The Villain Decides to Go on Strike [Transmigration] - Chapter 3

Seeing Mu Qinghan emerge, the assistant director quickly approached her.

“Xiao Mu, did you tell Xiying about joining the crew next week?”

Mu Qinghan shook her head and replied, without changing her expression, “She seemed to have fallen asleep again, so I didn’t want to disturb her.”

The assistant director didn’t suspect anything and expressed regret upon hearing this. “In that case, let it be. I’ll text her later.”

Mu Qinghan gently acknowledged him. “Okay, thank you for the trouble.”

The assistant director looked at the calm Mu Qinghan, glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, sighed softly.

“Xiao Mu, I know you feel wronged, but in this business, a stiff spine won’t always get you through. While you lost the female lead role, it’s better than making an enemy of Luo Xiying. When I asked you to talk to her, I was hoping you could build a good relationship with her.”

Mu Qinghan remained noncommittal, though she looked like she was listening very carefully.

However, considering her acting credentials and excellent talent, the assistant director couldn’t help but offer a few more words of caution.

“I’m not telling you to grovel, but bending your knee when necessary isn’t a bad thing. And you should only believe about two-tenths of the external rumors. Luo Xiying isn’t necessarily a bad person; she’s just a bit arrogant. She’s also helped many newcomers before; perhaps there was some misunderstanding between you two.”

“Besides, her family background is undeniable, and few in our circle can compare. Going head-to-head will only lead to suffering. Instead of seeking trouble, you might as well look at the problem from a different angle.”

“You are still young and have a bright future ahead. You won’t lose out over just one role. Supporting roles can sometimes be more appealing, and since Luo Xiying is your senior, people will say you were gracious to yield the part. No one will fault you.”

The assistant director spoke earnestly and sincerely, genuinely pouring his heart out to her.

This was due to the goodwill Mu Qinghan had established during her previous two dramas. The assistant director was a close friend of Mu Qinghan’s former director.

That director thought highly of her, practically guiding her every step, and was effectively Mu Qinghan’s half-mentor. This time, he had specifically asked his old friend to look after Mu Qinghan.

The assistant director, seeing Mu Qinghan, also appreciated her talent, and combined with his friend’s instructions, he naturally showed her some favoritism.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he favored her, it couldn’t outweigh the significance of a powerful family background.

Even the assistant director felt that Mu Qinghan should have voluntarily given up the role.

“I understand,” Mu Qinghan smiled politely and thanked the assistant director. “I wasn’t trying to aspire to this role anyway. I’m just a newcomer and still need a lot of guidance from my seniors.”

Although she didn’t entirely agree with the assistant director’s views, she accepted his good intentions.

Seeing that Mu Qinghan’s smile showed no signs of strain and her words sounded natural, the assistant director finally put half of his anxiety to rest, albeit with lingering skepticism.

“That’s good. Now that you’ve eased your mind, work hard. I believe your future achievements will be second to none. Go home and rest well during this time. You’ll have to be on your toes next week. Contact me if anything happens.”

The assistant director offered a few words of comfort, then walked away toward the hospital exit with the slow, leisurely pace of an elderly man, his hands clasped behind his back.

Mu Qinghan bowed her head in thanks, watching his retreating figure.

Once the area was empty, she leaned back against the wall and took out her continuously vibrating phone.

She unlocked it, and a text message flashed on the screen.

The text was from her family, asking if she was being bullied and if they needed to help.

Mu Qinghan scanned the message, remembering the words she had just heard, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

[No need. I can handle it myself.]

Mu Qinghan replied concisely.

She had only entered the entertainment circle because she was bored anyway. Now that Luo Xiying had picked a fight with her, she at least had something to do.

As for Luo Xiying’s strange and inconsistent attitude…

Perhaps it’s some new method of insulting and playing with people?

Mu Qinghan mused distractedly, pocketed her phone, glanced back in the direction of Luo Xiying’s room, and then headed out of the hospital.

It doesn’t matter. There’s plenty of time.

…

Luo Xiying, far away in the hospital room, suddenly sneezed.

Gu Qin Yu was so nervous she almost jumped on the spot, her exaggerated facial expression nearly cracking the makeup on her face.

She carefully watched Luo Xiying, paying attention to her every move, afraid of missing any detail that might lead to a world-class disaster.

“Xi-Xiying, you, you, you don’t move. I’ll go find the doctor right now,” Gu Qin Yu muttered. “Please don’t move! If you accidentally bump your head again, you might never recover, and that would truly be a world-class disaster!”

“I’m fine,” Luo Xiying rubbed her nose. “Someone is probably cursing me behind my back.”

She said it seriously, but the earnest voice was laced with a soft, nasal tone, which made it sound less convincing.

Gu Qin Yu’s expression grew even more horrified. “Don’t say another word! I believe this is absolutely not what you truly mean. Since you even said you like Mu Qinghan, I’m sure you have some unspoken secret, which is why you sent me a distress signal, right? Don’t worry, Xiying, given our friendship, I will definitely save you…”

“…” Luo Xiying stared pointedly at Gu Qin Yu.

This was the fastest way to silence the extremely dramatic woman.

Sure enough, under Luo Xiying’s eerie gaze, Gu Qin Yu’s voice grew softer and softer. Finally, she zipped her lips closed with a gesture, indicating she would be quiet.

The world was quiet again, and Luo Xiying could finally continue contemplating life.

No matter what she said or thought, even if her character had deviated from the original script, the System that loved to force her into villainous acts had not reappeared.

She couldn’t rule out the possibility that the signal was bad and it hadn’t been activated yet.

However, this small sliver of hope was enough to make Luo Xiying feel excited.

No one liked living a life that wasn’t their own under coercion.

