Jiang Lai glanced back, stopped, and only started walking again after the girl caught up.
The girl looked up at Jiang Lai, then at Anna, and started walking forward. She hadn't taken more than a few steps when Jiang Lai grabbed her arm.
Jiang Lai asked with a smile, "Why are you running?"
The girl's fair face flushed again: "No...no."
Jiang Lai pursed her lips and said nothing. Later, the two of them left the airport together.
"Shall we take a picture together?" Jiang Lai asked.
The girl nodded repeatedly, took her phone out of her pocket, Anna went up to take the phone from her, then walked to the opposite side of the two of them, took a few pictures, and handed them to the girl.
Jiang Lai was taller than the girl. When taking photos, she tilted her head slightly towards the girl, showing no airs and smiling sincerely.
Jiang Lai leaned over for a look and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad."
"Um... can I post this on Weibo? Like... in the super topic."
"OK."
"How do I need to edit it?"
Jiang Lai thought for a moment and said, "No need for p."
After parting ways with her little fan, Jiang Lai got into a van, put her luggage away, and drove off to the hotel where Xia Fanrou was staying.
Anna had arranged all the check-in in advance. After getting the room key at the front desk, we went straight to the elevator to our room. Anna lived next door to Jiang Lai, so it was very convenient if needed.
After putting away their luggage, Jiang Lai took Anna upstairs to find Xia Fanrou. They knocked on the door, and Xia Fanrou's assistant opened it.
"Hello, is Sister Xia there?" Jiang Lai asked politely.
The assistant nodded and stepped aside to let the two of them in.
Xia Fanrou was practicing yoga, stretching on her yoga mat in her workout clothes. She didn't stop when she saw Jiang Lai: "Wait a minute, I'll be done soon."
"It's okay."
The assistant asked the two women to rest on the sofa and handed them two bottles of water.
"Thanks."
The assistant smiled and said, "Of course."
Anna was a little reserved, after all, she wasn't very familiar with Xia Fanrou, but fortunately, she had gotten along well with Xia Fanrou's assistant on set, and the two chatted happily. Jiang Lai, on the other hand, seemed to be neglected and could only scroll through Weibo out of boredom.
Ten minutes later, Xia Fanrou got up, and her assistant stopped chatting and handed her a towel and water.
Xia Fanrou sat down next to Jiang Lai, wiping her sweat and drinking water as she did so: "You came pretty fast. Did your manager tell you?"
Jiang Lai nodded: "I have to thank Sister Xia a lot. If you hadn't brought me, I probably wouldn't have been able to participate."
After speaking, Jiang Lai gestured to Anna with her eyes, and the latter quickly understood and handed the gift bag in her hand to Xia Fanrou.
Jiang Lai said, "I didn't know what to give you, so I bought you a necklace. I've seen you wearing various necklaces in leaked photos, so I guessed that you like wearing jewelry."
Xia Fanrou glanced at the packaging; it was from Tiffany and cost several thousand yuan, which was considered a modest luxury for the two of them. Xia Fanrou knew the price and accepted it, since the entry fee was enough to buy several necklaces.
"Thank you, I like it very much."
Xia Fanrou opened the package and glanced at it, then took off the necklace around her neck and handed the new necklace to Jiang Lai: "Help me put it on."
Jiang Lai took the necklace and moved closer to Xia Fanrou to put it on her. They were so close that Jiang Lai almost dared not breathe.
"alright."
Xia Fanrou turned around and asked the three people beside her, "Is it pretty?"
The three nodded in unison: "It looks good."
The necklace was simple, but Xia Fanrou was so beautiful that it looked just as good on her as those with diamonds, and even made people think that diamonds were vulgar.
Xia Fanrou said, "Lai Lai, have you ever been to S City for tourism before?"
Jiang Lai shook her head: "I rarely travel within China." I mostly travel abroad.
Xia Fanrou was somewhat surprised. S City was the economic center of the country, so how could someone not come for tourism? Just how much did this person love studying?
"Shall we go see the night view tonight? You should post on Weibo; with two million followers, how can you not give out some perks?"
“Okay,” Jiang Lai readily agreed.
Two million fans is nothing compared to being a nobody in the entertainment industry. But Jiang Lai is different. She's a new actress, and she already has a base of two million fans even before her first project after signing the contract has been released. No wonder the company assigned her an agent and assistant from the very beginning, and a big name agent like Nan Moxi at that.
Xia Fanrou was happy to be friends with Jiang Lai. Unlike others in the industry, she was clean and didn't have that money-grubbing vibe. She wouldn't fawn over Xia Fanrou just because she was popular. So, she would help Jiang Lai out to the best of her ability.
That evening, Jiang Lai and Anna sat on the sofa in the hotel lobby. After about five minutes, Xia Fanrou and her assistant came out of the elevator.
Xia Fanrou travels in a very simple manner, without bodyguards or many assistants, only bringing one close assistant. It is said online that Xia Fanrou and her assistant have a very good relationship, and now it seems that this is indeed the case.
Jiang Lai felt a little embarrassed. It was inappropriate for a newcomer like herself to travel with the same equipment as a movie queen.
Anna seemed to notice Jiang Lai's embarrassment and said, "Lai Lai, it's okay. This is just a normal outing. You treat me as a friend, not an assistant."
Jiang Lai nodded, finding Anna's words helpful.
The four of them got into the van. Jiang Lai and Anna sat in the back, while Xia Fanrou and her assistant sat in the front. The two of them had a very good relationship and kept taking selfies. After taking the selfies, they huddled together to study them, chatting and laughing all the way.
