Chapter 47 Miss Liu needn't trouble herself with the ever-victorious General Zhu Qingzhi. ...
Those who participated in the reading were all crew members, and Director Zheng had repeatedly ordered that what happened at the time not be spread outside. So how did Liu Xiaoning find out?
Zhu Qingzhi had a name in her heart, but she didn't show it.
Liu Xiaoning thought she had found her weakness, and her frustration instantly dissipated, her smile becoming even brighter. "I'd like to offer another piece of advice to Miss Zhu: since you're working for someone else, don't act like a princess, or you'll easily capsize."
Oh, so who are you saying has a princess's temper? And she does, so what? If you're so capable, why don't you have one too?
Zhu Qingzhi nodded in agreement: "Miss Liu is certainly not a princess, she only dares to ask for one yuan herself."
Just then, Xiaozhou sent her a message on her phone urging her to come downstairs, otherwise she would really miss her flight.
"Hurry up! Otherwise someone will steal your job!" she said again before walking out, completely ignoring Liu Xiaoning.
However, in Liu Xiaoning's eyes, this behavior was seen as Zhu Qingzhi raising the white flag in a fit of rage and fleeing in shame and indignation.
She crossed her arms and watched Zhu Qingzhi's figure disappear around the corner. Before the smile on her lips could reach her eyes, she heard a heavy slam of a door closing.
It seems she guessed correctly; there was indeed someone in the room, but just an assistant. Even if she overheard something, she wouldn't dare to say it aloud.
She looked away, smoothed her hair, and put her hand in her bag to call a car. A breeze swept past her, carrying the scent of rose dew on Zhu Qingzhi, but also mixed with the familiar fragrance of amber.
Liu Xiaoning suddenly stopped all her movements. Her ears were ringing, her mind went blank, and she completely forgot how to think.
"There are some things that you need not trouble Miss Liu with."
It was Wen Qi. His voice was as cold as ever, but today, she sensed a warning in it.
Shouldn't he be busy with social engagements? How did he end up here? How much of her conversation with Zhu Qingzhi did he hear? No, even if he heard it all, it was Zhu Qingzhi who was aggressive first, and she was just retaliating.
Liu Xiaoning looked up blankly. Wen Qi brushed past her but didn't pay any attention to her, and just walked straight ahead.
The soft light of the corridor lamp outlined his figure, the curled ends of his hair, and even the frequency of his steps. She was familiar with these things because she had always seen this kind of back view since she was a child.
Until the suitcase came into her view—a misty pink—this wasn't Wen Qi's favorite color! It was Zhu Qingzhi's favorite color; this was Zhu Qingzhi's suitcase! So it really was Wen Qi!
The rusty gears in her mind were turning laboriously, making her eyes sore and her heart race. All her strength seemed to be drained away in an instant, and she had to hold onto the door to keep herself from collapsing.
She returned from abroad and stayed in Haicheng for almost a week. Wen Qi was in Haicheng, and she made several excuses to meet him, even using the name of the Liu family. However, due to work arrangements, the two never had a chance to meet.
Just a few days ago, Ji Cen and his group of kids came from Beijing to welcome her, and Wen Qi happened to be at the same club where Ji Cen was hosting the welcome party, so they bumped into each other. But that day, Wen Qi was so busy that she didn't even have a drink, and just said hello before leaving.
Liu Xiaoning knew Wen Qi was busy with work, and she wasn't exaggerating. So how did he find time to be here? Did he come here specifically to pick up Zhu Qingzhi this morning? Or did they stay together last night?
Arranged marriages require a delicate balance: no interference in each other's lives on the surface, and a respectful distance in public relations. There are many couples in her circle like her parents, whose marriages are only superficially harmonious; she had assumed Wen Qi and Zhu Qingzhi were no exception.
But Wen Qi actually showed up here, carrying Zhu Qingzhi's suitcase! Judging from Wen Qi's personality, it's obvious he's taken this seriously.
In the carpeted corridor, the sound of suitcase wheels rubbing together wasn't loud, but Liu Xiaoning found it unusually jarring. A strong sense of loss wove together into a fine web, dragging her reason into an endless hell, and a suffocating sense of fear pierced her soul.
