Chapter 43

Bai Yin accompanied Chen Huaixiao in his office all afternoon. Chen Huaixiao was busy and didn't pay any attention to her. He was busy signing documents and taking video calls the entire afternoon.

Bai Yin laid on his sofa reading a script, glancing at him when he seemed free and asked: "Why did you ask me to come over?"

Chen Huaixiao rubbed his eyes and said slowly: "To keep me company."

"Keep company doing what?"

His gaze swept over an elegantly shaped white jade vase on the shelf, and he said lightly: "Like it, just keep me company, don't talk."

Talking only annoys him.

"......"

Bai Yin of course was unhappy being treated like his ornamental vase. She slowly got up, walked behind Chen Huaixiao's chair: "Dear, let's rehearse our lines, I've memorized the last scene, let me get a feel for it?"

Chen Huaixiao didn't even turn his head, his slender fingers tapped on the computer as he reviewed reports from the meeting: "Very busy, plastic husband doesn't handle these things."

Bai Yin knew he would refuse. Her fair, smooth arm embraced his shoulders from behind and hugged him. She gently whispered in his ear: "Dear, help me rehearse, I'll reward you tonight."

After saying this, she gently nuzzled his earlobe.

Chen Huaixiao could hardly stand this teasing. He turned around and pulled her onto his lap. Bai Yin blocked him with her forearm, stubbornly saying: "Help me rehearse."

Chen Huaixiao tapped his knuckles on the table: "Go on."

Bai Yin handed him the script: "Just read Shen Luoxu's lines, convey the emotions as much as possible, or I'll fall out of character and won't be able to cry."

"I know."

Chen Huaixiao flipped through a few pages, glanced over it, then tossed the script aside. After a moment of preparation he got into character.

Bai Yin snapped her fingers, her calm expression instantly changed to panic. She rushed over and hugged Chen Huaixiao's firm waist, her fingers clutching desperately: "Shen Luoxu, don't leave me. I've loved you for so many years!"

Chen Huaixiao lowered his gaze and saw the intersecting tear tracks on the girl's face.

Her brows were slightly knitted, her eyes full of the absurdity and despair that comes after exhausting all schemes. It was the last bit of hope left after losing everything.

Hoping to get his pity.

Chen Huaixiao hadn't gotten into character at first, but Bai Yin's performance pulled him in.

He gripped Bai Yin's shoulders, trying to push her away: "I never loved you."

When he said this, Bai Yin truly felt a stab in her heart, as if she hadn't prepared herself even after mentally repeating it hundreds of times. Hearing him say this to her face, the blow was unexpected.

She stared at him, tears swirling in her eyes but not falling, heartbroken she asked: "Not even...a little?"

"You always knew my heart belonged to someone else."

"I know, I know."

Bai Yin lowered her head, tears finally falling like broken beads: "But I thought if I tried hard enough, you'd see me."

Her grief was so real and infectious, that if this wasn't acting, Chen Huaixiao would have truly believed this girl had given her all for him.

She really loved him!

But this absurd thought only flashed through his mind briefly. Chen Huaixiao coldly read the character Shen Luoxu's lines: "You can work hard at anything, but not feelings."

After saying this, he turned to leave.

The girl grabbed his sleeve pleadingly, sobbing: "Can you give me one last hug? A farewell hug."

Chen Huaixiao stopped in his tracks.

His heart ached unbearably.

His usually strong self-control continued to slip when it came to Bai Yin.

Chen Huaixiao's hands were tightly clenched. He turned around and pulled the girl into his embrace, holding her tightly, letting her tears soak his suit, as if wanting to meld her into himself.

"Huh?"

Bai Yin broke character.

This wasn't the male lead Shen Luoxu's intended action. She was just a supporting actress. The male lead should have rejected her without hesitation, then left with the female lead who was eavesdropping by the door.

Hugging the supporting actress now would make the female lead misunderstand!

Bai Yin pushed Chen Huaixiao away, whispering: "Wrong, the female lead is watching, the male lead can't act like this!"

"To hell with the female lead."

Chen Huaixiao simply picked Bai Yin up and strode towards the large bed in the inner living room.

"Hey?! What are you..."

"Reward, I want it now."

... An hour later, Bai Yin, wrapped in his black bathrobe, dried her damp hair as she walked barefoot to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the tall buildings and neon lights outside.

Chen Huaixiao had changed into a suit to meet a client who had flown in from overseas on short notice.

He really was busy.

Bai Yin thought back to what had just happened, she clearly sensed Chen Huaixiao was quite aroused, constantly kissing her.

It seemed his only purpose was to kiss her, to make her feel pleasure, bring her to climax.

For the first time in her life Bai Yin felt conquered.

Thoroughly, with no reservations, conquered.

Just then, Sun Lili knocked and entered, saying to Bai Yin: "President Chen just texted me to bring you a change of clothes."

