Jealousy

The wooden house was an old-fashioned building with a design that has long been criticized in architectural history: because there wasn’t enough space, the stairs had to be made very steep and very narrow. Every time you went from the bedroom down to the living room, you had to tread carefully and keep your balance on tiptoe.

Zhu Qing had just grabbed the stair rail and was about to lift one foot when a sudden force hit her from behind. Her already unsteady footing gave way, and she slipped straight through the air.

Thud——

Everyone downstairs, waiting for filming to start, heard the dull impact.

Li Lan frowned and walked over.

“Xiaoqing?”

Zhu Qing was hanging off the stairs in a very twisted position.

Both her legs were kneeling on different steps; one hand was still clamped tightly around the handrail, while the other was braced against the lowest step as she struggled to keep from sliding farther down.

The moment Li Lan saw her, she panicked and hurried over to help her up carefully.

“How did you fall? Can you get up?”

That dull thud had been the sound of Zhu Qing’s knees hitting the floor. It was loud enough that, when the others came over, they saw Li Lan helping Zhu Qing upright.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Liu Yini said, her face tightening with sympathetic pain. “Did she fall, or just miss a step?”

Once Zhu Qing was standing steadily, Li Lan’s gaze fell on Qi Yao, who was standing several steps above them.

Qi Yao stared back coldly, unmoving.

Li Lan said in a low voice, “How did she fall?”

Qi Yao gave a sneer and said nothing.

An image flashed through Li Lan’s mind of Zhu Qing falling. It didn’t look like she had simply missed her footing. If someone missed a step, their whole body would pitch forward; but Zhu Qing’s legs had slid forward. She had clearly tried to catch the handrail to control the downward slide.

Someone had pushed her.

Li Lan fixed Qi Yao with a hard stare; her eyes were cold as iron.

Summer was deepening. Zhu Qing was wearing thin clothes, and several joints had slammed into the floor. Dazed with pain, she couldn’t speak for a long while after being helped up. It was only then that she finally gathered a little strength and gripped Li Lan’s hand.

Feeling her movement, Li Lan asked anxiously, “Come on, sit down quickly. Tell me where it hurts.”

The director hurried over, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Teacher Li, what happened here...”

Without even looking at him, Li Lan said, “Go check the footage. There’s a fixed camera in the hallway.”

After Zhu Qing was helped to sit down, she squeezed Li Lan’s palm and said weakly, “I’m fine. Don’t let the production team make a fuss.”

Li Lan asked, “Did you fall on your own?”

Zhu Qing shook her head. “That’s a blind spot. It won’t be on camera.”

As Zhu Qing said, the bedroom and living room on the first floor were separated by only a little over a meter in elevation. Because the ceiling was too low, it wasn’t convenient to set up equipment, so there was a section the cameras couldn’t catch. In the video, only Qi Yao’s back and a piece of Zhu Qing’s clothes could be seen.

“Here, when Zhu Qing fell, Qi Yao moved too,” Li Lan said, standing in front of the monitor and staring at every motion on the screen. “How does he explain that?”

The director looked troubled. “He said Zhu Qing fell, and he was just about to go help her.”

Li Lan gave a contemptuous laugh. “Dared to do it, but not admit it. Coward.”

The director kept wiping sweat and pretended not to hear.

In truth, it was easy to tell from the two people’s behavior before and after that Qi Yao had probably pushed Zhu Qing. And yesterday’s trending topic had given him plenty of motive to do something like that—he’d already been in a foul mood, and he had a fiery temper to begin with. He would have blown up at anyone; he just happened to run into Zhu Qing.

The director took out a cigarette and was just about to light it when he remembered Li Lan was still there. Silently, he put the cigarette away.

That was how they handled things: when there was conflict between the guests, they couldn’t take sides and stir the pot, and they certainly wouldn’t act as a fair judge.

Li Lan replayed the footage over and over several times, then took out her phone and recorded another clip.

“What’s the deal? Does he still want to keep filming?” she asked, forcing the director to answer.

The director sighed. “Qi Yao’s side is saying exactly that. He won’t admit he pushed anyone, and there’s no direct proof in the footage.”

“Fine. If he won’t admit it, that’s okay,” Li Lan said, nodding as she leaned against the doorframe and lifted her chin. “Then we won’t film.”

