Tang Xue snapped out of her daze and looked at Lin Xiaoxiao, who had her face buried in her hands, with a shocked expression. "Xiaoxiao?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect things to turn out this way. I thought I could handle whatever happened, but I guess I overestimated my abilities."
It's all my fault. I underestimated my abilities, which is why you suffered such injustice. I'm sorry, so very sorry.
Lin Xiaoxiao buried her face in her hands, not daring to look up at the person next to her, afraid that she would see disgust on that person's face.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How can this be your fault?" Tang Xue finally understood what Lin Xiao was talking about, and her feelings were very complicated.
Seemingly distressed and helpless, she truly hadn't expected Lin Xiaoxiao to take the blame upon herself this time.
Tang Xue was naturally aware of the calls online to replace her, after all, the matter had been trending on social media for several days.
But when Tang Xue decided to take on this role, she already anticipated what would happen. This was the price she had to pay for getting the role, and it was something she had to bear.
To gain recognition, you must let the public see your strength. Since she has no works, she has to bear the doubts of the public. Tang Xue is very clear about this.
Therefore, Tang Xue didn't take the things that happened online or even on set too seriously, because she believed that gold will always shine. However, Lin Xiaoxiao was a different person...
Chapter 31
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With a soft sigh, Tang Xue reached out and touched Lin Xiaoxiao's head, saying gently, "Don't take everything on yourself."
"I don't have any works to show everyone my abilities, so it's normal for them to have these doubts. Don't get anxious or upset about it. As Sister Bai said, this kind of attention is an opportunity for me."
Thinking of the dark circles under Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes that she had just seen, Tang Xue felt even more pity for the person.
As the company's boss, Lin Xiaoxiao could have completely ignored this incident. What is a trending topic? It's just a matter of popularity.
In her current situation, what she needs most is attention. Although she's definitely going to become famous for being controversial, it's also a good opportunity for the public to get to know her.
For any entertainment company facing such a situation, their first thought should not be to deal with public opinion, but to use this public opinion to gain greater benefits.
But Lin Xiaoxiao… Thinking of what Bai Bing had told her, Tang Xue suppressed the sigh that wanted to escape again, and placed her hand on Lin Xiaoxiao's head even more gently.
Why does this person always manage to stir up her emotions so easily, always making her care more and more? At this moment, Tang Xue seemed to have finally found the reason.
It was because of her sincere heart, which wanted to be good to her without any selfish motives. It was so genuine and unreserved. How could she not want to get close to such a person? How could she not care about her?
“But those people keep insulting you. You clearly got this role based on your own abilities. Why are they saying those things about you? They don’t know anything and are just making wild guesses. It’s really too much.”
Lin Xiaoxiao is now really resentful of her predecessor. If she hadn't always targeted Tang Xue, none of this would have happened.
"This is something every actor has to go through. Doesn't this mean I'm about to become famous?" Tang Xue said jokingly, hoping that Lin Xiaoxiao would stop blaming herself.
Lin Xiaoxiao remained silent. She knew the kind of harm a person's words could cause. Words are like knives, often wounding people invisibly. Although she had not experienced it herself, she had seen examples of people being hurt by those words to the point of giving up their lives.
Although she knew that even an ordinary person could not possibly be liked by everyone around them, let alone a public figure, she just couldn't bear to see Tang Xue suffer such injustice.
Seeing that the person was still stuck on this point, Tang Xue felt a warm feeling in her heart. She stood up and squatted down in front of Lin Xiaoxiao. "Xiaoxiao, look at me."
Her voice was soft and gentle, like a light feather brushing against the tip of her heart. Lin Xiaoxiao subconsciously looked up, and the gentle smile that met her eyes made her heart flutter.
"Listen to me, you didn't do anything wrong." Looking into Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes, Tang Xue said gently but firmly, "If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have had this opportunity. Xiaoxiao, I'm very grateful to you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Thank you for being so good to me."