Bai Yin looked back and saw her lace camisole had been ripped apart by him.

Sun Lili naturally noticed too, exclaiming in shock: "Damn, you two are...too much! Broad daylight..."

Bai Yin took the clothes, lazily lying on his big bed, her tone a little helpless: "Lili, I'm afraid I'll fall for him again."

"How could that happen, didn't you lose feelings long ago in college?"

Bai Yin thought about what had just happened...

"He found the most direct route to my heart, burrowing in like a loach, I can barely hold him off."

Sun Lili's mouth twitched: "Are you sure this is something I want to hear as a single dog?"

Bai Yin covered her face with the clothes, dejectedly said: "This man really...so annoying!"

Sun Lili could see Bai Yin's distress. She came over and sat beside her: "Babe, think carefully, do you want to relive those painful years?"

"Maybe he could love me this time?" she asked blankly: "Could he?"

"Tsk, men." Sun Lili shook her head, not having much faith in men: "You're smarter than me, think for yourself."

Bai Yin finally calmed down from the earlier madness, regaining her rationality.

"I was dreaming, the moment Qin Yao returns, he'll leave me without hesitation, just like Shen Luoxu."

She put on the shirt Sun Lili brought, buttoning it up one by one, her earlier confusion disappearing, replaced with calmness and resolve.

Use him to get what she wants.

Guard her heart.

...

The web drama Next Station, Wait for You officially wrapped up filming. Su Mu, the vicious female supporting character was hated by thousands of viewers. Adding Bai Yin's superb acting that vividly portrayed her, dragging down the male lead unrelentingly, scheming to create misunderstandings between the leads.

During the broadcast, audience curses towards Su Mu came in waves -

"Su Mu go die!!!"

"Ahhhh! How can there be such a slutty supporting actress!"

"Seeing Su Mu's face instantly raises my blood pressure!"

"Bai Yin get out of the entertainment industry!"

"We can curse the character, but don't attack the actress. What does Su Mu being shameless have to do with Bai Yin?"

"I really want to not blame the actress, but I just can't do it!"

"I hate Bai Yin."

...

Seeing this, Su Anning also passive-aggressively posted on Weibo: "Stealing someone's love, how unvirtuous."

Although she claimed it was just a feeling with no hidden meaning, some of her fans still went to Bai Yin's Weibo to vent, taking advantage of their idol's momentum to curse Bai Yin wildly.

Bai Yin didn't really care about these comments. The more the audience cursed her, the better she had portrayed the character Su Mu, it was recognition of her acting skills.

Every time Bai Yin appeared in an episode of Next Station, Wait for You, she trended on hot search, staying on the hot search chart almost every day, single-handedly carrying the popularity and hype of the entire drama.

Sun Lili couldn't help marvelling: Black fans are still fans!

The variety show Big Stars Tonight invited some of the main cast of Next Station, Wait for You to share behind the scenes stories and play games with fans.

This variety show was quite popular in recent years with very high ratings.

Watching Bai Yin putting on makeup in the dressing room, Sun Lili earnestly reminded her: "On variety shows, you must reveal your likeable side, this is a rare chance to improve your image. Guide the audience, let them know characters are not actors! Attacking actors is irrational!"

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

Just then, Big Stars Tonight's chief director Xie Li Bin walked over. Bai Yin stood up to greet him: "Is it time to start recording? My makeup is done."

Xie Li Bin looked hesitant, wavering: "Bai Yin, we directors just had an emergency meeting, considering your current online reputation, if you appear on the show, the bullet screen will likely be a bloodbath, also affecting the male and female leads. So..."

Sun Lili became anxious: "Wasn't it already settled? Now you're telling us she can't appear, are you joking with us!"

Xie Li Bin awkwardly said: "The role is unpopular, you chose to act it, so you must bear the consequences. We're also considering the show's effectiveness, after all the leads are who the audience wants to see most, they don't want to see the vicious female supporting actress on the show."

Sun Lili wanted to argue with Xie Li Bin, but Bai Yin stopped her, saying: "Since that's the case, I won't intrude."

After that, she turned and left the studio, suppressing her resentment as she went home.

Sun Lili texted Bai Yin to comfort her, Qiao Yan Shi also messaged that he didn't know about tonight's circumstances, otherwise he would have explained things to the director. Although Bai Yin acted indifferent, she still felt a little uncomfortable inside.

She was strong-willed, even knowing this had nothing to do with her personally, the hatred was directed at the character Su Mu for being so hateful, but she still couldn't get over it completely in her heart.

...

When Chen Huaixiao entered, he saw the high heels carelessly kicked off by the door. He picked them up and neatly put them away in the shoe cabinet.

Going upstairs on the spiral staircase, he pushed open Bai Yin's half-closed door.

The room was dark, Bai Yin only wore a thin black babydoll, lazily sitting by the bay window, swirling the stem of a wine glass as she watched the nightscape outside with drunken, blurry eyes.

