Jiang Fei casually draped a white shawl over her shoulders and walked out of the hotel with the ointment in her hand.
A black Bentley was parked in the dim light, with only its headlights flashing quietly.
Jiang Fei opened the back door and got in. Sure enough, she saw Yan Yunzhou sitting inside. His face was slightly pale, which made the red mole under his eye appear even more crimson. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and pretended to doze off. He looked somewhat tired.
"Mr. Yan came to see me specifically?" Jiang Fei sat down next to him and chuckled.
Yan Yunzhou opened his eyes upon hearing the noise and looked at her with a gentle smile: "I came here to discuss a business deal and stopped by to see Miss Jiang on the way."
Jiang Fei shrugged: "You really don't know how to talk."
The car slowly started moving, and the partition between the driver's seat and the passenger seat slowly lowered, revealing only a dim yellow light inside.
Jiang Fei took out a small mirror to look at the scars on her face, unscrewed the ointment, and continued the "ill-fated" process of applying the medicine.
Yan Yunzhou quietly observed her. Her skin was so white it seemed to glow, her nose was straight and delicate, and her lips were slightly upturned, the perfect curve for a kiss.
The scab on the scar on her left cheek had long since fallen off, leaving it a dark red color. Because the roads on the film set were somewhat rugged and the car would occasionally sway slightly, she would always apply the ointment outside the scar.
Jiang Fei naturally knew that Yan Yunzhou was watching her, but she was so focused on applying the medicine that she didn't bother to pay attention.
Unexpectedly, a pale, bony hand suddenly reached out from the side and took the ointment from her hand.
Jiang Fei, puzzled, raised an eyebrow at him.
Yan Yunzhou smiled, dipped some ointment in his middle and ring fingers, and gently but firmly massaged her left cheek.
His pressure was just right; his fingertips were slightly cool, relieving some of the stuffiness inside the car.
Jiang Fei comfortably squinted her eyes, letting him apply the medicine for her.
"Miss Jiang." After an unknown amount of time, Yan Yunzhou suddenly spoke.
Jiang Fei opened her eyes: "Hmm?"
Yan Yunzhou was still applying medicine to her wound, his gaze fixed intently on the scar, and said calmly, "I think I just saw Mr. Qin's car drive away."
Jiang Fei laughed: "He said he went to the wrong place."
Yan Yunzhou didn't press further, his expression gentle. After a while, he asked again, "How was Mr. Liang's substitute's kissing skill?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fei burst out laughing.
Yan Yunzhou withdrew his hand, looked at her, his expression calm and his emotions unwavering, as if he were simply asking a question in a straightforward manner.
Jiang Fei thought carefully for two seconds: "Apart from being bitten, everything else is fine."
Yan Yunzhou listened to her words, lowered his eyes and smiled, then took a tissue to wipe the remaining ointment from his fingertips: "This is Miss Jiang's job, I have no way to interfere..."
Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"
“But since Miss Jiang said she would stay by my side,” Yan Yunzhou said gently, a hint of amusement in his eyes, “shouldn’t she give me some compensation?”
The words were half true and half false.
Jiang Fei thought about it seriously for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Indeed." As she spoke, she took the initiative to step forward and gently called to him, "Mr. Yan."
Yan Yunzhou looked at her.
Everything went black.
Jiang Fei reached out and put her arms around the back of his neck, then kissed the corner of his lips, her warm red lips touching and rubbing against his cool lips.
Yan Yunzhou's breath hitched.
Jiang Fei's body was already leaning against his chest without him noticing. Then she opened her mouth and gently bit his lower lip. With a soft laugh from deep in her throat, she slowly extended her lips and tongue and licked his upper lip before quickly withdrawing them.
Yan Yunzhou's hands and feet were somewhat stiff.
Just now, I have to say, I was mostly just trying to have fun, but now I feel a little dizzy, as if I've entered a paradise I've never experienced before.
His hand twitched.
Jiang Fei suddenly moved her lips away, keeping a finger's width apart. Her lips were full and red, and her eyes were bright as she looked at him: "How about this compensation?"
Yan Yunzhou pursed his lips, his breathing still somewhat rapid, his sickly face slightly flushed, and he remained silent.
Jiang Fei reached out and placed her hand on his chest, saying meaningfully, "If that's not enough, a little interaction isn't out of the question, but..."
Yan Yunzhou looked down at her.
Jiang Fei lifted her head from his embrace, her lips almost touching his chin: "Did you bring your medicine?"
Yan Yunzhou frowned slightly and said calmly, "Miss Jiang, although I haven't tried it before, I think I don't need to take the medicine yet."
