Chapter 57

Jiang Zhaolie seemed stunned by her words, and the knuckles gripping Xu Chun's wrist gradually loosened. Xu Chun felt weak all over, dizzy and muddled, and truly had no desire to hash out this nonsense with her. Her small face was pale, but she held on to her mocking expression, staring unwaveringly at Jiang Zhaolie.

Just as Jiang Zhaolie's fingers were about to slip away, just as Xu Chun began to relax, that slackened grip abruptly tightened again. Jiang Zhaolie looked at her with dark, heavy eyes. “Don't think I don't know.” She lowered her voice. “Nothing has actually happened between you and my mom yet.”

“So what?” Xu Chun tilted her head lazily, the corner of her lips curving into a playful smile. “Your mom and I are fond of each other. Certain things haven't happened yet—but isn't that only a matter of time?” Her smile deepened faintly. “Is that your excuse for defying your elders and shamelessly coveting your future stepmother?”

Jiang Zhaolie was suddenly speechless. She clutched Xu Chun's wrist tightly, opened her mouth to retort, but faced with that certain expression, she couldn't say a single word. Every argument seemed stuck in her throat; no matter how painful or miserable she felt, she couldn't make a sound.

Xu Chun lifted the hand with the IV drip and, using all her strength, pried Jiang Zhaolie's fingers open one by one. “You really are just like Yu Sui'an.” She mocked her without mercy. “What a shame you two didn't end up together.”

She didn't know what had gotten into those two. They were so alike, understood each other so well, were clearly the same breed of person, yet they had to drag things out until they turned on each other and became bitter enemies.

They clearly should have been like in the book: locked together, left to ruin each other.

Xu Chun's emotions stirred slightly; her chest heaved, and she closed her eyes before she managed to calm herself. It wasn't that she was vicious enough to wish those two would drop dead on the spot. She had simply never forgotten what they had once done. She remembered it deeply, but she didn't interfere with their karma.

She only wanted to see what retribution they would ultimately receive and make sure that karma didn’t touch her.

But Jiang Zhaolie seemed... Xu Chun's bloodless lips curved softly, the smile on her face inscrutable.

That cold, emotionless smile stung Jiang Zhaolie's eyes, and her earlier words had pierced Jiang Zhaolie's heart like a blade. Jiang Zhaolie was in agony; her body trembled slightly, as if she were desperately holding back some immense emotion, one that left her miserable and stifled, in unbearable pain.

Jiang Zhaolie's face lost all color, and all her strength suddenly drained away. She gazed into Xu Chun's stubborn, resolute eyes, and the smile that tugged at her lips was full of bitterness. “So that's how you think of me.” She said it dazedly. “I understand now.”

It was as if she had suddenly regained her senses, bound and locked once more by morality and social norms. She slowly backed away, putting distance between herself and Xu Chun. “What happened just now... I'm sorry.” With that, she fled the hospital room as if escaping, as though that could make Xu Chun forget everything that had just happened—as though nothing had ever occurred.

Once Jiang Zhaolie left, the tension in Xu Chun's body relaxed, and deep exhaustion swept over her at once. She lay on the hospital bed like a puddle of mud, staring unfocused at the ceiling, her head pounding worse than before.

But her hands and feet were ice-cold, and she simply couldn't fall asleep.

She lay motionless in bed for a long time. At some point she seemed to doze off fitfully, waking several times in between. Her head spinning, she instinctively picked up her phone to check each time she woke, but Qin Yao had not replied.

She remembered checking two or three times before giving up and falling thoroughly unconscious.

In her dream, a warm hand seemed to press against her forehead, then gently hold the hand with the IV drip. After that, the blanket seemed to lift and a warm hot-water bottle was placed inside. When all of that was done, the person seemed to wait a long time, until her body temperature had gradually warmed, before pressing something against her back.

Xu Chun struggled to open her eyes, but the sudden warmth made it impossible to resist the drowsy side effects of the medication, and she fell comfortably asleep.

She slept peacefully and comfortably. When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside was pitch black and a light rain was falling. Xu Chun turned her head reflexively and saw He Qingli eating braised pork with great appetite.

