"Isn't that the truth? When it comes to acting, among the younger generation, she'd be second to none."
"Playing two roles at once, the same face, the same innocent makeup, yet she portrays two different characters. Her acting is truly amazing!"
"Others get their acting jobs as a gift from heaven; she, on the other hand, has heaven chasing her with a five-star deluxe meal, and she's still reluctant to accept it."
As Jiang Ling walked by, she saw people praising her incessantly, their mouths practically splitting to the back of their heads.
Being praised like this felt so good.
"A little sunshine and you're beaming; give you an inch and you want to build a mile?"
Jiang Yushuang's sarcastic tone cut in from behind her.
Jiang Ling pursed her lips and said with a smile, "What can I do? I'm too outstanding to be low-key."
Jiang Yushuang: "..."
Damn it, can you be any more narcissistic?
Jiang Yushuang snorted, "You're the only one who's amazing!"
Jiang Ling seized the opportunity and said with a laugh, "Indeed, when it comes to my excellence, there's no one in the industry who can match me. When it comes to my beauty, even the Tathagata from the West would want to renounce his vows and become a monk!"
A flock of crows flew over Jiang Yushuang's head.
Hmph, little brat, trying to subtly insult me? Watch me gross you out!
Jiang Ling chuckled.
"I've met narcissistic people, but never anyone as narcissistic as you," Jiang Yushuang said, almost laughing from anger.
"If I wasn't a bit narcissistic, how could I stand up to you?" Jiang Ling replied, quite proud.
She composed herself and said seriously, "Regarding your brother Jiang Yulei's matter, I am truly sorry. But I want to explain myself. At that time, I was merely a mascot promoted by capital. Whatever roles I played and endorsements I took were decided by those above; I had no say. The plot of that drama was so bad it was unrecognizable. It wasn't that I was holding back my skills; even if you brought in the best actress in the industry, she couldn't have saved such a terrible script."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yushuang fell silent for a long moment.
After a while, she finally said, "As someone in the same industry, I know your difficulties. People see us stars as glamorous and successful, but they don't realize that in the eyes of capital, most of us are just commodities to extract profits from. We have no agency and are like puppets on strings, at the mercy of the company's arrangements. I'm just angry that you, with your exceptional acting skills, managed to implicate my brother, of all people."
She sighed softly, "Many years ago, my family went through a upheaval. My brother Yulei, my sister Yuxue, and I, the three siblings, relied on each other. Yulei was very sensible and ambitious. His own sister married into a wealthy family, and anyone else would have been bragging endlessly on social media and family groups.
But instead of acting arrogantly with his rich brother-in-law, Jian Fan, he worried about people gossiping about our Jiang family. He was also afraid that those with loose tongues would label me as a 'sister who spoils her brother.' So, after entering the entertainment industry with me, he worked diligently in acting, striving step by step.
He finally became the youngest Best Actor in the industry, only to be... implicated by you. His reputation, built over years of hard work, was ruined. He was criticized for a long time, and his girlfriend of several years broke up with him over this matter. Now he's become very despondent, how can I not feel heartbroken? How can I not resent you?"
Jiang Ling felt a pang of guilt listening to her.