**Chapter 68: Standing Up for Her**

Early the next morning.

Qin Mang and her team finally arrived in one of the most bustling cities in the country—Du City.

This place was hailed as a city encompassing half of the nation’s history, filled with grand and ancient architecture, with historical value second only to that of North City.

As expected of a top-tier production with the strongest lineup in recent years, the film crew had booked out a six-star hotel.

As they walked into the lobby, they ran into quite a few familiar faces from the industry.

After all, Fu Yuan was a well-known manager in the circle. Most who saw her would politely come over to greet her.

She introduced each of them to Qin Mang.

They might work together in the future.

The industry wasn’t that big, after all.

Throughout the interactions, Qin Mang kept a polite smile on her face.

**Inner monologue:** “The adult world is just this fake. You have to be polite, graceful—you can’t show a cold face.”

*Meow, ugh!*

*It’s really such a pain.*

She just wanted to quietly film her scenes and not bother with socializing.

Having left behind her circle of phony heiress friends in high society, she now had to wear a mask in the entertainment world too.

Once they got back to the room assigned by the production team, Qin Mang’s beautiful face fell instantly at the sight of the spartan interior. “This is *my* room?”

Even Fu Yuan couldn’t help frowning.

Maybe it hadn’t been occupied in a long time, but the room even had a heavy musty smell.

Qin Mang had been raised pampered since childhood. The worst she’d lived in was a 50-square-meter apartment in Kun City, but even that was clean and well-maintained, clearly disinfected beforehand.

The staff back then had been meticulous.

Before joining a crew, they’d always notify them of her preferences and taboos.

The production team *should* have known she was allergic to damp environments, yet they gave her this room.

“I’ll go speak with the production manager,” Fu Yuan said, instructing A-Tong to take Qin Mang to the lounge at the end of the corridor to rest.

After a long flight, Qin Mang was already exhausted. Now she couldn’t even settle into her room. Her red lips pressed together—hot, irritable.

Sprawled on the leather couch in the lounge, she leaned against A-Tong like she had no bones.

Her pale, delicate profile glowed rosy from the heat and humidity.

A-Tong’s heart ached just looking at her.

She couldn’t help but mutter, “This production team is so inconsiderate!”

Thinking about the A-list and S-tier stars they ran into on the way here—did they look down on their Mang-jie because they thought her status was too low?

In truth, it was exactly as A-Tong guessed.

The production manager was in a tight spot.

Hotel rooms were assigned based on status and seniority in the entertainment industry. All the presidential and high-level suites were taken by top-tier veterans, leading actresses, and leading actors.

Qin Mang was a newcomer.

She had to understand the rules.

She might be more popular and have more buzz than many, but she entered the industry late.

The more Fu Yuan listened, the more ridiculous it sounded.

“You mean to tell me half the entertainment industry is here, and you *still* couldn’t spare a decent room?”

The manager replied awkwardly, “Actually, the room we assigned Ms. Qin isn’t *that* low-grade. It’s just a bit damp due to its location. Can she tough it out?”

“After all, this is for filming, not a vacation.”

Fu Yuan’s tone cooled: “Our artist is allergic to damp environments. The shoot’s about to begin—what if she breaks out in a rash? Wouldn’t that affect filming?”

Perhaps reminded of Fu Yuan’s standing in the industry, even a senior crew member didn’t dare offend her over a room. He just clicked his tongue, muttering, “So delicate.”

“Fine, fine. We’ll switch it for you.”

“But the new room won’t be available until tonight.”

So after all that—

A *reasonable* request to change rooms got twisted into *them* being too delicate?

…

When Qin Mang saw Fu Yuan’s expression, she suddenly chuckled. “Who upset our Sister Fu?”

“They must be tired of living.”

Fu Yuan explained what happened and how all the good rooms were already taken by veterans and A-listers.

Even if they changed rooms, it’d only be a different location—still not much better.

“Step outside and you bump into some big-shot senior you can’t offend.”

“I’m *so* scared,” Qin Mang said with her arms crossed.

