After Transmigrating, I Fell in Love with a Top-Tier Movie Queen - Chapter 2

Lin Xin was lazily propped up on the sofa, her eyes following Ye Linghua as she bustled about. Ye Linghua’s movements were a little clumsy; she didn’t seem like someone who did housework often.

But Lin Xin didn’t point it out. She just let Ye Linghua be. After coming home, Ye Linghua had urged her to wash up. When Lin Xin returned to the living room, Ye Linghua had even thoughtfully prepared a bowl of ginger tea for her. Now, Lin Xin sipped her tea while watching Ye Linghua clean.

Ping.

A message alert came from the phone on the sofa. Lin Xin picked it up and opened the text. It was indeed from her mother: “I’m the one who hired her.”

Lin Xin narrowed her eyes, her suspicion of Ye Linghua slightly reduced. Because of the sheer coincidence of Ye Linghua’s appearance and her strange behavior, Lin Xin had naturally texted her mother to confirm.

Although her mother confirmed Ye Linghua’s identity, Lin Xin couldn’t help but ask, looking at Ye Linghua’s clumsy movements, “What were your criteria?” She had a housekeeper for this villa before, but Zheng Ranwen said she didn’t like strangers in her personal space. Because of that, Lin Xin had fired the housekeeper and learned to do everything herself, from housework to cooking.

But Ye Linghua was clumsy. Lin Xin couldn’t help but wonder how she passed her interview.

“She’s pretty.”

“Pretty!”

“Pretty~”

“Pretty~~~”

Lin Xin: “???”

Her mother’s reply was so nonchalant. “You care about appearances so much, did you think I’d hire someone ugly for you?”

Lin Xin replied, “…That’s not exactly what I meant.” No matter what, you can’t hire someone who can’t do anything!

But she was already hired. For some reason, Lin Xin thought of how Ye Linghua had appeared before her with the red umbrella that evening. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to tell her mother to send her back.

Ye Linghua finished cleaning the living room, wiped the sweat from her brow, and checked her phone. Her eyes widened. “Jeez, it’s seven already.”

This was her first time as a housekeeper. Although she wasn’t good at it, she knew it was dinnertime. She hurried to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and carefully looked inside. The fridge was well-stocked; there was every ingredient imaginable.

But…

“Sigh.” Ye Linghua pulled out her phone and called a friend. In the three years she’d been here, she hadn’t been completely unproductive.

The person on the other end answered quickly. “Hello?”

Ye Linghua asked her, “Tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and a little pig? This pig is so small. And there’s bird’s nest, chicken, abalone? Fish… there’s a lot of stuff. What can I make with these?”

There was a moment of silence. “Your summary… is a little too simple!”

Ye Linghua frowned. “You don’t understand?”

“I can guess that the pig is for roasted suckling pig, and the type of bird’s nest doesn’t matter. But you need to at least tell me what kind of chicken or fish it is, right? Besides, you don’t know how to cook. Why are you even asking? This sounds like you’re trying to make a full Manchu-Han banquet. Do you think you’re qualified to even try?”

Hearing her friend’s merciless mockery, Ye Linghua clenched the hand on the fridge door. She gritted her teeth and asked with a cold laugh, “Which do you think is more suitable for me: cooking, or beating you up?”

The friend was silent again, then insincerely said, “Your fingers are so long and slender. It would be such a waste if you didn’t cook!”

Although her friend seriously rattled off things like “Bird’s Nest Soup,” “Roasted Suckling Pig,” “Chicken in Pomegranate Style,” “Yellow Croaker Soup,” and “Lotus Pastries,” Ye Linghua didn’t understand a single thing.

She hung up, expressionless, and finally realized she had overestimated her culinary skills. Fortunately, she wasn’t completely useless. She put everything back and took out the tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. She simply made stir-fried tomato and egg, smacked cucumbers, and stir-fried lettuce.

When Lin Xin sat down at the table, she looked at the dishes and shot another suspicious glance at Ye Linghua.

Ye Linghua simply smiled gently and said calmly, “I didn’t say I could cook during my interview.”

Lin Xin was speechless. “…Isn’t that a mandatory skill?”

