Everyone Loves the Alpha, But He’s Not Interested [Transmigration] - Chapter 58

The phone was lying face down on the bedside table, pinning a lock of Yu Qingxue’s hair beneath it. Ning Xi hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to move the phone in case the vibration woke her. Just then, Yu Qingxue frowned slightly. With her eyes still closed, she reached out and, with perfect accuracy, picked up the phone, then turned away from Ning Xi to face the other direction.

The phone kept vibrating.

Clearly irritated, Yu Qingxue opened her eyes and slowly pushed herself up with one hand. Her gaze was still foggy with sleep.

Her light-colored eyes were misty and soft. She covered her mouth and yawned. When she opened her eyes again, they were clear and bright, as if washed by a spring breeze beneath a sunny sky.

She unlocked her phone and saw the messages were from Jiang Yuanxin. Her brows knit together. The latest message popped up, and it was Jiang asking for a raise.

“Why is he asking for a raise out of nowhere? Does he think I make money by shaking trees?” Yu Qingxue muttered under her breath.

“Who’s asking for a raise?” Ning Xi finally spoke up. She had stayed silent for a while and couldn’t help herself any longer.

Yu Qingxue was startled by the sudden voice. She turned and saw Ning Xi standing there. Clutching her chest, she pouted. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Ning Xi said gently, brushing a hand over her hair. “I’ve been standing here for a while. Read your messages, then take another nap if you want.”

Yu Qingxue still looked drowsy. She reminded Ning Xi of a jasmine flower that had wilted under the sun, beautiful but weary.

“Jiang Yuanxin sent me a message, asking for a raise. I’m checking if he did anything worth giving him one,” she said lazily, raising her hand to cover another yawn. Her eyes teared slightly, moistening her thick lashes. As she blinked, her lashes fanned softly like two tiny black fans.

Ning Xi’s heart stirred.

She had just returned from speaking with Jiang Yuanxin, and now he was messaging Yu Qingxue about getting a raise. Could the two things be connected?

Ning Xi sat down on a nearby chair and smiled. “There has to be a reason he wants a raise, right?”

She kept her eyes on Yu Qingxue’s face, watching closely for any change in her expression.

Yu Qingxue looked down and opened her chat with Jiang Yuanxin. Her face stayed calm as she read through the messages.

Ning Xi noticed her blinking more than usual.

Aside from that, nothing seemed out of place.

After reading, Yu Qingxue looked up with a helpless expression in her eyes. “He says he’s been directing and editing at the same time, only sleeping five or six hours a night, and wants overtime pay. If not that, then a raise. Other directors do just as much and don’t go chasing their bosses for money.”

Ning Xi casually added, “I went to see him just now.”

Yu Qingxue’s fingers tightened slightly around her phone. “What did you go to him for?”

Ning Xi said, “Actually, before we went to confront Wang You, Director Jiang told me something. He said Wang You liked Wei Nian and asked me to keep an eye on Wei Nian’s character. I asked him who told him that, and he said Wang You did.”

“I didn’t tell you because I thought he might have misunderstood or heard it wrong. But now that we caught Wang You in the act, I’m even more confused. Why would Wang You tell him she liked Wei Nian? It doesn’t make sense. Even if Jiang didn’t know about you and Wang You, Wang You knows he has a loose tongue. Telling him would be like asking to get exposed.”

“So I think he lied to me. The person who told him wasn’t Wang You at all.”

Ning Xi spoke calmly, but her gaze stayed fixed on Yu Qingxue, reading her every move.

Yu Qingxue blinked in surprise. “He told you something that serious and didn’t tell me? And now he wants a raise? I’m docking his pay.”

Her tone and reaction were flawless.

But Yu Qingxue was an award-winning actress. Ning Xi could not be certain if she was acting or not.

“I’ll reply to him now,” Yu Qingxue said, unlocking her phone. Her thumb touched the screen, but nothing happened.

She glanced down and saw a faint, nearly invisible smudge where her thumb had been. She wiped her hand against the blanket and then cleaned the screen. This time, it unlocked easily.

“It’s hot while sleeping. My hands got sweaty,” she said casually.

