Chapter 214: Hotel Trip

FangMin was called by the director not long after, leaving her alone. Immediately once she was alone, AiLin then turned to YanLan, her trusted ally in the entire place, "Say," she called him, "Is it normal for FangMin to steal other people’s partner? Or is there a certain taste she had developed during stealing and home wrecking?"

YanLan who was eating a candy almost swallowed it entirely while snapping his eyes wide on her. He coughed and with teary eyes responded eagerly, "No, she doesn’t have taste. Old, young, handsome, orc looking, rich, poor, and basically anything as long as the woman in the relationship looks happy and thriving."

"Woah you know a lot," she commented not knowing the brief gulp of guilt that ran down YanLan’s throat.

He avoided her gaze but deep down he wondered how he should ever tell AiLin that his real job wasn’t only tailing and protecting her but to gather evidence and information anytime Li ZiChen need it. Actually compared to the rest of the subordinate Li ZiChen trust, he’s the most talented when it comes to intel which was why once he had came home from eyeing every single person in the set he had gathered every single rumors about them.

AiLin arched a brow, watching as YanLan practically choked on his candy. His reaction was a little too strong for a simple question but she brushed it aside as she didn’t think much of it.

"That’s oddly specific," she noted, narrowing her eyes. "Sounds like you’ve been keeping tabs on her for a while."

YanLan let out a dry laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you know how it is. Work gossip spreads fast, and FangMin gives people a lot to talk about."

He avoided her gaze, focusing instead on peeling the wrapper of another candy. But AiLin wasn’t stupid, she caught the brief flicker of hesitation in his expression, the way his throat bobbed ever so slightly as if swallowing something heavier than just guilt.

He was hiding something.

AiLin studied him for a long moment before deciding to let it go, for now, at least. She could see it was nothing big of a deal and if there was something worth knowing, it would come out eventually. Besides, she does trust YanLan as the young man is the one sent by Li ZiChen.

Instead, she sighed and leaned back, folding her arms. "So, in short, she doesn’t actually want the men, she just wants to ruin the women."

YanLan gave a sheepish nod. "Pretty much."

AiLin scoffed, shaking her head. "That’s... pathetic."

"Right? There was just a scandal about a pregnant wife of a tech CEO. His name was.. Mr Yan? It seems he had an affair with FangMin though he denied it and she also denied the accusation. The wife however had been too enraged to care so she had said FangMin’s name as the reason for their divorce."

"But now that the wife is out of the picture, will FangMin continue to pursue the husband?"

YanLan shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head, "No, of course not, what makes her driven to seduce the husband is the wife, now the wife is gone she has no reason to go after the husband anymore. Most of her victims, the husbands in question would either lose their wife and her or lose their wife, work, and her."

"Sounds as if she’s more interested in the wife," AiLin remarked as she saw FangMin waving her hand with a wide smile. She returned the smile but that didn’t last too long as she turned to YanLan. "So has there ever been any men who wasn’t seduced by her?"

"No."

"Odd," AiLin answered, "Surely there would be one or two loyal men across all the husbands she had tried to seduce."

YanLan who heard her reasoning also hummed and commented, "Now that you say, it is odd. But you know what’s more odd? Is how FangMin never tries to hide that she had stolen someone else’s man. She’s even proud of it, walking hand in hand with the man on purpose knowing that cameras were taking her pictures but once she realized that his wife isn’t interested in him anymore, poof, she’s gone and she denied everything. There’s no evidence on her except the few times she was taken a picture while going to hotels with the said husband which she then denied and explain as nothing more than a meeting."

"As if..." AiLin drawled. "As if she wants it to be known that she had successful stolen someone’s husband."

Like a trophy? Or perhaps to brag to the whole world that the wife had lost in the twisted game she had set up?

Both sounds quite possible. It wasn’t the money that FangMin chase but that sense of triumph.

After FangMin’s scene was her, and although AiLin didn’t feel her life as gloomy as before, she felt immensely happy and energized in her acting. She managed to nail another scene, while learning the production alongside Director Gu and understanding what needed to be improve. Though at some point Director Gu had told her that the scene was good, she felt that it could been improved and did just that.

