Public [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Brazenly Bold**

When He Lingji received a call from Mrs. He, his private jet had just landed.

The corridor was empty but impressively designed—no excess decorative lines, purely futuristic. This was a private hangar He Lingji had invested heavily in, built in Deep City, where every inch of land was precious.

Several of his private jets were parked here.

Some were still abroad.

Although He Lingji came from an illustrious background, he had no particular material desires—except for a love of collecting private jets, yachts, and sports cars. Most of his funds went into these hobbies and their maintenance, burning money every month without fail.

If something caught his eye, no matter the price, he’d buy it.

This lavish obsession was widely known among Deep City’s elite.

Coincidentally, a new model jet he ordered half a year ago had arrived just a few days earlier, and He Lingji had come to take a look.

The massive body of the jet, painted in deep navy and jet black, gleamed under the sunlight. Its sleek, sharp lines reflected a cold light, towering high and proud above all.

Printed boldly across the body: *This aircraft is both luxurious and noble.*

From a ten-meter-high glass platform, He Lingji looked calmly at the plane.

His side profile was sharp and cold, like a deity imprisoned in a giant glass cage.

His tall and slender figure didn’t seem dwarfed by the massive jet. Instead, his steel-blue eyes radiated a wild dominance—like someone born to conquer machines.

The accompanying secretaries and staff didn’t dare take more than a glance.

Then, his private phone rang. He Lingji glanced at the screen, and the corners of his thin lips lifted lazily.

The god had returned to the mortal world.

“HE LINGJI! AAAAH! Did you not wear a condom last night?!”

Hmm—

Now the god had not only returned to the world of humans, but also to the world of… sex.

Secretary Cong, having learned from last time, wisely signaled the others to step away once he saw Mr. He on the phone with his wife.

Better to avoid hearing anything inappropriate.

He Lingji began walking away, his tone unhurried. “The hotel didn’t have the right size.”

“Then why didn’t you go buy some?! There are 24-hour convenience stores everywhere outside!”

“Oh… my size needs custom orders. Not available domestically.”

“Shouldn’t Mrs. He be the most familiar with that size?”

Qin Mang was so furious she couldn’t speak for a moment. “…”

He Lingji picked up on her breathing. For once, he tried to reassure her: “Relax—”

“Most of it didn’t go inside.”

“That last time, it was you who…” pushed too hard.

He hadn’t even finished the sentence.

“SHUT UP!”

“He Lingji! From this moment on, you’ve lost your fair-skinned, beautiful, delicate, and sweet wife!”

Qin Mang furiously hung up.

Inside a small, quiet wooden loft at the film set—

Qin Mang fanned herself with a lion-shaped mini fan. A few strands of her black hair had fallen from her bun onto her cheeks, giving her a slightly wild beauty.

But the tiny fan did nothing to cool her down.

Beside her, A-Tong cautiously asked, “Should I go buy some morning-after pills?”

Qin Mang shot her a cold glare. “We’re a legally married couple—what pills?”

“Ah—”

“But what if you’re pregnant?”

Qin Mang sneered, swaying down the stairs in high heels. “If I’m pregnant, I’ll give birth. Then make He Lingji stay home and raise the kid.”

“?!”

A-Tong was dumbfounded.

What?

Who would raise the kid?

Mr. He?

The decisive, stoic, disciplined man who seemed untouched by worldly love and desire—He the Ice Glacier Himself?

Raising a child?

On this hot summer day, a chill ran down her spine.

She stared at Qin Mang’s elegant, slender figure in shock.

Meanwhile, Qin Mang leisurely returned to the set, fanning herself. She had only called He Lingji during a break. The peaceful surroundings had slowly calmed her mood.

She thought about it—she should be expecting her period soon.

Pregnancy was unlikely.

Still—

She was *mad*.

That dog of a man!

“Miss Qin, your next scene is a smoking shot. Here’s the prop, please practice.”

Seeing her approach, the staff quickly handed her a prop cigarette.

She accepted the slender cigarette with a blue and silver shaft, casually rubbing it. She subconsciously glanced at her flat stomach—such a tiny chance, surely not, right?

Just then—

The staff had already lit the cigarette for her.

Qin Mang was just about to frown—

But instead of the usual minty tobacco scent, a faint fruity aroma hit her nose.

