The Movie Queen’s Secret Stand-In Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 4

Some time had passed since leaving the restaurant, yet Zhou Ning still hadn’t shaken off that surreal, floating sensation—both her feet and heart felt weightless, as if she might take flight at any moment.

Thinking of the huge sum about to come her way, she decided to splurge on a taxi rather than squeeze onto a bus for the trip to the telecom service center.

Ah. No wonder they say money is the root of all evil. Look how quickly it’s corroding her virtuous habit of thriftiness!

While mentally scolding herself, Zhou Ning opened a ride-hailing app to find the nearest service center.

Only 60 meters away?

She looked ahead and immediately spotted the distinctive yellow logo of a telecom company. At this distance, she’d obviously walk! Well, it seemed even heaven wouldn’t give her the chance to be corrupted. No matter—she’d have plenty of opportunities later to let money thoroughly corrupt her.

As she walked, Zhou Ning checked her missed calls.

Oh? Sun Lixiang had called many times using various local unknown numbers—seems she’d borrowed phones from all her relatives and neighbors. Zhou Ning then checked the unread messages in her chat apps. Careless of her—she’d forgotten to leave the family group chat. Though it wasn’t entirely her fault; the original owner had set the group to receive messages without notifications, making it easy to overlook.

She skimmed through the group conversations, most of which were about her. Sun Lixiang was lamenting about how well she’d treated her daughter and what an ungrateful wretch that daughter had become. Zhou Feipeng was cursing in the group, saying she’d better have died in some accident, otherwise when the police brought her back, she’d regret it.

This reminded her—people can be reported missing after 48 hours.

Looks like she couldn’t cancel her old number after all. She might need it if the police contacted her, to avoid wasting public resources. Since her phone had dual SIM capability, she’d get a new number now, update her bank records, and just keep the old number inactive.

Soon after powering on, another local unknown number called.

Zhou Ning was in such a good mood that she didn’t mind answering to hear what Sun Lixiang had to say.

“Hello?” Zhou Ning’s voice was positively chirpy.

“Thought you fucking died out there!” It sounded like Zhou Feipeng.

Zhou Ning feigned surprise: “What? Our mom died outside? Are you calling about the inheritance?”

“You—!” Zhou Feipeng was too furious to speak, only wanting to hurl abuse. Beside him, Sun Lixiang looked pleadingly at her precious son and softly reminded: “Pengpeng, don’t lose your temper. We finally got through—first coax your sister into coming back.”

Checking the time—not even 1 PM yet, with banks opening at 2—Zhou Ning found a quiet corner in the service center to sit down and hear how Zhou Feipeng planned to “coax” her back. The mother-son pair were truly foolish, openly discussing their scheme to trick her into returning—on speakerphone no less. Was this the legendary “loudly plotting”?

Zhou Feipeng thought about the unpaid mortgage, the unpaid rent, and the unpaid living expenses. In the end, he swallowed the curses that had risen to his throat and forced himself to put on a poorly acted performance: “Sis. What family matter can’t be discussed properly? Was running away from home necessary? Do you know Mom got sick from anger because of you? You should at least come back and see her!”

“Sick? Not dead yet? So, you’re not here to discuss dividing the inheritance with me.” Zhou Ning’s tone was full of disappointment. “Is it serious? Do you need me to sign a DNR form? You can sign it yourself, little brother—I agree. I also think there’s no point in treating Mom—it would just prolong her suffering. I’ve only heard of people being cured of physical illnesses, never of black heartedness being cured.”

Zhou Feipeng’s temper finally exploded, and he roared curses targeting Zhou Ning’s ancestors—which were also his own ancestors: “You fcking…—…%()—¥()—…%¥…()———()——”

Zhou Ning held the phone away from her ear in disgust, only bringing it back when the noise subsided. She said cheerfully, “Little bro, I can’t chat anymore. I’m sightseeing in Y City, and the signal isn’t great. Just handle Mom’s funeral arrangements however you see fit.”

“#%…()—)——*()——)()” Zhou Feipeng might not be well-educated, but his vocabulary of curses was impressively extensive, and he continued spewing unrepeatable phrases.

