The cinema was deserted today, so Li Wuyi spotted Xu Youzhi sitting in the corner at a single glance.
Though nearly forty, Li Wuyi possessed a captivating charm. Dressed in a long black silk dress, she offered a faint smile. “Zhizhi, you’re here too? Want to watch the movie with me?” Her gaze then shifted to the cold, elegant woman beside her, and she paused. Even behind sunglasses, Li Wuyi felt an air of subtle hostility from this woman’s aura.
“And this is…?”
Jiang Ruoxun took off her sunglasses and smiled. “Hello.”
Li Wuyi was stunned. “You look quite a bit like Jiang Ruoxun.”
Jiang Ruoxun gave a nonchalant smile. “I get that a lot.”
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t admit it, and Xu Youzhi didn’t explain. She knew that with such a distinctive face, Li Wuyi likely knew the truth in her heart.
Li Wuyi smiled apologetically. “Since you two are out together, I’ll just…”
“It’s fine. Since you’re Zhizhi’s friend, why don’t we watch together?” Jiang Ruoxun smiled at Xu Youzhi.
Feeling a bit constrained, Xu Youzhi could only nod. Left with no choice, Li Wuyi agreed.
“So, you’re neighbors?” Li Wuyi learned of their relationship after hearing Xu Youzhi’s explanation.
Given the scandalous rumors, she never expected the Movie Queen to be so kind to Xu Youzhi—taking her out and taking care of everything from food to drinks.
“I only found out a few days ago,” Xu Youzhi said softly.
Jiang Ruoxun wasn’t in the mood for small talk with Li Wuyi. This encounter hadn’t been part of the plan. She turned to Xu Youzhi. “Zhizhi, did you have fun today?”
Xu Youzhi smiled instinctively. “It was great.”
Li Wuyi asked curiously, “Where did you go?”
Just as Xu Youzhi was about to change the subject, Jiang Ruoxun answered directly, “Datong Cave.”
Li Wuyi looked startled but managed a smile. “I just went there with Zhizhi yesterday.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Ruoxun feigned confusion but didn’t press further.
Xu Youzhi swallowed nervously, grateful for Jiang Ruoxun’s silence. Otherwise, Auntie Li would think she had been lying. Despite this, she felt a wave of guilt—because Jiang Ruoxun knew she had lied!
Li Wuyi, however, was all smiles. “Zhizhi, did you feel like yesterday wasn’t enough and wanted to go again?”
Jiang Ruoxun smirked. “Maybe she thought I’d never been and wanted to take me.”
Li Wuyi fell silent. She felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles. The Movie Queen’s words were sharp, yet upon closer thought, there was no overt offense.
Perhaps because both women were older than her, they were each more effortless than the other when it came to taking care of people. Li Wuyi bought her popcorn, while Jiang Ruoxun bought her a Coke.
Xu Youzhi ate and drank in a daze, constantly thanking them.
Inside the theater, there were only a few people. The three sat together.
When Xu Youzhi offered snacks to Li Wuyi, she accepted them gently. When she offered some to Jiang Ruoxun, the latter declined, mentioning her diet. Eventually, Xu Youzhi picked out a piece of lightly seasoned popcorn and handed it to her.
Jiang Ruoxun smiled, stroked her face, and ate it.
Seeing this, Li Wuyi felt a sense of worry. She thought to herself: Regardless of whether her scandals are true or false, this woman is truly hard to read.
“Sss.” Suddenly, Jiang Ruoxun let out a sharp breath. Someone had deliberately left a small pin on the armrest, and she had pricked herself when leaning on it.
“Oh no!” Xu Youzhi frowned, her heart racing. “Sister, are you okay?”
Hearing them, Li Wuyi said concernedly, “Go wash it…” Before she could finish, Xu Youzhi had already led Jiang Ruoxun out. Li Wuyi couldn’t help but sigh.
In the restroom, Xu Youzhi held Jiang Ruoxun’s index finger and rinsed it with care. The gentle stream of water felt soothing rather than uncomfortable.
Jiang Ruoxun never expected to be looked after by a girl eight years her junior.
“Does it hurt, Sister?” Xu Youzhi asked softly.
Jiang Ruoxun shook her head. She was truly someone who didn’t know how to care for herself. When she had a cold, she ordered medicine via delivery or had Xu Ling accompany her to the hospital. For minor injuries, she usually just slapped on a band-aid.
After washing, a small drop of blood seeped from the tiny cut. Xu Youzhi grabbed a few tissues to pat it dry.
“I have band-aids in my bag.” Within two minutes, Xu Youzhi returned with a band-aid and even an iodine swab.
Jiang Ruoxun was surprised by her efficiency.
After carefully applying the iodine, Xu Youzhi put on the band-aid.
Watching her finger being perfectly wrapped, Jiang Ruoxun remarked, “Actually, a wound this small would probably heal by tomorrow anyway.”
“A small wound is still a wound; you can’t ignore it.” Xu Youzhi furrowed her brows. “Are you tired, Sister? You didn’t even react when you were cut.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Ruoxun laughed helplessly. This little sister was actually lecturing her. It was quite amusing. “Thank you for the concern, Zhizhi.”
“You’re welcome. Be careful not to get it wet when you shower, Sister,” Xu Youzhi said, looking up with a pure, innocent smile.
“Thank you.” Jiang Ruoxun rarely said thank you; she seldom had to ask for help. This girl had known her for less than a month, yet she was fussing over her safety with endless reminders.
