Public [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 13
**Chapter 13: Enchanting All Beings**
By the wide open floor-to-ceiling windows, soft golden sunlight streamed in, flooding the luxurious and spacious room with brilliant splendor.
Overnight, the media reporters who had been surrounding the hotel vanished as if they had evaporated into thin air.
A young girl lounged on the sofa by the window. Her skin was as delicate as porcelain, her features exquisitely refined like a masterpiece painted by a divine hand. The wide-sleeved robe covered her graceful figure, yet somehow exuded an alluring and effortless elegance.
Though she looked lazy and relaxed, there was a fresh vibrancy about her that hadn’t been there before.
At the moment, her slender pale fingers slid across her phone screen.
In Qin Mang’s mind replayed the scene from half an hour ago—
Ugh! Her fans had just been praising her on Weibo as a radiant goddess descended to the mortal realm, and then she went and embarrassed herself!
Qin Mang sent a message to the man having a meeting in the study next door.
**Little Lion Roar Meow:** [Understand? Little Lion seals lips.jpg]
She had to make He Lingji seal everyone’s lips! This matter must stay buried forever!
He Lingji fiddled with the slim edge of his phone. Under the glaring white light, his slender and elegant fingers gave off a cold and eerie aura.
The team of elites in the room all tried their best to shrink their presence, terrified of being called on again to answer questions about film artistry.
They really had no idea—this field was like a mountain separating them!
He Lingji replied slowly:
**[Mr. He does honest business. No killing or looting. Miss Qin, please find someone else.]**
That sounded familiar.
Qin Mang bit her lower lip and muttered, “He Lingji, that bastard!”
He was teasing her again.
In the corner, Meng Ting was still replaying the word “wife” that President He had personally said.
It echoed and echoed.
He had never dared to think about the relationship between Qin Mang and He Lingji.
He never expected—
It hit him suddenly, with no warning, crashing into his brain.
Even after a long while, it felt unreal. Until Qin Mang called him a « bastard », he gasped sharply.
He stammered, “You… you two really have that kind of… that kind of sleep-in-the-same-bed relationship?”
He couldn’t bring himself to say “married”—the word burned his tongue—so he changed it.
That was **He Lingji**!
The “glacier-melting, end-of-the-world” He Lingji!
Who could’ve imagined that he and this little seductress Qin Mang were in a proper marital relationship?
And he even admitted it himself!
If this got out, the entire internet would explode!
It would be a thousand times bigger than when Qin Mang was being blacklisted online!
Qin Mang was busy furiously complaining about someone when she suddenly heard Meng Ting’s words. She lifted her lashes and glanced at him, stretching out her tone:
“Yeah, it’s that kind of—”
“Been in bed together, but not close kind of relationship.”
Meng Ting shot to his feet, pacing and muttering, “No, no, this has to be top-level classified! Not even the company can know!”
That actually made Qin Mang give him a serious look.
She’d always thought this ambitious manager of hers aimed to launch a top-tier female star—and that exposing her relationship with He Lingji would be the perfect move.
No more worrying about resources after that.
That’s also why she had never told him her true identity.
Meeting Qin Mang’s questioning gaze, Meng Ting said seriously, “You’re just starting out. If you get labeled as ‘Mrs. He’ now, then every achievement you make, every opportunity you fight for, will always carry that label.”
Because that title was too powerful—so powerful it would overshadow her own brilliance.
So—
Meng Ting concluded firmly, “You’re meant to be a top actress, not just a trending celebrity.”
Qin Mang suddenly smiled.
For the first time, she felt she hadn’t chosen the wrong agent on a whim.
They shared the same goal.
The production team of *Dreams of Old Beijing* didn’t seem affected at all.
That afternoon, filming officially began.
Just yesterday morning, people had looked at Qin Mang like she was a violent lunatic. Today, they looked at her starry-eyed, like she was a goddess.
