The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Thor Chocolate – I Heard I’m the 1695th Xia Jin…

Shi Dezao was not a well-known male actor in the industry. Relying on years of neither great success nor failure, he had endured to gain experience. Even though he had narrowly missed numerous Golden Award nominations, audiences would still respectfully call him a veteran actor.

Most of the films he starred in were art-house films, and the purpose of these productions was never box office but to compete for awards.

Logically speaking, Ming Xi wouldn’t care about a minor character glossed over in the book. However, Shi Dezao was notoriously problematic, taking advantage of various celebrities based on his age, and he actually got away with it!

Relationships in the entertainment industry were complex. Coupled with the fact that the most he did was touch hands or waists, many people, for the sake of appearances, just gritted their teeth and endured it until the matter was exposed much later.

Thinking of this, Ming Xi’s internal reaction could only be described with a single “heh.”

That old coot hasn’t been justly punished yet! Thinking about it made her feel a chill down her spine. If Xia Jinzhao was in the same production as this person, wouldn’t it be dangerous?

Although the name of the Xia family was indeed intimidating, 0.0…

After careful consideration, she secretly sneaked into the fan support group. Since her Super Topic level wasn’t high enough, Ming Xi only managed to squeeze into an outer chat group. Although she couldn’t get specific information like a sasaeng fan, it was at least a way to gather intelligence.

Anyone want to team up to play a game? One spot left [Link]

Scan the Pinduoduo code to help me bargain for a cut! Just one more person needed! [Image]

Help! The pressed powder from XX brand is too hard to use. Sisters, beware!

Wait, I joined a celebrity fan group. Why is it noisier than a market haggling for prices?

Ming Xi suppressed her impatience and searched the chat history, finally finding relevant information.

I heard Jinzhao is joining the Illusory Sea crew the day after tomorrow. I got the flight number from an unofficial source. Any sisters want to go to the airport to send her off?

Joining the crew on August 20th was much earlier than Ming Xi expected. So, Xia Jinzhao’s frequent return to S City these past few days… was it because of her?!

How could that be? Stop dreaming and go to sleep.

Many people below this message offered excuses for declining; only a handful responded to the group owner’s call. After all, most people only had a favorable impression of Xia Jinzhao, not being die-hard fans. Sending letters, giving gifts, and picking up at the airport also required considering their own circumstances.

But this trip wasn’t fruitless; at least she knew Xia Jinzhao was currently at the A City film and television base.

Ming Xi glanced at the calendar on the corner of the desk, several dates circled in red pen on the white paper. Since starting work, her time was far less plentiful than when she first arrived. If she wanted to visit the Illusory Sea set, she would have to discuss it with Sister Lu in advance.

Lu Litong was lazy and didn’t pry into Ming Xi’s frequent busyness, only asking Ming Xi to make up the hours this month, and then let her go.

S City and A City were close but not adjacent, with a wide sea area around the coast and a thriving fishing industry. After the plane landed, Ming Xi hailed a taxi at the exit, told the driver her destination, and nervously gripped her phone.

What should I say when I see Xia Jinzhao later? The impulsiveness faded, and now her mind was full of regret. Given the extent of the original owner’s antics, she might very well be shown the door.

I might as well bring up Grandma Xia!

Ming Xi slapped her head, coming up with a clumsy but plausible excuse.

The car drove steadily on the highway, and the lush, green trees on both sides receded in her vision. Classic sentimental old songs from the nineties echoed in her ears, and the driver was shaking his head along with the melody.

Through the rearview mirror, he saw Ming Xi zoning out while the wind blew on her face and wanted to strike up a conversation to ease the atmosphere: “Hey, little girl, you’re so pretty. Are you an actress?”

The girl in the back seat had gentle features and a temperament like clear plain water. Hearing this, she turned her head and smiled at the person in the driver’s seat: “No, I’m going to visit a friend.”

“Is your friend an actress?” The driver stopped the car at a red light, not taking it too seriously.

Should I count her and Xia Jinzhao as friends? Since no one here knew her, Ming Xi decided to be cheeky and agree: “Yes.”

As the traffic light flickered from red to yellow, then to green, the dense stream of cars started moving again. The driver suspiciously examined her face, then suddenly paused.

“Could you be Xia Jinzhao’s wife?”

Like a bolt from the blue, her heart was squeezed hard by an invisible hand. Ming Xi was so frightened that she was sweating profusely. She pretended to be calm, but the hand tightly clutching the corner of her shirt had already betrayed her true emotions.

Wait a minute, didn’t the original owner and the female lead marry in private? Even the media couldn’t dig up this information, so how did this person know?

I’m doomed! If Xia Jinzhao’s fans found out, a mouthful of their spit would be enough to drown me.

Seeing Ming Xi’s expression as if she had been caught out, the driver laughed heartily: “You’re the 1695th person I’ve driven this month who claims to be Xia Jinzhao’s wife. My mother also loves watching that girl’s dramas.”

Realizing it was a false alarm, she quickly caught the key phrase in his words. Her fluffy head leaned closer: “Uncle, so many fans go to visit the set?”

The driver turned the steering wheel, sinking into memory: “Mostly, yes, but the film and television base is strictly managed, so they can’t get in.”

“Ah?” Ming Xi kicked the souvenir she had bought on the floor, disappointed. “I even took time off during a workday to come here, and it turns out to be a wasted trip.”

She knew it wouldn’t be that easy. If everyone could see Xia Jinzhao, wouldn’t the entrance to the entertainment company be a mess?

The disappointment in her voice was evident. Seeing this, the driver pretended to be casual: “But if the management is really strict, how did those set photos leak?”

Ming Xi was quick-witted. From talking to him for so long, she roughly understood that he had connections. Her face was covered in smiles: “Master, then how can I get in?”

She spoke in clumsy A City local dialect, attempting to build rapport.

Immediately after, the driver pulled a lanyard from the storage bag behind the driver’s seat and shook the QR code on it.

Ming Xi: … You’re tough.

In the evening, the sky was like spilled orange juice, dyeing the flowing clouds a brilliant gold. With the director’s call of “Cut,” the woman breathed a sigh of relief, took off her jacket, and walked off the set.

The assistant quickly took the clothes, following behind the person with concern.

“The director is really something. He made you do the scene over ten times. The Xia family is one of the investors, so why doesn’t he give any face…”

Xia Jinzhao twisted the cap off the bottle, took a small sip, and said flatly: “Good shots are achieved through effort. By the way, how is everything on the Xia family side?”

The assistant not only had to arrange the schedule but also take care of the artist’s diet and daily life, and promptly report to the agent. This meant that matters of romance and family had no privacy. On the other hand, the public relations department would also preemptively formulate PR plans for certain scandals to avoid being caught off guard when they eventually surfaced.

Xia Jinzhao’s biggest scandal was Ming Xi.

“It’s good. Old Man Xia is also in good health,” the assistant replied.

This response didn’t surprise Xia Jinzhao: “Then—”

The person’s image flashed in her mind. She opened her mouth to speak but frowned tightly instead, swallowing the words: “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Even now, she was still holding onto a belly full of anger from the last incident. Fortunately, the two were in different places, so they wouldn’t have to put on a show for the time being.

Good.