Transmigrated as the Future Movie Queen's Arch-Nemesis - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

After returning in the afternoon, Xin Keke tidied up briefly and headed back to the set to prepare for the evening shoot. Before leaving, she reminded Su Mi several times to tell Xiao Ai to transfer the money for the repair as soon as possible. Su Mi laughed: “It’s fine, no rush.”

The moment Xin Keke stepped out of the hotel lobby, Su Mi sprinted to the front desk to book a separate room to use for Xin Keke’s birthday surprise. While she didn’t have much experience with this, she was determined to do her best to make Xin Keke feel surprised and cherished.

Standard balloons and letter balloons went without saying; Su Mi also ordered flowers online to decorate the room for the next day, carefully selecting a wide variety. Once everything was mostly arranged, she changed her clothes and headed straight to the shopping mall.

The look of longing Xin Keke had worn in the afternoon, even if it only lasted a second, had pierced Su Mi’s heart. She couldn’t be more grateful for the original host’s family background. It was thanks to that economic foundation that she could provide for herself and others; without it, many things would simply be impossible.

As she passed the Cartier boutique, the clerk was a bit surprised to see her back and started to say something, but Su Mi waved him off: “Not here for you this time!” She hit the brakes right next door at the jewelry counter.

Seeing the bracelet in the glass display case again, Su Mi still thought it was beautiful. “Hello,” Su Mi signaled the salesperson, “I want this bracelet.”

“Certainly.” The young clerk agreed, taking the keys to unlock the display case. The moment the drawer slid open, the harsh display lights shimmered against the pink crystals, even flickering in Su Mi’s eyes. Su Mi’s heart fluttered along with the charms on the bracelet.

It was a gorgeous piece. It would look even better on Xin Keke’s wrist.

“Did you come by this afternoon?” the clerk asked kindly while boxing it up. “This is our best-seller, and it’s out of stock in many locations. Someone even came to ask for it earlier today. This is the very last one in any of the stores nearby!”

Oh, the last one? Lucky me. Just as Su Mi was feeling relieved, a voice behind her spoke up: “Hello, I’d like to purchase a ‘Moon Gazing’ bracelet.”

It was a gentle, polite male voice. Su Mi turned to see a young man in a well-tailored suit standing in the store. His hair was neatly swept back, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses. He looked cultured and well-educated. He didn’t look familiar, but since the mall was so close to the film studio, he might just be another minor celebrity. Su Mi watched him curiously.

“I’m sorry, sir, the last one was just sold, and we are currently out of stock.” The clerk gestured to the box containing the bracelet Su Mi had just purchased.

So that was the one he wanted? Su Mi blinked. So it’s actually called ‘Moon Gazing’? The clerk wasn’t exaggerating—it’s really that popular? She felt a private sense of relief. If she had been five minutes—no, even two minutes—later, the last one would have been snatched away by someone else.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing it was sold out, the young man didn’t leave. He walked straight toward the counter. Su Mi, who had been watching the packaging, met his gaze as he approached.

“Please forgive my forwardness, but I have tried all the other stores and they are all out of stock,” the young man said with a polite, friendly smile. “I am in urgent need of this bracelet. If I offer to pay double, would you be willing to part with it?”

Su Mi heard the clerk gasp. Double? Even though the store was famous, one could buy much higher quality jewelry for double the price. While a hint of annoyance flashed through her mind at the thought of someone trying to use money to sway her, his attitude was so impeccable that she didn’t want to cause trouble.

“I’m sorry, handsome, but I bought this as a gift for a friend. She really likes it, so I’m afraid I can’t~ Try checking another shop?” Su Mi said with a smile, waving her hand.

They stood face to face, but the next second, the look in the young man’s eyes shifted. There was a sense of exploration and assessment in his gaze—a feeling Su Mi couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” the young man continued after a brief pause. “How about ten thousand yuan?”

So money really can make you do whatever you want. That was Su Mi’s first thought. Her second was: But wait, I’m rich now too, aren’t I? She straightened her back. Su Mi shook her head with a smile: “Sorry, this bracelet is very important to me too.”

She could see the disappointment in his eyes, but it vanished quickly. He nodded, offering an apologetic smile: “I’m sorry to have put you in a difficult position. Thank you.”

“No problem at all.”

