After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 48

After leaving the cat at the pet store and purchasing the best care package, Xu Ying exchanged contact details with the owner before departing.

When she stepped outside, Gu Qingzhu was waiting by the streetlight, arms crossed, seemingly bored, yet her gaze kept drifting toward the shop, stealing glances at the familiar figure inside.

Just as she was about to repeat the motion, their eyes met.

Gu Qingzhu lowered her arms, feigning nonchalance. “All done?”

Xu Ying had noticed the omega’s gaze even inside the store but chose not to call it out, responding gently, “Yes.”

On the way back to the estate, Xu Ying casually mentioned, “The owner said they’d send some photos later and asked what its name was.”

Gu Qingzhu paused. “Name?”

Xu Ying nodded. “A name. Since Qingzhu found it, Qingzhu should be the one to name it.”

“Pets with owners all have names, not just.”

She left out the word “cat,” but Gu Qingzhu understood, her expression flickering with hesitation.

She knew the logic, but, she hadn’t really done anything. She’d just happened to see the cat and, on a whim, shown some kindness. Even picking it up and handling the paperwork had been Xu Ying’s doing.

Was she really the cat’s owner?

“If you don’t want to keep it, that’s fine,” Xu Ying said, as if reading her silence. “They’ll find it a good home.”

“Adoption?” Gu Qingzhu frowned.

People’s standards varied, who could guarantee the cat would be treated well? It might as well stay at the store.

“Maybe,” Xu Ying replied.

Gu Qingzhu fell silent.

Xu Ying glanced sideways, the omega’s expression had turned serious, clearly taking the matter to heart.

Upon arriving at the estate, the staff, having been prepped in advance, greeted Gu Qingzhu warmly.

Her expression softened slightly as she looked at Xu Ying.

The latter smiled, murmuring to her, “Welcome home, Qingzhu.”

Before dinner, the store owner sent over a few photos of the cat. It had been bathed, and though it was still scrawny and wary, it looked much cuter now.

“Do you want to see?” Xu Ying asked for Gu Qingzhu’s opinion first, only sending the photos after receiving a hesitant nod.

Once the food was served, out of the corner of her eye, Xu Ying noticed the omega swiping through the images, opening and closing them repeatedly.

Finally, Gu Qingzhu stole a quick glance, fingers trembling slightly as she muttered coldly, “Ugly.”

Xu Ying chuckled. “It’s still small. It’ll look better when it grows up.”

Grow up.

Gu Qingzhu’s unconsciously clenched fingers slowly relaxed.

Listening to Xu Ying’s familiar tone, she couldn’t help but wonder, was Xu Ying implying that she would stay and watch the cat grow up with her?

She must be.

Xu Ying absently ladled soup for Gu Qingzhu, the quiet between them punctuated by the memory of the woman’s abrupt kiss that afternoon.

Though there had been no further passionate display, it was enough for Xu Ying to recognize it as Gu Qingzhu’s way of taking “a step forward.”

But why today?

Xu Ying couldn’t find an answer. After a brief moment of distraction, she regained her composure.

Whatever the reason

“Let’s call it Xu Ying.”

Xu Ying’s movements froze. At first, she didn’t understand.

Until the omega added, hesitantly, “Little Xu, Ying Ying?”

Only then did Xu Ying realize this was Gu Qingzhu’s answer.

After a moment of daze, she laughed again, “Hmm.”

Gu Qingzhu reached out and touched the side of the cup. For a moment, she wasn’t sure whether Xu was agreeing to the name or simply responding to her. Only her slightly scalded fingertips instinctively curled back.

Once the soup had cooled a bit, Xu watched her drink two bowls before finally bringing up the variety show Cheng Jun had mentioned.

“Cheng Jun.” Hearing the name, Gu Qingzhu paused briefly but still replied, “Do you want to go? The show has good ratings.”

However, Gu Qingzhu had always detested being controlled. Variety shows came with scripts and required interacting with others,she had never genuinely participated in such programs.

Whether or not to attend this show depended solely on Gu Qingzhu’s own thoughts.

Xu wiped her hands with a tissue and said calmly, “The next episode is filming in T City. The scenery there is beautiful. Qingzhu, would you be willing to go with me?”

When people reach a breaking point, they often develop a strong urge for self-destruction. Gu Qingzhu’s sudden mention of quitting the industry earlier was precisely because of this.

But after treatment, Gu Qingzhu had calmed down significantly. Even in her apology statement, she hadn’t brought it up again.

Though Xu hadn’t asked for the reason, she could guess Gu Qingzhu’s thoughts no matter what, it was better to leave something behind for herself or her fans.

Since she wasn’t quitting the industry, Xu’s plans had to change accordingly. She needed Gu Qingzhu to become “normal” again, to serve as her visible trump card.

“Go with you?”

Gu Qingzhu looked stunned. She hadn’t forgotten that the show was broadcast live.

