7 – Prеtеnding tо bе strаngеrs
Тhis was Jiang Ning’s first timе drеssing sо оstеntatiously, аnd аlso the first timе she had drеssеd in а wау thаt madе it imроssiblе for pеople to lооk awау.
It wаs аs if shе had bесоme a diffеrеnt pеrson.
The lоok in hеr eyes wаs no lоnger gеntlе and innoсent. Her dаrk, bright рuрils wеre dazzlinglу brilliаnt, уеt her gazе gavе off a sеnse of bеing both clоse and distant, drеаmlikе and illusоrу, creating аn alооfness. Yet, рrecisеly bесаuse оf this, she was brеathtakinglу bеаutiful.
Ye Chen had originally beеn dissаtisfied that Jiang Ning had аrrivеd so late, mаking him wаit for quite some time. However, upon seeing Jiang Ning’s somewhat distant gaze, all his dissatisfaction vanished, and he even felt inexplicably nervous.
Gu Chi stood right behind Jiang Ning. Watching Ye Chen gaze at Jiang Ning with an awestruck look, Gu Chi narrowed his dark eyes slightly, and a surge of violent emotion suddenly welled up in his heart.
He hadn’t forgotten the scene he had witnessed earlier.
This man had already betrayed Jiang Ning. He and that woman named Jiang Zhi had long been secretly involved, meeting privately several times.
The aura surrounding Gu Chi was impossible to ignore, and Ye Chen instantly noticed his presence.
Gu Chi was dressed entirely in black—a simple hooded sweatshirt paired with black straight-leg pants, casual and effortless.
Despite the ordinary attire, his natural model-like physique and flawless handsome face made him appear unattainably superior.
He stood expressionlessly behind Jiang Ning, and Ye Chen was reluctant to admit that the two of them standing together gave off a sense of two luminous bodies competing for brilliance, yet they unexpectedly seemed well-matched.
Immediately, Ye Chen furrowed his brows and reached out to grab Jiang Ning’s arm, projecting his displeasure at Gu Chi’s presence onto her. He repeated, “Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
By now, Jiang Ning, who knew Ye Chen’s true nature, found even his touch repulsive.
She subtly avoided his outstretched hand, using her fingertips to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“How could I be late? If I remember correctly, the program team asked us to arrive before 12 o’clock. It’s still ten minutes to 12 now. Does Brother Chen lack even this little patience?”
These words clearly caught Ye Chen off guard, while Gu Chi behind her suddenly felt in high spirits, his eyes brightening noticeably. He stared intently at the back of Jiang Ning’s head, his joy evident in his gaze.
In Ye Chen’s eyes, Jiang Ning had always been polite and well-mannered.
In the past, whenever something like this happened, if he used even a slightly accusatory tone, she would immediately show an apologetic expression, apologize to him, and beg him not to be angry.
Her rebuttal today left Ye Chen feeling somewhat displeased, though he didn’t show it.
He put on a bright smile and said gently, “You silly girl, didn’t you say yesterday that it was your first time participating in a variety show and asked Brother Chen to take good care of you? I thought you’d come early. That’s why Brother Chen came early in the morning to wait for you.”
Jiang Ning gave a light, mocking smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Ye Chen was truly as hypocritical as ever.
Ye Chen knew who Gu Chi was—a minor celebrity from Jiang Ning’s company who had been sidelined. Given his own status, he didn’t need to bother with such a small fry. He didn’t even ask why Gu Chi had come with Jiang Ning.
After all, for someone insignificant, asking even one question would be giving him too much face.
Soon, the program team contacted Ye Chen and Gu Chi. According to the arrangements, Ye Chen, Jiang Ning, and Gu Chi headed together toward the villa arranged by the program.
Due to his insufficient status, Gu Chi could only follow behind Ye Chen and Jiang Ning.Watching Ye Chen standing close to Jiang Ning, Gu Chi’s eyes darkened with a deep, dangerous intensity, darker than a hawk waiting to seize its prey in the night.
The fans watching the livestream knew exactly who was about to arrive next, and they were beyond excited.
