CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 487 - 479: Pry Open the Mind

Ye Yuwei hadn’t taken a leisurely stroll through such lively, smoke-filled alleyways in ages.

She felt a sense of things having changed—once, Jiaqi had always been by her side.

Now, she was left alone, without friends who could truly reach her heart.

She knew Li Jiaqi blamed her, blamed her for ruthlessly abandoning him.

But life was cruel this way—if her connection with Li Jiaqi were exposed, her career would surely be destroyed.

Having made it this far, she could only choose between her career and her friendships.

Jiang Mengqi looped her arm through Ye Yuwei’s, feeling the physical closeness between them but sensing the distance in their hearts.

She had no idea what her leader was thinking.

She had erased all traces of her past—because, to her, there was nothing worth remembering.

Her inner resolve was the complete opposite of her sweet appearance.

"Yezi, these sycamore trees are so beautiful."

"Yeah! The red leaves look like blazing flames."

"Yezi, is it true about you and Mr. Long?"

Jiang Mengqi couldn’t hold back from blurting out the question.

"True or not, what does it matter? Just like us, men and women in this industry are what they are."

"Maybe he genuinely loves me today, likes me, but by tomorrow he might sincerely fall for someone else."

Yezi’s words didn’t surprise Jiang Mengqi—their line of work really was like this.

Sometimes, it wasn’t that they didn’t want to stay loyal to their bodies and feelings.

But being in that atmosphere made it impossible to restrain themselves.

"Yezi, you’re right; we really do need to grow stronger ourselves."

"Mengqi, don’t rush—it’ll happen eventually." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Ye Yuwei watched the forlorn expression on the other girl’s face, knowing she was worried for her.

"I know there’s no rushing it, but my age..."

"This is the sorrow of being idols."

Ye Yuwei felt just as helpless about it; she couldn’t find any words to comfort Jiang Mengqi.

"Yezi, can we stay out a little longer before heading back?"

Looking at the nanny van not far away, Jiang Mengqi tightened her grip on Ye Yuwei’s arm. Her voice was sweet and tender like sticky rice cake.

"...Alright!"

Ye Yuwei smiled faintly. She actually liked girls like Jiang Mengqi, with their sweet and lovely features.

She tilted her head to look up at the sky, the smoky scent of fireworks fading from the air.

She felt a kind of fatigue, a weariness that made her not want to return to work.

She took Mengqi by the hand. The two girls, as radiant as dreamlike visions, stepped onto the nanny van together.

The set.

Chen Yinghan gazed at Huang Minzhe standing not far away.

He was indeed stunning—sleek black hair, a prominent forehead, sharp and defined features.

But what drew people in most was the pair of pale brown eyes, a mix of depth and a trace of melancholy.

Wearing a high-collared suit, Huang Minzhe walked over.

"If you want a closer look at me, just come closer." His tone had a hint of roguishness.

"Who wants to look at you? I’m just curious how I ended up stuck working with someone as rude as you."

Chen Yinghan suddenly felt a twinge of nervousness—her body stiffened involuntarily.

She wanted to leave, but her slender legs refused to obey her commands.

"That night, it wasn’t me who got drunk, was it?"

"I wasn’t exactly drunk—I’d just enjoyed a few drinks."

"But I saw you drinking until your nose and tears were running together."

The remark nearly made Chen Yinghan explode with rage.

That night, she had been so heartbroken, silently crying as she sat alone by the desolate lakeside—a profoundly poetic scene.

Yet he described it in the most degrading way possible.

"You—you’re utterly unreasonable."

"I was just trying to cheer you up a little."

"What do you know? Standing here talking so casually, I know all your secrets."

"Alright, alright. Consider it my mistake. But do you really need to clench your fists like that?"

Startled, Chen Yinghan glanced down to find herself tightening her hands in a firm grip.

In his eyes, she seemed to catch a glimpse of herself as a violent young woman, making her instantly feel flustered.

The shame made her wish for a hole to appear where she could hide.

This Huang Zhemin was absolutely infuriating—surely her misfortune was tied to him by fate.

"Huang Minzhe, do you think having a handsome face means you can do whatever you want? I’m not some lovestruck girl."

Feigning an air of superiority, Chen Yinghan’s icy voice carried a faint edge of contempt.

"Then what kind of girl are you?"

Seeing his earnest curiosity, Chen Yinghan momentarily lost her composure, feeling utterly defeated.

Her attempt to regain the upper hand through biting words was deflected with his feigned cluelessness.

"I’m not any kind of girl. I am me. And you—how exactly did you land this role?"

Chen Yinghan seemed to seize on an opening, flashing a sly grin. "I could introduce you to a good traditional Chinese doctor."

"Are you referring to Mr. Long Zitao’s involvement?"

"Don’t tell me you believe those rumors. Besides, I know Mr. Long treats all of you quite well. What you’re saying isn’t right."

Chen Yinghan’s cheeks flared red, realizing she had said something inappropriate and humiliating herself.

Her normally proud demeanor shrank instantly, her confidence evaporating so completely that even speaking became difficult.

Moments ago, she had wanted to hide; now, she wished she could just vanish entirely—the shame was unbearable.

"The scene’s about to start... I’m just here for this afternoon as a guest appearance," Huang Minzhe reminded her with apparent good intentions.

Only then did Chen Yinghan remember she needed to act out a scene as an abandoned lover.

This particular scene depicted her being discarded by a scumbag, nearly drowning, only to be rescued by the male lead.

As she looked at Huang Minzhe’s innocent expression, no matter how she saw it, it irritated her.

Cut!

"Yinghan, your expressions and tone weren’t there—you need to convey despair and sorrow," said the director.

"Alright, director. I’ll try to find the feeling."

Cut!

"Yinghan, what are you doing? Even though he abandoned you, you still love him deep inside—it’s not hatred."

Cut!

"Yinghan, why can’t you even cry? Your dialogue delivery is stiff too."

Chen Yinghan could sense that if her company hadn’t funded this film, the director would’ve started yelling.

She also noticed how the crew was growing impatient.

Though they didn’t openly complain, their disdain for actors who wasted time was palpable.

Chen Yinghan’s face burned with embarrassment.

She knew they were silently mocking her as a talentless idol who relied on connections.

Meanwhile, Huang Minzhe’s performance was outstanding.

His physical movements, dialogue delivery, and facial expressions were pitch-perfect.

The entire scene felt smooth and natural, with his emotions building layer by layer.

This only intensified Chen Yinghan’s stress.

She couldn’t believe that the guy she dismissed as a bootlicker could have such skill.

Comparing herself to him, despite her professional training, she was utterly overshadowed.

It stung her competitive spirit—she felt both furious and anxious.

"That despicable guy! No doubt he’s mocking me inwardly!"

"He’s probably thinking I’m just a stiff-faced amateur incapable of acting."

"Why is this happening? Maybe I should just give up today... No, I can’t—how embarrassing would that be?"

Lost in an internal struggle, Chen Yinghan stood there dazed, forgetting she was on set.

When the director called for action again, it was no surprise that she botched the scene once more.

She even caught sight of the director shaking his head and slamming the script in frustration.

A silent but disdainful atmosphere surrounded her.