“Actually, it’s not that I’m repulsed by the way things work in this industry. Once you enter this circle, you have to adapt to its existing nature. Only by following the rules can you move with the current. I understand this logic,” Zhong Ying said with a gentle smile. “I don’t intend to be some maverick or outlier. I just feel that, at the very least, a person should learn how to protect themselves.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having self-respect and self-love!”
“My mother was once an actress too. She was beautiful, but never quite famous.” Zhong Ying shrugged, seemingly lost in memory. “After staying in the industry for too long, a sheet of white paper inevitably gets stained black. She had been a mistress and the lover of a CEO. Finally, when the scandal broke, that CEO abandoned her without a second thought.”
“You can imagine the fate of an actress caught in such a scandal and discarded by her benefactor. Drowning in public scrutiny and unable to extricate herself, she committed suicide, leaving behind a version of me who wasn’t even ten years old,” Zhong Ying said. “I have always taken that as a warning.”
Zhu Xingtong remained silent.
She knew.
She knew because Zhong Ying’s tragic backstory was written by her own hand.
After her mother died, Zhong Ying went to an orphanage. At eleven, she was taken in by foster parents. Initially, life was better than in the orphanage, but later, her foster parents had a biological son in their old age, and Zhong Ying’s presence became an eyesore.
When she was sixteen, her foster brother—seeing that she was young and beautiful—tried to do something unspeakable to her.
Zhong Ying turned fierce and fought the man with everything she had.
That was how she escaped that disaster. But because of what happened, her foster parents’ home could no longer accommodate her. She lived at her school for two years and dropped out after high school graduation. Later, she was scouted by Qiming’s Zhang Qi and brought into the entertainment world.
She hadn’t made much money since entering the industry, but it was enough to keep her fed and warm.
When Xingtong first transmigrated, she had wondered why she hadn’t arrived during Zhong Ying’s childhood. If she had, she surely would have held this child’s hand and led her away from the darkness.
Some people have a capacity for endurance that is unimaginably high. Having experienced a less-than-ideal childhood and adolescence, Zhong Ying still appeared no different from anyone else.
But as the author, Zhu Xingtong knew very well that some forms of loneliness are etched into the very marrow of one’s bones.
‘She walks the path toward godhood, one footprint at a time, never looking back and feeling no lingering attachments.’ — Quick Transmigration: I Am the Great Heroine
Until the end of the book, Zhong Ying remained a solitary figure.
Zhu Xingtong had cried the hardest when she wrote the finale. The book only detailed how Zhong Ying succeeded step by step and grew stronger, but as the author, she had failed to save her “baby.” Her baby was still alone at the end.
One person, immortal and eternal, yet lonely for a lifetime.
“What’s wrong?” Zhong Ying didn’t understand why Xingtong suddenly looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Zhu Xingtong sniffled. “It’s nothing. No wonder you wouldn’t sign the agreement. But we already agreed just now—you’re going to sign with me.”
“And we also agreed that I will draft the terms.”
Zhu Xingtong glared at her. “I know!”
“Mm.”
Zhong Ying watched as the girl suddenly turned her back to face the sea breeze. Just as she was wondering what the girl was up to, Zhu Xingtong suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs—
“Zhong Ying!!”
“Don’t you worry!! Even if the day comes when I don’t want to be your benefactor anymore, I won’t abandon you! We will still be friends! If anyone tries to bully you, you tell me! I, Zhu Xingtong, even if separated by thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, will definitely help you bully them back!”
Zhu Xingtong felt that this was perhaps the true purpose of her transmigrating into the book. She would accompany her “baby” as she grew! And then, she would find her the best, most wonderful partner in the whole world!
The voice was very loud, carrying over the wind, determined to echo across the entire sea.
It was the first time Zhong Ying had encountered such a situation. For a moment, she forgot how to react. Aside from the sound of the wind, she felt as though she could hear her own heartbeat.
It was hard to describe, but it was beating very fast.
Zhong Ying thought to herself: I’ve been flirted with by this girl again.
Zhu Xingtong turned around and grinned at her, like a child asking for candy. “How was that? Was I sincere enough?”
Zhong Ying snapped out of it and said, “Being sincere doesn’t mean you don’t have designs on my body.”
“I told you I don’t want to sleep with you!”
Zhong Ying’s lips curved. “Really?”
“Really! I only want to be friends!” Zhu Xingtong looked away, absolutely refusing to look at those long, smooth legs or the soft, ample curves of her chest!
“Fine then. Let’s add a clause to the agreement. Every night, you must sleep with me.”
Zhu Xingtong: “??????”
What is wrong with you! You’re not acting right!