The greasy smell nearly made Xu Chun nauseous. She unconsciously furrowed her brows and asked sincerely, “How can you eat heavy, oily food right after getting over a cold?”

She had slept so long that Xu Chun's voice was hoarse enough to startle even herself.

He Qingli quickly had her assistant open Xu Chun's thermos, then explained, “It's really good.” As she spoke, she was about to pick up a piece with her chopsticks and offer it to Xu Chun. “Want to try some?”

Xu Chun quickly shook her head. “No, I can't. Just smelling it makes me want to throw up.”

Hearing that, He Qingli immediately had her assistant take the food away, then picked up an air freshener spray to use. Xu Chun stopped her. “Go ahead and eat. I'm fine.”

Her nose was gradually adjusting now, and it actually smelled quite appetizing.

She hadn't intended to eat, but watching He Qingli eat so temptingly, she couldn't resist trying two pieces. In the end, she stopped only when she truly couldn't eat another bite.

As her body gradually improved, Xu Chun noticed the two warming patches stuck to her back; no wonder that spot had felt especially warm while she slept. She peeled off the two patches and stared at them thoughtfully. He Qingli, seeing her dazed for a full ten minutes, couldn't help saying, “President Qin came to see you while you were asleep.”

“She set up the hot-water bottle at your feet and these two warming patches in your hands.”

Xu Chun's thoughts paused, and she asked instinctively, “Where is she now?”

“She’s already left with Jiang Zhaolie.” At the mention of Jiang Zhaolie, He Qingli’s expression turned slightly unnatural, but it vanished in an instant. “I asked Secretary Zhao about it. She said the two of them still had meetings today that hadn’t finished, so they were in a hurry and had no time to linger elsewhere.”

“But once they're done, they'll probably come back to check on you.”

He Qingli didn't dare tell Xu Chun that she had accidentally overheard the argument between Xu Chun and Jiang Zhaolie. Though she was dying of curiosity, with such an earth-shattering melodrama about family ethics... she felt it was better not to get involved.

Who would’ve thought her idol would go and do something so thrilling without a word.

Xu Chun let out a slightly disappointed “Oh,” annoyed at herself for missing Qin Yao because she had fallen asleep. But now that her body had improved somewhat, her emotions were much steadier too; at least mentally, she was no longer as fragile as before.

Thinking back to how aggrieved she’d been before falling asleep, so upset at missing Qin Yao that her eyes had grown sore and teary, Xu Chun felt her face flush. She rarely blushed, given her thick skin.

Her skin was fair, so any tiny change on her face was especially obvious. He Qingli glanced at her bashful expression and silently looked away. Women in love really were all the same.

She couldn't help glancing down at her phone screen, but alas, Fu Xin was still running around trying to pay off her parents' debts.

Fu Xin had already sold that antique from her home, the one appraised at five hundred million, and paid off most of her family's debt. He Qingli was happy for her, and at the same time egged her on: “Why don't you go back to your old family house and look around some more? Maybe you can dig up some more valuable old items.”

“Like furniture made of golden-thread nanmu wood, or jade and gold bars passed down from your ancestors and buried in the backyard.”

Though Fu Xin didn't quite believe luck would strike again, she obediently went back and searched carefully. Sure enough, she found quite a few more valuable items.

She actually wasn't very willing to sell her family heirlooms, but her parents had already emigrated abroad with her younger brother, and her grandparents, who had doted on her since childhood, had passed away. Now she was the only one left at home, and keeping them seemed pointless. Besides, she was burdened with debt and would only drag He Qingli down.

So Fu Xin hesitated only a moment before resolutely selling off everything in the house to pay the debts.

Thanks to her ancestors' legacy, the remaining debt was almost gone. With a bit more effort, Fu Xin would soon be able to pay it all off. When she told He Qingli, He Qingli was happy for her too.

Except that lately, Fu Xin was often slow to reply to messages. He Qingli knew she was working, wanting to pay off her debt quickly so as not to drag her down, but sometimes she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Like today, when she was sick—she really wanted Fu Xin to put down her work and come see her...

