This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 42

When Xia Qingye woke up, she was quite surprised by the person in the room. Yu Lan was squatting by her bedside, tears pitter-pattering down. Her eyes were red and swollen; there was no telling how long she had been crying. “Sister Xia, why didn’t you tell me you were having surgery?”

“I thought you and Sister Nie had gone to meet each other’s parents. If Sister Nie hadn’t asked me to come take care of you, I still wouldn’t have known.”

“Is it because I did something wrong? Are you planning to replace me with a new assistant?”

Xia Qingye felt quite stifled by this “drama queen” performance. She had actually thought about having Yu Lan take care of her earlier—perhaps giving the girl a raise—but she and Nie Zhuying had disagreed on the matter. No matter how much she tried to persuade her, Nie Zhuying wouldn’t allow her to call Yu Lan over.

Hearing Yu Lan’s words, Xia Qingye looked around curiously. She didn’t see Nie Zhuying. “Zhuzi… asked you to come?”

It took a moment for Yu Lan to realize that “Zhuzi” was a nickname for Sister Nie. Her face turned a soft shade of red, thinking that these two were truly not holding back anymore. One called the other Qingqing, and the other called her Zhuzi. Unless one was blind, it was impossible not to see that there was something “fishy” going on between them.

She nodded vigorously. “Sister Nie said she had something to take care of and asked me to wait here for you to wake up. Oh, right, Sister Xia, do you want some fruit? Shall I peel an apple for you?”

Xia Qingye waved her hand, sensing something strange. She had a pretty good grasp of Nie Zhuying’s personality by now. For her to proactively let Yu Lan come and look after her—wasn’t that a blatant slap to her own face?

“Was she in a hurry when she left?”

Yu Lan recalled for a moment. “She seemed okay. She was on the phone as she walked, likely talking to her manager. I remember her manager is called Sister Ling.”

Xia Qingye immediately tried to sit up, but she had only managed to lift half her body before falling back heavily.

The apple in Yu Lan’s hand dropped in shock. “Sister Xia, don’t move! Tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you.”

Xia Qingye’s face turned white from the sudden jolt of pain. “My phone.”

Yu Lan found the phone in the drawer. She thought Xia Qingye was going to call Sister Nie, but instead, she saw her open Nie Zhuying’s Weibo and start scrolling. She asked cautiously, “Sister Xia, what’s wrong?”

When an artist looks for their manager outside of scheduled work, it’s usually because something has happened. Just like her and Wei Xianghong—they didn’t call to exchange pleasantries; if there was a call, it was straight to the point regarding work or appearances.

Nie Zhuying had clearly been on the phone with Zhou Ling. Since work matters could likely be ruled out, it meant she had run into a problem.

Xia Qingye opened her contacts, hesitated for a moment, and then put the phone back. Yu Lan stood by, completely unsure of what her boss was trying to do.

On the other side, Nie Zhuying and Zhou Ling had met up. Inside the nanny van, as soon as Nie Zhuying saw Zhou Ling, she said, “Someone filmed a video of me hitting Zhong Ruanqin.”

Zhou Ling’s vision went dark. She desperately wanted to faint right then and there. She said with a “tough love” frustration, “Why on earth did you hit Zhong Ruanqin?”

Nie Zhuying opened a video on her phone and handed it to Zhou Ling, saying unhappily, “Do I need a reason to hit her? I’ve wanted to punch her for a long time; I just never found the opportunity.”

Zhou Ling: “…”

She had never seen an artist as stubborn as Nie Zhuying. She hits someone and then argues righteously that she “just hadn’t found the opportunity” before—implying she had zero regrets.

The point is: if you have the guts to hit someone, have the guts not to get caught on camera!

Zhou Ling scolded Nie Zhuying in her heart and focused on the video. The footage was only a few seconds long and a bit shaky. It was filmed from the front of Nie Zhuying, clearly showing her initiating the violence by grabbing Zhong Ruanqin from the ground. As for Zhong Ruanqin, her back was to the camera, making her face completely invisible.

