CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: THE SWEETEST BACKFIRE

If anyone thought the conversation would stop here, they were dead wrong. An Ning was neither villain nor tyrant, but she had never been the sort who tolerated thoughtlessness in silence. Courtesy, after all, worked both ways.

She turned toward Sun Qiaolian with a smile that was just a shade too bright.

Sun Qiaolian’s sixth sense prickled. It was the instinctive awareness that something was about to happen, and she was not going to like it.

"Qiaolian," An Ning began pleasantly. "I seem to recall that you and Jiang Shuyue are from the same company, aren’t you?"

The air tightened.

A few cast members blinked.

Someone in the crew mouthed "yes, oh yes," eyes bright with anticipation.

An Ning’s smile softened further, almost warm enough to be sincere.

"In that case," she said gently, "shouldn’t you be the one sharing a room with Jiang Shuyue? You two know each other well. It would be more comfortable for her to stay with someone familiar."

Sun Qiaolian’s lashes trembled.

Jiang Shuyue’s fingers tightened around her sleeve.

The cast collectively inhaled.

[An Ning said: Don’t volunteer my bed when yours is right there.]

[She flipped the suggestion back like a card shark.]

[Sun Qiaolian, your trap has reversed itself.]

An Ning tilted her head slightly, the picture of polite curiosity. "After all, it makes sense, doesn’t it? If you are concerned for her comfort, you would be the better choice to stay with her."

A perfect return.

Gentle.

Reasonable.

Impossible to refuse.

Sun Qiaolian’s smile wavered, just a flicker, too quick for most to catch.

But An Ning saw it.

And the cameras definitely saw it.

Sun Qiaolian opened her mouth, her lashes lowering just slightly as she gathered her composure.

"I only suggested it because Room Type A is the most comfortable," she said gently. "And I thought Shuyue would settle in better if she had a quieter environment."

Reasonable. Sweet. Impossible to attack directly.

Classic Sun Qiaolian.

An Ning nodded thoughtfully. "I see. But wouldn’t someone from her own company be even more suitable to take care of her? I believe she would be more comfortable with you."

A quiet, polished counter.

The cast froze.

A few looks were exchanged.

Someone in the crew mouthed, oh that’s good.

Jiang Shuyue glanced over, surprised. If one looked closely, a faint shadow of dissatisfaction crossed her gaze before it was quickly smoothed over.

For a fleeting moment, she had half a mind to roll her eyes at Sun Qiaolian for dragging her into this mess. She felt like a ball being kicked back and forth.

An unlikeable ball.

Worse, the whole exchange made her look like someone who couldn’t accept the consequences of losing. She could already imagine how the edited episode might paint her, how the comments might twist this scene if she wasn’t careful.

She had worked too hard on her public image to let one careless moment turn her into a pitiful character online.

Honestly, what was she thinking when she suggested to her company to sign Sun Qiaolian? Looking at her now, she couldn’t see any shining points at all.

Graceful smile, gentle voice, soft gestures...

None of it felt genuine anymore.

Not when she was being shoved into the centre of this mess like a prop.

Jiang Shuyue lowered her gaze, hiding the brief flicker of irritation in her eyes.

This was not how she wanted to appear on screen.

Not pitiful.

Not difficult.

And certainly not a loser blaming others.

Even if she wanted to change rooms, she would have handled it off camera, not in front of everyone. Certainly not like this.

She steadied herself, ready to salvage what remained of her dignity.

However, Sun Qiaolian moved first.

She noticed several cameras tilting toward her, and something flickered in her gaze, a blend of urgency and the faintest fear of losing control. Then she stepped forward.

With a soft and practiced smile, she said, "It’s alright. Shuyue can stay with me. I don’t mind sharing."

A clean, elegant save. Almost too quick.

The cast blinked.

The crew straightened.

The barrage exploded.

A few exchanged glances, as if silently agreeing that Sun Qiaolian’s sudden generosity was a little too convenient.

[Oh she folded so fast]

[Girl said: I will not look difficult today]

[Sun Qiaolian is doing live damage control]

[This is crisis management in real time]

Jiang Shuyue’s eyes shifted toward her. A faint ripple crossed her expression.

Relief was not there.

Gratitude was not there.

Something sharper lingered beneath the surface.

She forced a small nod. "Thank you, Qiaolian."

Her fingers stayed curled around her sleeve, knuckles faintly tense.

Everyone had seen it.

Everyone had watched Sun Qiaolian push her into this situation and then attempt a graceful recovery that felt more like a performance than genuine kindness.

An Ning observed quietly, her smile cool and composed, the picture of someone who had already stepped out of the conflict.

Sun Qiaolian let out a breath that she hoped looked serene. "It’s no trouble at all. We are from the same company, after all."

The director sensed the rising tension and clapped loudly. "Great. Perfectly settled. Everyone, please collect your keys and head to your rooms."

A hasty wrap-up.

A quick escape.

The cast began to disperse.

The tension dissolved into scattered footsteps and forced smiles as everyone headed off to their assigned rooms. As Jiang Shuyue walked past Sun Qiaolian, her lashes lowered to hide her gaze.

Even so, anyone paying attention would have noticed it: a thin layer of frost behind her polite smile.

And beneath that frost, a quiet thought:

This was not a favour.

This was cleanup.

*****

When the cast finally dispersed toward their respective rooms, An Ning headed to Room Type A. The cool air wrapped around her the moment she stepped inside, the soft lighting settling over the space like a quiet blessing.

She set her room key on the bedside table, stretched her shoulders, and let out a slow breath.

And then, inevitably, her thoughts drifted to one unfortunate soul.

Shen Xiyu.

In Room Type D.

Alone.

He was never supposed to suffer alone. Originally there were two people destined for that room, but thanks to Sun Qiaolian’s attempt to drag An Ning into the mess, Jiang Shuyue had been redirected entirely. The result was simple.

One person had escaped.

One person had not.

A soft, incredulous laugh slipped from An Ning’s lips.

Poor Shen Xiyu. Last in the chicken challenge because Jiang Shuyue spent half the time giving instructions from outside the coop instead of helping. Their loss had been a team effort, but the consequence had become his burden alone.

He had gone from reluctantly sharing misery to shouldering the entire Room Type D experience by himself.

An Ning sat down on the bed, amusement warming her chest.

"Truly tragic," she murmured. "Wrong partner, wrong timing, wrong day."

She let herself enjoy the irony for a moment longer. In a villa full of shifting alliances, backfiring kindness, and polite sabotage, it seemed even misfortune had a sense of humor.

Settling comfortably against the plush pillows, she smiled to herself.

Tomorrow would bring new tasks, new drama, and new melons.

But tonight, she would sleep well.

An Ning reached for the remote, turned on the quiet hum of the air-conditioner, and let the comfort settle in.

And somewhere across the villa, Shen Xiyu definitely would not. Misery loved company, but tonight, even misery had abandoned him.