After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 16.1

In the following days, Ying Xu kept having the same dream.

Under the dim glow of a streetlight, she opened a car door. Then, throughout the night, she would relive the suffocating sensation of being strangled. The weapon might be a leather tie, a silk scarf lingering with the cloying scent of flowers, or perhaps a metal chain.

At first, Ying Xu would still try to resist, just as she would in reality.

But the Gu Qingzhu in her dreams was far more “merciless” than the real one. No matter whether or how Ying Xu resisted, Gu Qingzhu would always carry it through to the end, then gaze at that tightly shut-eyed face and murmur her relentless questioning.

“What is your relationship with her?”

It was like an inescapable loop.

After losing count of how many times she had been choked by the necklace that night, Ying Xu gave up struggling.

Soon, amidst the suffocation, she opened her eyes. Her back was drenched in cold sweat as she greedily gulped down air. The next second, she looked at the alarm clock.

And more precisely, at the pure white scarf hanging beside her coat behind it.

After a moment, once her breathing had steadied, Ying Xu got up to wash up.

There was no follow-up to the photo incident.

No media outlet would voluntarily claim responsibility. Sneaking photos already crossed legal boundaries, let alone doxxing the subject’s personal information and issuing direct threats. Each of these acts, once properly addressed, was enough to ensure the perpetrator spent the rest of their life behind bars.

Shan Qiaoyun had initially wanted to report it to the police, but Gu Qingzhu refused without hesitation.

Right in front of Ying Xu, the woman said calmly, “If she goes to prison, what happens to Xu Ying’s photos?”

Shan Qiaoyun knew all too well the significance Xu Ying held in Gu Qingzhu’s heart. Anyone who tried to shake that position would only be cast aside by Gu Qingzhu.

But,

What about Ying Xu?

“You’re asking me… about Ying Xu’s opinion?”

At this, Gu Qingzhu’s tone even carried a hint of mockery. Her beautiful eyes shifted to Ying Xu’s face, staring straight at her as she retorted, “Do you think it matters?”

As if interrogating Shan Qiaoyun.

But even more so, as if pressing Ying Xu herself.

Whether it was Ying Xu’s opinion or Ying Xu herself.

Did it matter?

Ying Xu carefully folded the scarf and placed it into a paper bag.

Sheng Qiuyu had never brought up the matter of “returning” it, but to avoid any sudden need on her part and more importantly, to prevent Gu Qingzhu from seeing it, Ying Xu still carried the scarf to the set every day.

Though she rarely wore it due to the costumes required for filming, Sheng Qiuyu seemed pleased just seeing her bring it along. Her favorability steadily increased each day, and yesterday she even claimed she had something important to tell Ying Xu today.

But in Sheng Qiuyu’s eyes, everything was important.

Like the cat they had stumbled upon last time. On the rare occasions when Ying Xu was busy on another set, she would check her phone afterward to find countless photos of the little cat sent by Sheng Qiuyu, always accompanied by an urgent 【Quick! Look now!】 to grab her attention.

At the thought, Ying Xu’s lips curled unconsciously.

Because of Sheng Qiuyu, Ying Xu remained in high spirits right until she went downstairs.

Until she saw Gu Qingzhu sitting at the dining table.

The woman was wrapped in a coat, her pale face nestled in the thick black fur, making her delicate features appear even more exquisitely carved.

On her plate was a vegetable salad, and beside her hand, a glass of water, just looking at it was enough to feel how bland it was.

Gu Qingzhu toyed with her cutlery, weariness evident on her face, until she noticed Ying Xu’s gaze and paused.

[The female lead had only finished filming half an hour ago.]

The system timely reminded, and Ying Xu paused in her steps.

“Redemption” was never an artistic genre to begin with, so there was no need for perfection. Barring a few exceptions, most actors just clocked in and out.

Gu Qingzhu didn’t finish until 6:30, which only meant she had moved her scenes forward again. But, why the rush? Did she have something urgent to attend to?

Countless thoughts flashed through Ying Xu’s mind, but she didn’t voice them. Instead, she instinctively put on an ingratiating smile and walked out.

Gu Qingzhu’s gaze unconsciously followed her, from her retreating figure to the paper bag held by her slender fingers.

It wasn’t until a servant reflexively moved to open the door for Ying Xu that a low, husky female voice finally spoke.

“I’ll be very busy recently and won’t be back for a long time.”

“Don’t cause me any trouble.”

Ying Xu looked at the vast expanse of snow outside the mansion and suddenly found it amusing.

One troublemaker telling her not to cause any other trouble.

“I won’t, Qingzhu,” Ying Xu said softly. “Have a safe trip.”

