She Became The Black Lotus’s Pure, Untouchable Love - Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Ning Xiangxiang watched Huo Xingyu with deep unease.

The woman drove with an expressionless face, yet strangely, despite her cold demeanor, the flush on her cheeks and ears refused to fade.

Is this really Huo Xingyu? The same Huo Xingyu who eats people alive and has eyes like daggers?? Why is she blushing because someone called her pretty? Is the AC broken, or does she have a fever?

Ning Xiangxiang frantically searched for excuses for this anomaly. Since she had the chance to be reborn ten years in the past, maybe some vengeful spirit had possessed Huo Xingyu’s body in a horror-movie twist. Or perhaps the Huo Xingyu who died once had returned to life, realized its beauty, and decided to become a benevolent, kind person?

She couldn’t help but probe. “Does Miss Huo not like listening to music while driving?”

“Noisy.”

“You’re just like my ex-girlfriend…” Ning Xiangxiang sighed with feigned nostalgia. “She also thought music in the car was too loud.”

“Ex-girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“And then what happened?”

“And then…” Ning Xiangxiang hinted pointedly, “She died.”

In truth, there was no ex-girlfriend. When she got engaged to Huo Xingyu, she was young; with the title of “Fourth Miss Huo’s Fiancée,” no one dared to even look at her twice. Ning Xiangxiang observed her closely. If this were the Huo Xingyu reborn from ten years in the future, she should know this perfectly well, right?

Huo Xingyu remained silent and expressionless for a moment, then reached out and turned on the music. There was no other reaction.

Did she miss the hint? Ning Xiangxiang rested her face in her hand, thinking.

A deep, mellow female voice flowed from the speakers. The song had evidently been paused in the middle during its last play; as soon as it started, it picked up right from the middle of a lyric.

Ning Xiangxiang curled up in the seat, watching the scenery retreat. The architecture of the Ancient Costume Film City was starting to appear in the distance. She barely remembered her last project from her previous life, except that this wuxia drama was a total disaster—the internet was flooded with posts mocking the plot, acting, and special effects.

Being so bad that you get thousands of hate comments is a form of fame in itself. Fortunately, she had always been on the periphery of the storm. Since her debut, she had never been the lead or carried the box office; she drifted between second and third female leads. She either played the innocent “Junior Sister” or the “White Moonlight” first love. Her range was narrow, and she had no memorable roles.

Ning Xiangxiang suddenly felt her future was bleak. She had to save a large sum of money to break her contract with the company to secure her mother’s medical fees and her own living expenses.

As the Film City buildings drew closer, the silhouettes of reporters and paparazzi carrying “telephoto cannons” appeared. Out of professional instinct, Ning Xiangxiang’s heart skipped a beat, and she sat up straight.

She glanced at the slightly weird Huo Xingyu beside her. The outskirts of the Film City were a den of gossip. Having Huo Xingyu’s car show up here was news enough; if she climbed out with a broken leg and eye makeup that looked like she’d been punched…

Then the most memorable scandal of her life would be this one. “Miss Huo, you can drop me off at the corner ahead. I’ll go in by myself.”

“Pushing the wheelchair yourself?”

“Um…” Ning Xiangxiang smiled. “It’s not good for your reputation to be caught by them.”

And it’s even worse for me to be tied to a tycoon, she thought privately.

“Are you dating someone right now?”

“No.”

“Then what ‘bad influence’ could there be between two single people?”

“Uh…” She seized the chance to try again. “That’s another way you’re different from my ex. She hated being photographed or scrutinized.”

“Well, that’s why she’s dead and I’m alive.”

Why did she suddenly become so aggressive?? Ning Xiangxiang pondered in silence.

Huo Xingyu’s phoenix eyes swept over her with a cold, indifferent glance. “Furthermore, I am dropping you off out of humanitarian concern. You should give them the chance to promote my benevolence on the front page.”

Yep. This was the authentic, “Black Lotus” Huo Xingyu, alright.

As Ning Xiangxiang tried to change the subject, Huo Xingyu spoke again. “You remember these details so clearly. Did you love that ex-girlfriend that much?”

“It wasn’t that I loved her so much. It was only after she died that I realized…” She sighed, remembering the past, her eyes shimmering with tears. “That even a cooked duck can fly away.”

To Ning Xiangxiang, this was the absolute truth. When Huo Xingyu died, she thought her happy life as a wealthy widow was beginning. The massive inheritance and stocks were enough for three lifetimes of squandering. Who knew she would drop dead at the funeral?

“Life is unpredictable,” Huo Xingyu remarked timely.

Ning Xiangxiang looked at her gloomily. “I just always feel like she’s still alive. Perhaps in the world of the unseen, we might even meet again?”

