Chapter 46: Too Much of a Coincidence

Qin Xiao hadn’t lied to her. As the year-end approached, his company was swamped with work. Every trip he made to M City meant he had to dedicate even more time to catching up on company affairs when he returned.

When he wasn’t facing Su Ling, Qin Xiao was almost coldly rational.

His flight was at eight in the morning. After delivering her gift, he hurriedly drove to the airport.

Watching his car disappear into the distance, Su Ling couldn’t help but feel that the possessive, borderline obsessive Qin Xiao from before had genuinely improved. His words from the previous night had exposed some of her darkest thoughts, leaving her feeling a twinge of guilt.

After Su Ling returned, Tang Zi got up not long after. Her menstrual cramps only lasted a day, so she looked much better today.

Seeing Su Ling’s fluffy earmuffs and black scarf, Tang Zi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ling Ling, when did you buy these?”

Su Ling felt a bit awkward. “Just now.”

Tang Zi nodded. “They’re nice. Black doesn’t show dirt easily.”

Tang Zi added, “Director Dong said it might snow again today, so filming has been temporarily suspended. If you don’t have anything else to do, you can catch up on sleep.”

Su Ling was momentarily stunned. Normally, Director Dong would call her directly about such matters. The fact that he had Tang Zi relay the message suggested he was still upset about what happened last night. Su Ling sighed inwardly but knew there wasn’t much she could do about it.

Once trust is broken, there’s no going back to how things were.

However, when filming resumed, Director Dong seemed unchanged. He directed as he always did, without any noticeable differences.

By December, The Prisoner had wrapped filming.

Post-production would still take some time, and it likely wouldn’t make the Lunar New Year release slot. But Director Dong didn’t care about that. He focused on creating quality work and wouldn’t rush to meet arbitrary deadlines.

On the day The Prisoner wrapped, the atmosphere on set was lively.

Everyone went out for drinks to celebrate. Feng Li Fei, who was quite drunk, stared at Su Ling with glazed eyes.

Uncomfortable with being stared at so intensely, Su Ling felt awkward.

Feng Li Fei slurred, “Su Ling, if you don’t have a boyfriend, consider me?” He was straightforward, given his extensive romantic experience and passionate pursuit of women.

The group burst into cheers.

Director Dong glanced at Su Ling and then at Feng Li Fei, a faint trace of mockery in his eyes.

If Feng Li Fei knew about Qin Xiao’s existence, he’d probably be terrified.

Zheng Xiao Ya chimed in with a smile, “You two actually look good together. Su Ling, why not just agree?” As soon as she said this, her manager tugged at her sleeve. Zheng Xiao Ya frowned irritably and fell silent.

Tang Zi was seething. If you like him so much, why don’t you agree? Zheng Xiao Ya, you and Feng Li Fei seem like a perfect match too! Or maybe you’re not even good enough for him.

But as an assistant, Tang Zi couldn’t afford to confront a top-tier actress.

Tang Zi interjected, “Miss Zheng is just joking. Ling Ling hasn’t graduated yet. These things can wait until after graduation.”

Su Ling pretended not to hear any of it.

The teasing eventually died down, and everyone moved on.

Su Ling was genuinely happy that filming was over. Shooting in M City had been exhausting, and now everyone felt a collective sense of relief. What made Su Ling happiest was how much she had learned. Director Dong had chosen excellent actors, and she had picked up valuable lessons from each of them.

Such spiritual wealth was rare.

And now, her bank account had reached seven figures.

Staring at the row of zeros, Su Ling still felt a sense of unreality. She had been poor for so long that money held little meaning for her.

Still, she couldn’t help but reflect on the unpredictability of life. When her grandmother’s illness required the most money, she had been powerless. Now, with her grandmother gone, she didn’t know what to do with the money she had.

After packing her things, she returned to her apartment. After some thought, she decided to head back to school.

Final exams were approaching, and the Lunar New Year would follow shortly after.

Bundled up in warm clothing and wearing a mask, Su Ling returned to campus.