And the last time

She lowered her eyes, not refusing outright.

Xu clearly understood this as well. The reason she brought it up was likely to help Gu Qingzhu move past the shadow of that incident.

Just like a cat.

But how could the two be compared? They were entirely different.

Gu Qingzhu instinctively rejected the thought in her mind, yet she didn’t refuse immediately either. Xu could clearly see her hesitation and added apologetically, “Qingzhu, if you don’t want to”

Gu Qingzhu thought of the show’s format she had seen, two strangers interacting intimately on camera, as if they had become a couple in just one day.

Would Xu also have to hold hands with someone else, hug them, say “I like you,” or even “I love you”?

All because of a script?

“If I don’t go, will you be paired with someone else? Like Cheng Jun?”

Gu Qingzhu seemed convinced of her own assumption, her voice firming. “She invited you because she wants to be with you.”

Before she could spiral further into regret or more assumptions, Xu immediately denied it. “No.”

“If you don’t go, I won’t go either.”

Gu Qingzhu froze. “But didn’t Cheng Jun invite you?”

Even Gu Qingzhu, when asked for help by acquaintances in the industry, rarely refused.

Xu and Cheng Jun had a good relationship, didn’t they? How could Xu refuse to participate just because Gu Qingzhu didn’t want to go.

“In my eyes, Qingzhu’s opinion always comes first,” Xu said, looking at her with utmost sincerity. “No one is more important to me than you.”

Gu Qingzhu hesitated for a moment before meeting her gaze. A few seconds later, it was Gu Qingzhu who looked away first, replying almost dismissively, “If you want to go, then let’s go.”

She hurried upstairs, leaving Xu sitting alone for a long while before finally picking up her phone to reply to the pet shop owner.

[Let’s name her Yingying.]

[When can the adoption procedures for the other cat be finalized?]

Under a moonlit sky, sparse with stars, in a villa in T City.

Ever since receiving the news that “Gu Qingzhu was willing to participate,” the director of Love Capture had been so excited that he couldn’t sleep for several nights. In the end, he managed to negotiate a new live-streaming format with the platform,guests would no longer be able to see real-time viewer comments.

This variety show had always relied on “celebrities’ reactions to live comments” as its selling point. Suddenly changing the format was bound to draw complaints from the audience. But compared to the sheer star power that Xu Ying and Gu Qingzhu brought, those criticisms were meaningless.

Soon, the director began another round of negotiations.

A tower of champagne glasses stood on the long table, ready to celebrate the anticipated ratings boom in advance. Most of the other celebrities were in high spirits, eagerly awaiting the influx of attention. When they saw Cheng Jun, they greeted her with flattering remarks.

If it weren’t for Cheng Jun, they probably wouldn’t have “pulled one out and brought along the mud,” managing to invite the two hottest names of the moment.

Cheng Jun responded lazily, casually picking up two glasses of wine before walking to the window. As expected, Sheng Qiuyu was there, staring out the window, lost in thought.

“Why did Gu Qingzhu agree to come?” Hearing footsteps, Sheng Qiuyu turned her head and asked almost instantly.

Cheng Jun handed her a glass. “How would I know what Xu Ying said to her?”

“I heard everything,” Sheng Qiuyu took a step forward. “You were the one who suggested Gu Qingzhu join. If it weren’t for you, how would Xu Ying have even thought of it?”

Cheng Jun laughed but instead replied, “Xiao Yu, don’t tell me you still think there’s a chance between you and Xu Ying?”

The words left Sheng Qiuyu frozen in place.

Whether it was the contract, public opinion, or Qinghong’s overconfidence in their victory everything had backfired, turning into a blade that cut them instead.

Recently, the Sheng family had been under relentless pressure from the Gu family.

Collaborations stalled or were terminated early. Stock prices plummeted repeatedly, and the atmosphere at home had sunk to freezing point. Even Sheng Qiuyu faced backlash in the court of public opinion.

In the first few days after the Gu Qingzhu incident, many had praised Sheng Qiuyu for her earlier public defense of Xu Ying. But once someone dug up that she was Sheng Changming’s daughter, accusing her of buying her way into the industry public sentiment shifted abruptly.

People called her a hypocrite, a privileged nepo baby, even worse than Gu Qingzhu in their eyes.

Though her private accounts hadn’t been exposed, the damage was enough to infuriate Sheng Qiuyu.

She couldn’t understand, she had just acted in one drama. Why was she being vilified like this?

But no one gave her an answer. Not even her most trusted parents, who were now drowning in their own crises.

This time, Sheng Qiuyu had been invited by Cheng Jun to join the variety show.

She knew very well that given Xu Ying and Gu Qingzhu’s relationship, if the alpha was willing to speak up for the Sheng family, Gu Qingzhu would most likely relent and let them off the hook.

Sheng Qiuyu had rehearsed countless speeches in her mind, preparing what to say to Xu Ying. But she never expected Cheng Jun to bring up Gu Qingzhu first.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and retorted, “What does that have to do with you?”

