Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day

Chapter 31: Pretending to be Drunk

Shen Jintai was very excited. He brewed on it for a while before he suppressed the excitement in his heart and returned to the state he should have. He looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were still a little red.

He no longer had tears, but his eyes were still puffy. He had light makeup on today making his face look very fragile and pure.

He washed his hands, calmed his emotions, and came out of the bathroom running into Yan Yaoxuan. Yan Yaoxuan’s eyes were very hot when he saw him. The first time he had experienced the feeling of enthusiasm and adoration by a fan was in Yan Yaoxuan’s eyes.

“I forgot that you are still here.” Shen Jintai smiled and said: “It’s so late. Aren’t you going back?”

“Didn’t you say you’ll finish work by 10?” Yan Yaoxuan said: “I’m waiting for you so we can have dinner together.”

Knowing he had been waiting for him all day, Shen Jintai couldn’t refuse: “Okay.”

Yan Yaoxuan followed him and said: “Xiao Jin, you acted so well.”

Another person who was caught by his acting skills! Shen Jintai felt that this kind of compliment was better than being praised for his looks. He gave Yan Yaoxuan a smile. His whole body seemed to glow brightly. A calm and confident figure that had a beaming smile. Yan Yaoxuan’s heart pounded wildly.

Shen Jintai’s appearance really exuded an indescribable charm from the inside out.

He had now accumulated eight points which meant he was two points away from getting his killer waist. He wasn’t very interested in the sexy reward system. He rather looked forward to the beauty rewards. He was determined to secure those last two points as soon as possible.

—

Shen Jintai was more restrained this time around and the scene passed smoothly. When Zheng Siqi hugged him, he couldn’t help but feel full of warmth. Zheng Siqi was straight yet in this moment, he felt a bit strange from the touch.  

When the director yelled cut, he let go of Shen Jintai, blushed, and gave a shy smile.

In today’s scene, Zheng Siqi also performed very well. After a few days of filming, he had entered a good state. As a newcomer, his acting skills were already considered good, mainly because his temperment matched Zhou Ying. He was very pure and handsome and had a heroic aura. Playing the white moonlight in the drama, as long as he performs his role well, he can lie down and suck powder after the broadcast.

The next scene was a one-man show with Bai Qingquan. Zhou Jing was pacing back and forth in the hall, hesitant whether he should save Li Xu. His personal feelings and grand ambitions were being tangled and swayed.

Bai Qingquan’s silhouette was semi-hidden in the shadows as the candlelight in the hall swayed. Seeing Shen Jintai was talking with the cast and crew, he turned around and left the studio.

……

He had been contemplating his scene. He originally wanted to show Shen Jintai his strength, but it turns out Shen Jintai wasn’t paying any attention.

He became depressed. While in this state, he was shocked by his own thoughts. He felt like he was a student who just completed his homework and was waiting for the teacher to praise him. However, the teacher did not notice his efforts causing him to feel disappointed.

When was Shen Jintai his teacher?! It’s been only a few days since the shooting began! Why did he have such ambitious ideas!

Shen Jintai originally wanted to rest a bit, but because he was afraid that Yan Yaoxuan would wait too long, he came out first, took off his makeup hastily and left with Yan Yaoxuan.

“I think Bai Qingquan has an RV. Can you get one too?” Yan Yaoxuan asked.

“We’re currently doing studio shootings right now which is close to the hotel, so I don’t need it.” Shen Jintai said. He might be able to use it later when they are filming on location. With his current money, he had enough to buy one, a second-hand one.

Yan Yaoxuan’s cellphone suddenly rang. It was Yan Qiuchi calling. He felt nervous and decided not to answer. As a result the phone rang again after two minutes.  Yan Yaoxuan didn’t dare ignore it a second time.

“You stayed with the crew today?” Yan Qiuchi got straight to the point.

Yan Yaoxuan whispered “Nn”, but with Shen Jintai by his side, it and gave him greater courage: “Yes. ”

Yan Qiuchi paused on the other end. Yan Yaoxuan knew immediately what his brother’s appearance currently was. A calm face with sharp eyebrows. The silence said it all. He was finished.  