Beside him, Sun Lixiang’s face darkened. Zhou Feipeng’s “I’ll f*ck your mother—”

Zhou Ning expressionlessly ended the call, stood up, and walked over to the customer service desk with a bright smile. “Hello, I’d like to get a new phone number.”

“Ningning, I’m going to an event with some classmates tonight to see Zhizhi. Do you want to come?” Cai Sitian called Zhou Ning’s new number. She knew Zhou Ning had stopped delivering food to avoid running into her mother and brother at the delivery station. Since she hadn’t gone home yet, Zhou Ning would feel too awkward to stay at Cai Sitian’s place.

Zhou Ning was killing time at a fast-food restaurant when Cai Sitian mentioned Yuan Zhi. Her heart fluttered inexplicably, and her face grew warm. She still remembered Yuan Zhi’s domineering words—”You’re technically my woman now, Yuan Zhi’s woman. Your worth can’t be too low.”

Ahhh~ Even though her face was as thick as a city wall’s corner, her heart couldn’t help but race a little.

The worst part was, she was holding onto this huge secret but couldn’t tell anyone—not even her closest and most trusted friend, Cai Sitian.

Most secrets stop being secrets because of one terrifying phrase: “I’ll tell you a secret, but you can’t tell anyone.”

Then that phrase gets repeated again until the secret becomes common knowledge.

“Sure.” Zhou Ning had been feeling bored sitting in the fast-food restaurant anyway, and this would also give her a chance to ask Cai Sitian about Yuan Zhi. Sometimes, the people who knew celebrities best weren’t the celebrities themselves, but their fans.

The event was being held at a plaza—a promotional event for a well-known smartphone brand. Yuan Zhi was the brand ambassador.

The two girls Cai Sitian had brought along had already pushed their way into the crowd. Zhou Ning stood at the edge of the square, staring at the dense sea of black-haired heads in front of her, and began regretting her decision. “Sitian, maybe we should just go back? What can we even see from here?”

“Seeing or not seeing doesn’t matter—it’s about soaking in the atmosphere! At least we can still hear Zhizhi speak,” Cai Sitian said. Though she wasn’t tall and was already straining on tiptoe like a ballerina, she still couldn’t see a thing. Yet she remained undeterred, her voice brimming with excitement. “This just proves how popular Zhizhi is. Remember that other celebrity who had an event in City C last time? Less than a third of this crowd showed up for them.”

Zhou Ning, swallowed by the throng, gazed at the distant emcee warming up the crowd and suddenly felt it with startling clarity—she and Yuan Zhi truly belonged to two different worlds, and those worlds weren’t meant to intersect easily.

It really felt like a dream. Just this afternoon, she’d had lunch with Yuan Zhi, and now she couldn’t even get within a hundred meters of her.

“Oh, Sitian, I happened to run into Yuan Zhi at noon. Since I know you’re a fan, I got you an autograph,” Zhou Ning whispered, pulling a sticky note with a hastily scrawled signature from her bag and handing it over. The note was Yuan Zhi’s, and so was the pen used to sign it.

“Ahhhhhhh—!” Cai Sitian’s scream was nearly soundless, restrained by the public setting. Trembling with excitement, she took the note, unfolded it, and stared at the all-too-familiar signature. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she turned to Zhou Ning with grateful eyes. “Ningning, I love you to death! Tell me, where did you see her? Why can’t I ever run into her? Why?!”

Zhou Ning avoided Cai Sitian’s burning gaze and smoothly spun a lie. “I bumped into her near XX Hotel—I was at the service center there getting a new number. She was wearing a mask, but I recognized her eyes and asked for an autograph.” Recalling their lunch together, she couldn’t help but smile. “She seemed really nice, no diva attitude at all.”

Aside from the occasional teasing, Yuan Zhi had left a genuinely warm and approachable impression. If she’d been a terrible person with awful character, no amount of money would’ve convinced Zhou Ning to agree to that arrangement—who could tolerate daily emotional abuse?

“Zhizhi’s personality is amazing! She’s super genuine with fans and considerate to her staff. Besides her appearance-based fans and career-oriented fans, most of her fandom admires her character,” Cai Sitian said, her expression twisting with disdain as she thought of certain other celebrities. “Not like some people who get a little fame and immediately lose all sense of decency. Yelling at staff is the least of it—I’ve heard some even get physical.”

