Chapter 122 Extra: Qu Jinhuan x Zhou Yuli
The name of Qu Jinhuan is taken from the saying "Enjoy life to the fullest when you are happy."
This was a famous saying her father believed in and he also practiced it.
He squandered all the family fortune left by his ancestors, but he continued to live a life of drunkenness and debauchery. Eventually, he crossed the road while drunk and was hit by an out-of-control truck, leaving him completely disfigured.
He died, leaving his wife and daughter with a huge debt.
Under the heavy pressure of life, Qu Jinhuan was discovered by a scout and signed a ten-year contract with Heying Entertainment without hesitation.
She has a cool appearance, unique temperament, and a pair of eyes that are filled with stubbornness and alienation. In the entertainment industry where sweetness is the mainstream, she is a breath of fresh air.
She has good talent and gradually got some important small roles by playing supporting roles. She even briefly became a hot topic for playing an important role in a unit plot of a TV series.
She thought that all the hard work would pay off, but it didn't.
——
Inside the KTV box.
The smell of perfume and tobacco mixed together, making it sickening.
Qu Jinhuan tightly grasped a fruit knife. The blood on the blade was unclear whether it was from that greasy executive or her own.
The box was dead silent. The men and women who had been making so much noise just now were now looking at her with fear, fearing that the knife in her hand would hurt innocent people.
No one dared to step forward, and no one dared to call the police.
In the chaos, Qu Jinhuan stumbled out of the box.
The aftereffects of the alcohol made her dizzy, and the world before her eyes distorted into a blur of light and shadow.
She didn't look at the road and bumped into a strong embrace.
The man had a faint scent of soapberry on him.
Zhou Yuli had recently been recruited into the radio and television industry and he finally found time to attend the celebration party held for him by his friends.
He frowned as he looked at the girl in his arms, whose face was flushed, reeked of alcohol, and whose eyes were like a frightened young animal. He glanced at the door of the box behind him that was not closed tightly and leaked out a lewd atmosphere, and instantly understood about 70% of the situation.
He didn't ask any more questions, but just signaled to the waiter beside him in a deep voice to take the person to an empty guest room upstairs to rest and sober up.
Then he took out his cell phone and calmly called the police to report a group fornication.
After doing all this, he called his uncle and apologized in advance for destroying his own place.
When Qu Jinhuan woke up, she thought that it was the KTV staff who saved her and knew nothing else.
From that day on, she was banned by Heying Entertainment.
In order to make a living, she started taking on some odd jobs.
The most stable job was introduced by Heying's acting teacher. He worked as a temporary actor in a drama troupe, playing the supporting role of the heroine.
She didn't know how she felt about acting.
But when the A-list actress asked for leave, she wore a costume that did not belong to her, stood under the spotlight, and recited the lines that she knew by heart, she clearly felt her own ambition.
She longs for the stage and to be seen.
That day, Zhou Yuli was accompanying the leader on an inspection tour.
When the stage spotlight came on, he recognized the girl shining on the stage at a glance.
It's her.
Because of the praise from his superiors, Qu Jinhuan had more opportunities to play the supporting role.
But the good times didn't last long. The jealousy and exclusion of the A-role female lead soon made her lose her job.
Misfortunes never come singly.
My mother suddenly fainted at home. Her condition requires long-term and expensive medication and may relapse at any time. Every rescue effort costs an astronomical amount of money.
My mother was lying in the ICU, and the daily bills were coming in like snowflakes, making her feel breathless.
Debt collection companies also frequently called to ask why this month's debt had not been repaid.
Qu Jinhuan sat on a bench in the hospital garden, feeling like he could no longer hold on.
"Why haven't I seen you at the theater recently?"
A gentle male voice sounded above my head.
Qu Jinhuan looked up with tears in her eyes and met a pair of gentle eyes filled with concern.
The man in front of me was very good-looking, with regular eyebrows and eyes, and an elegant temperament. He seemed... somewhat familiar.
"I... I'm just a temporary worker. Something happened at home, so..." She choked and repeated the words the troupe told her to say.
"What happened at home?" The man slowly squatted down in front of her, his eyes level with hers, his tone as gentle as the warm spring breeze, "Are you short of money?"
