Chapter 48 Showing Affection
The sound of kissing filled the room. Jiang Jiaoming pressed one hand against the back of her head and tilted his head back to deepen the kiss.
Liang Kongxiang felt as if she had returned to the morning of the day filming wrapped up, sitting on a bumpy bus, with cold air rushing in through the window cracks and the damp, grassy smell lingering in her nostrils.
Jiang Jiaoming helped her stand firmly on the ground and patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Turn around."
She was lifted up, her hands hanging at her sides as Jiang Jiaoming tightly encircled her from behind. This position forced her to stand tall, tilting her head back slightly, and leaning against Jiang Jiaoming's shoulder to kiss him.
...
"Was it good?" His voice was a little hoarse.
Liang Kongxiang leaned weakly against his shoulder, breathing softly without responding.
Jiang Jiaoming continued talking to himself, then lowered his head and kissed her. When she tried to pull her neck away, he grabbed her chin to prevent her from escaping.
(Originally, we were just hugging and kissing, but I've deleted everything now. Please don't lock my account; I really didn't write anything.)
Two blurry figures appeared, overlapping, until night truly fell, at which point they stopped. (It was a kissing stop, don't lock it.)
Liang Kongxiang lay on her side on the bed with her back to Jiang Jiaoming. Their kissing had been so intense it felt like a competition, leaving her drenched in sweat and feeling weak all over. She lay there, listening to the soft sound of running water from the bathroom. She listened until she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, during which time it seemed someone was helping her change clothes…
(Changing clothes, I don't understand what this part is about locking. What's there to lock when changing clothes?)
She woke up the next morning to find out that someone had only changed her clothes but hadn't put them back on, and was now pressed tightly against her from behind, sleeping soundly.
She had no idea how late he had been up all night, and he was completely unaware of her getting out of bed and dressed.
These past few days have just been a reading session. Jiang Jiaoming hasn't returned to Gongtai City. Liang Kongxiang laughed at him for playing the role of a secret lover. Jiang Jiaoming, shirtless, leaned against the headboard and asked her with good acceptance, "Is this a title unique to me, or has it been given to other rumored boyfriends as well?"
Liang Kongxiang had shot herself in the foot, and said helplessly, "How can someone's heart be smaller than the scales of a pineapple?"
He still remembered the rumors about Liang Kongxiang that he had seen before, and these past few days, for some reason, he would bring them up from time to time.
As the movie night approached, Liang Kongxiang flew back to Gongtai City the night before and slept at home. Jiang Jiaoming, after indulging in a few days of relaxation, returned to the company as soon as he landed. Many projects awaited his review and approval, requiring him to work overtime until late at night.
As the weather warms up, it's the season for swallows to fly in as the mud thaws. Liang Kongxiang drove to the hotel early in the morning, where Chen Yun, the stylist, and the makeup artist were waiting in the room.
Chang Xin stared intently at the jewelry displayed on the mannequin head in the glass display case. This was an important task assigned to her by Sister Chen Yun. She also had to keep a close eye on the diamond brooch next to it. The two items together were enough to cost her eighteen lives.
"You're drooling, wipe it off," Liang Kongxiang said with a smile as she passed by, gently patting her head. "Move a chair over here and sit down to watch."
"Let her be," Chen Yun patted the chair in front of the makeup mirror. "Sit down. After we're done, let's go downstairs for an outdoor shoot. Our fans have been nagging us on our account for a month now, telling us to do our styling properly. Look," Chen Yun gestured with her chin toward the girl across from her, who was wearing a crop top and had a lip piercing, "Xiao Ye's private messages are about to explode. She can't even log into her account. Don't let her silence fool you; she's really nervous."
Xiao Ye rummaged through her open makeup case and pulled out two clips. She came over and swept Liang Kongxiang's bangs up to reveal her smooth forehead, clipping them up from both sides to secure them. "Don't worry, you won't lose."
After her makeup was done, Liang Kongxiang changed into an out-of-season blue trailing dress. The stylist opened the display case and took out a necklace. A V-shaped necklace, inlaid with tourmaline and gold, refracted into a neon green under the light, its color smooth.
After everything was ready, Chang Xin followed behind Liang Kongxiang and helped her pull up her skirt. The group then got into the car and headed to the venue.
Chen Yun's phone buzzed in her right pocket; it was a message from Liang Kongxiang's phone.
