Professional Vase
If someone were to ask, who’s the most popular female celebrity in the entertainment industry right now? Then the answer would undoubtedly be: Lu Mingxin.
Miss Lu may not be the actress with the best reputation or even with the most fans, and certainly not the one with the best acting skills, but she’s definitely the most popular.
Why? Because she’s beautiful enough. Whether a cameo in any movie, walking on the red carpet, or eating at a street stall in a night market—all had the capital to be on the trending searches.
This way of coasting along isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Miss Lu is only twenty-five, in the prime of her beauty. With her rumored 360-degree perfect photogenic face and no dead angles, she can easily ride this wave for another five years.
If she takes good care of herself, being a vase1 till in her thirties would be no problem at all. But her gold-medal agent, Ms. Du Li, clearly doesn't think so.
Ms. Du Li, living up to her name, has been dedicated to success for forty years. She nurtured two Best Actors and three Best Actresses. Her eye for choosing actors and scripts is steady and precise that if she calls herself second in the industry, no one dares to claim to be first.
In fact, she's never missed when it comes to choosing scripts for Lu Mingxin. If the acting isn't enough, then her looks make up for it. After all, in major films, there’s always room for a stunning and eye-catching female lead or even a female supporting character.
Relying on this professional vision, as well as the fact that Lu Mingxin's face has nothing to pick on, she has risen smoothly in the industry over her four years.
With her fame and popularity, Lu Mingxin, whose face index is rated five stars, has also acquired a nickname among the sarcastic fans: The Professional Vase.
Finally, even Du Li seemed to feel that it was not an option to continue like this. She, the veteran agent, felt that if Miss Lu continues to be just a vase, she'll lose face!
When she tossed the new script in front of Lu Mingxin, she issued an ultimatum: "This is a new role for you, the female lead of a long series... You must give me a good performance. If you can't do it well, I'll let you play the role of a tomboy!"
Lu Mingxin, who had been lounging on the sofa and poking at her tablet while laughing at gossip posts, instantly straightened her back upon hearing those words, wearing a serious expression accompanied by a noble and pure goddess demeanor, "I’ll do my best, boss! I don’t want to play as myself!"
Du Li had long since given up on the illusions of Lu Mingxin's dedication, but still choked up on her words and was so angry that she flung her sleeves and left.
Before leaving, she left one last remark: "I’ve canceled all your random engagements. For the next few months, focus on filming. Tomorrow, go meet the screenwriter!"
The boss had spoken, so early the next morning, Lu Mingxin neatly packed her things and obediently followed her assistant to the designated location.
Although she was always scolded for her poor acting skills, Lu Mingxin's work attitude was always upright. She had quickly skimmed through the script that Du Li had given her the night before.
It was a long historical drama in a traditional style. It was already quite mature and could be seen to have been polished for a while and reached the final stages of production. The screenwriter that Du Li had arranged for her to meet was also said to be a historical consultant, and the meeting place was the professor's private villa in Beijing.
As Assistant Xiao Liu drove all the way to the villa district in the western suburbs, Lu Mingxin muttered to herself, 'Are professors so rich these days?' After all, the villas in the western part of Beijing were older and had a higher class than those in other districts. The people who lived in this area were either rich or powerful, and none of them were simple characters.
By the time the car turned onto a private road and dropped her off in front of a villa shaded by trees on all sides, she had already imagined a wealthy old man who lived in seclusion.
A history professor... Shouldn't they be a species full of age and antiquated smell, like unearthed artifacts?
After four years of working together, Assistant Liu Fenfang had long since understood what an unreliable fellow the outwardly glamorous Lu Mingxin was in her bones. Seeing the rich expressions on Lu Mingxin's face as she stopped the car, the corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch, "Ms. Du said you'll be staying for the whole day, so call me in the evening and I'll come back to pick you up."
Lu Mingxin replied with a casual "Oh", then quickly asked, "Then how do I eat at noon?"
Feeling that all she'd been thinking about was her lunch since nine o'clock in the morning, the corner of Liu Fenfang's mouth twitched again: "Professor Gu will take care of that for you."
After saying this, she tossed Lu Mingxin and her bag out of the car and drove away without hesitation.
Lu Mingxin was left in front of someone else's villa, clutching her small bag, whimpering and looking like a puppy abandoned by its owner. "Xiao Liu really, it's really cruel to treat her employer like this, it's as if I don't pay her salary."