Jiang Fei was taken aback, then laughed and fell into his arms: "It's your heart medication. I was afraid you'd get too excited and have a heart attack and die next to me."
Yan Yunzhou's eyes darkened slightly, then he smiled, reaching out to gently rub her slightly swollen lips, the fragrance of the ointment still lingering on his fingertips.
After a long pause, he sighed softly, "This mouth of mine..."
"Huh?" Jiang Fei asked, puzzled.
Yan Yunzhou didn't say anything more.
Over the years, many people have known that he was ill, but only a handful know the extent of his illness.
But no one has ever dared to mention "he's dying" to him time and time again.
Now that Jiang Fei has appeared, he jokingly reminds him from time to time that he might die at any moment, and he actually feels that death is not a big deal.
On the contrary, I found it quite fun.
The film crew was in the suburbs, and the hotel was the only high-rise building there, making the surrounding area seem rather desolate.
Assistant Wang eventually parked the car by a lake.
Jiang Fei sat with Yan Yunzhou on a bench by the lake for a while without saying much. Around 12 o'clock, Yan Yunzhou took her back.
Just as Jiang Fei got out of the car, Yan Yunzhou called out to her, "Miss Jiang."
Jiang Fei turned around.
Through the half-closed window, Yan Yunzhou looked at her and smiled gently: "I won't die by your side."
After saying that, the window gradually rolled up, and the car drove away.
Yan Yunzhou's favorability rating: 10.
Jiang Fei watched the car disappear into the distance, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Sure enough, even a sickly beauty is still very concerned about self-esteem.
...
For the next period of time, Jiang Fei devoted herself wholeheartedly to filming the movie.
She really liked the character Zhou Yan. Being an undercover agent requires strong mental fortitude, but Zhou Yan wasn't strong. On the contrary, she was also troubled by her love for Xiao Ai.
Even though she wanted countless times to tell others that she was a good person, that she had a burning passion, and that she wanted to take up arms and fight the enemy, she wore anti-Party clothing until her death, and was condemned by the whole world until her last breath, all because of her beliefs.
This was a transitional scene for Jiang Fei during this period. After filming, the crew would shoot some other side stories, and Jiang Fei would have a week to rest.
The transitional scene was a scene between her and Cheng Sisi, the third female lead.
Cheng Sisi plays Wen Yue, the childhood sweetheart of the male lead Gu Songnian. Because Gu Songnian was "forced into marriage" by Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan eventually threw the seriously injured Gu Songnian to Wen Yue under the pretext of "getting tired of playing with him." In reality, she sewed some of the explosive points into the hem of Gu Songnian's clothes so that he could take them back.
Wen Yue couldn't hold back and scolded Zhou Yan for being ruthless, a traitor, and a collaborator.
Before the story began, Jiang Fei was too lazy to go back to the dressing room in the distance, so she simply went to the restroom to change her clothes.
Footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a sweet, coquettish female voice: "That Jiang Fei, how come she can still get good resources after being disfigured? Sisi, you and Miss Ye are close. Wasn't it rumored before that this drama was Miss Ye's? The internal costume photos have already been released."
Cheng Sisi snorted: "What else could it be? You're so capable, your face is ruined but your figure isn't." She glanced around and said, "Yan Wang, the second young master of the Yan family, and investor Lin Tao have all been photographed with her. Isn't it all because of the resources given by men?"
"But doesn't Miss Ye have Mr. Qin?"
"What do you know?" Cheng Sisi paused, her voice lowering. "Miss Ye doesn't even look down on this kind of resource. She said that this movie only has good word-of-mouth, and it will lose a lot of money at the box office. She's going to star in another historical drama about political intrigue."
How did Miss Ye know?
“Mr. Qin probably knows something inside,” Cheng Sisi said. “Miss Ye told me not to take that cosmetics advertisement because she said there would be negative news. After I turned down the advertisement, news immediately spread that the cosmetics caused skin problems…”
After changing her clothes, Jiang Fei listened to the conversation between the two people outside the door and quickly understood what was going on.
Having been reborn, Ye Qingqing naturally knows which movies are hits and which brands are having problems.
She raised an eyebrow; she loved to break the rules.
"Speaking of which," Cheng Sisi suddenly chuckled twice, "we should have let Jiang Fei take that cosmetics ad; her face isn't that badly damaged anyway..."
With a "click," Jiang Fei slowly pushed open the door to the restroom stall.
Cheng Sisi was taken aback.
