Chapter 48 p1
Xin Yao cupped Xu Jingyu’s face in her hands, gently wiping away the tear that had escaped her eye.
“I’m fine. It’s just a small scratch. It looks worse than it is. It doesn’t even hurt.”
“Why are you so upset?”
Xu Jingyu took Xin Yao’s hand, her grip tight.
“I heard them say… that you had been shot. I thought…”
She hadn’t been able to think, her body moving on instinct, driven by a primal fear.
Now, recalling the sudden surge of terror, she felt a strange sense of detachment, as if she had almost lost Xin Yao in a past life.
Seeing the lingering fear in Xu Jingyu’s eyes, Xin Yao’s gaze softened, and she was about to speak when Xi Yue, the set medic, interrupted them.
“Ms. Xu, don’t worry too much. I’ve examined the wound. It’s just a graze from a plastic pellet. It didn’t hit any bones. Just a flesh wound. She’ll be fine.”
“Could you please step aside so I can treat her wound?”
Now that they had confirmed Xin Yao was unharmed, treating her wound was the priority.
Xu Jingyu nodded, stepping aside to give Xi Yue access to Xin Yao’s leg.
She stood there, her gaze fixed on Xin Yao, her eyes filled with concern.
Xin Yao gave her a reassuring smile, then lifted her skirt slightly, revealing the wound.
As she did, her wrist was also exposed, the scar on her left wrist visible in the dim light.
Xin Yao hadn’t been particularly bothered by the scar.
After leaving the hospital, she had been so distressed that she had asked the system for medication, and the wound had healed quickly, the pain fading.
But the scar remained.
She usually covered it with makeup while filming.
But lately, she had been too busy, waking up too early, to bother with it.
And with the arrival of winter, her long sleeves had hidden it.
Until now.
Xin Yao, still focused on her leg, hadn’t noticed the scar.
But Xi Yue, kneeling before her, treating the wound, and Qian Yu, a crew member who had helped Xin Yao earlier, both saw it.
Their eyes widened in shock, their breaths catching in their throats, their gazes meeting in a shared moment of horror.
But they weren’t the only ones who saw it. Xu Jingyu, standing beside them, had also seen the scar.
Her eyes, already dark and intense, narrowed further, her heart clenching with a sudden, sharp pain.
She remembered.
The first time she had met Xin Yao, her wrist had been bandaged.
She had asked about it, but Xin Yao had dismissed it, and Xu Jingyu, still a stranger, hadn’t pressed further.
She hadn’t realized the wound had been so deep.
How much pain had she endured?
She knew Xin Yao hated pain.
And yet, she had inflicted such a deep wound upon herself.
Xu Jingyu couldn’t imagine the depth of her despair.
It must have been… after her breakup with Li Xu.
Xu Jingyu’s eyes darkened.
Xin Yao hadn’t mentioned Li Xu, or the scandal, for a long time.
It wasn’t because she had been focused on her work, but because Xu Jingyu had made sure of it, using her influence to suppress the negative press, to protect Xin Yao from further harm.
Initially, she hadn’t cared about the truth of the rumors, simply wanting to meet Xin Yao.
And after meeting her, she had known that the accusations were false.
She had wanted to deal with Li Xu, to punish him for his cruelty, but Xin Yao had said she wanted to handle it herself, so Xu Jingyu had relented.
Then, caught up in their whirlwind romance, she had forgotten about it.
Until now, seeing the scar on Xin Yao’s wrist, she realized, with a sudden pang of jealousy, that Xin Yao had loved someone else, that she had been hurt.
The pain in her heart was real, the bittersweet ache a reminder of Xin Yao’s past.
She had been trying so hard to understand what it meant to love, and she had finally realized that she loved Xin Yao.
But what about Xin Yao? Did she feel the same way?
Xu Jingyu had assumed she did.
But now, she wasn’t so sure.
Just two months ago, Xin Yao had still been deeply in love with Li Xu, her despair so profound that she had harmed herself.
Did she still have feelings for him?
Xu Jingyu’s eyes darkened, her fingers clenching into fists.
Li Xu?
Ridiculous.
As Xu Jingyu’s thoughts spiraled downwards, her jealousy turning into a dangerous obsession, Xi Yue finished bandaging Xin Yao’s leg.
But she still needed to go to the hospital for a check-up, just to be safe.
Filming was suspended for now.
Director Gao, hearing about the accident, had rushed over, but her short legs hadn’t carried her very far, and she was still trying to push her way through the crowd.
“Yaoyao, are you okay?!” she called out.
