Chapter 26 "Deliberately Mentioning Him in Front of Me"
Before hearing Wen Jia's answer, Xu Shaoting had considered a hundred possibilities. He thought he would hear her teasing with a smile, or a coquettish evasion, or even simply silence.
But he never imagined she would answer like this, with disappointment and indifference in her eyes.
"Is this how Zhou Jingcheng treated you before?"
Xu Shaoting remained calm and composed, but his tone was clearly tinged with anger, as if he were about to order someone to bring Zhou Jingcheng to him at any moment.
Wen Jia lowered her long eyelashes and nodded almost imperceptibly, but received no response from Xu Shaoting.
She looked up at him and noticed that his face was dark and his eyes were covered with frost.
She subtly moved closer to Xu Shaoting and joked, "Of course, he can't compare to Chairman Xu. He invited me to a banquet but didn't give me a hundred million, didn't prepare a dress for me, and didn't hire a makeup artist for me. I won't go with him anymore."
Xu Shaoting glared at her coldly, "You want a next time?"
Wen Jia rolled her eyes twice and deliberately said, "Didn't we agree not to interfere with my other love life?"
The atmosphere inside the car became subtle. She and he weren't enemies, so describing it as tense would be an exaggeration; it was more like a turbulent undercurrent.
The two converging waters are silently locked in a struggle.
Xu Shaoting's expression didn't change noticeably, but his tone suddenly turned icy:
"From what you're saying, you mean there are feelings between you and Zhou Jingcheng?"
Wen Jia thought seriously, her eyes sparkling. "As for feelings... there's definitely a little bit. After all, I've known Zhou Jingcheng for many years, and he's handsome and has some money, so it's hard not to have feelings for him."
Do you know what you're saying?
Looking at his expression, Wen Jia smiled brightly and generously, "Chairman Xu, you're not angry, are you?"
"…No."
"Is he jealous?"
"It's not that bad."
Wen Jia let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, her voice light and cheerful, "That's good. You're so generous. Zhou Jingcheng is no match for you. If I were dating him, even if it was just a contract, he wouldn't agree to me getting close to other men."
The partition between the front and rear rows did not rise. Wen Jia's words drifted into Lin Youzhe's ears. He quietly tightened his grip on the steering wheel, released the accelerator, and the car slowed down. He glanced at Xu Shaoting's expression in the rearview mirror.
He was worried for Wen Jia.
Lin Youzhe saw that the man in the back row had a furrowed brow, clearly his patience had run out, and his mood was fluctuating between irritability and impatience.
Having followed Xu Shaoting for so long, this was the first time he had seen Xu Shaoting with such a gloomy expression. He was sweating profusely in the front row and didn't dare to utter a sound.
Wen Jia, however, acted as if nothing was wrong. She took out a round cushion compact from her handbag, but instead of touching up her makeup, she slowly and deliberately looked at herself in the mirror.
Whether Xu Shaoting suppressed his emotions or not, Lin Youzhe didn't know. He only heard a sudden click as the round box was tightly closed.
The man reached out and snatched the thing from her hand.
The next second, the world spun around, and Wen Jia was pulled into a firm embrace.
In her panic, she braced herself against his chest.
Wen Jia's upper body weight was on him, while her lower body was half-suspended in the air, supported only by her two slender legs.
Xu Shaoting noticed, but deliberately didn't help her. He even slightly loosened his grip, letting Wen Jia slide off him.
He looked down at Wen Jia. "Was it intentional?"
"Intentionally what?"
Xu Shaoting looked at her feigning ignorance and suddenly laughed, "You deliberately mentioned Zhou Jingcheng in front of me."
She deliberately said that she had feelings for Zhou Jingcheng.
This was the second half of his sentence, but he didn't say it aloud.
A familiar feeling washed over him again, as if he were looking at her through a veil of mist. Even though he knew she was saying it on purpose, he still felt inexplicably uneasy, afraid that even a single truth might be mixed in with her hundred lies.
Lin Youzhe could no longer hear the rest of the conversation, because he saw in the rearview mirror that Xu Shaoting picked up Wen Jia and put her on his lap, then pressed the central control button to raise the partition screen.
Before Wen Jia's soft gasp could even fade, the sound was completely blocked by the partition screen...
