Acting Spoiled and Arrogant [Rebirth] - Chapter 14

When Lu Xingxian “left,” it was still quite early.

Many people had witnessed her exit from the stage and her departure with the staff. Consequently, no one suspected that she was currently sitting in an inconspicuous small black car right at the press conference venue.

People were coming and going, and there was a constant flow of traffic near the parking lot. Although Lu Xingxian was wearing sunglasses and the car was parked in a corner, Zuo Xian—after her brief moment of mischief—decided it was safer to hop into the car.

It was just a common black sedan of that era, lacking modern luxuries like specialized air conditioning for the back, but it was still much warmer than the biting wind outside.

Zuo Xian blew on her hands and rubbed them together, thinking to herself that being young was truly wonderful. She didn’t feel like she did in her previous life, where a bit of cold would seep into her bones and leave her unable to warm up no matter what.

“Axian!” Zuo Xian watched as Lu Xingxian rolled up the window, then immediately pounced forward, throwing herself into Lu Xingxian’s arms. Raising her beaming face, she asked, “Why did you come here today?”

Lu Xingxian caught her with a smile. In a place Zuo Xian couldn’t see, her eyes were filled with an unhideable sense of contentment.

She waited until Zuo Xian finished before saying, “Yao Lan just asked me to make a guest appearance.”

Zuo Xian’s eyes crinkled as she looked at her. Her heart was as clear as a mirror, but she didn’t say a word.

Lu Xingxian chuckled, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Zuo Xian’s ear before helping her sit up. “I have something to tell you.”

Zuo Xian straightened up and asked with a grin, “What is it?”

“The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Day. Grandma misses you very much,” Lu Xingxian said slowly. She then furrowed her brows slightly, looking a bit troubled. “On New Year’s Day, do you have time to go back with me?”

In two days, it would be time for Zuo Xian to report to the Jun Lin set. As a newcomer stepping into a brand-new field for the first time, she would naturally be nervous.

Additionally, Zuo Xian’s situation was unique—she was a last-minute replacement who needed to build chemistry with the crew. Her role in the early stages was quite significant, requiring extra time to study the script and familiarize herself with props she had never handled before. Therefore, Lu Xingxian was actually quite worried that Zuo Xian wouldn’t be able to spare the time.

However, Zuo Xian agreed instantly, her voice crisp and clear. “Of course I’m going back! But will you help me pick out New Year’s gifts? There’s so much to prepare… Last time, Grandma was complaining about her legs feeling cold in the winter. We should buy her one of those massaging foot baths that promote circulation… and…”

As Zuo Xian continued listing things, she realized there was simply too much to prepare.

She suddenly felt a bit distressed—it was “the day after tomorrow,” but in reality, there were only three days left until the New Year! The crew was humane enough not to require filming on New Year’s Day, so they could wait until the day after to go to the set. But with so little time, how could they possibly buy so many gifts?

Lu Xingxian watched Zuo Xian lean against her lap, seriously counting on her fingers. The light in Lu Xingxian’s eyes flickered until she finally said, “You don’t need to prepare anything. All of those… I’ve already prepared them for you.”

Zuo Xian’s voice trailed off as she looked up sharply.

—In her previous life, she hadn’t gone to the Lu family on New Year’s Day at all.

Back then, after telling Lu Xingxian she wanted to break off the engagement, she had thrown herself into filming. She hadn’t even gone home. Instead, on New Year’s Eve, she had rushed to find Lin Weiqi to celebrate her birthday early, even giving her an incredibly expensive gift.

Comparing that to the present… Zuo Xian truly hated her past self so much her teeth ached. She had lived all those years; how could she have been so blind?

She looked at Lu Xingxian silently for a while, then suddenly buried her face in the curve of Lu Xingxian’s neck, murmuring, “Axian… you are so good.”

Lu Xingxian wrapped her arms around the girl’s slender waist, one hand gently stroking her lower back.

It wasn’t a matter of being “good”; everything she did was of her own free will. If she didn’t work hard to be a little better to her, how could she make Zuo Xian truly fall in love with her? And who asked her to love Zuo Xian this much?

Fortunately… it seemed her efforts were finally showing some results.

“By the way,” Zuo Xian said suddenly, “why haven’t you left yet? Didn’t you say you had things to do this afternoon?”

Lu Xingxian stiffened slightly, then hesitated for a moment before saying, “I thought… you were angry.”

Zuo Xian’s eyes widened. She thought back over the recent events and asked in confusion, “What would I be angry about?”

Lu Xingxian was silent for a moment, then said, “You were being bullied on set, but I didn’t step forward to clarify things for you immediately…”

So that’s what it was.

Before Lu Xingxian could finish, Zuo Xian interrupted her with a smile. “No matter how you look at it, it’s not your place to step in and clarify this for me, Axian.”

Feeling that her words sounded a bit improper—as if she were pushing Lu Xingxian away—Zuo Xian thought about it seriously and added, “Regarding that Sun Jiayi matter, I’ve already figured out a way to strike back. Sister Shuang has the lawyer’s letter ready. Mmh, it should be posted in a little while… Don’t worry, I’m not that easy to bully.”

Lu Xingxian looked at her quietly for a long time without speaking.

Zuo Xian squeezed Lu Xingxian’s hand and continued, “In this situation, the more you show your face, the easier it is for people to spin the narrative in a bad direction.”

Given Lu Xingxian’s status, even if she wanted to help, she absolutely could not personally get involved. Otherwise, tomorrow’s headlines would be: ‘Zuo Xian relies on her backer to unscrupulously bully a newcomer on set.’ That would make her future path very difficult.

Since Sun Jiayi technically had slightly more “seniority” than her, Zuo Xian’s counterattack—backed by nearly perfect evidence—would ensure she didn’t suffer any loss. She could even use the opportunity to gain public sympathy, give Jun Lin some free promotion, and establish her first proper image in the industry.

“Okay.” Lu Xingxian looked at Zuo Xian for a long while and slowly smiled. Then, she gently stroked Zuo Xian’s head and said, “Xianxian has grown up.”

Zuo Xian couldn’t help but blush. Technically, she was only nineteen.

In her previous life, if she had suffered a grievance like this, she definitely would have cried her eyes out.