Han Chuning had a pretty good temper. She always spoke softly. But the strange phone calls had truly angered her. People could make fun of her, but not her aunt. Besides Chu Xiaxing, Han Chuning had never met such an arrogant and outrageous person. She resolutely decided to go to the appointment, planning to personally smash the head of this ghost story king!
Soon, Han Chuning arrived at the agreed location by car. She stood at the entrance of the cafe and looked around. Next door was a large upscale apartment complex, where many 18th line stars and Internet celebrities lived.
Han Chuning was quite familiar with the area. Many of her friends who were also trying to make it in Beijing lived nearby. Her phone number was generally only known within their circle. She wondered who would be so bold as to play such a joke on her.
Inside the cafe, Han Chuning felt lost after entering. Then she saw a strange girl in the corner waving to her. The other party acted quite familiar. She had delicate features and wore no makeup, but her face was pale and she looked unwell. Her clothes were also quite low-key.
Han Chuning didn't recognize the person in the corner. She hesitated and stood still, only to see the other party walking straight towards her.
Seeing her niece lingering at the door, Chu Xiaxing simply got up and walked over to Han Chuning. She looked her up and down, frowning as she scolded, "Why are you so skinny again? And dressed all in plain clothes like you're attending a funeral?"
Han Chuning was a screenwriter. She often stayed at home for a long time, never going out to bask in the sun. She would order takeout day and night to fill her stomach. Her elders often scolded her for her lifestyle. The child's attitude was very laid-back, always thinking, "Say what you want, but if I change, that means I've lost." Even after being criticized by Chu Xiaxing, she would play dumb and remain unmoved.
Hearing the familiar scolding, Han Chuning instinctively tensed up. But looking at the unfamiliar and young face, she immediately relaxed, followed by a surge of unbelievable anger. She said with a trembling voice, "You, you actually..."
Han Chuning: You dare to joke about my aunt again and again? I'm going to rip your hair out!
Seeing Han Chuning trembling with anger, Chu Xiaxing suddenly remembered something. She touched her nose awkwardly and said, "Oh, you're right, it seems like you've been attending my funeral recently... Sorry, I forgot, I forgot. I don't remember things when I'm old. I forgot I'm already gone!"
Han Chuning said angrily, "I don't know where you got my number, but please stop with these jokes, or don't blame me for being rude!"
Hearing the formal 'you' from her niece, Chu Xiaxing knew that she was really angry. When Han Chuning was angry, she would switch from the informal 'you' to the formal 'you'. This little girl had been like this since she was a child.
Chu Xiaxing pondered for a few seconds and said leisurely, "I remember when you were in elementary school, I took you and your mother to that new buffet restaurant. You loved a kind of marble soda back then. You ran to get it excitedly, but tripped on the stairs and knocked out a front tooth on the spot. You scared the waiters half to death..."
Han Chuning was stunned when she heard this. She looked at Chu Xiaxing in disbelief and couldn't speak for a long time. Chu Xiaxing loved to tease her with these stories. Her childhood embarrassments were practically her aunt's joke book, something she could bring up for the rest of her life.
Chu Xiaxing continued playfully, "When you were little, you had a fight with your mother and insisted on staying at my place. Then you refused to go back. Your mother thought you were still angry, but I knew you had forgotten about it the next day. The real reason you didn't want to go home was because of a little boy walking his dog in the community. You thought he was cute and didn't want to leave, insisting on playing with the little brother..."
Han Chuning's pupils trembled uneasily. She stared at the unfamiliar face, her lips pursed in embarrassment, a look of disbelief mixed with doubt on her face. She did use her aunt's house as a refuge before, running there whenever she could. It was practically her second home.
Chu Xiaxing's tone shifted, turning to feigned complaint, "And after you graduated, you wanted to buy a house and raise a cat. Your mother is allergic to cat hair and refused to help you with the down payment, so you threw a tantrum and begged me to help you. You even said you would write scripts for me for free in the future. But after you moved in, you ordered takeout every day, stayed up all night, piled dirty clothes on the bedroom chair, and starved yourself into a nearsighted white skeleton..."
Hearing the familiar nagging, Han Chuning immediately covered her ears in shame. She finally believed the absurd reality and jumped anxiously, "Auntie, stop scolding me, stop scolding me, I believe you, I believe you!"
