{"id":802,"date":"2025-10-09T19:47:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T19:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sakuratranslation.com\/public-entertainment-circle-14\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T20:14:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:14:21","slug":"public-entertainment-circle-14","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/chapter\/public-entertainment-circle-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Public [Entertainment Circle] 14"},"content":{"rendered":"

**Chapter 14: Treacherous Undercurrents**

As Qin Mang uttered those brief two words, the room fell into complete silence.

Everyone present was a top-tier elite, rarely paying attention to entertainment gossip\u2014only a few exceptions existed.
Especially given Qin Mang\u2019s aggressive and striking beauty, which made her instantly recognizable. She effortlessly overshadowed the similarly styled Shen Wanyin.

Under the stares of the powerful attendees, Qin Mang remained composed. She calmly walked past Shen Wanyin, who was blocking her path, and glanced around the room\u2014only to find no empty seats.

Her gaze landed on He Lingji.

Under the dim, antique-style palace lamp lighting, the man sat quietly. His posture was elegant and refined, yet he radiated an innate sense of pressure that kept others at bay.

This was exactly why Shen Wanyin had instinctively dropped to one knee\u2014
As if afraid to defile a god.

For a brief moment, they made eye contact. Then, without hesitation, Qin Mang simply sat herself down on He Lingji\u2019s knee.

Her slender arms wrapped around the man\u2019s long, pale neck.

Forget about gods or propriety.

She had come to the club to have dinner with her film crew\u2014only to catch this unfaithful dog shamelessly flirting next door.

Shen Wanyin quickly realized what was happening, her stiff knees straightening as she stared in disbelief at Qin Mang\u2019s brazen move. \u201cQin Mang\u2026 what gives you the right to refuse on He\u2019s behalf?\u201d

Dressed in a stunning qipao, the woman sat confidently on a man as aloof and dignified as a deity. Her every movement radiated an alluring charm that others could only dream of imitating.

Qin Mang chuckled softly, as though she had just heard a joke. A laugh so light it was like a feather brushing the heart.

Her watery eyes turned sideways, casting a seductive glance at the man serving as her seat. \u201cPresident He, didn\u2019t you promise that if you ever engaged in unspoken rules, you\u2019d consider me first?\u201d

The crowd was dumbfounded.
She really said that out loud?!

Was she weaponizing her beauty?

Rumor had it that over the years, many beautiful actresses and even heiresses had tried to pursue or seduce He Lingji, but he\u2019d never shown the slightest interest. It was as if he had no such desires\u2014some even believed he had transcended worldly temptations.

And now, this same man was allowing a woman who looked like a seductive siren to sit so wantonly on his lap.

Could it be\u2014

Everyone held their breath, waiting for President He\u2019s response.

Unexpectedly\u2014

A few seconds later, He Lingji replied with an emotionless \u201cOh,\u201d then seemed to ponder,
\u201cDid I promise that?\u201d

Shen Wanyin lit up with hope. \u201cPresident He never said that,\u201d she said quickly.

Her words fell fast and sharp.

The atmosphere in the room froze like shattered glass.

The smile on Qin Mang\u2019s pretty face faltered for a split second.

He was really going to leave her hanging?

Could it be he actually liked Shen Wanyin?

Her gaze skimmed past Shen Wanyin, then suddenly locked onto her long, fluffy, black curls\u2014

They looked familiar.

The more she looked, the more it resembled her own favorite hairstyle, down to the exact curl pattern.

Remembering the words she overheard before entering, Qin Mang\u2019s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Her loosely wrapped arms around his neck tightened. The corner of her eye, tinged with seductive red, lifted slightly. \u201cWhat do you mean, you didn\u2019t say that?\u201d

Then she leaned in and whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear, word by word:
\u201cI was *personally selected* by Mrs. He.\u201d

\u201cThe number one \u2018Flower of Speech\u2019.\u201d

Chosen by Mrs. He herself.

So\u2014

He Lingji leaned back slightly against his chair, his gray-blue eyes scanning the room with icy authority. His voice was calm, yet left no room for debate:
\u201cEveryone, feel free to leave.\u201d

The message was clear\u2014get out.

\u201cPresident He\u2014\u201d
Shen Wanyin wasn\u2019t ready to give up. How was she any worse than Qin Mang? Why was she being shut out again?

She could still remember it clearly\u2014
President He had looked at *her* first!

Secretary Cong and the bodyguards waiting outside entered with respectful but firm attitudes: \u201cThis way, please.\u201d

Their primary concern was Shen Wanyin.

Secretary Cong had noticed something off in the way she looked at Madam He.

As she was being \u2018escorted\u2019 out, Shen Wanyin caught one last glimpse of the pair under the soft lighting\u2014two figures that looked like a match made in heaven. Resentment boiling inside her, she suddenly asked:
\u201cPresident He, if you never had feelings for me, then why did you look at me like that before?\u201d

\u201cYou made me\u2026 *hope*.\u201d

What was that supposed to mean?

That He Lingji had led her on?

Secretary Cong didn\u2019t even dare look at Madam He\u2019s expression.

If not for his commitment to gentlemanly conduct and restraint, he would\u2019ve gagged the woman on the spot.

