Chapter 15 A Necklace Delivered by an Uninvited Guest
The following morning, an uninvited guest barged into the villa.
The young woman skillfully unlocked the villa's fingerprint lock, changed into slippers in the entryway, and walked into the living room.
Just then, Wen Jia got up and came down the stairs while yawning.
While still dazed, Wen Jia saw a familiar figure in the living room. She shuddered and instantly snapped back to reality.
"Lin Xi? What brings you here?" Wen Jia stopped in the stairwell, arms crossed, looking down at the person below. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
The figure in the living room suddenly looked up.
"I'm here to freeload a meal."
Lin Xi is Wen Jia's good friend in the entertainment industry. They knew each other before entering the industry. They took the college entrance exam for arts together, starred in their first acting work together, and stood up against rumors together. Lin Xi was there for Wen Jia during her most difficult time. Their relationship is so good that they can share a pair of pants.
Wen Jia walked to the dining table and poured Lin Xi a glass of water: "Why did you come over so suddenly? Weren't you still on set?"
"Filming's wrapped up." Lin Xi let out a long sigh. "The first thing I did after finishing filming was to come see you."
"So cheesy," Wen Jia shuddered, goosebumps rising all over her body, and exposed her. "What do you want from me?"
"Miss you."
Wen Jia glanced at her sideways, "With such terrible acting skills, which director is still asking you to act in a movie?"
Lin Xi scoffed dismissively, sat down on the sofa, and changed the subject.
She talked about her friend's gossip with great enthusiasm, "I heard that Zhou Jingcheng was very angry because of what happened to you."
"So?" Wen Jia asked calmly.
"So..." Lin Xi's expression was half suspicious and half curious, "What exactly happened?"
Wen Jia stared at Lin Xi with a half-smile for a long time, then said, "My mom sent you to gather information, right?"
Lin Xi knew she couldn't hide it from her, so she looked away awkwardly. "Auntie said she couldn't ask directly, but of course, I was curious too."
"You just betrayed my mother like that?"
"What can we do? You probably already guessed it,"
“I told you that day, it was nothing special,” Wen Jia said, a hint of impatience in her eyes. “Besides, I don’t know what right Zhou Jingcheng has to be angry, it’s all so inexplicable.”
Lin Xi looked at her expression and asked, "Why are you reacting so strongly?"
"I'm tired of being asked."
“Then let’s not ask Zhou Jingcheng,” Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but laugh. “This is the first time I’ve seen Zhou Jingcheng so angry because of another man. I’ve disliked him for a long time. Those who know him know he’s pursuing you, but those who don’t would think you’ve already married him!”
Wen Jia asked in a flippant tone, "What, you dislike Zhou Jingcheng so much, but you can't stand Xu Shaoting?"
"Actually, there's nothing I can't stand or dislike, it's just that Zhou Jingcheng is definitely not a good person. Of course, you have to be careful when dealing with someone like Xu Shaoting."
Wen Jia immediately lowered her eyes and remained silent.
“Besides, didn’t you say you wouldn’t fall for any man…” Lin Xi observed Wen Jia’s expression and narrowed her eyes. “Could it be that you’ve fallen for him?”
Wen Jia's eyes were obscured by her long, thick eyelashes, and her smile slowly faded, leaving her completely speechless.
That night, Lin Xi stayed at Wen Jia's villa. The next morning, Wen Jia woke up first to the sound of her alarm clock.
Yu Kaiqing, ever the professional, arrived on time and knocked on the bedroom door: "Get up—"
Wen Jia wasn't lying to Xu Shaoting; she did indeed have an event today—VERSO's Starlight Charity Night.
The red carpet event started at 6 p.m. Wen Jia quickly finished her brunch and then got into her van to head to the studio for a hair and makeup session.
Inside the car, Yu Kaiqing placed her tablet across her lap, turning the screen towards Wen Jia. When she was working, she seemed like a completely different person, speaking with a decisive and efficient tone: "Take a look at the dress you're going to wear today. It's a ready-made dress borrowed from the studio. The dress code for this red carpet is nude, so we chose something a bit daring. What do you think of this one?"
At this point, Wen Jia's opinion was not important. She naturally knew that Yu Kaiqing was just asking routinely. She looked at the tablet screen. The dress was long with a halter design, and the lower part was made of white sheer lace with a fishtail design.
Simple yet eye-catching.
Fortunately, today's VERSO Starlight Charity Night wasn't a very large event. Wen Jia glanced at it casually and nodded: "It's a bit daring, but as long as it can generate buzz, that's fine."