Qu Jinhuan wanted to shake his head, but his self-esteem was vulnerable in the face of reality.
On the mobile phone screen, the debt collector's threatening text message came in again, clearly displayed in front of the two of them.
She slowly lowered her head, her thin shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
"Do you want me to help you?" Zhou Yuli asked softly.
Qu Jinhuan's fingers turned white as he held the phone, and for some unknown reason, he nodded.
Everything that happened after that went as smoothly as a dream.
She got an audition for The Whistleblower.
My mother was transferred to the best hospital, received treatment from top specialists, and her condition stabilized.
The debts that had plagued her for years were paid off overnight.
She owed no one anything except Zhou Yuli.
In the past few years, he has been like a silent guardian angel, settling everything for her where she can't see.
It’s not that she wasn’t tempted, she just didn’t dare.
——
She always thought that her gratitude to him was just an unequal repayment.
He is a high-ranking leader and the eldest grandson of the Zhou family, and she is just an actress who was pulled out of the quagmire by him.
There is a chasm between them.
Zhou Yuli felt like his heart was being pricked by a needle when he heard Qu Jinhuan's confession.
He gently rubbed her hair and brought Qu Jinhuan into his arms.
"Huanhuan, I'm not a philanthropist. I won't spend a fortune just because I see a girl crying pitifully. From the moment I saw you on stage again, I was attracted to you... I'm serious about this relationship."
"I'm sorry, I didn't express myself clearly and made you uneasy for so long."
Because his parents were married out of arrangement, he had only seen them treat each other with respect since he was a child. He didn't know how to express himself or pursue a girl, and he thought... it was all his fault.
"Huanhuan, I love you. Will you... marry me?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
The next second, the hospital called for emergency services.
Qu Jinhuan's mother was critically ill and was sent to the operating room.
——
Spring Festival, North City.
This was the first Spring Festival after his mother passed away, and also the first New Year that Qu Jinhuan spent alone.
There is no trace of the New Year atmosphere in the empty house.
She tried to make dumplings the way her mother did when she was alive, but without her mother's guidance, the dumplings she cooked tasted terrible.
In the end, she could only dig out a bag of frozen dumplings from the refrigerator.
On New Year's Eve, she curled up on the sofa with snacks in her arms and turned up the TV volume to the maximum, trying to use the noise from the outside world to resist the loneliness in her heart.
Before I knew it, I fell asleep.
She was awakened by the sudden feeling of being suspended in the air when someone picked her up.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Zhou Yuli's face full of heartache and blame.
He was still dusty from the long journey, and he immediately noticed the messy snack packaging on the coffee table and the plate of uneaten dumplings on the dining table.
"No wonder you didn't reply to my message." He sighed, "Is this what you mean by eating well and everything is fine?"
He should have insisted that she take a picture of the New Year's Eve dinner and show it to him last night.
"Aren't you...going back to your hometown for the New Year?" Qu Jinhuan skillfully put his arms around his neck, buried his face in the crook of his neck and acted coquettishly, his voice still soft and sweet as if he had just woken up.
Of course Zhou Yuli wouldn't tell her that it was because Sheng Han was going to take Shi Qing home to meet his parents, and he didn't want to stay and eat dog food, so he left a gift and found an excuse to sneak back early.
And she hadn't replied since morning, and he was worried.
"Zhou Yuli..." The person in his arms said sullenly, "I miss you so much." At this moment, all the strong disguises collapsed.
Zhou Yuli's heart softened. He gently placed Qu Jinhuan on the bed in the bedroom and leaned over to peck her softly: "I missed you too."
Qu Jinhuan looked at the man in front of her who had come all the way here just for her, and felt his heart beating for her. The long-standing uneasiness and timidity suddenly disappeared.
She tilted her head back, met his lips, and took the initiative to deepen the kiss.
In the gap between the entangled breaths, she used an unprecedented firm tone.
"Zhou Yuli, let's go get the certificate when the Civil Affairs Bureau opens."
It’s really hard to spend the Spring Festival alone.
She didn't want to be alone anymore.
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