This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 31

Seeing her staring at the phone on the coffee table, Yu Lan asked cautiously, her voice thick with gossip, “Sister Xia, are you waiting for someone’s call?”

Xia Qingye gave her an emotionless look, then rubbed her temples and lay back down on the sofa.

Right. Why was she waiting for a call?

Xia Qingye felt that her behavior was clearly off. This feeling of anticipation made her feel like she had suddenly returned to her teenage years—full of hope that there was a woman out there who held the same firm beliefs as her, who would persist until the end regardless of difficulties or obstacles.

It was the mood of wanting to be in love.

Seeing that she wasn’t angry, Yu Lan grew bolder and asked tentatively, “Is it the owner of Nuonuo and Xia-Xia?”

Xia Qingye: “Mhm.”

Yu Lan thought to herself, Aha! I knew it! Yesterday she saw Xia Qingye pointing her phone at Nuonuo and Xia-Xia to record them; clearly terrified to death, yet she still leaned in for photos. This was definitely true love!

Yu Lan muttered, “I wonder if I know them.”

Xia Qingye glanced at her, moved her lips, and instead of saying the name “Nie Zhuying,” she said, “You’ll see.”

Just hope you don’t get scared when the time comes.

Yu Lan had no idea what was waiting for her. Her eyes were full of stars. Wow, I’m about to meet Nuonuo’s owner. Someone who raises such cute animals must be a very ‘cute’ person.

Xia Qingye was exhausted by the antics of Xia-Xia and Lazy-Egg. She had racked her brain but couldn’t figure out why Nie Zhuying would buy a male hamster. “You’ve worked hard today. Go home first and stay safe.”

Yu Lan actually didn’t want to leave yet; she wanted to see if Sister Xia was really falling in love…

But Nuonuo was already fast asleep on his little blanket, and Xia-Xia and Lazy-Egg were separated in their cages, each munching happily on grains, seemingly uninterested in her. Yu Lan felt quite dejected. “Oh.”

After Yu Lan left, Xia Qingye took her phone to bed. After waiting a while longer, she fell straight asleep.

The next day, she opened her phone but received neither a call nor a WeChat message from Nie Zhuying. After thinking it over, she headed straight to the filming location—the school.

The filming perspective of this PSA broke away from traditional methods. By filming interpersonal interactions on campus, it peeked into the hidden sides of school life, such as students being marginalized or bullied—incidents of “cold violence” on campus.

The young girl Xia Qingye played was a victim of school violence. This aligned perfectly with the intended theme: caring for the physical and mental health of students to effectively prevent dangerous incidents.

The campus was desolate. The trees lining the walkways were mostly bare, with occasional leaves drifting by. A few students were walking toward the gate. Since it was winter break, most students had gone home for the New Year. Those who stayed were mostly out working part-time. Seeing the crew, they looked on with curiosity.

“Ah, who are they?”

“Looks like a film crew. Look, they’re carrying equipment.”

“Wow, really? Our school was picked! Is it a youth idol drama?”

“That woman in front… I don’t recognize her.”

Xia Qingye heard the voices. As she turned her head, a warm heat pad was suddenly pressed into her hand. It was warm and helped dissipate some of the chill.

Qi Jiani had squeezed over at some point. She winked and whispered, “Sister Fang just shoved this to me. She said to keep it warm for now and hide it when we start filming. The director won’t say anything.”

Xia Qingye nodded understandingly. Seeing the other woman was also wearing only a thin layer and shivering, she handed it back after a moment. “You look quite cold too. You keep it. Thanks.”

Qi Jiani froze, but not feeling awkward about being found out, she took it back and suggested, “How about this: I’ll hold it for a bit, then you hold it. The time will pass faster that way.”

Xia Qingye knew Qi Jiani was very warm-hearted, so she didn’t refuse the kindness directly.

“By the way, I heard from a friend that you clashed with Wen Wan yesterday?”

