This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 44

Early the next morning, Nie Zhuying sat on the sofa in full battle array, looking like a completely different person.

Xia Qingye had originally worried that the moment Zhuzi saw Zhong Ruanqin, she would rush forward and deliver two sharp slaps. Looking at her now, however, she felt her worries might be slightly redundant.

But as soon as Nie Zhuying spoke, the cool aura she had just managed to maintain instantly crumbled: “When that bad woman arrives, she’s definitely going to put on an act. Hmph. I’ll handle her then—Qingqing, don’t you say a word.”

Xia Qingye glanced at her and said something that made Nie Zhuying particularly angry: “Zhuzi, I must accept her apology.”

Nie Zhuying glared at her fiercely, looking as if she might pounce and bite her at any moment.

Xia Qingye let out a heavy sigh. “I’m a newcomer. No matter how far she’s fallen, she is still a Film Queen. In this circle, she is the senior and I am the junior. She has publicly apologized and expressed her intent to visit me in the hospital and take responsibility for everything. If I can’t cause her substantive damage, confronting her head-on right now is extremely irrational. Furthermore, all my actions are being watched by the public. Pressing charges? People would just accuse me of being too aggressive, lacking grace, or simply trying to hype myself up by stepping on others to climb the ladder.”

“Qingqing, I can—”

“No, you can’t!” Xia Qingye retorted loudly, looking at Nie Zhuying earnestly. “You are Nie Zhuying. You represent a brand, you represent a company—but the one thing you cannot represent is me personally. You certainly cannot pay the bill for my life.”

Nie Zhuying walked up to Xia Qingye, her fists clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of her hands bulged. “What kind of life is it that you want?”

Xia Qingye knew the other woman was furious. Usually, it was best to stay quiet and soothe her, but she understood that some things had to be made clear. Otherwise, what difference was there between her and someone like Zhong Ruanqin, who only wanted to take shortcuts? “The life I want is to be able to stand on equal footing with you, without needing to carry the ‘Nie Zhuying’ halo wherever I go. Zhuzi, your protection is wonderful, but don’t you think a life where we stand side-by-side on the same stage is even more beautiful? That’s a life more worth looking forward to!”

Nie Zhuying froze. The extreme anger on her face was replaced by an inexplicable joy. She leaned in and planted a kiss on Xia Qingye’s forehead. “Hmph. Smart move, knowing to include me in your life plans. I’ll wait for you to catch up to me.”

Xia Qingye had thought the woman would explode with rage, but… she was truly defeated by Nie Zhuying’s unique logic. She hooked her arms around the other’s neck. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re really adorable?”

Nie Zhuying put on a “don’t tease me” expression and hummed proudly, “I clearly go for the cool and aloof vibe.”

Xia Qingye burst out laughing. “You’ve worked hard all these years.”

When Zhong Ruanqin arrived, she was swarmed by the gossip reporters who had been blocking the entrance for a long time.

“Ms. Zhong, it’s reported that Ms. Xia, whom you pushed down the steps, is seriously injured and must remain in bed for at least three months. What are your thoughts on this?”

“Ms. Zhong, do you intend to cancel out your transgression with just a simple ‘I’m sorry’?”

“Ms. Zhong, please answer: why did you push Miss Nie and Miss Xia at the time?”

…

Zhong Ruanqin’s face stiffened. She almost wanted to turn and leave. She pinched herself, forcing out two drops of tears. “First, I would like to apologize to both of them again. Especially to Miss Xia—I really didn’t mean it. I hope she can forgive me, otherwise I truly don’t know what to do. I will bear all her medical expenses and arrange for people to take good care of her until she recovers. If there are any follow-up issues, I am willing to take responsibility.”

“Ms. Zhong, it’s rumored that you and Ms. Xia once auditioned for the same role in the movie Winged People. Was it because of the competition for the role that you cruelly pushed her?”

Zhong Ruanqin’s face contorted slightly at the question.