Along the way, people who recognized her greeted her warmly. Everyone knew that causing a scene wouldn’t be ideal, so they kindly kept their voices low, even when excited, ensuring Su Ling’s presence remained discreet.

Su Ling reflected that, in a way, she had left campus life behind in a different manner.

With no classes to attend, she planned to visit Yun Bu in the dormitory. However, Zhou Wan Wan looked confused. “Yun Bu went to shoot a drama. Didn’t she tell you?”

Su Ling froze. Over the past few months, she had spoken to Yun Bu on the phone regularly, and Yun Bu had always said she was at school. Su Ling never expected Yun Bu to be shooting a drama.

Zhou Wan Wan explained, “She took on a fantasy drama and has been gone for almost a month.”

It was December, and the weather was already cold. Su Ling felt a chill run through her body.

She had repeatedly warned Yun Bu not to take on fantasy roles, yet Yun Bu had gone ahead and done it anyway. Calculating the timeline, Su Ling’s face turned pale. She immediately called Yun Bu.

The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.

Anxious, Su Ling asked Zhou Wan Wan, “How did Yun Bu get the role? Which production crew is she with?”

Zhou Wan Wan wasn’t sure. Setting down her mirror, she replied, “I’m not entirely certain, but Yun Bu was unhappy for a while and seemed to have trouble sleeping. She auditioned everywhere and was thrilled when she got accepted.”

With no other options, Su Ling could only go to the same production crew from her past life.

She remembered the drama was called Lotus Records . It was tragic—Yun Bu had died during filming, but the production crew had covered it up and continued shooting as if nothing had happened.

No one knew that a girl as vibrant as a flower had perished while filming that drama.

Yun Bu’s father and stepmother received a substantial compensation and chose to let the matter rest.

Fortunately, the production crew was in B City. Su Ling took a car there and found them filming.

She was stopped at the entrance and couldn’t get in. Desperate, she pleaded, “Please, let me in. I’m looking for my friend, Yun Bu.”

The guard rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, people come every day claiming they’re looking for friends. You can’t chase stars here. Step aside!”

With no other choice, Su Ling realized many things had shifted earlier in this lifetime, and she couldn’t afford to gamble even a single day.

The lack of bad news so far indicated Yun Bu was still safe. Knowing how powerful fate could be, Su Ling was determined to prevent tragedy.

Unable to enter, she sought help from others.

First, she called Lin Qing. After a moment’s thought, Lin Qing said, “Lotus Records ? I’ve heard of it, but it’s a small-budget web drama. Starlight Entertainment didn’t send any contracted artists for auditions, and I don’t have the director’s contact information. What are you doing there?”

Su Ling couldn’t explain and quickly ended the call.

After a pause, she dialed Qin Xiao.

She remembered that when Yun Bu had gotten into trouble in her past life, it was Qin Xiao who had taken her to the production crew. He would surely have a way.

This was the first time she had ever initiated a call to him in this lifetime.

Qin Xiao was in a meeting, furious about a disastrous real estate project. Just as he was berating someone, his phone rang. Initially, he didn’t intend to answer, but glancing at the screen, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The manager, sweating profusely under Qin Xiao’s scolding, watched as the boss walked out to take the call with an unusual expression.

Qin Xiao chuckled, “Ling Ling, you’re being so proactive. Did you miss me?”

Su Ling didn’t engage in small talk. She was direct and clear about her purpose. “Qin Xiao, I can’t get into the Lotus Records production crew. Can you help me figure something out?” Her tone was polite and soft as she pleaded, “Please.”

A strange shiver ran through Qin Xiao’s body.

Su Ling was asking him for help?

He cursed inwardly, captivated by the peculiar thrill of the moment. He couldn’t deny that he was indeed twisted.

Qin Xiao didn’t dare negotiate terms with her—not because he didn’t want to, but because if he did, she might agree now out of desperation, and he wouldn’t get another chance like this.

Keeping his voice calm, he said, “Alright, wait a moment.”

Qin Xiao summoned He Qin. “Look into the Lotus Records production crew. Tell them Qin Corporation wants to invest, and they should let Su Ling in first.”

