11 – I want to act
Volume 1 Chapter 11 I Want to Act
On the way back, Bo Jingci had already fallen asleep.
Even though he had slept for two hours on the plane, he still ended up resting his head on her shoulder and dozing off on the return trip.
She tilted her head, glanced at the dark circles under his eyes, and couldn’t help but reach out to touch them gently.
He didn’t wake up.
According to Xiao Zhang, this project had been particularly troublesome and exhausting. To return earlier, Bo Jingci had pushed his schedule repeatedly, staying up late for several nights until he could finally come back.
Song Jingmian felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. Looking at his weary yet still handsome face, she sighed deeply.
She knew he had sacrificed too much for the family business.
By the time the car arrived at the villa, he still showed no signs of waking. Song Jingmian signaled Xiao Zhang with her eyes, indicating that he should go ahead first while she stayed with Bo Jingci for a while.
Xiao Zhang nodded, showing that he understood, and left shortly after. Not long after he was gone, Bo Jingci slowly woke up.
He shifted slightly, and Song Jingmian noticed, lowering her head to watch him closely.
It was rare to see such a dazed expression on his face.
Perhaps because he had just woken up, his eyes looked a bit confused and unfocused, nothing like his usual cold and aloof demeanor.
Song Jingmian couldn’t help but laugh softly.
The next moment, Bo Jingci furrowed his brows and asked her in confusion, “What are you laughing at?”
Her laughter didn’t subside, and her eyes sparkled like stars. “I’m laughing because you’re cute.”
His frown deepened. “Cute?”
No one had ever used that word to describe him before—it simply didn’t fit him at all.
“Yes,” she said matter-of-factly. “Haven’t you heard? If a woman calls a man cute, it means she’s falling for him.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the man’s eyes darkened abruptly. He leaned in and directly sealed her lips with his own.
This time, unlike the fierce kiss earlier, it was surprisingly gentle. Her perception of kissing unconsciously began to change.
Earlier, he had kissed her so fiercely, and since it was her first kiss, the intensity had startled her.
But now, it seemed that kissing could be a beautiful thing.
After a long while, he finally released her lips, his voice low. “Mianmian, don’t tease me.”
Song Jingmian chuckled. “I’m not teasing you—”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Bo Jingci’s dark pupils fixed on her, as if trying to draw her in completely.
“Mianmian… are you admitting that you’ve fallen for me?”
He had thought that with him staring so intently at her and asking such a direct question, she would surely blush. But instead, the girl in front of him smiled even more brightly.
“Yes!” she said playfully. “I’m slowly falling for you.”
She reached out and hugged him. “So from now on, we should communicate and discuss things properly instead of losing our temper.”
“Like today, if I hadn’t guessed that Gu Tingyu told you I was here and that I was being approached by a few guys, you came at me so aggressively right away.”
“I would’ve gotten angry too, and we would’ve ended up arguing endlessly.”
Her tone remained gentle. “So, next time something like this happens, let’s stay calm first, okay?”
Bo Jingci felt the warmth and softness of her in his arms,
his entire body growing restless, so much so that he lost focus several times while she was speaking.
But he understood everything she said. He would try his best to restrain himself in the future. “Okay.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She stroked his hair, comforting him as if he were a little child. “That’s a good boy.”
The two got out of the car, and Bo Jingci naturally took her hand, his broad palm enveloping her small one, his tone extremely doting: “Let’s go home.”
After dinner, it should have been a cozy time for just the two of them, but Bo Jingci was suddenly called away by a phone call, so now she was alone in the bedroom.
This was the perfect time for her to contact her agent.
Looking at the phone number she hadn’t dialed in so long, she lowered her head and pressed call.
“Hello?” came an uncertain voice from the other end.
Hearing Sister Sun’s voice, her heart inexplicably stirred, reminding her of things that had happened in her past life.
Sister Sun was a very good agent. Even when that incident occurred, she only blamed herself for not protecting her well enough, acknowledging that in the entertainment industry, there were too many constraints beyond one’s control.
Even after being shelved for so long, she never gave up on her.
Later, when she was found by her biological parents, Bo Jingci also returned from abroad around that time. Just as the family was beginning to enjoy warmth, they suddenly fell into an economic crisis, and he rescued them from dire straits.
Her biological parents already felt guilty toward her, believing that finding her after so many years was the greatest blessing from heaven. Even if it meant struggling desperately, they refused to use their daughter as a bargaining chip to save the family from crisis.
They would rather see the family go bankrupt than let their daughter make such a sacrifice. People must learn to be content—their daughter had finally returned to them.
But before long, the family was on the verge of collapse. Although she had just returned, her parents’ meticulous care during this time, as if trying to make up for twenty years of absence, had already touched her heart deeply.
Perhaps this was the bond of blood.
Seeing them gradually grow haggard, their hair seemingly turning white overnight, she truly felt heartbroken.
Even though they had only lived together for a few months.
In the end, Song Jingmian personally went to her parents and told them she was willing, but they firmly refused.
She tried to persuade them for a long time, but they wouldn’t relent. It was only when Bo Jingci stepped in and spoke to them—though no one knew what he said—that they finally agreed.
Still, they told him that if she was ever mistreated, she must tell her parents and not suffer alone, as she had already endured too much hardship in the first half of her life.
“Hello, is that Jingmian?” Sister Sun’s voice pulled her back to reality.
Song Jingmian smiled and said, “It’s me, Sister Sun.”
“What’s wrong?”
Sister Sun was also puzzled. Although they hadn’t given up even after being shelved for so long, there was a period when Song Jingmian suddenly disappeared—not answering calls or replying to messages. Sister Sun had feared something had happened to her and was about to call the police when Song Jingmian finally contacted her.
She said she was tired, that life had lost its hope after so long, and she no longer had the will to persevere.
As she spoke, she inexplicably burst into tears. No matter how Sister Sun asked what had happened, she wouldn’t say, only crying and saying she didn’t want to act anymore.
She told her she was fine.
Since she didn’t want to talk, Sister Sun didn’t press further, only comforting her and saying that if she ever wanted to act again, she could always reach out—she would always be there.
Thinking of those past events, Song Jingmian felt deeply moved, her eyes growing slightly sore, her voice tinged with a sob.
“Sister Sun, does what you said still hold true?”
Sister Sun didn’t immediately recall which specific words she was referring to and hesitated for a moment: “Huh?”
Song Jingmian smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes. Tilting her head, she gazed at the brightest star in the dark night outside the window, as if making a firm resolution. She spoke with determination.
“I want to act.”
I want to pursue what I love.