Luo Heng: [I called him last night, and he said everything you said was true. He also said... if I bother him again, he'll block me completely. Will he still see me?]
Jiang Lai sighed, didn't reply, and pretended to close her eyes to rest. Luo Heng glanced back, thinking she was asleep, and didn't disturb her. Their conversation ended abruptly.
Back at the hotel, Jiang Lai was greeted with an exclusive interview by reporters. Although she knew it was a good opportunity to increase her exposure, she was too exhausted to smile. She had done nothing but physical labor all day.
Last night too.
Jiang Lai sat down and waited for the makeup artist to do her makeup, holding a hot coffee in her hand, and took a sip with a bitter face.
She asked Anna to buy her coffee, which was supposed to be cold, but Lin Zhi intercepted Anna's order and changed it from iced to hot. If Jiang Lai hadn't repeatedly pleaded, saying she was very sleepy, Lin Zhi might not have even let her drink the coffee.
This resulted in Anna getting a lecture from Lin Zhi.
The interview questions were all routine. Nan Moxi had already given her the script in advance, so she could answer it exactly as it was written.
Reporter: "What are your thoughts on your first variety show appearance? Did you have fun?"
Jiang Lai: "I found it very novel and fun. Everyone was very relaxed. To be honest, I was quite surprised, haha~ You'll know why I was surprised after the show airs."
The reporter laughed: "Haha, I've heard a little about it. So, one last question: the movie 'Island' hasn't been released yet, but you've already gained a group of adorable little fans after the trailer came out. I wonder if you've been surfing the internet? Do you know what they call you in private?"
This question wasn't in the draft, but it wasn't a deliberately difficult one either. Unlike Qi Chuan, Jiang Lai consulted Lin Zhi about everything that wasn't planned, and Lin Zhi was quite satisfied with that.
Little did she know that Jiang Lai, having been raised in luxury since childhood, possessed an innate confidence that destined her to be extraordinary from birth.
Jiang Lai covered her mouth and laughed, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents: "I know, they call me husband."
"Haha, still young, sure enough, you know how to surf the internet. Fans, be careful not to get caught."
Jiang Lai: "I have no problem with that title, but I have to point out that calling me 'husband' is fine, but calling Yu Xin is not allowed. She's a minor, you know~"
"Hahaha"
The audience burst into laughter, and Jiang Lai couldn't help but laugh too, though she was careful to control her facial expressions even while laughing.
"That concludes today's interview. Lai Lai, say goodbye to your fans!"
Jiang Lai looked at the camera and smiled, "Bye-bye, see you next time, love you all!"
--------------------
Author's Note:
Lin Zhi: You scumbag, everyone calls you husband.
Jiang Lai: (Looking pitiful) . Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-04-22 22:32:48 and 2022-04-23 21:19:16!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: I'll give you 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 52
After finishing the second day of recording, Jiang Lai's variety show debut came to a perfect end.
That evening, Nan Moxi flew to S City and booked a table to treat Jiang Lai and her staff to dinner. Lin Zhi happened to be there and benefited from Jiang Lai's presence.
"Sister Nan, it's been so long! I've missed you so much." Jiang Lai saw Nan Moxi and went up to hug her.
Nan Moxi pushed her away with disdain and laughed, "Even after entering the entertainment industry, you've become so smooth-talking. Who taught you that?"
Jiang Lai stuck out her tongue and turned to look at Lin Zhi beside her: "Sister Lin taught me well."
Lin Zhibai glanced at her and said, "Sister Nan, don't listen to her nonsense. I didn't teach her to be glib."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the group sat down and ordered food.
At the dinner table, Lin Zhi and Nan Moxi talked about work all the time, which made Jiang Lai's head spin. She didn't have a chance to interrupt and could only eat her food quietly, occasionally refilling Lin Zhi and Nan Moxi's tea. She did her job as an assistant very well.
Nan Moxi: "Have you been checking Weibo lately? The police have opened an investigation into Wang Dechuan's case. I heard he's been detained and isn't allowed to leave the city."
Nan Moxi couldn't possibly be unaware of what happened that day, and she knew it in great detail. She originally planned to put aside her work and fly to S City to handle it personally, after all, she was the agent, and it would be a dereliction of duty for her to have this happen to her artist.