Ye Linghua just smiled without a word. Lin Xin sighed and didn’t say anything else. There was nothing wrong with a simple dinner, and she wasn’t in the mood to eat anyway. The ingredients in the fridge had been ordered this morning. She’d planned to celebrate her and Zheng Ranwen’s fifth wedding anniversary.

Yes, five years.

Today was the day they got their marriage license, and it should have been a day to celebrate. But who would have thought that on their anniversary… Zheng Ranwen would propose a divorce?

She finished her dinner without any appetite and went upstairs alone. She could hear the sound of the chair being pushed back and the dishes being cleaned.

The beautiful and elegant spiral staircase wound its way up. The moonlight that streamed in from the small window cast a glow on the steps, like flowing water.

Lin Xin walked into the moonlight on the second floor. In the dim hallway, she could see the brightly lit living room downstairs. Her first day after the divorce, which should have been miserable, didn’t feel so bad.

At that moment, she understood a little why her mother had hired a housekeeper today. It was true that she was in no mood to do housework, and she needed someone to be there while she was alone at home after the divorce.

Lin Xin stopped thinking about it. An extra person wouldn’t break the bank. She arrived at her bedroom door and saw that the guest room next door was wide open. In the five years of their marriage, Zheng Ranwen had never been willing to share a room with her. So they slept in separate rooms; Lin Xin in the master bedroom, and Zheng Ranwen in the guest room. They’d say good morning and good night to each other.

More than a married couple, they were like roommates.

Now that she thought about it, there weren’t many memories from those five years worth recalling. In that case, their anniversary wasn’t worth celebrating either.

Despite thinking this, Lin Xin couldn’t help but walk toward the guest room and look inside. When Zheng Ranwen lived there, she never let Lin Xin enter. Now she could go in, but she no longer had the desire she once had.

The room was empty. She should have expected Zheng Ranwen’s ruthlessness; she had moved everything out, leaving not a single memory behind. Lin Xin looked around expressionlessly, then gently closed the guest room door, symbolically closing her feelings for Zheng Ranwen.

She went back to her room and turned on the lights, chasing away the darkness. Her room was decorated in a gentle, elegant, and comfortable style. Just as she had meticulously decorated the master bedroom for their marriage, Lin Xin had also carefully prepared the room today, with romantic rose petals and an alluring fragrance.

“This is just adding insult to injury!” Lin Xin shook her head, trying to distract herself when her phone suddenly rang.

Lin Xin was startled. The ringtone was one she had specifically set for Zheng Ranwen’s calls so she wouldn’t miss them while at work. She hadn’t changed it since.

Why is she calling now? Is she regretting it? Heh, how confident am I to think that?

Lin Xin scoffed at herself, but still answered the phone.

Zheng Ranwen’s cold voice came through. “Lin Xin?”

Lin Xin leaned against the wall and gave a low hum.

The other side fell silent, not continuing to speak.

They just listened to each other’s breathing over the phone, not a word said. As the seconds ticked by, Lin Xin’s slightly hopeful mood turned cold. She gave a self-deprecating laugh and asked, “What is it?”

Only then did Zheng Ranwen seem to snap back. She said softly, “I’m sorry.”

Lin Xin replied, “Sorry for what?”

Zheng Ranwen didn’t answer. Instead, she explained, “I didn’t mean to choose today.”

Lin Xin laughed. “So, you just remembered now?”

“I’m sorry.” It seemed that Zheng Ranwen couldn’t say anything else.

Lin Xin gave a cynical laugh. “If you called just to apologize for divorcing me on our anniversary, there’s no need. We’re separated now, like strangers. It would be best if we never see each other again.”

After saying these harsh words, Lin Xin hung up. But even after acting so tough, she couldn’t help but stare at her phone, as if the person who had just said those things to Zheng Ranwen wasn’t herself.

“In the end, not remembering means not caring.” How long had she been preparing for today? The fridge full of ingredients, the decorated bedroom, and that stunning white sheer nightgown.

Lin Xin was so angry she threw her phone. It hit the wooden floor with a loud bang.

At the same time, the bedroom door flew open. Ye Linghua appeared in the doorway and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

The moment she spoke, the air went completely still.

The moonlight spilling in from outside seemed to grow even colder.

