The Movie Queen’s Secret Stand-In Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 21

After finishing the recording, Yuan Zhi was, as usual, surrounded by staff asking for autographs and photos, while Zhou Ning took the TV station’s arranged car back to the hotel first.

 

Back in her hotel room, Zhou Ning placed the two gift bags on the table and pulled out their contents.

 

Six signed DVDs, a handwritten letter, and a mini camera… She suddenly remembered what the girl waiting in line for an autograph on set had told her—her Sugar Daddy’s autographed photos could fetch up to five figures. Signed DVDs and handwritten letters would only be worth more, right? That had to be at least a hundred thousand yuan!

 

Zhou Ning gasped. She opened her suitcase and took out three spare resealable bags—one for the mini camera, and two nested bags for the DVDs and handwritten letter. She had to keep these items safe. Who knows, they might come in handy in an emergency and could be sold for quick cash. Even if no emergency arose, they could be passed down as family heirlooms for generations.

 

The greater her Sugar Daddy’s achievements in the future, the higher the market value of her collection would be. Should she aim even higher and collect more of his memorabilia whenever possible? Old clothes, books, bags, and such.

 

After packing her luggage, she took out her phone to double-check her flight time—10:45. Thankfully, she had booked it in the afternoon. If she had tried to book last-minute, forget about whether she could even get a ticket—she wouldn’t have landed an economy class seat.

 

The current time was… already 9:20? Oh no, she had to leave immediately! What if there was traffic and she got delayed?

 

While checking out at the hotel front desk, she took a moment to send Sun Mingyue a message—Mingyue, I must rush back to City A for an urgent matter and won’t be able to hang out with you tomorrow. I’m in a hurry to catch my flight, so I won’t come up to say goodbye. Let’s keep in touch when we have time~

 

Sun Mingyue replied quickly—Got it. Be careful on your way. I’ll look you up when I’m in City A for work.

 

On the taxi ride to the airport, Zhou Ning diligently scrolled through a cooking app for inspiration. Her Sugar Daddy had said he wanted to have supper at her place—clearly, it was for the food, not for her.

 

Honestly, she was self-aware. She hadn’t done a great job as a Substitute. Since she was failing at her main duty, she had to make up for it in other ways. She couldn’t just take the money for nothing! But a meal worth a hundred thousand yuan… her cooking skills weren’t even close to that level!

 

No problem, though. If quality wasn’t up to par, she could make up for it with quantity! She’d just cook more meals for her Sugar Daddy—that should do the trick.

 

Zhou Ning happily took screenshots of recipes on the app. This one looked good, that one too. She didn’t have enough ingredients at home, so she’d have to stop by a convenience store after landing. She was determined to give her Sugar Daddy a delicious and wonderful night. Hahahaha…

 

Yuan Zhi stared blankly at the fleeting lights outside the car window. Hearing her phone vibrate, she snapped out of her thoughts and casually checked it.

 

ZL168—Zhi-jie, I’ve already arrived at the departure hall and am heading back to City A soon. You can look forward to tonight~

 

Yuan Zhi let out a cold snort, her lips curling slightly as her slender fingers tapped lazily on the screen—You can look forward to tonight too.

 

After replying to the message, she read Zhou Ning’s text again. The “anticipation” Zhou Ning mentioned didn’t mean the same thing as what she had in mind. Zhou Ning probably wanted to please her with good food? Not a bad intention, at least.

 

Yuan Zhi suddenly felt a twinge of compassion. Maybe… she shouldn’t punish Zhou Ning too harshly? What if she really scared Zhou Ning?

 

She decided to test the waters first. Depending on Zhou Ning’s next response, she’d decide whether to go easy on her when they returned to City A.

 

—Did you tell Sun Mingyue about your return to City A? You can’t use your phone on the plane, so you’d better inform her in advance. Don’t suddenly disappear and make people worry about you.

 

Zhou Ning replied quickly—Thanks for the reminder, Sister Zhi~ Hahaha, I told her right when I checked out! Don’t worry.

