Chapter 18 Violet "Are you going to take it off or not?"...

On the first day of December, a cutting-edge mainstream fashion magazine in China released its year-end issue. The cover star was extremely expressive, and the pure black background and close-up shots made the viewer's face the sole focus.

With striking features, brown eyeliner elongates the outer corners of her eyes, slightly upturned at the ends, making her eyes more defined. The vibrant red eyeshadow doesn't look overdone on her; instead, it creates a sophisticated and harmonious effect. Her high-arched eyebrows balance the allure of her eye makeup, giving her a sharp and refined look. As an actress, she excels at using her eyes; her fair skin, red lips, and aloof, haughty eyes create a powerful impact.

At the same time as the series of photos were released, a poll was launched to select the undisputed beauty queen in the industry. The competition was fierce, but the person whose name appeared the fewest times in the comments section ended the contest with a rocket-like increase in votes and an overwhelming number of votes.

Ji Jiazhen's first place win is undisputed.

The magazine's sales hit a record high, exceeding 50,000 copies sold in just one minute, demonstrating that her commercial value was not affected by her retirement from the entertainment industry. This marked a brilliant start to her comeback.

In the past month, Ji Jiazhen has received many endorsement deals and script requests. Duan Qiyin didn't let the benefits go to outsiders; he distributed all these resources to other artists in the company. Jian Yi was the one who benefited the most, as she received nearly half of the profits.

The best counterattack is not to take these things back, but to always outmaneuver her.

Jian Yi accepted a few ordinary endorsements, while Ji Jiazhen asked Duan Qiyin for several luxury brand endorsements. In short, the brand's name had to be more famous than hers, the spokesperson's title had to be higher than hers, the announcements had to be released on the same day as hers, and the trending topics had to be ahead of hers.

With many onlookers and netizens not being blind, it was clear that a fight was about to break out. Amidst all the speculation, Ji Jiazhen released the purchased press release, completely solidifying Jian Yi's reputation as a "master of academics."

She has her die-hard fans who defend her, and Ji Jiazhen naturally has a large number of loyal followers who fight for her. Before retiring from the entertainment industry, her fans were among the most powerful in the industry.

Jian Yi was completely overwhelmed, but she couldn't publicly apologize to stop this fierce battle. After all, apologizing would be an admission, and if she admitted it, she would not only lose face but also resources. Which brand would be willing to use such a spokesperson?

The company also had to protect her, as she still had some commercial value. They could only take all the responsibility, saying that since they were all artists from the same company, it was inevitable that they would follow similar paths.

The statement did divert some attention, but it only turned into fans of both sides criticizing the unscrupulous company; the infighting continued.

Jian Yi has been having a very difficult time lately, and Duan Qiyin has been extremely busy. On the contrary, Ji Jiazhen, who caused the dispute, seems to be enjoying a peaceful life and is completely undisturbed.

But she didn't want Duan Qiyin to have an easy time. She couldn't stand by and watch the fire burn; she wished she could add ten more bundles of firewood to make the flames burn even higher, and ideally, the fire would spread to Duan Lan's eyes, leaving her helpless and anxious.

So they set their sights on a third person.

Wen Siyu.

She remembered what she saw on the day she went to the Duan family's house: a plaque hanging in the center of the living room, with four characters written in black ink on white paper:

A harmonious family brings prosperity.

*

On a rainy night, amidst thick fog, the doorbell rang.

When Wen Siyu opened the door, Ji Jiazhen's hand was raised in the air, as if she was about to slam it on the door.

The door opened suddenly, and she squinted at him, her hand already gripping the door tightly. It was a mix of inertia and deliberate action; the slap that should have landed on the door landed squarely on his shoulder, and then her head drooped.

The two of them stood frozen in the doorway in an awkward position, all her strength resting on his arm, as if he were a wall she could just lean on.

Wen Siyu lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to tilt her head back. Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth pursed, making her look rather amusing.

The smell of alcohol emanating from him seemed particularly strong in the damp night, and the redness on his cheeks told a story of how much he had drunk that night.

"Too much?"

Ji Jiazhen suddenly hooked her hand that was supporting his shoulder, and Wen Siyu took a step forward, making it easier for her to stand up with support.

