Acting Spoiled and Arrogant [Rebirth] - Chapter 2

Suddenly moving from the steamy bathroom to the living room and back again, the alternating heat and cold gave Zuo Xian goosebumps.

She shivered as she wrapped herself in a bathrobe. It took a while for her body to warm up again, but the shock of the cold air had at least cleared her head.

In her previous life, she had experienced many important days, but only a few truly defined her existence—days she would remember for a lifetime.

And December 27th… was a very important day.

Zuo Xian stayed in the bathroom a little longer, watching the blurry silhouette reflected on the frosted glass door, her lips pursed in deep thought.

—She really had been reborn.

Back to 2012. She was only nineteen, and everything was just beginning.

Zuo Xian couldn’t help but stroke her left wrist; it was smooth and unblemished, without a single trace of the jagged scars that once resided there.

In her past life, she eventually suffered from depression. Although it was considered “mild,” she had attempted suicide several times, only to be saved each time by her manager and assistant. During that period, she had kept everyone around her in a state of constant terror, afraid that the moment they took their eyes off her, something terrible would happen.

Zuo Xian looked at herself in the mirror.

Back then, she had struggled for two long years before debuting from an obscure idol group. She had been a print model and appeared in various music videos before finally transitioning to the screen. Ultimately, she shot to fame with the drama Empress of Great Xia. At just twenty-one, she had won the Best Actress crown and the Gold Award for Best Newcomer.

In the entertainment industry, that timeline might not seem long. But in a life that ended at twenty-eight, those two years felt like an eternity.

The things Lin Weiqi had done to her were still vivid in her mind. Whenever Zuo Xian thought of them, she felt as though her eyes and heart must have been blind—she couldn’t distinguish between a good person and a villain!

For Lin Weiqi’s sake, during the prime of her life at twenty-five, she had resolutely abandoned everything to work behind the scenes. She used her years of connections to pull strings, fight for resources, and even personally funded projects—and the result?!

In the end, she had witnessed it with her own eyes: the moment Lin Weiqi realized Zuo Xian no longer had any utility, she slept with others just to climb the social ladder!

Zuo Xian laughed, but tears distorted her reflection. The mirror fogged up again from the steam, obscuring her face once more.

Finally, Zuo Xian moved.

No matter what—she was back. Everything that was owed to her would be paid back in full!

She tidied herself up in front of the mirror, washed her face again, and turned her gaze toward the door. Even though it was closed, it felt as if she could see through the wood to the person sitting outside.

“Lu Xingxian…”

She breathed the name softly, as if savoring a piece of candy that was bitter on the outside but filled with honey on the inside.

Today was originally the day before she was supposed to ask Lu Xingxian for a divorce (break off the engagement). However, Lu Xingxian’s behavior today was vastly different from her previous life.

In her past life, Zuo Xian hadn’t impulsively rushed out of the bathroom, so she hadn’t seen Lu Xingxian sitting in the living room looking so restless.

Besides… how could Lu Xingxian not know the reason Zuo Xian had called her here today?

Zuo Xian wiped the mirror, looked at herself, and gave her reflection a small, encouraging smile. After psyching herself up, she finally stepped out of the bathroom.

Lu Xingxian was indeed still waiting for her in the living room.

Zuo Xian stood at the corner for a moment, taking in her surroundings. This apartment was a birthday gift from her parents when she turned eighteen. It was located near J University and right in the center of City B, making it convenient to go anywhere.

The interior design followed her tastes exactly; from the floorboards to the wallpaper, she had been involved in every choice alongside her parents. Because of this, under the glow of the warm yellow lights, the atmosphere felt quite peaceful.

—Provided, of course, that Lu Xingxian wasn’t sitting there so silently.

A wave of guilt suddenly surged in Zuo Xian’s heart. She intentionally made her slippers clack loudly against the floor as she ran to the bar to pour a cup of coffee. She then walked over to Lu Xingxian, holding the cup out eagerly.

“Axian,” Zuo Xian called out softly. She then gave a bright smile and handed over the cup. “Have some coffee.”

As Lu Xingxian took the handle, Zuo Xian couldn’t help but stare at her hands. Lu Xingxian had studied piano since childhood and was later hailed as a “National Treasure.” She often performed in major cultural events with the national orchestra, boasting her own solo programs and numerous medals. Consequently, her hands were breathtakingly beautiful.

How beautiful?

Zuo Xian stared dazed—to the point where if someone photographed Lu Xingxian’s hand holding that coffee cup right now, the picture would probably go viral across the internet by tomorrow.

Lu Xingxian took a small sip but didn’t drink much. She looked up at Zuo Xian sitting beside her and said, “It’s very good. Your mother asked me to check on you. I passed a supermarket on the way and brought you some things.”

