Chapter 37: "Feelings are biased, not evenly distributed."...
After Xu Shaoting left, Shen Zhiyun sat alone in the reception room for a long time, listening to the chatter of the people around her that morning.
"I heard that Sister Wen has a boyfriend."
"Didn't she have a relationship rumored a while ago, and she denied it? Could it be the same person?"
"I don't know. A producer I know told me that he went to an auction banquet a few days ago, and Sister Wen was there too. He also said that the man bought her a diamond ring worth tens of millions."
...
She took out her phone and typed Wen Jia's name into the Weibo search bar. She'd only typed two characters, and the first result was #WenJiaRelationshipExposed#.
The blog post hasn't been removed, but its popularity has subsided somewhat. Shen Zhiyun clicked on the image to view it.
I didn't see the man's face.
However, the handsome profile she caught through the tinted car window was familiar to her.
...
In the corridor, Xu Shaoting glanced at his watch, preparing to leave. He didn't need to pass by Wen Jia's place, but he restrained himself and changed direction, deliberately choosing a longer route that passed the main conference room, heading towards the company entrance.
He walked slowly, glancing into the conference room. He had only intended to glance at her, but his steps faltered after he saw what was inside.
The scene was slightly blinding, and he squinted as he stared at it, as if some old and obscure fragments kept surfacing in his mind.
A strong feeling surged through his brain. He frowned and stood quietly in the corridor for half a minute before leaving.
-
After lunch break, Yu Jianshan called everyone back.
Shen Zhiyun walked into the conference room with a calm expression, but her gaze was unfocused, occasionally glancing at the script and occasionally glancing at Wen Jia's fingers.
Wen Jia wasn't oblivious, but her hesitant manner was unlike her usual self, so she openly let her see.
Anyway, I had already locked that pink diamond ring in a safe, so I couldn't see anything special about it anymore.
Moreover, she didn't know what kind of past Xu Shaoting and Shen Zhiyun had, and her current awkwardness made her seem a bit petty.
The script reading in the afternoon went very smoothly. With the groundwork laid in the morning, everyone was no longer reserved, and the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.
For the first five scenes, Yu Jianshan mercifully allowed the actors to sit and rehearse their lines. However, in the sixth scene, before the director had even spoken, a deliberate commotion arose around them.
It's a scene where the male and female leads are quite intimate. The female lead's condition worsens, and she's unable to hold a paintbrush, so the male lead guides her through the painting process.
There are no lines at all, making it very difficult to act. Actors are required to express heartache and forbearance solely through facial expressions, making it a scene that truly tests the cinematic language.
In a scene where emotions only needed to be expressed through body language and facial expressions, Yu Jianshan did not disappoint, grandly having Wen Jia and Song Yanlin stand up and act together.
Wen Jia was right. Yu Jianshan knew about their past. Before officially confirming the roles, Yu Jianshan had hesitated about whether to cast Song Yanlin as the male lead.
After all, the condition that Wen Jia become the top female character was something Xu Shaoting negotiated with Yu Jianshan by investing 100 million RMB. Although Yu Jianshan and Xu Shaoting had known each other for many years, their business empires were completely different, with little competition or cooperation. The two didn't know each other very well, but even if Yu Jianshan pretended to be clueless, he should be able to see through Xu Shaoting's actions.
It means these two people have a special relationship.
Whether it's the relationship between a celebrity and their sugar daddy, or a legitimate boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, the conclusion is that these two are having an affair.
If an ordinary person had made this request to Yu Jianshan, they would have been ridiculed and kicked out. The idea of a pre-arranged deal had never worked for him. If it had been Zhou Jingcheng who made the request, he would have considered it. But if it had been Xu Shaoting who made the request, he would have to thank Xu Shaoting for giving him face. After all, how many people could refuse a favor from Xu Shaoting?
Yu Jianshan readily agreed, but there was one thing that made him hesitate—
"Chairman Xu, this film has quite a few romantic scenes, are you sure..."
That day, Xu Shaoting smiled and gave Yu Jianshan a reassuring answer: "Director Yu, you can rest assured, I will not interfere with her career."