Xin Yao, supported by Qian Yu, smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, Director! I’m fine! It doesn’t even hurt!”
Xu Jingyu walked over and helped support Xin Yao, knowing she was lying, that she must be in pain.
She wanted to carry her, or at least offer her a piggyback ride, but she hesitated, unsure if Xin Yao would welcome her touch.
The usually aloof and untouchable Xu Jingyu now found herself filled with anxieties, her greatest fear being Xin Yao’s rejection.
She knew she wasn’t the most approachable person, her personality cold and reserved.
She was afraid Xin Yao would find her unpleasant.
So, instead of embracing her, she simply draped her coat over Xin Yao’s shoulders, her touch gentle and supportive.
Xin Yao’s injury, while not serious, required a few days of rest. She couldn’t film for now.
She felt guilty for delaying the production.
She had always been like this, happy to help others, but uncomfortable accepting help herself, always feeling like a burden.
Not knowing what else to do, she asked Chen Jia to treat the crew to a barbecue dinner as a gesture of apology.
Xin Yao, still recovering, couldn’t attend the dinner, and Xu Jingyu, staying by her side, also didn’t go.
The crew, gathered at the barbecue restaurant, were touched by Xin Yao’s generosity, her thoughtfulness despite her own injury.
The culprit behind the accident had been found: a student working part-time on the set.
He had been nervous, and with the loud sound effects, his hand had slipped as he fired the prop gun, the plastic pellet, meant for a sandbag, hitting Xin Yao instead.
The student, horrified at having injured someone, especially a celebrity, had been distraught.
He came from a poor family, his mother ill, and he had been working part-time to pay for his tuition.
Xin Yao, despite her own injury, had gone to see him, her voice gentle and reassuring.
“It’s okay. It’s just a scratch. It doesn’t even hurt. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your studies. But be more careful next time, okay?”
It had been snowing that day.
Xin Yao had stood there, in the soft glow of the streetlights, her smile warm and comforting.
The student had thought she was an angel.
Now, sitting at the barbecue restaurant, he was crying, his guilt overwhelming.
The other crew members, knowing what had happened, were even more impressed by Xin Yao’s kindness.
“She’s such a nice person. So kind, so cheerful, so thoughtful.”
And wherever someone praised Xin Yao, the makeup artist would appear, nodding eagerly.
“I know, right?! She’s amazing! Those online rumors are complete bullshit!”
Her words sparked a chorus of agreement.
“Exactly!”
“I thought I was the only one who felt that way!”
“Those reports are ridiculous! How could I have believed them?”
The online articles had painted Xin Yao as a manipulative, scheming homewrecker, a villain.
But the crew, having worked with her for so long, knew better.
While some celebrities wore masks, they weren’t fools. They could see through the facades.
Xin Yao was genuine, kind, and charismatic.
Li Xu, on the other hand, seemed fake, his charm a carefully constructed facade.
“I don’t think she’s like that at all.”
“But I’m curious what really happened.”
“What else? The scumbag probably cheated on her with a rich woman, then dumped her and denied their relationship. It’s common in this industry. Li Xu is a social climber. Everyone knows that.”
“Oh my god, if that’s true, then Ms. Xin is so pitiful!”
Xi Yue and Qian Yu, sitting in a corner, exchanged glances, their eyes filled with sympathy, thinking: It’s even worse than that.
That cheerful, optimistic young woman had been driven to the brink of suicide.
But it was a private matter, a secret they couldn’t reveal.
Xi Yue, her anger growing, slammed her hand on the table.
“I’m officially a Xin Yao stan! She’s too precious!”
The student, hearing her words, also slammed his hand on the table.
“If anyone dares to say anything bad about Sister Xin Yao, I’ll fight them!”
Xin Yao, unintentionally, had gained several new fans.
While Xin Yao recovered from her injury, Xu Jingyu visited her every day.
But she didn’t stay with Xin Yao constantly.
For example, that afternoon, seeing Xin Yao asleep, she hadn’t wanted to disturb her and had returned to her own room.
The weather was unusually sunny for this time of year, and Xu Jingyu sat on the sofa by the window, basking in the warm sunlight, a book covering her face.
Meng Wanqing, uninvited as always, sat down beside her, eating ice cream.
Xue Ning, perched on the armrest of the sofa, cracked sunflower seeds, the shells scattering on the floor.
They hadn’t wanted to visit Xu Jingyu, knowing her mood had been foul lately.
But her bad mood affected everyone, so they had come to check on her.
