This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 25.2

Nie Zhuying pulled the camera back slightly and poured a few cornflakes onto the table. She scattered them quite far apart—one here, one there, like sowing seeds randomly. Then she tapped the table. Soon, everyone saw a yellow-and-white little hamster poking its head out from the other side of the desk, sniffing the air suspiciously.

Following the trail of cornflakes, the little hamster scurried forward step by step, its cheeks bulging, completely unaware that it was about to be exposed to the eyes of thousands.

—BirdInTheSky: Holy cow, a hamster! You scared me; I thought the Film Queen was going to push out a hidden child to say hello. LOL, but this hamster… omg, so cute.

—RodentLover: Zhuzi has become an animal breeder. But wouldn’t it be better if Zhuzi bred pandas?

—UnrequitedLove: Foul play! Does Zhuzi plan to make us watch this hamster for the rest of the stream? Don’t! It’s rare for you to go live; how about showing us your cooking skills?

—DesperateCat: I see a pot of narcissus! LOL, Zhuzi, did you replace your plants again?

This message was quickly caught by many fans, who began leaving comments: Which pot is this? Zhuzi, the flower-destroyer…

Nie Zhuying caught sight of the bullet comments and her face turned red. The camera shook slightly, and the pot of narcissus quickly vanished from view. However, this attempt at a cover-up only hit the fans’ “moe” spots. The screen was flooded with: Zhuzi is so moe, Zhuzi is so cute, Zhuzi I want to have your babies…

On Xia Qingye’s side, there was a moment of frantic chaos. The moment the hamster appeared, her hand shook so hard she spilled tea directly onto her clothes. Now she didn’t need to search for the damn thing anymore; the evidence was ironclad.

She quickly changed her clothes and saw Nie Zhuying’s sneaky little movement to hide the narcissus. She couldn’t help but want to laugh. She continued “lurking” on the stream, unable to stop herself from watching the other woman’s involuntary little habits until the stream neared its end.

Nie Zhuying had a strong sense of time. Right at the fifty-five-minute mark, she put the hamster back into its cage. “Last four questions. You can ask now. After that, I have one thing to announce to everyone.”

The fans immediately went off-topic, everyone asking her to announce the news first before taking questions.

Nie Zhuying checked the time and reminded them, “If you don’t ask now, you won’t get a chance. Four minutes left.”

The chat erupted in wails, and four personal questions were quickly voted to the top.

• Question 1: A long list of male actors, followed by: Is there any chance of ‘acting for real’ with any of them?

• Question 2: What are your requirements for a future partner?

• Question 3: If you really get married, will you stay home with kids or continue your career?

• Question 4: Do you like women or men?

Nie Zhuying read through the four questions with a smile and answered rapidly: “No chance, no requirements, haven’t thought about it, haven’t tried.”

Xia Qingye replayed the final answer in her mind several times and suddenly smiled.

The fans in the stream were stunned. They had wanted to delve into more private topics, but the Goddess didn’t take the bait at all. Four “No’s” dismissed the questions. Even a professional “conversation killer” wasn’t as ruthless as Nie Zhuying.

Only Xia Qingye knew that this was Nie Zhuying’s most honest answer.

Nie Zhuying cleared her throat. “Today is the first day of the New Year. I wish everyone a prosperous career and academic success in the coming year. Also, I want to announce some good news: in the new year, I have a fiancé. The wedding date is not yet set. Thank you everyone. See you next time!”

“!!!”

“Goddess, don’t go!”

“Aaaah! A bombshell! Zhuzi, you’re so heartless!”

…

Xia Qingye froze for a moment, staring at her phone for a long time before silently putting it away and going downstairs to arrange lunch.

Meanwhile, just as Nie Zhuying ended the stream, Zhou Ling’s call blasted through. “Aaaaah! Nie Zhuying, are you crazy?! Can’t you let me have a moment of peace during the New Year? What ‘fiancé’? How did I never know you had a fiancé? Tell me the truth right now. If you dare tell a single lie, I’ll fly over there immediately, believe it or not!”

Nie Zhuying held Nuonuo in her arms, stroking him until she had a hand full of fur. “Come on then~ Do you even know where I am right now?”

Zhou Ling was nearly knocked back by anger, feeling faint. Knowing that force wouldn’t work, she tried a softer approach, slowing her tone: “Do you realize that once this video gets out, it’ll be a headline? Guaranteed.”

Seeing her manager calm down, Nie Zhuying said, “This marriage was set by my grandfather’s generation. I only said it to ease my Daddy and Mommy’s hearts so they won’t keep bothering me.”

Zhou Ling had met the Nie parents once and empathized with Nie Zhuying’s helplessness. They were from different generations with different mindsets; the beliefs they held onto were completely different. “Then you should have at least given me a heads-up.”

Nie Zhuying pouted. “If I told you, would you have let me say it?”

Zhou Ling went silent. That would definitely have been impossible; she likely would have canceled the stream altogether.

A silence stretched between them on the phone. Finally, Zhou Ling broke it. “Since you’ve already announced the news, does the PR department need to come out to maintain it, or should we issue a formal notice?”

Nie Zhuying refused directly. “No need. Business as usual. Leave some space for the public, leave some fantasy for them.”

And leave a bit of room for myself.

“Then I’ll go give the company a heads-up. Can you please change this unpredictable temper of yours? If this continues, you’ll offend the top brass to death sooner or later.”

“If I offend them, I can just go out and open my own studio.”

“…”

Zhou Ling knew Nie Zhuying had started planning for her own studio this year. Hearing her say it so calmly brought a bit of comfort; the fact that she didn’t hide it from her meant she trusted her. She teased, “When you leave, would you consider taking me with you? After all, I’ve served you for so many years; if not for merit, at least for the hard work. Besides, it’s easier to work with someone familiar. I—”

Nie Zhuying interrupted her with a light, airy response: “Sure.”

