The Villainess’s Darling [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 48

A flash of guilt darted across Xu Chun’s face. “What recording? What are you talking about?”

Yun Can’er looked directly at her pocket. “There’s a voice recorder in there.”

Ling Jie eyed Xu Chun with deep suspicion. “Why on earth are you recording? What are you trying to pull?” Ling Jie was roughly the same height as Ning Xiao but had a much sturdier build; standing before Xu Chun, she looked like a small mountain.

Xu Chun took a fearful step back. “What do you think you’re doing? I’m warning you, snatching someone’s property is illegal!”

“Ling Jie, don’t worry about her.” Yun Can’er pulled out her own phone and tapped the screen a couple of times. Their entire conversation from moments ago began to play back clearly.

Yun Can’er smiled faintly. “I only suggested you delete yours to save you some storage space. Having my copy is more than enough, don’t you think?”

Xu Chun bit her lip, hissing, “Cunning!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment on my intelligence,” Yun Can’er replied.

Xu Chun shot a timid glance at Ling Jie, turned on her heel, and bolted.

Fearing some sort of retaliation, Xu Chun showed up the next day with a new assistant a massive, muscle-bound man who followed her everywhere like a human shield.

The day’s schedule called for a group scene: five actresses getting into a scrap over a beautiful hairpiece, with Yun Can’er’s character stepping in to stop them. Having failed her first attempt to frame Can’er, Xu Chun hadn’t given up. She planned to use the chaos of the “fight” to drag Yun Can’er into the fray and land a few hits. If caught, she’d just claim it was an accident in the heat of the moment. Even if the director checked the playback, the worst she’d get was a slap on the wrist.

It was a solid plan, but reality hit differently. Once the cameras rolled and she was tangled with the four other supporting actresses, Xu Chun found she had to focus entirely on her own defense just to avoid being pummeled herself. She didn’t even manage to graze the hem of Yun Can’er’s clothes.

“Cut! Excellent, that’s a wrap on this one. Prep for the next shot!” Director Yuan Wenxiao shouted through his megaphone.

Xu Chun stood there dazed, her face clouded with disappointment. “Director Yuan, I don’t think my performance was quite there yet. Can we go again?”

Yuan Wenxiao spared her a brief, cold look. “If you can’t act, I can always find someone who can.”

Xu Chun immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Two weeks into filming, Ning Xiao finally found the time to visit the set. On her way to the studio, she easily overtook a bright red Maserati that was dawdling along the road.

By the time she parked and walked in, Yun Can’er was prepping for her next scene. Xu Chun was standing in front of her, flanked by her giant, muscular bodyguard. The moment Ning Xiao appeared, Xu Chun recoiled so sharply she practically fell into the assistant’s arms, looking like she was about to start shaking.

Even though Ning Xiao hadn’t been on set, Ling Jie had been giving her daily briefings. She knew every petty little trick Xu Chun had tried to pull.

Ning Xiao walked over and stopped, eyeing Xu Chun with a look of feigned curiosity. Xu Chun gritted her teeth. “Ning Xiao, don’t even think about playing your games with me this time!”

Ning Xiao timed it perfectly, knowing the owner of that red Maserati was likely arriving. In a voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear, she said, “Miss Xu, you certainly have… unique taste.”

Xu Chun sensed a trap but couldn’t help herself. “What does my taste have to do with you?”

Ning Xiao smiled elegantly. “It’s just that your fiancé is a bit… oversized. He’s hurting my eyes.”

“Fiancé? What fiancé?” Xu Chun’s eyes instinctively searched for Yu Xinglong. To her shock, she saw him walking toward them from just a short distance away.

“Xinglong!” Xu Chun had never been so happy to see him.

However, Yu Xinglong’s expression was grim.

Yun Can’er pulled Ning Xiao down to sit beside her and looked up at Xu Chun. “Miss Xu, Ning Xiao hasn’t met your fiancé before, so she probably misunderstood. I’m so sorry. She thought you and your assistant were a couple.”

Xu Chun’s heart skipped a beat. She turned and realized she was almost completely nestled in the assistant’s chest, his thick arms wrapped protectively around her sides. She scrambled out of his embrace and ran to Yu Xinglong, grabbing his hand. “Xinglong, I just got a fright and stepped back—he was just trying to protect me! You’re the only one I love. He’s just an assistant!”

The assistant watched her silently, a flash of dejection in his eyes.

Yu Xinglong: “…” Could this assistant make it any more obvious? A metaphorical green hat was falling from the sky—was he supposed to catch it or let it land? “Wasn’t your assistant Xiao Cai? Why did you change to… this?”

Why would a female star hire a male assistant, especially one that looked like a professional bodybuilder?

Xu Chun couldn’t exactly explain her real reasons in front of Yun Can’er. She squeezed Yu Xinglong’s hand and whispered, “There are too many people here. Let’s go back and talk, okay?”

Xu Chun rarely acted spoiled with him. Yu Xinglong’s heart softened. “…Fine.”

As she pulled him away, the muscular assistant hesitated, unsure if he should follow.

