After Being Blackened All Over the Internet, I Ruled the Military Variety
Chapter 726 - 716: Snatching the Bridal Sedan Chair

Chapter 726: Chapter 716: Snatching the Bridal Sedan Chair

"I have one good news and one bad news."

Zhou Lingyue put down her phone and looked up, "What’s the good news?"

"Jiang Lingxi rejected the role in ’Empress Xiao’."

Zhou Lingyue’s face lit up with a smile, "I guessed it, she must be pregnant. And yet she asks the internet users not to speculate. Who would believe that? Only her group of fans buy into any nonsense that’s said. Pregnancy is great, this baby is coming at the perfect time!"

The agent saw she had no intention of listening to the bad news, reluctantly pressed her lips together, and took the initiative to speak, "The bad news is Dong Wei is in talks with the ’Empress Xiao’ side."

"Dong Wei?" Zhou Lingyue repeated the name with a puzzled expression, "Where did this nobody come from, thinking they can compete with me for a role?"

The agent resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Dong Wei counts as your senior. She was the lead in ’The Records of Hua Zhao’ that was popular all over Hua State years ago, but she retired and got married a few years back."

Zhou Lingyue’s expression changed, "She retired, so why is she coming back? How many years ago was ’The Records of Hua Zhao’? It blew up back then because the internet wasn’t as developed as it is now. Besides, she must be almost forty now, and she still wants to compete with me? Wait, she’s been out of the industry for so long. How did she get in touch with the ’Empress Xiao’ crew?"

The ’Empress Xiao’ crew didn’t have an open audition, otherwise, she wouldn’t have thought it was a sure thing in the first place.

It was only when Jiang Lingxi came up that she panicked.

But with Dong Wei, a nearly forgotten name out of the industry for so long not acting, Director Tang and the others definitely wouldn’t reach out to her actively. So how did she have a connection to get into a big production like ’Empress Xiao’?

The agent showed her a news article on her phone, "She’s probably making a comeback to help her husband with his debts. Although she’s been out for a long time, her past achievements remain. As for acting skills, she was once included in acting textbooks. And in this recent photo, after getting married and living as a pampered rich lady, neither her face nor her figure has fallen apart."

With every sentence the agent spoke, Zhou Lingyue’s face grew darker.

But what really broke her was the agent’s final remark, "As for the connection, I was curious and looked it up. Jiang Lingxi’s agent Tong Yue is a fan of Dong Wei. Given Tong Yue’s age, it’s just when Dong Wei was very popular during her youth."

She originally wanted to say that although Dong Wei has been out of the circle for several years, even if you don’t talk about her acting skills and age, just based on those fans who are now middle-aged or even have become parents, it’s still a formidable competition.

But seeing Zhou Lingyue’s face turn almost unbearably dark, the agent silently swallowed those words back.

She really wanted to say you reap what you sow.

If she hadn’t been jealous of Jiang Lingxi’s success, she wouldn’t have needed to do anything, and the role of Xiao Chan would have been in her grasp.

Looking at it now, she truly has lost money and soldiers!

"I think you shouldn’t just focus on this type of role anymore, it’s also time to change your style. You might not get bored, but the audience will get aesthetically fatigued from watching."

Zhou Lingyue glared at her with red eyes, "Are you telling me how to do things?"

The two parted unhappily.

*

Jiang Lingxi received a message from Tong Yue just one day before New Year’s Eve.

She was on her way driving to pick up Jiang Wenhu and Jiang Runcheng to spend the New Year at Xiyuan.

"Help me see what Tong Yue just sent me."

Shen Yunqing took out the phone from her pocket, unlocked it, opened it, and read, "Little Xi, ahem, Dong Wei successfully got the role of Xiao Chan. She also scheduled a meal with me after the new year, do you want to come along? Xiao Chan, is it Empress Xiao Chan?"

"Yes, the role was offered to me before, but I didn’t like Xiao Chan, nor the script, so I turned it down. But I didn’t want to hand it to Zhou Lingyue on a platter, so Tong Yue recommended an actress she likes to the crew. Help me reply with ’yes’."

Shen Yunqing raised an eyebrow, typed as instructed, and sent back the word ’yes’. "I thought you would decline."

Eating with unfamiliar people is the kind of social event Your Majesty dislikes the most.

"I watched Dong Wei’s dramas when I studied acting, her acting skills are impressive, much better than my wild approach. Since I’ve decided to pursue acting, I naturally need to learn more from those who are better in this field."

Shen Yunqing put the phone back in her pocket, nodding softly.

When it comes to not wanting to fall behind, her majesty hasn’t changed a bit.

*

Jiang Wenhu and Jiang Runcheng had already packed up their things early.

When Jiang Lingxi and Shen Yunqing entered the door, they saw all sorts of New Year’s goods piled up from the living room to the hallway.

The air was filled with a mix of various food aromas.

Walking around the New Year’s goods, they met with Jiang Wenhu’s happy yet slightly puzzled gaze.

Jiang Lingxi: "Mom, why are you looking at Yunqing and me like that?"

"Every time I see you two, I think of the Empress and Prime Minister you played..."

Jiang Runcheng was speechless on the side, "Stop mentioning it. Your mom is obsessed with ’Yuan Zhao Empress’ you’re in, fighting for the remote at night and watching short clips on her phone during the day. She even says some of the edits aren’t great and wants to pay to learn editing herself. At her age, she’s not afraid of scammers. Ow, why are you pinching me?"

"Who’s the one who’s been turning on the TV more punctually than me these days? Besides, I’m only fifty, people even go to college at this age online. Why can’t I learn editing?"

"I’m just worried you’ll get scammed. There are so many online scams these days, they take your money and teach you nothing."

Jiang Lingxi and Shen Yunqing exchanged a silent glance, bypassing the couple who liked to bicker over anything, and sat on the sofa.

After Jiang Wenhu successfully silenced her husband in the argument, she sat beside her daughter, "Xixi, I heard actors can view the entire storyline, could you give your mom some spoilers?"

Jiang Lingxi handed the unfinished sunflower seeds to Shen Yunqing, "We can view them, but I didn’t ask for the footage, so we’re following along with you too."

Only on the night they got the marriage certificate was she distracted by his looks and missed two episodes.

Jiang Wenhu couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed but quickly perked up again, "Can you give a little spoiler then?"

Jiang Lingxi: "...Alright."

Jiang Runcheng quietly moved over to join them.

Jiang Lingxi could now truly experience what it’s like to have family members become her drama fans.

Even Shen Yunqing couldn’t escape, since he was also in the drama, playing the male lead with the second most screen time after the female lead.

Finally, they managed to change the topic, "Where’s Xiao Xu? Not home?"

"Uh, don’t worry about him, let’s head over first. Xixi, you can send him the address later, and he can come over on his own."

But Jiang Lingxi wasn’t so easily fooled, "It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and he’s not home. What is he doing?"

Jiang Wenhu rubbed her hands, about to confess, when a knock on the door suddenly sounded.

Shen Yunqing got up to open the door, but just took a step when Jiang Wenhu quickly blocked him, "Don’t open it!"