Transmigrating As The Scummy Ex-Wife Of The Cold And Aloof Tycoon - Chapter 19

“Wait? Isn’t this the legendary ‘parachuting’ into a role?”

They had been married for three years, yet she hadn’t even known Xin Ning owned an entertainment company. Now, just as they were on the verge of divorce, she was suddenly dropped into a new drama produced by Xin Ning’s company? What was this? Severance pay?

“It’s not necessary.”

“We were married, after all. I can’t just stand by and watch you starve,” Xin Ning replied.

See? That’s the unique “truth, goodness, and beauty” of a protagonist. Even with a divorce pending, she was still thinking about charity. Ye Yichi took a huffy bite of her candied apple; the sweet and sour flavor mixed with tiny sugar shards slid across her tongue, stinging slightly.

No wonder Xin Ning had been so insistent on taking her out to dinner lately she was literally afraid Ye Yichi would starve to death.

“I won’t starve, don’t worry,” Ye Yichi mumbled, swallowing the sugar shards. Her old man always said his daughter might be a bit of a “salted fish” (lazy), but she wasn’t a weakling.

Could she work? Yes. Could she do it well? Yes. Was she willing to do it? No.

That was the eternal internal monologue of the corporate drone. If she truly ran out of food, did Xin Ning really think she wouldn’t know how to find resources or fight for a lead role? In the past three years, when had she ever truly “laid flat”? Actually, for the past three years… forget it. The past is a bitter pill; no use reminiscing.

“President Xin, if you don’t have anything else, please head back,” Ye Yichi said. “See you at the notary office the day after tomorrow.”

“Are you really that unwilling to accept my kindness?” Xin Ning’s voice dropped. “Or is it that you’re blaming me for what happened to Ye Shijin?”

Ye Shijin? Her “cheap” aunt and the architect of their marriage?

Since transmigrating into this book, Ye Yichi had spoken to that woman fewer times than she could count on both hands. Why would she bother blaming Xin Ning for her? Ye Yichi couldn’t fathom what was going on in Xin Ning’s head, and she was too lazy to try. Crying scenes were exhausting; she just wanted to go back to Hua Wan and sleep.

“You clearly said you didn’t have any feelings for Ye Shijin,” Xin Ning insisted, stubbornly grabbing Ye Yichi’s wrist. “What right do you have to take your anger out on me because of her?”

You already have your childhood sweetheart, so why all the pulling and tugging? Isn’t that disrespectful to the Great Beauty Lin? Ye Yichi wondered.

Ye Yichi shook off Xin Ning’s grip. “If you keep this up, I might misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand what?” Xin Ning asked.

“Misunderstand that you’ve fallen in love with me.”

Ye Yichi, remember this: even if we’ve kissed or slept together, I will never love you. Never.

Don’t fantasize. How could I possibly be reluctant to let you go?

Those words were spoken only a few days ago. Why was she starting to fantasize again? Ye Yichi silently rolled her eyes at herself, despising her own unfounded confidence.

But… what if?

What if her three years of “lying on the ice” had actually warmed that cold pond?

“I won’t fall in love with you,” Xin Ning stated.

Good. The cold pond was still a cold pond.

The next day was the “lying in a coffin” scene. Ye Yichi had been looking forward to it and arrived at the filming site early.

The director and lighting technicians were still setting up, and the makeup artist was busy with the lead actors. Ye Yichi found a folding stool and curled up lazily to play on her phone. Unfortunately, the weather was poor, so she couldn’t bask in the sun while playing.

She was halfway through a new melodramatic drama when she saw someone approaching out of the corner of her eye.

“Is it my turn for makeup? Just a second, let me hit pause.” Ye Yichi looked up.

It was Xin Ning.

She was wearing a white blouse with lantern sleeves and a small V-neck, perfectly revealing her collarbones and the swaying circular pendant above them. Below, she wore high-waisted pure black trousers, her shirt tucked in neatly. It was a mix of “pure desire” and intellectual chic. Red ruby studs glittered on her earlobes. Tsk tsk. With a look that polished, she should be on a runway. Why was she running around in the mountains?

“Why are you here again?” Ye Yichi asked.

“I want to make things clear regarding Ye Shijin,” Xin Ning said, looking down at her. “Her company’s trouble has nothing to do with me.”

Of course it doesn’t. It was written in the book: the villain made a bad investment, went bankrupt, and couldn’t handle the blow, dying a few days later. Look at how kind the protagonist is, coming all this way just to explain such a small thing.

“I know,” Ye Yichi smiled. “Don’t forget, I can tell fortunes. I’ve already calculated that she brought it on herself.”

“You…” Xin Ning’s pale pink lips parted slightly, then closed. She just stared at her quietly.

“Anything else?” Ye Yichi asked.

Xin Ning pursed her lips, her dark eyes unreadable.

“If there’s nothing else, you should head back. I’m about to start filming.”

Ye Yichi didn’t care about other scenes, but she really didn’t want Xin Ning watching the coffin scene. What if she actually managed to transmigrate back right then? The coffin opens, the person is gone… that would leave a terrifying memory for the protagonist.

No wonder her old man called her kind. Ye Yichi silently gave herself a thumbs-up.

“Even though Ye Shijin’s matter has nothing to do with me, it doesn’t mean I did nothing,” Xin Ning insisted, staring at Ye Yichi. In her dark eyes, Ye Yichi’s slightly upturned face was reflected.

The wording was confusing. It has nothing to do with me, but I didn’t do nothing? Ye Yichi didn’t get it.

“Her bankruptcy was indeed due to an investment error. However, even if she hadn’t made that error, I would have still made her go bankrupt,” Xin Ning said.