Nonsense.

\u201cMiss Shen, this isn\u2019t a place for your baseless remarks.\u201d

Secretary Cong blocked her line of sight and had the bodyguards forcibly remove her.

Meanwhile, he remained nearby\u2014just in case Madam He and President He ended up in a spat. He could help explain.

Unexpectedly, neither of them seemed bothered by Shen Wanyin\u2019s parting words.

They didn\u2019t even mention her.
As if she were completely irrelevant.

He Lingji was just about to stretch his leg when he spoke:
\u201cMadam He\u2014\u201d

Just as Qin Mang, still caught up in her thoughts about Shen Wanyin\u2019s hair, assumed he was about to pick a fight again.

She reflexively interrupted,
\u201cMadam He is a proper businesswoman. She doesn\u2019t engage in hidden rules\u2014it\u2019s not how President He operates.\u201d

She mimicked He Lingji\u2019s usual tone, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
\u201cWell? Did I sound like you?\u201d
\u201cWas that what you were going to say?\u201d

*Pfft.*

Secretary Cong, standing off to the side like a statue, mentally revisited every sorrowful moment in his life just to keep from laughing.

He didn\u2019t dare laugh\u2014
But it was spot-on!

Madam He was truly a master of mimicry.

Facing her wide-eyed, mischievous gaze, He Lingji reached up with his jade-like fingers, calmly loosening his tightly fastened tie. His typically cold, abstinent expression turned into a faint smile:
\u201cNo.\u201d

\u201cWhat I was going to say was\u2026\u201d

His deep, magnetic voice paused for a second before whispering something unfinished by her ear:
\u201cI\u2014\u201d

Qin Mang\u2019s mind swirled with his light yet direct words.

*Ahhhh!*

*This dog of a man has no shame!*

How could he say something like that with such a cold and indifferent face?

Next second, he added casually,
\u201cYou\u2019ve been sitting too long.\u201d

Qin Mang froze.

He wasn\u2019t lying\u2014
She really had been sitting there for quite a while, completely absorbed in her thoughts.

Then, like a gentleman, He Lingji moved her aside.
\u201cYou\u2019ve crossed a line. Can you get off me now?\u201d

Qin Mang\u2019s brain short-circuited.

The more she thought about it, the more unacceptable it seemed!

That unfinished line\u2014if he *reacted*, was it still \u201ccrossing a line\u201d?!

\u201cWell, sorry for offending the pure and noble President He,\u201d she said with mock sincerity.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she crossed her arms and looked down at him, sarcasm laced in every word:
\u201cIt\u2019s not my fault. You just don\u2019t leave much of an impression.\u201d

\u201c\u2026\u201d

He Lingji laughed.

His relaxed expression was breathtaking, beautiful like a carnivorous flower\u2014stunning, yet laced with deadly danger.

After a pause\u2014

His thin lips parted slightly to say two words:
\u201cVery good.\u201d

Secretary Cong nearly cried.

He wished he could become blind and deaf on the spot.

Would he even make it out of this room alive?

Madam He paid the price for her sarcasm.

On her first day of filming, Qin Mang wasn\u2019t defeated by the script\u2014
She was defeated by He Lingji.

At first, she was stubborn:
\u201cHe Lingji, you dog!\u201d

Later, she tried a softer approach:
\u201cHubby\\~ I *really* realize I was wrong\u2026\u201d

\u201cHow could Madam He be wrong? It\u2019s *my* fault.\u201d

\u201cNo, no, our President He could never be wrong! It\u2019s all *my* fault!\u201d
For the first time ever, Qin Mang rushed to take the blame, and quite sincerely at that.

\u201cNo, it\u2019s *my* fault\u2014for not letting Madam He understand me well enough.\u201d

\u201cI\u2014I understand you deeply!\u201d

\u201cOh?\u201d
He Lingji spoke slowly and deliberately.
\u201cIn what way?\u201d

Madam He, known for her sharp tongue, was finally at a loss for words. \u201c\u2026\u201d

Should she write a whole essay explaining how \u201cdeeply\u201d she understood him?

President He nodded.
\u201cSure.\u201d

Then offered a timely suggestion,
\u201cA standard essay is about 3,000 words. So\u2014\u201d

Qin Mang, deadpan:
\u201cKeep dreaming.\u201d

**The next morning…**

Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains into the spacious master bedroom, scattering flecks of golden light across the edge of the luxurious black velvet bed. As the temperature in the room rose, Qin Mang, as usual, was awakened by the heat from her furnace-like body constitution.

Her slender wrist instinctively reached to the side, habitually searching for the \u201cmanual air conditioner\u201d to cool down, but she came up empty.

She struggled to open her sleepy eyes.

To her confusion, she realized that the man who had been sleeping beside her had vanished, along with the suitcase that had stood by the door.

Hmph.

He came without a word and left just the same.

It made Qin Mang feel like she’d been taken advantage of for nothing.

Especially when she accidentally found a business card under the pillow\u2014this feeling intensified!

The black card with silver embossing was very much in line with He Lingji\u2019s personal style.

