Chapter 22 Violet, the Angel of Desire.

The red carpet that Ji Jiazhen was about to walk was an annual year-end event, a veritable gathering of stars. Everyone who attended was a celebrity, regardless of their status. Big names wouldn't bother attending, and even newcomers who had only played one or two minor roles could show up and get by. Ji Jiazhen's current position was rather awkward. She was also somewhat reluctant to attend, but she wasn't a big name yet, so not attending wasn't an option.

I really didn't want to attend this time, because after walking the red carpet I had to attend the gala. Almost everyone who came to the gala got an award. Except for the two most prestigious ones, the rest were like kindergarten children's talent show. Everyone got a little red flower after their performance and was called an outstanding star.

Ji Jiazhen has only been back for less than two months, and apart from her work three years ago, she hasn't been able to produce any new works. Tonight's ceremony is just a formality for her to show her face and give the organizers some face. She doesn't care what award she gets, but she'll definitely be ridiculed by the entire internet.

Since she doesn't have any works to show for it, she has to focus on her styling. After all, she herself is her best work. The focus of the ceremony will definitely be on the winner of the highest award, which has nothing to do with her. So she has to steal the spotlight on the red carpet. The popularity she brings must serve her own interests and not benefit the event or let others take advantage of it.

The news that Ji Jiazhen would attend tonight's event had already spread, and it was trending on social media. There were countless polls and bets about her, with everyone speculating about her style, what dress she would wear, and what makeup she would put on. The most intense speculation was about what award she would win tonight and what kind of work she would bring to the event.

She was fully aware of these online developments and was even absolutely confident that she wouldn't let them down.

Before the red carpet event started, she sent WeChat messages to several people, roughly meaning: I'm about to walk the red carpet, so quickly turn on the live stream and kneel down in front of the screen to worship my glory.

Unsurprisingly, the three people who received the WeChat message were the same three: one didn't reply, one said okay, and one cursed her, telling her to get lost.

At that moment, Ji Jiazhen was sitting in the van. After seeing Xu Yanning's reply, she smiled, handed her phone to Chen Li in the back seat, and closed her eyes to sit upright.

Chen Li was quite amusing. He cautiously peeked at her for a long time, wanting to speak but afraid that she was sleeping, so he didn't dare to make a sound.

When Ji Jiazhen opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of someone crouching down and looking at her from the side. She glanced at them and asked, "What's up?"

Chen Li blinked: "Sister, you're so beautiful."

After saying that, she waved her hand and said, "No, no, I just wanted to ask, are you nervous?"

Do I look like someone who gets nervous?

Chen Li shook his head.

That's right.

She is never nervous because she never fights a battle unprepared. She has walked the international red carpet many times and has never been stage-frightened.

The red carpet event started at 2:30 p.m., and Ji Jiazhen was among the last group to arrive, appearing late.

It was quite a coincidence that three other people appeared at the same time as her, two of whom were acquaintances.

One is Li Zhuorong, and the other is Xia Xun.

The former may not take her seriously. She probably only knows that Wang Qiao lost the role, but doesn't know who took it.

The latter, however, took her seriously.

Xia Xun is a year younger than her. She debuted as a child star, and both her parents are in the entertainment industry. Her mother is a famous director and her father is a movie star. This kind of family background means that she can get top-notch resources. She has only played supporting roles a few times in more than ten years since her debut, but her strength is indeed strong. There are not many young actresses that Ji Jiazhen takes a liking to, and she is one of them.

They were true competitors. They didn't look alike, but they were similar in their acting styles and had a particularly similar eye for choosing scripts. They had competed for roles twice, and the competition was so fierce that they ended up splitting the roles and each getting one.

Besides the roles, they also compete for various awards. But if we're talking about that, Li Zhuorong is one of her two rivals. Among actresses, who doesn't want to win Best Actress?

In the three years since Ji Jiazhen left the entertainment industry, Xia Xun's career has been booming. With one less strong competitor and her parents backing her up, she has acted in many dramas and won many awards. It is said that this girl recently has the idea of ​​developing in the direction of directing. Of course, her director mother fully supports her. The whole family has big ambitions.

