chapter 10
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, a woman strode forward with unhurried grace, stepping into everyone’s line of sight.

She wore a resplendent, heavily embroidered empress’s phoenix robe that trailed on the floor, its golden threads forming intricate phoenix patterns. A dark golden belt cinched her waist, while elaborate hair ornaments adorned her head. Beside her, peonies bloomed in dazzling competition, standing out vividly under the bright lights.

Su Jinfan’s hair was neatly styled. Such opulent attire could easily appear aging or overwhelming, yet she effortlessly embodied the dignified elegance befitting an empress of that era. It was no wonder she was hailed online as the “Goddess of Period Costumes.”

Liu Xin seemed to casually avert her gaze, as if unintentionally remarking to her assistant beside her, “How were the clothes chosen?”

“The clothes…” The assistant was momentarily stumped by the question, only now recalling, “Brother Ma picks clothes based on a person’s aura, so I have no idea which outfit Su Jin Fan will end up choosing.”

After saying this, the assistant continued on her own, “Sister Liu, in that case, what if Su Jin Fan steals all the spotlight when we go on the show?”

The assistant’s words only deepened the chill in Liu Xin’s heart.

The lunch break hadn’t even ended when Su Jinfan was called up to go through the procedures. She initially thought that since it wasn’t her main event, she could just go through the motions. However, after seeing Su Jinfan’s overall performance, the director added many more lines and camera shots for her.

The stage was T-shaped, expanding into a fan shape at the very center. When Su Jinfan walked down the runway, her innate sense of camera angles was flawless, perfectly capturing every shot—nothing short of perfection.

Backstage, Liu Xin let out cold snorts one after another, taking in every bit of Su Jinfan’s performance. The director kept praising Su Jinfan, while Liu Xin curled her lips into a faint, mocking smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Li Qin standing nearby. The scorn in her eyes was unmistakable as she remarked, “That outfit looks really good on you.”

Li Qinben was also captivated by Su Jinfan. Seeing Liu Xin’s continuous hints, she suddenly realized something—this was her family’s grand lady. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to comply. However, she had to admit that the outfit looked truly stunning on Su Jinfan.

This outfit could only be worn by their Liu Xin!

“Why do I have to take off the clothes and give them to Liu Xin?”

After hearing Brother Ma’s request, Su Jinfan turned her face away and took a long moment to process it before finally reacting.

In fact, in this entertainment industry, especially in a circle crowded with female stars, such incidents are not uncommon. Moreover, Liu Xin is the kind of person who must possess anything she finds desirable. So, when Su Jinfan appeared in a phoenix robe that overshadowed her presence in front of so many people, how could Liu Xin not hold a grudge?

“Fan, you know, after all, today’s main focus is Liu Xin…” Before Su Jinfan could respond, Brother Ma shook his head, looking quite helpless.

Indeed, Brother Ma was right. Liu Xin was the main guest of this variety show because she is a top-tier female star in the country. The show was also directed by the internationally renowned director Fang Hua, while Su Jinfan was merely brought along to boost the show’s buzz. Therefore, for the program, Liu Xin was the real ratings guarantee.

“Brother Ma, wait a moment.” Su Jinfan stood up from the dressing room, and Brother Ma breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Su Jinfan was finally relenting.

Brother Ma comforted Su Jinfan while watching her walk out of the dressing room.

“How can this be allowed? If we give up the outfit like this, where’s the bottom line?” Outside the changing room, Su Jinfan explained what had just happened to Fang Yao. Fang Yao, with her fiery temper, immediately flew into a rage and refused to listen to Su Jinfan’s explanation. The artists under her management absolutely could not be bullied by others.

Fang Yao stood with her hands on her hips, clearly too agitated. She looked at Su Jinfan’s outfit and sighed, saying, “There’s no other choice now. From what you just said, Brother Ma has already agreed to swap the clothes. Right now, the entire variety show is relying on Liu Xin to boost ratings, so we have to change.”

“Fang Yao, calm down. I’ll treat you to coffee later,” Su Jinfan said, shaking Fang Yao’s arm before heading into the changing room.

In the room next to the dressing room, two women were arguing loudly. Su Jinfan had just changed her clothes when she could hear their voices.

“I told you Su Jinfan wouldn’t dare disobey,” Liu Xin said, glancing at the time on her phone before turning to Li Qin beside her. “How dare Su Jinfan wear such clothes in front of me? Isn’t she just asking for trouble?”

“You’re right, Liu Xin. But originally, Su Jinfan wasn’t part of the plan this time. Rumor has it that Sister Elsa forcibly added her,” Li Qin replied, holding Liu Xin’s clothes with a smug smile, her tone dripping with provocation. “I heard Su Jinfan must have hooked up with some sugar daddy. Otherwise, how could her terrible film get such a huge investment?”

“Youth is such an advantage. Which boss nowadays doesn’t like a young, wild girl like her?”

Liu Xin nodded, her demeanor not as sharp as before, though she still couldn’t comprehend why Su Jinfan was able to secure such a massive investment.

