MGG - 5

Chapter 5: Twelve Years of Dust

Qin Xiao glanced down at Guo Mingyan’s phone. On the screen was an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, wearing a beige dress. Though only her profile was visible, her smile was breathtakingly sweet.

He chuckled coldly, tapping his pen against the desk. “What do you want me to do with this?”

“Ask Tang Weiwei if she knows her. She’s from their school.”

Qin Xiao twirled the pen between his fingers indifferently. “Tang Weiwei? We broke up.”

“Holy crap, that fast?” Guo Mingyan thought for a moment, then grinned lecherously. “Then I’ll investigate on my own. Damn, she’s gorgeous.”

The movement of Qin Xiao’s pen paused. He glanced at the photo again, his tone growing colder when he spoke. “You’re twenty-six. How old do you think she is?”

Guo Mingyan whined. “So what if I’m twenty-six? I’m rich and single—the ultimate catch. And don’t act all high and mighty, Qin. Tang Weiwei’s barely out of her teens, and you’re older than me by a year. You’re already twenty-seven!”

The pen in Qin Xiao’s hand slammed onto the desk. Guo Mingyan flinched. “Ahh, my bad, boss! I didn’t mean it!” Even though he wasn’t sure what exactly he’d done wrong, apologizing always seemed like the right move.

Qin Xiao remained silent for a while before speaking. “Send me that photo.”

Guo Mingyan hesitated. “No need. I’ll look into it myself.”

Qin Xiao’s dark eyes narrowed. “Send it now.”

Suddenly enlightened, Guo Mingyan sent the photo over with a strange expression. Could it be that Qin Xiao wanted to compete with him for this woman? But Qin didn’t usually go for this type…

Once he received the photo, Qin Xiao saved it immediately. Under Guo Mingyan’s watchful gaze, he dialed a call. “Chen Fan.”

The voice on the other end was both thrilled and nervous. “Mr. Qin.”

“The class you’re mentoring—send them all to audition.”

Chen Fan felt as though he’d won the lottery. “Thank you, Mr. Qin. May I ask what role they’ll be auditioning for?”

Qin Xiao paused briefly. “Pick a few to play the second female lead.” A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “This time, I don’t want to see any bizarre makeup.”

Guo Mingyan couldn’t grasp what Qin Xiao was doing. His limited intelligence failed him here. So he focused on his own concerns instead. “Boss, have some pity on me. I haven’t dated much…” As someone obsessed with looks, even among rising actresses, most still fell short of his standards.

Qin Xiao sneered. “Get lost.”

“Eh?” So did that mean yes or no?

After Guo Mingyan left, Qin Xiao pulled out his phone again. Opening the photo, his thumb traced slowly down her cheek.

Her smile—it was intoxicatingly sweet.

________________________________________

There was a rumor circulating in the performing arts department lately.

To make amends to Tang Weiwei, the big boss had arranged auditions not just for her but also for two entire classes under Instructor Chen Fan. Envy and resentment spread like wildfire, reaching levels unimaginable.

In the entertainment industry, there were typically two paths to success. One relied on sheer luck and hard work—playing maids, servants, corpses, or beggars, hoping to rise through the ranks. For those who managed to break through, it was a miracle. Some spent their entire lives as extras.

The other path was to rely on connections. With powerful backing, resources flowed freely, and even without talent, one could become a familiar face on screen.

This time, the big boss was being exceptionally generous. Several second female lead roles were up for grabs across multiple productions. The AC classes of the performing arts department buzzed with excitement.

Tang Weiwei resumed walking around with her nose in the air.

But this time, more people thanked her than criticized her behind her back.

Yun Bu grumbled indignantly. “What kind of world is this? Why does someone like her get all the breaks?” She pinched Su Ling’s cheek as the latter diligently worked on her homework. “Hmph. That big shot has terrible taste. A precious gemstone’s right in front of him, yet he goes for mud.”

The ‘gemstone’ blinked blankly. “Huh?”

“Forget it. Just keep writing your homework.”

Su Ling fully embraced the motto, “I love studying; studying makes me happy,” scribbling furiously. Yun Bu couldn’t understand her dedication. At their age, wasn’t it enough to just coast by? Who would push themselves this hard?

“Why are you working so hard?”

Su Ling paused, smiling faintly. “Maybe… I didn’t study enough in my past life.”

Yun Bu snorted.

But Su Ling wasn’t joking. Her gaze dimmed slightly. In June of her past life, rumors had already spread throughout the school—accusing her of sleeping her way to the top. Under the pressure of public opinion, she nearly collapsed. Someone even tracked down her grandmother and called to hurl abuse.

Her grandmother suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.

That was when Qin Xiao appeared. “Be mine, hmm?”

“I’ll help save your grandmother.”

“Drop out of school.”

He had money—he could afford her grandmother’s surgery. He had power—he could silence the gossip.

She surrendered.

She became Qin Xiao’s caged lover.

But her grandmother didn’t survive the following winter.

And so, she dropped out of school after her sophomore year, never setting foot in Z University again.

Thinking about it now, Su Ling suddenly realized her current “poor peasant” economic status wouldn’t cut it. Her grandmother was aging, and she needed money to handle emergencies.

Her part-time job barely covered her expenses in B City, even with the scholarship.

