Her acting was excellent, but Lin Zhi could still tell, just like when they first met.
Your lips are curved in a smile, and your eyes are crescent-shaped, but those obsidian-like eyes have lost their luster. You are not happy; on the contrary, you are in pain.
Lin Zhi understood her pain; they were similar yet not entirely the same.
Lin Zhi sighed, her fingertips threading through her hair as she gently stroked the person in her arms, offering her the comfort that was unique to Lin Zhi.
"What happened? If possible, I can help you think of a solution?" Lin Zhi asked softly.
Warm breath swept across Lin Zhi's neck, and Lin Zhi felt a slight unease in her body, biting her lip to persevere.
"Dongdong has changed..."
--------------------
Author's Note:
There's no ranking this week, so please leave lots of comments to show your support! Love you all!
Chapter 45
While Jiang Lai and Lin Zhi were taking a shower, they received a phone call from Xu Xiangdong, but the contact name was still Xu Dongdong.
Xu Xiangdong said he had thought it through, which pleased Jiang Lai. Just as she was about to ask him how much the company's penalty for breach of contract was, Xu Xiangdong suddenly gave her a rude awakening.
“I need to focus on developing my career. The crushes of my youth are just fleeting moments. No one is indispensable, but if I lose my career, my family will lose its support. Senior, I respect you and trust you very much. Please pretend you didn't hear about this. If you can help me persuade Aheng, I... I will definitely be grateful to you.”
Jiang Lai sensed a wavering in his words, but she couldn't bring herself to reprimand him. Everyone has their own way of living. Xu Xiangdong loved his acting career, but the rewards from that career could support his family. Once a dream is burdened with a price tag, it can never take flight again.
In the entertainment industry, finding a sugar daddy isn't shameful. He and Luo Heng weren't together, so from any perspective, there's no reason to condemn him.
Is this your decision?
There was silence on the other end for a long time.
Jiang Lai sighed heavily: "I'll talk to Luo Heng for you."
"Thank you, senior. Please make sure he...hates me."
The sound of a man sobbing came from the phone. Jiang Lai stared out the window, her right hand gripping the curtains tightly.
I'll try my best.
The moment the call ended, Jiang Lai drew the curtains, left her phone on the bed, and paced alone in the room.
The room lights were too bright, so she turned them off. The warm light coming through the crack in the bathroom door was the only light in the room.
——
Lin Zhi sat cross-legged on the bed, listening to Jiang Lai tell her about Xu Xiangdong. From Jiang Lai's description, Lin Zhi knew that Xu Xiangdong was a sunny boy who worked part-time while attending classes to help support his family, just like Lin Zhi in the past. Even though life was so difficult, it never broke this boy. But after changing his name, this boy changed. It's not his fault, but the injustice of this world.
Lin Zhi had lost herself in despair many times, but every time that happened, a sentence would come to mind: There are many injustices in this world, and no one can live entirely according to their own heart. If everyone complains about fate, wouldn't the world be full of negative energy? Just stick to your heart and be yourself.
This was something a little girl said, and Lin Zhi always remembered it. The children of her teacher's relatives were all more open-minded than she was.
"Are you sad because of someone else?" Lin Zhi raised her hand to wipe away the tears from Jiang Lai's eyes. She could usually joke around with her, but now that the child was sad, as her leader and older sister, she had an obligation to comfort her.
Jiang Lai nodded and then shook her head, clasping her hands in a conflicted manner: "I hate Dongdong, I'm not playing with him anymore, I'll just ignore everything I said to him before!"
"Huh?" Lin Zhi blinked.
What's going on here?
Lin Zhi had prepared a whole bunch of things to say to comfort Jiang Lai, but the man just fidgeted with his hands like a child and said hurtful things. Lin Zhi suddenly realized that what she had prepared was not really applicable to Jiang Lai.
Maybe what she needs right now is a... hug?
Lin Zhi thought about it and did just that, giving Jiang Lai a hug, and the latter snuggled up to her and took advantage of the situation.