Jiang Fei slowly walked out, dressed in an anti-Party military uniform, standing straight with his eyes slightly lowered, glancing at Cheng Sisi.
Cheng Sisi felt uneasy under her gaze.
Jiang Fei smiled, walked to the mirror, washed her hands, took out lipstick and carefully outlined her lips, then straightened up and walked towards the door.
But as he reached the door, he paused, turned his head, and said, "By the way, it's not men who give me resources."
"Men are a resource too." That's all.
Just then, Sister Zhang walked over and said, "Miss Jiang, it's time to start filming."
Jiang Fei smiled and said, "Okay."
Countdown to filming begin.
III. II. I.
As soon as the director yelled "Action!", Cheng Sisi, pale-faced, rushed to Jiang Fei and said her lines: "How could you do this to Song Nian? Zhou Yan, you are too cruel, you are simply... a disgrace to the nation, a traitor, a collaborator!"
As she spoke, she reached out and slapped Jiang Fei across the face with a loud "smack".
Jiang Fei instinctively stepped back, avoiding most of the force of the slap, and squinted at Cheng Sisi.
In the script, Cheng Sisi's character is weak-willed and dares not take action; this is more like venting her anger.
The director didn't yell "Clap".
Jiang Fei reached out and pinched Cheng Sisi's chin, preventing her from retreating. Her eyes dimmed for a moment before she smiled gently and said, "You're right."
With two loud slaps, he slapped her twice, one with his forehand and one with his backhand.
Cheng Sisi's cheeks immediately swelled up, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she stared at Jiang Fei in disbelief.
The director stood up excitedly: "Clap!"
"Your on-the-spot reactions were fantastic, they really sparked a lot of chemistry."
Jiang Fei smiled and nodded to the director: "Miss Cheng gave a great performance."
Cheng Sisi covered her face, glaring at Jiang Fei, then turned and ran outside.
Jiang Fei chuckled softly, feeling even more cheerful at the thought of the upcoming week of rest.
After telling Sister Zhang, Jiang Fei went straight back to the hotel.
But when she saw the black Rolls-Royce parked not far from the hotel entrance, she paused. If she remembered correctly, this was Qin Mo's car.
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Fei took out her lipstick, smeared it on her fingers, and then gently applied it to her face before walking inside with her head down.
Qin Mo stood leaning against the wall, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a document, his eyes slightly lowered, revealing his exhaustion.
During this time, he often recalled the events of the past five years.
He always had everything he wanted, but Ye Qingqing was someone he could never have.
So he found Jiang Fei to be Ye Qingqing's stand-in.
Jiang Fei is undoubtedly a qualified stand-in.
He remembered how Jiang Fei used to lean on him coquettishly and giggle, how she would complain about his drinking and socializing but still get up to make him hangover soup, and how surprised she looked when he proposed to her so casually.
The more he remembered these things, the more intolerable it became for her repeated rejections of him.
No matter how late he came home, there was always a light waiting for him.
But now, with tears in her eyes, she begged him to let her go.
The last time he came looking for her while drunk, she looked pale and said he had gone to the wrong place.
It seems she has found a new backer who helped her obtain resources.
My heart feels empty, and even the thought of her leaning against another man and laughing makes it hurt terribly.
It was as if something was leaving him, and he was powerless to stop it.
He needs to figure out what exactly is going on.
The elevator doors opened.
Qin Mo suddenly looked up.
Jiang Fei lowered her head, letting her long hair cover her cheeks, and quietly walked over.
Qin Mo's heart tightened slightly as he walked up to her and said, "Jiang Fei."
Jiang Fei froze, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she simply nodded gently the next second: "Mr. Qin."
We need to get past him and continue on our way.
"I need to talk to you." Qin Mo blocked her path. "Let's find a place to talk alone."
Jiang Fei said in a low voice, "We have nothing to talk about..."
Qin Mo handed the document to her, interrupting her: "This is a resource for a top luxury brand spokesperson. Once you sign it, it's yours."
Jiang Fei's body trembled slightly, and she suddenly looked up: "What do you mean by this?"
Qin Mo said, "An endorsement deal in exchange for one hour of your time..." His voice trailed off.
He stared blankly at her cheek, at the bright red handprint.
A surge of inexplicable anger welled up within him, and his voice turned somber: "What happened?"
Jiang Fei bit her lip: "Qin Mo, I beg you, please let me go, please stay away from me, okay?" She tried to open her eyes wide, "You already have Miss Ye, can you please stop coming to me? Do you even know..."
