Villainous Movie Star (20)
Zhao Qingyu had long arranged a burial plot for Zhao Fang. Zhao Fang was all alone, not knowing many people in this city. There were very few people who came to pay their respects.
Zhao Fang’s remains were only laid in state for two days before being cremated and buried.
The next evening, in a surprising yet expected turn of events, Zhao Qingyu saw a woman in a qipao and Song Jun in a black suit, accompanied by Sun Wan.
The three of them didn’t enter the memorial hall; they only bowed from a distance towards the hall.
Zhao Qingyu glanced at the three of them, her gaze indifferent as she withdrew her sight.
When she learned that Song Jun’s mother was none other than Aunt Liu, who had supported her, the burning desire for revenge in her heart was suddenly doused like a bucket of cold water. Though her heart still smoldered with dissatisfaction, it had become the remnants of a raging fire, causing pain and leaving scars.
Truly an absurd and terrible world.
Suddenly, she couldn’t find any interest in anything. Her heart felt like it had just been pierced by a hole, overwhelmingly tired, with nothing but the cold wind echoing through the emptiness.
Zhao Qingyu watched as her mother’s ashes were slowly laid to rest in the cemetery.
The coffin was lowered, the tombstone erected…
She knelt in front of the tombstone, looking up at the glaring sunlight pouring down from above.
What an annoying sun it was!
Why is it that those who once gave warmth ultimately become unrecognizable?
Her mother was like that, Aunt Liu was like that too.
“I’m a fatherless wild child. My father was a scumbag, and my mother was insane. To survive, I resorted to every means possible, selfish and ruthless, without any bottom line…”
“I’m ruthless and cruel. Growing up, I had only one goal in mind: revenge. Even now, I can’t help but wish for the death of that old woman from the Song family…”
“I’m despicable and cunning, using every trick in the book. I’m filled with the desire to frame Song Jun’s company, seeking revenge against him…”
Song Xuyi seemed to be the last ray of light in Zhao Qingyu’s life.
But if the warmth brought by the sunlight meant endless winter afterward, then…
Zhao Qingyu chose to extinguish this ray of light with her own hands.
A sharp pain throbbed in her heart, but Zhao Qingyu still managed to speak the words aloud.
“You should go,” Zhao Qingyu heard herself say softly. “From now on, treat me as a stranger…”
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Her true, flawed, and utterly unacceptable self had been exposed to Song Xuyi. Surely, she would leave, right?
Zhao Qingyu had never expected that Song Xuyi would come to accompany her during these days. She had been lost in her own thoughts, aware of her presence all along but too afraid to confront it—wondering how she would judge her given the circumstances…
Song Xuyi was so kind. Seeing her in such an embarrassing state, she would surely find it difficult to bring herself to say she was leaving. So, she would be the one to speak up!
Consider it a way to save face for both of them in the end.
……
However, the expected footsteps of departure did not sound.
Zhao Qingyu fell into a warm embrace.
The girl who she thought would distance herself from her and no longer pay attention to her let out a sigh and hugged her.
“Qingyu, don’t describe yourself like that…”
“I’m telling the truth.”
Zhao Qingyu closed her eyes, trying hard to make her voice sound cold, but she couldn’t bring herself to push Song Xuyi away.
“Have something to eat first.”
However, Song Xuyi seemed not to mind Zhao Qingyu’s avoidance. She forcefully pulled Zhao Qingyu to her feet. “Your mother entrusted you to me, so you must listen to me…”
The nanny car arrived at the nearest restaurant.
Song Xuyi took the porridge handed over by her assistant and stared intently at Zhao Qingyu, as if determined to keep staring until the end of time if Zhao Qingyu refused to drink the porridge.
Zhao Qingyu had no appetite, but she couldn’t resist Song Xuyi’s expectant gaze. She reluctantly took a few bites, but as soon as she put down the spoon, Song Xuyi picked it up and scooped a spoonful to her lips. Her smile was gentle yet irresistible. “Keep eating!”
Zhao Qingyu had never imagined that the dough-like Song Xuyi could be so firm. She glanced at Song Xuyi, hesitated for a moment, and then took the spoon from her hand and ate a few more bites.
She realized that she couldn’t refuse any request from Song Xuyi.
But the more she spent time with Song Xuyi, the deeper she would sink…
“You…”
Before Zhao Qingyu could finish her words, Song Xuyi interrupted her.
“Rest for a while, I’ll take you somewhere!”
Song Xuyi helped Zhao Qingyu into the nanny car.
Zhao Qingyu lay on the seat with her eyes open, unable to fall asleep. These past few days, she hadn’t been able to sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see were the tumultuous events from before. She didn’t understand Song Xuyi’s sudden actions, but it couldn’t get any worse than it was now. At this moment, feeling utterly hopeless, Zhao Qingyu didn’t have the mood to delve deeper into it.
