The Green Tea Actress Has Too Much After-Show Drama - Chapter 12

“Have we met somewhere before?”

Xi Xi’s words sounded like a clumsy pickup line. If this were on the street, Sister Hou would have walked away without a second glance. But her tone was so casual, almost like a simple greeting, that Sister Hou couldn’t bring herself to be wary.

“Did you graduate from Ji Chuan?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then we probably haven’t met. But I’ve seen you trending online. You’re often seen with Qiu An. People say Qiu An is beautiful herself, and she hires equally beautiful assistants.”

“Really?”

Sister Hou wasn’t sure if Xi Xi’s question was directed at the first or second half of her statement. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to flatter her: “Yes, I think you’re quite beautiful too—the kind of beauty that could launch a career as an entertainer. There’s a real gap between you and ordinary people like us.”

“A gap?”

“A wall.”

“?”

“Like a cliff wall.”

“Is that so? But I think you’re beautiful too.”

Sister Hou knew herself well enough to recognize she had only an average appearance. Growing up, she rarely received compliments on her looks; people usually described her as “delicate.”

As a child, she had taken this seriously, believing “delicate” was just another way of saying “beautiful.” It wasn’t until she grew older that she realized it was shorthand for “not ugly, but not particularly pretty either.”

Besides, she wasn’t wearing any makeup today.

Sister Hou knew Xi Xi’s words were just polite formalities, but for some reason, after hearing them, she quietly blushed.

Separated by an aisle, Ran Long and Qiu An remained unaware of what was happening across from them.

Ran Long had only intended to doze off for a bit, but she accidentally fell into a deep sleep.

When she finally woke up from a pleasant dream, she discovered she had drooled. Worse, she felt something cool and damp dabbing at her mouth, as if someone were wiping away the drool with a wet wipe.

Ran Long didn’t dare open her eyes, fearing the person wiping her mouth was Qiu An. Even more terrifying was the thought that Qiu An might be watching indifferently while a flight attendant cleaned up her mess.

The wiping didn’t stop there. Cool, smooth knuckles pressed against her chin, gently lifting it to close her half-open mouth.

Ran Long immediately drifted back to sleep, though she couldn’t tell if she had fainted from shock.

When she opened her eyes again, the divider still separated them, and Qiu An was sleeping peacefully. Her lips were dry and clean, without a trace of drool or dampness.

It was like having a strangely tender dream, she thought.

After disembarking, Ran Long and Qiu An each boarded separate business vans sent by the film crew, rushing straight to the set.

By the time they arrived, the set for the opening ceremony had already been prepared.

The opening ceremony was held in a private garden. A small LED screen was fixed at the back of the garden, with a red-cloth-draped altar and cameras set up in front of it. A massive incense burner stood at the center, surrounded by several platters of fresh fruit.

Although the ceremony wasn’t open to the public and no media were present, the film crew alone made for a sizable crowd.

Qiu An’s car arrived just moments after Ran Long’s. Stepping out, she gracefully lifted her skirt, returned her phone to Xi Xi, and floated into the crowd alone, her movements ethereal.

Her makeup was already flawless, transforming her into her usual composed and alluring socialite persona—a stark contrast to the weary look she had worn earlier. It was as if she had become an entirely different person in the time it took to get out of the car.

Ran Long struggled to recall the last time she had attended an opening ceremony.

When Yuan Chengyin was filming student projects, he never made such a grand spectacle. To find a comparable event, she would have to trace back to her days as a child star.

Thinking about it, she realized she had never attended an opening ceremony as the lead actress.

The large crowd before her was mostly unfamiliar. She had once lost her temper in front of many of these crew members, and the occasional glances they sent her were far from friendly.

Ran Long wasn’t socially anxious, but that didn’t mean she felt comfortable in such a setting.

Yuan Chengyin remained conspicuously absent, leaving Ran Long feeling like an outsider, unsure of what to do.