 

Don’t worry her ass! Yuan Zhi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Again—contacting Sun Mingyue first before her. Classic Zhou Ning!

 

She felt ashamed of her own wishful thinking and embarrassed by her momentary compassion! It seemed she wouldn’t be able to calm down tonight unless she made Zhou Ning cry!

 

“Are the documents printed?” she asked Yuan Xiaoyuan in the front seat, still staring out the window, her entire body radiating icy hostility.

 

Yuan Xiaoyuan nodded nervously. “Yes.” She felt so bad for Zhou Ning! This just proved that people should rely on themselves and work hard. Being a gilded cage bird was truly unreliable. Let’s be honest—those who could afford to keep such birds were all cunning old foxes. One wrong move, and you might not only fail to get money but also lose yourself in the process.

 

Take Zhou Ning, for example. The moment that contract was signed, Zhou Ning had already become prey in Sister Zhi’s hands—life or death hinged on Sister Zhi’s whim. Fortunately, Sister Zhi had only set those terms as a precaution, not with malicious intent to harm Zhou Ning. If Zhou Ning behaved, Sister Zhi would probably never let her know about the hidden traps in the contract.

 

In her opinion, Zhou Ning was quite something. Sister Zhi, who rarely lost her temper, had been scowling for two whole days because of Zhou Ning! Take their manager, Sister Wang—despite dancing on thin ice for years, Sister Zhi had only sidelined her out of old affection, never actually punishing her.

 

Wait, no. Sister Zhi had old ties with Sister Wang but none with Zhou Ning. Sigh. Being a gilded cage bird unloved by one’s Sugar Daddy was tough.

 

“The keys?” Yuan Zhi asked again.

 

Yuan Xiaoyuan nodded with mixed feelings. “They’re in the document folder too.”

 

Yuan Zhi fell silent. She was beyond furious—angry that Zhou Ning was so close to Sun Mingyue, angry that Zhou Ning had nearly gotten herself killed saving some reckless idiot, angry that Zhou Ning’s “terminal illness” misunderstanding had worried her sick, angry that Zhou Ning had charged at her like a bull calf during the show’s finale, almost knocking her over.

 

But what pissed her off the most! Zhou Ning always replied to Sun Mingyue first, then her. No, no—maybe she wasn’t even second, but third or fourth in line…

 

 

“Little bunny, in flowery clothes, comes every spring right here. I ask bunny why you appear, bunny says, ‘Cause you’ve got carrot fields near.'” Zhou Ning cheerfully hummed the tune while chopping vegetables, sneaking bites of thinly sliced carrots now and then. As the saying went, a cook who doesn’t steal won’t see a good harvest.

 

Ding-dong—

 

The doorbell rang. Zhou Ning casually wiped her hands on her apron and hurried to the door. After confirming it was her Sugar Daddy, she opened it with a beaming smile. “One lady guest, right this way!” She bent slightly, twirling her right hand in a playful gesture as she quipped, “Please do come in!”

 

Yuan Zhi glanced at Zhou Ning but said nothing, changing her shoes before walking straight inside.

 

Zhou Ning followed behind cheerfully. “Sister Zhi, would you like to rest in the bedroom for a bit? The dough drop soup will be ready soon.”

 

“No need,” Yuan Zhi replied as she sat on the sofa, pulling a script from her bag without even looking at Zhou Ning. “Go about your business. I’ll read this script for a while.”

 

“Then what would you like to drink?” Zhou Ning picked up a laminated card from the coffee table, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she handed it to Yuan Zhi with both hands. “I can make any of the drinks listed here.”

 

Yuan Zhi didn’t take it, merely giving it a cursory glance. Zhou Ning had made a beverage menu? There were cold and hot options, sweet and unsweetened, even with estimated preparation times noted. How meticulous—though what was the point of putting effort into such trivial things?

 

“Water,” she said flatly, just one word.

 

“Coming right up! One glass of water. Please wait a moment!” Zhou Ning showed no sign of being discouraged, cheerfully heading off to fetch the water.