But Luo Xiying was also a person who cherished her life and feared death. Even seeing a glimpse of freedom, she still had to plan for any possible future scenario.

Passive resistance might be acceptable, but if she were to completely run away and sever all ties with the plot…

The fate awaiting her might be annihilation for being useless. So, she couldn’t escape.

But to continue jumping around and seeking death in front of the female lead? She didn’t have the strong heart required to die again.

So, what method could she use to stay connected to the plot, not seem overly OOC, and yet not be hated by the female lead enough to want to kill her?

The difficulty of life lay in being caught between two impossible choices.

After thinking for a moment with no result, Luo Xiying sighed and slumped against the headboard, doubting life itself.

During this brief moment, Gu Qin Yu had tiptoed out of the room and called the doctor.

The doctor gave Luo Xiying a brief check-up and said she was mostly fine and could be discharged after a few more days of rest.

“You’re not lying to me, are you, doctor?” Gu Qin Yu pulled the doctor aside, her face full of anxious concern. She pointed to Luo Xiying’s head and said, “How about you check her brain again? I heard that area is very fragile. What if she has some sequelae if we’re not careful?”

She was practically pointing at Luo Xiying and saying that she thought the other’s brain was damaged.

The doctor’s mouth twitched. “Miss Luo was never seriously ill. Even without coming to the hospital, she would recover quickly with a few days of bed rest at home.”

Gu Qin Yu still looked incredulous. “But she was in a coma for so long! How could it not be serious?”

The doctor sighed. “Miss Luo was just slightly overworked. She only needs to rest and ensure proper nutrition.”

Gu Qin Yu wanted to say more, but Luo Xiying called out to her.

“Qin Yu, that’s enough.” Luo Xiying turned to the doctor and thanked him. “Thank you for your trouble. Can I be discharged tomorrow?”

The doctor nodded, not opposing it.

After the doctor left, Gu Qin Yu still looked unwilling and worried.

But Luo Xiying clearly didn’t want her to say those things anymore, and in front of her, Gu Qin Yu didn’t dare to press the issue.

Luo Xiying finished the first stage of her life-contemplation task, and only then did she spare some attention for her lackey beside her.

Although Gu Qin Yu was nominally the instigating lackey who initially befriended Luo Xiying only because of her family background, she was also a person capable of genuine emotion.

She was impulsive, didn’t think much, and had a vain desire to put on airs by association, but her concern for Luo Xiying was also genuine.

In the previous life, from the moment Luo Xiying fell from grace until her death, Gu Qin Yu remained faithfully by her side.

Calling it “faithful” wasn’t entirely accurate either. Later on, their relationship was no longer a simple one of mistress-subordinate-lackey, but could be called a friendship.

If anyone in this fake world still held some genuine feeling for Luo Xiying, Gu Qin Yu was likely one of the very few.

Unfortunately, birds of a feather flock together. As the villain’s best friend, Gu Qin Yu naturally couldn’t escape the fate of a villainous cannon fodder.

In the plot, Gu Qin Yu was a slightly higher-level minor cannon fodder, strutting about behind the main villain, occasionally acting foolishly, and offering her face up for the protagonist to slap.

These types of cannon fodder were abundant in the long novel, and later on, she barely had any appearances, only being mentioned briefly after the villain’s death regarding her miserable end.

But precisely because of this, Luo Xiying had a brief chance to escape the plot and catch her breath when she was alone with her.

Thus, with various emotional factors stacked up, Luo Xiying cared greatly about Gu Qin Yu.

She was a friend, and later on, almost like family.

However, even so, emotional bias aside, regarding Gu Qin Yu’s series of foolish actions…

Even Luo Xiying couldn’t honestly say they weren’t stupid.

More than stupid, they were breathtakingly idiotic.

In both the previous life and the script, Gu Qin Yu’s most frequent actions were fanning the flames, expressing righteous indignation over every “slight” and “insult” Luo Xiying suffered, volunteering to cause trouble, and then being fiercely smacked down by the female lead.

Her final end was being thrown into prison by the angry male lead, where she miserably spent the rest of her life.

Luo Xiying didn’t want her to walk that path again.

The simplest and most brutal solution was naturally to stop her from causing trouble and targeting the female lead.

Ideally, she shouldn’t target anyone at all, just focus on her career steadily. Perhaps that would lead to a different future.

Thinking this, Luo Xiying’s expression became complicated, with a mix of disappointment and the gentle concern of a protective mother.

Gu Qin Yu felt a chill down her spine from Luo Xiying’s intense gaze, and her voice trembled a little. “Xi-Xiying, wh-what’s wrong?”

“Qin Yu,” Luo Xiying called her name earnestly. “You are not allowed to target Mu Qinghan anymore.”

At the mention of the name, Gu Qin Yu shivered again, as if a bad memory had surfaced.

Even though she had a premonition, Gu Qin Yu couldn’t control her mouth.

“Why?” Gu Qin Yu couldn’t help but ask, sounding somewhat disgruntled. “If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble to get a role! She doesn’t even look at her qualifications—no money, no background, signed to some shady company. How dare she think she deserves the lead role? That role should have been yours to begin with…”

This was Gu Qin Yu’s view, and the view of most people, which was why they turned a blind eye to the truth and instead urged Mu Qinghan to apologize.

In this environment, “truth” was the most irrelevant thing.

Luo Xiying was indifferent, but only because she genuinely didn’t care.

However, as the villain, she couldn’t show this indifference.

Not only could she not show it, but she had to appear to care very much.

Luo Xiying looked up at the ceiling, thinking about her reputation, which had long been ruined by her “villain” identity.

A flash of inspiration crossed her mind, and she had an idea.

Luo Xiying turned her head, looked at Gu Qin Yu, and slowly revealed a gentle and soft smile: “Because I like her.”