How could I not have liked someone?
She had once been the most cowardly follower, cycling far behind that person, to read the books he had read and walk the paths he had walked.
The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the air around her face. That autumn, the sun shone brightly, and both sunrise and sunset were something to look forward to.
Why did he eventually muster the courage to confess his feelings?
Perhaps it's too good to pass up, and one might want to possess her, wondering if they could use up all the luck in her life to make her dream come true just once.
Meng Jiuyi squatted down, picked up the magazine, and opened the cover page. Probably no one would know that her secret was hidden here.
On the cover, he is dressed casually, his white shirt loosely outlining his figure. It was probably a candid shot. He and his friends from Cambridge are walking past King's College. The smile in his eyes hasn't faded yet, but when he looks at the camera, there is a hint of restraint.
Like the mist at dusk, clean and warm, distant and detached.
This is one of the world's most influential mathematics journals, and he proudly appeared on the cover because he won the gold medal.
The participants included PhDs and professors with many years of research experience, so you can imagine the sensation caused by his gold medal win as a graduate student.
Only a fool like her would think he was an ordinary person, after all, she often saw him taking the bus and riding a bicycle, and she often saw him in the cafeteria.
He was as composed as an old book in a library, hard to associate with those ostentatious rich kids, but was he really without any trace of it?
The black coat, which is most prone to accumulating dust in winter, remained spotless on him.
That kind of habit and self-discipline would never come from an ordinary person.
Meng Jiuyi had wondered what Xu Yanzhi would be like in a relationship. He was humble and approachable, yet his rejections were impeccable. She harbored a twisted desire to see him lose control, yet also hoped that day would never come.
But he is not a god; he too can fall for another beautiful soul, only that person is not her.
In the pouring rain, Meng Jiuyi saw him carrying his injured girlfriend as they got into the extended Rolls-Royce. The girl in his arms closed her eyes tightly, raised her arms to wrap around his neck, like a fragile swan.
Xu Yanzhi gestured to the butler, who then raised the large umbrella high and poured it down, instantly soaking the man's shoulders with rain.
During his six months at school, he always kept a low profile. It was only when he met the person he loved that he was willing to do everything to protect her.
The rain slanted across Meng Jiuyi's face, the bone-chilling cold making her feel completely cold and fully awake.
No matter how much excitement there was, a heavy rain completely extinguished it.
They must be living a very happy life abroad now, right?
Meng Jiuyi pursed her lips and put the magazine back.
**
On the day of the press conference for "Blind Girl", the entire Zhengjia Plaza was packed with people. Fans who did not get tickets for the inner circle lined up late at night, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wang Ru from afar.
The entire publicity department was already in place by morning, and Taozi secretly complained to Meng Jiuyi.
"Didn't you see those male fans outside the stadium? They were all tall and burly. I almost suffocated from the stench when I went over to maintain order. Were these guys carrying poison gas?"
Meng Jiuyi suppressed a laugh.
"They might have used their bath money to chase after celebrities."
"I didn't expect you to have such a sharp tongue, but I like it!"
Peach chuckled, "I feel like Wang Ru's pure and innocent image is misplaced. Don't be fooled by her current popularity; she's just a bunch of freeloaders."
Meng Jiuyi smiled but didn't say anything.
Supervisor Fang came over and urgently transferred Taozi away, saying that she had other tasks to assign to her.
"Sister Fang, what's wrong?" Taozi asked.
Fangjie said that Wang Ru's assistant just called and made a lot of demands, such as only drinking Voss mineral water, having Freud in the hotel room, having down pillows, and keeping the room humidity at 30%.
Fang cursed, "Damn it!" and could only transfer someone from the already tight staffing to serve her.
Peach cried out in distress, "Sister Fang, I don't want to go. Please, please arrange for me to do some other manual labor."
It was well-known in the industry that Wang Ru was a notorious womanizer who was particularly good at making things difficult for people.
Fangjie was also in a dilemma, but there were no extra staff to arrange for her.
