After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The promises made to Xixi were kept faithfully. After breakfast, Shao Niannian and Jiang Yan took the child to the only hospital in the county.

The hospital was small; with a little inquiry, they found the ward for the guard’s wife. When they arrived, the guard was feeding her porridge. Both were delighted to see Xixi.

Xixi was wearing her new clothes and looked much more spirited than usual. Though she still appeared a bit reserved, the old couple could tell she had spent a good night. It was certainly better than wandering the streets.

Jiang Yan and Shao Niannian offered their simple greetings before stepping out to leave the three of them some space.

Once in the hallway, Niannian couldn’t hold back her curiosity. Recalling what Jiang Yan had whispered in her ear the night before, she asked humbly, “So, what exactly is this ‘method’ you mentioned?”

Jiang Yan gave a soft “mm.” “It’s a secret for now. You’ll know when the time comes.”

“And when will that be?”

“Soon.” Jiang Yan looked down the hospital corridor, her eyes fixed on the stairwell door marked with an emergency exit sign. The door was tightly shut, revealing nothing.

Niannian felt a bit let down by the lack of an answer, yet she felt a strange, complete trust in Jiang Yan. She believed this person wouldn’t deceive her.

With one keeping a secret and the other playing along, Xixi’s situation simmered for two weeks—until it finally reached a breaking point.

Xixi’s father was named Tang You. Since he had pawned off everything of value in his house, he had no assets left to pay off his bottomless gambling debts. He had originally planned to use his wife to settle the debt, but the plan failed; instead, it gave her the chance to escape it all by jumping into the river.

Tang You had never left his small county. Having lived here his whole life, he wasn’t willing to leave his roots—ultimately, because no one would cover for him elsewhere. By staying here, he at least had a younger brother he could boss around.

Having borrowed every cent possible, he was at the end of his rope when he remembered he still had a daughter. He had overheard a fellow gambler mention it casually.

“Nowadays, those folks in the city who can’t have kids all want to buy daughters. I heard someone in the neighboring village sold their newborn daughter for tens of thousands of yuan.”

“You could say the girl was miserable being born into that family. By selling her, the family gets money and the girl gets to enjoy a good life with a wealthy city family. It’s a win-win.”

“Hey, did it really sell for tens of thousands? Won’t… won’t they go to jail?”

“Not sure. Hah, anyway, even if you get caught, they can’t really sentence you! Haven’t there been several cases like this before? Those people were fine. What are you afraid of? At most, they’ll give you a lecture and you’ll end up on the news trending list.” One man spat and cursed, “If you ask me, those people are just nosy. If you’re so rich and capable, help me raise the kid! Girls are useless anyway. You raise sons to support you in old age. Some people read a few damn books and forget the rules of the ancestors.”

“Haha, girls are precious now. Raising a son is just a money-drain; who knows how much bride price you’ll have to shell out to get him a wife later.”

“Listen, don’t argue. City girls wouldn’t even look at your bunch of ugly ducklings. And don’t talk nonsense about these things unless you want your woman to come over with a stick and beat you. You lot never learn! Hurry up and play, whose turn is it?”

“What are you shouting for? Here’s the card! Old Tang! It’s your turn! What are you thinking about?”

It was from that moment that Tang You suddenly remembered he had a daughter. When his wife first died, the girl was raised by his mother; after the old lady passed away, she was moved to his brother’s house.

Tang You didn’t know where Xixi went after that. It took some time to find out she was being fostered at the welfare center. He tried to snatch her several times but failed.

Xixi was highly vigilant. Tang You, doing this for the first time, was incredibly nervous. He had researched beforehand; as long as he insisted he simply couldn’t afford to raise the child—just like when he “bought” his wife—and acted like a shameless rogue, he was sure he wouldn’t be punished.

After successive failures, Tang You was completely broke. Behind him were the casino debt collectors, ready to send him to an illegal coal mine; before him was a life he could no longer sustain. Caught in a pincer movement, Tang You fixed his sights on Xixi once more.

After following her for a few days, he noticed a change—Jiang Yan and Shao Niannian were new variables, making him hesitant to act.

Tang You didn’t actually understand what he was worried about. His reputation in the county was already rock bottom, and he didn’t care if Xixi recognized him as her father. He just wanted money—money to pull himself out of this desperate hole.