Zhou Ling was inexplicably moved. She had a good sense of self-awareness; in this circle, agents usually made the artists, but for her, it was the opposite. Following Nie Zhuying had raised her own status.

“I’ll go call the company. Zhuying, Happy New Year. I hope everything goes your way.”

“Sister Ling, I wish you a second blooming of love this year.”

Zhou Ling, who was divorced, was both annoyed and amused by the cheeky blessing. She finally hung up helplessly.

Nie Zhuying played with Nuonuo in her room for a bit longer before going downstairs.

It was exactly lunch time. Xia Yanbo was already sitting in the living room watching a replay of yesterday’s Spring Festival Gala, looking quite engrossed.

Xia Qingye had prepared three meat and three vegetable dishes. Seeing her come down, she reminded, “Lunch is ready. Go wash your hands first.”

Nie Zhuying was about to head to the restroom but detoured toward Xia Yanbo. “Hey. I’ve publicly announced the marriage contract. I believe my Daddy and Mommy will call you to ask very soon. Have you thought of what to say?”

Xia Yanbo looked up at her. “Don’t worry, I won’t drop the ball.”

Since they were in the same boat, Xia Yanbo wouldn’t do anything to harm their common interest. “What about you? Won’t this sudden announcement affect your status in the industry?”

Nie Zhuying gave a short laugh.

Taking the initiative to announce a relationship was better than being caught in a scandal or an affair with a married man. She had been a “clear stream” in the entertainment industry for years by avoiding messy business—was she not even allowed to have a fiancé?

The two didn’t hide their conversation at all. Xia Qingye heard everything clearly. When Xia Yanbo walked over, she asked, “Brother, what are you and Miss Nie planning?”

Xia Yanbo looked worried. Ever since he saw Nie Zhuying teasing his sister, he had been holding back and hadn’t asked about that kiss. Even now, facing his sister’s curious gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He spoke honestly: “We’re both dissatisfied with this marriage. We want to dissolve the contract as soon as possible so both of us can find our own other halves.”

This matched their styles—taking the offensive rather than passively accepting fate.

After the meal, Nie Zhuying saw Xia Qingye pouring out a lot of cornflakes and sprinkling something on them. She thought the girl was making something to eat; after having those wontons and the lunch today, she had developed a taste for her cooking.

Plus, since she didn’t have to rack her brains to fight Xia Yanbo anymore, Nie Zhuying naturally didn’t feel the need to keep scaring Xia Qingye to leave a bad impression.

“Is that a snack?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

Xia Qingye looked up at her and gave a meaningful smile. “I just did some research. They say rats love sweet things like this. I sprinkled some poison powder on top to lure the ‘rat’ out. One bite, and it’ll likely kick the bucket.”

Nie Zhuying: “…”

“I’ve prepared a lot. I’ll scatter a little in every part of the house later.”

“No!”

“Why not?”

Nie Zhuying finally experienced what it felt like to shoot oneself in the foot. She blurted out: “Because Nuonuo walks around the house! I’m afraid he might eat it by mistake. Why don’t you wait until after I leave to kill the ‘rat’?”

Xia Qingye shook her head repeatedly. “That won’t do. Just the thought of that ‘rat’ appearing on my bed makes my hair stand on end. I have to find it. I’ll just find something that Nuonuo won’t eat but the ‘rat’ will.”

Nie Zhuying racked her brain for a way to make Xia Qingye drop the idea. But she had already revealed the hamster in her live stream—what if the girl saw it?

She followed Xia Qingye around like a lost puppy. When Xia Qingye went to the kitchen, she followed. When she went to the hall, she followed.

“Uhm…”

“What’s wrong?”

Nie Zhuying steeled herself, grit her teeth, and stared wide-eyed, trying to look very fierce. “That hamster is mine. You can’t poison it.”

Seeing her act so “righteous,” Xia Qingye was amused. “Why should I listen to you? Do you know that hamster nearly scared me to death? You can’t just say ‘no’ and expect me to agree. Who told you to be so careless with it in the first place?”

Seeing her not compromising at all, Nie Zhuying got anxious. “Don’t be like that! I promise it won’t cause trouble. Besides, in three—no, four days—I’ll be gone. No more hamsters will crawl on your bed.”

“How did you know it crawled on my bed?”

Nie Zhuying wanted to slap herself. That was another self-betrayal.

“Oh. You did it on purpose.”

Nie Zhuying’s confidence evaporated, but only for three seconds. Then she became self-righteous again. “Don’t forget how much trouble you’ve caused me! If it weren’t for you getting drunk and biting me, and then that video getting out, would all this have happened? Would I have had to publicly announce the marriage contract? Huh?”

Great. Settling scores again.

Xia Qingye touched her chin, looking at the other woman with a complex expression. “So, because I bit you, you put a hamster by my pillow?”

Nie Zhuying pouted. She had actually done it hoping Xia Yanbo would dislike her and initiate the dissolution of the contract.

Xia Qingye knew her schemes all too well. She said decisively: “I bit you, and then you bit me back. Now you’ve used a hamster to scare me. I’ll take the loss; we’re even. But if you ever dare to scare me again, watch out—I’ll catch a snake and put it by your pillow.”

Nie Zhuying shivered instantly. She liked furry animals, but cold-blooded creatures were a different story.

Xia Qingye let out a sigh and said soulfully, “To compensate my traumatized heart, you must take me to a movie today.”

Nie Zhuying: “…”

Didn’t we just agree we were even?!