Ah, now she got it.

Ye Yichi licked her canine tooth. No wonder the Xin Corporation was able to acquire and restructure the Ye assets so quickly. Xin Ning had been rehearsing and plotting this for a long time. As expected of the protagonist with such shrewdness and tactics, she would surely lead the Xin family to greater heights.

“That’s great. Keep up the good work.” Ye Yichi stood up, patted Xin Ning on the shoulder, and walked past her toward the makeup artist.

She had noticed the lead actor was finished it was her turn.

“Do you even understand what I’m saying?” Xin Ning followed her. “Regardless of whether your aunt failed her investment, she would have lost everything. Your position as the Ye family heir would have vanished into thin air.”

“So?” Ye Yichi glanced at Xin Ning.

If she had cared about that position, why would she have spent three miserable years by Xin Ning’s side?

“So, I pity you,” Xin Ning said. “I pity that after being glamorous for twenty years, you’re reduced to playing a supporting role.”

Ye Yichi almost laughed out of spite.

Look at this noble protagonist. After enduring three years of a forced marriage and finally getting her revenge, she still had the heart to pity the villain’s niece for being a bit player. Oh, right she was worried about her starving earlier, too. Compared to Xin Ning, the statue of Mary in the Caves of Pierre should feel ashamed and give up its pedestal.

Pity… pity my foot.

While getting her makeup done, Ye Yichi gritted her teeth.

“Teacher Ye, keep your expression peaceful during the shoot,” the makeup artist whispered. “This is a funeral scene, not a ‘corpse coming back to life’ scene.”

When her makeup was done, the director still wasn’t ready. Ye Yichi glanced at the sidelines; Xin Ning hadn’t left.

Is there no end to this pity?

Rolling her eyes, Ye Yichi walked up to Xin Ning. “If you really want to pity me, how about lending me some money?”

“How much?” Xin Ning asked.

“Three or four hundred thousand isn’t too little; three or four million isn’t too much.”

“No.”

See? She says she pities her, but won’t give up a cent. How “scummy.” Ye Yichi curled her lip and strolled back to the set.

Once the director and lighting were set, she lay down in the coffin, chanting a mantra three times in her head: Quickly, as commanded! (It wasn’t that she wanted to say this specifically, it was just the only “spell” she knew).

Let me go back. Let me go back. Let me go back.

Once she finished the chant, the cloudy sky actually began to rain. Is it really that effective? Ye Yichi’s eyes widened slightly as she felt the drizzling raindrops.

“Director, it’s raining. Do we continue?” the lighting tech asked.

“The rain makes the atmosphere even better,” the director nodded.

Lights, tracks, camera arms, and extras were all in place. At the director’s “Action!”, the rain intensified.

The funeral scene was a transition for the lead. Ye Yichi just had to lie quietly in the coffin, wait for the extras to finish crying, and then wait for the lead to descend from the sky for the “corpse whipping” scene.

Normally, this was easy. And lying in a coffin was Ye Yichi’s favorite thing.

But today’s rain was too heavy. Large droplets pelted her face, and it actually hurt. She wondered if the makeup provided by the crew was waterproof. She didn’t want the close-up to show her face smudged.

And this outfit was it a bit too thin? If it got soaked and clung to her… she was playing a corpse, not a “sexy corpse.”

As she let her mind wander, the crying around her faded. This was the scene transition. Once the lead finished their lines on the wire and symbolically struck the body, the director would call “Cut.”

A few seconds later, the crying stopped completely. The lead descended, but before the lines could start, there was a scream: “Sorry, sorry! The ground is too slippery, I lost my footing.”

“It’s fine, let’s take it from the top,” the director soothed.

The second time the crying stopped, the lead came down. Ye Yichi heard a steady landing. Great, they stood their ground this time. Say the lines! she prayed silently.

The lead opened their mouth, said a few words, and choked.

The third time, the lead landed and finished the lines. This has to be it, Ye Yichi thought. She no longer hoped to transmigrate back today; she just wanted the rain pelted scene to end.

After the lines, the lead drew a sword and gestured at the coffin… but the sword slipped and fell into the coffin, landing with a thud on Ye Yichi’s leg.

Don’t sit up. Don’t sit up. Don’t sit up, Ye Yichi chanted while lying perfectly still with her eyes shut.

“What are you doing?!” the director shouted. “Can you act or not?”

“I can, I can! One more time, I definitely won’t mess up this time,” the lead’s voice was full of shame.

Please don’t mess up again, Ye Yichi sighed silently. She could already feel water accumulating at the bottom of the coffin. If they filmed a few more takes, it wouldn’t be a “sexy corpse” she’d be playing a “floating corpse.”

On the fourth take, Ye Yichi finally heard the long awaited “Cut!”

She wiped her face and climbed out of the coffin. Just as her foot touched the ground, a blanket descended from above, and an umbrella appeared over her head.

Wow, the crew is this prepared? Ye Yichi wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, feeling relieved.

The texture was much softer than expected.

She looked down in confusion. The pattern was a grid of milk-tea beige and light gray, and the gray squares were printed with a large “H.” H? Hermes? Since when did the crew have this kind of budget?

Following the blanket upward, Ye Yichi saw Xin Ning holding the umbrella.

“Exactly how much money do you need?” Xin Ning’s voice was fast, her cold tone carrying a rare tremor of emotion. “Is it worth pushing yourself this hard?”

“Will you lend me whatever I need?” Ye Yichi asked.

“No.” Xin Ning avoided Ye Yichi’s gaze, pausing for a moment. “That unlimited Black Card of yours… I never deactivated it.”