I Was Taken by the Female Lead After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 22

Bai Xue parks the car, unbuckling her seatbelt. Fu Xiaoxiao studies Bai Xue’s movements and notices her arm is shaking slightly. It reminds her of her mother, Mrs. Xi Rong, about to lose her temper and grab a weapon. Now is not the time to speak; it won’t kill her, but her backside will surely suffer.

By the time Bai Xue has unbuckled her seatbelt, her emotions have stabilized. She asks, “Do you have a lot of fans?”

“Not a lot,” Bai Feifei says. “Only a few hundred thousand. Some were even bought by my old company in bulk because they felt bad for me. After the last trending topic, I got about a hundred thousand more, but that only lasted for two or three days. The numbers have been dropping ever since, and I haven’t been actively managing my account.”

Bai Xue is a little surprised. Bai Feifei is an outsider in the industry, an unknown without a reliable agency. For people like her, getting on a trending topic is nearly impossible unless it’s a huge scandal—an idol dating, meeting fans, or being a mistress. But Bai Feifei’s situation is different. She first gained attention from her beautiful, almost otherworldly face without any company’s promotion, which already surprised Bai Xue, as it showed Feifei’s natural charisma with the public. The subsequent negative comments were not a big deal; everyone makes mistakes when they’re young. Besides, Bai Feifei’s past job was a model, and she didn’t do anything truly out of line. However, her relaxed attitude about her fan count, her disinterest in fame, and her lack of concern for profits are rare in the industry.

There are only a few hundred likes on her post, which calms Bai Xue’s nerves a little. She says, “Good girl, delete it. It’s not the time to post things like this; it will only attract criticism and accusations of using others for fame.”

Bai Feifei blinks, slowly agreeing. She looks at the post and, after a moment, looks up. “Can I not delete it?”

Bai Xue finds Bai Feifei’s pleading look endearing. “You must,” Bai Xue says, stroking her head. “If you really like Huo Wu, you can create a private account for your fangirl activities. No one can say anything about what you post there. Or, wait until you join ‘Guang·Ying’ and become famous with a fanbase to support you. Then you can openly express your affection for her. But right now—”

Bai Xue opens Bai Feifei’s comment section. With a quick refresh, more comments appear. As expected, besides Huo Wu’s fans who are trying to control the comments, most of the other comments are insulting and messy.

[Girl group idol Bai Feifei!] [? Is something wrong with you? Can’t you live without using others for fame?] [I heard you just got out of the mental hospital. Didn’t you get cured? Should we crowdfund your hospital bills?] [Don’t mention our Sister Huo. We’re taking our beauty away.] [How are you worthy?] [Wifey!!!] [This ugly reject from the emo scene is trying to attach herself to others? How much money does your backer have to make you so bold?] … …

Bai Xue’s expression is indifferent as she glances through the comments. She closes her phone and looks at the now-silent Bai Feifei. “Do you understand now?”

Bai Feifei lets out a frustrated sigh, looking at the black text on the white screen. After a moment, she leans back in her seat and, with her voice muffled by her hand, says, “I understand.”

Bai Xue, looking at the vulgar comments on the screen, suddenly notices something and stops. “Those might all be haters. The genuine fans have already found their way here and are apologizing to you.”

Bai Feifei revives on the spot. She sits up and sees the comments. [Thanks for your love! Please support Huo Wu’s new work ‘Half the Sky’ coming to theaters on the eleventh. We’ll see you there.] [The comments above are all trolls. They are not Huo Wu’s fans. Please forgive their intrusion.]

Bai Feifei’s eyes light up with hope. “Auntie Xue, can I really not delete it?”

Bai Xue looks at Bai Feifei’s clean profile. She is seriously looking at her Weibo, her expression shifting between frustration and happiness, as if she isn’t taking the comments to heart at all. Bai Feifei doesn’t seem to be affected by the comments. For a moment, Bai Xue doesn’t immediately refuse but asks, “Why?”

“It’s not my style to delete things just because of some trouble,” Bai Feifei mumbles, her thumb moving on the keyboard as she types a reply. “I genuinely like Huo Wu. I’m not doing it for attention, and I’m not stupid. I know what’s right and what’s wrong. This feeling is not wrong; it’s not hurting anyone. I just want to tell people who I like. If I can’t even say something like that, then I’m not me anymore.”

“Our baby has always stood by her word!” Fu Xiaoxiao suddenly pipes up, rushing over to join Bai Xue in pleading. “Auntie Xue, please agree, please…”

Bai Xue, unable to deal with the two of them, takes Bai Feifei’s phone and sees what she’s replying. Feifei is replying to the comment supporting Huo Wu’s new film.

[FeiFlaiFei: Of course I’ll rent a whole theater to support it (flowers) (patting head) (patting head)]

Bai Feifei’s real name was taken, so she used the English homophones for the last two words. “Flai” sounds like the Chinese word for ‘fortune.’ Bai Xue thought it was clever and didn’t make her change it.

