Chapter 31 Violet recalled that lewd night...
Why do you want her?
Duan Lan's voice and expression were filled with suspicion, and her gaze toward Ji Jiazhen held a scrutinizing look.
“I want to move up the ladder, but I can’t do it on my own. I need someone to guide me. Of all the agents out there, I only respect her.”
She needs an agent whose abilities match her own, and clearly May isn't one.
Fang Wei only ever managed Meng Xu, and her professional skills were outstanding. Back then, she fought tooth and nail for Meng Xu, refusing to negotiate anything less than top-tier resources, and if she couldn't get them, she'd snatch them, no matter the method, as long as they ended up in her pocket. Meng Xu's journey before retiring from acting wasn't smooth sailing either; Fang Wei's contribution was indispensable to her rapid growth, transformation, and grand slam achievements in just a few years.
Ji Jiazhen is currently facing the same dilemma that Meng Xu once faced. Transforming one's image isn't necessarily difficult; it all depends on whether the audience accepts it. Judging from the reception of "Desire Angel," a significant portion of the audience is unwilling to buy into it. She could easily ignore these opinions and take on more transformative films to get them used to the format, but winning awards is about quality. She wants to win through quality, let her talent speak for itself, and convince those who criticized her.
Fang Wei can make Meng Xu successful, and he can certainly make her successful too.
The problem is that after Meng Xu retired from acting, Fang Wei also left the industry. Ji Jiazhen made some inquiries and learned that among Fang Wei's former friends in the industry was Duan Lan.
That's why she sought out Duan Lan today.
“She’s not good enough,” Duan Lan said.
Ji Jiazhen narrowed her eyes slightly and sat up straight. "Is it that you can't, or that you don't want to?"
Duan Lan didn't speak, but instead looked at Duan Qiyin and gave him a look, meaning for him to leave.
Duan Qiyin knew that she had something to say to Ji Jiazhen that she didn't want him to hear, but this very fact made him hesitant to leave.
Duan Lan saw right through his thoughts. "Do you think she's the kind of person who would let herself suffer a loss?"
She was talking about Ji Jiazhen.
After hesitating for three seconds, Duan Qiyin answered with a gesture.
He stood up and walked out, because he was certain that Ji Jiazhen wouldn't let anyone bully her, and the same went for Duan Lan. It was still uncertain who would suffer tonight.
With the door closed, Duan Lan spoke frankly and openly.
“Young lady, I really don’t want to help you. I, like you, dislike being threatened. But you’ve got my two stupid sons all under your control. As a mother, there are some things I have to do that you can’t understand. I can step back for Qi Yin and Si Yu, but I really can’t help you with this.” She paused, giving Ji Jiazhen some time to process, and continued, “Fang Wei entered the industry for Meng Xu, and she left for Meng Xu as well. She will never mentor anyone else in her life but Meng Xu. I’m her friend, and that’s all. I can’t change her mind. Or you can give me a reason, a reason for her to go back on her word and come out of retirement to mentor you.”
Ji Jiazhen took a sip of tea and said, "I believe my acting skills are no worse than Meng Xu's, but I'm more ambitious. Retiring at the peak of my career would mean wasting all my past efforts, and I won't do that. I heard rumors in the industry back then that Meng Xu was pushed along by Fang Wei. She herself didn't care much about fame and fortune, but Fang Wei valued winning awards a lot. After all, Meng Xu's status in the industry reflects her ability, and I understand her ambition and persistence in this regard. What Meng Xu can't give her, I can. In this industry, no one but me can give her that. If she comes out of retirement to mentor me, there will only be wins, no losses. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, so why not do it?"
These words were quite arrogant, but she said them so frankly.
Duan Lan looked at her, her expression subtly changing.
"I think I know why my two sons are thinking about you day and night."
Ambitious and capable women are the queens of the jungle; no man can resist their charms, unless he is weak, incompetent, and afraid of the strong.
Similarly, women are naturally better at appreciating beauty than men, and it's hard for a woman not to appreciate a young and strong woman.
“However,” she changed the subject, “you’ve misunderstood. Meng Xu isn’t completely indifferent to fame and fortune. Rather than saying Fang Wei values winning awards, it’s more accurate to say she hopes Meng Xu can rise higher in the industry, ideally to the top. She would go through fire and water for Meng Xu; only awards won by Meng Xu are meaningful to her.”
After all that had been said, Ji Jiazhen, being a perceptive person, realized something was amiss.
She asked, "What is the relationship between Fang Wei and Meng Xu?"
"Sisters".
*
In early June, as summer arrived in City A, the weather became increasingly hot and humid. Ji Jiazhen had just finished a trip and had only been off the plane for less than four hours when she was already ready to attend a drinking party.