The plane tickets were all booked, but Lin Zhi had already arrived. Nan Moxi didn't expect Lin Zhi to come in person; she thought she would just operate the system remotely at most.
Lin Zhi was good to the company's artists, but not so good as to send a director to jail. Nan Moxi suddenly realized that she didn't seem to know Lin Zhi as well as she thought. She heard that the company had intervened and wanted to know the details, but it was not appropriate to ask too many questions in this situation.
Lin Zhi didn't show much expression, as if she had expected these things: "Yes, evil people will be punished by heaven. It's only a matter of time before we catch him."
Nan Moxi noticed that Lin Zhi's cup was empty, so she called to Jiang Lai, "Lai Lai, why aren't you pouring tea for President Lin? Why aren't you flattering her now?"
Jiang Lai quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, picked up the teapot, stood up, and respectfully poured a cup of tea for the boss: "President Lin, please enjoy."
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "Xiao Jiang did a good job, keep up the good work."
Jiang Lai nodded and bowed, saying, "Thank you, boss. I will definitely do my best for the company and strive to earn several hundred million this year."
Lin Zhi nodded in satisfaction, then added, "Make sure to pay your taxes on time."
"Hehe, of course."
The dinner party was very pleasant because of Jiang Lai, such a lively character. However, the pleasant atmosphere was short-lived. A phone call made Lin Zhi's face lose its smile.
Lin Zhi stared at the caller ID note and fell into deep thought. After a moment, she said, "You guys eat first, I'll take this call." With that, she got up and left the private room.
Jiang Lai stared blankly in the direction Lin Zhi had left, her worry written all over her face.
"It seems to be her private matter," Nan Moxi murmured.
Jiang Lai asked, "Why do you say that?"
Nan Moxi picked up a piece of food, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it: "Everyone here is from the company, so she doesn't need to avoid it. Obviously, she has something private to do, something she doesn't want others to know."
"Don't want anyone to know?" Jiang Lai murmured, twisting the tablecloth into a pretzel shape with both hands.
Nan Moxi glanced at it, pretending not to see it, and casually said, "If I were you, I would chase after them."
Jiang Lai, having been exposed, grabbed her coat from the chair and hurriedly left.
Anna didn't understand, so she asked, "Sister Nan, since President Lin doesn't want anyone to know, wouldn't Lai Lai be walking right into a trap?"
Nan Moxi lowered her head and smiled, then said with unexpected depth, "Anna, you are still too young, and there are some things you can't see through."
"Huh?" Anna glanced in the direction the two had left, racking her brains but still unable to understand what Nan Moxi meant.
Perhaps this is the difference.
Lin Zhi was too good to Jiang Lai, and Jiang Lai reciprocated with the same care. Nan Moxi initially thought the two were just good friends, but after Wang Dechuan's incident, Nan Moxi would occasionally think about their relationship. She had been in the entertainment industry for too long and had seen a lot of things. There were people in the industry who liked the same sex, and the way they looked at their same-sex couples was almost the same as how Jiang Lai looked at Lin Zhi.
If what she thought before was just speculation, Jiang Lai's behavior just now confirmed her guess: Jiang Lai's feelings for Lin Zhi were not simple.
Jiang Lai is young and doesn't know how to hide her feelings. When she likes someone, she doesn't think about the consequences. Nan Moxi can see through her at a glance. But Lin Zhi is different. Lin Zhi has experienced too much, and her face has long been covered with a mask. Nan Moxi is too inexperienced to see through her, but she can tell that Lin Zhi is really happy when she is with Jiang Lai.
Nan Moxi was quite surprised when Lin Zhi and Cheng Anan got together. She thought that Lin Zhi would have reservations about men after what she had gone through, but the two stayed together for a long time, so Nan Moxi believed that Lin Zhi had really let go.
But things didn't go as planned, and the two still broke up.
Nan Moxi trusts Jiang Lai, who is as pure as a blank sheet of paper. If Jiang Lai can really help Lin Zhi take off her mask and step out of the shadows, she wouldn't mind playing matchmaker.
"well."