Ning Xiao, never one to pass up a chance to stir the pot, called out to the assistant, “You should probably catch up. That man looks like he has a nasty temper. What if he gets violent with Miss Xu?”

The assistant’s eyes widened. He immediately took off after them.

Ning Xiao didn’t bother following the drama further. But when she accompanied Yun Can’er to the set the next morning, they ran into Xu Chun. She looked terrible—heavy dark circles under her eyes—and her muscular guard had been replaced by a girl in glasses.

When Xu Chun saw Ning Xiao, she stared at her with pure venom.

Ning Xiao acted as if she hadn’t noticed a thing, waving cheerfully. “Good morning, Miss Xu! Did you get a good night’s rest?”

Xu Chun: “It was fine.” Are you blind? Look at these eye bags!

After going home with Yu Xinglong the day before, Xu Chun had intended to smooth things over. Instead, the muscular assistant had burst in and stood protectively between them, shouting at Yu Xinglong to “Stop hurting my Little Chun!”

Little Chun?!

Yu Xinglong had simply scoffed and walked out, leaving her no chance to explain. In a fit of rage, Xu Chun fired the man on the spot. She had spent the night calling Yu Xinglong incessantly, but he didn’t pick up once; eventually, he blocked her.

She had always been the one he chased. When had she ever been treated like this? She eventually threw her phone aside, done with him. But ten minutes later, her mother called, delicately asking if she’d fought with Xinglong and “encouraging” her to be the bigger person and apologize. Xu Chun had spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, nearly in tears.

Now, looking at Ning Xiao—the culprit behind it all—she wanted to skin her alive. Xu Chun shot her one last glare and stomped off. From now on, wherever Ning Xiao and Yun Can’er were, she would be elsewhere.

Two months later, The Spring of the Sparrow finished filming.

Ning Xiao brought Yun Can’er back to the Ning household for the Lunar New Year. Her parents already knew about their relationship and were more than supportive. Ning Xiao’s mother often pulled her aside to say how much she felt for Can’er’s past and promised to treat her like her own daughter.

Her father was even more direct. He handed Yun Can’er a black card. When she tried to decline out of embarrassment, he pointed at it and said, “This is nothing. Later on, your mother and I will make sure you have all the prestige and status a daughter-in-law of this family deserves.”

Yun Can’er was moved to tears. Ning Xiao tucked the card into her hand. “You can be a little spoiled with my parents. If you like something, just say it. The one thing our family isn’t short on is money.”

On the sixth day of the New Year, Wu Sheng came by personally to deliver a wedding invitation. His younger sister, Wu Rui, was getting engaged in Beijing in ten days. Wu Sheng hadn’t grown much taller since high school, but his features had become much sharper and more defined.

“Brother Sheng,” Ning Xiao said casually. “I heard from Qingqing that you’ve taken over most of the family business. I guess we’ll have to call you CEO Wu now.”

Wu Sheng’s gaze lingered for a split second on Ning Xiao’s arm, which was wrapped around Yun Can’er’s waist. He looked away. “Given your relationship with Qingqing, don’t be a stranger. Just keep calling me Brother Sheng.”

After he left, Ning Xiao’s mother remarked, “Wu Sheng is a good young man.”

Her father nodded in agreement.

Ning Xiao leaned in and kissed a slightly quiet Yun Can’er. “No one is as good as my Can’er.”

Yun Can’er blushed and nuzzled into Ning Xiao’s neck like a kitten.

“I meant,” Ning Xiao’s mother added with a laugh, “that among outsiders, Wu Sheng is decent.”

Her father nodded again. “Exactly. For an outsider.”

Can’er’s slight gloom vanished instantly.

On the sixteenth day of the New Year, the four members of the Ning family headed to Beijing.

The movie in which Yun Can’er had a small supporting role had premiered on New Year’s Day. Thanks to Jiang Yunyi’s massive influence and the fact that the film was actually excellent, it was a runaway hit, far outstripping the competition at the box office.

Ning Xiao’s father had even instructed his assistant to recommend the film to everyone in the company group chat. Meanwhile, her mother gave a “tutorial” to every visitor who came to their home, explaining that “her daughter” was in the movie. The guests were initially confused about when she’d had a daughter, but after seeing the film, they were won over and became fans of Can’er’s character.

When the four of them entered the hotel ballroom, heads turned. The Ning parents were used to the usual flattery and prepared themselves for the standard social rounds. To their surprise, a group of socialites and their husbands bypassed the parents and headed straight for Yun Can’er.

“Can’er! I’m such a fan, could I possibly get an autograph?” one woman asked, clutching Can’er’s hand.

Yun Can’er was a bit overwhelmed. “Ma’am, I don’t have a pen or paper. Maybe after the ceremony.”

The woman immediately pulled a pen and paper from her limited-edition handbag. “Don’t you worry, I brought some!”

After signing about a dozen autographs, Can’er thought she was finished. Instead, the women started asking if she was single, eager to introduce her to their sons or nephews.

Ning Xiao stepped in before someone actually tried to whisk her girlfriend away. “Auntie Zhang, Auntie Li, Auntie Wang… I forgot to mention, Can’er is my girlfriend. I’m afraid your sons are out of luck.”

The group of socialites:

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