The Shadow Queen and Her Little Bodyguard (GL) - Chapter 9

Who’s been bullying you?

This was a difficult question to answer.

Yi Lanyin shook her head and reached into the cloth bag slung over Yu Jing’s shoulder, pulling out a cup of sour plum drink. After inserting the straw, she crouched down and said impatiently, Put it down. Isn’t it heavy?

Who’s been bullying you?

Yu Jing released the bag on her forearm, gathered both bags together, and crouched down as well.

Tell me.

Yi Lanyin ignored her, biting down on the straw while wiping her eyes with a finger.

Frantic, Yu Jing leaned closer and whispered, Was it President Pei? About the investment?

Yi Lanyin’s free hand fished another cup from the bag at her feet and shoved it in Yu Jing’s face. No, stop imagining things. The wind got in my eyes, it’s just uncomfortable.

Yu Jing took the cup and stuffed it back into the bag.

Li Zhi, she called Yi Lanyin by her full name. Don’t try to fool me. Do you think I don’t know you?

The moment Yu Jing finished speaking, Yi Lanyin’s head snapped up. Don’t call me that in front of others.

Why not?

No reason. It’s confidential. I’ll tell you after we sign the formal contract.

Yu Jing sighed and asked her again, Is it too cold?

Yi Lanyin pouted, lifted her own drink, and lightly touched it to Yu Jing’s cheek. What do you think?

Cold, Yu Jing replied. Afraid Yi Lanyin might think she was being dismissive, she quickly added, But it’ll help sober you up.

Yi Lanyin tilted her head back and smiled at her.

Zhou Ying arrived late, trailing behind them. Seeing Yi Lanyin’s radiant smile, she exclaimed dramatically, Heavens! If someone were filming you right now, the photographer would definitely win an award for best cinematography! She turned and patted Yu Jing’s elbow. What are you waiting for? This is perfect material!

No one had told Yu Jing to film behind-the-scenes footage, but she had secretly pulled out her phone anyway. Before the camera app could even open, Yi Lanyin snatched the phone from her hand. Pointing to her own cold, viperous face—the one she wore for her Republican-era role—she retorted, This face is done filming. Can’t I catch my breath for once?

The atmosphere grew slightly awkward. Zhou Ying sensed something was off. Yi Lanyin had always been polite but distant toward her, but today there was a faint undercurrent of hostility. The earlier exchange, which had seemed like Yi Lanyin was scolding Yu Jing, now felt like a veiled expression of dissatisfaction directed at Zhou Ying herself.

What was she dissatisfied with?

Since the start of the project, the two women had maintained a strict professional distance, like water from separate wells. Just when Zhou Ying thought she had finally grown a bit closer to Yi Lanyin tonight, the actress immediately shattered that illusion.

She’s a female celebrity, Zhou Ying reminded herself. Lots of fans, unpredictable moods—that’s normal.

Zhou Ying considered herself a competent entertainment industry worker. In this world driven by profit and fame, there was no need to antagonize a wildly popular rising star over such a trivial matter.

She took the first step back. I’ll go inside and distribute the drinks. The ice will melt soon.

Yi Lanyin slowly rose from her position by the door, stepping aside to let Zhou Ying pass. As Zhou Ying bent down to pick up the cloth bag, Yi Lanyin moved forward and helped lift the other bag. Zhou Ying looked up in surprise as Yi Lanyin turned to face her. Yu Jing is my assistant, not an actress. Don’t try your usual tricks for manipulating young actresses on her, President Zhou.

Zhou Ying raised an eyebrow, straightening up to meet Yi Lanyin’s gaze. So, Teacher Yi, you’re one of us too?

Yu Jing glanced between the two women, who stood facing each other by the restaurant’s back door, each holding identical bags. It felt like a scene from a movie, made even more frustrating by the fact that she couldn’t understand their cryptic dialogue. What does one of us even mean?

It’s not about that. I’m just protecting my staff, Yi Lanyin said. At 1.7 meters tall, she was definitely considered tall among women. Her mere upright posture gave her a natural air of authority over Zhou Ying.

