The Cold Queen is My Exclusive Little Snack - Chapter 26

“Errand boy, bring the tickets.”

The last syllable still hung in the air as she was pulled into the room.

Zuo Xingning struggled to describe her emotions. Her heart pounded wildly, overwhelmed by a surge of joy that nearly made her faint.

She closed the door but stood frozen in place, rooted to the spot. “But… didn’t you say the day after tomorrow? Why today?”

“And the errand boy… was it me? Did anyone see me?”

“No,” Chu Shiyin said, guiding her to the sofa. “The ‘day after tomorrow’ was a lie. I originally planned to visit you tomorrow.”

Chu Shiyin had just landed and was on her way to the theater’s hotel when Zuo Xingning’s message arrived.

“But I ‘heard’ someone was disappointed today, so I had to bring the surprise forward to cheer her up.”

“I’m not unhappy,” Zuo Xingning said slowly, regaining her composure. She buried her face in Chu Shiyin’s shoulder, nuzzling against her like a kitten. “I’d be so, so happy if you could visit me, but it’s okay if you can’t.”

Every second that passed brought their reunion closer. No matter what, that was something to be happy about.

“Jiejie,” Zuo Xingning said, tilting her head up and resting her chin on Chu Shiyin’s shoulder. “How long can you stay tonight?”

“About thirty or forty minutes. Siya’s waiting for me downstairs.” Chu Shiyin paused, meeting Zuo Xingning’s intense gaze. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to—” Zuo Xingning drawled, her eyes drifting downward to the area below Chu Shiyin’s collar. “Have a ‘snack.'”

When Chu Shiyin wasn’t around, Zuo Xingning didn’t feel it. But the moment she appeared, Zuo Xingning felt…

So hungry.

Even snacks count as food. As a fledgling vampire who couldn’t get proper meals, Zuo Xingning felt perfectly content with just getting her hands on some snacks.

After a good night’s sleep, the next day’s filming went smoothly. Zuo Xingning returned to her hotel to rest after wrapping up at noon.

At five in the afternoon, a knock sounded on her door again.

It was Xu Yang. Zuo Xingning grabbed her purse and left with her.

She hadn’t brought her assistant. That morning at the set, she had specifically asked Xu Yang about it. Xu Yang explained that inviting her along had already been a fait accompli, and bringing her assistant would add two extra people, which might displease the Director.

The explanation sounded reasonable enough, so Zuo Xingning didn’t press the matter.

The two women went downstairs and got into a ride-hailing car Xu Yang had booked.

Five minutes later, Zuo Xingning frowned as she noticed the car’s route deviating from the planned path on her phone.

“This doesn’t seem to be the way to Rongye, does it?”

“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you,” Xu Yang said apologetically, as if just remembering. “The Director had a last-minute matter to attend to. Rushing between locations would be too tight on time, so we had to change venues and book a closer restaurant.”

“Speaking of which,” Zuo Xingning said, glancing down and tapping her phone twice, “which Director are we meeting again?”

“You’ll find out when we get there,” Xu Yang replied, subtly glancing at Zuo Xingning’s phone screen. Seeing only a map, she relaxed. “The car’s bumpy. You shouldn’t be looking at your phone; you’ll get carsick.”

Zuo Xingning hummed in agreement, put her phone away, and closed her eyes to rest.

The smile on Xu Yang’s face faded as soon as Zuo Xingning closed her eyes. She straightened her posture, gazing ahead as if ignoring Zuo Xingning, but her peripheral vision etched every detail of Zuo Xingning’s features into her memory.

Features that made her want to tear Zuo Xingning apart, flesh and bone.

Why?

Why did Zuo Xingning always have to be one step ahead of her in school? And now, even after graduation, she’s stealing her roles?

Heaven knew how much effort Xu Yang had poured into befriending that arrogant, talentless fool—哄着 her, coaxing her to make demands of the production team for higher pay and more screen time, until she finally clashed with the directors and created an opening.

The role of Gu Rong was hers by right. She had fought for it, and it should have been hers.

If Zuo Xingning hadn’t shown up, it would have been hers.

And Jiang Shuqing—another idiot. Without her family’s money, what would she be? Who would fawn over her?

The two people Xu Yang hated most in the world had somehow ended up together.

