Category: Reborn to Stew Soup (GL)

Chapter 55: Fried Mantou Slices with Egg p2

So, Ji Junxin, full and satisfied, happily signed five notebooks and a poster for five of Mi Hongdou’s “classmates” and one “daughter of Mi’s mother’s colleague.”

Of course, there were some complications. Ji Junxin said that since they were Mi Hongdou’s classmates, she could write a message besides the autograph, something like, “Wishing you all the best, may you be happy every day.” Mi Hongdou said that a message was fine, but no names. Although she found it strange, Ji Junxin followed Mi Hongdou’s instructions and wrote the messages and her signature.

Watching Ji Junxin write the last word, Mi Hongdou’s feelings were complicated. Although the five notebooks were all for her own collection, Ji Junxin didn’t know that. Those messages, hmph, Ji Junxin wasn’t thinking of her when she wrote them.

For some reason, Mi Hongdou felt jealous.

“I…” Ji Junxin, after signing, gently nudged the dazed Mi Hongdou. “Didn’t you say… you’re my fan… why don’t you want my autograph?” It was a little embarrassing to ask, but she really minded whether Mi Hongdou’s words in the car earlier were just to appease her.

Eh? Mi Hongdou, suffering from memory loss due to lack of sleep, suddenly remembered that she had confessed to Ji Junxin in the car yesterday… and she had also said that she had been her fan for a long time. Oh my god, she was so embarrassed. Her face heated up, and she could almost imagine it turning sausage-colored again.

Why was she always thinking about food? It must be from spending too much time with a foodie.

Ji Junxin had mustered a lot of courage to ask. But Mi Hongdou’s reaction was to blush… So, her words in the car were just to appease her? Although whether Mi Hongdou was her fan or not wouldn’t change her desire to be friends with her, she still felt disappointed… She had thought Mi Hongdou really liked her, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Um, when are we leaving for Shudian?” Ji Junxin abruptly changed the subject.

Mi Hongdou noticed the change in her expression. It wasn’t hard to guess what Ji Junxin was thinking.

No… there couldn’t be a misunderstanding at this time. Ji Junxin had just been hurt by Lu Gaoshi yesterday, Mi Hongdou wanted to protect her, how could she let her misunderstand or be disappointed in her?

What was embarrassment compared to her desire to protect Ji Junxin? Mi Hongdou quickly figured this out and laid the five notebooks out on the table in front of Ji Junxin.

“This is for me…” Mi Hongdou’s hand trembled slightly as she pointed at the first notebook.

Ji Junxin looked at Mi Hongdou blankly, seemingly unable to process it.

“This one is also for me…” Mi Hongdou pointed at the second notebook, her hand steadier now.

“This one is still for me…” Mi Hongdou’s hand slowly landed on the third notebook.

“This one, and this one, they’re all for me…” Mi Hongdou’s face was still red, but her hand firmly pointed at the fourth and fifth notebooks.

By the second notebook, Ji Junxin understood. But she was speechless. She was happy to confirm that Mi Hongdou was her fan. But as Mi Hongdou pointed to more and more notebooks, Ji Junxin’s heart started to race. An inexplicable panic born from happiness.

There were always many fans online expressing their admiration, and fan groups often organized events and visited her on set. So many fans, so much love, it was touching. But it never made her feel this flustered, as if… she had suddenly encountered a depth of affection she hadn’t expected, a happiness that made her nervous.

Why was this? Was it because Mi Hongdou was also an actress? No… she had other fans who were actors too. Or was it because she already considered Mi Hongdou a friend? That didn’t seem right either… Ji Junxin was a little confused.

Ji Junxin remained silent. Mi Hongdou looked at her worriedly. That pensive expression, did she not understand? Or did she not believe her? Or… was it not enough?

Facing Ji Junxin like this, Mi Hongdou suddenly realized that she might have been too casual in her words and actions today. She had to consider the fact that Ji Junxin had been betrayed and hurt by someone she trusted yesterday.

Anxious and mistakenly feeling a crisis of trust, Mi Hongdou, after the confession with the five notebooks, continued to pour out her heart: “It’s true, these five notebooks, I wanted you to sign them for me as a keepsake. But… cough… I was a little embarrassed, so I used other people’s names. See… the messages I asked you to write, they contain my name.”

Embarrassment had been thrown to the wind. All Mi Hongdou wanted now was for Ji Junxin to believe her. She opened the five notebooks one by one, showing Ji Junxin the first page where she had written the messages and signed, even rearranging a few of them.

So.

The first one read: [Prosperous business, booming success! — Ji Junxin]
The second one read: [You reap what you sow! — Ji Junxin]
The third one read: [A gentleman’s friendship is light like water! — Ji Junxin]
The fourth one read: [Happy and successful! — Ji Junxin]
The fifth one read: [May our friendship last forever! — Ji Junxin]

The order wasn’t what Mi Hongdou had originally dictated. Now, rearranged and explained by Mi Hongdou, Ji Junxin, who wasn’t stupid, saw not only Mi Hongdou’s name but also her own.

“Cough… um, some characters weren’t easy to form phrases with, so I used homophones…” Mi Hongdou said, her gaze shifting to the words on the fifth notebook. Why was the embarrassment she had just discarded returning?

Two notebooks for each name, and the remaining fifth one… Ji Junxin’s heart warmed. But… something still felt off… why were they, at their age, acting like elementary school students when making friends… so formal, so nervous, so shy…

“I believe you.” Ji Junxin’s face felt a little hot. She secretly glanced at the blushing Mi Hongdou, wondering if her face was also that color.

Why did making friends have to be so embarrassing!

Mi Hongdou rubbed her slightly blurry eyes from lack of sleep and carefully studied Ji Junxin’s expression. Okay, it seemed she truly believed her.

The trust crisis averted, Mi Hongdou gave herself a hundred points for her quick thinking.

Ji Junxin stopped Mi Hongdou from putting away the notebooks.

Was she going to confiscate the spoils of war after exposing the deception? No… her idol couldn’t be so petty! Mi Hongdou hesitantly retracted her hand. Then she watched as Ji Junxin neatly stacked the notebooks, placed her hand on them, and pointed at the remaining poster with her other hand. “So who is this poster signed for? Really for your mother’s colleague’s daughter?”

“…” Her mother was still home, Mi Hongdou didn’t dare to sell her out, but she also didn’t want to lie to Ji Junxin. Well, although it was her mother who lied to Ji Junxin, in this life, Ji Junxin wasn’t supposed to know anything.

“What’s your mother’s colleague’s daughter’s name?”

“Wang Erya…” That’s what her mother said. Mi Hongdou looked away, pretending not to see Ji Junxin’s surprised expression.

Ji Junxin picked up the marker and twirled it effortlessly. “Then I’ll add a salutation, ‘To my dear Wang Erya,’ she’ll be very happy.”

“No, no, no…” Mi Hongdou quickly stopped Ji Junxin’s hand. She didn’t want to be killed by her mother when she returned the poster. She still had to cook for her goddess for many years…

Mi Hongdou’s reaction was completely within Ji Junxin’s expectations. Hmph, still Wang Erya, she couldn’t even come up with a proper fake name. She wouldn’t let her get away with… collecting her posters. For some reason, with the five notebooks as a foundation, although Ji Junxin felt a little nervous and flustered, the warmth from knowing that Mi Hongdou was truly her fan was immense… so immense that it was slowly filling the void in her heart left by yesterday’s events. Ji Junxin mischievously wanted to confirm that the poster was for Mi Hongdou’s collection. Just a few words, and Mi Hongdou couldn’t keep up the pretense. Ji Junxin felt a little smug.

“This… this might… probably, okay, I mean, maybe… it’s for my mom’s poster.” Mi Hongdou couldn’t let the name Wang Erya appear on the poster, so she unhesitatingly sold out her mother.

Ji Junxin’s expression became very complicated, if described with an emoticon, it would probably be (^_^;)…

Mi’s mother, unaware that she had been exposed as a hidden fan by her own daughter, happily put away the autographed poster.

After breakfast and the autograph session, by the time Mi Hongdou finished getting ready, it was almost ten o’clock. It would be afternoon by the time they drove back to Shudian. And Qiong Yu’s car was waiting downstairs, they couldn’t delay any longer.

As Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were about to leave, Mi’s mother saw them off, looking at both of them, a little reluctant to part.

Of course, in the eyes of Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, Mi’s mother’s reluctance… was clearly only directed at the latter.

Mi Hongdou, who had been treated like a background prop by her mother earlier, no longer believed that she could receive her mother’s love while standing next to Ji Junxin, hmph!

Ji Junxin, although a little surprised that Mi’s mother collected her posters, thought that she was a very good mother, warmly inviting her for breakfast and spending so much time making delicious congee…

“Auntie, you don’t have to see us off. Next time we come back to Jiang City, we’ll bring you some Shudian specialties. There’s a shop there that sells fried meatballs, they’re delicious.” Ji Junxin said with a smile.

Mi’s mother beamed: “Okay, come visit again next time. This time it was just morning, and I only made porridge, it was too simple. Next time you come for lunch or dinner, I’ll cook more dishes.”

So, the meatballs she brought back from Shudian last time, wasn’t it her mother who ate them? And the fried mantou slices she made this morning, wasn’t it her mother who ate them? Ji Junxin and Mi’s mother happily said their goodbyes. Mi Hongdou angrily scuffed her feet on the ground, these two heartless women.

Mi Hongdou suddenly remembered a forum post she had seen a few days ago: “My wife is always clinging to my mother, what should I do? Help, urgent, waiting online…” She had only read the title then, hmph, it seemed she needed to read the content next time. Wait, something seemed off. Well, perhaps the methods in that post could also be applied to her current situation: “My idol is always clinging to my mother, and I’ve become invisible.”

But it was okay. After they left the apartment, Ji Junxin was hers again.

Qiong Yu’s chauffeured car was much more comfortable than Jiang Lingling’s. But it was too comfortable, and soon after they started driving, Mi Hongdou started yawning. After all, so much had happened in the past two days, and she had only slept for a little over five hours. It was normal to be tired.

But she still wanted to chat with her goddess. Mi Hongdou tried to stay awake. And ever since they left the apartment, she felt like she had forgotten something… what was it?

“If you’re tired, just recline your seat and take a nap, we’ll be there soon.” Ji Junxin, also yawning, said, “When we get back to the set, Director Pan might start filming our scenes right away. It’s good to be well-rested.”

