Strange Atmosphere

“Xiaoxiao, I’m coming in,” Liang Cheng announced as she changed into her designated slippers and made her way through the foyer and living room towards the gym.

This was Jiang Xiao’s residence in the city center, where the ground floor boasted luxurious amenities like a theater, gym, and tea room, accessible to all residents. It was luxurious and extravagant.

The second floor belonged exclusively to Jiang Xiao, where besides the bedroom and bathroom, all other spaces were opened up into a walk-in closet filled with the latest models from major luxury brands, be it clothes, shoes, bags, or jewelry.

Inside the gym, brightly lit and spotlessly clean, soothing music filled the air. Liang Cheng spotted her target, seated gracefully on a yoga mat, following a coach’s instructions on a large screen.

The woman had a slender and graceful figure, her tight yoga outfit accentuating her impressive curves—long and shapely legs, a soft and slender waist, and a well-rounded bosom that subtly hinted at allure with every movement she made, as if ready to bloom with spring colors.

As she turned, her naturally beautiful face, without makeup, came into view—delicate lips, a straight nose, and clear eyes exuding a natural charm that was neither deliberate nor vulgar, reminiscent of the stunning camellias found in the mountains, breathtaking yet unaware.

Liang Cheng noticed her sweat-soaked shirt and felt a mix of relief and sighs. In Liang Cheng’s eyes, Jiang Xiao was willful and playful, with a short attention span and little care for anything serious—a born hedonist blessed with a life of luxury. Yet, instead of enjoying her leisurely life as a young lady, she insisted on entering the entertainment industry as a big star.

Well, if she wanted in, the family had more than enough money to support her.

With top-tier looks that suited any style, coupled with an outstanding figure and demeanor, and the willingness of her family to invest in resources and roles, she had risen to prominence among a host of young actresses within just a couple of years. Leveraging her beauty, she frequently dominated the trending topics and gained enough popularity and public attention. All that was left was a notable award to firmly establish herself.

Everything should have gone according to plan, but over the past year, her path to stardom had encountered obstacles. Her reputation had suffered from reports of diva behavior, poor acting skills, bad singing, bullying juniors, and a series of negative news that led to a sharp decline in her popularity among the general public. Resources that were originally promised to her seemed to be leaning towards other rising stars.

To make matters worse, she seemed oblivious to it all and, caught up in a romantic haze, even demanded that her love life be made public, displaying no awareness of behaving like an idol star.

Thankfully, they had broken up…

“Sister Liang, why are you here so early? Weren’t we supposed to meet at half-past ten? I haven’t even had a chance to shower,” Jiang Xiao’s sweet voice brought Liang Cheng back to the present. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to get up.”

After Zhou Qishen proposed a contract marriage yesterday, Jiang Xiao returned home in a daze. Nothing went wrong along the way, which showed that the system did not lie to her. She did not need to stay by Zhou Qishen’s side all the time just to complete the task of getting popularity.

However, she still didn’t know what the consequences of that “but” would be, so she could only take it one step at a time.

Jiang Xiao stood up and wiped the sweat off her face while closing the video call with her coach. Then she gave Liang Cheng, who was leaning against the door, an aggrieved look: “I’ve never been late.”

Although Jiang Xiao was confused about certain matters, she was always punctual and disciplined.

The background music stopped, which meant the end of her yoga practice three times a week. She had missed out on it during the few days she stayed at Zhou Qishen’s house, so she had to make up for it, so she specially added half an hour of practice time.

Liang Cheng spread her hands and smiled mischievously, “Just in case you couldn’t wake up.”

Rolling her eyes, Jiang Xiao decided not to argue with her. She intended to leave the gym and shower when she felt something furry rub against her lower leg. Looking down, she spotted a corgi circling around her feet.

The little guy was very clingy, love to bask in the sun. Every time she rose early for yoga, it would follow along, lounging in its dog bed in the corner by the glass window. When she stopped the music to leave, it would immediately get up and follow her, irresistibly cute.

Bending down to pat Wangcai’s head, Jiang Xiao felt her heart melting. Time didn’t allow her to linger, though. “I’m going to take a shower. We’ll leave after.”

Liang Cheng waved her hand, gesturing for her to go quickly, then crouched down to play with Wangcai. Suddenly, she remembered something, and a smile couldn’t help but creep onto her face. “Hehe, today is the wrap-up day for shooting. Comrade Xiaoxiao, you need to give it your all!”

What made her so happy was that after this drama, it would be difficult for Jiang Xiao to collaborate with Zhou Wenting in the future.

The end of the bad relationship means a brand new beginning. How can she not be happy as an agent?

Jiang Xiao was currently shooting a drama titled “Unforgettable Love,” a modern idol drama set in the city.

Zhou Wenting played the male lead, portraying a domineering CEO who pretended to have amnesia to reclaim his fortune. Lin Qianyu played the female lead, a kind-hearted florist who found the male lead.

According to the rules, given Lin Qianyu’s recent debut, she wasn’t qualified to act as the female lead alongside Zhou Wenting, who had just become a film emperor. However, thanks to Zhou Wenting’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering, she successfully recommended Lin Qianyu to the scriptwriter and director, overriding objections to land her first leading role.

Half a month after filming started, Jiang Xiao came to visit the set and vaguely noticed Zhou Wenting’s special treatment of Lin Qianyu. To prevent her new boyfriend from changing his mind, she had turned down her original schedule and personally followed the crew.

Although she joined the crew with money, the lead role had already been decided in advance by the production team. Helpless, they could only arrange a cameo role for her as the male lead’s childhood sweetheart, a role with few scenes that did not affect the overall plot, totaling just ten scenes.

This afternoon, they were filming the wrap-up scene for Jiang Xiao. After a series of setbacks, the male lead sent his childhood sweetheart abroad. The female lead misunderstood that he intended to leave with her childhood sweetheart and rushed to the airport to passionately confess and persuade him to stay.

With the reconciliation of the male and female leads, the childhood sweetheart naturally exited the story.

In both the drama and reality, Jiang Xiao was a stumbling block to the relationship between Zhou Wenting and Lin Qianyu, making the situation quite dramatic.

The filming took place at a bustling airport, and to minimize disruption to public order, preparations were made in a nearby guesthouse before filming.

As soon as Jiang Xiao arrived, she was taken to the dressing room, where makeup and styling began. During this break, Liang Cheng and assistant Xiao Zhang distributed pre-ordered coffee and pastries to the crew.

Suddenly, Jiang Xiao remembered something. “Hey, Sister Liang, did they retrieve the surveillance footage from that banquet?”

Liang Cheng paused, suspicious. “They did retrieve it, but why do you need the surveillance footage?”

“Oh, nothing, just looking for something interesting,” Jiang Xiao teased.

Despite her curiosity, Liang Cheng didn’t press further and sent the surveillance video to Jiang Xiao before leaving with Xiao Zhang.

The makeup and styling took less time than Jiang Xiao had estimated—just an hour.

In the mirror, she wore a simple pink and white dress with a matching headband, her long curly hair cascading down her back to her waist. The delicate and gentle makeup softened her sharp features, making her look incredibly fresh and beautiful.

The stylist, seeing Jiang Xiao silent the whole time, thought she might not be satisfied with the styling and hurriedly offered, “If you’re not happy, we can change it right away.”

The stylist’s tone was gentle, even a bit enthusiastic and eager to please.

Jiang Xiao smiled kindly, “It looks quite good.”

She had always favored a bright and vibrant style but found trying a youthful look unexpectedly refreshing.

With some time before filming started, Jiang Xiao planned to review the script again.

Her lines and scenes were minimal, easy to memorize, and you can even say that you know them by heart.

Just then, the door creaked open.

“Hello, Teacher Lin.”

The overlapping greetings piqued Jiang Xiao’s interest. Glancing through the mirror, she saw Lin Qianyu standing awkwardly at the door, unsure whether to leave or come in.

The dressing room was originally intended for the female lead alone, but since Jiang Xiao’s chair was placed there, it was assumed they would share.

Considering their unpleasant encounter the other night, meeting again was indeed awkward. They exchanged a brief glance before Lin Qianyu lowered her head first.

Jiang Xiao averted her gaze but caught Lin Qianyu’s figure swaying slightly, nearly pushed to the ground by someone. This sudden incident furrowed her brow in concern.

“Get out of the way! What are you blocking the door for? Don’t you have any manners?” Zhang Jingyao barged in, rolling her eyes impatiently. She forcefully bumped Lin Qianyu’s shoulder before swaggering inside with a twist of her waist.

However, as soon as she spotted Jiang Xiao, her demeanor changed immediately, a flattering smile curling her lips. “Oh my, why does our Xiaoxiao look so beautiful today? Look at this tender little face, much prettier than a certain leading actress.”

The stylist, hearing this, knew that these two were about to cause trouble for Lin Qianyu again. Despite the latter doing nothing wrong, the former, relying on her seniority and background, would occasionally make snide remarks, making the atmosphere on set tense.

But even the director and producer dared not easily offend Jiang Xiao. What could a small stylist like her do for Lin Qianyu? She could only pretend to tidy up the makeup and remove herself from the situation, out of sight and out of mind.

Jiang Xiao had expected Zhang Jingyao’s arrival. She glanced at her casually and asked, “What are you here for?”

Zhang Jingyao’s smile froze momentarily. Under normal circumstances, Jiang Xiao would have joined in with her in teasing Lin Qianyu, but now she was avoiding the topic, she must have known something, and was angry at her.

Zhang Jingyao said with a grievance, “Xiaoxiao, I miss you, can’t I come to see you?”

Jiang Xiao raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Of course,” Zhang Jingyao said. “You just left that day, you didn’t answer my phone calls or messages, and you didn’t even open the door when I went to your house to look for you. I couldn’t sleep for several nights. So I lined up to buy cakes early in the morning, thinking of making it up to you.”

After speaking, Zhang Jingyao lowered herself, squatting on the ground and nudging the paper bag in her hand.

“Sujia,” a famous century-old brand in Beijing, operates on a membership basis with daily purchase limits, available only through offline queues starting from at least an hour wait.

Jiang Xiao was a loyal fan, buying from them at least three times a week. However, for the sake of her appearances, she had to restrain herself from indulging in high-calorie foods like pastries, usually just taking a little, with the rest going to Liang Cheng or other crew members.

But the more she saw others enjoying it, the more she craved it, often mentioning Sujia pastries whenever she couldn’t decide what to eat.

It could be said that Zhang Jingyao’s gift was very much in line with Jiang Xiao’s desires, but she only glanced at it coldly and said, “I’m on a diet.”

Seeing Jiang Xiao’s reaction, Zhang Jingyao immediately changed tactics and coquettishly pleaded, “Xiaoxiao, don’t be like this. I know I was wrong~”

Finally setting aside the script, Jiang Xiao spoke warmly, “I’m sorry about that. Can we talk privately?”

There were only four people in the dressing room, and it was clear who she was addressing.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, the stylist, with keen insight, left, taking the soft-hearted Lin Qianyu with her. “Teacher Lin, let me touch up your makeup.”

Lin Qianyu smiled faintly and didn’t refuse the stylist’s kindness. “Thank you.”

The door to the dressing room closed.