Lin Xin, still in the posture of having thrown her phone, turned to look at Ye Linghua. The suddenness of it all made her feel that something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Ye Linghua looked at her, suddenly realizing what she had done. She gave a slow smile and explained in a gentle, but completely unapologetic, tone, “I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

Eavesdropping!

Lin Xin instantly understood, and a plume of white smoke seemed to puff out of her ears. What Zheng Ranwen? What anniversary? What divorce?! At that moment, she forgot everything. All she wanted was to figure out why this newly hired housekeeper was eavesdropping on her phone call!

Lin Xin stood up and walked menacingly toward Ye Linghua. Ye Linghua couldn’t help but swallow, backing away and waving her hands in explanation. “I really didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just came up to ask which room I’m sleeping in. I mean, even if I’m a housekeeper, I still need a place to sleep, right? You can’t make me sleep in the living room, can you? Wait, just calm down. Don’t be angry! If you get sick from being angry, it’s not worth it!”

Ye Linghua’s rapid-fire explanation didn’t soothe Lin Xin. Instead, it made her angrier. “Are you saying this is my fault?”

“No, no, no.” Ye Linghua’s face still held a smile, unafraid of Lin Xin’s menacing expression, but she very shrewdly said, “It’s my fault, my fault. How could it be your fault? It’s all my fault.”

For some reason, even though Ye Linghua admitted she was wrong, Lin Xin felt even more infuriated.

Seeing Lin Xin’s face turn red with anger, Ye Linghua felt both helpless and amused. She could only explain, “I didn’t have time to knock. You were already on the phone.”

Lin Xin retorted furiously, “So, you couldn’t just avoid me?”

“I didn’t have time for that either. I hadn’t even left yet, and you were all done with your call.”

Lin Xin felt a headache coming on. “So, in the end, it’s still my fault!”

Ye Linghua insisted, “It’s my fault, my fault.”

Lin Xin shot back, “Your apology makes me even angrier.”

Ye Linghua froze. “Huh??? Then… is it your fault?”

Lin Xin: “…Ye Linghua!!!”

Ye Linghua: “…Fine, just tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do whatever you say!”

Lin Xin’s heart fluttered for a moment, but she couldn’t help but say, “Why should I tell you!”

They moved in a back-and-forth chase, and soon Ye Linghua was backed against the top of the stairs. As a stranger to the villa and with her back to the staircase, Ye Linghua didn’t notice the steps behind her.

Seeing that Ye Linghua was still backing up and about to fall, Lin Xin’s heart clenched. She lunged forward to grab her.

Just as Lin Xin lunged, Ye Linghua’s foot missed the step. In that instant, Ye Linghua used her body’s flexibility to grab the wall, pulling herself back from falling and standing upright again.

Meanwhile, Lin Xin, who had nothing to grab onto due to Ye Linghua’s sudden dodge, went flying toward the stairs due to inertia.

Seeing Lin Xin about to tumble down the stairs, Ye Linghua turned around and reached out to grab her wrist.

The moment was both very long and very short.

Lin Xin clearly felt Ye Linghua’s strength, the force with which she pulled her forward. Her body, now in Ye Linghua’s arms, felt like it was on fire. Her head, protected in the crook of Ye Linghua’s arm, felt a little numb. Everything happened so slowly that Lin Xin could feel every one of Ye Linghua’s movements.

They slammed into the stairs, tumbling down together. The spiral staircase had no landings, so they rolled all the way from the second floor to the first-floor living room.

When they finally lay still on the floor, Lin Xin was so dizzy she couldn’t tell which way was up. But she knew that Ye Linghua had protected her well; her head didn’t hurt, and while her body ached a little, it wasn’t serious. Other than being dizzy, she felt no other discomfort.

Everything had happened so suddenly. Lin Xin stared blankly at the lights on the ceiling. Meanwhile, after recovering from her dizziness, Ye Linghua quickly moved to her side, asking with concern, “Are you okay?”

Since they met, Ye Linghua had always been smiling gently. But at this moment, she finally looked worried, her eyes filled with nothing but concern for Lin Xin.

She had been able to smile while being interrogated upstairs, but now she was frowning with worry. Why did she care so much about her? They were strangers who had just met today, and Lin Xin had just been furious with her.

Lin Xin didn’t understand why someone would care so much about a stranger.

A faint warmth spread through her heart, a warmth that came from a stranger, and it felt so rare.