Xi Yue’s words seemed to strike a chord somewhere deep in Jiang Ning’s heart. Despite her usual slow reactions, she replied quickly this time, “That’s not true.”
As if denying something.
“Then you do your show, and I’ll find my true love. We won’t interfere with each other, so what are you afraid of?” Xi Yue mocked, “Do you even have any money left? The penalty fee is nearly ten million. Where are you going to get that? Actually, if you asked me to lend it to you, I would. But under what identity? As my ex-girlfriend?”
In just one night, it was as if Xi Yue had taken a masterclass in sharp-tongued comebacks.
With just a few sentences, he left Jiang Ning speechless.
She took a deep breath before saying to Xi Yue, “Thank you for your kindness. I won’t withdraw from the show, and I hope you won’t show any closeness toward me during the program.”
Xi Yue’s expression cooled, but he nodded and still said, “Sure.”
Jiang Ning really couldn’t stay with Xi Yue any longer. She politely bid farewell to the two of them and left under the pretense of needing rest.
The director, who had been forced to listen to the entire exchange, could no longer pretend to be part of the background in the corner.
He spoke up quietly, “So I’ve become part of your little game, huh?”
Xi Yue glanced in the direction Jiang Ning had left and sneered, “Should I leave then?”
The director replied decisively, “I’m here voluntarily.”
…
Jiang Ning had no choice but to cooperate with the promotional activities while waiting for filming to begin.
The director knew exactly how to create hype. He didn’t reveal Xi Yue’s participation, saving it for a big reveal later. For the other announced guests, he posted their photos.
But for Jiang Ning, he only shared a silhouette with the caption:
#Famous child star Jiang Ning makes her comeback after six years! Are you curious to see what she looks like now?~#
This indeed piqued the interest of many netizens.
Many of the dramas Jiang Ning had starred in back then had become timeless classics, revisited by audiences over and over again.
The spirited and beautiful little girl on screen, combined with rumors over the years that Jiang Ning had “grown up unattractive,” made netizens even more curious.
【Judging by this silhouette and figure, she doesn’t seem to have grown up unattractive.】
【Hard to say. There have been cases where silhouettes were misleading.】
【Director, you really know how to build anticipation. I’ll be the first to watch when it airs!】
After all the guests arrived at the filming location, the director organized an ice-breaking dinner to let everyone get acquainted in advance.
Jiang Ning really didn’t want to go.
But since everyone else was there, her absence would make her seem extremely unsociable.
There were six guests in total—four men and two women. Aside from Xi Yue, none of them were particularly big names.
The female guest, Shen Yiqiao, had acted alongside Jiang Ning when they were teenagers, playing sisters in a drama.
As soon as she saw Jiang Ning, Shen Yiqiao approached her with familiarity, chatting happily with her.
Shortly after,
Xi Yue made his entrance, nearly shocking the other guests to death.
Once they recovered, they rushed over, screaming excitedly.
Some asked for photos, others for autographs.
Compared to the enthusiasm of the other guests, Jiang Ning, who remained seated without any reaction, appeared particularly indifferent.
“Why does Miss Jiang seem like she doesn’t like me?” Xi Yue pretended to be casual, curling his lips lazily. “Are you one of my anti-fans?”
“Of course not,” Jiang Ning replied calmly. “My love for you is like wetting my pants—no one else can see it, but I can feel the warmth.”
Xi Yue: “…”
The tables had turned, and this time it was Xi Yue who was left speechless.
Jiang Ning’s beauty was overwhelmingly striking. When she sat there without speaking, she resembled an aloof, unapproachable beauty.
But the moment Jiang Ning said those words, she had the other guests roaring with laughter.
The image of the cold, proud beauty shattered in an instant.
Even the other guests felt emboldened to speak with her.
As long as there was no episode, many individuals with depression weren’t always in a state of despair.
They were essentially no different from ordinary people, sometimes even appearing overly cheerful and talkative.
So, during the year Jiang Ning and Xi Yue were together, aside from Jiang Ning frequently taking her “vitamins,” Xi Yue had hardly noticed anything unusual about her.
Jiang Ning had excellent manners. Anyone she was willing to engage with would find conversation with her quite pleasant.
Ironically, it was Xi Yue who ended up feeling excluded.
After all, his superstar aura was too overpowering. The gap in their status was like heaven and mud; before they got to know each other, they truly couldn’t find common ground.
When young people gathered, drinking was almost inevitable.
Jiang Ning also had a few glasses.
But she had clearly underestimated the alcohol content of domestic drinks. Just like at her homecoming banquet back then, a few glasses left her feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
As the dinner drew to a close, the guests had almost all warmed up to each other.
One male guest, Wei Lan, a third-tier idol from a boy band, noticed Jiang Ning looking weary and offered to take the program crew’s car to escort the beauty back to the hotel.
His intentions were obvious, prompting a chorus of teasing “yooo~” from everyone at the table.
After the two left, Xi Yue also stood up, tossing out only a “I’m leaving too” before turning to exit.
The remaining guests exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.
“Did we upset Brother Xi by not talking to him earlier?”
The only person in the know, the director, kept his eyes down and didn’t dare to speak.
…
Wei Lan had just helped Jiang Ning to the roadside, preparing to take the program crew’s car back, when a man approached and handed him a business card.