Nan Moxi sighed, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
It would be even better if Jiang Lai weren't a celebrity, but it doesn't matter. Nan Moxi can protect Jiang Lai and prevent her from being discovered by the public. Even if she is discovered, she can simply cover it up.
Lin Zhi went to the bathroom, where it was quiet enough and she didn't know anyone. She took a deep breath, looked at the phone that was still in her hand, and hesitated before pressing the answer button.
"Mom? I'm busy, what's up...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Lin's mother interrupted her: "Xiaozhi, no matter what you're busy with, come home right now!"
Her mother rarely acted so forcefully, which made Lin Zhi inexplicably uneasy.
"I'm not in City A. Please tell me what it is so I can prepare."
Lin Zhi couldn't accept another car accident. The funds had just been secured, and if her father caused trouble again, she might do something like pulling out his oxygen tube.
Lin's mother: "Xiaofeng's condition has worsened, and he urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. Otherwise, he may not survive this winter. Your father is planning to use his own bone marrow, but that won't do. You know your father's health is not good, and his age... is also not suitable!"
The year Lin Feng fell ill, her mother had already undergone bone marrow matching. Unfortunately, the mother and son failed to match. Lin's father, on the other hand, had no problems with any of the matching tests, but unfortunately, he was too old and in poor health, and it was estimated that he would not survive the surgery.
Lin Zhi couldn't help but sneer. Her father had only himself to blame. When Lin Zhi was a child, he had found a woman much younger than himself and had a son with her. That was their sin. But the child was to atone for the sins of the parents. It was truly ridiculous.
"Mom, you wouldn't ask me to donate bone marrow to Lin Feng, would you?"
Lin Zhi had not undergone matching, but since they were related by blood, the chances of success were high. Moreover, she was young, and although her health was not good, she was not incapacitated by the time she was off the operating table.
Lin Zhi doesn't know how to get a bone marrow match or donate bone marrow. Who can she turn to for the psychological damage her father and that woman caused her?
Lin's mother felt sorry for her daughter. Lin Zhi had been in poor health since childhood and was afraid of pain. She would never sacrifice her daughter for the son of a mistress.
Lin's mother explained, "No, how could I let you do such a thing! It's just that no matter how I try to persuade your father, he won't listen. I wanted you to come back and talk to him..."
Lin Zhi sighed: "Would he listen if I tried to persuade him? I'm really afraid he'll have someone tie me to the operating table."
"Xiaozhi, you can't say that about your father... No matter what, he loves you, after all, it's blood ties..."
"Mom!" Lin Zhi shouted, "I really hope he cares about blood ties. If he cares about me, if he loves me, why would he bring that woman to bed in our house!"
Outside the door, Jiang Lai froze abruptly. She wondered if following them was the right or wrong thing to do. She shouldn't have listened any longer; such behavior was shameful!
But unfortunately, she couldn't move her legs.
"Xiao Zhi! Why are you bringing this up again? It's been so long."
Lin's mother was also very concerned about this matter, and she rarely yelled at her daughter.
"How could I not mention it!" Lin Zhi roared, her body trembling violently without her realizing it. "Do I have to tell you the details of what happened? My father, that hypocritical beast! He rode on top of that woman!"
"Lin Zhi! How can you be so insensible!"
The mother's voice choked with emotion, and she hung up the phone with her daughter.
As Lin Zhi listened to the busy tone on the phone, her hands trembled uncontrollably. The churning feeling in her stomach made her rush into the cubicle and vomit. She had eaten very little for dinner, and in the end, she vomited up mostly bile.
His already fair face was now even paler, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.
This symptom has been present for a long time. When I was a child, seeing my father sleeping with his mistress only made me feel nauseous and my scalp tingled. As an adult, after being humiliated by a male actor on set, I started experiencing trembling and vomiting. But these symptoms are controllable. As long as I don't recall the details and avoid being stimulated, it's fine.
Hearing that something was wrong inside, Jiang Lai, who was outside, didn't care about anything else and rushed in.
"elder sister!"
Jiang Lai rushed in, but instead of seeing Lin Zhi, she heard the sound of retching. She went over and saw Lin Zhi hugging the toilet and vomiting, her face pale.