Blame the Villain – Chapter 16
by Little PandaThe Villainous Film Empress (16)
A little rich girl bent on saving the world X A paranoid, dark, and vengeful Film Empress
To star in eight projects of different genres within four years.
This was Song Xuyi’s request to Zhao Qingyu.
Song Xuyi knew that Zhao Qingyu was extremely picky about scripts. Starring in eight productions over four years—excluding the time spent selecting scripts and attending necessary commercial activities—meant that Zhao Qingyu would have to stay on film sets almost all year round. During these four years, Zhao Qingyu would certainly not be able to spare the energy to go all out against Song Jun.
On the other hand, different roles represented different life paths, different worlds, and different outlooks on life. Song Xuyi hoped that after experiencing these diverse roles, Zhao Qingyu would gain a brand-new understanding of life.
Song Jun’s father was already dead, and Song Jun’s grandmother had already developed dementia. The people who had wronged Zhao Qingyu and her mother had, to some degree, met with their retribution. Song Xuyi did not want Zhao Qingyu to spend the rest of her life living in hatred.
Zhao Qingyu actually deserved a better life.
Perhaps… some other turn of events would arise within these four years…
And if Zhao Qingyu was still single-mindedly bent on revenge after four years, Song Xuyi would persuade her to compete fairly with Song Jun without resorting to underhanded means behind his back, letting both rely on their own abilities…
This was the entirety of Song Xuyi’s plans for Zhao Qingyu’s future.
…
When Zhao Qingyu saw the message sent by Song Xuyi, she was stunned for a moment.
She had not expected Song Xuyi to make such a request.
But after a short while, Zhao Qingyu replied to Song Xuyi with a single “Okay.”
To star in eight different productions over four years—Zhao Qingyu naturally knew the intensity of such a workload.
Yet, very few people knew that Zhao Qingyu actually liked acting.
Life on a film set was indeed extremely dull. Aside from studying scripts, there were no other forms of entertainment, and having one’s days and nights constantly inverted was a form of torture for many.
But this allowed people to remember her.
If Zhao Qingyu truly could not live past the age of thirty, then the existence of these films or television series would prove that Zhao Qingyu had once walked this earth. In thirty or forty years, there would still be people looking back at archived footage and sighing with emotion, “So there was once an actress like Zhao Qingyu in this world…”
Initially, Zhao Qingyu had entered the entertainment industry only to fulfill her mother’s wish. However, she continued to act afterward because the process of acting itself brought her joy. The happiness and praise that accompanied her performances made her realize that so many people in this world actually loved her. She was no longer that unblessed burden, loathed by her mother; she too could receive real and pure affection.
Moreover—among those who loved her performances, there was also Song Xuyi.
Zhao Qingyu actually understood that Song Xuyi only liked her face, which perfectly suited Song Xuyi’s aesthetic taste. Thus, when she fell ill, Zhao Qingyu did not even dare to meet Song Xuyi, fearing that Song Xuyi would see her haggard and dull face.
Eight productions in four years is actually quite good…
Zhao Qingyu thought with a mix of despair and happiness. When watching these films and television shows, Song Xuyi’s gaze will be on me. At those times, I will be bright and dazzling, bathed in the highlights of my characters—which is exactly how Song Xuyi likes me best.
And if I depart this world, in thirty or forty years, on someone’s phone, on an old program on the movie channel… in many passing moments, Song Xuyi will still be able to see me. She will remember that a woman named Zhao Qingyu once appeared in her life—a woman who, in her prime, promised to film eight productions in four years for her…
But she will never know with what cautious, tentative, and yearning feelings that woman named Zhao Qingyu strove to leave her trace in her life…
Song Xuyi had not expected Zhao Qingyu to agree so easily.
Zhao Qingyu’s single word of agreement had been extremely crisp and straightforward, as if she were agreeing to a trivial matter.
On the day after Zhao Qingyu agreed to Song Xuyi’s request, the country’s most representative film awards held its ceremony. The event revealed the winner of the Film Empress1 title. Everyone had long known that Zhao Qingyu was nominated for Best Actress, but no one expected that the newly debuted Zhao Qingyu would actually win the Film Empress title!
