After Punching Her Way Through The Entertainment Industry [Ancient-to-Modern] - Chapter 4

She looked at the horse.

She looked at her.

“Sister Qing, are you all right?!” Only then did Ye Wei run over and inspect Yan Qing from head to toe.

Yan Qing shot her a vicious glare.

You only remembered me now?!

“Which production are you with? Are you a newcomer? Would you be interested in joining my—”

“No.”

Before Yan Qing could finish speaking, Meng Shi interrupted her.

【Yan Qing: ???】

Meng Shi handed the reins to the prop handler who had hurried over and watched reluctantly as he led the horse away.

She let her hands fall to her sides and felt her trouser pockets.

Her phone was gone!

Meng Shi lowered her head and saw that, by sheer coincidence, it had fallen directly in front of Yan Qing.

Before Meng Shi could move, Yan Qing bent down, picked it up, and even pressed the button to light up the screen!

【Meng Shi: …】

Seeing herself displayed on the screen, Yan Qing’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she could not help feeling rather pleased.

She handed the phone back to Meng Shi.

“I’m Yan Qing.”

“Oh.”

Meng Shi took the phone and examined it. The fall had been severe, and the screen was now almost completely shattered.

She was too busy lamenting the damage to notice that Yan Qing’s face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

【Yan Qing: “Oh”? “Oh”?! What is that supposed to mean? Her phone screen is clearly covered with my face, yet she’s pretending not to know me! Is she playing hard to get?!】

Meng Shi fiddled with the phone as she walked away, completely forgetting that Yan Qing was still staring intensely at her.

【Yan Qing: She… She!】

Yan Qing was watching Meng Shi’s retreating figure when her phone suddenly rang.

She opened it and saw a notification from Weibo.

#Mysterious Girl Leaps onto Runaway Horse!#

No, that was not the important part…

#Shocking! Director Yan Extends an Olive Branch, Only to Be Cruelly Rejected!#

【Yan Qing: Cruelly rejected…】

“Ye Wei.”

Yan Qing raised an eyebrow.

Ye Wei hurriedly nodded, understanding instantly.

…

On the bus, Meng Shi gripped her phone, unable to calm herself for a long time.

Whenever she closed her eyes, even slightly, that figure appeared in her mind.

She had changed.

She was completely different from before.

She had become mature and capable, calm and resolute. She was no longer the cautious woman who avoided people’s eyes and nestled against Meng Shi like a cat.

The more Meng Shi thought about it, the more irritated she became.

She truly did not want to remember that woman anymore.

After getting off the bus, Meng Shi did not return home. Instead, she remained seated at the bus stop until nightfall.

The early summer night breeze still carried a chill, but it was enough to clear her head.

In the past, she had spent years stationed at the border, guarding an endless wilderness.

Now, in this city filled with towering buildings, constant traffic, brilliant lights, and bustling nightlife, she could not help becoming somewhat intoxicated by the view.

She had intended to stay a little longer, but her phone kept ringing.

Every time the screen lit up, Yan Qing’s face appeared…

“What?”

Meng Shi answered the call.

“Meng Shi! Where have you run off to again? Do you know what time it is? Why are you still wandering around outside? You’re already this old—can’t you stop making everyone worry about you? Hurry up and—”

Meng Jiu’s roar came from the other end of the phone.

“I’m coming back now.”

Meng Shi answered briefly and ended the call.

This Ninth Imperial Sister was even more annoying than the one from her previous life.

At least the previous one, regardless of whether her concern had been sincere or false, had never glared at her or shouted at her.

Meng Shi stood up.

After taking only two steps, she sensed that something was wrong.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she continued walking as though nothing had happened.

She did not head directly home.

After passing her residential complex, she turned a corner, crossed the road, and entered a narrow alley.

She stopped within the shadow of another corner.

Soon, two shifty-looking men also entered the alley.

They did not realize that Meng Shi was standing near the entrance and looked around in confusion.

“Where did she go?”

“You’ve been following me. Is there something you want?”

Meng Shi blocked the alley and examined the two men.

“No, nothing! Who was following you? We just… happened to be going the same way.”

One man’s eyes darted around.

The two exchanged glances, walked around Meng Shi, and hurried away.

Meng Shi was puzzled.

Why had someone suddenly started following her for no reason?

Believing the matter settled, she prepared to return home.

