What did she want from her? Even Li Xiuying wasn"t sure herself. She"d saved the woman out of whim and had wanted to use her but now, she didn"t have the will to do so.
Li Xiuying knew it would be unfair for Lan Jinyao but when she heard from Song Zexi that Lin Meirong was aiming to secure this year"s best new actress award, she couldn"t help but sneer in her heart.
Why was it so easy for Lin Meirong to get something she didn"t deserve? Wasn"t it enough that she seduced Mu Jianyu? And now she still wanted to tarnish Lan Jinyao"s reputation?
Lan Jinyao was an obstacle Lin Meirong needed to eliminate. The lead role and the nomination for the award will be hers once Lan Jinyao was out of her way.
"Miss Lan, do. you know who Lin Meirong"s benefactor is?" She asked the young woman with a bitter laugh.
The young woman frowned and shook her head. During their filming at the set, Lin Meirong was bragging about her rich boyfriend who pampered and spoiled her rotten. The expensive jewelleries and gifts she received during their breaks was enough to leave the crew in awe with her secret lover.
"I don"t know." Lan Jinyao answered truthfully.
"It"s my husband, Mu Jianyu." Li Xiuying couldn"t contain the bitterness in her voice. "Lin Meirong is my husband"s lover."
Lan Jinyao opened her mouth but no words came out. What was she supposed to say to a woman who"d just lost her husband to another woman?
She couldn"t believe that Lin Meirong was having an affair with a married man. Li Xiuying"s husband of all people? Wasn"t she afraid that the Li family would come after her?
Her questions were silently answered when she looked at Li Xiuying"s face. The wife couldn"t do it. There was a hint of desperation, hurt and anger in her eyes but above all, Lan Jinyao could sense the overwhelming love she still held for her husband.
Lan Jinyao couldn"t help but to feel disappointed. Li Xiuying had everything and yet she allowed another woman to reduce her to this state? Why didn"t she fight for her husband and put Lin Meirong in her rightful place?
In her eyes, Li Xiuying was almost perfect. She had a beautiful face that people would"ve mistaken for an angel. Her round eyes reflected gentleness and kindness Lan Jinyao had never seen in other people, her skin unmarred with any blemishes. On top of that, she was a Li princess.
No wonder Lin Meirong was confident enough that she could overshadow Lan Jinyao even if she was the second lead. Their last filming was put on hold as the scripts were revised in her favor.
Lan Jinyao pursed her lips and looked outside the floor to ceiling window that emitted soft light to light up the darkened room.
"Miss Li, I"m disappointed with you. You have everything and yet you are like this."
So weak, so pathetic that she could only cry and allow herself to be hurt by the cheating couple.
"I have everything but my husband... You may not understand, Miss Lan but he"s my husband. More than anything else, I want him back." Li Xiuying felt pathetic saying this to a stranger she barely knew.
"You make it sound that it was your fault that he sought another woman. This... this makes me wary of the concept of marriage."
Li Xiuying smiled but didn"t say anything. Indeed, how many wives out there like her who could only cry in silence as they watch their husbands" betrayal? How many wives were there like her who suffered in silence as another woman seduced their men?
Lan Jinyao figured then that Li Xiuying was too kind for her own good. She"d let her husband and Li Meirong hurt her without a fight.
If it was another woman in her status, she would"ve crushed Lin Meirong with a lift of her finger and given her husband a good beating. A cheater would always be a cheater. Li Xiuying cannot force Mu Jianyu to change if the man himself wasn"t willing.
Lan Jinyao was mad at Lin Meirong for plotting behind her back but her anger couldn"t compare to the emotional trauma the woman left to Li Xiuying.
If no one stood up for Li Xiuying then she would continue to suffer.
"I"m indebted to you. So Miss Li, use me as you wish," she told her. "Use me against Lin Meirong if you want to,"
It was Li Xiuying"s turn to be shocked by Lan Jinyao"s bold words. She wanted her to use her? Faced with Lan Jinyao"s suggestion, Li Xiuying weighed the consequences of her actions.
Lan Jinyao was willing, so what was keeping her from following her original plan? By helping Lan Jinyao to succeed in show business, it meant that it would be harder for Lin Meirong to achieve her dream to become a film empress.
"I hate to drag you into the mud pool, Miss Lan. Lin Meirong... you shouldn"t underestimate her." came her muddled response.
"Forgive me, Miss Li but the one who shouldn"t be underestimated here is you. It was clear that you are hurt but why aren"t you fighting back? While I disagree with your decision to keep the sc.u.m as your husband, you should remind Lin Meirong not to touch someone else"s husband." Lan Jinyao said with defiance.
Song Zexi who was listening intently to their conversation nodded her head. She very much agreed with Lan Jinyao"s opinion. They prided that they came from the Li family and Mu Jianyu"s blatant disrespect to their miss was enough to set their blood in rage. She and Su Ling were frustrated that their miss wasn"t fighting for what was hers and allowing Lin Meirong to make a fool out of her.
If their miss wishes to teach the mistress a good lesson, Song Zexi would be very pleased to volunteer to torture the woman but alas, their miss was too kind hearted. it was unfortunate that their Miss Chuntao wasn"t here with them to force their Miss Ying to have some semblance of her reality.
She was being cheated and hurt by Mu Jianyu because she was letting him do so. Even when she discovered the affair, their Miss Ying refused to confront her husband about it. The two of them were forced to watch in silence as Mu Jianyu took Lin Meirong into his arms, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear while their miss was crying in the corner.
"Miss, please make up your mind. We cannot allow this to continue," Song Zexi told her miss. For f.u.c.k"s sake, their miss was a Li and the Li family never allowed anyone to step on them.
Li Xiuying s.h.i.+fted her gaze from Lan Jinyao to her bodyguard. In their eyes, was she really that weak and easy to bully?
"If you"re sure..."
"I"m sure," Lan Jinyao cut her off. Lin Meirong was their common enemy and she hated that a woman like Lin Meirong had the audacity to steal and seduce another woman"s man. Lin Meirong surely didn"t know the word respect at all.
"Then Miss Lan, I want you to s.n.a.t.c.h the best new actress award from Lin Meirong. You have to help me crush Lin Meirong"s chances and I will help you to become the next film empress, what do you say?"