This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 40

“Qingqing!”

Flashes of her past life—tripping down that staircase—raced through Xia Qingye’s mind. A cold dread filled her heart; her first thought was that she hadn’t lived enough, that the life of this body had only just begun.

She had just found a lovely partner, though she didn’t know if they could hold hands until the end. She also had a brother waiting for her at home. In that split second, she seemed to review her entire life: her career, her love, her family.

Then, she tumbled clumsily from one step to the next. Fortunately, the distance between the two levels wasn’t very high. She collided with someone’s tombstone and landed hard on her backside on the stone steps. The sudden pain sent tears spurting from her eyes.

Nie Zhuying was so terrified she scrambled down from the upper tier to the next level of graves. The cemetery was terraced, layer by layer; she sprinted down, not even noticing when her scarf slipped from her neck and fell to the ground.

Zhong Ruanqin stared in horror at the motionless Xia Qingye below. As if she’d seen a ghost, she saw Nie Zhuying approaching and immediately covered her face in a panic, fleeing the scene.

Xia Qingye watched the retreating figure through tearful eyes, her memory opening like a floodgate.

Six years ago, when she had fallen, she had remained conscious for a few moments. She had lain on the ground, looking up at the person still on the stairs. She wanted to move, but couldn’t; she wanted to speak, but the words felt choked in her throat. The other woman had looked at her with an expression of pure terror, then slowly walked down. She had lingered by her side for a moment before panicking and running away—exactly like the scene just now.

Later, her consciousness had grown increasingly blurred until she woke up in Xia Qingye’s body. Perhaps because the original owner’s memories were so vast, she hadn’t been able to recall that specific detail until now.

Xia Qingye cried even harder. She didn’t know if it was because the physical pain was too much, or because her heart was breaking.

Nie Zhuying dropped to her knees on the stone slab with a sharp thud. “Qingqing, don’t cry! Where does it hurt?”

There was a piercing pain in Xia Qingye’s ankle, as well as her waist and hips. She didn’t know if she’d hit her lower back or somewhere else. And her fingers—she’d tried to grab something as she slid; the speed was too fast, and she’d been cut by something. They were covered in blood. “I don’t know…”

Nie Zhuying immediately pulled out her phone to dial 120.

Xia Qingye grabbed her hand and shook her head. “If you all go to the hospital, everything will be exposed. I just twisted my ankle and back. Just help me up; there’s no need for the hospital.”

Nie Zhuying used her sleeve to wipe away the girl’s tears. She helped her up first, brushed the dirt off her clothes, and then half-knelt. “Get on my back. I’ll carry you down.”

Xia Qingye tried to take two steps, but the moment she moved, a bolt of pain from her lumbar spine made her gasp. Her other ankle was also likely sprained or dislocated. Recognizing her condition, she slowly leaned onto the other’s back. “Can you carry me?”

Nie Zhuying had practiced boxing and worked out while abroad; she had maintained an excellent physique over the years. Carrying a person was no stress at all, but her mood was dark. She kept a grim face and didn’t say a word.

Halfway down, her phone rang, but she didn’t answer.

This was the first time Xia Qingye had been carried. Bending her back made it feel as if it were broken; her face turned white from the pain. She didn’t feel at ease; instead, her nerves were stretched tight. Every time Nie Zhuying descended a step, she was terrified she’d be dropped. Looking down at the long flight of stairs gave her the terrifying illusion that she was about to fall again.

She simply closed her eyes and focused all her attention on the person carrying her.

The phone rang again and again.

Jin Manxi and Qi Jiani soon spotted them and hurried forward. “We just saw Zhong Ruanqin running away in a panic. What happened?”

Nie Zhuying’s face was somber. When the two saw Xia Qingye covered in mud and blood, looking utterly wretched, they quickly helped her down. “Qingqing was pushed down the steps by that woman named Zhong. She fell. Quick, back to the hotel.”

Jin Manxi reacted instantly. “I’ll drive.”