Duan Lan wouldn't give up the idea of asking Fang Wei to come out of retirement for a long time. Fang Wei had said he wouldn't bring anyone else besides Meng Xu, so Duan Lan couldn't act as an intermediary. However, she pointed out a way for Ji Jiazhen: Fang Wei was living in Paris. Ji Jiazhen had been too busy for the past month to fly to France, but she happened to receive this new information, so she came to attend tonight's dinner party without delay.
Tonight is a welcome party for the son of a famous director. He recently returned to China, and Ji Jiazhen came for him. I heard that Fang Wei met his mother not long ago.
The person who told her the news also gave her a heads-up, saying that this young master was spoiled by his family since he was a child, was quite troublesome, had a serious obsession with good looks, and his biggest hobby was playing pranks on people.
Ji Jiazhen didn't know how far things had gone, nor could she predict whether he would play a trick on her tonight. She could only focus on the one thing she was sure of and put a lot of effort into her appearance.
Her hair was permed, her eyelashes were curled, and she wore a textured red lipstick. The subtle smoky eye perfectly defined her eyes. The dark purple mini skirt accentuated her fair complexion, and the fishtail bodice highlighted her bust and waistline, making her look incredibly eye-catching. She exuded sexiness and charm to the fullest.
If there's anything wrong with this outfit, it only proves one thing: he's definitely a troublemaker.
Ji Jiazhen arrived at the perfect time, not wanting to waste too much time. So she planned to appear in front of the young master as soon as he arrived, hoping to be so beautiful that he would be completely captivated by her.
But what she anticipated, others had also thought of, and even appeared before her.
It was someone I knew.
When Ji Jiazhen saw Jian Yi standing next to Xu Xiyan, she could only sneer. She knew that Jian Yi was currently vying for the role of the second female lead in a movie, and the director of that movie was Xu Xiyan's father.
Jian Yi was different today. She wore a basic white dress, her makeup was light, and she stood obediently next to Xu Xiyan with her eyes downcast.
Xu Xiyan was completely captivated by her, putting his arm around her shoulder. He laughed and she laughed back. Their familiarity made Ji Jiazhen wonder if they had known each other for a long time. It wasn't until they walked past her that she heard Xu Xiyan ask Jian Yi what her name was.
Jian Yi was looking into her eyes.
With a hint of surprise and hesitation, then a knowing smile.
Ji Jiazhen cursed inwardly, feeling that this circle was incredibly small, and that her relationship with Jian Yi was an uncanny coincidence.
Someone walked by and bumped into her arm as they turned, causing the wine in her glass to sway from side to side. She took a sip and stared at Jian Yi's back.
She has to get information out of Xu Xiyan tonight, which means she has to confront Jian Yi head-on.
...
The music was deafening, and countless cigarettes were lit and extinguished indoors, filling the room with smoke. The smell of perfume mixed with the smell of tobacco was really unpleasant.
In the past two hours, after two rounds of drinks, Jian Yi has not let Xu Xiyan go. From the beginning until now, she has not left Xu Xiyan's side for even a moment.
That makes sense, considering that Xu Xiyan was surrounded by a group of girls, each one like a wolf or tiger. It was easy for them to get away from him, but getting back was harder than climbing to heaven.
Ji Jiazhen was somewhat annoyed, but she could only endure it, since the key to contacting Fang Wei lay with him. Her status and position didn't allow her to proactively approach Xu Xiyan in front of so many people; it would sound too bad if word got out. So she could only wait.
Some people lose their sense of propriety when they're under the influence of alcohol. After brushing off the seventeenth oddball who wanted to drink with her that night and ending her fourth eye contact with Jian Yi, Ji Jiazhen's patience ran out. She threw down her glass and went to the bathroom to touch up her makeup and escape to some peace and quiet.
She wasn't in a hurry to leave. She finished a cigarette while standing by the wall, and when she returned to the sink to wash the smell of cigarette smoke off her fingers, she met Jian Yi's gaze in the mirror as he stood at the bathroom door.
"When did you arrive?" she asked.
Jian Yi waved her hand twice in the air to dispel the smell of nicotine.
Before you light a cigarette.
That is, she came right after she entered.
Ji Jiazhen touched up her lipstick in front of the mirror, glanced at her, and asked, "Can't stand the smell of smoke?"
He doesn't like girls smoking.
They all knew perfectly well who "he" referred to.
Ji Jiazhen gave a short, mocking laugh.
"You came all this way just to see me?"
Jian Yi countered, "You're looking for him, right?"
Ji Jiazhen put away her lipstick, turned around and looked at her, her hands resting on the marble countertop behind her.
"Don't look at me with that kind of gaze and tone. The way I talk to him is different from how you talk to him. Your competitor is outside, so don't treat me as a rival. I'll only ask him one thing, and once I get the answer I want, I'll leave."
Jian Yi remained calm, lowering her eyes as she said, "He noticed you. I told him I hate you."
Ji Jiazhen chuckled, finding her quite naive, and asked, "So?"
"He asked me to call you so we can play together."
Ji Jiazhen suppressed her smile, frowned slightly, and looked at Ji Jiazhen with a dark expression.
