Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
A week after the premiere of Twelve Years of Hustle , its ratings soared to the top.
By this point, even Yun Bu had started to notice something was off. Based on her expectations, given Ling Ling’s acting skills and stunning looks, surely some entertainment company would have approached Su Ling with a contract by now.
Previously, their opportunities had come from Qing Yu Entertainment, one of the top companies in the industry, so it was understandable that they hadn’t signed anyone yet due to their high standards. However, after Su Ling’s performance in Twelve Years of Hustle , it was baffling that no one—not even smaller entertainment companies—had reached out to her.
Moreover, there was almost no news about Ling Ling online, and discussions about her were scarce. Despite delivering such an outstanding performance, her buzz was far overshadowed by Ren Bingxue’s.
Yun Bu knew about the backlash Su Ling faced from Ren Bingxue’s fans earlier. Yet now, while Ren Bingxue’s popularity skyrocketed thanks to the show, Su Ling remained relatively unchanged.
This didn’t make sense!
Yun Bu tried to comfort Su Ling: “Ling Ling, don’t be sad. You did great. Your next role will be even better, and then you’ll definitely blow up.”
At that moment, Su Ling was reading dramatic literature. She smiled gently, her voice soft: “I’m not sad.”
She acted not for fame or fortune but for the pure passion she’d nurtured over the years. All she wanted was to honor her hard work.
Improving her craft was enough.
Su Ling was someone rarely swayed by external factors. Even the vicious rumors from her past life hadn’t broken her; she had only compromised with Qin Xiao to save her grandmother in the end.
If harsh words couldn’t destroy her, how could a lack of praise matter?
However, this drama had indeed significantly boosted the profiles of lead actresses like Wan Baibai and Ren Bingxue.
They both gained immense popularity, and the series brought substantial profits to its investors.
Aside from gaining recognition, nothing else changed for Su Ling. She continued studying at Z University as usual, without receiving any audition calls.
She suddenly remembered that Director Wen had gifted her two audition opportunities on her birthday, and Su Ling attended both.
One was for a fantasy drama, the other for a mystery film.
She auditioned for the third female lead in the fantasy drama and a minor supporting role in the mystery film.
As autumn quietly arrived and the ginkgo trees on campus turned golden, Su Ling prepared for her midterm exams. After the initial excitement and nervousness surrounding the TV premiere, she found herself less focused on it. Meanwhile, her Weibo followers had grown to over two million.
Su Ling remained calm during her exams, meticulously reviewing the material she had missed.
On the day of the exams, she still hadn’t received any notifications regarding the auditions.
She knew she hadn’t been selected.
It did hurt a little, as it confirmed her abilities were still lacking. She spent more time honing her acting skills, practicing expressions in front of the mirror. Yun Bu felt heartbroken for her, wondering why this was happening to Ling Ling, who was so kind and hardworking.
Wan Baibai called Su Ling once, and the veteran actress consoled her, telling her she was still young and would find success eventually.
Starting out with too much hype wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Su Ling listened attentively and thanked her.
Though neither mentioned the underlying issue, Su Ling wasn’t naive.
She was simple, uncompetitive, but not foolish. By early November, she realized she had been blacklisted.
He had done it.
This incident made her recall a memory from her past life with greater clarity. After all, he was the same person, with identical methods and mindset.
In her past life, shortly after being with Qin Xiao, she had been deeply unhappy.
Qin Xiao, at 28, was energetic and enjoyed tormenting her.
Su Ling couldn’t handle his intensity. With no emotional foundation between them, she couldn’t accept him mentally. She cried and resisted, but Qin Xiao treated her like a toy, highly amused: “Mm, Ling Ling is putting up quite the fight.”
Exhausted and humiliated, she fainted from anger.
Qin Xiao found it amusing, but she was genuinely upset.
Her anger was soft and powerless. Unable to fight back or curse, her frustration manifested as cold silence—refusing to speak to him. Once she made up her mind, no one could easily sway her. Over time, Qin Xiao grew irritated as well. She ignored him, neither crying nor smiling, like a lifeless porcelain doll.
When he took her, desire and breaths intertwined, tears welled in her eyes, but she remained silent.
Qin Xiao wiped away her tears and made his first compromise: “Alright, I was wrong. Don’t cry.”
After a pause, he asked, “What if I let you act? Would that make you happy?”
Her watery eyes brightened slightly.
He smirked: “I’m not lying. It’s a historical drama. Wen Zhi’s team just started filming. Want to join?”
She hesitated but stayed silent.
Qin Xiao: “This is your last chance. Yes or no? If not, we continue.”