Meng Wanqing, always restless, after finishing her ice cream, leaned closer to Xu Jingyu, trying to see what she was reading.
The book’s cover, pink and white, was eye-catching, the title bold and clear:
“How to Make Someone Fall in Love with You”
Meng Wanqing almost burst out laughing, biting her lip to stifle the sound.
Then, she noticed the other books on the coffee table:
“What is Love?”, “100 Little Things to Do with Your Lover”, “How to Make Your Lover Obsessed with You”, “A Guide to Forced Love”
Something seemed out of place.
But it didn’t matter.
Meng Wanqing couldn’t contain herself any longer. She giggled.
“Someone’s trying to become a love expert.”
Xue Ning, still cracking sunflower seeds, muttered, “Shut up.”
“Some people are so worried about whether someone likes them that they can’t even bring themselves to hug them. And you’re making fun of them.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Meng Wanqing shook her head, a playful smile on her face. “I still can’t believe Xu Jingyu has a crush. It’s so surreal.”
“I thought she was going to be a lonely old spinster, still tormenting me at the age of 80.”
Xue Ning tossed a sunflower seed shell onto the floor. “Shut up, Meng Wanqing. She’s right beside you. If you keep talking, she’ll kill you before you reach 80.”
“So, who is she in love with?”
“Who do you think?”
“Xin Yao, obviously!” But then Meng Wanqing frowned. “But Xin Yao is so nice! She’s so cheerful and fun to be around! How could she possibly like Ice Queen Xu Jingyu?”
Xu Jingyu, who had been agonizing over whether Xin Yao liked her, Meng Wanqing’s words striking a nerve, removed the book from her face and glared at her.
Meng Wanqing, seeing her expression, zipped her lips.
Xue Ning, having finished her sunflower seeds, clapped her hands together.
“But didn’t Xin Yao like Li Xu? I heard she was really in love with him. Regardless of whether the rumors were true or not, her feelings were real, weren’t they?”
“You’ll have to work harder, President Xu.”
Xu Jingyu leaned back against the sofa, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I’ve heard that name far too many times lately. It’s annoying.”
“And the Mo family. Also annoying.”
“I don’t want to hear about them again, Xue Ning. Is that clear?”
Xue Ning whistled. “Whoa, President Xu, are you planning to steal her away? Don’t worry, leave it to me! I’ll get your little wife back for you!”
Her words were meant to be a joke.
But Xu Jingyu’s gaze, cold and serious, held no trace of humor.
“What?”
“Is it wrong to want her back?”
“I can do it. I can win.”
Li Xu? He was nothing compared to her.
Her words, so simple yet so forceful, stunned the other two women into silence.
The room was quiet, the air thick with tension.
Finally, Meng Wanqing, unable to contain herself, blurted out, “Are you crazy?!”
Xu Jingyu didn’t reply, simply looking down at the sunlight on her palm, her expression unreadable.
She wasn’t crazy.
In fact, she had never been more lucid.
Xin Yao’s leg injury healed quickly after a few days of rest.
During her absence, the director had focused on filming Xu Jingyu’s scenes.
Xu Jingyu, usually aloof and reserved, her mood further darkened by her anxieties, had been even colder and more distant than usual, her presence casting a pall over the entire set.
Until Xin Yao returned.
She arrived on set, dressed in her costume, her smile bright as she greeted everyone.
“Good morning, everyone!”
The crew, hearing her voice, turned to look at her, their faces lighting up.
“Ms. Xin, you’re back!”
“Good morning!”
“Have you had breakfast yet, Ms. Xin?”
Their cheerful greetings filled the air, the set suddenly coming alive.
After exchanging pleasantries, Xin Yao, not wanting to waste any time, quickly got into character, resuming the scene where she had been injured.
Lu Duanjing, witnessing the horrors of the slums, her eyes filled with tears, her mind reeling from the shock, hadn’t even noticed the danger.
It was Wen Sigu who had come to her rescue, wrapping her in her coat and leading her away.
After that day, Lu Duanjing hadn’t been able to sleep, the images of the slums haunting her dreams.
She had fallen ill, a high fever gripping her body, refusing to break.
Wen Sigu, worried, had come to visit her.
Hearing Wen Sigu’s voice, Lu Duanjing had finally opened her eyes, finding the strength to take her medicine.
She had spent the rest of the day in a feverish daze, her hand clutching Wen Sigu’s, as if holding onto a lifeline.
Wen Sigu hadn’t been able to, or hadn’t wanted to, let go.
She had sat by Lu Duanjing’s bedside all night, holding her hand, her gaze fixed on her face.
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