Transmigrated as the Scumbag Alpha of a Cold Movie Queen - Chapter 45

Qi Siyu wanted to see if there were other routes to get to Country H—perhaps by flying out from another nearby city.

There were indeed several surrounding cities with clear weather. However, the capital of Country H was currently experiencing poor conditions. There was a real risk that planes wouldn’t be able to land, and she could be rerouted somewhere completely off-course.

After careful consideration, Qi Siyu chose a city relatively close to Country H’s capital. The forecast showed clear skies all week. She then looked for a flight departing from that city and checked for high-speed rail from Jiang City to get there.

She spent over twenty minutes comparing options before finally piecing together the fastest travel route—and set off without delay.

She really was racking her brains to keep Gu Qing from suffering even a little more. Still, she couldn’t help worrying: what if they already started the surgery today?

Feeling uneasy, Qi Siyu opened her chat with Gu Qing. After typing and deleting several drafts, she finally sent a message:

[The weather here’s bad. I might be delayed by an hour or two. How’s everything over there? Have you seen the doctor yet?]

Gu Qing replied quickly:

[The consultation’s done.]

Qi Siyu scratched her head anxiously:

[What did the doctor say?]

[Surgery’s not suitable right now. Need to recover a bit first.]

Qi Siyu let out a long sigh of relief. Honestly, at that point, she felt like whether she went to Country H or not didn’t matter anymore.

Leaning back in the high-speed rail seat, she relaxed and typed:

[So how should you recover? Anything specific you need? I can order it.]

Gu Qing sent a photo: a box of soil filled with squirming white worms.

[Apply a facial mask made from medicinal worms mixed in the soil.]

Qi Siyu: !!!

For someone with trypophobia, this was straight-up psychological torture. A single glance sent a shiver down her spine. She immediately spammed the chat with stickers to push the image away:

“Nope.jpg”

“Please don’t.jpg”

“Get away.jpg”

Gu Qing responded with a single question mark.

Qi Siyu’s brain spun at high speed as she carefully composed her message:

[If you’re really willing to try something like that, then why not use my grandpa’s secret remedy instead? It’s 100% effective—maybe even better!]

[Though… it does hurt a bit during the process. But the results are amazing!]

Gu Qing immediately thought of the miraculous medicinal powder Qi Siyu had given her before. If something that magical could exist, then a scar-repairing ointment didn’t sound that far-fetched.

But… was Qi Siyu only bringing this up now because the picture of the worm mask had scared her senseless?

Gu Qing scrolled back up and took a closer look at the photo she’d taken—white worms wriggling in dark gray soil. Perfectly normal. They were just ingredients, not like live bugs would be crawling across her face.

And even if they were, some people would probably still be willing.

Whatever Qi Siyu’s reasons were for bringing it up now, the more important question was—what exactly was her motive in offering the remedy?

Gu Qing had patience. She would wait for Qi Siyu to reveal her fangs.

[Let’s talk when we meet.]

Gu Qing typed slowly, then hit send.

Qi Siyu relaxed again. “Talk when we meet” was good enough. Worst case, if Gu Qing refused to use her ointment and insisted on the worm mask, she could always secretly swap it out.

Maybe she could get the system to disguise the scar-repairing ointment as a worm mask.

[Hey system, how many lottery draws do I have left?]

Suddenly remembering the feature, Qi Siyu asked. With everything that had been happening, she’d almost forgotten the lottery system existed.

[Three.]

The system’s voice sounded especially cold to her. Only three left?!

[Host, you didn’t save many draws to begin with. During the variety show recording, you only earned enough for one ten-pull.]

The system explained helplessly.

No way—between all the clinging, nuzzling, groping, and everything else she did with Gu Qing at night and the affectionate gestures during the day, she’d thought she’d earned dozens of draws!

[Insufficient effective duration. Doesn’t meet the system’s criteria.]

The system added. There were plenty of physical contacts, but they were too fleeting—how could that count?

Qi Siyu bowed her proud head in defeat.

Sobs… Why is life like this?

Social death and still no benefits.

Qi Siyu did a quick mental calculation. Right now, her demand for lottery items wasn’t that urgent. All she really needed was to disguise the scar-repairing ointment as a face mask.

[System, can you do that?]

[Yes. There’s an item in the prize pool called “Chameleon Mimic.” You can specify it during a ten-pull. It can transform one portion of a substance.]

[So I need to do seven ten-pulls just to get enough?]

Qi Siyu wore a metaphorical pain mask. That was ridiculous!