It was a simple, brute-force approach. He Qin’s lips twitched as he went off to handle it.

After waiting a short while, the director of Lotus Records came to fetch Su Ling.

They had been in the middle of filming when they received an unexpected call. Lotus Records was just a web drama with limited funding. The idea of Qin Corporation investing was beyond their wildest dreams. The director felt like he was walking on air.

Believing his career was about to take off, the director hastily called “Cut!” Actors were still suspended mid-air on wire rigs when he rushed out to greet Su Ling.

This level of urgency was within Su Ling’s expectations. Apologizing to the director, she followed him inside, knowing this was a matter of life and death.

It was a small town set for filming historical dramas.

The facilities were inferior to those of her previous project, Twelve Years of Dust . Halfway through, screams erupted from the set.

Someone shouted, “The wire rig snapped!”

“Oh my god!”

Su Ling’s heart clenched. Without hesitation, she ran toward the commotion.

The director’s face turned pale as he hurried after her.

Yun Bu lay on the ground, bloodied from the fall. Her arm was broken, and the pain was excruciating, but she hadn’t lost consciousness. Overwhelmed by the pain, she cried on the spot.

Su Ling pushed through the crowd. “Yun Bu!”

Seeing Yun Bu crying but alive—unlike in her past life—Su Ling breathed a sigh of relief and immediately called for an ambulance.

Yun Bu’s lips were bleeding, making her look terrifying.

Su Ling didn’t dare touch her, fearing she might worsen Yun Bu’s injuries.

The ambulance arrived quickly and carried Yun Bu away. Su Ling followed inside.

The director’s heart raced. “What happened?”

Someone nearby, legs trembling, explained, “Th-thank goodness we stopped filming. After you called ‘Cut,’ we weren’t sure when we’d resume, so the crew began lowering the actors. Yun Bu’s wire rig snapped halfway through. Below her was a slope full of rocks. If it had snapped while she was in the air…”

Yun Bu would likely have died on the spot.

The director took a deep breath, feeling grateful for the coincidental timing of Qin Corporation’s call. Otherwise, a life would have been lost.

As Yun Bu underwent surgery, Su Ling paced anxiously, silently praying that Yun Bu would be okay.

She didn’t realize how coincidental everything was. If she had arrived even a little later, Yun Bu’s wire rig would have snapped mid-air.

After finishing his meeting, Qin Xiao stepped out, where He Qin was waiting.

He Qin was efficient, walking briskly to keep up with Qin Xiao’s rapid pace.

Qin Xiao asked as they walked, “What’s the situation with Lotus Records ?”

He Qin had just made a call and shook his head in disbelief. “The director said there was an accident. An actress named Yun Bu fell from the wire rig.”

Qin Xiao found the name vaguely familiar.

Upon reflection, he remembered she was Su Ling’s friend—someone close to her.

Qin Xiao was naturally indifferent. Unless it was Su Ling, he didn’t care if someone lived or died. Still, he asked nonchalantly, “How bad was the fall?”

He Qin replied, “I’m not sure. She’s in the hospital now. But Qin, isn’t it a coincidence? The director said they were thankful for our call because they had stopped filming. The actress fell after the wire rig was halfway lowered. If they hadn’t stopped, it could have been fatal.”

Qin Xiao had been half-listening, but at this, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It was quite a coincidence.

Too much of a coincidence.

Su Ling had called him for the first time, asking for help without hesitation. Her tone had been urgent, as if she somehow knew Yun Bu would get hurt.

This was intriguing. How did she know?

Qin Xiao recalled the strange things Su Ling had said when she was drunk at Cloud Sky Bar and the odd, heart-wrenching dream he’d had.

From the start, she had disliked him. While it was normal for him to react physically when acting alongside her, it wasn’t enough to warrant such hatred. And initially, despite her beauty, she had appeared in his bathroom with makeup that made her look ghostly.

Putting all these pieces together, along with Yun Bu’s accident, Qin Xiao couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t add up.