Today, Ying Xu wasn’t on the same set as Sheng Qiuyu.

According to the shooting schedule, her scenes weren’t supposed to wrap up until 4 p.m. But just as lunchtime arrived, the assistant director heaved a sigh of relief and announced, “Half-day holiday today happy New Year, everyone!”

It was only then that Ying Xu realized tomorrow would mark the start of the new calendar year.

In this world, there was no Lunar New Year’s Eve. Everyone placed great importance on the end of the year.

In the past, Ying Xu wouldn’t have cared.

No matter how significant the occasion, to her, it was just another ordinary day acting, wrapping up, returning to the mansion, and waiting for the next day to arrive.

But after Gu Qingzhu left, this day could be imbued with special meaning.

The warm sunlight was just right.

On a bench, Sheng Qiuyu stared at her own face on the screen, deeply dissatisfied. “How was this shot? I hadn’t even memorized my lines properly. Why did he just let it pass like that?”

Liu Sui, sitting beside her, sighed. “We did seven takes, this was the best one. Stop nitpicking.”

“Who’s nitpicking?!” Sheng Qiuyu was furious. “If Gu Qingzhu hadn’t gone crazy and suddenly pushed all the scenes forward, I wouldn’t be so dizzy filming this part today. Why should I suffer for her mistakes?”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Just as she was about to say more, a woman’s voice drifted into her ears.

“Of course, it’s because ‘Redemption’ is incredibly lucky to have a big shot like Xiao Yu in the cast.”

The tone was light, but it made Sheng Qiuyu’s hair stand on end. “Cheng Jun?! What are you doing here?”

Perhaps because she had been spending too much “alone time” with Ying Xu lately, Sheng Qiuyu had almost forgotten her past grievances with Cheng Jun.

She looked at Cheng Jun, still decked out in luxury brands and as gaudy as a peacock, and felt nothing but disgust.

What, is she some nouveau riche?! Does she have to flaunt her wealth like that?

But then again, wasn’t that just who Cheng Jun was?

With that thought, Sheng Qiuyu scoffed coldly, deciding it wasn’t worth engaging. “If you have something to say, spit it out. Don’t show your face around me, I’m allergic to Alphas! And how many times have I told you not to call me that? It’s disgusting!”

“But I am a disgusting Alpha,” Cheng Jun replied, far exceeding Sheng Qiuyu’s expectations. Sheng Qiuyu widened her eyes, but Cheng Jun paid no heed to her glare. “I’m just here to wait for Miss Ying. Once I see her and give her something, I’ll leave.”

“In just this short amount of time, even if Xiaoyu really had an allergy, nothing serious would happen, right?”

“You!”

Sheng Qiuyu’s mouth fell open in shock.

She knew exactly how to retaliate in a way that would infuriate Cheng Jun, but those words were simply too vulgar. For someone who only knew how to say “disgusting” and “annoying” when it came to insults, she found herself unusually tongue-tied.

In the end, Sheng Qiuyu could only glare fiercely at Liu Sui: “What are you standing there for? Go hit her! If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility!”

Cheng Jun raised the corners of her eyes and even slightly spread her arms, as if waiting for an embrace: “Miss Liu, you’re welcome anytime.”

Liu Sui:

By the time Ying Xu arrived on set, the two had already been exchanging barbs across Liu Sui for quite some time.

Almost as soon as she saw Ying Xu, Sheng Qiuyu cried out pitifully, “Ying Xu!”

The rising tone of her voice was like a sharp hook, tearing a small crack in Ying Xu’s calm composure.

Ying Xu wondered who could possibly explain to her.

Why were Cheng Jun and Sheng Qiuyu meeting in this place?

Before the echo of “Ying Xu” had even faded, Cheng Jun had already seized the moment to speak: “Miss Ying, long time no see.”

“I just wanted to deliver the invitation to the Cheng family’s banquet to you. I don’t know what Miss Sheng misunderstood,” she said, looking particularly helpless. “Is it just because I’m good-looking that people misunderstand me? That’s really heartbreaking.”

Ying Xu hesitated, words caught in her throat.

Before she could speak, Sheng Qiuyu’s veins bulged in anger, unable to tolerate the baseless slander any longer: “And don’t call me Miss Sheng either! Liu Sui, get her kicked out of the crew, I’ll pay the breach penalty”

Perhaps because Ying Xu had always referred to her as “Miss Sheng,” Sheng Qiuyu had unconsciously come to see the title as a special, intimate nickname between them.

Hearing those three words from Cheng Jun’s mouth felt nothing short of sacrilege.

As the tension between the two escalated, Ying Xu felt a headache coming on and finally spoke, her tone exasperated: “Stop making a scene.”