Volume 1 Chapter 9: Sorry, I’m Already Married
Bo Jingci had been busy these past few days, and Song Jingmian hadn’t had the chance to discuss with him her plans to go out and film.
She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, she was only allowed to go out after her first act of self-harm.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t go out at all, but whenever she did, there were always many people following her. She disliked this, and over time, she simply stopped wanting to leave the house.
She remained lifeless for a long while, eating poorly and sleeping poorly, losing a significant amount of weight and looking pale.
So whenever Gu Tingyu came over because of her health, he was extremely displeased.
She looked too haggard, and her once bright and beautiful face showed no trace of its former charm.
Later, for some reason, he began allowing her to act in films.
She vaguely recalled that she was still in a state of being blacklisted at the time. When she finally contacted her agent, the agent told her that the producer she had smashed a wine bottle at had already been sent to prison.
After that, no one suppressed her anymore.
From then on, she gradually began acting again, though his possessiveness remained strong. He forbade her from taking on scripts with intimate scenes or those involving danger.
And whenever she encountered either of these two situations, he would always appear before her immediately.
But when she faced life-threatening danger, was something happening on his end at the time?
As she pondered the events before her rebirth, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the alarm on her phone.
It was Qiqi calling.
Qiqi was her best friend. Their friendship had lasted from their time in the orphanage to adulthood. Besides Qiqi, she also had a friend she met in high school. The three of them shared similar personalities and quickly became close.
The so-called “iron triangle.”
Seeing the incoming call, a smile touched Song Jingmian’s lips. She had been so preoccupied with matters involving Bo Jingci these past few days that she had almost forgotten about them.
“Hey, Qiqi,” Song Jingmian called out the nickname she hadn’t used in a long time.
“Hey! My dear!” Qiqi exclaimed dramatically before asking with concern, “Is your cold better?”
The last time she went out, it was to meet up with the two of them, especially since Sheng Wen rarely came to the capital.
“I’m completely fine now!”
“That’s good,” Qiqi said with relief on the other end. “If you caught a cold because of us, your husband would surely be heartbroken.”
Song Jingmian laughed.
“Want to hang out?!” Qiqi said excitedly. “Even though we just met not long ago, I’ve been so bored lately. I miss you.”
To Song Jingmian, it felt like ages since she had last seen Qiqi.
“I’ll go,” Song Jingmian said with a smile. “Let me get ready, and I’ll be right there.”
“Totally okay!”
“Don’t worry, we’re going to the ‘Dark Surge’ bar. It’s very private, so there’s no need to worry about anything happening.”
Song Jingmian nodded, vaguely realizing that the last time she went out wearing a mask, she only took it off when she arrived at the company recently. People around her seemed to just stare at her curiously.
They wouldn’t think she was the once-popular teenage girl.
Indeed, back then, she had only acted in one film, and everyone’s impression of her remained frozen at the orphaned girl she played when she was sixteen.
As for later…
She had gradually been forgotten.
Five years… a full five years…
Last time, she subconsciously thought she was in the period right after winning an award in her previous life. Although it wasn’t a leading role, she was already satisfied.
Because she was starting to be remembered by the audience again.
In the walk-in closet, Song Jingmian had recently added quite a few pieces of clothing, but most of them were still bought for her by Bo Jingci.
Whenever he returned from a business trip, or even just a day or two later, she would receive many gifts from him.
Thinking about going to the bar, she found a black short skirt. The style of the skirt was simple and elegant—neither overly formal nor inappropriate for the occasion.
However, her fair complexion paired with this dress made her stand out in the crowd.
She was quite satisfied with her outfit.
But before heading out, she still sent him a message; otherwise, he would worry yet again.
After getting ready, she left the house.
When she arrived at the bar entrance, she realized Qiqi had been waiting for her there all along.
Seeing her outfit, Qiqi’s eyes widened, and the first thing out of her mouth was an elegant piece of native profanity.
“Holy shit…”
Then she walked up to her, looked her over a few times, and murmured, “Pay attention, this woman is called Xiaomei, she’s my best friend…”
Song Jingmian: “”
She helplessly patted Qiqi’s shoulder, trying to bring her back to her normal self: “What’s going on, don’t you recognize me?”
Qiqi suddenly hugged her and let out a few excited squeals.
“You look so beautiful today, I’m so proud!”
Song Jingmian looked her up and down, taking in her hot, hip-length bustier outfit, bold makeup, big waves, and curvaceous figure, and fell into deep thought.
“Are you sure you’re not complimenting yourself?!”
