“Sister, is this okay?”
In an era where many industries were struggling, anyone willing to invest was seen as a living saint. The crew had long known that Director Lu was hiding a “Big Boss” benefactor. So, while lying in wait in the corners, they saw Nie Feiyin lead the benefactor out, and a specific plotline immediately flashed through everyone’s minds.
The trope: A wealthy tycoon supporting her girlfriend’s every dream.
Nie Feiyin had acted in fantasy dramas and period pieces. Since entering the industry, her eye for scripts had been seasoned, and the characters she played had significant depth, showing she had a very rigorous plan for her career. At the beginning of this year, she revealed in an interview that she wanted to challenge a role involving high-intelligence crime.
By the end of the year, she was already playing one.
Someone whispered, “I hope to see the Big Boss every day to strengthen my wealth frequency.”
Another person added softly, “I hope they stay together for a hundred years to purify my soul.”
“?”
Jin Yuzhen was usually quite casual with her makeup, seeking professional help only for banquets. Based on her experience, everyone’s makeup routine was different; some started with the eyes, others with the foundation. She did not know Nie Feiyin’s technique, so after washing her face, she sat before the mirror, tied back her hair, and remained still.
Nie Feiyin asked, “Sister, what clothes are you wearing tonight?”
Jin Yuzhen looked down. “Just this outfit.”
After the makeup was done, she would go back and add some jewelry, and it would look decent enough. Nie Feiyin smiled, took out some unused cosmetics from the cabinet, and picked a few items. Some were brands Jin Yuzhen used herself.
Nie Feiyin fastened a disposable gown around her. Leaning down, she saw a few stray strands of hair falling on Jin Yuzhen’s shoulder; the hair was fine and smooth, and the neck was soft. She was a person who was healthy down to her very hair strands.
Nie Feiyin opened a bottle of foundation, hesitated for a few seconds, and gently applied it to Jin Yuzhen’s face. Jin Yuzhen closed her eyes. She appeared completely defenseless, looking as though she trusted her implicitly.
Nie Feiyin felt a strange, mission-like surge of excitement, making her technique even more precise. When drawing the eyebrows, she tested the pencil on the back of her hand first to ensure there would be no mistakes before daring to touch Jin Yuzhen’s skin.
Jin Yuzhen’s eyebrows were not difficult to draw; their natural shape was already beautiful. The brow bone framed the eyes perfectly, and the arch had a slight sharpness that would only be ruined by over-styling.
Nie Feiyin leaned down very close. Perhaps it was psychological, but she could hardly distinguish their breathing from one another. For a moment, she lost herself.
At that exact moment, Jin Yuzhen opened her eyes. This was the first time they had locked eyes at such close range. One was open and candid, while the other felt like a thief caught in the act.
Nie Feiyin hurried to look away, suddenly feeling breathless. She hurriedly put away the eyebrow pencil and turned toward the mirror. “Sister, is this okay?”
Jin Yuzhen nodded. “Teacher Nie is very professional.”
Nie Feiyin’s eyelashes fluttered. Joy was evident in the corners of her eyes, though she tried to suppress the curl of her lips. “It is nothing, really. I usually just practice on myself.”
Jin Yuzhen raised her brows, turned slightly, and looked up at her. At this moment, beneath her delicate appearance, there was a primitive kind of spiritual vitality. Nie Feiyin looked into her eyes and was invisibly bound, falling into a long silence.
While applying lipstick, her hand inadvertently trembled several times. Noticing this, Jin Yuzhen half-closed her eyes. By avoiding eye contact, perhaps the other girl would not be so nervous.
Jin Yuzhen thought she was being considerate, but in the next second, she felt a fingertip gently stroke her left eyebrow from beginning to end. A clear voice reached her ears: “So beautiful.”
She slowly turned her gaze, her eyes showing a hint of astonishment. She saw Nie Feiyin leaning over her, eyes bright and clear, as if the words had come straight from her heart.
