This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 39

Jin Manxi watched the two of them standing neither too close nor too far apart. Seeing them exchanging flirtatious glances right in front of her and Qi Jiani without any restraint made her feel incredibly “stuffed.” She could at least choose to ignore the “dog food” through a screen, but when it was being served right in her face, it was impossible to overlook.

Beside her, Qi Jiani stared curiously at the suddenly silent Xia Qingye and… Nie Zhuying, who seemed to be in a foul mood. She instinctively tugged on Jin Manxi’s sleeve.

Jin Manxi knew Nie Zhuying’s temper all too well. Right now, the girl probably felt she had lost a lot of “face” but was too embarrassed to show it. She lightly patted Qi Jiani and suggested to the other two, “If you have things to discuss, you can go over there. There’s a small grove; the scenery is quite nice.”

Nie Zhuying let out a few huffs. Her seductive eyes kept darting toward Xia Qingye as if she were terrified people wouldn’t notice. Then, she turned her head and walked toward the grove.

Xia Qingye could bet that if she didn’t proactively follow, this “little ancestor” would definitely give her a hard time later. She gave Jin Manxi a slight nod and followed at a leisurely pace.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, a hint of triumph gradually surfaced on Nie Zhuying’s face, though it was quickly masked by a wave of jealousy. She deliberately slowed her pace, and when Xia Qingye caught up, she shot her a fierce, cold glare—the exact same attitude she’d had when they first met.

Xia Qingye thought back to the sound of the doorbell through the phone yesterday. She had thought she was overthinking it, but… this was truly unexpected.

The grove near the cemetery was very clean, as if it were frequently swept. However, because it was overcast and the location was remote, it felt inexplicably eerie.

“You seem very familiar with this place. Do you come often?” Xia Qingye asked tentatively.

“Mm-hmm,” Nie Zhuying replied with a grunt.

Hearing her constant grunting made Xia Qingye’s heart itch. She leaned in closer and whispered, “Every time I ignore Nuonuo, he grunts incessantly in his cage and looks at me with those aggrieved little eyes. You looked exactly like him just now—”

Nie Zhuying flared up instantly. “You’re comparing me to a dog!”

Xia Qingye hurriedly covered her mouth, gesturing for her to be quiet. The cemetery was naturally silent; it wouldn’t be good if such a sudden outburst attracted attention.

To her surprise, the woman actually licked her palm suggestively.

It was wet and warm. Both of them froze.

Xia Qingye yanked her hand away, the tips of her ears turning red.

Nie Zhuying had licked a faint fragrance, likely from Xia Qingye’s palm. She smacked her lips, her eyes widening in a fit of flustered rage. “In broad daylight, you actually dared to seduce me!”

Xia Qingye: “…”

When the hell did I seduce her?

Nie Zhuying’s face was red with anger, yet she said with extreme seriousness, “Didn’t I tell you before? Stay away from those messy women. What were you doing hugging that Little Qi just now? Last time was one thing—you said she was pitiful and I actually believed you. But look at you! You actually lied to me. You refused to video chat yesterday because you had a guilty conscience!”

The more Nie Zhuying spoke, the more aggrieved she became. Hmph.

Xia Qingye listened to the string of words delivered without a single pause and couldn’t help but feel amused. This desperate attempt to settle the score was clearly because she was jealous. She took a step forward and pulled the woman into a hug.

The non-stop complaining stopped abruptly.

Xia Qingye sighed and lightly patted her back, admitting her mistake frankly. “Alright, alright, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come here behind your back. But doesn’t this indirectly prove that we share a deep fate?”

The probability of staying at the same hotel and appearing at the same location on the same day—even for couples who had planned it—wouldn’t necessarily result in such a coincidence.

Hearing these words aimed at pleasing her, Nie Zhuying felt a surge of joy. However, she hadn’t forgotten the “slap to the face” from earlier. She had vowed to Jin Manxi that her wife was at home, only to be proven wrong less than a minute later. Jin Manxi would probably mock her for a year. She snorted sarcastically, “You and Little Qi have the ‘fate.’ Every time I see you two together, it’s all hugs. Tell me, do you truly want to be with me?”