The system added a gentle reminder:

[It’s recommended that you save up more lottery draws. Once Gu Qing joins the film crew, there will likely be many situations requiring system items.]

Qi Siyu felt her strength drain away. If she couldn’t find the right screenwriter to revise the script, she would need to use the system. If the director refused to compromise, she might have to bribe him with items—just like she did with Gao Zhonghai…

There were too many situations where the system might come in handy. But she couldn’t rely on it for everything. One day, she would lose access to the system. Qi Siyu let out a sigh in her heart.

Until then, she will have to work hard to earn more draws.

Decision made—tonight she would hold hands with Gu Qing and continue the prosperous, ten-pulls-a-night lifestyle.

But first, a nap.

________________________________________

When Qi Siyu next opened her eyes, it was a flight attendant gently waking her up. Time to disembark.

There was no time difference between Jiang City and Country H. It was already 7 p.m.

She couldn’t book a ticket online from her current location to the capital of Country H—only in person.

But she couldn’t even leave the airport.

The airport staff informed her that because of a major sporting event in the city—and the fact that the national leader of Country H would be attending the opening ceremony—all foreign visitors were required to stay in government-designated hotels for 24 hours. They would need to pass four security checks before being allowed to move freely.

“I’m just in transit. My destination isn’t here—it’s the capital,” Qi Siyu tried to explain.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the staff said politely. “This was stated at the time of ticket purchase. Even for transit passengers, you’re required to undergo security procedures. After all, we can’t guarantee that your belongings won’t stay behind.”

In the past ten years, Country H had replaced five national leaders due to attacks, so they took security extremely seriously.

Seriously, who actually reads the pop-up notices when buying plane tickets?

Qi Siyu let out a long sigh. When she first won that bottle of perfume from the system lottery, she thought her luck had finally turned. Turns out—she was still cursed.

She opened her chat with Gu Qing again, explained the situation, and then sent a whole string of wailing crying emojis she couldn’t hold back.

Gu Qing tapped on one of the emojis, and her mood lifted slightly. She replied with a simple line:

[Perfect chance to rest for a day over there.]

Just one sentence, plain and direct, was enough to lift Qi Siyu’s spirits. Gu Qing really did know how to comfort people.

But still, that meant she wouldn’t be able to see Gu Qing for a whole 24 hours. Qi Siyu couldn’t even tell anymore—was she anxious because of her own emotions, or because she wanted to use the system lottery?

She was herded to the hotel with the other passengers but paid extra to upgrade to the best available room—a suite.

Yet again, it was a suite—but without Gu Qing under the same roof this time. Qi Siyu flopped onto the couch, feeling terribly bored.

Ever since she came to this world, her entire life had revolved around Gu Qing. Even when she visited Hengdian yesterday, all she could think about were the scripts Gu Qing was going to shoot.

But now, at this moment, she really had nothing to do.

Feeling a bit lost, she dazed out for a while, then picked up her phone and opened a web novel site, hoping to find a promising story with film adaptation potential.

Suddenly, she got a message from Gu Xiaoling:

[What was that secret remedy you told Gu-jie about? I have a scar. Let me try it first. If it works, then she can use it.]

Qi Siyu scratched her head—she hadn’t expected that development. Gu Xiaoling must’ve been right next to Gu Qing when she sent that earlier message and saw it all.

It wasn’t really a problem—just meant making a bit more of the ointment.

But instead of replying to Gu Xiaoling, Qi Siyu messaged Gu Qing directly:

[Is Xiaoling with you?]

Gu Qing frowned and replied:

[No.]

Qi Siyu took a screenshot of Xiaoling’s message and sent it to Gu Qing.

[She does have a scar, right? I just hope she didn’t go out of her way to create one just to test the ointment.]

She had a hunch Gu Xiaoling was exactly the type to do something that impulsive.

Gu Qing’s frown deepened:

[I’ll go check with her.]

She immediately knocked on Gu Xiaoling’s bedroom door.

Gu Xiaoling peeked out from behind it, only sticking her head out. It was her first time contacting Qi Siyu behind Gu Qing’s back, and she was visibly guilty.

“What’s up, Gu-jie?”

“I didn’t know you had a scar,” Gu Qing said, her tone helpless. She was already unsure of Qi Siyu’s motive for offering the ointment, and now Xiaoling was secretly trying to test it on herself.

“I really do—it’s on my ankle…” Gu Xiaoling’s voice trailed off. When she noticed Gu Qing’s gaze had lost its warmth, she didn’t dare keep talking.

“Show me your ankle,” Gu Qing said mildly.

