The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 24.3
Chapter 24.3
“Are you being reckless or what! Playing around and laughing in a hospital room, do you have a death wish?”
Faced with the doctor’s spitting reprimand, Ming Xi couldn’t lift her head, repeatedly saying “Yes, sir” with her hands clasped in front of her.
The culprit, Xia Jinzhao, leaned back in bed, pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed, letting the nurse re-insert the IV needle.
“Miss Xia, please be careful this time. You really can’t move around.”
The nurse’s instructions were in her ear. Xia Jinzhao raised her hand, seeing a red, swollen spot on the back of her hand, and nodded silently.
“Honestly, assistants nowadays are so thoughtless…”
Before closing the door, the doctor didn’t forget to complain. In the eyes of others, Ming Xi was more like the troublemaker than the weak and helpless Xia Jinzhao.
“A death wish?” After the person left, the scapegoat – Ming repeated the doctor’s words, her resentment practically turning into substance.
Why was it always her who got scolded, and Xia Jinzhao was perfectly fine!
“It’s not a very good imitation,” Xia Jinzhao ignored her anger, stating casually.
… Forget it. Nothing good ever comes from crossing this person.
Ming Xi silently picked up the tools and swept up the shattered glass in the corner.
A knock sounded on the door. She thought the doctor had returned for something else, but when she opened the door, she saw an unfamiliar face.
The woman was carrying a tote bag, looking down at her phone. When she met Ming Xi’s eyes, she thought she had gone to the wrong room, stepping back half a step to check the room number.
“Xia Jinzhao?” The woman took off her sunglasses, her sharp eyes like a hawk’s. She was capable and shrewd, exuding an air that made her seem difficult to approach.
“That’s her.” Ming Xi stepped aside.
The woman nodded as a greeting, then pushed the door open and entered.
Watching her back, Ming Xi immediately became vigilant. With Xia Jinzhao’s charm, could this person be one of her lovers?
No, the female lead is clean-living. She shouldn’t be casually affectionate.
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became. With the purpose of scouting the enemy for Song Yu, she conveniently closed the door.
“I heard you were sick. Xiao Zhou got you a leave of absence from the film crew. I dropped by to check on you.”
The woman took out a stack of colorful papers from her bag and threw them on the table.
“Letters from your fans. Read them when you have time. Take advantage of this break to interact more on Weibo and consolidate your fan base.”
The series of instructions were all about work, lacking a human touch. Ming Xi, cleaning in the corner, pouted.
So, she’s the manager. A real Scrooge! Not even letting her rest properly when she’s sick.
Xia Jinzhao frowned. She picked up a light green card with a cute cartoon sticker on it.
“I’m an actress. I don’t need to be like a popularity idol.” She stuffed the letters back.
Accustomed to her stubborn nature over the years, Cui Jinyu said indifferently: “Even as an actress, you need exposure. Otherwise, who will hire you?”
The two were at a deadlock, similar to countless previous conversations. The clash of ideologies was bound to end unpleasantly.
After a long time, Cui Jinyu tucked the stray hairs behind her ear and proactively changed the subject.
“I’ve selected a few suitable scripts recently. Take a look.”
She reached into her tote bag, but didn’t make the next move, instead looking at Ming Xi, who was wandering around the ward.
Sensing the gaze on her, the latter looked down at her nose and heart, pretending to be a tireless, transparent person, intently studying the clean, shiny porcelain tiles on the floor.
“This involves business secrets. Miss, please step outside.”
Cui Jinyu’s words were direct and polite. Now, Ming Xi had no reason to stay here.
What the heck. If she doesn’t want me to listen, then I won’t. Stingy person 030.
She put down the broom and slipped out through the door crack. Before leaving, she felt a gaze on her shoulder, light as a dragonfly skimming the water, just passing over.
Fragmented chatter reached her ears.
“Your partner?”
Cui Jinyu was not surprised. She had a good grasp of her artists’ private lives.
“Mhm.” Xia Jinzhao’s words held no emotion.
