Chapter 67 Is she alright?
Every December is the closing season for VELRA's brand. The brand headquarters not only reviews the past year but also paves the way for the new year's strategy. One of the most crucial steps is to complete the change of brand ambassadors.
Big names are always arrogant. VELRA's endorsement period is usually only one year. Only those artists who are particularly favored, have enough status, and have amazing commercial value can get a two-year or even longer contract.
For this one or two years, countless young actresses and actors in the industry are scrambling to get a chance, not just for the title of spokesperson, but for the chance to appear on the cover of a magazine promoted by VELRA.
As VELRA's only Asia-Pacific designer, Ding Qianru began working to expand the brand's Chinese market while studying in France in her early years. Therefore, in addition to her position as a designer, she is also the marketing director of VELRA China.
Since June of this year, countless agents and agencies have sent her emails with self-recommendation letters, wanting to make contact and try to become VELRA's spokesperson for the new year. At the very least, brand ambassador or brand friend would be a lucrative position.
However, the result was unsatisfactory; all these emails were rejected with the same cold and indifferent response.
Thank you for your inquiry. VELRA's new brand ambassador for the year has been confirmed.
There was no word leaked about VELRA's mysterious annual spokesperson until two days ago when VELRA posted a silhouette on its official Weibo account, pointing the finger at Wen Jia.
This endorsement opportunity was something Ding Qianru had promised Wen Jia, and she fulfilled it without any pressure. She simply whispered a few words in the manager's ear and held a few meetings, and the approval was granted smoothly.
This season, VELRA chose to collaborate with the top women's magazine "MAVEN" for its cover shoot. Very few people in the industry can gain the favor of both VELRA and "MAVEN" at the same time. Wen Jia is the third spokesperson to achieve this feat since the establishment of VELRA, and the second woman.
At this very moment, at the VELRA China headquarters building.
Ding Qianru, dressed in a runway-style coat, strode out of the office and took the elevator directly to the floor where the dressing room was located, to personally greet this celebrity spokesperson.
Inside the dressing room, the lights were bright, and eyeshadow palettes, blush palettes, and contour palettes were either open or closed. Hairspray bottles and spray bottles were either upside down or upright, and the wires of various curling irons and straighteners on the table were tangled and messy.
The entire VELRA styling team was mobilized, forming a circle around the table, each performing their assigned tasks.
Wen Jia sat in the center of the group, her smooth black hair held up by several clips. She was quietly closing her eyes, letting Dong Yiwen apply skincare products to her.
The sound of Ding Qianru's high heels grew louder as she approached. When her styling team saw her arrive, they tacitly made way for her.
“Long time no see, darling,” she said, walking up behind Wen Jia and affectionately placing her hands on her shoulders. “I spoke with your assistant a couple of days ago, and she said you just finished filming and haven’t quite gotten out of character yet, so your condition isn’t ideal. How are you feeling today?”
Wen Jia finally opened her eyes. Her skin was still fair and flawless, but a faint dark circle under her eyes was somewhat noticeable and shouldn't have been on her face.
She gently raised the corners of her mouth, her voice barely audible: "Much better."
As she got closer, Ding Qianru bent down and carefully examined her eyes.
Her eyelids were slightly swollen, like flower petals soaked by rain, no longer light and delicate.
"Darling, have you been crying?" Ding Qianru seemed surprised, but she didn't think too much about it.
Wen Jia lowered her eyes, whether to hide her puffy eyelids or to conceal her emotions, and said, "Mm."
She was not in high spirits; her pale lips were pursed, their lines delicate and fragile, revealing an almost transparent pallor.
Shedding tears the day before a magazine cover shoot is a major taboo for female celebrities. Everyone wants to present their best self; unless absolutely necessary, who would willingly shed tears?
Ding Qianru blurted out, "Broken up? That can't be right?"
She asked the question jokingly, so she gave an answer that she thought was absolutely impossible.