While waiting to shoot, Qin Mang didn’t bother pretending to be humble. She had Atong bring bodyguards to set up an enormous sunshade, complete with lounge chairs, snacks, chilled tea, and even decorative containers filled with ice to cool the air. A bodyguard even fanned her with cold wind.
She didn’t look like she came to act—more like a noble consort traveling in grand style.
And the stranger thing was—no one gossiped behind her back.
Once everything was set up, Atong handed her a fruity iced tea. The ice clinked against the fruit and chilled mist drifted up. It was so cold it made Qin Mang’s palms tremble.
She took a sip and closed her eyes in contentment.
With her warm-body constitution, she couldn’t live without ice in summer.
Her damp red lips shimmered under the light, glowing with a dreamlike hue.
But she no longer greeted everyone like her usual little sunshine self.
Her vintage red lips curved gently, elegantly fanning herself with a mother-of-pearl fan. She held herself with regal aloofness—placing no one in her eyes, and no one in her heart.
She looked unchanged.
But she wasn’t.
Eyes half-lidded, gaze cool and indifferent, she now had a sense of haughty disdain.
Atong couldn’t help taking out her phone and snapping a photo. She already knew about Qin Mang’s relationship with He Lingji, and whispered while admiring her:
“Hehehe, Mang-jie, you’re starting to look like President He.”
“Is this what they call ‘couple resemblance’?”
“They say if you kiss a lot, your internal microbiome syncs, and you start looking alike.”
Wuwuwu—was that something she should even be imagining?
Qin Mang didn’t blush—but Atong’s cheeks turned bright red.
Qin Mang picked up the little pearl fan and fanned her gently. “Don’t get heatstroke.”
“Next time, I’ll do a live demo.”
“You can use a magnifying glass to see if we’ve become the same face.”
Pfft—
Truly, Qin-laoshi never disappoints.
So bold.
Atong looked at her with newfound reverence.
Qin Mang, after having the photo sent to her, stared at herself on the screen.
A strange feeling welled up.
Maybe this version of her—was exactly what her fans, her “Little Manglights,” wanted to see.
Meng Ting kept reminding her to check in with fans. Though the studio had already reposted the surveillance footage that cleared her name, everyone was still waiting for Qin Mang herself to speak.
But Qin Mang kept thinking about the letter her fans had written her. The more she cherished it, the harder it was to reply.
Fingering the edge of her phone, her lashes fluttered. It took her a long while to calm down.
She typed her first Weibo post since the incident, the one fans had been waiting for.
She didn’t repost the studio’s official video.
Instead, she reposted the letter from her fans.
**Qin Mang V:** *“Human nature can decay to the bone, or be pure to the soul. Qin Mang will shine brightly in the entertainment industry, untainted.”* [Photo.jpg]
In the photo, the young woman reclined on a lounge chair. It looked like a candid shot—her lashes lifted, revealing a pair of languid, glistening eyes. But her gaze was tranquil as still water. Her natural beauty was on full display—more dazzling than the blazing midsummer sun, radiant and unrestrained.
Fans went wild. They hadn’t expected a response from her—and certainly not such a bold one, in such a calm tone.
In the entertainment world obsessed with humility, this was almost unheard of.
Within seconds, likes and comments skyrocketed into the tens of thousands, increasing uncontrollably.
Only then did Qin Mang realize—her followers hadn’t dropped at all. They’d actually risen to nearly 40 million.
A feast for beauty fans.
A festival for career fans.
How could she *not* gain followers?
Later, Meng Ting reflected—
He used to think Qin Mang was too arrogant. Now he felt, a bit of pride and confidence wasn’t a bad thing at all. Better than Shen Wanyin, who wore the label of a “glamorous beauty” but insisted on branding herself with humility and respect-for-elders clichés.
A glamorous beauty like Qin Mang should be this way—confident and magnificent to the bone, captivating all beings.
The first scene was shot smoothly.
During the break—
The third female lead, Qi Rong, who had just joined the crew today, saw that Qin Mang wasn’t the temperamental diva people claimed her to be—just a natural beauty with a cold face. She also saw her Weibo post, and was instantly uplifted.
