This Best Actress is a Bit Annoying - Chapter 37

Nie Zhuying instinctively licked the corner of her mouth; her red lips were moist, tender, and inviting.

Xia Qingye’s throat went dry. Ignoring everything else, she leaned down and captured them, her teeth grazing lightly against Nie Zhuying’s lips.

Nie Zhuying’s pupils dilated instantly. Her free hand came up in a panic to shove Xia Qingye’s shoulder, pushing the person pressing down on her back a little. She muttered quite unhappily, “You’re trying to bite me again.”

Xia Qingye: “…”

The lingering romantic atmosphere was instantly shattered by Nie Zhuying’s killjoy remark, leaving not a trace behind.

However, Xia Qingye didn’t allow her to keep shrinking back. Instead, she pulled her up, and the two sat side-by-side on the sofa with their fingers still interlaced. “You’ve never been in a relationship, but from acting, you should at least know what a kiss like that represents, right?”

At the mention of on-screen kissing, Nie Zhuying’s brow furrowed deep enough to crush several flies.

In her past life, Xia Qingye’s first on-screen kiss was gone back when she played a supporting role, and she had given it to someone with a less-than-stellar reputation. Seeing Nie Zhuying’s sour face, she was suddenly reminded of her own unpleasant first kiss.

“What does that have to do with you biting me?”

“…”

“How about I let you bite me then?”

Xia Qingye felt utterly powerless. She was a bit frustrated that her drunken bite from before seemed to have left a psychological shadow on Nie Zhuying, making the woman constantly want to catch her and bite her back. Just as she was hesitating, Nie Zhuying actually leaned in and bit her lip—gently, far more tenderly than the bite in the hotel room. She was actually using the exact method Xia Qingye had just used. Talk about applying what you’ve learned!

Xia Qingye froze for a second before immediately wrapping her other arm around the woman’s back. With a sudden turn, she was pressing down on Nie Zhuying again, pinning her against the sofa and kissing her. She said in a tone that brooked no refusal, “I’m not biting you. I’m teaching you how to French kiss.”

Nie Zhuying’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly; she felt slightly annoyed at being pinned down like this, but her attention was quickly captured by the warm softness of Xia Qingye’s lips.

When the kiss ended, the two stared at each other, panting for breath.

Seeing the dazed look in Nie Zhuying’s eyes, Xia Qingye leaned in and pecked the corner of her mouth again. “Remember, this is something only the most intimate people in the world can do.”

Nie Zhuying stared blankly at Xia Qingye, murmuring the words back: “Intimate people.” Then she smacked her lips, though it was hard to tell if she was savoring the taste or deep in thought.

Xia Qingye’s heart felt like it was on a roller coaster. If it hadn’t been for Zhong Ruanqin’s actions today, she likely wouldn’t have had the “do or die” courage to break this barrier, even if she stayed in this ambiguous state with her.

But once the barrier was broken, she faced the possibility of being rejected… or being accepted.

The longer Nie Zhuying stayed silent, the more Xia Qingye’s calm expression masked a racing heart. Even though the room temperature was normal, her palms were sweating and she was restless. She wanted to break the silence but was terrified that these few moments were all they had left.

Under this unbearable tension, Nie Zhuying suddenly leaned in, her black, shiny eyes staring fixedly at Xia Qingye’s reddened lips. “You just French kissed me. Now it’s my turn to French kiss you.”

Xia Qingye stared at her, dumbfounded. She had imagined a thousand scenarios of being rejected or having the door slammed in her face, but she never imagined… As Nie Zhuying’s face drew closer, her heart began to hammer wildly.

Finding the current position a hassle, Nie Zhuying simply pulled the other woman onto her lap. One arm wrapped around Xia Qingye’s waist while the other cradled the back of her head, and she kissed her forcefully.

“Woof woof woof—!”

“Arf arf arf!”

In the room, aside from the wet sounds of their passionate kissing, there was also Nuonuo’s accompaniment.

Xia Qingye’s tongue felt sore from the kiss. When they finally parted, they looked at each other; Xia Qingye’s cheeks were as red as apples, the flush reaching all the way to her ears. She hadn’t expected things to progress this fast.

Nie Zhuying’s eyes were sparkling with pride. She said triumphantly, “Xia-Xia, was I better at it?”

Xia Qingye’s face darkened the moment she heard that name. “You are not allowed to call me ‘Xia-Xia’ anymore, or you can go kiss that male hamster instead.”

Nie Zhuying shivered at the mental image of kissing a male hamster. “Not Xia-Xia, then… how about Qing-Qing? Or Ye-Ye would be fine too.”

Ye-Ye? Grandpa?

Xia Qingye’s mouth twitched. “You are not allowed to call me Ye-Ye either.”

Nie Zhuying looked aggrieved. “Then it has to be Qing-Qing.”

The two of them spent ten minutes childishly discussing names. Once they finished, they went back to staring at each other.

Xia Qingye felt she had to lay her cards on the table. she always felt Nie Zhuying was missing a gear when it came to romance. “Nie Zhuying, I wasn’t playing around just now. This kind of kiss can only be done between lovers who have committed to each other. If you want—”

Nie Zhuying’s eyes were bright and full of excitement. “I know, Qing-Qing! You already committed to me at ‘Bald Xun’s’ wrap party, didn’t you? That’s why you used being drunk as an excuse to kiss me.”

