Chapter 6
Xia Linxia’s hiccups hadn’t stopped even after she got home.
The apartment was located in the most prosperous area of the city, with a prime location and excellent surrounding facilities. Her neighbors were all wealthy and influential, so the community’s security measures were top-notch.
The room was a bit messy. She was usually busy with work and rarely stayed home. When she wasn’t busy, she preferred to sleep and rest, never tidying up. Fortunately, her family had arranged for a part-time cleaner to come regularly for housekeeping and to check if Xia Wudi had kicked the bucket.
“Hic… I’m exhausted.” She kicked off her high heels and slipped into comfortable, soft slippers. As she walked, she unbuttoned her bra, pulled it out from her sleeve, and tossed it aside. She collapsed onto the sofa, “Ah, I’m alive again, hic!”
Forcing a smile all day, with cameras and onlookers constantly watching her during livestreams and meals, was a double torment for both body and mind. The most tormenting was that old woman Ji Fengxue, who never played by the rules and was nothing like she had imagined!
Something crawled over to her feet. She looked down and saw Xia Wudi, carrying its heavy green shell, slowly moving towards her.
Xia Wudi was not cheap; it was a gift from her brother, who said that since she was irritable and impatient, she should learn from this little turtle what it meant to have a peaceful life. Besides, there was no one else at home, so having a pet was good, and turtles were easy to care for.
Xia Linxia naturally disliked it. Other little princesses had pampered poodle-like dogs and fairy-like cats, so why should she have a turtle so green it looked oily?
But her brother, Xia Yangxuan, paid no attention to her. He only needed to raise his cold eyes slightly, and she would obediently listen.
To think that she, the incredibly irritable Xia Hu Niu, had to submit to physical coercion at home. She was truly a coward.
She was twelve years younger than Xia Yangxuan and was the late-born child of her parents, who doted on her excessively, cherishing her as if she were a precious gem. However, Xia Yangxuan was a stern King Yama, always wearing a straight face, both at home and outside. When he had free time during school, he would tutor Xia Linxia.
He would hit her wherever she made mistakes. After a few spankings, she would cry and complain, but her complaints only led to more beatings! Due to Xia Yangxuan’s violent teaching methods, her academic performance had always been excellent. She also attended various interest classes and tutoring sessions, particularly excelling in music and dance, which she studied diligently.
However, in her third year of high school, she finally entered her rebellious phase, declaring her intention to enter the entertainment industry. Her reason was simple: she was so outstanding that everyone should discover her beauty. After saying this, she was beaten again.
A girl of seventeen or eighteen years old, still being beaten, filled her with both anger and resentment. She decided to protest by going on a hunger strike.
On the third day of her hunger strike, her brother came to talk to her. She quickly hid the biscuits her parents had secretly given her and started crying, sobbing uncontrollably.
Xia Yangxuan watched her finish a roll of tissues and said, “You can cry so much, you should be able to make a living.”
Then, he packed her bags overnight and sent her to his classmate Jiang Yuan’s company. He cut off all her cards, suppressed her family background, and she became an ordinary trainee.
Now, her brother no longer hit her, but he still cut off all her cards. The head of the Xia Corporation could make her life in the entertainment industry impossible with just a flick of his finger.
Therefore, she could only concede, and she didn’t even dare to disobey General Manager Jiang Yuan. Heaven help her.
Every time she thought of this great demon king, a cold sweat would break out on her back, as if she were about to be beaten again. She snorted and picked up the turtle’s shell. Xia Wudi’s tiny legs slowly paddled in the air.
“Xia Wudi, you’re running around again. Are you trying to sneak back to report to the great demon king?” Xia Linxia pointed at it and warned, “If you run around again, I’ll make turtle head soup with you.”
After saying that, she realized the soup sounded a bit strange. She shook her head and lay weakly on the sofa, looking up at the little turtle. The person and the turtle stared at each other. “Xia Wudi, how old are you? Are you hundreds of years old? You’ve been living at my place every day, haven’t you had time to date? How miserable, a turtle single for hundreds of years. Give me some face, give me a reaction.”
Xia Wudi: “……”
Xia Linxia: “Even I’m dating, no, this should be called working romance. The other party is a very annoying person. When you meet her in the future, you must bite her to death, understand?”
Xia Wudi: “……”
Xia Linxia held its head and gently pressed it, changing her voice to dub for Xia Wudi: “I heard you, I heard you, I will definitely bite Ji Fengxue to death.”
“So obedient.” Xia Linxia smiled and stroked the turtle shell again.
Xia Wudi: “……”
After lounging for a while, she turned on Bluetooth to play music and went to the dance studio to practice. She sweated all over and went to take a shower. Although her main work was now in acting and variety shows, she couldn’t forget her basic skills because she enjoyed it.
After showering, she touched her half-dry hair. As she passed the living room, the TV was playing a newly released drama. She watched for a few minutes, then changed the channel, only to see the new talent show of the year starting.
Talent shows were launched every summer, with new trainees emerging one after another, but most were as brilliant as fireworks, fading quickly. Few could remain memorable, and Xia Linxia was one of the most famous among them.
