Even as a low-tier, barely-known actress, she could sense the immense potential and quality of that drama. She should have risen to fame with it. Every time she thought about it, it gnawed at her heart. And since Lin Mengxing was close to Shen Yunyun, she unilaterally declared Lin Mengxing her sworn enemy. To Lin Mengxing, this reasoning was utterly baseless, but Lu Qi had managed to rationalize it.
Lin Mengxing didn’t want to waste words on Lu Qi, but before she knew it, Lu Qi grabbed her hand, shoved it toward her own chest, and then deliberately fell to the ground. Lin Mengxing looked at her own hand, then at Lu Qi. Lu Qi sat on the floor, tears welling in her eyes, biting her lower lip, looking utterly wronged.
"Sister Mengxing, I know you’re furious that I took the lead role from you. You’ve been holding in your anger, and it’s only right for you to take it out on me. You can hit me or scold me, but please, calm down."
Lin Mengxing turned her head toward the doorway, where a crowd had indeed gathered to watch the spectacle. Among them were many actors and their assistants. Hearing Lu Qi’s words, they began chattering and gossiping without restraint. Neither of these two was famous—Lu Qi was a nobody, and Lin Mengxing was just a newcomer—so they felt no need to hold back.
"So Lin Mengxing is that kind of person? In the last drama, the director kept giving her extra scenes, even adding a solo dance. Who knows what shady deals went on behind the scenes?"
"Exactly. I was there when the director suddenly told her to add it."
"Don’t you think this scene looks familiar?"
Everyone fell silent. Familiar? Wasn’t this the classic "tearing down a fake sweetheart" trope? Usually, it involved a female lead, a supporting actress, and a scumbag to complete the picture. Who was Lu Qi performing for? Surely not for them?
They guessed right—it was for them. To drive Lin Mengxing away, she first had to ruin her reputation. If Lin Mengxing’s name was tarnished, even if that drama aired and she became popular, the backlash would be devastating. People like her had to be nipped in the bud, denied any chance to soar. Otherwise, if she seized the opportunity, she’d snatch away too many resources, leaving Lu Qi with no hope. Lu Qi didn’t have the guts or the ability to target established stars. But someone as weak as Lin Mengxing? She saw herself as a senior and thought a little trick would be enough to put her in her place.
Lin Mengxing saw through her intent but didn’t realize Lu Qi wanted to crush her completely; she thought it was just workplace bullying.
"The lead role?" Lin Mengxing spread her hands. "Have you signed a contract with the director? I haven’t heard about a change in the lead actress." She turned to the onlookers. "Have any of you heard that the director is replacing the lead?"
They all shook their heads. They hadn’t heard anything about it.
Lu Qi scrambled to her feet, looking pitiful. "Sister Mengxing, I know it’s hard for you to accept right now, but it’s the truth. The lead goes to the one who’s most capable. You should go back and polish your acting skills. You’ll definitely get another chance to be the lead."
Lin Mengxing sneered. "Then we’ll just have to wait and see. But first, we need to settle our score." She stepped forward and shoved Lu Qi hard.
Lu Qi let out a yelp, stumbling backward several steps before crashing to the ground. This time, it was a real fall—a hard one. She twisted her ankle and her bottom ached from the impact. Tears streamed down her face instantly.