How did I never realize Teacher Yi was so interesting before? Zhou Ying suddenly laughed, as if she had discovered something amusing. Everyone says your personality is too dull for variety shows. There’s even a rumor that you’re actually frigid. But I think they’ve all been fooled by your acting skills. Zhou Ying easily snatched the cloth bag back from Yi Lanyin’s hand. Teacher Yi is clearly so vibrant, she added, glancing at Yu Jing, who stood a few steps away. It’s just a pity that we lowly minions can’t touch you. After all, President Pei, she paused, guards you so fiercely. I wonder how long he’ll stay interested. After all, most people in the industry know a little about how Teacher Yi landed the role in The Chronicle of the Fixed Spring.

Yi Lanyin showed neither shame nor anger, maintaining her perfectly straight posture.

The flickering streetlight cast shadows across her face, perfectly highlighting her innate stubbornness.

Draped in Yu Jing’s black shirt, Yi Lanyin used her free hand to open the door for Zhou Ying. As Zhou Ying stepped inside, Yi Lanyin smiled faintly and said, President Zhou, you needn’t trouble yourself. Thank you for the drink.

Yu Jing couldn’t understand how this silent battle had ignited and then abruptly extinguished. After Zhou Ying entered, she hurried over to Yi Lanyin, her forearm hovering protectively a few centimeters from Yi Lanyin’s waist. She whispered, Are you drunk?

No, Yi Lanyin shook her head, placing her hand on Yu Jing’s forearm. The breeze actually cleared my head.

Yu Jing’s mind was in turmoil. Zhou Ying’s blatant implication, which Yi Lanyin hadn’t refuted, seemed to confirm that President Pei was indeed her boyfriend. Their relationship might be kept secret due to Yi Lanyin’s profession, or perhaps Pei Jiu was just an irresponsible jerk. Either way, Yu Jing refused to believe Zhou Ying’s insinuation. How could Yi Lanyin possibly sleep with someone for resources?

Four years ago, Yi Lanyin was still known as Li Zhi.

She auditioned for over a hundred roles each year, yet only managed to secure a few minor roles as extras with no lines.

Yu Jing had always wondered why so many casting directors refused to give Li Zhi a chance, despite her striking beauty.

On the very day they formally established their bed labor for compensation arrangement, Li Zhi laid down three rules for Yu Jing

1. No inquiries about her family. 2. No inquiries about her work. 3. Loyalty throughout the contract period.

Even though Yu Jing was curious, she never dared to ask. After all, her father didn’t care for her, her mother didn’t love her, and once Li Zhi cut off her allowance, she would have to return to working odd jobs to make ends meet.

More importantly, she genuinely didn’t want to leave Li Zhi, so she had no choice but to be a

good girl, quiet, and mute companion.

Thus, despite spending over two years by Li Zhi’s side, Yu Jing truly didn’t understand her. Li Zhi had always been shrouded in mystery.

Yu Jing first learned about Li Zhi’s work when a casting director called her in the middle of the night. Yu Jing lay beside her, pretending to be asleep but listening intently. After introducing himself, the drunken man offered Li Zhi the lead role in a web drama in exchange for spending the night with him.

Yu Jing couldn’t recall which production team the casting director belonged to, nor his name. What she remembered more vividly was how Li Zhi, afraid of waking her, quietly slipped out of the room and huddled on the small sofa in the living room to call the police.

When she returned, she made no sound, bringing back only a chill.

Yu Jing never told Li Zhi she had been awake and eavesdropping, and Li Zhi never mentioned it in her presence. After that night, Li Zhi continued to diligently study scripts, attend classes at the drama academy, and invite renowned acting coaches to their hotel to refine her lines.

Li Zhi never lacked money, yet she had never landed a significant role. Her only moment of fleeting fame came on a popular anime-style video platform, where a discerning content creator had spliced together a minute-and-a-half-long beauty compilation from fleeting glimpses of Li Zhi in various films and dramas. The video went viral briefly before being taken down for unknown reasons.