She was tired. Her usually sharp, black eyes now looked misty, losing their aggressive edge. Slumped in the leather couch, she resembled a lazy, elegant white swan.

A-Tong wasn’t having it.

“Mang-jie not measuring up to those S-tier seniors is one thing, but even second-tier male celebs are getting better rooms than her?”

“He doesn’t even have a single project out! No idea how he even got on this crew.”

What made her angrier—

A-Tong saw it with her own eyes: “They’re upstairs!”

“In the *presidential suite*!”

Clearly, it wasn’t about status or seniority like the manager claimed.

It was favoritism, plain and simple. Someone pulled strings!

Fu Yuan checked the time. “Forget it. The opening banquet is this afternoon.”

“Let’s head to the styling studio first.”

“There’s a place to rest there too.”

“Okay.”

Qin Mang nodded absentmindedly, thinking instead: *Do I own any properties in this city?*

A place like Du City—ideal for real estate investment—her uncle surely wouldn’t neglect to buy her one?

She’d ask later.

As for Fu Yuan, after hearing A-Tong’s comment, she glanced at Qin Mang.

If this crew really was playing the backstage-power game, *no one* could top the girl in front of her.

Qin Mang’s studio had the mighty Huo Corporation behind it.

As they left, none of them noticed the man who had just stepped out of the VIP elevator nearby.

His hair was graying, but he didn’t dye it. His physique was fit, dressed in a stylish jacket and cool-toned sunglasses.

Catching a glimpse of the stunning girl disappearing at the end of the corridor, he asked in a heavily Cantonese-accented Mandarin:

“Who’s that?”

“Why haven’t I seen her before?”

“Very beautiful.”

That last sentence was perfectly enunciated.

The producer glanced in that direction but didn’t get a good look. He casually replied, “Probably a rookie.”

Jiang Lingyao took off his glasses.

After wiping them, he smiled with satisfaction. “Mainland rookies keep coming.”

“You flatter us.”

Even as a producer, he had to show respect toward this legend of the Hong Kong entertainment scene.

This opening banquet didn’t just include actors from the crew—it also invited members of the press.

There was even online hype beforehand.

Netizens jokingly called it: *“The cast party of ‘Adventure Game’ is basically a film festival.”*

All the attendees were recognizable names.

Some fans even felt honored that their idol had managed to snag a role.

That showed how prestigious the lineup was.

Since most were veteran actors, the stylist chose for Qin Mang:

A strapless dress with a band of intricate, classical embroidery at the neckline. The hem featured shimmering silver fringe in an irregular cut, subtly revealing her fair, slender legs as she moved. Beautiful, dreamy, yet tasteful.

Nothing too flashy.

After all, if the third female lead dressed more glamorously than the lead actress, it would come off as trying too hard.

Upon entering the venue.

Qin Mang still drew a lot of attention.

Her face made it impossible to stay low-key.

Lifting her skirt slightly, she followed Fu Yuan around the room, greeting people and putting names to faces.

Fu Yuan believed that learning from *any* of the seniors here would benefit her.

That was fair.

Qin Mang had seen many of their works before.

Of everyone there, the only one Qin Mang actually knew was the second male lead, Tan Guannan.

Coincidentally, Fu Yuan had something to discuss with Tan Guannan’s agent.

Fu Yuan: “Wait for me a few minutes. I’ll be quick.”

Qin Mang felt like Fu Yuan was treating her like a toddler. With so many people here, what could go wrong?

Fu Yuan wasn’t too reassured.

She remembered Meng Ting’s special instructions: *Don’t let Qin Mang wander alone.*

Scanning the room.

She decided to ask Tan Guannan to keep an eye on Qin Mang for a few minutes.

Fu Yuan reminded him, “You two are both juniors on this set. Stick together. No infighting.”

Tan Guannan smiled, “Don’t worry, Sister Fu. I’ll look after my little junior. I won’t let her cause trouble.”

The last time they met was at the premiere of *“Vanity.”*

Since that “proposal” incident, this was the first time they’d had such a casual conversation.

Tan Guannan still seemed like the charming, graceful senior from their first meeting.

They chatted briefly about the script and filming.

Just then, the friendly female lead, Senior Pei Zhen, waved at her.

Qin Mang had seen Pei Zhen’s work before and had a good impression of her.

Tan Guannan took a sip of wine and didn’t try to stop her, instead giving her a tip: “Go on. Teacher Pei Zhen is a good person to connect with.”

“Thank you, sen—”

“Teacher Tan.”

Remembering that her WeChat still had him saved as [Brother], she swallowed the title and corrected it.

Tan Guannan looked at her with a teasing smile. “Is ‘Senior Brother’ too hard to say?”

Qin Mang calmly turned around. “Pardon me, my family has a jealous one.”

Tan Guannan looked at her back and smiled helplessly, a trace of relief in his eyes.

When he found out about the fire, that noble man, without hesitation, stepped into the flames despite the danger to his life. That was when he truly let go.

At first, he had thought their marriage was a purely business one, without any affection involved, and that he still had a chance.

But when he remembered how Qin Mang had mentioned that person earlier, the star-like glow that had unknowingly appeared in her eyes, it was clear there was more to it than he had thought.

Qin Mang had received love letters since she was young. As she grew older, she stopped receiving love letters and began collecting business cards instead.

She had long been used to being admired and didn’t think much of it.

In her eyes, Tan Guannan was no different from all the other men.

The terrace had already filled with many senior teachers and a few popular actors, both male and female.

Among them was Pei Zhen.

Fu Yuan had previously introduced Qin Mang to him. But at that time, Pei Zhen had been busy and they only exchanged a few words.

Now, Pei Zhen had specifically arranged for a seat closest to him for her.

He observed Qin Mang’s bright and delicate face and said, “You really resemble an actress from my generation.”

That actress was also very talented and had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, her health was poor, and she had a short life.

If not for that, the entertainment industry today might still belong to her.

Hearing Pei Zhen speak so highly of the actress, Qin Mang became more and more sure that she knew who he was referring to.

It wasn’t until Pei Zhen mentioned two films that Qin Mang remembered seeing them in her mother’s diary.

A flash of realization passed through her eyes as she thought of the name. The young girl’s lips parted slightly, and after a moment, she asked, “Could you tell me the name of that actress?”

Pei Zhen looked at her with affectionate eyes and a hint of nostalgia, “Yue Yan, her name was Guan Yueyan.”

Indeed, it was her mother.

Back then, due to health reasons, Guan Yueyan didn’t have many works that broke out into the wider audience, and after her death, very little was recorded about her online.

Qin Mang’s understanding of her mother’s career in the entertainment industry mostly came from the diary she carried with her.

This was the first time she had met someone who had known her mother professionally.

Just as Qin Mang was about to ask Pei Zhen to share more stories about her mother, a commotion was heard from outside.

“Teacher Jiang is here.”

Everyone turned in unison to look in the direction of the sound.

An elderly man, dressed in very fashionable clothes, was smiling and waving at the crowd.

Qin Mang glanced at him. She didn’t recognize him. He was acting as though he were at a concert, waving so eagerly…

She overheard Pei Zhen and the male lead talking.

With a hint of sarcasm, Pei Zhen said, “Is there no one left in the entertainment industry? They even invited him.”

Jiang Lingyao didn’t have a good reputation in the industry. Younger actors might not know, but those who had been in the industry for longer knew about the time when Jiang Lingyao ruled with an iron fist.

Who hadn’t suffered under his rule? He was a smiling wolf.

Even as he got older, such a person didn’t suddenly become kinder.

So every time Pei Zhen saw his amiable appearance, it gave her the chills.

The male lead hinted to Pei Zhen, “Keep your voice down, an old tiger is still a tiger, we can’t provoke him.”

Pei Zhen snorted and didn’t say anything more. After all, after so many years in the entertainment industry, she understood how to avoid trouble.

Qin Mang vaguely heard a couple of words but didn’t pay much attention.

Jiang Lingyao, bypassing the crowd, made his way to the terrace with the help of some senior figures in the crew.

A young male actor cleverly gave up his seat for him.

“Teacher Jiang, please sit here.”

“This is too much.”

Jiang Lingyao politely declined a couple of times, then sat down when the other person warmly insisted.

Unexpectedly, when he raised his head, he saw that face he had briefly glimpsed earlier that morning.

Up close, under the lights, the young girl’s face was even more stunning.

She was even more beautiful. More dazzling.

It was that kind of delicate and captivating beauty that made one want to break it.

Someone came to pour him a drink.

Jiang Lingyao, with a gentlemanly smile, stopped them from pouring, instead shaking his empty glass. “Little girl, come pour me a drink.”

Qin Mang, sitting opposite: “?”

What is this?

Everyone there knew his temperament.

It was clear he had his eye on Qin Mang.

This wasn’t about pouring a drink.

It was about accompanying him.

He even had the person sitting next to him swap places with Qin Mang.

He seemed certain she wouldn’t refuse.

Because Qin Mang resembled Guan Yueyan, Pei Zhen felt more familiar with her.

Despite knowing she might offend this smiling tiger, Pei Zhen still smiled and subtly pointed out, “Teacher Jiang, you’re getting old. This isn’t our era anymore. You should respect the actresses.”

“If you want someone to accompany you, go hire a lady.”

If it were before, Jiang Lingyao might have given Pei Zhen some face.

But this time…

Qin Mang was exactly what he wanted.

He played with the jade walnut in his hand, his eyes cold.

The crowd didn’t dare speak.

It was a battle of power among the big shots.

But then, the unexpected happened.

Qin Mang, who was tall to begin with, now in 12cm high heels, was nearly 180cm tall, even taller than many of the male stars there, including Jiang Lingyao.

As she walked toward him, gracefully holding the half-filled wine bottle, Jiang Lingyao stood up, ready to take the opportunity to touch her delicate hand.

But the next second…

The once graceful and radiant young girl, her smiling face suddenly turned cold as frost. She lifted her delicate hand and, with one swift motion, poured the wine from the bottle over his head.

The wine, flowing from the decanter’s wide neck, suddenly drenched his hair and splattered onto his clothes.

The once poised and admired elder suddenly became a mess.

The crowd: “!”

Pei Zhen, who had been lamenting her bad luck in encountering such a person, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh.”

Jiang Lingyao, who had been revered in the industry for decades, had never experienced such humiliation.

In disbelief, he pointed at Qin Mang. “You… dare to pour wine on me?”

The room froze.

After speaking, he tried to have his assistant grab Qin Mang.

Qin Mang, annoyed by the wine sticking to her hand, didn’t wait for them to approach…

After saying that, she wanted the assistant to go with her to capture Qin Mang.

Qin Mang was disgusted by the sticky liquor on her hands. Before they could get close, her eyes slightly narrowed, and with one hand holding the glass bottle of wine, she swung it forcefully, throwing it without any courtesy.

A loud crash sounded.

The glass shattered on the marble floor.

The series of actions happened within seconds, catching everyone off guard.

Glass shards flew everywhere, some even embedding into Jiang Lingyao’s leg.

“Did… did it draw blood?”

“Damn!”

“Quick, get a doctor!”

The once quiet banquet hall instantly turned chaotic.

People from afar, unsure of what had happened, gathered toward the commotion.

When Qin Mang threw the bottle, she had estimated that the shards wouldn’t hit anyone else.

She aimed directly at him.

Only then did Jiang Lingyao realize that blood was dripping from his leg.

He cared greatly about his appearance and body, and now Qin Mang had completely hit his anger point.

“You don’t want to stay in this circle anymore?”

The bold and dazzling young woman didn’t even acknowledge him. She casually pulled out a wet wipe to clean her fingertips, her cool voice spilling out:

“Stay in your mom’s circle?”

“What are you?”

“Dare to covet this young lady?”

Her calm and composed words made the previously chaotic scene fall silent for a moment.