The audition for the male lead was completed under the joint witness of Yu Jianshan, representatives of the production company, the producer, the screenwriter, and other decision-makers. It was fair, just, and open. Song Yanlin basically received a unanimous vote. Even if Yu Jianshan hesitated, the decision to make the film wasn't solely up to him. He could only silently pray that Xu Shaoting didn't know that Song Yanlin was Wen Jia's ex.
Now that the basic framework of the film has been set, as the director, he can no longer show any compassion. After all, it is a work that has gathered four or five years of hard work from everyone. He also has to be responsible to others. Making the two of them do intimate scenes in public is not because he likes watching plays, but because he had no other choice. Although he thought this way, his words were as selfless as ever.
Su Jianyun sat down next to him, nudged him with her elbow, and whispered, "Director Yu, there are no lines for this scene. Their relationship is too awkward. They probably won't be able to get into character. It would be better to rehearse it on set."
Yu Jianshan clicked his tongue and glanced at her, "Then what's the point of a reading session? We definitely need to go through it first to see if the scene is suitable for the two of them. If it's not good, we can change it."
He clapped his hands, signaling the male and female leads to stand up, and thoughtfully moved the chairs aside to give them space to rehearse their lines.
“Use this as a drawing board.” Yu Jianshan tapped the standing whiteboard next to him.
Wen Jia dragged her stool to the whiteboard. She was now completely indifferent to Song Yanlin, and the last bit of awkwardness she felt had been worn away during their time together that morning. She treated him as just an ordinary colleague, so she appeared poised and confident.
Because she had no lines and the camera only showed her back, she only needed to sit still. This scene was directed by Song Yanlin.
Song Yanlin walked three meters away, cleared his throat, and waited for Yu Jianshan to give the order.
"start."
Song Yanlin stared at Wen Jia's retreating figure, beginning to gather his emotions.
Yu Jianshan sat to the side and gestured with his hand, "When the actual filming starts, the camera position will be around this spot, using me as the lens." After observing him and seeing that he was in the zone, he then ordered, "Okay, walk over to her."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Song Yanlin took those few steps with remarkable ease.
Yu Jianshan's command came from behind again: "The camera will cut to your back here, so you need to make as big a movement as possible. You can grab it now."
At this point, Song Yanlin looked at Wen Jia's back and listened to Yu Jianshan's instructions, but inexplicably detached himself from the role for a moment and seemed quite hesitant.
Wen Jia raised her hand until her arm ached, but Song Yanlin didn't put his hand on hers.
Yu Jianshan, anxiously slapping his thigh, said, "What are you standing there for? Grab it, brother!"
A murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd.
Yu Jianshan wanted to continue urging, but was stopped by Shen Zhiyun beside him.
Wen Jia sat in front of the whiteboard for almost half a minute before she felt the weight of Song Yanlin's arm. His palm was hot and wet, making her uncomfortable, and she just wanted the whiteboard to click quickly.
"OK, stop."
Fortunately, the close-up shots ended at this point, and everything after that was cut to a long shot. Yu Jianshan interrupted this scene without hesitation.
Wen Jia sat back down at the table, not expecting to receive Yu Jianshan's "affirmation".
“It’s alright, let’s keep this part,” he said, then looked at everyone joking and clicked his tongue. “It seems like only someone who has experienced love can portray that kind of inner conflict.”
The others at the table laughed, whether because of his comments or because he brought their past into the open.
But everyone knew in their hearts that this scene was the one that required the least amount of agonizing. Even a fool could see that Yu Jianshan, while seemingly praising his acting skills, was actually criticizing his hesitation.
Having been in the industry for a long time, Song Yanlin's sharp edges have been worn away, and he is much more mature than he was a few years ago. If it were a few years ago, he probably would have already argued with Yu Jianshan. Now he is also more and more dignified. However, in line with Yu Jianshan's words, "It still needs to be brewed for a while."
Wen Jia sat beside him listening to the conversation, a chill running down her spine. She inexplicably felt that life on set wouldn't be easy from now on. So she mentally gave Yu Jianshan a thorough dressing-down, complaining about his reckless speech and his veiled criticisms.
When the script reading ended in the afternoon, it was only 5:30, but the night had already fallen heavily over the entire city.
Looking out the conference room window, neon lights flowed in the night, gold and silver melting into a hazy mist of light, extravagant and prosperous.