Finally, she spoke, her voice trembling pitifully: “Yes.”
He smiled.
He knew he couldn’t deceive her. Though she seemed easy to bully, she understood everything clearly. She repaid kindness generously and distanced herself from those who mistreated her.
It was as if she kept a mental ledger.
He was the only exception. She disliked him yet couldn’t escape him.
That year, Qin Xiao didn’t genuinely want her to act. To him, she belonged entirely to him—from head to toe—and he wouldn’t share her with anyone. Allowing her to act was just another tactic to control her.
He was a businessman—cold-blooded, cunning, and ruthless.
His views on relationships were twisted.
Qin Xiao didn’t need to do much. A few hints, and someone in the production crew would make things difficult for her.
He knew she was inexperienced, a pure and innocent girl at that age, and acting wouldn’t come easy to her. He wanted to break her wings in one go, making her realize that staying by his side was the safest place.
But that year, Su Ling was truly naive, stubborn, and fearless. She worked tirelessly, undeterred by hardship or setbacks.
Every day, she radiated joy and vitality.
This silly girl stood tall, her eyes sparkling like stardust. His heart raced as she told him, in her soft voice, about the challenges of portraying Ruan Dai’s darker side.
He stroked her soft hair, remaining silent for a long time.
In the midst of his scheme, he saw gratitude shining brightly in her eyes.
His heart tightened painfully, almost suffocating him.
What he never expected was that the original actress playing Ruan Dai suffered a mental breakdown and ended up pushing Su Ling off a cliff during filming.
Her legs were shattered.
The injury was severe; she could no longer dance. Those perfectly straight legs, trained for twelve years, were permanently ruined.
When she opened her eyes, she didn’t cry, despite the excruciating pain. She simply asked, “Can I still act?”
Qin Xiao turned away. In his twenty-eight years of life, it was the first time he felt unbearable pain.
He clenched his fists tightly: “Yes.”
She heard his lie, unsure if he was deceiving her or himself. With a final smile, she drifted back to sleep.
After that, she stopped acting altogether. Walking caused her pain, and she spent half a year in a wheelchair before regaining the ability to walk slowly without noticeable difficulty.
She was obedient and never brought up the incident again.
Twelve Years of Hustle was shelved indefinitely.
Qin Xiao thought Su Ling didn’t know, but she knew everything.
In the dressing room, she overheard other actors talking. They said she had a face that could charm any man, including someone as powerful as Qin Shao.
Another sneered, “Too bad Qin Shao doesn’t plan to make her famous.”
She listened quietly. At just twenty years old, it wasn’t easy to stay unaffected.
Still, she wondered: If she worked harder, would Qin Xiao soften when he saw her dedication?
Sadly, there was no “later.”
Her accident—breaking her leg—was unexpected, but life was unpredictable. You never knew what would happen next.
Su Ling already knew from her past life that he didn’t want her to act.
This man possessed her obsessively, restraining himself in public but unleashing his desires in private.
A person could control their actions and words but not their primal instincts and nature.
No matter how well he concealed his fangs, his eyes betrayed him.
Thus, his decision to blacklist her came as no surprise. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.
She understood and felt furious.
This man was domineering, arrogant, selfish, and obsessive. Anyone he set his sights on was doomed, and unfortunately, she was the unlucky one.
Taking a deep breath, Su Ling rarely experienced such intense emotions. In modern terms, she could be described as someone with a “Buddha-like” attitude.
Yet even the most Buddha-like person could feel their temples throb with anger.
Su Ling consoled herself: Don’t get angry. It’s useless. He’s rich, powerful, and a jerk. You can’t beat him or kill him.
Not being able to act wasn’t the end of the world. There were other jobs. As long as she had hands and feet, she could build a happy life gradually.
After hours of self-reassurance, it finally helped a little.
For the first time in her life, she envied Tang Weiwei and Zheng Xiaoya. Why had Qin Xiao let them go? Why was she so unlucky?
Before, Su Ling believed that the unattainable was always the best. Perhaps Tang Weiwei and the others were too easily obtained?
However, Qin Xiao merely smirked coldly and uttered, “I never touched them.” His tone sent chills down her spine.
At that moment, Su Ling wished Qin Xiao would one day say, “Su Ling? Who’s that?”
But even in death, she never heard those words.
Life was unfair. She couldn’t even outlive Qin Xiao.
Feeling defeated, Su Ling sulked for days before mustering the energy to attend classes. Their midterm results had just come out, and she ranked first in her department again.
Her classmates were used to it by now. Her efforts were evident, and no one dared to make snide remarks.