Su Ling thought about the upcoming audition.

Even for a second female lead in a movie or TV series, the salary was at least several hundred thousand yuan. Even for newcomers, even for students.

She was tempted. With that kind of money, her grandmother’s health would be secure.

But something felt off. In her past life, had Qin Xiao ever compensated Tang Weiwei like this?

No.

He couldn’t even remember who Tang Weiwei was.

Connecting the dots between the photo and the situation, Su Ling grew uneasy. But she convinced herself she was overthinking. Surely, she wasn’t that significant to him.

To try or not to try—that was the question.

As she wavered, mid-May arrived. Summer had set in, and the weather was stifling. The girls in her class had switched to skirts and high heels. At nineteen or twenty, they were in full bloom, exuding charm and allure.

Su Ling, however, wrapped herself up like a native villager, wearing socks and sneakers, not showing a single toe.

Still, her excessively fair and beautiful face drew lingering glances.

The auditions began sporadically. Chen Fan believed he had figured out Qin Xiao’s preferences and sent Tang Weiwei’s C class first.

The inexperienced, poorly trained students went in happily and returned with tear-streaked faces.

Some were even mocked into tears by the director.

Yun Bu was excited. “Though I doubt I’ll get picked—I’ve never been lucky—but it’ll be good exposure. Qing Entertainment Group, can you believe it? If we’re lucky, we might even meet idols and get autographs!”

Su Ling smiled too. Despite her young age in both lifetimes, she harbored fantasies like anyone else. Living without hope was impossible.

“I really like Ji Chong. I could stare at his face all day! I guarantee he’ll become a major actor someday!”

Su Ling nodded. “He will.”

Five years later, Ji Chong’s TV dramas dominated every household. Confined to the villa, she had nothing to do but watch TV, and Ji Chong’s face became a constant presence.

In fantasy dramas, he played celestial immortals. In campus romances, he was the senior student. In martial arts epics, he portrayed the elegant swordsman… Truly a screen-dominating king. But at this point, Ji Chong was just starting to gain recognition. Yun Bu’s taste was impeccable.

“Who’s your favorite?”

Su Ling shook her head. “They’re all fine.”

She lied. Once, she admired Zheng Xiaoya the most. But Zheng Xiaoya killed her.

“Oh, okay.”

________________________________________

The next day, it was A class’s turn to audition. Qin Xiao’s generous offer commanded the school’s full attention. They even arranged a bus to transport the students. Thirteen girls from A class filled half the bus.

The performing arts department already boasted high average attractiveness. Now, dressed to impress, these young beauties turned heads—even the driver couldn’t help but stare.

Su Ling wore a gray shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes—a plain outfit made even plainer next to the elaborately dressed girls. She looked like a country bumpkin in the city.

Their gazes carried an odd mix of pity and disdain.

Su Ling gave up. She decided to withdraw from the audition.

Qin Xiao once taught her: to get something, you had to offer bait. He stopped at nothing. After much deliberation, she concluded she couldn’t risk it. She was still young—she could work her way up slowly. It wouldn’t be too bad.

If Chen Fan hadn’t threatened her not to wear that makeup again, she might have tried adding it.

Qing Entertainment was one of Qin Xiao’s companies, one of the largest film and television production firms in B City.

The towering building left the students awestruck.

One girl covered her face, whispering, “Mr. Qin is so rich. I wish I could marry into wealth.”

Yun Bu had fantasized too much. Led through side corridors, they didn’t even glimpse famous actors or fresh-faced idols signed to Qing Entertainment.

Auditions took place in a private room. Each person drew a slip of paper with a script and order number. There were six scripts in total, meaning six roles—quite a generous offering.

Su Ling drew numbers three and nine. She retrieved the corresponding script from the rack. She was ninth in line to audition.

Opening Script #3, the title made her freeze momentarily.

Twelve Years of Dust.

She had acted in this TV drama before.

Based on a popular web novel, Twelve Years of Dust told the story of Ye Qinglan, who reincarnated into the body of a six-year-old orphan in ancient times. Sold into a brothel called Iris Pavilion by her cruel father, the brothel doubled as a training ground for assassins and spies run by the male lead, Zhao Gou. In her past life, Ye Qinglan had been a resourceful concubine’s daughter. Thriving in the brothel, she caught Zhao Gou’s eye and became his sharpest weapon.

Twelve years later, now eighteen, she was sent on perilous missions, narrowly escaping death multiple times. During one such mission, she discovered Zhao Gou’s secret: he had dissociative identity disorder. Caring for his childlike alternate personality, she earned his affection and love.

The plot was clichéd and melodramatic but packed with thrilling moments. The protagonist’s combat skills and the male lead’s dual personalities were major highlights. When adapted into a TV series, it achieved impressive ratings, propelling even the supporting cast to fame.

At the time, reincarnation and transmigration themes were still permitted, captivating audiences of all ages.

In her past life, Su Ling played the second female lead—Zhao Gou’s fiancée, Ruan Dai.

An outwardly pure but inwardly twisted beauty.

Seeing the name Ruan Dai on the script, Su Ling felt a wave of dizziness.

It was during the filming of Twelve Years of Dust that she suffered a devastating accident. Her leg fractured, leaving her with a permanent limp.