Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 27
27: The Fleeting Kiss
When Gu Xi woke up groggily, it was already noon the next day. She rubbed her temples, feeling her head still spinning, and said tiredly, “Ugh… I feel awful. Those kidnappers weren’t lying—the alcohol was really strong!”
Ding~ Congratulations to Author Ji for successfully overcoming the crisis. Deducted Luck Points: 15.
Current Luck Points: 5/100
Her foggy mind instantly cleared, and she exclaimed, “What? Why? I’ve already survived the crisis! You didn’t even give me a reward, and now you’re deducting my Luck Points?”
Ding~ Luck Points are extremely precious. They can turn the impossible into possible. With enough Luck Points, even if Author Ji were afflicted with an incurable disease, it could be transformed into a treatable one, though it would cost Luck Points.
The Jinjiang System reminds you: Due to Author Ji’s superhuman strength after drinking, the alcohol became a turning point. In that situation, it was highly improbable for the kidnappers to have alcohol. It was the Luck Points that made it possible and also weakened the kidnappers’ bones.
“So that’s how it works! My precious Luck Points!” Gu Xi had thought they were just for bringing good luck, warding off danger, or making money. She hadn’t expected them to be so extraordinary.
Ding~ The Jinjiang System has an update and will temporarily shut down. Friendly reminder to Author Ji: You haven’t updated your novel in days, and your readers have accumulated a certain amount of resentment. Be cautious of bad luck in the near future~!
Prompted by the system, Gu Xi suddenly remembered her neglected novel. She immediately flopped onto the bed, wailing, “I just want to be a lazy fish, not write…”
“Writing what?”
Hearing the voice, Gu Xi looked up in surprise and saw Luo Ningshuang walking in with a glass of water. She said in disbelief, “Why are you here?”
“What, I can’t come? Afraid I’ll see you in this sorry state?” Luo Ningshuang’s voice was cold, her gaze sharp enough to pierce through Gu Xi.
Bad luck starting already? Gu Xi gave an awkward smile and said, “No, I was just worried about you. With so much going on lately, I was afraid you’d be overwhelmed!”
“No matter how busy I am, I’m not as busy as you—busy ogling beauties, busy fighting, taking on four strong men single-handedly and breaking their limbs. Even I, the big boss, can’t compare to you.” Luo Ningshuang handed Gu Xi the glass, her words laced with sarcasm.
Gu Xi took a sip—it was sweet honey water. Unsure how to explain, she said, “It was an accident, okay? Oh, by the way, what happened to those guys? Do I need to go to the police station to give a statement?”
“No need. Those guys are practically begging to stay in jail for life. They’ve confessed everything about the crime, including their past offenses.” Luo Ningshuang recalled their pathetic crying and couldn’t help but smirk.
Uh… why did it feel like they were treating her like some kind of monster?
Luo Ningshuang sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes slightly lowered. Seeing Gu Xi’s nonchalant attitude, she sighed, “This time, I didn’t think things through. I didn’t expect them to be so vicious. For the actors, make a list, and I’ll have Lan Qingxue and Mo Yuze handle it. As for you, you’re coming back with me.”
Go back? Gu Xi wanted to protest, but remembering she’d been too busy to write, she relented, “Fine, I’ll send the list to Sister Qingxue later.”
“Good. Get cleaned up, and we’ll eat. We’re heading back this afternoon.” Seeing her compliance, Luo Ningshuang smiled faintly.
“But this afternoon, I want to visit Sister Xi.” Gu Xi recalled the phone call and knew it was related to her, but she couldn’t understand—could a person really change so drastically?
Luo Ningshuang frowned, deep in thought. Gu Xi assumed she wouldn’t agree and was about to speak when Luo Ningshuang gave a brief smile, only for it to vanish quickly.
Her expression turned icy. “Sister Xi? Calling her so affectionately, huh? She nearly got you killed, and I’ve already shown mercy by not sending her to jail. What, is she more important than your life?”
“What are you talking about? Fine, I won’t call her that. Can’t we just talk normally?”
Though Luo Ningshuang’s tone was harsh, Gu Xi sensed a hint of jealousy in her words. On a whim, she blurted out, “Oh, I get it! You’re secretly in love with me, aren’t you? You’re jealous and upset, haha!”
Gu Xi, who had been teasing her, fell silent instantly. Luo Ningshuang’s aura turned chilling, her slender fingers suddenly gripping Gu Xi’s chin.
“Mm… what are you doing?” Gu Xi mumbled, her speech slurred from the grip. She tried to push Luo Ningshuang’s hand away but froze as Luo Ningshuang leaned in closer, making her tremble.
They were so close that Gu Xi’s eyes nearly crossed. Their breaths mingled, and as for their lips… the distance between them was practically zero.
Because every time Luo Ningshuang spoke, their lips brushed against each other.
“Oh~ You think I’m secretly in love with you? Based on your looks? Or maybe your talent? You’re that confident, huh?”