Jiang Jiaoming: [Have you set off yet, honey? Director Cao and I are backstage.]
Chen Yun saw that it was Jiang Jiaoming and handed it to Liang Kongxiang: "Go back by yourself."
Liang Kongxiang took the phone and glanced at it: [In the car.]
Jiang Jiaoming: [Okay.]
After replying to the message, Liang Kongxiang returned the phone to Chen Yun. Chen Yun put it back in her pocket and suddenly said, "Actually, it's not surprising that you agreed to get back together."
"Hmm?" Liang Kongxiang smiled and said, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"He's highly skilled; it's no wonder you fell for him."
"……means?"
"But what?" Liang Kongxiang asked subconsciously.
Chen Yun seemed to recall something, "Ever since I started mentoring you, this General Manager Jiang has been showing his face more and more often. Remember that awards ceremony you two attended last year?"
She was referring to the first time she and Jiang Jiaoming had bumped into each other at an event in the entertainment industry. Liang Kongxiang nodded: "Mm."
“He hadn’t been there in previous years,” Chen Yun said.
Liang Kongxiang was stunned.
Chen Yun raised her hand to pat her shoulder, but worried about leaving a mark, so she just patted her right hand with her left, making a "smack" sound: "I told you. Maybe he's been thinking about getting back together for a while."
That's unlikely. Liang Kongxiang smiled and said, "If he had it from the beginning, he wouldn't have waited until now. Besides, you saw his attitude when we went to Zaiying."
That seems to make sense. Chen Yun couldn't figure out Jiang Jiaoming, and secretly hoped that Liang Kongxiang wouldn't leave Yunhe Entertainment so soon. Seventy percent of the company's revenue depended on Liang Kongxiang, and President Bi was unwilling to let her go. She was currently the strongest female celebrity in the entertainment industry. In previous years, Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali were the most popular at such events, but now Liang Kongxiang had almost monopolized the attention.
Speaking of which...
"Tian Lei's movie is in post-production now. He's walking the red carpet tonight with Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali," Chen Yun said. Their movie had been making headlines even before the cast was officially announced. In terms of attention, it was definitely much higher than "Brilliant Past." After all, it had a cast of veteran actors and top-tier celebrities, plus Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali, two long-time rivals, in the same movie. It was bound to generate a lot of buzz. Chen Yun suddenly remembered something and realized something: "You mean... Jiang Jiaoming and Tian Lei had a falling out recently, was he waiting for tonight?"
"It's hard to say, but he definitely has his own plans." Liang Kongxiang had also pondered this in the private room at the time.
The car stopped right at the side entrance of the event. Liang Kongxiang walked along the red carpet in her high heels toward the backstage lounge. Cao Lengyu, Wang Jianbai, and Jiang Jiaoming sat together, looking serious, and it was unclear what they were talking about.
"We were just talking about this, and here you are," Cao Lengyu said with a smile, pointing to the two empty seats next to Jiang Jiaoming. "Have a seat."
"What are you discussing?"
Wang Jianbo smiled and said, "This year's movie night has a mascot. President Jiang contacted the platform and said there will be two photo opportunities, which means two movie crews can be on stage together. We want to be on stage, but Tian Lei doesn't want to share the spotlight with us. The platform also doesn't want to give up on the topic of you and Zhuang Geng, so they didn't agree to it. Tian Lei is furious and is making a scene right now."
This mascot is the platform's new icon, an AI character that's been generating a lot of buzz online. The platform wants to leverage its massive traffic to promote itself, while the traffic wants to use the mascot to expand its reach and increase exposure—it's a win-win situation for both sides.
But Tian Lei wasn't about to agree. Film marketing and distribution required a huge investment, especially during peak seasons; it couldn't be done without at least a hundred million yuan. His film, *Brilliant Past*, aside from Liang Kongxiang, had virtually no promotional points, while his own film, *The Parade*, had a built-in fanbase from the lead actors to the supporting cast. Moreover, the two films were similar in theme, making comparisons easy. The Zhuang, Geng, and Liang Kongxiang families had a complicated relationship; the public would immediately associate Zhuang Geng with Liang Kongxiang, and Jiang Jiaoming would inevitably lead them to associate Tian Lei's films with *Brilliant Past*. Where was the money in that? He'd rather retire from the industry than take on a business that only lost him money. Let whoever wanted to suffer this indignity take it.