-
After driving for an hour, Wenjia got out of the car and learned that the auction dinner was being held on a cruise ship.
As the sun sets, the rosy glow is broken up and splashed into the Yunting River, making the surface of the river shimmer and sparkle with golden light.
A four-story super-large cruise ship was moored on the riverbank, with a circle of bodyguards in black suits standing solemnly on the deck.
Xu Shaoting led Wen Jia onto the cruise ship. Before they even saw the ship's owner, a hearty laugh rang out—
A smiling stranger approached from a distance, stepped forward, and shook hands and hugged Xu Shaoting.
“President Zhang,” Xu Shaoting introduced to Wen Jia.
Zhang Shengquan was more than half a head shorter than Xu Shaoting. Although the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and the slight gray hair at his temples when he smiled showed that he was getting old, he had a refined demeanor and was quite elegant.
Wen Jia greeted Zhang Shengquan briefly, and the latter showed no surprise at her arrival. The three exchanged a few pleasantries on the deck, after which Zhang Shengquan led the two of them into the cruise ship.
Wen Jia, with one arm around Shao Ting and the other holding her handbag to her lips, asked in a low voice, "Who are these people who came today?"
Xu Shaoting whispered, "You'll find out soon enough."
Wen Jia tightened her grip on his hand, playfully scolding him for being so mysterious.
The auction officially started at 8 p.m., and by then, about 80% of the guests had arrived and were socializing in the main hall on the first floor.
Dressed in suits and ties, dressed in elegant gowns, amidst the fragrance of clothes and the rustling of hair.
The banquet was by invitation only. Those who boarded the cruise ship were either rich or powerful, or at the very least, had connections to obtain an invitation.
The two took champagne from the waiter's tray and went inside. Wen Jia glanced casually around the hall; among the invited guests were even a few white faces, but she didn't see any familiar faces from the industry. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But she was too happy too soon.
Jiang Zhao suddenly appeared out of nowhere again. Of course, if it were just her alone, it wouldn't be enough to make Wen Jia turn her attention.
But Zhou Jingcheng was standing next to her.
The man and woman were not overly intimate; at first glance, it looked as if Jiang Zhao was actively clinging to Zhou Jingcheng.
Wen Jia gradually slowed her pace and looked up at Xu Shaoting, only to see that he looked calm, as if he had known all along that Zhou Jingcheng would appear.
Is this what he meant by 'you'll find out soon'?
Zhang Shengquan was smiling and about to introduce Xu Shaoting when he saw Zhou Jingcheng holding a wine glass, taking two steps toward Xu Shaoting and nodding to him, "Chairman Xu."
"Do you two know each other?"
Xu Shaoting smiled at Zhang Shengquan, "I know him," he glanced at Wen Jia, and added, "An acquaintance."
In fact, before the two boarded the yacht, Zhou Jingcheng's gaze began to wander, glancing at the dock from time to time. Sure enough, as he expected, Xu Shaoting still brought Wen Jia.
Zhou Jingcheng took a small sip of champagne, and as he tilted his head back to drink, his gaze seemingly casually swept over Wen Jia's arm linked with Xu Shaoting's. If it were any other man standing next to Wen Jia, Zhou Jingcheng would definitely have bared his fangs and confronted him, but since the man was Xu Shaoting, Zhou Jingcheng could only swallow his jealousy along with his drink.
The more you drink, the more sour it becomes; the more you drink, the more bitter it becomes.
Wen Jia blinked slowly, suddenly feeling that the scene was too surreal. Last time, she was still being held in Zhou Jingcheng's arms and greeting Xu Shaoting on the other side. This time, she was completely standing on one side with Xu Shaoting, looking at Zhou Jingcheng on the other side.
She didn't try to hide it, and smiled generously at Zhou Jingcheng, saying, "Hello, Mr. Zhou."
Xu Shaoting's expression remained unchanged as she greeted him, still smiling faintly. He glanced at Zhou Jingcheng, then at Jiang Zhao beside him, and casually began to speak:
"The two seem to be a good match and are having a great time."
In her words, she subtly separated Zhou Jingcheng from Wen Jia's side and then stitched him back together with others.
Even with his excellent self-control, Liang Zhoujing's face couldn't help but darken, becoming terrifyingly so.
However, this scene did not catch Xu Shaoting's eye, because he had already passed by the group with Wen Jia.
