Reborn! Entangled with the Obsessive Best Actress - Chapter 3

Over her years in the industry, Xie Jingcheng had been paired with several co-stars, but all were purely for film promotion. They never exchanged a single word in private.

Song Qingxing, on the other hand, had never been paired with anyone. In her own words, “This queen’s got the looks to make it. What’s the point of a fake romance?”

But reality proved that relying solely on youth and beauty was a cruel game.

Once your prime fades or your popularity wanes, even the most formidable figures are reduced to ordinary people.

Song Qingxing had struck gold with her first taste of reincarnation. Naturally, she intended to seize every opportunity she could.

“Don’t worry,” she purred, her eyes gleaming with seductive intent. “I was just rehearsing lines with my co-star at the hotel. No paparazzi would dare twist that.”

“Right, Yakuza Girl?”

Xie Jingcheng coughed lightly, realizing she had to address the absurd rumors circulating online.

“Song Qingxing, don’t get the wrong idea. My father doesn’t deal in dirty business. Our family runs a legitimate enterprise.”

Song Qingxing: ……

What a letdown.

She’d half-hoped Xie Jingcheng was some ruthless heiress. If that were the case, fewer people would dare cross her.

“Still, I’m glad you’re willing to indulge my desires,” Xie Jingcheng said, rising to her feet.

Despite her privileged upbringing and refined education, Xie Jingcheng had never been one to suppress her impulses. The moment she laid eyes on Song Qingxing, a primal urge surged within her:

To pin her against the bed and kiss her fiercely.

But haste makes waste. Things had to progress step by step.

Slowly getting to know each other was just as satisfying. Xie Jingcheng relished the anticipation. Having been involved in acting since childhood, she was well-acquainted with the trope of the devoted female lead. She knew what love and infatuation felt like.

Yet, she had never once felt her own heart stir.

“Since I’m only attending the promotional event this afternoon, why don’t I have my driver take you home today?” Xie Jingcheng suggested, standing up and heading for the door.

This left Song Qingxing and Yu Zhi staring at each other in awkward silence.

Yu Zhi had remained by Song Qingxing’s side even after her career plummeted. Unfortunately, the salary and benefits of working for a top-tier star were worlds apart from those of an obscure, eighteenth-tier actress.

With a mortgage looming over her head, Yu Zhi couldn’t afford to stay. She had no choice but to leave Song Qingxing and seek employment with another celebrity.

Song Qingxing understood her decision.

If I ever strike it rich, I won’t forget you, she thought. Yu Zhi, you’ve stuck with me for so long. I won’t let you suffer any longer. Now come and enjoy the good life with me!

Hahaha!

Song Qingxing was only twenty-eight or twenty-nine when she died, having lived her entire life pampered and spoiled. Her thinking still retained a childlike naiveté.

But having died once, she harbored deep resentment.

Her actions now were far more composed and calculated. Xie Jingcheng had once extended an olive branch, which Song Qingxing had failed to seize. Now, she would grasp it firmly and never let go.

“Sister Song, didn’t you say yesterday you hated Xie Jingcheng? Why are you…” Yu Zhi trailed off, her gaze falling on the crumpled tissues in the trash can, stained with a pinkish liquid.

It was hard not to jump to conclusions.

Xie Jingcheng is so violent! No wonder no woman wants to be with her.

“What are you thinking? This is red wine,” Song Qingxing said, exasperated. Yu Zhi was always glued to her phone, reading those very explicit novels. Naturally, her mind would wander.

“Really?”

Song Qingxing coughed lightly, her patience wearing thin. “Stop projecting your novel fantasies onto the real world. It’s absurd.”

Who could bleed that much? That’s not a night of passion; it’s a violent assault.

As Song Qingxing walked to change her clothes, seeing her designer outfits again after years filled her with a sense of loss. After her career had fizzled out, she had sold all her luxury clothes and bags.

There was no choice. She could forgo fine clothes and lavish meals, but she couldn’t stop paying her parents’ debts and medical bills.

As their only daughter, Song Qingxing could never abandon her parents.

The thin fabric of her dress clung to her figure, accentuating her curves. She found her sunglasses and slipped them on, adjusting them slightly with a flick of her index finger.

Her reflection in the mirror remained stunningly beautiful.

She looked far more radiant than she would in a few years. She hadn’t yet endured those heart-wrenching experiences, hadn’t plummeted from the peak of fame to the depths of despair, where everyone seemed eager to kick her while she was down.

The fine lines at the corners of her eyes had vanished, and her clear, captivating almond-shaped eyes shimmered with a seductive allure, like a pool of spring water.

“Sister Song, why are you crying?” Yu Zhi asked, turning to look at her. No way, she thought. Even though Song Qingxing is always so vain, she wouldn’t cry over her own beauty, would she?

“It’s nothing,” Song Qingxing replied, wiping away her tears with the pad of her finger. No matter what, I’ll never let things repeat themselves.

I’m going to be famous!

I’m going to be a sensation!

I’m going to stay at the top, never fall again.

Though she knew paparazzi were lurking, Song Qingxing abandoned her usual disguise of sunglasses and a mask. Instead, she chose the strategy that would generate the most online buzz.

She wore a long dress and a black mask, the brim of her baseball cap pulled low but not completely obscuring her eyebrows and eyes.

This was exactly what she wanted: paparazzi who could recognize her in an instant.

Outside, Xie Jingcheng was waiting. She was dressed casually in a silk blouse and black trousers, but the fitted waist of the blouse immediately revealed her stunning figure.

Xie Jingcheng paused, momentarily stunned.

“Song Qingxing, your outfit…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear: Song Qingxing’s attire would have paparazzi chasing her down the street in minutes. It was as if she was afraid they wouldn’t recognize her.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Song Qingxing asked.

“No problem at all. You look beautiful,” Xie Jingcheng replied with a smile, removing her own mask. The two women left the hotel together. As soon as they stepped outside, flashes from cameras hidden in the bushes erupted relentlessly.

Song Qingxing: ……

After all these years, these damn paparazzi hadn’t changed a bit.

It’s no wonder celebrities duck for cover at the sight of a lens. These people were like monsters with cameras for eyes.

They were relentlessly snapping photos of her.

A car was parked at the hotel entrance, its driver impeccably dressed in a suit. Song Qingxing peered through the window.

Wow… even wearing white gloves. Talk about meticulous.

The car exuded understated luxury—a brand-new Porsche SUV.

Before the driver could even step out, Xie Jingcheng reached out, her fingers exerting a slight pressure, and the car door swung open.

The driver seemed frozen in his seat.

M-Miss Xie… she’s personally opening the car door for someone else!

“Get in. I’ll drop you off at the film set first,” Xie Jingcheng said, leaning against the door with a smirk, completely unconcerned that they might already be trending at the top of the entertainment news charts.

Song Qingxing climbed into the car.

Only then did Xie Jingcheng settle into the driver’s seat. She reached over to fasten Song Qingxing’s seatbelt, their faces so close they could both smell the expensive perfume lingering in the air.

“Xie Jingcheng, I’ll be busy filming these next few days. I might not have time to sleep with you.”

After a moment of internal debate, Song Qingxing decided to be blunt.

“What are you thinking?”

“Being with you is a loss for me.”

Xie Jingcheng shook her head.

“I just want to kiss you.”