As for Li Zhuorong, she has also lived a muddled life for the past three years. Before Ji Jiazhen retired from the industry, she caused some trouble and was blacklisted. She only made a comeback about half a year earlier than Ji Jiazhen. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation where she has to fight for roles herself. Actresses of the same generation as her have already made it internationally. Even the worst ones don't have to worry about scripts. Her current situation is quite similar to Ji Jiazhen's. What they are competing on now is, on the one hand, their strength, and on the other hand, their backers.

The question is whether Wen Qinsheng or Wen Siyu, father and son, are more willing to spend a lot of money to promote each other.

Whether Wen Siyu's money and power came from his father or Duan Qiyin's mother is also a question.

If it's the former, then this game should end sooner rather than later. She can't expect someone who might turn against her father at any time to use his father's money to support her; that's no different from hanging on a rope and waiting to die.

In short, tonight's red carpet will definitely be tough to walk; none of them are easy to deal with.

*

Ji Jiazhen ran into Xia Xun when she got out of the car. The underground parking lot was cold, and she was wearing a coat. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Xia Xun being surrounded by his team and walking towards her.

She opted for a safer approach today, maintaining her usual style with understated makeup and a long, straight black dress paired with a nude pink deep-V mini skirt, exuding a pure yet alluring charm, and her long legs were quite eye-catching.

This outfit is neither particularly flawed nor outstanding; it's just average.

The two stared at each other from a distance of several meters. The staff around them knew they were rivals and guessed that sparks were about to fly between them, but nothing did. They got into the elevator together and even greeted each other with "Long time no see" inside.

With her coat covering her face, Xia Xun couldn't see exactly what Ji Jiazhen's clothes looked like today, but her hairstyle and makeup were quite unique, echoing the green of her skirt.

"We've done a lot of preparation for this red carpet event."

The words were directed at Ji Jiazhen, and of course, they weren't complimentary. Ji Jiazhen understood, and she glanced down at Xia Xun's frozen red knees, saying, "You're quite hardworking too."

"The ceremony didn't end until 11:30, and it was tiring to sit for so long."

She could tell it was mockery.

They mocked her for coming to participate even though she didn't win any awards, saying it must be tiring for her to sit and watch all night.

“I wouldn’t have come three years ago, but when I heard you were coming, I thought I’d come and see an old friend.”

That means I looked down on this event three years ago. I've been out of the entertainment industry for three years, so why are you still participating? I'm here to see how well you've fared in these past three years.

Xia Xun remained silent, his face arrogant and expressionless.

Ji Jiazhen was satisfied, a smile playing on his lips.

After exiting the elevator, staff led them to the rest area. They were told that there were still twenty minutes before their turn to appear.

Li Zhuorong arrived quite early and was already socializing in the rest area, chatting with the two leads of a popular drama. Her eyes completely ignored Ji Jiazhen, but she waved to Xia Xun next to her and walked over, holding her skirt the next second.

"Xunxun, it's been a long time. I watched your movie from the first half of the year. You acted really well."

Xia Xun gave a perfunctory thank you, his expression still incredibly arrogant.

Ji Jiazhen's gaze swept over the two of them without leaving a trace, his smile unchanged.

She had no recollection of any connection between the two. Li Zhuorong disregarded her, yet was willing to lower herself to greet Xia Xun, simply because she was interested in Xia Xun's family background. She was truly a master of judging people by their status.

I wonder what Li Zhuorong's attitude will be when she finds out that she will be playing the role of Wang Qiao.

Seeing that Li Zhuorong still had something to say, and not wanting to stand there and become a target, Ji Jiazhen casually glanced at the empty seats and chose a less crowded area to sit down.

The person walked slowly towards that direction, and after taking only a few steps, Xia Xun's questioning voice came from behind.

"where did you go?"

Ji Jiazhen lazily glanced back at her, and seeing that she had come alone and there was no one around, she simply stopped pretending and spoke in an even worse tone than her: "Mind your own business?"

Xia Xun was also a shrewd person. He could see that Li Zhuorong wanted to curry favor with him, so he preferred to be with Ji Jiazhen rather than with Li Zhuorong.

"We came together, and we're supposed to walk the red carpet together later. What do you mean by leaving me there all alone?"

Ji Jiazhen found it incredibly funny. This girl had clearly listened to too much flattery from those around her, and her princess-like temper hadn't been contained at all; she was now taking it out on her.