When the award acceptance was broadcast live, Song Xuyi had just returned to her dorm room from the library. She was greeted by her roommates’ cheers, which practically threatened to blow the roof off the entire building. On her roommates’ tablets and phones, Song Xuyi saw a travel-worn Zhao Qingyu. She was still wearing a coarse hemp costume from her set, yet her bearing did not show the slightest awkwardness, creating a curious harmony with the lavish and brilliant award stage.
“This is her look for her next drama,” Huang Juanjuan happily informed Song Xuyi, already so excited she was rambling incoherently. “Waaah! I knew our cub2 Qingyu wouldn’t disappoint us! She quietly joined another film set without saying a word. She seemed to have forgotten she even had to attend the award ceremony, and only rushed back halfway through…”
“Did you guys see that? Even wrapped in coarse hemp and rough cloth, my wife3 is still a peerless beauty…”
“Cub, don’t work too hard. Even though you’re still gorgeous, you’ve got dark circles under your eyes…”
…
Ignoring Huang Juanjuan’s chatter, Song Xuyi raised her eyes to look at the screen. At this moment, Zhao Qingyu was holding the trophy on screen, delivering her acceptance speech.
Zhao Qingyu had always handled interpersonal relations impeccably. Her acceptance speech was watertight. After the customary thank-yous to the director and the audience, she suddenly paused and smiled at the camera.
“Actually, there is one more person I want to thank,” Zhao Qingyu said, a trace of softness flashing through her eyes. “That person is my savior.”
“She really loves watching me act. Her only request after saving me was that I challenge myself, asking me to film eight projects of different genres within four years after finishing this current production…”
“I promised her.”
“Therefore, I am bound to be a permanent resident on film sets for the next few years. If directors have good scripts in hand, I hope you will keep me in mind…” As Zhao Qingyu spoke, she bowed once more.
“Winning this award is an unexpected joy for me, and a validation of my previous production.”
Amidst the audience’s warm applause, Zhao Qingyu smiled again. In the industry, Zhao Qingyu was famous for her gentle and mild temperament, but this time, she seemed somewhat different. While her smile remained as gentle as ever, her spoken words were confident and resolute: “But this is only the beginning! I still have many more projects ahead of me. In the future, I will win even more trophies…”
“Oh my God! Who could be so heartless as to demand my cub film so many projects?” Before Zhao Qingyu could even finish speaking, Huang Juanjuan had already wrapped her arms around Song Xuyi in her excitement. “Eight projects in four years! Waaah, our cub is definitely going to work so hard! But… at the same time, I think that person did an amazing job! My cub is so beautiful, she should act more. Otherwise, it would truly be a waste of God’s finest gift…”
The “heartless” Song Xuyi hung her head.
She had not expected Zhao Qingyu to go to such lengths.
In truth, even if Zhao Qingyu failed to achieve it, Song Xuyi would not have blamed her, because this request was indeed immensely difficult.
Yet, Zhao Qingyu had announced it on such a grand occasion.
That was equivalent to a solemn pledge, essentially delivering leverage directly into the hands of the public.
Countless eyes would be fixed on her from now on. If she failed to deliver, under the deliberate instigations of her rivals, she would face endless attacks and criticism…
Zhao Qingyu was so intelligent; there was no way she didn’t know this. Yet, she had still chosen to make it public…
Song Xuyi sighed with complex emotions. She felt she was truly becoming less and less able to understand Zhao Qingyu.
Yet, compared to the gentle and placid front she used to put up, Song Xuyi preferred the Zhao Qingyu currently standing on the podium. This version of Zhao Qingyu, who had become confident and even carried a touch of arrogance, looked more brilliant than a radiant pearl…
The matters concerning Zhao Qingyu could be considered temporarily settled in Song Xuyi’s mind.
Although Zhao Qingyu would still contact her from time to time, just as Song Xuyi had anticipated, spending so much of her time on film sets left Zhao Qingyu without enough time to expand her business empire.