“Wen… Wan?”

As soon as she heard the surname “Wen,” Xia Qingye immediately remembered the arrogant woman from yesterday. “Her name is actually Wen Wan [Gentle and Gracious]?”

Qi Jiani was stunned, then realized the other woman’s focus had shifted elsewhere. She laughed. “You also think she shouldn’t be called Wen Wan, right? I secretly laughed when I first heard the name too.”

A woman who could be provoked into a rage so easily had such a quiet, demure name. The contrast was far too great.

“You know her?”

“I do.”

After her comeback, Qi Jiani often took small roles—Extra A or B—not even reaching the level of a supporting actress. One was a period drama where she played a maid to a supporting character; that supporting character was played by Wen Wan.

Those days were very difficult. She often encountered familiar faces in the crew. Actors who used to be her supporting cast would seize every chance to make things hard for her or corner her somewhere to mock her. Paparazzi had somehow gotten the news and exposed her “fall from grace.”

Qi Jiani had slowly learned the meaning of “A tiger down on the plains being bullied by dogs” over these five years.

“A while back, a minor actress in a crew accidentally mocked her once. A few days later, she was kicked out of the crew and someone else replaced her. You should be careful if you run into her again.”

“Oh.”

Xia Qingye was indifferent. Wen Wan wore her emotions on her sleeve; she was much easier to deal with than those who were reserved. Besides, her weakness was obvious—Xia Qingye had already found it.

Seeing her lack of concern, Qi Jiani grew anxious. “She has a ‘Sugar Daddy.’ Her backer is very strong. Don’t go head-to-head with her.”

Xia Qingye: “I know.”

“Right here!”

“Come on, everyone over here! I’m going to tell you what you need to do next.”

The director’s roar immediately drew their attention. The two didn’t have a chance to say anything else the entire morning. Xia Qingye spent the whole time coordinating with the camera; she was so cold her face turned white and her lips purple. It actually gave her a look of being a malnourished protagonist.

NG after NG.

Yu Lan was watching from the sidelines, feeling anxious and wanting to curse. In such cold weather, Xia Qingye was wearing only a thin dress; she was terrified the girl would get sick.

Near noon, Yu Lan suddenly felt a vibration. The frequency increased. She reached into Xia Qingye’s coat pocket and pulled out the phone. The screen displayed: Lazy-Egg.

Yu Lan’s eyes lit up. She quickly put the pieces together. This is Nuonuo’s mysterious owner! She was itching with curiosity, desperately wanting to answer the call and find out the truth.

But should she? If she answered, she’d know who it was, but…

Out of professional ethics, Yu Lan eventually suppressed the “vixen” of curiosity tempting her. She watched the phone vibrate for a while until the call ended. Just as she let out a sigh of relief, the phone vibrated again.

Yu Lan was so startled she nearly dropped the phone.

When Xia Qingye finished for the day, her face was practically purple from the cold and her teeth were chattering. Wrapped in a blanket, she saw the three little guys huddled in their cages. Nuonuo only looked up briefly when she arrived, appearing less active than usual. “Yu Lan, why are Nuonuo and the others so inactive today?”

Yu Lan had specifically run to the security booth to recharge the heat pads and had tossed two or three to her—one for her hands, one for her stomach, and one for her feet. “I checked; small animals are also afraid of the cold. Besides, the temperature in the car isn’t very high. Once we get home and the room warms up, they’ll be active again.”

Every evening, Nuonuo indeed became more active than during the day. Yu Lan would play games with him for a bit before leaving, after which the little guy would sleep soundly on the rug.

Xia Qingye let out a quiet sigh of relief. she was terrified something would happen to these three while in her care; Nie Zhuying would likely try to kill her.

“By the way, Sister Xia, while you were filming, the phone kept vibrating. The same person called; they seemed quite urgent.”

“Give it to me.”