“Ugh.” Zhou Ning wrinkled her nose in disgust. If staff were being mistreated, they should expose it or quit! There were ways to live with more money and ways to live with less—no paycheck was worth enduring that kind of treatment. “What about her love life, though? Any rumors?” Like, say, a mysterious ex-girlfriend who might’ve passed away or gone into seclusion.

“Scandals?” Cai Sitian carefully tucked the note into her wallet and shook her head. “Haven’t heard any. But among us fans, we suspect Zhizhi must have dated before—might even be dating someone now—it just hasn’t come out yet. After all, she’s already twenty-seven. That Song Yueqi everyone’s buzzing about now is just the guy’s one-sided publicity stunt. Zhizhi probably can’t publicly refute it like before because of the new film’s production team.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhou Ning did some quick mental math. So, Yuan Zhi, the acclaimed actress, currently had one rumored relationship outside, one kept at home, and one buried in her heart? Heh. Out of these three, only she was the one getting paid. Nice! “Sitian, there’s something else I need to tell you. I’m planning to leave for City A first thing tomorrow morning and might work there from now on. You know how it is in City C—too many relatives. Zhou Feipeng even threatened me today, saying he’d make me regret it once he drags me back home.”

“Mhm. Don’t worry, Ningning, I won’t tell anyone your new number.” Cai Sitian affectionately linked arms with Zhou Ning. “Wishing you all the best in your new life. After I graduate, I might come to City A and crash at your place.”

“Hahaha, that’d be great.” By then, her arrangement with Yuan Zhi would surely have ended, and she’d use this first pot of gold to build her own home and career.

Zhou Ning gazed into the distance where Yuan Zhi, now tiny as a sesame seed, had finally taken the stage. Amid the deafening cheers and screams, she contemplated her future. Being a gilded cage bird wasn’t sustainable—one had to stand on their own feet.

The next morning, Zhou Ning left with Cai Sitian.

At the neighborhood gate, they went their separate ways.

Cai Sitian gave Zhou Ning a tight hug and made a cheering gesture. “Go for it!”

“Yeah. You too, Sitian.” Zhou Ning waved.

The road to the hotel was unexpectedly congested.

Having reluctantly splurged on a taxi to avoid missing her appointment, Zhou Ning pressed against the window, watching bus after bus glide past in the dedicated lane, feeling utterly wronged.

At 8:50 AM, Zhou Ning, finally inching free from the traffic, received a call from a contact saved as “Sister Zhi.”

“Having second thoughts, Miss Zhou?” The voice on the other end gave nothing away.

“No, no! Just got stuck in traffic. I’ll be there soon, sorry!” Zhou Ning was the one worried Yuan Zhi might back out.

Yuan Zhi hung up expressionlessly in her car, secretly relieved. She’d actually been concerned the girl named Zhou Ning might have changed her mind after going home. After their meeting yesterday, her desire to bring Zhou Ning into her life had grown even stronger than the night before.

Beyond Zhou Ning’s resemblance to that person when slightly groomed, she was genuinely interesting with good character. Yesterday, after returning to the hotel, Xiao Yuan had asked if something good had happened.

She asked why.

Xiao Yuan smiled. “Because of your expression, Sister Zhi.”

Checking her compact mirror, she realized she’d been smiling faintly all along—not the practiced, polite smile for public appearances, but an unconscious, heartfelt one.

Zhou Ning’s arrival might not only ease her longing for that person but also bring some new joy to her life.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Zhou Ning immediately recognized the luxury car temporarily parked across the street from the hotel—the same one from the previous night.

Yuan Zhi didn’t open the car door, merely rolling down the window to hand Zhou Ning a phone box. “It’s a gift from the brand. I don’t need it, so you can have it.” Yesterday, she had noticed the cracked screen on Zhou Ning’s phone and asked Xiao Yuan to buy a new one. A child working late-night shifts delivering food surely didn’t have an easy life, which made Zhou Ning’s unassuming and principled nature even more admirable.

Zhou Ning numbly took the box, still processing what had happened, when the window rolled up again. She only caught Yuan Zhi’s muffled voice: “You and Xiao Yuan should take the car behind this one.”