After Transmigrating, I Fell in Love with a Top-Tier Movie Queen - Chapter 34

The sun rose, and the morning light streamed through the window. The chirping of birds woke Ye Linghua from her sleep. She vaguely remembered having to catch a flight, so she decided not to go back to sleep.

She sat up and yawned sleepily, a little annoyed, and ran her fingers through her hair. Her gaze went to the window, and through the curtains, she could vaguely see that the daylight was already bright outside.

She felt quite exhausted, and another sleepy yawn escaped her. Annoyed, she thought, …I was up all night.

She had tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until around 5 a.m. when she finally started to feel drowsy.

She picked up her phone and checked the time: 6:30 a.m. Well, that was only an hour and a half of sleep. I might as well not have slept at all! She knew she couldn’t fall back asleep now. Since she had a flight to catch to join the film crew today, she might as well get up and pack.

Ye Linghua got up, washed up, changed her clothes, and put the clothes she had prepared last night into her suitcase.

She looked around the room and saw there was nothing else she needed to bring.

She rolled her suitcase downstairs. As she passed the door, she saw the cardboard packaging left from last night and decided she would come back up to get it and throw it away later.

She carried her suitcase down the stairs. Before she got to the bottom, she heard a sound from the counter area.

She went to see and found Lin Xin making coffee. Seeing Ye Linghua, Lin Xin was startled, then looked away and quietly asked, “Good morning!”

Ye Linghua gave her a radiant smile. “Morning.”

Perhaps she didn’t expect Ye Linghua to be up so early, but Lin Xin had only made one cup of coffee. She took out another cup and asked, “I’ll make you one too, okay?”

Ye Linghua didn’t refuse. “Thank you.”

Lin Xin started grinding coffee beans and boiling water again. She loved freshly ground coffee and enjoyed making it herself when she was at home.

Ye Linghua never tried to compete with her when it came to making coffee.

Thinking about the leftover cake from yesterday, she used the time while Lin Xin was making coffee to take it out of the refrigerator and cut two small slices.

Seeing this, Lin Xin couldn’t help but say, “Why did you bring it back? We can’t finish it.”

Ye Linghua sighed. “You bought a cake that was too big. If it was just the two of us celebrating, a 6-inch cake would have been enough.” She thought about it, decided a 6-inch cake was still too big, and corrected herself, “A 4-inch cake would be enough for two people.”

Lin Xin was a little annoyed. “Do I look like a stingy person? A three-tiered cake shows my sincerity.”

Ye Linghua nodded. “I love your sincerity. It’s a shame I can’t eat it all. It makes me feel bad.”

Hearing this, Lin Xin looked at her. The expression on her face softened, and her heart melted.

Ye Linghua was a very gentle person. No matter what, she always cherished other people’s kindness, which made people feel that any effort for her was worth it.

“Do you have any trash to throw out?” Ye Linghua asked as she brought the cake to the dining table.

Lin Xin was pulled out of her thoughts by the question and quickly replied, “A little.”

Ye Linghua hummed in agreement. “Okay, get it ready. I’ll take it out in a bit. I also have some cardboard from yesterday upstairs to throw away.”

The house had been thoroughly cleaned over the past two days, so the trash today was all newly generated and had to be taken out before they left. She could throw out the cardboard from the birthday gifts at the same time.

Ye Linghua thought this would be convenient, but she didn’t get a reply. She looked up and saw Lin Xin standing behind the counter, lost in thought.

“Lin Xin?” Ye Linghua said.

Lin Xin jolted back to reality and smiled. “Okay. It’s just trash from the coffee I made this morning; it’s not much. I’ll get it ready for you.”

Ye Linghua nodded and went to help her with the coffee cups.

When they were seated, they ate breakfast and chatted leisurely. Ye Linghua noticed that Lin Xin was a bit absent-minded, but knowing she wouldn’t say anything, Ye Linghua didn’t press her for now.

During this time, Meng Kelin called and said that she and Zhu Fang would be coming over soon.

After breakfast, Ye Linghua first pushed her and Lin Xin’s suitcases to the door. Then she went back upstairs to get the cardboard trash. It wasn’t much: a box from the cosmetics, two bags from the clothes, and the black gift box that held everything.

Ye Linghua took the trash that Lin Xin had prepared from the kitchen and put it into the black gift box. She then told Lin Xin, “I’m going to throw out the trash. I’ll be right back.”

Lin Xin didn’t show much emotion and simply nodded calmly.

There were many trash cans in the neighborhood, and one was close to their house. To prevent odors in the summer, trash was collected three times a day.

“Okay.” Hearing her own calm reply, Lin Xin felt a faint sadness.

It’s good that she won’t find it.

She hadn’t even hoped for it to be found. It was just something she bought on a whim—something she shouldn’t have bought in the first place. It’s good luck that she didn’t see it.

