Chapter 3: Commercial Flattery

The fox tribe has always been known for their vanity, with many elixirs in the tribe designed to enhance beauty.

After Lin Qian’s rebirth, she bonded with a fox. This particular fox had many beauty-enhancing elixirs and was skilled in refining them.

Lin Qian thought about it. In her previous life, the movie Moonlight became a huge hit, with nearly 1 billion yuan in box office revenue for an art film. The lead actress, Tong Yue, won the Best Actress award again. But so what? Director Qin had repeatedly said in public that he regretted casting Tong Yue, saying she wasn’t the right choice.

Some said Tong Yue’s performance was so brilliant that it overshadowed Director Qin’s own style. While this explanation was dismissive, it held a kernel of truth.

Director Qin believed that if a newcomer had achieved such a high box office result, it would have been a true success.

Some people also think that Director Qin regrets choosing Tong Yue because she had plastic surgery. Director Qin is well-known for preferring natural faces. Only if Tong Yue had plastic surgery can it explain why Director Qin regrets choosing her.

Lin Qian felt that her acting skills were solid, though she wasn’t particularly famous—qualifying her as a newcomer. If she could just have a word with Director Qin, she might get chosen and save him from future regret.

Director Qin was a renowned director, and the movie was scripted by a famous screenwriter—there was no question it would succeed.

Without Tong Yue, it would still be a box-office hit.

Lin Qian was determined to outshine Tong Yue.

However, she had to guard against Tong Yue’s die-hard fans accusing her of using underhanded methods to replace their idol. If they really said that, so be it.

“Being infamous first, then turning the tide, is the path to success,” Lin Qian thought, confident she could use her acting to slap those die-hard fans in the face.

In fact, she hoped they would say such things, as it would increase her fame.

And Director Qin wasn’t likely to replace the lead actress casually. He would surely blame Tong Yue for the fallout. After all, fans’ actions often reflect on their idols.

“Time to start earning some belief points,” said the fox in the mirror.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem,” Lin Qian replied. With her experience from her past life, she was confident she could seize the hottest film projects.

The next morning, after breakfast, Tong Yue and Meng Yuqi headed to the Tong family house.

Tong Yue’s parents warmly welcomed Meng Yuqi, but she was treated like a forgotten child. Her parents often overlooked her.

“You’re both getting older; it’s time to start thinking about having kids,” her father finally said, turning to Tong Yue. “Don’t spend all your time acting, remember your family.”

Tong Yue had intended to stay in the background, but she hadn’t expected her father to notice her so quickly.

Whenever Meng Yuqi was around, her parents would always focus on him first, only turning to her afterward.

Tong Yue didn’t feel that her parents were particularly wrong. They hadn’t forced her to do anything, and they cared for her privately. But since the Meng family was far more powerful than the Tong family, her father, who had once been a driver for Meng Yuqi’s father, was used to deferring to them.

After all, they had relied on the Meng family’s support for many years. Not just her parents, even Tong Yue herself had learned to play the sycophant.

Being fawning had its perks, after all.

Otherwise, how could she have gained the favor of Meng Yuqi’s mother? How could she have secured a contractual marriage with Meng Yuqi and gained access to so many resources?

Tong Yue thought : Dad and Mom are being so fawning again—they’re just like me.

Meng Yuqi turned to look at Tong Yue, having overheard her thoughts, but he didn’t show any surprise.

His beloved is just like that, quite sensible.

“Yueyue is still young,” Meng Yuqi cut in, not wanting Tong Yue to humble herself and call him “Brother Yuqi” just yet. He enjoyed hearing her sweet, soft voice call him that, and loved when she leaned on him.

But now wasn’t the time. It was better for him to take charge, saving his beloved from the awkwardness of answering her father. “Let’s enjoy our time as a couple first.”

“After a few more years… the seven-year itch…” Tong Yue’s mother accidentally blurted out, immediately realizing her mistake. “No rush, no rush, you’re both still young.”

She didn’t mean to suggest that they might divorce after the seven-year mark. She wasn’t trying to push her daughter into having a child with the Meng family just to solidify the connection between the two families.

Tong Yue’s mother wasn’t really scheming something. She was simply worried that her daughter’s constant acting might strain their marriage. She had seen too many celebrity couples start out in love, only to divorce due to spending too much time apart. Many female stars had divorced their wealthy husbands after similar patterns.

“Brother Yuqi’s child would surely be exceptional,” Tong Yue thought. If she hadn’t ascended to godhood, she might have even considered having a child with Meng Yuqi.

With a brilliant child, well-raised, she could divorce Meng Yuqi and not need to think about marriage again. 

No need for a child—especially a rambunctious one. A genius baby would be ideal.

But now, Tong Yue thought: I’ve already become a god. Why would I need a child?

“…Become a god? What does she mean?” Meng Yuqi felt a bit confused. Did his beloved mean she had reached the pinnacle of her acting career, becoming a god in the industry?

Did she want to be like some dancers who remained childless for the sake of their art?

If she really didn’t want children, that was fine, too. Meng Yuqi thought he should consider this carefully. If his beloved truly didn’t want kids, they could always adopt.

