! I came to deliver clothes for Ning-jie. Want to walk together?”

Shen Xi nodded, and they moved forward. After a few steps, they saw the bustling scene in the hallway.

Coco gaped at the crowd and muttered, “Did someone call a moving company?”

The cramped space, the mix of people, and the clashing scents made Shen Xi frown. She carefully made her way through, avoiding any physical contact. Finally reaching the other side, she exhaled in relief.

She spotted Han Ning standing with a tall, glamorous woman. Lowering her gaze, she noticed their hands were still clasped together. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold gleam flashed in them.

Seeing Shen Xi, Han Ning’s eyes lit up with joy. But then, noticing Shen Xi’s gaze fixated on her hand, she quickly pulled away from Nie Lan and greeted her excitedly. “Shen Xi!

What brings you here? Did you come to see me?”

“No,” Shen Xi replied flatly. “I came to see my other female lead, Zhou Yan.” She ignored Han Ning and turned her sharp gaze on Nie Lan.

Though Nie Lan had maintained her looks well, the difference between someone in their thirties and someone in their early twenties was still obvious. She was undeniably beautiful, but her pursuit of extreme thinness left her face sharp and angular. Her bold features and intense gaze made her seem anything but gentle.

Not just her appearance, but her eyes lacked the purity of someone innocent and inexperienced.

Shen Xi observed her for a moment and came to a conclusion: This Nie Lan—she wasn’t the Zhou Yan she envisioned. She couldn’t play Zhou Yan.

Nie Lan felt uneasy under her scrutiny. Unlike the admiration and awe she usually received, Shen Xi’s gaze was filled with criticism, doubt, and… rejection.

“No,” Shen Xi sighed, withdrawing her gaze. “She won’t do.” And with that, she turned and left.

Han Ning was stunned. But then, recalling the cold look Shen Xi had given their clasped hands earlier, a thought struck her. She muttered to herself, “…Is she jealous?” A sly grin spread across her face.

The assistant director soon called Han Ning to reshoot a scene. She happily skipped off, leaving Coco baffled. “What the… Since when does she enjoy working overtime?”

Nie Lan, after flaunting her entourage through the set, found no one paying her any attention. Seeing that Zhou Heyang hadn’t arrived yet, she turned on her heel, swayed her hips, and left with her bodyguards.

At lunchtime, Han Ning immediately called Shen Xi. “Are you home?”

“I’m at a restaurant,” Shen Xi replied.

Twenty minutes later, Han Ning arrived at the restaurant.

She spotted Shen Xi right away—glowing in her eyes. Grinning, she walked over.

Without looking up, Shen Xi said, “You’re here? You can handle spice, right? I ordered a lot of spicy dishes.”

Han Ning’s smile stiffened. Looking at the bright red dishes in front of her, she blinked and swallowed nervously.

Everyone knew people from Anhua City, like her, couldn’t handle spice.

Seeing her hesitate, Shen Xi smirked. “What’s wrong? Not to your taste?”

Han Ning waved her hand. “No, no, I was just deciding where to start. It all looks delicious.”

Shen Xi’s eyes curved in amusement. “Try that one. It’s numbing, spicy, and fragrant.”

Unable to refuse Shen Xi’s rare enthusiasm, Han Ning braced herself, took a piece of beef, and popped it in her mouth.

A burning sensation hit instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Shen Xi, unsurprised, calmly handed her a glass of milk.

Han Ning chugged it down, her eyes watery.

Shen Xi’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “You smelled nice today. Changed your perfume? Doesn’t seem like your style.”

Han Ning coughed and came to a realization. “You made me eat spicy food on purpose!”

Shen Xi just smirked and continued eating.