Xia Qingye: “…”

How did her brain even come up with that logic?

Nie Zhuying gave her a sudden hug. “This is great. I really did find someone I like faster than Xia Yanbo.”

Xia Qingye: “…”

Is it really okay to bring up Xia Yanbo in this atmosphere?

It gave her the illusion that she was seducing her brother’s future “sister-in-law” behind his back. Furthermore, shouldn’t the woman’s focus be on the fact that she was also a woman?

Xia Qingye was speechless. But the thought of Xia Yanbo made her head throb. She pushed the woman back slightly, wishing she could shake some sense into this woman who was lost in joy. She looked at Nie Zhuying seriously. “Nie Zhuying, are you sure the person you want to find is me?”

Nie Zhuying’s smile was gradually replaced by displeasure. Her phoenix eyes swept sharply over Xia Qingye, and she pointed out righteously, “Did you kiss me just now?”

“Yes.”

“Qing-Qing, do you know what this behavior of yours is called? Eating your fill and then patting your butt to leave—typical ‘scumbag’ behavior.”

Xia Qingye was nearly drained of her temper by the accusation. When did she ever “eat her fill and pat her butt to leave”? She just wanted to know if the other woman was as resolute as she was—at least whether she had thought it through properly, rather than agreeing blindly because of a kiss.

Seeing Nie Zhuying pouting like a pufferfish, she could only follow along with her words. “It seems you’ve read a lot of those scripts over the years.”

Nie Zhuying kept her cheeks puffed out, lecturing her, “Don’t change the subject. You kissed me, and I kissed you. From now on, you’re mine. Don’t go flirting with others outside. Especially this time—I told you it was too easy on that woman named Zhong, but you actually stopped me.”

The conversation had swerved to Zhong Ruanqin and was now miles away from the main point.

Xia Qingye couldn’t help but rub her forehead. she told herself to let it go; romance can happen one step at a time, there was no rush. If the day truly came when this person said it was just an impulsive act, she would accept it.

“Are you truly sure it’s me and not someone else?”

“Of course.”

Nie Zhuying said with great conviction, “I think we should tell Xia Yanbo about this first. We can use it to rush him into finding a lover. Then we can invite Mommy and Daddy to dinner and dissolve that marriage contract.”

Wow, she’s thinking quite far ahead.

Xia Qingye was caught between laughter and tears. Just as she was about to say that Nie Zhuying’s thinking was all over the place, the conversation shifted to the marriage contract. Thinking of the stubborn Mr. and Mrs. Nie, she sighed. “Your parents probably won’t agree.”

Nie Zhuying also knew her parents very well. They had stuck to one thing for nearly thirty years; no matter what kind of person she met over the years, their stance was always the same: what’s settled is settled. If Xia Yanbo turned out to be a piece of junk, they’d likely still marry her off to him.

“I still have to tell your brother first. I’ll call him.”

“Pffft—!”

Xia Qingye spat her water all over the coffee table. Seeing Nie Zhuying pull out her phone, she immediately snatched it away. “It’s not the right time yet.”

Seeing her looking so guilty, Nie Zhuying’s face filled with dissatisfaction. “Oh, I see, Qing-Qing. Are you not planning to tell your brother that we’ve become lovers?”

Xia Qingye indeed didn’t have that plan for now. she wanted things to be more stable, or to find a proper moment to lay the cards on the table with Xia Yanbo—at least, not today.

Xia Qingye: “No, I just worry that if my brother opposes it, your ‘alliance partner’ will defect to the enemy.”

Nie Zhuying: “…”

She let out an unhappy snort. “He wouldn’t dare!”

Xia Qingye glanced at her. “If my brother truly opposes it, he will definitely stop me from staying in this industry. It would be hard for us to even see each other then. Don’t doubt it; on this point, he still has the authority.”

Back then, to enter the circle, she had signed an “unequal treaty.” Thinking about it now, she had essentially placed her freedom in his hands.

“Furthermore, if my brother gets angry and decides not to cooperate with you, it will be very troublesome for you too.”

Nie Zhuying lunged at her, pouting, her legs resting on the sofa as she pressed most of her weight onto Xia Qingye. “This won’t work, that won’t work… I’m going to get angry.”

Seeing that she hadn’t insisted, Xia Qingye let out a quiet sigh of relief. This “little ancestor” was as unpredictable as the weather. She checked the time. “It’s late. Do you want Yao Wei to come pick you up?”

Nie Zhuying was still in a fit of pique. Hearing her being chased away, she felt that the other woman wasn’t as resolute as she was. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at her. “Aren’t we lovers? Sleeping together should be perfectly normal. I’m not leaving today; I’m sleeping here.”

Xia Qingye only had one bed, and she was a woman with “needs.” She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have the person she liked sleeping beside her. “Actually, I think we—”

Nie Zhuying grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close. “Perfect. Aren’t you afraid Xia Yanbo won’t agree? Let’s just ‘cook the rice’—by then, he’ll have to agree whether he wants to or not.”

“Cough, cough, cough—!”