Because she saw that Jian Yi was smiling when she said those words, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, and her eyes didn't even change in the slightest curve.
She had a gut feeling that this "playing together" wasn't going to be that fun.
...
When they came out, the round sofa was almost full, with only two empty seats left next to Xu Xiyan, one on his left and one on his right. Jian Yi had been sitting to his right earlier.
Ji Jiazhen's eyes swept around the room imperceptibly. She didn't recognize any of the people sitting there, but Xu Xiyan, who was clearly sitting in the main seat, was staring at her. He was young and looked much younger than his age, with an innocent-looking face, but his eyes held a strange excitement and his smile was full of mischievous ideas.
Jian Yi took the lead and sat down on his right. Ji Jiazhen was shrewd and knew that the seat on his left was not so easy to sit in, so she simply didn't go over there. She patted the shoulder of the person sitting in front of her and asked him to move to the side a little. She sat down on the farthest side of the table, facing Xu Xiyan from the farthest distance.
Xu Xiyan's voice was tinged with laughter: "Why is that pretty lady sitting so far away?"
All eyes were on Ji Jiazhen. She said, "I just finished smoking, the smell is strong."
She saw Xu Xiyan trying to reply, but his eyes suddenly shifted from her to what was behind her, and the gazes of everyone else also turned to what was behind her.
Ji Jiazhen continued to look at Xu Xiyan. She wasn't curious about what was behind him; she just wanted to know what he was going to do.
Xu Xiyan's gaze lingered for about ten seconds, then the excited light in his eyes shone even brighter, his smile widened, and he said to the direction behind her, "Do you know me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Jiazhen turned around with a hint of doubt. The distance was too close, and she could only see the body of the person behind her. She looked up and met a pair of familiar eyes.
Wen Siyu's expression was indifferent. The light was above his head, and he was looking down at her, his entire face hidden in shadow, but she could see him clearly.
It has been almost three months since we parted ways in the Northwest.
She hadn't seen him for three months, and all her memories of him seemed to have been left behind in the wind and snow of the Northwest. In those three months, she hadn't thought of him even once.
But at this moment, amidst the noise and the situation, his face suddenly came into her view. For no reason, she recalled the four fleeting romances she had experienced in the past three months, the similar figures of those four men, and finally, what came to mind was the lewd night she spent with Wen Siyu in the car.
Wen Siyu probably didn't expect to meet her here either. He stood there staring at her for a full two minutes before answering Xu Xiyan's question, "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
Ji Jiazhen looked away and replied in a calm tone, "It's normal for you to recognize me as a celebrity. But you look unfamiliar to me; I don't know you."
Xu Xiyan said, "We'll get to know each other if we have some fun tonight."
Wen Siyu didn't say anything and sat down in the seat to Xu Xiyan's left.
Ji Jiazhen glanced at him briefly.
So that seat was reserved for him, and Jian Yi and Xu Xiyan even guided her to sit down.
"Now that everyone's here, let's play a game," Xu Xiyan suggested.
Wen Siyu reached for the wine on the table, not forgetting to give her a look as he did so.
A gaze that appears as still as an abyss, but upon closer inspection, is like a raging wildfire.
Ji Jiazhen ignored him and listened to the others at the table responding to Xu Xiyan's words, each suggesting what to play.
Xu Xiyan placed a deck of cards on the table. The cards seemed to have been in his hand the whole time, and the edges of the cards were slightly curled from being shuffled.
"You all know the King's Game, right? Let's do something different. First, draw a card, then spin the bottle. We'll only draw the King's card, and the King will spin the bottle and give the instructions. The person whose bottle is spun has to either do it or drink it. The King draws a card every three rounds."
The rules were quite simple. Everyone on the field was a regular at drinking parties and knew that the excitement of the game lay in the instructions. They couldn't wait to shout "Start!" hoping to gain something from the game.
Fifteen cards were laid out on the table. Ji Jiazhen picked one up casually, without any expectations, and put it on the table.
Two of Hearts.
The second person to place the cards was Xu Xiyan.
Ji Jiazhen glanced at his cards.
He is...
king.
Xu Xiyan was not at all surprised by the fact that he was the king; on the contrary, she was calm as if she had known all along.
"For the first round, should we have something light and easy, or do we want something more exciting?"
He was asking everyone, but his eyes were fixed on Ji Jiazhen, as if he were asking her how she wanted to play.
Ji Jiazhen felt a chill run down her spine, sensing that this bitch was up to no good. She subconsciously glanced at Jian Yi, while Jian Yi looked at Xu Xiyan's hand on the wine bottle.
With a whoosh, the bottle spun, and everyone's heartstrings tightened.
The rotation speed of the wine bottle went from fast to slow, and then slowed down again.
Finally, stop.
The bottle opening points directly to Ji Jiazhen.
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Author's Note: Updates will likely be around 10 PM from now on. I'll let you know if there are any changes. [glasses emoji]
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