Wen Jia withdrew her gaze and looked at the message Xu Shaoting had sent a few seconds earlier on her phone screen:
"Waiting for you at the building entrance"
Everyone left the conference room together. The elevator car was packed, and half of the people were going to the underground parking lot. Wen Jia said goodbye to them and got off on the first floor, followed by a few staff members.
As she walked through the building's revolving glass doors, pulling her coat tighter, she glanced up and saw the man in front of the car.
In early winter in Linzhou, as New Year's Day approaches, the streets are decorated in an exquisite and warm style, the high-rise buildings are dazzling and luxurious, and neon lights adorn the night scene.
Xu Shaoting, slightly chilled by the wind and frost, leaned against the car.
He wasn't driving an Aston Martin or a Maybach, but a Bentley Continental she'd never seen before, with a silver roof and a gleaming, sharp body, exuding ultimate elegance.
The wind was cold, blowing the hem of his coat. He saw the person walking out of the building and gave her a faint smile.
The smile was casual, yet profound and elegant.
Wen Jia's heart skipped a beat, and although she was still moving forward, she slowly stopped.
The two people looked at each other from a distance of ten meters.
Seeing this, her companions, with great tact, found an excuse to say goodbye and hurriedly left in the completely opposite direction, covering their heads.
She walked steadily to the car, as if the whole world had frozen and faded, becoming black and white and still, leaving only the man in front of her.
"Why didn't you bring Lin Youzhe?"
She glanced into the unfamiliar car.
“I’ll definitely come to pick you up in person.” Xu Shaoting took Wen Jia’s hand and opened the passenger door for her.
Wen Jia was clearly pleased with these words, and finally smiled before getting into the car.
She propped her head up with one hand and watched through the windshield as Xu Shaoting slowly walked around the front of the car before getting into the driver's seat.
He didn't start the engine immediately. Instead, he held the steering wheel with one hand and rested the center console with the other, turning his head slightly to quietly look at her.
Wen Jia was in an inexplicably good mood today. Looking at his handsome face, she felt even better. She reached across the center console, wrapped her arms around his neck, and took the initiative to kiss him on the lips.
The kiss was just a brief touch of lips, and she looked up at him from his arms, only to find that he was still staring at her intently.
She chuckled, "Why are you looking at me like that? What can you possibly see in me?"
For the first time today, Xu Shaoting didn't chase after her for a kiss. His hands remained on the steering wheel, and he didn't hug her back. He simply asked calmly, "How are you feeling today? Did Yu Jianshan give you any trouble?"
In an instant, Wen Jia's mind flashed back to the scene where she was acting opposite Song Yanlin.
It's not difficult, it's just normal work.
“Of course not,” she tilted her head, smiled at him, her eyes bright, “would he dare to make things difficult for me if you were here?”
"Did you run into any acquaintances?" he asked casually.
Wen Jia hesitated for a moment, her gaze drifting to the window, "...No, what acquaintance could there be? Shen Zhiyun and I...shouldn't be considered acquaintances, right?"
Upon hearing the answer, Xu Shaoting calmly lowered his eyes and stared at her for several seconds, his gaze carrying a probing scrutiny. After a while, he finally looked away and gently patted her bottom.
"Sit tight, I'm about to start driving."
Wen Jia looked up at him, savoring his expression and tone. A strange emotion swept over her, and she gradually stopped smiling. "You're not in a good mood today."
No, don't overthink it.
"You won't hug me," Wen Jia said, sounding aggrieved.
Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
"He won't even kiss me." Wen Jia's tone became increasingly aggrieved.
Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting gently touched her moist lips.
He hugged her and kissed her. The two were very close, doing intimate things in the car. But Wen Jia suddenly felt a chill in her heart. She felt that he was unusually indifferent. It wasn't the indifference he showed when he heard about her and Zhou Jingcheng, nor was it the indifference he showed when he watched her escape from the bathroom that day. It was a straightforward estrangement that made her feel like a stranger.
She asked without any hesitation, "What's wrong with you today?"
Xu Shaoting comforted her as usual, but his words were very objective: "There's a lot going on at the company, I'm a bit tired."