Eh? Mi Hongdou remembered.

“We don’t have to rush back to the set before noon, does that apply to Jiang Lingling too?” Mi Hongdou finally remembered what she had forgotten… a whole person.

Ji Junxin paused and nodded. “Qiao Rubai said that Director Pan, after hearing that we’re going back in the afternoon, decided to continue filming Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo’s scenes.”

Ji Junxin seemed a little uncomfortable when mentioning Jiang Duo’s name, but quickly recovered.

“I… seem to have forgotten to tell Jiang Lingling…” Ji Junxin only realized after saying that she should have informed Jiang Lingling. She had been so focused on breakfast this morning…

Mi Hongdou, who had also been completely focused on Ji Junxin this morning, glanced at the time on her phone and said reassuringly, “It’s okay, she should be arriving soon anyway…”

On the highway, in a speeding car, Jiang Lingling, urging her assistant to drive faster, to be back on set before noon, sneezed three times.

Would anyone even think of a single dog?

The answer was… yes.

While Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were talking about Jiang Lingling, Director Pan on set was also thinking about Jiang Lingling. Well, not exactly, he was thinking about Jiang Lingling’s braised pig’s feet.

Director Pan’s wife was also in Shudian with him at this time. When Jiang Lingling’s pig’s feet arrived, his wife could finally have her favorite dish. Just thinking about it made him excited and full of energy!

“Cut!” Director Pan frowned, called cut, and gestured for the two actors to come over.

“Yesterday it was Jiang Duo who kept NGing, today it’s your turn.” Director Pan pointed at Jiang Duo, then at Zhang Zijing. “We filmed for most of yesterday, and it’s almost noon today. How many scenes have you completed?”

Zhang Zijing’s expression darkened, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to argue, but he swallowed his words. His displeasure, however, didn’t escape Director Pan’s notice.

“Is this scene so difficult? It’s just a conversation between the emperor and a concubine. Can’t you even remember your lines, Zhang Zijing? And look at your expression, is that how you look at a concubine you’re interested in, a look of desire and affection? That’s clearly an expression of dissatisfaction, like you’re about to throw a tantrum. You can’t remember your lines, and you’ve lost your sense of character? Do you even understand what this scene is about?” Director Pan was truly angry. They had filmed for almost a whole day, and only completed a few scenes. The efficiency was abysmal. If it weren’t for Jiang Lingling’s pig’s feet, he would have stormed off long ago.

He hadn’t seen these two being so incompetent before. Their earlier scenes with Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were fine. Why were they like this now that they were filming together? Director Pan couldn’t understand.

Zhang Zijing, scolded by Director Pan, couldn’t hold back anymore: “The filming schedule wasn’t arranged like this before. I haven’t had time to familiarize myself with the later parts of the script.” Although his words weren’t sharp, his tone was full of barely suppressed anger.

Heh, he really was throwing a tantrum. Director Pan sneered. Was he forcing him to unleash his full sarcasm?

Before Director Pan could speak, Jiang Duo grabbed Zhang Zijing’s sleeve. “It’s our fault, we’re sorry, Director Pan… please give us another chance, we’ll definitely get this scene right.” She also gave Zhang Zijing a warning look.

Heh… this time, it wasn’t Director Pan who sneered. Zhang Zijing didn’t appreciate Jiang Duo speaking up for him and, with a dark expression, pulled his sleeve away from her hand. Although his movement wasn’t fast, even a little slow, Jiang Duo still felt slapped in the face.

Both from Dajin Entertainment, Jiang Duo and Zhang Zijing had interacted quite a bit on and off screen, especially recently, when Jiang Duo could sense Zhang Zijing’s romantic interest in her. However, since he hadn’t officially pursued her, she had pretended not to notice, maintaining a slight ambiguity between them.

That was why, seeing that Zhang Zijing was about to confront Director Pan, Jiang Duo, who usually stayed out of such matters, had spoken up, hoping to resolve the conflict before it escalated.

She was helping him, what did he mean by this?

Chapter 55: Fried Mantou Slices with Egg p1

Who was it?

Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin looked at each other. Mi Hongdou was the first to react: “Is my mom home?”

Ji Junxin nodded blankly.

That was a stupid question… Mi Hongdou facepalmed. Since her rebirth, she had been so busy with filming that she forgot her mother at this time was different from the mother ten years later, who was actively involved in senior activities and practically invisible during holidays. Now, she was just a middle-aged, divorced woman with no hobbies, either at work or at home.

Mi Hongdou tightened her jacket and rushed to the door. For some reason, thinking about the bra conversation with Ji Junxin, she felt awkward. Their apartment was old, and the soundproofing wasn’t very good. Although Ji Junxin had said it was a normal conversation between best friends, she still felt mortified at the thought of her mother overhearing it.

Fortunately, Mi’s mother entered with a normal expression, her gaze slowly sweeping past the blushing Mi Hongdou as if she didn’t see her, finally landing on Ji Junxin. Then, Mi Hongdou watched as her mother walked past her towards Ji Junxin, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Have you had the porridge? Does it suit your taste?” Although Mi’s mother’s expression was a little unnatural, her words were normal. Well, if you ignored the fact that she completely ignored her own daughter.

“It’s delicious! Auntie was right, the sausages make it even better. Thank you, Auntie.” Ji Junxin smiled sweetly, the perfect image of a well-behaved girl that elders adored.

“Good, good, have some more, there’s still some in the pot. Ask Xiaomi to refill it for you when you’re finished.” Mi’s mother pointed at Mi Hongdou and then briskly left the room.

Mi Hongdou, completely reduced to a background prop, didn’t understand why her mother came all the way here just to say those two sentences… It felt a little strange.

But it was a good thing she came, otherwise, the bra topic would have continued, and she would have died of embarrassment. Mi Hongdou went to the bathroom to wash up, rubbing her face in frustration. What was wrong with her, a seasoned veteran of two lifetimes, blushing because of Ji Junxin? … It should be Ji Junxin who was blushing and acting shy!

Thinking this, Mi Hongdou imagined Ji Junxin sitting in bed, her face flushed with embarrassment, pouting angrily… Just imagining it made her heart warm. It was November, and washing her face with cold tap water didn’t even feel cold.

She really wanted to see it… what should she do…

Mi Hongdou splashed cold water on her face several times to dispel the sudden, mischievous thought. She wiped her face, looked up, and almost jumped out of her skin. Her mother was standing behind her, looking at her without making a sound.

“Mom… even if you walk silently, can you at least say something when you’re standing behind me?” Mi Hongdou’s face, which had been flushed from Ji Junxin’s teasing, now turned pale from the cold water and the shock.

“If you’re so easily scared, how are you going to film horror movies?” Mi’s mother’s critical hit landed perfectly, knocking down her own daughter.

Mi Hongdou flicked the water from her hands. She must have been picked up from a red bean soup jar at the hospital.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Mi’s mother clasped her hands behind her back, her expression conflicted, just like earlier in the bedroom.

“What is it?” Mi Hongdou’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered her mother’s budding romance in her previous life. She had looked like this when she told her about it. Well, she would definitely support her this time. But wasn’t that supposed to happen years later? If not, what else could make her usually straightforward mother so hesitant?

All sorts of thoughts raced through Mi Hongdou’s mind, but she never expected her mother to bring her hands forward, holding a poster in one hand and a marker in the other.

Eh, she seemed to have been holding these when she came into the bedroom earlier.

This scene seemed familiar.

“My colleague, Old Wang’s daughter, is a fan of Ji Junxin. See, she’s here now… can you ask her for an autograph?” Mi’s mother stammered, finally managing to get the words out.

This sounded even more familiar…

Mi Hongdou wiped her hands with a tissue, took the poster, and unfolded it. It was a poster of a Republican-era art film Ji Junxin starred in last year.

“What’s your colleague Old Wang’s daughter’s name?” Mi Hongdou touched the corner of the poster. She didn’t even have Ji Junxin’s autograph yet, hmph.

“…” Mi’s mother didn’t speak.

Mi Hongdou smiled, “You don’t even know her name, and you’re helping her?”

Mi’s mother gritted her teeth: “Wang Erya, her name is Wang Erya.”

Mi Hongdou almost burst out laughing. A similar conversation had happened years later in her previous life. At that time, Ji Junxin had already retired, and she had just established a connection with Ji Junxin through Qiao Rubai, her favorability still low. Her mother had also asked her for an autograph with this poster. When she asked who it was for, her mother hesitated before saying it was for Old Zhang’s daughter, Zhang Erya, a friend from her senior college.

Zhang Erya, Wang Erya, she couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a different name. From her previous life to this one, she only changed the surname, how lazy.

In her previous life, while repeatedly trying to increase Ji Junxin’s favorability, Mi Hongdou had bought an apartment closer to Ji Junxin’s. While moving, she accidentally saw this poster in her mother’s drawer where she kept valuables. She had sighed inwardly then, like mother, like daughter. Not only were they fans of the same person, but they were both hidden fans.

In this life, she had befriended Ji Junxin earlier, and it seemed her mother’s request for an autograph had also been brought forward.

Mi Hongdou didn’t expose her mother’s poorly concealed secret and obediently took the marker. She just slightly regretted not having collected any of Ji Junxin’s posters yet in this life. She would have to use a notebook later.

Holding the poster and the marker, Mi Hongdou walked back to the bedroom door and saw Ji Junxin standing in front of her bookshelf, seemingly engrossed in reading the titles on the spines.

Mi Hongdou broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately… fortunately, she hadn’t yet started her obsessive collection of Ji Junxin memorabilia like in her previous life: official posters, magazines and newspapers with her interviews, even fan-made merchandise… Thinking about her vast collection in her previous life, if Ji Junxin saw it, she would definitely think she was a creep…

But come to think of it, in her previous life, Ji Junxin had never been to her apartment. After four years of knowing each other in her previous life, they weren’t as close and natural as they were now, after just one month. So… the Ji Junxin before being hurt was indeed more innocent and approachable. Well, actually, she had been hurt yesterday.

She had to work harder to protect her, to keep her like this. Mi Hongdou made this firm resolution, but for some reason, thinking about the Ji Junxin from her previous life, who only smiled when faced with delicious food, she felt a pang of heartache.

Everything could change, but she still couldn’t forget that version of her.