Qi Jiani wanted to offer some words of comfort, but Jin Manxi pulled her back. “Don’t speak.”

Inside the car, the moment Xia Qingye’s backside touched the soft seat, she let out a loud cry of pain. Nie Zhuying jumped, hitting her head hard against the car’s roof. “What is it? Where does it hurt? Manxi, change of plans. To the hospital.”

Jin Manxi agreed. “Falling from the steps is no small matter. It’s better to get checked out.”

Xia Qingye felt awkward being stared at by three pairs of anxious eyes. The pain in her lower body was immense. “I don’t want to go to a hospital here. I want to go back.”

Nie Zhuying felt along her back, moving down step by step. As soon as she touched the base of the spine, Xia Qingye screamed. One press, one scream. Nie Zhuying didn’t dare move further.

“Hospital. Now.”

Xia Qingye couldn’t sit, so Nie Zhuying forced her to lie across the back seat. Nie Zhuying huddled in the tiny space left in the middle, a tall woman trying to shrink her body as much as possible. She looked quite pitiful.

But Nie Zhuying seemed oblivious, spending the entire time communicating in English on her phone. Her expression was grave. It wasn’t the first time Xia Qingye had seen her like this; usually, this was the “cool and aloof” persona she showed the public. She only let her guard down in private.

Whenever the car hit a bump, Xia Qingye would jar her injury, and tears would flow uncontrollably.

“Joe suspects you’ve injured your lumbar vertebrae. We’re checking you in today, and tomorrow we’ll transfer to a hospital in the capital.”

“Zhuzi, I’m fine.” Xia Qingye figured she’d just taken a bad fall and would be better in a few days.

As it turned out, once they reached the hospital and took X-rays, aside from the sprained ankle (which was a minor injury), the most serious damage was to her lower back and hips. Old injuries combined with new ones: a bone fracture.

Nie Zhuying’s face turned black. “Surgery is required.”

Jin Manxi hadn’t asked what happened exactly, but seeing this, she patted Nie Zhuying’s shoulder. “Transfer her tonight. We’ll go back to the capital for treatment.”

Qi Jiani stayed with Xia Qingye in the ward, wanting to ask questions but not daring to. She resorted to making dry conversation. “I heard from Sister Fang that the PSA we shot is about to air.”

Xia Qingye looked at her. “Jiani, do you know why Zhuzi hates Zhong Ruanqin so much?”

Qi Jiani choked for a second, her eyes darting away. She whispered, “Well, probably because Sister Nie really hates hypocritical people.”

Seeing her reaction, Xia Qingye knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth. She tried a different approach. “Aside from that one banquet, did Zhuzi and your ‘Sister Xia’ have any other interactions?”

Qi Jiani stared at her, dumbfounded. “How… how do you know?”

Xia Qingye looked at her calmly. The latter suddenly realized: “Sister Nie must have told you.”

In Qi Jiani’s life, she held two people dear to her heart: Xia Tianqing and Nie Zhuying. Years ago, at a banquet, Xia Tianqing had brought the newly famous Qi Jiani along, wanting her to meet more people to broaden her career path.

Unexpectedly, they ran into a “pervert.” The man, an investor in one of Qi Jiani’s dramas, demanded she keep him company. On the surface, it was drinking; underneath, it was harassment. Between the groping and the suggestive comments, it was clear he wanted to “keep” her.

Qi Jiani was furious but didn’t dare speak out. Though cheerful and outspoken, she couldn’t handle being pawed at by a man as fat as a pig. Just as she was on the verge of tears, Xia Tianqing arrived with two glasses of champagne.

“Mr. Zhao, why bother with such an undeveloped little girl? What do you think of me?”

Xia Tianqing might not have been the most stunning beauty, but the aura she had cultivated over the years was that of a superstar. With a bit of seduction, she grabbed the “fat pig” by his tie and led him to the small garden outside the hotel.