 

Yuan Zhi rolled her eyes at Zhou Ning’s retreating figure. Zhou Ning was always so carefree around her, yet so attentive when it came to Sun Mingyue. Hmph! Maybe that was the difference between genuine affection and doing things for money.

 

Vegetable dough drop soup was already a quick dish to make, but Zhou Ning had used beef bone broth as the base to enhance its flavor. She had prepared the broth earlier, freezing it in portions, so all she needed to do was thaw and heat it—hardly any extra time at all.

 

The side dishes were pickled vegetables and soy-braised beef she had made before leaving for Y City.

 

“Sister Zhi, dinner’s ready~” Zhou Ning brought two steaming bowls of soup to the table and, as usual, handed Yuan Zhi an apron.

 

Yuan Zhi took the apron but didn’t put it on, simply folding it in half and draping it over her lap like a napkin.

 

Zhou Ning quietly slurped the piping hot soup, unusually silent tonight. She wasn’t completely oblivious—she could tell her Sugar Daddy was in a bad mood. Whether it was exhaustion or something else bothering her, Zhou Ning didn’t dare pry. Best to stay quiet.

 

Beautiful things could heal the soul. Her cooking might not be gourmet, but it was made with care and tasted decent—plus, it seemed to suit her Sugar Daddy’s palate. Maybe after this warm, comforting meal, her fatigue and low spirits would lift?

 

“After dinner, I have something to discuss with you,” Yuan Zhi suddenly said.

 

Zhou Ning blinked in confusion but nodded. “Okay.”

 

Wary of upsetting her stomach, Yuan Zhi only ate half a bowl before crossing her arms and watching Zhou Ning continue her meal. Zhou Ning ate with a kind of earnest devotion, savoring each bite with reverence—a sight that somehow made the food seem more appetizing. Yuan Zhi had occasionally come across mukbang streamers online, but honestly, none of them radiated the same simple joy as Zhou Ning did while eating.

 

“Zhou Ning, you could actually try doing mukbang. People would watch,” she remarked tonelessly.

 

Zhou Ning chuckled, picked up her bowl to finish the last of the soup, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and grinned. “I might actually give it a try.” Getting paid just for eating—what a great deal. Just like now, getting paid just for looking at a beauty—how fantastic.

 

“Mhm. It’s a way to make a living, I suppose.” Yuan Zhi stood up, retrieved a document from the sofa, and handed it to Zhou Ning. “You don’t seem very happy working by my side, so why don’t we terminate the contract early? You can focus on building your mukbang career.”

 

Terminate the contract? Zhou Ning froze. Besides, she wasn’t unhappy at all! She was over the moon! Meeting an angelic boss like Sister Zhi.

 

“You’ve been with me for half a month, but I’ll count it as a full month. Five million a year comes to about 416,000 per month, but I’ll round it up to 420,000 for you.” Yuan Zhi smiled kindly. “Just refund me 4.58 million.”

 

“Sister Zhi…” Zhou Ning’s jaw dropped in shock. “Do you know how much personal income tax I’ve already paid?” The higher the income, the higher the tax—420,000 wouldn’t even cover her tax bill! “And I really am happy! Working by your side, I feel incredibly lucky. Sister Zhi, you’re literally the best, most generous, kindest, most considerate boss I’ve ever met or heard of in my life…”

 

“I know I’m a good boss, but you’re not a good employee!” Yuan Zhi leaned back. “You’re an adult now. If your previous boss wanted to fire you, do you think they’d care more about whether you were happy or about your job performance?”

 

“Of course… job performance…” Zhou Ning mumbled guiltily. So, the real reason Sister Zhi wanted to terminate the contract was because of her abysmal performance as a Substitute?

 

“My demands aren’t high, are they? Be available when I need you, and don’t get entangled with others during the employment period. Is that so hard?” Yuan Zhi thought of Sun Mingyue and scoffed. “I’m not asking you to please me—just don’t do things I dislike while wearing that person’s face. You can’t even manage that. What’s the point of keeping you?”

