CHAPTER 46

[Sister, what's your room number? Should I come up and keep you company?]

Guan Han looked at the message from Tang Ruoyao and coughed softly, turning back on her steps.

"Qin Jie."

Qin Yinong held the glass wine with three fingers and glanced at her. "What is it? Do you have something else to say?"

"Miss Yao replied to the message." Guan Han paused for a moment, not seeing any intention from Qin Yinong to come and see for herself, and truthfully relayed the contents. "Miss Yao asked if you need her to come up and keep you company."

Qin Yinong: "..."

There was a momentary blank and confusion in her expression, as if she hadn't anticipated this turn of events at all.

Guan Han patiently waited.

The blankness on Qin Yinong's face gradually faded, replaced by a rarely seen concern that had become more prominent since being with Tang Ruoyao—a different kind of vivid worry.

A commonly known term for it would be motherly worry.

Upon seeing Qin Yinong's expression, Guan Han knew that Tang Ruoyao's expectations were likely to be shattered.

"Does she know what kind of place this is?" Qin Yinong's eyebrows furrowed deeply, filled with incredulity.

"Miss Yao might have been too happy to see you and didn't think about these things at the moment. Or perhaps she did think about it, but in her eyes, you are more important than these matters, so she said those words." Guan Han carefully tried to soften the situation for Tang Ruoyao, saying, "If any other sponsors have requests, the little lover cannot refuse."

Since the young girl was so happily excited, Guan Han decided to indirectly help her, considering the fact that she had played a few games with her.

Sure enough, Qin Yinong's expression wavered. "Is that so?"

Guan Han lowered her gaze. "Yes."

Qin Yinong's eyes softened, and she said gently, "Then reply to her, saying it's not convenient. Also, remind her not to casually go to other people's rooms in the hotel, whether they are male actors or female actors, and especially not the director. Anything that can be resolved on set should be resolved there, and if not, it can wait until the next day or be discussed over the phone."

Hotels are not safe places. Elevators, corridors—they are filled with surveillance cameras. If Tang Ruoyao enters her room, or if Qin Yinong enters Tang Ruoyao's room, there's no guarantee that some resourceful media personnel won't obtain video footage and publicly share it online, causing a frenzy of trending topics.

Whether it's genuine or fake matter, it will be stamped by the entertainment media as true. Given Qin Yinong's notorious reputation, any interaction between her and Tang Ruoyao, even if it's just a casual encounter, would have a detrimental impact on Tang Ruoyao's image as a pure and virtuous goddess in the public's eye.

This is also one of the main reasons why Qin Yinong has always restricted their meeting place to that house and has avoided meeting Tang Ruoyao anywhere else over the past three years. Tang Ruoyao is a rising star in the film industry, and she achieved fame at a young age. Even if there is a significant gap between her and Qin Yinong, who stands at the pinnacle of the industry, they wouldn't have attended any events together in these past few years.

For example, annual charity galas, fashion awards ceremonies, and other mainstream events that are bustling in the industry. If Qin Yinong hadn't intentionally avoided places where Tang Ruoyao would be present, they wouldn't have only crossed paths twice in public settings up until now.

Qin Yinong wanted Tang Ruoyao to walk a bright path, free from any shadows. She was Tang Ruoyao's only stain, and if caught by the paparazzi and exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Tang Ruoyao can be carefree and disregard everything, saying she will come up to Qin Yinong's room in the hotel downstairs. But Qin Yinong cannot lose her senses and impulsively agree to it.

Qin Yinong suddenly remembered something and raised her head abruptly. "Guan Han."

Guan Han was startled by her serious tone and immediately responded, "Here."

Qin Yinong's gaze turned cold. "Today, when Yao Yao and I were on set, you didn't see anyone suspicious secretly filming us, did you?"

Guan Han shook her head.

Qin Yinong knew how much she despised the entertainment media, and she was a prominent figure in their attention. Guan Han had always been vigilant in this aspect.

The coldness in Qin Yinong's eyes gradually subsided. She raised a finger and pinched her brow, sighing. "I was too impulsive. I shouldn't have listened to the voice in my heart and appeared on set without any preparation just because of a little hope."

Guan Han couldn't help but say, "Actually..."

Qin Yinong tilted her head back and took a sip of wine. The icy red liquid flowed down her throat. She didn't catch the latter part of Guan Han's sentence and asked afterwards, "What did you just say?"

