The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 22

Ye Zhixia struggled to get up and get dressed, looking utterly frazzled as she muttered under her breath, “I’m not some almighty judge, what good does coming to me do if you didn’t get the role?”

“Who is it? Who on earth is it?” Xiao Mi scampered over to Ye Zhixia, pressing her incessantly. “It’s almost 8 p.m., who’s in such a hurry to see you? What almighty judge?”

Ye Zhixia slipped into a simple dress for receiving guests and hurriedly washed up and combed her hair.

Xiao Mi was so anxious she was practically spinning in circles.

It wasn’t until she was nearly ready that Ye Zhixia remembered Xiao Mi was still in her ordinary cat form.

“Quick, go invisible. The female lead was cast as a maid by the production team, and now she’s coming here to make a scene,” Ye Zhixia commanded urgently.

Upon learning who the visitor was, Xiao Mi instantly relaxed back into her usual lazy demeanor and obediently transformed into her invisible flying form.

“If Xu Miaomiao wants to come, let her. What’s there to panic about? Her little tricks aren’t even worth worrying over,” Xiao Mi scoffed.

Fluttering her wings mid-air, she gave Ye Zhixia a puzzled look.

Of course, Ye Zhixia wasn’t afraid of Xu Miaomiao. Once everything was ready, she crossed her arms and sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

The room fell silent, save for the soft whir of the air conditioner blowing cool air.

Gradually, Ye Zhixia’s expression settled into its usual icy, breathtaking beauty.

Presenting her best self was one of Ye Zhixia’s fundamental principles unless it was an emergency like saving Chu Ning, she always maintained her finest state.

Before long, the doorbell rang.

Ye Zhixia rose gracefully, walked to the door, and gently pressed the handle.

On the other side stood Xu Miaomiao, looking like a wounded little white rabbit, pitiful enough to melt hearts.

Her face was full of grievance, her voice choked with sobs. “Sister Xiaxia…”

Ye Zhixia glanced down at her coldly and uttered a single word: “Come in.”

Xu Miaomiao sensed Ye Zhixia’s displeasure, but when asking for a favor, enduring someone’s mood was par for the course.

She carefully changed into slippers and followed Ye Zhixia into the room.

Ye Zhixia wasn’t particularly diligent about housekeeping her home’s cleanliness relied entirely on cleaning gadgets exchanged from the Quick Transmigration Store, leaving little stock of other high-end items.

“Make yourself at home. No need to stand on ceremony,” Ye Zhixia said offhandedly.

Xu Miaomiao perched nervously on the sofa, her expression urgent, as if she had something pressing to say.

But Ye Zhixia took her time, casually remarking, “Let me grab some drinks,” before leisurely heading to the kitchen.

Though anxious, Xu Miaomiao didn’t dare rush her.

Ye Zhixia opened the fridge, took out two cans of cola, and slowly returned to the living room, placing them on the coffee table in front of Xu Miaomiao.

She settled into a single-seat sofa and watched Xu Miaomiao, waiting for her to speak first.

Yet several seconds passed without a word from her guest.

Eager for help but still mindful of manners, she’s got composure, Ye Zhixia silently praised.

“Miaomiao, what brings you here so late at night?” she asked gently, giving Xu Miaomiao the opening she needed.

“Sister Xiaxia, here’s the thing,” Xu Miaomiao seized the opportunity and launched into her story.

“During today’s screen test and costume fitting, I was clearly the best both the investor, Tianxing Entertainment, and the producer wanted me. But Director Kong Sen insisted on giving the supporting female role to Bai Xin!”

Ye Zhixia propped her chin on her hand and interjected, “Director Kong Sen is a renowned filmmaker. He has the final say in casting decisions.”

Xu Miaomiao nodded vigorously. “I understand. I was thinking that since you’ve worked with Director Kong many times, you must have a good relationship. Could you put in a good word for me?”

She looked at Ye Zhixia with hopeful eyes.

Ye Zhixia lightly brushed her nose with her index finger, lost in thought.

In the original storyline, Xu Miaomiao had played the supporting female role and won the Silver Snake Award for Best Supporting Actress with this film, firmly establishing herself in the film industry.

Given that, Xu Miaomiao should have been perfectly suited for the role in terms of both appearance and acting skills.

So where had things gone wrong? Ye Zhixia couldn’t figure it out.

Misinterpreting Ye Zhixia’s silence as hesitation, Xu Miaomiao mustered her courage again and made a promise: “Xiaxia-jie, I’m not the type to cut corners. I definitely have the ability to do justice to the role.”

Xiao Mi, sprawled on the carpet, mentally complained to Ye Zhixia: She’s totally the type to cut corners! She even tried to frame Bai Xin!

Ye Zhixia glanced at Xiao Mi, surprised that she had also seen through Xu Miaomiao’s scheme at the party.

Xu Miaomiao spoke again: “Xiaxia-jie, I’m not insisting on getting the supporting role. I just don’t want to have any regrets, which is why I’m asking for your help. I hope you’ll agree.”

Ye Zhixia pointed to the other end of the sofa. “Hand me my phone, please.”

At these words, Xu Miaomiao’s eyes lit up.

Her initial plan had been to persuade Ye Zhixia to agree, but she wasn’t sure whether Ye Zhixia would actually speak to Director Kong on her behalf later.

But now, Ye Zhixia asking for her phone clearly meant she intended to contact Kong Sen immediately.

Xu Miaomiao eagerly handed over the phone and watched Ye Zhixia with bated breath.

Ye Zhixia dialed Director Kong Sen’s number, she wanted to know the reason herself.