“I’m… just heading back.” Yan Yaoxuan said.

Yan Qiuchi: “I asked my assistant to buy you a ticket for the day after tomorrow. If you have any friends you want to meet tomorrow, do it. Then you should get ready and pack.”

Yan Qiuchi hung up after speaking, not even giving him a chance to refute. His mood was a little irritable after the exchange. He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. It was already late at night, and the streets of Nancheng stretched out endlessly like crossed fire dragons.

What was his younger brother doing? Did he want to chase Shen Jintai?

Not to mention the question of whether it was suitable or not, Shen Jintai had chased him. Yan Yaoxuan as his younger brother shouldn’t have these kinds of ideas.

Lately, news of Shen Jintai had a lot of peachy topics, such as that ass.

Yan Qiuchi felt that the recent Shen Jintai seemed to be holding back something. His body revealed a kind of restlessness that was about to break out. He had a sudden change of personality, solid acting skills, and… there’s that ass.  

He felt annoyed whenever he thought about the ass. It always unconsciously reminded him of the dream he had the other night. He shouldn’t have touched it. But he grabbed it, accidentally touched it, as if his hand was no longer in his control.

He didn’t know why but he felt his skin hunger and thirst problem had become more serious recently. When he’s sleeping, he always felt that his arms were empty. Waking up in the morning, this abnormal emotion would affect his mood.

Well, he has always been clear about rules and regulations. He would toss these feelings to the back of his mind once he got up. These dreams didn’t bewitch him senselessly. To him Shen Jintai was still his most disliked person in the world.

—

Yan Qiuchi’s phone call ruined Yan Yaoxuan’s good mood.

“Did you want to go home?” Shen Jintai asked.

“No.” Yan Yaoxuan pursed his lips and said: “He was just asking.” Seeing Shen Jintai was so close in front of him, infinite courage rose in his heart again.

His heart was still hot, and he asked Shen Jintai: “I thought you took on this drama to make money, but I didn’t expect you to be so good. When this show is broadcast, you’ll definitely be popular.”

Shen Jintai said with a smile: “The main reason is that the book is well written. When you encounter such a good book, you can’t have a clear conscience if you don’t act well.”

“Will you return to the stage in the future?” Yan Yaoxuan asked. He felt Shen Jintai on the stage was stunning. It was strange but he felt the Shen Jintai who’s filming was also dazzling but they had two different sensation. The idol Shen Jintai was flirtatious and wild and full of heat. The actor Shen Jintai was confident and firm with a bright radiance.

He deeply liked and admired both versions.

Shen Jintai was taken aback when he heard this. He never thought about returning to the stage and becoming a singer and dancer. The thought was inexplicably exciting. In the future, once he gains a foothold in the film and television industry, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to return to the stage and give it a try.

As an actor, you must be adventurous and try new things.

There were a lot of restaurants in the film and television city. Stars would often come to eat at these places so they weren’t really surprised by their appearances. Shen Jintai and Yan Yaoxuan followed the waiter to the second floor. When they were about to enter a private room, a little girl happened to come out of the room next door and almost bumped into Shen Jintai. Yan Yaoxuan stood in the way forcefully and guarded Shen Jintai behind him. The girl looked tipsy, probably from drinking too much wine as her face was flushed. She hurriedly apologized.

“It’s okay.” Shen Jintai said with a smile.

The little girl glanced at him, as if she recognized him, and was surprised.

Yan Yaoxuan had already taken Shen Jintai into the private room.

The restaurant was in an old building. There was only a thin wall between each of the private rooms so noises could be heard next door. Not long after they taken their seats they heard a voice next door saying: “Guess who I ran into when I went to the bathroom just now?”

“Who is it?”

“Shen Jintai!”

The room noises became chaotic.

Shen Jintai became a little excited. It was the first time he had been recognized in the film and television city. He was usually dressed in a low-key manner. With different stars of all shapes and sizes coming here to eat often, no one really noticed who he was when he came here to eat. They may recognize him, but they didn’t necessarily regard him as a star.

Big name stars who were bursting with popularity are recognized wherever they go. For them, this was a worry. For him, a little star who struggled for many years, to be able to be recognized on the street gave him a sense of accomplishment.  

