Chapter 005: I Got Your Hint

Fang Yimeng’s gaze slipped past Lu Jingshan’s departing back and landed on Liao Ran, who was surrounded by a crowd. Liao Ran looked a little stunned but still tried to push past the others and head straight toward Fang Yimeng.

That surprised her a little.

The first thing Liao Ran said wasn’t “What happened?”—instead, she stared at Lu Jingshan and questioned Fang Yimeng directly, “How do you know him?”

The atmosphere suddenly felt off.

Fang Yimeng narrowed her alluring, flirtatious eyes, letting her gaze flick between Lu Jingshan and Liao Ran.

“I’ll pick you up after filming today,” Lu Jingshan said—not to Liao Ran, but directly to Fang Yimeng, ignoring Liao Ran entirely.

He reached out to gently tuck a loose strand of Fang Yimeng’s hair behind her ear, his deep eyes full of tenderness.

Fang Yimeng: Okay! Teammate, I got your signal.

She didn’t quite understand how Liao Ran knew Lu Jingshan, but right now, this was the perfect opportunity to clear her name from rumors of clinging to a rich second-generation heir.

After briefly locking eyes with Lu Jingshan, Fang Yimeng didn’t hesitate. She slipped her arm around his and stood up, leaning her entire body against him.

In that moment, Lu Jingshan felt a soft and delicate sensation against his upper arm. He instinctively glanced down at her lovely, fair, and charming face.

The hand at his side clenched slightly, his breath catching for a second.

Her sultry gaze sparkled with flirtatious intent as she tilted her head onto his shoulder, clearly declaring her claim to him in front of Liao Ran.

“This is my boyfriend, Jingshan,” Fang Yimeng said with a sweet pout. “Ugh, didn’t we agree that you’d wait for me in the van after the shoot?”

Completely immersed in playing the role of a doting girlfriend, Fang Yimeng had not a shred of shame.

Lu Jingshan, on the other hand, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. A faint smile flickered in his dark eyes.

Liao Ran’s expression subtly cracked as she watched Lu Jingshan’s gentle attitude toward Fang Yimeng.

She took a step forward and demanded, “When did you return to the country?”

Fang Yimeng wasn’t dumb. Of course she could tell there was something fishy between the two of them. Her smile faded slightly, and she loosened her grip on Lu Jingshan’s arm a bit.

She looked up at the tall, cool, and refined man beside her and couldn’t help but start making bold guesses in her mind.

He looked like a sweet, innocent side character—but could he actually be the “villainous male lead” taking over after her part ended?

Just thinking about the possibility gave her chills.

Before she could recover from the ominous feeling, her hand suddenly lost its support. The next second, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in. She stumbled and fell into Lu Jingshan’s arms.

Feeling his grip tighten around her waist, she quickly pushed her wild thoughts aside and fell into sync with him again.

“He came back to the country for me. My 26th birthday is coming up,” she said to Liao Ran, smiling innocently. “But you’ve been staring at my boyfriend like that… If Li Jincheng hears about this, he might get the wrong idea. I’m only saying this for your sake.”

The three of them formed a triangle as they stood there, and the surrounding crew, realizing that a juicy industry scandal was unfolding right in front of them, all discreetly pulled out their phones to snap photos—ready to anonymously leak the gossip on WeChat, Weibo, and other platforms.

But Liao Ran seemed deaf to Fang Yimeng’s declaration of “ownership.” Her gaze had been fixed on Lu Jingshan the entire time.

Director Zheng glanced at his watch, then quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. He coaxed Liao Ran to get ready for hair and makeup, then turned to Fang Yimeng with a flattering smile. “The shoot’s about to begin.”

Lu Jingshan finally let go of Fang Yimeng’s waist, but his hand remained clenched. In a low voice, he said, “I’ll find out who ordered the coffee-throwing stunt. Message me after filming.”

Once the key players left the scene, the onlookers put their phones away and returned to work.

Fang Yimeng smoothed out her outfit—puffed sleeves and a tight pencil skirt that hugged her curves and emphasized her slim waist. Just sitting in the high chair at the judges’ panel, her long, straight legs drew envious stares.

“Who was that man next to Fang Yimeng just now? He looked unfamiliar.”

“I don’t know, but he was seriously good-looking!”

Fang Yimeng glanced at her script while listening to the two staffers gossip behind her. The corners of her lips lifted in amusement.

Today’s shoot was for an actor talent competition. Well-known actors in TV and film were invited to serve as mentors to help guide and discover new talent.

The female lead of the novel, Liao Ran, was renowned for her solid acting skills and professional reputation.

There were also a few other male and female actors with strong portfolios and good public opinion.

Only Fang Yimeng’s presence felt like a jarring note in the mix.

Never mind her acting chops—just today’s trending topic accusing her of bullying staff on set made her presence here seem laughable and absurd.

But if she didn’t feel embarrassed, the awkwardness was on everyone else.

Fang Yimeng, unfazed, sat confidently in the center judge’s seat and flipped through the contestant list. As she was zoning out while looking at the fresh faces in their ID-style photos, everything on set was finally ready.

Cameras rolling.

The host, acting as the “producer representative” for this actor talent show, began the opening monologue on stage.

The spotlight illuminated the stage completely, leaving the judges’ area in the dark.

Liao Ran was still fixated on why Lu Jingshan was back in the country. She glanced toward Fang Yimeng, who sat calmly as ever, her expression unreadable.

It seemed Liao Ran was debating whether to speak up.

Fang Yimeng had already noticed her fidgeting from the corner of her eye but deliberately looked straight ahead, ignoring her completely.

The first rule for a villainous supporting actress’s comeback: Never hand the heroine an easy way out.

Liao Ran hesitated several times, and after finally making up her mind to speak to Fang Yimeng—

Whoosh—the spotlight swept across the judges’ panel.

Out of sheer professionalism, all of them instinctively smiled in a graceful and composed manner.

This segment was just for introducing the judges. When the producer rep called Fang Yimeng’s name, the camera focused on her enchanting face.

“Do you have any advice or suggestions for the new actors?”

All eyes turned to Fang Yimeng.

Under the spotlight, she radiated confidence and calm. Facing the camera, she smiled brightly and responded with ease.

“Acting is incredibly challenging. If you can’t find the right feeling, try drawing inspiration from real life. Immerse yourself in it, and let it guide your performance.”

Her tone was gentle and unhurried. You’d never guess this woman—currently trending on Weibo for all the wrong reasons—was supposedly a “notorious” figure.