Mi Hongdou didn’t disturb Ji Junxin, who was happily browsing her bookshelf, and placed the poster and marker in the living room, earning a glare from her mother.

I’ll get her autograph, okay! So fierce, was she really her mother! Mi Hongdou fled to the kitchen, tears welling up.

On the gas stove in the kitchen, a large clay pot occupied a burner. Mi Hongdou opened it, and the familiar, warm aroma wafted out. It was half a pot of preserved egg, sausage, and lean meat congee. Mi Hongdou touched her slightly hungry stomach and decided to quickly make the other dish, so she could enjoy breakfast with Ji Junxin!

It was a quick and easy dish, with simple ingredients and a simple recipe.

Two cold steamed buns, three eggs, two slices of bacon.

She whisked the eggs, added salt, MSG, and a little sugar. One steamed bun was sliced, and the other was cut into a lotus root sandwich shape (two slices joined together, not completely separated).

The bacon was diced and pan-fried.

Leaving a thin layer of oil in the wok, she turned the heat to low. The single slices of steamed bun were dipped in the egg mixture for a few seconds and then pan-fried. Another method was to soak the steamed bun slices in the egg mixture for two minutes before frying, but Mi Hongdou felt that although it enhanced the eggy flavor, the texture would be too soft. Since she was using steamed buns, the chewy texture was essential, so she only dipped them, not soaked them.

After the steamed bun slices were in the wok, she waited until one side was golden brown, then flipped them. When both sides were golden, she quickly picked them up with chopsticks and rolled the edges in the oil. There wasn’t much oil in the wok, which prevented the egg coating on the sides from not being fully cooked while the surfaces were done.

Mi Hongdou worked quickly, frying the single slices one by one, then placing them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. The aroma of fried food filled the kitchen.

For the “lotus root sandwich” steamed bun slices, she added a step of stuffing the diced, pan-fried bacon between the two slices before frying them the same way as the single slices.

In less than five minutes, a plate of fried steamed bun slices, two styles, was ready. She squeezed some sweet and spicy sauce around the edge of the plate, and the second breakfast dish was complete.

Mi Hongdou carried the plate to the dining table and was about to go call Ji Junxin when she saw the foodie standing at the bedroom door, a bowl in her hand, her eyes shining.

She sniffed the air. It seemed that this old apartment wasn’t very good at blocking smells either, not just sounds.

Mi’s mother declined Mi Hongdou’s invitation, saying that she was already full from the porridge and wouldn’t have the fried mantou slices, telling them to enjoy their meal. Most importantly, she reminded Mi Hongdou again to get the autograph.

The single slices of fried mantou were crispy and fragrant. One bite, and the crispy egg coating, the chewy steamed bun inside, and the perfect seasoning were a delightful combination. Ji Junxin took a bite and then quickly stuffed the rest into her mouth. Hmm… this had to be eaten in big bites, so delicious…

Mi Hongdou, who had been about to take a slice, retracted her chopsticks and smiled, taking a sip of congee.

“Why are the mantou slices on the right thicker than the ones on the left?” Ji Junxin felt that the thin slice she just had, the crispy, savory egg and the chewy, slightly sweet mantou, the ratio was perfect. If the mantou slice was as thick as the ones on the right, the balanced flavor would be ruined, it would probably be too bland.

“Try it.” Mi Hongdou didn’t answer directly, pointing at the thicker slices on the right.

Ji Junxin picked one up and examined it. It was indeed twice as thick as the one she had just eaten. But looking at Mi Hongdou’s smug, secretive expression, Ji Junxin suddenly felt confident about the mantou slice in her chopsticks.

Taking a careful bite, Ji Junxin immediately noticed the difference. There was filling inside. The rich aroma of bacon… The unique texture of meat, mixed with the egg and mantou, the savory bacon successfully solved the problem of the thicker mantou slices being bland, creating a richer and more satisfying flavor.

This was also delicious…

Ji Junxin looked at the left side of the plate, then at the right, a little conflicted. The two types of mantou slices had different textures, but both were so delicious, it was hard to choose which to eat next.

“They’re all yours, eat slowly.” Mi Hongdou almost burst out laughing. She wouldn’t admit that she had specifically made two versions just to see Ji Junxin’s conflicted expression. When did she become so mischievous?

Ji Junxin was a little embarrassed, but her attention was quickly captured by the food again. Okay, she decided, she would eat one from the left, then one from the right, then another one from the left…

So, the two sat at the table, one eating happily, the other watching happily.

Wait, she seemed to have forgotten something. Mi Hongdou thought, but couldn’t remember. Well, it didn’t matter, as long as Ji Junxin was happy, whatever she forgot must not be important.

Mi’s mother sniffed the air. She hadn’t expected to be tempted by the smell of fried mantou after having a full bowl of porridge. But no, as a proper hidden fan, she couldn’t snatch food in front of her idol, it would be too rude. Her gaze shifted to the poster on the coffee table. So, did anyone still remember the autograph?

After Ji Junxin finished the plate of fried mantou slices and two bowls of preserved egg, sausage, and lean meat congee, Mi Hongdou finally remembered the autograph. Of course, what mainly prompted her to act was that Ji Junxin had finally moved from the bedroom to the dining room, and Mi Hongdou could now go to the bedroom to get her notebooks.

Chapter 54: The BFF Talk p2

Qiao Rubai, engrossed in observing Ji Junxin’s expression, even forgot to say goodbye.

Ji Junxin went upstairs, and Qiao Rubai sat alone in the car for a while before starting the engine again.

After so much had happened today, Qiao Rubai should have stayed and comforted Ji Junxin, and she wanted to. But besides offering food, she didn’t know how to comfort her. She was even worried that if their conversation continued, she might not be able to resist repeatedly confirming that Ji Junxin wouldn’t change her mind about Lu Gaoshi. With her memories from her previous life, Qiao Rubai had too many worries, too many things she wanted to prevent. But what Ji Junxin needed now wasn’t reminders, prohibitions, or even guidance. She needed pure warmth… But Qiao Rubai, who wasn’t good at comforting people and hadn’t even managed to buy dessert, could only offer her best wishes.

After tidying up her apartment and showering, Ji Junxin came out and saw her phone blinking with new messages. She opened it and saw two messages and a missed call. The missed call was from Qiao Rubai.

The first message was from Qiao Rubai: [Why didn’t you answer my call? I hung the chocolate sawdust pudding on the electric meter box to the left of your door, remember to bring it inside.] Ji Junxin smiled and walked towards the door, opening the second message. [Sleep early tonight, I’ll treat you to breakfast tomorrow~~~~~~~], sender: Mi Hongdou.

Retrieving the large dessert bag from the electric meter box, Ji Junxin looked at the second message again. Suddenly, things didn’t seem so bad.

Meanwhile, Mi Hongdou watched as Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi amicably said their goodbyes on the screen and left. Even after they were gone, her anger hadn’t subsided.

Ji Junxin, having seen all this, must be very sad… Mi Hongdou’s face was clouded with worry on the way back. The assistant and Jiang Lingling were also unusually quiet.

She really wanted to know if Ji Junxin was okay… She was so worried, but she didn’t have a reason to ask. Back home, Mi Hongdou paced back and forth. She wished she was at the hotel in Shudian, less than a meter away from Ji Junxin’s bed, able to see her at a glance…

After much hesitation, Mi Hongdou sent Ji Junxin a message, adding a string of tildes to appear cute, despite her actual age. [Sleep early tonight, I’ll treat you to breakfast tomorrow~~~~~~~] She waited and waited, watching the clock on the table, time moving much slower than usual. Almost as soon as her phone chirped, she grabbed it and opened the message.

[Okay o(n_n)o~] Sender: Ji Junxin.

She even sent an emoticon, she should be… okay, right? Mi Hongdou traced the smiling face on the screen with her finger, hoping that Ji Junxin’s mood was as cheerful as the emoticon suggested.

Although Ji Junxin wasn’t as happy as the emoticon suggested, her mood was much better than when she left Nan Tian. The chocolate sawdust pudding and Mi Hongdou’s message were a great comfort. After such an eventful day, and after crying, she ate the cake, set an alarm, and fell asleep.

That night, Lu Gaoshi couldn’t sleep, Qiao Rubai couldn’t sleep, and neither could Mi Hongdou. As for the others, well, they all slept soundly.

Mi Hongdou had planned to meet Ji Junxin early the next morning to return to Shudian and wanted to wake up even earlier to make breakfast. She calculated that to be back on set before noon, they would have to leave around 7 AM. Ji Junxin would probably arrive around 6:30 AM, so she should wake up around 4:30 AM.

Mi Hongdou confidently set her alarm for 4:30 AM, then tossed and turned, finally falling asleep around 3 AM.

Time flies when you’re asleep. The familiar aroma of porridge filled the air, and sunlight streamed onto her face. Sigh, she forgot to close the curtains again, it was too bright. Mi Hongdou yawned, then froze mid-yawn, her hand stopping halfway to her eyes.

She woke up, moved a little, and her memory and cognitive functions returned. So, at 4:30 AM, where was the sun coming from!

Mi Hongdou sat up and opened her eyes. Bright sunlight filled the room, making her eyes sting, and she instinctively closed them.

Wait, she seemed to have seen something… something that shouldn’t be here!

No… someone who shouldn’t be here…

Ignoring the stinging in her eyes, Mi Hongdou quickly rubbed them, and using her familiarity with her bedroom of twenty years, found a spot away from the direct sunlight and opened her eyes again. Then she slowly looked around.

What the! Who was sitting in the chair less than an arm’s length from her bed!

Why… why was she, who was supposed to wake up at 4:30 AM in the dark… waking up to a sunlit room, with someone even brighter than the sun sitting in her messy, untidy bedroom, holding a large porcelain bowl, which, judging by the smell, probably contained the preserved egg and lean meat congee she had planned to make for her?

No… this wasn’t scientific. Mi Hongdou looked at Ji Junxin, who was holding the bowl and smiling at her, and sighed, “This is such a beautiful dream.” She lay back down and rubbed her face against the pillow. They were meeting tomorrow morning, and she was having this kind of dream, it was a little embarrassing. It was true that you dreamt of what you thought about. She had been thinking about making breakfast for her, and now she was eating it in her dream. But why was it only congee? She had planned to make two dishes.

Mi Hongdou, still drowsy from her short sleep, had a jumble of thoughts and was about to drift off again when she heard the clinking of porcelain against porcelain, followed by a soft “tsk,” and then the sound of porcelain against wood.

