The Villainous Film Empress (6)
A little rich girl dedicated to saving the world X A paranoid, dark, and vengeful film empress
After returning to school, Song Xuyi was met with an exam.
The “Black Mountain Old Demon,”1 Huang Shuo, had probably long guessed how his students would react after he left on his business trip. So, upon his return, before the students could even catch their breath from the midterm exam, they were once again faced with one of Huang Shuo’s test papers.
After the excruciatingly difficult questions on professional knowledge, the final question on Huang Shuo’s exam was unexpectedly simple—a 20-point essay question.
“What is your reason for studying medicine?”
It wasn’t just Song Xuyi; everyone else was taken aback when they saw this question.
This was an era where material civilization was already relatively abundant.
In many people’s minds, studying medicine was a way to secure a reasonably respectable job. After all, most people came from ordinary families, and being a doctor was a profession that offered a high salary, fulfilled a heroic complex, and held high social standing.
But the body Song Xuyi inhabited had already enjoyed all the resources others lacked.
Song Xuyi gripped her pen tightly. A long time passed before she finally wrote on the paper:
“Because I want to save others and also save myself.” She quoted a passage from the medical oath every medical student learned upon enrollment: “I am determined to do my utmost to relieve the suffering of humankind, to promote perfect health, to uphold the sanctity and honor of the medical arts, to heal the sick and rescue the dying, to spare no effort, to pursue my goals with perseverance, and to strive for the development of the motherland’s medical and health services and for the physical and mental well-being of humanity for the rest of my life.”
Song Xuyi knew that such words might sound a little false, big, and empty.2
But her entire body was trembling as she wrote.
It was as if something in her heart had been dusted off, becoming incredibly bright and clear. It was like drinking a draft of ice-cold water in the summer, an incomparable feeling of refreshment washing through her…
Although she was a Task-doer, she was, more importantly, herself. She didn’t want to lose herself just to complete a mission.
What was the point of living just for the sake of living?
However, when the papers were handed back, the result was beyond everyone’s expectations—for the first time, Song Xuyi had lost her first-place ranking in this course.
Song Xuyi had received a zero on the final question.
The people around her were extremely puzzled. Logically, for a subjective question like this, you would get some points no matter what you wrote. Song Xuyi’s answer wasn’t outrageous; there was no way it deserved a zero.
Song Xuyi couldn’t figure it out either. She was very calm about other things, but when it came to her profession, she couldn’t remain composed. Holding her exam paper, she walked into Huang Shuo’s office after class, full of confusion.
When Song Xuyi entered, Huang Shuo was in the middle of a consultation.
Two people stood before him. A young, shabbily dressed woman was holding a child, sobbing softly as she sat in front of him.
The “Black Mountain Old Demon,” who was usually extremely irritable and strict with his students, seemed like a different person when treating patients. His expression was peaceful and gentle as he spoke softly to the woman and handed her tissues.
“I know your family’s situation. Don’t worry. Even if the child’s father won’t take responsibility, the country and society will.”
“Have the child hospitalized for treatment first. The tumor may not be malignant. Put the matter of money aside for now. It’s best if you can gather enough, but if you can’t, I’ll help you figure something out…”
Under Huang Shuo’s gentle comfort, the crying woman slowly raised her head, her expression gradually firming. Ignoring his protests, she kowtowed to him several times before carrying her child out to complete the admission procedures.
“This lady’s husband despises her for giving birth to a girl and refused to pay for the child’s treatment. She resolutely divorced him and came here after asking around extensively. Before this, the farthest she had ever traveled was to the provincial capital where they worked…”
Huang Shuo looked up at Song Xuyi, who was standing to the side. “I know why you’re here.”