Qi Jiani was dazed and terrified, like a headless fly. She had no idea who to ask for help and almost called the police. But at the banquet, amidst the clinking glasses and laughter, no one noticed a girl in the corner about to cry. Eventually, Qi Jiani found a stick in the restroom and, with the courage of desperation, headed to the garden. She told herself she was just hitting a pig—yes, a pig.

However, as she drew closer, she heard the “fat pig” squealing in pain.

Qi Jiani curiously parted the bushes and saw Xia Tianqing and another woman flanking the man, kicking and hitting him. She later learned that the other woman helping was Nie Zhuying.

“Actually, Sister Nie and Sister Xia really only had that one interaction. Although they exchanged contact info and followed each other, Sister Xia stopped contacting her because… someone didn’t like it.”

“Then why does Zhuzi hate Zhong Ruanqin so much?”

Qi Jiani shook her head; she wasn’t entirely sure. “I only know that Sister Nie’s work was nominated that year and she was favored to win Best Actress. But that person—Zhong Ruanqin—ended up winning the award. Many people—I mean, even now, many people say the selection that year was ‘watered down’.”

Xia Qingye had heard rumors of this. Nie Zhuying had won many awards, but in the year she died, the woman had missed out on the Film Queen throne once. Conversely, that was the only year Zhong Ruanqin won Best Actress; after that, her acting career seemed to stagnate.

Xia Qingye remembered that Zhong Ruanqin had lacked confidence in her work back then and craved the throne. Xia Qingye had advised her more than once: if your ability hasn’t reached that level, even if you sit on the throne, you’ll eventually fall. Their disagreement on this matter grew until it led to that final argument.

“Zhuzi doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge over something like that.”

“Qingye, what did you say?”

Xia Qingye shook her head. Before she could ask more, Nie Zhuying and Jin Manxi walked in. Nie Zhuying hurried to the bed and, right in front of Qi Jiani, leaned down to kiss Xia Qingye’s forehead. She asked tenderly, “Does it still hurt?”

Qi Jiani was stunned by the sight.

Jin Manxi patted her shoulder. “Jiani, come with me to buy some things.” Qi Jiani stood up dazed and followed her out.

Once they were gone, Xia Qingye gave Nie Zhuying a helpless look. “You scared her.”

Nie Zhuying let out an unhappy snort, then her expression turned serious. “Had you injured your lower back before? When was it?”

Xia Qingye immediately sensed something was wrong. Her previous injury was from when she met Nie Zhuying and slipped in the restroom. She’d intended to get it checked, but other things kept getting in the way, and since the pain eventually faded, she hadn’t taken it seriously. “Tell me the truth—did this fall cause a real problem?”

Seeing her trying to get up, Nie Zhuying forcefully pressed her back down. “Don’t move. It’s not a huge deal. I’ve contacted a specialist in the capital. We’re going home tonight. Happy?”

Xia Qingye stared suspiciously at her. “If you tell me now, I can at least be mentally prepared. If you wait until right before surgery, I’ll have no preparation at all.”

Hearing this, Nie Zhuying frustratedly ruffled her beautiful curls into a bird’s nest. She’d made up several versions of a story, but facing Xia Qingye’s dark eyes, she couldn’t say any of them. She snapped angrily, “It’s all that woman named Zhong’s fault! Once this surgery is over, I’m not letting her off!”

Xia Qingye had intended to bait her, and she’d caught the truth immediately. One thought filled her mind: I’m toast.

Seeing her looking listless, Nie Zhuying felt a sharp pang in her chest. “Qingqing, it’s a minor surgery. You’ll be fine.”

As it turned out, while the surgery was indeed “minor,” a bone fracture is never a small matter—especially since the scans showed small bone fragments inside. “Injuring a bone takes a hundred days to heal.”

The four of them rushed back to the capital that night, and the surgery was scheduled for early the next morning.

By the time Wei Xianghong found out her artist was in the hospital, the surgery was already over. Nie Zhuying had called her personally. After taking the call, Wei Xianghong was completely distraught.