So noisy… how could she sleep…

Mi Hongdou opened her eyes again and glared at the source of the noise.

Then, she saw Ji Junxin in her “dream,” sticking out her tongue slightly, as if embarrassed, and saying, “It’s a little hot…”

“Blow on it before you eat, don’t rush.” Mi Hongdou instinctively replied, then froze.

She pinched her thigh hard under the covers. Tears welled up in her eyes, she didn’t know if they were from the pain or from her own stupidity.

It wasn’t a dream! At 4 AM, Ji Junxin was sitting in her sunlit, messy bedroom, and she seemed to have burned herself with a bowl of congee from who knows where! Mi Hongdou’s worldview, which had just been shattered yesterday, was shattered again today. The refresh rate was even higher than that of her phone’s operating system updates. It was hard to accept.

She stiffly turned her head towards the alarm clock on her desk and squinted, seeing a shocking time. She widened her eyes, still the same time.

“It’s… already nine o’clock?” Mi Hongdou slowly turned her gaze back to Ji Junxin, desperately hoping for a different answer.

Ji Junxin stopped fanning her tongue, took out her phone, and glanced at it. “9:06.”

No… there was no difference… Mi Hongdou sat up, grabbed her phone from the desk, and checked. 9:07. Okay, what was she hoping for?

“My alarm didn’t go off… how long have you been waiting? Why didn’t you wake me up? Didn’t Director Pan ask us to be back on set before noon?” Mi Hongdou facepalmed.

“It’s okay, we can go back this afternoon. Qiao Rubai… made arrangements. I arrived downstairs at 6:30 and called you, but you didn’t answer, so I came up and knocked. Then your mother let me in.” Ji Junxin had also been woken up by her alarm and saw the message Qiao Rubai sent late last night, saying that she had talked to Director Pan, and they could arrive later in the afternoon, so Ji Junxin could sleep in.

“Why did you come at 6:30 if we can go back in the afternoon?” Mi Hongdou squinted at Ji Junxin, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. She must have also been kept awake by Lu Gaoshi’s words, just like her.

Ji Junxin blinked innocently. “Didn’t you say you would treat me to breakfast this morning?”

Mi Hongdou choked. Okay, she did say that.

“But when I arrived, you were sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake you up. I was about to leave when your mother said you had prepared the ingredients for porridge last night. But porridge takes a long time to cook, and you weren’t up yet. She had already started preparing when I arrived and asked if I wanted some.” Ji Junxin rubbed her hands, a little embarrassed. “Then, while she was preparing, she realized she was out of sausages. She told me that her sausages were delicious and asked if I would wait. Just a little longer, and I could have porridge with sausages.”

“So she went to buy sausages, then came back and made porridge… and now it’s this late?” Mi Hongdou glanced at her phone. Right, it was the weekend, and time had no meaning when you were filming.

Ji Junxin nodded.

“Was it good?” Mi Hongdou hoped her mother’s cooking skills would be recognized by her idol.

Ji Junxin nodded vigorously: “It was delicious! Just a little too hot…” She blinked and stuck out her tongue.

Even if you acted cute, it couldn’t change the fact that she hadn’t made her breakfast! No, wait, there was another dish she had planned.

“The porridge is too hot, you have to let it cool for at least five minutes, no, ten minutes.” Mi Hongdou quickly got out of bed. “Just enough time to make you a small dish to go with it.”

“No need… it’s too much trouble.” Ji Junxin reluctantly pulled back her hand, which was reaching for the porridge.

Mi Hongdou looked at Ji Junxin. If her eyes weren’t shining so brightly, she might have believed her refusal was genuine.

That dish was easy and delicious to make. Ten minutes was enough time to wash up and make it. Mi Hongdou thought and quickly got out of bed.

As soon as her feet touched the floor, she realized something was wrong. Why were her legs cold? She froze, and Ji Junxin looked at her curiously.

Mi Hongdou looked down, and Ji Junxin followed her gaze.

Silk nightgown, no bra… Mi Hongdou scrambled back into bed and under the covers at ten times the speed she got out. If there was a word to describe her movement, it would be “dart.” If there was a sound effect, it would be “whoosh.” In the blink of an eye, the Mi Hongdou who had been standing by the bed was now a lump under the covers.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Junxin was clueless.

“Cough…” Mi Hongdou clutched the thick blanket, dismissing the thought of going to get her clothes while wrapped in it. After a moment, she poked her flushed face out from under the covers and said to Ji Junxin, “Can you get me a jacket from the balcony, no… from the wardrobe?”

Ji Junxin, following Mi Hongdou’s instructions, retrieved a jacket for her.

Mi Hongdou struggled to put it on under the covers. Ji Junxin, watching the wriggling blanket, seemed to understand what Mi Hongdou was embarrassed about.

“We’ve already shared a room, I’ve seen you in your nightgown, why are you wearing a jacket?”

Mi Hongdou, having put on the jacket, jumped out of bed, her face even redder. “It’s different, those nightgowns are made of cotton, and…”

“And what?” Ji Junxin asked, curious.

Mi Hongdou adjusted her jacket, gritted her teeth, and said, “And I was wearing a bra.” Her face was probably as red as the sausages in the porridge.

So Ji Junxin was really traumatized yesterday, was she now possessed by Yang Lianyi? Look, look at what she was asking!

“Little Empress, you’re so cute~~” Ji Junxin’s mood was greatly lifted by Mi Hongdou. “Why are you so shy? This kind of topic is very common between best friends.”

Mi Hongdou stopped in her tracks, turned around, and asked, “Then do you and Qiao Rubai talk about this too?” Although she was embarrassed, she didn’t want Ji Junxin to talk about this with anyone else!

Ji Junxin thought for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

Mi Hongdou was satisfied.

“But let me tell you, you shouldn’t wear a bra to sleep.” Ji Junxin said seriously.

She had lived for fifty years across two lifetimes, did she not know that? Mi Hongdou almost roared. But thinking about it, even at her age, why was she still embarrassed about this topic? …

“I don’t wear one when I sleep.” Mi Hongdou said, raising her chin proudly.

“It’s best to take it off as soon as you get back to the room. I heard it’s not good to wear it for too long.” Ji Junxin said, her tone educational.

Are you possessed by Yang Lianyi! Mi Hongdou felt exasperated and retorted, “Then you take it off as soon as you get back to the room?”

Ji Junxin’s educational facade crumbled.

Just as a strange atmosphere was developing, there was a knocking sound from the closed door.

Chapter 54: The BFF Talk p1

That indifferent expression was all too familiar to Qiao Rubai. In her previous life, after Jiang Duo and Lu Gaoshi left, it became Ji Junxin’s default. Cold, distant, a wall erected between her and everyone else. Even towards Qiao Rubai, the indifference was only slightly softened, replaced by a certain politeness, but the essence remained the same.

In her previous life, Qiao Rubai had grown accustomed to Ji Junxin’s hard shell. Having miraculously returned to this point in time two months ago, facing the gentle, soft, genuinely happy and unhappy Ji Junxin, Qiao Rubai had felt a little out of place. She had thought that with a second chance, she could change everything. But she hadn’t expected to see Ji Junxin’s cold and guarded expression again so soon.

“Junxin…” Qiao Rubai’s voice trembled slightly, a tremor she didn’t even notice herself.

“Hmm?” Ji Junxin frowned, dodging Lu Gaoshi’s grasping hand again, and glanced at Qiao Rubai questioningly.

Her expression and gaze didn’t seem as cold as in her previous life? Right, Jiang Duo’s betrayal had been the fatal blow back then. Now, it was just Lu Gaoshi. There was still a chance to salvage things, she couldn’t let Ji Junxin become like she was in her previous life. Various guesses and thoughts raced through Qiao Rubai’s mind. After a brief moment of distraction, she realized that Ji Junxin was probably completely disillusioned with Lu Gaoshi, and there was no need to continue this confrontation. The priority was to talk to Ji Junxin alone, to guide her and prevent her from spiraling into negativity like in her previous life.

Thinking this, Qiao Rubai quickly stepped in front of Ji Junxin, blocking Lu Gaoshi’s desperate attempts to grab her hand.

“Enough, stop pestering her. If you’re smart, go to Qiong Yu tomorrow and talk to my assistant…” Seeing the sudden flash of hope in Lu Gaoshi’s eyes, Qiao Rubai sneered, “…about your resignation and severance pay.”

From panic to disappointment, to hope, and then to despair, Lu Gaoshi’s heart plummeted.

Lu Gaoshi had thought that this incident, like a rollercoaster, would eventually smooth out despite its ups and downs. She hadn’t expected it to be like a bungee jump with a snapped cord, a short, futile struggle before crashing.

“No… President Qiao, please listen to my explanation.” Ji Junxin was hiding behind Qiao Rubai, her head slightly lowered. Lu Gaoshi couldn’t even see her expression and could only desperately plead with Qiao Rubai. “Please listen to me, those weren’t my true feelings, I was just speaking carelessly, carelessly… Really, look how well I’ve taken care of Junxin all these years. Even if I don’t deserve credit, I’ve put in the effort, haven’t I? How can you fire me just because of a few words?… I really treat her like my own daughter, you’re killing me…”

Now she’s not trying to drive a wedge between us, and she even remembers to address me respectfully, heh. Lu Gaoshi kept repeating the same few lines. Qiao Rubai wanted to say, just explain, stop talking about taking care of her, explain why you said those things. If they weren’t your true feelings, there must be a reason, tell me the reason! Thinking about how Lu Gaoshi had manipulated and used Ji Junxin in her previous life, Qiao Rubai’s anger surged. She almost couldn’t hold back and wanted to lash out at Lu Gaoshi.

Her coat was tugged slightly. Qiao Rubai turned around and saw Ji Junxin’s calm and indifferent face.

Wait… why calm and indifferent?

Shouldn’t she be sad? Angry? Disappointed? … Why this indifferent… coldness?

Coldness again.

Ji Junxin’s seemingly indifferent expression was like a bucket of cold water poured over Qiao Rubai’s head, instantly extinguishing her anger towards Lu Gaoshi.

No… Ji Junxin was changing again. Qiao Rubai wanted to stomp on Lu Gaoshi, who was still jumping around, repeating words like “care,” “daughter,” and “reluctant.”

