An hour ago.
Xiao Rufeng didn't want to party tonight, but since the rest of the crew of "Demonvile" was here to celebrate, she supposed she wouldn't be able to decline the invitation. She stared at her drink and tuned out the conversations around her.
Knowing that her manager was also here, she wasn't as nervous as she was when she arrived earlier. She was the female lead of the series, yet Ye Mingyu was taking the limelight and being friendly with the rest of the staff.
'Such a two-faced woman.' Xiao Rufeng thought.
Seeing Ye Mingyu reminded her of her younger half-sister who could easily win the hearts of those people around her. Xiao Rufeng was the first miss of the Xiao family, but her status meant nothing as everything was already in Xiao Yunyao's hands.
Her father's love, everyone's recognition, her first love's affection… Xiao Rufeng found it funny that she had to fight with Xiao Yunyao for the things she wanted.
Before coming here, she paid her family a visit. Everyone deemed her as the unwanted daughter, the black sheep of the family. Her father vehemently disagreed with her decision to become an actress, but Xiao Rufeng knew she wouldn't be able to live the life her father wanted her to.
She couldn't be the gentle and submissive daughter like Xiao Yunyao and she didn't want to be bound by family rules and not live the life she always wanted.
Other parents would be proud knowing their child had landed the lead role in a TV series, but not for Xiao Rufeng. Her father only sneered in disgust when Xiao Yunyao mentioned it in the middle of their dinner.
"Sister is so lucky! I'm pretty sure that your spectacular performance is the reason why the director chose you for the role." Xiao Yunyao said with a bright smile, but Xiao Rufeng knew that her kind and gentle little sister was indirectly mocking her. It wasn't a secret that their father looked down on actors like her and didn't like the whole showbiz industry altogether.
"What luck? So disgraceful!" Their father slammed his fist on the dining table, startling Xiao Rufeng. "Haven't you wasted enough time being an actor? If you joined our family business, you would have reached the executive position by now!"
The smile on Xiao Yunyao's face immediately faltered while her mother narrowed her eyes on Xiao Rufeng in annoyance. Xiao Rufeng's existence was a constant reminder to the mother and daughter pair that the whole fortune of the Xiao family wouldn't fall in their hands.
"I'm not as good as Yunyao's dad. I'm pretty sure I would also mess up the R&D if I was the one who's handling it." Xiao Rufeng then gave her younger sister a quick look.
Xiao Yunyao's face turned pale and lowered her head, fists clenching hard beneath the table. It wasn't a secret that Xiao Yunyao failed with the recent formulation of the cosmetic brand the company had released in the market. Many customers came forward and sued the company for ruining their faces after using the face cream Xiao Yunyao formulated and it filled the news for weeks.
"Don't make this about your sister! This is about your poor choices!" Her father was visibly trembling with rage. "Xiao Yao wouldn't encounter such a problem if you were working with her in the company. You should know better than waste your time on acting."
Xiao Rufeng wiped her mouth with a napkin and excused herself. She had always known that the relationship she used to have with her father was long gone and it was already too late to mend it.
Xiao Yunyao and her mother were constantly putting her and her father against each other like this, triggering them to say hurtful words towards each other. While Xiao Rufeng understood why her father insisted for her to work for their company, she knew that the stage and acting in front of the camera were her passion.
Once she was out of their family mansion, it was only then she received an invitation from the rest of the crew to celebrate. Xiao Rufeng wanted to retire early for the night, but seeing how excited the rest of the crew was, she found herself agreeing to meet them tonight.
However, upon arrival, she was surprised to hear that it was Ye Mingyu who suggested the idea. Xiao Rufeng stared at Ye Mingyu for a moment, feeling that something was wrong with the other woman.
Ye Mingyu was extra friendly towards her lately, as if she wanted to establish that she and Xiao Rufeng got along really well. Xiao Rufeng didn't know what Ye Mingyu was up to, but she refused to be played by her.
Her phone beeped indicating a new message. Xiao Rufeng read it at once and froze.
"Don't drink and eat anything that Ye Mingyu gives you. Drink less if possible."
Her eyes widened in shock. She didn't know her manager was also here in Shenjing with her. While Bluemedia's headquarters was in Guangshang, Xiao Rufeng heard that their company just opened a regional branch here in Shenjing.
She then sighed in relief. It seemed that she wasn't the only one thinking that something was off with Ye Mingyu tonight. Since Ye Mingyu wasn't able to kick her out of the cast, Xiao Rufeng had been extra careful during her scenes with her.
"Sister Xiao, why aren't you partying with us? Are you unwell? Here, drink this. It's a concoction I made at the bar just for you."
Xiao Rufeng lifted her gaze and saw Ye Mingyu looking down at her worriedly, but her eyes couldn't hide the glint of mischief in them.
"I'm fine.Thank you, but I would rather not drink that." She eyed the cocktail drink Ye Mingyu was trying to give to her. "I'm allergic to certain drinks, so why don't Sister Ye drink for me instead? It must be amazing."
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