“It’s over. If this video gets leaked, it’ll be a disaster.”

However, at the very end of the video, another figure appeared. Zhou Ling stared at the other person for a long time before exclaiming, “It’s Xia Qingye again!”

“Hey, hey! What’s wrong with ‘Qingqing’? Is she in your way?” Nie Zhuying was displeased.

Zhou Ling was nearly choked to death by this protective attitude. What did she mean by “in her way”? “I warned you long ago—every time you’re with her, nothing good happens. Remember the bite mark and the marriage contract rumor? No bite mark, no rumor. And didn’t you tell me you were going to sweep a grave? How did you end up getting mixed up with her again?”

Regarding the grave sweeping, it had become one of Nie Zhuying’s annual habits; both of them knew this well.

Zhou Ling’s words seemed to flip a strange switch. She saw the previously fierce-faced Nie Zhuying suddenly break into a sweet smile. Her whole body radiated an aura of “Spring is here.”

Thinking about how she had mentioned a “fiancé” earlier…

Zhou Ling felt stifled and shifted the topic back to the main point. “We have to buy this video. Tell me, how much is the other party asking?”

This was the reason Nie Zhuying had called Zhou Ling. “The person wasn’t in a hurry to name a price. He said he wants to meet me in person.”

“You can’t go.”

“But he has something I want.”

Zhou Ling thought Nie Zhuying meant the original footage of the video. “Don’t worry about this; leave it to me to handle. But regarding the price, you need to give me a range.”

Nie Zhuying hesitated but shook her head. “He explicitly said on the phone that he wants to see me before he considers giving me the video.”

Zhou Ling paused. “Don’t you find it strange? Usually, paparazzi just want the money. Why go to such lengths to meet you? Is it not for the money? Then why? And a video like this—he could sell it for an astronomical price to people who want to destroy you. Why come to you? Isn’t that a contradiction? It’s better to be careful.”

Nie Zhuying didn’t know either. She said lazily, “Instead of guessing wildly here, won’t we know once we meet?”

In any case, the person was coming for her.

Zhou Ling wanted to persuade her further, but she saw Nie Zhuying check the time. “Sister Ling, don’t try to talk me out of it. Either you come with me, or I go alone.”

Zhou Ling: “…”

What else could she say? Nie Zhuying had said it all.

Zhou Ling: “I’m definitely going with you.”

Nie Zhuying picked up her phone, typed out a string of characters, and then dialed that unfamiliar number. “I’m bringing my manager. You bring your stuff and come meet me. I’ve sent the address to your phone. See you in one hour; I don’t like waiting.”

The person on the other end was surprised by Nie Zhuying’s speed. After a brief pause, they quickly agreed.

Nie Zhuying took her manager to a familiar place and booked a private room. She ordered three cups of tea and silently began messaging Xia Qingye on WeChat.

Zhou Ling was restless. “How can you be so calm? What if he demands an outrageous sum?”

Nie Zhuying didn’t even look up. “Then we give it to him. I think the video is worth the money anyway.”

Zhou Ling nearly spat blood.

They didn’t have to wait long. A young man quickly slipped into the room. He looked at the two women and his attention immediately fixed on Nie Zhuying. He said with great excitement, “Miss Nie, I didn’t expect you to really come.”

Nie Zhuying quietly put away her phone and looked at him. “You don’t look like a paparazzi.”

The man was wearing a small blue suit and carrying a briefcase. He looked clean and professional, like an office worker—nothing like those sleazy gossip reporters who refuse to let go of their prey.

Xiao Zhou gave a shy smile, revealing two dimples. “Miss Nie is very clever. Filming is my side hustle; my main job is at a foreign enterprise.”

Zhou Ling was uninterested in his self-introduction. “Just name a price. How much to give us the video?”

