Villainous Movie Star (7)
Song Xuyi never expected that her “tree hole” would suddenly come alive.
Even more unexpectedly, Zhao Qingyu even noticed her absence in “checking in” for several days.
She often browses the Super Topic (online forum) and knows that certain fans have dedicated groups to keep track of attendance. Those who have fewer check-ins are looked down upon by everyone. But she never thought that she would be called out for missing a day of “checking in.”
And the person who pointed it out was the owner herself.
Thinking about this, a sense of embarrassment flushed Song Xuyi’s face again.
She stared at the transfer Zhao Qingyu had sent, feeling incredibly conflicted. She didn’t know whether she should accept it or not. Finally, she put down her phone and went downstairs once again.
No movement from the enemy, no movement from me. Zhao Qingyu didn’t accept the transfer she had sent, and she also felt embarrassed to accept the transfer Zhao Qingyu had sent.
After coming downstairs, the atmosphere in the Song household had already improved.
The Song family’s status was here. Every New Year’s Eve, the phones would constantly ring. Song Xuyi rarely mixed with her parents’ circle. Her previous group of friends had also lost contact, and she only made phone calls and sent messages to a few classmates and teachers.
This was a rare leisure time for Song Xuyi. She nestled on the couch, sipping a sweet and sour cocktail, munching on snacks, and casually browsing Weibo. Almost instinctively, she clicked into Zhao Qingyu’s Super Topic.
Now, the final trailer for the movie in which Zhao Qingyu stars has been released.
The official description says it’s a story of revenge and power struggle in the martial world.
In the trailer, Zhao Qingyu’s gaze is sharp as she sits tall on the throne. Despite being only 21 years old, with a single turn and glance, she conveys the character’s experiences over the years. Her eyes initially show a hint of melancholy, looking down at the crawling masses beneath her, seemingly puzzled as to why the younger version of herself, who only wished to marry her martial arts senior and live a peaceful life, ended up here. Then, her beautiful eyes abruptly sharpen, time flies like an arrow, and the years of battles and conflicts flash before her eyes. Finally, her gaze becomes resolute, the camera pulls back, and she stands above the multitude, lonely yet indifferent, slowly raising both hands…
It wasn’t until this segment of the trailer ended that Song Xuyi snapped back to reality, taking a long breath of relief.
The alcohol seemed to have gone to her head. This version of Zhao Qingyu was simply captivating, irresistibly stirring up her emotions and even making her want to prostrate herself before her.
Song Xuyi hadn’t yet detached herself from the emotions stirred by watching the trailer when her phone’s video call lit up. She looked at the two words “Zhao Qingyu” above and her heart skipped a beat. Her phone almost slipped from her hands, and she barely managed to hold onto it before hurriedly pressing “answer”…
The screen spun for a moment, and the other person’s rosy face appeared on the phone screen.
“Hello, Xuyi.”
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Zhao Qingyu gazed at the shy face of Song Xuyi on the other end of the screen. It had been so long since they last met, and Song Xuyi seemed to have lost a bit of weight. The contours of her face appeared even more delicate, making her eyes, now veiled with a mist, look even larger.
Have she been drinking?
Zhao Qingyu couldn’t help but admit that she really liked Song Xuyi’s eyes. Song Xuyi’s eyes were pure and clear, with a brightness that others couldn’t imitate. They seemed forever vibrant, filled with hope and determination.
It was as if Song Xuyi had suddenly transformed into this person. Upon careful reflection, Zhao Qingyu realized that she had actually forgotten what the previous Song Xuyi looked like.
Zhao Qingyu didn’t know when she started paying attention to the everyday messages sent by Song Xuyi.
Zhao Qingyu had an incredibly sensitive perception of others’ emotions, and after a few interactions, she was certain that the current Song Xuyi didn’t particularly like her, and there was even a faint sense of fear.
So why did Song Xuyi pretend to like her?
Zhao Qingyu wanted to figure out the reason.
At first, when she received messages from Song Xuyi, she deliberately chose not to reply. She wanted to test Song Xuyi’s attitude.
