Fall In Love With A Substitute

TL Note: 

Thank you for the feedback in the last chapter! 

For now, i’ll just keep “Big Sister” and “Big Sis” as is. I also realized that if i did that I’d probably have to do the same with everything else which might be too much… If anything untranslatable ever pops up tho, then I’ll do pinyin for those specific terms and put a note

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

The Movie Queen’s Little Fortune Butterfly (16)

As if she were a defeated clown, absurd yet amusing.

In front of B City’s western region’s Zhi Heng Plaza, there was a mass of bobbing heads. Domestic and foreign news platforms had gathered all at once.

After a low-profile personage signed the roster, leaving behind their full name, they would then proceed toward the VIP lounge to rest. On the other hand, however, an actor had to walk the red carpet and accept brief interviews in order to attract interest for the opening ceremony.

Also, on the internet there would also be an official livestream following the event from start to finish this time. It would include the small banquet after the ribbon-cutting ceremony as well.

Formerly, whenever the actors entered inside the banquet, spectators had no choice but to wait for the news reports. They never expected that this time’s gathering would be livestreamed. Not just a few people self-confidently concluded that HY did so for the sake of announcing in the first moments the so-called “major news”.

No one knew that this was actually Jian Yixin’s requirement.

Lin Qinglu’s style was alluring, surpassing all those present. She wore a thickly-colored deep purple and was beautifully willful. As she lifted her eyes, revealing a spell of her splendid bearing, a burst of dense shutter sounds arose.

Ye Zixuan, unwilling to be outdone, followed closely behind with her sweet style, her smile cute and refreshing. Once she altered her past feelings of being suppressed by Lin Qinglu and being bound hand and foot, her complexion was excellent and bursting with life. Quite a few people looked on with side glances.

“Today’s Zixuan is so cute and self-confident!”

“I’m reminded of that phrase: cute has nothing on sexy”

“Still though, how come Ye Zixuan can’t figure out to stand next to Movie Queen Lin hahahaha I feel somewhat sorry for her”

Ye Zixuan didn’t know about the spectators’ bullet comments[1] on the livestream. While being interviewed, she swept her eyes over everyone present and said profoundly, “Tonight is going to be a joyous, brilliant night.”

And she would be the most dazzling star.

Under Ye Zixuan’s enthusiasm, the ribbon-cutting ceremony seemed to pass by extremely quickly. Except for the Song Group’s president’s appearance on-stage being outside of her expectations, she was completely focused on the fact that, soon, all eyes would be on her.

The venue of the small banquet was decorated into the appearance of a small auditorium. Ye Zixuan found her nameplate and sat down, and as it just so happened, right next to her was Lin Qinglu.

She covertly knit her eyebrows and soon after straightened her waist and back completely upright. As the camera lens turned in her direction, she greeted it with a smile, not allowing her aura to drop even the least bit.

The banquet had many wildly entertaining segments. The longer it progressed, the more Ye Zixuan looked forward in anticipation.

Soon, it would be the highlight of her life—

At long last, following the guest appearance of a famous singer, the venue’s lights suddenly dimmed, and only the stage was still illuminated. Everyone let out a small cry in surprise. Ye Zixuan was delighted, firing herself up.

“…Next, what we wanted to issue is the venue’s final award: the Spokesperson Award.” Li Fei faced the spectators behind the camera, pretending to sigh with worry: “What was unexpected, however, was that the information about the spokesperson somehow got leaked.”

After a series of fun, eccentric awards, HY finally announced the news.

“Sure enough, it’s about the spokesperson!”

“I wasn’t wrong! I wasn’t wrong! Lin Qinglu! Lin Qinglu! Lin Qinglu!”

Ye Zixuan was short of breath, staring fixedly at the stage.

Li Fei said, “Nonetheless, the rumors online and the real situation have some discrepancies.”

Once this sentence was spoken, the venue became motionless and many people, be it overtly or secretly, looked over at Lin Qinglu.

“?????”

“It’s not Lin Qinglu???”

“So it really was just Lin Qinglu self-promoting? I’m dying of embarrassment”

Ye Zixuan, who was sitting beside Lin Qinglu, made great efforts to force the corners of her mouth down. She was elated and raised her chin up, anticipating Li Fei’s ensuing words even more.

“Next, let us please welcome the spokesperson to the stage. The award will be presented to her by Mr. Song Zhe.” After Li Fei said this, she retreated to the side. A beam of light was rapidly jumping about within the venue. Many people moved their gaze around all over the place, following the light beam.

“Is it my idol??”

