Chapter 1075: Paris, Paris
Her acting teacher, who didn’t look pleasantly at her before, was now very caring towards her.
In cla.s.s, the teacher would open up the points and explain it fully lest she didn’t understand. When Xia Ling’s acting was too appalling, she never criticized her and would only encourage her, telling her she had “improved” and was “much better than last time”. She was completely like a kind loving mother. However, what followed was the progress of the whole cla.s.s being dragged down by her alone.
When Xia Ling pa.s.sed by the locker room, she heard two trainees complaining softly. “Xia Ling? Who is she, she’s just relying on the Chairman to support her. What does it matter if she can’t act well, she’ll still have the Chairman to raise her, but what about us? Our progress has been dragged down by her. If this goes on, when we will be able to debut?”
“Exactly. How are those of us going to the acting industry supposed to live?”
There were many complaints that followed and Xia Ling couldn’t bear listening to them.
She felt very guilty. She had never noticed before that she was dragging down the whole cla.s.s. The students all showed great generosity and understanding in front of her, and this was the first time she discovered that they had a lot of opinions behind her back.
She didn’t want to go on like this.
On the same day, she went to the Academic Affairs Office and told the school that she was applying for exemption from acting cla.s.s.
Her performance in acting cla.s.s was really bad. Although the teacher didn’t dare to directly tell her she wasn’t acting material, she felt it herself—she could never become an actress no matter how hard she worked. Since Pei Ziheng also hoped she would concentrate on being a singer, then she would have to give up acting sooner of later.
Even though she was only in the first grade and was not in the scope of the exemption, her background was well known and the Academic Affairs Office certainly didn’t dare to make things difficult for her. Thus, they quickly completed her exemption procedures. She also became the first person in the history of Imperial Entertainment’s Training Camp to receive an exemption in first grade.
Since then, she put on an enormous amount of energy in singing and dancing.
Her singing talent was amazing, and every song she sang was stunning. She also minored in instrumental cla.s.ses, creative cla.s.ses, etc. Soon, she became the most outstanding singer in the entire Training Camp.
She could become famous.
This was the consensus of everyone.
Days went by and years seemed to flow like water.
She changed from a twelve-year-old girl who first entered the Training Camp into a sixteen-year-old. She was amorous and grew up with hundreds of charm. Now, the Training Camp was her world. She was like a fish in water under the praises of the teachers and the admiration of the students. Even the reporters who came to visit the camp also reported repeatedly—once she debuts, it was sure to be a blockbuster.
She also didn’t know when she would debut.
Everything would go along with the arrangements of Pei Ziheng.
In the past few years, Pei Ziheng became more and more busy. Sometimes, she wouldn’t be able to see him for one or two months and would have to hear his news through newspapers and magazines. His authority was heavier and people became more and more revering when hearing his name. Only she continued to regard him as the gentle brother who would give her a scarf on a snowy night, and she got closer and closer to him.
She went home during the summer vacation.
Pei Ziheng was not at home. The butler and Nanny Zhou welcomed her home.
Nanny Zhou helped her carry her luggage to the room and prepared a delicious strawberry ice cream for her. “Sir has gone to Paris to discuss a project. He said he would try to come back next week. Miss, you should take a rest first. Sir has instructed me to change your bedding for you. It’s the white goose down sent by his partner last time, I heard it’s very good.”
Xia Ling smiled and agreed.
She asked, “What about Xiao Yu? How’s her situation?”
“Miss Xia Yu’s surgery was very successful. She’ll return to China after a good rest. She said she misses you a lot and will bring you gifts when she returns to China.” Nanny Zhou thought for a while and told her, “Miss Xia Yu was very stuffy and bored in the hospital. She’s very close to Paris and, since Sir is in Paris now, she’s rus.h.i.+ng to see him.”
“What?” Xia Ling’s hand paused midair. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She probably didn’t want you to worry, since you’re so busy with work.”
“She’s so willful.” Xia Ling was a little unhappy. She put down her silvery-white spoon. “She just had surgery two months ago and now is in the observation and recuperation stage, how could she run around like this? Nanny Zhou, bring the phone over, I want to tell her to go back to rest in the hospital. Gosh, she could just see Brother Pei another time.”
Nanny Zhou smiled bitterly. She was afraid this was the reason why Miss Xia Yu wasn’t willing to tell her.
All these years, Miss Xia Ling did not notice it, but Nanny Zhou faintly felt that the two ladies were getting alienated. She advised Xia Ling. “Miss, aren’t you exposing me like that? Miss Xia Yu instructed me not to tell you, could you just pretend you don’t know about this?”
Xia Ling was still very unhappy. She waited a long time before she snorted and put down her ice cream.
“I’m not eating anymore, I lost appet.i.te.”
After a while, she asked Nanny Zhou, “Xiao Yu already saw Brother Pei in Paris? What have they been doing these days? Has Brother Pei brought her shopping? She’s in poor health and can’t stand it.”
Nanny Zhou smiled and said, “Why would he? Sir already knows you care for Miss Xia Yu, so why would he take her to run around? He’s usually so busy at work, and most of the time he just lets his servant accompany him. At most, he himself would only eat dinner together with Miss Xia Yu.”
Xia Ling was a little more rea.s.sured.
She was unhappy again. “Gosh, this Xiao Yu is really too much. Why can’t she just lie obediently in the hospital?”
Nanny Zhou said, “She’s a young girl, I’m afraid she’s bored of lying in the hospital for so many years.”
Xia Ling gently glared at Nanny Zhou. “Wouldn’t she be bored to death in Paris since n.o.body is playing with her either?” She pondered over it for a while, then got up from her sofa. “I’ll give Brother Pei a call and go to Paris to find him. Anyways, I’m on vacation, and I can accompany Xiao Yu too. Nanny Zhou, help me pack my bags.”
The next evening, she appeared at the hotel in Paris where Pei Ziheng and his colleagues were staying.
Xia Yu saw her and said with a hint of sickness in her smile, “Sister, why are you here? I haven’t seen you for a long time, I’m so happy.”
Xia Ling was very happy to see her but still reprimanded her. “I should be the one asking you, why are you here? If your body is still weak you shouldn’t be running around. What if something happens to you?”
Xia Yu’s expression darkened. “I’m sorry.”
She lowered her head and appeared to be weak and pitiful as if she had endured a huge amount of grievances.
At the side, Chu Chen waited for them to finish speaking. “Xiao Yu was bored to death, Xiao Ling, then she heard you were coming yesterday and became very happy. She watched the weather forecast several times and was afraid it would rain. When the driver went to pick you up just now, she even told the driver to bring another coat because she was afraid you would be cold.
Xia Ling’s expression improved.
Chu Chen smiled again. “Come with me, Boss has arranged a room for you beside him. It has a big bathtub and a French gla.s.s window.” That room was originally Xia Yu’s room, but once he had heard she was coming, Pei Ziheng had arranged for Xia Yu to stay somewhere else and had given the room closest to him to Xia Ling.