6 – It’s me, Wen Yanchuan
Listening to Wen Yanchuan’s words, a chill rose in Wen Man’s heart, her blood seemed to flow backward, and even the air around her felt cold.
She had seen plenty of unspoken rules in the entertainment industry and had always kept her distance. Wen Man prided herself on having a sharp eye for people—she could see through anyone’s intentions at a glance.
But Wen Yanchuan was different. He was gentlemanly, polite, and humble, always maintaining a safe distance when interacting with her.
Even with physical contact, he would ask for her consent first.
Completely unlike Jiang Jin.
Wen Man thought to herself.
When she was dating Jiang Jin, Wen Man would deliberately keep a distance between them. Even just sitting together for a meal made her feel particularly constrained.
A simple gesture like Jiang Jin putting his arm around her shoulder would make Wen Man uncomfortable. She thought this was normal because she had never liked excessive physical contact with others since childhood.
But that time, when Wen Yanchuan held her in his arms, it was entirely different.
What exactly was different? Wen Man didn’t understand.
She had thought Wen Yanchuan was unlike others.
But now, his words had plunged her into despair. There was no difference after all.
Rich people were all the same—whoever they wanted, they could have.
Wen Man clenched the red velvet gown she was wearing tightly, crumpling a section of the hem into a wrinkled mess, her heart filled with disappointment.
She had almost forgotten—Wen Yanchuan was the kind of man who kept “canaries.” How could he be any different from the others?
The more she thought about it, the darker Wen Man’s expression grew, her eyes gradually turning cold.
Wen Yanchuan watched as the woman before him shifted from a conflicted expression to one of indifference, her lips downturned, seemingly tinged with a hint of… anger?
Wen Yanchuan began to question whether something he had said was too impolite.
“Is just a meal really so difficult for Miss Wen?”
Wen Yanchuan’s voice was low, like the toll of a distant bell, awakening Wen Man’s heart.
She looked up at him, her eyes still carrying a trace of doubt. “A meal?”
Wen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow. “Or does Miss Wen think I want something from you?”
Her thoughts exposed, Wen Man wished she could vanish into the ground and never reappear.
When had she developed such a narcissistic flaw?
What kind of woman hadn’t Wen Yanchuan seen? Even an award-winning actress would come at his beck and call.
To think he would go to such lengths to pursue an unspoken rule with a third-tier actress like her—Wen Man must have gone mad!
Wen Man bit her lip, her cheeks flushed crimson, almost unable to lift her head to look at Wen Yanchuan.
Wen Yanchuan seemed to realize something as he looked at Wen Man, understanding her thoughts at that moment. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Wen Man released the crumpled section of her gown, carefully smoothing it out with her hands, and replied to Wen Yanchuan.
“No problem.”
Wen Yanchuan nodded. “I won’t see Miss Wen out. There are still some matters to attend to.”
Only after Wen Man nodded did Wen Yanchuan leave.
Watching Wen Yanchuan’s retreating figure, Wen Man felt like unleashing a set of military-style punches into the air.
What had she done?!
Not only had she embarrassed herself repeatedly in front of Wen Yanchuan, but she had also assumed he was interested in her.
If word got out, the rest of her life would be spent in media headlines. Whenever Wen Yanchuan made any news, she would be dragged out and publicly criticized.
Just the thought of it made Wen Man feel utterly defeated.
That unattainable flower… wasn’t so unattainable after all.
Wen Man thought to herself.
The person standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid was someone she, Wen Man, could never hope to reach.
She comforted herself with this thought.
When Wen Man returned to the wrap party, everyone in the private room had changed their expressions, looking at her with flattering smiles.
As soon as the Director saw Wen Man enter, he quickly said, “Oh, Wen Man is back. We’ve all been waiting for you.”
Wen Man looked at the Director in confusion, not understanding why his attitude had changed so much after she had stepped out for a moment.
The next second, she realized why.
The Director held a bottle of red wine and said to Wen Man, “You really shouldn’t have gone to such trouble. This bottle of red wine is hard to come by—it’s a vintage from 1969, practically priceless. And you just brought it over for me to open? You’re too generous.”
Wen Man didn’t know much about red wine, but hearing the Director’s words, her heart still ached.
She couldn’t be generous with someone else’s gifts. Even if Wen Yanchuan had sent it in her name, she felt it was a waste to let these people drink it.
She wished she could grab the bottle of red wine right now and run away.
But Wen Man couldn’t do that. She forced a smile and said to the Director, “Sorry for keeping everyone waiting.”
The Director waved his hand, indicating it didn’t matter. Just as Wen Man was about to sit back in her original seat, the Director called her again and even asked the Screenwriter beside him to make room so she could sit next to him.
Wen Man truly hadn’t expected that a single bottle of red wine could make someone change their attitude so drastically. Yet, she also felt that such behavior was all too common in the flashy, fame-driven world of showbiz.
If she hadn’t seen it before, it only meant that the circles she usually moved in were like child’s play—small, trivial scenes.
After she returned, the people in the private room began showering her with exaggerated compliments—first about her gown, then her temperament, and when they couldn’t find anything else, they praised her hairstyle. Wen Man felt suffocated.
But she quickly adjusted her mindset. After all, in the entertainment industry, acting skills were essential.
Even as the wrap party ended and Wen Man was about to get into her car, she could still hear the crew members gossiping behind her.
“Could Wen Man come from a wealthy family? She’s not that famous, but her gown alone costs millions…”
These words lingered in Wen Man’s mind. Back at the hotel that night, curled up under the covers, she still held the gown in her hands, gently stroking it.
The red velvet gown looked simple, with no visible logo. It took Wen Man a great deal of effort to find out that it was a high-end custom piece from a foreign brand, handmade by the designer, and intentionally logo-free.
Wen Yanchuan’s help had cost millions, not to mention the bottle of red wine. This was a favor Wen Man couldn’t afford to accept.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Wen Man’s breathing grew uneven. She figured Wen Yanchuan was just naturally extravagant and treated every woman this way, without giving it a second thought.
At this realization, Wen Man felt a wave of irritation. She casually tossed the gown aside, throwing it onto the sofa, then picked up her phone and dialed her assistant.
“Transfer six million from my account to Wen Group.”
Before her assistant could ask why, Wen Man cut her off. “Don’t ask. My heart hurts right now, and I need to heal.”
It wasn’t that Wen Man was stingy or pretending to be poor—she genuinely was broke.
After five years in the industry, she had never achieved real fame, and the money she had managed to save was all she had. She hadn’t even been able to buy her own apartment in Shanghai yet.
The rest of her money had been transferred to her mother’s account. These six million were almost half her life savings.
Wen Man pounded her chest and stamped her feet, yet she couldn’t just hang the gown out for a few million to recoup her losses.
After all, no fool would spend millions on a second-hand item.
At that moment, she truly felt the difference between the wealthy and the ultra-rich.
For the first time, Wen Man felt poor!
She sat on the bed for a long time until the phone rang. Wen Man swiped the screen, her face etched with utter despair.
“I already said, don’t ask me. I really need some time to recover…”
Before Wen Man could finish her sentence, a familiar, deep voice came from the other end of the line.
“It’s me, Wen Yanchuan.”