“Sleep now, okay?” Song Xuyi, who was sitting beside her, suddenly leaned over and covered her with a coat. She looked into Zhao Qingyu’s eyes earnestly and said, “When you wake up, everything will be over.”
Zhao Qingyu didn’t expect Song Xuyi to speak to her in a tone usually used to coax children. However, perhaps it was because Song Xuyi’s voice was so gentle, or maybe it was because she couldn’t face the concern in Song Xuyi’s eyes, Zhao Qingyu closed her eyes.
There was still the familiar fragrance of Song Xuyi on the coat. Song Xuyi never wore perfume, but for many years, she had always loved a brand of shower gel with a peach scent that never changed.
Song Xuyi didn’t know that in order to prevent the small brand of shower gel from going out of business, Zhao Qingyu deliberately accepted the endorsement for this shower gel, and she had long switched to the same brand’s orange-scented shower gel, which she had been using ever since.
……
Zhao Qingyu didn’t know when she had fallen asleep.
She had expected to have a series of nightmares again, but this time she slept surprisingly soundly.
In her dream, a pair of hands seemed to appear, grabbing her tightly just as she was about to plunge into darkness and gifting her with countless rays of light…
After the car stopped, they arrived at a welfare home.
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Zhao Qingyu knew that this was a welfare home sponsored by Song Xuyi. Over the years, Song Xuyi had invested most of her pocket money into this welfare home.
Song Xuyi gestured for Zhao Qingyu to be quiet and led her to the door of a room on the sixth floor.
Through the slightly ajar door, Zhao Qingyu saw the back of a girl sitting at a desk doing her homework. And above her desk was a large poster of Zhao Qingyu.
It was a movie that Zhao Qingyu had completed at the end of last year, telling the story of a girl who escaped from her abusive foster father, overcame social prejudice, struggled for survival, and eventually became a lawyer, sending her foster father to prison.
With this low-budget, realistic film that the industry didn’t have high expectations for, Zhao Qingyu won three of the most prestigious Best Actress awards in the country.
Song Xuyi pulled Zhao Qingyu to the side and lowered her voice:
“This girl’s experience is exactly the same as yours in the movie…”
Zhao Qingyu was taken aback, and a crack appeared on her expressionless face. She looked up at Song Xuyi.
“Our volunteer saw her at the police station. She was covered in bruises and cigarette burns, but she was smiling. She said she could finally live a clean life…”
“She’s very clever. She used her phone to record the crimes of her beastly stepfather and sent that animal to prison.”
“She told us that it was your movie that gave her courage. During the years of being bullied by that beast, she was filled with twisted thoughts by him. But your movie was like a beam of light, telling her…”
Song Xuyi imitated Zhao Qingyu’s lines from the movie and spoke softly, “I can’t stay silent anymore! That beast told me I was dirty, but who is dirtier than him? Public opinion has oppressed so many injured girls and bred so many dark beasts. They trample upon the flesh and blood of girls without restraint…”
“I want to become an iron wall! Even if rumors are like knives, and prejudice is like mountains, even if painful memories scorch my body like flames, I will block the mountains of blades and seas of fire from descending upon other girls…”
“So she reported her stepfather,” Song Xuyi continued, leading the silent Zhao Qingyu forward. “We helped her start a new life in a new city. Her academic performance has caught up now, and she wants to become a lawyer. After next year’s college entrance examination, she wants to come and see you with her acceptance letter…”
As Song Xuyi spoke, they arrived at the door of another room. Inside sat an elderly grandmother wearing reading glasses, knitting a sweater. On the table in her room were many adorable Q-version dolls and figures of Zhao Qingyu, each dressed in handmade clothes. “This grandmother used to be a seamstress. Her only granddaughter passed away in a car accident. Her granddaughter was your fan, so after her granddaughter’s death, the grandmother developed a liking for you. She worries every day if you’re cold or hungry. Her greatest wish is to see you wearing the clothes she made with her own hands…”
“And there’s this elderly gentleman. He used to be an extra in films. In the past year, he had a car accident and lost both his legs, unable to act anymore. But his lifelong passion was the entertainment industry, and you were the most promising star in the entire industry. He’s waiting for you to take Chinese cinema to the world…”
“Qingyu,” Song Xuyi turned around and hugged Zhao Qingyu, whose face was now streaked with tears. She let out a soft sigh.
“Deep down, you understand, don’t you? Everyone has a dark side. I don’t know how you plan to seek revenge, or where your hatred will lead you. But I want to tell you this: there are so many people who genuinely love you without expecting anything in return. That’s because you’re truly amazing. You have already become a light in many people’s lives.”
“You promised me eight movies, and there are still four left,” Song Xuyi held Zhao Qingyu’s hand. “I promised Auntie that I would take good care of you…”
“I don’t have the right to ask you to give up revenge, but your life cannot be consumed by hatred. Qingyu, shift your focus in life and try to live for yourself from now on, okay…”
Song Xuyi didn’t know if Zhao Qingyu truly took her words to heart. Despite her worries, her limited vacation time was running out, and she had to return to school after spending a few days with Zhao Qingyu.
