9 – She is unhappy
The early winter rains in Shanghai were becoming more frequent, carrying a desolate chill that seeped into the bones.
Wen Man had just finished shooting an advertisement. The fluorescent lights behind her were still on, illuminating the entire studio.
She walked over to the side and waved to Xiao Ning, fishing her phone out of Xiao Ning’s pocket. With one hand, she took the iced Americano from Xiao Ning and took a sip through the straw, leaving a reddish-brown lipstick mark on it as her lips parted.
Today, Wen Man wore a red French-style gown with a deep V-neck that perfectly accentuated her curves. Her long hair was curled and draped over her chest, partially concealing her figure.
Wen Man scrolled through her phone. On WeChat, there was only a greeting message from her agent, Chen Yue. Apart from that, there were only a few public account notifications. She scrolled further down and finally saw a profile picture of a crescent moon.
The WeChat name was simple: Wen.
After their last phone call, they had added each other on WeChat, but the chat history remained at: “You are now friends.”
Wen Man pursed her lips, biting the inside of her lip, unsure of what she was feeling.
They had agreed to have dinner together today, and she had even gone on a strict diet of light meals and black coffee for days in preparation. Yet, up until now, Wen Yanchuan hadn’t sent a single message.
It seemed he wasn’t taking it very seriously.
Wen Man took another big sip of the iced Americano, the bitterness spreading in her mouth.
She turned off her phone screen. If he didn’t make a move, neither would she.
Xiao Ning noticed Wen Man’s absent-mindedness and moved closer, lowering her voice. “Mr. Wen hasn’t sent you a message?”
After all, they had spent five years together day and night, and Xiao Ning could read Wen Man’s thoughts at a glance.
Wen Man straightened her expression and handed the phone back to Xiao Ning. “Why should I care about him?”
Xiao Ning pursed her lips, thinking to herself: Her face is practically on the floor, and she’s still acting tough.
Behind them, Wendy, the person in charge of the advertisement, walked over and stood beside Wen Man, holding a camera and whistling as she showed Wen Man the display screen.
“Sweetie, look at this. You’re absolutely stunning. I took this shot during the shoot. This angle doesn’t even need editing. You don’t mind if I post it on Weibo for promotion, do you?”
Wen Man leaned in to look at the camera’s display screen.
On the screen, Wen Man was dressed in a red gown. The fluorescent light shone on her, making her skin appear exceptionally fair. Her long hair was gently lifted by the wind machine, with a few strands brushing against her chest, partially concealing her figure, inviting deeper thoughts just by looking.
Wen Man’s eyes were slightly lowered, the corners of her eyes lifted, and her red lips were enticing, yet her expression remained neutral.
It was a beauty without aggression.
Rather, it gave off a feeling of… a beauty being conquered.
Wen Man nodded, quite satisfied with the candid shot. “It’s beautifully taken. Remember to tag me when you post it.”
Wendy put away the camera and looked at Wen Man. “The shoot is over. Where are you staying? Do you want me to drive you back?”
She then raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with pride. “I drove my newly bought GranCabrio today. It’s a convertible, you know. I can take you for a spin.”
Wen Man chuckled lightly, teasingly raising an eyebrow. “It’s still raining outside. Driving your convertible GranCabrio might leave us soaked.”
“Although I’d love to have a romantic moment with you, I’m sorry, I have plans today.”
Wendy was also quite frank: “It’s all about face. In our line of work, the money we earn is all spent on putting on a show and flaunting.”
After saying this, she even sighed with regret: “No chance to invite a beauty to enjoy the night view of the Huangpu River together. Seems like someone beat me to it.”
Wen Man shrugged.
Unfortunately, ‘someone’ just didn’t appreciate the charm and hadn’t sent a single message until now.
Just as she finished speaking, Wen Man’s phone chimed.
She swiped the screen, and the half-moon finally spoke, though not to Wen Man’s liking.
Wen: 【Sorry, urgent work requires a business trip. Can’t make it. Let’s meet next time.】
Wen Man looked at the message on the screen, her eyes dimming for a moment.
An inexplicable emotion welled up in her heart—not anger, but more like a hint of disappointment.
Wendy, noticing Wen Man’s expression, instinctively glanced at her phone.
She swore she wasn’t intentionally snooping into Wen Man’s privacy, but Wen Man’s screen was simply too bright, and she could clearly read the words at a glance.
Wendy: “Seems like I have another chance to enjoy the Huangpu River with a beauty after all.”
Wen Man couldn’t bring herself to refuse again. Besides, she needed a drive to clear away this inexplicable emotion that had suddenly surfaced.
Meanwhile, on the private jet, Wen Yanchuan, dressed in a suit, leaned back in his seat with his phone in hand. His knuckles lightly tapped the screen as he looked at the message Wen Man had sent.
It was just two short words: 【Okay】.
Wen Yanchuan had never been one to bother deciphering others’ thoughts, but from these two words alone, he could sense Wen Man’s mood.
The woman seemed to be in a bad mood. He could even imagine Wen Man standing before him, her dissatisfaction deliberately concealed, thinking she was hiding it well, yet it was all too obvious.
A flight attendant approached, placing a cup of hot coffee on the table in front of Wen Yanchuan and softly reminding him, “Mr. Wen, the plane will take off in five minutes. Is there anything else you need?”
Wen Yanchuan raised his hand slightly, indicating nothing was needed.
The flight attendant nodded and turned to leave.