In this industry, who *didn’t* want to shine?
But only Qin Mang dared to say it out loud.
She took the initiative to come over and chat, her desire to make friends written all over her face.
Qin Mang didn’t shut out people who hadn’t wronged her.
She could no longer remain an outsider in this circle—she had to begin integrating and start building her own network.
Qi Rong was naturally friendly. Seeing that Qin Mang didn’t reject her, she quickly let loose and first praised her non-stop with chirpy enthusiasm.
Then she started gossiping with her. Her bright eyes, like those of a fawn, made it hard for anyone to dislike her.
« Yao Ting’s trending too. »
« This might be her most popular day ever. »
Qi Rong had once been bullied by Yao Ting, and now her schadenfreude was obvious as she shoved the tablet right in front of Qin Mang.
In her heart, she and Qin Mang now had a shared enemy, making them allies of a sort.
Yao Ting?
Qin Mang had nearly forgotten about her. She calmly glanced at the screen. The top trending searches were still—
#QinMangIsBornToShine
#StrongFemaleLeadPersona
#QinMangIsSoCool
#QinMangPostedOnWeibo
#YaoTing
Amid the string of Qin Mang-related tags, Yao Ting’s name was mixed in. But her tag was now a chaotic mess—praised to the skies yesterday, and now brutally torn down.
Qin Mang’s red lips curled into a cool, indifferent smile. She didn’t care.
Yao Ting was merely a clown being used by others.
The real mastermind—
Qi Rong was still chatting away. “You *must* come to the launch party tonight!”
“I heard you can really hold your liquor. I love drinking too…”
“… ”
Qin Mang gave a lazy “mm.”
As for drinking…
The *Alcohol God Qin* would have to take a break for now.
—
“Yao Ting called you again?”
“Didn’t we say not to let her contact us anymore?”
“She gave the video, she implied things during the livestream, what good does it do her to come crying to us now?”
Inside the meeting room, Shen Wanyin was clearly agitated.
Who would’ve thought Qin Mang could pull a comeback even after all that.
“They won’t trace the paid trolls back to us, right?”
Wei Qin held her phone, contacting Zhou Yuan.
As the boss, Zhou Yuan naturally knew about what Shen Wanyin and the others had done. She had turned a blind eye and even helped at critical points—after all, she had also risen through crushing her competitors.
Unfortunately, Shen Wanyin wasn’t as lucky—she had hit a wall before she could even rise.
“Someone powerful is backing Qin Mang. Any media outlet involved in the ‘Qin Mang Gets Blacklisted’ incident is facing consequences. If the person in charge didn’t know, they’re being thoroughly removed from top to bottom. If they did know, the controlling shareholder has already been quietly replaced.”
At that, she snapped, “Why’d you mess with Qin Mang in the first place?”
“After twenty years in the industry, you still don’t know who can and can’t be messed with?”
Wei Qin was miserable too.
Who would’ve thought a starlet with no resources for two and a half years had this much power behind her?
“President Zhou, what do we do now?”
“What else? Lay low. Effective immediately, pull Shen Wanyin from all major brand deals. No new roles either. After she finishes *Dreams of Old Jinghua*, have her come back. As for you—start mentoring rookies!”
And with that—
*Click*—
Zhou Yuan hung up, giving no room for argument.
Wei Qin had it on speakerphone. Shen Wanyin bit her lower lip.
Was President Zhou… abandoning her?
They had worked together for over three years. Wei Qin didn’t want to give up on Shen Wanyin just like that. After a long silence, she suddenly said, “Didn’t the president of Feiyun Entertainment take a liking to you?”
“He’s one of the top figures in showbiz. If he backs you up…”
Her words trailed off as she patted Shen Wanyin’s shoulder. “Think it over.”
Shen Wanyin had always held herself in high regard. With Zhou Yuan Studio supporting her, she’d relied on hype, rumors, and drama to stay relevant, but never latched onto a sugar daddy.
President Zhou was nearly seventy.