Because of the new situation, Tang You was forced to replan his “kidnapping.”

But plans can’t keep up with changes. A “brother” of his approached him with a lead: “A buyer contacted me. From a city on the southeast coast. His family is loaded.”

“His problem? Low fertility, and he doesn’t want his wife to do artificial insemination. So he wants to buy a sweet, cute girl to take home. He asked if I knew anyone.”

Tang You wasn’t stupid. The southeast coast was a wealthy place; why would they come to this backwater?

“Why doesn’t your ‘brother’ buy one near his home? These days, there are still plenty of people who don’t want the daughters they give birth to.”

“He’s a prominent figure locally! He’d be crazy to buy there! If it leaked, he’d be ruined. Besides, he said as long as the girl is under eight, well-behaved, and good-looking, he’ll try. Your girl is five this year. If it works, you get 300,000 yuan. You owe 150,000 in gambling debts—after you pay that, you still have 150,000 to blow!”

Tang You’s heart skipped a beat, but he pushed the man away with a tsk. “If it’s such a good deal, why didn’t you take it yourself? Why come to me?”

“My wife loves our little girl to death. Do I look like I have extra lives to spare while she’s chasing me with a meat cleaver? Besides, aren’t you broke, buddy? I figured I’d find you a way out. I can’t just watch you hit a dead end.”

Tang You was half-convinced. “What’s your cut?”

“My buddy said he’ll give me this much after it’s done.” The man hooked his arm around Tang You’s shoulder and made a gesture with his fingers. “It’s a big chunk. If I give it to my wife, she’ll treat me like a king. Next time I play cards with you, I bet she won’t even try to stop me!”

Tang You rolled his eyes. He knew this man wouldn’t lift a finger without a profit; there was no way he was helping for free.

For the next two weeks, while Tang You tried to find a way to snatch Xixi, he also contacted the “buyer” himself. Though uneducated, he knew he was breaking the law, so he avoided the term “child trafficking,” focusing instead on understanding the buyer’s status. Once he was satisfied, the last shred of guilt in his heart vanished.

Such a wealthy family, he muttered. Sending Xixi there would be better for her than staying with me anyway.

Thus, Tang You began to disguise himself, appearing frequently near the film crew.

As the acting coach, Jiang Yan was the most idle person. Occasionally, while standing on set, she could see Tang You’s clumsy disguises. She would casually look away, answer a vocabulary question from Xixi, and then look toward Shao Niannian.

The filming had now skipped ahead ten years. Niannian’s makeup had changed from a youthful student to a married woman. It had to be said—red dresses truly suited her fair skin. In her red gown, Niannian was dazzling.

Jiang Yan loved beautiful things; the more vivid and gorgeous, the better. She loved them so much she wanted to collect this version of Niannian, place her in a glass display case at home, and just watch her.

Unfortunately, this Niannian only existed in her phone’s photo album.

Xixi, sitting next to Jiang Yan, was the first to feel her emotional shift. Dissatisfaction was written all over the child’s face.

“You clearly don’t like her, so why act like you do?” Xixi, taking advantage of the lack of people around, finally “raided” this person she didn’t quite trust.

“What?” Jiang Yan tucked a stray hair behind her ear, smiling innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Xixi.”

“I’m saying, you don’t like Sister Niannian, and you don’t like Sister Wen Jing, yet you’re always meddling between them.” Xixi was confused. “Sometimes you act like a completely different person…”

“When you hold a script or when you’re rehearsing with Sister Niannian, you…” Before Xixi could finish, a cold peppermint candy was stuffed into her mouth. The spicy, icy bitterness made her shut up instinctively.

Jiang Yan rubbed her slightly sticky fingertips. “Little kids shouldn’t talk about things they don’t understand. Careful, or a bad guy will jump out and cut your tongue off.”

“Be careful lately. Your restless father is starting to jump around outside again.” Jiang Yan noticed eyes turning toward them and immediately resumed a gentle expression, leaning into Xixi’s ear. “Don’t forget what I told you. If you don’t want Sister Niannian to be sad and if you want to see her again in the future, act your part well.”

“After all, you’re a little brat too, aren’t you?” Jiang Yan smiled and pinched Xixi’s cheek. The child had clearly gained weight over the last two weeks; the pudgy sensation was quite nice.