Wen Yanchuan stared at his phone, his fingers lightly tapping on his knee. He had no idea how to respond to Wen Man’s two-word message.
As the plane began to taxi, Wen Yanchuan turned off the screen, leaned back in his seat, and reached for the coffee in front of him.
A sudden jolt caused Wen Yanchuan’s hand to tremble slightly, spilling coffee all over the laptop on the table.
Wen Yanchuan’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression darkening.
His assistant, Song Zhou, who was sitting nearby, immediately changed his expression and stepped forward, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at the coffee on the laptop.
But the coffee had already seeped into the device, causing the keyboard to malfunction. Song Zhou pressed a few keys, his voice low.
“Mr. Wen, the keyboard is unresponsive.”
The plane stabilized again, as if the earlier turbulence had been nothing more than an accident.
Wen Yanchuan pinched the bridge of his nose, looking somewhat displeased.
He had a cross-border video conference in ten minutes. Wen Yanchuan took a deep breath and said to Song Zhou in a low voice, “Give me your laptop.”
Wen Yanchuan opened Song Zhou’s laptop and connected to the video conference.
Song Zhou looked at Wen Yanchuan, hesitating slightly. “Mr. Wen, all the data is on this computer.”
Wen Yanchuan waved his hand, his expression calm. To him, what had just happened was merely a minor interruption. He had already reviewed those files and data, committing them to memory long ago.
As the meeting began, Song Zhou retreated to the side with the coffee-soaked laptop, took out a notebook, and began manually recording the proceedings.
Wen Yanchuan had lived in London for a long time, and his standard London accent was magnetic. He spoke at a brisk pace, and Song Zhou dared not let his attention waver.
Wen Yanchuan sat there, focused yet with a hint of laziness. Suddenly, a notification popped up in the lower right corner of his laptop, accompanied by a cover photo. Wen Yanchuan glanced at it unconsciously.
The sound in the cabin paused, and Song Zhou looked up at Wen Yanchuan, his pen halting.
Wen Yanchuan was staring at the computer screen, frowning slightly in a daze. Song Zhou felt puzzled, as Wen Yanchuan never lost focus during meetings.
Wen Yanchuan looked at the pop-up message.
【Domestic trendsetter Wendy posted on Weibo, showing great favor for the dazzling actress Wen Man! Dressed in a French-style red dress, exuding sensuality, the two were spotted strolling along the Bund at night, rumored to be close confidantes!】
Wen Yanchuan’s brow furrowed slightly.
In the video, a British man noticed Wen Yanchuan’s distraction and called out, “Mr. Wen?”
Wen Yanchuan snapped back to attention, his voice low and hoarse. “Apologies, please continue.”
Only when Wen Yanchuan’s voice resumed did Song Zhou lower his head and continue recording the meeting.
Wen Yanchuan carried on with the meeting, but the earlier message lingered in his mind.
The flight remained smooth, and two hours later, the meeting concluded. Wen Yanchuan pulled open the window shade beside him. Outside, dark clouds obscured the starry sky, while the city lights shimmered below.
Wen Yanchuan thought again of the pop-up message. He carefully mulled over the words in the notification, then took out his phone and opened Weibo.
He didn’t have an account and had always browsed as a guest.
Wen Yanchuan searched for Wen Man’s name. The top trending Weibo post was from an account named Wendy.
Clicking into it, he saw a set of nine photos arranged in a grid.
Wen Man wore a champagne-colored sequined slip dress that accentuated her figure, paired with a fox fur coat. Her hair cascaded loosely, and her red lips were striking.
She sat in the passenger seat of a convertible, her hair slightly damp, her profile alone captivatingly beautiful.
Some photos were candid shots, while others showed her smiling brightly at the camera. In the center of the grid was a photo of her in a red dress, her figure perfectly highlighted.
Especially the design around the chest area, it was truly…
Wen Yanchuan glanced at it briefly before scrolling past, browsing the next photo.
But the image he had just seen lingered in his mind. No matter how he tried to focus on the following photos, they failed to register.
He had deliberately tried to avoid looking, yet a parched sensation rose in his throat. Wen Yanchuan had no choice but to pick up the cooled coffee beside him and take two gulps, not savoring it but merely quenching his thirst.
As if that wasn’t enough, he raised his hand, lightly gesturing with his knuckles. “A glass of whiskey.”
Then, Wen Yanchuan added, “With ice.”
He straightened his back uncomfortably, loosened his tie, and tossed it aside. He undid two buttons of his shirt, his Adam’s apple bobbing repeatedly.
He felt he was being utterly impolite.
Song Zhou didn’t notice Wen Yanchuan’s unease and was busy reporting the upcoming itinerary to him on his phone.
“The project in London is almost wrapped up, but there’s been a slip-up with the person in charge of the Leeds project, so we might need to stay an extra two months. Mr. Wen, should we return to London to see the old master?”
Wen Yanchuan tapped his knuckles on his knee but didn’t respond.
Song Zhou added, “The old master called half a month ago, saying there’s a daughter from a certain group in Italy…”
Before he could finish, Wen Yanchuan interrupted in a low voice, “No, we’ll fly straight back to China after Leeds.”
Song Zhou nodded and said nothing more.
Wen Yanchuan pondered for a moment, as if making a decision.
“Compress the work in Leeds. We’ll fly back to Shanghai in at most a month.”
Song Zhou was taken aback. “So urgent?”
Wen Yanchuan’s Adam’s apple moved, his voice deep.
“Yes, I have an appointment. I’m in a hurry to get there.”