Chapter 1
On the rain-shrouded riverside, on the exaggerated giant screen of the landmark building, the anniversary support video of the most popular girl group Sweety is being played.
The capable captain Wan Lei, the sweet backup singer and center Dai Li, the energetic lead dancer Wen Zhenni, and the pure lead singer Tang Yu.
A girl group consisting of four girls will hold a concert at a stadium that can accommodate 10,000 people at 8 o'clock tonight.
Inside the venue, fans were so excited that their eyes filled with tears amidst the dazzling sea of stars created by glow sticks, yet they couldn’t help feeling sad.
"Are you really going solo? I'm so reluctant."
"I don't know when the next time we'll be together will be."
This is sweety's first and last concert of the year.
On the fifth anniversary of their debut, the group's contract expired and the team announced that the members would officially go solo and revealed their plans for the coming year.
This year, the girl group will reduce group announcements and increase individual activities.
In other words, in addition to the benefits brought by the group, whether to remain invisible or soar to the top will be a huge test for each member.
The performance came to an end at around eleven o'clock in the evening.
In the crowded seats, fans were still not satisfied and were reluctant to leave.
Captain Wan Lei glanced at the live footage on the monitor with nostalgia, then took off her headset and said, "Let's go."
The company issued a temporary notice that several major investors will be attending a dinner at Jinhuang Night Banquet tonight, and the company arranged for them to attend the banquet after the performance.
"The car is here, everyone change clothes and set off."
The agent clapped his hands and hurriedly pulled over Deli, who was still putting on makeup. "Miss, this is not a red carpet show. Get in the car."
The venues in front were gradually clearing out, and the traffic outside was severely congested, especially near the venue, which was completely surrounded by enthusiastic fans.
Coming out from the backstage, a group of bodyguards escorted the members to avoid the crowd and arrive at the boarding location.
Fans of the group and the individual who got the news in advance were waiting here in the rain. As the members surrounded by bodyguards showed their faces one after another, screams rang out one after another.
The lingering drizzle could not stop the fans' enthusiasm. The fans who had just come out of the exciting scene were still in an extremely excited state, and their shouts almost blew the roof off.
The sweety members greeted the fans with a smile, and after comforting them, they got into their own cars under the cameras.
When the last member came out of the corridor, the fan group wearing royal blue cheering uniforms waved their banners desperately.
"Puppy, over here! Look over here!"
Following the sound waves, a large black umbrella slowly rose higher, and a head of curly orange hair that had been temporarily spray-dyed ostentatiously entered everyone's sight.
Like a warm and blazing fire, it burns a bright hole in the sticky spring night.
The oval face with sequins on it had a bright smile, and even with heavy makeup on, it was obvious that it was a face full of vitality.
The fan standing in front took the opportunity to push a stack of letters over and said, "Puppy, these are letters from the Pearls. Please accept them."
Wen Zhenni took it, tilted her head to look at the carefully decorated envelope, and said thank you sweetly.
She has wheat-colored skin, and her orange hair color, which is the most likely to fail, actually makes her cheeks glow with a pearly luster.
Fans held their hearts and screamed, "Come on, Xiaohu, Pearl will always support you."
"Thank you everyone. It's cold, please go back early."
Wen Zhenni told them to walk together on the way home and be careful.
After getting on the nanny car, assistant Chengzi took the bouquet of flowers from her and immediately handed her her phone, "Sister, your number."
"Who is it?"
Wen Zhenni adjusted the blue morpho pearl necklace around her neck, glanced at the caller ID, and put the phone to her ear.
"Hey, Brother Zhen, I'm on my way... Don't worry, even if I can't come, I will still deliver the birthday present."
"...Well, there happened to be a drinking party over there, and I couldn't turn it down, so I just showed up and came."
Hearing the booing from the birthday party across the street, Wen Zhenni hung up the phone with a smile.
The mobile page stayed on the desktop, and the background picture was a scene she secretly photographed on the streets of London.
On a snowy night on Regent Street, a man in a camel coat holds an umbrella, and as the snow falls, a layer of romance surrounds him.
The three-year deadline has expired.
He should be back soon.
I can’t explain how I feel, but… I miss him quite a bit.
Wen Zhenni pursed her lips and pressed the side button to turn off the screen.
Because it was raining and there was a concert, the traffic was jammed for a while and it was almost dawn when we arrived at Jinhuang Night Banquet.
The investor's dinner party was almost over, and the two agents hurried to bring the artists into the private room and introduce them to various bosses.
The tactful boss greeted everyone with a smile, "The girls must be tired after singing and dancing all night. Let's not make things difficult for them. Just give each of them a glass of wine."
He said that it was not difficult, but his hands were already filled with wine.
