Chapter 146: Guarding the Beauty
Yan Baiqing sat down at the dressing table next to her and gestured for her to continue.
Chen Qing's eyes widened and he stammered, "I didn't scold you."
Jiang Jingyan snorted and laughed, "Not really. You're having your period, right?"
"How do you know?"
"I have clairvoyance." The man said lazily, "Can I come on stage?"
"able."
Jiang Jingyan did not force her to rest. Chen Qing had her own stubbornness when it came to the stage, and he always respected that. He only told her not to take painkillers indiscriminately.
Chen Qing was in a state of anxiety and hung up after saying a few words.
Yan Baiqing crossed his legs and picked up the earrings on the table with interest. "Are you wearing this?"
Chen Qing shook his head, "I don't have pierced ears."
He looked away, gazing at the two round, red earlobes, "Are you nervous to see me?"
"No."
"Qing'er." He smiled and changed his sitting position. "When will you stop lying?"
Chen Qing scratched his nose and looked around. It was lunch time and there was no one in the locker room, but there was no guarantee that someone would pass by.
"Not feeling well?"
She paused, thinking that she must have heard it from Yuan Hui.
So he hummed, "It's okay."
Yan Baiqing stared at her for a long time, his voice hoarse and a little helpless, "Do you hold a grudge against me?"
"Why do you hold a grudge?"
"That day, it was my negligence."
Chen Qing pursed her lips, "Director Yan said...you negotiated a deal with Boss Huang."
"My mother is looking for you?" The man suddenly became serious and his tone was deep, which startled her shoulders and trembled.
Seeing this, Yan Baiqing slowed down his tone and asked, "What else did she say to you?"
She shook her head.
"Don't feel any psychological burden."
"Is the loss huge? For you—" Chen Qing was stunned and leaned forward slightly, "Your injury hasn't healed yet?"
Yan Baiqing lowered his eyes and observed her expression. He felt a pang in his heart for no apparent reason, and it was so soft, unlike him.
"It wasn't Jingyan who hit me." His throat rolled, "I was careless while exercising."
Chen Qing's gaze swept across his face. There was a small bruise on his jaw, hard to see from a distance, but the one on the middle of his nose was more noticeable, not likely a sports injury. He had a rather refined demeanor, and the sudden appearance of scars added a touch of rogueness to his appearance, which was quite refreshing.
She looked closely, and Yan Baiqing watched her intently, with annoyance, confusion, and a touch of concern. When she frowned, her lips would unconsciously purse into a curve, giving her a charming and innocent look.
Yan Baiqing was about to speak when she fell back on the table, holding her belly, which scared him.
"Very uncomfortable?"
Chen Qing didn't look at him, "Mr. Yan, I want to rest for a while."
Perhaps because her expression was too painful, Yan Baiqing was reluctant to leave. "I'll take you to the hospital."
"No need." Chen Qing whispered, "My roommate will be back soon, you can go and get busy."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yuan Hui walked in, "Chen Qing! I brought you a sanitary napkin!"
Yan Baiqing's eyebrows jumped and he coughed.
"Mr. Yan is here too?" Yuan Hui laughed. "You looked so handsome when you gave your speech on stage today!"
"You saw me?"
"Of course. The teacher didn't allow us to go, so a few of us girls hid on the arch bridge to peek at you."
Chen Qing kept his head covered and did not participate in the conversation.
Yan Baiqing looked at her deeply with mixed emotions, then turned to Yuan Hui and told her, "Please take care of her for me. If there's anything unexpected, you can always come to me."
He left so abruptly that Chen Qing waited a little longer until the sound of his leather shoes walking down the corridor could no longer be heard.
Yuan Hui brought a thermos of hot water, poured it into the cup lid, and turned her head to see Chen Qing staring blankly at the table.
"Why are you up? I thought you were too upset to even say goodbye to Mr. Yan."
She hummed unhappily, "Yuan Hui, tell me, if there is a man——"
"I like you." Yuan Hui interrupted firmly.
Chen Qing sighed helplessly, "No... I'm asking, a man always has times when you can't avoid meeting him. How do I start to keep my distance from him?"
