Reborn! Caught Up by the Critically Obsessed Actress - Chapter 72

This news, which appeared seemingly out of nowhere online, rapidly gained traction and completely dominated the trending searches within just one hour.

Xie Jingcheng didn’t seem to be aware of the matter yet.

Song Qingxing refreshed her screen and noticed that some trending topics had inexplicably vanished, suggesting that the Xie family was actively trying to manage the situation, but the surging public opinion was too overwhelming.

No way?

Song Qingxing couldn’t help but palm her forehead.

The paparazzi didn’t even catch them when they genuinely kissed, yet now they were aggressively promoting a photo based on a forced perspective (fake kiss). She wondered what their true intention was.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing the unusual behavior of the person beside her, Xie Jingcheng naturally sensed something was amiss. She asked with a gentle voice while lowering her gaze to scan the content on Song Qingxing’s phone screen.

Then, she couldn’t help but sneer.

Good.

Recently, too many people had been crossing the line. It seemed she had been too gentle, and it would take a few times of her “going wild” before people learned their lesson.

“Someone took a forced-perspective photo of us and posted it online. But you don’t need to worry, I estimate people from your family’s side have already started taking action, the trending search is being removed quite quickly.”

Song Qingxing refreshed a few more times, and the discussion volume had almost disappeared.

It must be said that while “muzzling” public opinion ruins public goodwill, it is effective. If the two had no intention of going public, then diffusing the heat was the best solution.

“I hate it when people secretly photograph my privacy, but being a public figure means having to go through these things.”

Xie Jingcheng led Song Qingxing out of the greenhouse. She had also booked a restaurant in the small town for today. How could a date only involve playing and no dining? That would be too inconsiderate.

The restaurant’s menu was pre-ordered.

So they could order dishes not on the menu, or the restaurant’s specialties.

“The paparazzi who took this photo needs to be found.”

Xie Jingcheng pulled Song Qingxing into the car, which had the air conditioning on. Stepping into the cool car compartment from the scorching outdoor heat was somewhat jarring for Song Qingxing.

She couldn’t help but rub her nose and let out a little sneeze.

“Achoo!”

Hearing the sound, Xie Jingcheng quickly retrieved a soft, delicately floral-scented tissue from her bag and handed it over.

“Thank you.”

Song Qingxing politely accepted it and wiped her nose. Sure enough, the sudden change from hot to cold was very unfriendly to someone with sensitive nasal passages like her.

“Qingxing, you said you would stay with me for ten years.”

Xie Jingcheng thought for a moment and slowly spoke. She decided to secure Song Qingxing firmly from every angle, and perhaps this first step was the most crucial:

Going public.

Although it might not be the best timing, Xie Jingcheng still held expectations in her heart.

“Yes, I didn’t plan on lying.”

For Song Qingxing, love and career were not the most important things. What she truly cared about was the money brought by her career.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen to be an actress but would have continued as a singing and dancing idol.

Being an idol was less exhausting than being an actress. She had a talent for singing and dancing, but genuinely lacked a natural talent for acting, so she had to spend more energy and thought perfecting her acting skills than those who were professionally trained.

And yet, there was no guarantee of good returns.

“I plan to be with you for ten years, but only if you still want me afterward.”

No sooner had Song Qingxing finished speaking than Xie Jingcheng leaned closer. The cold air in the car cabin and the warmth emanating from her body formed a stark contrast.

Just the proximity was enough to make one’s ears flush.

“How could I ever not want you?”

Fingers lightly brushed against her cheek. Only then did Xie Jingcheng dare to bring up the plan in her mind. She felt like a terrible hunter, step by step luring the little rabbit into the trap.

“If you want, we can even get married…”

The last few words were left unsaid as her lips were stopped by an index finger.

“Don’t say such mushy things.”

Song Qingxing was afraid that if she listened to love confessions every day, she might actually believe it and end up looking like a fool.

“Go ahead, what is the request you wanted to make?”

“If it’s something you’re too embarrassed to say, then don’t do it. We have a driver in the car right now.”

Xie Jingcheng smiled helplessly. She seemed to have left a very poor impression on Song Qingxing, but she didn’t try to justify it, as her personality was indeed somewhat flawed.

“Shall we go public? Is that okay?”

This request was truly surprising. Song Qingxing was a bit speechless.

Going public now would definitely affect her popularity.

But…

She also understood that the era where traffic reigns supreme would eventually pass.

She couldn’t rely solely on fans, but wouldn’t going public now be too soon? And she hadn’t discussed it with her agency yet.

Being a celebrity requires a lot of considerations.

So does dating.

Especially for someone like her who just transitioned careers, unlike those who are solely dedicated to acting, Song Qingxing was caught in an internal struggle.

However, thinking of how Xie Jingcheng had protected her countless times, even when they first met, Xie Jingcheng risked being covered in blisters to shield her.

How could she truly remain unmoved?

She wasn’t heartless, but she simply had too many things to consider.

Truly going public meant the whole world would know: her parents, her relatives and friends, everyone she knew.

And the fans who had always supported her.

“If you don’t want to, then forget it.”

“I’ll have someone delete this news.”

Xie Jingcheng closed her eyes, as if she had heard the sound of her heart shattering.

But she quickly returned to normal. It didn’t matter, slowly but surely. Song Qingxing’s resolve was wavering; she could feel it.

As an actress, the ability to observe and read people is paramount. If she could grasp the emotions subtlely conveyed in a single line of a script, how could she fail to understand if a person felt a spark when looking at her?

“I actually agree. This could even turn the current public discussion into a method of promotion.”

“But I don’t know what the agency will think.”

“With me around, what agency are you afraid of?”

Xie Jingcheng opened her eyes, finding it hard to believe she had received an answer instead of an evasion. This was wonderful! It seemed she was inching closer to Song Qingxing’s heart.

“How do you want to go public?”

What Xie Jingcheng said was true. The agency might dare to bully Song Qingxing, but they would never dare to mess with Xie Jingcheng. It was rumored that many of the agency’s shareholders also had connections with the Xie family.

If things really escalated, neither the agency’s senior management nor Old Chen would benefit.

The car made a few turns and headed towards the restaurant. The restaurant was a two-story building, a classic Western-style villa with orange roof tiles that looked warm under the sunlight.

Xie Jingcheng hadn’t had time to think, as she had never expected Song Qingxing to agree to her bold, fervent, and risky proposal.

Her heart was beating rapidly.

Her heart was almost pounding out of her chest.

“Let me think. How about we take a few photos at the restaurant?”

“It doesn’t need to be too obvious.”

“Just enough to let them understand that you and I are together.”

This way, the two wouldn’t be just “shipping a couple” , but genuinely falling in love because of their work. Although the only one who had genuinely fallen in love from the start was Xie Jingcheng, it was clear that Song Qingxing was also gradually sinking into the quagmire of love, unable to pull herself out.