Reborn into the Obsessive Love of a Dark and Twisted Shadow Queen - Chapter 7

Chu Xueyi, having fallen to the ground, found her shoulders pinned down by several men. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free. Her cheek pressed against the cold tile floor, perhaps due to the force of the fall, had broken the skin, and fresh bl00d trickled down her face.

What are you doing? Ji Qingshu’s voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked by the scene. She had anticipated trouble for Chu Xueyi, but she never imagined these men would dare to resort to mob violence!

What does it look like? Just teaching her a lesson. This girl isn’t fit to play the lead role.

Even surrounded by a crowd of students, Zhao Chengjun showed no fear. Instead, he stepped forward, his gaze contemptuous and provocative as he stared down Ji Qingshu.

Though he had heard rumors of the woman’s influential family, Zhao Chengjun dismissed them as mere legends, not reality.

I advise you to mind your own business and stay out of this. Otherwise, you’ll get the same treatment!

Zhao Chengjun, accustomed to bullying others at Qingcheng Drama Academy, dared to make such bold threats even when outnumbered.

Faced with this threat, Ji Qingshu acted as if she hadn’t heard a word. She immediately crouched down, her face filled with concern as she gazed at Chu Xueyi’s pale, delicate face.

Fresh bl00d streamed down Chu Xueyi’s cheek, resembling a line of crimson tears.

Use this to wipe it off, Ji Qingshu said, offering her own tissue. The tissue felt incredibly soft and carried a faint, refreshing scent of green bamboo.

Thank you… Chu Xueyi replied, glancing at Ji Qingshu with a hint of worry.

She feared Ji Qingshu might be intimidated by Zhao Chengjun’s power and abandon her. If that happened, she would truly have bitten off more than she could chew.

Chu Xueyi had no trouble beating up these academy thugs, but she worried about Zhao Chengjun retaliating against her family.

Ha, Chu Xueyi thought bitterly, I’m actually starting to crave protection from this somewhat deranged person.

But she had no choice. She couldn’t officially begin her acting career until after graduating from university.

Chu Xueyi needed to meticulously plan every step to reach the pinnacle of her profession, where she would be revered by millions.

Her life couldn’t be ruined here!

At this thought, Chu Xueyi felt a deep self-loathing, yet she had no other option. She reached out and grasped Ji Qingshu’s wrist.

Qing Shu, if you can’t handle them, just leave. Don’t worry about me. At worst, I’ll get a reprimand from the academy. I… I might still be able to win this alone.

Chu Xueyi tried to stand up, but Ji Qingshu’s eyes overflowed with concern. She gently shook her head.

It’s okay. They wouldn’t dare do anything to me.

Then, she placed her palm over the back of Chu Xueyi’s hand, her touch warm and delicate, like soft silk gliding across skin.

Chu Xueyi inwardly despised herself for acting so shamelessly like a green tea b1tch. If her past self could see her now, she would have scoffed and sneered, Hmph! Disgusting green tea b1tch!

Yet here she was, having become the very thing she loathed most—a sickeningly sweet, manipulative green tea b1tch.

Does living a second life really lower one’s moral standards?

Didn’t you hear me? Why haven’t you all cleared out yet?! Zhao Chengjun roared in frustration, clearly furious at being ignored by these students.

Who at Qingcheng Drama Academy doesn’t bow their head or offer him a cigarette when they see him? Only these people dare to blatantly disregard him.

You’re the one who should clear out, Chu Xueyi retorted.

Bullying classmates is one thing, but to be this brazen? Ji Qingshu frowned. She rarely encountered such impudent people. Having studied basic martial arts as part of her foundational training as an actress, she considered it a fundamental skill, though not mandatory.

After all, not all actors were willing to put in the hard work to learn basic martial arts techniques that might only be used once every eight hundred years.

Ji Qingshu, however, thought differently. If she was going to be an actress, she wanted to take on challenging roles. Therefore, she was determined to master every skill required of an actor.

As one of Zhao Chengjun’s followers charged at her, Ji Qingshu swiftly grabbed his wrist, twisted it slightly downward, and dislocated his arm in an instant.

Aaaah! The follower screamed in agony.

Even Chu Xueyi, who was being helped up by her classmates, froze in shock. She couldn’t believe the person before her possessed such terrifying strength.

Wait, if I really get targeted or harassed by them, will I be able to escape?

Zhao Chengjun, too, was terrified by the scream, his soul nearly leaving his body.

Didn’t the teacher teach you martial arts? How are you still so weak?

Ji Qingshu felt a bit helpless, but her classmates had already completely surrounded her. Though she was usually quiet in class, she had a good relationship with the performing arts students.

They often invited her and the others out for meals and other outings.

But what these students didn’t know was that Ji Qingshu only treated them to meals for Chu Xueyi’s sake.

The chaotic incident came to an end, and everyone involved was taken to the principal’s office.

This was no trivial matter.

Chu Xueyi, already a rising star, had worked on numerous scripts during her university years and had a sizable fan base.

News of her assault would inevitably spread online, given the many witnesses.

Yet Chu Xueyi, the victim, wasn’t taken to the principal’s office. Instead, Ji Qingshu led her back to their dormitory.

Slightly apprehensive, Chu Xueyi asked, Don’t I need to go?

She glanced at the teacher, whose face was flushed with anger as he hurried Zhao Chengjun and his group toward the principal’s office.

No need, Ji Qingshu replied. The principal is an uncle of mine. He’ll trust my word.

Chu Xueyi !

Heh… is this the power of a film queen?

Chu Xueyi recalled a popular saying online A privileged background alone can’t carry a person entirely. After all, even the best family connections can’t grant Ji Qingshu her exceptional acting talent.

But a privileged background could ensure she enjoyed the fairest competition and the right to a head start.

At that moment, those words materialized vividly before her eyes.

After bringing Chu Xueyi to her dormitory, Ji Qingshu returned to her own bedroom and soon emerged with a tube of ointment.

Ji Qingshu held a cotton swab in her other hand.

It’s not serious, Chu Xueyi said. Just a scratch on my cheek. I don’t need medicine it’ll heal on its own.

But Ji Qingshu frowned slightly, leaning closer as she squeezed ointment from the tube onto the cotton swab.

Even if it’s just a scratch, you’re an actress. Your face is your most important asset.

If these wounds don’t heal properly, they could cause discoloration. It’s fine for performances with makeup, but what about films where you have to appear bare-faced?

Ji Qingshu gently applied the ointment to Chu Xueyi’s cheek. The scratch was larger than she’d initially thought, about half the size of a fingernail.

Chu Xueyi’s fingers tightened slightly on the hem of her pants, a strange feeling stirring within her. Though Ji Qingshu could sometimes be unnervingly intense, when she was facing Chu Xueyi directly, she was impeccably ladylike, almost lulling her into a false sense of comfort.