The Strategy For The Yandere Movie Queen Failed And Was Marked. Chapter 15
byChapter 15 Jealousy
Su Jin’s good mood was ruined by the damned System, and she lost the desire to stay in the garden.
She got up and returned to her room, wondering what to do, when her phone rang.
Seeing the name “Lin Xiaoyu” on the screen, Su Jin froze. This was the first time she had received a call from the original Host’s friend since transmigrating into the book.
“Hello?” Su Jin pressed the answer button, her voice carrying a cautious probe.
“Xiaojin…” A soft voice came from the other end of the line, yet it was laced with obvious hesitation. “Are you… doing well lately?”
Su Jin’s heart was suddenly struck by the simple greeting.
She recalled the information provided by the System: Lin Xiaoyu was the original Host’s closest friend, having grown up together in the orphanage. After the original Host entered the entertainment industry and became successful, they gradually drifted apart. Yet, in the end, when the original Host met a tragic death, this friend was the only one who remembered to bring flowers to her grave.
It would be a great pity to lose such a genuine friend.
“Xiaoyu!” Su Jin’s voice unconsciously rose an octave. “I’m doing great, how about you?”
There was a noticeable pause of a few seconds on the other end, and even the sound of breathing became faint. Su Jin could almost picture the other person’s eyes widening in surprise.
“I… I’m doing pretty well.” Lin Xiaoyu’s voice became more uncertain. “Um… do you have time? I wanted to talk to you.”
“Of course, I have time!” Su Jin answered without hesitation. “I happen to be free today. Where should we meet?”
Another awkward silence followed.
Su Jin could feel the other person carefully choosing her words, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
“The… the usual spot?” Lin Xiaoyu asked tentatively.
“Sounds good, I’ll be right there!” Su Jin hung up the phone and prepared to leave.
Half an hour later, Su Jin stood in front of a cafe named Warm Sun Cafe.
The storefront was small, with ivy climbing the red brick walls. A copper wind chime hanging by the door made a crisp sound in the breeze. As she pushed the door open, the bell jingled, and a girl with a ponytail in the corner immediately stood up.
Lin Xiaoyu was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Her delicate face was bare of makeup, and she looked a little nervous.
“Xiaojin…” She stood awkwardly in place, as if unsure whether to approach.
Su Jin’s heart clenched. She quickly walked over and gave the other person a firm hug without hesitation. Lin Xiaoyu’s body instantly stiffened, then began to tremble slightly.
“What… what’s wrong?” Lin Xiaoyu’s voice was filled with disbelief.
“Nothing, I’m just happy to see you.” Su Jin pulled her to sit down. Only up close did she notice the faint dark circles under the other’s eyes. “Haven’t you been sleeping well lately?”
Lin Xiaoyu subconsciously touched her face and forced a smile. “Work has been a bit busy…”
Su Jin waved for a waiter and, with practiced ease, ordered two caramel macchiatos and a tiramisu. These were the items the System’s data indicated the original Host and Lin Xiaoyu used to order often.
When the dessert arrived, Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes visibly brightened, but quickly dimmed again.
She gently poked the cake with a small spoon, hesitating to speak several times.
“Just say what’s on your mind,” Su Jin smiled gently. “Is there anything we can’t talk about between us?”
Lin Xiaoyu took a deep breath and cautiously began, “I… I saw the news. You and Film Empress Ye… is it true?”
Su Jin nodded, her fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of the coffee cup. “Yes, we are together.”
“But…” Lin Xiaoyu’s brows furrowed tightly, and her voice was extremely low. “I heard the entertainment industry is very complicated. I’m afraid you might…”
“Afraid I’ll be deceived? Or afraid I’ll resort to unscrupulous means for fame and fortune?” Su Jin finished her sentence, her voice soft as if afraid of startling her. “Xiaoyu, I know you care about me. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Lin Xiaoyu’s voice trembled slightly. “Xiaojin, you… you used to tell me I was meddling when I brought these things up…”
A pang of sadness hit Su Jin. She squeezed the other’s hand firmly. “I’m sorry, I was immature before. Do you remember when we were little at the orphanage, we always squeezed onto that small bed together, and you said we would be each other’s family forever…”
Mentioning the past, Lin Xiaoyu couldn’t hold back her tears. “I thought you had forgotten… You never wanted to talk about those things after you became famous…”
“How could I forget?” Su Jin said softly, pulling tissues from her bag and handing them over. “How about… we find some time to go back and visit? Is Director Mom doing well?”
Lin Xiaoyu wiped her tears, revealing a tear-stained smile. “Yes! Director Mom talks about you all the time. Last month, when Xiao Jie had surgery, she even said, ‘If only Xiaojin were here, that child is the best at cheering people up’…”
The two chatted for a long time, from funny stories at the orphanage to their current situations.
Su Jin learned that Lin Xiaoyu was now a kindergarten teacher, living a simple but fulfilling life. When the topic turned to the current state of the orphanage, Lin Xiaoyu’s expression darkened.
