The Amnesiac Drama Queen Is Crashing the Live Stream - Chapter 18

Watching Xia Xingtang, whose cheerful expression had instantly darkened, Pei Luoqing quickly grabbed her arm.

Humbly seeking guidance: “What’s wrong?”

Xia Xingtang was almost amused by the sheer audacity of the question. She had initially thought Pei Luoqing was doing it on purpose, but the other woman’s expression was utterly innocent.

It clearly conveyed that it wasn’t intentional, Pei Luoqing genuinely believed that was the right way to take a photo.

Absolutely hopeless.

Xia Xingtang gritted her teeth and asked, “Do you have any idea how terrible you made me look in that photo?”

“But you were sitting, and I was standing. From my angle, that’s just how the photo turned out,” Pei Luoqing calmly reasoned with her. “If I changed the angle, I was worried your legs would look less than half a meter long.”

Half a meter?

What was with the blatant sarcasm?

Even sitting down, someone who was 1.7 meters tall wouldn’t possibly appear to have legs less than half a meter long, right?

Xia Xingtang was so furious she didn’t even want to speak. In the end, she had to teach Pei Luoqing how to take photos step by step, adjusting the angle for each shot until she finally got a presentable picture.

Considering Pei Luoqing’s cooperation, Xia Xingtang generously raised her allowance directly to 20,000 yuan, treating it as a gift for her.

After some final adjustments to the lighting, Xia Xingtang posted the photo to her social media feed.

Plastic friends from all corners of the Second Young Miss Xia’s social circle quickly flocked to like and comment.

Many of them were people the current Xia Xingtang had no memory of, but fortunately, her past self had meticulously labeled each contact.

Xu Weize from Tongheng Construction: 【Wow, where did this beauty come from?】

Sang Yueyue from Lexing Medical Aesthetics: 【When are we hanging out?】

Wen Wenlu from Dream Jewelry: 【One minute! I need the purchase link for that dress you’re wearing!】

Top Star Feifei: 【One minute! I want the same necklace you’re wearing!】

The social circles of wealthy second-generation heirs in Yuncheng were interconnected, and soon, people were chatting under the post. Scrolling down, dozens of comments had piled up in just two minutes, with the number of likes continuing to climb.

But it had to be said, best friends were best friends. Yu Feifei immediately spotted what Xia Xingtang was actually trying to show off.

Bored, Xia Xingtang scrolled through the flood of compliments until a private message from Yu Feifei popped up: 【Some people were talking about dividing assets just a few days ago, and now they’re out here flaunting their sweetness and tormenting us singles (giving up.jpg)】

Xia Xingtang: 【Can you speak normally? Stop with the sarcasm.】

Yu Feifei sent an edited image with the roses circled: 【So, who’s the lucky one who got to give roses to our princess? (angry emoji.jpg)】

Xia Xingtang: 【…】

【Those are just decorative flowers for the room. The focus is on me! Me!】

Yu Feifei: 【Then what about that necklace? I’ve never seen you wear it before.】

Xia Xingtang: 【With all this free time, why don’t you become an actress?】

Yu Feifei: 【What do you mean?】

Xia Xingtang: 【The American FBI would beg on their knees to recruit you. (smirk emoji.jpg)】

Yu Feifei: 【Hmph, you’re guilty.】

Xia Xingtang flipped her phone face down and glanced irritably at the empty living room. Pei Luoqing had already gone upstairs.

What was there to feel guilty about?

She wasn’t guilty at all.

She was just showing off her stunning beauty and, incidentally, her gifts.

That was all.

After some thought, Xia Xingtang still planned to log onto WeChat and engage in a three-hundred-round battle with Yu Feifei.

But when she opened the app, instead of being bombarded by Yu Feifei’s messages, she found numerous replies under her Moments post.

She paused for a moment, then opened the Moments entry she had just posted.