Wen Qi was getting further and further away from her, and if she got any further away, she really wouldn't be able to catch up.
Liu Xiaoning clutched her handbag tightly and ran up to him in a few quick steps: "Brother Wen Qi, let me explain." She was completely flustered, and her hand instinctively reached out to grab Wen Qi's arm.
Wen Qi seemed to have anticipated this, and placed her suitcase between the two of them, causing her to stumble and nearly bump into the wall.
But he didn't even look up: "I'm just giving Miss Liu a piece of advice: you can't forget the four Chinese virtues of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame once you're abroad."
Liu Xiaoning leaned against the wall, her exposed shoulders trembling slightly. She had never imagined she would be so embarrassed in front of Wen Qi: "I didn't, I just..."
Ke Wenqi didn't even let her finish speaking, or perhaps he never intended to hear her explanation. Almost at the same moment the elevator arrived with a "ding," he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
The lingering sweet scent of rosewater in the air was nauseating. Her five fingers, pressed against the wall, were twisted to the extreme. Liu Xiaoning tightly closed her eyes, trying to forget everything that had just happened.
As expected of an actress in the entertainment industry, she really has some skills. She was able to seduce a cold-hearted man like Wen Qi like this. But if Zhu Qingzhi didn't have the identity of being the daughter of the Lu family, she would never have been able to get involved with Wen Qi in this lifetime.
Everyone in the industry knows that the opportunity for the marriage between the Wen and Lu families was the Wen family's investment, which promptly solved the funding problem of the Lu family's overseas branch. In fact, given the relationship between Lu Yao and Wen Qi, Wen Qi would have helped anyway. It's just unclear why the Lu family insisted on involving a daughter.
She had never heard of the Lu family's daughter since she was a child, so who knew if it was true or not?
Liu Xiaoning also investigated Zhu Qingzhi's background. She lived with an old lady in Haicheng, and the Zhu family didn't even interfere. So how real could her identity be?
Even if Zhu Qingzhi really is the Lu family's daughter, so what? She grew up in Haicheng. How close could she be to her parents in Beijing? Besides, which elder in the entertainment industry would tolerate their own child entering the industry and making public appearances?
A family of Lu's standing would certainly not be an exception.
Otherwise, why would they have kept her identity a secret for so many years? Even this time when she admitted it, it was only within a small circle. Apart from the Wen family and a few close relatives, very few people outside knew about it.
She only found out because Ji Cen accidentally let it slip, and Ji Cen repeatedly told her not to tell anyone.
Besides, Zhu Qingzhi was practically forgotten before, and Lu Shi didn't even lend her a hand. In the end, she was just a lowly actress!
Liu Xiaoning clenched her fist and slammed it against the wall, snorting coldly and showing contempt on her face. Then she straightened her slightly crooked collar and made a phone call.
*
At 1 p.m., Zhu Qingzhi landed in Nancheng, while Dani's plane had arrived half an hour earlier, so when Xiao Li picked her up, Dani was already in the car.
As soon as she got in the car, Dani gave a forced smile: "My dear lady, aren't you going to tell me about your feat of debating with everyone during the script reading?"
"..." Zhu Qingzhi immediately withdrew her offer of a bear hug.
"Trying to play dumb now? Too late!" Dani moved to the seat next to her and began to rant, "It's wrong to use double-dealing tactics, but it shouldn't have come out of your mouth! You've offended someone, do you know that?!"
Zhu Qingzhi kept her eyes straight ahead: "It wasn't me who suggested it; I only made two suggestions."
"You didn't suggest it?! Oh my, don't tell me you didn't see the trick." Dani really couldn't stand Zhu Qingzhi's nonchalant attitude. She had only been gone for three days, and Zhu Qingzhi had already made a mess of things.
"Also, we need to figure out what's going on with Zhang Siyue first. It's true that he wants to fight for top billing, but he hasn't even fought for it yet! There are only three main actors in the crew, and you've offended two of them at once!"
Dani poked Zhu Qingzhi's forehead with her finger, "If those two families team up and create an entry for you, you'll be in for a world of trouble!"
