Villainous Movie Star (5)
When Zhao Qingyu woke up, her head still felt a bit heavy.
A gentle pressure on both sides of her temples and a faint herbal fragrance lingering around her indicated that someone was softly massaging her acupoints. They lowered their head and asked, “Feeling better?”
Zhao Qingyu recognized that voice.
Recalling everything that had happened before she lost consciousness, Zhao Qingyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she nodded gently. “Much better! Thank you, Xuyi.”
Song Xuyi looked at Zhao Qingyu before her, whose face had a hint of fragility due to her pale complexion, and pursed her lips slightly.
Even in this situation, Zhao Qingyu still presented herself as the polite and gentle person that Song Xuyi was familiar with. She had ingrained this pretense into her very being.
Zhao Qingyu’s manager had informed Song Xuyi about everything that Zhao Qingyu had recently experienced.
Listening to the manager’s account, even the system in Song Xuyi’s mind fell unusually silent.
None of this was mentioned in the plot synopsis. In the plot synopsis, Zhao Qingyu was a highly acclaimed actress, rejecting countless pursuers, elegant and noble like a black swan.
However, the Zhao Qingyu standing before her…
Unlike the male protagonist, Song Jun, who was naturally outstanding due to his family background, Zhao Qingyu had to grow and become a formidable villain capable of rivaling his company. It can be imagined how many hardships she would have to endure along the way.
The director’s polishing of Zhao Qingyu was also somewhat related to Song Xuyi’s neglect of her during this period.
The original owner’s fondness for Zhao Qingyu had persisted for many years, and for Zhao Qingyu, who was just starting out, the favor of the wilful and capricious “Princess Song” had inadvertently helped her avoid many conflicts.
After learning the truth, Song Xuyi felt a bit guilty in her heart. She had been busy with her studies during this time and indeed neglected Zhao Qingyu.
Fortunately, there was still a chance to make amends.
Song Xuyi sighed and continued to massage Zhao Qingyu’s acupoints for a while. She then picked up the bowl of millet porridge handed to her by the supervisor and carefully scooped a spoonful, offering it to Zhao Qingyu’s lips. “It’s my first time making porridge. How does it taste?”
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Although she asked like this, Song Xuyi knew that the taste of the porridge she made should be good. Although the original owner had never stepped into the kitchen, in Song Xuyi’s recollection of the memories, the eighteen-year-old Song Xuyi often made various types of porridge to take care of her grandmother, who had a weak stomach.
This was also the only thing Song Xuyi felt she could do for Zhao Qingyu at the moment. She couldn’t muster the same passionate expression that the original owner had when seeing Zhao Qingyu, but she could show her concern through other actions.
Zhao Qingyu glanced up at Song Xuyi.
Song Xuyi’s expression was extremely calm, devoid of the nervousness and excitement that came with pretense. There seemed to be a hint of guilt in Song Xuyi’s eyes…
What is she feeling guilty about?
Zhao Qingyu’s gaze swept past the supervisor standing behind Song Xuyi. The supervisor couldn’t control the stunned expression on their face. Through the half-opened door of the ward, Zhao Qingyu caught a glimpse of the director’s flickering gaze outside the room…
“Thank you, Xuyi.”
Zhao Qingyu’s eyes shimmered slightly as she smiled, lowered her head, and took a sip of the porridge.
In her heart, she didn’t want any involvement with the Song family, but when opportunity knocks, she couldn’t just let it go to waste.
However…
Zhao Qingyu raised her head and looked at the several red dates placed in the millet porridge, pursing her lips. The porridge made by the young princess of the Song family turned out to be surprisingly sweet and fragrant.
Feeding Zhao Qingyu spoonful by spoonful until she finished the porridge, Song Xuyi also let out a sigh of relief.
During Zhao Qingyu’s unconsciousness, Song Xuyi had already figured things out. She didn’t have much confidence in persuading Zhao Qingyu to give up attacking the male protagonist, but in order to successfully complete the mission, Song Xuyi decided to settle for the next best thing – getting close to Zhao Qingyu and understanding her movements.