Recalling the scene from yesterday, watching them leave arm in arm, Xu Yang’s last shred of guilt vanished completely.

No matter how high-minded Zuo Xingning pretended to be, she was still sucking up to the rich.

In that sense, she wasn’t so different from Xu Yang after all. Maybe Zuo Xingning would even thank her someday.

A faint smile curved Xu Yang’s lips as she hummed a cheerful tune.

She could almost see her glittering future beckoning to her.

Goodbye, endless days spent toiling in minor roles.

Feeling the car come to a stop, Zuo Xingning opened her eyes. They had arrived at their destination.

Xu Yang had already stepped out of the car. Zuo Xingning followed, stopping at the foot of the stone steps.

She glanced down at her phone. The signal bars had turned gray.

A small signal jammer.

Before she could examine it further, Xu Yang had already retreated, affectionately linking arms with her. “The agreed-upon time is almost here. We can’t be late.”

Zuo Xingning nodded and let Xu Yang lead the way.

Xu Yang seemed unable to suppress her smile, as if she hadn’t anticipated things progressing so smoothly.

Zuo Xingning glanced at her sideways, saying nothing.

The situation was now clear: Xu Yang wasn’t the pitiful victim she had portrayed during her sob story; she was one of the masterminds.

Zuo Xingning was simply playing along, hoping to uncover who was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

The answer was revealed soon enough—

A thin-necked, pot-bellied bottle with matchsticks for limbs.

When she saw the man Xu Yang called “President Liu,” this description was all that remained in her mind.

It wasn’t her imagination running wild; President Liu’s features were simply too distinctive: an average height, a large head atop narrow shoulders, fleshless limbs, an elongated neck, and a body that was only swollen in the abdomen.

As soon as Xu Yang entered, she clung to the big-bellied bottle… no, to President Liu, as if they were magnets with opposite poles, automatically drawn together.

Zuo Xingning glanced over, politely averted her gaze, even though the pair showed no such courtesy.

Regrettably, this wasn’t the investor she had previously “offended.” She had never even met President Liu before.

That left only one possibility, the one she least wanted to accept: Xu Yang was using her as a resource to curry favor with this big-bellied bottle.

Zuo Xingning felt nauseous, not just because of President Liu’s clammy, slimy gaze that clung to her like some kind of mollusk.

“Miss Zuo,” the man persisted, oblivious to her disgust, raising his wine glass in a toast. “This is top-tier wine I imported from Germany. Won’t you try a sip?”

The wine had already been poured before they arrived. Who knew what might have been added to it?

Zuo Xingning shook her head. “I don’t handle alcohol well. I’ll pass. Excuse me, I need to touch up my makeup.”

Though she claimed to be touching up her makeup, everyone knew that once she left through that door, she wouldn’t be coming back.

President Liu glanced at Xu Yang, who immediately stood up and tried to push her back into her seat. “Why go to the restroom? There’s a mirror in the small room at the back. I’ll take you…”

“Why is the food taking so long? I’m getting impatient,” President Liu interrupted, feigning annoyance. “Xu Yang, go hurry them up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Xu Yang turned away, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes.

Zuo Xingning stood up again. “I’ll go with her.”

“Just hurrying up the food? No need for two people,” President Liu said, darting forward with surprising agility for his size. “You might not know who I am yet. Let me introduce myself. I’m…”

Zuo Xingning tightened her grip on her clutch, her eyes scanning President Liu from head to toe, searching for a weak point.

“Xu Yang mentioned you’re one of Chu Shiyin’s artists?”

Caught off guard by the mention of Chu Shiyin’s name, Zuo Xingning froze, meeting President Liu’s gaze directly for the first time.

Seeing her reaction, President Liu’s smile widened. “You seem much more sensible than your boss.”

“…Is that so?” Zuo Xingning asked, a faint smile curving her lips as she sat back down. “Please, tell me—how exactly is my boss being ‘sensible’?”

“That damn dog, so impatient,” Xu Yang muttered under her breath as she locked the private room door.

The thick wooden door sealed shut, blocking all sound from the outside and preventing any noise from escaping within.