Sheng Qiuyu had always known that Qinghong had a hand in Xu Ying’s public apology.

But it was only after the leaked recording that she realized Shan Qiaoyun’s methods were so vile, leaving Xu Ying with no way out.

She wanted to comfort Xu Ying but had no idea how to begin.

This time coming here was undoubtedly a gamble. If Xu Ying could overlook past grievances and interact with her as before, then surely this time would be no different.

Even though a voice inside Sheng Qiuyu kept telling her that a rift had already formed between her and Xu Ying.

She still refused to believe it.

She wanted to hear it from Xu Ying, not from her own heart.

In response to her questioning, Cheng Jun remained remarkably composed, even taking the initiative to explain: “No need to get so worked up. I just meant that whether Xu Ying’s fondness for you is real or imagined, the one she truly likes will always be Gu Qingzhu.”

“If it weren’t for Gu Qingzhu, neither you nor Xu Ying would be here.”

At this point, Cheng Jun chuckled again: “So, in that sense, aren’t you both the same?”

Mentioning Gu Qingzhu made Sheng Qiuyu’s cheeks burn with shame, and she instinctively retorted: “What about you? Aren’t you the same?”

“Why did you come here then?”

Cheng Jun teased: “Of course, to give Xiao Yu and Xiao Xu a chance to be alone together.”

Hearing that nickname, Sheng Qiuyu’s vision blurred with anger, and she lashed out: “She’s Xu Ying, not that dead woman!”

For a moment, even the smile faded from Cheng Jun’s face.

Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the camera in the corner as she warned in a low voice: “If it weren’t for that dead woman, she would have died long ago.”

“Show some basic respect for Madam Wei. Mr. Sheng reminded you of this, Xiao Yu. Don’t forget.”

In her ears, the man’s admonition seemed to echo simultaneously.

Sheng Qiuyu froze for a second before turning and heading upstairs.

Cheng Jun poured wine onto the fake flowers on the windowsill, murmuring indifferently: “Fakes are fakes. Why pretend to be real?”

The next morning, at Zhuoguang Mountain in T City.

Midway up the mountain, the director was brimming with enthusiasm: “Is everyone ready to welcome our new guest?”

Most of the guests responded energetically, except for Sheng Qiuyu, who stood in the corner biting her lip and avoiding the camera.

The live broadcast time for the variety show was strictly fixed, and many viewers had already tuned in, flooding the screen with comments.

[“The director’s voice is grating. When are they replacing him? Also, who’s the mystery guest? They’ve been teasing it for a week don’t tell me it’s just Sheng Qiuyu.”]

[“If they’ve invited Sheng Qiuyu, doesn’t that say it all? What if it’s that person?”]

[“Stop speaking in riddles and get out.”]

[“YX.”]

[“Wasn’t it a duo silhouette? Could the other one be Gu Qingzhu?”]

Comments scrolled rapidly, with wild speculations running rampant.

In the past, guests would usually respond to a few comments when they saw them.

But this time, no one said a word.

This anomaly was quickly noticed. After several tests, viewers were shocked to realize that the guests genuinely couldn’t see the comments!

If not to accommodate Gu Qingzhu, why would the show suddenly change its format?

Amid the flood of doubts, the show’s popularity skyrocketed to its peak. Just then, the guests in question finally appeared on camera.

Both were dressed casually, clearly prepared for the day’s hiking activity. Yet, one in black and the other in white, they looked strikingly complementary.

Amid the barrage of negative comments, a few unnoticed “KSWL!” (I ship them!) slipped through.

Gu Qingzhu wasn’t accustomed to live broadcasts, but she was no stranger to cameras. The moment she stepped into frame, she relaxed and effortlessly introduced herself.

Until she spotted Sheng Qiuyu standing in the corner.

Xu Ying’s gaze followed hers.

In that brief pause, Xu Ying suddenly understood why Cheng Jun had invited her here.

For Sheng Qiuyu, Ying Xu had mixed feelings.

If it weren’t for Sheng Changming using Sheng Qiuyu’s name to deceive her into leaving that night, the situation wouldn’t have escalated to what it was today.

After Sheng Changming truly acted against Gu Qingzhu, Ying Xu and Sheng Qiuyu could no longer maintain their previously close relationship.

Ying Xu averted her gaze, turning to Gu Qingzhu, and softly reassured her, “Before I came, I wasn’t aware.”

Gu Qingzhu nodded. “You weren’t aware Sheng Qiuyu would be here.”

The omega appeared calm, and Ying Xu thought she wouldn’t misunderstand. Just as she was about to agree with a “yes,” she saw Gu Qingzhu abruptly change direction and head toward the director

Ying Xu asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”

Gu Qingzhu replied, “If you weren’t aware, it means you were also being used. I’m going to have the production team terminate her contract now.”

Ying Xu: