“You’ve always had her in your heart, so why are you still bothering me? You’re just using me as her stand-in, right? I—”

In the quiet room, Ming Yao had barely finished her line when Director Song cut her off. “Ming Yao, that’s not how this line should be delivered. You need to really feel the protagonist’s emotions. At this moment, she’s feeling at her lowest. She’s feeling overwhelmed by pain, despair, and complicated feelings of love and hate. Do you understand?”

Ming Yao: “……”

I don’t understand. If I did, I wouldn’t have to keep auditioning again and again.

Ming Yao clutched her script and sighed. “Director Song, I’ll try to get into the role again.”

Director Song patted her shoulder and said seriously, “Filming starts in just a few months. You can’t keep going like this—you need to push yourself harder.”

Ming Yao nodded slightly. “Mhm.”

By the time Ming Yao left the set, it was 11 a.m. With summer approaching, the weather was already starting to feel hot and humid. Just as she was about to find a place to eat, her best friend, Jian Ning called her.

“Where are you? Come have lunch with me.”

Ming Yao frowned. “Weren’t you in D City?”

“I got back last night,” Jian Ning said. “I booked a room at Zhouyi Hotel and just ordered some food. Can you come with me?”

Thinking that eating alone would be boring, Ming Yao agreed. She hailed a car, and headed straight to the hotel.

Zhouyi Hotel is a renowned five-star hotel brand under SG Hotel Group. The Beijing branch is its flagship location, epitomizing ultimate luxury and extravagance. Its guests are all either wealthy or distinguished.

It was rush hour, and the driver took a full thirty minutes to reach the hotel.

The doorman barely spared a glance at the ordinary taxi, but the second Ming Yao stepped out, his eyes brightened, and he couldn’t help but stare.

Ming Yao’s light brown, wavy hair was loosely tied into a high ponytail, effortlessly chic. The trendy cropped T-shirt showed off her slender waist, and the tight jeans highlighted her long, straight legs. She had a fresh, effortless charm, yet there was an undeniable allure to her—like a dewy rose at dawn, exuding a soft, languid sensuality.

The doorman immediately straightened up, swiftly pulling the door open. With a courteous nod, he greeted Ming Yao, “Good afternoon.”

As she stepped inside, the two doormen standing on both sides exchanged glances and silently mouthed,—“so beautiful.”

Ming Yao didn’t notice their reaction and walked straight to the elevator.

All four elevators were either in use or had just closed their doors, and Ming Yao missed every single one. She glanced around and spotted an elevator at the far end that had just arrived on the first floor.

Without a second thought, she walked toward it. But the attendant at the entrance stopped her and said politely, “My apologies, Miss. Please use the guest elevator over there.”

Qi Xu had just stepped into the elevator when he heard the attendant’s words and raised his gaze slightly.

Ming Yao, still unaware that someone was inside, frowned in confusion. “Isn’t this a guest elevator? Why can’t I use it?”

She had been stuck in traffic for what felt like forever, and she was absolutely starving. All she wanted was to find Jian Ning as soon as possible and eat some food.

The attendant was about to explain when Qi Xu lowered his gaze again and said nonchalantly, “It doesn’t matter.”

The attendant was momentarily caught off guard and stared at him in surprise. It took him a few seconds to register what Qi Xu meant before he finally nodded slightly at Ming Yao and said, “Alright. Please come in, Miss.”

Only then did Ming Yao notice the man in the elevator. He wore a sharply tailored black suit. His shirt cuffs peeked out just enough, a subtle display of refined taste. A sleek black wristwatch sat on his wrist, understated yet undeniably luxurious. He leaned casually against the elevator wall, as one hand on the railing while the other held his phone. His head was slightly lowered as he scrolled through the screen—focused, yet effortlessly composed.

By Ming Yao’s high standards, this man was almost a perfect ten. His looks, fashion style, physique, and overall vibe were all top-tier.

Ming Yao casually stepped into the elevator, pressed her floor number, then moved aside and stealthily sent a message to Jian Ning: [Just spotted a ridiculously good-looking guy. Absolute 10/10.]

After sending the message, the elevator was completely silent. Ming Yao thought about it and figured she should thank the guy because if not for him, she’d probably still be waiting downstairs. She cleared her throat and said sincerely, “Thanks for earlier.”

However, there was no response from behind her.

Thanks to the mirrored walls, Ming Yao didn’t even have to turn around to see that the man was still staring at his phone, completely ignoring her.

Getting the cold shoulder, Ming Yao shut her mouth and thought to herself—There’s no way he’s getting a perfect score now. He’s barely passing with that cold attitude.

Just then, Jian Ning suddenly video-called her. Ming Yao had already forgotten about the message she sent earlier and picked up without thinking, “What’s up?”

The first thing Jian Ning said made her blood pressure spike. “Where’s the handsome guy? Find a good angle and secretly show me how good-looking he is!”

Ming Yao: “……”

The elevator was dead silent, making Jian Ning’s betrayal all the more obvious. She hadn’t mentioned any names, but with the person in question standing right behind her, anyone with even a shred of common sense could tell they were talking about him.

Ming Yao wanted to disappear on the spot. She hastily ended the video call while trying to maintain her composure, flatly denying, “He’s not here.”

The elevator fell silent again. Ming Yao slowly came back to her senses, then immediately regretted her response—it sounded way too much like a guilty person trying to cover up a lie.

She subtly angled her body, pretending to glance around casually while actually sneaking a look behind her to check his reaction. But to her surprise, at some point, he had already put his phone away. Now, he stood there with his arms crossed, leaning lazily against the elevator wall.

Just as her gaze landed on him, he happened to look over too. Their eyes met—completely out of nowhere.

“……”

Ming Yao’s heart skipped a beat as a wave of awkwardness hit her out of nowhere, spreading through her entire body. She quickly averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened and forcing herself to appear calm. Thankfully, the elevator soon arrived at the 19th floor. As the elevator doors opened, she kept a calm expression and stepped out as if everything was perfectly normal.

She didn’t turn around—she couldn’t bring herself to. Only when the elevator doors finally shut did she allow herself to relax.

Ming Yao followed the room numbers and knocked on Jian Ning’s door.

Jian Ning opened the door and hugged her with dramatic flair, dramatically professing her deep longing, as if a single day apart had felt like an eternity. “Meimei, I missed you so much I could die!”

Still mortified from the earlier situation, Ming Yao shoved Jian Ning away. “You didn’t miss me—you were trying to get me killed! You called me on video in the elevator… were you afraid people wouldn’t know that we were talking about him?”

“My bad, haha.” Jian Ning laughed as she pulled Ming Yao inside. “How was I supposed to know he was in the elevator? But seriously, if you think a guy’s handsome, I had to see him or myself!”

Ming Yao had ridiculously high standards. Over four years of college, the number of people who chased her could’ve circled the entire city, but not a single one was good enough.

When they reached the room, Ming Yao dropped her bag on the couch. “Why are you staying in a hotel?”

Jian Ning sat across from her, bringing over a pile of snacks. “I’m here to ambush my brother.”

“……”

“I bought a bunch of bags in D City and maxed out my card. Now I’m begging my brother for some money.”

Ming Yao quickly understood. The last time Jian Ning maxed out her card, her father froze all her accounts, turning her from a rich girl who could buy whatever she wanted into someone who had to ration a steamed bun. She ended up living off Ming Yao for two months just to survive.

So this time, she was being smart—when she was broke, she went straight to her brother.

“My brother is in Beijing for business today. He always stays at the Zhouyi Hotel when he’s here, so I checked in here first and thought I’d surprise him later.”

Ming Yao took a bite of honeydew melon. “I’ll spare three seconds of sympathy for your brother.”

“Enough about me,” Jian Ning said, suddenly becoming serious. “What about you? I heard Chen Rong is also going for the role of Lin Yunyun. Has the role been decided yet?”

Ming Yao and Jian Ning are both in their last year at the Beijing Film Academy’s Acting Department, and Chen Rong is in the same program. Recently, a romance drama came to the department for auditions, and over a hundred people auditioned, making it a tough competition.

Ming Yao’s looks are her biggest strength. After several rounds of auditions, the second female lead role came down to her and Chen Rong. The director said that Ming Yao’s appearance and vibe fit the character perfectly, but she still needs work on bringing the role to life. As for Chen Rong, she nails the emotional feel of the character, but her look is a little off.

Although the production team has not yet made a final decision, the director privately favors Ming Yao and has already decided that he wants to give her the role. Director Song repeatedly reminds Ming Yao to spend time before the shoot focusing on her character and improving her acting skills.

But does Ming Yao lack acting skills? No. What she really lacks is experience!

It’s one thing to have someone who’s never been in a relationship act in a romantic drama, but the love story itself is actually pretty complicated.

“You know,” Ming Yao says, munching on melon as she vents to Jian Ning, “From the start, Lin Yunyun was just a stand-in for the male lead, and that jerk never really loved her. She was so down, so hopeless, and even after finding out the truth, she just couldn’t let go of him… I honestly don’t get it. What was she thinking? Was she just being stupid?”

“You know,” Ming Yao spoke while munching on melon as she vented to Jian Ning, “From the start, Lin Yunyun was just a stand-in for the male lead, and that jerk never really loved her. She was so miserable and hopeless, and even after finding out the truth, she just couldn’t let go of him… I really don’t get it. What was she thinking? Was she just being stupid?”

Ming Yao’s been reading the script every day in her dorm, trying to understand Lin Yunyun’s thoughts.

But seriously, how could someone who’s been single their whole life possibly understand that kind of tragic love?

Sometimes, she gets so annoyed that she can’t empathize, she ends up thinking the female lead is just an idiot.

“You’ve been single for way too long. If you’d dated more, you wouldn’t be so confused,” said Jian Ning.

Ming Yao thought Jian Ning’s words made sense.

Drama comes from life, and life experiences, in particular, help improve understanding of characters. She simply lacks experience in this area, so she can’t grasp that kind of situation.

“You know, it’d be great if someone would let me practice this twisted kind of love,” Ming Yao said.

“How would you even practice? Should we get you to be a stand-in? Who would let the ‘queen’ of our drama department play a stand-in? They must be out of their minds, haha!”

Ming Yao knew she was just daydreaming, but she said it without thinking.

At that moment, Jian Ning’s phone rang. She glanced at it and quickly jumped up, rubbing her hands together. “My brother’s assistant says he’s here! I’m off!”

Ming Yao said, “Good luck.”

“By the way,” Jian Ning pointed to a paper bag on the table. “If I manage to get some pocket money later, I’ll text you, and you can help me deliver this.”

Ming Yao glanced over. “What is it?”

“If my brother still has a bit of conscience and is willing to help me, I’ll give him the gift I bought in D City. If not, then there’s no need to give him anything.”

This sibling bond is so fake.

Ming Yao nodded, then hesitated. “But I’ve never met your brother. Wouldn’t it be too forward to just show up?”

“What’s the big deal? We’re practically family. My brother is your brother. Don’t act like an outsider!”

“……”

After Jian Ning left, Ming Yao stayed in the room, munching and sipping on snacks. About ten minutes later, Jian Ning sent her a message on WeChat:

【Haha, looks like my brother’s finally growing up! Hurry, bring the gift to Room 2808 to give to him!】

Ming Yao reluctantly followed the plan, carrying the gift as she headed out. Jian Ning’s room was on the 19th floor, so she had to take the elevator up to get to 2808.

In less than half a minute, the elevator reached the 28th floor.

As soon as the door opened, Ming Yao instantly felt the change in atmosphere.

Every decoration around her was more luxurious and refined, and even the carpet seemed to say, “I’m expensive.”

Ming Yao found Room 2808, stopped in front of the door, and knocked. Soon, the door opened.

Ming Yao had expected Jian Ning to answer the door, but when she saw who was standing in front of her, she was stunned.

So he’s Jian Ning’s brother?

……

Isn’t this the guy I ran into in the elevator?

So, he’s Jian Ning’s brother?

Is Jian Ning in the bathroom or something? Why isn’t she coming to open the door when she knows we don’t know each other?

But isn’t her brother already in his thirties? He doesn’t look at it at all.

What’s his secret to looking so young?

……

This situation caught Ming Yao completely off guard. She wasn’t prepared for it, and in just a few seconds, countless chaotic thoughts raced through her mind.

When she finally snapped out of it, she realized the man was also looking at her.

He was standing there calmly, waiting for her to speak.

Ming Yao：“……”

After all, she had knocked on the door herself, so she couldn’t just stand there awkwardly forever.

As she was figuring out what to say to start the conversation, Jian Ning’s words suddenly flashed through her mind: “My brother is your brother, don’t treat yourself like an outsider!”

In a flash of inspiration, she found a natural and polite way to break the ice.

Ming Yao swallowed nervously, paused for a moment, and cautiously said with sincerity—

“Hello, Gege.”

Qi Xu: “?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ming Yao’s phone rang.

Jian Ning’s WeChat message:

“Did you come out? I just made a mistake because my hand was shaky, it’s not 2808, it’s 2708. Don’t get it wrong, love you, kisses.”

Ming Yao: “……”

“Love your mom.”

---

Translator’s Notes:

The phrase “爱你妈” (literally “Love your mom”) is often used to express frustration in a humorous and lighthearted way, typically among close friends. It’s not meant to be disrespectful, but rather serves as a playful way to brush off the confusion caused by Jian Ning’s mistake.

Gege – The use of “哥哥” (gege) here shows a familiar, affectionate relationship. “Gege” is a term for an older brother, or sometimes a term of endearment for a close male friend or relative.