Acting as the Vicious Second Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 42

Snow is cold, but your palm is very warm. — Qu Li

November.

Leaves, scrubbed by the passage of time, had turned withered and yellow, drifting slowly from the branches. The steps were littered with fallen leaves, and a yellow leaf had landed on the woman’s shoulder.

A cold wind brushed past, lifting Qu Li’s chestnut-colored hair, making it wave and sway unpredictably. As the wind stirred, a biting chill seeped into her bones. The woman leaning against the wall shivered slightly, then shoved her hands into her coat pockets. Her expression was desolate, her eyes fixed firmly ahead, with no intention of retreating to her room for warmth.

Time passed. Sunrise, sunset. Shadows stretched from short to slanted, eventually sinking into the night. Dark clouds gathered in the sky—a prelude to an oncoming storm.

The scene at this moment felt like something she had experienced before. Qu Li lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with bitterness.

Once, she had used the excuse of retrieving her phone to get close to Qin Xiaoxiao, only to find that she wasn’t home. By the time she finished her errands, it was already dark. Later, after waiting at the apartment entrance for a while, Qin Xiaoxiao’s swaying figure had appeared. At that time, she was intoxicated, smelling of alcohol, and could barely stand. To be out alone, drinking so much without company—it was worrisome.

Qu Li could not help but worry. Where is she now? Has she… been taken away by someone?

Suddenly, another gust of cold wind struck. Pea-sized raindrops fell, leaving deep and shallow water marks on the ground. Qu Li pulled her hands out to gather her coat, bringing her hands to her lips to blow warm air on them. The breath met the cold, liquefied into tiny droplets, and formed a white mist. The ambient temperature dropped sharply, yet the woman’s light-colored eyes remained fixed on the intersection without blinking. She stood as if anchored by lightning, unable to bear leaving. Deep in her heart, she hoped desperately that the person she missed would appear in her field of vision in the next second. As long as she could wait, she was willing to wait no matter how long.

That was what Qu Li thought.

The next day, seeing the overwhelming headlines and the hot topics netizens were discussing:

“Film Empress actually committed murder and hid the corpse; is this the extinction of humanity or a moral collapse?”

“I heard that after forensic identification, one of the bodies was found to be Yin Ni. Look at that vicious woman Yin Ni, always bullying our Xiang Liwei and driving her to insanity—she deserved to die.”

“Oh my god, the perpetrator was Xiang Liwei. I actually liked her. She won the Golden Rooster Award yesterday and went to jail today, sentenced to life imprisonment. It’s truly magical realism.”

After reading page after page, Qu Li felt as if her strength had been drained. Only then did she realize that although she had waited at the end of the road just like last time… this time, the person she longed to see would never be waiting for her again.

Although Qin Xiaoxiao was no longer in her life to keep her company, and no longer participated in her life, the days still had to go on. After wallowing in sadness and listlessness for a period, Qu Li moved out of the villa they had once shared and became active in the public eye again, her smile bright and radiant. She used a packed work schedule to keep herself busy, leaving no time to think about other things.

This method was effective. By day, she mechanically attended shows, filmed dramas, and gave interviews. Every day passed just as it had before meeting Qin Xiaoxiao—the curve of her lips frozen in place, her smiles shallow. She seemed forever gentle, yet it was all incredibly false.

However, once night fell and she was alone, lying on her bed, Qu Li would think of the various past events she had spent with Qin Xiaoxiao. She would be engulfed by sorrow that spilled over, her tears slowly dampening the pillow. Day after day.

This depressed state lasted for a long time, until two years later.

Another harsh winter arrived. Beside the magnificent detached villa, trees were planted in two rows along the road, their bare branches connecting like a landscape painting. Qu Li wore a thick wool coat and a coffee-striped scarf. She lowered her head slightly, her delicate chin resting against the soft fabric. Her hands were tucked into her pockets, her cheeks frozen a faint red.