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Fu Xin appeared at the hospital room door as if by telepathy, carrying bags big and small, calling out shyly yet firmly, “Qingli.”

Xu Chun looked up too, then tactfully gave them space. “...You two talk. I've been lying down all day and my body's uncomfortable, so I'll go out and get some air.”

That night, Xu Chun fell asleep alone in a cold, cold bed.

Because of the schedule, filming couldn't be delayed, so Xu Chun and He Qingli went back to continue shooting early the next morning. Fu Xin stayed with He Qingli for several days, during which the weight He Qingli had lost quickly came back. Xu Chun could only watch enviously as the two whispered to each other, pitifully holding deep spiritual communion with her script.

She hadn't regained the weight, but her thinness, combined with the intense physical activity of recent days, had made her face and eyes grow ever more resolute.

Like gems in the night, black and shining, soul-captivating.

Those big, bright eyes, resolute and occasionally glimmering with faint moisture, struck straight at the soul. Her beauty nearly bewitched the netizens' souls away.

Fans joked: 【Sister Xu isn't off filming—she's off undergoing a transformation, right? Otherwise how could her aura change so drastically in less than a month?】

【My wife used to be delicate and charming, but now she's androgynous, dashing, and cool. Her looks and presence rival any male star in the industry. I'm dead.】

【Truly, good looks are good looks, regardless of gender.】

【Sister Xu has been absolutely slaying lately! So when exactly is her drama going to air so we can see it? We've been waiting so long the flowers have withered!】

【Probably a while. I think Sister Xu films one drama then rewards herself with a variety show, then films a variety show and rewards herself with a pile of ad endorsements. Waiting for her drama, you'll be waiting until the cows come home.】

【Isn't that fine? Occasionally doing variety shows to relax is nice too. Besides, Sister Xu interacts with us more on variety shows. Speaking of which, Director Guo seems to be planning a new campus variety show. Wonder if our Sister Xu can get on it.】

【Of course she can. Is Director Guo not Sister Xu’s hardcore fan? Haven’t you seen his Weibo bio declaring, ‘Sister Xu is my one and only sister’?】

【Director Guo is so chuuni, but I'm fiercely looking forward to their third collaboration.】

The signal in the mountains was poor, so Xu Chun rarely looked at her phone anymore. She spent most of her time buried in the script. Later, after Fu Xin left, He Qingli joined Xu Chun's ranks, and the two discussed day and night how to better shape their characters.

The director was quite gratified. He had originally assumed that female stars like Xu Chun and He Qingli would be delicate and unable to endure such hardship. Who would have thought that even after going to the hospital these past two days, they hadn't uttered a single complaint.

The director couldn't help but regard them more highly, and even entertained the thought of properly cultivating them, personally swallowing his pride to ask his friends for resources on their behalf.

It was truly rare to encounter actors like uncut jade who could be cultivated and polished. Yu Sui’an, whom he’d worked with before, also had some talent, but... He rubbed his brow. That person was too obsessive, with a truly terrible temperament.

If she achieved fame and success in the end, fine, but if she got entangled in something else along the way, all his effort would be wasted.

So by comparison, he preferred the relatively stable Xu Chun and He Qingli.

He had long known Xu Chun was a good actress, so he wasn't especially surprised, but this He Qingli was truly unexpected. He hadn't imagined that such a pretty, sweet-voiced girl could be so competitive in acting, and with such high talent too.

This time, he had truly struck gold.

The director was in a good mood, and his expression was gentler than usual today. The group of actors he had been scolding mercilessly these past days were trembling with fear, curious but not daring to ask, afraid this was the calm before the storm.

That day, Xu Chun and He Qingli were sitting together discussing the plot and character setup when Zheng Yanran, who hadn't been in touch for a long time, suddenly called her again and again. Xu Chun stood up, thinking she had something urgent, only to find her beside herself with excitement: “Did you know? Yu Sui'an is about to be blacklisted!”