Her manager reacted quickly, blocking the reporter. “Sorry, we need to head upstairs to visit the patient. We will talk after the visit. Please give us some private space, thank you.”

“Ms. Zhong, is your silence due to a guilty conscience?”

“Ms. Zhong!”

Escaping into the elevator, Zhong Ruanqin grit her teeth so hard they clicked. “It must be Nie Zhuying! It has to be her!”

The manager reminded her with a cold face, “Zhong Ruanqin, watch your attitude. If you’re caught on camera again, what do you think will happen? Whether the fans accept your apology depends entirely on your attitude in handling this. No matter how much they make things difficult for you next, you must grit your teeth and agree. Act willing. Once the heat of this incident passes, things will be fine.”

Zhong Ruanqin knew her manager was right. She received countless private messages every day telling her to go die, and her Weibo was full of insults. She rubbed her stiffening face vigorously, took a deep breath, and quickly adjusted her demeanor. She had finished her mental preparation, but she was still startled when the door opened.

Nie Zhuying opened the door with one hand while holding her phone with the other, the camera lens pointed directly at Zhong Ruanqin’s face, which was deformed by surprise. She said flatly, “Come, Ms. Zhong, say hello to my little fans. They’re all concerned about Qingqing’s injury. Knowing you were coming to apologize to Qingqing today, they begged me to start a livestream. I hope you don’t mind too much.”

Zhong Ruanqin minded very much. She had hoped to settle this privately, but Nie Zhuying had given her such a massive shock the moment she arrived. If she had a knife in her hand, Zhong Ruanqin would likely have plunged it into Nie Zhuying’s body without hesitation.

Her face froze for a long moment before she managed to squeeze out a greeting. The bullet comments on Nie Zhuying’s livestream were a non-stop stream of “So fake.”

Zhong Ruanqin was pushed into the room by her manager. Once inside, the manager, likely realizing how awkward the scene was, said with a smile, “Miss Nie, our Ruanqin specifically came to visit Miss Xia. We were wondering—”

Before she could finish, Nie Zhuying snapped back, “Is it you here to apologize, or is it Zhong Ruanqin? If you want to speak on her behalf, I’ve already felt your ‘sincerity’—there’s no need to disturb Qingqing further.”

The manager was rendered speechless by the sharp retort. If anyone else had said it, she might have argued back, but this was Nie Zhuying. What did Nie Zhuying represent? She represented a brand, massive traffic, and a powerful fan base that could drown you in spit.

“Sister Nie.”

“Qingqing.” The camera shifted immediately to Xia Qingye’s side. Everyone saw a girl lying in bed like a sleeping beauty, wearing hospital pajamas. Her complexion wasn’t great, but her eyes were bright. She smiled and waved at the camera, saying softly, “Hello to Sister Nie’s fans. I’m Xia Qingye. Thank you for your concern. As you can see, I’m actually doing well. I’ve always wanted to be lazy and sleep in; this time, I finally got my wish.”

Zhong Ruanqin was pinched twice by her manager and stumbled to the bedside. Seeing Xia Qingye in the bed and noticing Nie Zhuying’s camera pointed at her, the resentment on her face instantly transformed. “Miss Xia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you. I was mourning Tianqing at the time and thinking of the past. My emotions were very confused and I didn’t know what I was doing—”

Xia Qingye responded with a smile, following her lead. “Senior Zhong, I understand your feelings perfectly. I was also a loyal fan of Sister Tianqing, which is why I wanted to pay my respects on her anniversary. It was my own negligence that day—I accidentally stepped into thin air. You don’t need to blame yourself too much.”

Nie Zhuying kept the lens focused on Zhong Ruanqin’s face, wishing she could shove the bad woman into a mobile game to torment her, but she restrained herself.

The entire apology livestream was paced by Xia Qingye. She proactively brought up the topic of the late artist Xia Tianqing, leaving both Zhong Ruanqin and Nie Zhuying stunned on the spot.