Having been in the entertainment industry for many years, they have seen all kinds of scenes. Knowing that they could not get away with this matter, they did not refuse and each raised their glass to toast the investors.
Of the four, only Deli is allergic to alcohol.
Wen Zhenni took her wine glass and said, "Delhi, just drink the orange juice. I'll drink this wine for her."
Delly gave her a grateful look.
Wen Zhenni blinked, reassuring her.
Although the artists rely on these investors to make a living, they have become the top of the entertainment industry in recent years, so it is not easy for the other party to do something too embarrassing.
The fact was just as she thought. After drinking, the investors stopped making things difficult for them, and the two brokers helped them deal with the whole process.
After drinking two glasses of wine, Wen Zhenni found an excuse to go to the bathroom and successfully escaped.
She replied to her family and friends, and then sent a WeChat message to Chengzi.
Five minutes later, Orange came running over panting.
"Sister, I brought everything."
Orange gave her a mask, sunglasses, and a gift bag.
Wen Zhenni took it and told her, "I have to go somewhere now. Tell Sister Haoran that I'm not feeling well and I'm going back first. Please help me deal with it."
"No."
Chengzi frowned bitterly, "If Sister Haoran knew, I'd be dead."
Wen Zhenni patted her shoulder and said, "No. Wan Lei and Dai Li have confirmed the contract renewal, and now all the business resources have been transferred to Sister Haoran. She is completely focused on them and has no time for me."
"Okay, I'm in a hurry, I have to go."
Wearing sunglasses and a mask, Wen Zhenni waved and hurriedly left the elevator in high heels.
**
In the high-ceilinged hotel elevator, the up and down numbers flickered.
"bite--"
With the crisp ding-dong sound of arrival, the number jumped to the 59th floor.
After the car slowly opened, a young man in a cashmere coat walked out.
"Mr. Ci." The waiter who was waiting on the side came forward and led the person into the VIP room on this floor.
The door hinges turned and the heavy oak door opened to both sides.
The moment the tall figure came in, the originally noisy party suddenly became quiet.
In the 100-square-meter high-ceilinged space, all the guests present were attracted by the man who came in.
The chatting and laughing socialites and rich girls all stopped talking, and the newly rich second-generations also stood up one after another, subconsciously tidying up their appearance.
On the peacock blue velvet sofa, the birthday boy Feng Zhengang, surrounded by beautiful women, put his champagne glass to his lips. He turned his head and saw the person coming. His eyes widened, "Brother Heng!"
He put his glass on the table, walked quickly through the crowd, and hooked his arm around the man's neck. "Brother, I thought you were going to stand me up."
"There's a traffic jam on the road."
Ciheng took the champagne offered by the waiter and touched the silver-rimmed glasses on his nose with his knuckles.
"Traffic jam..." Feng Zhen's eyes fell on his collar. He picked up a piece of ribbon and smiled thoughtfully, "This is from the concert."
Ciheng did not deny it. She clinked glasses with him and lowered her eyes as usual, with a slight curve at the corners of her eyes.
"It's boring to be idle, so I'm just killing time."
"I understand. It's like going to a concert. Everyone needs some entertainment."
Feng Zhen smiled and made some jokes, then led the man to the second floor with his arm around his shoulder.
The young men and women below couldn't help whispering to each other when they saw that the two had a close relationship.
"Who is it, Mr. Feng's childhood friend?"
This Jinhuang Night Banquet is owned by Feng Zhen, the only son of the Feng family, a real estate tycoon. Most of the domestic real estate industry belongs to his family.
Being able to be on good terms with Feng Zhen naturally makes people more interested.
"Those are the only ones that are close to Young Master Feng. I know the others. In my opinion, they are most likely the ones from the Ci family."
"It's him, but I remember him going to work in the overseas branch right after he got married."
"Is he married?"
"That happened three years ago. You're so behind on the news."
The woman who spoke lowered her voice and added mysteriously, "But the relationship between the couple seems to be very ordinary."
"Tsk, what a fuss! Aren't all the wealthy marriages just fake couples who look like they're together but not together."
Almost everyone in the circle knows that the favored son of the Ci family had a business marriage and married the jewel in the crown of the Jin family of Qiyuan Jewelry.
At that time, Ciheng had just graduated and, as if to resist his parents' arranged marriage, he took the initiative to go to an overseas branch for training, and he was away for three years.
In the eyes of outsiders, he ran away to resist a business marriage, but the real situation is unknown.
Several men and women whispered for a while, excitedly exchanging the secrets of the wealthy families that they had heard.
Until a woman in a red long dress walked over from afar, the gossiping crowd quickly exchanged glances and shut up silently.
