Chapter 59 Butterfly "Want to try playing with it..."
The news of Qin Sheng's death only caused a stir for one morning. News reports stated that he died from a sudden illness, while the business empire he built had already undergone a quiet transformation, and the person in charge now has the surname Duan.
It's not Duan Qiyin, it's Duan Lan.
Ji Jiazhen finally understood how Fang Wei had managed to reach a cooperation agreement with Duan Lan, and also understood how Fang Wei and Wen Siyu had safely left the country.
Duan Lan probably didn't expect that Wen Siyu wouldn't forget to retaliate before leaving.
— Ji Jiazhen's accusation of rape against Duan Qiyin was dropped due to lack of evidence, while Wen Siyu took Duan Qiyin to court on charges of extortion before leaving the country.
Ji Jiazhen learned about this from a trending topic, and it was then that she realized her contract was worth 120 million yuan.
*
After two heavy rains, City A has fully entered winter. The sky is endlessly gray, the sun is rarely seen, and the cold wind blows from morning till night.
The entertainment industry is abuzz with competition over the year-end issues of various magazines next month, with negative stories constantly trending on social media. Ji Jiazhen, who is usually at the center of the storm, hasn't participated in the fierce competition this time. Two days before her birthday, she received an invitation to C magazine's anniversary issue, a deal that makes everyone envious—a solo cover and sponsorship from a top luxury brand.
C-family has always had a unique vision and foresight. This time, they are betting on Ji Jiazhen to return from the Berlin Film Festival at the end of the month with a full harvest. They have already booked the first cover of the Berlin Best Actress award.
A group of people were waiting to see the C family make a fool of themselves, and also to see Ji Jiazhen make a fool of himself. It wouldn't be good for him to return to China empty-handed.
These sarcastic remarks were commonplace for Ji Jiazhen. Not only did she ignore them, she also celebrated her birthday in a high-profile manner amidst the chorus of criticism. That night, photos and videos flooded the internet, all released with her permission. The trending topics on social media surpassed even her past outrageous behavior—Ji Jiazhen had hired eight male models.
The situation is true.
That night, the trending topics exploded again. Unaware of the truth, onlookers stood by and made sarcastic remarks, saying that her relationship with Wen Siyu was like a fleeting firework, brilliant for a few minutes but causing a huge commotion; they also said that a prodigal son returning home was a pipe dream, and that the pairing of a female celebrity and a rich young man was never going to last.
Within an hour, the entry suddenly disappeared, and the related search results were blank. Ji Jiazhen knew who was behind this, and she scoffed inwardly at how fast they got the news while abroad. After laughing, she looked at the people around her clinking glasses and the warm air from the air conditioner blowing on her shoulders. She suddenly remembered the hot wind that had blown on the island last year on this night, and her smile dimmed a little. Suddenly, she felt that this birthday was really boring.
The people around her were all drunk and no one noticed the change in her mood.
The only one who noticed was Xu Yanning, who was long late. She hadn't even had time to put down her coat from her arm when she pulled Ji Jiazhen out of the crowd without saying a word or asking any questions. She just grabbed her and walked out, and no one dared to stop her.
Ji Jiazhen, having had a few drinks, started acting like a brat. Once in the car, she refused to wear her seatbelt, leaving Xu Yanning helpless. She dragged and pulled her to the back seat, and after all that, her back was covered in a light sweat.
It was already 2 a.m., and Ji Jiazhen was nearing her physical limit. She had a busy schedule at the end of the year, working non-stop for a week, and this birthday party was unnecessary, but she insisted on organizing it.
I'm so tired, but I can't stop.
As soon as she stopped, all sorts of images flooded in like a tide, overwhelming her.
The sky was dark, but the night wasn't completely black; the streetlights were on, and everything in City A was asleep. There was only their car on the road.
Xu Yanning wanted to take her home, or perhaps take her to his own home. She didn't say yes or no. After sitting quietly in the back seat for about ten minutes, she suddenly said, "Let's go for a drive." It was a seemingly random sentence, but Xu Yanning understood and tacitly drove off onto another road.
The car drove aimlessly, and Ji Jiazhen rolled the window all the way down and leaned on the edge to enjoy the breeze.
The outside temperature was close to zero degrees Celsius. Xu Yanning glanced at her in the rearview mirror and said, "You'll freeze to death, you idiot."
Are you cold?
well enough.
She lay there watching the city's brief silence, also immersing herself in a rare moment of tranquility during the day.
A cold draft rushed into the car, and Xu Yanning turned up the air conditioning, but it was to no avail.
Where did you go?
Ji Jiazhen suddenly spoke up, asking her why she was late today.
Xu Yanning touched her nose, paused for two seconds, and then replied, "Let's break up."
Ji Jiazhen remained pressed against the car window. Hearing the sound, she slowly raised her head and glanced at the driver's seat. The cold wind had whipped her hair across her face and obscured her vision; several strands were tangled together, showing signs of knotting. Ignoring it, she swept her hair back, a hint of amusement in her voice, and asked, her tone slightly raised, "With whom?"
"two."
She immediately became interested, stopped blowing in the wind, rolled up the car window so as not to disturb her from hearing the gossip, moved to the middle, rested her elbows on her knees, and leaned forward, "Tell me about it."
Xu Yanning turned her head to look out the window, leaving her with the back of her head, meaning she had no comment.
Ji Jiazhen scoffed, knowing he couldn't get anything out of her, and slumped back into his seat.
At four in the morning, the driver was somewhat tired and slowed down considerably. The buildings outside looked increasingly familiar, and Ji Jiazhen called out to stop as they were about to pass by.
"Let's rest here for a while."
