Chapter 70 is about Wen Qi pursuing Qingzhi himself; she's truly outstanding. ...
Xiao Tang clenched her fists, standing stiffly. The smooth mirror reflected her lips, which were stretched into a straight line, and the resentment in her eyes, which was almost bursting out, as she stared intently at her.
Zhu Qingzhi raised an eyebrow dismissively, gazing lazily at her reflection in the mirror, her tone laced with nonchalant mockery: "Besides, even if you're interested in acting, I'm not interested in listening."
Xiao Tang's eyes were red-rimmed, and the tip of her nose was also a little red. After hearing her provocative words, she turned around and wanted to confront her.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Shiyan was faster than her. He slightly turned his body, subtly avoiding Xiao Tang's body, and steadily took two steps closer to Zhu Qingzhi. The distance between them increased, and the sense of oppression brought by their height instantly intensified.
The social distance was neither too close nor too far, but Zhu Qingzhi could smell the faint woody scent on him, mixed with a hint of feminine sweetness.
Zhu Qingzhi did not back down, but unconsciously slowed her breathing.
"Zhu, Qing, Zhi." He parted his thin lips slightly and pronounced her full name slowly and deliberately, his voice steady and unreadable, but rather a malicious scrutiny.
She disliked the feeling of being scrutinized and defined, but today, for the first time ever, she didn't retaliate.
Zhao Shiyan's gaze locked onto her, his slender fingers casually wiping away the trace of ambiguous lipstick on her neck. Then, he slowly and methodically buttoned his shirt back up, one button at a time, his movements elegant yet aloof.
"People like you are indeed rare in the entertainment industry."
The warm yellow light softly outlined his sharply defined profile, making him appear noble and refined, but Zhu Qingzhi clearly sensed the danger lurking beneath that facade. This was the first time she had so directly felt the ferocity and ruthlessness of a predator emanating from a man.
She gripped her phone tightly, her throat felt constricted, but she didn't show any fear. "It's not just in the entertainment industry; in any industry, there aren't many like me."
She turned on her phone and saw that Wen Qi had called her twice, which gave her an excuse to leave.
However, she was not willing to back down. Suppressing her discomfort, she half-jokingly said, "Sorry, I also need to go find my sugar daddy."
She called back, brushing past Zhao Shiyan as she walked out.
Wen Qi answered the phone almost the instant it rang.
"Why aren't you answering the phone?" The background noise was filled with the clinking of glasses and the clamor of voices, presumably a group of people had gathered around to exchange pleasantries.
Zhu Qingzhi was still shaken. It wasn't until she heard his familiar voice that she calmed down. Her fingers unconsciously pressed against the cold wall. She paused for a moment before replying, "I was in the bathroom just now."
"What's wrong? What happened?" Wen Qi keenly noticed the subtle abnormality in her tone, and his voice immediately became serious. In just a few seconds, the noisy background noise on the other end of the phone significantly decreased.
"It's alright, I'm already here." Upon hearing this, Zhu Qingzhi immediately stepped forward.
The fitted, feathered, bud-shaped fishtail skirt, though not reaching the ground, had a tight hem that restricted her movement. So she simply reached out and lifted the hem from her waist before she could take a step.
Just after rounding two corners, her forehead bumped into Wen Qi's chest. Losing her balance, she almost fell backward. Instinctively, she grabbed his arm and pressed her body close to him.
Wen Qi still carried the chill of winter. Her knuckles touched the skin on her back, feeling a little cold, but it was like a wake-up call, instantly piercing through the panic in her heart and calming her down.
He caught her steadily, his gaze sweeping over her slightly disheveled hair before finally settling on her startled pupils, revealing an emotion rarely seen in her.
Wen Qihuan held her waist, and only slowly let go after she stood up straight. He spoke very softly, with a barely perceptible reassurance: "Did you run into Xiao Tang?"
He had just glanced around the foyer and only saw Zhao Zhixun surrounded by a group of young men drinking. He didn't see Xiao Tang, but Xiao Tang wouldn't cause Zhu Qingzhi such a strong emotional reaction.
"With Zhao Shiyan?"
Zhu Qingzhi calmed down and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. How could she be so frightened by a living person? It was really beneath her. To cover up her embarrassment, she took Wen Qi's hand, drew circles on his palm with her index finger, and slowly uttered an "Mmm" from her throat.
Such small gestures were a habit she had when she felt guilty. Wen Qi grabbed her mischievous fingers with his other hand, the warmth of his palm passing through their skin: "Were you startled?"
"No, I didn't." Zhu Qingzhi turned her face away, but her ears were burning slightly.
"Okay, you don't." He chuckled softly, no longer pressing the issue, and gently pulled her hand into his arm: "Don't be afraid. What you need to know is that even without me, you don't need to be afraid of him."
Zhu Qingzhi was led forward by him, and in his ear she heard his soft and gentle voice, "No one in power in the capital wants to lose in terms of momentum. Just like the Fengya you acted in, the male lead was also very serious and imposing in public."
“The Zhao family’s situation is more complicated, so Zhao Shiyan’s ruthless nature is more pronounced. However, we live in a society governed by law, so he can’t do anything to you.” He tilted his head slightly, raising his voice at the end of the sentence, clearly trying to lighten the mood and make her happy.
"It was really scary." Zhu Qingzhi finally couldn't hold back anymore and took Wen Qi's arm with her other hand. "Actually, he didn't say anything just now, but his eyes were just very strange. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was like..."
She pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with an adjective, which was enough to show how aggressive Zhao Shiyan was towards her. How could he have allowed her to run into Zhao Shiyan alone?
Wen Qi's eyes darkened, but he didn't show it. He changed the subject to divert her attention: "I've prepared everything for you. How do you want to introduce it later?"