“A&R Company—by the way, Liu Xin, do you remember that lawyer Shen who was with Su Jinfan last time? According to later reports from company executives, he turned out to be the CEO of A&R Company.”

“Really?” Liu Xin cast a suspicious glance at Li Qin. “No wonder. Seeing how close they were, there must be something going on between them.”

Su Jinfan overheard every word of their conversation.

Shen Bai… This must be referring to that Shen Bai, right? Su Jinfan wanted to hear more, but unfortunately, the two had already left the dressing room. With the topic ending there, Su Jinfan had no way to ask Li Qin and the others. Besides, the more pressing matter now was the variety show, so she kept her doubts to herself.

Since the palace attire was ultimately taken by Liu Xin, the remaining clothes were left for Su Jinfan to choose from. After searching through the dressing room for a long time, she finally found a tourmaline gown—a bluish-green hue with sheer white gauze, paired with an exquisitely carved jade pendant. It truly complemented the attire Changge wore before entering the palace.

Brother Ma couldn’t help but nod and comment when he saw Su Jinfan in her new outfit: “Indeed, the phoenix robe exudes majesty, but this tourmaline gown makes one look like a celestial being.”

Brother Ma now truly understood that the saying “some people are born to wear clothes” really exists in this world.

Su Jinfan wasn’t sure whether Ma Ge was genuinely complimenting her or just trying to console her after Liu Xin took her original outfit. However, when Su Jinfan returned to the stage, the silence from everyone made it clear that they all knew what had happened.

“Recording starts now! Hosts and actors, get in position!” The director’s voice rang out as soon as they entered the venue.

The hosts and actors, who had been resting, quickly returned to the set. Su Jinfan adjusted her clothes and hurried back to her spot.

“All departments ready, three, two, one!”

After the program began, following the hosts’ introductions, the female stars took the stage, with Liu Xin leading the way and Su Jinfan following closely behind.

“Wow, Liu Xin, your outfit is quite exquisite…” The host Mingmei immediately praised Liu Xin’s attire, to which Liu Xin responded with a friendly smile, saying, “Yes, but I don’t feel it’s too heavy—it’s all to present the best to everyone.”

Liu Xin greeted everyone in a poised manner.

“Fanfan’s outfit is also stunning!” Another male host, Changshan, commented on Su Jinfan’s attire. “Both of your outfits have their own unique charm. Actually, even before the show aired, viewers left comments wanting to see the two of you showcase your acting skills live. I’m really curious too!”

Changshan’s sudden statement left both of them momentarily stunned. Since the games in the show weren’t rehearsed beforehand, they hadn’t expected to be pitted against each other right from the start. Indeed, this program thrived on stirring up drama without fear of consequences.

Mingmei chimed in, “This scene is quite simple. Su Jinfan will dramatically kneel on the ground, playing the role of a scheming concubine, while Liu Xin portrays the empress who sentences Su Jinfan to death.”

Neither of them said anything further, and the cameras focused intently on the two of them.

Su Jinfan knew full well—this was nothing but a setup to humiliate her!

The host said “action,” and Su Jinfan bit her lip, having no choice but to step into character. With a thud, she knelt on the ground, clutching Liu Xin’s feet, her eyes filled with deep pleading. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, spare me! I was wrong, please spare me!”

Liu Xin looked down at Su Jinfan with arrogance but remained silent for a long while. Then, she turned to the director with a smile and said, “Sorry, cut that part. I wasn’t in the right state just now.”

Su Jinfan, just as before, knelt with a thud, gripping Liu Xin tightly and repeating the same lines.

“Sorry, director… I forgot my lines just now,” Liu Xin said again. At this point, Su Jinfan understood everything—this whole game was Liu Xin’s idea, clearly meant to humiliate her.

But now Liu Xin is at the peak of her popularity. Even if Su Jinfan angrily declares she won’t act anymore, everyone would only say she can’t handle pressure and throws tantrums. So no matter what, Su Jinfan has no choice but to grit her teeth and continue acting with her.

Su Jinfan had had enough of this mockery and cautiously said to Liu Xin, “Do you know that in this entertainment industry, such reckless behavior might lead to even worse consequences for you later?”

“You’ve been in the entertainment industry for so long. If you hadn’t stolen my spotlight before, why would you have to endure such humiliation now?”

“It’s alright…” Su Jinfan slowly stood up. “Brother Changshan, I’d like to swap roles with Sister Liu Xin once. Maybe it’ll help her get into character better.”

“You!” Liu Xin grew anxious, yet couldn’t outright refuse, as that would make her seem unreasonable. She could only force a smile and say, “You’re right, Xiaofan. You’ve been kneeling for so long—it’s only fair we switch roles occasionally.”

Liu Xin merely pretended to kneel, her knees barely touching the ground. Su Jin, who had been standing motionless, stared intently at Liu Xin’s pitiful act. Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in her eyes—*smack!*—she delivered a resounding slap across Liu Xin’s face.

You can find the complete translated novel in the link below

The Feisty Queen of Screens (Entertainment Industry) Completed