Lin Xiaoxiao's kindness to her made Tang Xue feel both scared and touched, but now, looking at the dark circles under that person's eyes, Tang Xue felt nothing but gratitude and pity.
"You must not have had a good rest these past few days," Tang Xue said, touching Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes. "You've had a hard time because of me."
Lin Xiaoxiao blinked and said earnestly, "It's not hard work. This was originally my fault. I'm really useless. It's been so long and I still haven't handled this matter well." As she said this, Lin Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat lost and self-reproachful.
She thought that Tang Xue's role in this drama would make her famous, gain her popularity, and allow people to see her good qualities. But now, her decision has instead made her the target of everyone's curses.
"Xiaoxiao." Tang Xue pinched Lin Xiaoxiao's cheek, her tone slightly helpless, "You've done enough. I'm not a hundred-yuan bill, how could I be liked by everyone? What do you think?" Tang Xue raised an eyebrow at Lin Xiaoxiao, a smile playing on her lips.
"You are wonderful. You deserve everyone's love. Those people just haven't discovered your good qualities yet. In the future, they will definitely come to like you." Lin Xiaoxiao's tone was very sincere, and her earnest and determined expression made it clear to everyone that she was truly sincere.
Ah, that's it. Tang Xue's eyes softened even more. It was this sincerity that made her care more and more. "I heard from Sister Bai that you haven't been resting well these past few days and haven't been home much?"
"Ah? No, no, I did go home." Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes darted around. Although she had been quite stressed about Tang Xue's matter these past few days, whether she was at the company or not was irrelevant to the progress of the matter.
But ever since Tang Xue left, she has preferred to stay at the company rather than go home, unwilling to return to that empty home where she is all alone.
Sometimes, when Lin Xiaoxiao thinks about it, she finds it incredible. Tang Xue didn't stay with her for very long, but she seems unable to adapt to not having Tang Xue around.
She hasn't been sleeping well these past few days, partly because of the upsetting things online, and partly because of Tang Xue. Whenever she gets home and lies in bed, she thinks about how that person isn't in the next room.
The thought of not seeing that person when she woke up in the morning made her feel uneasy, and she couldn't fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned. As a result, she had been suffering from insomnia for several days.
"Don't ruin your health because of me. How can I be at ease if you don't take good care of yourself?" Thinking about how this person had managed during the days she was away, Tang Xue felt both heartache and anger, angry that this person hadn't taken good care of themselves.
"Are you worried about me?" Lin Xiaoxiao was both excited and flattered. Tang Xue's estrangement had always made Lin Xiaoxiao very uneasy. Now that she knew Tang Xue still cared about her, she could hardly believe it.
"Of course I care about you." Tang Xue was somewhat taken aback, wondering why Lin Xiaoxiao would have such thoughts, and why she felt that Lin Xiaoxiao didn't care about her.
"I thought you hated me." Lin Xiaoxiao sniffed, feeling like crying. She had been having a really bad time these past few days.
She was both angry at how people on the internet treated Tang Xue and saddened by Tang Xue's distance from her. She hadn't been able to eat or sleep well these past few days, and hearing Tang Xue's words now almost broke her.
"How could I possibly hate you?" After the initial surprise, Tang Xue's voice became even gentler. "You're so good to me, how could I possibly hate you?"
“But you…” Lin Xiaoxiao bit her lower lip, as if hesitating whether she should say it.
Tang Xue frowned, her tone carrying a hint of disapproval, "Don't bite your lip." Seeing how hard Lin Xiaoxiao was biting, Tang Xue was really afraid that she would bite her lip until it bled.
"Okay." Lin Xiaoxiao released her lower lip, looking incredibly obedient.
Every time Tang Xue saw Lin Xiaoxiao's well-behaved appearance, she would think of the little white cat she kept at home, and her heart would immediately melt. She rubbed Lin Xiaoxiao's head and asked softly, "What's wrong? What were you trying to say just now?"