Guan Han pursed her lips and lowered her head. "It's nothing."

Qin Yinong made a noncommittal sound. "Go back and get some rest. We have to wake up early tomorrow."

Guan Han said, "Goodnight, Qin Jie."

Qin Yinong smiled and replied, "Goodnight."

Guan Han closed the door behind her and looked up at the room number, standing quietly at the entrance for a while.

Actually... it's nice to be a bit reckless occasionally.

Guan Han said in her heart.

She wouldn't forget that just a few days ago, Qin Yinong had asked her to arrange a visit to the set. Qin Yinong blatantly explained to her that Lin Guoan, an unreliable old man, made it troublesome for her to go to the set, but there was a hint of joy in the corners of her eyes and lips when she turned around.

Guan Han had been with her for many years and rarely saw her genuine smile. Especially after the incident in her family three years ago, even her formal smiles disappeared. In private settings, the most common expression she had was a blank stare. Most of her smiles in the past two years were related to Tang Ruoyao.

Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao's contract would expire in nine months. After nine months, would she really be able to smoothly and peacefully end things and make her escape, just as she had planned?

If, after nine months, Tang Ruoyao still hasn't learned to walk independently, can Qin Yinong, both a mother and a secret admirer, feel at ease letting her venture alone in the entertainment industry?

On the positive side, suppose Tang Ruoyao undergoes a complete transformation during these nine months, fully blossoming with her own wings and exploring the world on her own. What if she meets someone she wants to spend her life with? Would Qin Yinong be willing to accept it? Will she watch as Tang Ruoyao falls into the embrace of another person?

Guan Han couldn't make any guarantees. Humans are the most complex species on Earth, and among human emotions, love is the most unpredictable and elusive. What can be rationalized and predicted often isn't true love.

Regardless of what decision Qin Yinong ultimately makes, Guan Han only hopes that she won't have any regrets. With the perfect timing, opportunity, and people surrounding Tang Ruoyao, it won't be easy for someone like Qin Yinong to find another person like Tang Ruoyao.

She might end up living in loneliness.

As for the present, Guan Han sighed and thought, forget it. Let's just take it one happy day at a time. As an assistant, why should she worry about her old mother's heart? She's not the reincarnation of the Matchmaker, worrying about two people's hearts at once.

.....

[There's a camera, not convenient.]

[Qin Jie also asked me to remind you, whether it's daytime or nighttime, don't casually visit other male or female actors' rooms.]

Tang Ruoyao sat on the edge of the bed, looking down and repeatedly reading the two messages in the center of the screen. Finally, she sighed softly, turned the phone upside down on the bed, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

After all, she had been in the industry for three years, and although she hadn't been caught herself, she had witnessed others being caught. Tang Ruoyao understood the harsh reality of the world. It was partly due to her personality, combined with her aloof reputation. It was considered normal for her to be a bit distant from others, which saved her from a lot of unnecessary familiarity and trouble. She had no such vulnerabilities in that aspect.

Her roommate, Wen Shuxian, on the other hand, was overly enthusiastic and often visited others' rooms, which led to her downfall. Wen Shuxian's fate was different. She gained fame in a drama, but during the filming, she was exposed in a scandal as a "third party" in a marriage. It happened because she wasn't careful in a hotel and fell into a trap set by a fellow actress from the same production. Fortunately, Wen Shuxian's team reacted quickly, immediately debunking the rumors and even finding evidence to counterattack the rumor-monger. Wen Shuxian opened a voice chat room and spent the entire night venting with the three members of Room 405, saying with a heavy tone, "This is a cautionary tale for all of you."

The three of them rolled their eyes in unison and replied without giving face, "Do you think we're as foolish as you?"

Tang Ruoyao was certainly not naive, she simply chose Qin Yinong between the possibility of being caught with her and Qin Yinong. Qin Yinong had so many scandals that she didn't need her to add to the list. If they were indeed caught, Tang Ruoyao thought optimistically: Qin Yinong would handle it.

Even if she couldn't handle it, there was nothing to fear. The camera couldn't possibly intrude into their room to see what they were specifically doing.

In the bathroom, the hot water from the shower-head poured down as Tang Ruoyao tilted her slender white neck back. She wiped the water off her face and temporarily turned off the shower-head. She then applied shampoo to her wet, long hair.

