The Movie Queen’s Secret Stand-In Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 13

“No, no. My stomach hurts.” Yuan Zhi took deep breaths, struggling to control her urge to laugh. She clutched her stomach and half-collapsed onto the sofa.

Zhou Ning crouched in front of Yuan Zhi and handed her two tissues, asking nervously, “Sister Zhi, do you need to go to the hospital? You look like you’re in so much pain—your tears are coming out.”

Yuan Zhi gave Zhou Ning’s shiny head a despairing glance, quickly took the tissues, and covered her eyes. Gritting her teeth to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out, she forced a calm tone. “The tears aren’t from pain. They’re from laughter. Could you please put your wig on first?” Otherwise, she couldn’t stop wanting to laugh—she had nearly laughed herself breathless just now.

“Oh, oh. As long as it’s not pain.” Only then did Zhou Ning relax. She sat back in her previous spot, picked up the wig she had tossed onto the sofa, and carefully pulled it over her head. But no matter how much she adjusted it, the wig stubbornly refused to behave.

Zhou Ning had just learned that wigs could also get static. Strands of hair flew everywhere, not only sticking to her face but even getting a few into her mouth.

“Pfft, pfft.” Zhou Ning frowned, brushing the strands off her face while spitting out the ones in her mouth, her expression serious as she flailed around in a flustered mess.

Yuan Zhi wiped away her tears of laughter with the tissues. Hearing the commotion from Zhou Ning on the opposite sofa, she couldn’t help but glance over. That one look nearly ended her life at the age of twenty-seven!

Hahahahaha… Yuan Zhi covered her face and turned away, her entire body trembling with laughter. Someone saves her! Was this some kind of Laughter Torture Hell? Zhou Ning’s dead-serious battle with the wig was just too hilarious!

When people laugh to the extreme, the sounds they make can eerily resemble wailing sobs.

After finally managing to tame the wig somewhat, Zhou Ning saw Yuan Zhi lying on the sofa with her back turned, curled up and shaking all over, making muffled, almost whimpering sounds… Naturally, she assumed Yuan Zhi was crying.

“Sister Zhi~” Zhou Ning asked cautiously, “Did you remember something sad? If you trust me, you can try talking to me about it. Heaven above, earth as my witness—I swear I won’t tell a soul. If I do, may the heavens punish me by never letting my hair grow back.”

Yuan Zhi trembled even harder. She pinched her arm hard, trying to stifle the laughter, but it was useless—because Zhou Ning, standing not far behind her, kept fueling the fire with her earnestness. Struggling to steady her breathing, Yuan Zhi kept her back turned, not daring to look at Zhou Ning again. “Zhou Ning! Can you just not talk for a bit?”

“Huh?” Zhou Ning thought Yuan Zhi wanted to cry quietly by herself, so she considerately stood up and said, “Then I’ll go back to my room first? Sister Zhi, call me anytime if you need anything.”

Yuan Zhi didn’t answer. She was having trouble breathing now.

Zhou Ning stood up from the sofa with a worried expression, took two steps toward the room, then hesitated and turned back. In a tentative voice, she asked Yuan Zhi, “Sister Zhi. Just one last thing before I go~ Can you give me my phone back?” There was nothing in the room, and her old phone was unbearably slow. Without the new phone, she’d be bored out of her mind.

She couldn’t help but think that she’d need to start buying things like projectors, notebooks, and books as soon as she returned from Y City. Now that her material life was stable, her spiritual and cultural life needed attention too.

Yuan Zhi covered her face as she fished her accidentally dropped phone from the couch crevice and handed it behind her without glancing at Zhou Ning once.

Thud! The sound of the door closing.

With Zhou Ning gone, Yuan Zhi finally let out the huge impulse to laugh that she’d been suppressing. Panting heavily, she sat up, touched her flushed face from laughing, and shook her head self-deprecatingly. She had been too out of control earlier—if a reporter had snapped a photo of her now, with her flushed face, ragged breathing, and disheveled hair, a scandalous piece of gossip would have been fresh off the press.

Better go wash her face first!

Zhou Ning lay restlessly on her bed, scrolling through her phone while her eyes kept darting toward the closed door. Had the crying stopped? What she heard now seemed to be the sound of running water from the bathroom? Was Sugar Daddy washing her face or taking a shower?