After all, she had seen it; Wen Jia was wearing a dazzling, ostentatious 60 million pink diamond on her ring finger.
How could it be a breakup?
“It’s not a breakup,” Wen Jia shook her head lightly. “The final scene was quite tragic, and I can’t get over it. These past few days, when I think about it, I can’t help but want to cry.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Kaiqing, who had been standing silently to the side for a long time, pursed her lips.
Of everyone present, only she knew that only the words "the final scene was filmed rather tragically" were a lie; the rest were true.
But the next second, she thought about it again and realized that what she said was all true. After all, breaking up with Chairman Xu was a kind of final scene.
She turned her back, unwilling to see Wen Jia's seemingly nonchalant demeanor.
“I knew it,” Ding Qianru leaned against the edge of the table, looking at her spokesperson with satisfaction. “So, the reason you weren’t feeling well the other day was because of this?”
“Hmm,” Wen Jia closed her eyes again, “It’s just because of this.”
“Actually, we should have given you more time to adjust,” Ding Qianru walked behind her, gently supporting her temples with two fingers, lifting her head to look at her in the mirror, “but our Ada is just too eager to see you.”
“It’s alright, we can’t keep making adjustments in the same place forever,” Wen Jia nodded slightly, her tone calm. “People always have to move forward.”
Ding Qianru hummed in agreement, feeling that the woman in front of her was much calmer than when they had met before, but also less radiant, as if she was deliberately suppressing her emotions. Unable to figure her out, she changed the subject, "By the way, I watched the video of your company's ribbon-cutting ceremony. The dress looks familiar. Was it the one that Chairman Xu bought for you?"
“You have a sharp eye,” Wen Jia finally smiled, but it was an unconscious smile because she caught two words in Ding Qianru’s words.
But the next second, she suddenly realized something and immediately wiped the smile off her face.
"It suits you perfectly, and it's a one-of-a-kind piece in the world."
Wen Jia didn't continue speaking. She lowered her eyes and, to cover up her actions, picked up another magazine and flipped through it.
This magazine is also internal material; the final content has just been compiled, and it hasn't been printed in batches yet.
"Why isn't the one I wore here?" She flipped through the pages of the magazine with pictures of the new products. Almost all the ones she had tried on at Xu Shaoting's house were there, but the navy blue dress she wore for the ribbon-cutting ceremony was nowhere to be found.
"Hmm?" Ding Qianru looked at her strangely. "Didn't Chairman Xu tell you?"
"say what?"
She leaned down and spoke in a calm voice to Wen Jia's ear, "Chairman Xu bought out the design for that piece and it won't be released. Otherwise, how could I say you're the only one in the world to wear it?"
Finally, she added, "It wouldn't have worked out originally, but he sponsored the whole show and this was his only request. Don't tell anyone, our Ada made an exception."
When did this happen?
"Just recently, it seems like it wasn't long before your ribbon-cutting ceremony."
Wen Jia paused in flipping through the magazine, then smiled. "Really? He definitely didn't tell me."
Ding Qianru pursed her lips, "...I thought he told you, but what if I spoiled his surprise?"
"No, don't worry."
There will be no more surprises.
"That's good, that's good," Ding Qianru finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Speaking of which, a few days ago, Chairman Xu..."
Wen Jia didn't hear what she said next because her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
She tilted her head back, trying to swallow back the sudden wave of discomfort, but it backfired. Tears seemed about to spill over, the smile on her lips vanished, and taking advantage of the moment Dong Yiwen turned to change her skincare products, she abruptly stood up and said awkwardly:
"Excuse me... I need to use the restroom."
Ding Qianru's words were like an expired gift—exquisitely beautiful, yet tinged with a musty smell, with a lingering aftertaste. She desperately wanted to find a secluded corner to face this heavy, belated, and irreplaceable surprise alone.
The entire VELRA styling team stared at each other, bewildered, as she walked away.