“There are still seventeen children in the home now, the oldest is fifteen, and the youngest is only three,” she stirred her now-cold coffee, sounding worried. “Although the children are all very sensible, we still lack manpower and funds. Director Mom is struggling to keep it going…”
Hearing this, Su Jin’s heart softened, and she couldn’t help but call out to the System internally. “System, how much money can I exchange right now?”
The System replied lazily, “The Host can currently exchange twenty-one million.”
“I want to donate half of it to the orphanage.”
“What?!” The System nearly crashed. “Are you crazy? You earned that money through such difficult missions, and you’re just going to donate it?”
Su Jin rolled her eyes internally. “I’ll spend my own money however I want!”
The System gritted its teeth. “…Fine.”
An hour later, the two stood in front of the iron gate of the Sunshine Children’s Home.
The three-story building was more dilapidated than Su Jin had imagined. Patches where the paint had peeled off were covered with colorful drawings of suns and flowers, clearly the children’s handiwork.
“Director Mom!” Lin Xiaoyu pushed open the creaking iron gate and called into the courtyard.
A white-haired woman walked out of the house, squinting at the doorway. When she recognized Su Jin, the object in her hand dropped to the ground with a thud.
“Xiaojin? Is that really you?” The Director’s voice trembled, and her wrinkled face instantly lit up with joy.
“Director Mom!” Su Jin ran over and was immediately pulled into a tight hug by the elderly woman.
The warmth of the embrace made her nose sting.
The courtyard quickly became lively. Hearing the commotion, children emerged from every corner, curiously surrounding the unfamiliar older sister. A little girl with pigtails boldly grabbed Su Jin’s hand. “Sister, are you Little Yu Sister’s friend?”
“Yes, I am,” Su Jin crouched down, meeting the little girl’s bright eyes. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Little Star!” the girl announced proudly, then leaned close to Su Jin’s ear and whispered mysteriously, “Because Director Mom says I’m a star that fell from the sky!”
Su Jin’s heart instantly melted into a puddle.
She looked up at Lin Xiaoyu, who was watching her tenderly, her eyes full of nostalgia.
“You two,” Director Mom wiped the corner of her eyes, “are exactly the same as you were back then…”
After touring the children’s living area, the Director suggested the children put on a performance to welcome their guest. In the small activity room, a dozen children sat in rows. Two little girls, about seven or eight years old, walked hand-in-hand to the center and began singing a simple nursery rhyme. One of them was so nervous she forgot the lyrics, and the other immediately whispered a reminder. The sight of them smiling at each other warmed Su Jin’s heart.
“Remember?” Lin Xiaoyu whispered in her ear. “The first time we performed on stage, it was like this too. You forgot the words, and I secretly squeezed your hand…”
Su Jin turned to look at her friend. The sunlight streaming through the window cast a soft glow on Lin Xiaoyu’s profile. She suddenly had a strange illusion, as if they truly had grown up together, sharing those precious memories.
After the performance, Su Jin took out the prepared bank card from her bag and solemnly handed it to the Director. “Director Mom, here is some money. Please buy the children some new clothes and school supplies.”
The Director’s hand trembled as she took the card. “This… this is too much…”
“It’s not too much,” Su Jin insisted, looking at the children in the corner. “It’s the least I can do.”
By the time they left, the sun had set. The children reluctantly saw them off at the gate. Little Star even hugged Su Jin’s leg, refusing to let her go, until Su Jin promised to visit again.
“Shall we grab something to eat?” Su Jin suggested once they were in the car. “My treat. How about the Sky Restaurant?”
Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes widened in surprise. “That place is very expensive!”
“A little extravagance once in a while is fine~” Su Jin winked. “Let’s call it a celebration of our new reunion.”
The Sky Restaurant was located on the top floor of the tallest building in the city center. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, they could overlook the city lights. Lin Xiaoyu was like a country girl visiting the city for the first time, finding everything new and exciting.
“This is my first time in a place like this,” she whispered to Su Jin, nervously clutching her napkin. “Will I embarrass myself?”
Su Jin smiled and shook her head, then deliberately asked the waiter loudly, “Could you introduce this dish to us? It’s my first time here too.” She winked at Lin Xiaoyu, who burst into laughter, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.
The two ate and chatted, their topics ranging from embarrassing past incidents to future plans.
Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled when she talked about the naughty children in her kindergarten class, and Su Jin shared some interesting anecdotes from the entertainment industry, carefully avoiding the darker aspects.
“Actually…” Lin Xiaoyu suddenly put down her fork, her expression becoming serious. “I’ve always wanted to ask you, why did you suddenly…”
“Become a different person?” Su Jin finished her sentence, gently stirring her soup. “Maybe… after almost dying once, I realized that genuine affection is the most important thing.”
Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Lin Xiaoyu immediately grew anxious. “Xiaojin, did something… bad happen to you?”