"Did Qingqing hit you?" Qin Mo said, but quickly denied it in his heart. Ye Qingqing had also joined the film crew these past few days and was not in the city. "Who was it?" he said, reaching out to touch her cheek.
Jiang Fei abruptly took two steps back to avoid his hand, and after a long while, she looked up at him seriously: "Qin Mo, don't force me to hate you."
Qin Mo's eyes widened in shock as he stared at her in disbelief, his feet involuntarily taking a half-step back.
She spoke with exceptional seriousness.
Jiang Fei walked past him and entered the room.
The room door closed, and the sadness on her face vanished instantly. Barefoot, she walked to the table, removed her makeup, and applied medicine, all in one smooth motion.
Filming night scenes was a common occurrence on set recently, and now that she finally has some free time, she can finally have a good rest.
But things didn't go as planned.
She was sleeping soundly when her cell phone rang; the night outside was deep.
12:30.
Jiang Fei reached for her phone, her voice hoarse: "Hello?"
After a moment of silence on the other end, Yan Yunzhou's voice came through: "Did I wake you up?"
Jiang Fei: What do you think?
Yan Yunzhou chuckled lightly, showing no remorse whatsoever: "Tomorrow's a day off?"
"Um."
"To pick you up?"
"Need not……"
"Assistant Wang should have arrived by now."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there were two polite knocks on the door.
Jiang Fei: "..."
When Assistant Wang took her to the hotel's best rooftop with a great view, Jiang Fei was still a little sleepy and found even the beautiful scenery around her uninteresting. When she arrived at Yan Yunzhou's rest room, she collapsed onto the sofa.
Yan Yunzhou chuckled as he looked at her, sat down beside her, and glanced at her cheek: "You got hit?"
"You found out too?" Jiang Fei frowned.
"I've only heard about it," Yan Yunzhou said indifferently.
Assistant Wang, who came in to deliver water, trembled slightly.
"I heard"?
The fact that Cheng Sisi was replaced overnight in terms of roles and endorsements is not just hearsay.
However, he certainly didn't dare to say anything more, and left after putting down the water.
Yan Yunzhou brushed a strand of hair from Jiang Fei's cheek and said, "Miss Jiang, it seems that Mr. Qin and I always manage to find you on the same day."
"Hmm?" Jiang Fei replied casually, "He gave me a top-notch resource and wants to buy an hour of my time."
Yan Yunzhou quieted down, glanced at her calmly, and then sat down on the sofa next to her: "I've also heard that in Miss Jiang's eyes, I'm just a resource?"
Jiang Fei barely opened her eyes, and knew without guessing that it was Sister Zhang who said it.
"Don't worry," she reassured her, "you're the best one."
Yan Yunzhou paused, chuckled softly, and after a while said gently, "There are several brands of high-end sports cars..."
"Huh?" Jiang Fei asked, puzzled.
“There are a few top luxury brands as well,” Yan Yunzhou continued, “You can pick one tomorrow.”
"what?"
"I'll buy you for one night," Yan Yunzhou laughed, "to accompany me to a private dinner the night after tomorrow."
...
Jiang Fei had no interest in the dinner party, but she was somewhat interested in the resources available.
Therefore, she dutifully wore a formal dress to the banquet that evening.
At 7 p.m., Jiang Fei, arm in arm with Yan Yunzhou, walked into the banquet hall amidst the surprised gazes of everyone.
Those people were not only surprised that Jiang Fei, with the scar on her face, would have the opportunity to attend such a private banquet, but also surprised that the head of the Yan family, who always kept to himself, would attend with a female companion for the first time.
Jiang Fei and Yan Yunzhou, who were the focus of attention, remained calm.
Soon, the gazes of those around them began to shift subtly, constantly turning toward the couple in the center of the banquet hall.
Jiang Fei followed the gazes of those people, turned her head to look, and then understood.
Qin Mo and Ye Qingqing.
One was once her sugar daddy, and the other once pursued Yan Yunzhou so much that it was common knowledge.
It's so lively!
“Mr. Yan,” Jiang Fei leaned closer to Yan Yunzhou and said softly, “You brought me here not on purpose for Miss Ye’s benefit, but to make her give up on you completely?”
Yan Yunzhou glanced at her in the direction of her gaze, then lowered his head and said calmly, "Miss Jiang underestimates herself."
The way the two were whispering to each other was particularly jarring.
Qin Mo stared straight at the two people, initially surprised, then cold and fierce, and a surge of anger rose in his heart.
He never expected that Jiang Fei and Yan Yunzhou had such a close relationship, and he never expected that someone like Yan Yunzhou would bring a female companion to the event.
