The Strategy For The Yandere Movie Queen Failed And Was Marked. Chapter 3
byChapter 3 Feigning a Fall
The next day, as soon as Su Jin arrived at the Film Set, she felt the strange looks from those around her.
Staff members gathered in small groups, whispering and occasionally casting meaningful glances her way. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively gripped her phone. The System’s voice sounded in her ear: “Host, something seems off. Everyone is looking at you.”
Before she could respond, her phone suddenly vibrated.
A push notification popped up on the screen: “Rising Film Empress Ye Qinglan and Su Jin’s Intimate Interaction! Suspected Romance Sparked On Set!”
Su Jin tapped the news open. What greeted her was the photo of her and Ye Qinglan embracing from the previous night. Their posture looked extremely ambiguous, especially the way she was leaning into Ye Qinglan’s arms, appearing genuinely drunk and unconscious.
“Isn’t this a good thing?” the System said excitedly. “Even though the mission failed, the paparazzi still got photos! We’ve successfully generated buzz!”
Su Jin frowned, suddenly recalling that when Ye Qinglan had held her the night before, a faint, almost imperceptible smile seemed to flash in those eyes.
She felt that the way things were developing was somehow wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.
Just then, Ye Qinglan walked over.
She wore a simple white dress, her demeanor cool and detached. Her gaze lightly swept over Su Jin’s phone screen, and the corner of her lips curved slightly: “Miss Su, it seems we were photographed last night.”
Su Jin’s heart clenched. She forced a smile: “Yes, what an accident…”
Ye Qinglan’s smile was meaningful: “An accident? I, however, feel… this might be a carefully orchestrated setup by someone.”
Su Jin froze, and the System’s gasp echoed in her mind: “Oh no, she actually guessed it.”
A wave of panic washed over her, but she maintained a facade of composure: “Hahaha… Film Empress Ye, you must be joking.”
Ye Qinglan didn’t reply, merely giving her a profound look before turning to leave, dropping a light remark: “When we film later, I hope Miss Su can deliver her best performance.”
Su Jin watched her retreating back, feeling uneasy, certain that Ye Qinglan’s words held a hidden meaning.
The crew officially began shooting.
The movie, titled The Cage, tells the story of two girls whose relationship evolves from pure friendship to youthful love. After entering the entertainment industry, they drift apart due to the entanglement of desire, power, and emotion. The plot is quite intense, delving into the dark side of the industry. The two restrain themselves with reason, yet sink into love and lust, ultimately heading toward mutual destruction.
Ye Qinglan plays the female lead, Lin Xia, while Su Jin plays the second female lead, Zhou Yu.
The character Zhou Yu is not likable in the script. She initially likes Lin Xia and actively pursues her. After they confirm their relationship, she hides their romance upon entering the entertainment industry. Later, she even resorts to unscrupulous means to climb the ladder, accepting unspoken rules and having relationships with directors and producers.
When Su Jin received the script, her feelings were complicated. She hadn’t expected that she would not only have to embody the original host’s Cannon Fodder Scum Alpha persona but also play a “scum woman” in the movie. Why was it so hard to be a good person?
“Host, this role suits you perfectly. Your reputation isn’t great anyway, so playing this kind of role is practically method acting!”
Su Jin rolled her eyes: “Can you please shut up?”
The first scene to be shot was a confrontation between Lin Xia and Zhou Yu.
In the plot, Zhou Yu deliberately spreads negative news about Lin Xia to steal resources, causing Lin Xia’s career to plummet. They run into each other on the Film Set. Lin Xia questions Zhou Yu, who responds with a cold, mocking laugh.
“Action!” At the director’s command, the camera focused on the two of them.
Ye Qinglan’s eyes instantly turned cold. She advanced toward Su Jin step by step, her voice low and suppressed: “Zhou Yu, why did you do this?”
Su Jin felt slightly breathless under her imposing presence, but quickly adjusted her state, flashing a look of derision: “What do I want to do? Lin Xia, you’ve been in this circle for so long, don’t you understand? Resources are limited. If you don’t fight for them, someone else will.”
Ye Qinglan’s eyes were filled with disappointment, “So you use such despicable methods?”
Su Jin sneered, her tone flippant: “Despicable? Lin Xia, you are too naive. In this circle, whose hands are clean?”
“Cut!” the director called out, nodding in satisfaction. “Very good, the emotion is spot on, keep it up!”
Su Jin breathed a sigh of relief, ready to step away.
Ye Qinglan suddenly moved closer to her and whispered: “Miss Su, both in and out of the script, you act very well.”
Su Jin’s heart tightened. Before she could respond, Ye Qinglan had already turned and left.
In the following scenes, Su Jin’s performance was noticeably worse than before. Whenever she acted opposite Ye Qinglan, she was unconsciously suppressed by the other woman’s aura, sometimes even failing to keep up with the scene.
The director called “Cut” several times, his tone growing impatient: “Su Jin, what’s wrong with you? The emotion isn’t there, let’s go again!”
Su Jin walked dejectedly to the side, feeling irritated.
The System whispered in her mind: “Host, your state isn’t right today. Why are you messing up so much?”
Su Jin sighed helplessly: “I don’t know either. I just feel like Ye Qinglan’s gaze is too terrifying, as if she can see right through me.”
“Host, you absolutely must stay steady. If you’re discovered, it’s over.”
Thinking of the Void World the System mentioned, Su Jin felt a chill: “I haven’t been discovered, have I? I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Don’t panic, stay calm first, and we’ll see how things go,” the System reassured her.