Zhang Shengquan frowned, glancing around at the subtle and turbulent atmosphere. He silently weighed the pros and cons in his mind before following Xu Shaoting's steps.
With one hand in his pocket and the other holding a wine glass, Zhou Jingcheng waited until the two men had completely passed by before turning around to examine their backs.
Jiang Zhao's eyes darted around twice, and he moved even closer to Zhou Jingcheng, "President Zhou likes Wenjia?"
As someone in the industry, she was naturally aware that Zhou Jingcheng liked Wen Jia. She asked the question simply to get his attention by using Wen Jia's name.
Zhou Jingcheng turned his head and glanced at her, snorted coldly, and walked straight inside without saying a word.
Jiang Zhao stared at his back, biting her lower lip, her expression extremely defiant. She jogged up to catch up with the man in her ten-centimeter stilettos, walked to his side, and took his arm.
Wen Jia and Xu Shaoting entered the main restaurant. There were several more guests than in the main hall, but fortunately the space was spacious and did not feel crowded.
Zhang Shengquan eagerly led the two of them, introducing them as they walked. The guests scattered around them turned their gazes toward them, their expressions varied—calm, surprised, and delighted.
As a public figure who deals with the government, it's not surprising to see Xu Shaoting in this world of fame and fortune.
What truly changed the guests' expressions was the figure of the woman next to Xu Shaoting.
Few people have ever seen Hsu Shao-ting with a woman in such a public setting, and the rumors about him are absurd.
Some suspect he is against marriage, some say he is already engaged, and some even question his sexual orientation.
Whenever these words came out, Lin Youzhe would worry for him, but the person involved seemed indifferent and never interfered with the public's freedom of speech.
Only now, amidst the clinking of glasses and the bustling atmosphere, did the rumors finally crumble when everyone saw the woman in his arms.
Most importantly, this woman is Wen Jia, a top-tier actress, someone whose name you can recognize even if you've never seen her work.
Before this, no one had ever connected the two of them.
Wen Jia felt the gazes directed at her from all around, but she remained quite poised and at ease. When someone greeted her, she nodded; when someone called her name, she gave a charming smile and replied, "Good evening."
The guests on the yacht were all smiling and dressed smartly. But once you strip them down, who isn't someone who loves to spy, covet, and suspect others? So there were quite a few whispers.
"How did those two end up together?" Someone in the crowd covered their mouth and whispered among themselves.
The person next to him chuckled softly, "Why are you so shocked? Which celebrity doesn't have capital behind them these days? To put it nicely, they're capital; to put it bluntly, they're sugar daddies. Just you wait and see, Xu Shaoting will probably just be playing around with her for a while."
"It's still uncertain who's playing whom. Didn't Wen Jia have some contact with Zhou Jingcheng not long ago? What kind of magic does this woman possess? Capital keeps piling up on her."
The man speaking was full of disdain and sarcasm. His gaze was shifty. When he saw Xu Shaoting approaching, he quickly pushed away the person who had been whispering with him, raised his glass, and greeted Xu Shaoting and Wen Jia with a smile.
Her smile was filled with flattery.
From the moment he entered the restaurant, Xu Shaoting adopted the polite yet superficial smile he wore in business dealings. He stopped, clinked glasses with the man, but deliberately didn't drink. Instead, he subtly pushed Wen Jia, whom he was holding, forward slightly. The man, being a clever fellow, immediately extended his glass to Wen Jia upon seeing Xu Shaoting's action. Xu Shaoting exchanged a few casual pleasantries with the man before leading Wen Jia towards the open corridor.
The night was dark, with the sky and the river surface both shrouded in darkness. Several points of light were reflected on the water from the tall buildings on both sides of the river, and the cruise ships stirred up layers of white waves as they passed by.
Several warm-colored lights were lit on one side of the corridor, where several men and women stood talking. Wen Jia looked over from a distance and felt that one of the figures looked extremely familiar.
Just then, the man caught a glimpse of Xu Shaoting approaching out of the corner of his eye, quickly put on a smile, and turned away. Wen Jia blinked, took a closer look, her brows furrowed, and she gasped.
Shen Qiaowen.
Shen Qiaowen seemed a little surprised to see Wen Jia, and his figure visibly froze for a moment. But being a big director, he quickly concealed his expression and took two steps toward Xu Shaoting.