“I think very highly of you. You’re smart and diligent. On this path of medicine, your future is limitless…” Huang Shuo gazed into Song Xuyi’s eyes. “I’ve seen several students like you. Young geniuses, arriving full of passion…”
“But medical research is a path for a selfless warrior who must walk alone.3” Huang Shuo’s eyes burned brightly as he looked at her. “In times of crisis, a doctor must rush to the forefront. You have to face misunderstanding and even resentment from patients. You have to endure the frustration of being powerless, of being unable to save people from their pain. You have to constantly self-reflect and question yourself…”
“The successful become famous throughout the world, while the failures remain unknown. You will dedicate your entire life to thousands upon thousands of families, rich or poor, while your own dearest relatives and friends will continuously depart during this process…” It was unclear what memory surfaced, but tears welled up in Huang Shuo’s eyes. “You might even end up saving thousands upon thousands of people, yet be unable to save your own loved one. You will live forever in guilt—”
“This road is too bitter!” Huang Shuo looked at Song Xuyi. “I don’t demand that you walk this path forever, but even if you do remain in this profession, anything less than your full effort cannot be considered ‘doing your utmost’…”
“Song Xuyi, I’ve looked into your family background. You never showed any interest in medicine before; this desire to study it came on a whim. And a family like yours is destined to face more temptations, with many things beyond your control…”
“So you got angry,” Song Xuyi said, now understanding why Huang Shuo had given her a zero. “Because so many predecessors have given their all on this path, you feel I’m destined to be unable to commit as fully as they did. In your eyes, my answer on the exam paper was just presumptuous talk,4 because you feel it’s a desecration. You feel I desecrated the sanctity of the medical arts…”
Huang Shuo didn’t speak, which was a clear admission.
“I cannot give you a definite answer right now, because no one can say for sure what the future holds.”
Song Xuyi took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and looked directly into Huang Shuo’s eyes. She bowed. “But I will keep this exam paper forever.”
“—One day, I will make you change this score willingly.”
The next day, the Song Group’s Charitable Foundation sent medical funds for the little girl with the tumor.
The girl’s mother, her eyes filled with tears, led her daughter to thank Huang Shuo, only to find him staring out the window in a daze.
“It wasn’t me who helped you.” Huang Shuo gave the little girl a deep look. “The person who helped you was a girl.”
“Who is she?” The mother’s face was full of gratitude. “My daughter and I must thank her in person.”
“She is…” Huang Shuo frowned. The professor, who had met countless people, paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. “She is… someone who, at present, seems to shine.”
“You don’t need to know who she is right now,” Huang Shuo said, taking a sip of tea. His gaze was fixed ahead, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation he himself didn’t notice. “As long as she lives up to her words, her light will only grow brighter. In less than ten years, her name will resound throughout the entire medical world. You will know her name eventually…”
…
Song Xuyi was unaware of this conversation in Huang Shuo’s office.
On her way back, she bought a picture frame and actually framed the exam paper.
As for donating to the little girl, money was the one thing this body of hers did not lack. It was only after seeing the little girl that Song Xuyi discovered the best use for her personal funds: donating them to the Song Group’s foundation to help the thousands upon thousands of people in need.
Amidst the complex sighs of Father Song and Mother Song—“Our Xuyi has finally grown up”—Song Xuyi returned to school and once again threw herself into a frenzy of studying.
She absorbed medical knowledge as if she were starving and parched, completely cutting herself off from her original host’s lively and boisterous life. Like an old scholar, she lived a monotonous existence, shuttling between the dormitory, the classroom buildings, and the library, leaving early and returning late.
This was a terrifying level of perseverance. To maintain it for a day or two was possible, but to persist for so long, rain or shine…
Song Xuyi’s diligence even sparked some rumors: although she dressed presentably, her clothes had no labels, she ate frugally, and her skincare products didn’t even have packaging. Her only piece of jewelry was the small scalpel pendant around her neck. She was very likely from a poor family, which was why she had to study so hard to get a scholarship.
Huang Juanjuan was a straightforward person. After hearing these rumors, she went directly to Song Xuyi for confirmation, but Song Xuyi just smiled. “I’m not poor.”
“The reason I work so hard is because this is a hard-won5 opportunity to learn. Besides, I’m not the only one working hard. Our profession is special; it’s directly related to our patients’ lives. My time is limited, and I want my knowledge base to be more solid…”
Huang Juanjuan hadn’t expected these to be the reasons, but Song Xuyi’s expression didn’t look like she was just being perfunctory.
Huang Juanjuan was silent for a long time. The next morning, she also crawled out of bed early and dutifully followed Song Xuyi to the library…
The students didn’t know why Song Xuyi was working so hard, but the fully focused Song Xuyi possessed a unique charm that made people want to emulate her. Many were inspired by her and began to plan their own studies, striving to catch up.
Such a hardworking and beautiful girl was naturally well-liked, and many boys at the school wanted to pursue her. However, Song Xuyi rejected all of their advances.
Amidst the busy schedule she had set for herself, Song Xuyi didn’t forget her mission. She set aside half an hour every morning and evening to check on the mission’s progress.
As expected, the male lead Song Jun and the female lead Sun Wan had reunited abroad and were now together. Moreover, Song Xuyi discovered that Sun Wan was also a medical student with considerable talent. Recently, she had been helping Song Jun care for his grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s.
