The Villain Runs Wild

 

Ch 36 – Newest Top Celebrity x Washed Up Film Emperor: Flower Vase1 Beauty

Lin Sui suddenly lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, what he saw was not Yan Qin, but rather a mirror.

He was wearing a soft and cosy T-shirt, and felt something fluffy brushing past his face.

“Aiya, Lin-ge, why are you opening your eyes? I’m going to do your eye makeup in a bit, so close them first.”

The young woman standing beside him spoke quickly as she swept the setting powder.
Lin Sui only had time to glance at the pale-skinned, red-lipped face beneath the lights before closing his eyes again.

With just a hurried glance he was able to get a rough view of the place through the mirror; it was a dressing room.

The switch to this world had been extremely abrupt, he and Yan Qin had not even finished making love when he heard the System throw out the words ‘you can leave’, then his sight became dark, and he was here when he opened his eyes again.

Yan Qin should have also come with him, which was good.
After all, whoever was doing something like that only to find out that their other half had disappeared would eventually be left with a bit of a psychological shadow.

Lin Sui spoke submissively in his mind: [Mother-in-law, you can’t do that to us just because you don’t have a sex life.]

The System: [He he.]

[Look at the plot, this time is the same: complete the mission, you can’t go against your character.]

The System seemed unwilling to speak much, throwing out a few sentences and a few details of the setting, then not making another sound.

Lin Sui felt a little dull.
The system had learnt to be a little smarter, it knew not to speak more than him and to not give itself a hard time.

Lin Sui closed his eyes as makeup was applied, digesting this time’s plot in his mind.

This was an Entertainment Industry world, and Yan Qin was a Film Emperor2 who’d gone silent after an accident.

He had formal training, and was the lead actor in a literary film when he was in school, which won an international award.
He made his name as Film Emperor when he was young, and was a very powerful actor.

After that, he went on to appear in several films.
Their production could not be considered high, there were plenty of supporting roles and plenty of lead roles, and although their box office performance was ordinary, they all received excellent public praise without exception.

He was enthralled with the art of movies and television, and he managed to win the crown of Film Emperor once again when he was twenty-four years old, but when he was on his way to the award ceremony, his car was blocked by a crazy stalker fan who wanted to show their love, and his car just so happened to fail.
He was seriously injured, and he convalesced for a long time.

It had been three years since, and the wind and waves had passed by in the entertainment industry so quickly that, while things were still the same, the people had long since changed.

It was actually not difficult for Yan Qin to make a comeback, but getting a good role wasn’t easy.

Nowadays, internet traffic held power and capital disrupted the marketplace.
There were fundamentally not many good scripts, and a few good scripts had been ruined when money was involved.
Yan Qin was a person who had requirements of a script, to the point that he was even more reluctant to look at those who came looking to spend money on him.

There was much resentment from the producers and financers that were turned down by him, everyone had their own connections and it was a matter of calling them to take care of it, and those people who were originally interested in collaborating with Yan Qin found other excuses one by one.
As a result, Yan Qin landed in a predicament, he had no resources and nothing to shoot.

But the good karma he had gathered back then was still there, and he successfully joined the cast of a film playing the second male lead.
The first male lead was the current newest top celebrity3, a flourishing flower vase with a beautiful face.

Lin Sui looked at it.
Oh, it was the original owner indeed.

Lin Sui looked at the original owner’s experience, and couldn’t help but frown in his mind.

He was a person who hated rubbish the most, and naturally he also disliked useless oafs who couldn’t even play a role, so naturally the original owner happened to be that kind of person.

The original owner had no formal training, he hadn’t even taken a few acting classes, and the reason he’d entered the entertainment industry was because he liked being the focus of the crowd.

He started out with resources and press releases, but the acting in his first leading role in a period drama could be said to have been a total mess, and he completely relied on his face to support him.

He couldn’t get any work after half a year of his debut, but his face-fans4 were very impressive, plus, he really had a nice face that exuded beauty and wealth, so he was still delightful to look at even if he was just selling his face5.

The social circle in the entertainment industry was somewhat abnormal and extreme, and the original owner lived with flowers and praise all day long, so he really thought his acting skills were pretty good.
This time, he insisted in appearing in this work by a famous director as the male lead, wanting to get rid of his reputation as a bad actor.