It turned out Yu Feifei had shifted the battlefield from private messages to her Moments, successfully sparking a trend among her friends:

【Hey? Do you really enjoy subtly flaunting your love life like this?】

Others might not have caught on at first, but after Yu Feifei pointed it out, they quickly followed suit, echoing the same sentiment:

【Hey? Do you really enjoy subtly flaunting your love life like this?】

【……】

Xia Xingtang sent Yu Feifei a “Go to jail” meme, then expressionlessly blocked her.

She was so furious that she woke up the next day with dark circles under her eyes.

However, Xia Xingtang didn’t keep Yu Feifei blocked for long. By noon the next day, she relented after receiving a call from her.

Yu Feifei had finally been granted a break by her agent and was allowed to return to Yuncheng, putting an end to her miserable days of being mosquito bait in the tropical rainforest.

After working for so long, she naturally wanted to go out and have fun during her rare time off.

The two indulged in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, causing Xia Xingtang to return home much later each day. She even began acting as if she didn’t want to come home at all.

At first, Pei Luoqing didn’t pay it much mind. After all, during their three years of marriage, Xia Xingtang had always been carefree, traveling here and there without a second thought.

But being away on a trip was one thing; staying out late while being in the same city was another.

One night at 1 a.m., Xia Xingtang was entering the door lock code while still on the phone with Yu Feifei: “Little Feifei, I’m home now. Yeah, you should rest early too. Saturday? I’m free. What’s that about Ten Miles of Blossoms?”

As soon as she opened the door, she noticed the living room lights were still on, and her gaze fell on Pei Luoqing, who was typing on her laptop on the sofa.

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, making Yu Feifei’s voice on the other end of the call especially loud: “Little Xingxing, weren’t the young celebrities I brought today quite good-looking? Did they suit your taste? If you weren’t satisfied, we can switch them out for a few others when we go have fun on Saturday?”

As soon as the words were spoken, the room fell into dead silence. Xia Xingtang saw Pei Luoqing’s fingers pause over the keyboard.

Xia Xingtang hurriedly spoke into the phone, “Anything’s fine, you decide. I’ve got something to handle here, gotta go.”

Seeing that Pei Luoqing had already closed her laptop, Xia Xingtang straightened her clothes and slowly walked over to greet her: “You’re still awake?”

Pei Luoqing slowly looked up, her gaze calm as she stared at Xia Xingtang.

She had only caught that one sentence, her wife had not only been surrounded by beauties these past few nights but was also planning to go to that famous resort in the eastern part of the city over the weekend to indulge further.

One second, two seconds, three seconds… Gradually, Xia Xingtang felt a chill run down her spine.

Unsure how much Pei Luoqing had overheard, she hesitantly asked, “You didn’t wait up for me because you were worried I wouldn’t come home tonight, did you?”

Just as Xia Xingtang braced herself for a parental-style lecture from Pei Luoqing, she only heard Pei Luoqing respond softly.

Then, in a measured tone, she said, “After all, with so many young prospects around you, I’m old and fading. The pressure is too much, I was too worried to sleep.”

Xia Xingtang was momentarily stunned, then softly defended herself: “We were just hanging out together. It’s more fun with more people, it’s not what you think.”

As if just anyone could measure up to the standards of the Second Miss Xia.

But then, Pei Luoqing sighed: “I haven’t been sleeping well these past few nights, and I’ve even lost quite a few strands of hair because of it.”

Her tone carried a hint of self-pity, sending shivers down Xia Xingtang’s spine.

Xia Xingtang: ???

Pei Luoqing stood up and walked over to Xia Xingtang.

Somehow, Xia Xingtang’s legs went weak, and she collapsed into a single-seat sofa.

Pei Luoqing slowly leaned down, leisurely placing one hand on the back of the sofa: “So, you need to take responsibility for them.”

Because of the close proximity, Xia Xingtang could even feel the warmth of Pei Luoqing’s breath. Her mind went blank, and she mumbled out of habit: “Then… should I increase your allowance?”

Unexpectedly, Pei Luoqing’s expression turned serious this time, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes as if she wanted to say something but held back.

After a long pause, she turned and left: “Never mind.”

