Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Confession
The fireworks continued to bloom for more than 20 minutes, and the people on both sides of the harbor enjoyed an extremely magnificent visual feast.
There was no one in the corner. He had left at some point and didn't seem to have any intention of joining the dinner.
Director Huang naturally knew what was going on. He took a bottle of champagne from the waiter and handed it to her, "Chuxi, happy birthday."
He Chuxi clinked glasses with him, "Thank you, Director Huang."
"It's not me you should thank."
The woman still had her delicate smile on her face and took a sip of wine.
The banquet officially began, and Director Huang took her to visit various capitals, big names and celebrities in the Hong Kong circle.
A few years ago, He Chuxi often hung out with her aunt in such occasions. She was very graceful and confident in her demeanor and conversation. Although she had not yet learned Cantonese, she spoke fluent English.
After the social gathering ended at ten o'clock, He Chuxi followed the waiter to the presidential suite on the top floor.
This room, with its exclusive 180-degree harbour night view, almost as stunning as the rooftop, costs over 100,000 RMB a night. The interior decorations are extravagant, and even the perfumery seems custom-made. The subtle sandalwood and pear scent of him fills the entire space.
He Chuxi walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling window, hugged her chest and admired the gorgeous neon lights that she never got tired of.
After seven or eight minutes, the man came out of the shower wearing a bathrobe. She looked back and saw that his figure was top-notch in the mist.
Chen Jingzhou went to the refrigerator to get some wine. "Want some?"
"No."
He poured himself a glass, came to the window and stood side by side with her.
He Chuxi glanced sideways and saw a small scab on the spot where his lip was bitten.
But after a moment, she looked away and got straight to the point, "Is this the way you said I'd fall in love with you?"
"Yes and no."
“Don’t do this again.”
"You feel bad about my money?"
"I'm really sorry. Why don't you just transfer the 20 or 30 million to my card?"
Chen Jingzhou raised his lips and smiled, "It's not impossible, I'll give it to you next time."
"......" He Chuxi turned to him and asked seriously, "Did you do anything about my selection?"
The news of her nomination coincided with the fireworks display, and she couldn't help but suspect something. After she calmed down, her anticipation and excitement also gradually cooled. If it was really him who used his power to get her the nomination, then she would rather not have it.
But he said directly: "No."
"real?"
Chen Jingzhou glanced at her, walked back, and leaned back on the sofa. "He Chuxi, do I look like a fool?"
He knew clearly what she wanted and what she didn't want. If he really did something to force her into the finals, it would only push her further away. He had a clear mind.
"It's just that they moved up the announcement to today."
He Chuxi felt relieved, but when she met his eyes again, she sighed again.
It seems like there's no way to get rid of this guy.
"Chen Jingzhou..."
The doorbell rang suddenly, and the man stood up immediately, "Eat first, I'm hungry."
The waiter brought two steaks that were still sizzling with oil and smelled delicious.
She had only drunk alcohol and hadn't eaten anything that night, so she didn't feel bad about her stomach and sat down opposite him.
Chen Jingzhou looked up at the woman who had already picked up the knife and fork, a smile on his lips.
He took the empty wine glass next to him and poured her half a glass of table wine and pushed it towards her, "Eat slowly, no one is going to take it away from you."
"Shut up."
The way He Chuxi eats is actually a pleasure to watch. Her fingertips holding the steak knife are slightly bent, and her movements are cautious. Her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her cheek. She puts the medium-rare beef into her mouth and chews it slowly, as if she is wholeheartedly feeling the aroma of the meat flowing between her lips and teeth.
He watched quietly for a moment, then looked away when she noticed something.
When they were almost done eating, the woman put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth and began to speak, "Chen Jingzhou."
"I don't want to hear it."
He Chuxi laughed: "How do you know what I'm going to say?"
"What else can you say besides that?"
Chen Jingzhou looked at her again and didn't let her talk about those nonsense anymore. "He Chuxi, between the two of us, it's you who can't see clearly."
He originally thought that he had no chance of winning, but that hug, her repeated determination to end it but still being soft-hearted, her true appearance that was only revealed in front of him, and every detail that she could recall, were all blurred areas in her heart.
This month was not for her to fall in love with him from scratch, but for her to sort herself out and realize that she had already fallen in love with him.
But she had too many things to worry about, and her unclean past and career prospects made her a coward.
It was because what I gave her was not enough to offset these concerns that she refused again and again.
So he said, "I will not film anymore and I will not take any more jobs."
He Chuxi was shocked, her eyes widened.
"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"
"I will quit the entertainment industry completely."
"you......"
There were many things that didn't need to be said before, but now that things have come to this, he doesn't have enough confidence, so he needs to express himself more clearly and not confront her head-on.
Chen Jingzhou finished the last sip of his wine and spoke softly, "I finished college as my parents wished. If nothing unexpected happens, I should work for my father's company and inherit the family business. Before I met you, I didn't really have any aspirations in life. I was willing to do anything and it didn't matter."
"When I was in the United States, every time I went to your house, you were reading scripts and thinking about roles. You seemed to love acting. At that time, I couldn't understand it. It was just a job to make a living. Is it worth all this effort?"