But every time she opened her phone, Zhao Qingyu didn’t know what emotions she was feeling. Subconsciously, she would click on the red notification dot on Song Xuyi’s chat window, and she never once thought about blocking Song Xuyi.
And whenever she received flowers from Song Xuyi on the set, the people around her would teasingly say, some genuinely and some insincerely, “Qingyu, we envy you for having such a prominent fan like the princess of the Song family…”
Every time she heard such remarks, Zhao Qingyu would smile outwardly but sneer inwardly. They were nothing but insincere fake fans.
But Song Xuyi never ceased sending a bouquet of flowers every week.
Zhao Qingyu accepted the flowers and harmoniously interacted with the “friendly” director and actors around her. She never encountered the same frustrating situations as she did on the previous set…
At this moment, a faint speculation arose in Zhao Qingyu’s heart: Song Xuyi, it seemed she was using this method to… protect her…
But why would she do that?
The more Zhao Qingyu couldn’t understand Song Xuyi’s actions, the more it grew in her mind. One day, during a cast gathering at a supermarket, Zhao Qingyu entered the store and bought a vase to place in her room. From then on, she began changing the flowers Song Xuyi sent every week…
And the messages sent by Song Xuyi began to change.
One day, when Zhao Qingyu woke up early and was doing her makeup, Song Xuyi’s chat window lit up again.
“I guess you must have blocked me, hehe.”
Zhao Qingyu coldly watched, curious about what she was up to. However, to her surprise, Song Xuyi didn’t send any more messages.
It wasn’t until that day, after finishing shooting a night scene, that Zhao Qingyu discovered another message from Song Xuyi: “Today’s exam was so difficult! I think I made a mistake on the last big question…”
She’s… throwing a tantrum at her?
However, no more messages came after that.
The next morning, Zhao Qingyu saw another message from Song Xuyi: “This morning, they had my favorite lemon chicken feet. Our cafeteria’s chicken feet are simply amazing, super delicious. And the cutest thing is, the lady who serves the food always gives me an extra one…”
Zhao Qingyu realized belatedly: Song Xuyi, this girl, is actually using her WeChat as a tree hole!
For the first time, Zhao Qingyu felt a mix of laughter and tears. However, apart from this possibility, she couldn’t think of any other explanation.
However, when Zhao Qingyu looked at the chicken breast and broccoli weight-loss meal in front of her, the previously accustomed diet suddenly became tasteless.
In the evening, Song Xuyi sent a message again:
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“The trailer for the new movie is out today! You look so beautiful…”
“Teacher Huang made another student cry today. Although I don’t idolize him as much as I did when I was in school, he actually makes some valid points: Certain mistakes should absolutely be avoided…”
Afterward, Song Xuyi began sharing the most ordinary and trivial aspects of her daily life every day.
Zhao Qingyu would browse through them every day, but she never replied. After all, in her understanding, the messages sent by Song Xuyi were merely a pastime, something she didn’t take to heart.
Until one day, Song Xuyi stopped sending WeChat messages.
What happened?
Zhao Qingyu felt absent-minded the entire day, even getting called out “cut” for the several retakes on set. She tossed and turned at night before finally falling asleep…
It wasn’t until the next day that Song Xuyi’s message came through again.
“It’s so tiring learning from the old master every day! But I’ve also learned so much…”
So, she had been busy with her studies.
Zhao Qingyu couldn’t help but admit that in that moment, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. It was then that she realized: Song Xuyi seemed to hold a more significant place in her heart than she had imagined…
This was not a good sign.
However, as Zhao Qingyu looked at the message that followed on her phone, “The old master praised me for being extremely talented, and I’m so happy,” she couldn’t help but curl her lips involuntarily.
Song Xuyi was truly radiant, naturally attracting the attention of someone like Zhao Qingyu, who was dark and hypocritical. Each time she received a message from Song Xuyi, it felt like having an adorable pet inside her phone, bringing a unique sense of satisfaction.
But in the end, it was just a pet that could be seen through at a glance. What kind of storm could it possibly stir up?
