Chapter 13: This Happiness Is Short-lived
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
The more Qin Shiyue studied Lin Qingyi, the more frustrated she became. She felt that to surpass her rival in love, she needed to be reborn. Just when her determination to defeat her rival was like a deflated balloon, her phone rang.
Qin Shiyue answered the phone with little interest.
“Baby, are you feeling any better?” Qin Shilan asked with concern.
“No, not at all,” she replied. What could be more frustrating and painful than realizing she was worlds apart from her rival?
Fang Xinghua said that Shiyue was doing much better, but the frustration in Shiyue's voice still made Qin Shilan feel conflicted. Her selfish thoughts stirred once again.
“Are you still thinking about Kong Huizhi?” Qin Shilan asked with some difficulty. She did not want to go against her own feelings, but seeing Shiyue troubled by love made it hard for her to remain indifferent.
“I am not thinking about her. I am thinking about Lin Qingyi,” Qin Shiyue answered honestly. However, after saying it, she felt something was off.
“Hmm?” Qin Shilan paused upon hearing this. Sometimes, Shiyue's thought process was hard for her to grasp. What did it mean to think about Lin Qingyi instead of Kong Huizhi? Regardless, it was a good thing that Shiyue was not thinking about Kong Huizhi.
“Sister, are you free now? I’m coming to see you,” Qin Shiyue said. She was afraid others would laugh at her, so she didn’t dare to tell anyone about wanting to surpass Lin Qingyi, but her sister Qin Shilan was an exception. In Qin Shiyue's heart, her sister was the person who treated her the best and accepted her the most. No matter how childish or ridiculous her ideas were growing up, her sister never laughed at her. Instead, she would find ways to help her with her silly and unrealistic thoughts, caring for her even more than their mother.
“I’m not busy,” Qin Shilan said, glancing at her packed schedule before speaking reluctantly. Since her younger sister had been divorced for so long, she’d definitely make time to accompany her this time.
On her way to see her sister, Qin Shiyue didn’t bother to put on makeup. She considered herself naturally beautiful, and even without makeup, she looked good. However, Sister Fang did say that as a female celebrity, she needed to pay attention to her image. It was best to wear a little light makeup when going out to look better and avoid being photographed poorly. Qin Shiyue thought Sister Fang's advice made sense. It seemed that besides her image and looks, she had nothing else, and thinking of this made her feel heartbroken.
So, Qin Shiyue reluctantly tidied herself up a bit. Looking at herself after applying light makeup, she once again thanked her parents for giving her such a beautiful face.
By the time Qin Shiyue arrived at her company, over an hour had passed.
“Little Boss Qin.” Although Qin Shiyue wore a mask, many employees of the Qin Group still recognized her at a glance and took the initiative to greet her.
Qin Shiyue did not know if it was because Lin Qingyi had mocked her using the term “Little Boss Qin” last time, but at this moment, hearing others call her that made her feel extremely awkward. However, they had gotten used to calling her that, so it seemed strange for her to suddenly correct them.
Qin Shiyue went straight into her sister's office. As a female celebrity, she still looked glamorous and in good condition, showing no signs of the chaos from her divorce and heartbreak.
In contrast to her sister's vibrant style, Qin Shilan dressed simply and elegantly. Qin Shilan did not embody the typical strong and aggressive image of a powerful woman. Instead, she exuded a gentle and charming demeanor. She believed that her identity as a woman was both her biggest disadvantage and her greatest advantage as a businesswoman. Thus, Qin Shilan usually handled matters with a blend of softness and firmness.
Seeing her sister's complexion and condition much better than she had expected, Qin Shilan felt a sense of relief.
“Sister.” When Qin Shiyue was alone, she didn’t feel much, but now, seeing her sister made her suddenly realize she had so much to say and grievances to share.
“Did my baby suffer? Do you want me to help you deal with Kong Huizhi?” Qin Shilan gently asked, noticing her sister's pitiful expression.
“She just doesn’t like me. She hasn’t done anything bad, so forget it.” Qin Shiyue felt she had truly given up on Kong Huizhi this time. A forced melon is indeed not sweet, and she had spent three years verifying this truth, so there was no need to waste any more time.
“Shiyue seems to have grown a little,” Qin Shilan thought. The phrase “forget it” was something Shiyue would not have said before. Perhaps this time, she could truly let go of Kong Huizhi, which was the outcome Qin Shilan most hoped for.
“Sister, am I just good-looking and nothing else?” It was quite difficult for Qin Shiyue to admit such a fact to others, especially since she had previously felt somewhat good about herself.
“Nonsense, how could Shiyue be useless? Ever since you became popular with your first drama, you haven't spent any of the family's money and have earned a lot for your big sister. How could you be useless?” Qin Shilan comforted her. Compared to some people who could not become famous no matter how much they were promoted, Shiyue was born with the luck to shine. In terms of investment returns, her return from Shiyue already exceeded most of her other businesses.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
A few years ago, when Qin Shiyue wanted to become a female celebrity, Qin Shilan paved the way for her by investing in AX video streaming platform, which had just started. She became the second largest shareholder of AX. At that time, Qin Shilan only invested several tens of millions, and now AX had become one of the top three video platforms, with a very impressive market value. It could be said that a casual decision led to unexpected success, making it one of Qin Shilan's most successful investments.
Qin Shilan felt that sometimes luck was a form of strength. Clearly, Shiyue had that luck, which could also bring good fortune to those around her. So she always thought of Shiyue as her lucky charm.
“But as an actress, my acting skills are so poor. I've been laughed at by others, and I can't even bear to watch my own performances. I feel so inadequate.” Qin Shiyue believed that making money and being recognized were two different things.
“There are so many people with acting skills to choose from. If everyone knows you lack talent, why would they still choose you? It's because you offer them a different kind of value beyond acting. So the value we provide is different from those with skills, and we don’t need to compete with others on acting,” Qin Shilan continued to comfort her.
In the past, if her sister had used such a value-based argument, Baby Qin'er would have been easily fooled. However, this time, Baby Qin'er managed to stay clear-headed and was not swayed by her sister's words.
“What different kind of value? Isn’t it just that I look good and can be admired like a vase? But I don’t want to continue being a superficial vase. I also want to be recognized and praised by many people, just like Lin Qingyi,” Qin Shiyue had a clear understanding of her current situation, and she now had ambitious goals.
“In sister's eyes, there isn’t much difference between Lin Qingyi and you. She is also a vase, at most a bit more functional. For example, you can only hold one flower, while she can hold one or two more,” Qin Shilan thought she might be a bit of a money-minded merchant. To her, Lin Qingyi and her sister were essentially the same; they were just actresses on screen. Of course, there was a protective element in her view. If she didn't protect her own sister, would she protect someone unrelated?
“Pfft!” Qin Shiyue laughed at her sister's description. She imagined the scene of Lin Qingyi as a vase holding two flowers, one daffodil and one white lotus. She thought her sister must be the most biased person in the world. After being comforted by her sister, she felt much better. She imagined Lin Qingyi probably never expected that one day she would be described as a vase, and one that held two flowers at that.
Of course, Qin Shiyue's happiness was short-lived. She knew her sister was just comforting her.
Author's Note:
Baby Qin'er: My sister said you're a flower vase that can hold two flowers. It's so funny!
Lin Qingyi frowned: You’re a sister's girl? Do you know what the common point is between Narcissus and the White Lotus?
Baby Qin'er: What?
Lin Qingyi: They both need water to thrive.
Pure Baby Qin'er: So what?
Lin Qingyi: Your water is more nutritious.
Baby Qin'er: ...