"good."

He leaned closer and asked her, "Do you know who I am?"

Ji Jiazhen lifted her eyelids to look, and her lower eyelids were glistening with tears. Her eyes were like a pool of fine rain from a whole winter night, rippling with moisture that made one willing to drown in them.

She raised her hand and patted Wen Siyu's face three times, replying in a tired voice, "Little dog."

Wen Siyu chuckled, seemingly looking down on the nickname, but didn't refute it. Instead, he asked her, "With so many dogs, can you tell them apart?"

Ji Jiazhen was drunk but still had a clear mind. The hand that was patting him pinched his face randomly, like a toy.

"There is a difference between dogs and puppies."

Wen Siyu put his hand behind her and put it around her waist, encircling her completely. As he got closer, his arm bent, and she let go of his shoulder and hugged his neck instead.

Their noses were only five centimeters apart, and their bodies were pressed so close together that she was practically hanging on him.

"Ji Jiazhen, if you're going to take advantage of your drunkenness to act like a hooligan, then get the hell out of here."

He knew she wouldn't take responsibility for anything she did tonight, whether it had happened or might happen; she would pretend not to remember, even if she did.

She whispered in his ear, "I'm here to settle accounts with you."

Then she pushed him inside.

Ji Jiazhen walked unsteadily, and he didn't support her, but walked behind her the whole time. She was probably too dizzy to walk, and when they got to the restaurant, she couldn't hold on any longer and stood there holding onto the table to recover.

Wen Siyu pulled out a chair for her to sit on, and then pulled one out for himself and placed it in front of her. He sat down, knee to knee.

She rested her hands on her thighs, staring at him as if trying to figure out where to begin. After a long while, she finally uttered, "You looked at my back last time, but I haven't even looked at yours. That's not fair. Take your clothes off."

Looking at the serious expression on her face, Wen Siyu suddenly laughed, reached out and flicked her forehead, his voice tinged with a hint of gritted teeth: "You son of a bitch, you're just here to be a pervert."

Are you going to take it off or not?

Are you going to take responsibility?

Ji Jiazhen kicked his shin, "What responsibility do you have for taking off your clothes?"

This attitude was so self-righteous that Wen Siyu leaned back and replied matter-of-factly, "Take it off yourself."

She actually reached out, and his pajamas made it convenient for her. She started unbuttoning from the neckline and patiently finished, leaving Wen Siyu's clothes completely open. Ji Jiazhen then reached down and pulled them off, and he obediently took them off, his upper body completely exposed to her.

The outline of the abdominal muscles is still clear even when relaxed, the muscle lines are just right, and the thin muscles paired with fair skin are quite pleasing to the eye.

Ji Jiazhen cheekily touched his abs, and Wen Siyu slapped her hand, telling her not to take advantage of him.

When she looked away, she noticed the scar on his side, stared at it for two seconds, and then reached out her finger to touch it.

It was a slightly raised scar, its grotesque shape showing how serious the injury was. The scar stretched all the way down to her lower back, almost as long as her index finger.

"You've been attacked with a knife?"

Wen Siyu clicked his tongue, "Can't you speak more politely?"

"Otherwise, how could such a scar have been left?"

He looked down at her as she withdrew her hand, and said calmly, "A car accident."

"A traffic accident?"

He replied, "It was caused by a speeding car."

"ox."

After a few seconds of silent staring at each other, she began to settle her second score with him.

"On my birthday, you didn't give me a gift, nor did you wish me a happy birthday."

As she said this, her hand rested on his leg, her middle finger tapping lightly, making him itch with desire.

Wen Siyu hooked her little finger with his thumb, circling the second knuckle of her little finger.

“I’ve been preparing the gift, but you’re so untrustworthy. The cost of giving it away is too high. I need to make sure you’ll take responsibility for it, or I’ll lose a lot of money.”

Ji Jiazhen let him do as he pleased, "I haven't even seen what the gift looks like, how can I decide whether or not I should take responsibility?"

“You saw it, and I saw your attitude too. It’s obvious you don’t intend to take responsibility.”

What makes you so certain?

He asked, "Would you like to make a bet with me?"

This was a provocation tactic, Ji Jiazhen knew it, but she still fell for it.