With every word Luo Ningshuang uttered, their lips touched lightly, the faint warmth, subtle fragrance, and gentle contact intertwining like invisible hands roaming over Gu Xi’s body.
Feeling increasingly suffocated, Gu Xi didn’t dare breathe heavily. She couldn’t utter a single word, her face either flushed from holding her breath or burning with embarrassment.
Luo Ningshuang pulled back slightly, perhaps amused by Gu Xi’s flustered state. She released her chin and stood up, walking to the door with a pleased tone. “Since you want to go, I’ll take you. We’ll head back to J City tomorrow. But you’d better not call her ‘Sister Xi’ again, or I won’t be happy. And if I’m not happy, don’t expect to be either.”
Thud. After Luo Ningshuang left, Gu Xi collapsed onto the bed like a deflated balloon, clutching her calming heart. She muttered with a mix of laughter and tears, “This is just too much.”
“No way. I can’t always be the one embarrassed. Just wait—if I get the chance, hmph!”
…
True to her word, Luo Ningshuang took Gu Xi to Cheng Zixi’s place.
Gu Xi knocked on the door, her emotions a tangled mess.
When the door opened, a strong smell of alcohol wafted from Cheng Zixi. Her room was a mess, littered with papers scattered on the floor. She glanced at Luo Ningshuang behind Gu Xi and gave a bitter smile. “I knew you’d come.”
Cheng Zixi returned to her room, picking up a half-empty bottle of liquor and drinking from it.
Gu Xi followed, frowning at her disheveled state. “Sister Xi, you weren’t like this before. Why?”
Cheng Zixi shook her head, her voice weary. “Time passes, and people grow and change. I am a screenwriter for AC Media, but no matter how hard I worked, I saw no hope.”
So, she became her hope?
She continued, “Later, an AC executive approached me. They told me to get close to you, report your whereabouts and actions, and they’d use my script. I agreed. You know what? I fucking agreed. I used to despise people like that, but now, I’ve become one of them.”
“But what choice did I have? If I didn’t succeed, I’d have to go back home, get married, and have kids. I don’t want that. I don’t want my life to be like everyone else’s.”
“So that justifies betraying Gu Xi?” Luo Ningshuang couldn’t stand it. People always make excuses for their mistakes.
Cheng Zixi shook her head. “No, I know I was wrong. I just needed an outlet. Don’t worry, I’ve thought it through. I’ll turn myself in.”
Gu Xi knew she wasn’t inherently bad—just someone who made a mistake in a moment of desperation. Call it soft-heartedness or naivety, but Gu Xi was willing to give her a chance. “Sister Xi, can you show me the script you wrote? I’d like to take a look.”
Luo Ningshuang frowned at Gu Xi, clearly guessing her intentions.
Cheng Zixi stood, rummaged through the pile of papers, and handed a few sheets to Gu Xi. “Here, it’s yours.”
Gu Xi read through it carefully, growing more excited with each page. This was Empress Strategy, a wildly popular yuri drama in the future, a satisfying story of a girl rising from a palace maid to an empress, slapping faces along the way.
To think Cheng Zixi wrote it! But Gu Xi couldn’t understand why such a brilliant script went unnoticed.
The butterfly effect! If not for Gu Xi’s sudden appearance, perhaps with a bit more persistence, Cheng Zixi could have risen to fame instead of ending up like this. “Sister Xi, I’m willing to trust you again and give you another chance. But you’ll need to sell this script to us and sign with LS.”
What? Cheng Zixi thought she’d misheard, her expression dazed. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, and we’ll start filming soon. But we’re still missing a lot. You’ve been with production crews for years, so you must know the ins and outs. Since this is your script, once filming starts, you’ll be fully responsible.” Gu Xi spoke clearly, word by word.
Luo Ningshuang pursed her lips, silent. Though she trusted Gu Xi, she was still uneasy—after all, Cheng Zixi had nearly harmed her.
Tears welled in Cheng Zixi’s eyes, her voice trembling. “I never thought… never thought you’d forgive me. Thank you, thank you! I won’t let you down again!”
“I’m not forgiving you—just giving you another chance. I hope you seize it this time. I’ll have Sister Qingxue send the contract. I’m taking the script with me, okay?” Gu Xi waved the pages at her.
“No problem, no problem. I was going to give it to you anyway.”
Gu Xi nodded, gathered all the script pages from the floor, confirmed none were missing, and took them with her.
“Gu Xi, what’s your secret? How are you so certain about actors, scripts, and web dramas—that they’ll definitely succeed?” Luo Ningshuang’s gaze was deep, as if trying to see through her.
Gu Xi paused briefly before joking, “I’m reborn. Is that not allowed?”
Seeing no reaction and unable to read her thoughts, Gu Xi felt a twinge of bitterness inside.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Not caring what Luo Ningshuang was thinking, Gu Xi dragged her along.
Looks like I’ll need to be more careful in the future.
“Gu Xi, you seem to have forgotten what I said earlier—no calling her ‘Sister Xi’…”
Gu Xi: “…” She forgot!