She was right. She really didn't pay Xiao Liu's salary. She got her paycheck from Du Li.
Who was Lu Mingxin? The undisputed queen of the red carpet. Even in front of a desolate suburban villa, even after being dumped out of the car unceremoniously like a trash by her assistant, with a swift turn and gentle brush of her hair, she still walked with grace and elegance.
She walked to the door and lifted her hand to press the doorbell. The door quickly opened, revealing an elderly housekeeper with gray hair and a modest and elegant demeanor. He bowed slightly and said, "Sir has been expecting you. Miss Lu, please come in."
Only then did Lu Mingxin finally put aside her wild guesses about the owner of this villa, her expression becoming more serious as she politely responded, "Thank you."
Having been in the entertainment industry for four years, starting from a high point and achieving significant success, Lu Mingxin had met many powerful and influential people. If there was one thing that best reflected the status of a person, it wasn’t their mansion or luxury car, nor the jewelry or fine clothing. It was the people who worked for them.
From the old butler who opened the door for her today, the person living here must not be an old scholar or a nouveau riche. They had to be from a noble family of more than three generations.
The butler led her through the elegantly decorated and antique-style entrance hall and corridor, and Lu Mingxin finally saw the person who had been sitting in the reception room.
In front of him was a celadon teacup, and in his hand, he held a book. Lu Mingxin had sharp eyesight and immediately noticed that the book was bound with thread, the cover was also green, and the pages were slightly yellowed, looking very much like a genuine ancient text.
In contrast to the polite butler, the man’s demeanor was much more casual. Hearing their footsteps approach, he didn’t lift his eyes from the book but simply said lightly, "You're quite on time. Sit down."
As soon as Lu Mingxin got closer, she stared intently at his face, no longer having the mood to care about his indifferent attitude. Her perfect smile had already faded. "Gu Qinglan ah..."
Raising his head, he gave her a slight smile, and there was a hint of amusement in his extremely handsome face. "Who else?"
Lu Mingxin thought to herself that she was really foolish. She had only known him as "Professor Gu" and hadn’t even thought to ask which Professor Gu.
She only thought of blindly guessing how a history professor could be so rich as to live in such a nice house, but she hadn't expected this professor to be the eldest young master of the Gu family. Yes, she knew this Gu Qinglan, and not just knew him, but had known him since they were both in diapers.
Lu Mingxin's family background had never been exposed in the media, so not many people knew that the glamorous Lu, who was considered the epitome of a modern-day vase, came from a standard high intellectual family.
Both of her parents were researchers with PhDs, and before she impulsively decided to apply to acting school during her senior year of high school, no matter how stunningly beautiful she was, everyone still thought she would inevitably don a lab coat and work in a laboratory.
As for her parents, who had devoted their lives to research, they only had one family among their close friends that could be considered "wealthy" or "prestigious," and that was the Gu family.
The reason her parents were acquainted with such a prominent family was because Lu Mingxin’s mother and Gu Qinglan’s mother had grown up together in the same compound as close childhood friends, and they maintained their close friendship even after marrying.
Back then, Lu Mingxin was a child whose appearance made it hard to tell her gender, and whose behavior was very questionable. She frequently accompanied her mother to visit the ancestral home of the Gu family in Rong City.
It wasn’t until her mother became increasingly busy with research at the institute, and had fewer shared topics with Gu Qinglan’s mother who was a full-time housewife, that the two families started to visit each other less frequently.
Even so, the connection between the two families never completely broke off. The last time Lu Mingxin saw Gu Qinglan was at a family dinner ten years ago, before he went abroad.
In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. Lu Mingxin had transformed from that tomboyish girl into the stunning beauty she was now, while Gu Qinglan still looked much the same as he did back then.
His features were exquisitely handsome, his demeanor was refined and noble, and even a simple gesture exuded an otherworldly aura—how he managed to achieve this while wearing modern clothes was anyone’s guess.
Lu Mingxin gazed at this living embodiment of a male god, who had been shining since childhood, and silently gritted her teeth, "Gu Qinglan, my mom once said that if I were to marry someone, it would be best if it were you."
Gu Qinglan remained seated on the sofa, slightly tilting his head to look her up and down. He sighed lightly, "Yeah... it's a good thing you look decent nowadays."
He always spoke without much emotion, but somehow, this light remark made Lu Mingxin feel a strong sense of dissatisfaction—also known as disdain.