"Yes, yes, I understand." Zhu Qingzhi nodded vigorously, her sliding kneeling speed was incredibly fast.
Seeing that Dani's anger had subsided a bit, she fawned over her, fanning her with a scarf. "Sister Dani~, I know I was wrong, I promise! From now on, I will definitely keep a low profile."
She even held up three fingers and swore an oath to heaven to prove her sincerity.
“Okay.” Dani smiled and leaned back, closing her eyes comfortably. “I have dinner with investors tonight, so show me your sincerity.”
? ? ?
Zhu Qingzhi was stunned. She never expected Dani to pull this trick on her!
"Changed your mind?" Dani opened her eyes a crack, revealing a "I knew it" expression.
Zhu Qingzhi's biggest weakness is that she is too proud to admit her mistakes, so as long as you can exploit this weakness, you can basically achieve your goal.
Sure enough, Zhu Qingzhi said "okay" again this time.
Dani closed her eyes with satisfaction, just as her and Zhu Qingzhi's phones rang simultaneously.
She opened the message and saw it was from Yang Qing: "Meet at the restaurant tonight." Before she could reply, another message followed: "Chaoxing is also one of the investors."
She quickly replied, "Received."
Does Chaoxing have investment in the [Yunshuiyao] project? What is their percentage stake? And how much influence do they have in terms of decision-making?
Dani learned about the dual script issue at noon and immediately informed Yang Qing. Yang Qing didn't mention the investment at the time. Could it be that he knew someone in the crew was causing trouble and added investment at the last minute?
However, it's good that Chaoxing has invested, as this will ensure Zhu Qingzhi's legal rights in many ways.
The WeChat message Zhu Qingzhi opened was from Wen Qi: "I'll arrive in Nancheng this afternoon. Send me your room number."
She was like a pupil earthquake.
What?! Why is he here? Wasn't he supposed to be incredibly busy, barely having time to breathe? Is Uncle more efficient? Or did he already have the job pretty much done?
And what is he here for? It can't be...
Zhu Qingzhi's face was multicolored, but she was still of Asian descent. She replied, "What time is it?"
Wen Qi replied without hesitation: "Get ready to board. We'll arrive at four o'clock."
I have a dinner engagement tonight.
It has no impact.
What's not affected?! It clearly has a huge impact!
Zhu Qingzhi glanced at Dani, and seeing that she wasn't paying attention, she felt perfectly justified in using her as a shield: "[Danni said these are sensitive times; there are a lot of paparazzi in Nancheng, making it easy for scandals to break out.]"
Upon seeing the message she sent, Wen Qi immediately pictured her scratching her head in frustration while looking at her phone, and almost instantly, he interrupted her: "I'm an investor."
When did the Wen family make the investment?
And this is such a terrifying sentence!
Zhu Qingzhi already disliked dining with investors, always feeling extremely uncomfortable, and now she was forced to eat at the same table as Wen Qi! Did she even care about her life?!
Out of sight, out of mind! She turned off her phone, resignedly leaned back, and stared wide-eyed.
But running away isn't the solution! If she doesn't go back, will Wen Qi not come over? If she doesn't go back, will she not have dinner with Wen Qi tonight? No, she won't!
She admitted that she was a little bit attracted to Wen Qi, but she really couldn't handle the intense contact! Besides, she hadn't fully processed what happened last night.
Drinking will lead to trouble! She absolutely won't drink tonight!
She clenched her fists and made up her mind.
Dani was communicating with Yang Qing when the car suddenly lurched. She glanced over instinctively and saw Zhu Qingzhi staring wide-eyed, like a dead fish with its eyes wide open.
Before she could even ask what had happened, Zhu Qingzhi sprang up like a spring dog, furiously typing away on the keyboard before tossing her phone aside.
Who has upset her this time?
At the same time, a message popped up on Wen Qi's phone: [Jingyun Hotel, 804.]
-----------------------
Author's note: Kiyoshi [resting her chin on her hand]: Sigh.
Wen Qi [dog head with rose in hand]: Hmm.
Xiao Ning [angry]: Me?
Dani [question mark]: Huh?
Ah Mei: La la la la la la.
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