Chapter 022: Find Someone to Beat Up My Sister

Consort Qin took a bite of her bun and muttered, "You're right, earning more is the way to go. In the end, I'm just too poor! No, I can't just sit around like this. Tomorrow, I'm going back to the set to talk to the director... The director never said I was out for sure. Maybe if I beg, there's still hope."

Qin Hongfei realized she had misunderstood her meaning, but Consort Qin was always so impetuous. The very next day, she headed straight to the set, and with nothing better to do, Qin Hongfei followed. Still, she was uneasy about leaving the one still bedridden at home, so she gave two yuan to the housekeeper, asking for a little extra care.

At the film set...

When Qin Hongfei accompanied Consort Qin to the set, they arrived just as a scene between the male and female leads was being filmed. The crew was sprinkling water, simulating a rain scene. Suddenly, Consort Qin's eyes widened in shock. "How can this be!"

Qin Hongfei turned to her. "What's wrong?"

Consort Qin stared, stunned and desolate, at the girl standing beside Duoduo’s character. "That’s your sister Duoduo. The role she’s playing—it's the bit part I was supposed to have. It's gone…" Gone—and taken by Duoduo. Meanwhile, the role Duoduo was originally cast in, a nameless passerby, had been given to her so-called friend.

Consort Qin was single-minded, but not stupid.

After playing the passerby, the friend came running out of the rain and caught sight of Consort Qin. A flicker of surprise and provocation flashed across her face. "Oh, Consort Qin… what are you doing back?" She’d assumed Consort Qin wouldn’t be returning any time soon.

Consort Qin had her suspicions but dared not voice them. Qin Hongfei, however, was different. She asked directly, "Did Duoduo steal my sister’s role?"

The friend sneered, "Steal? We all competed fairly. Besides, you only have yourself to blame. Why didn’t Wanwan help you get the part? Why did she help Duoduo instead? Clearly, you’re just bad at dealing with people."

Consort Qin couldn't help but doubt herself. Am I really that bad with people?

Is it truly such a failure?

Otherwise, why would no one help me?

Qin Hongfei shot her a helpless glance. Silly girl, do you really start doubting yourself just because someone says so?

She looked at Wanwan, at Duoduo, at this so-called friend, and at the loan sharks who had come out of nowhere. Suddenly, a suspicion formed in her mind, and she asked outright, "Were those loan sharks part of a trap you set?"

"You had someone beat up my sister to please Wanwan and help her vent her anger. Duoduo could then take my sister’s role, and you could step into Duoduo’s. If that’s the case, it explains the appearance of the loan sharks. I suppose Wanwan being attacked, drawing Consort Qin into the mess, was all part of the plan."

The friend glanced in surprise at the sisters, then covered her mouth and laughed triumphantly. "So you’ve finally figured it out? Too late—I’ve already got the role, and so has Duoduo. The director’s not about to change his mind over such an insignificant part."

Consort Qin had never expected things to turn out this way. If Hongfei hadn’t pointed it out, she might have remained in the dark all her life.

She’d thought she was the one dragging Wanwan down, afraid something would happen to her.

She’d thought she should take responsibility for everything herself, and yet this was the result!

Furious, she made to charge forward—

But Qin Hongfei was ready, quick-eyed and quicker-handed, and grabbed her. "You want to run over there and demand to know why they did it?"

Consort Qin gritted her teeth. "Yes."

Qin Hongfei said, "And after you ask? Even if they admit it, what then? You'll go explain to the director and expect him to give you back the part? Is that even possible?" The shoot was underway, the lead actors were in the midst of their performance—if Consort Qin barged in now, she’d offend both the leads and the director, not to mention draw everyone’s ire. That would be the real end of her acting career.