As she left, Song Xuyi saw Zhao Qingyu standing at the door. She remained there until Song Xuyi’s car was far away…
Fearing that Zhao Qingyu might be overwhelmed by negative thoughts, Song Xuyi began to consciously “check-in” with her through messages, and Zhao Qingyu’s replies gradually became more frequent, starting with just a few words and becoming longer over time…
It seemed like everything had returned to when they first met.
But everything was also different.
Song Xuyi heard news from the welfare home. Zhao Qingyu’s assistant visited the welfare home and sent a postcard with words of encouragement for her upcoming college entrance exams. She even rented clothes from the elderly grandmother and attended an awards ceremony…
Later on, Zhao Qingyu joined a film crew again.
It had been over a year since they last saw each other. During that year, they sporadically stayed in touch through WeChat and phone calls, but both of them were extremely busy:
Song Xuyi was now in her final year of university. With excellent grades, she was directly admitted to Huang Shuo’s research institute for further studies, and she began working tirelessly alongside him on their research.
Zhao Qingyu’s new film made its way overseas and achieved tremendous success, winning several awards. Fans started anticipating Zhao Qingyu’s collection of global Best Actress awards.
Less than a month after Zhao Qingyu’s mother passed away, Song Jun’s grandmother, on a stormy night, shouted “retribution” and left this world.
Song Jun married Sun Wan.
Perhaps having learned from the conflicts of the older generation, Song Jun shed his arrogant demeanor in his relationship with Sun Wan, and their bond became incredibly strong.
Song Jun’s company launched a home service robot that was at the forefront of technology. Just as they were about to put the product into production, an unknown company released an even more advanced robot, instantly attracting all the investments…
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Technology is the means of production, and this small company quickly became the industry leader, usurping Song Jun’s company’s dominant position. Several key researchers from Song Jun’s company jumped ship and joined the rival company, causing Song Jun’s company to suddenly become a second-rate company.
It was not until a certain industry gathering that Song Jun came face to face with the owner of that company. As he looked at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, Song Jun suddenly realized the reason behind the other party’s attempt to suppress him while leaving a way out.
In a daze, Song Jun managed to hold on until the end of the meeting. Eventually, he received a note sent by Zhao Qingyu’s assistant.
“I initially wanted to see you completely ruined, but your mother left me a way out back then. This time, I consider it paying back what I owed. From now on, the Song family and I have no further ties.”
Song Jun was taken aback. Subconsciously, he looked up to find Zhao Qingyu’s figure, but Zhao Qingyu had already left the venue long ago…
Not long after, a pleasant surprise echoed in Song Xuyi’s mind from the system: “Xuyi! We have completed the mission!”
Song Xuyi raised her head in astonishment and coincidentally saw a graceful figure outside the transparent glass window of the institute.
That person outside the window smiled at her radiantly, with a relaxed expression and a charming red mole at the corner of her eye. The look in her eyes towards Song Xuyi was as bright as the stars, as if the past suffering and darkness had never touched her.
“Can I continue to exist in this world?”
“Yes, until your physical body dies…”
In an instant, Song Xuyi was stunned. After receiving the confirmation from the system, she also burst into laughter.
That’s wonderful!
Song Xuyi met Zhao Qingyu’s gaze, and her eyes curved as well. Zhao Qingyu deserved all the beauty, and she should always look so stunning and radiant!
Song Xuyi and Zhao Qingyu had a meal together.
Throughout the entire meal, Zhao Qingyu didn’t say much. She simply kept looking at Song Xuyi and smiling. Song Xuyi blushed from her laughter, and she glared at Zhao Qingyu in annoyance. But this only made Zhao Qingyu laugh even harder!
“In the blink of an eye, we’ve known each other for so long! Xuyi, will you always be my friend?”
Zhao Qingyu leaned closer and tasted Song Xuyi’s juice flavor, seemingly casually asking. However, perhaps because the sunlight was too dazzling, Song Xuyi always felt that there were emotions in Zhao Qingyu’s eyes that she couldn’t understand.
Song Xuyi’s heart skipped a beat, and it took a while before she softly replied, “Yes, I will consider you a good friend for as long as I live.”
“A good friend?” Zhao Qingyu repeated those three words, then suddenly her lips curved again. “Then, what gift do you want when you turn twenty-seven?”
Twenty-seven?
Song Xuyi was taken aback and lowered her head. It took a long time before she tugged at the corner of her lips and spoke gently, “I’ve always enjoyed watching your movies. The best gift for me would be for you to make more great films…”
Zhao Qingyu smiled with her eyes narrowed. “Then I will collect all the Best Actress awards for you as a gift…”
……
LP: Re-translated on January 30, 2024