Lin Zhi suppressed her anger and pushed her away, protecting her chest while listening to Jiang Lai speak.
"So what do you plan to say to Luo Heng?"
"You know Luo Heng?"
"Any celebrity with even a little bit of fame should know me to some extent. Have you forgotten what I do?"
"Um..."
Jiang Lai lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed together. Lin Zhi raised her hand to smooth out her furrowed brows.
"Actually, you don't need to be so worried. They're not together yet, so this is just a matter of cutting your losses."
Jiang Lai looked up, her eyes filled with resentment: "We're not together anymore, so will you... cut your losses with me like before?"
The topic inexplicably veered towards her, and Lin Zhi didn't know what to do. When it comes to matters of the heart, those involved are always confused, while bystanders see things clearly.
"I don't know." Lin Zhi sighed, got up and walked to the window. She spread her arms and pulled back the heavy curtains. The heavy moonlight instantly spilled out, and the street beneath her feet was quiet except for the traces of the wind.
Bathed in moonlight, Lin Zhirong seemed to be enveloped in a layer of silver light. Jiang Lai was stunned, and the "Dolphin Sister" from her memory was once again given her appearance.
Lin Zhi: "I just went through a failed relationship, and now it's hard for me to fall in love with anyone again. I have more things to do, whether it's family or company."
As if something was stuck in her throat, Jiang Lai blinked and asked, "Then what kind of existence am I in your heart?"
Without hesitation, Lin Zhi replied, "You are someone special. I don't know if I love you. It would be irresponsible of me to accept your confession so rashly. I'm slow to understand feelings and I tend to overthink things. Could you give me some time?"
Lin Zhi has a mental illness, possibly because of Cheng Anan, or perhaps because of something that happened in the past that affected her. Jiang Lai knows all this. She doesn't mind waiting. Being with her, a woman as well, is already difficult enough. If Lin Zhi isn't willing to be with her, then even if she gets Lin Zhi, she won't be happy.
Jiang Lai got up from the bed, walked towards Lin Zhi, and pulled her into her arms.
"Okay, but don't keep me waiting too long, okay?"
Lin Zhi's heartbeat was disrupted by this person. He was clearly asking her a question but didn't give her a chance to reply. A kiss landed, leaving her feeling confused and disoriented.
"Sister, it's been a long time since your last treatment?"
"What... Ugh!"
Lin Zhi covered her mouth, her face flushed as she looked at the person who had suddenly knelt down in front of her. She turned her head uneasily to look at the street outside the French windows. It was late at night, and occasionally a few young people strolled by, laughing and talking, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Are you crazy? This won't do!" Lin Zhi tried to push her away, but to no avail.
Is this kid's head filled with lead? No wonder I can't move him!
“Sister!” Jiang Lai looked up, her lips gleaming silver in the moonlight: “I think we should increase the dosage of our treatment.”
Lin Zhi: !!!
Tonight, Lin Zhi pushed her limits. This little brat had been watching something behind her back, and it was quite...exciting.
"Stop...no, no...damn it..." Lin Zhi uttered a curse word for the first time, but it sounded incredibly tempting to Jiang Lai.
The two of them had somehow ended up on the bed. Jiang Lai peeked out from under the covers, licked her lips with her tongue, and said with a mischievous smile, "Can you say it again?"
Lin Zhi was so ashamed that she couldn't face her, so she kicked her off the bed and said, "Get out!"
The next day, the glaring sunlight shone into the room, waking Lin Zhi up. She opened her eyes and stared blankly for a long time.
By the way, she opened the curtains last night and hasn't closed them since.
Lin Zhi didn't dare to look out the window. The things that happened there last night were still vivid in her mind, and just thinking about them made her feel incredibly ashamed.
Lin Zhi raised her hand and touched her nose. There was no nosebleed. It seemed that her previous nosebleeds were due to the dryness of autumn and winter, which caused her to get internal heat.
