Chapter 353: 357: Obediently Listening (6)

Her eyes were sparkling, and even though the car light was off, he could still see the gleam in her pupils. Even if she really had drunk too much, her reason was still there. Was it because of Li Weiyi’s rebuke today, or had she heard some unpleasant words at the Xia Family’s end, making her feel this uncomfortable?

Before Bo Yan could ask, Xia Siyu explained herself: “Of course, I know I am beautiful. It’s because of this face that I entered the entertainment industry, and because of this face, I became a top celebrity, and I’ve been one for six years. As long as my face isn’t ruined or aged, I should continue to be popular. Popularity is good, it brings in the most money, attracts the most attention. I’m not unaware of my beauty; I know too well how good-looking I am, it’s like relying on beauty to be aggressive. But I always want to leave behind something more.”

Bo Yan frowned slightly; he vaguely felt that Xia Siyu’s words held another meaning, and it didn’t seem to be just because of Li Weiyi that she was upset, but rather something deeper.

As for the Xia Family, that was even less likely. Although Xia Siyu’s relationship with the Xia Family wasn’t to the point of being completely incompatible, it was close. She had nothing to talk about with her biological father, her brother, or her sisters. The Xia Family disapproved of her reputation; she couldn’t be bothered to provoke those who pointed fingers and passed judgment.

—Suddenly, he thought of Xia Siyu’s mother.

Although Xia Siyu’s mother had already passed away by the time they got married, if anyone could affect her emotions and cause such turbulence, it would definitely be her mother.

Even though Xia Siyu and the Xia Family were very secretive about her mother, when Bo Yan visited Sicily last time, he had a feeling that her mother must have been quite a character. Unfortunately, Wen Qunxiao had left the industry too early, about thirty years ago. And when she left, her reputation hadn’t been very good, so she was rarely promoted thereafter.

As a doctoral scholar in film arts, he had indeed seen her movies. But for one, he hadn’t considered it from that angle, and for another, over the years, the Xia Family had been gradually erasing her presence. Apart from the dedicated hard-core fans, her movies were rarely rerun, her dances were seen even less, and without promotion, after thirty years, there weren’t many new people commemorating her on a large scale.

But he wasn’t certain, so he said nothing.

He didn’t speak, but Xia Siyu scoffed lightly, “Sometimes you must find me ridiculous and don’t want to bother with me, right? I dropped out of college, my head is empty, I haven’t read many books. I got into university as an overseas Chinese art student. It’s not just you, many people laugh at me for being ignorant, uneducated, ‘all brawn and no brains,’ relying solely on a pretty face. Let them curse; I don’t care. I just think that, many years later, when I’ve aged, when I’m gone, will people still remember me, not just as ‘the most beautiful one,’ but rather, ‘a good actress’? I am an actress; this is my profession. I’ve worked in this job for seven years, and I’ve become a top celebrity, one of the most famous people in the country. But I have not received any recognition in my profession, which is not someone else’s problem, it’s my own failure.”

After saying that, Xia Siyu looked at Bo Yan earnestly: “I want to learn how to act. I want to win the Best Actress award on my own merit. Not just one, not two, but as many as possible. Please teach me.”