"Later, I watched every movie and TV series you appeared in. I saw you in many roles, dark, vivid, and flamboyant. I gradually fell in love with you and wanted to get closer to you. I also became interested in this industry."
"So after returning to China, I started to get involved in acting work, hoping to understand your passion and have more topics to talk about with you. The effect is really good."
He said this with a faint smile, "I think I like you even more."
"This job isn't that important to me. Between it and you, I choose you."
"He Chuxi, you said I love your body and the pleasure it gives you. I can't deny that, but putting aside sex, I love you as a person even more. I love the comfort and ease I feel when we're together in bed. That's something no one else can give me."
The other thing she said was also true. He was indeed possessive and controlling. He wanted to tie her to his side all the time and possess all of her. But she was never a greenhouse flower that could be easily controlled. She would rather wither than bloom only in a greenhouse.
Then he overturned the greenhouse.
"Your concerns are never a problem for me. I don't want these unimportant things to affect your decision. You will always have your career and success."
The neon lights of the ships from the harbor flashed across the window glass and reflected on the faces of a man and a woman sitting opposite each other, depicting their expressions of either clarity or surprise at the moment.
After an unknown amount of time, the woman staggered to her feet.
Chen Jingzhou immediately stood up and grabbed the man, "Where are you going?"
He Chuxi didn't dare to look at him, "I..."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "He Chuxi, I'm confessing my feelings to you."
“…”
"Can you give me some reaction?"
Can't give it.
She was completely confused.
She would rather he pinched her neck, kissed and bit her and said harsh words to her than say these weird things so seriously. It was simply too scary.
He Chuxi closed her eyes and whispered, "I need to think about it carefully."
"How long do you want?"
"have no idea."
The man half let go and kissed her forehead, "I'll wait for you."
......
That night, the fireworks set off over Victoria Harbour specially to celebrate Chuxi and Chen Jingzhou's retirement from the entertainment industry both became trending topics, with the latter coming from behind and becoming a huge hit on all platforms.
He Chuxi saw the news only after she returned to the hotel. She was stunned for a long time when she saw the news. She didn't expect him to be so quick and decisive, leaving her no way out.
Yan Ling opened the door and walked in. The first thing she asked was, "Is this true?"
She put down her phone, not knowing what to say.
Yan Ling came up to him and put aside the question of whether it was real or not. "Did he set off the fireworks for you tonight?"
"ah......"
"Quitting for you?"
He Chuxi raised her eyes, sat on the sofa, and spoke after a while, "Sister Ling, I'm a little confused now, I want to be alone."
Yan Ling didn't know what happened between the two of them, but everything that happened tonight was too shocking. The woman in front of her looked conflicted and solemn, so she didn't ask any more questions and left the room.
He Chuxi hugged her knees and sat there blankly.
There were slight sounds of footsteps and voices outside the door, and the night scene outside the window was still flickering, but the room was so quiet, as if time had been switched to silent mode. The only sound in the room was her own heartbeat, which was chaotic, sometimes high and sometimes low.
The man's calm words kept repeating in her mind, and she was still shocked every time she repeated them, unable to believe every word.
He loves himself? Did he start loving himself in America?
Is it true? Or is it just a lie to seduce her?
My brain is about to explode.
Fireworks, connections, awards, quitting the entertainment industry... he is forcing himself to make a decision.
Finally, just draw conclusions.
Chen Jingzhou is a madman.
......
The news of his retirement broke out for two whole days.
Many people came to ask, and He Chuxi said they didn't know to all of them. She no longer paid attention to them and put all the messy entanglements aside for the time being.
There are more important things now. The filming of the movie is about to start, and she needs to make more preparations.
Chen Jingzhou was very considerate and did not come to disturb me. There was no news from him, and he did not appear in Hong Kong.
Director Huang chose an auspicious day to start filming, and after that she devoted herself to the filming work that reversed day and night.
Director Huang is famous for his martial arts films. In the film, the heroine's first job after coming to Hong Kong is as a stunt double, and there are a lot of high-intensity martial arts scenes.
The films He Chuxi had previously shot were more literary and artistic, with very few fighting scenes, so this was also a huge challenge for her. The first few days were not smooth, and the repeated "stuck" almost made her lose confidence.
The filming process could not be delayed, so she had to study with the teacher after the filming.
She had been working at 2 a.m. for a week straight, covered in injuries. Xiaodie was on the verge of tears every time she applied medicine to her. "Don't you have a substitute? Sister Yueyue, can you please use a substitute? I beg you."
"No need." He Chuxi directly snatched the medicine from her and applied it himself. The faster he applied it, the quicker he could go to sleep.
He went out early and came back late. After returning to the hotel, he took a shower and fell asleep, as if he had completely forgotten about what happened with Chen Jingzhou.
But Xiaodie, who knew nothing, would occasionally mention something inadvertently. She said that he had really retired from the entertainment industry, all his accounts on all platforms had been cancelled, and the contract for his only watch endorsement had also been terminated.
