Chapter 24 p1
A rainy day. A colorful, dimly lit bar, filled with a hazy, sensual atmosphere.
Outside the bar, Shen Shu leaned in, whispering something in a woman’s ear.
“Cut!”
“Shen Shu, your emotions are off.”
Shen Shu quickly straightened up, smoothing her dress. “Sorry, Director.” This was the fifth NG.
“What’s wrong, Shen Shu? You did so well in the first scene. Don’t be nervous. Just treat Xia Chun like any other actor. Take five, and we’ll try again,” the director said, his tone less encouraging than before.
Shen Shu nodded, murmuring an apology to the woman beside her. Without waiting for a response, she walked away, the wooden walkway damp from the artificial rain.
Just as they were about to start filming again, there was a problem with the props, disrupting the scene’s continuity. They had to postpone it.
Shen Shu went to the resting area. Despite the added scenes, she was still just a minor character, spending most of her time waiting. She sat with the script in her hands, her head bowed, looking dejected.
“Shu-jie, don’t worry about it,” a woman in a qipao said, walking over. “You’re 27. For someone your age, returning to acting, your performance is already impressive. I heard you worked in administration before. Honestly, that’s a stable job. Why bother with this?”
Shen Shu looked up. Ren Xiaoqi was a former child actress, her career never quite taking off. Despite her early start, she was only 21.
Shen Shu, on the other hand, was 27, nearing thirty.
Two other onlookers chimed in.
“Hey, I heard you beat out several experienced actresses for this role? No wonder the director isn’t satisfied.”
“Seriously, stop buying those trending topics. If these people decide to expose your past, you won’t be able to defend yourself.”
Shen Shu ignored them; it wasn’t worth the effort.
“27? We’re the same age?” A warm voice echoed from the side of the set.
The onlookers fell silent as Xia Chun approached.
Also dressed in a qipao, she exuded an effortless elegance. A true movie star, her Alpha presence commanding attention.
The Omegas’ hearts fluttered.
Xia Chun walked over to Shen Shu, smiling at the others. “I ordered some drinks and fruit. Help yourselves.”
As Shen Shu stood up, Xia Chun stopped her. “Can we talk? I might be able to help you get into character.”
“I’d like to think about it myself, thank you,” Shen Shu replied, walking away.
The other actresses murmured disapprovingly.
“How rude.”
“Seriously, rejecting Xia Chun’s offer like that.”
No one noticed the complex emotions swirling in Xia Chun’s eyes as she watched Shen Shu’s retreating figure.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “Oh my god, Xia Chun, you’re too generous!”
Everyone turned to see two catering trucks parked outside the set. A variety of high-end pastries, ice cream, fruit, and cold drinks were being unloaded.
Everything looked exquisite.
“Thank you, Xia Chun!!”
The weather was hot and humid after the rain. The unexpected treat lifted everyone’s spirits, even the director smiled. “Xia Chun, you shouldn’t have.”
Then they realized something was amiss. Xia Chun’s assistants and the crew were placing takeout containers of fruit on the table.
“Are these from you, Xia Chun?” someone asked the catering staff.
“We don’t know who they’re from.”
“Were they delivered to the wrong place?”
“No, they have your production’s name on them.”
Shen Shu’s gaze settled on Zhou Pei, who was standing by the catering trucks, and gave her a slight nod.
It was clear who had sent them.
She walked over. Zhou Pei lowered her voice. “Miss Xu couldn’t make it, so she asked me to arrange this.” She handed Shen Shu a freshly squeezed grape juice.
Shen Shu took it silently.
Tong Jia had been observing the scene.
Her assistant, taking a bite of durian cake, smiled. “First time I’ve seen a catering truck without a banner or a name. I don’t get it.”
That seemingly careless Xu Jinnan was surprisingly thoughtful.
Shen Shu was just a supporting actress. Neither the lead actors nor Xia Chun had done anything like this. Wouldn’t sending a catering truck under her own name be stealing their thunder?
“If there’s no name, how do we know who sent it? What’s the point?”
Shen Shu knew the point.
No one else knew Xu Jinnan had arranged this, only her.
The trucks were filled with a variety of luxurious fruits, but not a single grape. Only Shen Shu had grape juice.
She remembered a time when they were eating egg tarts, and Xu Jinnan had specifically bought a grape tart for her.
What girl didn’t like special treatment?
Tong Jia licked her ice cream.
There was another reason for the anonymity. With so many people on set, someone’s curiosity would inevitably be piqued, and they would find out who had sent the treats.
Then no one could accuse Shen Shu of trying to steal the spotlight.
It was a subtle way of showing support.
But that wasn’t the main point.