 

Zhou Ning protested weakly, “But Sister Zhi… I haven’t done anything you dislike…”

 

Yuan Zhi didn’t respond. Instead, she picked up her phone and sent Zhou Ning a few photos.

 

Confused, Zhou Ning opened WeChat. When she saw the contents of the photos, she lowered her head even further.

 

“You told me you wouldn’t have unnecessary physical contact with Sun Mingyue. Come on!” Yuan Zhi was so angry she threw her phone onto the dining table, the photos still displayed. “Tell me, what’s the necessity of this pose? What earth-shattering reason made it essential for you two to walk around arm in arm, hugging waists like conjoined twins?” How awkward.

 

“Mingyue ate too much and had trouble walking…” Zhou Ning was telling the truth. But even as the words left her mouth, they sounded unbelievable. A beautiful celebrity stuffing herself until she couldn’t walk without support—who would believe that?

 

Yuan Zhi smirked mockingly. “I believe you.”

 

“It’s true~” Zhou Ning pouted, fiddling with her fingers. “Mingyue and I really aren’t like that. You really didn’t need to have someone follow me.”

 

“Stalking you? You think too highly of yourself.” Suppressing her guilt, Yuan Zhi sneered, “I just happened to pass by your hotel and saw you.” Noticing Zhou Ning’s doubtful expression, she added with extra conviction, “You’re wondering how such a coincidence could happen, right? How many times have I randomly run into you in Y City already? What’s strange about one more?”

 

“True.” Zhou Ning nodded in agreement. If her universe revolved around her Sugar Daddy, then wasn’t it natural that his universe revolved around her too?

 

“And another thing. You called her first at noon before replying to my message, didn’t you? Before leaving Y City, you contacted her immediately and only then reached out to me, right?” Yuan Zhi shook her head in exasperation. “I heard you deliver takeout rain or shine, going above and beyond for customers. Yet when someone pays you fifty thousand a year, you’re all meek and obedient. I give you five million a year, and you act recklessly. What’s the deal? Do I look like an easy mark to you?”

 

Zhou Ning shook her head remorsefully. “That’s not what I meant. The reason I replied to Mingyue first was because…” She cautiously glanced at Yuan Zhi. “When I chat with Mingyue, I feel more at ease. I can say whatever comes to mind without worrying about mistakes—it’s relaxed and stress-free. But when messaging you, I have to carefully consider every word, so I usually reply to her first and then focus on responding to you.”

 

Yuan Zhi was taken aback.

 

“I admit I haven’t done well in my role as Xiao Bai’s Substitute, and I sincerely apologize for that. But the reason isn’t my attitude—it’s my lack of experience. I’ve never done this kind of work before…” Zhou Ning reflected earnestly. “Of course, I also admit there were moments when I slacked off and didn’t treat this job as seriously as I should have.”

 

“This is a legitimate job—just with different responsibilities.” Yuan Zhi’s tone softened slightly. She had originally planned to make Zhou Ning cry before letting her off the hook, but seeing her pitiful, deeply repentant expression now made it hard to stay angry. It must be because Zhou Ning’s face resembled that person’s, making it difficult for her to be harsh. “If you still think this job isn’t legitimate, ask yourself—have you provided any illegitimate services?”

 

Zhou Ning nodded with an impeccable attitude. “Mhm. I’ll take it more seriously from now on.” She looked up at Yuan Zhi with teary eyes. “Sister Zhi, I understand where I went wrong now, and I promise to do better. Will you give me another chance? I won’t hide it—after receiving the money, I paid taxes immediately, and now I only have about four million left. Life is unpredictable, and I really don’t want to live with debt.”

 

She had carried enough of it in her past life—borrowing from relatives and friends for medical treatment, only to die before repaying them. Even now, the thought of those unpaid debts, both financial and emotional, made her deeply uncomfortable.

 

Yuan Zhi was surprised. “You’ve already taken the money and signed the contract. Didn’t you think about reneging? Even if I asked for a refund, there’s nothing I could do if you refused.”