Bai Xue finds it a little amusing. This youthful confidence is something she lacks: they don’t give up, they don’t back down, and they have their own convictions and ideas. When she left the industry, many people said she was falling behind because she couldn’t adapt to the “entertainment-to-the-death” culture. She believed an actor should stay behind the scenes and let their work speak for itself. She had lost her edge and became too passive and traditional. Now, she realizes there was some truth to what they said.

Lost in thought, Bai Xue suddenly asks, “Doesn’t it hurt you?”

“It does!” Bai Feifei says indignantly.

Bai Xue looks at her curiously, and Feifei rummages through her bag, pulling out a burner phone. Bai Xue has a bad feeling about this.

Bai Feifei is full of energy. “Although I won’t take it to heart, I can’t just let them insult me. I’m going to register a private account and reason with these haters. They can insult me, but they can’t insult A-Wu! After I’m done scolding them, I’ll apply to join the fan club… Hmm, Auntie Xue, what are the requirements to join a fan club again?”

Bai Xue didn’t expect this reaction from Bai Feifei. After a long silence, she points to the car door. “Get out of the car first. It’s time to treat your wounds.”

Bai Feifei’s slow radar finally kicks in. She shrinks back, looking timid. “Okay, Auntie Xue, please don’t be mad.”

Bai Xue isn’t mad. Instead, she feels a helpless urge to laugh.

Thankfully, Bai Feifei eventually gives up on her dream of arguing with haters for three days and three nights on a private account. She gets out of the car, looking a little sad, with Fu Xiaoxiao’s help. The wound is a bit serious and requires four stitches. The doctor says she shouldn’t do any strenuous exercise for the next couple of days to avoid her wound from splitting open. Bai Feifei is so scared by the doctor’s words that she clutches her leg and goes home to rest.

Bai Xue drops her off at her doorstep. “Your leg is hurt, so I’ve rescheduled the photoshoot for a later date,” Bai Xue says. “Get some good rest these next few days and wait for news from the ‘Guang·Ying’ crew. If all goes well, you can start packing your bags. I’ll go take care of the rest of the business matters for you.”

Bai Feifei nods, then remembers something. “My mother is having her second surgery in two days. I need to be there with her.”

Bai Xue agrees without hesitation, saying okay.

Before leaving, Bai Xue takes Fu Xiaoxiao with her. The car is still at the Fu family home. When Mrs. Xi Rong kicked Fu Xiaoxiao out, she didn’t let her take anything, including her car, determined to make her stand on her own two feet. She believed that only when a person had nothing to rely on would they truly become independent. This is why Xi Rong is surprised to see Fu Xiaoxiao, who is now so full of confidence, back at the gate.

Xi Rong throws the weeds in her hand onto a pile and looks at Fu Xiaoxiao. “Who said you could come back?”

Fu Xiaoxiao’s composure immediately crumbles. She throws herself backward, a dramatic cry on her lips. “Waaah! Auntie Xue, look at my mom! She’s always treating me like this!”

Bai Xue walks around the corner, holding a car key. She’s wearing a striking, well-fitted pantsuit that accentuates her waist, making her look sharp and elegant. She stands under a tree and smiles at Xi Rong, a light in her eyes that hasn’t been there in a decade. “Rongrong, long time no see.”

“Yang Chun?” Xi Rong hesitates for a moment, putting down the water gun in her hand.

Fu Xiaoxiao freezes. Looking at the deflated water gun, she stares at Xi Rong with suspicion. “Mrs. Xi Rong, what were you about to do? Why are you so reluctant to put down a mere water gun? Your most beloved daughter is back, and you…”

“I was going to spray you with the water gun,” Xi Rong says coldly. “If you say another word, I promise the pressure gun will go straight through your butt and shoot you out of this yard.”

Fu Xiaoxiao pouts indignantly, hiding behind Bai Xue like a wronged wife, tugging on her sleeve, and whispering, “Look at her, just look at her.”

Bai Xue finds it funny. She waves her hand with a smile. “Calm down.”

Xi Rong lets out a cold huff, takes off her gloves, throws them on a nearby table, and invites Bai Xue inside.

Fu Xiaoxiao looks around, not seeing her father. Xi Rong doesn’t turn around, but it’s as if she has eyes on the back of her head. “Your father isn’t here.” She doesn’t say where he is, knowing that Fu Xiaoxiao would go to him for backup and sympathy.

Fu Xiaoxiao is speechless. Her path is mercilessly blocked by Xi Rong, so she can only follow them inside, feeling wronged, to pour them tea. What surprises her is that as soon as Xi Rong and Bai Xue enter, they chat for a moment before going into the office.