The director was naturally unwilling, but the original owner’s temper was brash and domineering, and he was still a vicious supporting character, so how could the director not allow it? He directly obstructed the director’s investment paths and forced him to have no choice but to agree.

The original owner meant to ‘wipe away his humiliation’ by shooting this film, but Yan Qin was the one matched with him, and even though his face was scarred Yan Qin’s acting skills were enough to put the original owner to shame.
When the movie was released, public opinion was almost entirely one-sided, saying that the original owner had ruined that masterpiece, and the original owner became a joke.

The original owner was extremely small-minded and stubbornly targeted Yan Qin to make things difficult for him, but ultimately suffered from his own actions.
Yan Qin’s acting skills became even more refined after his hiatus, and he became legendary in the film world.

Compared to the moodiness of young master Lin in the last world, this world’s original owner was even more arrogant and brainless, and liked being the centre of attention.
There was not a more vicious cannon fodder than him.

The pearl of light in his spirit stage lit up faintly, emphasising: [You can’t go against the character’s design, the original owner was bad at acting, so you can’t suddenly counterattack.]

The System knew Lin Sui would be able to reverse the situation in the blink of an eye relying on his acting skills.

Lin Sui lazily answered: [I know.]

It seemed like the System was afraid he’d do things like in the last world and wanted to prevent it in advance, but this wasn’t difficult for Lin Sui, and there wasn’t only one way to change things.

The System was an idiot to think that it could restrict his abilities like this and let Yan Qin keep hating him… This time, Yan Qin was a person who took acting very seriously, and who looked down on people who had no skills but still thought too highly of themselves and forcefully took resources, but the System still didn't think much, which was more convenient for him.

Lin Sui had a plan in mind, and his leaning posture against the seat became more and more lazy.

At this moment, the makeup artist had finished applying his eye makeup, and indicated to Lin Sui that he could open his eyes.

“Lin-ge’s skin and features are very good, you don’t really need makeup to be especially good-looking…”

The makeup artist flattered him, picking words that would suit Lin Sui’s tastes.

The original owner was a bit of a narcissistic peacock, and although Lin Sui took a deep breath in the inside at the compliment, he still put on a smile on his face.

The clack of high-heeled shoes rang out, and the person’s voice sounded before they arrived.

“You really are so beautiful today, baby, just like the unattainable Artemis.
I’m still mesmerised by your beauty now, you’re definitely going to blow everyone away on the makeup photos later!”

Manager Fu Nai was dressed in extravagant brands from head to toe, and walked quickly up to Lin Sui with her high heels.

Lin Sui got a bit of a headache from he exaggerated tone.
When one found themselves in high positions, the most taboo thing was this kind of blind praise, yet the original owner had lost himself among the flowers and become an idiot in a ivory tower.
Lin Sui suspected that the System had given him this to torture him.

“Do you know why Artemis is unattainable?”

The young man’s thin lips opened slightly, his eyes like a vast expanse of honey.

Fu Nai was stunned and shook her head a bit awkwardly.

How would I know, ah? It’s just a rainbow fart6 people learn on the internet.

“Because Artemis likes unmarried virgins, and promised Zeus she’d remain a virgin forever when she was young.”

The implication being that she was therefore unattainable.

Fu Nai looked at the still-smiling corners of Lin Sui’s mouth, and felt a slight chill at her back.

Fu Nai couldn’t quite say how, but she felt that today’s Lin Sui seemed a bit different.

This could be regarded as flattering him in the wrong way, but Fu Nai was not embarrassed, and she smiled as she said: “You’re so cultured, darling, I didn’t know that at all.”

In the business, calling people ‘darling’ and ‘baby’ was a habit, but the veins on Lin Sui’s temples jumped at hearing it.

Yan Qin didn’t even dare use such affectionate terms for him, and apart from the Lin family occasionally calling him ‘baby’ in a loving way, no one would dare call him something like that.

“Next time, just call me by my name, and don’t always flatter me, it’s annoying.”

The original owner himself was also a bad-tempered person who thought one thing and did another, so people didn’t think much of Lin Sui suddenly turning hostile, simply muttering apprehensively on the inside and changing the way they addressed him.

“Okay, A-Sui, it’s almost time, we’ll just tidy up and you can go.”

Fu Nai made a gesture, and the other employees in the dressing room all withdrew, leaving behind only Fu Nai and Lin Sui’s two personal assistants, Tao Yang and Tang Yuan.