Not a trace of tobacco smoke. Completely lacking the dignity of a real cigarette.

“They make props like this now?”

If she’d known, she would’ve asked Meng Ting to arrange something better!

At that moment, Director Zhou passed by and overheard her. With a meaningful look, he said, “Not before. But the investors of *Dreams of Old Beijing* care about the actors’ health, so they specially developed harmless fruit cigarettes.”

Qin Mang lived in the hotel booked by the production crew. When He Lingji had visited, Director Zhou and the producer had personally welcomed him. They were well aware that her relationship with Mr. He wasn’t simple—but dared not speculate further.

Qin Mang lifted her lashes, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She understood what Director Zhou was implying.

With slender fingers, she casually pinched the cigarette, raised it to her lips, and took a puff. Her mouth was filled with the flavor of lychee.

Amidst the faint smoke, she smiled lazily. “Oh? Then our investor daddy sure is considerate.”

The man with seductive eyes who always stayed calm under pressure…

He remembered she liked lychee flavor.

Fine.

On that merit alone, he was forgiven.

As for the baby—

Qin Mang’s period came that very night.

She lay on the bed and took the initiative to send He Lingji a message:

**[You’re lucky this time.]**

**Cold-blooded Capitalist:** [?]

**Little Lion Roar Meow:**
*[You almost had to stay home for ten months raising a baby.]*

**Cold-blooded Capitalist:** […]

Qin Mang rolled around on the bed for a while, biting her red lips. Eventually, she sent a voice message:

“I like the lychee-flavored cigarettes. Send more.”

A few seconds later—

A two-second voice reply came in.

Qin Mang played it.

There was a rustling sound, like someone flipping a page.

After a second, that familiar deep, magnetic voice:

“Mm.”

Even through the phone, his crisp, low voice made her eardrums tingle.

Qin Mang hid under the covers, listening to it over and over again.

Hmph.

Brushed her off.

Yet her pretty lips couldn’t help curling up.

She reached up and tried to flatten them.

She definitely wasn’t smiling!

Little Lion Mang rolled across the bed, onto the other pillow.

The hotel staff had already changed the sheets.

The icy, frosty scent of the man had long since faded.

After half a month of shooting—

Qin Mang finally had her first scene with Shen Wanyin.

The two were often compared—by netizens and fans alike. Even the staff were curious to see who had stronger acting chops.

To everyone’s surprise, Shen Wanyin kept flubbing her lines.

Seven or eight takes—every time, she froze as soon as Qin Mang entered.

This scene featured Shen Wanyin’s character, an undercover agent pretending to be the female lead, Yun Ling, trying to obtain classified info—only to be caught by the real Yun Ling. A battle of wits ensued.

At the start of the scene, Shen Wanyin was supposed to act shocked at Yun Ling’s sudden appearance.

By the eighth take—

Shen Wanyin lounged against the bar in a seductive cheongsam, loosely holding a wine glass. Her red nails glistened under the lights—the vibe was perfect.

But the moment her eyes swept toward the doorway—

She saw Qin Mang’s faint, amused smirk and immediately recalled the humiliation she’d suffered in front of her half a month ago. Her expression twisted—

And the next second—

Director Zhou, known for his temper, slammed down his megaphone and roared, “You’re the spy! Did *you* do something wrong, or did *she*? Why are you glaring at her? You’re the fake—shouldn’t you look guilty?!”

*Fake*, *wrongdoing*—those words echoed in Shen Wanyin’s head.

She almost choked.

“One more chance! If you can’t do it—GET OUT!”

From beginning to end, Qin Mang leaned lazily against the doorframe, relaxed and graceful. Even as the director scolded people, she simply raised her little lion fan and cooled herself down—completely at ease.

She didn’t even spare a glance for Shen Wanyin, as if she had never regarded her as important.
She wasn’t even worthy of being her opponent.
This attitude made Shen Wanyin’s heart twist in agony.
It felt as though she was mocking her.

Shen Wanyin forced herself to calm down and, in front of the entire crew, said,
“Director, um… Teacher Qin always looks at me with that mocking gaze.”
“It makes it hard for me to get into character.”