Lin Xiaoxiao looked at Tang Xue and subconsciously bit her lower lip, but she immediately thought of what Tang Xue had just said and immediately let go.
She gripped the hem of her dress tightly, her eyes fixed on her fingers twisting the fabric. Hesitantly, she uttered, "Have you been avoiding me these past few days? Did I say something to upset you?"
As she spoke the last sentence, Lin Xiaoxiao raised her head, her dark eyes fixed on Tang Xue, her tension evident in her straight posture.
Tang Xue was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Lin Xiaoxiao to be so sensitive. She had thought that by using the excuse of being busy filming, Lin Xiaoxiao wouldn't feel that she was distancing herself from her. She thought she hadn't made it obvious, but the other party still noticed.
Thinking about why she wanted to distance herself from Lin Xiaoxiao, Tang Xue suddenly felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look into her eyes.
"It really wasn't my imagination." Tang Xue's avoidance confirmed her guess. Lin Xiaoxiao felt a tightness and pain in her chest, and her eyes also felt hot.
But she forced a smile, suppressing the sadness and bitterness in her heart. "Can I know why?"
Tang Xue sensed something was off about Lin Xiaoxiao's tone. She looked up and saw the woman's slightly red eyes, which pierced her heart. Tang Xue seemed to hear a sigh in her own heart, a pang of heartache for this woman, and self-reproach.
"I have indeed been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding you these past few days." Seeing the sadness in the man's eyes, Tang Xue's eyes reddened as if she felt the same way.
"I don't hate you, I'm just afraid. I'm afraid I won't be able to repay your kindness. You've been so good to me, how can I repay your kindness?"
"You're so good to me too. Your willingness to be my friend is the greatest reward for me." Lin Xiaoxiao said excitedly, "You know I have a sensitive stomach, so you make me some stomach-friendly dishes."
You take care of me, you care about me, you're very gentle with me. My kindness to you is less than a tenth of what you've shown me. If anyone should repay you, it's me who should repay you.
"You..." Tang Xue chuckled softly, and as she laughed, tears seemed to well up in her eyes. "Lin Xiaoxiao, you really are a very good person."
Lin Xiaoxiao blinked, looking puzzled and confused. It seemed like she had just been friend-zoned! Something felt off; why did she feel like she had been rejected?
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Author's Note:
Thank you for pointing out the bugs, they've all been corrected. Thank you all for your blessings, Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you all good health and all the best in the new year. To those in school, may you achieve academic success; to those already working, may your work be smooth sailing. Love you all, muah!
Chapter 32
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Seeing that the sadness on Lin Xiaoxiao's face had disappeared, Tang Xue braced herself on the ground and prepared to stand up. However, she forgot that her legs had gone numb from squatting for so long. When she suddenly stood up, her body lurched forward uncontrollably.
"Careful." Lin Xiaoxiao reached out and hugged the person who had fallen into her arms. The warm, soft body was in her embrace, and the familiar fragrance filled her nose. Lin Xiaoxiao subconsciously took a deep breath, and when she realized what she had done, a blush quickly spread across her face.
With Lin Xiaoxiao's hands holding her waist and her face buried in his neck, Tang Xue's lips touched his delicate skin. Inevitably, she thought of the kiss that had landed on her face, and her heart skipped a beat.
Lin Xiaoxiao trembled slightly as a gentle breath spread across her neck. She could clearly feel the tingling sensation of Tang Xue's red lips brushing against her neck.
Without even thinking, Lin Xiaoxiao knew that her ears must have turned red. She bit her lower lip, as if she was trying her best to suppress something. Her hands were wrapped around Tang Xue's waist, her body straight, and she didn't dare to move at all.
"I... I'm fine now, please let me go." Feeling that her legs had regained their strength, Tang Xue placed her hands on Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulders, took a few deep breaths, and then uttered these few words.