Xu Yang was meticulous. After seeing Zuo Xingning and Jiang Shuqing leave together yesterday, she suspected her invitation to Zuo Xingning might have leaked. She immediately changed the location.

The new venue was recommended by President Liu, who claimed to be close to the owner and assured her there would be no interference.

Xu Yang stood guard outside the door, watching the passing waiters with a sardonic smile.

It really does pay to have connections, she thought. They don’t even question such unusual behavior from a guest.

Whatever, it’s none of my business. I’m just here to “expedite the order.”

The small signal jammer was still active, blocking all communication. To kill time, Xu Yang scrolled through photos on her phone.

Hmm? When did I save this nail design? It’s perfect. I’ll get it done after filming wraps up. My nails are getting long anyway.

She held her fingers up to the light, admiring their slender, pale elegance—the feature she was most proud of.

She examined them from every angle, shifting her posture to better appreciate their beauty.

As she moved, the corridor hidden behind her hand came into view. Two figures were approaching, one following closely behind the other.

Xu Yang froze instantly, ducking out of sight before they could spot her.

Jiang Shuqing had gone to considerable lengths to find her way here.

Yesterday, she had called Zhongli Yan’s assistant to request Rongye’s private room reservation list, successfully identifying Xu Yang. The rest was simple: following Zuo Xingning’s instructions, she asked the staff to keep a close eye on the room the next day.

However, despite the reservation time having passed, no one had arrived at the private room, nor had the reservation been canceled.

When the manager called, Jiang Shuqing sensed something was wrong. She asked Zuo Xingning, who claimed she already knew and unilaterally sent a location-sharing request, threatening to call the police if she didn’t hear from her within twenty minutes.

Unable to dissuade her, Jiang Shuqing had no desire to get involved. She couldn’t explain why she kept tracking that perpetually delayed location ping, chasing it all the way here.

It was all Zuo Xingning’s fault.

Once this was over, the “debt” from accidentally giving her vodka last time would finally be repaid. Next time, she’d definitely ignore her!

Ignoring the hotel manager, who was trailing behind her, muttering incessantly, Jiang Shuqing strode to the private room door. With a graceful, jade-like finger, she pointed and commanded, “Open the door.”

“Miss Jiang,” the manager said, wiping sweat from her forehead, “we can’t open this room. There’s a guest inside, and the layout is identical to the previous one. There’s no need to see it again.”

“What kind of private room are you looking for? If you don’t specify your requirements, I can’t show you anything suitable.”

She pleaded earnestly, but Jiang Shuqing only registered one phrase: There’s someone inside.

“That’s exactly what I want—a room with someone in it. Open the door.”

The room was locked from the outside, forcing the manager to call someone to unlock it. Otherwise, Jiang Shuqing would have stormed in long ago.

“I really can’t open it,” the manager said, glancing at the curious staff gathering at the staircase. She signaled them to disperse. “The guest is resting inside. If we barge in like this, how can we possibly conduct business?”

“At dinnertime, which guest would skip their meal to rest in your private room? And why is it locked?” Jiang Shuqing scoffed. “Running a business? It looks more like you’re all in cahoots, a den of snakes and rats, plotting some shady scheme you don’t want anyone to see!”

“Miss Jiang,” the manager said, his composure finally cracking under the barrage of insults. “I’ve been showing you respect because you’re a public figure. If you continue this unreasonable behavior, I’ll have no choice but to ask you to leave.”

As he spoke, security guards materialized from nowhere, surrounding Jiang Shuqing, each towering over her by a head.

The manager sneered. “Miss Jiang, please leave.”

A wise person knows when to retreat. Jiang Shuqing gritted her teeth, turned, and stormed off.

Why is the signal so terrible in this dump?! Can I even call the police?

“A’Nuan?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Shuqing froze.

She looked up to see Zhongli Yan staring at her in feigned surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Keep acting, keep acting. Who could ever out-act you?

Jiang Shuqing rolled her eyes.

“You two showed up just in time.”

With no time to waste on this “stalker,” Jiang Shuqing brushed past Zhongli Yan and addressed the two bodyguards who always trailed her.

She pointed back at the door. “Do me a favor and smash that damn door down.”

“As you command.”

Zhongli Yan smirked, pressed his middle and index fingers together, and made a shooting gesture.

“Smash it.”