A high-end residential complex in the capital.
Xia Qing held the script for Chang Yu's part in the second story of Young Bao Qingtian, reading it intently.
She had read the script at least three times already, and she felt she had gained a deep understanding of the characters.
"I can play this role well!" Xia Qing declared confidently.
Although she had first made a name for herself in music, she had studied film and television acting properly. She had a talent for acting, and she had never believed that singing was all she could do for the rest of her life.
She needed an opportunity.
An opportunity to show off her acting talent!
She needed a fairly high-profile drama and a role that gave her room to shine.
As long as fate gave her those two things, she would become famous!
She firmly believed that.
She hadn't expected the opportunity to come so soon—or to be so good.
It even far exceeded what she'd hoped for.
She had actually landed the role of Chang Yu in Young Bao Qingtian!
Her agent had really come through for her!
Young Bao Qingtian was so popular that even the lofty CCTV and the State Administration had singled it out for praise.
A Dou Miao Score of 9.2, over 60 million views in a single day, and official recognition.
Achieving even one of those three things was incredibly difficult, yet this drama had managed all three at once. It was nothing short of a miracle!
And now she was the female lead of the second story, Blood Altar, in Young Bao Qingtian.
Yes, she already thought of herself as the female lead of this story.
Chang Yu's role had so much room to shine.
She appeared beside Bao Zheng just as Ling Chuchu had left him a letter and gone away.
Ling Chuchu was lively, cheerful, willful, and headstrong—a perfect sparring partner for Bao Zheng.
But Xia Qing understood men, and she knew not everyone liked a character who was so lively, cheerful, willful, and headstrong.
Xia Qing turned to the script again, carefully immersing herself in Chang Yu's character.
Unlike Ling Chuchu, she was gentle and sensitive, the sort of woman who inspired tenderness.
Women like that were very popular with men.
Xia Qing even felt that if she played Chang Yu well and made the character come alive, she might become even more popular than Ling Chuchu.
Quite a few fans of the drama might hope Bao Zheng would choose Chang Yu instead of Ling Chuchu.
The pity was that Chang Yu died in the end.
But that very sadness, that sense of loss, was what made her more memorable.
Her agent, Yu Juan, came over to Xia Qing with a beaming smile.
"Your fans were thrilled when they heard you were going to star in a web drama. They can't wait for you to make it official."
Xia Qing looked back at her agent and smiled. "Let's wait a little before announcing it. First, Penguin Video hasn't made an official announcement yet. Second, we can use this time to keep the buzz going. Let the fans speculate for now. Once their excitement is at its peak, we can announce that I'm starring in Young Bao Qingtian. They'll be thrilled."
Yu Juan nodded. "That's true. These past few days, people in a lot of your fan groups and support groups have been enthusiastically discussing Young Bao Qingtian. There's a lot of overlap between your fans and the drama's fans."
Xia Qing smiled. "It's not that there's a lot of overlap between my fans and the drama's fans. There's a lot of overlap between everyone's fans and this drama's fans, because it's just so popular right now!"
"Exactly!" Yu Juan nodded.
Just then, Xia Qing's phone rang. She glanced at the screen and answered.
"Mom, what do you want this late?"
Her mother's voice came through the phone. "Xia Qing, tell me honestly. Did you and Li Xun break up?"
"Oh, Mom, why are you worrying about that?"
"How could I not worry? The Li family paid for your schooling. All these years, they've helped our family get by. Without them, where would we be now? We're not related to them, so why would they help us so much? Li Xun even gave up his own studies to pay for yours. Why would he do that? Because of the agreement we signed with our thumbprints! You're the Li family's daughter-in-law. That's how it's meant to be for the rest of your life. Listen to me: apologize to Li Xun and hurry up and get married, all right?"
Xia Qing's good mood vanished in an instant.
The name she least wanted to hear these days was Li Xun's, yet somehow it kept finding its way into her ears.
"Mom, did the Li family come to see you?"
"No, but sweetheart, there's no such thing as a secret that stays hidden forever. I can feel that they're treating our family differently now. Xia Qing, tell me honestly: does Li Xun not want you anymore, or do you not want him?"
"Mom, why are you asking? It just wasn't meant to be. What difference does it make who left whom?"
"Xia Qing, listen to me. If you're the one who changed your mind and wronged Li Xun, hurry up and apologize to him. It makes a huge difference whether you don't want him or he doesn't want you. If he doesn't want you, then his family is in the wrong. If you don't want him, everyone will blame our family!"
"Mom, we just need to live our own lives. Let people say whatever they want. After the New Year, I'll bring you and Dad to the capital. Let them say whatever they like. We won't have to listen."
"So you really are the one who changed your mind? We can pretend not to hear the gossip, and we can move if the neighbors start pointing fingers, but what if our own conscience condemns us? If it keeps scolding us in our heads, where can we run?"
"Mom, you don't have to say any more. Is any of that more important than your daughter's lifelong happiness?"
"Xia Qing, our family really was struggling back then. But if Li Xun had been stupid, or mentally disabled, or physically handicapped, your father and I would have rather drunk poison ourselves than let you sign that agreement. Ask around our whole village—how many men are better than Li Xun? I agreed to those thumbprints because I liked him. First, our family would have help and life would be easier, and you'd be able to keep studying. Second, you'd have a good husband, and your father and I wouldn't have to worry about you. We still have plenty of photos of you and Li Xun in frames at home. Who wouldn't say you made a handsome couple? How is Li Xun not good enough for you?"
Xia Qing muttered, "What good is being handsome? How much does he earn in a month? What future can he have delivering food for the rest of his life?"
"Xia Qing, you can't think that way. Your university expenses were no small matter. Didn't Li Xun earn that money by delivering food? He didn't make much, but I could tell he truly loved you. You already earn more than you can spend. What does it matter if he earns a little more or less? Listen to me and make a life with him. Oh, and I heard he's stopped delivering food. He seems to have joined a huge company, one of those Fortune Global 500 companies. Take my word for it—Li Xun is a fine man."
"There are plenty of people who like me. Am I supposed to marry every one of them? I don't need his love. He stopped delivering food? A Fortune Global 500 company? Mom, being a security guard at a Fortune Global 500 company still means you joined one. Haotuan Delivery is on the Fortune Global 500 list too, but does that mean anything? I'm done talking. I'm hanging up! And don't worry about this anymore. I know what I'm doing. Throw out or sell whatever you need to at home. Next year, I'll buy a small apartment and bring you and Dad to the capital."
"Sweetheart, I haven't finished—"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
After hanging up, Xia Qing felt irritated.
She had everything now. Her career was taking off, and everything seemed to be going well. Only that name kept getting in her way, deliberately or otherwise. Everything else was wonderful. These days, Li Xun was the last person she wanted to hear about.
"Li Xun, can't you just disappear from my life for good?"
Just then, Yu Juan's phone rang too. She went out onto the balcony to answer it.
A few minutes later, Yu Juan came back from the balcony, looking troubled.
"What's wrong?" Xia Qing asked.
"The role of Chang Yu is gone!" Yu Juan said.
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