YanLan who watched this all smiled widely as he took a pic of her and sent it to Li ZiChen, explaining in details on how AiLin’s day has been. He also noticed from afar how every staff immediately lit up upon seeing AiLin as she was always sweet and friendly to them, giving them candies and were especially sweet to the girls who needed help in lifting heavy items.

It had came to the point that most of the female staffs watching her would secretly add more food on her trays during lunch break or rush to give her tissue and cold ice packs for her eyes after she had a crying scene.

AiLin seemed very oblivious to the kindness, thinking it was just the staff’s jobs but YanLan was enjoying this so much that he had exaggerated some parts to Li ZiChen:

[Poor your cousin. You don’t only have to worry about men but also women. Tsk tsk, rest in peace to your jealousy. Please don’t drink to much vinegar and get drunk with jealousy.]

Not less than five seconds, his phone rang and came Li ZiChen’s curt reply:

[Shut up. I’ll cut your pay.]

Stifling his laughter YanLan almost burst out of laughing so loudly when he suddenly saw someone over his shoulders that made all the hairs on his back to stand up. He flicked his head backward, snapping his eyes and was almost swinging his elbow across the person’s face until he realized it was a woman standing right beside him.

He gulped, eyeing FangMin before sighing.

Pretending a sweet smile, he looked at her, "May I help you Miss Fang?"

"Aren’t you AiLin’s manager, sir?" FangMin inquired him back, smiling sweetly. Her brown hair had been pushed with the white hairband, draped in the smooth white sweater that seemed slightly too big for her body.

YanLan was used to women pretending to be someone they’re not. As an example today is FangMin. She speaks sweet, she blink her eyes demurely, and she seemed sincere with her action but he could tell this was all an act. The girl doesn’t really think kindly of others, worse, she often look down on the people around her.

YanLan quickly schooled his expression into something more neutral, forcing his lips into a polite smile. He had dealt with plenty of women who wore masks for a living, FangMin was no different.

"Indeed, I am," he replied smoothly, his tone light but his eyes sharp enough to look through the fakery. "Is there something you need from me, Miss Fang?"

FangMin tilted her head, her sweet smile never faltering, but her eyes held a sharp glint, calculating and assessing. "I was just curious," she mused, her fingers delicately adjusting the cuffs of her oversized sweater. "You seem... very protective of AiLin."

YanLan chuckled, but there was no real humor in it. "Well, it is my job," he pointed out. "If I didn’t look after my artist, what kind of manager would I be?"

FangMin let out a light, airy laugh, shaking her head. "Of course, of course. But I can’t help but wonder—how much do you really know about AiLin?"

YanLan stiffened, but only for a fraction of a second, a moment too long.

FangMin’s smile widened ever so slightly, eyes glittering with amusement. She had caught the slight change.

"Relax," she hummed, clasping her hands together. "I was just asking. AiLin seems... different lately. Happier. More confident." She leaned in slightly, voice dipping into something almost conspiratorial. "It makes me wonder, what changed?"

YanLan met her gaze, his easygoing demeanor never wavering. "There’s nothing that changed, maybe you don’t know her well enough to know that AiLin has always been such a happy person. She doesn’t need to measure her happiness to others you see, unlike someone."

FangMin’s expression didn’t change, but there was something unreadable in her gaze now, "Hmm," she hummed, tapping a manicured finger against her chin. "Maybe. But I do have another question. Are you perhaps hired not by AiLin but maybe... someone else who take cares of her? Like a spon-"

"Let’s not be hasty there, Miss Fang. It’s not good to make assumption and accusation is it? I have known her for long and I count myself as part of her family so I’m quite wary listening to people speaking something about her that doesn’t sound good."

"Oh," she said but she had enough of questions answered and decided to back away, "True, sorry I had stepped out of line, but whatever, I wish you a good luck." With that, she took a step back, offering him one last smile before turning away.

YanLan exhaled slowly, his muscles unwinding only when she was far enough.

That woman was dangerous. She was someone who would do anything to make sure she would win.

Now, it was clear... she had set her sights on AiLin

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