Without turning her head, she retorted, "Am I your mother? Do you think I have to take care of you? Didn't we bump into each other in the parking garage? How did it become that I came with you?"

Xia Xun's voice sounded quite exasperated: "Ji Jiazhen!"

Ji Jiazhen was quite happy that she had angered her. She lifted her skirt and sat down, and Xia Xun plopped down next to her, like a leech.

"There are so many seats here, do you really have to sit next to me?"

Xia Xun had an expression that said, "I'm happy to sit here." He said, "I only know you well. I don't like those other people. Besides, you have a sour face. No one will bother me if I sit next to you."

Ji Jiazhen retorted, "Who's familiar with you? Do you think I'd even look at you?"

Xia Xun ignored her words and nervously moved closer to her, saying, "Everyone online says we're rivals. If a photo of us sitting together gets out, what do you think they'll write about it?"

"They even say online that I'm bisexual and that I've dated women before. If you were sitting next to me now, what do you think they'd write about me?"

"So it's you, right? I'm quite curious. And what about those sugar daddies they mentioned? Are they true or false? So many people, and not one of them saved you, letting you retire from the entertainment industry for so long?"

Ji Jiazhen was annoyed by her. "They also said that the bed scene your dad filmed before was real, and that he had some unspeakable story with a male director when he was young. Is it true or not? Tell me about it, I'm really curious."

Xia Xun called her crazy and quickly changed the subject, his eyes darting around as he glanced at her coat.

"It's not cold in here anymore, why are you still wearing a coat? What are you wearing today? Let me see."

"I'm afraid that if I take my clothes off, you'll feel inferior because of how beautiful I am."

"I have never seen the word 'inferiority complex' in my entire life."

Ji Jiazhen felt a faint gaze on her. She looked to her left and saw Jian Yi standing there hastily avert her gaze. Ji Jiazhen chuckled, and Xia Xun immediately got angry when she heard her laughter, thinking that she was laughing at herself.

What are you laughing at?!

She never imagined Xia Xun had this kind of personality before; he was a real firecracker, the kind that explodes at the slightest provocation, and his temper was even worse than hers.

"I wasn't laughing at you, just shut up."

...

Ji Jiazhen took off her coat just one minute before going on stage. Xia Xun, standing in front of her, commented, "It's nothing special."

Ji Jiazhen smiled and remained silent. Of course, that was all she saw; after all, the main attraction was in the back.

The four appeared side by side on the red carpet, with Li Zhuorong and Ji Jiazhen standing in the middle. Even among the four of them, Ji Jiazhen was the absolute focus.

Among the three people around her who were all wearing light-colored dresses, her dark green dress was eye-catching enough. The snow-white waistline that was faintly revealed on both sides was enough to whet people's appetites. In addition, she was tall, more than half a head taller than the other three people. Her hair was styled in a high updo, revealing her slender neck. The luster of the satin dress made her skin look clear and textured. Her dress was not clingy and the fabric was light. When the cold wind blew, the skirt hem rose in an arc like rippling water.

It's beautiful, but it lacks that striking, eye-catching quality.

As Xia Xun turned to face the autograph board, he caught a glimpse of her back out of the corner of his eye. His hand holding the pen paused for a moment, and at that instant, the flashes became more frequent and the camera noise became more intense.

Ji Jiazhen's dress features a large open back, but it's not just simple exposure, nor is it ordinary exposure.

From her shoulders up to her hips, everything was exposed to the air, the angle between her waist and hips clearly visible, her proportions superb. A golden snake chain ran from her neck down, following her erector spinae muscles and connecting to the lower edge of her skirt, perfectly showcasing the lines of her back.

Sexy yet powerful, not vulgar at all, and not erotic at all.

Backless designs are not uncommon on the red carpet, and she wasn't the only one tonight, but she was the most daring.

She guessed the media would write about her daring and revealing outfits, and the word "revealing" would definitely be the most eye-catching element, but what she wanted to express was "daring".

She dared to retire at the peak of her career and dared to return when she was in obscurity. Knowing that she would be ridiculed for losing her star status and being sidelined after attending today's red carpet and ceremony, she still dared to come.

I don't care what others think.

...

The seating arrangement at the evening gala was clearly calculated and deliberate, with Ji Jiazhen placed in the first row, next to Xia Xun.