The director froze. “That’s not really possible, Teacher Li...”

“Of course it wouldn’t be because of us,” Li Lan said, spreading her hands. “He won’t admit it, and you’re taking his word for it too; then let’s call the police. Have them come and tear apart this recording. Your equipment’s audio is pretty good, and with professional analysis, they’ll definitely be able to find something—whether the sound of Zhu Qing falling came first, or whether his hand moved first.”

The director stood up in a hurry. “There’s no need to make it this serious. We really don’t have to call the police.”

“Your ‘no need’ is completely useless to me,” Li Lan said calmly, drawing a light breath. “If I weren’t bound by a confidentiality agreement and couldn’t just release the footage, do you think I’d be calling the police? The public and the fans will all know what kind of people you are.”

The director stared at Li Lan for several seconds, then turned and walked out. It was obvious he was going to discuss things with the rest of the production team.

The production team hadn’t expected Li Lan to be this tough. They had an on-site doctor with them, and after a quick examination he said Zhu Qing was only scratched up. She seemed to have experience with falling; she had grabbed the handrail in time, so inertia hadn’t carried her whole body down. She’d only strained her knees and one wrist, and a little rest would do.

People got injured while filming all the time. For such a small injury to turn into a full-blown police report, even a lot of the higher-ups couldn’t sit still.

“Don’t come to me telling me how you weighed the pros and cons,” Li Lan said to anyone who came looking for her. That was the same expression she wore the whole time. She sent Zhu Qing back to her room to rest and stood in front of the door, saying expressionlessly to everyone who came by, “He dared to push someone today. And there were only a few stairs. Zhu Qing is fine because she reacted quickly. Next time, if we go into the mountains, is he going to send us out of this world?”

No matter what anyone said, it didn’t work. Li Lan wasn’t emotionally agitated, but she simply would not give in. The police had already arrived at the wooden house. Since the production had been bringing filming revenue to the local area, it wasn’t the township precinct that came, but officers from the county public security bureau.

“If the report has already been filed, then we have to take action. Whether her condition is serious needs to be determined by an injury assessment,” the police told the production staff. “It’s not up to you to say it’s nothing, and if you can handle it privately, why would anyone need to call the police?”

Li Lan took Zhu Qing to the county hospital for a full set of tests, and they actually found something. Even Zhu Qing herself hadn’t realized it: when she grabbed the stair rail, her head had knocked against the wall. The already bruised area on her head had been compounded with a mild concussion.

“No wonder I feel a little dizzy,” Zhu Qing said, shaking her head. “But it’s not a big problem. Let’s go back and keep filming.”

Li Lan pulled her hand back and said coldly, “It doesn’t matter what you say.”

“Then kick Qi Yao out,” Zhu Qing said quickly. “Have him leave right away, and we can keep filming. After it’s over, we’ll take that six hundred thousand.”

Li Lan shot her a glare, hating that she didn’t understand. “Six hundred thousand is a penalty for breach of contract, not payment.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s what I meant. Why are you making things so stiff with the production team? It’s not like they’re the ones who hurt me,” Zhu Qing said, her ears already raw from hearing the production staff repeatedly try to persuade Li Lan to let it go. “You’ll offend people like this.”

“That’s not called offending people. That’s an unavoidable conflict of interest. I’m not going to make concessions; they can think of ways to protect their own interests,” Li Lan said frankly, with even a trace of sarcasm. “I offended them? Haven’t they offended me? I’m keeping score on this one.”

Zhu Qing had never seen Li Lan stay gloomy for so long without recovering. She usually didn’t lose her temper easily, and she never had a bad mood toward Zhu Qing. This version of Li Lan felt unfamiliar to Zhu Qing... and somehow reassuring.

Yang Huayi’s call arrived late but inevitably. Li Lan had switched her phone to silent this time, so it vibrated for quite a while before she answered.

“The second half of the year’s x luxury endorsement is yours,” Yang Huayi went straight to the point. “Compensation from MeiYu Media.”

Li Lan stared at the sun-baked ground outside. The smell of disinfectant filled her nose from the hospital, and she said nothing.

Yang Huayi continued, “Qi Yao can’t leave. Right after those trending topics came out, if he turns around and walks off now, the audience will only remember his negative image. MeiYu Media’s investment in him will all go down the drain.”

