Professional Substitute

Chapter 2: Encounter in the Late-Night Cinema

The end of a relationship brought a substantial fortune.

Mo Qinglan casually walked into a dessert shop next to the school, determined to indulge herself. She ordered a deluxe set meal as a reward for herself.

She took out a ballpoint pen and a small notebook from her bag and resolutely crossed out the words "32 years old, diamond bachelor number five, has a white moonlight, ice box." Following these keywords were pages of densely packed notes detailing the insights she had gathered over two and a half years with Sheng Yunzhou.

In the service industry, especially at the high-end level of substitute services, one must constantly hone their skills to create value beyond expectations for clients. She firmly believed that every patron was like a school, and with diligent exploration, she could certainly gain something.

Her desire for progress was incredibly strong. This small notebook in her hand, if sold to Sheng Yunzhou's competitors, could surely earn her a significant sum. However, Mo Qinglan had professional ethics.

She raised her hand, initially intending to simply tear up the notebook so she wouldn't have to worry about leaking client secrets one day. But then she thought, what if Mr. Sheng changed his mind and she returned to work for him? Although her understanding of Sheng Yunzhou was already muscle memory, good memory is not as reliable as written notes.

While Mo Qinglan was caught up in her inner drama, the bell at the dessert shop's door rang, and a handsome man wearing a fisherman's hat with a golden glasses chain walked in. A few keywords flashed through her mind: 28 years old, young Best Actor, box office poison, deeply self-doubting.

Their encounter was quite dramatic. At that time, Mo Qinglan had already taken Sheng Yunzhou's job, but after two months, she still couldn't get the hang of it. This was because Sheng Yunzhou demanded that she mimic the "white moonlight" in every detail—her every expression, tone, gesture, and even lifestyle had to be identical, or he would fly into a rage.

Sometimes he got too into character, experiencing a split personality, burning with desire, and even mistook her for the "white moonlight," wanting to engage in forceful love and captivity play. Mo Qinglan couldn't agree to this; she sold her skills, not her body!

Moreover, although Sheng Yunzhou had a handsome appearance, his performance in that area was unknown, and the most unfair part was that he never mentioned paying extra.

Mo Qinglan thought several times about quitting and no longer serving this crazy boss; it was just too off-putting! But for the sake of money, she gritted her teeth and endured.

Love what you do. If she backed down from the crazy boss today, she might back down from a high-level executive tomorrow, and then she might as well quit the industry. Giving up easily was not in her character.

If she wasn't doing well, she should learn, learn from professionals, even if it meant paying for it. But paying too much was something she couldn't bear, as it was all hard-earned money, and she was essentially a frugal person.

She thought of the most economical way: late at night, she went to the cinema alone and bought a movie ticket.

In the vast screening room, she was the only one. What was going on? Was it a VIP private screening? She asked the ticket seller, who hesitated and said the movie was about to be pulled from theaters; it was a terrible flop with dismal box office results.

A flop, a failure—whom was she supposed to learn acting from? Just as she was about to leave, a man appeared.

He was the young Best Actor and the male lead of the film—Yu Xiao.

Initially, she didn't know the man's identity. He was heavily disguised with a cap, sunglasses, and a mask, like a secret agent, probably unrecognizable even to his own mother, let alone Mo Qinglan.

She never chased stars. She intended to leave quietly, but the man had chosen the same row as her, and if she left, she'd have to pass by him.

She smiled awkwardly, indicating she wanted to pass. The man glanced at the empty theater, a hint of disdain in his eyes. Suddenly, he handed her the popcorn and soda he had bought, saying in a clear voice, "Why don't we watch together? I can't finish all this."

Mo Qinglan perked up her ears. His voice was pleasant, different from Sheng Yunzhou's cello-like quality, more like flowing water hitting stones, clear and melodious.

However, she remained cautious, as her own looks were quite striking. She pointed to her nose and tentatively asked, "What exactly do you want?"

The man was momentarily speechless. Wasn't this a rhetorical question? "Of course, to watch the movie and eat popcorn."

"Are you in love with me at first sight?" Mo Qinglan pressed further.

There's no such thing as love at first sight, only lust at first sight. The man was momentarily petrified, then began coughing violently three seconds later.

Mo Qinglan later thought he was probably stunned by her audacity. The man, frustrated, pulled off his mask, revealing rosy lips, white teeth, and a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes, with a tiny mole on the tip of his nose, both sexy and cute.

Mo Qinglan found him somewhat familiar but couldn't recall his name. The man assumed she had recognized him and added, "I don't date. I need to maintain my figure and can't eat too many snacks. Can you help me?"

Mo Qinglan felt frustrated. She silently complained, "You, a grown man, don't want to eat junk food, so you give it to a beautiful woman like me? What's your game?"

Besides, when out and about, you shouldn't eat things from strangers. However, her professional instincts kicked in, adhering to the "four no's" principle: don't contradict, don't lose temper, don't oppose, and don't refuse.

Since she had already spent the money, she decided to sit down and watch the movie patiently.

Ten minutes later, Mo Qinglan realized something was off. The man sitting next to her was clearly... the male lead!

"Are celebrities so unpretentious these days?" "Do they go out without bodyguards and assistants?" "Do they not clear the area wherever they go?"

She was actually watching a movie with a Best Actor. Oh, back then, she couldn't tell the difference between a Best Actor and an acclaimed actor.

The answer she got was, "Artists are people too."

Once the man donned his idol halo, Mo Qinglan let down her guard. Yu Xiao had a good reputation overall. She ate, drank, and even chatted with him a bit.

Even when the plot became so awkward that she could have cringed a three-bedroom apartment out of it, she held on and didn't nod off. This was the greatest respect she could offer, and she ended up with tears in her eyes from holding back.

Finally, when the film ended, Yu Xiao said somewhat dejectedly, "It must have been hard for you, wanting to sleep but not being able to."

The words sounded a bit off, but Mo Qinglan understood the underlying message. She read feelings of loss, confusion, sadness, and frustration from his face.

Providing emotional value was her specialty. "Actually, it wasn't that bad. Maybe I'm too young to understand the depth of the film."

Whether or not the comment was accurate, at least it was comforting. Yu Xiao popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth, crunching loudly, reflecting his broken heart.

"That's why I came to see it in the middle of the night. A flop of a movie, my fifth work transitioning from small to big screen, flop after flop! Box office poison, it's just too fitting for me. Why is it like this? I always thought my acting was good."

Mo Qinglan could empathize. She was also trying hard to play the "white moonlight" but always fell short.

But at this moment, she could at least offer him some comfort, while also subtly promoting her business.

"Actually, I felt it. When you killed the undercover agent in the movie, you were ruthless yet emotionally detached, perfectly balanced. Just that scene alone is enough to be legendary."

Her gaze was so pure, her emotions so sincere, and her critique so spot on that Yu Xiao was convinced she saw into his heart.

In his excitement, he even forgot the difference between men and women, grabbing her hand and excitedly saying thank you.

Mo Qinglan discreetly withdrew her hand, her eyes shining as if she saw endless money.

"The label of box office poison, you'll shake it off one day. Best Actor, acclaimed actor, triple crown winner, they're all waiting for you."

"But opportunities only favor the prepared. Maybe you need a partner, a co-actor for sparring, a third-party critic for objective reviews, someone who can keep encouraging you and providing emotional value when you're lost. Someone like... me!"