"Ah, oh, okay." Lin Xiaoxiao quickly withdrew her hand and watched Tang Xue stand up, supporting herself on her shoulders. Her gaze involuntarily fell on Tang Xue's red lips. As soon as they touched, she felt as if she had been burned by fire and quickly looked away.
Seeing Lin Xiaoxiao's flustered appearance and the lingering blush on her face, Tang Xue's eyes flashed with a strange light. She tidied her long hair and covered her slightly red earlobes.
"Ahem, are you alright?" After looking away, Lin Xiaoxiao felt that her behavior was a bit strange, so she turned her gaze back to Tang Xue, looking completely unashamed.
"I'm fine, thank you for what you just said." Tang Xue smiled gently, her voice soft, and her face showed no sign of anything amiss. Only her ears, hidden by her hair, proved that her heart was not as calm as she appeared.
Seemingly influenced by Tang Xue's calmness, the blush on Lin Xiaoxiao's face also faded. She patted the chair where Tang Xue had been sitting and said with a smile, "Sit down and let's talk."
Tang Xue sat down next to Lin Xiaoxiao as instructed, but when Lin Xiaoxiao didn't notice, her gaze would often drift to Lin Xiaoxiao's neck, her eyes revealing a thoughtful expression, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
"How have you been on set these past few days? Has anyone been bullying you?" Thinking of the gossip she had just heard, Lin Xiaoxiao's anger flared up again.
"No, everyone is very nice to me." Tang Xue wasn't exactly lying; apart from those who were gossiping behind her back, everyone else was indeed very kind to her.
Needless to say, she doesn't have time to pay attention to those rumors right now. Some of the senior actors invited to this drama are her role models, and she has no mind to think about anything else.
Lin Xiaoxiao tilted her head and glanced at Tang Xue, knowing that she only said those things because she didn't want her to worry. Those people had been talking badly about her behind her back, so it would be a miracle if she had a good life. Thinking of this, Lin Xiaoxiao's determination to resolve this matter became even stronger.
"Don't worry about me. I'm doing fine here. I'm filming and studying every day, and I'm having a fulfilling time. But you are." Tang Xue turned to look at Lin Xiaoxiao, her tone becoming serious. "Go back and get some sleep, eat well, and don't ruin your health."
"I've been taking good care of myself." Lin Xiaoxiao felt a little guilty and naturally didn't dare to meet Tang Xue's gaze; her eyes darted around.
Seeing Lin Xiaoxiao like this, Tang Xue was both annoyed and amused. "Do you want me to get you a mirror so you can see your dark circles?"
Lin Xiaoxiao instinctively covered her eyes. "I... I definitely covered them up, how can you still tell?" Lin Xiaoxiao was a little annoyed because she had really dressed up carefully for the occasion of meeting Tang Xue. She never expected that her dark circles would be exposed so easily.
Hearing Lin Xiaoxiao's soft murmur, Tang Xue subconsciously curved her lips into a smile, but quickly pursed them again. "Is it because of me that you can't get a proper rest?"
Thinking about how this person had been working overtime at the company these past few days, running around taking care of things for her, Tang Xue felt both guilty and heartbroken.
"Well... not entirely." Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly became a little embarrassed. "I just... haven't been sleeping well lately."
"Insomnia?" Tang Xue frowned, her eyes full of worry. "Have you seen a doctor? Did the doctor say what the cause was?" Insomnia can be a serious problem or a minor one. If it's chronic, a person definitely won't be able to handle it.
Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Tang Xue, clasped her hands together, and stared at her two thumbs that she was circling around. "Seeing a doctor won't help. You'll be fine once you get home."
"What did you say?" Lin Xiaoxiao's voice was too soft. Even though Tang Xue had moved closer to Lin Xiaoxiao when she spoke, she still couldn't hear what Lin Xiaoxiao said.