Li Lan still didn’t speak.

Yang Huayi’s tone grew colder. “If you don’t want to talk, give the phone to Zhu Qing. I’ll speak to her.”

“She’s dizzy and doesn’t want to talk,” Li Lan said with an edge. “If he doesn’t leave, then I leave. That’s it.”

With that, Li Lan was about to hang up. Yang Huayi said, “Li Lan, can’t you be a little more mature? You leave, and let my investment go to waste? Do you think I’d agree to that?”

Li Lan’s tone was sarcastic and calm. “Do whatever you want.”

“You...” Yang Huayi seemed not to have seen Li Lan like this before, soft nor hard, refusing to yield to either approach. “I want to talk to Zhu Qing!”

Zhu Qing listened very seriously and tugged at Li Lan’s hand, wanting to take the phone.

Li Lan frowned and avoided Zhu Qing’s hand. “I said she’s dizzy. Chairman Yang, I’m speaking to you very seriously: I don’t know why MeiYu Media wants to prop up someone like Qi Yao. His attitude at work is bad, and he likes to act big. You people don’t mind. Once he gets on the show, he’s bullying Yu Ling every day, and you use endorsements to silence Yu Ling; that doesn’t matter either. Now he’s even dared to lay hands on Zhu Qing, and are you still going to clean up after him for nothing? You can keep treating it as no big deal if you want; I really understand that, and I can even empathize with it. But that’s your way of thinking, not mine. I have only one lover. I will not accept letting her keep filming with Qi Yao.”

Yang Huayi didn’t speak for a long time. Li Lan glanced at the screen and was just about to hang up.

“Heh,” Yang Huayi suddenly let out a laugh, then another one, as if she couldn’t suppress it; there was also a hint of helplessness in it. “So what, you’re just going to leave in disgrace and solve the problem? By then he’ll keep filming, keep monopolizing the buzz, and later we’ll arrange a reversal of his image and harvest a wave of goodwill. And you’ll leave halfway and get nothing; your future resources will also fall off a cliff. Is that your revenge?”

Li Lan tightened her grip on the phone; her breathing grew heavier.

Yang Huayi said, “Keep filming. I’ve made arrangements. Qi Yao... I’ve made arrangements.”

Li Lan was just about to ask what arrangements when the doctor came over to check on Zhu Qing, and she had no choice but to hang up.

“The blood in the patient’s head shows signs of being absorbed,” the doctor said after Li Lan immediately had Qian Chu send over Zhu Qing’s previous records and reviewed her test results. “The concussion is also very mild. It’s nothing serious. Just rest well, and eat more nutritious food.”

Li Lan sent the doctor out. The moment she turned back, Zhu Qing was right in front of her.

“Ah, Teacher Li, don’t be angry,” Zhu Qing said, wrapping her arms around her waist and swaying side to side. “Let’s wait and see what Chairman Yang says. I feel like there’ll be a better solution. What Chairman Yang said wasn’t wrong—we’d just be letting Qi Yao get away with it if we stopped filming. That’s the most annoying part: hurting our own people and delighting our enemies.”

Of course Li Lan didn’t want to let him off the hook either, but Zhu Qing’s attitude was not what she had expected.

“You’re not disgusted? Not repulsed?” Li Lan’s voice lowered a little. “The production team doesn’t care who’s right or who’s wronged; they just want to smooth things over. Qi Yao’s company doesn’t care about restraining his words or behavior; they just want money to shut things up. They don’t look at right and wrong; they only look at profit.”

Zhu Qing’s voice was muffled. “Of course I don’t like it. But I have you. You’ll protect me, so I won’t feel wronged.”

“...You really want to keep filming?”

Zhu Qing nodded lightly, her hair bouncing softly. “I really hate it, and I really want to film.”

Li Lan touched her head and sank into hesitation.

But soon, there was nothing left to hesitate about.

People from Guangtong and MeiYu Media’s assistants arrived in waves and stayed with them the whole time. The moment Qi Yao was off-camera, assistants would cluster around him under the pretense of managing his image; in reality, they were supervising him.

Qi Yao was no longer allowed to be alone with anyone. The luxury endorsement that had been promised to Li Lan was also signed into a contract, and Zhu Qing even received a hefty sum of “comfort money.”

