Acting Spoiled and Arrogant [Rebirth] - Chapter 15

Watching Lu Xingxian’s car drive away, Zuo Xian turned her gaze back to her own pitiful little “bread loaf” van. Even though the van didn’t belong to her, the glaring, medium-sized dent on the front was a clear testament to what had just occurred.

By the time a shivering Chen Shuang walked over, Zuo Xian was still staring at the front of the car in a daze.

Where did Lu Xingxian learn this move?

Mmh, it wasn’t very practical—expensive and prone to attracting onlookers.

Chen Shuang walked up, sighing with a long face. “I won’t be able to avoid a scolding from the boss when we get back…”

Zuo Xian shrunk her neck and let out a dry cough. “You won’t get scolded, Sister Shuang. Just tell them Miss Lu hit the car. Add a little oil and vinegar to the story… Oh, and let’s take a detour to the Third Hospital. That silly girl Zeng Xiaoyu is still waiting for her check-up results.”

Chen Shuang sighed as she got into the car, not asking much about the Lu Xingxian situation. Recalling the driver’s expression earlier, she felt a wave of sympathy. How tragic—that man had just experienced the most unbelievable moment of his driving career completely caught off guard.

Just as she was about to start the engine, someone knocked on Zuo Xian’s window.

Zuo Xian looked back and recognized the face—it was the girl who had stood in front of Sun Jiayi during the audition, shouting that Zuo Xian was a bully. Recalling what she had said that afternoon, Zuo Xian tilted her head slightly and lowered the window a crack, asking knowingly, “Is something the matter?”

The girl stood by the window. Her manager was watching from a distance with an anxious expression but didn’t dare approach.

Zuo Xian understood the situation perfectly. The world of managers was different from that of artists; while actors spent their time on sets, managers were always the first to catch wind of shifting tides. This girl’s manager had clearly just found out what she’d done and realized that Zuo Xian held key evidence. They were trying to get her to apologize before things became irreversible.

Consequently, the perpetrator standing here looked like she was the one being victimized.

“Zuo Xian, you said earlier that if I came to apologize after the press conference… you would let bygones be bygones?” The newcomer’s expression was grim, forcing out every word through gritted teeth.

In the front seat, Chen Shuang didn’t know about the dressing room incident. She frowned but didn’t interject, listening quietly.

Zuo Xian looked at her and slowly shook her head, saying with a half-smile, “Did you remember incorrectly, or did I misspeak?”

The girl’s face stiffened.

Zuo Xian caught a glimpse of the name tag on her chest in the dark of the night, then shifted her gaze away indifferently. “I only said it would be best if you apologized before the press conference. I never said the words ‘let bygones be bygones’.”

Qi Jing’s expression turned ugly. She gritted her teeth. “Don’t go too far just because you have that video…!”

“Am I going too far?” Zuo Xian blinked, scanning the name tag again.

“Miss Qi, everything must have a limit,” Zuo Xian said slowly. “When you were shielding Sun Jiayi at the audition, I kept you in mind, thinking you were just too naive and that your future path would be difficult. But look at you—hiding needles in someone’s gift, and only ‘deigning’ to apologize after your manager urged you… What makes you think you can just toss out an apology and expect me to forgive you?”

Qi Jing’s face turned pale, and she opened her mouth to defend herself.

Zuo Xian stopped looking at her and leaned back into her seat. Her final words served as a wake-up call to this young rookie: “We are adults; we must pay the price for our actions. You should pray that my assistant’s medical report comes back clear. Next time you try to harm someone, think about whether your… ‘partner’ will tamper with your work behind your back, and whether she will throw you under the bus just to save herself.”

Ignoring the white-faced Qi Jing, Zuo Xian rolled up the window and shifted to another seat. “Sister Shuang, to the hospital.”

Chen Shuang started the car in silence. Watching the traffic lights, she eventually asked, “What happened this afternoon?”

A manager’s greatest fear is something going wrong with their artist where they can’t see it—whether it’s caused by others or a personal mistake. They can’t be together twenty-four hours a day. She had pieced together a bit from the conversation but wanted to hear it clearly from Zuo Xian.

Zuo Xian briefly summarized the afternoon’s events. After hearing it, Chen Shuang couldn’t help but sigh. “These young girls nowadays…”

“The male actors can be even scarier than the girls sometimes,” Zuo Xian shrugged.

Actually, trouble most often brewed among extras and small supporting roles. In contrast, stars who had reached a certain status and only needed their work to prove themselves—or those who brought their own massive traffic—actually tended to get along quite well. Even if there was romantic history between them, they would maintain a basic level of friendliness on the surface. To put it bluntly: once you’re famous, you have a reputation to protect.