Ning Xi lowered her eyes, thoughtful. “When I went to speak with him, Director Jiang was sweating a lot too.”

“That’s normal. We both sweat easily. It’s been like that since we were kids. He sweats all over. I only get sweaty palms,” Yu Qingxue replied with ease, her voice relaxed.

She had casually described Jiang Yuanxin’s sweating habits, and they matched exactly what Ning Xi had seen. There were no flaws in her explanation.

Yu Qingxue quickly typed a reply and hit send. “I’m done. Now I need to nap again. This time, I’ll remember to mute my phone.”

Ning Xi stood up. “I’ll close the door for you. Get some rest.”

“Thank you,” Yu Qingxue said with a soft smile. “It’s really nice having you around.”

After leaving the back of the trailer, Ning Xi gently closed the inner door and returned to the front seat. She sat down and began sorting through everything she knew.

The truth was already taking shape in her mind, but she did not want to accept it yet. She could not understand why that person would set all this in motion. It did not seem like something she would do for no reason.

So Ning Xi tried to think of other possibilities.

In the back of the trailer, Yu Qingxue watched her leave and finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Her expression softened, and she reopened the chat to reread Jiang Yuanxin’s messages.

Jiang Yuanxin: Qingxue, give me a raise!

Jiang Yuanxin: Just now, Ning Xi asked me who told me Wang You liked Wei Nian. I swore it was Wang You and didn’t mention you at all. That deserves a reward, right?

Jiang Yuanxin: You have no idea. Ning Xi’s presence is so intense. Lying to her made me so nervous I was drenched in sweat. I only felt better after she left and I took a shower and changed clothes.

Jiang Yuanxin: Boss, please give me that raise!

Yu Qingxue: Talk later. Ning Xi is here.

After that, Jiang Yuanxin stopped messaging. Yu Qingxue imagined him sitting quietly like a scolded child and couldn’t help smiling.

Yu Qingxue: Ning Xi has left.

Jiang Yuanxin: She didn’t figure anything out, right?

Yu Qingxue: I’m not sure. When I tried to unlock my phone in front of her, she noticed my hand was sweaty.

Jiang Yuanxin: That’s bad. Ning Xi is extremely sharp. She definitely sensed something. Maybe we should just tell her the truth and ask her not to tell Wang You.

Yu Qingxue: Choose one. The truth, or the raise.

Jiang Yuanxin: I choose the raise!

Yu Qingxue: Fine. Just remember, as far as you know, it was Wang You who told you about liking Wei Nian. I didn’t know anything about it.

Jiang Yuanxin: Got it. If the boss says so, I’ll stick to it.

Yu Qingxue set her phone down and lay back down. Her pale fingers brushed her lips lightly. Her eyes shimmered, thoughtful and calm.

It was almost time. The truth was getting closer.

At eight in the evening, filming resumed. The scenes were divided between Teams A and B. This time, the setup was different from before.

Ning Xi was paired with Wei Nian, continuing their previous plotline.

Yu Qingxue was paired with Wang You, filming a scene from the middle to later parts of the story.

Team A was filming a scene with Ning Xi and Wei Nian. Director Jiang Yuanxin, afraid he might reveal something in front of Ning Xi, decided to stay with Team B instead.

The director of Team A admired Ning Xi’s acting. Before the shoot, he took a moment to chat with her and express his appreciation for her work.

Wei Nian crouched in a corner where Ning Xi could not see her. Watching the director speak so kindly to Ning Xi did not stir any jealousy in her. At this point, she just hoped Ning Xi would not say a word to her before filming began.

If Alphas were ranked, she would be a basic grade Alpha while Ning Xi would be the highest class. When Ning Xi released her presence, it completely overwhelmed her. She had no way to fight back.

Three minutes before filming started, Ning Xi walked away from the director and headed straight toward Wei Nian.

That afternoon, after going over everything again and again, Ning Xi had reluctantly added Wei Nian to her list of suspects.

Although the idea that Wei Nian had told Jiang Yuanxin about Wang You liking her seemed strange, it was not entirely impossible.