The main point was that Xu Jinnan had successfully made her presence felt, without even being there.
It was brilliantly executed.
Her absence made it even more impactful.
Tong Jia imagined having a fight with her girlfriend, and then her girlfriend sending a surprise, but not showing up. It would definitely make her curious.
Suddenly, she felt a pang of envy towards Shen Shu. Her own girlfriend would never do something like this.
…
However, Xu Jinnan’s absence had nothing to do with Tong Jia’s perceived brilliance. She simply thought Shen Shu didn’t want to see her.
She wasn’t one to impose herself on others.
After dinner, Xu Jinnan napped on the office sofa. Her phone buzzed on the table.
Seeing “Wang Zheng” on the screen, she woke up instantly.
She hadn’t heard from him since he’d told her he was investigating something in Qucheng, almost two months ago. She’d almost forgotten about him.
Wang Zheng: [Six o’clock, Chengyang Cafe]
A little before six, the film crew was preparing to wrap up.
“First time I’ve seen a catering truck without a name. Who could it be from?”
“I think it’s from one of Xia Chun’s admirers. I heard her on the phone, saying something about ‘thank you for the trouble.’”
“I’m so envious of Xia Chun. Beautiful and talented. I also envy Shen Shu… getting to act with her.”
“Did you see her performance just now? She’s better suited for roles like a pure college student!” Ren Xiaoqi said, laughing.
Shen Shu returned to the waiting room, overhearing their snide remarks.
She ignored them, grabbing her bag.
As she was leaving, one of the actresses followed her out.
“Shen Shu, don’t mind them. They’re just jealous.” She reached for Shen Shu’s arm, but Shen Shu dodged her. “Are you leaving? Xia Chun is treating us to dinner tonight. Come with us.”
“Sorry, I have something to do,” Shen Shu said, her tone polite but distant, discouraging further conversation.
Shen Shu had driven herself. Zhou Pei was waiting by her car.
“Miss Xu asked me to take you home.”
Shen Shu remembered Xu Jinnan’s words from last night.
“Get some rest. I won’t bother you for a few days.”
She felt a twinge of… something.
Despite her aloof nature, she couldn’t deny Xu Jinnan’s kindness over the past few weeks. She’d even felt a sense of warmth from her.
She wasn’t intentionally cold towards Xu Jinnan.
It was just… the thought of Xu Jinnan possibly being an Alpha made her uncomfortable.
As Zhou Pei reached for the car door, Shen Shu said, “I’ll do it.” She pulled out her phone. Xu Jinnan’s last message was from yesterday.
She hesitated, then turned off her phone and put it away.
Meanwhile, a taxi was heading towards Chengyang Cafe. The film studio was in the southernmost part of North City, while the cafe was in the east.
A few kilometers into the journey, Xu Jinnan received a call from Wang Zheng.
“Someone’s blocking me. I can’t make it today,” a hoarse male voice said.
“Who?” Xu Jinnan asked.
“Don’t come. I’ll call you again.”
Before she could ask anything else, the line went dead.
Xu Jinnan told the driver to pull over, her brow furrowing. What was so secretive about Qucheng? Was Xu Tao the one blocking him?
Back at the hotel, it was past seven. She ordered room service and ate a simple meal. The suite was empty, a commercial for shower gel playing on the large screen.
She stared at it for a moment, then sent a message to Zhou Pei.
Zhou Pei replied quickly: [I was just about to tell you. The director invited Miss Shen to a cast dinner.]
Xu Jinnan checked with Tong Jia, who confirmed she would be there. When Tong Jia mentioned Xia Chun, Xu Jinnan didn’t say anything more.
As long as Shen Shu was safe.
The rest…
Xu Jinnan turned off the TV, suddenly finding it uninteresting.
Outside a private dining room at the restaurant, Shen Shu stepped out for some air after two drinks. She hadn’t intended to come, but the director had personally invited her; she couldn’t refuse their first cast dinner.
She wasn’t a naive newcomer. This was just like business etiquette.
She could drink, she simply disliked the burning sensation of alcohol. She exhaled slowly, noticing someone approaching, and looked up instinctively.
Xia Chun offered her a bottle of iced tea. “Are you alright?”
Shen Shu didn’t take it, walking past her.
Xia Chun reached out, stopping her. “Ah Shu.”
Shen Shu stopped, her expression cold and indifferent. “Xia Chun, we’re not that close.”
A look of pain flickered across Xia Chun’s face. “You’re still blaming me for leaving, aren’t you? I had my reasons. If I hadn’t left…”
“Excuse me,” Shen Shu interrupted. “I’m married. I’m not interested in hearing about this.”
“Married?”
Xia Chun shook her head. “You don’t love her. I know you better than anyone.”