Jin Yuzhen rarely heard such direct, unadorned praise. A strange feeling stirred in her heart, and she could not help but smile. She intended to offer a few humble words, but Nie Feiyin had already darted away like she was escaping for her life, explaining in a confused rush, “I said, I meant that you are beautiful, not that my makeup is good!”
Jin Yuzhen arched an eyebrow. “Am I really that beautiful?”
Nie Feiyin nodded emphatically.
Jin Yuzhen then asked, “How beautiful?”
Nie Feiyin was suddenly at a loss for words.
Outside the door, Jin Zhuhuai leaned against the wall, her expression deep as she listened to the voices inside.
This morning, she had spoken to their grandmother about the corporate agricultural charity project. Her grandmother had not given a definitive answer, and Jin Zhuhuai could roughly guess why. She had gone to the collection shop to find Jin Yuzhen but found it empty.
Knowing Jin Yuzhen’s social circle, she figured if she was not at the shop, she was likely visiting Lu Wenqi. This matter was difficult to explain over the phone, and text messages felt too cold, so she decided to discuss it in person.
Unexpectedly, Lu Wenqi was not there. When she found the dressing room, she saw the scene inside through the doorway.
She recognized this person. With her close monitoring of Cen Shu, it was impossible not to know her rival. Nie Feiyin was currently even more popular than Cen Shu.
She observed Nie Feiyin with a sharp gaze, easily seeing through the deep longing hidden in the girl’s eyes. This was exactly what Jin Zhuhuai detested most. People like this always ended up making Yuzhen sad.
The air in the room grew thin. Nie Feiyin’s breathing was erratic as she stammered, “It is just, just, especially beautiful.”
She hated her poor memory; she should have memorized the dictionary before trying to give a compliment. Now, she could not even produce a decent metaphorical sentence.
Seeing her rack her brain, Jin Yuzhen actually found it somewhat amusing. She untied the gown and stood up to look in the mirror. The casually tied low ponytail matched the outfit well, saving her from needing a hairstylist.
When Xue Cheng arrived, Jin Zhuhuai was still standing outside. Startled, Xue Cheng hurried over. “President Jin?”
When Jin Zhuhuai looked up, her expression held a trace of mild annoyance. Xue Cheng’s heart skipped a beat, and she stopped in her tracks. Why is she looking at me like that?
Her greeting went unanswered, but it alerted the two people inside. Jin Yuzhen stepped out and saw Jin Zhuhuai standing there with a cold face, looking as though she had been there for a while.
“Zhuhuai?” She frowned. “Are you looking for me?”
Jin Zhuhuai suppressed her displeasure and forced a smile. “I went to the shop and could not find you. I guessed you were here.”
Jin Yuzhen immediately understood her purpose, and her expression darkened. “Why did you not call?”
Jin Zhuhuai acted as if Nie Feiyin did not exist. “Shall we go outside to talk?”
Jin Yuzhen nodded and turned to Nie Feiyin. “I have to go. See you next time.”
Nie Feiyin handed her the lipstick she had just used so she could touch up later. “Okay.”
Jin Yuzhen took it naturally and smiled at her. Xue Cheng was dumbfounded by the scene. It has only been a few days; how are they this close?
After seeing off the two Great Buddhas, Xue Cheng turned and grabbed Nie Feiyin’s shoulder. “Tell me, what progress!”
Nie Feiyin thought for a moment. “Zero progress.” Moreover, the look Jin Zhuhuai gave her earlier was filled with more hatred than the look she gave Cen Shu. It was very strange.
Xue Cheng was puzzled. “That is impossible. If it were me and Shangshang, being in a room together and having zero progress.”
Nie Feiyin said flatly, “Stop right there.” She pushed Xue Cheng’s hand away and went inside to find her phone, purchasing a dictionary online.
Xue Cheng leaned over to look. “Wow, are you going to commit to this top-student persona until the end?”
Nie Feiyin did not reply. Instead, she locked her phone and looked at Xue Cheng with envy. When would she be able to be as thick-skinned as Xue Cheng, able to say sweet words at the drop of a hat?