After the polite refusal, Su Mi watched the young man leave. This bracelet was something else—an original price of over three thousand, and someone was willing to pay ten thousand for it. She was just about to joke with the clerk about how one could buy so many better things for ten thousand yuan when she noticed the clerk had drifted off into a daydream: “My god… ten thousand yuan… if only that had gone to me…”

Su Mi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She took the bracelet, wandered around the mall one last time, and left once she was sure she didn’t need anything else. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow. She wanted to see the look on Xin Keke’s face when she discovered the gift.

Back at the hotel, Su Mi spent several hours working hard, inflating the “Happy Birthday” balloons and taping them to the wall. She was just about to hang the rest with string when her phone buzzed. Thinking it was a message from Xin Keke, she dropped her work to check it.

It was a transfer and a message from Xiao Ai: “Thanks for covering me this afternoon~ Also, has Xin Keke returned yet?”

Huh?? She accepted the money and checked the time—nearly 7:00 PM. Su Mi knew Xin Keke had a shoot in the evening, but it wasn’t even seven yet; surely it wouldn’t be over so soon…?

“What’s wrong?” Su Mi replied. “Did something happen?” She watched as the text changed to “Other party is typing.” After a long back-and-forth, Xiao Ai finally sent: “I’m not entirely sure, but it seems Xin Keke had a small friction with someone. I don’t know the specifics. She left right after she finished filming. If you’re at the hotel, could you please check on her?”

Su Mi: ??? I’ve only been away from the set for two days, so how did my big treasure end up unhappy? If she found out who upset Xin Keke, Su Mi would have to deal with them personally.

To save time, the new room was on the same floor as her bedroom. Worried about Xin Keke and afraid of ruining the surprise by being seen, Su Mi acted like a thief, checking the hallway through the peephole before tiptoeing out. She reached the door to their room and swiped her key card.

Unlike the usual brightness, today only the bedside lamp was on. Xin Keke was lying on the bed, facing away from the door. Her long black hair was spread across the pillow like a dark fan.

“Xin Keke?” Su Mi called out softly. “What’s wrong?”

Something’s not right. Usually, Xin Keke would automatically turn on all the lights. Why only the bedside lamp today?

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Her voice sounded calm, but Xin Keke didn’t turn around to look at Su Mi. Su Mi went to the bathroom, washed her hands, and walked over to the bedside: “How come you’re back so early? Didn’t Director Song give you any extra work today?” Su Mi kept her tone cheerful, leaning on the edge of the bed and looking down at her. Xin Keke was looking at her phone, the screen’s light reflecting on the tip of her nose and cheeks. She quickly turned the screen off: “Mn, everything went smoothly.”

She still didn’t turn her head to look at Su Mi.

Fine, it seems she’s definitely unhappy. Su Mi mentally shredded everyone who could have upset Xin Keke into pieces before reaching out to scratch her cheek: “So, why is our Princess unhappy?”

“…”

Xin Keke suddenly sat up. Su Mi, who had been leaning over, almost bumped into her chin.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Xin Keke made a move to get out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower first. What do you want to eat later?”

Good grief, she was so rattled she didn’t even notice Su Mi calling her “Princess.” She was fine at lunch—why was she acting like she was hiding from her now? Watching her pace around looking for a change of clothes, Su Mi decided to be direct: “Did I do something wrong to upset you?”

Xin Keke paused, then answered slowly: “…No. Don’t overthink it.”

Su Mi walked in front of her and hooked her finger around Xin Keke’s hand. “Then why?” She was patient, her voice gentle: “If you’re unhappy, please tell me.”

“I’m fine, Su Mi.”

Xin Keke finally looked up, meeting Su Mi’s gaze. Her eyes were clear, and Su Mi couldn’t see a single trace of impurity or clouds within them. The negative emotions in Xin Keke vanished the moment she looked directly into Su Mi’s eyes.

Su Mi felt her fingers being gripped tightly, as if Xin Keke were drawing some kind of strength from her. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in that moment. Looking at Xin Keke’s face, for one second, Su Mi had the sudden urge to lean in and kiss her.

Su Mi stared at Xin Keke’s face, silent for a long time. It was Xin Keke who couldn’t handle the intense gaze first; she turned away, blushing slightly as she let go of Su Mi’s hand: “I’m going to shower now… and also, I’m not any Princess…!”

“Alright.”

Su Mi watched Xin Keke’s back disappear behind the bathroom door. A lingering warmth remained in her palm.