Nie Zhuying didn’t rush him. “How should I address you?”

“You can call me Xiao Zhou.”

Nie Zhuying: “You said I had to be here in person. I’m here. What is your purpose?”

Xiao Zhou looked at Nie Zhuying, then at the wary Zhou Ling. He set his things down and sat to the side. “For years, there have been rumors that you and Zhong Ruanqin don’t get along. I didn’t expect it to be true.”

Nie Zhuying frowned, looking quite displeased. “What does my relationship with Zhong Ruanqin have to do with you?”

Xiao Zhou immediately explained, “Miss Nie, don’t misunderstand. I’m not here to pry into your personal life. I just wanted to make sure you aren’t on Zhong Ruanqin’s side. If you have the ability to make everyone see her true face, I’m willing to give you the video for free.”

Zhou Ling: “…”

Nie Zhuying: “…”

Nie Zhuying, who had been prepared to pay a high price, wondered if she had misheard or if the man was a fool. She asked in disbelief, “You’re not here to sell the video?”

Xiao Zhou scratched his head sheepishly. “I heard selling gossip can make a lot of money. If you’re willing to give some, I wouldn’t mind.”

Nie Zhuying and Zhou Ling exchanged a look. Then, Nie Zhuying said unhappily, “If you’re not selling it, why did you send me that clip and insist I come in person? Are you playing us for fools?”

Xiao Zhou waved his hands repeatedly. “Of course not! But if I hadn’t done that, how could I have attracted you here?”

Nie Zhuying took several deep breaths, forced to admit he was right. Without the video, she wouldn’t have appeared. She lifted her chin. “I agree to your condition. Give me the rest of the footage.”

“Really!” Xiao Zhou stood up excitedly, nearly lunging for a hug, but was blocked by Zhou Ling.

“Wait,” Zhou Ling interrupted. “You’re not in the industry. Why do you want to target Zhong Ruanqin? Do you have a grudge against her?” Zhou Ling was secretly thanking Nie Zhuying’s luck—this kind of “dog-sh*t luck” was incredible. She had been prepared to be fleeced or even walked into a trap, yet someone had handed her exactly what she needed.

Xiao Zhou didn’t drag his feet. He quickly sent the rest of the video to Nie Zhuying to show his sincerity before calmly explaining to Zhou Ling: “I’m not in the circle, but I follow entertainment news. She used to be part of Sister Xia’s studio, but as soon as Sister Xia died, she sold the studio to outsiders and trampled on Sister Xia’s legacy. I feel it wasn’t worth it for Sister Xia.”

Nie Zhuying looked down at the rest of the video. It was very clear. It showed Xia Qingye pushing her just as she began to fall, and then clearly showed Zhong Ruanqin fleeing in panic. “So ugly.”

But hearing the man’s words, Nie Zhuying looked up curiously. “What’s your relationship with Xia Tianqing?”

Xiao Zhou gave a bitter smile. “Sister Xia sponsored me before. I wanted to repay her after I finished university, but I didn’t expect—”

Nie Zhuying was enlightened. “So you were also sweeping her grave that day?”

Xiao Zhou nodded. “When I arrived, I saw you guys get into the car, so I took another path up. I saw Zhong Ruanqin was there, and since it wasn’t convenient, I hid. I didn’t expect you to run into each other.”

Even less did he expect Zhong Ruanqin to run away after accidentally hurting someone. In his eyes, such behavior was too selfish. Regardless of whether she was a Film Queen or an ordinary person, running away after making a mistake—especially when someone was injured—was truly contemptible.

In the end, Nie Zhuying had Zhou Ling transfer some money to him. The young man refused at first, saying his earlier comment about money was just a joke.

“This is truly eye-opening. Can today’s event be called a major reversal?” Zhou Ling remarked in the car. “It seems the Xia Tianqing of the past did plenty of good deeds; she’s done us a huge favor.”

