Chapter 17 "I'm a normal man too"...
Xu Shaoting glanced impatiently out the window again, subconsciously tugging at his tie. The Windsor knot, which had been neatly tied, was now out of shape, and his snow-white collar was slightly open. He turned off the live stream channel with little interest and tossed the phone back to Lin Youzhe.
The person being observed was completely unaware of all this and was walking towards the lounge, with Jiang Zhao following behind her in small, quick steps.
Wen Jia found the room with her name on it.
"Sis, thank you for today." Jiang Zhao followed in without any hesitation.
Wen Jia simply glanced at her calmly and said nothing.
Jiang Zhao knew that Wen Jia thought she was being insincere, so she winked at Wen Jia and said, "Thank you so much. Ugh, I'll never walk the opening act again, it's too scary."
Wen Jia poked at her lungs, "Just walk around a few more times and it'll be fine."
Jiang Zhao immediately deflated, "Where have I gotten so many chances to leave? I had to beg for this today."
Wen Jia smiled, whether at her discouragement or her frankness, it was hard to tell. "If you really want to leave, I'll talk to the organizers next time, and they'll let you leave every time."
"Really?" Jiang Zhao looked embarrassed. "If I had known you had this ability, I wouldn't have teased you on set back then."
Wen Jia scoffed lightly, "You haven't managed to shut me up yet."
The atmosphere between the two of them has eased somewhat, and Jiang Zhao has relaxed as well. She stopped arguing with her and her mind was already on the after-party. She asked, "What are you going to wear to the after-party?"
"I'm not going."
"Not going?"
Jiang Zhao couldn't understand Wen Jia's answer, because it seemed to her that this was an opportunity she couldn't easily give up.
Wen Jia hummed in agreement, walked to the vanity mirror, took off the necklace around her neck, and carefully weighed it in her hand.
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Of course I have more important things to do."
She touched the gem in her palm and said absentmindedly.
Outside, Jiang Zhao's assistant searched the backstage area but couldn't find him. She didn't knock on Wen Jia's dressing room door because she never expected Jiang Zhao to be with Wen Jia.
When she had absolutely no other choice, she approached the door of Wen Jia's lounge and asked, "Sister Wen, have you seen Jiang Zhao? I can't find her."
The doorknob was turned, and Wen Jia looked at the person outside. "She's inside."
Jiang Zhao's assistant was surprised and immediately ran in to pull the person out.
Just then, Yu Kaiqing strolled to the door and tossed her phone to Wen Jia, saying, "It's Sister Zhang on the phone."
Wenjia connected:
"Where did you get that necklace? Did you take on an endorsement deal behind my back?"
Wen Jia didn't hide anything: "Xu Shaoting sent it."
"sponsor?"
"He didn't say."
"They want you to be their spokesperson?"
"have no idea."
Zhang Linzhi was speechless at her answer. Seeing that she hadn't gotten any information out of her, she rolled her eyes and said, "The comments section of the Weibo post I just made is all talking about this."
“I saw it.”
Zhang Linzhi didn't forget to add, "Why don't you take this opportunity to get an endorsement or a brand ambassadorship? They've already given you the necklace."
Wen Jia was disheartened. She couldn't see through Xu Shaoting, so she naturally didn't dare to speak definitively. "I'll see."
"Still looking? What are you pretending to be reserved for? If you really wanted to be a spokesperson, would he refuse you?" Zhang Linzhi teased.
"Who do I think I am? Just because he wants an endorsement doesn't mean he can have that kind of shamelessness."
Zhang Linzhi scoffed.
Seeing her disdain, Wen Jia added, "How about this, you go after him, you date him. That way, not only can I get the resources, but your subordinates can also get a share. Wouldn't that be better? Bye."
Before the other end could say anything, she hung up the phone.
Yu Kaiqing noticed Wen Jia's slightly furrowed brows and heard her somewhat hurried tone, and asked, "What did Sister Zhang say this time?"
Wen Jia shook her head, not answering her, and threw out a seemingly unrelated question, "Do you think he would give necklaces to other people like that?"
She loved the necklace; she loved it the moment she opened the box. But she didn't dare wear it all the time. She was afraid the necklace wasn't exclusively hers, or rather, she was afraid Xu Shaoting's feelings weren't exclusively hers. She hated such fickle and indecisive affections.
That damned Zhou Jingcheng had to say those things to her, and she just happened to be easily swayed, believing whatever others told her. Now, whenever Xu Shaoting's name was mentioned, she felt that he was completely indescribable.