Most importantly, Li Lan caught hints from Yang Huayi that she was holding something back, meaning she had a way to deal with Qi Yao.

Li Lan didn’t doubt Yang Huayi’s methods at all. Cut off the source, and silence the throat; if she said she was going to deal with him, then she would leave no way out.

If that was the case, Li Lan could wait and see for the moment.

—

The whole matter dragged on for a day and a night before finally settling down.

Inside the wooden house, Yu Ling was helping Qi Yao pack up his things.

Qi Yao appeared at the door looking haggard. A day had passed, and he had received countless calls; the abuse and pressure he’d endured had been plenty. He looked in very poor condition.

“Your things are all here,” Yu Ling said gently, her attitude toward him unchanged. “You can check them one more time.”

Qi Yao walked over and took the clothes. “Mm.”

His attitude toward Yu Ling wasn’t as bad as the way she’d described it; in fact, he was much better to her than to anyone else.

“Don’t worry. President Qi was just anxious for a moment. Learn from this, and don’t be so impulsive next time,” Yu Ling counseled him in a calm voice.

Qi Yao pulled up the corner of his mouth coldly. “What did I do wrong? If you hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have even known Li Lan had bought bots to boost the heat. We were shipping our CP; the plan was to go black first, then get popular. Why should Li Lan take the chance to step on me? Saying I had a bad attitude toward her—what is she, anyway? Does she deserve that? Even if she’s a big name, what the hell is Zhu Qing? Just a nobody, and she’s trying to throw me under the bus—I’m fucking her mother’s shameless—%——”

Yu Ling turned away and packed her own things, saying softly, “Don’t say these things in front of others again. No one will approve of you, and it’ll drag me down too.”

After cursing for a while, Qi Yao’s anger finally eased. He nodded. “I know.”

Yu Ling smiled at him. “Hurry up and go. It’s fine if you rest at the guesthouse tonight; the conditions are much better than here.”

Qi Yao looked away awkwardly. “What’s so good about it? It’s only one day anyway. We’re going to Africa the day after tomorrow.”

Yu Ling smiled. “Go on.”

The moment Qi Yao’s figure disappeared, every trace of expression vanished from Yu Ling’s face too.

She shook her hand hard and rushed to the bathroom to wash the hands that had touched Qi Yao’s things. Her face was cold with disgust.

Then her phone rang; it was a song she herself had sung, set by her as someone’s exclusive ringtone.

Yu Ling froze for a moment, then quickly rushed out to pick up the phone.

“Did Qi Yao say anything to you before he left?” Yang Huayi’s voice was as deep and elegant as ever, with no obvious emotion to be heard.

Yu Ling replied obediently, “Hello, Chairman Yang. He didn’t say anything, just looked a little unwell.”

“Didn’t say anything?” There was a trace of barely noticeable suspicion in Yang Huayi’s tone, but it passed quickly and she didn’t press further. “As long as he behaves himself.”

Yu Ling’s voice dropped a little, sounding relieved. “Mm. He’s finally gone... ”

Yang Huayi paused, then said, “I know you were wronged too. This time, it worked out the way you wanted. From here on, we’ll follow the original filming plan. Don’t worry; in the end, all the CP fans of yours and his will be yours.”

Yu Ling hummed softly and said sweetly, “Thank you, Chairman Yang, for looking after me.”

Yang Huayi hung up.

Staring at the screen where the call had already ended, the smile on Yu Ling’s lips gradually faded, turning into a look of jealousy and unwillingness.

She had asked many times to be kept farther away from Qi Yao, but it had never worked. She had thought it must be terribly troublesome, but reality proved it wasn’t that hard at all; it was only that Yang Huayi didn’t want to make such a scene for her.

Her grievance and pleading were useless. She still had to go on the variety show and cooperate with the CP hype. Yet someone else could throw a fuss over a tiny matter and even threaten to call the police; as soon as she was a little unhappy, Yang Huayi could sweep away the obstacles for her... How convenient. And how... infuriatingly enviable.

————————

That kneeling fall really must have hurt. Everyone should be careful on these kinds of idiotic stairs (think lots of lofts)[face melted]...

(Why did you lock me? My protagonist fell from upstairs and landed on her knees. Where exactly did the review think that went?)

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TL Note:

“CP” is fandom slang for manufacturing hype around a paired couple— “shipping” them for publicity.