The car stopped at the riverbank. Jiang Lai followed Xia Fanrou out of the car. The neon lights were flashing and the river was sparkling. It was indeed charming and prosperous.
Xia Fanrou led Jiang Lai onto a yacht, a temporary rental with complete facilities, but the four of them wouldn't be able to play for that long.
The evening breeze on the river caressed Jiang Lai's face, blowing her long hair. She was captivated by the scenery on the shore, as if she were watching a city light show.
With a click, Xia Fanrou pressed the shutter. Jiang Lai turned around at the sound and saw that Xia Fanrou was holding a DSLR camera.
"Sister Xia, did you take a picture of me without my permission?"
Xia Fanrou waved her camera and laughed, "Just because you're good-looking doesn't mean I can't take your picture? How was your facial expression control when you boarded the ship?"
Jiang Lai was taken aback and said, "I didn't notice?"
Xia Fanrou wore a mask because she was worried about being recognized, but Jiang Lai was different. She was very open and didn't even bother to pretend. Perhaps it was because the person next to her had a pure relationship with her, unlike when she was with Lin Zhi, which made her feel guilty.
Xia Fanrou's assistant brought up some food and handed Jiang Lai a bottle of soda, saying, "Someone probably took pictures of Rourou with their phone just now, and you might have been in the picture too."
"Ah!" Jiang Lai's mouth dropped open as she tried to recall her expression just now: "I think it was alright..."
Xia Fanrou smiled and said, "Don't worry, I just tried taking a picture, it's beautiful. I just don't know if the phone camera will distort your face."
It would be better not to offer any comfort.
Xia Fanrou's assistant had studied photography and her photos were no worse than those of professional photographers. With a little editing, she could produce a set of outdoor portraits.
When they got tired of taking pictures, they sat down and enjoyed the gentle evening breeze on their faces, undisturbed by the noise of the riverside.
"You'll stay with me tomorrow night, and I'll introduce you to some directors."
"Okay, thank you, Sister Xia."
Lin Zhi was unaware that Jiang Lai had left City A. If she hadn't seen photos taken by Xia Fanrou's fans on Weibo, she would still think that Jiang Lai was in City A.
She felt quite upset. This person used to tell her when he went out to work, but now he doesn't even bother to inform her.
In the photo, Jiang Lai and Xia Fanrou are walking side by side. Xia Fanrou is wearing a mask, but you can still tell it's her by her eyes and brows. She is tilting her head and leaning towards Jiang Lai, who is smiling, a very happy smile.
They're too close...
The comments under the Weibo post were mostly from Xia Fanrou's fans, praising her, while others complained about why they weren't in S City and regretted not being able to meet their idol.
Another group consisted of passersby, and to Lin Zhi's surprise, some of them actually became fans of the two as a couple.
I don't know when it started, but Weibo's CP (couple) supertopics are no longer limited to male-female CPs. The top posts are mostly male-male CPs, with fewer female-female CPs, and they don't make it to the top. This circle is very niche, but there are still people who ship them. CP fans are still fans, and if they are of high quality, they can bring traffic to the artists. But I still worry about those CP fans who don't stick to their own little world.
However, that's not the point. The point is that all the comments are praising Xia Fanrou and Jiang Lai as a perfect match, which makes Lin Zhi's forehead veins bulge.
Sleeping in Rou Rou's arms: [Although I'm a fan of Rou Rou, I'm not jealous at all seeing how well they match!!]
Can't hold a tablet up: [Older woman/younger man pairing? So cute! Has anyone seen the trailer for the island movie? /doge/]
A dedicated yuri (lesbian) fan for 20 years: [Who wants to start a super topic for this?! Please!]
Lin Zhi frowned and exited Weibo. She then opened her contacts and called Nan Moxi, who was on a business trip in another city.
Nan Moxi had just finished an event with her artists and received a phone call shortly after getting into the car.
"Sister Nan, Jiang Lai went to S City?"
Nan Moxi stretched her neck wearily and said, "Yes, it would be good for her to attend an industry gathering and meet some directors."
When will you be back?
Nan Moxi recalled Jiang Lai's schedule and said, "Normally she should be back on December 3rd. After the gathering, she will record a variety show, and after that, she will go on a promotional tour with the film crew. I talked to Yu Wei, and Yu Wei really wants to promote her."
"Oh, send me a copy of her itinerary, make sure it's detailed."
The person on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, probably wondering why Lin Zhi valued Jiang Lai so much. Then, remembering that Lin Zhi and Jiang Lai had a good relationship, they stopped thinking about it.
"OK."
"Okay, then... goodbye, Sister Nan."
--------------------
Author's Note:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-04-09 20:35:18 and 2022-04-10 17:11:26!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Socially Anxious Wooden Head (1).
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Socially anxious Wood (15 bottles); Summer Night Star River (5 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 40
On her way back from the riverbank, Xia Fanrou ran into an acquaintance. The man was a director who looked to be around forty years old. He was unkempt with a stubble beard and had a lecherous smile. His eyes kept wandering over Xia Fanrou and Jiang Lai, making Jiang Lai very uncomfortable. However, Xia Fanrou didn't say anything, and Jiang Lai remained silent.
"And who is this?" the man asked, looking at Jiang Lai.
Xia Fanrou paused for a moment, then introduced, "A new actress who has acted with me before. Director Wang, please take good care of her."
Director Wang grinned, clearly harboring ill intentions. He took out a stack of business cards from his briefcase, pulled one out, and handed it to Jiang Lai: "You can contact me if you need anything."