Jiang Jiaoming had a good grasp of Tian Lei's temperament, so he made sure to contact the platform in advance. Both sides were shrewd and knew how to maximize their own interests, so they agreed to Jiang Jiaoming's approach.
They might make a scene, but ultimately they can't bear to give up the largest domestic publicity platform, so they won't really break ties.
Liang Kongxiang understood and glanced at Jiang Jiaoming. He was dressed in a well-fitting black suit today, wearing a Patek Philippe watch, and looked dashing and debonair. When he saw her looking at him, he raised his eyebrows at her.
"Let's have President Jiang and Kong Xiang go on stage together in a bit; that'll generate buzz," Wang Jianbai suggested. Just him, Cao Lengyu, and Liang Kong Xiang going on stage alone wouldn't have enough impact to drain the market tonight.
“President Wang, you said those words,” Jiang Jiaoming turned his head to look at Liang Kongxiang’s innocent shrug and laughed, “I’m going to get scolded again in a bit.”
"Wow, it's not about getting scolded, it's about showing off their love." Wang Jianbo chuckled.
After a few people discussed it, a staff member knocked on the door and said that it was almost the turn of the "Brilliant Past" crew to walk the red carpet, and asked the teachers to get ready to go with her.
"Let's go." Jiang Jiaoming stood up, touched Liang Kongxiang's palm, and asked her softly, "Why don't you put on a hand warmer?"
"Are you still wondering why I'm not wearing thermal underwear under my dress?"
"Hmm, how come my wife is so smart?" Jiang Jiaoming raised his hand to pinch her cheek, but Liang Kongxiang turned her head to dodge.
She frowned and reminded him, "You're wearing makeup."
The two then distanced themselves and didn't continue.
The group that walked the red carpet before Tian Lei's film crew.
Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali, both dressed in long dresses, stood on either side of Tian Lei. They turned around when they heard footsteps behind them.
The three people's gazes met for a second across the surging crowd and a dozen black machines before quickly looking away.
After they left, before the host could even begin to introduce Liang Kongxiang, a huge group of cameras immediately focused on her, and a commotion erupted from the crowd.
"Teacher Liang, look here!"
“Liang Kong…I’m coming with you.”
This is practically a walking KPI.
In an instant, the machines made a continuous "click-clack" sound like cannons, the flashlights were as bright as day, and the red carpet on the ground continued to reflect the white light.
"Look at Teacher Liang here!"
"Good... a little to the side, oh yes..."
Liang Kongxiang took a pen from the staff's tray, quickly signed her name on the display board, and glanced at the cameras in the center. Jiang Jiaoming stood upright beside her, calmly looking directly at the cameras of several media outlets.
Because the sponsoring brands of the movie night had a conflict of interest with the endorsements of Liang Kongxiang, the red carpet segment for "Brilliant Past" ended in just a few dozen seconds.
Once inside, Liang Kongxiang changed into a less elaborate dress. After the platform distributed the prizes, she went up to say a few brief words of thanks when it was her turn, and then returned to the backstage dressing room.
As Chen Yun had predicted in the car, Jiang Jiaoming's popularity had already caught up with this year's hottest male celebrities. His features were sharp and photogenic, giving him a strong presence on camera. Coupled with his portrayal of a truly talented and domineering CEO, many people added another layer of romanticization to him through their imagination, which worked very well.
As soon as she entered, Cao Lengyu announced with a smile, "The group photo session is not far off. I heard that Tian Lei finally gave in."
As expected, Liang Kongxiang wasn't too surprised.
When the program reached the mascot segment, Jiang Jiaoming leaned close to Liang Kongxiang's ear in the dark backstage and said with a smile, "Let's see how your husband deals with the big bad guy in a bit."
Liang Kongxiang pushed him away, pressing against his shoulder, "You're talking about yourself, Mr. Jiang."
Jiang Jiaoming shrugged, reverting to his usual indifferent demeanor, and followed Liang Kongxiang onto the stage.
Tian Lei and his group came up from the other side of the stage. As soon as he came up, he smiled politely at Jiang Jiaoming.
Jiang Jiaoming raised an eyebrow. This old man wasn't as stupid as he'd thought. If he treated him normally, the outside world might not pay much attention; but if he treated him coldly, it would only make people more likely to speculate.
However, Tian Lei is Tian Lei. His one-sided greeting was ignored by Jiang Jiaoming. He looked at him for a few seconds, pretended not to see him, and raised his chin to greet Zhuang Yexue.