I don’t know if she heard it or not. There was no expression on the woman’s lightly made-up face. She just glanced at him and went upstairs with her skirt rolled up.
Upstairs, warm lights flow on the spiral staircase, and the fresh cedar scent of cigars mixed with the unique toasty aroma of champagne wafts out.
Jiang Lin stepped onto the last step in her high heels and paused on the dark gray marble floor.
Ciheng was being chatted with by a group of young men, and Feng Zhen was accompanying them. The mature and tall woman immediately attracted everyone's attention as she appeared.
"Hey, our goddess is here too!"
Feng Zhen brought her over and introduced her to everyone, "Jiang Lin, Brother Heng and I's high school classmate, and a famous campus goddess at Tianhai No. 1 High School."
This floor was full of Feng Zhen's good buddies, who were very considerate and said they had heard something about it and greeted Jiang Lin warmly.
Jiang Lin handled it gracefully and appropriately, her eyes fixed on the man on the sofa who remained indifferent.
He was offered whiskey, and the Glencairn glass swirled in his hand, the rolling ice ball stirring up amber swirls.
He was still wearing his usual pair of silver-rimmed glasses, with two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. He looked very lazy and casual, but his temperament was as if he had just walked off the cover of a magazine.
Jiang Lin walked over and sat down next to him. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back to Beijing?"
Changing from her previous distant and polite tone, the woman spoke with a rare tenderness, "If Feng Zhen hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known you had returned to Tianhai."
"Well, it's a temporary decision." Ciheng's expression was very indifferent. He looked like he was answering questions and didn't say anything else.
Feng Zhen interrupted, "Jiang Lin returned to Tianhai last month."
Jiang Lin smiled, "Actually, Ah Heng and I are both in Manhattan, so he knows."
"What?"
Feng Zhen couldn't believe it, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. "Brother Heng, you're really tight-lipped. You haven't mentioned a single word in the past three years."
The three were high school classmates. They were close during school and kept in touch after graduation. However, they later became busy with their careers and gradually reduced their contact.
Jiang Lin was slightly stunned. She obviously didn't expect that the man she had secretly loved for many years didn't care about her pursuit at all.
She looked a little uncomfortable, "We'll all be in Tianhai from now on, so we'll have more opportunities to meet."
Feng Zhen didn't notice her embarrassment and continued with a smile, "That's right."
Ciheng seemed not to hear, drinking his wine boredly, his indifferent gaze cast towards the window.
On a rainy and foggy night, the giant screen opposite is particularly eye-catching.
On the screen is the anniversary support video of the sweety girl group.
The camera cut to the main dancer, the blue Morpho pearls on her neck sparkled, and her lush curly hair fluttered wildly under the spotlight.
Her cheeks were smeared with gold powder, which fell with the vigorous dance steps, adding a dreamy atmosphere.
The man stared at her for a long time, and his focused expression made Jiang Lin unable to help but glance sideways.
Just an idol who is acting coquettishly.
"A busy person like you also pays attention to the entertainment industry." Her tone was sour, and only she knew it.
Ciheng frowned slightly, "It's just a hobby."
Feng Zhen chuckled upon hearing this, with a profound look on his face, "I can prove that it's a real hobby."
Jiang Lin thought it sounded strange, but didn't think much about it.
The camera on the giant screen quickly switched to another face. Ci Heng stopped looking and grabbed his coat that had been discarded beside him and stood up. "You guys chat, I'll be leaving first."
"Not drinking anymore?"
"Drink it yourself."
Feng Zhen asked him where he was going, but Ciheng did not respond.
He put on his coat and walked out of the room.
Secretary Lin Nuohou was outside. When he saw someone coming out, he took a few quick steps forward.
"Boss Ci, the wife is here. There are quite a few paparazzi near the hotel. I have cleared them all out."
"Also, the old lady called and asked you to call back as soon as possible."
He handed over the phone, and just as he finished speaking, Mrs. Ci called again in a hurry, as if she had calculated the time precisely.
Ciheng didn't answer the phone in a hurry. He pinched his eyebrows hard before taking the phone.
"grandmother."
"Did you pick up Ni Ni?" the old lady opposite said excitedly, "I asked you to pick someone up, where did you go?"
“…”
He didn't say anything, and the old lady got anxious. "You promised me three years. I've been looking forward to it so long that you two can finally be reunited. Don't tell me you only see her a few times a year and you can't even remember what your wife looks like."
"How can that be possible?"
Ciheng pinched the bridge of his nose and said helplessly, "I'll go pick up the little ancestor right away."
"That's more like it."
The old lady finally heard something that sounded good to her. "Come back and live a good life for me. Make up for what you owe my granddaughter-in-law. Do you hear me?"