What if I win the bet?

Wen Siyu's dark eyes gleamed at her words. He raised the hand that had been caressing her knuckles and rubbed his thumb against her lower lip. "You won the bet. I'll give you the role of Wang Qiao with both hands."

"make a deal."

Ji Jiazhen helped him up by the shoulder, her face showing determination. She didn't care about other issues; her only thought at the moment was to make Wen Siyu obediently hand over the script to her.

As they reached the door, Wen Siyu suddenly grabbed her forearm. She turned around and met his deep eyes, his voice filled with a questioning laughter.

"Ji Jiazhen, are you really drunk, or are you pretending?"

Ji Jiazhen's eyes traveled from his face to his waist and abdomen. "Does it matter?"

It doesn't matter to her.

The important thing is that she got what she wanted.

Wen Siyu didn't see Ji Jiazhen's eyes suddenly regain their clarity the moment the door closed, nor did he see her take a miniature camera from the side window.

Ji Jiazhen didn't see Wen Siyu behind the door revealing a triumphant smile.

*

Duan Qiyin received the photos at 8:53 AM, just as he was about to start a meeting. Neither company was giving him any peace of mind; one was swamped with work, the other was a complete mess. He had been dealing with things until 2 AM last night, and today he was feeling quite irritable, a frustration that peaked when he saw the photos.

Along with the photos came a sentence:

"You know everything about my private life. Haven't you noticed whose name is on the deed of this apartment I live in now, and who lives upstairs from me?"

Duan Qiyin looked at the woman's profile in the photo, the hand gripping her arm, the shirtless man talking to her up close, and then at the face he knew so well he was ingrained in his very bones.

His blood-related, always taciturn and aloof, good younger brother.

He could even calculate when each photo was taken.

They embraced; she hugged his neck, and Wen Siyu put his arm around her waist.

They parted, her expression unreadable, and Wen Siyu took off his shirt.

Before and after.

Late at night, a woman in a thin dress, a man with naked flesh.

He really didn't want to associate these words together, but these photos were right in front of him, each one extremely ambiguous, making it hard not to think about it in a certain way. What was most infuriating was that he knew her preferences too well, to the point that he knew clearly that Wen Siyu was her favorite type.

His hand gripped the phone so tightly it trembled, his chest heaved with rage, and overwhelming jealousy made his scalp tingle, even causing the veins on his temples to bulge.

Driven by a burning rage, he dialed the number, but his usual composure compelled him to lower his voice and ask calmly.

"when."

Ji Jiazhen laughed dismissively, "Which one are you referring to? When were the photos taken? Or when did I start dating him? I can tell you, the photos are very recent, taken just last night. As for me and him, it goes back to the day I returned to China."

It's been two months since I returned to China.

For the past two months, he had been keeping track of all her activities, but he never expected that she would get involved with his brother right under his nose.

Ji Jiazhen warned him, "He doesn't know about our relationship, and I don't want him to know either. Duan Qiyin, you'd better keep quiet. You know I'm the kind of person who will stop at nothing to achieve my goals. I don't mind sacrificing myself so you'll call me 'sister-in-law,' since your brother seems to be quite attached to me. So, have your mother apologize to me as soon as possible and stop provoking me, otherwise, her youngest son will be heartbroken."

...

Duan Qiyin loosened his tie, and exhaustion and restlessness made him close his eyes.

He should be angry, angry that she toyed with Wen Siyu in order to get revenge on him.

But he had no right to be angry. Their relationship didn't start out of revenge; it was because Ji Jiazhen was genuinely interested.

He could only be jealous, jealous that Wen Siyu had surpassed him and that he was born with the ability to make Ji Jiazhen look down on him.

How far have they gone? He dared not think.

But he really couldn't figure out which step he had overlooked. She was still acting recklessly, so why was he completely unaware of this relationship that had lasted for two months?

He didn't know how much money Wen Siyu had spent to buy out how many paparazzi photos.

Ji Jiazhen was unaware that she was about to fall into a trap with a huge cost.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The next chapter will be updated at 9 PM on the 16th. Come see Brother Selfish Desire come to the table for dinner!!! A high-heat stir-fry!!!