Finally, sensing Xia Qingye’s exhaustion, Nie Zhuying cut the conversation short. “Alright, Qingqing is tired. We’ve received the apology. You can go now. We won’t see you out.”

Nie Zhuying turned off the livestream before impatiently urging the two to get out. As they reached the door, she said leisurely, “Zhong Ruanqin, Qingqing says she forgives you, but let me tell you—this isn’t over!”

Bang.

Zhong Ruanqin nearly hit her nose on the door. She was so angry her whole body shook. She turned to her manager. “Did you see that? Nie Zhuying is way too much! She’s too arrogant!”

The manager had been maintaining a fake smile for so long that her face was stiff and exhausted. Hearing her artist’s complaint, she simply said, “She has the capital to be arrogant. Do you? Nie Zhuying announced a marriage contract on New Year’s Day; look, most of her fans gave their blessings. It was a fuss for a few days, but nothing happened. Instead, the anti-fans were torn to shreds by her followers. What about you?”

The comparison was heartbreaking.

Zhong Ruanqin’s teeth clicked with rage. Heading downstairs, she was besieged by gossip reporters again. One difficult question after another pierced her heart. She was barely able to cope, forcing herself to maintain a smile. Otherwise, she had no idea how the gossip columnists would write about her.

Xia Qingye was indeed tired. As soon as they left, she fell asleep, having no idea that the livestream had ignited a firestorm across the internet.

The video began with Nie Zhuying saying mischievously: “I’m going to show you a truly authentic apology livestream. If you love me, keep it a secret. Shh, here we go.”

The moment the door opened, a unique and sensational livestream began.

Zhong Ruanqin’s momentary stiffness was captured in screenshots by netizens and turned into various meme packs.

Afterward, the segment where Xia Qingye weakly greeted everyone was also widely critiqued by netizens—especially the part where she poked fun at herself, which was particularly heart-wrenching. Her nostalgic tone when mentioning Xia Tianqing during the livestream struck a chord with Tianqing’s fans. On the other hand, Zhong Ruanqin was unable to answer several questions regarding Xia Tianqing, leading to a wave of scorn from the online community.

Of course, quite a few anti-fans jumped out to claim Xia Qingye was being fake, saying she forgave her too easily and was setting up a “White Lotus” persona.

Xia Qingye had no idea that this single livestream had gained her a massive following. Part of it consisted of Nie Zhuying’s fans, another part was Xia Tianqing’s loyalists, and the rest were passersby impressed by her grace and poise.

Nie Zhuying was the first to notice. Lying on the sofa scrolling through Weibo, she saw their Qingqing trending. Clicking in, she found the link to that public service advertisement (PSA). She put on her earbuds and tapped it. The PSA, which had taken days to film, had been condensed into a short film of less than thirty minutes.

The short film opened with common scenes of daily campus life. The students’ interactions seemed unrelated at first, but a mobile app eventually wove all the stories into a single thread. It featured the poor university student played by Xia Qingye, who, due to “cold violence” (ostracization) on campus, ended up on a road of no return.

The short film was a tragedy, presenting just a small fragment of real-world social reports to the audience. The female lead’s final words were thought-provoking: “Whether this world is fair or not is no longer important. I will bear the weight of my own mistakes. My only regret is failing my parents’ upbringing. If there is a next life, I hope I can still be your daughter.”

After watching it once, Nie Zhuying was sobbing uncontrollably. Then she watched it a second time, a third time…

Xia Qingye, who had gone to bed early, woke up in the middle of the night. She was startled awake by a faint, rhythmic sobbing sound near her ear. It was a soft wailing. She remembered the ghost stories people often told her about hospitals. Previously, she had been a materialist, but now, hearing that crying, her scalp tingled. “Zhuzi? Who’s crying?”