Zhuang Yexue was taken aback, but didn't fall for his trick. She nodded and smiled politely.
The host asked some questions based on the two movies and the platform's mascot, and promotional posters for the two movies were also displayed on the big screen.
Even as the group photo session was nearing its end, Tian Lei's expression remained unchanged. He wanted to glare at them but was afraid of giving them attention and online traffic. Jiang Jiaoming's move was really infuriating. Tian Lei felt like he'd swallowed fly droppings and couldn't get rid of them anytime soon.
As expected, the winner of the night was the "Brilliant Past" crew. From Liang Kongxiang to the movie, and then to Zaiying Pictures, their exposure increased by more than one level, and the number of people who wanted to see the movie increased by 157,000 that night.
Winning a battle should have been a cause for celebration, but Jiang Jiaoming didn't look happy at all. He packed Liang Kongxiang's suitcase with a blank expression.
"Remember to video call me when you're done filming, okay?"
If someone is pursuing you without thinking, report it to them immediately.
“I sent Qian Duo’s chef over there and told him what he wanted to eat.”
Liang Kongxiang sighed and hugged him without saying anything.
The days that followed were filled with separation. The Spring Festival film season came to a complete end, and Jiang Jiaoming was busy with work and starting new projects. Liang Kongxiang was filming in the mountains and couldn't leave at will.
Liang Kongxiang used to urge Jiang Jiaoming to go back to work as soon as possible, thinking that she would adapt well. But every night, she felt empty beside her and suddenly realized that her hands and feet were starting to get cold.
When Jiang Jiaoming slept with her, he would always come up to warm her hands and feet, hug her from behind, and force her to bend over slightly and sleep completely in his arms. Liang Kongxiang laughed at his clinginess, but Jiang Jiaoming asked her with his eyes closed: "Are you warmer now?"
Without him, Liang Kongxiang didn't feel as warm even with the air conditioning on. Every morning when she woke up, she would first lie in bed staring blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds, then lie on her side hugging her pillow and breathing softly before getting out of bed to go to the film set.
The child actors in the crew were all very nice. Two of them, around seven or eight years old, were locals who would cling to Sister Kongxiang's room every day and would occasionally take her to visit the low houses in the mountains. Liang Kongxiang would always send Jiang Jiaoming pictures: bamboo shoots, a gray sky, damp moss, and birds with dew-covered wings.
One day, it rained all morning in the small town. The raindrops pattered against the window, and the wind made the glass rattle and shake. Outside the window, it was foggy, with the continuous green hidden in the thin veil, and occasionally a few bright green shoots peeked out from the milky white.
Liang Kongxiang leaned against the windowsill, pressed her phone against the glass that was being violently battered by raindrops, pressed the voice button, and recorded a full sixty seconds of voice message.
She recorded three clips in a row, which were automatically sent after sixty seconds. Soon after, she recorded another one.
When recording the fourth item.
The doorbell rang.
Liang Kongxiang turned to look at the doorway, sat up straight, and then slowly walked to the cat's side, her heart pounding.
Wearing a thin jacket, Jiang Jiaoming's hair was wet, and he stared at the cat's eyes, looking completely soaked.
She felt as if she had returned to that snowy night many years ago when Jiang Jiaoming found her.
If there is only one person in the world who understands Liang Kongxiang's inarticulateness, that person would be Jiang Jiaoming.
He spent an entire high school trying to understand the true emotions behind every micro-expression of hers, realizing that when she said "never mind," it wasn't because she wanted to give up, but because she was shy; he understood that her occasional boldness wasn't as invincible as it seemed, but because she felt Jiang Jiaoming standing behind her, and she believed that he would give her invincible courage and love.
Just like now.
Outside the window, the rain was pouring down. Jiang Jiaoming stood at the door, holding the sixty-second voice message that Liang Kongxiang had sent him, which seemed meaningless to others.
Jiang Jiaoming also understood that these sixty seconds were not a blank.
It is Liang Kongxiang's sixty seconds of longing, though she is not good with words, but is sincere and passionate.
Jiang Jiaoming rang the doorbell again.
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Author's note: Please bear with the beginning, haha, I tried my best [crying emoji]
I can't bear to see young couples in a long-distance relationship, but the pace is about to pick up.
[Crying][Crying][Crying] How can there be such a playful yet innocent young couple?!
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