“The original second male lead was replaced, that person was planning on rolling the show over7 but ended up not being able to because of his schedule, so he paid the penalty fee and left, and Director Liu found someone to save the show.”

Fu Nai’s heart was like a mirror.
The production team and script were both good, but the lead actor was Lin Sui, and the other actors were all new generation idols8, but although their acting was not that good, it was also not worse than Lin Sui’s, and it was clear to see which side that second male lead was on.

But it was impossible for her to say this in front of Lin Sui, and she continued to talk about that actor who came to help, saying: “It’s that man that won two Best Actor awards, Yan Qin, it was really unfortunate that he had an accident back then.
I saw him when I came in just now, he had cancelled his contract with the company before his accident, and now no company wants to sign him, so he’s alone, and he looked so miserable.”

“In any case, he’s still a Film Emperor from back then, but this time he only got the chance to act as a favour, and the pay is really low.”

Fu Nai sighed a little, she was also a fan of Yan Qin’s movies back then, who would have imagined how things would change?

Yan Qin’s role in the movie was not small, but the pay was only a fraction of Lin Sui’s.
This was not the director being a bully, but at Yan Qin’s own request, mainly so they would spare no effort on the script.
But most people didn’t believe it, after all, who doesn’t love money?

Lin Sui had a cold look across his face, saying: “I never heard about it.”

“That’s normal, his accident was a few years ago, and he hasn’t shown his face in the industry for quite a while.”

“His injuries still haven't fully healed, why did he come running back to the industry?” Lin Sui patted the nonexistent dust off of his clothes, feigning indifference as he asked, “Where was he injured?”

Fu Nai thought about it and said: “It seems that it was his lower back or his leg?”

Lin Sui’s complexion became colder, if it was his lower back, he would not let the System off.

After all, moving by himself was too tiring.

Seeing him walking out with a sullen face, Fu Nai thought that it was just his disdain towards others, so she didn’t say anything else and quickly caught up to him and headed outside.

Director Liu’s new work was a contemporary drama, Lin Sui was playing two roles by himself, so there were two sets of clothes.

One set was a modern western suit, and the other was a scholarly changshan9.
Lin Sui was taking pictures with the western suit first, the makeup artist had lengthened the outer corner of his eyes, making his naturally passionate eyes look even more arrogant and domineering, and he looked like a noble, bossy young master from back in those days.

In the photography studio, Lin Sui caught sight of Yan Qin, who was being photographed.
He was wearing a changshan with trousers, and had a black tench coat on the outside, looking cold and mysterious.

He looked even more reserved and grave than in the last world, like polished obsidian.

Lin Sui felt it was a pity that they hadn’t finished.

After that, he flattened his brows, turned around, and prepared to leave.

“The supporting character’s photos were taken before the main actor’s, you might as well just replace the main actor and forget about it.”

The photographer’s face stiffened, and in his heart he complained that Lin Sui was the one who came late, but he couldn’t offend Lin Sui again, so he just apologised repeatedly and had someone call Yan Qin to come down.

Yan Qin briefly glanced at Lin Sui, frowning slightly.

He was not actually unhappy about this matter, but rather he felt sorry that a good script would be destroyed like this.

Lin Sui noticed his line of sight, and stopped as he brushed past his shoulder.

“So what if you’re a former Film Emperor, does a washed-up star still deserve to make a comeback?”

The beauty smiled, but his tone was filled with malicious ridicule.

 

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1 A flower vase is someone who has no skills and whose only value is on their good looks, i.e.
someone who is ‘just a pretty face’. Top.

2 A Film Emperor, 影帝, is the winner of the Best Actor award at an international film festival. Top.

3 頂流 lit.
‘top flow’, a celebrity with a huge fanbase who generates lots of online traffic. Top.

4 Short for attractiveness-index fans.
Fans who like someone simply because of their good looks. Top.

5 To ‘sell face’ is to rely on your appearance to make a living, it can also have connotations of prostitution. Top.

6 Over-the-top praise. Top.

7 I couldn’t find a good way to phrase it but it’s when an actor films for two different projects at the same time. Top.

8 Original was ‘新生代小生小花’ the new generation of Xiao Shengs and Xiao Huas, which basically means people who don’t really have skills but they become popular due to their following and hype. Top.

9 The male version of a woman’s qipao/cheongsam, a traditional long tunic. Top.