He was dressed too casually today so it seems like he didn’t exude a star-quality persona. Next time he comes here, he’ll have to clean himself up a little bit more.  

Because he was filming, Shen Jintai paid great attention to his diet. When ordering, he ordered all light dishes. While waiting for the waiter to serve their dishes, he got up and went to the bathroom. As he left the private room, he saw the little girl who almost bumped into him. Behind her were two girls. They looked at him shyly.  

Yan Yaoxuan was more aware of precautions so he followed Shen Jintai out and glanced into the corridor. When he saw the three little girls, he face darkened as he asked: “What’s the matter?”

One of the little girls looked at Shen Jintai and asked: “Excuse me, are you Shen Jintai?”

Shen Jintai nodded and saw that the three girls were so excited they almost jumped: “We are gold powders!”

Shen Jintai smiled and said: “Are you eating here too?”

“We are right next door!” The little girl asked excitedly: “I didn’t expect to run into you here… Can we take a picture with you?”

Shen Jintai smiled and said: “Sure.”

When they heard he had agreed, all three girls squealed with delight. They asked Yan Yaoxuan to take a picture for them. Seeing that it was gold powder, Yan Yaoxuan’s expression improved a lot. He took the girls’ phones and took several pictures for them.

“A few of us fans are here for the open set visit on the weekend. We came to the city a few days in advance. We originally wanted to go visit the crew on set to see you, but they were very strict and didn’t let us in. We really didn’t expect to meet you here!” The leading girl was so excited her eyes were red.  

This feeling of being loved was really contagious. Shen Jintai was moved so he chatted with the girls for a while. After the little girls reluctantly left, Shen Jintai went to the bathroom. He was more thrilled than the fans he had just met. It felt so good to be loved. That feeling recharged his fighting spirit.

As he was about to exit the bathroom stall, he heard someone talking nearby. When he heard his name, he paused.

“Was that Shen Jintai just now? I’ve been seeing him on the news recently. He’s changed a lot.”

“Is it the one who chased a man and went into bankruptcy?”

“It’s him. He’s here to shoot <The East Palace is Coming>, right?”

“Speaking of which, I’m not convinced. At the beginning of this year, I also went to the <East Palace> crew to audition. Don’t you know how many big names that were there? In the end the selected actors were more reliable one after another, with the exception of Shen Jintai who got mixed in. His acting skills… tsk tsk.”

“If you have capital that you can bring into the production…”

“Bring my ass. Shen Jintai went bankrupt a long time ago, right? If he had money on hand, why would he select this drama with Bai Qingquan as the lead?”

The speaker was a tall, thin man. When he noticed a person coming out of the stall, he glanced back. Seeing that it was Shen Jintai, he trembled and almost peed on his hand. All three of them watched in silence as Shen Jintai walked to the sink nonchalantly as if he hadn’t heard anything.  

The three of them hurriedly zipped up their pants and left.

Shen Jintai didn’t care about these things. The original Shen Jintai had a bad reputation, so it was not surprising what these people thought of him. When he first read the novel, he also had the same opinion as them.

Anyway, he knew that he is not like this, and he also believes that when <The East Palace is Coming> is broadcast in the future, everyone will notice his changes. His explosive acting skills alone will surprise these people. Hearing those voices discussing his acting skills made him more eager. He’ll relish when they get face slapped once the drama airs.

The harder they step on him, the more swollen their face will be in the future.

He didn’t know if the enthusiasm from a few of his fans had infected him. His chest was filled with ambition and drive. He wanted fire. He was burning. He wanted to use his strength to cover up the entire black history he previously had.

After he returned to the private room, the dishes were already set. Shen Jintai sat down and said: “They came so fast.”

“What kind of wine do you want to drink?” Yan Yaoxuan said: “They have three different kinds here. You can choose.”

“I won’t drink.” Shen Jintai said: “I have to film tomorrow.”

“Drink some.” Yan Yaoxuan said: “It’s boring for me to drink alone.”

Shen Jintai: “You’re driving yet you’re drinking?”