She searched the entire house and finally found Xia Wudi, who had escaped again. She carried it to the fish tank and heard the host’s voice on TV: “Let’s give a round of applause to our debut mentor – Xiao Yuran!”
Xia Linxia was stunned. She walked to the TV and saw Xiao Yuran, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, walking onto the stage in a light blue mini-dress, exuding an ethereal aura.
If Xia Linxia was flamboyant, then Xiao Yuran was reserved.
At that time, the two of them, as teammates, were constantly in the spotlight. It was either Xia Linxia stealing Xiao Yuran’s center position and screen time, or having a bad relationship with her teammates, lacking team spirit.
Thanks to Xia Linxia’s undisguised arrogant personality, Xiao Yuran seemed to be the victim, easily evoking the audience’s protective instincts. In the finals, even though Xia Linxia’s skills far surpassed everyone else’s, netizens still chose the gentle and lovely Xiao Yuran as the center.
For this, Xia Linxia expressed her dissatisfaction. During the debut declaration, she made a bold statement: “One day, I will make all of you recognize the strength of Xia Linxia!”
As soon as she said this, anti-fans emerged in droves.
Later, after two years of group activities and constant announcements, the audience clearly preferred watching the two women tear each other apart over their performances. Xia Linxia also had a bad relationship with the other group members, and even Fu Xiaoxuan, who came from the same company, stuck close to Xiao Yuran. But in the eyes of the public, she had brought it upon herself; being isolated and ostracized was deserved, as she had spoken recklessly and should suffer the backlash of online bullying.
On TV, after the host introduced the judges, they began the initial evaluation of the trainees.
With nothing else to do, her eyes darted around. She clicked on Ji Fengxue’s WeChat and called her.
After three attempts, the other side finally answered, and a clear, cold voice asked, “Hello?”
“Yo? What are you doing?” Xia Linxia asked.
“Is there something?”
“Just asking, are you watching TV?”
“No.” Ji Fengxue was sitting in a hanging chair on the balcony, having just showered. Her slightly damp long hair fluttered gently in the night breeze. She held a ladies’ cigarette between her slender fingers, its tip flashing a scarlet red. She opened a book and said nonchalantly, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up.”
“Strange, aren’t you watching Xiao Yuran’s show?” Xia Linxia asked curiously.
Ji Fengxue paused, tapped the cigarette, and a small pile of ash fell into a nearby ashtray. She put the cigarette back into her mouth and mumbled, “No, what TV?”
“A talent show.” Xia Linxia placed her phone next to the electronic device, recording the audio. It happened to capture Xiao Yuran’s sweet voice: “Contestant number four performed very well, but her personality is a bit too outgoing, very much like Linxia. I hope you can continue to work hard.”
She suddenly became agitated: “Damn it, why is she mentioning me again!”
Ji Fengxue’s lips curved into a smile, and she said nothing.
“So annoying, can’t she let me be beautiful alone?” Xia Linxia couldn’t help but complain. “It’s been three years since we disbanded, why does she always cue me? She’s so calculating, always trying to ride my coattails. Just you wait, the internet will compare her to me again later.”
Ji Fengxue raised an eyebrow in surprise. After thinking carefully for a moment, it seemed to be true. In the past two years, many of Xiao Yuran’s news items had been linked to Xia Linxia.
“Hey, hey, Xiao Yuran is demonstrating a dance for them,” Xia Linxia reported live. “Tsk, she’s not that great, so soft and lacking in strength.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now,” Ji Fengxue said, rubbing her temples with a headache.
“Don’t, I’m lonely late at night, let’s have a passionate phone chat.” Xia Linxia said with a mischievous smile. “What, did you break up with your old flame, and now you can’t even be friends?”
“Xia Linxia.”
“Why are you being so fierce? Am I wrong?”
“You are wrong.”
“Where am I wrong?”
After a long pause, Ji Fengxue finally said, “She is not my old flame.”
Xia Linxia: “Oh.”
“You are my new flame.”
Xia Linxia paused, surprised, and held her phone in front of her eyes, reflecting her stunned expression. She yelled, “Get lost.”
Ji Fengxue chuckled twice but didn’t hang up.
Xia Linxia couldn’t help but ask again, “Then, as your new flame, can I know when exactly you started liking Xiao Yuran? Hello? Yo yo yo?”
Beep beep—
Ji Fengxue mercilessly hung up the phone.
The cigarette in her hand burned out. She closed her book and picked up the tablet on the round table, which was playing a movie silently. She switched to the lively program.
It had been a long time. Xiao Yuran seemed unchanged, smiling beautifully and generously, treating everyone politely and gently. She was a kind girl.
She gave a wry smile, and Xia Linxia’s question surfaced in her mind: When did she start liking Xiao Yuran?
It was before her hospitalization. She was filming on set, in a location that was secluded and scenic. She heard there was a villa nearby where a group of trainees participating in a talent show lived. The sun was very strong that day, almost forty degrees Celsius. She had been filming for several hours but couldn’t achieve the desired effect. After finishing, she felt a bit dejected and walked back to the hotel alone. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and suffocated, and collapsed on the ground.
