This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 2

【A collection of #XiaTianqing’s classic films; let’s revisit them together.】

【Photos from the 2013 filming set of #XiaTianqing’s “Sorry, I Love You” in Hengdian leaked…】

【April Fool’s Day 2013, the day that broke fans’ hearts. The news of #XiaTianqing’s death has been confirmed by her studio. It’s actually true! [Horror.jpg]】

…

Xia Qingye flipped through the headlines briefly before typing “Xia Tianqing Death” into the search bar. Soon, she found the report she cared about most.

【Xia Tianqing’s close friend, Zhong Ruanqin, reveals the truth behind Xia Tianqing’s death.】

【Tianqing Studio confirms Xia Tianqing’s passing.】

…

The reports claimed that on April Fool’s Day, Xia Tianqing was alone in her villa. While heading downstairs, she accidentally tumbled down the staircase. Due to excessive blood loss and having no one by her side, she missed the window for emergency rescue. By the time she was discovered, she was already dead.

Her manager also confirmed that after finishing a commercial shoot that day, Tianqing had driven herself home. The manager didn’t discover her until the following morning. The death certificate issued by the doctor stated that the fall had caused multiple fractures, but the fatal blow was to the back of her head, leading to massive blood loss.

The phone slammed against the door, the screen shattering into a spray of glass across the floor. Xia Qingye’s face was deathly pale, her entire body trembling. She had thought she simply had bad luck and couldn’t be saved in time.

She never expected that her death wasn’t an accident—but that that person had watched her fall, watched her struggle in a pool of blood, and chose to do nothing!

At that moment, Xia Qingye’s heart felt as though it had plummeted into the deepest depths of a glacier. A biting chill seeped into her very soul.

Xia Yanbo was about to call his sister for dinner. After knocking several times with no response, he pushed the door open in a panic, only to see the broken phone behind the door and his sister curled into a ball on the bed, looking utterly heartbreaking.

“Qingye, what’s wrong?”

“Brother.”

Xia Qingye lifted her tear-stained face. Her eyes were swollen like a little rabbit’s, and her voice was painfully raspy. She grabbed Xia Yanbo’s sleeve, looking pitiful and aggrieved. “Brother, I feel so useless. Is someone like me really not worth loving?”

Xia Yanbo gently wiped away the falling tears. “How could that be? My sister is innocent, cute, and has a great personality. How could no one love you? Qingye, did someone bully you? Tell me, I’ll take care of it for you.”

Xia Qingye shook her head repeatedly, doing nothing but crying. Once she had cried her fill, she leaned against Xia Yanbo’s shoulder, sobbing rhythmically. Eventually, exhausted and soothed by his fatherly comforting, she drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, the first thing she saw was the puzzle of that “starlet” on the ceiling. The original Xia Qingye really loved that girl. She stood up and pulled back the curtains, letting the harsh sunlight flood the room. Walking barefoot onto the balcony, the scorching heat of the tiles surged through her soles, but she didn’t seem to feel it. She leaned against the railing, watching the birds in the trees and looking up at the burning sun.

She thought of the years she had spent with Zhong Ruanqin. She had thought that once her lover won the Best Actress title, they would go public together. Instead of the beautiful life she imagined, this was her end.

She let out a cold sneer. “Xia Qingye, I used to pity your taste in people, but now I realize we were both blind. The person you liked only used your feelings and resources to climb up. And what about me?”

She had single-handedly raised that person from a clueless rookie to a top-tier star. If nothing had happened, that person would soon be crowned Best Actress. Yet, for that throne, she had discarded Tianqing so easily. Perhaps it had always been one-sided; perhaps what she called “love” couldn’t withstand the slightest trial.

She simply wasn’t as important as a trophy.

Xia Qingye wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. “From today on, I’ll take revenge for you. And as for my revenge… I’ll handle it personally!”

Xia Yanbo had gone out briefly. Upon returning, Auntie Fang told him she’d seen Xia Qingye standing on the balcony for a long time. Terrified, he rushed upstairs, only to find the door wide open and the room a disaster zone, with trash scattered everywhere.

“Qingye!”

“Brother, come give me a hand.”

Xia Qingye had changed into a dress. Her “grandma gray” hair, which usually hung loose, was tied into a casual bun. She had applied a bit of powder to her face, making her look not only healthy but lively. Compared to her previous heavy smoky makeup and ripped jeans, the change left Xia Yanbo speechless.

“Brother?”

“Coming, I’m coming.”

Together, they tore down every poster in the room, including the puzzle on the ceiling. Watching his sister discard these items like trash, Xia Yanbo couldn’t help but ask, “Qingye, weren’t these your favorites? You don’t want them anymore?”

