Strategy to Conquer the Vicious Female Supporting Character [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 18

“It’s not just speculation. I know exactly who it is.” Qi Lin softened her voice, filled with reassurance. “It’s fine, I’ll take care of it.”

Throughout her journey to get to where she is today, Qi Lin had made her fair share of enemies. Aside from the vicious supporting actresses already present in the original story, there were also people like the originally-cast second female lead of “The Bl00d-Stained Hairpin“ and the originally-cast female lead of “There’s a You in the Rose Castle”.

Even if Qi Lin could guarantee that her acting was far superior to theirs, bringing much more acclaim and profit to the production teams, the roles were still roles she snatched away — she would never deny that. Everyone was part of the same circle, naturally there would be conflicts of interest. Since it couldn’t be avoided, the only option was to compete based on ability.

And Qi Lin had always been the one who won.

But standing at the height Qi Lin had reached today, there weren’t many left who dared stir up trouble over petty benefits. Combined with the plot of the original work, it wasn’t hard to narrow down the suspect — a certain actress competing with Qi Lin for the Huazhang Award for Best Actress.

This actress was a rather unique character in the original story. She had no interest whatsoever in becoming Mrs. Gu; all she wanted was fame and fortune. That’s why she stayed by Gu Fei’s side, thriving in that environment.

But human greed is boundless, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. The fame and wealth she already possessed were no longer enough to satisfy her desires. She had set her sights not only on Qi Lin, but also on Yingda.

Qi Lin had always been in the habit of eliminating potential threats early. Back when that actress secretly embezzled Yingda’s assets, Qi Lin had already laid her plans. She just hadn’t expected that before the net could even be drawn in, the woman would be foolish enough to target her directly.

But the net was about to close soon anyway, so Qi Lin wasn’t in a hurry.

Dong Zheng had long been aware of Qi Lin’s abilities, so when Qi Lin said she would handle it, Dong Zheng immediately felt reassured. “Okay… Just be careful.”

Qi Lin smiled sweetly. “I won’t let you worry.”

With the situation resolved, Dong Zheng’s messy thoughts came flooding back. She hadn’t interacted much with Liang Dongxu before, but based on his words and actions just now, he was smart, decisive, and very protective of Qi Lin. On top of that, he seemed to have a close relationship with Qi Lin…

The more Dong Zheng thought about it, the more anxious she became. Qi Lin and Liang Dongxu… It was completely possible that…

“Ah Zheng.” Qi Lin’s voice suddenly sounded.

Dong Zheng startled, instinctively lifting her gaze to look at Qi Lin, her expression flustered and at a complete loss.

The moment Qi Lin saw that expression, she knew she’d guessed right. This silly girl was overthinking again.

Qi Lin sighed inwardly, both amused and heartbroken. How could such a clever girl become so foolish the moment it involved her?

Qi Lin placed both hands on Dong Zheng’s shoulders, stopping her from turning away to collect herself, gently but firmly making her face her.

“There’s nothing between Liang Dongxu and me beyond friendship — whether in the past, now, or in the future.”

Qi Lin looked deep into Dong Zheng’s eyes. “If I’m in a relationship or not, shouldn’t you be the one who knows best?”

Qi Lin smiled, revealing the dimple on her left cheek. “The only person I could possibly date… is you.”

Qi Lin already knew Dong Zheng liked her now.

Dong Zheng herself still hadn’t figured out what exactly those feelings were, and Qi Lin knew that too.

So, Qi Lin decided to directly break the thin layer of window paper between them.

Her Ah Zheng was far too slow and passive when it came to feelings. Even now, when she was already so anxious, insecure, and afraid of losing her, all Dong Zheng could do was cling to her tightly, pretending not to care, desperately maintaining the fragile balance they had.

Qi Lin’s heart ached just looking at her.

Dong Zheng had always been used to burying everything deep inside. For the past two or three years, Qi Lin had only been able to confirm that Dong Zheng’s feelings for her had gradually surpassed mere friendship — but she wasn’t sure whether they had developed enough to be called love. If it weren’t for this scandal, Qi Lin might’ve chosen to keep waiting.

She didn’t want to scare Dong Zheng.

But now, there was no need to be so cautious anymore.

When it comes to matters of the heart, there’s no such thing as being fully prepared. At this moment, in this setting, Qi Lin looked at Dong Zheng, who was trying so hard to hide her confusion and helplessness, and all she wanted was to pull her into her arms and kiss her gently to comfort her.

Dong Zheng’s eyes widened.

What… what did Xiaoxiao just say?

She couldn’t believe her ears.

Qi Lin remained half-kneeling in front of Dong Zheng, her gaze filled with utmost tenderness. She knew her Ah Zheng would need a moment to process this, but that was alright — she would wait.

She would wait until Dong Zheng fully understood.

It felt like something exploded inside Dong Zheng’s mind, leaving her completely unable to think. By the time she finally grasped what those nine words — “I could only ever date you” — truly meant, she stared blankly at Qi Lin with a dumbfounded expression.

Then, Dong Zheng suddenly sprang up from the sofa, not daring to look at Qi Lin’s face, and bolted upstairs into the bedroom.

Qi Lin: “……”

Her wife’s reaction… was honestly within expectations.

After all, her Ah Zheng was just too pure. Of course, she’d be flustered getting confessed to so suddenly.

Qi Lin comforted herself — back then, she had chased Ji Huaixu for three whole years, failing who knows how many times. Compared to that, this was just one attempt. Her heart wasn’t hurting at all.

Qi Lin stood up, but because she had been kneeling there waiting for Dong Zheng for quite a while, her legs had already gone numb. Losing her balance, her knee slammed straight onto the floor.

