Rebirth: I Am the Wealthy Family (GL) - Chapter 2

Han Dong’er was waiting for Chen Qianyu backstage. Seeing her come down, she gave her a big hug. “Qianyu, congratulations! Five million, you must be in first place, this score is really excellent.” Others also surged forward, giving Chen Qianyu hugs and encouragement.

After the show ended, Ah He drove Chen Qianyu home. “This time we really have to thank Director Gu. If it weren’t for her, the one eliminated tonight wouldn’t have been Su Xiujin, but you. Fortunately, she’s a woman, otherwise the microblog would probably be discussing your extraordinary relationship with her and talk of unspoken rules and such.” Chen Qianyu got first place tonight, a really good result. Ah He, as her manager, also felt proud and was in a great mood.

“Who exactly is Gu Mingzhu? The way she spoke today was so overbearing, just like my sister.” After Chen Qianyu finished speaking, there was another silence. As soon as she thought of her sister’s death, her heart ached as if pricked by needles, hurting so much it felt like it was bleeding.

Ah He tossed the tablet computer to Chen Qianyu: “See for yourself. It’s all on Baidu Baike, but it’s not very detailed. Speaking of which, your sister and Gu Mingzhu met five years ago, let me think, your sister was still a small model back then.”

The time reverts to five years ago. At that time, Ah He had just started following Chen Qianyu, and both of them were newcomers to the entertainment industry. Chen Qianyu got a small role in a movie, not many scenes, just two or three shots. However, Chen Qianyu still stayed on set for a whole day.

It was very cold that day. Ah He still remembered that it was snowing, and the crew brought hot drinks. Chen Qianyu was truly freezing; her costume was very thin, and she didn’t even have a decent down jacket at the time, so she went to get a hot drink.

“Don’t take it. The hot drinks are not for you; they are all prepared for the big stars. You, a minor role, go aside.” After being told this by the staff, Chen Qianyu immediately withdrew her hand. Ah He couldn’t stand it and was about to go forward to reason with them, but Chen Qianyu stopped him.

“Ah He, forget it. Actually, I don’t really want to drink it. Anyway, the shoot will be over soon, and then we can get off work.”

But Ah He ultimately couldn’t swallow his anger and went to fight for a hot drink for Chen Qianyu, mainly because it was really too cold. Ah He himself also wanted a drink. Chen Qianyu still had a scene where she had to go into the water later. As a small actress, she had no body double and could only do it herself.

“I said she doesn’t get one. Why are you so difficult?”

Ah He was still arguing with him, and the floor manager didn’t show any sign of giving in. At this time, Chen Qianyu had finished the scene in the water and was wiping her hair by herself, feeling so cold.

“Here you go. I just saw your manager asking for a hot drink. Drink mine. Don’t worry, I haven’t drunk it. This one was just opened.”

“Mingzhu Jie, why are you here? She has a hot drink. How can she drink yours? Take this one, if one cup isn’t enough, then have two. Mingzhu Jie, why did you come to visit without telling us in advance so we could prepare?”

Ah He continued to recall: “Counting it up, your sister knew Gu Mingzhu five years ago, but it was just a casual conversation. Gu Mingzhu is not bad; I had a hot drink because of her back then. Your sister was also noticed because of that movie, that Yulianling. Your sister played a small servant girl in it, a fleeting glimpse that stunned everyone, and after that, it got a little easier. She wouldn’t be in a situation where she didn’t even get a hot drink.” Ah He sighed, remembering those struggling days. Many people saw Chen Qianyu’s sudden fame and success, but how many realized the hardships she endured behind it?

“My sister never told me any of this. She always told me that the entertainment industry was easy to get into and that making money was fast. She just wanted me to study hard. If I had known my sister was struggling so much, I shouldn’t have gone abroad in the first place. Then my sister wouldn’t have died. It’s, it’s all my fault…” Chen Qianyu started to cry as she spoke, thinking of all the kindness her sister had shown her and how hard she had worked, and now she had died a violent death. How could she not be sad?

“I said Ruan Ruan, no, Qianyu, you can’t cry anymore. Your sister wouldn’t cry if something like this happened. You must be strong. For your sister, we must find the murderer. Oh right, didn’t Gu Mingzhu just say she was a fan of your sister? We might be able to use that.”

Ah He was talking when suddenly his phone rang.

“Okay, oh oh, I understand. We can discuss this in detail tomorrow, yes.”

Ah He put down the phone and said to Chen Qianyu in the car: “Qianyu, you can’t keep turning down acting jobs. You haven’t had any work out for half a year, which is quite fatal for a popular artist. Audiences are forgetful. If you don’t film again, audiences will forget you.”

Chen Qianyu lowered her head and said hesitantly: “But, but I can’t act at all. I haven’t learned it, I can’t do it. Even my walk on the runway today was so awful. Acting, that…” Chen Qianyu was very troubled. She had no acting experience whatsoever. She had always been academic, choosing the most obscure major, Oracle Bone Script research, for her university studies, and later going to Cambridge to research classical literature. Acting was completely foreign to her.

“It doesn’t matter, this time you should be fine. Director Zhang just called me and said he wants to shoot a literary film this time, and you will play Lin Huiyin in it. Doesn’t this match your major better? Lin Huiyin, you know her, right? The legendary woman. Don’t tell me you don’t know this as a literature student. I’ll despise you if you don’t.”