“Why keep your distance?”
"There's a reason anyway."
"Just ignore him. Don't act like you're always so detached from the world. Any man should have some self-respect."
Chen Qing stared in surprise, "Do I usually look difficult to get along with?"
Yuan Hui leaned in close to her face, pinched her chin, and looked back and forth. "It's not that you're difficult to get along with, it's just that when you see those boys who come up to you, your eyes are like looking at garbage."
Chen Qing was so annoyed that he pulled his hair.
Jiang Jingyan had warned her to stay away from Yan Baiqing, but now that she knew he had made a deal with Boss Huang to save her, it was inappropriate for him to suddenly give him the cold shoulder, both emotionally and logically.
She has always been unwilling to be entangled in debts of favor. Otherwise, she would appear ungrateful and she would also need a legitimate reason to become just an acquaintance with Yan Baiqing. She really couldn't think of a way to have the best of both worlds.
…
Jiang Jingyan arrived earlier than expected, and the setting sun in the sky after the rain looked like blood.
The security personnel led him to the performance hall, "Mr. Jiang, your seat is in Box 3 on the second floor."
The man glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.
Generally, at such events, seating is very particular. If you are not told in advance that you are being assigned a seat with a specific number, it means that you are going to discuss "serious business".
Jiang Jingyan didn't come here for a formal meeting. He wanted to sit casually on the first floor, but it seemed someone was waiting for him.
He stepped onto the stairs and just as he stood there, a middle-aged man with shining eyes came up to him.
Lian Zhuo stretched out his hand to stop him, "Excuse me."
The middle-aged man stood about a meter away, smiling flatteringly, "Mr. Jiang, you and I are in the same box. When we heard you were coming, we didn't dare to sit down."
Jiang Jingyan had a stern look on his face and looked around. There were two people waiting in front of No. 3.
At this moment, the big screen on the stage was playing a promotional video of the scenic spot. The next program was Chen Qing's. He didn't make any more trouble. He took a few big steps to the main seat and sat down. In his peripheral vision, Yan Baiqing was separated from him by half a red velvet curtain.
The middle-aged man poured a glass of red wine and was about to raise his glass when Jiang Jingyan pressed his wrist with his cell phone and said, "No more wine, I'm here to show my support."
"You are here to support Mr. Yan, right?"
Yan Baiqing heard it clearly, turned sideways to greet him, and when their eyes met, he laughed, "Jingyan means what he says. If he doesn't drink, he can't get a single drop down."
The middle-aged man put down his wine glass in disappointment, unable to find a chance to speak.
The promotional video ends and the actors come on stage.
Jiang Jingyan accurately found the figure in the green cheongsam. The middle-aged man saw the doorway, rolled his eyes, and leaned closer, "Mr. Jiang's girlfriend, is she on the stage?"
A smile appeared in the corners of his eyes. "Yes."
"So he's taking time off to help his beloved." The middle-aged man struck while the iron was hot. "Which theater is it at? My wife goes there often, maybe she's heard of it."
"She's young, so we don't plan to let her go into the theater for now."
The middle-aged man slapped his thigh cheerfully, "Although I can't boast in Mr. Yan's territory, but if your girlfriend needs anything, I can provide you with a lot of convenience here."
Jiang Jingyan glanced sideways, then returned to the stage in an instant, "I like people who get straight to the point."
The middle-aged man looked at his companion, offered a cigarette, and said sincerely, "Huasheng is building a large theater in the neighboring province. I heard... the engineering company that was previously confirmed has withdrawn its bid. Is there something wrong?"
"Three years ago, I was involved in a smuggling case."
He was stunned for a moment, then smiled flatteringly, "Fortunately, Mr. Jiang helped stop the loss in time."
Jiang Jingyan's face was shrouded in a thin haze, his smile faint but sinister, "You flattered the wrong person, it wasn't me who did it."
The curtain swayed slightly. He rested his elbows on the back of the sofa and casually fiddled with the tassels. "But if I run into this kind of thing again, I've gained some experience."
The stage lights cast a vague shadow on the second floor. Red velvet covered half of Yan Baiqing's body, and the side profile exposed in the light was calm.
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