Han Chuning: Even my mom doesn't know about my messy life after I moved out!
After Han Chuning moved out, she was afraid that her "mom-will-kill-me" lifestyle would be exposed, so she tried her best to stop her parents from coming to visit. However, she couldn't stop her aunt, Chu Xiaxing. Because she had received financial assistance from her aunt when buying the house, and because of Chu Xiaxing's strong personality, she was always being disciplined by her aunt, being scolded and lectured, receiving regular doses of elder discipline.
Han Chuning looked at the strange girl in disbelief. She never thought that such a bizarre thing could happen in the world. This young body actually contained the soul of her aunt. She couldn't help but say in astonishment, "What the hell is going on..."
Chu Xiaxing: "Alright, let's talk somewhere else. Take me to a hospital first. I can't figure out how to use her phone. I can't even spend a penny!"
Han Chuning finally came back to her senses. She hurriedly said: "Okay, okay, I remember there's a hospital nearby, but it's not very big."
After recognizing each other, Chu Xiaxing immediately felt relieved. First, they went to a nearby small hospital for treatment. Facing the doctor's questions, she lied and said that it was a clumsy accidental injury. Because Chu Xiaxing was afraid of pain and didn't cut deep, the bleeding was quite limited, so there was nothing seriously wrong with this body.
Doctor: "It seems to me that you're not just clumsy, you also look a little pale and weak..."
Chu Xiaxing touched her face worriedly: "Should I get some Chinese medicine?"
Han Chuning quickly persuaded: "No health regimen, no decoctions, let's go back first!"
Her aunt was good in every way, except that after retirement, she would have intermittent whims. One moment she would want to brew traditional Chinese medicine for health, the next she would want to bake bread. The most terrifying thing was that she would also feed her the medicine and bread, making her niece miserable.
After a while, Chu Xiaxing and Han Chuning hurried back to the apartment. Han Chuning ordered takeout for Chu Xiaxing, choosing her favorite restaurant. Chu Xiaxing sat at the small table and ate, while Han Chuning cleaned up the scene next to the bathtub. Only then did they have time to talk about the whole story.
Han Chuning finally finished cleaning the bathroom. As a young person, she had a good ability to accept new things. After hearing the ins and outs of the matter, she exclaimed, "Auntie, this is like the beginning of a Jinjiang novel!"
Chu Xiaxing was eating with her head down. She looked up in surprise: "What's a Jinjiang novel?"
Han Chuning: "Jinjiang is a novel website. Now many TV shows are adapted from Jinjiang IPs. I often read novels on it."
Chu Xiaxing: "Never heard of it."
Han Chuning muttered under her breath: "That's because you only work with big screenwriters and don't adapt novels into TV series..."
Chu Xiaxing raised her eyebrows: "Who said I've never done a novel adaptation? I adapted one back in the day..."
Han Chuning: "Oh, Jinjiang doesn't have that kind of serious novel, not like Yu Hua's 'To Live'!"
Chu Xiaxing: "So you've been reading non-serious novels online every day?"
Han Chuning: "..." Something about that didn't sound right.
While eating takeout, Chu Xiaxing looked around the apartment and commented: "This place looks small, but it has everything. It's just as messy as your place."
Chu Xiaxin lived in a studio apartment with only one bedroom, one bathroom, and an open kitchen. The bed was just a few steps away. The room was also messy, with clutter everywhere. She wondered how these young people lived like this.
Han Chuning: "Let's call a car and go back later. I just happen to have your house keys with me."
Because Chu Xiaxing had no husband or children, she had long decided to leave her inheritance to Han Chuning. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been her niece who presided over the funeral. Now Han Chuning could return everything to its original owner. She wasn't greedy for properties. The return of her relative was the most important thing.
Chu Xiaxing shook her head: "I won't go back tonight. I'll wait a few days."
Han Chuning looked puzzled: "Why? Don't you hate living in a small apartment the most?"
Chu Xiaxing: "Xiaxin might come back. I'll stay here and wait for her."
Han Chuning was stunned. Then she remembered the original owner of the body and asked cautiously, "But isn't she..."
Chu Xiaxing said calmly: "If she really doesn't come back, you can put some of her things in the house. You have experience from arranging my funeral recently. Don't let her be really lost and have no place to go."