Wen Jia shook her head, completely banishing the random thoughts from her mind. She carefully put the necklace back into the box, picked up her shawl and put it on, then returned to the studio with Yu Kaiqing.
The studio was inside the building. Before the van had even fully arrived, Wen Jia could see a large crowd gathered on both sides of the building entrance through the tinted windows.
Seeing this, the driver wanted to turn around and head towards the underground parking lot, but Wen Jia stopped him, saying, "Just get off at the entrance of the building."
This large group of people were naturally there to see Wen Jia. As the car approached, the cheers from the crowd grew clearer and louder. Wen Jia stepped out of the van and waved to both sides. The fans were very orderly, holding banners and gathering on both sides of the gate, always making way for Wen Jia to walk.
After greeting her fans, she went to the first floor of the building and took the elevator back to her studio.
The moment she stepped inside, the phone call she had been waiting for came through.
Wen Jia listened to the ringtone and deliberately waited half a minute before answering.
On the other end of the phone, the mechanical voice of the navigation prompt came out before Xu Shaoting's voice.
After a moment of silence, a familiar, deep voice rang out.
"I've finished walking the red carpet."
It was a declarative sentence, spoken with great certainty. She wondered how Xu Shaoting could be so sure.
"How did Chairman Xu manage to time it so perfectly?"
"Just a guess."
Wen Jia smiled faintly, but Xu Shaoting couldn't see it; he only heard her ask:
"Did Chairman Xu watch me walk the red carpet?"
No, I don't use Weibo.
How did you know it was being streamed live on Weibo?
"..."
Xu Shaoting didn't answer this question. He looked out the window. The car had already made a sharp turn and entered the building's underground parking lot. He said in a serious tone, "I'm in the parking lot, Section A."
Wen Jia held her phone tightly, her heart tightening. She immediately stood up again, her body barely touching the sofa. He had arrived even earlier than she had expected. She glanced down at her dress, her expression somewhat troubled.
The dress was tight at the waist and had a long zipper, making it difficult to put on and even more difficult to take off. Wen Jia didn't want to keep him waiting, so she picked up the shawl that was lying to the side and said to Yu Kaiqing, "I'm leaving now, it's too late. I'll return the dress later."
Before Kaiqing could answer, she took a new mask out of her handbag, put it on, and walked out of the studio.
It was rush hour, and many people were gathered around the elevators on this floor.
Wen Jia walked to the front of the sedan chair and waited.
Many big-name celebrities frequent this styling studio, so everyone is used to it. However, this is the first time they have seen a celebrity without assistants or bodyguards.
Most importantly, this person is Wen Jia.
A seemingly casual gaze fell on Wen Jia, whose delicate brows furrowed slightly, not because of the stares from passersby, but because of the long wait for the elevator.
Finally, with a 'ding', the silver elevator doors slowly opened to both sides.
Wen Jia lowered her head slightly and was about to step in when black leather shoes and suit pants unexpectedly entered her field of vision. She suddenly looked up and saw a familiar, handsome face with a calm expression.
Why did he come up here so directly?
He was truly dignified and self-possessed; his previously loose tie had clearly been straightened, resting neatly against his Adam's apple. He stood tall and slender in the elevator, dressed in dark attire. His expression remained unchanged, as if he were not surprised by her appearance.
Xu Shaoting glanced at her from head to toe, and after seeing clearly the see-through dress she was wearing,
He gasped slightly.
The next second, he reached out his warm, large hand and gently pulled the woman standing outside inside.
Wen Jia hadn't taken off her high heels, which made a dull thud as they hit the floor of the sedan chair. She was prepared to fall, but the stumble she imagined didn't happen, because she was about to fall into a solid embrace.
Xu Shaoting moved very steadily, and he was able to support her weight as she lunged at him with just one hand. As the two got close, he reached out his other hand to support her.
The whole sequence of actions took only a few seconds; before Wen Jia could even react, she was already in Xu Shaoting's arms.
She was completely in his arms.
She kept her eyes closed, one hand unconsciously gripping his tie, the other hand pressed against his chest, while he held her arm with one hand and gently wrapped his other arm around her waist.
Seeing this, passersby outside the elevator looked at each other, not daring to speak or look directly at who the man inside was. They all felt like they were witnessing a major scandal involving a popular female star, and none of them dared to step inside. They quickly walked to other elevators to wait.
Xu Shaoting saw that the people outside the door were gradually leaving, and he looked satisfied. Without hesitation, he pressed the elevator button.
The elevator has mirrors on three sides, and they are all meticulously cleaned.