Unexpectedly, those two fools with a death wish followed her again!

They refused the toast only to drink the penalty wine.

Meng Shi’s expression darkened.

She turned around and walked directly toward them.

…

At home, Xie Ping had intended to wait for Meng Shi before eating dinner.

However, they waited and waited, and she still did not return.

Hadn’t she said half an hour ago that she was almost home?

“Mom, you should eat first. Stop waiting for her.”

“Let’s wait a little longer. Just a little longer.”

“Did she go to the film city again?”

“Huh? I don’t know. Perhaps she went to a friend’s house…”

Meng Jiu curled her lips.

“You two might as well wear the same pair of trousers! You’re working together to fool me.”

As she spoke, her phone rang.

She picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Hello. Are you Meng Shi’s guardian?”

A strange man’s voice came through the phone.

Meng Jiu’s heart dropped.

She glanced at Xie Ping, stood up, and returned to her room.

“I am. What happened to her?” she asked urgently.

“Please come to the police station if it’s convenient.”

???

The police station?!

“Mom, eat first. I need to go out for a while. I’ll be back soon.”

Meng Jiu hurried out the door.

…

Meng Jiu took a taxi and rushed to the police station.

As soon as she pushed open the door, she spotted Meng Shi sitting in a corner.

“Ah Shi?”

Meng Jiu hurried over, crouched in front of her, grabbed her arms, and inspected her from head to toe.

“What happened? Why would you suddenly get into a fight with someone? Are you hurt anywhere? Hurry and tell your sister!”

Her voice was filled with anxiety.

Looking at Meng Jiu, who had suddenly appeared, and hearing her concerned questions, Meng Shi felt warmth spread through her heart.

She smiled faintly.

After a long pause, she answered, “I’m fine.”

Hearing this, Meng Jiu sighed in relief.

However, she immediately turned her hand and viciously pinched Meng Shi’s waist.

“You’ve even learned how to fight now? You’re already an adult—can’t you handle things rationally like one? What happened that made it absolutely necessary to use violence?”

She scolded her sternly.

【Meng Shi: Hiss… This woman truly is fickle. I must not allow myself to be deceived by her.】

“Are you Meng Shi’s guardian?”

“Hello, Officer. I’m sorry for causing you trouble. I’m Meng Shi’s older sister. What exactly did Ah Shi do?”

The police officer waved his hand.

“Her case could reluctantly be considered excessive self-defense. According to her, someone was following her. She warned them, but when that failed, she beat them up.”

“…What? She attacked them first? Officer, could there be a mistake? My younger sister has never liked causing trouble. Besides, with her small build, who could she possibly beat?”

“Uh… You may not understand her as well as you think…”

The police officer did not know whether to laugh or cry.

【Meng Jiu: I watched my sister grow up. How could I not know what she’s capable of?】

“Where are the people she injured?”

“They’re at the hospital. They’ve already regained consciousness and told us that the whole thing was merely a misunderstanding. They don’t intend to hold her responsible.”

Meng Jiu became even more confused.

How badly had Meng Shi beaten them for them to end up in the hospital?!

She turned and looked at Meng Shi twice.

That girl wore an expression as though none of this had anything to do with her.

“All right. Pay the fine and take her home. Make sure to discipline her properly. Tell her not to resort to her fists all the time. That’s far too extreme.”

…

Inside the car, Meng Shi closed her eyes to rest, but she was secretly thinking.

She could tell that the original owner of this body had exercised regularly.

However, compared with Meng Shi’s previous body, it was still far too weak.

She had clearly felt her strength failing while stopping the horse earlier. Otherwise, it would not have required so much effort.

Beginning tomorrow, she would have to train this body properly.

After entering the residential complex, Meng Shi followed behind Meng Jiu toward their home.

“Don’t tell her about this,” Meng Shi said.

Meng Jiu raised an eyebrow.

“So you do know that Mom will worry about you?”

“What I want to know is, who taught you how to fight?”

Meng Jiu’s expression was unfriendly. She had held the question back during the entire journey and finally asked it.

“You wouldn’t know them even if I told you.”

Seeing Meng Jiu staring directly at her, Meng Shi shrugged.

“Lian Xiu, He Duo, Fu Min, and Wen Yan.”