“If nothing goes wrong, the next ones to appear are definitely my idol and goddess.”
“Don’t anyone stop me from fawning over the screen. It’s my goddess’s first time on a variety show—I’m so excited I could cry T_T.”
“Finally, I get to see the fairy-like beauty of our little goddess again. Sisters, it was worth waiting in this livestream for so long.”
“I don’t care about the male idol; I just want to see my queen shine on her own. I’m already starting to get a nosebleed, thank you very much.”
The fans were practically drooling with anticipation, with tens of thousands of them flooding the comments section to express their love for Jiang Ning.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Ye Chen’s fanbase was nowhere near as large as Jiang Ning’s.
Ye Chen was merely an award-winning actor in the entertainment industry, while Jiang Ning was not only a queen of the music scene but also a top-tier celebrity. There were many award-winning actors, but only one true top-tier star.
If not for their different fields, Ye Chen’s status would have paled in comparison to Jiang Ning’s. After all, Ye Chen had only won domestic acting awards, while Jiang Ning had swept nearly every notable music award both at home and abroad, establishing herself as a world-class superstar.
Upon entering the program’s recording site, all the celebrities’ phones were confiscated by the production team.
So, at this moment, the stars already inside the villa had no idea that the livestream’s comments section had been completely taken over by Jiang Ning’s fans.
As a rising idol, He Ziyu knew that his idol Jiang Ning had been invited to the show and could hardly contain his excitement.
There were four people in the villa at the moment.
He Ziyu deliberately brought up the topic: “Shouldn’t Queen Jiang and Actor Ye be arriving soon?”
Jiang Yunhai and He Juan, as well-known veteran actors, carried a certain air of pride, though their thoughts were straightforward.
Hearing He Ziyu mention Jiang Ning and Ye Chen, Jiang Yunhai asked, “You seem so excited, Xiao Yu. Could one of them be your idol?”
He Ziyu immediately slammed the table in excitement: “Of course! Who doesn’t stan Queen Jiang? She’s a goddess!”
He Juan laughed: “Then you’ll have a chance to take a photo with your idol later.”
As everyone knew, Jiang Ning was exceptionally talented and high-profile in her work but extremely low-key in her personal life. She never participated in variety shows, remained serious on important occasions, and rarely formed close friendships within the industry.
Her Weibo account was practically overgrown with weeds from lack of use.
However, her background was impressive, making Jiang Ning something of a legend in the industry.
“I wouldn’t dare…” He Ziyu showed a shy expression. “Maybe after we get to know each other better.”
Hearing He Ziyu say this, the fans in the livestream burst into laughter.
“Ahhh, He Ziyu’s reaction is so relatable! If I saw my goddess, I wouldn’t dare disturb her either!”
“Hahaha, my male idol is a fan of my ultimate bias. What a blessed pairing.”
“To the sister in the front, if you don’t know how to use words properly, please restrain yourself. The goddess is mine.”
Jiang Zhi noticed that the conversation was all about Jiang Ning. Though she wore a sweet smile on her face, her eyes told a different story.
She clasped her hands together and said in a gentle tone, “Being able to participate in this show is such an honor. Ziyu, we’re about to fulfill our dream of sharing the stage with our idol.”
Hearing this, He Juan immediately remarked, “It seems Jiang Ning has quite a few fans. Even Xiao Zhi is one of them.”The topic shifted to Jiang Zhi, who immediately smiled shyly. “Hehe, Sister Jiang Ning is indeed amazing, but my idol is Actor Ye.”
After saying this, she playfully stuck out her tongue.
“So you’re a fan of Actor Ye, haha, I misunderstood,” He Juan said with a laugh.
He Ziyu was puzzled. “Huh? Didn’t you already film a TV drama with Actor Ye? Why did you say you finally have a chance to share the stage with him?”
Jiang Zhi’s face flushed pink. She fanned her hands in front of her cheeks and said in a pitiful tone, “You don’t know this, but Actor Ye is really serious in private. Although we worked together, he hardly ever spoke to us off set. We only interacted during filming.”