Without a contract offer, even her previously distant classmates felt something was amiss.
“Ahhh, what’s wrong with those people’s eyes? Though it has nothing to do with me, our department’s flower is truly excellent. How could she not be famous?”
“I want to buy an entertainment company just to promote our department’s flower!”
Yun Bu echoed these sentiments indignantly. Su Ling’s feelings were complicated. The ugly, slanderous people from her past life were now defending her in this one.
How could one judge the good and bad in people? Reflecting, Su Ling realized her past life wasn’t entirely ruined by public opinion—it was partly her own fault.
“It’s alright,” she softly reassured Yun Bu. “No one deserves to be overlooked, and no one owes me fame. If it comes, it’s a blessing. If not, there’s no reason to be disappointed.”
Her smile was warm and free of resentment. Yun Bu relaxed: “Mm!”
The next day, Tan Qing patted her shoulder and whispered, “Director Dong asked me to pass along a message. He wants to know if you’re interested in auditioning for his new movie.”
Su Ling looked at her in surprise. Tan Qing quickly raised her book to hide her awkward expression.
After the incident with the wealthy businessman, Tan Qing had cut ties with him.
She was clever and had built connections during that time. Dong Xu was a competent and upright director, and getting into his projects required real talent. Tan Qing auditioned for a supporting role in one of his films but performed poorly. From Dong Xu’s calm, indifferent expression after the audition, she knew she hadn’t impressed him.
Tan Qing didn’t care much, but remembering how Su Ling had defended her reputation despite her slander, she impulsively asked, “Director Dong, what about Su Ling from our department—the one who played Jiuli in Twelve Years of Hustle ? Can you give her a chance to audition?”
She had asked casually, thinking it wouldn’t hurt since Su Ling was technically a classmate.
To her surprise, Dong Xu paused, as if recalling something.
He replied indifferently, “Sure.”
And so, Tan Qing delivered the message.
Yun Bu, sitting beside Su Ling, overheard and immediately laughed: “Tan Qing, are you falling for our Ling Ling?”
Tan Qing: “…Yun Bu, you little brat, keep talking nonsense and I’ll rip your mouth off. I like men.”
Yun Bu laughed, her shoulders shaking: “Alright, alright, I’ll shut up.” She finally understood: Tan Qing was sharp-tongued but big-hearted, living life on her own terms—not exactly virtuous but not malicious either.
Su Ling knew they were joking and couldn’t help but smile faintly. Such an opportunity was rare, and she sincerely thanked Tan Qing: “Thank you.”
“Hmph.”
The audition was on Saturday, the final round for Dong Xu’s new film, The Prisoner .
Just the title suggested it was a serious, thought-provoking movie.
Su Ling hadn’t seen this film in her past life. She only received the script upon arrival. About ten others were also auditioning, half male and half female.
One male and one female character were left to be cast. These were the final two roles in the movie.
Everyone present knew who Dong Xu was.
He judged based on acting skills, not appearances, and never gave preferential treatment. This was evident from Zheng Xiaoya’s failure to secure the lead role in his previous project. For some unknown reason, that project had been shelved, and he was now fully focused on The Prisoner .
This was Su Ling’s only chance.
Though she despised Zheng Xiaoya, she felt indifferent toward Dong Xu. To her, he was just a stranger.
If there was anyone she could still work with, it was likely Dong Xu.
Dong Xu had the financial means to fund his own projects, and the Dong family was part of the elite circle. At least Qin Xiao couldn’t meddle too much here.
Calmly, Su Ling read through the script. The Prisoner was a mystery thriller about a group of people trapped in a sealed space with no way out except for a small ventilation hole above. The walls were smooth, solid concrete, and escape was impossible.
Eight people were trapped inside: a lawyer, a thief, a doctor, a businessman, a student, a secretary, an elderly woman, and a fugitive murderer. The ceiling was high, equipped with a camera and a dim incandescent light.
When they woke up, each person had a name tag on their clothes indicating their identity. There were no weapons, only limited food and water.
Unfamiliar with each other, the eight individuals began a deadly game of survival filled with greed and suspicion…
The script was gripping, and the audition room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Dong Xu’s works were captivating precisely because of moments like these. His stories exposed human nature, layered with suspense, leaving audiences eager for more.
However, Dong Xu was also a strict director. Almost immediately after handing out the scripts, he called people in for auditions.
Each person received the same script, but he didn’t specify which role they were auditioning for.
Earlier, Tan Qing had warned Su Ling: “I auditioned too, but I was completely lost. Director Dong doesn’t play by the rules—he asked me to play a 48-year-old male murderer. I almost burst out laughing, okay?”
