The Movie Queen's Beloved Crybaby Alpha (GL , ABO) - Chapter 6

Since the job had already been accepted by the boss, as an employee, Ye Qinglan had no choice but to dutifully carry out her tasks.

When they arrived at the J.S branch by car, Ning Yunshu’s assistant, Qin Yun, was already waiting at the entrance.

“Assistant Qin,” Ke Ying stepped forward to shake hands.

“Ke Jie, Miss Ye,” Qin Yun smiled at them. “Gracia is still in a meeting. Let’s head to the dressing room first to prepare.”

“Alright,” Ke Ying replied.

Qin Yun led them into the company, guiding them to the dressing room next to the shooting set. The makeup team arranged by Ning Yunshu was already prepared. As soon as Ye Qinglan entered, a foreign girl at the forefront stepped forward to greet her.

“Hello, Miss Ye. I’m your makeup artist, Lily.”

“Hello.”

As Ye Qinglan shook her hand, Lily beamed and said, “Gracia was right, you really are a stunning girl with excellent natural features.”

Ye Qinglan was taken aback, not expecting Ning Yunshu to have spoken about her like that to others. But she quickly smiled and replied, “Thank you. You’re very beautiful too.”

Lily was quite talkative. While helping Ye Qinglan change into the gown, she couldn’t stop complimenting her.

“Wow, Miss Ye, your skin is truly flawless.”

“Your figure is amazing too. So enviable!”

The barrage of praise soon had Ye Qinglan feeling a little embarrassed.

Zhou Tiantian, standing nearby, felt like her role was being stolen, so she joined in with her own compliments.

Unable to take it anymore, Ye Qinglan cleared her throat softly and asked, “How does this look?”

She was wearing a sleek black backless mermaid gown with a sheer lace cutout design at the chest. A deep blue rose was pinned at her waist, exuding elegance with a touch of classical beauty.

Lily gushed, “Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! It suits your temperament perfectly!”

Not to be outdone, Zhou Tiantian added, “I guarantee it! Once your poster comes out, Miss Ye, people will be raving about you nonstop.”

Ye Qinglan regretted asking.

Finally noticing her discomfort, Lily said, “Come on, let’s style your hair and then do your makeup.”

Only then did Ye Qinglan breathe a sigh of relief.

While styling her hair, Lily wasn’t as chatty as before, but she still took every opportunity to praise Ye Qinglan, to the point where Ye Qinglan nearly became numb to it.

The hairstyle was relatively simple, two wispy curls framing her face, with the rest of her long hair pinned up at the back. As Lily applied makeup tailored to Ye Qinglan’s face shape, she kept marveling at how flawless her skin was, even skipping a few steps in the process.

Once the makeup was done, Qin Yun brought over the jewelry that had been prepared in advance.

It was a set of sapphire accessories, perfectly complementing the blue rose at her waist. Tiny diamonds encircled the deep blue sapphires, making them shimmer brilliantly.

Necklace, earrings, bracelet, ring, and even a tiara.

Once fully adorned, Ye Qinglan looked like an elegant noblewoman stepping out of a classical oil painting poised and graceful, yet leaving everyone in awe.

“Absolutely perfect! Like the finest work of art!” Lily exclaimed in admiration.

Ye Qinglan glanced at her reflection in the mirror and was about to say something when the dressing room door suddenly opened. Qin Yun went to answer it, and in walked Ning Yunshu.

“How’s it going?” Ning Yunshu asked, though her gaze involuntarily lingered on Ye Qinglan. Her breath momentarily caught as an irrepressible look of admiration flashed across her face.

Perhaps sensing the directness of her stare, Ye Qinglan quickly averted her eyes to avoid the gaze.

Realizing her impropriety, Ning Yunshu swiftly composed herself just as Lily looked at her with a triumphant expression. “Oh, Gracia, your eye is truly impeccable! Miss Ye looks absolutely stunning in this Midnight Blue Memories.”

Hearing this, Ye Qinglan couldn’t help but glance at Ning Yunshu’s reflection in the mirror, only to see her offer a faint smile. “If it suits her, then let’s prepare for the shoot. Everything’s ready over there.”

“OK,” Lily responded.

Ning Yunshu then took the lead in leaving, avoiding any awkward conversation with Ye Qinglan, she feared her gaze might be too direct and make Ye Qinglan uncomfortable.

Once she was gone, Ye Qinglan exhaled in relief before heading to the studio with Qin Yun.

Ning Yunshu was discussing something with the photographer and merely nodded when they arrived. Now fully immersed in her work, Ye Qinglan didn’t have the luxury of minding Ning Yunshu’s presence. With the crew’s assistance, she stepped into the studio, followed shortly by the photographer after he finished his conversation with Ning Yunshu.

As Ye Qinglan began shooting, Ning Yunshu observed from outside. Lily sidled up to her and whispered, “Hey, Gracia, you called us here just for her, didn’t you?”

Ke Ying, ever the professional agent, caught a whiff of gossip and strained to hear their exchange.

Ning Yunshu didn’t bother hiding it, replying softly, “Yes, this Midnight Blue Memories was designed with her in mind.”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’ve got great taste.”

Ning Yunshu chuckled. “It’s not my taste, it’s just that she’s exceptional.”