A few of the crew’s high-ranking members, the director, and Qin Mang’s agent, Ms. Fu Yuan, were watching the chaotic scene and nearly fainted from the shock.

Especially Fu Yuan.

Her first reaction was to glare at Tan Guannan, who had just come out of the bathroom.

Tan Guannan: “…”

He was innocent.

Who would have thought Qin Mang could stir up trouble with Teacher Pei?

Looking at the messy and bloody scene, and the furious senior figures of the entertainment industry, Tan Guannan felt a lingering fear.

Luckily, he wasn’t the one cleaning up the mess.

Fu Yuan understood the look in his eyes.

But now wasn’t the time to scold Tan Guannan. The focus had shifted—Fu Yuan glanced over at the media holding cameras nearby.

To stabilize the situation, Fu Yuan quickly sent a message before stepping forward. “It’s too chaotic here. Let’s find a quieter place to treat Teacher Jiang’s wound. We don’t want to cut an artery or something.”

Her seemingly casual stance actually placed her behind Qin Mang, protecting her.

“Yes, yes,” the crew’s higher-ups quickly began clearing the scene.

As the organizers of the opening banquet, the producers were really troubled.

How could they offend this big shot?

They weren’t part of the domestic entertainment teams; most of them had returned from abroad, so they didn’t know Qin Mang’s background but knew Jiang Lingyao well.

In a side room of the hotel, the doctor was treating Jiang Lingyao’s wound.

Other than the faint sound of movement, no one spoke.

The silence was a bit eerie.

Qin Mang sat nonchalantly on the sofa, not at all feeling like she had offended someone who had power over life and death in the industry.

It was obvious who the producer would favor.

They were planning to terminate their contract with Qin Mang.

Fu Yuan wasn’t here to take insults; the movie had to be filmed.

Since they had come, leaving in a miserable state would be bad for their fans and the audience.

“Although it was my artist who started the incident, there was a reason.”

The producer directly said, “Teacher Jiang was just asking Teacher Qin to pour him some wine.”

“But Teacher Qin used a weapon to injure someone—”

“We can’t keep an actor who is unstable.”

Fu Yuan saw that there was no room for negotiation, her gaze turning cold.

She couldn’t help but check her phone.

Why hadn’t Secretary Chong replied yet?

The producer tentatively asked Jiang Lingyao, “Teacher, how do you think we should resolve this?”

Jiang Lingyao had changed out of the clothes soaked in red wine, but his gray-white hair had not been restyled, making him look a bit older.

All he could think about was Qin Mang’s fiery, stunning appearance when she walked toward him.

In all his years in the entertainment industry, it was the first time he’d encountered such a brilliant, transparent, and dazzling young woman.

It was as if she embodied the light that people like him, who lived in darkness, longed for.

It made him want to destroy that light.

He looked at the silent girl, his eyes carrying the threat of someone in a higher position: “As long as you satisfy me… the third female lead is still yours.”

To prevent another violent outburst, even the vases in the room were removed.

Qin Mang’s beautiful eyes carried a cold sarcasm: “So?”

Without the media and other crew members around, Jiang Lingyao no longer tried to hide his gaze toward Qin Mang.

His tone was commanding, making it uncomfortable to listen to.

“Kneel, apologize to me.”

“If you do, I’ll consider letting you off.”

Before Qin Mang could respond, Fu Yuan, with a cold expression, stood up, ready to pull Qin Mang away.

Who cared about good roles and extravagant crew line-ups?

They weren’t staying anymore!

Just then, the slightly ajar champagne-colored door was suddenly pushed open by two well-trained bodyguards.

Qin Mang instinctively looked up.

What met her eyes was a familiar face, one that was deeply etched into her memory.

A man in an elegant black silk shirt appeared at the door, his tall figure seemingly split by the shadows—half hidden in darkness, half revealed to the world.

His gray-blue eyes held a cold, god-like judgment, as if he were descending to pass judgment.

He looked down at the person who had spoken just now.

His voice was calm yet icy, like frozen frost: “Then you kneel and apologize to my wife.”