It's strange to say that despite media claims of Qin Yinong having so many lovers, there hasn't been any direct evidence of intimacy caught on camera — the closest being a hug. The most recent and well-known rumor involves Qin Yinong and Han Yuping. From when she was 21 and filming "Hazy" to now at the age of 29, every time the two of them cue each other in front of the media, it adds new evidence to their alleged inappropriate relationship. If it weren't for the fact that Han Yuping is almost sixty this year and looks completely different from Qin Yinong, the online fandom would have taken off long ago.

Even with Han Yuping, the most that Qin Yinong has been caught on camera is him ruffling her hair. Due to their significant age difference, they resemble more of a father-daughter relationship. Despite what the media says, Tang Ruoyao feels that the two of them genuinely appear to be innocent.

Tang Ruoyao rinsed off the white foam from her hair and squinted her eyes. So, was Qin Yinong always cautious and careful outside, which is why the media couldn't find any evidence? Or...

Standing under the hot water, Tang Ruoyao's mind vaguely recalled a certain intuition that had been troubling her for over two years since the day she started developing feelings for Qin Yinong. Even though Qin Yinong had told her directly that he had "more than one lover," she couldn't completely let go. Doubts would arise whenever she deeply contemplated the situation.

Ji Yunyao.

She repeated the name that felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat, forcing herself to recall every detail of that day between the two of them.

"What's your relationship with her?"

"What's your relationship with her?"

"We're friends."

"So am I. Very good... friends. ... My sister mentioned you to me, and you're a bit different from what I imagined."

Ji Yunyao never explicitly stated the nature of her relationship with Qin Yinong, did she?

Furthermore, Ji Yunyao's initially gossipy and inquisitive tone didn't seem like that of someone facing a love rival. Of course, it's possible that Ji Yunyao simply has that kind of personality, enjoying gossiping about anything and everything.

If both of them were Qin Yinong's lovers, it would be quite magnanimous for one lover to help the other. Just think about the harem of ancient emperors—fires would break out. Tang Ruoyao herself couldn't do it. She would consider it a success if she didn't skin and beat her love rival.

Sister?

It seems like everything was assumed from that one term of address.

After pondering for a moment, Tang Ruoyao suddenly frowned. Could they really be relatives? It felt like she had caught a lifeline and was eager to confirm it. Tang Ruoyao put on a loosely hanging bathrobe, lazily tied it, slipped on her slippers, hurriedly left the bathroom, and walked towards the bed, muttering to herself, "Phone... phone..."

However, she couldn't find the phone she had casually thrown earlier. She turned the bedding upside down and finally grabbed the phone. She entered "Qin Yinong" into the search engine, clicked on her profile, skimmed through her extensive and almost memorized list of accomplishments, and went straight to the section about her personal life.

Compared to her numerous achievements in the film industry that couldn't fit on a few screens, her personal life was unusually blank. There was no simple introduction to her family or her upbringing, something that most celebrities would have. Tang Ruoyao hadn't paid attention to it before, but as soon as she saw it, she paused for a moment and continued scrolling down, only to find a list of rumored relationships as long as her resume.

Tang Ruoyao bit her lower lip.

When would she be able to appear on this list as well? Tang Ruoyao wondered, feeling a bit left out.

She collected herself and changed her search query in the search engine.

- Qin Yinong's family background

- Does Qin Yinong have a sister?

- What do Qin Yinong's parents do?

As expected, the search results came up empty. Tang Ruoyao visited a well-known gossip forum and entered Qin Yinong's initials in the search bar. She scrolled through dozens of pages without finding any mention of her family.

Tang Ruoyao had a faint feeling that she had stumbled upon something, but when she tried to think about it, she couldn't make sense of it.

Tang Ruoyao squinted her eyes, returned to the main interface, and tapped on the green icon on the screen to open Mu Qingwu's chat box. She typed the following message: "Sister Mu, do you know anything about Qin Yinong's family background? Does she have a sister or anything?"

After being taken care of by Mu Qingwu like a protective older sister for a month or two, Tang Ruoyao had learned that whenever she had something on her mind, big or small, Mu Qingwu would provide her with answers.

She meticulously typed out the content word by word but stopped before touching the send button. She deleted everything and retreated.