Qin Mang half-closed her eyes, letting the staff hold an ice pack to fan her with cold air.
She had been on set for half a month, and everyone knew she was more prone to heat than others.
Last time, her neck had broken out in a rash.
A dense, red layer of spots on her fair skin, it was really shocking.

Hearing Shen Wanyin’s words, Qin Mang lazily lifted her lashes and gave a perfunctory apology,
“Sorry, it seems my acting was so good that it affected Teacher Shen.”

The entire crew had already wasted several hours with Shen Wanyin.
Everyone was already getting irritated.

Assistant Director:
“Teacher Qin’s emotions are spot on.”
“During the break, Teacher Shen, why don’t you review your script again?”
“Let’s try for a take in one go.”

Shen Wanyin bit her lower lip.
“Okay.”

When filming resumed, Shen Wanyin forced herself to not overthink Qin Mang’s gaze, and it was much smoother.
In the shot—
Qin Mang’s waist-length black hair shone like ink, revealing her slender, graceful swan neck. She wore a black trench coat and matching knee-high boots. Despite the cold color scheme, her extremely beautiful face, with its bold, wild beauty, stood out strikingly.

She toyed with a small, exquisite silver handgun, its sharp gleam flashing under the lights. Her red lips curled into a lazy arc. Although her demeanor seemed indifferent, there was a hidden threat in her mesmerizing eyes:
“ The consequence of counterfeit…”
“…is death.”

Extremely beautiful, yet full of danger.
She could take whatever she desired with ease, whenever and wherever she wished.
For example—
This counterfeit’s life.

Shen Wanyin unconsciously followed her gaze, sinking into the scene, her eyes filled with panic. Though she knew the gun was fake and there were no bullets, her heart raced so wildly when the trigger pulled that it almost suffocated her.

“Cut!”
When the director called out, Shen Wanyin felt her knees go weak.
It truly felt like she had experienced life and death.

Qin Mang, calm and composed, blew on the muzzle of the gun:
“Teacher Shen, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Pfft.
A staff member helping out couldn’t hold back their laughter.

“This time was pretty good.”
Director Zhou looked at Yun Ling, who could easily steal the spotlight. As long as she was on screen, there would never be a second female lead.
This was also why Qin Mang had once been typecast as a supporting character with no significant screen time.
Any experienced director could see that.

When her face appeared on the big screen, if she had scenes with the lead, the distinction between the main and supporting roles would be blurred.
Her poor acting skills were widely known, and no production team dared to joke around with their movies by casting her as the female lead.

Looking at the flawless face in the camera,
Qin Mang resembled a phoenix lying dormant in the dead leaves of winter. Once the flowers bloomed, she would spread her wings and fly, leaving behind a brilliant and magnificent scene in the vast sky.
Director Zhou’s mood fluctuated.
Suddenly, a larger ambition arose in him.
He abruptly stood up,
“One more take!”
It had to be perfect, his gaze swept over Shen Wanyin, his warning clear,
“I won’t allow anyone to drag behind in my film.”

Shen Wanyin had been the center of attention since her debut, never having experienced such humiliation.
Thinking of having a gun pointed at her vital spot by Qin Mang again, she gritted her teeth and stood up. Given her current situation, she could only lower her eyes,
“Yes.”

The company was already about to give up on her, so she couldn’t afford to lose this role.
Today, coincidentally, there was a media visit, and someone inadvertently captured a short video of Qin Mang and Shen Wanyin’s scene together.
To their surprise, it quickly made it to the trending topics.

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap?”
“Is this really the so-called flower vase acting?”
“Wasn’t she supposed to be a flower vase? Why is she turning into an acting powerhouse behind our backs?”
“The actor in the scene is Shen Wanyin?”
“The makeup is so beautiful, I didn’t even notice her in this video.”
“Wait, Qin Mang’s natural look actually outshines Shen Wanyin’s heavy makeup?”
“Where did the rumor about their beauty being on the same level come from?”
“Wow, they really do look alike. Always comparing beauty, but this is the first time they’re in the same frame. Shen lost, she lost.”

Shen Wanyin’s fans were unwilling to back down:
“Lmao, Qin Mang debuted with the whole ‘little Shen Wanyin’ thing. Who doesn’t know that?”
“Big scandal coming!”