“Thank you, Mr. Wei. I’m Jiang Ning’s manager. I’ll take her from here.”
Wei Lan glanced at the card: Xingyao Entertainment, Song Yushan.
Wei Lan was also a bit tipsy, his mind foggy. Hearing that this was Jiang Ning’s manager, he didn’t even bother to verify the man’s identity and simply handed Jiang Ning over to him.
It wasn’t until Wei Lan saw Song Yushan help Jiang Ning into a high-end van that he finally sobered up a little.
How could a small actress like Jiang Ning, just preparing for a comeback, afford such an expensive van?
Damn, is this really Jiang Ning’s manager?
By the time Wei Lan realized, the car had already driven off. He could only call the director to ask.
After hearing that the man was Song Yushan, the director fell silent for a moment before saying, “Just consider him Jiang Ning’s manager.”
…
In the car, Song Yushan cautiously observed Xi Yue’s expression. “Brother Xi, where to?”
“Room 520, XX Hotel.”
That was Jiang Ning’s room.
Jiang Ning was in a daze, half-drunk and half-awake.
The van jolted slightly during the drive, causing Jiang Ning to lean unconsciously to one side.
As Jiang Ning startled awake, Xi Yue reached out to steady her.
Though her mind was foggy, she could still recognize the person in front of her as Xi Yue and struggled to move away from him.
Xi Yue’s expression darkened as he allowed Jiang Ning to shift to a seat closer to the other door.
She rubbed her temples and asked, “Where’s Wei Lan? Why is it you?”
Xi Yue said sarcastically, “A lone man and a single woman, both drunk—you really wanted him to take you back?”
In Jiang Ning’s mind, she was thinking that there were also crew members from the program heading the same way. What did he mean by “a lone man and a single woman”?
But what she said was, “None of your business.”
Xi Yue laughed in anger. “Then who can mind your business? Zhou Ran?”
Jiang Ning fell silent again.
Xi Yue truly hated the way Jiang Ning treated people with silence.
The key was, he noticed that during the gathering, Jiang Ning had chatted happily with everyone else. But when it came to him, she always used this attitude to resist him.
Xi Yue gritted his teeth for a while, waiting until his anger had subsided a bit before continuing to mock her. “When you can’t argue, you just go mute?”
He didn’t hear Jiang Ning reply for a long time and thought she still didn’t want to speak.
Xi Yue couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Ning, only to see her leaning against the car window, asleep again.
Xi Yue silently cursed, not even letting out a sound, as he was always proud and reserved.
With a grim expression, he carried Jiang Ning back to her hotel room.
As a pampered young lady who had never lifted a finger, even in the U.S., Jiang Jintao had hired a maid specifically to watch over and take care of her. Her ability to take care of herself was practically nonexistent.
She probably hadn’t let the hotel staff clean her room during this time, so it looked a bit messy.
The instant noodle cup from yesterday had been thrown away, but the leftover takeout from lunch today hadn’t been disposed of yet.
Carrying Jiang Ning, Xi Yue walked from the living room of the suite back to the bedroom and laid her down on the soft bed.
Jiang Ning’s long, dark eyelashes resembled ink wash paintings, and the curve from her jawline to behind her ears was sharp and slender, revealing a sense of indifference and fragility that perfectly matched her personality.
Xi Yue wanted to reach out and tidy Jiang Ning’s disheveled hair but felt like he was truly acting like a lovesick fool.
So he averted his gaze and busied himself by tidying up the clothes piled on the sofa.
Since he was already tidying the clothes, he might as well roll up his sleeves and clean up the rest of the place.
This was a habit Xi Yue had developed during the year they were together, trained by Jiang Ning.
Back then, Jiang Ning had argued with Jiang Jintao and moved out to live on her own. Her apartment was a mess, and the formerly noble Young Master Xi, of course, didn’t know how to do housework either.
It was purely forced out of him by Jiang Ning.
At the time, Jiang Ning had said matter-of-factly, “I don’t like outsiders coming into my space. I don’t know how to clean up. Can you help me?”
“Am I not a person?”
Jiang Ning’s eyes were clear and innocent. “You’re not an outsider.”
With just that sentence, the arrogant Young Master Xi was hooked, happily tidying up for Jiang Ning every time.
Thinking about the past, Xi Yue’s mood gradually calmed.
Halfway through cleaning, he realized they had already broken up six years ago.
Why was he still acting as Jiang Ning’s free maid?
Xi Yue immediately threw down the rag in his hand and tossed aside the apron.
Damn.
This was even worse than being a lovesick fool.
The more Xi Yue thought about it, the angrier he became. He went to shake Jiang Ning awake and asked harshly, “Do you want some hangover medicine?”
Jiang Ning drowsily opened her eyes, the corners tinged with a faint, wine-flushed pink.
She swatted Xi Yue’s hand away and turned her head aside. “Why are you still here?”
Xi Yue sneered, “When I carried you in, there was barely any space to step. If I didn’t help you clean up, you wouldn’t even have a place to lie down.”
Jiang Ning replied, “Then you can leave. I can manage on my own.”
“Not even a word of thanks,” Xi Yue started again, pushing his sarcastic skills to the limit. “Would your blind date also serve you like a dog the way I do?”