CH 16

Villainous Movie Queen (16)

Star in eight different types of films in four years.

This was Song Xu Yi's request to Zhao Qingyu.

Song Xu Yi knew that Zhao Qingyu was extremely picky about her scripts. Eight films in four years, excluding the time for script screening and necessary business activities, meant that Zhao Qingyu had to stay on the set almost all year round, and within these four years Zhao Qingyu would not be able to spare any time to deal fully with Song Jun.

On the other hand, different roles represent different life situations, different worlds and outlooks on life, and Song Xu Yi hopes that after experiencing these different roles, Zhao Qingyu will have a new insight into life.

Song Jun's father is dead and Song Jun's grandmother is demented. Those who have wronged Zhao Qingyu's mother and her have more or less had their karma, and Song Xu Yi does not want Zhao Qingyu to spend the rest of her life in hatred.

Zhao Qingyu actually deserves a better life.

Perhaps...there might be other changes in these four years...

And in case Zhao Qingyu is still bent on revenge four years later, Song Xu Yi will persuade her and Song Jun to play fair and not to play dirty behind each other's backs, each according to their own abilities...

This is Song Xu Yi's entire plan for Zhao Qingyu's future.

……

When she saw the message from Song Xu Yi, Zhao Qingyu froze for a moment.

Zhao Qingyu did not expect Song Xu Yi to make such a request.

But not long after, Zhao Qingyu replied to Song Xu Yi with the word "yes".

Starring in eight different films in four years, Zhao Qingyu naturally knows the intensity of the work involved.

But few people know that Zhao Qingyu actually likes to act.

Life on the set was indeed very boring, with no other pastime than working on the scripts, and the occasional shift between day and night was a torture for many.

But this will make her remembered.

If Zhao Qingyu really does not live to be thirty years old, then the existence of these movies or dramas can prove that Zhao Qingyu once came to this world, and in thirty or forty years, there will still be people who will look through the images of the past and lament, "There was an actress like Zhao Qingyu in this world..."

What's more——among the people who love her performances is Song Xu Yi.

Zhao Qingyu actually understood that Song Xu Yi only liked her face, which suited her taste, so when she was sick, Zhao Qingyu did not even dare to see Song Xu Yi, fearing that she would see her haggard and dull face.

"Eight films in four years is actually good..."

Zhao Qingyu thought hopelessly and happily, "While watching these movies and TVs, Song Xu Yi's eyes would look at her, that way she was bright and dazzling, with character highlights, Song Xu Yi's favourite face."

"And in case one leaves this world, in thirty or forty years from now, in someone's mobile phone, in an old show on a movie channel...in many unconscious moments, Song Xu Yi will still be able to see her. She will remember that a woman called Zhao Qingyu once appeared in her life, the woman who once, in her best years, promised her eight films in four years..."

"But she will never know with what care and longing that woman called Zhao Qingyu left her mark on her life..."

*

Song Xu Yi did not expect Zhao Qingyu to agree to this so easily.

Zhao Qingyu's "yes" was an extremely quick agreement, as if what she had agreed to was a mere trivial matter.

The day after Zhao Qingyu agreed to Song Xu Yi, the most representative film awards in China began to hold the award ceremony, which revealed the nominees for Movie Queen, and everyone already knew that Zhao Qingyu had become a candidate for 'Best Actress', but no one expected that the fledgling Zhao Qingyu would win Movie Queen!

At the time of the award ceremony, Song Xu Yi had just returned to her dorm room from the library. She was greeted by the cheers of her roommates, who almost turned the whole floor upside down, and she saw a tired and dusty Zhao Qingyu on her roommates' tablets and mobile phones, who was still wearing a coarse linen costume, yet her demeanour was not at all constrained, forming a wonderful harmony with the luxurious and gorgeous stage for the award ceremony.

"This is her look for the next scene," Huang Juan Juan happily explained to Song Xu Yi, already incoherent with excitement, "Oooooh, I just know that Qingyu cub won't let us down, without saying a word again, she seems to have forgotten to attend the award ceremony and only suddenly rushed back in the middle of the ceremony..."

"Do you see? My wife, she's stunning even in her coarse linen..."

"Don't be too tired cub, you're still pretty but you've got dark circles under your eyes..."

……

Song Xu Yi ignored Huang Juan Juan's words and looked up at the screen: on the screen was Zhao Qingyu holding the trophy and giving her speech.

Zhao Qingyu has always treated people well, and her acceptance speech was delivered without a hitch. After thanking the director and the audience, Zhao Qingyu suddenly paused and looked at the camera and smiled.

"I actually have one more person to thank," a softness crossed Zhao Qingyu's gaze, "That person was my saviour."

"She loved watching me act and her only request after saving me was that I challenge myself to do eight different types of films in the next four years..."

"I promised her that."

"So, I'm destined to be based on the crew for the next few years. If the directors have a good book in their hands, I still hope that you will take me into consideration..." said Zhao Qingyu, bowing again.