He Chuxi was eating a box lunch at the time, and her hand holding the chopsticks paused. "Is that watch his only endorsement?"
"Yeah, Teacher Chen isn't very active. He doesn't have many works or endorsements, and he only has two or three songs."
She knew he had released some songs, but she had never heard them.
Of course, I've never heard him sing any songs in the four years I've known him.
After work in the evening, before going to bed, I suddenly had an idea and opened the music software to search for his name.
There are only two songs, but each of them is a collection of millions. One is called "Rose" and the other is a foreign word that she doesn't know.
He Chuxi clicked on "Rose" to play, then paused it the next second. She got up, went outside to find her headphones and put them on.
After a gentle prelude, a clear and grainy male voice came from the headphones. There was no deliberate show of skill, the rhythm was suitable and the tone was gentle, like the tide gently and firmly flowing onto the shore under the moonlight.
Like...my boyfriend is humming a love song in my ear.
——I want my rose to bloom forever.
As the song ended, there was no more sound in the headphones and it was so quiet that she could only hear her own breathing.
After seven or eight seconds, He Chuxi took off his headphones and turned over to sleep.
I shouldn’t have listened to this crap song. I have to get up early tomorrow morning!
As expected, everything related to this person is annoying!
......
Half a month later at the Golden X Awards ceremony, He Chuxi asked the crew for two days off and returned to Beicheng.
"The Eighth Day" was also nominated for art and photography, and surprisingly, Jiang Xinran was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
During this period, Jiang Xinran had a lot of good things happen to him, and he looked very happy.
He Chuxi joked with him: "Don't forget me when you become famous."
"It's still far away." Jiang Xinran smiled and waved, then changed the subject, regretfully, "Almost all the crew members are here this time. It's a pity that Brother Zhou didn't come. It was so sudden. Why did Brother Zhou want to quit the entertainment industry? I know his family is rich, but he doesn't need to quit, right?"
The smile in He Chuxi's eyes slowly froze.
"And his withdrawal was too complete. He cancelled all his accounts, and now there's almost no trace of him online."
"......Yeah."
"Yeah, but I contacted him on WeChat a few days ago, and he seems to be busy with family matters recently. I think he might be going home to inherit the family business."
He Chuxi smiled, "That's good."
"But it's still a pity. I clearly didn't have to quit."
She didn't want to talk about this topic anymore and greeted Director Fang who was coming over.
Director Fang seemed to be in a good mood, and Jiang Xinran's attention was diverted. He asked quietly, "Director Fang, today..."
"Isn't it enough for you to be shortlisted, kid?"
"That's enough." Jiang Xinran said seriously, "Anyway, thank you Director Fang."
Director Fang said a few words and looked over. "How is Chu Xi doing lately?"
"I'm fine. I'm filming with director Huang Zhongkui right now."
"I know. I've read his book. I think the response should be good."
"Have you seen it?"
Director Fang smiled, stopped talking, and turned to chat with the person next to him.
The red carpet walk will be at 5pm and the award ceremony will officially begin at 8pm.
"The Eighth Day of the Lunar New Year" won the Best Cinematography award at the beginning, and Director Fang went on stage to accept the award and give a speech on behalf of the film.
Below are other awards, and Jiang Xinran unfortunately did not win any award.
An hour and a half later, the award ceremony came to the most important part, and the host introduced the characters and actors nominated for the Best Actress on the stage one by one.
The whole audience fell silent when He Chuxi was introduced.
Host: "To be honest, I have never met Chu Xi. The first time I saw her was on the screen during the Spring Festival. At that time, I had a feeling that she would come here one day. I didn't expect that she would really come here today."
The big screen behind the host captured the moment in real time, and the stunningly beautiful face smiled generously and waved to everyone.
"I believe that whether she wins an award today or not, there will be a bigger stage waiting for her in the future. As a senior in this industry, I am very happy and welcome such a strong girl to join us."
Director Fang led the applause, followed by thunderous applause.
"Okay, now comes the most exciting moment——"
The camera was always facing her. He Chuxi's heart was about to jump out of her chest, but she had to maintain a smile.
"Li Rong!"
At this moment, her tense body relaxed and she joined the crowd in congratulating.
Before I came here, I had anticipated that I would not win the award, but deep down I always had a glimmer of hope, so when I learned the result, I completely let it go and was happy that I was shortlisted.
After the award ceremony, she went back to the car to change her clothes in order to celebrate.
The car was parked in the underground artist parking lot. As soon as I walked out of the elevator, I saw a man who shouldn't be there.
Still wearing a black suit and a baseball cap, he was leaning against the wall, twirling a lighter in his hand boredly, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
At some point he looked up at me, and their eyes met, both filled with mixed emotions.
After a moment, Chen Jingzhou smiled lightly: "Didn't win the award?"
He Chuxi also laughed, "Didn't you know this a long time ago? Why are you pretending?"
She walked towards the car, then turned back after a few steps, "Why are you following me?"
"What do you think?"
The man put away his scoundrel expression, his light blue eyes staring into hers, "Isn't it time to give me an answer?"
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The author has something to say: Here it comes, next chapter for sure!
But there won't be any tomorrow~
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