Wen Jia staggered, walking quickly and hurriedly. By the time Kai Qing chased after her, she had already slipped into the restroom at the end of the corridor.
She was alone in the restroom, and it was completely silent. When Yu Kaiqing pushed the door open, she only saw her slender back swaying precariously.
She braced herself on the table with one hand, her thin arm barely able to support her weight, tilting to one side. With her other hand, she tightly covered her mouth, silencing all sobs deep in her throat.
The sobs were suppressed back into her body, turning into violent trembling.
Yu Kaiqing could see clearly that some tears had fallen into the pool.
She supported her, gently stroking her back to help her catch her breath.
The last time she saw her cry like this was the day she came back from filming.
That night, Wen Jia entered the villa without saying a word, skipped dinner, and went straight to her room.
Around 11 o'clock, Yu Kaiqing had a bad feeling. She knocked on the door but no one answered. She took the spare key and broke in, only to find Wen Jia sitting messily on the edge of the bathtub, her arm draped over the edge as a pillow, fast asleep.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She didn't fall asleep on her own; she cried herself to sleep.
Yu Kaiqing watched the figure by the bathtub from afar. Her body was limp, her neck drooping, like the broken stem of a flower, withered and in this state.
At that moment, Wen Jia seemed so unfamiliar and distant, like a beautiful yet fragile specimen frozen in a moment of despair.
Yu Kaiqing wasn't stupid; in an instant, she understood everything.
After that, she often caught Wen Jia secretly wiping away tears, but never before had she cried with such despair as she was now.
She kept shaking her head, and through her mouth covered by a hand, she mumbled a few words, "Why did this happen... why did this happen..."
Yu Kaiqing felt a lump in her throat, pulled her body towards her, and tried her best to hug her.
Imitating the way Xu Shaoting hugged her in her memory, she gently stroked her long hair again and again, trying to give her some comfort.
But she didn't do it well.
Xu Shaoting is much taller than Wen Jia, while she is about the same height as Wen Jia.
She couldn't provide that kind of complete protection.
I miss him so much…
Those four words, spoken with such caution, were enough to make Yu Kaiqing's nose sting with tears. She was so anxious that she didn't know how to comfort her. She couldn't very well say that she also missed Chairman Xu.
He simply said, "Chairman Xu must be thinking of you too."
Wen Jia still shook her head in her arms, "What should I do... what should I do... Kai Qing..."
She was genuinely asking a question, and she was truly perplexed. She didn't understand how she would manage without him.
It felt as if a layer of skin had been peeled off my body. I wouldn't die, but I was in excruciating pain wherever I touched.
I didn't realize how much I craved him when I was with him, but now that I'm apart from him, I've discovered just how much I love him.
"It will pass, everything will be alright."
Wen Jia didn't know how long she cried inside, perhaps until all her tears had dried up, before she composed herself and returned to the dressing room.
She didn't let anyone notice anything amiss, and simply said softly, "I'm sorry, I wasn't feeling well just now. Let's continue."
He then smiled at Ding Qianru, apologizing for his sudden departure, "What did you just say, President Ding? I didn't hear you clearly."
Ding Qianru closed the magazine and recalled for a moment, "Oh, I mean, Chairman Xu contacted me a few days ago, saying he wanted to ask me for help with something. Do you know what it was?"
"I don't know," Wen Jia replied casually. "He rarely talks to me about work-related matters."
Ding Qianru shook her head slightly, "It shouldn't be about work. He specifically told me to go to the manor at the same address as last time. To be honest, darling, I'm a little afraid of him. I always feel a bit uncomfortable around him, but it's fine when you're here, like last time."
“I won’t be there,” Wen Jia said firmly.
Ding Qianru looked up at her, puzzled.
"My sister is about to start filming again," Yu Kaiqing added, seizing the opportunity.
"What are you afraid of him for?" Wen Jia asked casually, as if she were just asking a casual question.