Chen Shuang sighed in agreement. “Give me that video later; I’ll make a backup…”

She was interrupted before she could finish. Zuo Xian was half-lying in the back, focused on her phone. She said nonchalantly, “I don’t actually have a video. I just said that to bluff them this afternoon.”

When she said it, she almost believed it herself. In her previous life, she was used to keeping a portable camera in her trunk—not to guard against anything specific, but as a habit built over the years. But in this life, she was just starting out; she hadn’t had the time to set up such gadgets.

Chen Shuang glanced back in disbelief during a red light. Seeing Zuo Xian’s calm expression, she turned back, dazed. She felt that Zuo Xian would surely reach a height in the future that neither of them could currently fathom.

Zeng Xiaoyu was ultimately fine, but since Zuo Xian had no schedule and was just heading home to visit relatives, she gave the assistant a three-day holiday.

Zeng Xiaoyu, who was “put on leave” after only two days of work, was terrified. She thought she had made a bad impression. Panic-stricken, she hung around Chen Shuang every day, trying to subtly fish for Zuo Xian’s preferences. She’d learned her lesson—celebrities’ “official” likes were curated, so she had to find out the truth without letting outsiders know, lest they use it to hurt Zuo Xian!

All of this was witnessed by Chen Shuang. When Chen Shuang mentioned it to Zuo Xian, Zuo Xian was already in the car heading to Lu Xingxian’s home.

It was New Year’s Day, and the relationship between the two families was extraordinary. Since Grandma Lu was elderly, it was tradition for the Zuos to visit the Lus. Occasionally, Grandma Lu would visit the Zuos with Lu Xingxian as well.

Lu Xingxian had brought the gifts to Zuo Xian’s place the night before. Zuo Xian checked them before leaving to ensure nothing was missing, then leaned out the window with a grin, chatting idly with Chen Shuang on the phone.

The moment the gates of the Lu residence came into view, Zuo Xian’s eyes lit up. With a click, she hung up on Chen Shuang and urged her parents to drive into the courtyard. Regardless of who could see her, she waved happily through the glass.

The abruptly hung-up Chen Shuang: “…???”

“This child…” Zuo’s mother, sitting in the passenger seat, unbuckled her seatbelt. Seeing Zuo Xian dash off like a mischievous monkey, she exchanged a knowing smile with Zuo’s father. Her heart felt much more at ease.

Zuo Xian charged straight toward Lu Ninghuai, not even stopping for Lu Xingxian first. She knew that after marriage, she wasn’t just facing Lu Xingxian, but an entire family; she had to show extra care to the other members.

“Grandma!” Zuo Xian gave a careful hug to Lu Ninghuai—who still looked quite young—and called out in a crisp voice.

Lu Ninghuai was a woman powerful enough to be described as “swift and decisive.” In her early years, she had fought many siblings for the family estate, essentially seizing the Lu family through her iron-fisted tactics. Later, she maintained the family’s reputation as a century-old musical dynasty, cultivating Lu Xingxian into a national treasure artist and seeing her only granddaughter become a “Best Actress” at the age of thirteen. At that time, the Lu family’s prestige was unparalleled.

Now, Lu Ninghuai had moved behind the scenes. As she aged, she found joy in tending plants and flowers, handing the family business over to her children. She kept a few cats and would occasionally wander through the company or go shopping with her friends. Perhaps because she had experienced too much, she preferred children who focused on what they loved rather than palace-style scheming.

She had watched Zuo Xian grow up, so she doted on her even more.

“Oh…!” Lu Ninghuai smiled and pulled Zuo Xian into her arms, enjoying the feeling of the girl leaning against her.

Zuo Xian eventually pulled away and gave a playful, polite greeting to Lu Xingxian: “Sister Xingxian.”

The address was formal and a bit distant. Lu Xingxian’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden change, but when she saw Zuo Xian sneakily make a face at her, she understood.

“Mmh,” Lu Xingxian replied coolly. She stepped forward to take the gifts from Zuo Xian’s parents. She glanced at the bags and smiled—they were much heavier than the ones she had prepared, and there really was a massaging foot bath inside. Zuo Xian had clearly prepared many things personally.

Seeing the two children interact with no “extra” chemistry, the parents looked at each other in confusion.

What is going on?

Grandma Lu looked at Lu Xingxian, her grip on Zuo Xian’s hand tightening. Could it be that Axian can’t catch her? Is she going to let Zuo Xian get away?

Author’s Note:

Grandma Lu: No, Zuo Xian is already at the door, she can’t fly away. I have to think of something.

Stupid Author: Doge face. She can’t fly away! She’s yours, she’s yours!