Xue Cheng felt a chill from her gaze. “What bad idea are you cooking up now? I came here today for serious business.” She pulled out two photos. “These were the two people following you the other day.”
Nie Feiyin took a quick look. “I do not recognize them.”
“Look closer,” Xue Cheng said. “Just in case they are enemies or something, so we can be prepared.”
Nie Feiyin said bluntly, “For them, looking closely would be too cruel.”
Xue Cheng was speechless. “If you could be this straightforward in front of Jin Yuzhen, Cen Shu would not even be a factor,” Xue Cheng lamented. “I had someone look into it. This is not just two random people. Do you know who is behind them? It is Gaoyi.”
Hearing the name Gaoyi, Nie Feiyin’s brow furrowed sharply. In her years in the industry, what she hated most were the artists from Gaoyi; they were like sticky candy; once they touched you, you could not shake them off. Previously, a man who played a minor role in Cen Shu’s drama was still churning out bundles of press releases linking them together.
Xue Cheng rubbed her eyelids. “I keep feeling that something is strange, but I cannot put my finger on the problem. Regardless, just be careful.”
Hearing this, Nie Feiyin also sensed something was wrong. If it were for publicity, there should be activity online. But her company monitored public opinion very closely; if there were something like that, she would have been notified long ago.
If not for publicity, why follow her? If the target was not her, could it be the Nie family?
The System suddenly spoke: “Congratulations! Intimacy increased by ninety-nine, and you accidentally unlocked a side plot.”
The ninety-nine points were expected, but where did a side mission come from? Nie Feiyin asked in surprise, “What do you mean?”
The System said, “It is an extra credit question!” It explained, “Gaoyi wears the mask of an entertainment company but commits the crime of murder. They excel at flattering the wealthy, killing them, and seizing their assets.”
Nie Feiyin felt a shiver of horror. “Are you saying I have been targeted?”
She did not doubt the System’s words for a second. The very vibe of Gaoyi was shifty.
The System said, “Yes. But it is just a small side quest; the difficulty is not high.”
On the way back to the collection shop, Jin Yuzhen took out a small mirror from her bag to admire the makeup on her face. Jin Zhuhuai glanced at her and asked, knowing the answer, “Did you do it yourself? You have improved.”
Jin Yuzhen was not sure how long her sister had been standing outside. Hearing the question, she acted as if Jin Zhuhuai had seen nothing and said with a straight face, “Could I ever draw such a smooth eyeliner? It was Miss Nie.”
Jin Zhuhuai’s brow furrowed. “Miss Nie?”
Jin Yuzhen put down the mirror and met her eyes. “I wanted to introduce you two just now, but you had such a cold face that I did not know what to say. Zhuhuai, do you not like her?”
Jin Zhuhuai gave a stiff smile. “How could that be?”
How could I possibly like her!
As soon as the spoken words finished, the inner voice followed. Jin Yuzhen’s eyes widened. She had heard Zhuhuai’s inner thoughts once again. This skill was incredibly unstable, appearing and disappearing at random. But as long as it still worked, it was fine.
Suppressing her surprise and adjusting her expression, she continued, “Then why did you not even look at her just now?”
Because I do not like her!
Jin Yuzhen said, “I get along quite well with her, and Lu Wenqi thinks highly of her too.”
What does Lu Wenqi know?
Jin Yuzhen said, “By the way, what did you come to see me for?”
Jin Zhuhuai finally reacted.
I almost forgot because I was so angry.
She said, “Grandmother said she wants to hand the corporate agricultural project over to you?”
Jin Yuzhen felt a bit weary. “You know I will not go. I also told Grandmother that I will not go.”
Jin Zhuhuai heard the helplessness in her voice and understood in her heart that Jin Yuzhen had no intention of fighting for power. But Grandmother just would not give up.
Jin Zhuhuai felt somewhat at a loss. She needed to do certain things that required the protection of the Jin family. But she knew that neither Grandmother nor Yuzhen would approve of her methods. She would only be able to get what she wanted if she held the power in her own hands.