Thinking of the light blue bathrobe in the bathroom, Zhou Ning suddenly felt her face heat up. The robe was a short style tailored to her own figure—wouldn’t it be even shorter on Sugar Daddy?

She shook her head vigorously, feeling like a complete beast. Sugar Daddy was upset and sad! How could she be thinking about such things!

“Zhou Ning.”

“Coming!” Hearing Sugar Daddy call her, Zhou Ning jumped off the bed, slipped into her slippers, and dashed out of the room.

Yuan Zhi was leaning weakly against the couch, her face pale and her hair damp. Clutching her stomach with a pained expression, she asked, “Do you have a Heat Pack or hot water bottle here?”

“Huh?” No, she didn’t. Zhou Ning’s heart clenched again. “Did you eat something bad? If you don’t feel well enough to go to the hospital, I can run downstairs to buy medicine—I’ll be quick.”

Yuan Zhi shook her head weakly. “It’s probably just my period coming. A heat compress will help. Do you have one?”

If she didn’t, she’d make one! Zhou Ning nodded firmly. “Hold on, Sister Zhi. I’ll be right back.” She rushed into the kitchen, then the bathroom, and soon returned, placing a crumpled towel in Yuan Zhi’s hands. “There’s no Heat Pack or hot water bottle at home, but you can make do with this for now.”

Yuan Zhi pressed the steaming towel against her stomach over her clothes, her expression easing slightly. Curious, she asked Zhou Ning, “What’s inside?”

“A sealed jar. The heat-resistant kind.” Zhou Ning smiled. “I’ll replace it when it cools down.”

Yuan Zhi nodded.

After a long silence, Zhou Ning couldn’t hold back any longer. “Sister Zhi, forgive me for saying this, but if you often have painful periods, you should drink fewer cold things. You said you don’t like hot drinks, but I think it’s more of a habit—habits can be changed.”

Yuan Zhi twitched her lips and gazed at Zhou Ning with deep eyes. “Are you concerned about me?”

“Yes. Health is too important.” Maybe only those who had experienced it would understand. Zhou Ning’s expression turned somber. “Sister Zhi is such a good person—of course, I hope you stay healthy and strong forever.”

Strong…? Yuan Zhi nearly laughed again. “You think I’m a good person?” Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes curved. “Once you get to know me better, you might not think so anymore.”

Zhou Ning was taken aback and stammered, “You… not good?” She truly couldn’t imagine what could possibly be wrong with Sugar Daddy. Compared to that arrogant, nameless minor celebrity she’d encountered in the studio garden yesterday, Sister Zhi was practically a saint!

Yuan Zhi glanced at Zhou Ning’s shocked and puzzled expression, meeting her sincere and earnest gaze before turning her face toward the endless night outside the window, where only sparse lights twinkled. “It’s not about being good or not. Let’s just say I haven’t completely gone bad yet.”

The driver called.

Yuan Zhi slowly rose from the sofa, supporting herself on its back. “I’m heading back.”

“Let me help you downstairs?” Zhou Ning asked worriedly.

Yuan Zhi shook her head. “Feifei will come up to get me. There aren’t many residents here, so it’s best you don’t go out at night unless necessary.” She smiled and gently touched Zhou Ning’s worried face. “Dinner was delicious. I had a wonderful time tonight.”

Zhou Ning nodded excitedly, her eyes brimming with emotion. “I’ll stay humble and keep improving!”

The smile on Yuan Zhi’s lips deepened. She patted Zhou Ning’s head, picked up her phone, cardholder, and keys, put on her mask, changed into her shoes, and left.

Zhou Ning escorted Yuan Zhi to the elevator and only returned home after seeing Xing Feifei arrive to pick her up.

Early the next morning, Zhou Ning packed her things and headed to City Y.

There wasn’t much to pack, really. Having money was great—if she forgot anything, she could just buy it in City Y later.

Sitting in the business class cabin, Zhou Ning felt thoroughly corrupted by wealth. Back when her parents were still alive and took her to other cities for medical treatment, they’d even ridden slow, old-fashioned trains to save money. Ah, she really had fallen from grace.

But the main reason she’d splurged on business class was for the experience. On her return trip to City A, she’d fly economy. As for first class… no, no, that would be too painful. If the novelty of the experience didn’t outweigh the pain of spending that much, what was the point?