Qiqi immediately pulled away from her embrace and gave her a shocked look: “Mianmian… you.”
“You’ve finally returned to the version of you I know best.”
As she spoke, her voice actually choked up a little.
“Every time you came out before, even though it was the same usual way we hang out, I could actually feel that you weren’t truly happy… I know you wouldn’t tell us things you didn’t want to share, so I could only pretend nothing was wrong…”
“But this time, you really seem like a different person.”
“Like you’ve come back to life.”
Song Jingmian’s heart skipped a beat.
For a moment, she almost thought this woman had been reborn alongside her!
Fortunately, Qiqi finished speaking and immediately hooked an arm around her shoulder, “Come on, sis is taking you out to have fun tonight, to celebrate your rebirth!”
When the two entered the bar, they deliberately chose a corner seat.
Even though they were there for the lively atmosphere, Song Jingmian truly didn’t enjoy places like this, and for some reason, sitting in a corner always gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
“Mianmian, look, aren’t those guys behind you checking you out?”
Song Jingmian smirked: “Is it possible… they’re looking at you?”
“Impossible,” Qiqi declared confidently. “They’re definitely looking at you. Want to bet? It won’t be long before someone comes to ask for your number.”
Ever since they walked in, several gazes had been sizing them up—or more accurately, sizing up Song Jingmian.
Only she herself was unaware of how captivating her face was. When she wasn’t smiling, she looked cool and aloof; when she smiled, the corners of her eyes lifted, and her expression was utterly alluring.
Sometimes, after spending too much time with her, catching a glimpse of her profile could almost make you question your own orientation.
Let alone those men.
Perhaps Qiqi’s own aura was too intimidating, as no one dared to approach even after they’d been sitting for a while.
Hearing this, Song Jingmian glanced at her leisurely: “I don’t believe it.”
Qiqi: “”
She rolled her eyes at her.
Song Jingmian was amused by her expression, smiling brightly as she looked at her, then suddenly noticed Qiqi winking and making faces at her, and couldn’t help but chuckle meaningfully.
Soon after, a slightly youthful voice tinged with nervousness rang out.
“Um… hello there, miss, can I add you on WeChat?”
Song Jingmian looked up and saw the boy’s face. He wasn’t bad-looking, somewhat handsome, with a blush on his cheeks, but he seemed too young and immature.
Most importantly, he couldn’t compare to her husband.
Song Jingmian had been standing with her arms crossed, but upon hearing the boy’s words, she moved her hands slightly.
The boy’s face lit up with surprise and delight, his expression flickering with excitement.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, she spread the fingers of her left hand and held it up in front of the boy.
The large diamond ring on her ring finger instantly dazzled everyone nearby.
Then, Song Jingmian drawled, “Sorry—”
She flashed a perfectly polite smile. “I’m already married.”
On the other side.
Gu Tingyu watched as his buddies fooled around and naturally joined in the fun.
“Hey, even without Brother Jing here, we can still have a good time. When he gets back, we’ll make him treat us to a few meals.”
“Wow, Gu Tingyu, you’re ruthless…”
Amid the playful banter and laughter, the atmosphere was lively.
He poured himself a glass of wine and was about to turn to clink glasses with the friend beside him when his gaze was inexplicably drawn to two figures not far away.
The first to catch his eye was the woman in the black dress. Under the dim lighting, her skin was exceptionally fair, and her elegant swan-like neck was particularly striking.
Her profile was delicate and flawless, with a high nose bridge. Even from the side, it was clear she was a stunning beauty.
For some reason, he kept staring in that direction. Before long, he also noticed the other woman dressed in a sexy and bold outfit.
He suddenly felt a bit fickle.
Seeing two beautiful women at once, his heart seemed to race for both of them.
Crushing on two people in two seconds—that was just like him.
But as he continued to watch, the woman in the black dress began to look more and more familiar. He racked his brain but couldn’t quite place her.
How strange.
She really did look familiar…
Until the woman not far away turned around, revealing her face, which was even more exquisite and striking than her profile. His eyes widened in shock.
Th-this… isn’t this Bo Jingci’s wife?!
Wh-what is she doing here?!
Oh my god, I almost didn’t recognize her, and I even had thoughts about someone else’s wife. What a sin!
Without wasting a second, he quickly raised his phone, carefully snapped a photo, and sent it to someone.
The photo captured the exact moment she showed the boy her large diamond ring, even capturing the sparkle of the gem.
Then, he immediately lowered his head and typed furiously.
【Brother Jing, this looks like your wife!!】