Ye Linghua turned and left the house with the trash. The bright light outside seemed to swallow her. Lin Xin suddenly thought about how she had loved someone for six years. It was a passionate, rebellious love. She had once been so bold.

How wonderful is it to bravely pursue your own love?

When did I start to hold back?

Was it the divorce papers that Zheng Lanwen handed to me? Or was it the radiant light that Ye Linghua brought with her when she came into my life? Or was it my own shameful past?

Has my courage been completely used up?

It must be low self-esteem.

Lin Xin could no longer see herself clearly, nor could she see the direction she could go.

Just as she was lost in thought, a figure appeared in the bright light outside the door. Her long black hair shimmered in the sunlight. She walked inside, took off her shoes in the entryway, and looked at Lin Xin with a smile. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Looking at Ye Linghua like that, Lin Xin understood that she was no longer the person she used to be. It wouldn’t be so easy to try and open her heart again.

Ye Linghua returned from throwing out the trash to find Lin Xin still standing in the same spot, her face blank and a little sad. She thought she might have triggered a memory of Zheng Lanwen, so she just smiled and tried to bring her back to the present.

Lin Xin shook her head. “Nothing. Sister Meng said she’d be here in two minutes.”

Ye Linghua said, “Okay, then let’s go.”

Ye Linghua began to push their suitcases toward the door. Lin Xin followed behind without offering to help, seeming a bit dazed.

As Ye Linghua pushed the two suitcases to the door, she turned around and bumped right into Lin Xin.

Ye Linghua felt her chin get hit again. She touched her chin and looked down, seeing Lin Xin wincing in pain after hitting her nose.

Ye Linghua gave a wry smile. “What’s wrong? You seem out of it this morning. Is something on your mind?”

Lin Xin shook her head. “No.”

It was clear that something was on her mind. Ye Linghua wanted to ask more, but a horn sounded behind them, and a black car pulled up.

Meng Kelin rolled down the back window and laughed. “Hugging in broad daylight? Aren’t you afraid the paparazzi will get a shot of you?”

Ye Linghua realized their position was awkward. She put some distance between her and Lin Xin, then let the driver open the trunk and put the suitcases in.

When she returned to the car, Lin Xin had already opened the back door and gotten in. Ye Linghua saw her still-dazed expression but didn’t say anything, choosing to sit in the front passenger seat.

Meng Kelin and Lin Xin were in the same area, so it was easy for them to talk. Meng Kelin first told Lin Xin that some fans would be taking pictures at the airport and to smile.

Lin Xin gave a forced smile. Meng Kelin asked, “Why do you look so dazed? Didn’t you sleep last night?”

Lin Xin nodded. “I had insomnia.”

Meng Kelin looked at Ye Linghua and saw the dark circles under her eyes. “Did you have insomnia, too?” she asked.

Ye Linghua said, “Yes.”

Meng Kelin was speechless. “What is going on with you two? At least we don’t have to do anything when we get there. You can rest for a day.”

Then, she told Lin Xin about the recent news she had gathered about the film crew. She talked about who the male lead was, who had conflicts with whom, the director’s mood, and more.

Meng Kelin’s voice filled the car the entire way, and Lin Xin only occasionally responded.

Finally, at 10 a.m., they arrived at the airport.

Just as Meng Kelin had said, there was a group of fans waiting in a part of the hall. When they saw Lin Xin, some of them started taking pictures like crazy.

Ye Linghua didn’t like having her picture taken and tried to avoid the cameras. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that some of the fans were taking pictures of her.

I’m getting more and more narcissistic these days…

As Ye Linghua’s mind wandered, Zhu Fang suddenly came up behind her with the suitcases. She came over to Ye Linghua, craned her neck to look, and then asked strangely, “Why isn’t Sister Xin’s gift on you?”

Ye Linghua was startled and said, “It is on me.”

Zhu Fang was even more confused. “I don’t see it!”

Ye Linghua laughed. “I put the clothes and cosmetics in the suitcase. It’s more convenient for check-in.”

Zhu Fang was stunned and immediately understood. She gestured with her hands in the air and stammered, “What… what about that one?”

That one? Which one?

Ye Linghua was almost speechless from the question. She asked, “What are you talking about?”

At this point, Zhu Fang knew that Ye Linghua most likely hadn’t found it. For a moment, she didn’t know if she should say anything. She hesitated and continued in a broken voice, “I… I mean, there’s one more gift…”

Ye Linghua asked, “There’s one more?”

Zhu Fang fell silent. Lin Xin hadn’t said anything about it the whole trip. Did she not want to? So, should I say something?

Ye Linghua asked again, “Did I miss one?”

Zhu Fang gave an awkward laugh. “I think so?”

Ye Linghua said, “Think so?” What kind of answer is that? It either is or it isn’t.