“Why?” Xu Chun raised an eyebrow in surprise. Although Zhao Ciying had said she would dump Yu Sui'an for her sake, Yu Sui'an had brought Zhao Ciying quite a few benefits recently. Businesspeople valued profit; Yu Sui'an hadn't defied her or caused her any loss, so logically Zhao Ciying wouldn't abandon her so easily.

Most people wouldn’t casually fall out with someone who was both obedient and could help them profit.

“It's because Yu Sui'an couldn't resist stirring up trouble.” Zheng Yanran had been monitoring Yu Sui'an's every move twenty-four hours a day recently. Yu Sui'an had been lying low before, not letting Zheng Yanran dig up any information, until just now, when she suddenly had the audacity to publicly humiliate Zhao Ciying and quarrel with her. That was when Zheng Yanran caught wind of it.

“Apparently they had some minor conflicts before, but Yu Sui’an kept enduring and never blew up. I think she’s the type who’s especially good at swallowing her pride,” Zheng Yanran said. “But for some reason, today she made a huge scene with Zhao Ciying over some trivial matter, throwing caution to the wind.”

“You have no idea—the two of them argued in front of so many people. Just hearing about it secondhand made me tremble with fear.”

At this moment, Zheng Yanran felt a bit of admiration for Yu Sui’an. Daring to provoke Zhao Ciying meant she really thought her life was too long. If Zhao Ciying had a mind to, Yu Sui’an could vanish from this world without anyone asking questions.

Xu Chun was momentarily speechless. “You come tell me without even knowing the reason? Aren't you just deliberately whetting my appetite? Do you know how bored I am, isolated in the mountains filming every day? I'm already this miserable, and you won't even let me enjoy the drama properly?”

“Sister, you're truly heartless!”

Zheng Yanran was rendered speechless. “...I'll keep digging for information.” She straightened her back, a sense of mission rising in her heart. “Wait for me.”

Today, even if she had to spend a fortune, she was going to dig up Yu Sui'an's entire ancestry.

After Zheng Yanran hung up, Xu Chun's heart was itching with curiosity over the matter. Her eyes darted, and she fixed He Qingli with a bright look for a long while. He Qingli was about to ask why she was staring when Xu Chun dumped the whole story on her, regardless of whether she wanted to hear it.

So three minutes later, the crew suddenly gained another gossip enthusiast left hanging by a half-told story, itching with curiosity.

He Qingli's eyelid twitched hard. She would have been better off deaf just now.

But since she'd already heard half of it, in the end she had no choice but to wait patiently with Xu Chun for Zheng Yanran's next update. Zheng Yanran reported twice more on new information she'd dug up, but it was all mundane. After Xu Chun fobbed her off with a “dig more and report back,” this time Zheng Yanran didn't reappear for a full half month.

As it happened, the crew was also relocating and changing filming locations.

This time the destination was a famous historical and cultural city. The director insisted on real locations and demanded authenticity in everything, so after coordinating with the relevant institutions, everyone in the crew checked into a nearby hotel.

The city had been crowded lately. Security was tight, and luxury cars could be seen everywhere on the streets. Xu Chun asked around and learned that a conference was being held here. Leaders of major corporations were all coming to attend.

Before long, Xu Chun got word from Zheng Yanran that her mother, Zheng Jinchan, had arrived in S City that morning. Qin Yao, Jiang Zhaolie, Zhao Ciying, Jiang Banxia, and even Xu Chun’s parents had all come too, making it a real gathering of big shots, stars, and elites alike.

Xu Chun's heart thumped twice on the spot. So many people gathered together... why did she have a bad feeling about this?

As it happened, the filming location was especially close to their whatever-hall—close enough that two or three streets over and they'd run into each other. Xu Chun raised a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, deciding to behave herself these next few days, stay put in the city and film, and avoid the excitement.

That day, the group rested briefly at the hotel for half a day and only officially began filming the next day. The director was tight on schedule, so even though Xu Chun was itching to go out and look around, the heavy filming schedule left her with the will but not the energy.

However, on the second day, Zhao Ciying actually appeared on set.