Ye Qingqing looked at Qin Mo with a puzzled expression. Yesterday, they had a disagreement because of Cheng Sisi and Jiang Fei's matter, and the atmosphere between them had been very tense ever since.
Noticing Qin Mo's gaze, Ye Qingqing turned her head to look, then froze. Her face was pale as she glanced at Jiang Fei, and finally her gaze fell on Yan Yunzhou.
This...the man she once deeply loved.
He's still so handsome, but how could he bring Jiang Fei here? How could he...?
She had been pursuing him for so long, yet she had never even hugged him. Now, however, Jiang Fei was intimately linking arms with him!
If he loved this face, why did he abandon her in his past life? Why did he choose a substitute?
A wave of fear washed over her, and she couldn't help but reach out and grip Qin Mo's arm tightly beside her, as this was the only way she could hold on.
Jiang Fei and Yan Yunzhou were eventually ushered to the center of the banquet hall, very close to Qin Mo and Yan Yunzhou.
Yan Yunzhou looked at the two of them and nodded politely: "Miss Ye, Mr. Qin."
Qin Mo didn't speak, he just stared straight at Jiang Fei.
Jiang Fei was also looking at him, feigning affection, gently biting her lip, her face slightly pale, and then whispered, "Miss Ye, Mr. Qin..."
Yan Yunzhou frowned slightly and glanced at Jiang Fei.
Even though I know she's acting, the way she acts all lovey-dovey is still an eyesore.
Qin Mo's gaze sharpened: "Mr. Yan," then he looked at Jiang Fei, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out of his throat: "Miss Jiang."
Ye Qingqing stared blankly as Jiang Fei linked arms with Yan Yunzhou.
The four of them remained silent, while those around them continued with their social interactions and conversations.
Yan Yunzhou, being a very busy person, naturally couldn't stay with Jiang Fei drinking all the time. He informed her and then went to do his work.
Because of the scars on his face, Jiang Fei rarely drinks alcohol in this world. Now that he has the rare opportunity to drink fine wine, he couldn't resist having a few extra drinks.
My cheeks felt a little hot, and I also felt a slight dizziness.
Jiang Fei didn't drink too much, so he put down his glass and went to the restroom to cool off with some cold water.
However, just as she walked past the banquet hall, she felt her body being pulled forcefully, and she was quickly pushed backward.
Qin Mo pinned her tightly against the wall, his breath carrying the scent of wine and the chill of the air.
"Miss Jiang?" he called her sarcastically.
Jiang Fei paused for a moment, then chuckled softly: "Qin Mo, you and Miss Ye are quite a match..."
"Jiang Fei!" Qin Mo interrupted her rudely, "When did you start associating with Yan Yunzhou? Do you even know who he is?"
Jiang Fei was stunned, then looked down at her arm and laughed hollowly: "Qin Mo, this hand just touched another man, don't you find it dirty?"
Qin Mo's face paled, and a sudden, inexplicable pain shot through his heart. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "Yan Yunzhou is powerful, but his hands are definitely not clean. Besides, he's not interested in women." He paused, then continued, "Jiang Fei, he's not someone you can mess with. Go with him right now..."
“Qin Mo,” Jiang Fei looked up, “Miss Ye and I really do look quite alike.”
Qin Mo was stunned.
Jiang Fei laughed: "Really, don't give me any more hope, Qin Mo. You like Miss Ye, and you love Miss Ye. I'm just a substitute who's been with you for five years." She blinked the tears in her eyes. "Even if I used to wait for you to come home obediently every day, not film any kissing or intimate scenes, only cook for you, and only love you, I was still just a substitute."
Qin Mo's eyes glazed over for a moment, staring at her blankly. After a long while, he reached out and touched her tears, feeling a burning pain.
“So, don’t give me any more hope.” Jiang Fei lowered her head. “As for Mr. Yan, I know he will never love me, but it’s still better than being with those men in their fifties or sixties. He’s a good man…”
"A good person?" Qin Mo swallowed the bitterness in his throat and gave a sarcastic smile. "Then do you know where he is now, and who he's with?"
"Jiang Fei, because Ye Qingqing abandoned him, he deliberately sought you out, because of your face, because of revenge..."
"Feifei." A gentle voice interrupted Qin Mo from behind.
The two turned to look.
In the warmly colored corridor, Yan Yunzhou stood there, a faint smile playing on his lips. His gaze quickly swept over Qin Mo's hand resting on Jiang Fei's face, his eyes lowered, and his smile gradually turned cold.
"It's time to go back."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com