"The award was a surprise for me and a recognition of my last film."

Amidst everyone's good-natured applause, Zhao Qingyu smiled once again. In her circle, Zhao Qingyu is known for her gentle and good-natured personality, yet something seemed different this time——her smile was as gentle as ever, while her words came out with confidence and certainty: "But this is just the beginning! I have many more films to do, and in the future, I will win even more trophies..."

"Oh my God! Who was so cruel to ask my cub to do so many films?" Before Zhao Qingyu had finished speaking, Huang Juan Juan had already hugged Song Xu Yi in excitement: "Eight scenes in four years! I'm sure it's hard for her! But...I think that she's doing a great job! My daughter is so beautiful, she should act more, otherwise it's a waste..."

The "cruel" Song Xu Yi hung her head.

She did not expect Zhao Qingyu to go to this extent.

In fact, if Zhao Qingyu had failed to do so, Song Xu Yi would not have blamed her, as this request was indeed extremely difficult.

Yet Zhao Qingyu said it on such a big occasion.

It was the equivalent of a military order, the same as sending her handle directly into the hands of the world.

After that countless eyes would fall on her, and if she failed to do so, she would be subjected to countless attacks and criticisms, deliberately instigated by rivals...

Zhao Qingyu was so smart that she could not have been unaware of this, but she still chose to go public with the matter...

Song Xu Yi sighed with mixed feelings: she felt that she was really getting more and more confused about Zhao Qingyu.

But Song Xu Yi liked the Zhao Qingyu on the podium more than the gentle and calm she had pretended to be before: the Zhao Qingyu who had become confident and even a little arrogant really looked brighter than a pearl...

*

The matter of Zhao Qingyu's side of the story has come to an end in Song Xu Yi's mind.

Even though Zhao Qingyu still contacts her from time to time, as Song Xu Yi expected, Zhao Qingyu stays on the set and does not have enough time to expand her business territory.

For at least four years, Zhao Qingyu and Song Jun will remain on the surface in peace with each other.

With a huge stone dropped from her heart, Song Xu Yi began to devote herself to her studies again.

This year, after the second year of university, Song Xu Yi found out that Huang Shuo, the "Old Black Mountain Demon", was not teaching his class anymore, and when she inquired carefully, she learned that he had recently started the retirement process.

Although Huang Shuo was strict, it was also because of his presence that he helped this class of students adapt to the profession of a doctor as soon as possible, with the rigour and commitment that medical students should have, and although everyone was quite scared of Huang Shuo during the previous classes, most of the students were a bit sad to hear the news of his retirement.

Time flies and soon the Chrysanthemum Festival arrives. Huang Juan Juan responded to the request of the class to organize a hiking activity and invited all the teachers in the class to climb the mountain together...

Song Xu Yi also didn't expect the busy person Huang Shuo to take the time to come climbing with the group.

Huang Juan Juan whispered to Song Xu Yi, "I went to the student office to collect materials and overheard the teachers gossiping and realised that Mr. Huang was also quite poor..."

"He was so focused on helping the sick and wounded that he seldom cared about his family, always thinking that it was still early and he was still young. It was only when his wife fell asleep one day and never woke up that he realised she was suffering from 'sleeping sickness'. Mr. Wong regretted it so much that he never remarried and was left alone for nearly thirty years..."

It's sleeping sickness again!

Song Xu Yi sighed softly.

Sleeping sickness is one of the most torturous diseases in the world, and everyone who suffers from it does not live past the age of thirty.

The disease runs in the family in some cases, and in others, the disease suddenly strikes and kills on a single day, without any pattern.

It is called "sleeping sickness" because it is a disease in which a person's body appears to be as normal as a person's, and which cannot be detected by existing equipment, but he or she dies suddenly in his or her sleep one day before the age of 30.

So far, no one in the world has researched prevention or testing methods for sleeping sickness.

Song Xu Yi hung her head, she seemed to understand a little more why Huang Shuo had given herself a zero for the last question at that time.

*

Song Xu Yi also did not expect Huang Shuo to approach her.

Halfway up the mountain, Song Xu Yi was too weak to continue climbing, so she could only sit by the roadside and rest, but she didn't expect Huang Shuo to walk towards her.

"How is life these days? Is there anything you don't understand about your schoolwork..." when he wasn't in class, Huang Shuo was actually extremely calm.

Song Xuyi replied to each of them. Huang Shuo nodded, and then raised his eyes to Song Xu Yi: "Do you plan to graduate school? Have you thought about which subject you want to pursue in the future?"

"I've been planning to take the exam," Song Xu Yi smiled at Huang Shuo's suddenly wide eyes, "I've been planning my studies for a long time, and I've been preparing for it since the beginning of my freshman year..."

"I want to study "medical genetics", or more precisely, I want to study "sleeping sickness"..."