 

“That would never do! A gentleman’s agreement—you get what you pay for.” Zhou Ning smiled sadly. “But the truth is, I really can’t afford to pay it back.”

 

Yuan Zhi was stunned.

 

“I’ve never taken you for a fool. On the contrary, I deeply admire and respect you,” Zhou Ning said emotionally, recalling: “Take when we were recording the show, for example. The director told me not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it. So, I imagined you passing away, and immediately felt unbearably sad.”

 

“Uh…” Yuan Zhi’s face darkened. Was she supposed to be touched by this? Zhou Ning was strange! “Why didn’t you try thinking about Sun Mingyue instead?” Why should all the good things go to Sun Mingyue while she got all the bad ones?

 

Zhou Ning thought seriously for a moment: “I don’t know. At that time, I was thinking that if someone important to me passed away, I’d be extremely sad. And then I thought of you.”

 

Yuan Zhi stared fixedly at Zhou Ning’s utterly sincere expression, suppressing the slight upturn of her lips. She asked with feigned calmness but hidden anticipation: “Why is that?”

 

Zhou Ning grinned brightly: “Because you’re my Sugar Daddy, my provider! Without you, I’d still be working two jobs in City C, struggling hard, and wouldn’t have been able to get away from my mom and brother so smoothly.”

 

“You…” Yuan Zhi remembered what Zhou Ning had said about her family background on the show – doing household chores since kindergarten, unable to attend university despite passing the exams, working two difficult jobs, and hardly ever wearing new clothes growing up.

 

“Hmm?” Zhou Ning placed her hands on her chest like an obedient puppy, staring at Yuan Zhi with round, nervous eyes.

 

Yuan Zhi gave Zhou Ning a deep, resigned look: “As long as you behave better in the future, you’ll never have to live like that again.” She didn’t mind keeping Zhou Ning around longer. Zhou Ning was a great cook, had good character, and while her personality was somewhat odd, it had its own unique charm.

 

Zhou Ning froze momentarily before jumping up from the dining chair with joy: “Ahhhhh… You’re giving me another chance?”

 

Yuan Zhi remained silent, tacitly agreeing.

 

“Ahhhhhh… Thank you, Sister Zhi!” Zhou Ning rushed around the table, about to hug Yuan Zhi.

 

“Stop!” Yuan Zhi panicked, grabbing chopsticks and pointing them at Zhou Ning like a sword: “Don’t come closer! Speak properly without physical contact.” Her chest still ached slightly from before!

 

Zhou Ning obediently stopped in her tracks, bouncing excitedly in place. This was wonderful! Not only wouldn’t she be in debt, but she got to keep the fortune in her account!

 

Yuan Zhi looked helplessly at Zhou Ning’s hyperactive behavior: “Calm down, unless you want the neighbors to complain.”

 

“Yes. Don’t worry, Sister Zhi, I’ll be super obedient from now on.” Zhou Ning covered her mouth, eyes crinkling with laughter.

 

“Mmm. We’ll see.” Yuan Zhi picked up the contract from the table, put it back in her bag, gave Zhou Ning one last look, and left.

 

 

After seeing off her Sugar Daddy, Zhou Ning hummed a tune while cleaning the kitchen, then happily went to pack her luggage in her room.

 

She took the clothes from the laundry bag to wash, plugged in the power bank, planned to mail a Peace Talisman to Si Tian tomorrow and give one to little Song Yin, then organize the sealed bags…

 

She noticed the letter placed with the DVDs. After returning to the hotel from the TV station in City Y, she’d been in too much of a hurry to catch her flight to open it.

 

Zhou Ning sat cross-legged on the floor, carefully unfolding the letter to read it. The letter wasn’t very long, but every word was sincere and heartfelt. When Sugar Daddy wrote this letter, he clearly didn’t know she was the one who saved him, nor did he know she wasn’t terminally ill.

 

Mmm… how touching!

 

Zhou Ning wiped away the tiny teardrops at the corners of her eyes and turned her gaze to another sealed bag. Might as well send the mini camera to Si Tian too!