Moonlight spilled on her fair skin like gauze, her shapely bones beautiful and alluring, the floral tattoo on her wrist vivid and sexy.

"I heard there was a variety show recording tonight." Chen Huaixiao averted his gaze, "It's over so early?"

"The female supporting character hated by the whole world, vicious, scheming, stealing the male lead..." Bai Yin's rosy lips tilted up, "The female lead is kind and innocent, everyone loves her, the male lead also loves her, no one loves the female supporting actress, why would I go disrupt their happiness?"

Chen Huaixiao walked over to her, smelling the faint alcohol on her. She seemed to have drank quite a bit.

"Characters are characters, you are you." He sat down beside her, saying in his deep voice: "Don't overthink."

Bai Yin wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes: "Brother, I can't get out of this."

Chen Huaixiao looked at her with unprecedented gentleness: "Hm?"

"Su Mu is me, they're cursing Su Mu, but also cursing me. Even if his heart only has the female lead, I'd still snatch, still steal..."

After saying this, she put her arms around Chen Huaixiao's neck, passionately kissing him: "You see, this is the kind of person I am."

The taste of alcohol lingered between their lips as Chen Huaixiao kissed her, as if to soothe her. "I know what kind of person you are," he said gently.

"So you absolutely detest me."

Bai Yin's long hair was disheveled, and her eyes were misty. Only when drunk would she rarely let her guard down.

Chen Huaixiao endured the heartache and said honestly, "Yes, detest."

He detested being toyed with like this by her, detested her unabashed use of him, and detested his inability to break free from the tender trap she had set.

"I knew it..."

Bai Yin's slender fingertips gently pushed Chen Huaixiao away. "If you detest me, then divorce me, Chen Huaixiao."

Chen Huaixiao pulled her into his arms and threw her onto the bed, pressing his voice low, "Never possible."

...

Afterwards, Bai Yin lay sprawled by the misty bath, relaxing her sore and limp body as the alcohol was starting to wear off.

Chen Huaixiao walked in wearing a loose black bathrobe, the neckline open to reveal his handsome pectorals.

Bai Yin glanced at him in irritation, then turned her face away, unwilling to bother with this madman of a man.

Chen Huaixiao sat at the edge of the bath and scattered rose petals into the water. He drew Bai Yin over and massaged her back.

The butterfly bones on Bai Yin's back were very beautiful. Chen Huaixiao's fingers applied the right amount of force, and cracks could be heard at times - it actually felt rather comfortable.

She closed her eyes and settled contentedly by his feet.

"The entertainment industry is like this," came Chen Huaixiao's calm and indifferent voice. "The more applause you want, the more scolding you have to be prepared to take. What's the use of crying?"

"I won't cry anymore."

She would don the crown and ascend the starlit peaks.

Chen Huaixiao gently stroked her head, petting her like a cat, tenderly saying: "Don't cry in front of me."

"Hmph, I know that," Bai Yin said stubbornly. "I won't anymore."

After leaving the bathroom, Chen Huaixiao's gentle expression vanished instantly. He went to the quiet yard and called Shen Bin to understand the situation.

"It was indeed an accident - the director decided at the last minute to not let Bai Yin appear on the show." Shen Bin explained, "After all, the audience just wants to see the male and female leads interact and be lovey-dovey. Having the second female lead there would be an eyesore."

"If that's the case, why invite her in the first place?"

"I guess they wanted to use Madam's fame to stir up hype, attract traffic - after all, Madam's been trending every day recently." Shen Bin analyzed knowledgeably, "Attract the traffic over, get ready for some scolding, then when they see Madam hasn't appeared, the show gets a ratings boost without backlash."

Hearing only silence from Chen Huaixiao, Shen Bin grew nervous and tentatively called, "Master Chen?"

Chen Huaixiao's expression was grim. "Tell them from now on, none of the artists from Xingxing Media will ever appear on that variety show again."

Shen Bin's heart thudded. He didn't expect Chen Huaixiao to make such an absolute statement.

It seems the production team's stunt with Bai Yin tonight had thoroughly offended Chen Huaixiao.

At least half of the A-list celebrities were from Xingxing Media, not to mention the countless top-tier actors, singers, best actors and divas.

If they were permanently blacklisted from this variety show, it probably wouldn't survive past next year.

...

The next morning, as soon as Chen Huaixiao arrived at the office, his assistant informed him that Xie Li Bin, the executive director of Tonight with the Stars, had been waiting in the lobby since daybreak for Chen Huaixiao to come in.

Chen Huaixiao decisively refused to meet -

"No appointments, no meetings."

Shen Bin said, "He just wants to ask Mr. Chen one question - why is Xingxing Media permanently blacklisting Tonight with the Stars?"

Chen Huaixiao's expression was icy as he coldly stated, "Tell him my people are not for him to toy with as he pleases."