Strategy to Conquer the Vicious Female Supporting Character [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16

After saying that, Dong Zheng froze on the spot.

“In my heart, you’re already the Best Actress…?”

That sentence was quite ambiguous. What Dong Zheng had meant to say was that she believed Qi Lin absolutely had the talent to win the Golden Film Award for Best Actress. But once the words left her mouth, it somehow also carried the implication that Qi Lin was the best and most special person in her heart…

Dong Zheng’s whole body felt a bit stiff.

For some reason, she felt nervous.

And for some reason, she was also very much looking forward to Qi Lin’s reaction…

“Ahem.”

Sitting next to them, their male co-star Li Kai gave a light cough, reminding the two to be mindful of the cameras.

You two are sitting way too close. If you got any closer, you’d complete the circuit and light me up like a lightbulb…¹

The camera, which had just been focused on the stage, was now turning back toward them. Qi Lin subtly leaned back a little, putting some distance between them — though it was still obvious the two were talking.

Qi Lin spoke softly but seriously to Dong Zheng,
“Okay.”

Winning the Golden Film Award for Best Actress — okay, I’ll make it happen.

Being the best and most special lead actress in your heart — okay, I’d love that more than anything.

It was clearly just one simple word, but in that instant, Dong Zheng understood all the hidden meaning packed behind Qi Lin’s response.

Dong Zheng sat upright, watching the host’s playful banter on stage — elegant and aloof.

But in her heart, it felt like the gentlest flower had just bloomed in full, radiant bloom.

Li Kai: “…”

Why is it that the more distance those two put between them, the stronger the connection becomes?!
The thing shining above my head isn’t hair gel anymore — it’s the light of a full-blown lightbulb!!²

Li Kai silently wept in his heart.

Although she had come to understand the importance of the Golden Film Awards in the original story, Qi Lin had still underestimated how much value her Best Newcomer Award actually carried.

She had only won an award and slept for one night, and by the time she woke up, Qi Lin was utterly stunned to discover that the name “An Xiaoxiao” was now appearing in 50% of the headlines across major media outlets.

With her overly sweet and fresh appearance paired with an adorable and soft personality, the nickname “Sweetheart Princess” had taken the entire entertainment industry by storm overnight.

Qi Lin: “…”

Did the original novel’s heroine have a title this… indescribable?

Is she still stuck in an idol drama?

Of course, none of that really mattered. What mattered was that the Best Newcomer Award had dramatically boosted Qi Lin’s fame and value.

Meanwhile, Liu Meimei hadn’t even caused enough trouble on set before she was sent back to the company — and naturally, she wasn’t about to let Sister Wang off the hook either. The two troublemakers teamed up and had Gu Fei completely worn out from dealing with them both.

In the original novel, the vicious female supporting characters appeared one after another, only to be discarded just as quickly. But because of Qi Lin, aside from that original beautiful secretary, none of the other female supporting characters had exited the stage yet. Meanwhile, more of them kept showing up around Gu Fei, just like in the original timeline. A whole crowd of them surrounded him, fighting openly and behind the scenes, to the point that Gu Fei wasn’t just getting a headache — he was utterly exhausted, mentally and emotionally.

As a result, he had no energy left to interfere in Qi Lin’s affairs.

The laughable part was that even with things in such a mess, Gu Fei still had no intention of letting go of a single one of them. He couldn’t bear to. He kept them all.

He made his bed — he could lie in it. 

Qi Lin, meanwhile, was enjoying her peace and quiet.

During this time, something else happened. After much effort, Sister Wang finally managed to defeat Liu Meimei, only to find herself facing a wave of new romantic rivals who were younger, prettier, and even smarter than she was. Realizing she had no real chance of winning, but unwilling to admit defeat, she made a desperate move. She came to Qi Lin and Xiao Sun, trying every means of persuasion and manipulation to convince them to join Gu Fei’s “harem” and help her fight off those little vixens.

At the time, Qi Lin looked at Sister Wang — who, though it had only been a few months since they last met, now looked years older — and expressionlessly said,

“Pimps these days really have a way with words, huh?”

After saying that, she didn’t even bother to see Sister Wang’s reaction. She stood up and said, “Xiao Sun, let’s go.”

Spending enough time with someone will naturally build a bond, especially with someone like Xiao Sun — a diligent, hardworking assistant. Qi Lin hadn’t liked Xiao Sun at first because, in the original novel, she later betrayed her. But that betrayal had always been instigated by Sister Wang.

At the time, An Xiaoxiao had been framed by other vicious female supporting characters and was in a terrible situation, crying and waiting for the male lead to rescue her. If Xiao Sun hadn’t taken action, she would’ve gone down too.

So if stopping Sister Wang from “recruiting” could prevent Xiao Sun’s betrayal, Qi Lin didn’t mind stepping in.

As it turned out, in the real world, Qi Lin had the insight and decision-making skills to survive in the business world for so many years — and for good reason. Xiao Sun continued to serve as her assistant diligently and loyally, reaping countless benefits as a result.

Without any backing, Sister Wang was quickly eliminated by the other supporting characters and fired by Yingda. Her role as manager was then taken over by Dong Zheng’s manager.