Ji Junxin tugged at Qiao Rubai’s coat. Qiao Rubai turned around, her anger dissolving, replaced by a look of disbelief. Ji Junxin subconsciously touched her face. She had been sad, but she hadn’t cried, why was Qiao Rubai looking at her like that?

Well, this wasn’t the most important question right now.

She had originally thought that by revealing what Lu Gaoshi said in the room and making her stance clear, Lu Gaoshi would understand that parting ways was the best solution. But it seemed she was too naive. Ji Junxin took a deep breath, hardened her heart, and stepped out from behind Qiao Rubai.

“You said those words weren’t your true feelings. Then why did you say them?” Ji Junxin looked directly at Lu Gaoshi, no longer avoiding her gaze.

“I… I was just speaking carelessly… listen to me…” Lu Gaoshi’s momentum faltered.

“Okay, I’ll listen to your explanation. Explain how you could casually say such things. How you could casually dismiss someone you supposedly treat like a daughter as worthless. Explain how you could casually offer to use someone you supposedly treat like a daughter as a stepping stone for someone else’s career, as a money-making machine. You said I’m clueless about the ways of the world, so I don’t understand why you would say and do such things. Then explain it to me now.” Ji Junxin stepped closer to Lu Gaoshi, her words slow, steady, and heavy, her gaze sharp and unwavering.

Ji Junxin’s calm eyes held no emotion. Her cold gaze made Lu Gaoshi shiver.

“I can explain… I can…” The words tumbled out of Lu Gaoshi’s mouth, but she didn’t seem to register what she was saying. Her mind was blank, and she instinctively stepped back as Ji Junxin approached, almost retreating back into Nan Tian.

Their first meeting, a polite and slightly awkward young girl. Day after day, from a talented and hardworking actress to a popular idol. Lu Gaoshi had seen Ji Junxin in countless situations, both on and off screen, radiant and charming, or lazy and playful.

But Lu Gaoshi had never seen Ji Junxin like this. Like an unmelting block of ice, radiating coldness, a coldness that almost caused physical pain.

Where was the soft, gentle, easily swayed foodie who often acted spoiled? …

Lu Gaoshi clutched her chest, her arrogance gone.

Ji Junxin stood before her, patiently waiting, her demeanor showing her willingness to listen.

If she was angry, she could cry and apologize. If she was sad, she could weave lies to appease her. But if she was cold and indifferent… Lu Gaoshi didn’t know what to do. It felt like any excuse or lie would be seen through by this Ji Junxin. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.

Time ticked by.

Finally, Ji Junxin spoke: “If you have nothing to explain, then we’ll be going.” She turned to leave.

“Wait…” Lu Gaoshi reached out, her hand stopping mid-air, not grabbing Ji Junxin.

Ji Junxin stopped but didn’t turn around.

They had heard everything. If she were in their shoes, she wouldn’t forgive her either. From the moment Ji Junxin repeated her own words, Lu Gaoshi knew she was done for. All her attempts after that were just wishful thinking.

Now, Ji Junxin’s cold indifference shattered that last shred of hope.

“Are you really… discarding our past just like that?” Lu Gaoshi’s voice was unexpectedly laced with sadness. “If I leave, who will take care of all the trivial matters for you on set? … Who will clean your apartment? You can’t even cook, the refrigerator must be empty, I haven’t had time to restock it… and the fruits for aromatherapy should also be replaced, those apples spoil easily, I bought some new ones and put them in the crisper… This afternoon, the fishmonger who usually sells us fish called and asked why we haven’t been buying yellow croaker recently. You love my yellow croaker dish… it’s the only dish I’m really good at…”

It was a last attempt to appeal to her emotions, to soften Ji Junxin’s heart. But Lu Gaoshi hadn’t expected to feel so sad. Tears mixed with genuine emotion, her voice choked, her words like a final farewell.

Ji Junxin didn’t wait for Lu Gaoshi to finish and continued walking away. She didn’t say anything more, not wanting Lu Gaoshi to hear the tremor in her voice, nor did she turn around, not wanting her to see her tears.

As Ji Junxin walked away, Lu Gaoshi took a step forward, then stopped, watching as Ji Junxin and Qiao Rubai disappeared into the distance.

“I’m sorry…” The figures in the distance were almost out of sight. Lu Gaoshi’s final whisper was only for herself to hear.

Lu Gaoshi knew that Ji Junxin was her greatest asset. She had thought that after all these years, Ji Junxin couldn’t live without her, so she had unscrupulously manipulated and used her, giving benefits to the Jiang family to win Jiang Dingyi’s heart. But now, it seemed, she was wrong. Ji Junxin didn’t need her. And she, it turned out, wasn’t completely indifferent to the young girl she had taken care of for so many years.

But it was too late now.

Ji Junxin got into Qiao Rubai’s car, sat in the passenger seat, and silently cried. Tears streamed down her face like pearls from a broken necklace.

Qiao Rubai searched the car for tissues. She finally found some, but before she could hand them over, Ji Junxin had already wiped her face with her sleeve.

Sigh… Qiao Rubai sighed inwardly. At the beginning, Lu Gaoshi had been wholeheartedly devoted to Ji Junxin, her care and concern genuine, and Ji Junxin had responded in kind. Two lifetimes gave Qiao Rubai enough time to understand. In the end, as Ji Junxin became more and more famous, Lu Gaoshi’s incompetence and limited vision became more and more apparent. The more she felt she couldn’t keep up, the more she wanted to control… even destroy. And then there was the appearance of her “true love”…

Based on what happened in her previous life, Qiao Rubai didn’t believe that Lu Gaoshi had any real feelings for Ji Junxin. If she did, would she have done those things? But judging by Lu Gaoshi’s final performance today, it seemed that her feelings for Ji Junxin weren’t entirely calculated. They had spent so many more years together in her previous life, Ji Junxin’s feelings must have been even deeper. She had to act quickly and decisively, the longer it dragged on, the deeper the wound would be. But no matter what, she hoped that this problem was truly resolved.

“Don’t cry…” Seeing Ji Junxin still crying after wiping her face, Qiao Rubai handed her the entire box of tissues.

Ji Junxin took a handful of tissues and buried her face in them.

Qiao Rubai patted her shoulder. “You’re not in a good mood today. Tell me, do you want to go for a drive or to a bar? I’ll accompany you.”

“I want to go home.” Ji Junxin’s muffled voice came from the pile of tissues.

Well, that was so Ji Junxin…

“Your apartment or your parents’ place?” Qiao Rubai asked casually. Then the muffled sobs from the tissues intensified.

Damn it, Qiao Rubai slapped her mouth. Lu Gaoshi had just mentioned how Ji Junxin’s parents neglected her, why did she have to ask!

“Then put on your seatbelt.” Qiao Rubai said, starting the car. She would take a detour to buy some dessert to cheer her up.

By the time they reached the dessert shop, Ji Junxin had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red, like a pitiful bunny.

However, the chocolate sawdust pudding, the pitiful bunny’s favorite, was sold out! Hearing the apologetic words from the staff, Qiao Rubai watched as Ji Junxin transformed from a pitiful bunny to an even more pitiful bunny with drooping ears. She felt terrible.

“How about the original sawdust pudding? Matcha? Strawberry? Or mango pancakes? Mango pomelo sago?” Qiao Rubai recited the menu, her face full of black lines.

The bunny with drooping ears shook her head and left.

The dessert consolation plan, failed.

It was a short drive from the dessert shop to the apartment. Ji Junxin refused Qiao Rubai’s suggestion of finding another dessert shop, so they drove straight to her apartment building.

As the car stopped and Ji Junxin unbuckled her seatbelt, Qiao Rubai finally had to say it.

“I…” Just as Qiao Rubai was about to bring up Lu Gaoshi, a call came in. Qiao Rubai took out her phone, intending to reject the call, but seeing the name on the screen, she looked up at Ji Junxin and said, “Wait, let me take this call, don’t leave yet.”

So, Ji Junxin leaned back in her seat and passively listened to Qiao Rubai’s conversation.

“Yes, I’m still out, I’ll be there later.” “Do you think Miemie will like an Elsa doll from Frozen?” “Has she eaten the cake yet?” “If it’s too late, I won’t go tonight. We’ll celebrate her birthday again at the amusement park tomorrow.” “Okay, see you later.”

Qiao Rubai quickly ended the call. It wasn’t a long conversation, but her tone was gentle and her mood seemed cheerful. Ji Junxin looked at her.

“It was Yang Lianyi from Mengguan, it’s her niece’s birthday today.” Qiao Rubai explained, unable to hide the smile in her eyes.

Ji Junxin nodded. Since Qiao Rubai took over Qiong Yu, she had been interacting with more and more people in the business world, and now she seemed to have many friends. And herself? Thinking about Lu Gaoshi’s words, Ji Junxin felt a pang of sadness. Putting aside the unfulfilled schemes, Lu Gaoshi’s description of her current situation, although harsh, wasn’t entirely untrue.

Truth, what a scary word. Ji Junxin’s eyes dimmed.

“Tomorrow, Lu Gaoshi’s salary will be settled, and after the handover, Qiong Yu will officially terminate her contract. Do you want me to arrange a new manager for you, or another assistant?” Although it seemed cruel to say this to Ji Junxin, who hadn’t even had her comforting dessert, Qiao Rubai decided to seize the opportunity and press the issue.

Ji Junxin, her hand still on the door handle, her head slightly lowered, replied softly after a long while, “No need, I already have two assistants, it’s enough.”

She had to arrange more people for Ji Junxin to prevent Lu Gaoshi from returning! Qiao Rubai racked her brains for a reason to assign more people to Ji Junxin.

“Don’t worry, I won’t see Sister Lu again.” Ji Junxin understood Qiao Rubai’s intentions and smiled wryly. “I… don’t know how to face her anymore. I don’t want to… have this resentment between us.”

She looked so pitiful. Qiao Rubai suddenly felt like the bad guy who broke them up… She shifted uncomfortably and said awkwardly, “Well, it’s better to live happily.” Then she mentally berated herself, what kind of comforting words were those?

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep. It’s getting late, you should go if you have something to do.” Ji Junxin opened the car door, then paused. “Actually, it’s good that I know now. Thank you.” She smiled at Qiao Rubai and got out of the car.