She had Sister Hou touch up her makeup three times and paced by the door for a while before Xi Xi finally coaxed her to quietly move into the crowd.

Before she knew it, she had drifted to Qiu An’s side.

As the two female leads, their presence together seemed perfectly natural.

What was strange, however, was that the moment Ran Long arrived, Qiu An grabbed her arm, steadied her back, and pulled her forward to introduce her to everyone with great fanfare:

“This is Ran Long, who plays Shen Zixin. Ran Long, this is Sister Li from the camera crew, Brother Zhang from the lighting team, and the assistant director…”

The crew had initially worried about friction between Ran Long and Qiu An. In a large team, choosing sides was crucial. Even the most outgoing and sociable members had avoided making overtures of friendship toward Ran Long.

But Qiu An’s proactive introduction completely reversed the situation. Everyone greeted Ran Long warmly, one after another.

The crew members hailed from all corners of the country, and many spoke Mandarin with heavy regional accents.

Some called her Ran Long, others Lan Long, Ran Rong, or even Lan Rong.

How odd.

Though no incense was lit, the faint scent of sandalwood still lingered in the air.

The atmosphere felt strangely festive, as if it were Chinese New Year.

Qiu An’s manner of introducing her felt like she was bringing her newlywed wife home to pay New Year’s respects, introducing her to all the aunts and uncles.

She had only come to stay near someone she knew for a sense of security, not to pay the price of being treated like a newlywed wife.

After the introductions, Ran Long seized a moment while Qiu An was exchanging pleasantries to interject, “Qiu An, why is your name listed before mine on the poster?”

She admitted to herself that this was a rather contrived question.

In terms of fame, achievements, and popularity, she couldn’t compete with Qiu An in any category. What right did she have to demand her name be listed first?

Was it alphabetical order by surname?

“It’s sorted alphabetically by surname,” Qiu An replied.

“Huh?”

“Alphabetical order by surname?”

“Yeah, yours starts with ‘R’ and mine with ‘Q’, so I come before you.”

Ran Long mentally recited the alphabet.

RST. RST.

OPQ! OPQ!

“Damn, just one letter off?”

“Yeah, just a little bit, and you’d be ahead of me. Better luck next time.”

Qiu An was remarkably good at comforting people.

Just as Ran Long was fretting, Yuan Chengyin finally appeared in the crowd.

Ran Long silently rubbed her hands together, determined to get to the bottom of the relationship between these two today.

Yuan Chengyin walked to the screen displaying the poster, gathered the main cast and department heads around him, and delivered a lengthy, rousing speech.

Ran Long remained in a daze throughout the ceremony, only snapping out of it when Yuan Chengyin declared, “Now, let’s officially begin the launch ceremony!”

In just two or three years, Yuan Chengyin and Qiu An had transformed into influential figures capable of leading their own projects, leaving Ran Long feeling stuck in place.

Where did I go wrong? she wondered. I’m attractive enough; I should be able to make a name for myself even through live streaming. My earnings are decent, but why am I so reliant on a single fan?

Is it because I didn’t apologize to Qiu An? It’s been so long—surely her fans have better things to do by now. Besides, even if she’s famous for being controversial, at least she’s still famous. I’m just infamous, with no redeeming qualities.

Is it because I rejected Chiye Entertainment’s contract offer? What’s wrong with refusing to play by their unspoken rules?

It must be Half a Lifetime after all. If I had landed that role back then, everything would be different now.

Having spent time abroad, Yuan Chengyin streamlined the launch ceremony compared to other major productions. In the blink of an eye, the rituals of burning incense and distributing red envelopes were completed, marking the end of the ceremony.

Ran Long tiptoed over to Yuan Chengyin, waved away the assistant director and junior assistant by her side, and said, “Yuan Chengyin, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Promise me you’ll answer truthfully first.”

“…That depends on the question.”

Great, another secret. Yuan Chengyin was usually quite honest; whenever he was hiding something, it showed on his face. He had the same awkward expression when he was involved with Qiu An.