As she spoke, Lu Xingxian pointed toward the door.

Zuo Xian had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder; everything in her house had to be unpacked and organized by her own hand—not even her mother was allowed to help. Because of this, every time Lu Xingxian brought something, she would leave it at the door and tell Zuo Xian what was there so she could put it away herself.

Lu Xingxian never helped unpack because she loved the look of pure joy on Zuo Xian’s face—like someone discovering hidden treasure—whenever she opened a package. Her favorite thing to do was buy gifts for Zuo Xian just to watch her reaction.

Hearing this, Zuo Xian looked toward the door, filled with curiosity. Her eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled. “Axian, thank you.”

After that, a long silence fell between them.

Lu Xingxian was naturally not a talkative person. Usually, when they were together, Zuo Xian was the one who kept the conversation going. But right now, Zuo Xian’s mind was a mess—after all, her memories of this time were over a decade old. She remembered the big events, but the small details were fuzzy.

Zuo Xian was worried that saying the wrong thing would lead to a blunder. Furthermore, given how sensitive this moment was, she was afraid of making Lu Xingxian sad.

“By the way,” Lu Xingxian finally broke the silence.

She gently set down the coffee cup. Her slender fingers unconsciously tapped the table twice. With her long lashes partially veiling her eyes, she looked at Zuo Xian and asked, “Xianxian, you contacted me earlier. Was there something you wanted to say?”

Zuo Xian’s eyes widened slightly, and she sat up straighter. She thought—Here it comes!

Although they were engaged, they had grown up together as childhood friends. They knew everything about each other. Lu Xingxian knew that Zuo Xian always took a sip of water after eating a peanut; Zuo Xian knew that Lu Xingxian always brewed a cup of coffee right after waking up.

So, for Lu Xingxian to show up with gifts and engage in polite, meaningless small talk… was incredibly strange.

The reason this day was so etched in Zuo Xian’s memory was because Lu Xingxian’s sudden appearance had caught her completely off guard. She hadn’t actually been ready to speak her mind yet, so in her past life, she had probably just stammered her way through it. It wasn’t until the next day that she had officially asked Lu Xingxian out to discuss breaking the engagement.

“Um…” Zuo Xian paused. She was thinking: Of all the times to be reborn, why did it have to be right now?

She hadn’t even prepared a script! How was she supposed to face Axian?

“It’s nothing…” Zuo Xian’s eyes darted around, not daring to meet Lu Xingxian’s gaze. She felt incredibly guilty.

Finally, her eyes landed on an advertisement flyer. Her mind lit up like a firework. “That, that, that… that thing! I heard Sister Chen mention that hand-modeling ads are easy to get lately, so I wanted to ask… do, do you want to do it?”

After speaking, Zuo Xian wanted to disappear. What on earth did I just say?

She covered her face in embarrassment, while Lu Xingxian froze for a moment.

Then, Lu Xingxian chuckled. She picked up the flyer, read it carefully from top to bottom, and then looked Zuo Xian over. “Well… for now, I’m not short on money.”

Fortunately, she didn’t press the matter of why Zuo Xian had called her over anymore.

Though the conversation was stupid, Zuo Xian breathed a sigh of relief. She forced the topic away and chatted with Lu Xingxian about other things.

As it grew late, Zuo Xian saw that it was about time and “shooed” the other woman away so she could plan her next move for the following day.

Breaking the engagement was out of the question. Not only would she stay engaged, she was going to cling to Lu Xingxian like her life depended on it. Like a piece of medicinal plaster that you can’t peel off!

Under Zuo Xian’s gaze, Lu Xingxian entered the elevator, only to step back out once the doors closed.

She stood in the shadows of the hallway, watching Zuo Xian’s door shut. When the last sliver of light from the apartment vanished, she leaned her shoulder against the wall, a hint of sadness finally surfacing in her eyes.

She went downstairs, the biting wind and snow helping her clear her head.

“Miss Lu, where to?”

Seeing Lu Xingxian walking into the snow alone—her umbrella nowhere to be found—the driver quickly got out of the car to usher her inside.

Lu Xingxian sat in the back, her expression indifferent as she looked out the window. Then, she lowered her eyelids to hide her thoughts. “Home,” she said simply.

The dim yellow light from the car’s ceiling shone down, but it felt nothing like the warmth of Zuo Xian’s home.

Lu Xingxian opened her eyes again and stared at the light. “Uncle Li, turn off the light.”

Li Hao complied. With a click, the interior of the car fell into darkness.

Lu Xingxian cracked the window open slightly. The freezing wind whipped against her face. Her tightly shut eyes grew moist, but she seemed not to feel a thing. A slow smile even spread across her face.

But the smile didn’t reach her eyes; it looked more like self-mockery and bitter irony.