“As your granddaughter in her next life?”

“Uh…” She looked away, thinking, As expected of you, Huo Xingyu. When you get ruthless, you’re willing to be reborn as a granddaughter.

…

Wen Ran looked at herself in the mirror.

She wore a “no-makeup” look that made her skin look pink and dewy. Her shoulder-length hair looked messy and casual, but in reality, an 8-magnitude typhoon couldn’t move it. To make this date, she had woken up at 7:00 AM—unprecedented for her—and spent six hours on her styling, armed from head to toe.

She used her index finger to touch up her lipstick. The water-spotted mirror reflected her bright, glamorous self, but also a row of public toilets and people passing by.

Yes… she had spent six hours dressing up for a blind date with Huo Xingyu, and now she was touching up her makeup in a subway station public restroom.

Thinking of today’s experience, the veins on her clenched fist bulged, nearly snapping her lipstick. She had gone through all that trouble, and her time with Huo Xingyu didn’t even last an hour. To get a ride home, she had even given her driver the day off.

At the gallery entrance, when Huo Xingyu asked how she was getting back, Wen Ran had pouted slightly, looking up with innocent “puppy eyes” and biting her lip. “My driver had a family emergency, so I let him go. Sister, if you’re busy, you can head back. Don’t worry about me.”

She had practiced this expression a thousand times. It had never failed. Especially with someone like Huo Xingyu—a high-quality individual with top-tier manners. Even if she didn’t like her, she’d have to save face.

She was certain Huo Xingyu would drive her home.

Instead, the sharp beauty simply nodded. “Okay. I’ll be going then.”

…Be going? GOING?? Wen Ran clutched her bag in fury.

But then, Huo Xingyu walked a few steps, realized leaving her alone was inappropriate, and turned back. “I’ll call a car for you.”

Wen Ran said softly, “I’m a bit scared of taking a stranger’s car. Could Sister drop me off?”

Since she was that direct, how could Huo Xingyu refuse? Wen Ran had already planned it: she’d “accidentally” leave her lipstick or wallet in the car, giving her a reason to see her again. She’d bring her soup or snacks… everything would go according to plan. She admitted she was calculating, but what was a little scheme to get what she wanted?

“Fine.”

Upon hearing the answer, Wen Ran’s lips curled. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’ll drop you at the subway station.”

“Uh…” Wen Ran’s sweet smile froze.

No matter. As long as she got in the car. Subway it is. “Sister, you’re so kind.”

And she was. Just as they arrived and Wen Ran was about to close the door, Huo Xingyu’s slender hand reached out to hand her the “lost” wallet. Her little scheme was useless.

Wen Ran shoved her lipstick into her bag. The more she was denied, the more she wanted. She stepped onto the tile floor with a determined clack-clack and joined the rush hour crowd. Even when faking a subway commute, she had to outshine everyone.

She took a photo of the crowded carriage and posted it on her Moments, set to be visible only to Huo Xingyu.

So many people! But I’m so happy I got to see Sister today! ❤️

…

As they neared the entrance of the Film City, sharp-eyed paparazzi spotted Huo Xingyu’s car and followed. Honestly, Ning Xiangxiang felt she wasn’t losing anything by being linked to Huo Xingyu.

Most scandals between starlets and tycoons were ugly, but Huo Xingyu was different. As the forum posts said: no matter who Huo Xingyu “sponsored,” everyone would think Huo Xingyu was the one losing out because she was so beautiful.

Huo Xingyu wasn’t in the industry, but her fame was sky-high. For a mid-tier star like Ning Xiangxiang, any news with her was a massive boost. Besides, her father, Ning Huaiai, would be thrilled.

Ning Xiangxiang leaned her head against the window as they drove through the ancient building complex. They passed a fence and a giant sign:

Song of the Sea Film Crew — No Unauthorised Personnel

She stared at the sign. I don’t even remember the name of the show I’m filming… how does she know?? Does she secretly love idol dramas under that cold exterior??

She looked at Huo Xingyu in a daze. That strange feeling of anomaly was back. “How did Miss Huo know I was with this crew?”

“I…” Huo Xingyu paused. “I came to investigate. I wanted to see what kind of show gets criticized before it’s even finished filming.”

“And you came to the hospital to see me because of that, too?”

“Why else?” Huo Xingyu looked out the window casually, avoiding her gaze. “Would I be so bored as to go to the hospital specifically for you, wait at the entrance specifically for you, and then drive you to the set specifically for you?”

True, Ning Xiangxiang agreed inwardly. If Huo Xingyu ever did that, the Huo family would have to be bankrupt, the stocks bottomed out, and Huo Xingyu gone mad. Her time belonged to the company; she wouldn’t spend a second of it on anyone else.