“Hiss…”

Qi Lin inhaled sharply, gripping the sofa and holding her knee.

Sigh, it still really hurts…

Meanwhile, the heated scandal involving Liang An that had stirred up the internet was quickly quelled by the people involved, but netizens were far from satisfied. Riding on the massive buzz of Qi Lin recently winning the Huazhang Award for Best Actress, they switched topics to discuss all the sweetheart CPs (couples) they had shipped over the years.

From the long-ago male lead of “The Bl00d-Stained Hairpin“, Li Kai, to the more recent Liang Dongxu — not to mention the other two male leads from “There’s a You in the Rose Castle” — even the male actor from Qi Lin’s first low-budget project with basically no credibility was surprisingly popular among CP fans.

It had to be said, Qi Lin was now one of the absolute top stars in the entertainment industry, and among those at the top, her status and value were the highest.

But in the end, the CP that overwhelmingly dominated the discussion was still the “AnDong” couple — An Xiaoxiao x Dong Zheng.

Usernames & comments:

EvenTheNameIWantedWasTakenSoMad: 

– Once again, it’s the standard ending [doge]

LoveZhengForLife: 

– So many male gods,¹ yet none of them can beat our Zheng hahaha

SuSuJustLittleSuSu: 

– I’ve only ever shipped our Xiaoxiao’s CP with Dong Zheng~

Won’tChangeMyNameUntilILose10Jin:² 

– Let’s analyze: There’s no need to explain on Goddess An’s side. Since debut, she’s been especially close to Film Queen Dong. Every time she’s asked about her favorite female star or the person she’s most grateful for — Film Queen Dong is always the standard answer. And before meeting Goddess An, Film Queen Dong never even participated in interviews, but after they met, not only did she start doing interviews with her, she even occasionally appeared on variety shows! Aren’t they practically each other’s only public “binding”?

roseyoujump: 

– I still remember how stunning that first costume photo of ZhiMian³ was…

GardeniasGrowInTheSouthernLand: 

– Exactly! Goddess An is seriously too beautiful! That photo was my entry point for Zhi Mian/AnDong!⁴

Snooker: 

– Liang An⁵ fans sobbing here…

AnDongForeverStan: 

– Today’s dose of AnDong inspiration — keywords: “only binding partner”!

LoveXiaoxiaoLoveZhengZheng: 

– Ahhh! Group photo with the legend! A pillar of the AnDong fandom! Waiting eagerly for your next masterpiece!!!

But in stark contrast to the “old-married-couple sweetness with first-love vibes” and “nothing but sugar and all sorts of desserts” image that AnDong fans had of the two main characters, in reality… the two were currently in the middle of a cold war.

To say they were in a cold war wasn’t entirely accurate — to be precise, it was more like Dong Zheng was deliberately avoiding Qi Lin and refusing to meet.

The confession had simply been too much of a shock for Dong Zheng. She didn’t know what to do and could only choose to escape.

Qi Lin could understand her inner conflict, but she still couldn’t help but sigh. This silly girl.

Such a smart young woman, yet whenever it comes to matters involving someone she likes, she turns into a complete fool.

It was like this with Gu Fei back then, and now it’s the same with her.

Speaking of Gu Fei, that’s something that genuinely makes Qi Lin happy. Over these past two years, with her quietly integrating herself into every corner of Dong Zheng’s life, Dong Zheng’s feelings for Gu Fei have gradually faded.

After all, it was nothing more than a fleeting crush in her youth, beautified over time. The fact that she never got him only turned it into an obsession.

In these past two years, the supporting actresses have become more beautiful and charming one after another, while Gu Fei’s habit of never turning away a woman left him exhausted, both physically and mentally. The suave, rich, handsome CEO image from before was long gone — now he’s practically oozing with defeat and decay.

Even Yingda (his entertainment company) lost its dominant position in the industry because most of the CEO’s energy was divided among his women. It could now only share the market with other entertainment companies.

No matter how thick Dong Zheng’s rose-tinted glasses were when it came to Gu Fei, under Qi Lin’s careful guidance, she wasn’t blind. She didn’t care for his resources, nor did she covet the title of Mrs. Gu. How could she possibly still be interested in him?

Qi Lin wasn’t too anxious about Dong Zheng avoiding her. After all, no one understood her wife’s personality better than she did. Dong Zheng simply needed time to catch her breath, and it wouldn’t be a short period.

After winning the Best Actress award at the Huazhang Awards, Qi Lin’s acting career reached new heights. Her work kept her so busy that she barely had time to think about anything else.

When you’re busy, it’s easy to lose track of time, and before she knew it, it was already the end of the year. Qi Lin accepted an offer to join a reality show called “I Am the God of Cooking”. In this show, guests rely on both theoretical knowledge and practical cooking skills to pass different levels — it’s wildly popular at the moment.

Qi Lin had enjoyed watching this show before, so when her agent brought it up, she agreed without hesitation.

Before the live broadcast, “I Am the God of Cooking” keeps everything under wraps — neither the audience nor the guests know who will participate or who their partners will be. The pairings are completely random, and only at the start of filming does everyone find out.

Qi Lin never expected that when she arrived at the recording site, standing before her as her partner… was Dong Zheng.

Ah Zheng never participated in reality shows before?!

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the agent shared by both of them pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, revealing a subtle, knowing smile — the smile of someone who hides their achievements and fame.

The two bigshots are having a cold war, and as their agent stuck in the middle, his life hasn’t been easy!

But hey, it’s just a lovers’ quarrel that starts at the head of the bed and ends at the foot of it. Might as well give them a little push, right?