It was incredibly easy to see the current situation clearly. Wen Jia glanced at her glasses and saw herself clinging to him, her slender fingers gripping his shoulders. Even with her fingertips holding the fine fabric of his suit coat, there wasn't a single wrinkle.
The two legs were pressed together. The suit pants were not thick, not to mention her see-through dress. Wen Jia could even feel a faint warmth.
The elevator numbers dropped three floors. Xu Shaoting looked down at the person in his arms and asked, "Are you planning to stay in my arms forever?"
He said that, but he held her hand without letting go for a second.
Wen Jia looked at his Adam's apple and jawline, cleared her throat uncomfortably, and released her hand from his shoulder.
Suddenly freed from the warm, comforting embrace, she gathered her slipped shawl, the shapely lines of her chest rising and falling with her movements.
She herself was unaware, but Xu Shaoting saw it clearly. He didn't look at it intentionally; it was just a fleeting glance. However, he had good self-control and, realizing what he had seen, quickly looked away.
Who chose the dress?
He didn't say the clothes were too daring or too revealing; he simply asked her who had chosen them.
Wen Jia had worn even bolder and more flamboyant styles before, and she felt used to it, as if it were her own clothes. It wasn't until he asked her this that she realized she was standing so "transparently" in front of a man.
In front of a normal man.
In front of a man who appears abstinent and reserved.
"Does Chairman Xu think it looks bad?"
"nice."
"Is it because my clothes don't look good?"
"It looks good too."
He glanced at the almost invisible, gossamer-thin fabric covering her lower body. "It's too see-through."
He took off his suit coat and draped it over Wen Jia.
The sudden warmth made her pause. "There's no one else here..."
"There's no one else here, but I am."
Wen Jia moved closer to him, smiling broadly, "Then there's even less need to hide it, right?"
Xu Shaoting looked down at her, his expression dangerous and direct, like a cheetah in the dark eyeing its prey with nowhere to escape. He swallowed hard and said, word by word, "I'm a normal man too."
“Of course Chairman Xu is normal, he looks perfectly normal to you.” She emphasized the word ‘normal’ with a meaningful tone.
Xu Shaoting's breathing became almost imperceptibly heavy. He stared at her, as if it were the first time he had ever been so unable to see through someone else, unsure whether she was doing it on purpose or unintentionally.
He suddenly wrapped one large hand around her waist, forcing her into his embrace. The two were so close that his arms tightened around her with each heavy breath, as if trying to merge them completely together.
"Are you genuinely confused, or are you just pretending?"
A familiar, strong masculine scent enveloped her, making her a little flustered. She smoothed his tie and said, "Just kidding."
After uttering those three simple words, she escaped from his embrace, leaving Xu Shaoting standing there in a daze.
He glanced down at a certain spot, let out a soft breath, and looked up to see her innocent expression after being teased. He felt helpless and angry at the same time.
Wen Jia could naturally sense the dangerous look in his eyes, but she deliberately avoided looking at him, changed the subject, and finally found an opportunity to ask the question that had been on her mind all day, "Why did you give me the necklace today?"
Xu Shaoting slowly straightened his collar. "I'll give it to you if I want to."
What an illogical statement! Even giving gifts to others is based solely on one's own mood.
Wen Jia lowered her eyelids. "Was it only delivered to me?"
Xu Shaoting turned to look at her, "What do you mean?"
Would you give necklaces to others like that?
"Do you want me to deliver it, or not?"
Wen Jia's gaze began to wander again. She murmured, "Of course I don't want you to give it to others, but this is so unreasonable..."
Xu Shaoting pretended not to hear clearly, "Say it again, I didn't hear you clearly, do you hope or not?"
Wen Jia's rebellious streak kicked in, and she tested him, "I hope you'll give it to me, and I hope you'll give it to as many people as possible. Ideally, I'd like to see all the female celebrities in the industry wearing the necklaces you gave me by tomorrow."
Xu Shaoting's eyes darkened, and with a swift movement, he pulled the woman back into his arms. Their bodies pressed together, and he spoke a second time, word by word...
Say it again.
Wen Jia smiled, completely giving in, and tiptoed closer to his ear, whispering, "I only want you to deliver it to me."
Xu Shaoting seemed to have heard a satisfactory answer, and gave a light scoff before loosening his grip.
Finally, with a 'ding' sound, the elevator arrived at the basement parking lot.
The door opened, and a familiar face came into their view. This time, it was Wen Jia's turn to gasp.
What is he doing here?
A note from the author:
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I might not update tomorrow, or I might. If I don't update tomorrow, I'll still update the day after! It's still 8:30 PM, and Kisskiss is on her way. Thank you to my dear readers! [heart emoji]
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