All the pieces of the past now clicked into place. Yu Jing’s mind, which had been sluggish for months, suddenly began racing.

Anyone who could be childhood friends with Pei Jiu, a top-tier second-generation heir, must come from a similarly privileged background.

Li Zhi’s insistence on using her stage name in public and her years of playing minor, voiceless roles likely stemmed from family pressure against her pursuing an acting career. The old man Li Jiqing had mentioned earlier was likely a senior member of Li Zhi’s family. Pei Jiu’s acceptance of Yi Lanyin’s investment, despite her displeasure, suggested Li Zhi feared falling under her family’s control again. As for why Li Jiqing obeyed her so readily, Yu Jing lowered her head and pondered, forming a bold hypothesis given Li Jiqing’s prominent family and shared surname, he might well be a relative of Li Zhi’s.

Yu Jing lowered her head, shifting her feet impatiently, but her mind raced on. Yi Lanyin’s career had blossomed after signing with Qihang and changing her name, suggesting that Pei Jiu, already a successful figure in his own field, had entered the unfamiliar entertainment industry to help her. He likely brokered a compromise between Li Zhi and her family Li Zhi would use a stage name as an actress, while the Li Family would no longer obstruct her career. This explained why Yi Lanyin had spent years in idol dramas before finally landing her first film role in her late twenties.

None of this truly concerned Yu Jing. The world of wealthy heirs and family conglomerates felt distant from her own life. The only connection she could draw was the realization that Li Zhi’s support might have been nothing more than a wealthy heiress’s passing amusement. After all, two women together couldn’t get pregnant.

She felt a pang of sadness, but she understood completely.

Yi Lanyin had demanded loyalty but never asked for love, nor had she ever forced Yu Jing to do anything she disliked. On the contrary, Yi Lanyin had been good to her, providing financial support, respect, and even protecting her fragile self-esteem.

Everything Li Zhi could offer, except love, she had given.

Even if Yu Jing wanted to dredge up old grievances, she knew she was in the wrong.

As dusk deepened, the early summer heat dissipated under the cool breeze that swept through the alley.

Yu Jing straightened her posture, her forearm resting on Yi Lanyin’s hand, but her gaze remained fixed on the car across the street. She didn’t know how to face Yi Lanyin, let alone Pei Jiu.

She wanted to run, to flee to another city, or perhaps just return to her hometown.

Though her parents had never shown her affection, she had an unreliable but fiercely protective uncle. Even if she couldn’t find a proper job, she could spend the rest of her life working odd jobs at his auto repair shop.

Her uncle had told her about an older half-sister, the daughter of her mother’s first marriage. This sister had dropped out of high school to work with their uncle and had since risen to great success. Yu Jing had never met her, as her mother disliked both her and the sister. All she knew was that her sister had an unusual surname—something like Mi or Fan?

Yu Jing shook her head, unsure why her thoughts had drifted there. Maybe I should just go home, she thought. I really miss Uncle.

At the entrance to her uncle’s auto repair shop was a barbecue stall that served the most delicious skewers, honest and unforgettable.

The barbecue here just doesn’t have the same flavor as back home.

Yu Jing, Yi Lanyin called out softly.

Huh?

Yu Jing, startled out of her thoughts, turned her head with a questioning sound. The wind lifted the wisps of hair framing Yi Lanyin’s forehead, making her delicately arched eyebrows stand out in sharp relief.

Zhou Ying isn’t a good person. Everything she shows you is fake.

Oh.

Yu Jing didn’t want Yi Lanyin to see her emotional reaction, so she forced a casual smile.

I’m not lying to you, Yi Lanyin said, lifting her hand from Yu Jing’s forearm to smooth her wind-tossed bangs. She always acts so warm and generous, and those naive kids fresh out of college fall for her ‘devoted and caring’ act. She paused, then added, It’s not just girls. Her little clique preys on pretty, vulnerable kids to satisfy their twisted desires.

Oh. Yu Jing lowered her gaze to her exposed forearm before looking up again. Thank you for the warning, Teacher Yi. I don’t play games, so her offers hold no appeal for me.