"Chairman Xu, I've heard so much about you."
Xu Shaoting smiled but did not respond.
Actually, Xu Shaoting didn't know Shen Qiaowen before he heard the name from Yu Kaiqing.
That day, after hearing Yu Kaiqing's words at Wen Jia's villa, he left and, in the car, asked Lin Youzhe to investigate Shen Qiaowen. Coincidentally, Zhang Shengquan handed him an invitation to a dinner party. Xu Shaoting didn't immediately agree to attend, but casually tossed Zhang Shengquan a condition:
"Do you know Shen Qiaowen?" Xu Shaoting asked listlessly over the phone.
Zhang Shengquan pondered, "Shen Qiaowen, what about the director?"
"Yes, do you know me?"
"We know each other, but we don't have any collaboration."
"How is he?" At that moment, Xu Shaoting was sitting calmly in the middle of the sofa in the living room, looking at the information that Lin Youzhe had found.
Zhang Shengquan bluntly stated, "His reputation is so-so, but I haven't had much contact with him, so it's hard to say."
"Invite him over."
On the other end of the phone, Zhang Shengquan remained silent, whether he hadn't heard clearly or was confused, and didn't respond for a long time.
“Invite him to the dinner party,” Xu Shaoting repeated listlessly.
Zhang Shengquan wiped his brow, "Did he offend you...?"
Xu Shaoting smiled and said, "Don't ask so many questions yet, just invite him over."
He then hung up the phone.
That same day, Shen Qiaowen received an invitation to a dinner party, with Zhang Shengquan adding a note: "Xu Shaoting invited you."
Shen Qiaowen was somewhat flattered. She had heard of Xu Shaoting before, but had never had the opportunity to actually get to know him.
He never imagined that Xu Shaoting would know him, nor did he expect that Xu Shaoting would personally invite him to the banquet.
So he immediately canceled all his schedule for the day of the banquet and dressed up for the occasion.
He boarded the yacht and casually chatted with others on the corridor, sometimes listening quietly and sometimes bursting into hearty laughter, but only he knew that his attention was never on the small talk.
After half an hour of his mind wandering, he finally saw Xu Shaoting appear and immediately went up to greet him warmly.
At that moment, Xu Shaoting glanced at the man across from him who was greeting him, but did not respond immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Wen Jia's reaction.
She pursed her lips, her expression calm, but her gaze was unfocused, as if she didn't want to meet Shen Qiaowen's eyes.
The atmosphere froze for two seconds. When Shen Qiaowen saw Xu Shaoting's gaze on Wen Jia, he forced a smile and asked first, "Wen Jia? How have you been lately? Are you filming?"
Before Wen Jia could respond, Xu Shaoting spoke first, deliberately asking, "Do you know Director Shen?"
She said softly, "I know him. I've acted in Director Shen's films before."
Shen Qiaowen sighed inwardly, thankful that Wen Jia was discerning and hadn't revealed that he had made things difficult for her on set. He pulled a business card from his suit pocket, seemingly having been waiting for this moment since boarding the yacht, and eagerly handed it to Xu Shaoting.
After waiting for more than ten seconds, the response that Shen Qiaowen had expected did not come. He glanced at the man opposite him.
Xu Shaoting remained in the position of being held by Wen Jia, his hand not reaching out at all.
Wen Jia was too kind. Seeing Shen Qiaowen's embarrassment, she hesitated for a moment, then freed one hand to take the business card he handed her.
Before she could take the business card, Xu Shaoting reached out and stopped her. Wen Jia looked up at him abruptly, only to see him slowly suppress the faint smile that had been playing on his lips and eyes. "Thank you, Director Chen, but..."
He deliberately left his words unfinished, and as soon as he uttered them, the seemingly indifferent guests all turned their attention to their conversation.
Xu Shaoting noticed that everyone's gazes were directed at him before continuing, his tone light yet extremely sarcastic:
"I heard that Director Shen is very arrogant and especially likes to make things difficult for people on set, so this business card is unnecessary."
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Author's Note: The dialogues and inner monologues of the supporting characters are for the sake of the plot and do not represent the author's values. The author would never denigrate the male and female protagonists.
There should be another update tomorrow.
A huge thank you to all the readers who gave me nutrient solution and landmines!
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