When the manager heard Dong Zheng issue the order, they had a moment of clarity — as if everything finally made sense.

They’d known it all along, those two were never going to separate.

Back to the present, now that the male lead was no longer causing chaos, Qi Lin’s fame and market value had skyrocketed. With Dong Zheng’s quiet support behind the scenes, all sorts of roles, endorsements, and variety show offers started flooding in. Qi Lin had finally shaken off the semi-shelved state she’d been stuck in for months and plunged into busy work.

She was now sitting on the sofa in Dong Zheng’s villa, resting her chin on her hand, listening as her film queen personally explained, one by one, how to choose the right opportunities — what to pay attention to in certain crews, which events required special care. Qi Lin grinned so hard her big eyes turned into crescent slits.

Dong Zheng had more or less developed immunity to that look by now, but still couldn’t help asking when she saw her smiling so goofily, “Did you remember all that?”

Which immediately reminded Qi Lin of her wife who was a university teacher back in the real world, lecturing in class.

Still smiling brightly, Qi Lin replied, “Got it, Teacher Dong!”

After finishing speaking, she immediately repeated the key points Dong Zheng had just explained — not missing a single word.

Dong Zheng: “……”

There was no denying it — this student was truly worry-free and smart.

Qi Lin was genuinely busy these days, but no matter how busy she got, she would always make time to come to Dong Zheng’s villa.

This villa, which used to be a bit plain and chilly, had grown increasingly warm and cozy thanks to Qi Lin’s presence and all her luggage and belongings.

403 wasn’t idle either. Every time Qi Lin completed a job, it would report her career progress,

[403: Congratulations to the host! The idol drama “There’s a You in the Rose Castle”, starring the host, has aired and become a ratings hit. The host’s popularity has surged. Current career progress: 33%.]

[403: Congratulations to the host for landing a chocolate endorsement from xx brand. National recognition has increased. Current career progress: 34.5%.]

[403: Congratulations to the host for appearing on the hit variety show “xxxxxxx”. Public visibility has grown. Current career progress: 36.4%.]

[403: Congratulations to the host for becoming the image ambassador for the xxxx charity event. Reputation value has increased. Current career progress: 37.9%.]

…

Bit by bit, all this accumulated, and two years later, when Qi Lin won Best Actress at the Huazhang Awards — second only in prestige to the Golden Film Awards — for her leading role in the movie “Ocean Vast”, her career progress had reached 60%.

By then, in terms of fame and market value, Qi Lin had indisputably risen to the ranks of top-tier actresses.

When Qi Lin received the first Best Actress award of her acting career, the ones paying close attention weren’t just Dong Zheng — now her live-in companion — or her fans, the “Xiao Xiaosu,” but also the major media outlets.

Dong Zheng was sitting on the villa’s sofa, looking elegantly relaxed as she read the news on her tablet. Qi Lin sat beside her on the sofa, gently and carefully drying her hair with a towel.

Dong Zheng had just come out from a shower.

Since Qi Lin officially moved into the villa a year ago, the two had long since gotten used to this kind of intimate interaction. Dong Zheng was no longer the easily shy girl she used to be. Now, she calmly enjoyed Qi Lin’s attentive care and would even issue the occasional instruction.

Like now — Dong Zheng didn’t even lift her head, “My bangs.”

“Got it.” Qi Lin immediately understood and adjusted Dong Zheng’s bangs so they wouldn’t block her view of the screen.

Qi Lin glanced at Dong Zheng’s tablet screen by chance — and burst out laughing, “Pfft… Ah Zheng, what’s so interesting about this?”

The screen was filled with glowing headlines and articles praising the newly crowned Huazhang Best Actress and “Sweetheart Goddess,” An Xiaoxiao.

That’s right, two years had passed, and the former Sweetheart Princess had finally become the Sweetheart Goddess that Qi Lin found a bit more acceptable.

Hearing this, Dong Zheng’s expression didn’t change at all. “She looks pretty.”

Her wife’s hair was just about dry, and Qi Lin immediately wrapped an arm around Dong Zheng’s neck, inhaling the pleasant scent of her shampoo and smiling playfully. “Ah Zheng, Ah Zheng, watching the news isn’t as nice as looking at me. No picture or article can compare to the real thing.”

Two years had also been enough time for Qi Lin and Dong Zheng to change how they addressed each other. Dong Zheng didn’t even lift her eyes. She simply raised her hand and pulled away the towel that was rubbing uncomfortably against her face. “Xiaoxiao, put the towel back.”

Qi Lin: “…”

Alright then. She’d put the towel back in the bathroom first.

But when Qi Lin came back out, the previously expressionless Dong Zheng suddenly had a face full of stormy clouds.

Qi Lin was startled. It was rare to see her wife like this. What could’ve happened in just that short time?

She quickly walked over and saw that Dong Zheng was still staring intently at the tablet screen in her hands.

The news headline on the screen was still about her.

[“Sweetheart Goddess” An Xiaoxiao’s Secret Relationship Exposed! Turns Out They’ve Been Dating for Years!]

The accompanying photo showed Qi Lin and a man at a hotel entrance. The man had his arm around Qi Lin’s shoulders, his head resting on her shoulder as well.

Anyone looking at it would think the two of them were close — more than just friends.