Xia Qingye really didn’t have a way to explain this. Just like last time, seeing the girl crying so heartwrenchingly over her, giving her a hug was only human. She couldn’t very well be stone-hearted and refuse.

But if she used the same excuse, she was certain Nie Zhuying would not only flare up but also be genuinely angry, thinking she was being perfunctory. If this misunderstanding wasn’t cleared up once and for all, explaining it later would be a nightmare.

Seeing Nie Zhuying staring at her with puffed cheeks, Xia Qingye leaned down and kissed the lips that had been bitten red.

Nie Zhuying froze for a second before reacting quickly. In the shadows of the grove, leaning against a tree, they shared a passionate kiss for a long moment until their breathing became unstable.

Xia Qingye noticed the corners of the other’s eyes were flushed and leaned in to kiss them.

Unexpectedly, Nie Zhuying pushed her away slightly and let out a sudden sneeze, followed by another. She looked up at Xia Qingye with a pitiful expression. “I think I have a bit of a cold.”

The romantic atmosphere was completely blown away by the two sneezes.

Xia Qingye, looking at her pathetic state, lost all her temper. “When we get back, I’ll have Yu Lan boil some ginger water for you to drive out the chill.”

Nie Zhuying didn’t dare admit that she had cranked the AC too high because she found the blanket dirty, then found a dead bug and ran to Jin Manxi’s room—the temperature difference between the rooms had given her the cold.

She hugged Xia Qingye’s waist and muttered stubbornly, “You still haven’t said what your relationship is with that Little Qi. She’s not your mistress, is she? Qingqing, let me tell you, if you dare do that, I’ll make you regret it.”

Xia Qingye nearly laughed at the solemn warning. While comforting her, she explained, “I met her in Director Xun’s crew. I saw her being bullied and helped her out, then realized she’s a good person and we exchanged contact info. By the way, we have her to thank for Lazy-Egg and Xia-Xia. If she hadn’t said they couldn’t be in the same cage, a tragedy might have happened. So, in that regard, we actually owe her a thank you.”

Nie Zhuying grit her teeth, her mind stuck on “exchanged contact info.” “I still have to thank her?!”

Xia Qingye pecked her cheek twice. “My relationship with her is simple. It’s just like you and Senior Jin—we’re friends.”

Pacified by the kisses, Nie Zhuying’s mood improved, but she was still a bit bothered. She muttered to herself, “How is that the same? Manxi and I have known each other for ten years. How long have you known Little Qi? A few months? And you’re already hugging like that? Is that appropriate?”

Xia Qingye rubbed her forehead. she hadn’t realized the woman was such a “vinegar jar” (jealous type). Technically, she had known Qi Jiani for ten years too—excluding the five-year gap. Qi Jiani had a great personality—easygoing and cheerful—so they had gradually become friends.

“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll kiss you!”

“…”

Nie Zhuying didn’t believe her. she said with puffed cheeks, “Manxi and I never hug like that. Anyone watching would think—mmmph.”

Xia Qingye pinned her against the tree and kissed her, her tongue sliding in to sweep through the other’s mouth. Finally, she panted, “Would I ever do to Qi Jiani what I’m doing to you?”

Feeling satisfied by the kiss, Nie Zhuying’s eyes curved. She pouted her red lips and said, “You wouldn’t dare.”

Xia Qingye kissed the enticing lips twice more. “I wouldn’t. So I only do this to you.”

The two wandered through the grove. When they entered, Nie Zhuying was planning to interrogate her, but when they came out, she was radiating “pink bubbles,” the corners of her mouth lifted in an excellent mood.

“The ‘grave sweeping’ you mentioned yesterday—” Xia Qingye remembered the conversation that was cut short. She had thought Nie Zhuying meant for the general Qingming Festival; she never expected the woman had come here specifically for her. It was truly surprising.