Zhu Qingzhi's attention was indeed diverted, and she clicked her tongue lightly: "Isn't it a bit unkind to give her a hard time at her father's birthday banquet?"
Wen Qi met her eyes and gave her an ambiguous smile.
Zhu Qingzhi nodded, withdrew her hand, and resumed her dignified and elegant demeanor as a female celebrity. "It depends on my mood. If she doesn't provoke me today, I don't want to cause trouble either."
The two walked back to the banquet hall and saw Wen's mother warmly holding Liu Xiaoning's hand, asking with concern, "Xiaoning, are you adjusting well after returning to the country?"
Today, Liu Xiaoning specially made a gentle and simple makeup and hairstyle. The light-colored cheongsam made her look as soft as moonlight. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. Everything is fine."
Wen's mother patted her hand familiarly and asked, "Are you engaged?"
"Not yet, I'm not in a hurry." Such a question was indeed a bit abrupt, and Liu Xiaoning was slightly taken aback, but she still maintained her composure.
Wen's mother didn't see anything wrong with it and immediately started urging her to get married: "Take my advice, it's best to settle the marriage as soon as possible, otherwise it will be uncomfortable for others to keep an eye on you."
After saying that, she still felt that it wasn't enough, so she advised Liu's mother next to her, "I've been through this before. You only have this one precious daughter. If you can't find a good marriage, you'll feel very uncomfortable."
Liu's mother smiled and even nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, I've arranged several blind dates for her, but she hasn't been willing to go. Could you introduce her to someone?"
"Me? No, no, I don't have that experience!" Mother Wen first waved her hand in surprise, then, with a hint of embarrassment and pride, lowered her voice and laughed, "You might not believe it, but my son found his own wife, and we didn't have to worry about her at all."
"Yes, Wen Qi has been outstanding since childhood, which has made things much easier for you parents."
The two exchanged polite words, but Liu Xiaoning, standing to the side, was already barely able to contain her laughter. She wasn't stupid; she could hear the unspoken meaning in Wen's mother's words.
This is clearly implying that she is overestimating herself and still has her eyes on Wen Qi, a married man. It seems that Zhu Qingzhi has gone back to complain.
She really has some tricks up her sleeve; she won over Wen's mother's heart in just a few months. Wen's mother is notoriously difficult to deal with in the circle; she always has a smiling face, but she doesn't really care at all.
Liu Xiaoning was seething with anger, and when she looked up, she saw the two people walking towards her with smiles on their faces, which made her even angrier.
She suppressed her anger and instead smiled more gently, taking two steps forward to greet them: "Brother Wenqi, Qingzhi, you've come at the right time. Auntie was just talking about you."
Her gaze fell on their clasped hands, and her tone carried just the right amount of envy, "Seeing how good your relationship is, it's truly enviable."
Mother Liu's eyes flickered, and she immediately understood Zhu Qingzhi's identity. She immediately replied, "I knew it! There's no beauty like this in the entertainment industry. I never imagined that Qingzhi is the daughter of the Lu family. I'm a big fan of yours; I watch every single one of your dramas."
“Yes, I like her very much too.” Mother Wen naturally took Qingzhi’s hand and snatched him away from Wen Qi. “My son treats her like a treasure every day. Let me have her this time, so I can save face for him.”
“Mom,” Zhu Qingzhi called out readily, her voice sweet and full of just the right amount of intimacy, and she took Wen’s mother’s arm. “If you keep praising me, I’ll get all cocky.”
She turned to the Liu family mother and daughter, smiling politely, "Aunt Liu, Sister Xiaoning, hello." Her gaze lingered briefly on Liu Xiaoning, and she nodded slightly, maintaining politeness while subtly creating distance.
The smile on Liu's mother's face remained warm, but a subtle scrutiny flashed in the depths of her eyes.
She had long known that her daughter liked Wen Qi and originally intended to match them up, but who knew that the Wen family would first arrange a marriage with the Lu family, so she had no choice but to give up.
But a few days ago, after hearing Xiao Ning talk about what happened at the LR Jewelry dinner, she felt that Zhu Qingzhi's status was really not good enough for Wen Qi, so she started to have second thoughts.
Judging from how much Wen's mother likes Zhu Qingzhi today, she probably not only doesn't mind Zhu Qingzhi's identity in the entertainment industry, but is actually quite satisfied with her.
She pulled Liu Xiaoning forward half a step, her tone warm: "Oh my, you are so lucky. Your son is capable, and your daughter-in-law is so beautiful and sensible. She is also a big star. It is something that people can only envy."
After saying that, she pinched Liu Xiaoning's hand without making a sound. Liu Xiaoning could only force a smile and agree, "Qingzhi is indeed excellent."
Zhu Qingzhi nodded, looking innocent and naive: "Thank you for the compliment, Sister Xiaoning. But I heard that you have someone you like, I wonder who it is?"
Liu Xiaoning felt like her lungs were about to explode with anger, but with so many people around, she couldn't lash out. The others were unaware of the conflict between the two, but Zhu Qingzhi knew it all perfectly well; it seemed Zhu Qingzhi was deliberately trying to make things difficult for her today.
She forced a smile: "These are all old stories."
Zhu Qingzhi feigned surprise: "Really? I heard that you chased after her all the way to Haicheng?"
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Author's Note: Kiyoshi [melted]: [Let me see]
Wen Qi [angrily]: Zhao Shiyan!
Xiao Tang [angry]: [fearful]
Liu Xiaoning [Angry]: [Lemon]
Ah Mei: I'm rushing to catch a flight! There might be a time difference tomorrow, so updates might be inconsistent!
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