The person next to her was curled up in the blankets, looking quite cute with sleepy eyes. However, she had been very annoying last night, and Lin Zhi would probably need some time to overcome her fear of floor-to-ceiling windows.
She fumbled for her phone and sent a WeChat message to her assistant.
General Manager Lin: [From now on, no more bookings of hotels with floor-to-ceiling windows for business trips!]
The assistant, who was enjoying a delicious breakfast in City A, suddenly received a message from his boss.
The assistant was full of questions. Didn't President Lin always insist on floor-to-ceiling windows? He even complained that the windows were too small and not well-ventilated. Why doesn't he want them now?
Don't try to guess what your boss is thinking. No matter what he asks, just reply with "Okay, no problem."
Assistant Xiaoxiao: [Okay, no problem.]
Lin Zhi glanced at the time, threw off the covers and sat up. Just as she was about to get up, the soreness in her lower back made her fall back onto the bed. She was surprised to find that her legs were a little weak.
Lin Zhi sighed, supported her waist as she stood up, then slowly swayed to the bathroom, one hand on the wall and the other on her waist.
——
Jiang Lai woke up with her hair disheveled, as if birds had built a nest around it. She sat up and groggily touched the person next to her. There was no warmth left; Lin Zhi had been awake for a long time.
She yawned, got up to go to the bathroom to look for someone, but didn't see the scene she had imagined. She was a little confused and went back to get her phone to send a message to Lin Zhi to ask her about it.
It can't be that they're too shy to meet up, right?
Last night's events were indeed a bit excessive. Jiang Lai was also provoked by Xu Xiangdong's situation. On one hand, she didn't want to force Lin Zhi, but on the other hand, she wanted to possess her.
Lin Zhi tastes like absinthe from the Van Gogh era; it's light on the palate with a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it's actually a high-concentration alcohol with hallucinogenic effects.
I'm a little curious about how Lin Zhi will feel after she finds out that she's been described as a notorious alcoholic.
Before the message could be sent, Anna knocked on the door, interrupting her typing. She got dressed, went to the door, and opened it.
Anna: "Let's have sandwiches today, the breakfast shop next door is closed."
Jiang Lai took the bag and nodded, "It's okay, I'm fine with anything... Do you know where Sister Lin went?"
"I ran into her when I was buying breakfast. It seems she suddenly had a remote meeting to attend and asked you not to disturb her. She said she would come to find you when she was done."
"oh..."
I didn't leave because I was shy; I just felt inexplicably disappointed.
After breakfast, Jiang Lai put on a fake no-makeup makeup look and then snuggled in bed looking up travel guides for S City. The 10th was in three days, and she had to record a program. She could still have some fun today. Xia Fanrou had a gig and flew away last night, so she couldn't ask her to show her around and had to explore on her own.
While browsing travel guides, a message suddenly popped up on Weibo. Jiang Lai glanced at it, then immediately sat up straight and clicked on the post.
Wang Mou-chuan organized the sale of... multiple instances of sexual assault... multiple victims jointly reported the case... currently in the evidence collection stage.
The accompanying images are blurred chat logs and transfer records.
Clicking on the first trending Weibo post, the comments were filled with disbelief. Some people were even speculating whether this Wang Mouchuan was the director Wang Dechuan. Many fans went to the Weibo post crying and begging for forgiveness. The reason was simple: their idol was made famous by Wang Dechuan.
With the major investor gone, someone's probably going to be in trouble.
However, this is just a Weibo post from a marketing account. Although it has topped the trending searches, its authenticity is still questionable. Only an official statement can confirm it. For now, it's still just a rumor. However, those in the industry know very well that it won't be long before it's revealed whether it's a rumor or the truth.
No wonder Wang Dechuan wasn't seen at last night's banquet; he must have gone back to the company for emergency public relations. But now that Min Xuehua has taken action, no matter how much money Wang Dechuan spends, he can't suppress the situation. He's definitely going to jail for good.