Opening it, she found her phone flooded with messages and WeChats from “Lazy-Egg.” She counted: over twenty missed calls.

Xia Qingye could even imagine Nie Zhuying’s face while she was calling. Furious? Likely pacing the room. She then opened WeChat and saw dozens of messages.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian (Nie): I want videos of Nuonuo and Xia-Xia. [Starry eyes]

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: [Where are you???]

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: [Hello, 911? I have a mental patient over here.]

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: You promised to send me videos every night. Where is your integrity?

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: My heart is broken. [Playing dead]

…

Beside her, Yu Lan was secretly peeking at Xia Qingye’s expression. Seeing the corners of her lips curl up into a doting smile, Yu Lan was incredibly excited.

Aah! There’s ‘Affair Energy’ (JQ), definitely.

Xia Qingye helplessly opened the camera and took a group photo of Nuonuo and Xia-Xia. Without saying a word, she sent the video. The reply came back in seconds, which surprised her; at this hour, Nie Zhuying should be asleep.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: Eh? You’re in a car.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: Where is the other hamster? I can’t see it. You didn’t lose it, did you?

Xia Qingye really wanted to reply: It was “solicited” by your Xia-Xia. But at the mention of that name, she felt… too ashamed. She couldn’t say it.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: Don’t be like that. Our Xia-Xia is very lonely. [Starry eyes]

If Qi Jiani hadn’t given them a crash course on hamster care, she would have been fooled by Nie Zhuying.

Xia Qingye: If hamsters are together, what if they are male and female?

Small animals have no morals, and hamsters reproduce incredibly fast. If they were in one cage, they could have a litter in a month. Just thinking of that scene made Xia Qingye’s scalp tingle and her hair stand on end.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: [Laughing with hands on hips] I specifically picked a male hamster when I bought it.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: [Laughing with hands on hips] Just so I could knock up someone else’s female hamster. [Triumphant]

When Xia Qingye saw these two messages, her face turned black and even felt a bit of a sting. How could I have thought that with her mischievous personality, she would buy a female?

“Sister Xia, are we heading back now?”

“Mhm.”

Nie Zhuying was lying on her bed playing with her phone. Seeing the other woman not replying again, she felt a bit annoyed. She clicked the video again, watching Nuonuo and Xia-Xia curled together in the car. She remembered the PSA Xia Qingye was shooting.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: Two more days of filming and I can go back. Is your shoot going smoothly?

Xia Qingye quickly caught the number “two days.”

Xia Qingye: Overall, it’s going smoothly enough.

Hearing that, Nie Zhuying knew something had gone wrong along the way. Seeing as it was settled, her gossip drive flared up.

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: What happened? Tell me. [Obedient]

Yu Lan, in the passenger seat, saw Xia Qingye buried in her phone through the rearview mirror. She was increasingly certain that Sister Xia was in “romance mode.” She firmly believed that only love could change a woman’s state like this. She was now deeply curious about Nuonuo’s owner.

Xia Qingye briefly explained the confrontation with Wen Wan to Nie Zhuying, omitting Zong Cong.

Halfway across the world, Nie Zhuying rolled over and specifically called Zhou Ling to ask: Who is Wen Wan? Zhou Ling was baffled and had no idea what had happened.

“This woman is now on my blacklist too.”

“…”

Zhou Ling thought to herself, Is there anyone NOT on your blacklist? Even Film Queen Zhong Ruanqin was still high on that list. Adding one Wen Wan made no difference. “Fine, fine, whatever you say. You should rest now. Stop browsing Weibo; lack of sleep affects your beautiful face.”

At the mention of her beautiful face, Nie Zhuying immediately hung up and got ready to sleep. Before closing her eyes, she thought for a moment…

Zhu Shang Ren Jian: Film well. When ‘Elder Sister’ returns, I’ll back you up. [Sleeping soundly]

Xia Qingye laughed at the words “Elder Sister.”