The person who usually answered her every call remained completely silent. The goosebumps rose on Xia Qingye’s exposed skin. She felt around the sides of her blanket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. Reaching up, she felt for the light switch.

The moment the light flickered on, the faint crying stopped abruptly.

She glanced at the person on the sofa. She saw the figure twisting and turning like a caterpillar, completely wrapped in the quilt. “Zhuzi? You aren’t asleep yet?”

The caterpillar instantly went still.

Xia Qingye watched curiously. “Zhuzi, are you sleeping?”

Soon, a muffled voice came from under the blanket: “Mhm… asleep.”

Xia Qingye burst out laughing.

Nie Zhuying shifted around under the covers, especially as the laughter outside grew louder. She suddenly sat up. “Stop laughing!”

Xia Qingye looked in surprise at her reddened eyes and even redder nose. “You were crying!”

The next day, when Wei Xianghong came to visit, she saw Xia Qingye was looking quite well—her complexion was rosier than it had appeared in the video. However, her gaze lingered suspiciously on Xia Qingye’s swollen lips for a long time. “What happened to your mouth? Did you eat something spicy and get a canker sore? I’m telling you, while you’re sick, you must watch your diet. No cold, spicy, salty, or oily food. Did the doctor not remind you?”

Xia Qingye licked her lips lightly; they were still a bit tender. She shot a resentful look at the culprit sitting on the sofa, who was primly maintaining her “cool” persona. “Sister Xiang, I know I was wrong. Just tell me why you’re here today.”

The two were used to professional dealings, always getting straight to the point with minimal small talk.

Wei Xianghong held up two fingers and gave them a wag. “One good news, one bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

Xia Qingye thought about it. “The bad news.”

Wei Xianghong took a deep breath. “Sister Xiang, how are you handling your job as a manager? My sister suffered such a huge grievance—how could you let that woman just go to the hospital, offer a half-hearted apology, and then let my sister forgive her so easily? One ‘I’m sorry’ and an ‘I didn’t know what I was doing’ and it’s over? No, this isn’t over. Get a plan together for me; I want that bad woman named Zhong to end up lying in a hospital bed herself.”

Xia Qingye: “…”

Wei Xianghong had mimicked Xia Yanbo’s tone perfectly.

Nie Zhuying lifted her book a bit higher, hiding her face.

Xia Qingye glanced with a twitching mouth at the person who was slowly sliding from a sitting position to a lying one on the sofa. She asked awkwardly, “Cough, Sister Xiang, how did my brother find out?”

Wei Xianghong took a seat, looking like she was having a breakdown. “That’s the ‘good news’ part. First, congratulations—the view count on your PSA has broken 100,000. Your brother has always followed my Weibo. I reposted that video in my excitement, and he clicked it. It was supposed to be a happy thing, right? But then, I don’t know how he searched, but he dug up the livestream video of Zhong Ruanqin’s apology. He called me right after watching it. Do you know what time it was? 2:00 AM! I’m a woman too; I need my beauty sleep! Qingye, please, tell your crazy brother that next time—actually, from now on—call me during the day if there’s anything, okay?”

Xia Qingye couldn’t help but rub her forehead. “Sister Xiang, Sister Xiang, calm down. I will definitely convey your suggestion to my brother.”

Seeing her repeated promises, Wei Xianghong finally let it go. “You… I don’t even know what to say to you. If I say you have good luck, you’re currently lying in a hospital. If I say you have bad luck, that PSA you chose is already a hit.”

Xia Qingye was exceptionally philosophical. “A blessing in disguise. Maybe a better opportunity is waiting for me further down the road.”

In Wei Xianghong’s original plan, as soon as the heat from the PSA rose, they should have prepared for her second project—preferably a movie. By the time filming finished, the buzz from Director Xun’s war drama could link up with the PSA’s momentum, and once that faded, Xia Qingye’s movie would be ready to launch.

An artist needs momentum and a continuous stream of work. Linking the two is the key to becoming a superstar; it’s an enduring truth.

