The Male Lead's Sister Reborn (GL) - Chapter 22

The vacation felt too short because it was so enjoyable. After only a few days, Jiang Qian and Shen Xiruo returned to City A together.

At the City A airport, Jiang Qian, wearing sunglasses and a mask, walked through the regular passenger channel. After all, she was only an ordinary celebrity right now with few fans, so there was no need for special arrangements.

But they hadn’t walked far when Jiang Qian heard screaming nearby, and a crowd was gathered in an open space, holding colorful banners.

Jiang Qian muttered to herself, “Oh my, am I getting famous this fast?”

Shen Xiruo reached out and stopped her: “Let’s walk slowly.”

Jiang Qian smiled brightly at Shen Xiruo and nodded: “I know, big stars have to walk slowly. Watch my superstar model walk~” She happily strode forward, chest out, walking ahead.

Shen Xiruo, however, showed an expression of exasperation, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into her embrace: “Look closely, those are all Su Xiangxue’s fans!”

Just then, a silver-bell-like laugh sounded from behind them.

Jiang Qian jolted all over and shivered. This laugh was so overly sweet and syrupy. She had only heard it once but remembered it. No one but a woman like Su Xiangxue could produce such a laugh.

“Jiang Qian? What a coincidence, our flights arrived together. What fate.” Su Xiangxue’s voice came from behind Jiang Qian’s head.

Jiang Qian turned back stiffly to look at her, seeing Su Xiangxue dressed in expensive jewelry, walking with a sway. She reached out to pat Jiang Qian’s shoulder.

Nearby, a number of fans, in their excitement, also noticed the two beautiful women, Jiang Qian and Shen Xiruo. They found them somewhat familiar and started exchanging comments: “Ah, who are they? Are they Xiangxue’s friends? They look like celebrities too.”

“Why do they look so familiar? I think I saw them in some news before…”

“Oh right, you know Shen Xizhou? This woman seems to be Shen Xizhou’s new flame.”

“But isn’t that jerk Shen Xizhou rumored to be with our Xuexue… How can he be two-timing!”

Su Xiangxue had indeed been rumored to be with Shen Xizhou recently, which Su Xiangxue herself orchestrated. She wanted to use the rumors to gauge public reaction and slowly lay the groundwork for her eventual marriage into the Shen family.

The fans’ attitude, however, was a bit intense. Su Xiangxue’s fans despised Shen Xizhou for womanizing, while Shen Xizhou’s fans despised Su Xiangxue for being past her prime. In any case, the fiercer the debate, the higher Su Xiangxue’s visibility, so she was satisfied in all aspects.

However, when another rumored object of Shen Xizhou’s affection appeared before the fans, Su Xiangxue’s fans became fiercely protective again, looking at Jiang Qian as if she were a homewrecker.

Right? We criticize Shen Xizhou, that’s like a mother-in-law criticizing a son-in-law, but if you’re rumored with Shen Xizhou, aren’t you the homewrecker! Shen Xizhou’s jerk status aside, since he wasn’t here, this homewrecker was!

Once many fans figured out this connection, they started glaring at Jiang Qian. Some even shouted at her: “You’re not suitable for Shen Xizhou! Stop clinging to him!”

“Shen Xizhou belongs to our Xuexue, don’t touch him!”

“Our Xuexue and Zhouzhou are doing well. We hope that as her ‘sister,’ you won’t touch her man!”

Su Xiangxue was very pleased to hear her fans being so supportive. She even waved at them, giving them an encouraging smile.

Jiang Qian nearly exploded with anger and wanted to jump up and smash those people’s heads.

She shook off Su Xiangxue, who was clutching her arm, and directly sneered at Su Xiangxue: “Heh, Miss Su, what Shen Xizhou does has nothing to do with me? Why would I be rumored with a scumbag like Shen Xizhou, whose brain has been flushed down the sewer? Please control your fans, and don’t come here spreading these filthy rumors without any basis! Oh, I forgot, Miss Su probably has a mind full of filthy thoughts herself, so the fans are just like their main star!”

After saying this, she glared fiercely at Su Xiangxue, turned, and pulled her suitcase away.

The stunned fans nearby: “…?”

Who had ever seen a celebrity swear like this at an airport? Were they wrong? Was this person not that Jiang Qian, not a celebrity but just an ordinary person?

Su Xiangxue’s face turned to a furious, liver-like purple color. She stared at Jiang Qian’s retreating back, wanting to say something but had no words.

Jiang Qian strode confidently through the long corridor. The fans on both sides were completely silent, feeling that her expression suggested she was about to hit someone in the next second.

A fan who was out of the loop whispered, “Aren’t they sisters?”

Jiang Qian stopped in her tracks, suddenly turned back, and walked toward that fan.

She smiled quietly, saying to the fan, “Sisters? I don’t know her at all. I don’t know why she’s rushing to befriend me, but I don’t want to be her friend, thank you. Your main star has absolutely no relation to me.”

The fans were dumbfounded: “…”

Watching Jiang Qian walk out of the long corridor, Su Xiangxue finally adjusted her reddened, embarrassed face back to normal.

She glanced at Shen Xiruo, who was also preparing to walk forward and was completely ignoring her, and couldn’t help but say, “She has such a bad temper. What exactly do you see in her that makes you protect her so much?”

Even Su Xiangxue could tell that Jiang Qian had gone on vacation with Shen Xiruo—it was very obvious.

Su Xiangxue truly didn’t understand. How could Jiang Qian have hooked up with someone of Shen Xiruo’s caliber? She was cool, aloof, and exceptionally capable—the most capable person in the Shen family’s current generation, even stronger than Shen Xizhou, who was set to inherit the family business. Even Shen Xizhou sometimes had to follow Shen Xiruo’s lead.

