Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 11

Fang Xun hired an acting coach for Lin Yuebai.

“Even a last-minute effort can make a difference. Learn well from the teacher and perform your best tomorrow.”

Fang Xun still had no idea who the producer was—no matter how much she inquired, she couldn’t get any answers.

Lin Yuebai was taken to a room surrounded by mirrors, facing an industry veteran whom Fang Xun had pulled many strings to invite.

Noticing Lin Yuebai constantly checking her phone, Fang Xun frowned and asked,

“Who are you waiting to hear from? The brand or the production team? I can follow up for you.”

As she spoke, Fang Xun reached for Lin Yuebai’s phone.

Lin Yuebai tightened her grip, her eyes flickering with a barely noticeable hint of embarrassment.

“It’s nothing, I was just checking the time.”

Fang Xun watched as Lin Yuebai clutched her phone like some priceless treasure. Her hand froze awkwardly mid-air, pausing in surprise.

Having been by Lin Yuebai’s side for so long, she had never seen her act so restless before.

Fang Xun eventually nodded. “Alright, let me know if there’s anything. I can handle all communication-related matters for you.”

Fang Xun was being paid handsomely by Qin Jue—it was her duty to take full responsibility for the artist’s affairs.

……

While its host wasn’t paying attention, the system stealthily devoured the durian mille-crepe cake at the corner of the table.

Taking the form of a small glowing orb, it took occasional bites until Qin Jue finally noticed—by then, the entire plate of cake had vanished without a trace.

The system shook its glowing form. “Host, host! The protagonist will be bullied during the public event. Right now, she’s still inexperienced—with only one notable work under her belt, she hasn’t established herself in the industry yet. So, she’ll be bossed around by many seniors. What you need to do is pour fuel on the fire!”

“Bully her! Mock her! Deliver the classic line—’You came to audition for the female lead without any preparation? How dare you?'”

Qin Jue’s lips twitched upward.

The system spun in place, eyeing Qin Jue’s milk tea on the table—only for Qin Jue to snatch it away first.

Deprived of its drink, the system sulked, flattening into a pouty little pancake on the table.

“In the original plot, you hinted that you could pull strings for the protagonist, then casually slipped a hotel keycard into the pocket on her chest.”

“‘Surely you know that if you want something, you have to offer something of equal value in return. Let’s see how much you’re willing to sacrifice for the female lead role. If you don’t even have this much sincerity, little girl, I suggest you quit the entertainment industry.'”

After delivering the lines, both the system and Qin Jue fell into silence.

When Qin Jue had read the novel, she hadn’t found the antagonist’s words particularly outrageous—but now that she had to say them herself, it felt like ants were crawling all over her skin.

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Qin Jue stood by a vent, letting the cold air wash over her as she clutched the milk teacup.

The system emphasized, “Key point—you have to be smug enough, infuriating enough. In the original story, the protagonist was so angry she trembled, her face flushing red.”

It waited for Qin Jue’s reaction, but Qin Jue simply gazed at the distant horizon without a word.

Through the crystal-clear window, she could already envision herself—kneeling before Lin Yuebai in tears, begging for mercy.

……

The day of the open audition arrived.

Qin Jue sat on a folding chair with a script spread open in front of her. Beside her was the director, a short-haired woman wearing black-framed glasses.

“This drama has no romance plot. It mainly follows an intern climbing the corporate ladder until she becomes a department director. The requirements for the female lead are quite high—she can’t have overly striking features, must be young, and needs to exude the naivety of someone fresh out of school.”

The director chattered on while Qin Jue picked up her phone to check work messages.

Mengzhen Entertainment had been thrust into the spotlight, with industry insiders continuously exposing how the company forced artists into signing contracts with exorbitant breach penalties. Despite this, they failed to provide decent resources, wasting the prime years of their talents’ careers.

A report revealed that Mengzhen’s training camp operated under strict lockdown—trainees had their phones confiscated, and even calls with family were monitored…

Qin Jue’s fingers tightened around her phone, her knuckles whitening from the pressure.

Workplace Breakthrough was a realistic office drama, a rare genre in domestic productions. Even when attempted, most ended up too superficial to attract viewers.

This open audition was being streamed live, and the moment the broadcast started, countless viewers flooded in.

The camera focused on the backstage preparation area, where Lin Yuebai sat in a black down jacket at the far end, gripping her script tightly.

She had attended classes all night and hadn’t slept a wink, leaving faint dark circles under her eyes. Her manager had bought her a coffee in the morning, so she was still somewhat alert.

This workload was nothing to her—back in the training camp, pulling all-nighters to practice dance was routine.

The stage was brightly lit under the glare of spotlights. Jing Xin, the hottest A-list star at the moment, arrived fashionably late, strutting into the waiting area with an air of arrogance. She glanced dismissively at Lin Yuebai and the other hopefuls before her lips curled into a sneer.

She walked up to the chair in front of Lin Yuebai and planted her high heel on it, dragging it across the floor with a screech.

A handbag was then slammed onto another chair, drawing startled looks from those nearby.

“What kind of dump is this? The production must be broke. I don’t even know why my manager made me audition here.”

Jing Xin’s complaints were just loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Shouldn’t a role like this be handed to me with a single call? What’s this director even thinking?”

Her entourage of assistants promptly handed out milk tea and fruit to everyone present.

Lin Yuebai was given a box of mangoes and a hot milk tea.

“Our star didn’t sleep well last night. Please don’t mind her.”

The assistant flashed an apologetic smile, as if well-practiced in smoothing over such situations.

Lin Yuebai knew full well that productions favored high-profile actors—she was only here to make up the numbers.

She handed the mangoes back.

“Sorry, I’m allergic to mangoes.”

Jing Xin’s gaze flickered toward her, her lips quirking into a mocking smirk.

“Your recent mystery drama has been quite popular, no wonder you have the confidence to come audition. You’re a very talented girl, we should exchange ideas later.”

Lin Yuebai lowered her eyes without speaking, faintly hearing Jing Xin whisper just loud enough for two people to hear, “Bluffing without the cards.”

As the front began calling numbers, Jing Xin stood up from her chair, the folding seat scraping against the floor with a piercing sound once more.

The folding chair bumped into Lin Yuebai sitting in the back row, knocking the mango from her box onto the ground.

The surrounding people exchanged glances, none daring to speak.

Lin Yuebai was already accustomed to such scenes. She wrapped the mango in a tissue and placed it back in the box.

The live stream chat witnessing this exploded with question marks ????????

Qin Jue, seated in the producer’s chair, rested her chin on one hand while twirling a black pen around her fingers.

“What we want is a pure yet resilient workplace intern fresh out of college. This candidate clearly doesn’t fit the role.”

Qin Jue wore a pair of non-prescription glasses that lent her the refined, professional air of a TV drama producer.

In the corner, Lin Yuebai tossed the mango into the trash. She suddenly seemed to sense something and looked up, locking eyes with the producer seated in the spotlight.

Through the equipment and bustling crew members, Lin Yuebai’s gaze met Qin Jue’s.

Qin Jue smiled wordlessly. The next moment, Lin Yuebai’s phone buzzed with a vibration.

“If I don’t come find you, you wouldn’t even think to seek me out?”

“You came to audition for the female lead completely unprepared? How dare you?”