Xia Xingtang stared blankly at Pei Luoqing’s retreating figure, wanting to call out to her but unsure what to say if she did. She felt a knot of frustration, unable to vent or swallow it down.

But since this mess wasn’t solely her fault, Xia Xingtang thought of Yu Feifei, the one who had leaked the information in the first place, and decided to drag Yu Feifei into staying up late with her.

When Yu Feifei received Xia Xingtang’s call, she had just stepped into the bathtub. The ringing phone felt like a horror movie jump scare, nearly causing a “phone destroyed, bath ruined” disaster.

But Xia Xingtang launched into a machine-gun-like rant, completely diverting Yu Feifei’s attention.

A minute later, a burst of Yu Feifei’s maniacal laughter erupted from the bathtub: “Hahahaha, she actually made you take responsibility for her hair loss?”

“Yu Feifei, your fans must be blind to stan a player like you,” Xia Xingtang grumbled, now numb to the laughter, addressing her friend by full name in disdain. “Alright, I’m being serious here. What do you think Pei Luoqing meant by that last part?”

Yu Feifei’s mind drifted back to the image of Pei Luoqing she had seen before.

Someone who could multiply Yunji’s value several times over in just three years, if she weren’t so principled, the number of people throwing themselves at her would probably circle the entire city of Yun. Yet, here she was, lowering herself to worry about aging and losing her looks, making Xia Xingtang take responsibility for her hair.

And Xia Xingtang had just brushed it off with money…

Yu Feifei found her friend’s marriage quite the headache, enough to make her, a single person, dread the idea of marriage on a daily basis.

Three years into their marriage, one was busy with work, the other with traveling.

Xia Xingtang was only pretending to be busy, but Pei Luoqing genuinely was.

Yet now, it was clear that Pei Luoqing was starting to make overtures, while her friend seemed stuck in her own narrow perspective, automatically overlooking many small details.

Though she couldn’t reveal Pei Luoqing’s true intentions, Yu Feifei still probed indirectly: “Little Star, don’t you think she was deliberately setting you up?”

“Setting me up to make me pay up?” Xia Xingtang scoffed, “Hah, she must’ve thought the amount was too little.”

“But didn’t she give you a gift the other day?” Yu Feifei teased, “I didn’t realize you two had developed feelings so quickly.”

Xia Xingtang stiffened, nearly choking on her water.

“Forget it, that was Pei Luoqing’s way of apologizing.” At the thought of her interactions with Pei Luoqing, Xia Xingtang couldn’t help but respond with a cold, sarcastic tone. “Develop feelings for her? You might as well say I’ve taken a liking to some minor celebrity.”

Yu Feifei hesitated. “Alright, I spoke out of turn.”

The white Maybach sped along the elevated highway. Pei Luoqing leaned back against the leather seat, gently massaging her temples as she listened to Lu Qi report on her schedule for the next three days.

“Ms. Pei, there’s a small innovation and technology exchange summit on Saturday. The organizers would like to invite you as a special guest. Should we accept?” Lu Qi glanced at the itinerary and mentioned it casually.

These industry exchanges were usually opportunities for smaller companies to seek investment and for larger corporations to scout for potential collaborations.

But at Pei Luoqing’s level, attending was a gesture of goodwill; skipping it was perfectly normal.

Since graduating, Lu Qi had worked by Pei Luoqing’s side. His scheduling decisions generally aligned with her preferences, and even when uncertain, a quick read of her expression would allow him to finalize things promptly.

Pei Luoqing paused briefly but remained silent.

Just as Lu Qi, receiving no response, was about to cross it off the list, Pei Luoqing opened her indifferent eyes and asked, “Is the venue at Ten Miles of Blossoms?”

“Yes, the hotel hosting the event is located within the Ten Miles of Blossoms Resort.”

A certain figure flashed through Pei Luoqing’s mind. “Don’t decline. Keep Saturday open.”

Lu Qi couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but he sensed a subtle, unspoken emotion in his superior’s words, unlike her usual decisive and composed demeanor when handling matters.

“Understood.”