As usual, she took out her keys and opened the door. After reciting scripts at the table for thirty minutes, she rubbed her eyes and then freshened up. Once finished, Qu Li pulled up the covers and turned off the lights to sleep. The room returned to darkness and utter silence.

Outside the window, white specks began to fall from the sky. Soon, there were more and more. And so, in the stillness of the night, there was the faint sound of falling snow.

“I want to go back, Department Head!”

In an office constructed of virtual data, a young man sat in a chair. He had a refined temperament, wore a suit, and a kind smile played on his lips. He looked up at the girl who was being unusually firm, pushed up his glasses, and said with a chuckle, “You can, but there’s no need. You know how it is—we are severely understaffed, and we need you to head to other worlds to boost the department’s year-end performance.”

Placing both hands on the table, Qin Xiaoxiao leaned toward the man. Her chestnut-colored straight hair slid onto her chest, her clear and beautiful face was indifferent as she repeated, “I want to go back and see someone.”

“Sorry, no.”

“Hey… damn it! Don’t tear that!!” Seeing the girl grab the file on the desk, ready to tear it, the Department Head hurriedly protected the documents and said, “You turned that world into a total mess. Let me ask you, have you finished your self-reflection?”

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoxiao’s delicate brows furrowed. She then replied, “Of course I finished it.”

“So, can I go back now?”

“No.”

The Department Head supported his face with one hand, his tone slightly dramatic. “Woman, tell me first—what did you do wrong?”

What did she do wrong? Qin Xiaoxiao wasn’t entirely sure. Looking back at the original story, the female lead’s attitude toward the male lead changed once she became pregnant, but Qin Xiaoxiao had failed to provide the necessary support to ensure the male lead took the female lead home. But if the love between them relied solely on a child, it was too strange. Could it be that the author used a “sweet story” as a front to promote the idea that a woman giving birth is the most important thing in the world?

Thinking of this, Qin Xiaoxiao pondered and replied vaguely, “I was wrong because… I neglected my duty.”

Seeing this, the Department Head shook his head with a stern expression. A high-light reflection glinted off his glasses. After brewing for a moment, the young man spat out one word: “Wrong!”

He then waved his fingers, gesturing into the air. Immediately, a set of photos appeared before Qin Xiaoxiao. On the left was a photo of the original body; she had a sullen face, and though her features were clearly beautiful, it made people think that “looks come from the heart,” and they couldn’t help but dislike her. On the right was a photo of Qin Xiaoxiao playing the role of Yin Ni; her corners of her mouth were raised in a dazzling, beautiful smile, and her eyes were slightly narrowed, showing the owner’s disdain and arrogance. At a single glance, one could tell this person was the arrogant and rude type, but one could not deny her charm—she was beautiful enough to keep people’s eyes fixed on her, right in the heart of someone.

The difference in temperament was huge. Even though the two looked exactly the same, if you put them together for comparison now, everyone would only think they were twins; they would never guess they were the same person.

“You were wrong from the very beginning.” The Department Head pointed at the photos, concluding. Tracing the cause, the moment Qin Xiaoxiao met the female lead, the plot had already deviated.

“You were supposed to be an irritable, annoying, and somewhat neurotic character,” the Department Head sat back in his chair and sighed. “You shouldn’t have smiled so ‘unfairly’.” So much so that the female lead became fond of you and forgot the male lead a hundred thousand miles away. The Department Head didn’t say the last part clearly. For no other reason than he was afraid she would get conceited.

“I…” Her voice faltered, and Qin Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes. I was just playing the role of the rich girl according to my own interpretation. However, there was no point in saying more; rather than making excuses, it was better to learn a lesson. After all, she had indeed been lax. The original owner had just stepped into the entertainment industry and had no close friends around, at most having heard rumors. Even if her character design collapsed, no one would notice anything wrong. Because of this, Qin Xiaoxiao had taken liberties, never investigating the original owner’s traits, observing her photos, or studying the character setting.

If Qin Xiaoxiao had known that deviating from her own character setting would cause such terrible consequences, she swore she would never be lazy again and would honestly act like a stone-faced robot.

