Reborn! Entangled with the Obsessive Best Actress - Chapter 30

The teacup held only half a cup of ginger tea. Xie Jingcheng had considered that drinking too much before bed wouldn’t be good.

Seeing Xie Jingcheng’s attentiveness, Song Qingxing couldn’t just stand there awkwardly. She took a step forward, moving closer to Xie Jingcheng.

“Thank you,” she said shyly.

She reached out and accepted the white porcelain cup. The tea wasn’t as hot as she’d expected, but a comfortably warm temperature that soothed her palm.

Taking a sip, the sweet and slightly spicy flavor spread through her mouth. Song Qingxing, who had been feeling chilled earlier, now felt a warm glow spreading through her entire body.

After finishing the tea, Song Qingxing returned to her room. Xie Jingcheng didn’t disturb her, feeling they’d already spent enough time together that day.

Haste makes waste, she thought. Everything should be taken slowly, allowing me to gradually win her heart.

For some reason, perhaps because she felt so at ease, Song Qingxing slept straight through until dawn. The curtains completely blocked out the sunlight, leaving the room dark and undisturbed.

And so, she slept even more soundly.

It wasn’t until the phone rang beside her ear that Song Qingxing reluctantly answered. But when she saw who was calling, her expression instantly transformed into a bright smile, a feat worthy of a Sichuan Opera face-changing performance.

“Mom, why are you calling me?”

The other end of the line was filled with the sounds of bustling traffic, suggesting her mother wasn’t at the hospital but rather in a crowded street.

“Daughter, I saw online that you’re dating someone. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Before Song Qingxing could even react, her mother dropped this bombshell. Song Qingxing’s breath caught in her throat, and her words tumbled out in a jumbled mess. Never having been good at lying, she had no idea how to deceive her own mother.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t approve,” she blurted out anxiously, her words tumbling over each other so quickly she nearly bit her tongue.

“I introduced you to so many handsome young men, and you didn’t like any of them. So it turns out you prefer pretty girls instead.”

Her mother’s words carried a deeper meaning, but she also knew that her daughter was now the family’s primary breadwinner. Opposing her choices would be futile, so she had no choice but to accept the situation.

This was the difference between holding economic power and lacking it.

Song Qingxing received a substantial share of the company’s annual bonuses. Her father had long ceased to be the family’s pillar of support; that role now belonged to her.

Consequently, her parents spoke with a hint of subservience and flattery. Song Qingxing felt a pang of sadness, but mostly helplessness.

Because sometimes, who you fall in love with isn’t something you can control.

Love may be beautiful, but love alone can’t even support oneself.

Therefore, Song Qingxing abandoned the possibility of meeting someone she truly loved in the future and wholeheartedly committed herself to the gilded cage Xie Jingcheng had meticulously crafted for her.

Despite the bitterness and sorrow in her heart, Song Qingxing had to interrupt her mother.

“Mom, the men you introduced me to weren’t handsome at all.”

“Those looks hardly qualify as handsome!”

Though she had no interest in men, she could still distinguish between attractive and unattractive ones.

After another brief argument with her mother, Song Qingxing finally hung up the phone. She glanced at the time and realized it was almost ten o’clock.

With a whoosh, she sprang out of bed like a rocket launching into space.

I’m doomed!

She had promised to practice her acting today. How could she have forgotten such a golden opportunity to rehearse with a renowned actress, especially with personalized coaching?

What if Xie Jingcheng had to leave for work? Would she have wasted this precious time for nothing?

Driven by anxiety, Song Qingxing rushed through her morning routine, washing up and getting dressed in record time. Fortunately, she didn’t need heavy makeup or fashionable attire in the apartment.

She simply threw on a T-shirt and slipped into the gray cotton slippers Xie Jingcheng had provided. The soles of these slippers were made of some soft, squishy material that felt like stepping on a marshmallow—incredibly comfortable and gentle on her feet.

As she opened the bedroom door, Song Qingxing anxiously scanned the living room, hoping Xie Jingcheng hadn’t gone far or, better yet, hadn’t left at all.

The moment Song Qingxing opened the door, she saw Xie Jingcheng sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, holding a script in her hands. She was reading it intently, her expression serious, almost as focused as Song Qingxing had been when she was obsessed with novels in high school.

Xie Jingcheng held a pen between her fingers, occasionally twirling it before jotting down her thoughts on the white paper beside her.

The Film Empress truly lives up to her title, Song Qingxing thought. Even when helping others rehearse, she’s so diligent, practically doing a literary analysis.

Hearing the door open, Xie Jingcheng adjusted her glasses, a smile lighting up her eyes.

“Awake?”

“I’ve almost finished reading the script. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”

Xie Jingcheng closed the script. Today, she was wearing a white loungewear set that revealed her swan-like neck and, further down, a breathtakingly voluptuous figure.

Alright…

Staring any longer would be rude. Song Qingxing, being a woman herself, understood perfectly. If someone stared at her for too long, she’d feel uncomfortable too.

Shortly after her rebirth, Song Qingxing had already contacted the director of the web drama, determined to be fully prepared.

She had reviewed and understood the early plot points, and even mastered the female lead’s emotional climaxes, ready to portray them perfectly.

“You don’t have to be so serious,” Song Qingxing said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “It’s just a practice run, not actual work.”

“It’s nothing,” Xie Jingcheng replied earnestly. “I promised you, so I should follow through.”

Xie Jingcheng gazed intently at Song Qingxing as she approached. Adjusting her glasses, she seamlessly shifted into character within a second.

The male lead in the book was a top student. Unlike typical campus dramas where the male lead is a rebellious troublemaker, this one was different.

But to Xie Jingcheng, they were all the same.

Even despicable characters possess their own charisma, just as virtuous ones do.

It all depends on how the actor portrays them.

“Why are you so late today?”

“Didn’t you know I was supposed to help you with your homework?”

Her voice was cool, like the sound of fine porcelain cracking as it emerged from the kiln.

The listener’s ears softened. No matter how gentle the male lead’s voice in the script might be, it could never match even a fraction of Xie Jingcheng’s captivating tone.

Her fans had once said that even if Xie Jingcheng weren’t an actress, she would still shine brightly in any other field, rising to the top.

Song Qingxing now fully believed it. If that voice were used to charm young women, who wouldn’t be utterly bewitched?

“I’m sorry, there was traffic on the way.”

Song Qingxing’s reply came out a little stammered, but it perfectly captured the female lead’s inner turmoil at that moment.