Miss Lu Mingxin, who prided herself on her strong psychological resilience, felt thoroughly choked.
Gu Qinglan, being a true gentleman inside and out, didn’t continue to mock her. He closed the book in his hand and stood up, nodding at her, "Teacher Li is still resting. You can follow me to the study for now."
Teacher Li was Li Angyue, the other credited screenwriter for this drama. He was considered a famous writer in domestic historical dramas. The fact that they had invited these two people was enough to show the company's importance attached to this drama.
Hearing the meaning in his words, Lu Mingxin couldn't help but be stunned, "You two live together?"
There was nothing wrong with Lu Mingxin, she just had a tendency to be overly concise in her speech, often saying things that were ambiguous.
Hearing the words "live together," Gu Qinglan's slender brows raised slightly, "Teacher Li likes to discuss scripts at night, and I have many guest rooms here, so he moved in a week ago."
After a brief pause, he smiled very gently, “The script still needs to be polished for another week or two. If you find it troublesome to come back and forth, you’re welcome to stay here.”
His words were gentle and considerate. Lu Mingxin was lazy and found the villa quiet and pleasant, so she agreed without hesitation, "Really? That would be too much trouble. I'll go tell Sister Du."
Gu Qinglan smiled. "You're welcome, but the only guest room left is the one next to my bedroom."
People who know Lu Mingxin well has known that her beautiful and seductive appearance is all for show. She's always been a bit airheaded, and since she's known Gu Qinglan since she was a child, she didn't have any defenses. Hearing this, she quickly nodded, "It's okay, as long as it doesn't bother you."
Gu Qinglan chuckled lightly, "How could it bother me? After all... we're already engaged."
After saying that, he turned around gracefully and walked towards the study first, leaving Lu Mingxin to process it for a moment before realizing: Was she just teased by Gu Qinglan?
Why did she feel something was off? And what's with the 'engaged' thing... Her parents really wanted her to marry Gu Qinglan, but in this day and age, marriage and love are free, it's not like they could arrange it!
But when she followed Gu Qinglan to the study, the man had already turned his back and was casually pulling books off the towering bookshelf that reached the ceiling.
He knew this vast collection of books like the back of this hand, and in less than a minute, he had gathered three or four thick volumes in his hands.
Placing those books on the desk in the middle of the study, he tapped the cover of the top one with his finger, "You should read through these books first."
Lu Mingxin went over and looked through them, and found that they were several monographs on intergenerational history, the names of which were all of a professional level, not the kind of popular reading material.
Even if she was sent by Du Li to "participate" in the scriptwriting discussion, she didn't need to really gnaw on these tomes, did she?
Seeing her somewhat puzzled look, Gu Qinglan smiled slightly, "You shouldn't be the type of person who can't stand to read, right?"
Lu Mingxin's hand that was touching the cover paused. Coming from a family like hers, how could she be the type of a young girl that couldn’t even get through a book?
In fact, until her senior year of high school, she was considered a "top student" by her classmates.
Influenced by her family atmosphere, she had short hair and wore black-rimmed glasses. Whether it was winter or summer, she never wore skirts or jewelry. She also didn't know anything about makeup or skincare.
Back then, her mind was full of exams and competitions. If you asked her what movie had recently been released, she definitely wouldn't know or care, but if you asked her the schedule for early admissions exams at various key universities, she would recite it backwards and forwards.
Even she herself had never imagined before that year that one day, a huge poster with her face on it would be plastered on the billboards of major theaters. She herself, with her elaborate makeup and floor-length gowns, was on the red carpet of the major film festivals, smiling at the flickering cameras.
After she became famous, some good netizens did a "human flesh search"2 on her. Who knew where they found it, but they dug up a photo of her from high school and posted it online, commenting: "Even goddesses have their ugly times."
The high school girl in that photo wasn't really "ugly," it was just that her image was so different from her current one—a baggy blue and white school uniform covered her slender body, and the old-fashioned glasses on the bridge of her nose completely blocked her rippling almond-shaped eyes, and at the same time, cut her facial proportions into a mess.
This wasn't all. It was a group photo taken during a class outing. Probably because she was in a good mood, the girl even opened her mouth wide and laughed at the camera, revealing a row of white teeth, looking completely carefree and oblivious.
Because of this photo, she was teased for a whole week at the company. Every acquaintance she met would say, "Yo, the tough girl is here!"
