CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 72: WHAT A LONG SCAR!

After Sister Hua checked Xu Qingqiu’s wounds, she seemed to recall something. Standing beside the bed where Xu Qingqiu slept, she sighed deeply.

"By the way, Sister Hua, what did the production team say? And that producer? Did he just leave like that?"

"I scolded him off! A bunch of shameless scoundrels!" Sister Hua said without turning her head, her anger flaring at the mere mention of it.

From the moment the accident occurred until the ambulance arrived, Chu Tian had handled everything. The production team offered absolutely no assistance at the scene. After they reached the hospital, only one producer showed up; the director didn’t even make an appearance.

That might have been excusable, but Sister Hua was no small fry; she had her own sources of information. They had barely arrived at the hospital when she learned the production team had already resumed filming.

What the hell?

Xu Qingqiu was, after all, a bonafide Queen. Was this how they treated her?

Yes, this Queen was indeed in a vulnerable position, lacking financial backing and influential connections. Compared to a show like "The Sound of Nature," which was backed by a television station and favored by numerous investors, she truly didn’t hold much sway.

But couldn’t they at least feign some concern? Were they really going to be so blatantly disrespectful?

As if venting the fury in her heart, Sister Hua continued her tirade.

Through her words, Chu Tian also gained considerable insight into the current state of the entertainment industry.

How should I put it? Chu Tian mused. After so many years of evolution, the entertainment industry has truly lost its way. It’s hard to say if this is an inevitable trend of historical development or if similar worlds all share such experiences. At a certain stage, the entire market inevitably falls under the sway of capital. He had experienced it in his previous life; he had even been a beneficiary. But eventually, things would return to their proper course. No matter how powerful the capital or how immense the traffic, they could never truly overcome the quality of the work itself. If you keep feeding people garbage, no matter how much they vote with their feet initially, they won’t want to keep consuming it. When there are clearly better options available, who wouldn’t prefer them? People can be foolish, but they won’t remain fools forever.

To put it bluntly, Xu Qingqiu currently had the title but lacked the popularity to generate significant traffic. She had no financial backing to promote her, and her body of work wasn’t extensive enough to create a strong market impact. So, as things stood, she was left out in the cold. On the surface, everyone might seem amicable, but when real trouble struck, nobody truly cared who she was. It was heart-wrenching, yet undeniably real.

This was the first time Sister Hua had spoken so extensively to Chu Tian, and he hadn’t expected the conversation to feel so heavy.

After listening, he remained unsettled for a long time. He felt both saddened and angered by Xu Qingqiu’s predicament, and he hesitated over whether he should intervene.

Previously, he had always felt no deep obligation. He’d given her a few songs and considered his part done, that they were even.

But now, he suddenly realized he couldn’t detach himself as easily as he had imagined.

"So, Sister Hua, what do you plan to do?"

"What else can I do? No matter what, the production team must give us an explanation!"

"Aren’t you afraid of offending them?"

"Qingqiu is already in this condition! If it weren’t for sheer luck, she might have died! Why should I care about them? I’ve never been so infuriated in my life! Those scumbags!"

Hearing Li Chunhua’s forceful declaration, Chu Tian couldn’t help but silently give her a thumbs-up.

Having such a strong-willed agent is indeed a stroke of luck for Xu Qingqiu.

After she finished speaking, Sister Hua seemed to remember something. She suddenly turned her head and said, "Oh, Chu Tian, I might need to trouble you with something else. I have to go and speak with the production team. Qingqiu will need you and Yiyi to take turns looking after her here. Please let me know immediately if anything happens."

"Alright then," Chu Tian agreed.

What other choice did he have? Xu Qingqiu’s current condition couldn’t be revealed to outsiders. Her parents were in the countryside, miles and miles away; who knew when they could even get here? Besides, it was better not to alarm the elderly couple over what might be nothing serious. It could wait until Qingqiu herself told them later.

Sister Hua rushed off. Yiyi mentioned she would cook a nutritious meal for Sister Qiu and come to relieve him in the evening. Thus, Xu Qingqiu and Chu Tian were once again left alone in the hospital room.

He sat back down by the bed. After glancing at Xu Qingqiu and seeing no immediate issues, he started browsing on his phone.

There was still no news about Xu Qingqiu’s injury and hospitalization on Weibo. It’s unclear whether no one has disclosed it or if it’s been suppressed—probably the latter.

Chu Tian had always been aware of the power of capital. This was one of the reasons he had no desire to re-enter the entertainment industry in this lifetime.

But sometimes, life is unpredictable. Before you know it, you find yourself caught in all sorts of entanglements anyway.

BZZT. BZZT.

Seeing the incoming call, he suddenly remembered his takeout should have arrived.

"Hello, your takeout has arrived. The hospital doesn’t allow deliveries inside, so I’ve placed it on the pickup rack downstairs."

"Okay, thank you."

He hung up the phone. Just as he was about to get up and retrieve it, he lifted his hand and realized that at some point, Xu Qingqiu’s right hand had tightly grasped his clothes.

"Chu Tian, don’t go..."

Seriously, is she asleep or not?

He tried to gently pull away; she was holding on quite tightly. Looking at the sleeping Xu Qingqiu, he felt incredibly conflicted.

On one hand, there’s the person clinging to him, not letting go. On the other, there’s his fragrant, delicious takeout. What to choose?

"SOB... SOB... I’m sorry... I’m injured... my face is ruined... I can’t sing anymore..."

Is she awake?

"Hey, are you awake?"

Chu Tian gently shook Xu Qingqiu, but her eyes remained closed, and she showed no response.

"I can never sing again..."

"Chu Tian... um... you... you’ll... despise me... won’t you?"

"Please... don’t despise me..."

Is she having a nightmare? And crying too? But why call out my name in your nightmare? That’s just creepy!

Helpless, he sat back down. He watched Xu Qingqiu, still asleep, tears streaming down her face, and then looked at her slender hands clutching his sleeve so tightly that her knuckles were white. His movements unconsciously became gentler.

"Qingqiu? Wake up..."

"Hm? What’s wrong?"

Xu Qingqiu opened her eyes, dazed, and looked at Chu Tian with a hazy gaze.

"Did you have a nightmare? You were crying just now. Look, your pillow is still wet."

He shouldn’t have mentioned it. The moment he did, Xu Qingqiu immediately recalled the scene from her dream and, burying her face in his arm, started sobbing.

"Chu Tian! WAAAH! I dreamed I had a long scar on my face... HICCUP... people on the street kept pointing at me... HICCUP... and whenever I went on stage to sing, people threw things at me..."

"SOB... I’m too scared... HICCUP... to sing anymore... SOB..."

Good grief, she’s a total mess, snot and tears everywhere. And why is it all over my arm?

"There, there, it was just a nightmare, okay? You’re awake now, so it’s alright."

"It’s not just a dream! HICCUP... My leg really hurts! I heard the doctor say they stitched... stitched it dozens of times! There’s going to be a long scar! It’ll be so ugly! SOB..."

Wait, was she actually asleep or not? How could she know all this if she was sleeping? And the details she knows are all jumbled up. Anyone who didn’t know better might think *she* was the one who transmigrated here.