Maybe Wei Nian had noticed Wang You’s feelings and felt something in return but was too afraid to confess. So she told Jiang Yuanxin, hoping that as Wang You’s childhood friend, he could help.

But instead of matchmaking, Jiang Yuanxin chose to test Wei Nian’s character. And he asked Ning Xi to be the one to do it.

Seeing Ning Xi approach, Wei Nian could not keep hiding. She quickly stood up and greeted her with an awkward smile. “Good evening.”

Ning Xi gave her a slight nod. “I have something to ask you.”

Wei Nian thought she was about to be questioned about her connection with Wang You. She prepared herself mentally. She had memorized the script inside and out, not missing a single detail.

But Ning Xi asked directly, “Did you ever tell Director Jiang that Wang You liked you?”

“Huh?” Wei Nian blinked in confusion. “No, I never said that. I would never even think of saying something like that to Director Jiang.”

“If anything, I would say that I liked Wang You. Why would I tell her childhood friend that she liked me? Especially when that friend is Director Jiang. That would be way too reckless.”

“Ning Xi, where did you hear that from? It is not true. Please do not believe it.”

Ning Xi quietly responded, feeling a mix of emotions. So it was not Wei Nian after all.

There were very few people close enough to Jiang Yuanxin to have shared something like that. And even fewer who could bring up Wang You’s private feelings.

Wang You was a shy person. Other than her co-star Wei Nian, she hardly interacted with anyone. She would never share something so personal with just anyone.

That left one person.

Yu Qingxue.

Thinking back to what happened earlier, Ning Xi realized the timeline matched. She had just returned from speaking with Jiang Yuanxin, and shortly after, Yu Qingxue received a message from him asking for a raise. It made things almost certain. Yu Qingxue had been the one who told him.

But Ning Xi still could not understand why.

Why would Yu Qingxue tell someone else that her own girlfriend liked another woman, then the next morning act like everything was fine and lead Ning Xi to talk with Wang You, only for it to end with betrayal?

The entire setup felt like a story. And the one directing that story was the very person who had supposedly been betrayed, Yu Qingxue.

That night, the shoot for Team A went poorly.

Ning Xi made three mistakes in a row. Just as she finally adjusted her performance, Wei Nian started messing up.

“Wei Nian, what is going on? Why do your lines keep breaking? You are playing the Left Guardian of the demonic sect, someone who grew up with the leader. Most of the time, your relationship is like that of sisters who do not get along. What kind of older sister stares at her younger sister and forgets her lines, even starts shaking?”

“I am sorry, Director. I promise I will not make that mistake again,” Wei Nian said, bowing deeply. Her heart felt bitter.

She did not mean to mess up, but Ning Xi’s presence on set was too strong. She had no idea how to act in front of her.

She used to think she was a good actress and was proud of herself for it.

But now she realized how wrong she had been.

The only reason she had been able to act alongside Ning Xi and Yu Qingxue before was because they had been holding back. If they had not, this film might not have even made it to production.

Tonight, Ning Xi was fully in character, and Wei Nian was completely crushed. She was beginning to doubt whether she could even keep acting.

“Ning Xi, I know you probably hate me right now. But this is President Yu’s production. Every second we waste is burning money. If you want to take your anger out on me, wait until we finish the scene. I will stand still and let you hit me. But please hold back a little while we are filming.”

The best actors do not crush their scene partners. They help bring them into the moment.

Ning Xi pressed her lips together. “I am sorry. I did not do it on purpose. And there is no need to hit anyone. I do not believe in violence. I will try my best to work with you.”

She really had not meant to overpower her. She had simply been distracted by everything she had been thinking. By the time she returned to herself, Wei Nian had already been thrown off so badly she was asking her to go easy.

After Team A finished shooting, Wei Nian ran straight to the makeup room to remove her makeup.

Team B was still filming.

Ning Xi walked to the edge of their set just in time to hear Director Jiang’s voice come through the megaphone, saying “Cut.”

A moment later, Yu Qingxue and Wang You stepped aside to rest.

The two of them stood close together, laughing and chatting like nothing had happened. They looked just as close as before, showing no sign of having been in a relationship damaged by betrayal.

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