Such a polite child was indeed very likable. Jiang Ruoxun felt compelled to return the kindness.
“Zhizhi,” Jiang Ruoxun suddenly grabbed Xu Youzhi’s arm. Xu Youzhi looked at her blankly.
“Zhizhi, who exactly is that Auntie Li?” Jiang Ruoxun asked with hidden intent.
Xu Youzhi answered straightforwardly, “She’s my friend’s aunt. A very gentle person, I like her a lot. Whenever I have things on my mind, she helps me figure them out.”
“Oh?” Jiang Ruoxun arched a delicate brow. Her grip tightened suddenly, like a clingy enchantress.
“Am I gentle too?” she asked abruptly.
Xu Youzhi blinked, then smiled. “Of course you are, Sister.”
Jiang Ruoxun beamed. “Then if Zhizhi has any problems, can you come to me too?”
Xu Youzhi didn’t even consider refusing. She nodded immediately. “As long as you don’t find me annoying, Sister.”
“Then Zhizhi must also support my movies, okay?” Jiang Ruoxun replied playfully.
Xu Youzhi nodded vigorously. “Sister’s movies are the best!”
Jiang Ruoxun’s smile deepened. What a pity, but also, what a stroke of luck.
Looking at the girl’s snowy-white teeth and the way she politely helped dry her hands—a gesture that might seem trivial when done by others—it felt exceptionally sweet and endearing coming from her.
How could such a well-behaved, sensible child possess those… “adult” toys? She finally believed Xu Youzhi’s original explanation, and the situation began to feel quite interesting.
That evening, Jiang Ruoxun had business to attend to, so Li Wuyi offered to drive Xu Youzhi home.
On the way, Li Wuyi couldn’t help but ask, “Zhizhi, how did you meet her?”
Xu Youzhi said with a smile, “In the elevator! We even added each other on WeChat. She even brought milk tea to my dog cafe. She’s a very gentle person.”
Li Wuyi pursed her lips. she felt awkward telling the youngster that Jiang Ruoxun made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
The “business” Jiang Ruoxun had was at a company owned by someone named Gu.
Rumor had it that Jiang Ruoxun’s “sugar daddy” was Gu Yang.
Insiders knew that Gu Yang was wealthy but utterly twisted, indulging in games involving women that were beyond the imagination of normal people.
When Jiang Ruoxun first entered the industry, Gu Yang had her eye on her. But with Jiang Ruoxun’s temperament, how could she let her have her way?
Gu Yang had set two conditions: “First, have dinner with me. Second, pay back the debt.”
For the sake of resources, Jiang Ruoxun had agreed. Now, she was there simply to settle the debt—the high-interest debt she had incurred back then.
She arrived at the company and asked the receptionist for a glass of water. The receptionist knew who she was and, per the boss’s orders, didn’t stop her.
The office door wasn’t locked. As soon as Jiang Ruoxun stepped in, the pungent, suggestive scent in the air hit her nose.
Jiang Ruoxun swirled the water in her glass. Her clear eyes reflected the ripples, masking her contempt.
She splashed the water directly onto Gu Yang’s head, the cold liquid silencing her mid-gasp.
Gu Yang closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was laughing. The disheveled actress beside her turned pale with fright.
Jiang Ruoxun set the glass on the desk. She pinched Gu Yang’s chin and meticulously wiped her face dry, her voice dropping to a whisper by her ear.
“Is the money I just transferred enough?”
Gu Yang loved being touched by her and wasn’t angry at all. She even provocatively stuck out her tongue to lick Jiang Ruoxun’s finger.
Jiang Ruoxun glared at her coldly.
Gu Yang smiled. “You told me back then that you’d definitely splash me one day to make a fool of me. It seems you’ve become a capitalist like me now, with shares in Kaixin Media.”
Jiang Ruoxun’s voice was cold and proud. “Don’t lump me in with you, fool. I don’t keep a flock of ‘canaries.’ I’m afraid they’d make me dirty.”
Gu Yang didn’t want her hand to leave and hadn’t noticed the injury on her other hand. “But don’t you think there’s a certain thrill in being served? When I forced you to watch my ‘performances’ with others before, didn’t you feel any excitement?”
When Jiang Ruoxun had no power or money, Gu Yang hadn’t forced her into bed. Instead, she used resources as bait to make her watch how she was “cared for” by her canaries. It was then that Jiang Ruoxun first learned about the “interests” between adults.
Jiang Ruoxun: “I only found it disgusting.”
Gu Yang’s smile was inscrutable. She raised the empty glass toward her. “You’ll come to love the taste of being on top. Trust me.”
As Jiang Ruoxun reached the door, Gu Yang added urgently, “That Lang Qingyan hurt you so badly; do you want me to teach her a lesson for you?”
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t say a word. She cast a glance at the panicked actress and closed the door behind her.
Finally, she could leave this woman behind.
Returning home, everything seemed peaceful. Jiang Ruoxun looked at her finger; the band-aid had been applied perfectly by Xu Youzhi.
Just then, Xu Ling sent a message.
“Hey, are you bored? Should I find someone to keep you company?”
Jiang Ruoxun leaned her head on her hand and smiled.
“No need.” “Prey is something you should hunt for yourself.”
Xu Ling was speechless. She couldn’t help but wonder—Jiang Ruoxun never lacked suitors, yet she had never truly been in love. Most of the time, she simply toyed with the affection of others, looking down on them in her heart.