Yu Kaiqing raised an eyebrow and turned the tablet back. "Your appearance order is a bit early today. After you walk the red carpet, come to the dressing room to find me. Change into a more comfortable dress. There's an after-party after the red carpet."
Wen Jia hesitated, "I have something to do after I walk the red carpet."
"What is it? Is there anything I don't know?"
"I'm going to have dinner with Xu Shaoting," Wen Jia said bluntly.
"Who?" It was unclear whether Yu Kaiqing hadn't heard clearly or didn't believe it.
“Xu Shaoting,” Wen Jia repeated solemnly.
Yu Kaiqing pursed her lips, took out her phone, and said, "I'll call the public relations department right away and prepare to refute the rumors."
"Making a fuss over nothing." Wen Jia scoffed lightly and pressed down on her hand.
"The organizers even sent out invitations to the after-party. Aren't you afraid of offending people?"
Wen Jia turned to look out the window, her tone nonchalant, "I can tell the difference between offending the organizers and offending Xu Shaoting."
“That makes sense.” Yu Kaiqing shrugged, agreeing with her assessment.
The car was quiet.
Last night, she and Lin Xi snuggled up on the small sofa in the bedroom and chatted until the early hours of the morning. Now, the slight bumps in the car were like a hypnotic lullaby, and Wen Jia tilted her head slightly, resting her head against her neck and falling asleep.
Yu Kaiqing knew that Wen Jia was a light sleeper, and seeing that she was asleep, she couldn't bear to wake her. Her sleep was broken by a short message ringtone.
Wen Jia held the phone tightly in her hand, the ringing and vibration making her palm go numb.
It was a message from Hsu Shao-ting, very brief.
[Ms. Wen, what time does the announcement end?]
Wen Jia sent the safest time.
She stared at her chat with Xu Shaoting, the faint numbness in her palms still lingering, when another message arrived:
Send me your address.
She held her phone for a moment, thought for a moment, and sent Xu Shaoting the address of the charity gala venue. After sending it, she remembered that she had to go back to her studio to return the dress after the red carpet event, so she quickly deleted it and sent the studio's address instead.
Unbeknownst to Wen Jia, twenty minutes after she sent the message, a sapphire necklace in a velvet box was delivered to the studio.
When she arrived, stylist Kiki happened to mention this to her.
"Sis, I saw a man just bring you something. He said it was for you, but we didn't dare open it." Kiki said as she handed the velvet box to her.
"For me? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
Wen Jia was puzzled. She had only been to this studio a few times and it wasn't a place she stayed regularly. She couldn't imagine who would specifically send something to this place.
Kiki shook her head. "It shouldn't be. He just left, and a man in a suit mentioned your name. There shouldn't be any mistake, right?"
Wen Jia frowned, a strange thought rising in her mind, forcing her to ask, "What does it look like?"
Kiki thought for a moment, "Wears glasses, is very tall, wears a suit, and is very polite."
As Wen Jia listened to her reply, she lowered her head and opened the velvet box in her hand. Inside, a sapphire necklace lay neatly arranged.
She carefully took it out, weighed it in her hand, and noticed it was quite heavy. The chain was inlaid with small diamonds, with a large carat sapphire as the main stone. Even without sunlight in the room, the deep and translucent blue of the sapphire shone brilliantly.
Inside the velvet box was a cream-colored leather cushion with a gold-stamped logo – “Helios”.
Kiki is a worldly person who has entertained many female celebrities, but it's clear that this is the first time she has ever seen such a high-profile necklace.
She covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, "The Helios model?!"
Wen Jia didn't react much, she just calmly hummed in agreement.
She understood the meaning the moment she opened the box and saw those few letters.
It's Xu Shaoting.
Helios recently announced its acquisition by Tianxu Group, leading outsiders to believe that Helios was in turmoil. Brand ambassadors, brand friends, and spokespeople were living in fear, worried about losing their prestigious status. They contacted the brand overnight, and ultimately, the brand was forced to issue a statement to refute the rumors, announcing that the brand was only acquired by Tianxu Group and not withdrawn from investment or abandoned existing cooperation. Only then did everyone feel relieved.
As a luxury brand on par with Vamontié, Helios attracts the attention of fashionistas with its every move. This incident was widely discussed in the industry for half a month.
As a regular in the fashion industry, Wen Jia had naturally heard about this matter.
"Did you become Helios's spokesperson?" Kiki seemed more concerned about the origin of the necklace than Wen Jia.
"No."
"Is that a sponsorship?"
Wen Jia shook her head again, holding the necklace and looking at it again and again. In the end, she said nothing, but just clenched the necklace in her hand. The hard sapphire made her palm hurt slightly.