The original owner was indeed quite young; in terms of age, Nie Zhuying was indeed an “Elder Sister.” She was certainly taking advantage of the age gap. Xia Qingye mulled over the last sentence, and a wild thought flashed through her mind.

Is Nie Zhuying planning to visit the set?

Xia Qingye: Do NOT visit the set. If someone like you appears on a campus, it’ll cause a sensation. It’s too high-profile.

Nie Zhuying had always followed a high-end, elite path. All the commercials she accepted were international top-tier brands; she never took off-brand ones. In other people’s words, Nie Zhuying was very “arrogant.” If she appeared at a PSA shoot like this, anti-fans would probably mock her for “falling” to such a level just to make a living.

Xia Qingye had a selfish reason too: she didn’t want to create more scandals for her. Her message went out, but the other side didn’t reply; she must have fallen asleep.

Xia Qingye planned to talk to her again the next day, but unexpectedly, the director told them that because of the extreme cold, two actors had developed 40°C fevers and couldn’t continue. Considering their health, the director decided to cut their scenes and speed up the shoot, aiming to finish everything in two or three days.

Scenes Xia Qingye had filmed with those two actors had to be reshot. The sudden workload was overwhelming; even meal times were squeezed in.

Qi Jiani played one of the classmates who “bullied” Xia Qingye. Seeing her lips trembling from the cold while the director was checking the lens, she secretly shoved a heat pad into her hand. “Your hands are like ice. Warm up quickly.”

Xia Qingye felt like her blood had slowed down from the cold, and even her reactions were becoming dull. She let out a puff of air. “It is quite cold.”

Qi Jiani opened her arms and hugged her. Upon touching Xia Qingye’s exposed skin, she gasped and almost jumped back. She shivered as she spoke: “Is this better? If you’re really cold, tell the director and go back to the car to warm up first.”

Xia Qingye shook her head and stepped back, leaving the relatively warm embrace. “If it’s cold, let it stay cold. Going from cold to hot and back again is what really tests the limits.”

“Director, I’m ready.”

“Good! Come on, everyone bear with it, just a little longer and we’ll be done.”

Qi Jiani watched Xia Qingye’s back as she walked away, feeling a bit dazed. She murmured, “This personality and grit… she’s so much like Sister Tianqing.”

Xia Qingye only thought about finishing this part quickly so she could go home and take a hot bath.

For two consecutive days, Xia Qingye was so cold she had no color in her face. When she got back, she had to soak for a long time to regain sensation; her skin was white from the water. Even with the floor heating on at night, her hands and feet felt ice-cold.

Fortunately, on the third day, the PSA shoot finally ended. Xia Qingye knew she had been badly frostbitten; her throat hurt and was incredibly raspy. A simple swallow was painful. She maintained a smile while listening to the director’s closing remarks.

Eventually, everyone dispersed. After handing her things to Yuan Fang, Qi Jiani ran to her with a strange expression. Xia Qingye stood in place, waiting for her to speak. Instead, Qi Jiani reached out and hugged her intimately. “Qingye, you really are like someone I know. Can you let me hold you for a bit? Just a little while~”

Xia Qingye’s hand, which was about to push her away, stopped in mid-air. she knew who the girl was talking about. This “little girl” was indeed sensitive. The hand that was going to push her instead lightly patted her back. She said raspily, “Go ahead. I’ll let you hold me for three minutes.”

“Sister Xia!”

“Sister Xia, someone is looking for you!”

Yu Lan was waving at her frantically, looking very urgent. Xia Qingye opened her eyes to see Yu Lan jumping around anxiously. Beside her was a familiar person: Yao Wei, Nie Zhuying’s personal assistant.

Shifting her gaze, she saw Zhou Ling sitting in a nanny van. There was another figure inside.

It was Nie Zhuying. She was back!

Author’s Note:

Nie Zhuying: Just so I could knock up someone else’s female hamster!

2333, thank you for your support. →_→