Their voices were hushed, and despite Ke Ying’s efforts, she couldn’t make out their words. Glancing aside, however, she noticed Zhou Tiantian’s ears perked up, her expression one of shock.

Ke Ying paused.

She’d nearly forgotten Zhou Tiantian’s exceptional hearing, one of the best around. She’d been hired precisely because she’d once detected the sound of a paparazzo sneaking photos from a distance.

Whatever she’d overheard must have been significant.

Ke Ying wanted to ask, but with Qin Yun standing right beside her, she couldn’t possibly inquire about Ning Yunshu’s business in front of her. So, she had no choice but to hold her curiosity until after the shoot.

When Ye Qinglan finished, Ning Yunshu, who had been watching the entire time, approached and said, “Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Ye.”

In public, Ning Yunshu maintained a polite and measured demeanor, leaving Ye Qinglan no choice but to respond formally as well. “Thank you, President Ning, for this opportunity.”

Ning Yunshu’s eyes curved into a smile. “After all this work, I’ve reserved a restaurant. Let’s have dinner together.” She then turned to Lily and the photography crew. “Everyone’s invited.”

By including the entire team, she made it impossible for Ye Qinglan and her group to decline.

“It’s just downstairs, won’t take much time,” Ning Yunshu added.

“Since President Ning insists, of course we’ll go,” Ke Ying agreed, subtly glancing at Ye Qinglan.

Ye Qinglan pressed her lips together slightly.

Not like she had the right to refuse anyway.

“Then I’ll take Miss Ye to change and freshen up,” Lily said.

“Mhm, thanks for your hard work.”

Ye Qinglan went to change and remove her makeup while the photography crew packed up their equipment. They waited until both sides were ready before heading downstairs to the private dining room Ning Yunshu had reserved.

It was a cozy, exclusive restaurant where Ye Qinglan had booked a spacious private room, just enough to seat everyone comfortably.

The dishes had been pre-ordered, catering to nearly everyone’s tastes.

But the sharp-eyed Ke Ying suddenly noticed something interesting.

Huh,  a good portion of this feast seemed to consist of Ye Qinglan’s favorite dishes!

Yet Ye Qinglan herself hadn’t realized it. After such a long shoot, she was genuinely hungry. Besides, she had grown accustomed to Ning Yunshu’s punctual meal deliveries over the past while, so the sudden change in routine left her slightly unsettled.

Thus, once the food arrived, she simply focused on eating without another thought.

Ning Yunshu hadn’t ordered any alcohol only juice so the usual drinking formalities were avoided.

Once the meal was over, Ning Yunshu personally escorted them downstairs. After seeing Ye Qinglan and the others off, she returned to her company and sought out the photography team.

“President Ning, is there anything else you need?” the photographer asked.

Ning Yunshu replied, “Send me both the raw and edited photos from today’s shoot.”

The photographer blinked in surprise. “You’re reviewing them personally?”

Ning Yunshu paused briefly before responding, “Mhm.”

“Understood, President Ning.” Oblivious, the photographer quickly agreed.

But Qin Yun, standing behind her, knew Ning Yunshu far too well. Though Ning Yunshu had always kept her affairs with Ye Qinglan tightly under wraps, since returning to the country, it had become obvious to anyone with eyes that Ning Yunshu was here for Ye Qinglan.

Connecting the dots with recent events, Qin Yun had an epiphany.

Well then. It seemed she had stumbled upon one of her boss’s little secrets.

Meanwhile, with Ye Qinglan’s work wrapped up, Zhou Tiantian naturally drove her home. Ke Ying, however, waited for Zhou Tiantian to return to the office so she could grill her about what she’d overheard that day.

The moment Zhou Tiantian stepped in, she was summoned to Ke Ying’s office.

“What’s wrong, Sister Ke?” Zhou Tiantian asked curiously. “Did something happen to Sister Ye? She was fine when I left.”

“Ahem, no.” Ke Ying waved her hand dismissively before fixing Zhou Tiantian with a serious look. “Tell me everything you heard in the studio today.”

Zhou Tiantian paled. “I-I-I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on Sister Ye’s private life! It was an accident!”

Ke Ying sighed. “As Qinglan’s assistant, it’s your job to notice details about her life. I just want to know what you heard no need to panic. Just repeat it for me.”

Zhou Tiantian hesitated, then admitted, “Well,  I basically got force-fed a whole plate of dog food.”

“Huh?” Ke Ying’s gaze sharpened, making Zhou Tiantian gulp nervously before recounting everything she’d heard, word for word.

After listening, Ke Ying fell silent.

She leaned back into her chair, spacing out for a long moment before finally saying, “Xiao Zhou, you might have to pull some overtime soon.”

Zhou Tiantian blinked.

“Keep an eye out for any paparazzi lurking around Qinglan. If you spot any, notify me immediately.” Ke Ying rubbed her forehead.

“I really don’t want to go bald from overtime stress.”

What kind of nonsense about “mom’s friend’s daughter”? She’d have to be out of her mind to believe Ye Qinglan’s words.

Even if it was all in the past, even if Ye Qinglan claimed he’d handle it, she still had to be wary. If not of Ye Qinglan, then definitely of Ning Yunshu.

She didn’t want to go bald at such a young age, especially not because of an artist’s ex!