There is an unwritten rule in the house that no one is allowed into Xi Rong’s and her father’s offices without permission. Both offices contain confidential documents, rare books, and valuable collections. It’s not that Fu Xiaoxiao can’t go in, but once she accidentally broke a teacup, and her mother made her clean the dog toilet for a month. It smelled awful. For a while, flies loved to hover around her. She is traumatized.

Fu Xiaoxiao is bored inside, so she goes to the garage to look at her RV. It hasn’t been cleaned for a while, so it’s covered in a light layer of dust, but it will be fine after a wash. She gets in and finds the interior clean but smelling a bit stale from lack of use. She tries out the functions and then video calls Bai Feifei.

Bai Feifei answers quickly. Her first question is, “Did your mom hit you?”

“She didn’t hit me,” Fu Xiaoxiao says bluntly. “But she verbally insulted me and crushed my spirit. She even tried to spray me with a high-pressure water gun!”

“She went easy on you, then,” Bai Feifei says soothingly.

Fu Xiaoxiao quickly shows her the RV, showing off its features. She says, a little sadly, “We didn’t get into the same university. I wanted to visit you last summer, but my mom wouldn’t let me. I tried to contact you secretly later, but you wouldn’t answer my calls, and then I couldn’t get through to you at all. When I went to your house, no one was there. I was so lonely.”

Bai Feifei didn’t realize this had happened. “My aunt wouldn’t let you contact me?” She is surprised but quickly understands. She sighs at Xi Rong’s sharp insight. Xi Rong probably saw how the original Feifei became ‘rebellious’ after the college entrance exam and thought her personality had changed too much, that she was no longer a suitable friend for Fu Xiaoxiao. That’s why she intervened.

“My aunt was right to do that,” Bai Feifei says without batting an eye, taking the blame. “I was a mess for the last few years. It was better for you not to find me.” She smoothly changes the topic. “Are Auntie Xue and your mom upstairs?”

“Yeah,” Fu Xiaoxiao answers, then says, “How did you know?”

Bai Feifei smiles. “I guessed.”

Bai Xue’s purpose is not hard to guess. She just terminated a contract with her old company, and there are a lot of things to resolve. A new contract needs to be finalized, and new talent needs to be brought in. Bai Xue wants Feifei to find a reliable company to sign a short-term, one-year contract. Once she’s established, she can leave the company and start her own personal studio. This is exactly what Bai Feifei had in mind. But to do this, they need a trustworthy lawyer, and Xi Rong is the perfect person.

Bai Feifei suddenly feels that fate is a beautiful thing. After so many twists and turns, she’s back where she started, surrounded by familiar faces. Fu Xiaoxiao soon understands and nods in sudden realization. “So that’s what it is.”

She changes the topic again, looking at the mess in Bai Feifei’s room. “What are you doing, my baby?”

“Planting flowers,” Bai Feifei says with a smile at the camera, holding up a newly bought succulent. “Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s gorgeous!” Fu Xiaoxiao’s eyes light up. “What is that? Why is the flower transparent? It looks like a jelly. Is it easy to take care of? I want some too. Plant some for me, okay?”

“It’s a succulent,” Bai Feifei says, pausing. “If I can make them thrive, you can have all you want. I’ll tell you more about it later. This is quite a lot of work.”

“Okay,” Fu Xiaoxiao says, pouting and blowing a dramatic kiss to Bai Feifei.

A short while later, Bai Xue comes down with a file in her hand. Xi Rong is behind her, seeing her off. Fu Xiaoxiao quickly gets out of the RV and hurries to them. Xi Rong looks at her.

Fu Xiaoxiao shrinks back, wondering if they were talking about her. But then, Xi Rong steps forward and pats her on the head. “Keep up the good work.” The action is more of a caress than a pat. Fu Xiaoxiao is stunned.

In three short words, there is more genuine affection than Xi Rong has ever shown in all these years. Fu Xiaoxiao is so overwhelmed by her tenderness, warmth, and maternal love that she wishes she could throw every word of praise on her mother. Her eyes well up, and she trembles as she reaches out. “Mom…”

“Don’t embarrass me,” Xi Rong says, her moment of tenderness gone. “If I hear even one rumor, I’ll bury you in the ground, leaving only your head exposed, and then let your dog pee on you.”

Fu Xiaoxiao grumbles in frustration. “…You’re so evil!”

“You flatter me,” Xi Rong says with a cold smile.

Xi Rong returns to her polite demeanor when speaking to Bai Xue. She nods. “Thank you for the trouble.”

“It was nothing,” Bai Xue says, smiling. “It was a pleasure working with you.”

Xi Rong holds out her hand. “A pleasure working with you.”

But despite her words, as Bai Xue drives off in Fu Xiaoxiao’s RV, she pulls a card out of the file. She hands the black card to Fu Xiaoxiao, smiling as she pats her head. “This is a secondary card for your mom’s main account. There’s a limit on it, and you’ll need to contact the main cardholder for any large purchases. But as long as you stay away from gambling and drugs, the money on this card is enough for you to buy a small company.”