“I know. Is it about her and Xu Zhimo’s story? Actually, I don’t really like Xu Zhimo. I prefer Jin Yuelin over him. He studied logic. I also once took an elective course in logic. Logic is really…”

“Stop, stop, don’t say anymore. Once you start talking about that, you’re non-stop. It’s not Xu Zhimo; it’s about Lin Huiyin’s whole life. Naturally, there will be scenes with Jin Yuelin too. I think you can take this role, and you can also transform a bit this time. Previously, your sister always played princesses, which was too monotonous. Lin Huiyin, this intellectual woman, is indeed a good breakthrough. Let’s go for the audition tomorrow.” Ah He was full of confidence.

However, the current Chen Qianyu didn’t look so good; she was very worried. Lin Huiyin would not be easy to play, and she truly couldn’t imagine what it would be like for her to play a talented woman from the Republic of China era.

“Qianyu, I’m telling you, we still don’t know who killed your sister, so we must lure the snake out of its hole. Acting and increasing exposure is the best way. I’ve already hired bodyguards for you, and your car will be checked before you set off. Don’t worry. With me here, everything is not a problem.” Ah He, like the current Chen Ruanruan, was determined to find the murderer who killed Chen Qianyu.

Thinking of this, Chen Qianyu said, “Alright, I’ll go to the audition tomorrow. Don’t they say auditions have scripts? Why don’t I have one?”

Seeing Chen Qianyu had regained her spirit, Ah He happily said: “Director Zhang’s assistant will send the audition script to my work email. You can check it when we get back.” Soon after, Ah He drove Chen Qianyu back home.

She lived in the Shangjing Villa Area, which was surrounded by mountains on three sides and faced the sea on one side. Standing on the balcony, one could overlook the mountain view and gaze at the sea view. Only prominent and wealthy figures in Shangjing City could live here. Therefore, the security here was extremely strict, using full fingerprint scanning. Although Chen Ruanruan and Chen Qianyu had the same appearance, their fingerprints were completely different. However, money can make the devil turn the mill, and Ah He had arranged everything.

“Qianyu, get some good rest. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. Remember to close the doors and windows before going to sleep. I’ll arrange the bodyguards for you tomorrow.” After dropping Chen Qianyu off at home, Ah He drove away. It was only when she got home that Chen Qianyu shed all her pretense.

“Sister, what should I do? I don’t know anything. You used to say that we would be together forever. Why did you leave me alone now?” She touched the photo frame, a picture of her and her sister at Cambridge University in England. She had just been admitted to Cambridge at that time.

“Ruan Ruan, you are too amazing! Our Chen family finally has a Ph.D., and a Ph.D. from Cambridge at that. My sister, Chen Qianyu’s sister, is a Cambridge Ph.D. Who will dare to say that we are orphans and uncultured in the future? My sister is a Ph.D.”

“Sister, but the tuition at Cambridge is very high. Should I not go after all?”

Chen Ruanruan’s grades were excellent, but not enough for a full scholarship at Cambridge. The high annual tuition and accommodation fees at Cambridge were indeed a significant burden, especially for Chen Qianyu and Chen Ruanruan, two orphans who grew up in an orphanage without parents to help them. Everything had to rely on themselves.

“Ruan Ruan, don’t worry about the money. Who is your sister? A big star! Big stars are not short of money. Ruan Ruan, I’m telling you, the entertainment industry is a money pit; getting money is a matter of minutes. You study hard, get this Ph.D., and also give me, your sister, some bragging rights.”

As a result, before she could finish her Ph.D., Chen Qianyu died. Thinking of this, Chen Ruanruan’s tears flowed down. No one could understand the bond between the two sisters who had relied on each other for twenty-five years, no one could understand that deep, bone-marrow reluctance to part. If it weren’t for the need to avenge her sister Chen Qianyu, she might have committed suicide long ago to be with her sister.

She got up and stood on the balcony. There was no wind tonight, but the moon was exceptionally round. She almost forgot that tonight seemed to be the fifteenth. The moon on the fifteenth is especially round.

“Hi, Miss Chen Qianyu, we meet again. You live here too? Then we’re neighbors.”

Chen Qianyu looked in the direction of the voice and found that Gu Mingzhu had also appeared on another balcony. No, that’s not right. She clearly remembered that the house next door was unoccupied. How could Gu Mingzhu be here now?

Gu Mingzhu immediately saw her surprise and smiled at her.

“Ha, I just moved in today. I just bought this place and thought it was quite nice. Qianyu, don’t misunderstand, I’m not one of those crazy fans who buys the house next door to get close to their idol. It’s really just a coincidence. I didn’t know you lived here before I came.” Gu Mingzhu patiently explained.

Chen Qianyu immediately waved her hand: “No, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that this place is very expensive. You saw it and bought it?”

The villas in this area cost eighty thousand per square meter, which is an exorbitant price. The villa Chen Qianyu was in was only rented, not bought. To buy it would likely cost over ten million. But Gu Mingzhu made it sound so simple.

“Oh, it’s not very expensive, just over ten million. I just liked it here, so I’m trying it out. Miss Qianyu, it’s getting late. I’m going to sleep, and you should go to bed early too. You don’t look very well. Women need to be good to themselves. Qianyu, good night!”

Gu Mingzhu turned around elegantly. The wind blew her long dress, making the hem flutter, which gave Chen Qianyu another sense of familiarity.