She sped to the hospital. The ward was in a high-end section, exceptionally quiet. The click of her heels echoed down the hall. Opening the door, she saw three other people in the room. Xia Qingye had made it through the anesthesia but had fallen back asleep.

Nie Zhuying invited her outside.

“Miss Nie, what happened? What exactly happened? Why did she ‘accidentally’ fall and end up with a fracture?!” Wei Xianghong was having a breakdown. In her hand was the piping-hot contract she’d just received, waiting for Xia Qingye to return and sign. All of this in just one day.

Nie Zhuying didn’t know about the contract, but she knew she bore a large part of the responsibility. Facing the manager’s interrogation, she didn’t know how to explain.

Jin Manxi and Qi Jiani had been there the whole time. Jin Manxi stepped forward, pulled Wei Xianghong aside, and gave a diplomatic explanation of the whole incident.

“Why was Qingye sweeping a grave? Why did she run into Zhong Ruanqin?”

“I’m not entirely sure about that. Sister Xiang, you can ask her when she wakes up.” Jin Manxi thought for a moment and added, “No matter how urgent things are, wait until she wakes. I think her mood is probably quite poor too.”

Every plan Wei Xianghong had made for Xia Qingye was thrown into disarray by this accident. But no matter how angry or anxious she was, she wouldn’t ignore Xia Qingye’s feelings. Jin Manxi’s words hit home: if anyone was sad, it was Xia Qingye. For the past month, the girl had been obsessed with the role of Yuan Fei. She’d finally secured it, only to lose it because of that “jinx” of a woman.

Wei Xianghong wiped her face. “I’m going to wash my face.”

Seeing Qi Jiani yawning, Jin Manxi said goodbye to Nie Zhuying and took the girl home.

When Xia Qingye woke up, she saw Wei Xianghong peeling an apple. The skin was coming off in long, perfect spirals. Once she finished, Xia Qingye praised her, “Sister Xiang, your knife skills are impressive.”

Wei Xianghong had calmed down, her anger mostly dissipated. She sliced the apple and used a toothpick to pop a piece into Xia Qingye’s mouth. “I don’t want to hear you speak for now.”

Xia Qingye knew she was angry—furious, even. she obediently ate the piece and opened her mouth again like a little chick. Wei Xianghong had no choice but to keep feeding her, but Nie Zhuying was quicker and snatched the next piece.

“Qingqing, I’ll feed you.”

“…”

Wei Xianghong increasingly felt she was seeing things. First it was “Xia-Xia,” now it was “Qingqing.” Why did these two seem so intimate? It didn’t look like a normal friendship at all. “You’re hospitalized; you have to tell your brother, don’t you?”

The thought of Xia Yanbo gave Xia Qingye a massive headache. With the Qingming Festival just two days away, she felt everything turning dark. It was likely impossible to hide it this time. “Zhuzi, I want to speak with Sister Xiang alone for a moment.”

“Oh.”

Nie Zhuying left the room reluctantly. In principle, she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help it given Wei Xianghong had mentioned “Xia Yanbo.” That man was still a hurdle between her and Qingqing; it was so annoying.

Inside, Wei Xianghong sighed. “Originally, when I thought Zhong Ruanqin had taken the role, I advised you to give up and find another script. But then ‘Yuan Fei’ came back to you after all—only for you to fall like this and hand the role over to someone else on a silver platter.”

Xia Qingye knew she would say this, which was why she’d sent Nie Zhuying away. “Sister Xiang, if it wasn’t meant to be mine, it never would be. Please tell Director Zhuang I’m sorry; it’s my own fault for not taking care of myself.”

Wei Xianghong didn’t know whether to call her open-minded or stupid. “Tell me the truth—why did you fall so seriously?”

Xia Qingye pursed her lips. “When I got drunk last time, I slipped in the restroom. There were signs of a fracture then. This time, I accidentally tripped on a step and it flared up. It was my own negligence.”

Outside the door, Nie Zhuying—having accidentally overheard the truth—was stunned.