Empress of the Entertainment World

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CHAPTER 508

"Clairee!" Fang Qian Qian yelled as soon as the call was connected.

"My goddess," her fan called out sharply like one standing at attention.

"Listen, this isn't working," Fang Qian Qian groaned. "Your little attacks on Andromeda, they're not enough. I need more. You're instead helping her rise. That wasn't the deal. You are supposed to make me always stand out and first."

The fan on the other end sounded apologetic.

"I'm doing my best, Miss Fang. We're trying to bring her down, but people seem to love her even more now. Her relationship with Liu Xueyi is making them ship them like crazy. It's frustrating."

Fang Qian Qian's face twisted with annoyance. "Frustrating is an understatement! I need you to cause a real stir, something that'll bring her crumbling down. You get me?" she snapped.

Her fan agreed, eager to please her idol. "My apologies for my shortcoming but rest assured. I will do better. The higher the rise, the harder she will fall. Trust me. I promised to take more drastic measures."

"Good. I expect better. Do not let me have to find a more trustworthy and capable fan."

"Not at all."

Just as she ended the call and sat back, trying to regain some composure, there was a knock on her dressing room door.

'Who the heck is that?' Fang Qian Qian voiced inwardly as she tore her gaze from her phone to the door.

Before she could respond, the door was pushed open, and there stood Director Qi, a look of displeasure etched across his face.

Director Qi walked into Fang Qian Qian's dressing room, his face etched with displeasure, his hands neatly tucked behind his back. 

The tension in the room was intense, a heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the soft hum of the makeup artist's equipment.

Fang Qian Qian, perceptive and shrewd, could sense that something was amiss, but she was not one to reveal her concerns easily. 

She met the director's gaze with narrowed eyes, a facade of indifference cloaking her features.

"Director Qi," she greeted him in a sweet voice, a stark contrast to her inner unease. "What brings you to my dressing room today?"

Director Qi didn't mince his words. He got straight to the point. "I've been hearing some rather disturbing rumours, Fang Qian Qian."

She continued applying her makeup with studied nonchalance, trying to act as though the topic didn't concern her. "Rumors, Director? About what? Do not tell me it is the issue with Andromeda. How may I help?"

He wasn't fooled. Not by this selfless kind of act she wished to portray.

His face tightened, and he cleared his throat before proceeding. "I've been informed that you may be involved in certain activities against Andromeda. Activities that are beneath an artist of your stature."

Fang Qian Qian's expression remained unwavering. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I have no reason to concern myself with that upstart."

Director Qi's patience seemed to wear thin, and he took a step closer, his voice firmer. 

"Fang Qian Qian, I'll ask you plainly. Did you or did you not engage in any efforts to defame Andromeda, either directly or indirectly?"

She arched a brow at him. 

It was one thing for him to insinuate something against her but to prove he was indifferent and question her directly, Fang Qian Qian felt insulted. 

Her denial was swift and practiced. "Director Qi, you know me better than that. I wouldn't stoop so low. I'm a talented actress. I don't need to resort to such antics. After all, till now no actress has ever bested me and none will. Why will I concern myself with the upstart of a newbie actress?"

She scoffed loudly and shook her head, before signalling for her make-up artist to continue. 

Nevertheless, Director Qi wasn't convinced by her protestations. 

He asked again, his voice an edge sharper. "I'm asking you one more time, Fang Qian Qian. Did you have any involvement, directly or indirectly, in the fan attacks against Andromeda?"

At this point, Fang Qian Qian was growing increasingly annoyed with his persistence and she lashed out, her patience finally snapping. 

"I've told you, Director, I had nothing to do with it. I don't have time for these baseless accusations. The year and time you find proof of these claims, then we can discuss. If not, Andromeda can only blame herself for the bad luck." 

Director Qi's gaze turned steely, his doubt evident in his eyes. He held her gaze for a moment as if searching for the truth in her words, but he eventually sighed. 

"Very well," he said, exasperation in his voice. "I'll leave for now."

Before he could put action to his words, Fang Qian Qian's voice rose. "Besides, since when did you start babysitting the newbie actress or is it that you have a certain liking to her?"

His brows creased, his eyes narrowing dangerously at her. "I'll watch my mouth if I were you. Not everyone is infatuated with another person's partner just like you are with Liu Xueyi."

Her anger bubbled inside as her grip on the chair handle tightened. She clenched her jaw, trying so hard to stop herself from responding and proving his words true.

"I thought so myself. You and I are not in the same league, Fang Qian Qian. Be mindful of who you are speaking with. And also watch your steps. I'll be watching."

Fang Qian Qian watched him, her face still a mask of feigned innocence. "Smiles. That aside, Director Qi, you know you can always trust my integrity. I am not the jealous type."

He held her gaze but didn't respond and merely turned away, leaving her dressing room.

The tension lingered in the air till the door was shut and she was sure his footsteps were far gone.

Once he was gone, Fang Qian Qian let out a deep breath, relieved that she had managed to maintain her facade as a talented actress above such petty matters. 

Without turning her head to face the makeup artist, she issued a veiled warning. "Never reveal the content of my conversation with my fan today. It's in your best interest."

Somewhat scared by the encounter between Fang Qian Qian and the director, the makeup artist nodded quickly. "Of course, Miss Fang. Your secret is safe with me."

Satisfied, Fang Qian Qian returned to her preparations for her performance, her mind still seething with frustration but her exterior remained as poised as ever.

**********

Andromeda walked into Liu Xueyi's house with a sense of eagerness, her heels clicking softly on the polished floors.

She called out his name as she casually placed her bag on the couch. She wasn't expecting him to be home so soon, and the prospect of seeing him thrilled her.

"Xueyi! I'm home!" she announced.

She glanced around the elegant living room, admiring the tasteful décor—he seemed to have made a change in here or was it due to the fact that it took her some time to come here?

Irrespective of whether or not he changed things, Andromeda's attention was suddenly diverted by the sound of hurried footsteps coming down the stairs.

Her heart raced as she turned toward the source of the sound when she saw him standing there.

Her eyes bulged in their sockets as they fell upon Liu Xueyi, bare-chested and wearing nothing but a pair of army-green shorts.

His black hair was tousled, falling back over his shoulders, and his strikingly handsome face was like a magnet, drawing the attention of anyone who saw him.

Andromeda was utterly captivated by his appearance, her gaze glued to the sculpted lines of his chest and the chiselled contours of his body.

She found herself gulping, her composure slipping away as she took in his alluring presence.

Liu Xueyi couldn't help but notice her reaction. A smug, self-assured smile tugged at his lips.

"Love what you see?" he flirted, taking a confident step toward her, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his shorts.

Andromeda was momentarily at a loss for words, her thoughts a whirlwind and racing back to the lewd images in her mind on her way here.

But then, the allure of his proximity, his breathtaking appearance, and the undeniable chemistry between them took over.

With a fierce reaction, she closed the distance between them in a few quick strides, her eyes locking onto his.

Without a word, she captured his lips in a fiery kiss, her eager hands wrapping around his shoulders as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

It was a kiss filled with longing, with the unspoken desires they had been harbouring for days. Andromeda poured all her need and passion into that kiss, letting her emotions run wild.

Their lips melded together with an electric intensity, a magnetic force that neither could resist.

Liu Xueyi who was initially taken aback by her sudden boldness, quickly responded in kind. His arms encircled her, pulling her closer, and the kiss deepened.