After wandering around as a soul, Chu Xiaxing realized the importance of having a place to return to during the first seven days after death. It meant that there were still people in the world who remembered you. Chu Xiaxing couldn't forget what Chu Xiaxin said at that time, that her parents were gone, she had no relatives or friends to rely on, and she was homeless.
Knowing that her aunt looked fierce but was actually very soft-hearted, Han Chuning quickly agreed, "Okay, then I'll stay here with you tonight."
However, Chu Xiaxing had a hunch that Chu Xiaxing might not come back. A living soul could only leave the body for an hour or two, but her agent didn't come looking for Chu Xiaxing until five or six hours later. She felt sad when she thought of the crying and depressed blue living soul.
Han Chuning took off her shoes and nestled on the bed, wrapping herself in the quilt. She whispered, "Auntie, if she really comes back, will it be scary? I'm actually a little afraid of ghosts."
Chu Xiaxing's expression was subtle, and said, "I don't see you being afraid of me right now."
Han Chuning: "Oh, family ghosts are different from outside ghosts. Besides, even if you're a ghost, you're still my aunt!"
Chu Xiaxing: "Don't worry, I think you're more likely to scare the ghost." Who made Chu Xiaxin look more fragile than Han Chuning.
Though composed in front of others, Han Chuning was still like a child in front of Chu Xiaxing. She muttered, "Oh, that's good. But if there really are ghosts, they wouldn't stand a chance against you. You must be a super grumpy and fierce ghost now..."
Chu Xiaxing: "..." This kid will really climb up and tear the roof off if left unsupervised for just a few days!
Chu Xiaxing reached out and pulled the quilt, scolding, "Don't get into bed with your outerwear on! Get down here and clean up this dirty table. Look at how messy the room is!"
Han Chuning was really aggrieved: "This is not my room, I didn't mess it up!"
Han Chuning was glared at by Chu Xiaxing. Due to the authority of her elders, Han Chuning, like a pitiful daughter-in-law, could only obediently get out of bed and clean the table.
Meanwhile, Chu Xiaxing stood in the corner, organizing the closet. She sorted the visible clutter, then pulled open a drawer to put things away. That's when she saw the documents inside. She pulled out a stack of papers and quickly flipped through it. The more she read, the more she frowned. They were all medical bills and loan statements!
The patient's name wasn't Chu Xiaxin. It seemed to belong to Chu Xiaxin's mother. However, the sheer amount of money Chu Xiaxin had borrowed shocked Chu Xiaxing. Not everyone could borrow such large sums; some of these loans were clearly from shady sources.
Chu Xiaxing knew Chu Xiaxin was a small-time actress, but she had never heard of her before, so she thought she must not be famous.
"Auntie, Auntie, look at this! This person is that Chu Xiaxin!" Han Chuning opened the file bag on the table. Staring at the astronomical figure on the agency's contract termination notice, she cried out, "She was trending online recently for the explicit photos!"
Han Chuning, being more in tune with the internet, was the first to notice something was amiss.
Chu Xiaxing, who was unfamiliar with Weibo and its trends asked blankly: "What?"
Han Chuning began searching on her phone, explaining, "I'll show you. There was a leak of explicit photos from a loan shark, and hers were among them. It seems she's a small-time actress, and has been on a wave of hot searches because of this......"
Chu Xiaxin, a small 18th line star, hadn't made a name for herself through her work. Instead, she became infamous due to the disgraceful leak of her indecent photos. The comment sections were filled with obscene comments from disgusting men. She raised money everywhere to pay for her mother's medical treatment, so naturally she resorted to desperate measures that were deemed foolish. In the end, because of the large-scale leak of n*de photos, she completely ruined her future.
Every year, countless tragic stories stemmed from predatory loans, but this was the first time a minor celebrity was involved. Chu Xiaxin's misfortune went viral, exploited by clickbait articles and gossip bloggers.
8734: This name is an insult to Director Chu Xiaxing. I clicked on this only to find her unfairly associated with it, her reputation is being dragged through the mud.
Chivalrous box: Whoa, why are the pictures down? Was she hot? Asking brothers for private resources!
Ruan: She was a nobody, but now she is famous after taking off her clothes?