She absentmindedly picked up her phone and sent a message to Xu Shaoting:
[Mr. Xu, did you give me this necklace?]
Five minutes passed, and Xu Shaoting did not reply.
Ten minutes passed, and Xu Shaoting did not reply.
An hour later, Wen Jia picked up her phone again and checked it. As she expected, Xu Shaoting still hadn't replied.
-
The entire makeup and styling was completed two hours later.
This halter-neck dress was even bolder and more revealing than Wen Jia had imagined. The lower half, from the upper thigh to the ankle, was hidden in lace and gauze, making it both indistinct and alluring.
Wen Jia sat in front of the dressing table, looked up from her phone screen at herself in the mirror. Her long hair was tied up high, looking neat and tidy, and the long lines of her neck and shoulders were very striking.
Kiki leaned down, her two heads reflected side by side in the mirror. She gently lifted Wenjia's head, looked at Wenjia in the mirror, and exclaimed in genuine admiration, "Wow!"
Wen Jia smiled and said, "That's an exaggeration."
Kiki nodded emphatically, "Yes, it's ridiculously beautiful."
Kiki stared at her collarbone, feeling something was missing, so she picked up the velvet box from the table and asked Wen Jia for her opinion, "Should I wear it?"
She naturally had no idea what the necklace meant to Wen Jia. The necklace was delivered by an uninvited guest without informing Wen Jia or leaving any other extra information. However, she could tell from Wen Jia's expression just now that the arrival of the necklace had really put Wen Jia in a dilemma.
Wen Jia took the necklace. "Does it match my dress?"
Kiki held it up to her neck and nodded in affirmation.
Wen Jia also had no idea what the meaning was of Xu Shaoting giving her the necklace. Was he trying to use her celebrity status for publicity, or was he just giving it to her? Did he have ulterior motives, or was he sincere? She couldn't figure any of it out.
Therefore, the safest decision had to be made.
"I won't wear it for now." She ran her hand over her neck.
Kiki pouted, touching the necklace like it was a precious treasure, and couldn't help but ask, "Who gave it to you?"
"Didn't you just see it?"
"Come on, that person who just came by definitely wasn't the one who gave you the necklace. It was either his secretary or his assistant." Kiki glanced at her, looking embarrassed as if she'd been fooled.
Wen Jia forced a smile, leaned close to her ear, and asked mysteriously, "If I said I'm the boss of Helios, would you believe me?"
"I believe you! Why wouldn't I?" Kiki's eyes darted around. "You mean the one that acquired Helios a while ago?"
Wen Jia nodded.
"You know him?"
Wen Jia replied with a laugh, "We definitely know each other, but we're not close."
Upon hearing this, Yu Kaiqing, who had been silently scrolling through her phone on the sofa, chuckled. Wen Jia, noticing the slight commotion, gave her a gentle yet sharp glance.
Kiki reacted quickly, and seeing this, she immediately changed the subject, "I heard that Jiang Zhao will be there tonight too."
"Is that so?"
"It's said that they even asked the organizers for the opening order."
Wen Jia scoffed lightly, seeing through it all, "It shouldn't be that she went to ask the organizers herself."
"You mean..." Kiki winked at her, "Who has she hooked up with?"
“I didn’t say that.”
Wen Jia uttered such a lighthearted remark, her mind seemingly elsewhere. She lowered her head, touching the sapphire necklace, lost in thought.
"Shouldn't I outshine her tonight?"
"I don't have time for that," Wen Jia said with a soft laugh.
Kiki checked her makeup and styling one last time, and then, as is customary, the group headed to their hotel suite for a photoshoot to mark their departure for the red carpet. Before the official red carpet event, a set of makeup and styling photos was released on Weibo as a teaser.
Inside the suite, although the space was spacious enough, most of the area was occupied by lighting equipment.
Wen Jia rested her hands on the single sofa, not looking directly at the camera, but tilting her head slightly, only giving the photographer a side profile. The photographer naturally knew that this female celebrity's fashion sense was exceptional, and had already found the right angle, waiting to shoot. Just as he raised his camera, focused, and was about to press the shutter, he was suddenly interrupted by Wen Jia.
"Wait a minute." Wen Jia raised her hand.
Everyone around her, whose bodies and nerves were tense, suddenly relaxed and looked at her in confusion. People were there to serve her, and since she had interrupted, they naturally needed to listen to her needs.
Wen Jia touched her collarbone and looked at Kiki:
"What about that necklace? I want to wear it now."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Girl: Not familiar, not familiar, not familiar.
Don't worry, the transitional chapter won't be too long! What everyone wants to see will be here soon; I won't give up on giving everyone a sweet treat.
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