Ye Linghua stopped walking. Zhu Fang had to stop, too, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ye Linghua, who had always maintained a gentle smile, suddenly grew serious. She asked Zhu Fang in a low voice, “She prepared another gift for me, didn’t she?”

Seeing her like this, Zhu Fang’s heart fluttered. She didn’t dare lie and nodded slightly.

A loud bang went off in her head. Lin Xin’s words last night and her dazed state this morning suddenly made perfect sense.

Ye Linghua asked, disbelievingly, “It’s in the box?”

Zhu Fang could only continue to nod. “I packed it, but she was the one who told me to pack it that way. I thought if you didn’t find it, she… she would say something.”

But she hadn’t.

Ye Linghua had already considered a possibility. Her eyes unconsciously looked at Lin Xin ahead. As if feeling Ye Linghua’s gaze, Lin Xin, who was walking in front, turned to look back. She saw that Ye Linghua hadn’t moved and called out to her, “Hurry up! We need to check in.”

Check-in?

Ye Linghua gave a brilliant smile and said to Lin Xin, “I forgot something. I’m going back to get it.”

“What is it?” Lin Xin frowned, thinking of telling her to just buy it there.

But then she heard Ye Linghua say, “My phone.”

Lin Xin was speechless. That’s not something you can just buy.

Ye Linghua said, “You guys go on ahead!”

Meng Kelin also frowned. “How could you forget your phone? Get on the plane first! I’ll have someone go back to get it and mail it to you.”

Ye Linghua smiled. “I have ‘phone-separation anxiety.’ I can’t wait a single day, or even a moment. I’ll go get it myself! You guys go on the plane. I probably won’t make it. I’ll just take the next one.”

Meng Kelin could only nod. “Alright, then. There’s a ticket change counter up ahead. Go check. I’ll reimburse you.”

Ye Linghua just waved her hand and ran off.

Lin Xin watched her back, baffled. She saw Ye Linghua turn and run out of the airport, not toward the ticket counter to change her flight. Lin Xin wanted to call out to her, but Ye Linghua was already outside the airport.

In that moment, Ye Linghua didn’t care about the ticket, whether she would make the flight, or even if she could buy a new ticket today. None of it mattered.

She only wanted to get back to Lin Xin’s house as fast as she could to find the gift that had left Lin Xin so dazed all morning.

Perhaps, that was the gift Lin Xin truly wanted to give.

A gift that she had almost thrown away and was probably now on its way to the dump.

The driver, who hadn’t driven far, was quickly called back by Ye Linghua. They got back to the neighborhood in only half an hour.

The car drove all the way to the villa’s entrance. Ye Linghua got out, looked around, and saw no one nearby. Her eyes then went to the trash can not far away. She quickly ran toward it. The tall, green bin stood steadily nearby.

Ye Linghua ran over, pulled the lid open, and looked inside, only to find it completely empty.

Her heart panicked. Ye Linghua immediately realized it had been collected. The fact that there was no trash inside meant it must have just been collected.

She ran back to the car and told the driver to get out. She immediately took over and drove around the neighborhood, looking for the sanitation worker.

Fifteen minutes later, after driving through every corner of the neighborhood, Ye Linghua finally saw the garbage truck in the park.

Ye Linghua quickly parked the car and went to stop the truck.

Her determined stance looked like she was there to demand an explanation, which scared the sanitation worker so much that he almost ran away.

Fortunately, Ye Linghua quickly walked up to him, took a deep breath, and said, “I threw away a very valuable item, and it was in a trash bag.”

The worker’s eyes widened. These people are all rich. The stuff they throw away must be worth a lot.

So, he quickly got out of the truck and emptied all the garbage, thinking of helping Ye Linghua search.

Luckily, what Ye Linghua had thrown away was cardboard. It stood out in the pile of garbage bags, and she found it with little effort.

Even though Ye Linghua’s hair was a mess, she still carefully carried the black gift box to a tree.

In that moment, she carefully examined the gift box. After it was back in her hands, it suddenly felt heavy. Ye Linghua carefully inspected it, front and back. It was indeed thicker than normal cardboard. In the top right corner, there was a small tear, revealing a chain that shimmered in the sunlight.

This?

Ye Linghua tore off the paper covering it, instantly revealing the necklace hidden underneath.

The black cardboard provided a beautiful contrast to the rose-gold chain. The fishtail pendant was adorned with scattered diamonds. A lustrous white pearl hung from the tip of the fishtail.

It was a beautiful necklace! A necklace that she had given to herself but had hidden in the most secret of places.

A necklace she had almost missed but had managed to find in time.

Ye Linghua let out a sigh of relief. She picked up the necklace, and its cold touch felt like ice against her heart. She held it up to the sunlight, and the shimmering diamonds added to its beauty.

She looked up at it, a spoiled smile on her face. “Who gives a gift like this? Who would be able to find it?”

But even in her awkwardness, she’s so cute.