“Hey hey it jumped away again”

“At any rate it’s definitely not Lin Qinglu! Officially refuted so embarrassing hahahahaha”

The beam of light slowed down. Little by little, it approached the location of Ye Zixuan’s seat.

The answer would soon be made known.

Ye Zixuan pretended to act naturally and looked straight ahead. In her mind she began reciting her self-reflections, which she had long since prepared.

“Over there seems to be Ye Zixuan???”

“?????”

While the bullet chat was in chaos and under the close watch of everyone at the venue, the white light beam enveloped Ye Zixuan’s entire body. Ye Zixuan revealed a smile and stood up without hesitation.

Right, this is how it should be. You’re the focus of tonight. You’re the one HY wants to hold up with cupped hands, not some crappy Lin Qing—

Ye Zixuan’s smile still hadn’t completely reached its peak when the beam of light gracefully left.

The darkness mercilessly devoured Ye Zixuan. Next to her hand, the pure white light beam fondly halted its pace, enclosing the other person’s body in a brilliant and honorable radiance.

Just a hair’s breadth away from her.

“Please welcome Lin Qinglu to the stage!” Li Fei declared.

“????? How many times does it make it, having this flooded with question marks due to the continuous reversals?”

“It’s still Lin Qinglu? ? The information wasn’t wrong???”

“What’s up with Ye Zixuan. Why’s she standing up”

“…too awkward”

Within the gloomy and cold duskiness, Ye Zixuan was rigid, unable to budge.

She didn’t even know how she sat down.

Only until Lin Qinglu appeared on the stage did she abruptly sober up. Inside the four limbs of her ice-cold body, blood began to rapidly circulate again, immediately rushing up to her face. The originally pale white face at once fiercely turned red.

She strenuously maintained her tremulous smiley bearing, smiling to the point that her face became stiff.

What was the meaning of this?

What was going on!

Embarrassed. Indignant. Helpless. Furious.

Ji Jing intentionally let her make a fool of herself? Why!

She trembled all over, solely wanting to see Ji Jing without any delay and ask him questions until it was clear—

How come the endorsement wasn’t hers? And how come it could be Lin Qinglu’s!

A clear and melodious male voice was transmitted to her ears: 

“Congratulations, Qinglu, for simultaneously becoming HY’s global ambassador as well as Ambassador of Elegance.”[2]

—Global ambassador.

Ye Zixuan’s vision blackened, just barely stabilizing her emotions when she clutched the seat’s armrest. However, she could no longer control her expression, and her eyes were red from jealousy.

Global ambassador? Hah! So, it turns out that what they meant by “have some discrepancies” was referring to this? She tightly clenched the armrest. On what basis?

On what basis could Ji Jing only dare to promise a luxury brand endorsement for the Asia-Pacific Region’s spokesperson, and yet Lin Qinglu could just casually receive an international endorsement?

HY was not only extending an olive branch to Lin Qinglu, but also putting the crown of first-class fashion resources on her.

Ye Zixuan felt that her career, even her whole existence, was entirely shrouded under Lin Qinglu’s shadow. What was even more hateful was that despite the fury scorching her heart, the burning jealousy causing her to see red, and the gnashing of her teeth, Lin Qinglu never did give her so much as a glance.

Hearing Lin Qinglu’s muffled speech and the unending applause within the venue, Ye Zixuan was at the end of her rope and just wanted to get up and escape.

Yet she couldn’t leave.

The first time she got up, she was submerged in an awkward situation. In the future, as long as the highlight of Lin Qinglu from tonight was mentioned, then her comedic actions would also inevitably be brought up. Moreover, she would merely serve as a foil for Lin Qinglu.

She could not bear standing up a second time; otherwise, the media would use piercing words to prick her, letting her be drenched in blood.

She could only sit indifferently below the stage, looking up at Lin Qinglu.

As if she were a defeated clown, absurd yet amusing.

TL Notes:

Noticed the last chapter that my releases are getting auto-approved now ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

Also random but if anyone’s looking for a yuri manhua to read, then i recommend checking out Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!. It updates regularly and it’s also got a novel. The MC is the villainess and the FL is the original heroine

NovelUpdates page

MangaUpdates page

Dynasty Scans page or MangaDex page

[1] 弹幕 (dan4 mu4): more accurately “bullet curtain”/”barrage”; it’s a feature that allows users to post on-screen comments that fly by like “bullets”; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danmu

[2] searched to see if this “优雅大使”/”Ambassador of Elegance” was an actual thing and it seems like it is: https://www.longines.com/en-us/universe/ambassadors