Sucking on the peppermint, Xixi muttered “I hate you” and tried to push Jiang Yan away. She realized Jiang Yan was being so childish that, just because of a question, she was intentionally blocking her view of Niannian. Xixi cursed in her heart: Stingy! Villain! Two-faced!

Xixi huffed, slapped Jiang Yan’s hand away, and snapped, “Watch out—people who are inconsistent and dishonest like you usually end up crashing and burning!”

“Oh, really? Then thank you for the warning.” After spending time with her, Jiang Yan knew exactly how to make the girl puff out her cheeks in anger. “But even if I’m inconsistent, your Sister Niannian still likes me best.”

“Tell me… if she had to choose between you and me, who would she pick?”

“…Hmph.”

Childish. Xixi rolled her eyes, closed her picture book—which was all comics and few words—and slipped off the lounge chair like a little eel. As soon as Niannian and Wen Jing finished their scene and began to rest, she grabbed two water bottles and rushed over, sweetly acting spoiled around them.

In the entire crew, Xixi’s least favorite person was Jiang Yan. Period.

Xixi’s presence had been leaked online by the townspeople on her third day. Her background was a common tale of poverty; anyone in the county could tell you about it. Some gossips had shared her family mess in detail on video apps. Netizens were incensed, wanting to drive over and “educate” Xixi’s father. A small wave of controversy had begun.

This wave was within Jiang Yan’s plan. There were three days left until her original scheduled date. Whether Tang You would make a big move in these three days would determine if her plan succeeded or failed.

Scattered sunlight fell on Jiang Yan. It was late spring, almost summer. In this small county, people were finally shedding their outer coats for light spring shirts.

Jiang Yan looked toward Niannian and caught her eye. Xixi must have said something funny, because Niannian was laughing brightly. Her round cheeks were covered in weary adult makeup, but it didn’t take away from the beauty of the red dress.

Jiang Yan saw Niannian’s red lips move as if saying something, but she couldn’t read her lips. Then Wen Jing looked her way, gave a brief glance, and turned back to speak.

Niannian shook her head, her smile unchanging. This time, Jiang Yan read her lips: “I like her because I like her. Is there a reason why?”

“Jiang Yan is great. Isn’t liking her the natural thing to do?”

The eyes curved into crescents were the bait, and Jiang Yan was the “fish” naturally hooked on the tip. Hearing her heart race, she felt a moment of panic—she wasn’t acting. She wasn’t in character. And yet, her heart still skipped a beat.

Jiang Yan tried to look away, but once she tried, the first thing she learned was how to give up. The red dress and those crescent eyes were too alluring. Her mind was filled only with thoughts of pressing the woman against a bed, a balcony, or a sofa; nothing else could process.

Perhaps she had been dazed for too long, as her assistant noticed something was wrong and called her name several times, breaking her messy fantasies.

As the red dress cinched that slender waist, the waking Jiang Yan blinked—she no longer saw the blooming Niannian, but a sneering Xixi.

Jiang Yan: “?”

What’s with that face? I didn’t mess with you this time.

A child’s anger usually comes and goes quickly. But Jiang Yan was an exception for Xixi because Xixi held grudges.

For the 23rd time, Xixi recorded in her heart a instance of Niannian praising Jiang Yan. Finally reaching her limit, she reached out and pinched Jiang Yan’s cheek, rubbing it twice in revenge. After rubbing, she stomped her foot and said huffily, “Why should a hypocritical woman wearing a mask be liked? Sister Wen Jing and I are right—you’re the villain!”

Jiang Yan’s annoyance instantly turned into smug delight. She coughed several times to hide the upturned corners of her mouth. “But… spring is coming.”

Xixi said crossly, “It’s summer now! It’s May!”

“Is it?” Jiang Yan winked at her and shook her head. “But it’s my spring.”

Xixi: “…”

Great. Another reason to hate Jiang Yan added to the list. The two-faced woman didn’t even know which months were which. Even more annoying—illiterate people shouldn’t be allowed to like Sister Niannian.

Xixi remembered she was also illiterate and silently added a qualifier: Except for illiterate people without a kindergarten diploma. Little kindergarten-illiterates are allowed to snuggle with Sister Niannian.