“Just promise me first.”

“Hmm… Alright, if I can’t answer, I’ll remain silent.”

Ran Long considered this for a moment and nodded. Silence was also a significant answer, often indicating that the truth was something people didn’t want to hear.

To prevent Yuan Chengyin from dodging the question, Ran Long asked a closed-ended question: “You’re dating Qiu An, aren’t you?”

Yuan Chengyin’s pupils dilated for a split second. He froze for half a beat, then glanced around to see if anyone else was nearby. Fortunately, apart from the occasional furtive glances from the assistant director and his assistant, no unauthorized personnel were present.

Seeing Yuan Chengyin’s flustered reaction, Ran Long grew more certain. She pressed further, “Yuan Chengyin, answer me.”

“What are you talking about, Xiao Ran? How could I possibly be with Qiu An…?” Yuan Chengyin cleared his throat. “We’re not dating. You’ve completely misunderstood.”

“Oh, is that so?” Seeing Yuan Chengyin’s unwavering confidence, Ran Long’s resolve wavered again.

“Of course it’s true. Who told you we were dating?”

Ran Long didn’t answer, instead posing a new question: “Hmm, then do you like her?”

“No, I really don’t.”

Meeting Ran Long’s skeptical gaze, Yuan Chengyin added, “I just finished praying to Lord Guan. I wouldn’t lie after that.”

In this world, nothing was greater than wealth. Yuan Chengyin’s credibility instantly soared.

“Then why were you avoiding me that day?”

“Which day?”

“The day of the script reading! When I reached for the script, I steadied you, and you flinched away. And when I offered you water, you looked like you were about to die of thirst.”

“Ah, that was… um…”

That day had indeed been quite peculiar. Even now, recalling the events, Yuan Chengyin felt a lingering sense of unease.

“Um?” Seeing Yuan Chengyin stammer, Ran Long crossed her arms, adopting a determined, unwavering stance.

Steel himself, Yuan Chengyin weighed his options carefully. He decided to protect Qiu An by sacrificing his own secret: “I already have someone I like, and I’m pursuing her. She was there that day too.”

“Who is it?”

“You don’t know her.”

“You’re so stingy. Is Qiu An close to her?”

“Qiu An doesn’t know her either.”

“Alright, I get it. Go back to work.”

Ran Long didn’t have time to gossip about which minor character Yuan Chengyin liked. She casually picked up a twig and began playing with it, frowning and squinting as she occasionally clicked her tongue.

The truth seemed far more interesting than she had imagined.

So, Qiu An had a one-sided crush on Yuan Chengyin, while Yuan Chengyin’s heart already belonged to someone else.

Heh heh, how amusing.

“Good luck to you~ Wishing you good luck~”

Nearby, Sister Hou answered a call from her younger sister.

“I’m here, I’m here! I’m already in Crossing City.”

“The filming started smoothly. I don’t have any scenes today, so I’ll head back to the hotel soon.”

“Of course I’m not lying! Getting into this production is a blessing we’ve earned after eight hundred lifetimes! What, can’t you stand seeing your older sister finally catching a break and climbing the ladder?”

“She’s been alright today, hasn’t given me any trouble. But let me tell you, she was acting really strange earlier. After talking to the director, she picked up a twig and started swinging it around like a lightsaber, making whoosh whoosh sounds like a little kid! Who knows what mischief she’s plotting now? And while she was playing, the corner of her mouth suddenly curled up into this really creepy smile.”

“Eek, that’s terrifying!”

Ran Long leaned to the side, swaying from behind Sister Hou to stand in front of her. She gripped the twig in her right hand, tapping it rhythmically against her left palm. Adjusting her expression, she finally forced out a smile that looked like she was about to devour someone.

Sister Hou froze in place, phone clutched in her hand.

“Sister Hou, still gossiping about me behind my back?”

Gulp.