Utterly noble and cold\u2014it only had:

A name, and a company.

No title, as if confident that anyone who got their hands on the card would already know who he was.

But why did the whole scene feel so\u2026 off?

Showtime was approaching, so Qin Mang didn\u2019t think too deeply about it. She slipped the card into her bag and headed to the set.

—

**In the makeup room.**

Qin Mang lowered her eyelashes, absentmindedly toying with the black card with silver letters. Her soft, pale fingertips pinched the sharp edge\u2014it looked like her delicate skin could be cut at any moment.

Due to the filming schedule, He Lingji was respectful of Mrs. He’s profession.

You could say he was careful\u2014above the neck, she looked perfectly untouched.

But also not\u2014because at that moment, Assistant Tong was blushing furiously while applying concealer to Qin Mang\u2019s fair, beautiful ankle.

Next to them, Meng Ting cleared his throat and reminded, \u201cNext time, tell President He to be a little more careful.\u201d

If they were filming a scene and the makeup accidentally got rubbed off\u2026

And if the media showed up during a surprise visit\u2026

That would be a big scandal.

After all, Qin Mang had just publicly declared her ambition to shine in the entertainment industry\u2014and then a scandal breaks out? Meng Ting didn\u2019t even want to imagine it.

He quickly changed the subject to something more serious. \u201cYou mentioned last night that there was something off about Shen Wanyin. I actually had someone look into it.\u201d

\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d

Qin Mang finally looked a bit interested. When the stylist asked about accessories, she casually pointed to a uniquely designed ruby brooch. Many of the vintage pieces worn by her character were ones she had brought from home.

The stylist next to her sincerely praised, \u201cTeacher Qin, your sense of style is amazing.\u201d

\u201cIt goes perfectly with the costume.\u201d

Thinking of what Wei Qin and Shen Wanyin had done, Meng Ting didn\u2019t hide his disgust. \u201cShen Wanyin has been deliberately copying you.\u201d

\u201cShe\u2019s copying me?\u201d

Qin Mang frowned slightly, puzzled. \u201cBut didn\u2019t she debut earlier than me?\u201d

When Qin Mang entered the industry, Shen Wanyin was already well known as a \u2018goddess with bold, dramatic features.\u2019

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what\u2019s so disgusting about their team!\u201d Meng Ting grew more agitated.

He nearly smashed his tablet in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, he finally explained, \u201cWei Qin saw that video of your white lion dance. At the time, not many people had discovered it. She predicted you\u2019d blow up in the entertainment world, so she jumped the gun and gave Shen Wanyin a makeover similar to yours\u2014presenting her as a sultry beauty with strong features, and debuted the new look on the red carpet at a major film festival. It made a big splash.\u201d

\u201cThen after your debut, they played even dirtier\u2014releasing heavily edited magazine photos of Shen Wanyin and comparing them to your unfiltered everyday shots. So when you finally appeared on-screen, the public had already been primed to think, \u2018Wow, she\u2019s already this beautiful? Then Shen Wanyin must be even more stunning!\u2019\u201d

Meng Ting swiped through photos on his tablet and showed her. \u201cLook, this was her before your debut.\u201d

A pure, innocent girl-next-door look.

\u201cSo she got a taste of success from copying me, and then took it to the extreme\u2014even copying the exact curl of my hair?\u201d

Qin Mang couldn\u2019t help but laugh sarcastically.

\u201cNo wonder she\u2019s desperate for you to fall into scandal and get kicked out of the industry. She saw that your new drama is becoming a hit, and now you\u2019ve got a growing fanbase\u2014those \u2018Shen Wanyin outshines Qin Mang\u2019 posts are starting to fall flat.\u201d

\u201cHmph, she\u2019s really bold.\u201d

She looked at her flawless reflection in the mirror.

Her red lips curved into a slightly wicked smirk. \u201cSince she cares so much about upstaging me, let\u2019s give her the chance.\u201d

She then slowly laid out a plan.

After hearing it, Meng Ting couldn\u2019t help but exclaim, \u201cTruly, the most vicious\u2014\u201d

He paused under Qin Mang\u2019s sharp gaze.

\u201c\u2014most brilliant fairy-hearted goddess.\u201d

Just then, a staff member knocked on the door outside. \u201cTeacher Qin, it\u2019s time for your scene.\u201d

\u201cComing.\u201d

Qin Mang casually tossed the business card she had been playing with for an hour into the jewelry box. But just as she was about to leave, she suddenly froze.

She finally realized what was so odd about the scene she woke up to that morning in the presidential suite.

Damn it.

Wasn\u2019t it exactly like one of those over-the-top CEO romance clich\u00e9s? The domineering CEO accidentally sleeps with the wrong woman, leaves behind a business card, hinting the heroine can come find him to claim her \u201cpayment\u201d\u2014but the proud heroine refuses to bow to money. Then, three years later, she returns in glory with a genius child to confront the man and reveal he\u2019s the father!

The most important thing was\u2014

Qin Mang suddenly clutched her lower abdomen, and her eyes\u2014made even more alluring by makeup\u2014flashed with a hint of panic.

He Lingji\u2026 he didn\u2019t use\u2014?



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