Meng Jiuyi then offered, "Sister Fang, how about I switch with Xiaotao?"
Xiao Tao hugged her excitedly, almost kneeling down before her.
Meng Jiuyi took the room key and went upstairs to the hotel suite.
She had just finished inserting Freud's needle and was about to water it when she heard footsteps. Wang Ru came in, took off her sunglasses, and threw her bag on the bed.
"I need to take a nap at noon, so please have them reschedule the time."
The assistant stood behind her and said, "Sister Ru, this was a joint decision made by several parties. I consulted you before, and you agreed."
"Then I want to eat hot dry noodles for lunch."
"Where in Kyushu can I find this..."
"This won't work, that won't work, why would I hire you as an assistant?"
Wang Ru got angry, "If you can't buy it back, you're fired."
The assistant swallowed his anger and went out to find hot dry noodles.
Meng Jiuyi put down the kettle and was about to go out when Wang Ru called her back.
"Hey, help me take off my shoes."
She lifted her leg to indicate the high heels on her feet.
Meng Jiuyi wore a mask, but her eyes were clear and bright.
"Don't you have hands?"
Wang Ru's face fell. "Which company are you from? Don't you even know this basic etiquette?"
Meng Jiuyi asked calmly, "Who made the rule that you pay my salary?"
Wang Ru was choked and was about to lash out.
Producer Wu Bin stood by the door and gently knocked.
"Come see how your preparations are going."
After Meng Jiuyi left, Wang Ru went up to him and hung on his neck, letting him put his hands on her buttocks, her voice sweet and coquettish.
"Brother Wu, what kind of lousy marketing company did you hire? They dare to ride roughshod over my logistics."
**
Before 2 p.m., the exhibition hall on the first floor of the plaza was already packed. Media and cameras occupied the best spots, while fans in the back row made light boards and flowers in support of the crowd.
Amidst the clamor of discussion, the girl and her companion spoke.
"This movie mainly tells the story of Xiaojun, who is forced to transfer to a new school after her parents' divorce. Because of her withdrawn personality, she is bullied by her classmates. It made my heart ache. Ruru's acting is really good. I wanted to kill those bullies!"
"I heard this is based on Ruru's personal experience in high school?"
"Oh? No way? This is so heartbreaking."
The discussion abruptly ended, and the host went on stage to give a brief introduction before introducing the film's main actors in a high-profile manner.
Thunderous applause erupted in the room as the lead actors appeared one by one.
Wang Ru, dressed in a white t-shirt and denim skirt, looked youthful and beautiful, no different from a high school student. Amidst the wave of cheers, she put her finger to her lips, and the audience fell silent instantly.
"First of all, thank you so much for liking Xiaojun so much. I have never had a role that has received so much love. I heard that some overseas friends even traveled thousands of miles back to see me, which greatly encouraged me."
The term "school bullying" has only emerged in recent years, but there have already been many victims. They didn't understand that it was bullying; they were simply confused, like Xiaojun, about why they were being bullied. Hopefully, this film can offer them some comfort. Being bullied is not your fault; don't doubt yourself.
Fans who had similar experiences were already in tears.
The brim of her hat obscured most of Meng Jiuyi's face. As she watched Wang Ru speaking eloquently on stage, certain memories began to surface—
"Meng Jiuyi, don't you think about it? Out of so many people in the class, why are you the only one being bullied?"
Wang Ru said, word by word, "Because you're cheap! What are you doing pretending to be, some rich young lady in class?"
Several people were pulling on her arm and she couldn't escape, but their eyes were fixed on her.
"You dare glare at me? Go ahead and try glaring at me again!"
Wang Ru took a piece of chalk and rubbed it hard on her face. The rough, abrasive texture scraped against her face, causing peeling and allergies for several months afterward.
The stinging sensation lingered in Meng Jiuyi's mind like a nightmare. She subconsciously touched her face, and the thunderous applause in the arena told her that years had passed.
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