【Meng Jiu: …Who are these people??】

Seeing Meng Jiu’s completely bewildered expression as she forced herself to pretend she knew who they were, Meng Shi pursed her lips and smiled.

She took out her key and opened the door.

As soon as it opened, Xie Ping came forward to greet them.

When she saw both daughters, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“Shi, you weren’t hurt, were you? I saw on the news that something happened at Xiyuan Film and Television City today. Something about a runaway horse. I heard someone was even injured. You didn’t encounter it, did you?”

“The horse wasn’t frightened, and no one was injured.”

“Huh?”

“I wasn’t hurt. Don’t worry.”

…

That night, Meng Shi lay in bed and quickly fell asleep without a care in the world.

Meng Jiu, however, suffered from insomnia.

She thought about Meng Shi’s many strange behaviors over the past few days, as well as the police officer’s comment that she might not understand her younger sister very well.

Hmm.

That was true.

Ever since Ah Shi had withdrawn from school, Meng Jiu had mostly ignored her and rarely interfered in her affairs.

Furthermore, their mother constantly indulged and protected her.

Today, she had already landed herself in the police station.

Wouldn’t she do something even more outrageous tomorrow?

No, no.

Meng Jiu would have to keep a much closer eye on her from now on.

At the same time, there was another person who could not sleep…

At Xiyuan Residence, inside Yan Qing’s villa.

Yan Qing had just finished showering, and moisture still clung to her body.

She had casually put on a bathrobe, leaving it half open and fully displaying her impressive figure.

At that moment, she was reclining sideways on the sofa and scrolling through Weibo…

There were many replies beneath the post about the mysterious girl stopping the runaway horse.

Many people questioned whether the incident was real, while others speculated about the girl’s identity.

Yan Qing was attempting to find useful information among the comments.

The doorbell suddenly rang.

Yan Qing stood and opened the door.

For Ye Wei to visit her this late, it had to be something important.

“What happened?”

“I found the young girl you were interested in. However, my people sacrificed half their lives, and all they managed to learn was her name…”

Ye Wei smiled bitterly, looking as though she had suffered a tremendous loss.

“Oh?”

Yan Qing’s interest was immediately piqued.

“Her name is Meng Shi. She’s a newcomer who loves acting and has worked as an extra in several productions. Her information was among the materials the casting director submitted last time.”

“She had originally been invited to audition for the younger Fang Ling. However, because of the investor… the casting director rejected her.”

“Oh, and I’ve already fired that director.”

Ye Wei hurriedly explained and handed Meng Shi’s file to her.

Yan Qing raised an eyebrow, appearing slightly angry.

“Such a promising newcomer was simply thrown away. Is that something a human being should do?”

Ye Wei did not dare answer.

Yan Qing flipped through Meng Shi’s information.

Under the personality section, it said:

Optimistic, cheerful, and loves to smile.

Lies.

“Do you know where she lives?”

Whenever Yan Qing encountered a promising talent, she refused to let go.

More importantly, the Weibo post about her olive branch being cruelly rejected had already received eight hundred thousand likes…

She needed to recover her dignity!

Ye Wei shook her head.

“It was while trying to find her home that I lost two subordinates. They’re still in the hospital.”

Her expression was filled with pain.

Yan Qing was slightly startled.

“What did you people do to her?”

【Ye Wei: …Boss, how exactly did you interpret that?】

“She… beat my people into the hospital…”

Ye Wei looked deeply wronged.

Yan Qing frowned and stared at her as though Ye Wei were trying to make her laugh.

Ye Wei took out her phone and found the photographs.

“Look. Two strong young men, both around 180 centimeters tall. One had his two front teeth knocked out. The other lost two molars.”

“Apparently, each of them was knocked unconscious on the spot with a single punch.”

Seeing the bloodstained teeth in the photographs, Yan Qing’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

【Yan Qing: ╭(°A°`)╮ Is that true? Her skills are that good? Not bad. This gives her an even wider range of roles.】

“Boss, does this count as a workplace injury? Those two are still waiting for their medical expenses.”

“Hello… Boss… You’re going to sleep already? What about their medical bills… Aren’t you reimbursing them?”

【Ye Wei: TAT… The boss is oppressing the working class again…】

Author’s Note:

Yan Qing: Mm~ This little thing has successfully caught this queen’s attention!

Meng Shi: Heh.

Ye Wei: Boss, the medical expenses!!!