Why does this old lady make him look like a heartless man?
"Okay, I understand."
What else could Ciheng do? She could only agree reluctantly.
**
After coming out of the drinking party, Wen Zhenni went to the bathroom and put on some makeup.
While I was fixing my hair in front of the mirror, my best friend Xi Miao called me.
She put away her makeup bag and answered the phone, "Why, did you miss me?"
"Think of nothing."
Xi Miao came up and started to attack her head, "Your dead husband who has been away for three years has returned to Beijing, you must know that!"
"I'm really convinced. Why don't you check WeChat to see if that bastard has sent you any messages?"
Wen Zhenni was stunned by the scolding. She opened the chat box with Ciheng and found that the latest message was from three days ago.
I didn't even tell her.
This couple did...
Wen Zhenni cleared her throat, looking a little guilty, "Maybe it was a last-minute trip."
On the other end of the phone, Xi Miao rolled his eyes. "Your marriage is typical of a widowhood marriage. Divorce? I'll find you a top lawyer and do my best to help you win the case and get him out of the house."
If a lawsuit really comes up, who can beat Taihua’s legal team?
"...No need." Wen Zhenni hesitated, not understanding why she suddenly brought up the topic of divorce. "A divorce will affect the stock markets of both Jin and Ci families."
Xi Miao tutted his words, "How much of that bastard man has fed you?"
"No way." Wen Zhenni retorted, "I'm such an outstanding person, of course I deserve a better man. Isn't it good to join forces with the two of us?"
"If you don't want a divorce, then you plan to get married first and then fall in love?"
Wen Zhenni thought about it, really considering the possibilities, and came to the conclusion that, "I know my husband too well to have a romantic relationship."
For a couple without love, it’s okay for each to get what they want.
For example, she felt great when she touched his eight-pack abs.
After all, Ciheng has a really good figure.
"Okay, as long as you're happy."
Now that things have come to this, what else can Xi Miao say?
Wen Zhenni let out a breath, "I won't talk to you now. I still have to go to Feng Zhen's party. We'll talk next time we meet."
The person on the other end of the phone was still talking, but she decisively hung up the phone.
She put her sunglasses back on, picked up her bag and was about to go out when suddenly a woman ran in in a panic and bumped into her chest.
Without paying attention to the pain, she first helped the man to steady himself.
But the woman seemed to be afraid of something. She looked outside in horror and her body was shaking frighteningly.
"I'm sorry! Can you please help me get out of here? Please!"
The woman hugged her arms tightly and pleaded in a trembling voice.
Under the dim wall lamp, her face was abnormally flushed, and she looked like she was drunk.
"Don't be impatient, take your time and talk."
Wen Zhenni held the woman's hand, but before she had time to care about her condition, a middle-aged man with a big belly followed in.
He came in aggressively and dragged the woman out without saying a word.
"Let me go, don't touch me!"
The woman struggled, but Wen Zhenni was too weak to hold on, and was pushed away by the man's fat body.
The woman was half carried and half dragged out of the bathroom.
The shoulder strap was pulled down during the tug of war, and Wen Zhenni was about to be exposed. She woke up as if from a dream and hurriedly chased after him.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Didn't you hear her tell you to let go?"
The man turned a deaf ear and dragged the woman with him. Wen Zhenni didn't know where she got the strength from, but she rushed forward, threw the man's hand away, and pulled the woman behind her. "If you do this again, I'll call the police."
"Who are you? I advise you to stay out of other people's business."
The man whose plans were ruined was so angry that he raised his hand and slapped her.
"What are you doing? Do you still want to hit someone?"
Wen Zhenni felt uneasy, but she didn't dare show it on her face.
Seeing the slap coming, she subconsciously dodged backwards, but her high heels were not stable and she stumbled, and one of her high heels fell off.
She twisted her ankle and the bag in her hand fell. She was so scared that she could only cover her head.
The pain did not come as expected, but the man screamed like a pig.
Wen Zhenni opened her eyes suspiciously and saw the bald man lying on the ground with his legs up in the air.
He howled and cursed, and tried to struggle up, but the burly man, who was two heads taller than him, clamped his hands against the wall.
"Secretary Lin!"
It was Tzu-Heng’s personal secretary, Lin Nuo.
Lin Nuo nodded at her and looked towards the corridor.
Wen Zhenni looked over and met the surging eyes behind the lenses.
The man in the coat came out from under the light, bent his fingers to push the frame of his glasses, and kicked the man's fat belly.
The author has something to say:
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May the heavens and earth bless you, and may the opening of the mine be auspicious! Great good luck! May the auspicious stars shine brightly! All the best!
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