Xu Yanning looked around, wondering what there was to rest at the university gate, but she really didn't want to drive anymore, so she just randomly found a safe area on the right and stopped.
Ji Jiazhen got out of the car, quickly climbed onto the roof, sat cross-legged, her hair flying wildly in the air, and her thoughts began to wander.
This is Wen Siyu's school. She came here with him last month, or rather, they just passed by.
Wen Siyu had always felt awkward about his age, so he would only call her "sister" when he was trying to make her happy in bed. At the time, she deliberately teased him about his status as a student, holding up her phone and saying she would take a photo of him with his alma mater, calling him "college student" over and over again, which annoyed him. He kept walking forward, but he was unwilling to let go of the hand he was holding.
Thinking about this makes me think again, from the day we first met on the rooftop to that last glance when we parted at the beginning of the month.
The sky gradually changed color, from black to deep blue, then lighter and lighter, showing a dim yellow light, and then orange-red and bright yellow.
The sun is about to come out; it's going to be a nice day.
She jumped out of the car with a graceful movement, walked to the passenger side, got in, sat down, and nudged Xu Yanning's shoulder to wake him up. Then, she said in a serious tone:
"I should have ordered eighteen male models."
*
At the end of the month, Ji Jiazhen's plane landed in Berlin.
The crew had a meal together two days before the film festival. Zhuang Yan's gaze towards Ji Jiazhen was still not entirely pure. He probably hadn't gotten over that fleeting affair yet, but he still maintained a proper sense of propriety.
The official welcome reception at the film festival was grand. Ji Jiazhen made her first appearance on the international stage as a main competition actress. However, she remained calm and composed, showing no fear in the face of reporters' sharp questions. After all, fear of losing would make one nervous and timid, but she went there with the determination to win from beginning to end. Her desire to win only excited her.
The level of attention given to this event in China is almost unprecedented; the name "Ji Jiazhen" has been trending on social media ever since the day she set off.
The red carpet ceremony on the day of the premiere was broadcast live globally. Chi Chia-Chen was unusually low-key. Her makeup, hair and dress were all conventional and impeccable. However, her micro-expressions and small gestures were still interpreted by people, and almost every segment of the event generated new topics.
All the malice towards Ji Jiazhen was on full display that day. Those who hated her seemed to have finally found an excuse, and their insults, abuses, and slander poured out. Ten minutes before the awards ceremony, the negative voices reached their peak, and the black hot search bought by her rivals was even posted long before the results were announced.
As busybodies flooded the live stream chat with pessimistic comments, the spotlight shone on Ji Jiazhen's shoulder blades. She lowered her eyes and felt the warmth on her shoulder.
When the phrase "Ji Jiazhen returned empty-handed" reached third place on the trending searches, the chairman of the judging panel was slowly opening the envelope containing the results, and Ji Jiazhen's gaze fell on the gleaming golden trophy.
When the sounds of ridicule and mockery drowned out the optimism and anticipation, the chairman's voice suddenly stopped, and the entire audience frowned in tension at the moment of silence.
"The jury unanimously decided to award the Silver Bear for Best Actress at this year's film festival to..."
Ji Jiazhen raised her eyes, and as the corners of her lips curved upwards into a beautiful arc, the award announcement rang out again.
"—Ji Jiazhen, from the movie 'Sacrifice'."
All prejudices were shattered by the applause that resounded throughout the venue. Ji Jiazhen stood up under the spotlight, hugged Zhuang Yan, high-fived others, and then walked proudly onto the stage to receive her glory.
Artists of all ages in the industry sent their blessings, directors who had worked with him praised him highly, and major brands and magazines vied to extend offers to him.
In her most important comeback battle since her return, she won beautifully and gloriously.
*
On the day she returned to China, Ji Jiazhen listened to her agent talk about the schedule the whole way, and her ears were practically calloused. She didn't plan to work back in China; celebrating was the priority. She had already arranged nearly ten drinking parties, which would take at least a month to finish them all.
The agent looked at her with disappointment, saying she lacked ambition.
She put on her headphones and walked towards the lounge, giving her agent a wink before she left and saying, "See you in China."
—When buying the plane ticket, there was only one first-class seat left. The agent was a penny-pincher and was afraid of delaying his business trip back to China, so he preferred to take an economy class flight for more than ten hours.
There weren't many people in the lounge, and they were all sitting far apart. Ji Jiazhen wanted to rest well and didn't want anyone else around her.
As she walked, she took off her mask, her gaze falling on a less crowded area. She put her hands in her pockets and walked towards it, when she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure from behind.
With black hair and broad shoulders, he sat casually, holding a phone in his right hand and fiddling with two cherry tomatoes in his left.
Ji Jiazhen's originally leisurely pace gradually slowed down, and she stopped completely after walking behind the man and seeing the image on his phone.
The phone was playing her acceptance speech at the film festival the day before yesterday.
The scene was so familiar that she almost asked him what he was doing there.
"Ke Xian".
Someone behind her called out a Chinese name in an awkward accent, and the man in front of Ji Jiazhen turned around leisurely. Instead of looking for the source of the sound, he focused his gaze precisely on her behind him.
"You looked at me for twenty-seven seconds, hesitated twice, and tried to raise your hand once. Are you interested in me?"
The man called "Ke Xian" smiled and finished speaking to her, then looked behind her and said in English to the person who called him, "Come on in a bit."
Before she could reply, he continued, "Ji Jiazhen, if you're interested in me, why don't you try playing with me?"
Ji Jiazhen looked into his eyes, pursed her lips, and slipped her hand out of her pocket.
It was not Wen Siyu.
But there was one face that bore a striking resemblance to Wen Siyu.
-----------------------
Author's note: The countdown to Wen Siyu going mad has begun.
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