“Oh, right. A friend.” The smile on Nie Zhuying’s face faded slightly. “She was a good person. It’s a pity she had a short life.”

Xia Qingye was surprised to hear such high praise. Nie Zhuying’s standards were usually sky-high. “Do you come every year?”

Nie Zhuying nodded. “She didn’t have family, and not many sincere friends. I thought I’d bring her a bouquet every year on her anniversary. I hope she is born into a better family in her next life and keeps her eyes open so she doesn’t raise a pack of ungrateful wolves.”

Xia Qingye looked at her girlfriend with a complex expression. If she had to summarize her past life in one sentence, it was exactly as Nie Zhuying said: she had raised a pack of ungrateful wolves.

“You seem to know her quite well.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Nie Zhuying proudly puffed out her chest, then dangerously closed in on Xia Qingye, narrowing her eyes. “I haven’t asked you yet. Why are you here?”

Xia Qingye: “…”

This girl’s brain is working too fast. I thought she’d forgotten. She frowned, quickly making up a story in her mind.

“Ah, I know.” Nie Zhuying hesitated, looking at her bashfully, then looking again.

Xia Qingye felt very guilty, and being stared at made her feel even worse. Then she heard the other woman say:

“You should have just said you couldn’t bear to be apart from me and wanted to be with me every second. If you’d just been direct, I wouldn’t have been unreasonable.”

Xia Qingye: “…”

Fine, her little narcissistic streak is acting up again.

Xia Qingye looked away awkwardly, stifling a smile. She cleared her throat and said, “I truly couldn’t bear to be apart from you.”

Nie Zhuying put on an “I knew it” arrogant look. She even nudged Xia Qingye’s arm, trying to keep her triumph from showing on her face. “I’ll allow you to hold my hand for a bit.”

Seeing the hand extended toward her, Xia Qingye smiled and took it.

Nie Zhuying pulled her hand out of her sleeve and hooked her pinky with Xia Qingye’s, playing teasingly for a moment before interlacing their fingers. One hand was warm, the other ice-cold. She complained lightly, “Your hands are so cold. But since you like me so much, I can share some of my heat with you.”

Saying this, Nie Zhuying pulled her other hand out of her sleeve and cupped Xia Qingye’s hand with both of hers, rubbing them patiently as if they would warm up in a second.

Xia Qingye suspected this body had suffered a lot in its early years, accumulating too much “cold energy,” resulting in the cold hands and feet. Plus, the frostbite from the PSA shoot hadn’t helped, even with her daily hot baths. However, watching the woman bow her head and blow warm breath on her hands, Xia Qingye felt her heart warm. “Alright, all the heat in your hands is going to escape. Put them back in your coat.”

Xia Qingye proactively adjusted the other’s disguise. “Aren’t you afraid of hitting the headlines, coming here with Senior Jin?”

Nie Zhuying stood lazily, enjoying the attention. “What’s there to fear? The paparazzi used to chase us every day. They probably know we appear here on this day. Any reports would just be using the deceased for clickbait. After being collectively attacked by my and Manxi’s fans, they’ve learned to behave.”

Xia Qingye was caught between laughter and tears. “Does Senior Jin know Senior Xia as well?”

Nie Zhuying shook her head. “Manxi told me they had a few interactions. A few years ago, after I nagged her for so long, she had nothing better to do and accompanied me once. Since then, we’ve always made an appointment to come together.”

Xia Qingye grew even more confused. Who likes to visit the grave of someone they aren’t close to? Even as an accompaniment, once is enough—why continue for several years? Furthermore, Xia Qingye was certain she had no history with Jin Manxi.

She is lying. But why?

“They’ve probably been waiting a long time. Let’s go.”

“Mhm.”

On the way back, the two walked one behind the other, a step apart. Qi Jiani was terrified that Xia Qingye had been bullied by Nie Zhuying, but seeing Xia Qingye’s expression was normal, she secretly relaxed.