“Not bad, and less trouble for public relations later.” Cui Jinyu analyzed.
After her words fell, a very soft laugh filled the brief silence.
“Agreed,” Xia Jinzhao said slowly.
The two had many disagreements since the manager entered, but they only agreed on this point. If Xia Jinzhao claimed she had no ulterior motives, Ming Xi wouldn’t believe it even if you beat her.
Xia Jinzhao knew she was eavesdropping and did it on purpose!
Absolutely!
Ming Xi was convinced, closing the door with resentment, completely isolating the space between the corridor and the ward.
Staying put was boring, so she decided to stroll in the garden downstairs for some fresh air.
The hospital had many green spaces. It was late autumn. Apart from the evergreen needle trees, the yellow leaves with curled edges fell, like improperly cast tin foil.
Crushing the fallen leaves along the path, Ming Xi sat on a bench. From here, she could see the window of the hospital room.
Thinking carefully, aside from being by Xia Jinzhao’s side, she seemed to have nowhere else to go.
That bastard, the original owner, is probably dead. These two times, I failed to earn enough favorability from the female lead, and instead became a nuisance.
Although there’s a long way to go, if it truly comes to the ending of the original book… I need to find a way out for myself.
Sigh it’s tough being a villainess trying to meet the transmigration KPI nowadays.
Perhaps infected by Xia Jinzhao’s sickness, Ming Xi felt a little more melancholy. She sighed deeply, feeling like someone was watching her.
Turning her head to look behind, there was no one.
… It’s over. Xia Jinzhao has tortured me into having hallucinations.
When she returned to the ward, the air movement from the opening door stirred up a layer of dust on the floor.
Xia Jinzhao was leaning by the window, meticulously opening and reading the letters.
Even though she wasn’t keen on intimacy on a normal day, her attitude towards her fans was decent. At least she wouldn’t throw the letters into the trash can.
Hearing the door close, she didn’t look up. Her warm, white hand held the paper, which was rendered translucent by the light, like melting, clear snow.
“You can get out of bed?” Unwilling to disrupt this harmonious scene, Ming Xi rarely asked with concern.
The woman stood in the backlight, a mirage formed by a dust-covered jade. When she spoke, it was: “I’m sick, not crippled.”
Someone please sew her mouth shut, thank you.
After Ming Xi’s two-sentence nagging, Xia Jinzhao lost the mood to read the letters and walked behind Ming Xi.
“You’re not going to read the letters anymore?” Ming Xi poured herself a cup of hot water.
A hand reached out, naturally picking up the cup of water.
“If I read them one by one, I wouldn’t have time for anything else in my life.”
Xia Jinzhao drank it all and placed the empty glass in front of Ming Xi, lying back down on the bed.
Ming Xi speechlessly shook the cup: “That wasn’t for you…”
Half of her head peeked out from under the quilt. The woman’s hair was scattered, contrasting with the exposed, snow-white shoulder.
“Oh, I did it on purpose,” she teased lazily, “You seem to enjoy consuming my saliva.”
The implication was that Ming Xi could use the spoon again without washing it, just like in the morning.
Hold it in. She’s the female lead! The golden thigh!
I really miss the old Xia Jinzhao who wasn’t familiar with me and was quiet!
“You have so much energy. Are you deliberately faking sick to be lazy?” Ming Xi couldn’t hold it in, always looking for a chance to snap at Xia Jinzhao.
Xia Jinzhao shook the medicine box on the bedside table, the meaning clear, then threw all the envelopes onto the folding bed next to her.
“Hey, how am I supposed to sleep like this!” Seeing this, Ming Xi quickly gathered the envelopes onto the blanket.
She had long been accustomed to Xia Jinzhao’s unpredictable bullying. All her sharp edges had been ground down into a soft, rounded bun.
“Read them to me,” the woman lay flat, one hand resting on her forehead.
Why does she sound more and more comfortable ordering me around?
However, Ming Xi didn’t dislike this chore. She was actually quite curious about what the letters contained.