He Hehe Ze: The entertainment industry is a mess, this is not surprising [picking nose emoji]
Chu Xiaxin's plight received little sympathy online. Most people were either watching the fun or flirting playfully, making sarcastic remarks.
Due to Weibo's strict censorship of explicit content, Chu Xiaxin's photos were quickly removed. However, those determined enough could still find them online. Shady forums hosted zipped files, shared and traded, posting comments at the end, saying some vulgar words that were not worth seeing.
Han Chuning: "I said this name is so familiar..."
Disgusted by what she saw, Chu Xiaxing sneered: "These people don't have much meat under their crotch, they can only show off their power and bully little girls online."
Facing such a toxic online environment, coupled with the recent loss of her mother and a mountain of debt, it was no wonder Chu Xiaxin couldn't cope and resorted to self-harm.
Having navigated the world of fame and fortune, Chu Xiaxing knew that there were female stars who took off their clothes in the early years, but they were able to put them back on one by one, so she didn't take this predicament seriously. Things are in the eye of the beholder. It's not terrible to fall into a quagmire for a short time, but people must have the ability to get up and clean themselves up.
Chu Xiaxing sorted out the loan documents and then rummaged through the drawer. She found a family photo, seemingly of a young Chu Xiaxin with her parents, which made her feel strangely familiar.
Chu Xiaxing didn't think too much about it. She put away the old family photos and closed the drawer.
"You should pay off these debts first, and then check her credit score. I guess she still has a lot of bad debts that haven't been reported..." After Chu Xiaxing instructed Han Chuning, she hesitated for a moment then said, "Isn't Lao He managing celebrity marketing? He should know how to remove photos from the Internet, right?"
Chu Xiaxing met Chu Xiaxin first before learning about her mess. Seeing how many people online were mocking the young woman, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. Life had been too cruel for her. Everyone wanted to live a happy and carefree life, to be doted on like Han Chuning. But some people are stuck in the quagmire, and can't take a step even if they struggle desperately.
Chu Xiaxin didn't have the ability to take down the online photos, but Chu Xiaxing could do it for her.
"I'll call Uncle He later..." Han Chuning said, picking up the documents in the file bag and said in surprise, "Auntie, look at this first! The agency is demanding compensation from Chu Xiaxin for the contract termination. This is an astronomical figure. I can't even make that much by writing scripts my whole life!"
Because Chu Xiaxin's n*de photo incident caused a bad social impact, the agency was terminating her contract and demanding a sky-high penalty for breach of contract. Han Chuning stared at the string of zeros, baffled. She had never even heard of Chu Xiaxin's work. Now 18th line stars are actually worth so much money?
Han Chuning: I'm starting to think Chu Xiaxin was an Oscar-winning actress. What other explanation could there be for such a huge penalty?
Seeing the figure, Chu Xiaxing immediately understood the agency was deliberately bullying people. The company knew that Chu Xiaxin had no background and no connections, so they wanted to take advantage of her. They probably guessed that she couldn't afford a lawyer, so they were unscrupulous.
Chu Xiaxing: "It's really outrageous."
She would never have signed such an unreasonable contract. But now, having taken over Chu Xiaxin's body, she naturally had to deal with the inherited problems.
Han Chuning sighed: "This money is enough to buy this small broken company dozens of times."
Her words sparked an idea in Chu Xiaxing's mind: "Right, you have a point, if you go and buy this company, won't my contract be in your hands!"
Han Chuning just said it casually. She was caught off guard by her aunt's train of thought. "Huh? Are we that rich? Just buy the company outright?"
Chu Xiaxing raised her eyebrows: "Otherwise, you really want to pay that ridiculous penalty? There are hundreds of small companies like this that go bankrupt every year. It doesn't cost much to buy them. You can use it for some small projects in the future!"
Han Chuning whispered: "Okay, then I will study it tomorrow, but I have never been involved in company affairs before..."
As a writer, Han Chuning knew nothing about running a company. Naturally, she felt a little apprehensive.
Chu Xiaxing said calmly: "If you don't know, you can ask someone. I will teach you who to call tomorrow. I can't recognize other people now. All my old connections have to rely on you to revive them."