For at least four years, Zhao Qingyu and Song Jun would maintain a facade of peaceful coexistence.
Feeling as if a massive boulder had been lifted from her chest, Song Xuyi threw herself back into her studies.
When she entered her sophomore year, Song Xuyi discovered after the semester started that the “Old Demon of Black Mountain,” Huang Shuo, was no longer teaching her class. Upon asking around, she learned that he had recently begun processing his retirement paperwork.
Although Huang Shuo had been strict, his presence was exactly what had helped this cohort of students quickly adapt to the medical profession, instilling in them the rigor and sense of responsibility expected of medical students. Even though everyone had been quite terrified of Huang Shuo during class, most of the students felt a sense of reluctance upon hearing the news of his retirement.
Time flew by, and soon the Chongyang Festival4 arrived. Responding to everyone’s requests, Huang Juanjuan organized a class-wide mountain climbing trip, inviting the various teachers of their courses to join them…
Song Xuyi had not expected that a busy man like Huang Shuo would actually find the time to join their group for the climb.
Huang Juanjuan quietly whispered into Song Xuyi’s ear, “When I went to the student affairs office to collect materials, I overheard the teachers gossiping. That’s how I found out Teacher Huang is actually quite pitiful…”
“In the past, he dedicated his entire heart to saving lives and healing the wounded, rarely paying attention to his family. He always thought there was plenty of time and that he was still young. But one day, his wife went to sleep and never woke up again. Only then did he find out his wife actually had the ‘Sleeping Disease.’ Teacher Huang was filled with endless regret. For the past thirty years or so, he never remarried, living all alone as a bachelor…”
The Sleeping Disease again!
Song Xuyi let out a soft sigh.
The Sleeping Disease was one of the most agonizing conditions in the world; no one who suffered from it lived past thirty.
For some, the disease was hereditary within their families; for others, the onset was sudden, resulting in death one day out of the blue, with no patterns to follow.
Those afflicted showed no abnormalities in their bodies and appeared completely healthy. Existing medical equipment could not detect whether a person carried the disease, yet on some random day before they turned thirty, they would suddenly pass away in their sleep. Hence, it was called the “Sleeping Disease.”
To this day, no one in the world had developed any method of prevention or testing for the Sleeping Disease.
Song Xuyi lowered her head. She seemed to understand a bit better now why Huang Shuo had given her a score of zero on her final question back then.
Song Xuyi also had not expected Huang Shuo to seek her out.
By the time they reached halfway up the mountain, Song Xuyi’s physically delicate body could truly not handle any more climbing. She had no choice but to sit by the roadside to rest. To her surprise, Huang Shuo walked over toward her.
“How has life been lately? Are there any aspects of your coursework you don’t understand…?” When he was not teaching, Huang Shuo was actually extremely gentle.
Song Xuyi answered his questions one by one. Huang Shuo nodded, then raised his eyes to look at her. “Are you planning to take the postgraduate entrance exams? Have you thought about which specialty you want to pursue in the future?”
“I do plan to take them,” Song Xuyi said, smiling as she met Huang Shuo’s suddenly widened eyes. “I mapped out my research path long ago. I’ve been preparing for it constantly since the very beginning of my freshman year…”
“I want to study Medical Genetics. To be more precise, I want to research the Sleeping Disease…”
Footnotes
- Yǐnghòu (影后), literally 'shadow empress', is a highly prestigious Chinese title awarded to a top-tier, award-winning actress. It is often translated as 'Film Empress' or 'Best Actress.'
- Zǎizai (崽崽), literally meaning 'cub' or 'baby', is an affectionate Chinese slang term used by devoted fans—particularly 'mom fans'—to refer to an idol they adore and feel protective over.
- Lǎopo (老婆), literally meaning 'wife', is a common piece of Chinese fan culture slang used by fans to refer to a beloved female celebrity as an expression of intense adoration and devotion.
- Chongyang (重阳) Festival, also known as the Double Ninth Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday observed on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Customary activities include climbing mountains to avoid misfortune, appreciating chrysanthemums, and honoring elders.
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