“As for that Zhong Ruanqin, what a piece of work. Even a normal person can’t stand her and wants to expose her true face.” Under Nie Zhuying’s long-term influence, Zhou Ling didn’t have much of a positive impression of Zhong Ruanqin either.

Nie Zhuying curled her lip, pulled up the video, and showed it to Zhou Ling. “Look closely. If it weren’t for ‘Qingqing’, I—your ‘iron rice bowl’—would definitely be the one injured. You’d probably be looking after me in the hospital right now.”

Zhou Ling watched suspiciously. When she saw Xia Qingye suddenly disappear from the frame, her heart skipped a beat. She said in shock, “How wicked. How could a person do such a thing? Is Miss Xia okay?”

Nie Zhuying gave her a cold look. “You are not allowed to say bad things about ‘Qingqing’ from now on.”

Zhou Ling: “…”

Right, she’s still holding those two comments from earlier against me.

Zhou Ling was drained of her temper by this “little ancestor.” “Fine. Since she saved you once, I’ll only say good things about her from now on. Now, can you finally tell me how Miss Xia is doing? Is it serious?”

Nie Zhuying had the driver take them back to the hospital. As they arrived at the parking lot, they saw several gossip reporters looking around. The two of them disguised themselves and took another entrance upstairs.

“So annoying. Can’t these paparazzi consider the physical and mental health of the patients?”

“It’s your fault for getting recognized.” The paparazzi had been starved of news for a long time and were anxious. Having caught a glimpse of Nie Zhuying, they were desperate to dig something up.

Nie Zhuying let out a cold snort. “Tonight, I’ll give them something to report.”

Hearing her tone, Zhou Ling asked, “What are you planning? Do you want the PR department to draft a press release?”

Nie Zhuying shook her head. “Don’t go through the company. Help me hire ‘water army’ (internet commenters) privately. Oh, right—it’s best to do it together with Qingqing’s manager, Wei Xianghong. She has the contract in hand.”

Zhou Ling was stunned at the mention of Wei Xianghong. Nie Zhuying winked at her. “I forgot to tell you—Qingqing is the artist your ‘Goddess’ is managing. If you say bad things about her again, I’ll go tell her manager bad things about you.”

That really hit Zhou Ling where it hurt. Consequently, when she saw Xia Qingye, she was extremely awkward and didn’t know what to say. After staying for a bit, she quickly left, but not before asking for Wei Xianghong’s contact info.

Once they were gone, Xia Qingye crooked her finger. “Why did she want Sister Xiang’s number?”

Nie Zhuying pretended to be surprised. “You didn’t know? Sister Ling is a fan of Sister Xiang. I accidentally let it slip today, so she insisted on coming to see you just so she could get the contact info.”

Xia Qingye narrowed her eyes, trying to find a trace of a lie on the other’s face. However, Nie Zhuying was too thick-skinned—or rather, her acting was too good. She decided to try a “retreat to advance” tactic: “Am I getting in the way of your work? I think Sister Ling has a bit of an issue with me being here. Your company probably wouldn’t agree to you suddenly being idle either. If it’s really a problem, maybe I should let Yu Lan take care of me. The girl is quite good at it.”

Nie Zhuying leaned her face close, narrowing her eyes unhappily. “Does she take care of you better than I do?”

Xia Qingye’s eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint. Recalling Nie Zhuying’s clumsy attempt to wash her clothes, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Zhuzi, you aren’t suited for these things.”

Nie Zhuying nearly exploded on the spot.

But Xia Qingye’s next sentence successfully pacified her: “Besides, it would break my heart to see you doing all that.”

Nie Zhuying immediately beamed and lifted her chin arrogantly. “Fine, then. Since you insist, I’ll graciously allow Yu Lan to come and help out—you know, as an assistant.”

Xia Qingye felt utterly helpless. She had originally intended to bait the truth out of Nie Zhuying, but instead, she had been outmaneuvered and led right into the other’s trap.

