Chapter 485 - What A Small World
After leaving Jingyue Entertainment, Xu Xiyan headed straight for the set to continue filming.
The shoot in the morning went by without a hitch. She had a working lunch at noon, and once the lunch break was over, it was time for the afternoon’s shoot.
She was in the middle of a take when she heard the wail of an ambulance’s siren from outside the set. Several members of the production crew began to wonder why an ambulance had come.
Someone went out to see what was going on, and returned to say that Qi Liya, the leading lady for “Red Sleeved Beauty,” had been in an accident. Xu Xiyan’s heart sank when she heard the news.
She pressed for more information, and learned that the accident had happened during one of Qi Liya’s wire stunts: she had been suspended in mid-air when the wires suddenly snapped, sending her plummeting to the ground. It had been a nasty fall.
The ambulance had been sent for, and Qi Liya was now on the way to First People’s Hospital.
As soon as she was done filming that afternoon, Xu Xiyan left the set, fully intending to hurry over to the hospital to see Qi Liya.
She walked quickly, and did not notice the puddle on the side of the road—or the minivan that was coming up from behind her.
Splash! The wheels of the minivan ran through the puddle, soaking Xu Xiyan with muddy water.
Xu Xiyan shook off the disgusting water. Temper flaring, she shouted automatically, “Watch where you’re going! What, are you in a hurry to go to hell or something?”
The minivan screeched to a halt. The passenger door slowly opened, and a pair of heels, ten centimeters tall, emerged from the car and made contact with the ground.
Xu Xiyan frowned. What a small world—the minivan that had splashed her was Xu Xinrou’s.
Xu Xinrou’s outfit was elegant and expensive, and her face had been exquisitely made up. She stepped out of the car in her high heels, and stood gracefully before Xu Xiyan.
It was obvious that the public announcement of her romance with Huo Jingtang had boosted her ego: she was practically glowing, and her posture was haughtier than usual.
Xu Xinrou looked Xu Xiyan up and down. A smug smile spread across her face. “Oh my, if it isn’t Jing Xi, the actress rumored to be dating Ni Yun! What happened? You look like you just crawled out of the gutter!”
Her eyes were full of ridicule and disdain. She was implying that Xu Xiyan had deliberately spread the rumors about being in a relationship with Ni Yun to get a leg up in the industry.
Xu Xinrou did not believe for a minute that Xu Xiyan had been awarded the lead role in “Root of Evil” because of her acting skills. Xu Xinrou had helped Yang Qiong spam the poll with fake votes, but had messed up, resulting in Yang Qiong’s disqualification. Xu Xinrou was sure that Xu Xiyan would have never gotten the role had Yang Qiong remained in the running.
Someone—she did not know who— had discovered that the poll results were being manipulated, and then reported Yang Qiong to the poll organizers for cheating. Xu Xinrou was convinced that Xu Xiyan did not deserve the role; she had merely lucked out.
Xu Xiyan gave her a pointed look as she said indignantly, “My clothes are dirty because you told your driver to splash me with filthy puddle water.”
Xu Xinrou pretended to look surprised. She covered her mouth demurely with a hand as she laughed and said, “Dear me, you think I ordered my driver to do that? Are you perhaps suffering from a persecution complex? Why not go all the way, and accuse me of having dug this hole here, just so there would be a puddle ready to splash you with when you walk by?”
“Oh yes, I am clearly suffering from a persecution complex and extreme paranoia. Well, since you’re here, I have a few questions for you. Were you behind Qi Liya’s accident?”
Xu Xiyan knew of Xu Xinrou’s sinister methods. After wrapping up her scenes for “Red Sleeved Beauty,” Xu Xiyan had not been able to rest easy; her instincts told her Xu Xinrou would try to sabotage Qi Liya.
Now that Qi Liya had gotten into an accident, Xu Xiyan’s immediately suspected Xu Xinrou of having masterminded it.
Xu Xinruo snorted as she crossed her arms. “Jing Xi, as the saying goes, you don’t have to watch what you eat, but you do have to watch what you say. Why would I have anything to do with Qi Liya’s accident?”
“I don’t know, that’s a question for your conscience. And what about the wrap party, a few nights ago? You spread the rumors about Qi Liya and Director Huang, didn’t you?”
Xu Xiyan had meant to question Xu Xinrou about it, but had been too busy to find the time. Now that they had bumped into each other, it was time to get the truth out of her.
Xu Xinrou’s face immediately darkened. Her denial was prompt and unequivocal: “I had nothing to do with the rumors about their affair.”