She seemed to be comforting her instead…

Chapter 53: Hurt p2

Originally, Mi Hongdou disliked Zhang Zijing more than Jiang Duo, but now, her dislike for both was equal. Mi Hongdou hadn’t realized that Jiang Duo’s befriending Ji Junxin was premeditated, for the sake of her career and money. It was even more despicable than she had imagined. And Lu Gaoshi, why hadn’t she dealt with them in her previous life when she had the money and influence! They were so shameless! She had originally thought it was just Zhang Zijing’s infidelity, Jiang Duo’s betrayal, and Lu Gaoshi’s job hopping. Now it seemed that everything was premeditated. The truth was chilling and infuriating.

“Ji Junxin is already in the room, right? Did Qiao Rubai arrive? Did they hear that conversation? You can’t record it? Quickly ask if they heard it!” Mi Hongdou, in full-on die-hard fan mode, bombarded the burly man with questions, practically exploding with anxiety. She didn’t even realize that she had inadvertently revealed the other room’s occupants. Fortunately, it was indeed them.

The usually quiet girl who sat next to Jiang Lingling, eating nuts and barely speaking, had suddenly transformed into a raging dragon, almost breathing fire. The burly man didn’t find this contrast cute at all…

After quickly contacting the crew-cut man, the burly man gave a definite answer: “They’re both in the room and heard the conversation.”

Qiao Rubai heard it, she definitely wouldn’t let them off the hook. Mi Hongdou breathed a sigh of relief, but a new worry surfaced.

“What was their reaction? I mean, are they okay?” Mi Hongdou remembered that Ji Junxin seemed to care about Lu Gaoshi quite a bit. Although hurting Ji Junxin in the process of pushing Lu Gaoshi away was unavoidable, Mi Hongdou still hoped that the wound wouldn’t be too deep.

“This…” The burly man hesitated. This was different from confirming whether they were in the room and heard the conversation. Their reaction should be considered private information, he couldn’t reveal it.

Seeing his expression, Mi Hongdou knew she was asking for too much. Worried about Ji Junxin, she wished she could quickly achieve the success she had in her previous life and then ruthlessly crush these scumbags.

Jiang Lingling wasn’t sure how close Lu Gaoshi and Ji Junxin were. But from the information Dong Yuannan had provided about the crew, it seemed that Ji Junxin cared about her manager, who had been with her from the beginning. Earlier, when she and Lu Gaoshi had their argument, Ji Junxin had clearly defended her. So now, the content of Lu Gaoshi’s conversation with Jiang Dingyi was clearly not good. Jiang Lingling silently ate a walnut. Downplaying a serious matter like loan sharks, what was the point?

“Okay, don’t be angry. Since Qiao Rubai heard it too, I don’t think Lu Gaoshi will be on set tomorrow. As for Ji Junxin… isn’t she picking you up tomorrow? Make her something delicious to cheer her up.” Jiang Lingling comforted her. “The Jiang family is so messed up, nothing good will happen to them.”

Mi Hongdou looked at Jiang Lingling suspiciously. Jiang Lingling winked with a smile.

It seemed she hadn’t misheard, there was indeed a hidden meaning in her words. Mi Hongdou didn’t ask. If Jiang Lingling was planning something, she would definitely tell her the result. She owed her a big favor this time. But she was happy to owe it!

Regardless of how heartbroken and angry the people in the other two rooms were, and how they were planning to retaliate, Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi’s meal finally ended. Lu Gaoshi paid the bill, and Jiang Dingyi gallantly helped her put on her coat. Their harmonious ending made some people grind their teeth in frustration.

“Let’s go.” Ji Junxin wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked at Qiao Rubai with determination.

“Now? We might run into them…” Qiao Rubai looked at the screen, where the two were getting ready to leave, and hesitated. But meeting Ji Junxin’s gaze, she suddenly understood. “Okay, let’s go.”

Ji Junxin’s lips curved into a smile, but her eyes were still red.

Qiao Rubai gritted her teeth and gestured to the crew-cut man in the corner: “Have your people arrange for us to ‘run into’ them at the exit.”

Ji Junxin didn’t object.

The crew-cut man’s eyes widened. “Nan Tian’s rules…” Nan Tian’s rule was that when a waiter escorted a guest out, they would never encounter other guests.

But before he could finish, Qiao Rubai interrupted him, her gaze sharp and leaving no room for doubt, “I’ll pay extra, you make it happen.”

The crew-cut man took out his phone and started dialing. After a while, he looked up. “They’ve decided to leave through separate exits, what should we do?”

“We’ll go to Lu Gaoshi’s exit.” Ji Junxin’s voice rang out before Qiao Rubai could speak.

The crew-cut man looked at Qiao Rubai, who nodded.

Without Lu Gaoshi, the Jiang family’s schemes were nothing.

Lu Gaoshi was quite satisfied with this meeting without Jiang Duo. Although the beginning wasn’t ideal, it had ended well. Jiang Dingyi had ordered her favorite dishes, given her food, agreed with her plan to approach Ji Junxin, and even helped her put on her coat. Everything was going in the right direction. According to Jiang Dingyi, Jiang Duo had been kept on set by Director Pan, it seemed that fate was on their side. Having Jiang Duo present every time was troublesome. She had to maintain a dignified image, hiding her true feelings, pretending that they were just old classmates catching up. What their relationship truly was, she knew, and she believed Jiang Dingyi also knew, and probably Jiang Duo too. But having a younger generation present was like having an extra layer of modesty, it was quite boring. She hoped Director Pan would keep Jiang Duo busy more often, so she could have more opportunities to be alone with Jiang Dingyi. He was aloof and distant, but she would openly show her feelings, sooner or later, he would be hers.

Lu Gaoshi thought this, confident and happy, as she said goodbye to Jiang Dingyi and followed the waiter.

However, her good mood didn’t last long.

What happened to protecting customer privacy! What happened to not encountering other guests! When Lu Gaoshi saw Qiao Rubai and Ji Junxin at the exit of Nan Tian, after a moment of panic, she was angry at the waiter. But after that brief moment of distraction, the waiter was gone. Lu Gaoshi suppressed her anger and mentally made a note of it.

“What a coincidence, are you here for dinner too?” Lu Gaoshi greeted them with a smile, unsure if they were arriving or leaving. Anyway, they didn’t know Jiang Dingyi, and they didn’t know who she had met or what she had talked about, so there was nothing to be nervous about.

To Lu Gaoshi’s surprise, neither of them responded to her friendly greeting. Qiao Rubai’s face was expressionless, and even Ji Junxin just looked at her silently, her eyes slightly red.

A sudden wave of guilt almost made Lu Gaoshi take a step back to avoid Ji Junxin’s gaze. But she didn’t.

“Junxin, don’t you have scenes to film in Shudian today? Why are you suddenly back in Jiang City? Did something happen?” Lu Gaoshi put on a concerned expression. “Why didn’t you tell me? Is there anything I can help with?”

Please don’t let it be a career problem, she still needed Ji Junxin for the Jiang family matter. It would be best if it was a family problem, so Jiang Duo could show her care and concern and perhaps even take advantage of the situation to get closer to her. Lu Gaoshi’s mind raced, but she maintained a worried expression.

Were you lying to him? Or to me? After all these years, is that what you think of me? Was all that care and companionship fake? Would you really, as you said to him, manipulate me for the love you want?

Ji Junxin looked at Lu Gaoshi silently, many words she wanted to say, but they all felt superfluous.

She couldn’t trust her like before anymore. At this moment, Ji Junxin realized this clearly. Looking at Lu Gaoshi, whose worried face still held a hint of affection, Ji Junxin thought, perhaps, she couldn’t even face her anymore.

“Sister Lu, I’m changing managers. You don’t have to take care of me anymore.” Ji Junxin’s words were slow and steady, her gaze fixed on Lu Gaoshi. She wasn’t good at handling this kind of situation, but she instinctively felt that she had to say these words herself, to make a clean break.

Then, should she act like a strong woman, turning and leaving after delivering those harsh words? Or should she act like a damsel in distress, expressing her sadness and grievances with tears? Or, like a pampered girl, believe that there were reasons behind everything and wait for an explanation? What kind of persona should she adopt to handle this situation better? After saying those words, Ji Junxin felt lost.

“What?” Lu Gaoshi’s first reaction was that she had misheard. “Junxin, what are you saying? I’ve been with you since you entered the industry, what do you mean?”

Ji Junxin, unable to choose a persona and facing Lu Gaoshi’s almost interrogative tone, could only remain silent.

Her silence, in Lu Gaoshi’s eyes, was a sign of guilt.

“Junxin, you can’t do this. Are you forgetting our past just because you’re famous now? Think about it, all these years, you’ve been filming, and I’ve been with you every step of the way. Packing your luggage, driving you around, accompanying you for early morning and late-night shoots. Even in Jiang City, I cleaned your apartment and cooked for you. Honestly, is there a better manager than me?” She couldn’t let this happen. Lu Gaoshi’s voice was hurried and anxious, and she even squeezed out a few tears. “I’m at this age, without children, I’ve taken care of you all these years, truly treating you like my own daughter. Tell me, what did I do wrong? Why are you unhappy with me?”

“Enough!” Qiao Rubai snapped. She had been holding back, seeing that Ji Junxin was taking a stand, but Lu Gaoshi’s words were becoming increasingly hurtful. Lu Gaoshi, as a manager, had been doing an assistant’s job, and she even had the audacity to bring it up.

Lu Gaoshi, caught up in her act, had momentarily forgotten that Qiao Rubai was also present. Startled by the shout, her tears stopped mid-flow and gradually dried.

“President Qiao, I’m speaking from the heart.” Lu Gaoshi wiped her eyes. “You’ve assigned me so many tasks that aren’t part of my job recently, trivial and burdensome. I don’t have enough energy, and perhaps I haven’t been taking care of Junxin as well as before. But I’ve really been trying my best…” She glanced at Ji Junxin from the corner of her eye.

Ji Junxin remained unmoved, and Lu Gaoshi’s heart sank.

“Heh…” Qiao Rubai sneered. Even now, she was still trying to subtly complain?

Ji Junxin had vaguely sensed Qiao Rubai’s actions in assigning tasks to Lu Gaoshi. If it weren’t for today’s incident, she might have actually talked to Qiao Rubai about it later. But now, Lu Gaoshi’s words sounded like she was badmouthing Qiao Rubai.

Yes, her parents indeed didn’t have time for her. And Qiao Rubai was her only true friend all these years. Lu Gaoshi knew this and was still trying to drive a wedge between them. Ji Junxin’s heart ached. Every word from Lu Gaoshi hurt her.