The next day, Yu Lan arrived in high spirits. Seeing Nie Zhuying there, she became incredibly stiff and constrained. She sidled up to Xia Qingye’s ear and whispered, “Sister Xia, I have great news for you.”

Xia Qingye listened attentively, her gaze drifting toward Nie Zhuying, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa and peering over at them. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

Yu Lan excitedly pulled out her phone and found a specific video. “Sister Xia, the video of Zhong Ruanqin pushing you and Sister Nie has gone viral! There are so many people in the comments calling Zhong Ruanqin a wicked woman now.”

“A video?”

Xia Qingye’s casual attitude instantly sharpened. She took Yu Lan’s phone, clicked on the video, and started watching. Seeing that the footage only contained the latter half of the incident, she breathed a secret sigh of relief. “I didn’t expect someone to actually film it.”

Below the post was a long string of comments, all pointing the finger at Zhong Ruanqin. Public opinion had completely exploded.

I am a Little White Lotus: Holy sh*t, this piece of trash is actually a Film Queen? Is there something wrong with the eyes of the judges?

Fan Turned Hater: I’ve been a fan of Ms. Zhong since her debut. Every time someone jumped out to say something about her, I stood firmly by her side. This time, regardless of the truth, from the moment she fled like a coward, I’m done. Decisions made.

Panda Holding Bamboo: Zhong B*tch, you had the guts to hit someone, why didn’t you have the guts to stay?

Terror Upon Reflection: My god, my heart aches for my Bamboo [Nie]. She must have been so terrified. Hugs. How can there be such a savage woman in the industry? She should face legal consequences. Call 911 and let the police investigate!

Little Wish: I used to really like Zhong, but I never thought she was this kind of person. Terrifying. Turning into a hater.

You Are All Slutty B*tches: 2333, am I the only one who feels bad for the girl who suddenly disappeared from the screen? She’s the real victim. The way she tried to push Bamboo-sama away even as she was falling… I want to confess my love to her. Heart fingers.

Bamboo’s Husband: The distance between the cemetery steps isn’t small. Falling like that probably caused serious injuries. I wonder how she is. I hope that kind girl is lucky and okay.

I Am A Peerless Beautiful Nurse: I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW! That girl is in our hospital. Heard she was brought in early the next morning and went straight to the OR. She’s still lying in bed, unable to move.

Blue Hat Elf: To the person above, which hospital? Asking for the address!

Losing My Mind: This comparison really shows the ugliness of human nature. Someone chooses to give you a push at the most dangerous moment, while someone else chooses to pull you back. The scene of Zhong B*tch fleeing in panic is truly an eye-opener.

The Only Truth Emperor: This girl looks a tiny bit familiar. Let me go search around, then I’ll reveal the answer to you little hussies.

Xia Qingye watched the thick layer of bullet comments drift across her vision and then turned it off. She looked at a certain someone sitting “properly” on the sofa, and thinking back to that person’s series of abnormal behaviors yesterday, she had a sudden realization.

“I don’t know which ‘kind soul’ posted the video, but they even knew to split it in half. I really should thank them.”

“What’s there to thank? Justice resides in the hearts of the people.”

Xia Qingye was nearly moved to laughter by the woman’s shamelessness. She played along, saying, “True. If I had a video like that in my hands, my first thought would definitely be to find the victim and threaten them to get a good price. But this person is strange; instead of looking for Zhong Ruanqin, they just released it. Zhuzi, what do you think they’re after?”

Nie Zhuying really hadn’t spent a cent on the video, so her back was exceptionally straight. “Hmph. That bad woman has provoked public anger. We aren’t the only ones who want to mess with her. People just want to expose that bad woman’s true face to the world.”

Xia Qingye looked at her with a smile. “Oh? Zhuzi, how do you know all this so clearly?”

Nie Zhuying: “…”