“I understand.” After thinking for a long time, the girl spoke. Her voice was as melodic as a warbler’s, and her beautiful face was filled with firm determination. “I will correct it.”

Hearing this, the Department Head felt gratified. She is teachable. In a great mood, he leaned back, his attitude softening. “Given that you have no merit but have still endured hardships, I will allow you to go back.”

“Remember,” the man raised a fist and slowly extended his thumb and pinky, saying, “you only have six hours.” Preventing her from bargaining, he added, “No more. Allowing you to go back is already an exception.”

He then reminded her: “Given that your body in the novel world has been confirmed dead and cannot be reshaped, I will use unconventional means to send you to her side. Additionally, characters in novels must go through the plot realistically, and it only takes us a minute to watch a chapter. Based on this, their novel world and reality have different flow rates of time.”

“If you’re a step too late,” the Department Head pushed his glasses, looking very punchable, “your little sweetheart will be old, or perhaps, she might already be lying in a coffin.”

…The response to him was the back of the girl as she turned and left, unable to wait a moment longer.

In such a rush to see your old flame?

In the office, the man leaned back in his chair, secretly sighing that a daughter is like water poured out—she wouldn’t stay. It was only the first world, and she was already turning against him, committing insubordination, and trying to tear his files. What would happen in future worlds? Wouldn’t she be completely lawless?

A City, the villa.

The atmosphere was slightly cold. Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air in the woman’s bedroom. She stumbled a few steps, steadied herself, looked around, and then walked cautiously to the bedside.

“Qu Li.”

Qin Xiaoxiao poked her arm, raising her voice. “I’m back.”

“Hoo… hoo-hoo…”

“Li-li?”

“Hoo-hoo… hoo…”

Qu Li still didn’t react.

“Protecting little Yin?”

She called out three times in succession. The name “Yin” seemed to stimulate her nerves; Qu Li let out a soft “mm” and then opened her eyes. She saw a blurry figure standing in front of the bed. Qu Li was shocked, and her sleepiness vanished instantly. Did a thief break into the house? Just as she hesitated about whether to call the police or grab a weapon to resist, she suddenly heard the other person say:

“You’re awake.”

The tone was gentle, filled with three parts charm, two parts laziness, and the remaining five parts expressing affection. This voice had appeared in her dreams countless times; Qu Li could not mistake it.

“Yin… Ni?” Qu Li said in surprise. She immediately sat up, her hands trembling as she pressed the light switch. The room lit up with a flash, simultaneously illuminating the woman before her. She had a gorgeous face, exactly the same as in her memory. She wore a caramel-colored slim-fit trench coat, paired with black skinny trousers and fur-lined boots. This was exactly how Qin Xiaoxiao was dressed two years ago when she set off to attend the ceremony as an audience member.

“It’s a dream.” Qu Li talked to herself. The joy of seeing the woman was washed away cleanly the moment she realized the other person had long since died, and the bitterness that welled up filled her heart.

“It’s a dream, yes.” Qin Xiaoxiao didn’t deny it. She stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her face. That’s right; because her body in this world had died, she couldn’t be resurrected. Therefore, they could only meet in dreams. This place was a dream constructed of system data—a dream infinitely close to reality.

“But,” Qin Xiaoxiao stroked her fair, soft cheek with her hand, saying gently, “I am real. I came to see you.”

Feeling the temperature on her face, Qu Li reached out and covered the back of the other’s hand. “Yin Ni, it really is you.” The woman lowered her eyes, glancing at their overlapping hands, her expression dazed. She had also fantasized about what she would say if she ever saw Qin Xiaoxiao again.

A moment later, Qu Li spoke: “If I had known you were going to have an accident back then, I would have definitely gone with you.”

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoxiao said: “If I had known in advance that I would have an accident, I definitely wouldn’t have let you follow.”

Sensing the atmosphere becoming heavy, Qin Xiaoxiao retracted her hand, looked around, and changed the subject: “Your home is so spacious.”