At first, when Xu Chun heard her assistant mention it, she thought the other was joking—until Zhao Ciying herself drew near, her long legs stopping before her, her tall figure blocking the sunlight overhead and casting Xu Chun in cool shadow. Only when Xu Chun looked up did she belatedly realize Zhao Ciying had really come.

Seeing no surprise on Xu Chun's face, Zhao Ciying bent slightly at the waist, looking down at her, her tone smiling. “Aren't you surprised to see me?”

Surprised? Xu Chun's lashes fluttered. More like frightened.

She pursed her lips and couldn't help asking, “President Zhao, did you come here specifically to find me?”

“Naturally.” Zhao Ciying casually took the chair her assistant pushed over and sat down with an easy air, her elbow propped on the armrest, her index finger gently rubbing her own well-shaped lips. “That ex-girlfriend of yours... she's been making quite a scene with me lately, all because of you.”

She narrowed her eyes, her face revealing neither joy nor anger. “I'm very curious—how exactly did you make her so devoted to you, to the point of...” Zhao Ciying paused slightly. “Defying me, talking back to me, all for your sake.”

With that, Zhao Ciying lowered her hand, sat up straight, and leaned slightly forward. “This interests me greatly, so after much deliberation, I decided to come see you.”

She said it lightly, as if she were merely curious and had no other purpose or meaning.

But Xu Chun unconsciously tightened her grip on the script and distanced herself from Yu Sui'an. “I don't really understand either. She and I have long lost contact.” She smiled faintly. “Why don't you go back and observe her more? Perhaps you'll figure something out.”

She tried her utmost to dissociate herself from Yu Sui'an. Zhao Ciying watched her with a light smile for a long time, until Xu Chun was about to lose her composure; only then did Zhao Ciying let out an imperceptible sigh. “Must I spell it out so plainly—actually, Yu Sui'an is just an excuse. The real reason I came is that I missed you.”

Zhao Ciying seemed utterly unaware of how startling her words were; her brows relaxed and her expression softened considerably. “It's been so long since I've seen you. Every day feels like a year.”

He Qingli stopped dead in her tracks, the words “Sister Xu, President Qin is here” caught in her throat, hesitating over whether to say them.

But Xu Chun's peripheral vision caught a swaying figure not far away, and she instinctively turned to look. When she saw Qin Yao beside He Qingli, she nearly departed this beautiful world on the spot.

Why now, of all times?!

She had wanted Qin Yao to come see her, but not for her to show up at precisely this moment!

Qin Yao walked forward as if noticing nothing, and slowly sat down in the chair the perceptive assistant pushed over once again. Under the brilliant sunlight, the pupils of her deep eyes turned a very light shade, her irises bewitching yet dangerous enough that no one dared act rashly.

Qin Yao slowly turned her gaze, finally settling on Zhao Ciying. “Is President Zhao very free?”

Zhao Ciying gazed back at her quietly, a smile playing on her lips for a long while, before retorting without backing down, “Miss Xu and I are chatting amongst ourselves. Are we in President Qin's way?”

Xu Chun felt the temperature and pressure around her plummet instantly and wanted nothing more than to bolt on the spot.

But Qin Yao seemed determined to lock horns with Zhao Ciying today; her eyes didn't blink, and she parted her lips without hesitation. “Yes. Your presence is in my way.” “In every sense.”

In an instant, Zhao Ciying's languid, casual demeanor vanished. The sharp, dangerous aura around her seemed to materialize, nearly cutting Xu Chun where she sat.

The two had turned on each other without warning. Xu Chun's heart pounded with fear. “How about...” she ventured. “You two talk first, and I'll excuse myself?”

As soon as she spoke, the two who had been locked in a standoff simultaneously turned their heads. Zhao Ciying smiled faintly. “You want to leave?” “Don't even think about it.”

TL Note:

chuuni (中二) = internet slang for someone with grandiose, delusional teenage-fantasy vibes.

I'm dead (阿伟死了) = internet slang meaning overwhelmed by excitement or fandom.

androgynous (A) = translated from slang “A,” meaning cool, dominant, alpha-like energy.

hardcore fan (nc粉) = short for 脑残粉, an obsessive, diehard fan.