3 – Destinу’s Аrrаngеmеnt
Jiаng Ning’s hеart was fillеd оnlу with hаtrеd and the desirе tо break frеe from thе соntrоl оf thе World Соnsсiоusness. Thе repeatеd сyсlеs оf griеf shе had еndurеd hаd worn awау all sеnse of shamе within her.
Тhus, even aftеr what hаd haррened with Gu Сhi the night beforе, shе арpeаrеd lаrgеly indifferеnt.
She sрoke tо Gu Chi in a сalm tonе, “Last night, thanks.”
Thе mаn’s dеeр-sеt eyes gаzed аt Jiаng Ning, the teаr mole аt the соrnеr of his еye аppеаring рarticularly alluring in that moment. Jiаng Ning сouldn’t help but think that lаst night hаdn’t been a lоss.
Gu Сhi watched her for a long while without saying a word.
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow.
Gu Chi lowered his gaze, a soft sound escaping from his throat, “Alright.”
Judging solely by his expression, Jiang Ning truly couldn’t tell if he liked her. She even began to doubt her own speculations—could it really just be a fan’s admiration?
Such profound matters, Jiang Ning didn’t dwell on them. She said to Gu Chi, “Your phone number—would it be convenient to give it to me?”
Gu Chi’s lowered eyelids instantly lifted, his gaze fixed intently on her. Jiang Ning wondered if she had been too direct.
Just as she was about to say never mind, she suddenly heard the man’s hoarse voice reciting a string of numbers.
Gu Chi’s voice was captivating, like an ethereal call from ancient times, carrying a mysterious aura that could inadvertently make one’s ears tingle.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ning’s mind was elsewhere. She lowered her head, entered the phone number, and dialed. Only after Gu Chi’s phone rang did she hang up.
“This is my number. Let’s stay in touch.”
With that, Jiang Ning threw off the covers, got up, and picked up her clothes from the floor to put them on.
As she lifted the covers, Gu Chi silently closed his eyes.
Once dressed, Jiang Ning saw that Gu Chi was still lying in bed and said gently, “I have important matters to attend to. There are probably still reporters outside. To be safe, you should leave the hotel tomorrow.”
Gu Chi had been blacklisted for a year, while she was a top star in the entertainment industry. If he were photographed with her now, he would also be implicated, even though he was already sidelined.
Gu Chi’s eyes darkened as he replied softly, “Alright.”
Only after Jiang Ning left did Gu Chi get up and put on his clothes.
Pulling back the covers, he removed the bedsheet. Seeing the faint trace of crimson on it, Gu Chi pressed his lips together tightly, then silently took the sheet to the bathroom.
Jiang Ning left through the hotel’s back entrance, wrapped up tightly. As soon as she returned to her residence, she received a call from her agent.
“Hello, Sister Ai…” Jiang Ning leaned lazily on the sofa, closing her eyes in contemplation. This time, she had gotten involved with Gu Chi, and she wasn’t sure if it was for better or worse.
“Good heavens, thank goodness you finally answered the phone.”
Different experiences led to different lines from her agent. This new direction brought Jiang Ning a sense of relief.
She still remembered the previous ten times when she had been unavoidably photographed with Gu Chi. Scandalous news had spread everywhere, and Sister Ai had looked at her with an expression of hesitation and pity.
“Sister Ai, what’s wrong?”
Her pleasant, melodious voice could make anyone’s ears tingle—even Sister Ai, as a woman, couldn’t resist it.
“What’s wrong? My dear, have you forgotten? You recently signed up for a reality show, and it starts tomorrow. You disappear on me—how could I not be worried?”
Although, given Jiang Ning’s status, making the production team wait wouldn’t be a big deal, Jiang Ning had always been highly professional about her work. Her refusal to throw her weight around was a key reason for her good reputation both inside and outside the industry.Jiang Ning is the model example in the entertainment industry—beautiful, sweet-voiced, and wildly popular. Sister Ai certainly doesn’t want her to be tainted by any scandal.