“Stop.” Ji Junxin stopped Lu Gaoshi from continuing. “I heard everything. My parents don’t care about me, I only have one friend, and the person I trust the most is you. Naive and clueless. I heard it all.”

Lu Gaoshi leaned forward, her eyes wide, her lips trembling, utterly shocked.

You also forgot to mention “foodie”… Qiao Rubai touched her nose, feeling a little guilty for suddenly remembering this.

“You… you…” Lu Gaoshi’s trembling hand pointed at Ji Junxin, then at Qiao Rubai. “No, it’s not like that… let me explain… those words weren’t my true feelings…” Were they followed? Or were they eavesdropped on? No, it didn’t matter. Those words, spoken by her less than ten minutes ago, were now repeated by Ji Junxin, as if copied and pasted. Lu Gaoshi didn’t even want to know how Ji Junxin found out. Even denying it was useless now. She could only explain, explain. Ji Junxin would definitely listen to her explanation. Lu Gaoshi wasn’t as confident as she seemed, but she still grabbed Ji Junxin’s hand.

Her hand was immediately brushed away.

“I don’t want to hear your explanation. I can’t trust you anymore. I won’t pursue this, and I don’t want to see you again.” Ji Junxin forcefully shook off Lu Gaoshi’s hand and stepped back. She thought she had found the right persona for this moment.

Someone who had been hurt and could no longer trust anyone.

Ji Junxin’s sudden coldness didn’t escape Qiao Rubai’s notice. Something seemed wrong… Qiao Rubai’s heart lurched.

Chapter 53: Hurt p1

Qiao Rubai put down her chopsticks and looked at the crew-cut man who had been sitting quietly in the corner, almost forgotten. “Do you know what business Jiang Dingyi is in?” she asked.

“Jiang Dingyi used to run a photo studio. We have additional information regarding the real reason he borrowed money from Lu Gaoshi. However, this information isn’t included in our original agreement and requires additional payment. Are you interested, President Qiao?” the crew-cut man asked formally, tapping the folder on his lap.

“I’ll pay extra. Tell me everything else you’ve found about the Jiang family.” Qiao Rubai had originally only wanted them to investigate Lu Gaoshi and let Ji Junxin watch the show, focusing on Lu Gaoshi. But now it seemed that the Jiang family also had a story. She hadn’t known much about Jiang Duo’s family in her previous life, so hearing about it now might be useful.

The crew-cut man, receiving Qiao Rubai’s confirmation, opened the folder and said, “Jiang Dingyi and his wife, Yuan Wenhui, have a son and a daughter. Their daughter, Jiang Duo, is 22, and their son, Jiang Bin, is 12. Jiang Dingyi ran a photo studio for seventeen years, and Yuan Wenhui also helped out. They were a moderately well-off family, and their relationship was good. However, eleven months ago, Yuan Wenhui, introduced by a client at the photo studio, became addicted to gambling. For the first three months, she had some wins and losses, mostly small wins, but then she started losing consistently. Jiang Duo’s acting income and the studio’s cash flow were quickly squandered. Six months ago, Yuan Wenhui, heavily in debt to loan sharks, confessed her gambling addiction and debt to Jiang Dingyi. After learning about this, Jiang Dingyi quickly sold the photo studio and all their properties except for their house, practically emptying their savings, to repay Yuan Wenhui’s debts. Shortly after, Jiang Dingyi contacted Lu Gaoshi, whom he hadn’t spoken to in decades, hoping she could help his daughter, Jiang Duo, who was with Dajin Entertainment, get connected with Qiong Yu.” The crew-cut man paused, glancing at Qiao Rubai, whose expression was still calm, before continuing, “Because the information we were looking for dates back quite a while, we only found out recently that Qiong Yu’s collaboration with Dajin on ‘Imperial Secrets’ might be partly due to Lu Gaoshi bribing some people within Qiong Yu, ensuring that Dajin was chosen among the many entertainment companies. But we’re still investigating whether this is true and who Lu Gaoshi bribed.”

Qiao Rubai slammed her cup on the table. She had initially felt a sense of satisfaction hearing about the Jiang family’s mess, but now she felt a slap in the face. So, this conspiracy started much earlier than she had known? She hadn’t realized Lu Gaoshi was so capable!

The crew-cut man, seeing his client’s anger, quickly said, glancing at the surprised Ji Junxin and then at the furious Qiao Rubai, “Of course, this involves your company’s internal affairs. If you don’t want us to investigate Qiong Yu, we can drop this line of inquiry.”

“No, investigate, continue investigating.” Qiao Rubai practically gritted her teeth. “The more detailed, the better!”

There were many things from long ago, so long ago that no one mentioned them, and Qiao Rubai wouldn’t have remembered them. The crew-cut man’s words seemed to connect some dots from her previous life. No wonder, when she was pitching the “Imperial Secrets” script and looking for partners, Dajin Entertainment’s name was frequently mentioned by some people. And some of those people later amicably moved to Dajin, receiving higher positions than they had at Qiong Yu. At that time, Qiao Rubai had thought it was just normal employee turnover. Thinking about it now, they were probably already connected to Dajin.

The crew-cut man carefully glanced at Ji Junxin, who was pressing her lips together, cleared his throat, and continued, looking down at the folder, “After Qiong Yu confirmed the collaboration with Dajin, Lu Gaoshi attempted to manipulate things behind the scenes to secure the role of the empress for Jiang Duo. However, Director Pan had already agreed to Qiong Yu’s invitation, and Jiang Duo’s image didn’t fit his vision of the empress, so she was rejected. Dajin Entertainment then secured a more substantial supporting role for her. Later, during filming, Lu Gaoshi frequently brought food, claiming it was homemade by Jiang Duo, trying to build a relationship with Miss Ji. However, most of the food was eaten by President Qiao.”

“Ahem… this… let’s skip this part.” Qiao Rubai glanced at Ji Junxin awkwardly. “I just happened to be a little hungry a few times.”

Ji Junxin’s gaze was meaningful.

“Miss Ji also ate some without knowing. However, most of the food wasn’t actually made by Jiang Duo, she had someone else make it.” The crew-cut man turned to the last page of the file. “Finally, based on our analysis and speculation, the real reason Jiang Dingyi suddenly contacted Lu Gaoshi after so many years was that Yuan Wenhui hadn’t stopped gambling. Jiang Dingyi couldn’t control her and didn’t dare to let Jiang Duo know that they were practically broke. They needed more money, whether earned by Jiang Duo or taken from Lu Gaoshi. Last month, Lu Gaoshi transferred 500,000 yuan to Jiang Dingyi, who claimed to have cash flow problems. This afternoon, she withdrew another 200,000 yuan in cash. That’s the current situation.” He closed the folder.

Hearing about the Jiang family’s troubles, Qiao Rubai felt a sense of satisfaction. But then she realized something was wrong. From what the crew-cut man said, all the problems seemed to be caused by Yuan Wenhui and Jiang Dingyi. Jiang Duo and Lu Gaoshi were portrayed as victims. This was completely opposite to her plan!

Qiao Rubai glanced at Ji Junxin, who was deep in thought, and suddenly felt that she had done something foolish. No, it wasn’t her, it was the crew-cut man’s report! Couldn’t he have emphasized Lu Gaoshi’s scheming and Jiang Duo’s social climbing? Why did he have to portray them as a pitiful middle-aged woman being scammed by her first love and a hardworking young girl struggling with her family’s financial problems! It wasn’t like that at all! Qiao Rubai glared at the crew-cut man, who looked back innocently.

If she didn’t have her memories from her previous life, hearing this report, she would also think it was a sad story. Qiao Rubai glanced at Ji Junxin again, hoping she wouldn’t soften.

But if she didn’t soften, would she still be Ji Junxin?

“So, Jiang Duo has been kept in the dark by her parents, she doesn’t know anything, all the money she earned is gone, she doesn’t even know her family is in debt… she’s really quite pitiful. Why are they hiding it from her?” Ji Junxin looked at Qiao Rubai.

Oh my god… she knew Ji Junxin was sensitive about parent-child relationships… Qiao Rubai, hoist by her own petard, didn’t know how to answer.

Fortunately, Ji Junxin seemed to be just expressing her feelings and didn’t press Qiao Rubai about these personal matters. She continued, “So, Sister Lu has been scammed out of 700,000 yuan. How can we warn her? Anonymously, of course, we can’t let her know we investigated her.” Ji Junxin looked at Qiao Rubai, clearly waiting for an answer.

My dear girl, if I had known that after hearing all this, you would only focus on how pitiful Jiang Duo and Lu Gaoshi were, I wouldn’t have bothered! Why don’t you notice how pitiful I am, my plan completely backfiring! Qiao Rubai looked away, not wanting to look at the fool beside her.

“Ahem… allow me to add something,” the crew-cut man suddenly interjected. “Lu Gaoshi knows that Jiang Dingyi asked for money not because of business difficulties, but to repay Yuan Wenhui’s gambling debts. She also hired a private investigator to investigate the Jiang family, not our agency, of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to reveal client information to you. The agency she hired is far inferior to ours.” He said with a proud expression.

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Qiao Rubai glared at the crew-cut man, who smiled sheepishly at her. Qiao Rubai, momentarily speechless, turned to Ji Junxin and patted her hand. “Did you hear that? Lu Gaoshi isn’t simple, she knows everything, there’s no need for you to worry about her.”

“She knows everything, and she’s still willingly letting Jiang Dingyi scam her?” Ji Junxin frowned.

Qiao Rubai took a deep breath. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry… “Look, when Jiang Dingyi wrote the IOU for Lu Gaoshi, did she stop him?”

Ji Junxin shook her head.

“And didn’t she even say something like, ‘No need to write it, I trust you’?”

Ji Junxin nodded.

Qiao Rubai patiently guided her, “Lu Gaoshi’s demeanor towards Jiang Dingyi clearly shows that she’s smitten with him. But she didn’t even say any polite words of refusal. That means she wanted that IOU. She wanted it so much that she didn’t even dare to refuse. I think, even if Jiang Dingyi hadn’t offered to write the IOU, Lu Gaoshi would have found a way to ask him to. She isn’t willingly being scammed, she’s lending him money. Or rather, perhaps she’s intentionally lending him money, to become his creditor, to change his distant attitude towards her.”