She blinked, inadvertently averting her gaze, not daring to look at him. She still felt something was wrong, and her intuition told her that Xu Shaoting was clearly hiding something.
Wen Jia tentatively leaned closer to him, wanting to kiss him again. Their noses were about to touch when the man, smelling the floral and fruity scent on her, suddenly turned his face away.
The kiss failed to come as expected. She observed him and saw that he looked normal. However, she was very close to him and still caught a glimpse of the distance in his eyes.
A vivid thought flashed through Wen Jia's mind, but she was unsure and couldn't bring herself to say it.
Seeing her silence, Xu Shaoting withdrew his hand from her waist and said softly, "Be good, sit still, I'm driving."
He drove her back to the hillside estate. The one-hour drive was filled with an unusually somber atmosphere. The two of them exchanged only a few words, both of them feeling suppressed. Wen Jia sat in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing in the mirror and looking at the scenery, her gaze wandering everywhere, but she wouldn't look at him.
The Bentley stopped in front of the guard post. A butler jogged over to park the car for him. Xu Shaoting opened the car door and said in a calm voice, "Get out of the car."
Wen Jia seemed to be sulking with him, ignoring his orders and remaining calmly seated.
Xu Shaoting slammed the car door shut, walked around to the passenger side, and braced himself against the window sill.
"get off."
With the car window fully rolled down, Wen Jia glanced at his tie, then calmly turned her face towards the inside of the car, leaving him with only the back of her head.
Xu Shaoting stared at her for a few seconds before deftly opening the car door, grabbing her wrist, pulling her into his arms, and then effortlessly carrying her horizontally towards the main gate of the manor.
Wen Jia was in his arms, but she couldn't feel his body temperature at all. Suddenly, she felt a chill, and her anger subsided. Looking at the man's sharp jawline,
"What's wrong with you? I'm scared of you, please don't do this."
Xu Shaoting chuckled lightly, "Afraid of me?"
He entered the living room, took a few steps, and placed her on the sofa. "Let's eat first, and we'll talk after we finish eating."
At that moment, Wen Jia was absolutely certain that something was on his mind. She looked up at him, her head stubbornly tilted back, "I won't eat, take me home."
Xu Shaoting looked down at her for a few seconds, then suddenly ordered in a cold voice, "Get out."
Several chefs, butlers, and servants waiting in the living room stood by, watching the unusual atmosphere between the two. They dared not breathe, their foreheads beaded with sweat. Finally, they received an order and hurriedly fled.
Only the two of them remained in the living room. Wen Jia picked up her handbag, stood up slowly, gave the man a deep look, then walked past him toward the front door.
Before she could even take three steps, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to her original position with a slight movement of his arm.
He stared at her, approaching step by step with steady strides, gradually forcing her to fall into the sofa, with nowhere left to retreat.
Under his gaze, a thought grew clearer and clearer in Wen Jia's mind. She closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and knowing she couldn't escape, surrendered, "I'm sorry... I just lied to you..."
Xu Shaoting chuckled knowingly, brushing aside the stray hairs that had become messy from her movements. His gentle gaze fell upon her, but his tone chilled the air:
"Ms. Wen, how was it acting with your ex-boyfriend?"
“…Not good,” Wen Jia swallowed, her heart pounding. “So you’re angry because I lied to you?”
“I’m not angry, I just don’t understand,” Xu Shaoting looked at her coldly, “why did you lie to me and say you didn’t know anyone?”
He understood that she was not free to do what she wanted as an actress, so when Yu Jianshan asked him, he was able to firmly say that he would not interfere with her career. However, when he saw her chatting and laughing with Song Yanlin in the conference room when he left in the morning, even if it was just rehearsing a scene, he couldn't help but feel a strange feeling.
He tentatively asked her a question in the car, but she lied to him.
He didn't want to expose it, but he also felt uneasy.
Wen Jia stared at the carpet on the floor, clutching her handbag tightly. She looked extremely aggrieved. Xu Shaoting clearly saw it, but he didn't try to comfort her.
She knew she had lied to him and upset him. After thinking for a while, she wisely tossed aside her handbag, put on a pitiful expression, and looked up at him, saying, "I didn't mean to lie to you."
Xu Shaoting ignored her grievances and asked, "Then why did you still lie?"