“No, I’m fine. I just had a sudden moment of reflection. Don’t overthink it,” Su Jin laughed.
Just then, Lin Xiaoyu suddenly lowered her voice. “I think someone over there is taking pictures of us…”
Su Jin followed her gaze and indeed spotted a sneaky figure in the corner. She was used to being photographed by paparazzi and just smiled, unconcerned. “Don’t worry about him, let’s just eat.”
The dinner ended in a pleasant atmosphere.
By the time Lin Xiaoyu dropped Su Jin back at Ye Qinglan’s villa, it was almost ten o’clock. The two reluctantly said goodbye, promising to meet again soon.
Before leaving, Lin Xiaoyu suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly. “I was really happy today, Xiaojin.”
Su Jin watched Lin Xiaoyu’s taillights disappear around the corner before turning to leave. She picked up her phone to check the time and realized she had over a dozen missed calls, all from Ye Qinglan.
“Oh no…” Su Jin suddenly remembered she had put her phone on silent.
—
Ye Qinglan stared at the notification for the seventh missed call on her phone. Her thumb hovered over the redial button, hesitant to press it. The lights in the dressing room cast a long shadow of her figure.
“Teacher Ye, filming starts in five minutes.” The floor manager’s knock startled her.
“Got it.” She put her phone away and gave her outfit a final adjustment in the mirror. The person in the mirror had beautiful features, but they were shrouded in an unshakeable gloom.
The Film Set was always as noisy as boiling water.
As Ye Qinglan walked through the crowd, several staff members immediately fell silent, but then began whispering among themselves after she passed. She subtly slowed her pace, catching a few fragmented words: “Su Jin,” “cheating,” “hot search”…
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She quickly walked to a corner, but the screen showed a call from her manager, Zhao Man.
“Qinglan, did you see the hot search?” Zhao Man’s voice was professionally calm. “Do you need the PR department to step in?”
Ye Qinglan’s voice was heavy. “Wait a moment.”
“Wait for what? The internet is saying right now—”
“I said wait.” She hung up the phone, her fingers uncontrollably tapping open Weibo.
The title of the number one hot search stung her eyes: #SuJinSecretlyMeetsMysteryWoman#. The accompanying photos showed Su Jin and a girl with a ponytail chatting happily in a restaurant, and even a picture of them embracing.
“Teacher Ye, the director needs you for blocking.” The assistant director’s voice sounded behind her.
The moment Ye Qinglan locked her screen and turned around, her peripheral vision caught Fang Qi leaning against a prop box, her red lips curled into a meaningful arc. Ye Qinglan walked past without looking, but heard the other woman’s deliberately raised voice:
“Oh dear, some people announce their relationship one day and get cheated on the next~”
The Film Set fell silent for a few seconds.
Ye Qinglan’s steps paused, and she slowly turned around.
Fang Qi was wearing her nurse uniform from the scene, playing with her phone. The hot search photo was clearly visible on the screen.
“Is Miss Fang really that interested in other people’s private lives?”
Ye Qinglan looked composed, even offering a standard smile. “Perhaps you should worry more about your own acting. After all, you’ve already failed dozens of takes today. Not everyone has the time to accompany you while you hone your skills.”
A few suppressed snickers sounded around them.
Fang Qi’s face instantly turned ashen. Just as she was about to retaliate, the director’s megaphone suddenly blared, “Everyone ready! Scene 58, Take 1!”
Ye Qinglan turned and walked to her mark, her back taut like a fully drawn bow. This scene was a major one where her character faced the death of a loved one, requiring extremely suppressed emotion.
When the camera zoomed in, the dark turmoil in her eyes made the director forget to call cut.
“Cut!” Only when the director called stop did Ye Qinglan pull herself out of that suffocating emotion.
She mechanically walked toward the rest area and found three missed calls on her phone—all from Su Jin.
“Teacher Ye, we need a close-up for the next shot.” The makeup artist approached with a powder puff but was stopped by Ye Qinglan’s raised hand.
“Give me five minutes.”
She walked to the stairwell of the fire escape. The moment she pressed the redial button, the call was answered after only one ring. Su Jin’s voice was clearly flustered:
“Qinglan! I’m so sorry, my phone was on silent. I just saw…”
There was the sound of a car horn in the background, indicating she was still outside.
Ye Qinglan leaned against the cold wall, suddenly unsure what to say.
Should she question her? Or pretend to be magnanimous and act as if nothing had happened? But how could she accept that there was someone closer to her Alpha than herself?
In the end, she could only squeeze out one sentence: “…Where are you?”
“I just finished dinner with a friend, I’m heading back right now.” Su Jin was still unaware of the situation.
“Teacher Ye! We’re starting!” The floor manager’s shout came from outside the door.
At that moment, intense anxiety and possessiveness threatened to consume her, but Ye Qinglan was afraid of scaring the person away, so she had to forcibly suppress it with her reason.
She closed her eyes tightly. “…It’s nothing. We’ll talk when I get home.”