But at this most critical juncture, Xia Qingye had “dropped the chain”—or rather, her body had.

Wei Xianghong felt a deep sense of pity for Xia Qingye. An artist only has the potential to become famous if they appear frequently before the public eye. If they disappear for a long time, the fire they just started might be blown out by the wind.

“I’ve already declined that drama for you. Director Zhuang was very sorry, but he said that once you’re recovered, he definitely wants to cooperate with you when there’s another chance. He also asked me to wish you a speedy recovery.”

“Director Zhuang isn’t angry, is he?”

“He’s probably not angry, but he is a bit frustrated. He has to keep looking for a suitable actress for the lead. He rejected Zhong Ruanqin earlier, so since you’ve dropped out, he probably won’t ‘eat the old grass’ [go back to her], right? He’ll likely have to pick from the other actresses who performed well during the auditions.”

Whether he would “eat the old grass” or not, they didn’t know.

Xia Qingye stared at the ceiling, a person coming to mind. “Sister Xiang, I actually think there’s someone very suitable for the role of ‘Yuan Fei’.”

Wei Xianghong couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Who plays Yuan Fei is no longer important. The most important thing is for you to recover quickly so I can find another suitable script for you.”

Seeing that she couldn’t get through to her manager, Xia Qingye nodded aimlessly. “I’ll be obedient, Sister Xiang, don’t worry.”

Wei Xianghong suddenly asked, “Can you go home to recover in a few days?”

Xia Qingye nodded. “I think so. I’ll just come back when it’s time to remove the casts.”

Wei Xianghong asked further, “Then do you want Yu Lan to go home with you? It would be easier for her to take care of you. I see that girl is busy walking the dog and raising hamsters every day lately; her life is getting more and more leisurely.”

Nie Zhuying suddenly lowered the book in front of her face. “No need. I’ll hire the best nurse in the capital to go back with us and take care of her.”

That clumsy girl Yu Lan is always so scatterbrained. How could she take proper care of my Qingqing?

Wei Xianghong looked at Nie Zhuying in a daze, then back at Xia Qingye. It took a long while before she managed two words: “You two…”

Nie Zhuying lifted her chin proudly, a slight curve at the corner of her mouth. “I’ve already convinced Xia Yanbo. He’s allowed me to care for Qingqing nearby. After all, he’s a big man—careless and busy as a spinning top every day.”

Wei Xianghong: “…”

In her heart, she thought: Anyone who can handle Xia Yanbo is a true ‘tough woman’.

By the time Wei Xianghong left, her head was still spinning.

Once the manager was gone, Xia Qingye shot an annoyed look at Nie Zhuying. “Sister Xiang was startled by you.”

Nie Zhuying hummed with great dissatisfaction. “Who told certain people to act like they’re doing underground intelligence work all day? Why are you being so secretive? Am I that embarrassing to be seen with? Or are you planning to treat me as a backup and find someone else once you’re healthy?”

Xia Qingye was nearly moved to laughter by the way she turned things around. She stared at Nie Zhuying teasingly.

Under that gaze, the other woman soon flared up in embarrassment again. “Staring at me with those ‘unsatisfied’ eyes again. I’m telling you, I am a person of great principle, and I execute those principles firmly. Don’t think for a second that I’ll kiss you just because you’re staring at me.”

Xia Qingye rolled her eyes. She cries and cries, and then when she’s caught, she acts like an arrogant cat whose tail was stepped on—immediately scratching you twice.

Xia Qingye’s lips were swollen because a certain someone had pinned her to the bed and kissed her yesterday.

“Zhuzi, give me Jin Manxi’s contact information.”

“What!” Nie Zhuying exploded. “You have me and you’re still not satisfied? You’re actually planning to hook up with Jin Manxi? Not giving it!”

“Mmm—”

Xia Qingye lightly nudged her shoulder, but the rest of her words were stuffed back down her throat by a slippery tongue.