If such a Shen Xiruo were to sponsor an actress, it should be someone of her, Su Xiangxue’s, A-list status! Why would she sponsor a rookie college graduate?

Shen Xiruo lifted her thin eyelids, gave her a fleeting glance, and asked, “Do you still remember the matter with your best friend, Li Zheng?”

Su Xiangxue’s breath hitched.

She certainly remembered Li Zheng. Now, Li Zheng was blacklisted by the entire entertainment industry and could only work as a streamer on small platforms, singing, dancing, and dressing revealingly—a world of difference from the glamorous, rising star she once was.

Li Zheng said that everything that happened to her was done by Shen Xiruo, and it all stemmed from Jiang Qian…

Shen Xiruo said coldly, “You will also meet the same fate as her.”

After saying this, Shen Xiruo turned and walked away.

Su Xiangxue stood rooted to the spot, feeling a chill run through her.

Shen Xiruo never lied. If she said so, she would definitely do it.

No! I don’t want to become a female streamer!

Su Xiangxue’s fans saw both women walk past and thought the incident was over. They started talking to Su Xiangxue: “Xuexue, you worked hard today! Xuexue, you’re so beautiful, can we have an autograph?”

Su Xiangxue’s face was extremely ugly. She forced herself to suppress her internal meltdown but couldn’t fake a smile. She rushed off without signing autographs, leaving the fans bewildered.

Outside the airport, the encounter had ruined Jiang Qian’s happiness about returning home.

Fortunately, she hadn’t held back. She vented her anger on the spot, which was good for her health.

More important than her reputation as a celebrity, Jiang Qian felt her own well-being was paramount. When she needed to curse someone, she had to curse them viciously—that was her temper.

Shen Xiruo sat beside her, holding her hand, gently stroking the back of her hand with her cool fingertips.

The action, slow and gentle, gradually calmed Jiang Qian down.

Jiang Qian thought for a moment and said to Shen Xiruo, “I think I need to deal with this Shen Xizhou issue as quickly as possible. Can you help me?”

Shen Xiruo’s eyes were serene. She continued to stroke her hand: “Mm?”

Jiang Qian: “You must have some of the information I need. Can you provide it to me as well?”

Shen Xiruo: “Are you referring to his past…”

Jiang Qian nodded.

Shen Xiruo smiled and nodded in agreement.

The incident at the airport today had already spread like wildfire online. Many fans and curious onlookers came to watch.

Many onlookers, after analyzing the airport incident, reached a conclusion: “Jiang Qian shouldn’t be lying. Look at her micro-expressions and body language; she was clearly very angry and furious. It’s difficult for people to fabricate lies at such a time. I don’t think Jiang Qian has any relationship with Shen Xizhou! And she doesn’t know this Su Xiangxue either!”

“Look at how Jiang Qian dodged when Su Xiangxue tried to hug her. It must be a one-sided attempt by Su Xiangxue!”

“So, adding in the previous ‘pinning against the wall’ photo, it’s clear that Shen Xizhou has been harassing Jiang Qian! No wonder Jiang Qian was so mad.”

“No matter what, as an actress, she should still watch her words and actions. It’s not good to argue with fans in public, is it?”

“So what if she’s an actress? Actresses aren’t human! If she’s angry, she argues. I quite like this Jiang Qian’s personality!”

“Yes, as a girl, I really like her gutsy personality. I’m following her!”

Li Hong was an agent who didn’t pay much attention to public opinion management. She only spoke a few words with Jiang Qian, understood the general situation, and then said no more, so Jiang Qian didn’t pay much attention either.

She naturally followed Shen Xiruo back to Shen Xiruo’s apartment and only then realized: “Ah, why did I come back here? I originally wanted to go back to the dorm.”

“Isn’t this home?”

“…But we’re taking graduation photos soon, so I need to go back to the dorm to pack my stuff. I’ll go back tomorrow.”

“Mm, I happen to have errands nearby as well. Let’s have lunch together.”

“Sounds good. I’m craving lamb chops…”

Jiang Qian and Shen Xiruo spoke very naturally now. After all, they had traveled together, and the common saying is to send two people on a solo trip to test their relationship and see if they are compatible.

Some best friends or couples constantly bicker during the trip and break up with a big fight upon returning.

Jiang Qian and Shen Xiruo were the opposite. During this trip, they grew closer, learned each other’s small habits and preferences, and spent their leisure time and meals together in great harmony.

While talking with Shen Xiruo, Jiang Qian was tidying up her belongings, but her mind was still preoccupied with the things Shen Xiruo had said during their vacation.

That really didn’t sound like Shen Xiruo’s usual calm and reserved style.

It made her heart pound. She had been trying to find a chance to ask about it, and now was the perfect opportunity, wasn’t it?

She put down what she was doing, turned to look at Shen Xiruo, who was working on her tablet, and stared at the back of Shen Xiruo’s head with a complicated expression. She quietly said, “Um… I don’t quite understand what you said in that foreigner’s interview the other day…”

Shen Xiruo stopped her work and turned around: “Mm?”

Jiang Qian: “I mean, when you said ‘not yet a couple,’ what did that mean?”

Shen Xiruo smiled slightly: “The literal meaning.”

Jiang Qian: “…Are you saying there’s a possibility in the future?”

Shen Xiruo’s smile widened: “You have a vivid imagination.”

Jiang Qian’s face flushed. She turned away hesitantly: “It’s just that I have a slightly more active imagination.”

Having braced herself mentally, she said to Shen Xiruo: “That time we met was truly just an accident. But there’s something I need to tell you. Um, actually, I, I, I, I’m gay.”

Shen Xiruo slowly pressed her lips together, her eyes narrowed, her gaze deep and sharp.

After a long pause, she said in a stiff voice, “Are you… really Jiang Qian?”