Su Jin rolled her eyes: “It’s easy for you to say. I’m practically suffocating under her pressure right now.”
After filming wrapped, Su Jin was about to return to the lounge.
The System’s voice sounded again, “Host, the mission isn’t complete yet! You have to find a way to hug Ye Qinglan and hold it for at least 3 minutes!”
“Are you insane?” She was so angry she nearly jumped up. “In this situation, how am I supposed to hug her?”
“There’s no choice. The mission must be completed, or you’ll face Punishment.”
The thought of Punishment made Su Jin grit her teeth. “Fine, I’ll try again.”
She took a deep breath, locking her gaze on Ye Qinglan not far away. Ye Qinglan was discussing the next scenes with the director, her expression focused and cool, as if everything around her was irrelevant.
There was no other way; she had to bite the bullet. Su Jin decided to use the same trick once the director left.
She walked up to Ye Qinglan, pretended her foot slipped, and lunged forward, letting out a gasp: “Ah!”
Ye Qinglan seemed to have no time to dodge and was caught squarely by Su Jin.
Su Jin leaned into her arms, a look of pain on her face: “I think I twisted my ankle.”
Ye Qinglan looked down at her ankle, her tone calm: “Can you walk?”
Su Jin shook her head, feigning frailty: “No… it hurts so much.”
Ye Qinglan bent slightly, gently supporting her arm: “Then I’ll help you to the lounge.”
Su Jin’s heart leaped, and she quickly nodded: “Thank you, Film Empress Ye…”
Ye Qinglan: “You’re welcome.”
The two slowly walked toward the lounge like this. Although Su Jin’s foot was “sprained,” her attention was entirely on the System’s Countdown: “100 seconds left!”
At Ye Qinglan’s current speed, she would be delivered to the lounge before 100 seconds were up.
Su Jin gritted her teeth, making her expression look even more painful: “Film Empress Ye, I… I don’t think I can walk anymore.”
Ye Qinglan stopped and looked at her: “Do you want me to carry you on my back?”
Su Jin was stunned. Before she could respond, Ye Qinglan bent slightly, signaling for her to climb on. Her heart pounded. After a moment of hesitation, she climbed onto Ye Qinglan’s back.
Ye Qinglan carried her, walking steadily toward the lounge.
Su Jin’s heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest. Through the clothes, she felt the faint, cool fragrance on Ye Qinglan, mixed with a trace of warmth, making her feel dizzy.
Her face involuntarily flushed slightly. The System’s Countdown sounded in her ear: “3, 2, 1…”
“Mission complete!” the System’s voice rang out excitedly. “Host, well done! One million reward! It’s already in the account, ready for spending.”
One million! Ah! She wanted to spend it and enjoy the life of a wealthy woman!
Just then, Ye Qinglan carried her into the lounge and gently set her down. In her excitement, Su Jin forgot her sprained ankle persona and actually stepped heavily onto the floor, even stomping twice excitedly.
“Miss Su,” Ye Qinglan’s voice suddenly sounded, carrying a hint of amusement, “Your foot… is better?”
Su Jin’s heart seized up. She quickly put on a look of discomfort and laughed awkwardly: “Ah, maybe it wasn’t badly sprained. It’s much better now…”
Ye Qinglan smiled faintly: “Is that so? That’s wonderful.”
Su Jin felt nervous under her gaze and quickly lowered her head: “Thank you, Film Empress Ye. I, I’ll be going now…”
She turned to slip away.
Ye Qinglan suddenly called out to her, with a hint of coldness: “Miss Su, your photos… were taken quite well.”
Su Jin was momentarily confused and nervously looked up at her.
Ye Qinglan gave a meaningful smile: “However, it might be better not to casually distribute certain private photos…”
The System’s gasp echoed in her mind: “Host, is she hinting that she recognized the photo was you?!”
Su Jin was flustered. Before she could respond, Ye Qinglan had already turned and left, leaving only one sentence: “Come to my room tonight. We need to have a good talk.”
That night, Ye Qinglan returned to her hotel room and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the night view outside.
“System.” Her voice held a hint of suppressed urgency. “I still feel that Su Jin is my sister. That feeling… I couldn’t be wrong.”
Seeing her so determined, the System seemed to hesitate slightly: “Host, I have repeatedly scanned Su Jin’s Soul Fluctuation. She is indeed completely different from the Master. The Master’s soul has long since dissipated; this is an irreversible fact.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Ye Qinglan’s voice trembled slightly. Her fingers gripped the window frame tightly, knuckles white. “That familiar feeling… her eyes, her scent, even the temperature when she is close to me, are exactly the same as my sister’s. I cannot be mistaken.”
The System was silent for a moment, seemingly re-evaluating her judgment: “Host, if you are so certain, then the only explanation is… the Master’s soul might have been modified by some high-level power, perhaps even shielding my detection capabilities. But this is almost impossible, unless…”
“Unless what?” Ye Qinglan spun around abruptly, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
“Unless the Master’s actions are not of her own volition, but are being controlled by some force. For instance, she was forced to bind to another System. If so, approaching you likely involves some greater conspiracy.”
Ye Qinglan clenched her fists tighter, her knuckles making a faint sound. “If that’s the case, then I must find out what my sister is being forced to do. No matter what, I will not give up on my sister… She once sacrificed everything for me. Now it’s my turn.”
The System was silent for a moment, finally saying: “Since you are so determined, I will fully support you.”
Ye Qinglan nodded, her gaze returning to the window, a look of resolve in her eyes:
“Tonight, I will test her again. I hope she truly is my sister…”