“…” Su Ling thought it sounded impressive.
Dong Xu then called in groups of two or three.
Su Ling wasn’t called in the first round. She guessed Dong Xu was having all the auditionees improvise scenes together without fixed lines, allowing each actor to freely interpret their roles.
Not fully digesting the script and jumping straight into improvisation was a significant test of an actor’s adaptability and natural talent.
The atmosphere was infectious, and Su Ling’s palms sweated nervously.
Compared to her previous role as Jiuli, which had been handed to her unexpectedly, this challenge was exponentially more difficult.
But Su Ling knew how important this was for her.
All the roles she had played in her two lifetimes were just jokes in Qin Xiao’s hands.
This was her best chance to break free from him. Whether she could survive in the entertainment industry depended on this.
The first batch of auditionees emerged with somber expressions.
Su Ling was called in the second group.
Two men and two women entered together, including Su Ling, making four people in total.
The audition room was dimly lit and eerily quiet, simulating the claustrophobic setting of The Prisoner .
The tension instantly heightened.
Dong Xu sat to the side, wearing glasses.
His appearance was refined, possibly due to his literary background, but his gaze was cold and serious.
Su Ling recalled his reputation as a genius.
Dong Xu spoke: “Feng Lifei plays the thief, Hong Zheng the lawyer, Shan Die the student, and Su Ling the doctor. Your current situation: food is almost gone, the murderer has been killed by everyone, and each of you is starving. Figure out how to secure the most food possible.”
He explained succinctly, but everyone felt the weight of the challenge.
Dong Xu’s eyes swept over them, lingering briefly on Su Ling before he calmly said: “Action.”
The air thickened with pressure as the scene began.
Su Ling was assigned the role of the doctor. In her memory, this character, Dr. Le Yi, was 25 years old, a graduate of a second-tier medical university. She was gentle and kind but had endured hardships growing up in poverty. She studied medicine not out of altruism but to escape her dire circumstances and become respectable.
This meant Le Yi wasn’t particularly virtuous. Having suffered, she feared suffering and was determined to climb the social ladder at all costs. She was also skilled at disguising her true nature.
In this fight for survival, Le Yi would do anything to live!
However, her earlier display of gentleness had put her at a disadvantage. Among them, the thief, Feng Lifei, had the most food, followed by the lawyer, Hong Zheng. The student, Shan Die, had the least due to her relatively naive nature.
The food had already been divided.
Su Ling’s mind raced. What would Le Yi do in this situation? She would target the “weakest” one—Shan Die.
Su Ling approached Shan Die, who was crouched in the corner, and gently touched her hair. Shan Die, a sophomore in high school, was terrified by the sight before her—the murderer’s corpse was nearby.
When Su Ling touched her, Shan Die immediately became alert: “What are you doing?”
Su Ling spoke softly: “Don’t be afraid. I’m a doctor. You look terrible. I have a younger sister your age at home. Hang in there—we’ll get rescued.”
Shan Die, whose tense emotions had been calmed, began to sob: “Really… can we really get out? My parents must be looking for me. I’ve been missing for three days. Will they find me after reporting it to the police?”
Su Ling smiled: “They definitely will.”
She patted Shan Die’s shoulder and sat beside her: “Sleep for a while. We haven’t rested in 36 hours. I’ll keep watch first, and when you wake up, you can take over, okay?”
Shan Die was exhausted. Doctors naturally inspired trust, so she nodded: “Okay.”
After Shan Die fell asleep, Su Ling discreetly took some of her food. As she “stole,” Shan Die’s eyelids fluttered, as if the “student” role was struggling internally over whether to wake up and confront the theft.
Ultimately, Shan Die chose to stay asleep.
Su Ling took a third of her food and then woke her up tearfully, covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming: “The thief just took your food and threatened me to stay quiet. What should we do now?”
Blaming the thief was convenient, and the setup was complete.
Dong Xu watched silently as the four actors reenacted their imagined “food struggle.”
He had seen Su Ling’s performance in Twelve Years of Hustle . Objectively speaking, she had done well, capturing the innocence and charm of a young girl.
But Dong Xu remembered their first meeting. She had stood under a late cherry blossom tree, her gaze peaceful as she looked at him.
The shadows of the tree danced in the wind.
She had simply stood there quietly, yet she drew his attention effortlessly.
An unusual charm—gentle and reserved.
Who had taught her to be so well-behaved, so clean, with such clear eyes?
What was she like beneath the surface?
In that split second before he spoke, Dong Xu switched the roles of doctor and student between Su Ling and Shan Die.
Google Sites
Report abuse