Du Li didn’t say much, she just glanced at Lu Mingxin and then at the photo on the computer before concluding, "Don't laugh broadly in front of the camera in the future."
Lu Mingxin agreed gloomily, while she couldn't help but look at the old photo enlarged on the computer screen again and again. Actually, she felt somewhat nostalgic.
She missed the girl from those days who never had to worry about her image. She knew better than anyone that, that was the real Lu Mingxin.
Seeing that she hadn't answered for a long time, Gu Qinglan didn't ask further, but changed the subject, "Before I left, you were in your freshman year3 of high school, right?"
He was referring to the year he went abroad for university, the year when Lu Mingxin was sixteen and just started her freshman year of high school.
She nodded, "Yeah."
Gu Qinglan smiled, "Normal University Affiliated High School, I remember you didn't get bad grades."
This was something that Lu Mingxin had heard too many times. Even the admissions officer from the drama department, after looking at her information, had taken a closer look at her. "First prize in the National High School Mathematics Competition… your academic performance is impressive."
It seemed that many people believed that beauty and intelligence could not coexist.
If someone was too beautiful, most would assume they were dim-witted; if someone was too smart, they had to be an unattractive woman.
Otherwise, it would seem too unfair of God, and it would contradict the common stereotype of "big boobs, no brains."
Lu Mingxin shrugged her shoulders in a somewhat awkward manner, "It's not bad, so what?"
Gu Qinglan then asked, "Why did you choose to study acting?"
He wasn't one of those entertainment reporters, so Lu Mingxin didn't have to carefully choose her words. She simply ignored the question.
She picked up the books and cradled them in her arms, giving him a teasing smile. "Mr. Gu really, the books are so heavy and you don't even help the lady carry them?"
Since she had learned to utilize the natural advantages of beautiful women, this kind of just-right coquettishness had never failed before. But today, she had obviously forgotten that the person in front of her was Gu Qinglan.
Gu Qinglan had originally looked at her with an expression that was still gentle, but after seeing this smile of hers, his brows knitted slightly instead. He looked at her up and down before speaking, "Don't let me see you make that expression again in the future."
Lu Mingxin was stunned. That smile was one of her signature moves, okay?
When that moment was captured by a photographer and put on a magazine cover, that issue sold tens of thousands more copies... He's telling her not to make that expression again?
Gu Qinglan revealed that same reluctant expression once more, shaking his head and lightly remarking, "Too gaudy."
Lu Mingxin felt that if she stayed alone with Gu Qinglan any longer, her poor heart wouldn’t be able to take it.
It’s said that true aristocrats never wear the word 'noble' on their faces. They let their words, deeds, and manners to tell others: I'm not from the same world as you. Simply put, they make you feel inferior.
Gu Qinglan was clearly the kind of person who could make you feel inferior. No matter how many halo the big star Lu had over her head, she would still be labelled as "vulgar" in front of him in a minute.
When they came out of the study, Gu Qinglan still carried himself with an elegant demeanor, like a green pine and bamboo, exuding an air of an immortal.
In contrast, Lu Mingxin was burdened with a pile of books, and was as gloomy as if she had been caught in a frost.
It just so happened that Li Angyue just woke up and was coming downstairs. He had already worked with Lu Mingxin on a drama before, so they were familiar. He smiled and greeted her, "Mingxin is here ah."
Lu Mingxin was always very polite to her seniors and immediately nodded and said, "Hello, Teacher Li."
After their brief pleasantries, Gu Qinglan also greeted Li Angyue.
Lu Mingxin thought that she would be formally included in their discussion next, but Gu Qinglan smiled at Li Angyue, "We talked until very late last night, and Teacher Li probably hasn't had a good rest, so Mingxin and I won't disturb you this morning."
As a famous domestic screenwriter, Li Angyue was tall and had a bushy beard. At first glance, he didn’t look like a scholar playing with brushes but rather like a martial arts master.
Li Angyue heard him say so and didn't object, just stroking his beard, "Okay then, let's have another round in the afternoon."
Gu Qinglan nodded in response, and that was nothing. But then he raised his arm, wrapped his arm around Lu Mingxin's shoulder, pulled her into his arms, and smiled, "Then I'll take Mingxin to see her room first."
This action and tone of his was so natural that Lu Mingxin, a little slow, let him hold her shoulder. Li Angyue nodded and smiled amiably as he watched them leave.