“Mm-hmm.” Qu Li stopped repenting. She kicked off the quilt and put on her clothes. On the other side, Qin Xiaoxiao turned her back to her. She walked to the window, curiously pulled back the curtains, and wanted to see what the place Qu Li lived in looked like.

What met her eyes was a vast expanse of white. The street lamps were piled with thick snow, decorated in pure white. The green leaves had withered away, and the bare trees were now covered in ice crystals; looking from afar, it was as if a tree had sprouted white flowers. The world had turned snow-white, and in the snowy path, the paw prints of an animal were vaguely visible.

“Wow! It’s snowing!” Qin Xiaoxiao said excitedly, leaning her hands on the glass.

By this time, Qu Li had finished dressing. She walked to Qin Xiaoxiao’s side and looked out the window. Before the woman could react, Qin Xiaoxiao seized the opportunity and suddenly opened the window. Cold air rushed into the room, and Qu Li shivered.

“Hahaha, cold?” Qin Xiaoxiao turned to the side and hugged her: “Come, come, let me warm you up.”

“You’ve learned to be bad.” Qu Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. However, after this commotion, the sadness in her heart was diluted.

Qin Xiaoxiao muttered: “I learned it from you. I remember you mentioned in an interview that you wanted to go to Snow Village to see the snow.” Qin Xiaoxiao let go of Qu Li, turned her head to look out the window, and asked: “Do you like snow?”

“Mhm,” Qu Li smiled, her eyes curving: “Although I like snow and think it’s interesting to see the world so changed, I don’t like winter—it’s too cold.”

“So that’s how it is,” Qin Xiaoxiao responded. Watching the night snow falling like goose feathers, black and white intertwined, Qin Xiaoxiao felt a movement in her heart and reached out to catch a small cluster of snow. Gazing at the crystal-clear white snow lying in her palm, Qin Xiaoxiao marveled: “So beautiful.”

Outside the window, snowflakes danced. They swirled in the air, falling, merging into the tree branches, the rooftops, and the concrete roads, becoming a part of them. Qu Li stared at the woman’s beautiful face, her true intention not being the snow: “It truly is beautiful.”

Qu Li added: “I want to look at this beautiful scenery forever and ever.”

At her fingertips, the fluffy snow touched her body temperature. It gradually melted, turning into water stains. Qin Xiaoxiao put her hand down, looked at Qu Li, and said softly: “Snow cannot be kept. Moreover, you have other things to do. Your life does not consist only of snow. Therefore, you cannot look at it forever. But you can seize the present, laugh to your heart’s content, forget the sadness, and do happy things… before the snow melts.”

The woman’s smile was warm, without a trace of haze. She reached out to Qu Li with encouraging eyes. Although we cannot walk the road ahead together, at least we have the now.

Seeing this, Qu Li was stunned for a moment, and then the corners of her mouth curved up, showing cute little dimples. She immediately took Qin Xiaoxiao’s warm hand. Staring at the other, Qu Li stepped forward slightly. Getting closer to Qin Xiaoxiao, the woman’s light-colored eyes were brimming with tenderness. Finally, she said softly…

“Hey, I love you.”

“I know,” Qin Xiaoxiao replied.

On the night when the snow filled the sky, the villa was built magnificently, and the bedroom emitted a bright light. Inside the window, the beautiful woman put her arms around the waist of the woman with curly hair and took the initiative to kiss her.

A kiss defined their love.

At dawn, the morning sun rose. The sunlight penetrated the curtains, and the remaining radiance spilled into the bedroom, rendering the space soft. On the bed, Qu Li woke up. She opened her eyes and sat up. The temperature on her palm continued until now.

In a moment of trance, she put on a coat, slipped into her slippers, and pulled back the curtains for confirmation. Outside the window, there was snow everywhere, and the world had turned white. The sunlight shone on the woman’s soft, beautiful face, plating it with a hazy silver rim.

“Ah… it’s snowing.”

(Normal End: This love has a beginning but no end)