So, she picked the most pleasing light blue-green envelope. The fresh paper had a sailboat pattern printed on it.
When unfolded, the elegant handwriting was pleasing to the eye. It must have been from a gentle girl.
“Sister Jinzhao, hope this letter finds you well. I’m a high school senior facing the intense college entrance exam soon. If you ever get a chance to see this letter, could you send me a blessing…”
The letter was a full three pages long, with neat handwriting and no corrections. She must have written it with solemn sincerity.
Ming Xi’s throat was dry from reading, but she didn’t feel tired at all. The feelings the writer wanted to convey leaped off the paper. Even not being the intended recipient, she was touched.
“It’s written beautifully.” She couldn’t help but sigh when she closed it.
“Although I can’t meet her to say it, I still wish her a bright future and success all the way.”
Xia Jinzhao listened quietly, a faint smile gracing her lips.
Ming Xi took this scene in, and couldn’t help but let out a soft “Hmph.”
I wouldn’t have thought this cold and heartless person still had a spark of conscience.
Putting the letter away, Ming Xi chose the next lucky fan. This fan was not as understanding as the previous one. Her writing was simple, a whole page of expressing crazy affection, plus countless exclamation marks.
“Sister, I love you so much! I want to kiss your soft, sweet cheek! I want to share a long, wet kiss with you…”
Ming Xi was reading with great emotion, but the more she read, the more wrong it felt.
It feels like she is making a passionate confession to Xia Jinzhao… SOS, how embarrassing!
Her face was flushed from the heat. She simply hid behind the letter, secretly glancing at the face on the opposite bed.
Fortunately, Xia Jinzhao’s eyes were tightly closed. She hadn’t spoken for so long, so she must be asleep, right?
Just as Ming Xi breathed a sigh of relief, the woman on the bed suddenly came back to life and said something shocking.
“Don’t add your own details.”
Ming Xi: …?
Her cheeks flushed. Already embarrassed by the letter, she stammered.
“Who, who added their own details! It’s clearly written in black and white!” Afraid that Xia Jinzhao wouldn’t believe her, she nearly plastered the letter to the other’s face.
“If I were to write you a letter, I’d use a hundred pages to denounce your sinful actions!”
Startled by this outburst, Xia Jinzhao was mostly awake, sitting up in bed to listen to her continue to grumble.
Ming Xi was in a terrible mood and pulled out a pure white A4 paper. The handwriting on it was shaky. Many complex strokes were replaced by Pinyin. It seemed to be a young fan.
“Xia Xia, I actually saw you from ‘A Celestial is Famous.’ You’re really ‘piao liang’ (beautiful), like a fairy…”
“You are my goal. I want to be an ‘yan yuan’ (actor) when I grow up and be as great as you…”
Although the writing showed immaturity, it made Ming Xi’s heart soften as she read.
“Worthy of being the female lead. The charisma is incredible.”
Xia Jinzhao, who was resting her head on one hand, looked up and softly repeated: “Female lead?”
Realizing she had spoken her thoughts aloud, Ming Xi was afraid of arousing suspicion and quickly explained.
“No, I feel like you have so many strengths. Wherever you go, you’re the focus of the crowd, just like the female lead in a novel, ha-ha-ha…”
After a forced explanation, it seemed like she had only made things worse.
Ming Xi: … Please let me die a little.
Xia Jinzhao unconsciously tapped the edge of the bed with her finger, patiently listening to her anxious explanation, and then suddenly smiled.
“Is that so? I thought in your heart, I was a man-eater. I didn’t expect to be so…” She paused, searching for an appropriate description, “Excellent?”
Ming Xi: Actually, you thought correctly.
“The image is good, but I don’t like that title.”
“Just call me Xia Jinzhao.”
“Doesn’t that sound better?”
Xia Jinzhao talked to herself, then started laughing again.
Those dark eyes, dissolving in the warm sun, gradually softened, as if to solidify the person reflected in them into amber.
Ming Xi was momentarily stunned, lost in a brief daze.
Xia Jinzhao… huh?