In the corridor on the second floor, Gu Qinglan had already released his hold on her shoulders and opened the door to the guest room for her.
Inside was a well-decorated room, even appearing to have been recently renovated. The wallpaper, curtains, and even the furniture were all in her favorite shade of light purple, something Lu Mingxin had once mentioned in an interview.
Said to be a guest room, but it occupied the best position on this floor of the villa. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was a spacious open terrace, and even the bathroom had an oversized bathtub, fully matching the specifications of a master bedroom.
Now even the unguarded Lu Mingxin sensed something was off.
First, she was suddenly assigned a role in a drama, then ordered by her boss to attend a script discussion. Then as if inviting someone into the jar4, Gu Qinglan waited for her to come into his own villa and casually suggested she stay, opening the cage that had been prepared long ago for her to enter.
Finally realizing what was happening, Lu Mingxin turned to look at the person beside her, "What do you mean by this?"
Gu Qinglan smiled lightly. When he smiled, the curve of his lips was subtle, giving off a gentle yet refined impression. "I think the proposal of marrying you can be considered. Since you will sooner or later become the lady of this place, there's nothing wrong with preparing your room in advance."
Lu Mingxin was really shocked now. Her mother said not long ago that Gu Qinglan had returned to China, and the Gu family also had that intention, asking her to find time to meet Gu Qinglan again to see if they could be friends. If they got along well, they could consider getting married.
After all, she was of marriageable age, and the entertainment industry was a mixed bag. Her mother was somewhat uneasy, and Gu Qinglan knew her well, so he was a good candidate for a son-in-law.
But that was just talk. What era was this? There was no longer any "parents' orders and matchmaker's words." At that time, she just listened and didn’t take it seriously at all.
She had her own career and was financially independent. When it came to lifelong matters, she believed she still had the autonomy to choose.
Seeing her increasingly stunned expression, Gu Qinglan knew what she was thinking. He smiled gently again, his voice unhurried, "If you don't want to get married, that's fine. But I hope you can stay by my side... If you need me to pay you, the price won't be lower than anyone else who's made you an offer."
Lu Mingxin thought for a long time and couldn’t figure out whether she should slap Gu Qinglan and tell him: This young lady sells her art, not her body. What are you trying to do by making such a request?
But she looked left and right, and couldn't muster up the courage to attack Gu Qinglan's handsome and elegant face. After all, this face didn't look like the kind of bully who oppressed women in any way. Besides, she was holding a big stack of books and was a bit tired.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Then tell me, why would I give up being a perfectly good legal wife and instead become a canary kept in your golden house?"
Gu Qinglan smiled again, "I think you might not want to marry someone you don’t love."
Lu Mingxin was stunned again. The tone of his voice when he said this was too certain, not like he was talking about a possibility or an expectation, but more like a prediction, such as "if you haven't fallen in love with me."
He spoke as if stating a fact, as if he had long known that she didn’t love him and that there was no possibility of her ever falling in love with him in the future.
But even so... he was still willing to marry her. Even if she was unwilling to marry him, he could settle for the next best thing, just a promise to stay by his side.
This kind of attitude, how to put it? Unexpectedly yielding yet unexpectedly resolute.
Let's say he's firm, he said that they didn’t have to get married. Let's say he's yielding, he asked her to have some kind of contract with him.
In front of Gu Qinglan, Lu Mingxin always felt that her IQ wasn't enough, and now she's even more confused. She could only sigh, "Gu Qinglan, with your conditions, there's no need to let yourself be so wronged."
Gu Qinglan chuckled lightly again. Lu Mingxin, used to being around top-notch looking men, found herself momentarily mesmerized by his subtle, effortless smile.
When he finished laughing, he softly said, "It’s fine, I’m used to it."
✿——✦——✿
1: "花瓶" (huā píng): Literally means "flower vase," but in this context, it's a derogatory term used to describe a person, especially a female celebrity, who is valued primarily for their appearance and not for their talent or abilities. ⤣
2: "人肉搜索" (rénròusōusuǒ): human flesh search / a large-scale collective effort to find details about a person or event (Internet slang) ⤣
3: "高一" (gāo yī): freshman year here is basically 10th grade. ⤣
4: "请君入瓮" (qǐngjūnrùwèng): the idiom means to trap someone using their own method, or to lure someone into a situation. ⤣