Jin Manxi stared at Nie Zhuying with a half-smile. “Finished talking?”

Nie Zhuying grunted, sounding tough. “Finished. It went very well.”

Jin Manxi: “That’s good then.”

Xia Qingye, listening to them, really wanted to laugh. “I drove here. What about you?”

The three of them said almost in unison, “Took a taxi.” Then they looked at each other.

Xia Qingye invited them readily, “It’s quite remote here; it’s hard to get a cab. How about I drive you back? Where are you staying?”

“Jiajia Hotel,” the three said in unison again.

“What a coincidence. I’m staying at Jiajia Hotel too.”

The four of them stood staring at each other. Xia Qingye suggested taking a different path around. Once they reached the car and she was about to start it, Qi Jiani suddenly cried out:

“Qingye, wait! I think I dropped something!”

Jin Manxi comforted her gently, “Don’t panic. What did you drop?”

Qi Jiani grabbed her hair anxiously, looking like she was about to cry. “The amulet my mom gave me. I had it when we arrived.”

Xia Qingye saw Nie Zhuying in the passenger seat looking a bit impatient. While no one was looking, she reached over to give her hand a comforting squeeze and suggested, “It probably dropped when we were getting out. Why don’t we go back and look? Jiani, tell us what the amulet looks like.”

Qi Jiani’s family were Buddhist. Seeing her venturing out alone as a girl, her parents visited their local temple every year to request a peace charm for her. Influenced by them, Qi Jiani was also a believer. She had always felt guilty about Xia Tianqing’s death, feeling an unintentional remark of hers had indirectly caused it. Over the years, she had relied on transcribing scriptures to keep her emotions stable; otherwise, her guilt would have driven her mad.

After describing it, Qi Jiani calmed down and didn’t seem as anxious. “Actually, maybe don’t look for it. I’ll just have my mom get another one.”

Xia Qingye thought for a moment. “It’s a peace charm your mother got for you; it has deep meaning. Besides, charms are said to have spiritual energy. It’s better if we find it.” Having been reborn, Xia Qingye herself felt a bit of reverence for such things.

Jin Manxi agreed. “If it’s not at the grave, it’s on the path we walked down. Let’s split up. You two go to the grave; Jiani and I will check the path. If anyone finds it, notify the others by phone.”

“Alright.”

Xia Qingye pulled Nie Zhuying out of the car. They took a shortcut straight back to Xia Tianqing’s grave. As they drew close, they saw a figure kneeling there. “That’s—”

Seeing the person, Nie Zhuying marched forward angrily. Reaching the grave, she demanded, “A cat weeping over a mouse—what a show of fake mercy. Zhong Ruanqin, what are you doing here?”

Zhong Ruanqin was wrapped up tightly. She looked up and saw Nie Zhuying. She sneered, “You again, Nie Zhuying. You really are everywhere.”

Nie Zhuying grabbed her arm and dragged her up. “You’re the one who’s truly everywhere. Didn’t I warn you? Don’t let me see you, or I’ll hit you every time I do.”

Xia Qingye hurried to pull them apart. In a public place like this, if a paparazzi were hiding in the shadows, Nie Zhuying—as the one initiating the violence—would be attacked by the public. “Zhuzi, calm down. Don’t hit her.”

Having been hit several times recently, including the kicks from earlier, Zhong Ruanqin suddenly began to struggle violently. She gave Nie Zhuying a forceful shove. Xia Qingye, who was holding Nie Zhuying’s waist, was pushed back several steps by the force.

Zhong Ruanqin seemed to have gone mad, shoving again with frantic energy. “Who the hell do you think you are? What do my affairs with Tianqing have to do with you?!”

Xia Qingye felt the soil beneath her feet give way. Her whole body began to sink. In her panic, she immediately let go and gave Nie Zhuying a forceful push, shoving her back up toward safety.