Chu Xiaxing's main account has accumulated a huge amount of resources and connections in the circle, but now, with her account inactive, it was frozen overnight. She could only send her niece Han Chuning to communicate and contact.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. They might have shed tears at her funeral, but ultimately, people are realistic and profit-seeking creatures. Whether they really took Chu Xiaxing seriously depended on whether they were willing to take care of Han Chuning. A few drops of false tears are nothing.
Han Chuning nodded obediently. She and Chu Xiaxing shared a bed and planned to make do in the room for one night. She asked dazedly: "Aunt, when are you going to tell my mom?"
With a limited family, Han Chuning's mother was Chu Xiaxing's only sibling. She changed her clothes and lay down, thinking about her own sister's personality, and said casually: "Your mother is too capable of rambling. I'll tell her a few days later, let's sort things first."
The next day, before Chu Xiaxing could ask Han Chuning to make those calls, they received a call from Xiao Cheng, Chu Xiaxin's agent.
"Chu Xiaxin, I don't know what big shot you've latched onto to make those photos disappear, but you should also know how unreliable you were before, and you should reflect on yourself a little bit..."
"The company has decided not to terminate your contract. 'You in the Distant Heart' will start filming as planned. You take time to come to the company to finalize the contract. From now on, let's keep things professional, and we will not interfere with each other!"
Xiao Cheng couldn't believe Chu Xiaxin's luck. Backed into a corner, she had somehow found a golden thigh from nowhere and was able to turn things around.
This mysterious big shot not only directly controlled the company and waived the claim for breach of contract against Chu Xiaxin, but also restarted the project that was declared dead and named her to star in it. This was a case of 'bringing your own investment to the set'!
Xiao Cheng and Chu Xiaxin often had conflicts in the past. She was afraid that the other party would retaliate against her after she had a backer, so she naturally had to assert herself like a paper tiger, hoping to smooth things over and distance herself from any past conflicts.
After Xiao Cheng hung up, Chu Xiaxing stared at the phone, still on speaker, in a daze. Han Chuning, equally confused, also sat on the bed with messy hair. They exchanged puzzled looks. Neither of them knew of any "big shot" or how the compensation claim had disappeared.
Han Chuning quickly searched online and was surprised: "It's all gone! Yesterday, there were still downloads available, but now everything's been scrubbed clean..."
Chu Xiaxin's indecent photos had vanished from the internet. While a few articles remained some obscure corners, it was completely different from the overwhelming state of the previous day.
"Did you buy the company in your sleep? You work pretty fast!" Chu Xiaxing mistakenly thought it was Han Chuning's handiwork. She reached out to pinch the other party's cheeks and couldn't help but speak teasingly, "Worthy of being my filial boss. Auntie didn't spoil you for nothing!"
"It wasn't me! I didn't do anything! Don't say such things!" Han Chuning, realizing Chu Xiaxing had misunderstood, frantically denied it, waving her hands as she tried to explain. "I didn't make any calls yesterday. We were together the whole time. It really wasn't me!"
Chu Xiaxing: "If it wasn't you, who else would want to spend money on this?"
Recalling the agent's words and knowing Chu Xiaxing's temper, Han Chuning glanced at her cautiously and tried to touch on a sensitive topic: "Auntie, I don't mean to offend you, but have you ever thought of another possibility..."
"Could it be... that this body you're in now... has a sugar daddy?" Han Chuning finished timidly. She anxiously watched her aunt's reaction, knowing that Chu Xiaxing, a self-made woman, had never resorted to such means.
Chu Xiaxing's journey had been paved with blood, hardships, tears, and pain, she never relied on others or backstage. Who would have thought that one day, the esteemed Director Chu would be suspected of being kept by someone.
Han Chuning was afraid that Chu Xiaxing would be furious, so she shrank her neck like a quail after she finished speaking, waiting for her aunt's furious rebuke.
However, to her surprise, Chu Xiaxing, after a moment of stunned silence, didn't get angry. Instead, a look of amazement spread across her face, "So this kind of unearned good thing finally came to me!"
Han Chuning: "???" Why are you not angry, but also seem quite interested?
Translator's Note: We're all following Chu Xiaxin's story, and things are definitely intense right now. But remember, her story is about showing the consequences of tough situations, not the solutions. If you're going through something tough, please know that you're not alone. Reach out to someone you trust or a professional. There's always a better way forward than hurting yourself. You matter, and help is available. ❤️