Zhao Qingyu’s activities were even easier to track. A quick browse through her Super Topic6 was all it took to learn her schedule.
By the end of the semester, Zhao Qingyu had finished filming her movie and had already joined another film crew. Sensing how unfathomable7 Zhao Qingyu was, Song Xuyi knew she didn’t have the mental energy to play psychological games with her, so she decided to play it by ear.8 However, to solidify her identity as a fan and prevent Zhao Qingyu from being bullied again, Song Xuyi had the Old Housekeeper send a bouquet of flowers to the film set every week.
As for Song Xuyi herself, she sent Zhao Qingyu a WeChat message every morning and evening.
However, Song Xuyi felt that Zhao Qingyu had probably blocked her.
Because when Song Xuyi checked Zhao Qingyu’s WeChat Moments, it was completely blank, and Zhao Qingyu never replied to her messages. At first, Song Xuyi only sent messages like “Good morning, mwah~” and “Good night, make sure to rest” as if completing a KPI, cultivating her image as a rabid fan. Later, seeing that Zhao Qingyu never responded, Song Xuyi relaxed and started using Zhao Qingyu’s chat window as a tree hollow.9
Things like how many English words she memorized today, how bad the cafeteria food was, a joke she heard…
This continued until the winter vacation began.
As soon as the vacation started, Song Xuyi holed up in the Old TCM Doctor’s apothecary as an apprentice. The old doctor was renowned throughout the country, and countless people came to see him. Song Xuyi stayed for over ten days, learning many traditional methods of health preservation. Her life was incredibly busy, so she wasn’t as meticulous about some things, and her daily check-ins with Zhao Qingyu were interrupted for several days.
It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve10 arrived that Song Xuyi returned to the Song family’s grand residence for the Spring Festival. The endless stream of visiting relatives was too noisy, so Song Xuyi hid upstairs. On a whim, she recorded a video of the children downstairs setting off fireworks. But after filming it, she remembered she had been hiding her family background and couldn’t send the video to her school friends. After some thought, she sent it to her ‘tree hollow.’
After sending the video, Song Xuyi felt it was a bit plain, so she added a sentence and sent Zhao Qingyu a transfer of ‘8888’:
【Qingyu, Happy New Year’s Eve! Here’s some New Year’s money11 for you. Go eat something nice. Your movie premieres tomorrow, you’ll definitely shoot to fame!】12
Even as she offered this blessing, Song Xuyi knew that Zhao Qingyu would do more than just shoot to fame. This year, she was twenty-one. For the next nine years, until the plot summary ended with the female lead Sun Wan’s death, Zhao Qingyu would be the most dazzling, long-reigning star in the film industry, a guarantee at the box office, an A-list idol who drove countless fans into a frenzy.
After sending the message, Song Xuyi put down her phone and went downstairs to have the reunion dinner with her family. When she gave them the gifts she had prepared long ago and saw their expressions, so happy they were on the verge of tears, Song Xuyi sighed inwardly and made an excuse to go back upstairs.
She had received a huge stack of checks as New Year’s money tonight. Although she would be donating it to the charitable foundation the next day, it didn’t stop her from feeling happy about receiving red envelopes today.
Song Xuyi happily took another photo and sent it to her ‘tree hollow.’ Only after sending it did she remember that Zhao Qingyu’s profile picture, which had never lit up before, seemed to show “3” unread messages when she tapped into the chat.
【Happy New Year’s Eve, Xuyi.】
【You haven’t messaged me in five days. I thought you’d started stanning someone else13 [Happy]】
【So glad you still remember me.】
Song Xuyi felt a chill run down her spine. She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but no matter how she looked at it, Zhao Qingyu’s smiling emoji seemed to carry a murderous intent.
【I was busy recently, I didn’t mean to not message you.】
【I absolutely did not start stanning someone else!】
Song Xuyi hurriedly explained. The thought that Zhao Qingyu had seen all her miscellaneous daily ramblings made her feel incredibly ashamed, and her face couldn’t help but turn red once more.
Then, with a ‘ding-dong,’ the chat window updated. A new message came in, accompanied by a transfer of 9999.
【I’m very happy Xuyi is still my little fan.】
—【New Year’s money for Little Xuyi. [Happy]】
The author has something to say:
This medical oath is quoted from the medical oath on Baidu.
It seems some schools have students recite this in their first class. It feels super ceremonial.
LP: Re-translated on December 4, 2023
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