 

——Si Tian, I’ll send a package to your place tomorrow, make sure to sign for it. The peace talisman is one I got for you in Y City, and the mini camera was given to me by your Zhizhi. As for why she gave it to me, you can check out the “What Are You Doing” show.

 

Mentioning “What Are You Doing,” Zhou Ning couldn’t help but recall the look Sugar Daddy had given her during filming—before the misunderstanding about her illness was cleared up—filled with sorrow, heartache, and worry… Good heavens! If she didn’t work harder, it would be downright unforgivable!

 

Just then, Cai Sitian’s call came through, interrupting her thoughts. As expected, Cai Sitian sounded extremely excited.

 

“Ningning! You saw Zhizhi! You saw Zhizhi again!”

 

Zhou Ning gave a bitter smile. More than just seeing her again—she saw her at home and even ran into her outside. Sugar Daddy seemed to permeate every aspect of her life! “Yeah. The TV station found out I’m a fan of Sister Zhi, and since she happened to be in Y City, they invited her over.”

 

“I saw the video of you saving someone too! So cool!”

 

“Ah, stop it, you’re making me blush.” While talking, Zhou Ning scheduled the courier on her phone and leaned against the foot of the bed. “By the way, what about that guy… you know, that scumbag… Has he been harassing you out of spite?”

 

“Not exactly harassment, but he keeps begging me to get back together.” Cai Sitian said cheerfully, “Forget about him. The camera you mentioned—is it the one Zhizhi gave you on set? I love you so much! The show hasn’t aired yet, but I saw the promo on the official blog. Aaaaaah! Is Zhizhi even more beautiful up close?”

 

Zhou Ning held the phone away from her ear, laughing in mock annoyance. “Si Tian, calm down, you’re about to burst my eardrums.”

 

“I can’t calm down aaaaaaah! Zhizhi hugged you! Don’t shower, come back right now so I can hug you too, okay?”

 

“Sorry, I already showered earlier.” Thinking of Yuan Zhi’s face, Zhou Ning’s expression turned complicated. “She is even more beautiful up close. Putting everything else aside, our Zhizhi’s looks, and acting skills are truly unmatched.” Though her temper was a bit… Tonight had really scared her. She was just a substitute, not the real deal—was Sugar Daddy so angry just because she got a little close to another girl?

 

“Putting everything else aside?” Cai Sitian keenly picked up on the gossipy undertone. “What happened? Did something go down?”

 

Zhou Ning sighed faintly. “It’s nothing, really. I just feel like… Sister Zhi isn’t entirely the person she appears to be.”

 

“What do you mean?” Cai Sitian asked curiously.

 

“You know, gentle, magnanimous, simple, harmless…” Zhou Ning voiced the impression she’d always had of Yuan Zhi. She had a vague premonition that Sugar Daddy’s visit tonight hadn’t been as simple as it seemed—she’d only narrowly escaped punishment because of her earnest apology.

 

“HAHAHAHAHA…” Cai Sitian burst into uncontrollable laughter, her whole body shaking so hard you could tell just from her voice: “How could you have such a deep misunderstanding about Zhizhi? HAHAHA, Ningning, this is the entertainment industry’s battlefield of fame and fortune! If she were gentle, magnanimous, simple and harmless, she’d probably have been taken advantage of eight hundred times over by now. HAHAHAHA…”

 

Zhou Ning felt slightly embarrassed: “Si Tian, stop laughing already!”

 

After catching her breath from laughing so hard, Cai Sitian said: “Zhizhi has a defense-and-counterattack style. Those people in the industry—they’d better not push Zhizhi too far, or they’ll be finished. You’ll understand once you get to know her better, Ningning. Zhizhi genuinely has a good heart. Look how thoughtful the gift she sent you was after hearing about your situation.”

 

“Yeah…” Zhou Ning replied absentmindedly. Maybe she should just focus on making money quickly? That way, when Sugar Daddy brings up terminating the contract again, she’d have more leverage.