Moreover, Zhao Qingyu, who was obediently drinking the porridge with her head down, seemed incredibly harmless and docile…
Zhao Qingyu’s demeanor gave Song Xuyi courage.
“Sister Qingyu, how about…” Song Xuyi squatted in front of Zhao Qingyu, bravely meeting her gaze as the encouraging voice of the system echoed, saying, “Come on, Xuyi!” “…we exchange contact information? We’ve met so many times already, right?”
“Shall I scan your code or will you scan mine…”
Zhao Qingyu lifted her head.
The girl’s voice was clear, and there were traces of baby fat that hadn’t completely disappeared from her face. She looked at her with eager eyes…
The child seemed to have suddenly become more courageous. What is she plotting now?
A hint of a smile flickered in Zhao Qingyu’s deep eyes. The beautiful shape of her eyes sparkled with that slight smile, making the red birthmark at the corner of her eye seem to come alive, and in an instant, she exuded a captivating charm…
The child’s face… seemed to blush again.
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes.
In fact, the previous Song Xuyi had also asked for Zhao Qingyu’s contact information before. However, for some reason, perhaps due to the relaxed emotions after her illness, Zhao Qingyu didn’t feel any annoyance towards Song Xuyi’s previous spoiled behavior. But this time, there was no trace of aversion in Zhao Qingyu’s heart…
“You scan mine!” Zhao Qingyu heard herself speak softly and took the phone handed over by her manager. She opened the QR code–
Song Xuyi took a deep breath, hastily scanned the QR code, and lowered her head, unable to meet Zhao Qingyu’s gaze again. She tried hard to calm the heat on her cheeks, but it just wouldn’t go away…
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How could Zhao Qingyu smile so bewitchingly?!
If Zhao Qingyu’s smile before seemed like a mask, Song Xuyi could be certain that the Zhao Qingyu just now had sincerely and genuinely dropped the pretense and was truly smiling…
That smile caused Song Xuyi’s heart, which she thought had already calmed down, to beat rapidly once again, ‘thump, thump.’
Song Xuyi inwardly scolded herself for her lack of determination. While forcing herself to regain composure, she lowered her gaze to Zhao Qingyu’s WeChat on her phone.
It was only after asking the question that she remembered that the original owner of her body had also asked for her WeChat before. But after a few unsuccessful attempts, with Zhao Qingyu pushing her away like a soft nail, she never expected that she would actually succeed in adding Zhao Qingyu this time.
Zhao Qingyu’s WeChat name was a simple character, ‘Zhao,’ and the profile picture was a silhouette—a woman holding the hand of a little girl amidst flowers.
“Is this you when you were young?”
Song Xuyi’s eyes flickered as she clicked on the profile picture, subtly inquiring, “This little girl looks very cute.”
This silhouette photo seemed to have some age to it, and Song Xuyi had a gut feeling that it held special significance for Zhao Qingyu.
Zhao Qingyu looked at the photo on Song Xuyi’s phone and nodded. There was a sudden twinge of pain in her eyes, causing the smile in her eyes to instantly fade. However, her voice still carried a hint of laughter as she spoke, “Can you really tell someone is ‘cute’ just from their silhouette?”
But she silently acknowledged the fact that the little girl in the photo was indeed herself.
“Because you look so beautiful now, you must have been pretty when you were younger,” Song Xuyi forced an explanation, glancing at Zhao Qingyu. Seeing that Zhao Qingyu didn’t seem to object, she pointed to the woman beside the little girl and continued, “Auntie must have been a great beauty too!”
“I really want to know what Auntie looks like now, and compare her to Sister Qingyu to see who is more beautiful…”
“Some people say I look a lot like her,” Zhao Qingyu gazed at the graceful silhouette on her phone, her eyes dimming. Once again, she put on that flawless mask of gentleness. “I’ve also forgotten what she looked like. She must have been beautiful back then…”
“—She passed away many years ago.”
“I… I’m sorry.”