She lowered her eyes, knowing she couldn't lie anymore, so she said truthfully, "...I'm afraid you'll be unhappy if you find out."
Xu Shaoting frowned. "I'll only be unhappy if you lie to me. Besides, this is your career, and you can't decide who plays the lead role, can you? I understand, and I won't interfere."
"Who knows... I wonder who got so angry because of Zhou Jingcheng back then... I feel like you men are all so petty in this regard..." Wen Jia muttered to herself, her lips slightly pursed, looking very frustrated.
“These are two different things, Wen Jia, I can tell the difference.” Xu Shaoting gripped her shoulders with his large hands, looked straight at her, and spoke with utmost seriousness.
Wen Jia didn't dare to look him in the eye, so she didn't know that his brows were deeply furrowed, his expression was very irritable, and he was filled with displeasure.
"Then I won't lie to you anymore. Don't be so serious, I'm scared of you."
Xu Shaoting's expression softened upon hearing her words, but his body remained unmoved.
Seeing that he didn't react, Wen Jia took the initiative to soften her stance, stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face close to his chest, listening to his heavy heartbeat.
"I lost all feelings for him a long time ago."
"He's a stranger to me, but you're an acquaintance."
"I won't lie to you anymore. I'm so afraid of you looking like that."
Xu Shaoting didn't hug her back, but simply turned his head and asked in an extremely indifferent tone, "What do you mean?"
"...a cold and indifferent demeanor."
Xu Shaoting closed his eyes tightly, remained silent for a long time, and finally softened his tone slightly, "I am not indifferent."
"You are." Wen Jia lowered her head while acting coquettishly. Seeing that his aura had softened, she remained silent for two minutes before taking advantage of the situation and deliberately said, "You scared me just now."
What scared you?
"I thought..." she hesitated, as if she couldn't bring herself to say the rest.
"Tell me," he coaxed patiently.
"I thought you were just bored, that's why you were so cold."
After those words were spoken, the living room fell silent for a full half minute.
Xu Shaoting stared intently at her, inexplicably feeling that her words were incredibly powerful, and his hardened and tense heart completely broke down.
He sighed deeply, reached out to cup her cheek, and pursed his lips.
"It was my fault."
"So Chairman Xu knows how to apologize to others after all." Judging from her tone, she seemed to find it quite unbelievable.
Xu Shaoting took half a step forward, pressing their two burning bodies together, and asked in return, "How could I not understand?"
Wen Jia lifted her head from his embrace, resting her chin on his shirt. "Was that all that made you upset just now?"
Xu Shaoting looked at her and hummed in agreement, "It's just because of this."
"Are you calmed down now?"
Looking into her eyes, his heart softened completely, and his aura instantly softened. Wen Jia's extremely aggrieved expression began to move him, and he could no longer be angry.
"It's gone."
He pulled her into his arms and sat down on the sofa.
Wen Jia sat on him with her legs bent, playing with the buttons on his shirt. "How did you know Song Yanlin was my ex-boyfriend? Does Chairman Xu also follow entertainment gossip?"
Xu Shaoting didn't answer her directly. Instead, he seemed to be thinking about something before saying, "I don't care. I saw it with my own eyes."
Wen Jia was taken aback and lifted her head from his embrace. "You saw it with your own eyes?"
Xu Shaoting nodded. "Do you remember when we first met, I said that I had actually met you before?"
Wen Jia carefully recalled the events in her mind and nodded.
Do you remember Chen Fang?
"Chen Fang? The director? I've worked with him before, do you know him?"
“He is actually a very good friend of mine,” Xu Shaoting chuckled softly. “The first time I met you was on his film set.”
Wen Jia's lips parted slightly, her expression somewhat incredulous, and her fingers, which had been playing with his buttons, paused. "Wasn't that... a long time ago?"
"It was quite a while ago, I think. Do you remember the last time it snowed in Linzhou? Do you recall which year it was last snowed in Linzhou?"
Wen Jia loves snow, but Linzhou is a typical subtropical monsoon city, and snow is not common. The last time people here saw snow was four years ago on Christmas Eve.
She remembered that day, she was filming her final scene outdoors. The crew members were all shouting that they should finish work early so they could go celebrate the holiday. That day, the whole set was restless and extremely noisy.