"Serving a rich man is like serving a tiger; it's always difficult to serve someone who's wealthy." This is the experience Ding Qianru has summarized over the years in the workplace—short and straightforward. She winked at Wen Jia and said something she had said when they first met, "Girls' talk, don't betray me."
"No." Wen Jia had been distracted these past few days and started daydreaming again. "You don't need to be afraid of him. He's a good person and won't make things difficult for you."
"You're his girlfriend, of course he'll say that."
"No, I used to be afraid of him too."
Ding Qianru was puzzled, "...You're his girlfriend, what are you afraid of him for?"
She feared he didn't love her, and she feared his superior status, but she never imagined that what she feared would become the reason they broke up.
She cleverly rephrased it, saying, "Just like you, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger."
"And then what happened?"
"Later..." Wen Jia looked at herself in the mirror.
Later I realized that I had really fallen in love with him. Love makes people brave, and I gradually became unafraid of him.
"Later I found out that he wasn't actually as scary as he seemed."
He is also very cheerful and gentle, but he also has his vulnerable moments, times when he has no choice but to act out of necessity, and he experiences genuine joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. He also gets tired and has some things he is not good at.
She cries too.
She wasn't sure if he would cry. That day in the car, some hot liquid suddenly appeared in her palm, and she couldn't tell if it was his tears.
"So... is there anything I should be careful about when talking to him?" Ding Qianru seemed genuinely flattered by Xu Shaoting's invitation, and was always afraid of offending him.
“There’s nothing to be careful about,” Wen Jia said indifferently. “Just be yourself.”
She paused, as if recalling something, "He's actually... very good at listening. As long as you make sure you've said what you want to say clearly, he won't make things difficult for you."
"Thank you, darling, for telling me so much."
Wen Jia smiled faintly and did not continue the conversation.
Actually, she knew more about him.
He likes quiet, he likes small islands, and the island he most wants to buy is in the Caribbean. He likes excitement, he likes danger, he likes pain; pain is one of the few things that makes him feel like he can truly live outside of order.
He also enjoys racing.
She only just realized that she hadn't actually seen him race cars yet.
Didn't they say there's always a chance?
No wonder He Lingyi always told her that all promises are fragile before they are fulfilled.
The flawless, heavy foundation prevented Ding Qianru from seeing the slightly reddened tip of her nose.
The redness around her eyes was still hard to conceal, but it was just the right amount of red, like the tips of pale pink petals, which actually became an embellishment to the specimen.
Two hours later, the makeup and styling were finally completed. Wen Jia's dress was extremely complicated, and she could only enter the photo studio with the help of the staff.
"Ms. Wen, please remove your jewelry." The stylist was making a final confirmation.
She wasn't wearing much jewelry, except for a necklace, which she obediently took off. There was another piece she didn't want to take off, asking, "Can I keep this?"
She opened her palm to show the stylist the diamond ring on her ring finger.
Shining brightly, dazzling and captivating. It clearly contained something within it.
The stylist was unsure what to do and looked to Ding Qianru for advice.
This is a jewelry collection, not a big brand, so there's no brand conflict. Ding Qianru readily agreed: "No problem, darling."
She still harbored some selfish motives, whether she wanted to show it to herself or to him.
Yu Kaiqing turned her back again, her lips pressed tightly together beneath her mask. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
She didn't even know who she was resentful for.
She stood in the corner, secretly took out her phone, opened WeChat, and the screen displayed a few short words:
"How is she?"
She received the message two days ago, but she hasn't replied yet, not because she doesn't want to, but because she doesn't have the right or the qualifications.
But at this moment, she could no longer hold back.
Loyalty, empathy, and a sense of powerlessness surged up in an instant.
Having spent so many years by Wen Jia's side, this was the first time she felt an "immature" impulse and replied on her own initiative:
"Chairman Xu, she's not doing well."
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