Since she’d already paid for business class, she might as well make the most of it. From the moment she entered the lounge, Zhou Ning snapped photos nonstop and sent them to her family group chat—I wanted to try first class, but this flight only has business class. What a shame.

Zhou Feipeng immediately jumped into the chat, unleashing a torrent of insults that dragged their ancestors—his own ancestors too—through the mud. Some of the language even crossed ethical boundaries… tsk tsk.

Unfazed, Zhou Ning replied—Isn’t the point of earning money to spend it? Who cares how I spend mine? Meanwhile, little brother, Mom was crying about being broke in the group chat the other day. Maybe you should get a job instead of staring at your phone all day! Do you think money will magically appear that way?

All you’ll get is angry, okay?

After her daily ritual of annoying Zhou Feipeng, Zhou Ning calmly turned off her old phone.

After landing, she checked into her pre-booked hotel, dropped off her luggage, and first found a courier to mail her resignation letter back to City C. Then she took a stroll around City Y, snapping plenty of photos. She planned to save these carefully and occasionally toss a few into the group chat later, so Sun Lixiang and Zhou Feipeng would think she was still in City Y.

City Y was an ancient city with a long history, famous for its old castle.

Zhou Ning was full of energy and not ready to return to the hotel just yet, so she hailed a taxi and gave the driver the name of the ancient castle.

The driver, noticing Zhou Ning’s non-local accent, chose the farther of two similarly named destinations in the navigation system.

The car drove for a long time, heading further out of the city. Zhou Ning was almost convinced she had encountered a criminal and was preparing for a desperate fight when they finally arrived at the destination.

“Driver, are you sure this is the ancient castle?” Zhou Ning hesitated to get out of the car as she eyed the crowd squatting outside the city gate. Had she come to the wrong place, or had she time-traveled again? This didn’t look like a tourist attraction at all!

Playing dumb, the driver said, “Can’t you see that huge city wall? Weren’t you coming to Little Castle to be an extra? You should’ve been clearer.”

“You—” Realizing it was too late to make it to the actual tourist site now, Zhou Ning decided to explore this makeshift castle set since she was already here. Still, she was certain the driver had done it on purpose. As a local, how could he not know there were two ancient castles? Hmph! She was going to leave him a bad review!

The area outside the city gate was chaotic, with what looked like a film crew selecting extras.

Zhou Ning spotted a kind-faced middle-aged man standing on the outskirts and politely asked, “Uncle, what are the rules for being an extra here? Do we just stand around and wait to be picked?” She was curious to try it out. In her past life, she had been housebound due to illness and had missed out on so many experiences.

The man gave her a once-over. “You’re not with a casting group? Perfect. This crew just added a funeral scene and needs extras to play palace maids. You can give it a try.”

“Got it. Thanks, Uncle!” Zhou Ning thanked him cheerfully and, mimicking others, squeezed into the crowd, waving her arms. “Me! Me! Look over here!”

“Stop pushing!” The assistant director in charge of casting scanned the young women in the front row anxiously before raising his voice. “Anyone willing to shave their head? Bald.”

One girl perked up. “Director, does the role have any lines?”

“No! Just background!” The assistant director looked miserable. “But the pay is doubled—no, tripled!”

The girl immediately lowered her head. Shaving for such a minor role wasn’t worth it—they needed their hair for other roles.

Overjoyed, Zhou Ning yanked off her wig and waved it like a flag from the back. “Director! I can do it! I’m already bald!”

The crowd turned in surprise to the bald girl at the back, silently marveling: Brilliant! Thinking outside the box. With this, she could monopolize all the bald female roles at this filming location. With enough opportunities, who knew? She might even get her big break someday!

The crowd instinctively parted for Zhou Ning, gazing reverently at her smooth scalp as if it radiated wisdom.

The assistant director’s burden finally lifted. “Perfect! You’re in! We still need twenty more women and five men—nothing too old, preferably under twenty-five.” Honestly, the director had added several scenes last minute to capitalize on Yuan Zhi’s visit to Y City for an event. Surprisingly, the acclaimed actress had agreed out of gratitude for the director’s past support, promising to come straight after her event.

It was tough on him! Not only were there not enough extras and they had to recruit people last minute, but there was also a particularly tricky nun role to fill. Thankfully, it was finally resolved! The assistant director turned back and gratefully glanced at the brightest spot in the crowd.