And rumored to have certain *interests.*
The actresses who’d followed him did get resources—but they were sometimes spotted with bruises they couldn’t hide.
It was an open secret in the industry.
Strangely, another person’s face surfaced in Shen Wanyin’s mind.
From the start, she still believed that during that chance encounter at an audition, that man looked at her differently.
—
The most private members-only club in Qingcheng.
Styled like an ancient Chinese manor, from the outer walls to the interior suites, everything exuded refined elegance. Exquisite palace lanterns hung from solid wood beams.
Inside a VIP suite, the dim lighting cast an alluring mystery over He Lingji’s cool, elegant features.
His pale fingers toyed with a slim, silver-gold cigarette.
Several local tycoons sat uneasily. They had learned He Lingji was still in Qingcheng and had specially arranged this gathering.
He had deigned to show up—
But barely said a word.
Beside him was the largest shareholder of the film city, President Xu. Seeing He Lingji only toying with the cigarette but not lighting it, he leaned over and lit it for him. “President He, please.”
He Lingji raised his eyes.
Those cold, deep eyes glanced at him.
The orange glow of the cigarette tip released a faint minty fruit scent.
President Xu was stunned.
So were the others.
They hadn’t expected He Lingji to smoke… *that*.
It didn’t even count as tobacco.
The room’s atmosphere froze—
Until the door suddenly knocked.
A woman entered, wearing a fitted cheongsam, her hair in soft curls, lips painted red—sultry and stunning.
She carried an opened bottle of red wine, walking gracefully into the room.
These men had seen their share of beauties, but this one still drew every gaze.
She was a rising star, after all.
Everyone glanced meaningfully at President Xu. He sure knew how to pick the right woman.
Shen Wanyin leaned in slightly, pouring wine for the most important man in the room.
“President He~”
Her long black hair cascaded down perfectly with each graceful movement, brushing against her fair arm in a subtly seductive way.
He Lingji simply watched the cigarette burn, unmoved.
Shen Wanyin closed her eyes briefly, reminding herself to stay calm.
This was her last chance—she had worked hard to get this meeting through President Xu.
Her red lips curved back into a smile as she turned to pour wine for the other tycoons.
Secretary Cong recognized Shen Wanyin and whispered something in He Lingji’s ear.
By now, the fruit-flavored cigarette had burned down to its end.
He Lingji finally looked up, gaze settling on her dark, wavy hair—every inch and curl identical to Qin Mang’s.
Just then, Shen Wanyin turned around.
Her eyes met his deep, sea-like gray-blue gaze.
Her heart thumped.
He was looking at her again.
She had caught him this time.
Shen Wanyin gave a perfectly shy yet charming smile and slowly walked over. Her fitted cheongsam emphasized her graceful curves. She half-knelt on the floor, curls falling in elegant arcs as she looked up at the man on the single-seat sofa, elevated and commanding.
“When we first met, you looked at me with those same eyes.”
She gently played with a strand of hair. “Do you like my hair?”
He Lingji remained calm, letting her talk.
Then his gaze shifted—
And he gave a faint smile.
That smile encouraged Shen Wanyin. Her eyes lit up as she reached out to touch his casually resting hand—elegant and refined.
As she spoke, “Let me stay by your side, like a flower that needs no title, just a confidante. Please?”
“…Why don’t you ask *her*?”
Before she could touch him, He Lingji leaned his strong arm on the armrest, speaking casually.
*Her?*
Everyone turned to follow his gaze—
And gasped in unison.
A woman stood at the dim doorway, wearing a cheongsam embroidered with crimson lotus flames. The bold, rich pattern hugged her slender waist, her hair braided with red coral beads in an effortlessly elegant style.
Even in the shadows, her beauty blazed.
Her features, refined and lazy, held an imperious air as she strolled in slowly.
Her presence lit up the room.
The next second—
Qin Mang approached unhurriedly, looking down at the woman kneeling on the floor.
Her red lips curled into a sharp smile, and her voice came slowly, like silk over thorns:
**“No.”**