What Should I do After Binding the Wrong System and the Female Lead comes Knocking at my Door? - Chapter 7

On this quiet night, the moon hung high in the vast starry sky, casting a soft, gentle glow that enveloped Gu Qing in a mysterious, hazy veil beneath the stars.

“Hey, A Qing.”

Gu Qing looked at Pei Yuanxi, who was approaching from the distance. Pei Yuanxi was dressed in a simple yet elegant black dress. The fabric was soft, gently swaying with the evening breeze, making her look like a black swan dancing gracefully under the starry sky.

“Pei Zong.”

Hearing Gu Qing greet her, Pei Yuanxi smiled and said, “Why do you always call me ‘Pei Zong’? It’s the first time I’ve heard that title.”

Gu Qing lowered her eyes slightly, “Because we have a contractual relationship.”

“Oh…” Pei Yuanxi nodded, then curiously asked, “Does the contract mean you have to listen to everything I say?”

At the sound of this question, Gu Qing instinctively curled her fingers, a hint of anxiety showing on her face, which she herself hadn’t realized. She lowered her head and murmured, “Pei Zong… do you have a request?”

It wasn’t that she was overthinking things, but Pei Yuanxi had suddenly called her late at night, asking to meet, and now asking such a question it made her suspicious of Pei Yuanxi’s intentions.

Pei Yuanxi shivered slightly, then recalled the sounds she had just heard at home. Her face flushed as she cleared her throat and said, “Don’t overthink it. I just don’t want you to keep calling me ‘Pei Zong’. Call me Yuanxi.”

Gu Qing didn’t notice the blush on Pei Yuanxi’s face as she obediently nodded. “Yuanxi.”

Pei Yuanxi smiled with satisfaction as she gently stroked Gu Qing’s long hair, “Good.”

She thought to herself, Gu Qing was such an obedient person. Though they were the same age, seeing Gu Qing so docile made her naturally think of her as a younger sister.

“I didn’t come to find you for anything important. I just wanted to ask if the company has handled the matter?”

Pei Yuanxi didn’t realize there was a flaw in her words. Why did they need to meet in person for something that could have been clarified over the phone? Gu Qing didn’t question it and simply responded, “I paid the breach of contract fee yesterday.”

“That’s good. So, what are your plans next?” Pei Yuanxi asked curiously.

“Well, it depends on whether you’re willing to take me in,” Gu Qing replied.

Pei Yuanxi almost lost her cool, “You’re still coming to me after all? Why complicate such a simple thing?”

She sighed when she saw Gu Qing, who was still silent and looking down, and said, “Alright, come over then. We’ll sign the contract at the company. You can just use my agent, right?”

Before Gu Qing could respond, Pei Yuanxi kept talking, “I’ll also arrange for you to have an assistant, and I’ll recommend a nutritionist for you.”

“By the way, I have one more question for you. Do you have a career plan?”

Gu Qing thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, “I’ll follow your arrangement, Yuanxi.”

Pei Yuanxi felt pleased but still reminded her without revealing it, “You need to have a career plan. For example, if you want to be an actor, do you want to go step by step, or would you prefer to gain fame quickly?”

“Both options have their pros and cons. The first option means you’ll work hard in the beginning. I’ll arrange many courses for you—everything from acting to directing, because it’s essential to understand what directors want in a role. Every director has different expectations, and you’ll need to integrate that on your own. The advantage is, once you’ve built a solid foundation, you won’t easily be knocked down by any winds.”

“The second option, gaining fame first, isn’t a bad choice either. The downside is that your acting might not match your fame, and in the worst case, you could be hated by the public. But there’s an upside—everyone in this industry is chasing fame and wealth. There are pure-hearted people, but they often can’t survive here. If you get fame and wealth, you can easily reach the top of the entertainment industry, and no matter how good or bad your acting is, top-tier scripts will come to you.”

Pei Yuanxi paused and glanced at Gu Qing, who was lost in thought. “Of course, even if you choose the second option, it won’t reach the extreme I mentioned. Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”

Gu Qing kept staring at Pei Yuanxi after she finished talking, and Pei Yuanxi, flustered by the gaze, stammered, “Wh… What’s wrong?”

“Thank you.”

Seeing Gu Qing’s serious expression, Pei Yuanxi couldn’t help but laugh, “You don’t need to take my words too seriously. There’s no such thing as an absolute in this world. Maybe you’ll get super famous from just one drama. That kind of thing happens sometimes.”

After saying that, Pei Yuanxi suddenly turned to look at Gu Qing. “Smile.”

“What?” Gu Qing was startled.

“I said, smile. Right now, imagine I’m a director, and the director wants you to smile.”

Pei Yuanxi admitted she had a mischievous thought. She just wanted to see what Gu Qing would look like when she smiled, because Gu Qing was always so cold and aloof. Though she looked elegant, Pei Yuanxi wondered if that was all she would ever be—too distant. As an actor, one had to express all kinds of emotions on their face, so that their acting range would be broader, and they’d be able to take on a variety of roles. Would Gu Qing only ever take on roles that required her to be cold and emotionless?

Lost in these thoughts, Pei Yuanxi was suddenly taken aback when Gu Qing’s cold face broke into a smile, like a gentle spring breeze.

Gu Qing’s gaze softened, and it felt as though a thousand years of ice and snow melted away in that moment. The breeze gently stirred her long hair, brushing against Pei Yuanxi’s heart.

Pei Yuanxi stared blankly at Gu Qing for a long while before she snapped back to reality. She quickly nodded and cleared her throat, “Ahem, great acting. I’m even more confident now that you’ll win Best Actress in the future.”

“Acting?” Gu Qing silently disagreed with Pei Yuanxi’s words. It wasn’t acting. It was her true feelings. Everything Pei Yuanxi had said to her earlier had come from the heart. She didn’t have to say so much to her—after all, they’d only met three times, with the first time being when they had some misunderstandings, and the second time when they signed the love contract. No one knew how much manipulation or calculation was involved in that contract, but Pei Yuanxi didn’t seem to care. She continued to show her genuine kindness toward Gu Qing.

It was really frustrating.

At this moment, Gu Qing felt irritated by Pei Yuanxi’s kindness. She wanted to tell her that they were just in a contractual relationship. Once she paid back the five million, the only relationship left between them would be that of employer and employee.

Though her family background was decent, Gu Qing had never experienced warmth or affection. In this world, she remained solitary and alone.

She understood herself—though she appeared to have grown accustomed to this life, when a sliver of sunlight shone on her, she would grab it without hesitation, even in an almost obsessive way.

She regretted signing the contract, and she suspected that she would often have regrets about it in the future.

Gu Qing stared at Pei Yuanxi’s retreating back, lost in thought.

Pei Yuanxi, don’t be so kind to me…