After the last take was filmed, the director yelled "Cut!" and, quite fittingly, light snow began to fall from the sky. The entire crew celebrated for finally finishing the take before the bad weather. Wen Jia, listening to their comments, was unconvinced. She felt that snow wasn't bad weather, so her surprise was quite noticeable in the crowd. Wearing a coat and without an umbrella, she spun around to catch the snow with her hands, her mind solely focused on the snow.
So he didn't notice the tall, slender male figure under the streetlight, or his nonchalant gaze.
And just like that, she wandered into his world.
"But Song Yanlin wasn't there that day."
“He’s here,” Xu Shaoting kissed the back of her hand, “He came to bring you flowers.”
Wen Jia recalled for five seconds, then felt inexplicably embarrassed, as if she had been caught in the act. "Look, I don't even remember him coming here."
This was the only thing that made Xu Shaoting feel relieved so far tonight, and he finally relaxed his brows and showed a slight smile.
"So you noticed me back then."
“It wasn’t just attention,” he paused deliberately, then confessed, “it was more like interest.”
Wen Jia was slightly stunned. He had said it casually, but that casualness stirred her heartbeat.
An unprecedented surge of emotion welled up in her chest. Her relationship with Song Yanlin had developed naturally; they had instinctively decided on each other, skipping the confession stage. Therefore, she had never been confessed to so frankly and directly before.
"Did I like it? At that time," she explained, "that kind of liking."
"Perhaps."
"perhaps?"
After a few seconds of silence, he answered objectively, "After all, it's only one glance."
At that time, neither of them imagined that one glance would lead to countless more.
She bit her lower lip, her words muffled, "Chairman Xu is so superficial..."
“It’s very superficial,” he laughed helplessly. “So I’ve thought about it many times since then, and I can’t figure out why only you make me feel superficial.”
Wen Jia was unusually embarrassed, "If someone likes you, why don't you fight for it?"
Do I look like I have a very low moral standard?
"Or is it that your moral bottom line is low, and you waver when you are persuaded?" He smiled, moved his thigh slightly, deliberately making the woman on top of him bounce, emphasizing his words with the action, and deliberately making her heart bounce as well.
Wen Jia drew circles on his chest with her fingertips, then looked up at him with a lively expression. "That really shows that you don't like him enough. If you really like him, you can be a mistress for love."
Xu Shaoting gave a flat "hmm," and said, "So I really regret it now. I should have become a mistress back then."
Wen Jia looked at him in disbelief, never expecting those two taboo words to come out of his mouth. She hurriedly explained, "I was just kidding..."
The man interrupted her seriously and decisively, not as if he were joking, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have met Zhou Jingcheng."
“I always feel like we met too late,” Xu Shaoting said slowly. “The first time I felt this way was when I saw you standing next to Zhou Jingcheng at the banquet. The second time was when I saw you in danger. The third time,” he paused, as if reluctant to mention it, “was when you lied to me about another man just now. And the last time was right now.”
Wen Jia was confused by his sudden change of attitude tonight, and she smiled and admitted, "It's my fault. You've known me for a long time, but I don't know you yet."
"There is no right or wrong, it's just how things were arranged by fate."
Where to?
"Back to the day it snowed four years ago, and ever since then, no matter what, I will take the initiative to approach you."
Wen Jia's heart pounded faster and faster, making her voice tremble, "Are you so sure?"
"Yes, I will definitely meet you." He answered with even more certainty than she did.
Afraid that he would notice her excitement, Wen Jia deliberately waited a while until her heartbeat calmed down before asking, "Is this a confession?"
Xu Shaoting flicked his finger and gently stroked her high nose bridge. "Just to be honest, Miss Wen, can't you be a little more demanding? No man would choose to confess his love at home."
Wen Jia felt a sudden, inexplicable lump in her throat, a bittersweet joy. She lowered her eyelashes and asked him, "So... how did you feel when you heard the news that I broke up with Song Yanlin?"
"I don't feel anything."
"Why?"
“Because I know you can’t go on with him,” Xu Shaoting’s voice suddenly turned cold. “What’s so great about a man who only sent you a bouquet of flowers when filming wrapped up? Miss Wen.”