—The people sitting in the first row are all those who can win prizes. Letting her sit there is obviously just to make her look foolish. When the topic goes viral, the organizers will benefit from the attention.

When others received awards, the director frequently switched the camera to Ji Jiazhen, revealing his ulterior motives: he wanted to ride on her popularity while also wanting to see her frown. But she did not do as they wished, always wearing a dignified smile.

Two hours after the ceremony began, the "Actor of the Year" award appeared on the big screen along with Xia Xun's photo. Xia Xun turned her head and met her gaze, smiling broadly. She covered her lips with her right hand and said to her in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Let the work speak for itself."

After saying that, the spotlight shone on her. She stood up, and Ji Jiazhen raised her hand and clapped twice as a gesture. Then she looked down at the lit-up phone screen. It was exactly 8 p.m., and the two trending topics that were pushed to her were exactly what she wanted.

Xia Xun stayed on the stage for about five minutes. When he came down, he was holding the trophy in both hands, looking very proud. But his pride wouldn't last long.

She sat down, her voice brimming with barely concealed laughter, "How long are you going to sit here tonight?"

Ji Jiazhen glanced at her and said, "Honey, check the trending topics."

Xia Xun glanced at her suspiciously, then took out his phone to check. "Xia Xun, the Most Powerful Actor of the Year" was trending at the top, even ranking second, while the top spot was held by...

—The release date for "Angel of Desire" has been set.

This is a movie that Chi Chia-chen filmed when she was 22 years old. Originally, it was supposed to be released six months after filming wrapped up, but due to the special subject matter and the negative news surrounding her as the lead actress, the film was shelved for three years. Tonight at 7 pm, it was finally officially announced that the film will be released next March.

This is Chi Chia-Chen's first attempt at a transformation, a crime thriller. Her past works have all been revolving around romance, and she doesn't want her acting career to be completely limited to this type of film. On one hand, the market is tired of it, and on the other hand, she's tired of acting in it. Her ambitions go beyond that; romance films can't help her win international awards.

The smugness in Xia Xun's eyes vanished the moment she saw the trending topic. "Desire Angel" was the movie they had been vying for back then. She hadn't gotten it, but the production team for this movie was very strong, and it was definitely a film that could win awards.

Ji Jiazhen leaned close to her ear and repeated what she had said verbatim, "Little sister, let your work speak for itself."

Xia Xun looked into her eyes, and when their eyes met, both of them were burning with ambition and passion.

The host read out the award names on stage.

"Visual Person of the Year - Ji Jiazhen!"

The director's camera cut to Ji Jiazhen, but only captured her back.

She didn't go up to accept the award; instead, she left the venue while all eyes were on her.

Someone filmed the entire process of Ji Jiazhen leaving, including her conversation with Xia Xun. The audio was not audible and the lip movements of the two were not visible. The video was analyzed online for two days, and finally a conclusion that had been circulating for three years was reached: Ji Jiazhen and Xia Xun were not on good terms.

*

On the last day of the year, the director and cast of the film adaptation of "Sacrifice" were officially announced.

Wen Siyu is a very cunning person. He paid a lot of money and had the right to change directors, but he deliberately kept Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan was quite shrewd. He said he was coming to deliver the script to Ji Jiazhen, but he insisted on delivering it in person instead of sending it by mail. Moreover, he had so many days to choose from, but he chose New Year's Eve, and it was even at night.

The timing of his arrival was also quite unfortunate; an hour before he knocked on the door, Ji Jiazhen and Wen Siyu had just finished their business.

Originally, Wen Siyu really didn't intend to do it, but as soon as he heard that Zhuang Yan was coming, he got excited. He went from verbally provoking to physically seducing her, and before long, they ended up in bed together.

In short, when Zhuang Yan arrived, it was Wen Siyu who opened the door.

Zhuang Yan was present when Wen Siyu went to discuss copyright with Wei Yikai, so this was their third meeting.

Rivals are bound to be hostile to each other. Wen Siyu gave him a cold shoulder, and Zhuang Yan showed him no gentle manners as he would to others.

Wen Siyu sat down next to Ji Jiazhen, while Zhuang Yan sat down opposite her. As soon as they were settled, Zhuang Yan said, "Jiazhen and I need to discuss the movie. Please excuse us for a moment."

Wen Siyu picked up an apple and fiddled with it in his hand. "I bought the copyright. What's wrong with me listening to a few sentences?"