Tang Ruoyao leaned back and fell onto the bed, closing her eyes.

Did it really matter whether Ji Yunyao was her lover or not? Would obtaining a definite answer help her control her pounding heart whenever she saw her? 

Tang Ruoyao reached out and felt around, finding a pillow and placing it over her face. A long sigh escaped from beneath the pillow.

.....

"What kind of relationship?" Qin Yinong pressed her phone against her ear, lifting a glass of wine with her other hand and taking a sip. She chuckled and asked, "What kind of relationship do you think I have with her?"

"I can't understand it." Lin Guoan pretended to be confused and said, "If I wanted to know, would I really need to call you?"

"Alright, old sly fox," Qin Yinong lowered her head, and her chestnut-colored hair fell behind her ears. She used her fingers to tuck the hair back and her tone became serious. "It's exactly as you saw."

Lin Guoan chuckled twice.

Qin Yinong clicked her tongue. "I remember you as a serious person."

Lin Guo'an replied, "I've always been serious. It's just that hearing this gossip from you caught me off guard and I found it intriguing."

Qin Yinong asked, "Are you done finding it intriguing?"

Of course, Lin Guoan wasn't done finding it intriguing. He was restless inside, but sensing Qin Yinong's displeasure, he decided to stop. "Yes, I was just casually asking. Since it's confirmed, I'll take care of her a bit."

Qin Yinong set down her glass and scoffed, "Are you going to give her a hard time if she has nothing to do with me?"

Lin Guo'an sighed, "How could I? Don't you know how talented this kid is? I feel like I've encountered a younger version of you. I like her before I even know it."

Qin Yinong said lightly, "Watch your words. If someone compliments her in front of me, I might get jealous."

Lin Guoan, who was hit by such a big dose of flattery out of the blue over the phone, felt like his ears were about to go deaf. He stammered, "You, you..."

The previous Qin Yinong wasn't like this!

"What about me?" Qin Yinong lowered her gaze and casually flicked her finger. Her tone turned questioning. "I haven't settled the score with you yet. There are people on your set bullying her. As the director, you wouldn't be unaware, right?"

Lin Guoan felt guilty and sighed. "I know, but that You Mingxuan guy was brought in by the investor. I can only turn a blind eye. He'll be done with the film in another half a month. I'll pay more attention to her in the meantime. Is that okay?"

Qin Yinong paused for two seconds, half-lifting her eyelids and slowly spoke, "If something happens to her under your watch..."

Lin Guo'an quickly assured her, "It won't absolutely happen!"

Qin Yinong softly uttered an "mm" without blaming him too much. After all, they had a good relationship.

"Yao Yao has a thin face, you know about our relationship..."

"I know, I won't tell her."

"If she asks about me, just be vague." Qin Yinong thought for a moment and added.

"What's the reasoning behind that?"

"What's it to you if we have our own little secrets?" Qin Yinong clicked her tongue.

Lin Guo'an chuckled, "Okay, okay, I won't interfere." He didn't say he wanted to interfere in the first place.

Given Qin Yinong's clingy nature, Tang Ruoyao probably wasn't much different. It was better for him to pretend not to know and enjoy the unexpected flattery.

Qin Yinong gave a few more instructions, and Lin Guoan responded to each one while silently complaining in his mind: Is this the same Qin Yinong I know?

Finally, Lin Guoan said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask." Qin Yinong replied, her mouth dry. She opened a bottle of mineral water with one hand and took a sip.

"When did you two start dating?"

"...It's been a while." Qin Yinong looked at the ground, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips, her long hair gently cascading down the side of her face.

"You've kept it well hidden."

"For now, you're the only one who knows."

"Hahaha, I'm honored."

"If the news leaks out..." Qin Yinong's tone turned icy, her words cutting.

Lin Guoan touched his slightly chilly neck and said, "Heaven and Earth know, I know, and I haven't even told my wife."

"Han Yuping can't know either." Qin Yinong said.Lin Guoan and Han Yuping were classmates in the photography department, and they were as close as brothers, completely blocking any path for Lin Guo'an to reveal the secret.

Lin Guo'an: "...Alright, I won't say anything."

"Goodbye." With the confirmation she wanted, Qin Yinong hung up the phone.

The lightness on her face slowly turned into heaviness. She turned her gaze to the window, where the crescent moon hung in the dark blue night sky, and the scattered stars were dim, casting a gloomy hue over everything.