However, this interruption was just the beginning. In the following period of time, Song Xuyi’s messages became sporadic. Even though Zhao Qingyu knew that Song Xuyi was busy with her studies, she couldn’t help but instinctively start to doubt: Was she really studying? Or did she… give up pretending to like her?
Unbeknownst to Zhao Qingyu herself, she found herself checking her phone more frequently. Every time she looked at the empty chat window, it felt like a feather was tickling her chest, causing an indescribable restlessness.
This feeling reached its peak during the New Year season: It had been five days since Song Xuyi last sent a message—
With the arrival of the Spring Festival, the film crew was given a three-day break.
New Year’s Eve arrived.
The caregivers had gone home for the Lunar New Year, and Zhao Qingyu’s mother had taken a sedative and fallen asleep. The hospital room was quiet, and Zhao Qingyu sat expressionless, flipping through her phone. She received an email stating that the financial statement of the company she had secretly established had doubled.
Zhao Qingyu curved her lips, but her heart didn’t feel as joyful as she had anticipated.
She clicked on her phone and instinctively paused at Song Xuyi’s chat window. A familiar middle-aged man walked in and handed Zhao Qingyu a red envelope, inside of which was a check.
Without looking at the check, Zhao Qingyu looked up at the man and softly asked, “Is Aunt Liu still unwilling to see me?”
The man glanced at Zhao Qingyu and shook his head.
Aunt Liu was Zhao Qingyu’s financial supporter. After her mother went insane, Aunt Liu had been supporting Zhao Qingyu’s livelihood for a long time. The initial funding for Zhao Qingyu’s company was also borrowed from Aunt Liu.
However, Aunt Liu had never been willing to meet Zhao Qingyu. She only asked Zhao Qingyu to grow up happily, peacefully, and with good fortune.
Zhao Qingyu had always pretended well, just as Aunt Liu had wished: her outstanding academic performance led to skipping grades, graduating from university at 19, suddenly joining an entertainment program at 20, and becoming popular at 21… Her smile was a flawless mask, fooling everyone. No one knew the immense hatred hidden deep in her heart.
The man left quickly.
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However, Zhao Qingyu’s mood worsened. She instinctively opened her phone and found herself on Song Xuyi’s page, only to discover a new transfer. The little girl who had been missing for five days had also sent her a New Year’s red envelope…
Zhao Qingyu sneered in her heart, but against her better judgment, she couldn’t help but reply to the message.
She could already imagine Song Xuyi’s expression: Song Xuyi would definitely be shocked as if she had seen a ghost, and then she would blush with shyness…
Never had she seen a child so easily embarrassed…
Zhao Qingyu stared intently at the chat window, but fifteen minutes passed without a reply from the other side.
Zhao Qingyu’s face grew dark.
Just as she was about to put her phone aside, the other side finally replied.
Consider her tactful!
Zhao Qingyu looked at the insincere words of the fake fan, sneering in her heart, but she couldn’t help but send a red envelope in return.
Song Xuyi didn’t reply anymore, nor did she accept Zhao Qingyu’s transfer.
Indeed, she was a fake fan!
Zhao Qingyu lost her patience completely and made a video call.
However, after connecting the video and exchanging greetings, Zhao Qingyu forgot what she wanted to say when she saw Song Xuyi’s flushed cheeks on the screen and her shushing gesture.
It seemed like Song Xuyi had gone outside with her phone.
There was a loud bang, then Song Xuyi turned the camera around. The grand mansion of the Song family was filled with fireworks. Adults congratulated each other, and children bounced around. Amidst the colorful fireworks in the sky, the lively and bustling scene seemed to overflow from the screen, making the hospital room no longer appear so desolate…
The camera turned again, and Zhao Qingyu saw the girl’s shy smiling face.
“Happy New Year, Sister Qingyu.”
“May you be healthy and happy in the new year, and everything… be joyful!”
The author has something to say:
Song Xuyi: When I wish you “May everything go as you wish,” it doesn’t mean I’m cursing myself. I’m not that foolish~(*^_^*) ~
LP: Re-translated on December 5, 2023