"Then I hope you won't affect us."

Wen Siyu paused with the hand that had been tossing the apple, and chuckled.

Ji Jiazhen yawned, flipping through the script in his hand, and asked Zhuang Yan, "How many parts have been changed in the movie compared to the original novel?"

"The character settings have remained largely unchanged, and the plot still follows the original work."

"Does Mr. Wei have any requests?"

"He didn't say the specific requirements, but I wanted to tell you that he will be involved in the entire filming process. The standards are very high and he's very strict. He'll yell at people, so be prepared."

Ji Jiazhen shrugged. "I'm fine with anything."

She heard a rustling sound from the side, and glancing up from her script, she saw Wen Siyu peeling an apple.

"He is very efficient. There is still a month before he joins the crew. You'd better get to know Wang Qiao thoroughly in this month. He doesn't like to have to reshoot repeatedly because of problems with the actors, but he pays great attention to details. There may be many times when we have to reshoot because the scenes don't meet his standards."

Ji Jiazhen nodded again. Many directors have these flaws, and she can accept them.

"The filming location is in a small town in the northwest. We'll be filming there for two months. The environment is quite harsh, so be prepared."

"I am not someone who cannot endure hardship."

"And him..."

Zhuang Yan's voice suddenly stopped because Wen Siyu cut a peeled apple into small pieces and fed it to Ji Jiazhen. She ate without blinking, but Wen Siyu glanced at him with a provocative look in his eyes.

Zhuang Yan's voice stopped abruptly. Ji Jiazhen, chewing on an apple, looked up in confusion. "What's wrong?"

He looked away and said it was fine. "He's quite particular about realism, especially when it comes to intimate scenes. There are four intimate scenes in the script. If you can't accept that, I can talk to him about it."

Wen Siyu responded quickly, before Ji Jiazhen could even speak, he said, "Why don't you talk to him?"

Before Ji Jiazhen could reply, Zhuang Yan said again, "Then I'll talk to him tomorrow and let you know the result."

Ji Jiazhen slammed the script on the table, crossed his arms, and looked at Wen Siyu. "Shall I act and you act?"

Then she looked at Zhuang Yan and asked, "Should we talk about the play with me or with him?"

The two of them tacitly fell silent. Wen Siyu handed her another piece of apple, which she took a bite of and said, "I don't expect it to become real. I'm okay with anything within the scope of the script, as long as the male actor doesn't mind."

"That's all I wanted to say. The rest is up to you. I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."

As Zhuang Yan spoke, he reached out his hand to her, and she shook it back, saying, "It's a pleasure working with you."

Wen Siyu glanced at their hands and chimed in, "Finished talking? Next time you don't need to make the trip, just talk on the phone."

Zhuang Yan completely ignored him, treating him as if he were invisible. He held Ji Jiazhen's hand tightly and asked her, "I'd like to invite you to dinner. Would you do me the honor?"

Ji Jiazhen's shoulder was put around from behind. "She said she wants to eat my cooking tonight. You should go eat by yourself."

She remained in that strange posture, looking at Wen Siyu. "When did I say that?"

"You said this in bed an hour ago, don't you remember?"

Zhuang Yan's hand loosened slightly, and the light in his eyes also dimmed.

Ji Jiazhen reached behind and pinched Wen Siyu's waist. She swore she hadn't said it, but she really didn't want to have this meal with Zhuang Yan. Besides, now one of them was the director of "Sacrifice" and the other was the lead actor in "Sacrifice." If they were photographed together, the internet would throw mud at her again.

"Director Zhuang, it's cold outside, and besides, you're a well-known figure now. It wouldn't look good if we were photographed together."

Wen Siyu, taking advantage of the situation, started to shoo people away after hearing this, saying, "If there's nothing else, you can leave. I won't keep you for dinner."

The more desolate Zhuang Yan left, the more smug Wen Siyu laughed.

Ji Jiazhen kicked his shin, "Are you sick in the head?"

He laughed, hooking his arm around her waist, "Alright, go cook."

Why are you dragging me into cooking?

"How can I do this by myself?"

It wasn't until they reached the bedroom door that Ji Jiazhen realized he meant this kind of cooking.

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

Author's Note: I'm late today, but it's another long chapter, so you'll forgive me for being an hour late, right? [glasses]