"So, if it were you, what would you give as a gift?"
“I will send you anything you want. If you like flowers, I will send you flowers too, but I won’t just send them without asking.”
“I just love flowers,” Wen Jia said, smiling at him.
“Okay,” Xu Shaoting looked tenderly at the woman in his arms, “You can like flowers, but you can’t like his flowers.”
As Wen Jia heard the word "flower" repeatedly, her mind and heart were in turmoil. She began to draw hearts haphazardly on his left chest with her fingers, muttering softly, "Mr. Xu is so stingy... How can he handle being so jealous?"
"Jealous?" He narrowed his eyes. "They think they're worthy of my jealousy?"
Wen Jia sensed something was off about his tone and quickly shook her head to make amends, "They're not worthy, they're not worthy, they can't compare to Chairman Xu."
"Now give me the demonstration," Xu Shaoting ordered her.
Wen Jia finished drawing a heart with the last stroke, then raised her bright eyes to meet his gaze.
“None of them can compare to you,” she replied without hesitation.
"Whether it's appearance, power, or money, none of them can compare to you."
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
"Then what did Chairman Xu ask?" She leaned up against his chest, whispered meaningfully in his ear, "The size?"
After saying that, she smiled and looked at him, "I haven't met them, so I can't compare, but I know that they are probably not as good as you."
Xu Shaoting gave his second faint smile of the evening. "It's not that either."
Wen Jia listened to his voice beside her ear, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly gave the answer that the two of them understood without saying a word.
"Ask about your feelings for me, is that right?"
She deliberately shook her head, "It doesn't seem like a good comparison, because I don't know how you feel about me."
Xu Shaoting gave a cold snort, but didn't dwell on her answer. He simply promised, "You'll know." Then, satisfied, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her.
The kiss was exceptionally tender, as if it encapsulated the conflict between the two of them and the tenderness of the moment. He sucked and turned the kiss, and the unpleasantness of the argument just now vanished in his gentle movements.
If someone were to look through the floor-to-ceiling windows at this moment, they would see the silhouettes of a man and a woman in the large, dimly lit living room. She was in his arms, sitting on his lap, her shoulders and back supported by the man, so she was not afraid to lean back as he kissed her.
In the silence came the soft, rapid, and moist sounds of their lips gently sucking on each other's lips.
After kissing for five minutes, she couldn't resist any longer and pulled away from his lips. As if suddenly remembering something, she smiled and asked him, "Mr. Xu, do you know what a 'Shura field' means?"
Xu Shaoting smiled enigmatically, "What are you trying to say?"
"I suddenly feel like today's scene is a real hellhole."
She looked up, trying to recall, "Did you know that Shen Zhiyun was the assistant director, so you deliberately let me join this crew?"
Xu Shaoting glared at her, "Why don't you ask me if I knew Song Yanlin was your ex and that's why I deliberately let you into this production?"
Now, Wen Jia dared not mention another name in his presence: Zhou Jingcheng and Song Yanlin. Faced with this formidable figure, she could only bow repeatedly, daring not to utter a single word that might displease him. So, she quickly shifted the focus of this chaotic situation to another innocent person.
"By the way, were you and Shen Zhiyun really ever engaged?"
"real."
"Are we really close to getting married?"
"It's true."
"Then why didn't it come to fruition?"
"Take a guess."
"Because your parents don't agree?"
"no."
"Because you suddenly stopped loving her."
"I never loved her from beginning to end."
"What's the reason?" Wen Jia was annoyed by his suspense and was extremely discouraged: "I'm not guessing anymore!"
"We originally planned to get married three years ago in February."
"I don't want to hear it at all!" Wen Jia found it grating and wanted to get off him. "You don't need to tell me this. I'm not interested, and I don't want to know."
She tried to prop herself up on her arms, but her wrists were grabbed by the man's large hand, leaving her without support and her chest pressed against his chest.
"Think about it carefully."
"What are you thinking?" Her tone was a little jealous. "Are you thinking that your wedding date was unlucky and not suitable for marriage, which is why you didn't get married? I'm not a god, I don't know how to calculate that. You should ask the almanac."
Xu Shaoting, however, remained calm and unhurried. "I was planning to marry her three years ago in February. I met you four years ago at Christmas. So why don't you tell me why we didn't get married?"