Yan Yaoxuan:  “I can find a substitute driver. I’m happy today and would like to have a drink.”

Shen Jintai didn’t want to spoil his fun, so he accompanied him for a drink. However, Yan Yaoxuan could really drink. He kept emptying one glass after another. If it weren’t for his excited and energetic expression, Shen Jintai would have suspected that he was drinking to drown out his sorrows.

He felt that Yan Yaoxuan, just like those girls, was also a fan of his and this excitement came from being able to eat with his idol.

It made him recall how Yan Yaoxuan was also a very pitiful cannon fodder. Because his older brother was the protagonist, he was crushed everywhere. His feelings were even more pitiful. Later in the novel he fell in love with Bai Qingquan and struggled to fight against his brother for his love but was miserably defeated.  

Thinking of this, he specifically asked Yan Yaoxuan on how he felt about Bai Qingquan. He remembered in the original novel that Yan Yaoxuan fell in love with Bai Qingquan when he was filming <The East Palace is Coming>.

“Looks pretty.” Yan Yaoxuan said drunkenly.

Sure enough, this was a vain society. Shen Jintai smiled causing Yan Yaoxuan to become excited. Shen Jintai’s lip color looked mesmerizing, especially after he drank some wine.

Because of the bright lip color, his whole complexion seemed to have improved. His skin was glowing, and his presence was more vivid. The wine stains around his mouth made people want to…

Yao Yanxuan really wanted to kiss him. And this kiss, he thought, would be an exhilarating kiss. He would bite his lips and lick the wine stains off them. He had thousands of fantasies whether he thought about it carefully or not. All he needed was those red lips to ignite the flame in him.

Admiration like this, between a fan and their idol, because the distance was far apart, makes feelings more profound. There seem to be light glowing from Shen Jintai’s eyes.

An angel. Yan Yaoxuan was lost in his thoughts as he drank another glass of wine. He drank it too abruptly that he started to choke on it.

Shen Jintai quickly poured him a cup of tea and handed it over. Yan Yaoxuan supported his chin with one hand and laid on the table with a flushed face, as if he was drunk. When drinking the tea, his hands trembled.

Shen Jintai didn’t expect Yan Yaoxuan to drink this much. Seeing him drink so hard, he thought Yan Yaoxuan could handle his liquor.

Yan Yaoxuan laid there motionless, as Shen Jintai took a few bites of his food. He then stood up and went over to help Yan Yaoxuan up..

“Are you going back home or…?” He asked Yan Yaoxuan.

Yan Yaoxuan said: “Not home… Won’t go back. ”

Then Yan’s mansion was too far from here. It would take at least two hours to drive back. Seeing no other option, Shen Jintai decided to take Yan Yaoxuan back to the hotel first.

Yan Yaoxuan wasn’t as big as his brother but he was still a sturdy guy who was more than 1.8 meters tall. Shen Jintai couldn’t carry him by himself so he had to ask the driver for help. The two of them carried Yan Yaoxuan into the hotel lobby. Shen Jintai then called a hotel clerk over and they together carried Yan Yaoxuan to the elevator.

Yan Yaoxuan was drunk and was being mischievous. He kept rubbing his head on Shen Jintai’s shoulder. The elevator suddenly stopped at a floor and the doors opened. There were several people standing around outside.

Unfortunately, one of them was Gao Qiao.

Gao Qiao instantly recognized Yan Yaoxuan, and was stunned when he saw him leaning drunkenly on Shen Jintai’s shoulder. “Yaoxuan.” He yelled.

Yan Yaoxuan trembled in his heart: “Shit.”

“Why is he here?” Gao Qiao asked Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai: “He came to visit the set and drank too much wine while eating and got a little drunk. ”

Gao Qiao was speechless as he stared at the elevator. The door was closing and Shen Jintai hurriedly asked: “Are you… coming in?” He was Yan Qiuchi’s assistant after all so Shen Jintai felt he needed to be polite.

Gao Qiao shook his head as the elevator door closed.

My god.

Gao Qiao came to the hotel to talk to the executive director. He didn’t expect to run into such a sitation. Of course, he had to report this to President Yan!