Shen Shu finally looked at her.
“I knew it was too late when I heard Xu Jinnan had forced you into this marriage.”
“Ah Shu, you know how I feel about you. Otherwise, with my status, why would I take such a small role?”
Someone emerged from the dining room, glancing at them.
“I’m married,” Shen Shu repeated. “You know what Xu Jinnan is like. If she finds out you said these things to me, you know what will happen.”
“I’m not afraid of her,” Xia Chun said firmly. “I’m here for you, Shen Shu. I’ll protect you. I’ll help you.”
Shen Shu scoffed. “Help me with what?”
“Help you leave her.”
Passersby glanced at them curiously.
“Enough, Xia Chun,” Shen Shu said coldly. “You just want to hear how miserable I am without you. Well, I’m doing just fine.”
Xu Tao rarely called Xu Jinnan, but he’d invited her home for dinner.
She’d been busy the past few days. Investments didn’t guarantee returns; the risks were proportional to the potential rewards. But there had been some gains. A property she’d acquired recently at a low price had been included in the city’s redevelopment plan.
The demolition compensation would be enough to buy three more buildings.
Perhaps that was why Xu Tao had called.
As Xu Jinnan entered the villa, she saw Lu Yun watering the plants in the meticulously manicured garden. She didn’t recognize some of the flowers.
“Mom,” she called out.
Thinking Lu Yun was too engrossed to hear her, she called out again. From the startled look on Lu Yun’s face, Xu Jinnan realized she’d been lost in thought.
“You’re home?” Lu Yun asked, momentarily confused.
She didn’t even know Xu Jinnan was coming?
“Dad called me. Didn’t he tell you?”
Lu Yun smiled. “Oh, he didn’t mention it. Probably trying to surprise me. You should have told me you were coming. I would have made your favorite dishes.”
Xu Jinnan followed her inside.
Xu Tao and Xu Li were talking on the sofa in the living room.
Xu Li saw her first. “Aunt Lu said you were busy. It seems only Dad can make you come home.”
Lu Yun’s expression was strained. She glanced at Xu Li, a warning in her eyes, and told Xu Jinnan to sit down while she went to the kitchen.
Xu Jinnan handed a few bags to a servant. “Someone went to Qucheng for me and brought back some local specialties. I thought you might like them.” She glanced at Xu Tao as she spoke.
“Hmm, good. You’re finally learning to be thoughtful. Go tell your mother what you want to eat. And we’ll talk about your recent projects later,” Xu Tao said.
He seemed normal, clearly unaware of Wang Zheng’s investigation in Qucheng.
Xu Jinnan nodded, and Xu Tao resumed his conversation with Xu Li.
“You’ll oversee this personally. It’s a major project, so we need to be meticulous,” he told her. They were discussing the land Xu Jinnan had acquired and the plans for its development.
As Xu Li agreed, she glanced at Xu Jinnan, a smug smile playing on her lips.
Xu Jinnan looked away, unimpressed.
It was rumored that Xu Tao and Lu Yun doted on their youngest daughter, but from what she’d observed, only Lu Yun truly pampered her. Xu Tao’s relationship with Xu Li seemed more genuine, filled with playful banter and genuine concern, unlike his interactions with her… She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
A strange, unsettling feeling washed over her, a familiar wave of negativity and discomfort.
Pushing it aside, she went to the kitchen to speak to Lu Yun, then went upstairs.
She opened the hidden room. The framed photo was still on the table.
The frame was secured with screws. Xu Jinnan had to find a screwdriver to open it.
She’d felt like she’d overlooked something last time, and she’d finally realized what it was. Why would anyone secure a photo so tightly?
She removed the wooden frame, the back of the photo falling to the floor.
There was something written on the back, but it wasn’t a numerical code, as she’d expected.
‘One day, I’ll take you with me…’
‘I’ll take you all to… hell!!!’
‘Want to play with me?’
The handwriting was childish, the letters rounded and uneven.
As she read the last line, the image of a child’s face flashed through her mind…
A blurry image.
Feeling disturbed, she put the photo in her pocket and was about to leave the hidden room when she bumped into Lu Yun.
Lu Yun frowned. “What are you doing? Back in that creepy room looking for those… clothes?”
A shiver ran down Xu Jinnan’s spine as the cool air from the vent brushed against her sweaty skin.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Lu Yun asked, reaching for her hand with a concerned expression.
Xu Jinnan was still thinking about the three sentences on the back of the photo. “No, I was just looking for some clothes to take with me,” she said casually.
“Oh, I’ll pack them for you. Zhou Pei can deliver them later. Come on, I made some pumpkin cakes. Try them while they’re still warm…”