In a daze, she saw a girl run over and carry her on her back. Her shoulders were narrow, and after a short while, she heard the girl’s heavy panting as she struggled to walk towards a crowded area. With her consciousness hazy, she weakly said thank you. The girl paused, and as she turned her head to look at her, she fainted again.
When she woke up, she was leaning against the window of her nanny van. She finally had a little strength. She opened her eyes slightly and saw a tall figure leaving. The person was wearing training clothes, with a number printed on the back: 18.
The doctor said she had heatstroke, coupled with overwork and anemia. It was best to stay in the hospital for a few days to recuperate properly.
When she woke up, she wanted to ask her agent who the female Good Samaritan was. Her peripheral vision caught a group of girls singing and dancing on TV. Their outfits were very familiar, and each of them had a number tag pinned to their waist.
She stared intently at the TV. After a minute, the camera finally focused on the name of number 18: Xiao Yuran.
She smiled.
The following number 19, Xia Linxia, ignited the stage in her initial performance, receiving unanimous cheers from the audience.
However, Ji Fengxue’s eyes and heart were focused on number 18, who had just flashed by.
During her hospitalization, she repeatedly watched Xiao Yuran’s clips and even personally posted on Weibo to cheer for Xiao Yuran. Everyone knew she was a fan.
After being discharged, she went to visit the training base. All the trainees were surprised, except for Xia Linxia, who sat far away, rolling her eyes every now and then.
After getting to know Xiao Yuran, the two became very close. On the day they debuted as a group, she confessed to her privately.
But Xiao Yuran was a straight girl. She rejected her with teary eyes, and fearing she would be sad, she cried profusely, which made Ji Fengxue unable to bear it.
Thus, the two maintained an intimate relationship that was more than friends but less than lovers. She found resources for Xiao Yuran, gave her gifts, and tried her best to please her. The other party would also give her gifts in return, and would hold her hand and act spoiled, but the two never crossed the line.
Unfortunately, Xiao Yuran’s acting skills were not up to par. The resources she introduced from famous directors were not handled well, and the low box office revenue affected the directors’ impressions of her.
After that, her works became fewer and fewer, and she also wanted to retire. She wanted to be with Xiao Yuran and accompany her well. But last year, Xiao Yuran suddenly said she was in love, and her partner was a man, a famous rich second-generation in the industry.
What could Ji Fengxue do? She had known from the beginning that she liked men.
After half a year of despondency, her agent pulled her out of her home, saying they were going to sign her with a new company and start a new life.
Cheerful music played on the TV. She looked at this group of young and energetic newcomers, each girl with an innocent and expectant expression on her face. She had seen such faces before, but later, they seemed to be seen less and less.
She glanced at someone on the judging panel and turned off the video.
Just then, her phone rang again. She answered it helplessly, and then heard a mischievous laugh.
Xia Linxia: “I posted on Weibo. As my contract counterparty, you must go and like it! Absolutely! Immediately!”
Ji Fengxue opened Weibo and saw that she had reposted a Weibo from a marketing account.
Xia Linxia V: Of course she’s happy. My baby and I are watching her show together! Otherwise, why don’t you ask her @Xiao Yuran // Ba Ge V: Xiao Yuran mentioned her former teammate Xia Linxia on the show tonight, but Xia Linxia is with her good friend Teacher Ji. I wonder how Xiao Yuran feels? [Grinning face]
Ji Fengxue: “……”
Xia Linxia urged, “Hurry up! If you don’t like it, I’ll lose face. Besides, we are watching together, just in different locations.”
“What’s the point of you doing this?” Ji Fengxue asked.
“I feel happy,” Xia Linxia said righteously. “Several big marketing accounts have been scolding me and digging up my past scandals! It’s all Xiao Yuran’s fault. Why did she have to mention me? Isn’t it better to go our separate ways? Live our own happy lives?”
Ji Fengxue was stunned for a few seconds and reluctantly liked the Weibo.
After the show ended, Xiao Yuran left a comment in the comment section.
Xiao Yuran V: Thank you, I’m very happy, love you all [Heart]
Xia Linxia laughed uncontrollably. The thought of Xiao Yuran’s expression when she replied made her laugh hysterically.
Ji Fengxue lay on the bed, continuing to read to induce sleep. Her phone vibrated more than ten times, all voice messages.
She clicked them open and put them aside.
Then, the quiet room was filled with laughter.
Xia Linxia: “Ha ha ha ha ha.”
Xia Linxia: “I’m dying of laughter ga ga ga ga ga.”
Xia Linxia: “Ha ha ha ga ga ga ga ga ga ha ha……”
Ji Fengxue: “……”
Ji Fengxue: “Pfft.”
Even if she didn’t want to react, laughter was contagious, especially such a magical laugh… So, Teacher Ji listened to it several times and lost her sleepiness again.
The usually calm and composed movie queen suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter in her room.
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