Jiang Ning is a queen-level figure in the music industry, but this is her first time participating in a variety show. Live reality shows are the easiest way to expose an artist’s weaknesses.
Reality shows…
How could Jiang Ning possibly forget?
In every previous reset, she endured endless slander because she was labeled a “cheater,” while Jiang Zhi and Ye Chen pretended to fall for each other during the show.
The reason Jiang Ning repeated the same mistakes in all nine previous resets was that whenever she encountered the male and female protagonists, she would lose control and do things she herself found unbelievable.
Each time, she struggled to break free from the World Consciousness’s control, and the most she could achieve was to escape its influence only when the male and female protagonists were absent.
Jiang Ning closed her eyes, hoping that this time, Gu Chi would be the one to help her break free from the World Consciousness.
She had already prepared for the worst. If Gu Chi still couldn’t contend with the protagonists’ luck, she would swiftly complete all ten resets and let this entire world vanish.
“Hey, Jiang Ning, why aren’t you saying anything? You’re not really thinking of backing out, are you? That won’t do. The production team has already promoted it, and the fans are eagerly waiting. If you don’t go, it’s not really…”
“Sister Ai.”
Jiang Ning interrupted her incessant chatter: “I’ll go. But before that, I need you to do something.”
“What is it? I’ll go through fire and water for you, as long as you participate in the show. Anything goes.” Sister Ai patted her chest in assurance.
“Go and tell the production team to add another person.”
“Add another person?”
Sister Ai looked puzzled: “Who?”
Given Jiang Ning’s status, participating in this show was already a favor to the director, who had a good relationship with Sister Ai. Adding someone wouldn’t be too difficult.
Jiang Ning’s tone was calm but firm: “Gu Chi.”
In every previous life, Gu Chi had participated in this show, though she later heard that he had gone through great lengths to secure a spot at the last minute.
“Who?”
Sister Ai was completely baffled. She hadn’t heard of him, though the name sounded vaguely familiar.
Seeing that Sister Ai didn’t know who Gu Chi was, Jiang Ning added, “Gu Chi, the rookie who won The Strongest Voice the year before last.”
At this, Sister Ai immediately remembered who Gu Chi was, her voice rising sharply: “What? You want to add Gu Chi? My dear, have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten that Gu Chi offended the capital and got blacklisted by his company?”
Jiang Ning’s response was resolute: “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Then why…”
“If I, Jiang Ning, am protecting him, who would dare blacklist him?”
Her firm words left Sister Ai speechless. After all, when it came to capital power, who in the entire entertainment industry could rival the Jiang family?
Of course, if Sister Ai knew Gu Chi’s true identity, she wouldn’t think that way.
However, Jiang Ning had never had any connection with Gu Chi before. At most, they occasionally ran into each other at the company, and he would respectfully address her as Senior Jiang. Sister Ai couldn’t understand why she suddenly wanted to help Gu Chi.
“You and Gu Chi…”
“We slept together.”
“What? You slept with Gu Chi!” Sister Ai’s voice shot up another octave. Realizing her outburst, she immediately covered her mouth, relieved she was at home.
Sister Ai was someone who stood by Jiang Ning no matter how badly she was slandered, and Jiang Ning trusted her completely.She rubbed her throbbing temples and smiled, “Why so surprised? Keep your voice down.”
“No, I—Jiang Ning, you—how can I not be shocked? My dear, have you forgotten that you and the movie star Ye Chen are still engaged? Your engagement is known to the whole world. This—this is cheating! You’ll be torn apart by the public. And you dare to bring Gu Chi on the show?”
Sister Ai gritted her teeth in frustration. That little seducer Gu Chi—how did he manage to charm her Jiang Ning? How could she be so foolish? Not only did she not avoid him, but she even wanted to bring him on the show?
Sister Ai was about to try persuading Jiang Ning again when Jiang Ning dropped a bombshell: “Don’t worry, the one who cheated first was Ye Chen.”