When the call connected, she put it on speaker:

“Hello, Director Kong. It’s Xiaxia, Ye Zhixia.”

Hearing her voice, Director Kong replied cheerfully, “Xiaxia! What’s up? I just finished finalizing the schedule for the first day of shooting.”

Ye Zhixia asked politely but straightforwardly, “Xu Miaomiao, one of our company’s most promising newcomers, auditioned today for the supporting role. Was there something off about her performance that she didn’t get the part?”

“Ah, Xiaxia,” Director Kong sighed helplessly. “Xu Miaomiao is indeed a rare talent, but Bai Xin was practically the character walking straight out of the script, she fit the role even better than the originally cast Hao Ke’er!”

Ye Zhixia tried to advocate for Xu Miaomiao a little more: “Could it have been an issue with the styling? Miaomiao has a great look too.”

Director Kong immediately dismissed the idea: “Their makeup and costumes were identical today, the same ones we’d prepared for Hao Ke’er.”

He then added apologetically, “Don’t worry, I also think Xu Miaomiao is excellent. Coincidentally, the actress originally cast as Bai Xin’s maid dropped out last minute. The role isn’t high-status, but it has significant screen time and a very likable personality. We’ve decided to give it to Xu Miaomiao, she definitely won’t be shortchanged!”

With that, Ye Zhixia couldn’t press further. She thanked Director Kong and hung up.

It wasn’t that Xu Miaomiao wasn’t good, it was just that Bai Xin was too good. But if that was the case, how had Xu Miaomiao landed the role in the original storyline?

Could the problem lie with Bai Xin?

Unable to help, Ye Zhixia still spent some time comforting Xu Miaomiao.

Although Xu Miaomiao still felt unwilling in her heart, Director Kong Sen had already made his stance clear, leaving no room for reconsideration.

After seeing Xu Miaomiao off, Ye Zhixia turned to look at Xiaomi beside her.

This time, before Ye Zhixia could even speak, Xiaomi leaped up and exclaimed, “Full-text search for Bai Xin!”

Ye Zhixia smiled and gave Xiaomi a thumbs-up.

However, the search yielded only one result, so obvious that Ye Zhixia didn’t even need Xiaomi to summarize it.

Bai Xin was mentioned only once in the entire text, at Old Master Chu’s funeral.

“A young lady supported an elderly man with white hair as they came to pay their respects… Someone recognized her as Bai Xin, the R&B diva who had left the entertainment industry years ago…”

“What’s R&B? Xiaxia, my English isn’t good,” Xiaomi fluttered onto Ye Zhixia’s shoulder and asked.

Ye Zhixia was also curious: “Shouldn’t your system be coded in English?”

Xiaomi shook her head. “I was created using ancient esoteric scripts, not computer code. So, what’s R&B?”

Ye Zhixia answered honestly, “It’s a genre of music.”

“Ah? A singer? Then why would she come act in a movie?” Xiaomi scratched her little head in confusion.

Ye Zhixia gently scratched Xiaomi’s chin and asked, “Can you find any other information? Like the Chu family’s relationships?”

Xiaomi shook her head again. “If it’s not mentioned in the book, I can’t find it. The Chu family’s details were pieced together from analyzing the entire text.”

Ye Zhixia sighed in frustration. “It’s my fault for being overconfident. Before entering this world, I ignored the tools in the shop. If I’d bought something like a character relationship guide, we wouldn’t have to rely on guesswork now.”

Her curiosity grew, and she looked forward to joining the production. Bai Xin was a wildcard, who knew what kind of ripple effect she might bring to this world?

“Xiaxia, I want…” Xiaomi’s eyes fixed on the cola on the table as she wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth.

Ye Zhixia usually didn’t let Xiaomi indulge in too much sugar, whether in her kitten or little-girl form, worried about cavities. But an occasional treat was fine.

“Go ahead, but this month’s quota is used up after this,” Ye Zhixia agreed but reminded her not to overdo it.

With the role confirmed, filming would begin in the next couple of days. While she still had energy, Ye Zhixia started packing her luggage for the shoot.

–

Three days later, Ye Zhixia arrived on set with the personal assistant Chen Chen had arranged for her.

The set was bustling with activity, the crew all wearing T-shirts printed with “Love Across a Millennium.”

A large open space was set up with an altar and incense burners, thin wisps of smoke curling into the air.

Ye Zhixia was among the first actors to arrive, and the crew was delighted to see her.

Despite being a highly renowned actress, Ye Zhixia was always humble and polite, cooperative with all the production’s demands, earning her an excellent reputation in the industry.

Bai Xin had also arrived early and generously provided cakes and bread for the crew, ensuring those who hadn’t had breakfast could grab a bite.

Ye Zhixia looked around but didn’t spot Xu Miaomiao.

On the first day of filming, Xu Miaomiao usually so meticulous, hadn’t arrived early?

Ye Zhixia walked over to the altar and greeted Bai Xin.

Bai Xin was frowning at the roasted suckling pig on the table and only snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the greeting.

“The crew always offers prayers for a smooth shoot on the first day,” Ye Zhixia explained with a smile.

Bai Xin was about to respond when she noticed Xu Miaomiao walking toward them from behind Ye Zhixia, her eyes brimming with grievance.

She quickly signaled Ye Zhixia with a glance.

Following Bai Xin’s gaze, Ye Zhixia saw that Xu Miaomiao was fully made up, clearly having arrived on set early, he must have misunderstood her.

Yet while everyone else was still wearing short-sleeved T-shirts, exposing their arms, Xu Miaomiao’s forearms bore several bruises.

Ye Zhixia hurried over in concern. “Miaomiao, what happened to you?”

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