Xiaoling rolled up her pant leg. There was a faint mark on the side of her ankle—a spot she’d scratched open multiple times after a mosquito bite last year. Bracing herself, she explained, “I know it’s not a real scar, but come on, so many people have them—like Gao Li. Wouldn’t it be easy to find someone else to test it?”

“Have you thought about why Qi Siyu can offer something like this, yet it’s not on the market?” Gu Qing asked calmly.

“She said it’s a secret family remedy,” Xiaoling pouted. “She hurt you in that car crash. Everything she’s doing now is just to make up for it.”

Xiaoling knew the ointment must be expensive and in limited supply, but she still felt uneasy letting Gu Qing be the first to try it. Deep down, she didn’t fully trust Qi Siyu.

It all came down to trust.

Gu Qing ruffled her hair gently. “Then stay out of this, okay? If you don’t trust her, then trust me. I won’t let myself get hurt.”

“…You’ve already been hurt enough, Gu-jie,” Xiaoling muttered under her breath. But after meeting Gu Qing’s eyes, she nodded. “Okay, I won’t interfere.”

Back in her room, Xiaoling sent Qi Siyu an emoji of someone getting smacked.

So annoying. Going to Gu-jie to tattle on her?

Snake! Jerk! Bastard!

On the other end, Qi Siyu looked at the emoji and rolled her eyes. Her suspicion had been correct.

If Xiaoling had actually hurt herself just to test the ointment, Gu Qing would definitely hold a grudge.

A few minutes later, Gu Qing messaged her:

[Don’t worry about Xiaoling. She’s just a kid—doesn’t know any better.]

Qi Siyu wanted to use that exact line to get under Xiaoling’s skin, but in the end, she just let the thought go. She didn’t actually want to damage their relationship.

After thinking for a bit, she sent another message to Gu Qing:

[It’s reasonable that she wants someone else to test it first. The scar on your face is too important—you can’t afford anything going wrong. Do you have a friend with a scar who’s willing to try it? Someone with a high pain tolerance? We could test it that way.]

[It’s just… there’s only enough for one person right now.]

Qi Siyu looked at the message and admired her own thoughtfulness. So tactful! Too bad Xiaoling had beaten her to it—she should’ve thought of it sooner.

[No need.]

Gu Qing replied with just two words.

That immediately made Qi Siyu anxious. Did “no need” mean no need to find someone else to test it? Or did it mean no need for the ointment at all?

But Gu Qing didn’t follow up with anything else. Qi Siyu didn’t dare press her either. After all the running around, she soon fell asleep, caught between worry and nerves.

________________________________________

She woke up later—starving.

When she called room service and was told it will take 30 minutes, she couldn’t wait. After a quick freshen-up, she rushed down to the hotel buffet.

Halfway there, she suddenly stopped—and then doubled back.

Her eyes widened.

Sitting by the buffet table… were Gu Qing and Gu Xiaoling.

What the hell?

Qi Siyu hurried over. “Why are you two here?”

Gu Qing looked up at her calmly. “Didn’t I say, ‘we’ll talk when we meet’?”

Qi Siyu was stunned. So that’s what she meant by “talk when we meet”? She’d thought it meant after she reached the capital!

“There was nothing else after the consultation,” Gu Qing explained. “Go grab your food first.”

Qi Siyu was truly starving, so she nodded and rushed to get her plate. As she wolfed down her meal, she listened to Gu Qing explain:

Originally, one of Gao Li’s friends was going to show them around the capital, but something came up last minute, so the plan was canceled. Since the capital was less than an hour away, they just decided to come straight here.

Gu Qing had messaged Qi Siyu earlier, but she didn’t reply, so they waited at the restaurant while grabbing a bite.

“Sorry, I was asleep. Didn’t check my phone when I woke up,” Qi Siyu immediately apologized when she heard that. She pulled out her phone and sent Gu Qing a cute sticker.

Her phone chimed. Gu Qing opened the message, glanced at the sticker, and then closed it again.

She couldn’t quite understand why Qi Siyu had to send messages while sitting right in front of her—but she had to admit, the sticker was cute, and it did lift her mood just a bit.

“I’m honestly so touched. I didn’t expect you two to come all the way here to keep me company,” Qi Siyu grinned at Gu Qing. “By the way, are you also required to stay here for 24 hours?”

Gu Qing nodded.

“Perfect!” Qi Siyu’s face lit up. “Let’s make the most of it then. I saw there’s a sun garden on the top floor. We can sunbathe, and they even have performances in the evening!”

All her earlier gloom and frustration about being stuck alone vanished. She was already planning out their impromptu mini-vacation.