Qin Yinong raised her finger and rubbed her temple, letting out a soft sigh.

.....

The sky began to lighten.

A small mound on the bed shifted, and from beneath it, a slender and fair hand emerged, groping along the bed until it felt the cool touch. The other hand lifted the blanket covering the face, and Tang Ruoyao squinted as she glanced at the time displayed on her phone.

5:02 AM.

Tang Ruoyao first shifted herself from lying horizontally to sitting upright, propping herself up with her elbow against the headboard, half awake.

Once she was more awake, she unlocked her phone again, yawning as she sent a message to Guan Han: [Sister, when are you coming downstairs for breakfast?]

Guan Han didn't reply immediately.

Tang Ruoyao guessed that she was still asleep. Since Qin Yinong didn't have to film today, logically, Guan Han wouldn't have to wake up early either.

"Miss Yao has sent another message." To her surprise, Guan Han was currently standing in front of Qin Yinong, while Qin Yinong leaned against the sofa, one hand rubbing her temple. She hadn't rested well last night.

"What does she want?" Qin Yinong asked.

"She's asking when you'll have breakfast."

"Is she that free?" Qin Yinong snorted impatiently.

"Should I ask the crew for a copy of her shooting schedule?"

Qin Yinong paused for a moment, raising her head to glance at Guan Han.

Guan Han pursed her lips, obediently lowering her head. "Just kidding."

"It's not funny at all." Qin Yinong said. "Go and ask Director Lin when they have breakfast. We'll go separately from her. Once we finish eating, we'll leave." Qin Yinong just wanted to have a hot bowl of porridge at the moment.

"Okay." Guan Han replied.

After Guan Han asked and returned, she said, "It's 7:30 AM. They leave at 7:00 AM and have breakfast together on set. They won't have breakfast at the hotel, so there's no breakfast voucher. The breakfast here starts at 6:00 AM. We can go down in a while. Do you want to sleep a bit more?"

"Forget it, I can't sleep for just an hour anyway." Qin Yinong reached out her hand. "Pass me the tablet."

Guan Han opened a bullet screen website, went into the bookmarked section, and respectfully handed it over.

Qin Yinong glanced at her again.

Guan Han calmly returned her gaze, with a hint of innocence in her eyes.

Qin Yinong cleared her throat and said seriously, "You can go back to your room for now."

.....

After Tang Ruoyao finished washing up and returned, she casually tapped the screen of her phone on the bedside table. There was a message on the screen.Guan Han: [Qin Jie said to have breakfast in the room.]

Tang Ruoyao felt a slight disappointment but replied with a "Okay." accepting the reality. She immediately pushed this matter to the back of her mind and sat at the table, flipping open the script page for the day, her expression focused.

Golden sunlight streamed in through the window, gradually filling more than half of the room.

The phone on the table buzzed and vibrated.

Tang Ruoyao picked up her phone and glanced at the message from Xin Qian: [It's 7:30 AM. Shall we go downstairs for breakfast? I just bought two breakfast vouchers.]

Tang Ruoyao replied: [Let's eat. Wait for me to change clothes.]

She stretched lazily and stood up from the table.

She had a morning break today, and the filming would only begin in the afternoon. The crew had left in a car half an hour ago, so she decided to have breakfast at the hotel and take a nap before heading over.

The hotel's breakfast was on the third floor. Tang Ruoyao and Xin Qian took the elevator down, exchanging a few whispered words along the way.

They entered the spacious lobby.

The polite smile of the doorman, showing his standard eight-tooth smile, greeted them. "Hello."

"Two people." Xin Qian smiled and handed over the breakfast vouchers. The doorman made a gesture to invite them in. "Enjoy your meal."

As soon as Tang Ruoyao entered, she heard a familiar and flat voice from behind: "Thank you, both of you."

Tang Ruoyao's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head, meeting Qin Yinong's gaze directly behind Guan Han.

Author's Note:

Qin Jie: Didn't we not agree to have breakfast together on set?

Guan Manager: I asked for her shooting schedule, but you didn't want it yourself. *shrugs*

The Supreme Ruler of this world, Litchi Litchi: This must be fate, haha! *laughs while crossing arms*

Daily Question: Did Yao Yao and Du Du get married? *roaring tiger*

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