Song Xuyi didn’t expect to hear this answer. She was momentarily stunned before she couldn’t help but lift her head to observe Zhao Qingyu’s expression. The smile on Zhao Qingyu’s face faded slightly, and her delicate neck drooped. Her eyes seemed like still water, without any ripples…
It was a mask that anyone could see through.
Song Xuyi suddenly felt a strange sensation in her heart.
“What do you have to apologize for?” Song Xuyi heard Zhao Qingyu speak softly. “All of this is my fate. Just like how you are the highly anticipated little princess of the Song family, this is your fate too…”
Song Xuyi was taken aback. She didn’t expect such words to come from Zhao Qingyu, but upon careful consideration, it didn’t seem surprising at all.
However, could fate truly not be overturned?
Thinking of the secret hidden deep in her memories, a secret that the original owner of the body dared not speak of, Song Xuyi pressed her lips tightly together.
Because she brought Zhao Qingyu to the hospital, Song Xuyi stood up her classmates, including Huang Juanjuan. She made up an excuse about getting lost in the film and television city, but she couldn’t afford to miss another class gathering the next day. So, she spent the morning with a group of classmates exploring the small attractions near the film and television city.
Due to motion sickness, Song Xuyi didn’t return with her classmates. In the afternoon, she set aside some time to visit Zhao Qingyu at the hospital. Zhao Qingyu’s complexion seemed much better.
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Perhaps Song Xuyi’s arrival had intimidated the director, or maybe the director didn’t want to escalate the situation further. This time, the director granted Zhao Qingyu a three-day leave.
Zhao Qingyu once again resumed her gentle and considerate demeanor. In just one day, the doctors and nurses in the ward had become extremely friendly towards her. Song Xuyi couldn’t help but sigh at the sight. Zhao Qingyu was truly skilled at winning people over.
Although Zhao Qingyu hadn’t let her guard down, Song Xuyi felt that this time wasn’t entirely fruitless. At least she managed to add Zhao Qingyu on WeChat.
After bidding farewell to Zhao Qingyu, Song Xuyi sat in the car that Mother Song had sent and returned to school.
However, Song Xuyi was unaware that shortly after her departure, Zhao Qingyu also left the hospital.
By the time Song Xuyi arrived at school, Zhao Qingyu had reached the entrance of a certain hospital.
She greeted the patrolling nurses along the way and walked through the ward with familiarity, finally stopping in front of a single-patient room.
Inside the room sat a woman.
The woman had already withered away, resembling a living skeleton. Only the brownish eyes that moved showed that she was still alive.
Zhao Qingyu pushed open the door and greeted a nearby caregiver before turning her gaze towards the woman on the hospital bed. “Mom, it’s Qingyu. I’ve come to see you.”
“Qingyu!” The woman seemed to have been greatly startled, suddenly stood up, tremblingly picked up a plastic cup from the side, and held it near the lips of the doll on the bedside. “Qingyu, be good, drink some water. Once you drink this water, all your troubles will disappear…”
Then, the woman dropped the doll, held her head, and started crying uncontrollably. “Why did you run away? People like us should accept our fate early on. I shouldn’t have given birth to you…”
“Qingyu,” the caregiver looked at Zhao Qingyu’s smiling face and sighed. “Don’t worry too much. The doctor said… your mother may not last much longer…”
“I never held it against her.”
Zhao Qingyu shook her head, watching as the woman stood up once again, her expression changing from sorrowful to sharp and bitter. “Zhao Fang, I traced your family lineage back five generations. Almost without exception, the girls in your family died from ‘sleeping syndrome’ before the age of thirty. You, a doomed wretch with a short life expectancy, why did you come to harm my son…”
Seeing that the caregiver seemed to want to say something else, Zhao Qingyu finally dropped the smile from her face, her gaze becoming intense. “I have never blamed her…”
Her once beautiful and gentle mother had already passed away at the age of thirty.
What remained were tortured and unresolved spirits trapped in the past, and her—an evil ghost, about to unleash revenge.
LP: Re-translated on December 3, 2023