Xia Qingye resisted the urge to shred the posters. Instead, she patiently folded them one by one as if they were precious, placing everything related to that “White Lotus” starlet, Chu Rou, into a cardboard box. She sealed it with tape as if sealing away a dead “first love.” She sat on the bed with a hollow, dazed expression, explaining in a low murmur, “Brother, everyone has to grow up eventually.”

The original “trust-fund” Xia Qingye was actually a simple-minded, fragile, and sensitive girl. She used smoky makeup and “rebellious” aesthetics to hide her vulnerability and her unaccepted sexuality. She had done those wild things just to get a sliver of attention from Xia Yanbo. Yet, standing in the shadow of her brilliant brother, she felt extremely inferior. These bottled-up emotions, combined with the heartbreak and the exposure of her sexuality, had turned into a double-edged sword that led her to that dead end.

Over the past few days, Xia Qingye had played the role of the weak, pitiful, and suicidal sister perfectly. She had grasped the original owner’s emotions, but she couldn’t stay like this forever. “Death” and “heartbreak” provided the perfect excuse for a total personality shift.

Xia Yanbo felt a pang of heartache. He had gone out specifically to investigate Chu Rou, the actress his sister had spent so much money on. He suspected his sister’s suicide was linked to her, and he had indeed found quite a bit.

“Qingye has grown up.”

“Brother, you know… when I was little, people would say ‘that’s Xia Yanbo’s sister.’ I was so happy and proud. My brother is brilliant, handsome, good at school, and successful at everything. I worshipped you from the bottom of my heart. I hoped that one day I could be as capable as you. But then I realized that if I scored a 98, everyone compared it to your 100. I tried, I really did, but in the end, I felt like I was just an embarrassment to you. I’m stupid; no matter how hard I work, I can’t catch up. People would say, ‘How come Xia Yanbo’s sister couldn’t get into a top-tier university?’ ‘Why is his sister like this?’ Aside from my looks, I’m not even a tenth as good as you.”

Xia Qingye’s eyes reddened, her voice choking up. “Brother, I didn’t want people to see this face. If I wore heavy makeup, people wouldn’t recognize me as Xia Yanbo’s sister.”

Xia Yanbo’s hands began to shake. He never knew that his own glory had caused his sister so much pain. He remembered the little sister who used to follow him everywhere, pure and smiling. He didn’t know when she had stopped, when she started wearing heavy makeup, hanging out with bad crowds, clubbing, drinking, and drag racing…

He never expected that he was the cause!

“So, Brother, I want to see if I can live better without the protection of your wings.” Xia Qingye looked up, tears swirling in her eyes before rolling down her cheeks. “Brother, I want to be a celebrity.”

“A celebrity?” Xia Yanbo asked in disbelief.

“Yes… I want to see exactly where I fall short. She doesn’t like me, and I can’t accept that.” Xia Qingye wiped her tears, looking aggrieved. “I just want to know what’s so bad about me. Brother, I want to find the answer myself. Please agree, okay?”

Xia Yanbo opened his mouth to refuse. The entertainment industry was a cesspool—deep water, “unspoken rules” (casting couches), sponsors, scandals, and chaos.

If his innocent sister went in there, she’d be swallowed whole.

“Brother, I beg you. Otherwise, I really don’t know what the point of living is.”

Xia Yanbo’s heart skipped a beat at those words. “Qingye, do you really want to enter the industry?”

“Brother, I want to grow up… I want to become better. I want to make her regret it…” Xia Qingye murmured. Her fragile appearance made it impossible for Xia Yanbo to be stern, especially since she had just escaped death.

Xia Yanbo couldn’t afford to gamble with her life again. After much consideration, he nodded. “But Qingye, you must agree to three conditions.”

Xia Qingye’s eyes widened. “What?”

“First, while I don’t object to you liking women, any partner you choose must be approved by me before you date. Second, you must report all your social circles to me. If someone is problematic, you must cut them off immediately; I will arrange your manager and assistant. Third, Qingye, don’t ever do anything foolish again. You are my only family. No matter what happens, I am behind you. Don’t be afraid.”

Xia Qingye was stunned. She finally realized just how domineering this brother was. Dating and friends had to be approved by him?

This was practically an unequal treaty!

But to keep her persona intact, Xia Qingye gritted her teeth and compromised. “Fine.”

Author’s Note:

Xia Qingye: Zhuzi (Bamboo), do you want to show up earlier?

Nie Zhuying: Little Qingqing, I’ve missed you to death! Mwah!

Xia Qingye: If you want to, give Dayan (the author) a big red envelope. I’ll arrange your entrance soon.

Dayan: I want 88,888,888!