"How should I know..." she blurted out without thinking, "Is there any causal relationship between these two things..."
Her reason, which had been completely eroded by sweet words tonight, finally returned a little. Her mouth was still open as if she wanted to speak, but no sound came out; she was stunned.
In the long silence, Xu Shaoting slowly spoke:
"It's because of you."
That night, when he barged into Xu Bozheng's study, he never considered the consequences of canceling the engagement, nor did he care about the price to pay. He only knew that even a man who had lived a dull first half of his life could cause such a stir for someone; a man who followed the rules could break down the barriers of order for another; and a soul that adhered to conventions could also unleash the courage to overturn everything when meeting his destined one.
I thought I would live my life in an orderly fashion until she came along.
She was the wrong step he took.
Wen Jia swallowed the enormous shock.
With an utterly incredulous tone, she slowly began, "Is it because of me... just because of me?" She desperately wanted to know, "Weren't there any other factors that prevented you from getting married?"
"No." He said firmly.
“If I hadn’t met you, I might have really married someone I didn’t love, had children, and lived out my life.” He used what she had said to him before to mock himself, “Doing this for a family might really be a noble thing.”
"Perhaps I'll still meet you after I marry her, but I'll never be able to get close to you or know you again."
"But I don't want that kind of greatness."
"Before I met you, I might have followed it, but after I met you, I don't want to anymore."
Wen Jia felt a dull ache in her heart just listening to his assumption, and the scene of him falling in love with someone else, which she had imagined countless times before, floated into her mind.
She shook her head frantically, as if afraid that what he said would actually happen.
From the moment she heard that he almost married someone else, a nail was driven into her heart, as if someone had swung a hammer and driven hard metal deep into her softest flesh. With each inch the nail went in, it brought a dull, persistent pain, vibrating in her chest and creating tiny cracks, pulling out countless fine, spiderweb-like aches.
Only Xu Shaoting can pull out this nail.
Wen Jia pressed her ear against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
"You're making me sound like a third party who's ruining your relationship."
"How can you destroy something without feelings?"
She snorted defiantly, "Besides, Zhou Jingcheng told me before that people like you have many lovers. If you really marry Shen Zhiyun and then meet me, it's not impossible for me to be your lover. I just feel like you're capable of doing it..." Wen Jia's voice trailed off as she finished speaking, as if she couldn't bring herself to say it.
As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to hear Xu Shaoting's heart skip a beat.
Through his chest, she could feel a deep, resonant quality in his voice. He smiled.
I can't bear to keep you hidden away.
She missed the point, "From what you just said, you even remember the date of your wedding with her..."
Xu Shaoting smiled indulgently, "It's just because I remember the day we first met. I've thought about it many times since then, and I'm always grateful to God for letting me see you two months earlier."
Hearing the answer that satisfied her, she suddenly sighed and changed the subject, saying, "I suddenly feel so petty."
Xu Shaoting looked down at her, "Why?"
“I ignored you all day because of what happened between you and Shen Zhiyun. You know about my past with Song Yanlin, but you never talk about it.”
"Just because of this?"
Wen Jia nodded, her eyes glazed over, and hummed in agreement.
“You can be stingy,” he patted her back, “but if both of you are generous, that’s called politeness, not affection. Affection is biased, not equal.”
Wen Jia heard his deep voice in her ear, and with his gentle comfort, she repeated, "Hmm... feelings are biased, not evenly distributed."
She lay on his chest, and Xu Shaoting couldn't see her face, so he didn't know how restless she was.
She murmured, "Time flies... Christmas is almost here again. Do you think it will snow this year?"
Upon hearing her question, Xu Shaoting seemed to suddenly remember something and called her name.
She looked up at him.
I'm going to Switzerland tomorrow.
Wen Jia instantly snapped back to reality. "So sudden?"
"It's not sudden, I go every year around Christmas."
What are you going to do?
"Work."
"You shouldn't go," she pleaded.
Xu Shaoting laughed at her, "Why?"
Wen Jia felt wronged and dejected, and lowered her eyes.
I will miss you a lot when you go abroad.
"What should I do if I miss you? Can you fly back to see me?"
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