“Brother Yuqi,” Tong Yue gazed at Meng Yuqi with affection. “Your child would inherit immense wealth from birth—winning at the starting line. How amazing.”

“Ours!” Meng Yuqi reached out and tightly grasped Tong Yue’s hand.

With his beloved looking at him with such deep affection, he couldn’t resist holding her hand even tighter, feeling the urge to kiss her.

“You’re so beautiful,” Meng Yuqi smiled. “If we had a son who looked like you, wouldn’t people mistake him for a girl?”

“Maybe,” Tong Yue tilted her head playfully.

“You two, stop flattering each other,” Tong Yue’s mother said, noticing how tightly they were holding hands. Seeing their affection, she felt reassured. “Today, the auntie made braised pork ribs and broccoli.”

As she mentioned the broccoli, Tong Yue’s mother glanced at her. “You should skip the ribs and stick to your broccoli.”

“No,” Tong Yue refused.

“Keep your figure for acting,” her mother said.

“I can’t. If I eat only vegetables, I might suffer from malnutrition, which could affect fertility,” Tong Yue said seriously. “From now on, I’ll maintain a balanced diet.”

Tong Yue :  I’ve already ascended to godhood, don’t even think about making me stick to a vegetarian diet!

Meng Yuqi :  …

At this moment, Meng Yuqi smiled while patting Tong Yue’s head. “We’ll just do more exercise… tonight.”

Tong Yue shot him a glare: Exercise is fine, but why add ‘tonight’? That’s going to cause misunderstandings!

Meng Yuqi indeed wished for a more intimate kind of “exercise” with Tong Yue, but since their marriage was contractual, he wouldn’t dare act rashly before she fell in love with him. His worst fear was that she’d end up hating him before ever loving him.

“Exercise is good for young people,” Tong Yue’s father added.

He was thinking that young couples should spend more time together, and ideally, have children sooner rather than later.

Tong Yue’s father had noticed that many actresses were having children earlier these days, not waiting until their forties. By then, having kids wasn’t always a sure thing. He hoped his daughter would have children soon, which would be good for her health. Of course, it would also benefit the Tong family. But could Meng Yuqi and his daughter really stay together long-term?

Their family wasn’t as powerful as the Meng family, and the gap between them was wide. Tong Yue’s father thought that perhaps it was better that his daughter hadn’t had children yet. If they didn’t stay together, at least they could part ways more easily without the complications of custody battles.

Luckily, Meng Yuqi could only read Tong Yue’s thoughts. If he knew what her father was thinking, he would’ve surely thought: What happened to being obsequious?

Weren’t they supposed to be clinging to his “big leg” for support? How could they be planning for an easy separation already? This wasn’t the behavior of a proper sycophant!

After lunch, Tong Yue and Meng Yuqi didn’t leave immediately. They stayed in the living room with her parents to watch some TV.

As Tong Yue watched the hysterical supporting actress in the drama, she thought: Why cling to just one man? You’re a rich and beautiful woman—why hang yourself on a single tree? So dumb!

Meng Yuqi wasn’t much into these idol dramas, but he enjoyed listening to Tong Yue’s inner thoughts.

Tong Yue thought : At least this isn’t one of those novels where the villainess drugs the male lead, only for him to be completely unaffected. Sigh, I wouldn’t even think about drugging Meng Yuqi.

Meng Yuqi’s earlobes turned a little red. No need for her to drug me—I’m already more than willing!

Tong Yue, on the other hand, was simply reminded of the novels she’d read. She had no intention of drugging Meng Yuqi. There’s no point in taking aphrodisiacs or anything like that. If someone doesn’t love you, they just don’t.

“Are you considering returning to TV?” Tong Yue’s mother asked. Movies were great, but it wasn’t easy to always find good roles in films.

“We’ll see,” Tong Yue replied. She had started her career on the small screen, having been a child star. However, child stars had their challenges, as audiences often found it hard to take them seriously, still seeing them as children.

Fortunately, she had succeeded, mostly due to having enough resources. Without resources, no matter how good your acting was, it wouldn’t be enough.

Tong Yue thought : Those little spirits are still waiting for me to check in on them.

Meng Yuqi was reaching for an apple when he heard Tong Yue’s thoughts, his hand trembling slightly. The apple nearly fell to the floor.

Little spirits? Could it be that Tong Yue had her eye on some pretty boy?

Meng Yuqi’s mind often ran wild when he overheard Tong Yue’s inner thoughts. But Tong Yue had no idea what he was imagining—she was thinking about actual spirits, small animals or plants that had transformed into human form.

“The apple is too hard to eat. Try a banana instead,” Meng Yuqi said, setting the apple down and handing Tong Yue a peeled banana. “Bananas aid digestion.”

“Bananas are great,” Tong Yue nodded, thinking : Dressed in a little yellow outfit, only to be stripped bare like this.

She took a serious bite of the banana.

Meng Yuqi smiled faintly. Tong Yue’s thoughts were pure, but they stirred something in him, making him feel both playful and moved by her liveliness.