Qiao Rubai had guessed the truth, but Ji Junxin clearly hadn’t fully processed it yet.

“If it were you, and you liked someone that much, and he asked to borrow money from you for an emergency, would you investigate him? Would you eagerly ask him to write an IOU?” Qiao Rubai tried to have Ji Junxin put herself in Lu Gaoshi’s shoes. Unexpectedly, her own question was like a lightning bolt striking her.

So, in her previous life, after Ji Junxin and Jiang Duo got together, Ji Junxin, who never did commercials, suddenly started accepting endorsements, even asking Qiao Rubai to arrange them for her, filming several in a row, saying that she had never done commercials before and it seemed fun. So, it wasn’t actually because of that? And for a long time, Ji Junxin and Qiao Rubai used the same financial manager. Shortly after she and Jiang Duo got together, the financial manager mentioned to Qiao Rubai that Ji Junxin had withdrawn all her money. The manager even subtly asked Qiao Rubai if he had done something wrong, which was why Ji Junxin no longer used his services. When Qiao Rubai asked Ji Junxin, she just said that she wanted to try managing her own finances, since she had plenty of free time when she wasn’t filming. So, it wasn’t actually because of that?

“I wouldn’t…” Ji Junxin replied, her head lowered.

Qiao Rubai was stunned by her own sudden realization, and Ji Junxin’s answer made her think that her guess might be the truth! In her previous life, Ji Junxin’s money had been used to fill the Jiang family’s financial hole! Right! Right!

She wanted to go back in time and slap her past self. Ji Junxin had only told her about her relationship with Jiang Duo after they got together. Qiao Rubai couldn’t stop it, and seeing how happy Ji Junxin was, she hadn’t thought of investigating the Jiang family. Later, when Ji Junxin started filming commercials and withdrew her money from the financial manager, Qiao Rubai thought that Ji Junxin was now in a relationship and, as a friend, she shouldn’t interfere too much, so she didn’t ask further. She hadn’t realized… Qiao Rubai clenched her fists, feeling terrible.

The two on the screen were still eating hot pot, but Qiao Rubai was almost consumed by her own anger.

“So, do you still think Lu Gaoshi is willingly giving away this money without expecting anything in return?” Qiao Rubai felt that if Ji Junxin still said yes, she would faint from the multiple blows.

Fortunately, Ji Junxin shook her head. “But the combined amount isn’t small for Sister Lu. Asking for an IOU is normal.”

Qiao Rubai choked. So how much money was this fool scammed out of in her previous life? How much!

It was unbelievable. As soon as she learned about Lu Gaoshi’s meeting with Jiang Dingyi, she had meticulously planned to keep Jiang Duo on set, so that Lu Gaoshi would drop her usual gentle facade and reveal her infatuation, and hopefully, without Jiang Duo there to mediate, she and the aloof Jiang Dingyi would have some conflict and reveal more. Qiao Rubai had put in so much effort, just so Ji Junxin could see things more clearly. But it was all for nothing!

Having come this far, Qiao Rubai finally understood. Her previous approach of gradually revealing Lu Gaoshi’s true colors to Ji Junxin was probably wrong. With someone like Ji Junxin, whose kindness often outweighed her reason, she needed a more direct and forceful approach, a relentless and thorough exposé, even if it meant resorting to underhanded tactics.

Just as Qiao Rubai was about to change her strategy, the conversation between the two on the screen caught her attention.

“Xiao Duo said that President Qiao from Qiong Yu really likes the desserts she makes. I wonder if there’s a chance to arrange for her to meet President Qiao more often.” The hot pot meal was coming to an end, and Jiang Dingyi finally brought up the topic his daughter had repeatedly emphasized.

Lu Gaoshi, who had been happily adding lamb to the pot for Jiang Dingyi, twitched the corner of her mouth. “Qiao Rubai did eat Jiang Duo’s desserts a few times. But Qiao Rubai is different from Ji Junxin. She’s capable of running a big company like Qiong Yu, she’s very busy, rarely comes to the set, and isn’t someone you can easily approach with a few desserts.” If she could easily manipulate Qiao Rubai, she wouldn’t have driven five hours back to Jiang City this morning at Qiao Rubai’s summons, only to wait for two hours at the company before Qiao Rubai’s assistant finally arrived and gave her a bunch of trivial tasks she wouldn’t normally handle. And in the end, she didn’t even get to see Qiao Rubai.

Qiao Rubai’s attitude towards her had changed recently, and Lu Gaoshi began to suspect that perhaps her attempts to connect Jiang Duo and Ji Junxin were too obvious, and Qiao Rubai was dissatisfied. But she didn’t think it was a big deal. If she really couldn’t handle these trivial tasks, she could just complain to Ji Junxin, and Ji Junxin would definitely speak up for her. However, although these matters were easy to resolve, they really affected her mood. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have lost her temper with Jiang Dingyi over the hot pot size earlier. Lu Gaoshi glanced at Jiang Dingyi, who was frowning, and continued in a softer tone, “Although it’s difficult to get on Qiao Rubai’s good side, befriending Ji Junxin isn’t a problem. Everyone in the industry knows that Ji Junxin and Qiao Rubai grew up together. Anyone Ji Junxin befriends, Qiao Rubai will protect. The benefits might even be greater than directly getting close to Qiao Rubai.”

“But Xiao Duo said that you haven’t made much progress with Ji Junxin. They barely interact off-screen, and the food you sent didn’t seem to have much effect. And that newcomer who plays the empress, I heard she’s also a good cook, and she’s even sharing a room with Ji Junxin.” Jiang Dingyi recalled Jiang Duo’s words, paused, and continued, “I see that although President Qiao is busy, she did eat Xiao Duo’s food several times, and finished it all. Perhaps she has a favorable impression of Xiao Duo. Since she doesn’t come to the set, can you ask about her schedule and arrange a ‘chance encounter’?” The implication was that Ji Junxin was a lost cause, but Qiao Rubai seemed promising.

Qiao Rubai was a difficult person to control. If she helped them connect with her, what would be left for her? Did he think she was stupid? Lu Gaoshi’s expression darkened, but her words were still seemingly helpful. “That newcomer who plays the empress, Mi Hongdou, she’s not even from an acting school, she just knows how to make fried rice, what use is she? Ji Junxin is just momentarily interested in her, how can her cooking compare to the chefs we found for Jiang Duo? Besides, Ji Junxin is my artist, she always listens to me. Once Jiang Duo befriends her, with me adding a few words on the side, won’t there be plenty of opportunities?”

Lu Gaoshi paused and added some stronger bait, “And Qiao Rubai, running Qiong Yu so successfully at such a young age, she’s not simple, how can we manipulate her? She’s not as easy to control as Ji Junxin, who only cares about food and is clueless about the ways of the world. Look, over the years, how many of her assistants have stayed? If I don’t like them, they’re gone. Ji Junxin doesn’t even know, she doesn’t care, she only trusts me. Not to mention, with Ji Junxin’s current status, she’s making a fortune. To be honest with you, her parents basically ignore her, her only friend is Qiao Rubai, and the person she trusts the most is me. Once Jiang Duo befriends her, her future is bright, and when you have business difficulties, would she just stand by and watch her best friend’s family suffer?”

Lu Gaoshi’s last sentence clearly moved Jiang Dingyi. He was silent for a moment, then, no longer insisting on Qiao Rubai, said with a rare gentleness, “From what you said, it seems like Ji Junxin, such a big star, is naive, clueless, and a foodie.”

Jiang Dingyi’s agreement made Lu Gaoshi relax. Looking at his warm smile, she also smiled. “Isn’t that exactly what you said?”

While they were gossiping, the other two rooms in Nan Tian were in an uproar.

No parental care, no friends, naive, clueless, a foodie, every word was a direct hit. Ji Junxin pursed her lips, tightly gripping her cup, her eyes reddening, but her gaze remained fixed on the screen.

Qiao Rubai’s cup had long been thrown to the floor and shattered. She had intended for Ji Junxin to hear some unpleasant things to push Lu Gaoshi away, but hearing those words, she couldn’t contain her anger. Some people were even more despicable than she had imagined, and she wouldn’t be as lenient as in her previous life. Severing ties with Dajin, ignoring them at events, that wasn’t enough, definitely not enough!

In Jiang Lingling and Mi Hongdou’s room, they had already learned from the burly man about the truth behind Jiang Dingyi’s need for money and were criticizing the Jiang family’s mess and Lu Gaoshi’s scheming. But after hearing their subsequent conversation, Mi Hongdou exploded. They were openly badmouthing Ji Junxin, even plotting to scam her feelings and her money! It was unforgivable!

Chapter 52: Money Talks

Jiang Lingling, engrossed in cracking sunflower seeds, only heard the sound, not seeing its source. Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, however, who were glued to the monitor, didn’t miss a thing.

As soon as Jiang Dingyi finished saying, “We want individual pots, not the large one. Bring us two small pots,” Lu Gaoshi, who had been toying with her spoon, slammed it into the bowl, abruptly stood up, her chair scraping against the floor with a harsh screech. Her face was full of barely suppressed anger.

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Dingyi also jumped to his feet. A slow-motion replay would reveal that he was startled, practically leaping up, his chair toppling over with a thud.

Lu Gaoshi’s expression darkened even further.

When Jiang Lingling looked up, she saw the two standing in a standoff, the waiter discreetly retreating a few steps.

Jiang Dingyi was indeed startled. He hadn’t expected Lu Gaoshi’s sudden outburst. For the past six months, he had been distant and indifferent towards her, and she had always been accommodating, never showing such anger. And today, with Jiang Duo absent, she exploded… Jiang Dingyi tried to maintain a calm expression, suppressing his surprise, but he felt uneasy. Jiang Duo was five hours away, did he have to appease Lu Gaoshi himself? He felt a sense of dread. If he had known Jiang Duo wouldn’t be back today, he wouldn’t have agreed to this meeting.

“Just bring the large pot.” Jiang Dingyi decided to avoid confrontation. He picked up the fallen chair, sat down, and tried to diffuse the awkward situation.

Unfortunately, Lu Gaoshi’s anger wasn’t appeased so easily.

Jiang Dingyi could feel her furious gaze without even looking up. How troublesome… He mentally complained, took out his phone, and found the message Jiang Duo had sent him that afternoon. Then he called out to the retreating waiter.

“Add two more dishes, vermicelli noodles and pig’s brain.” Jiang Dingyi forced himself to say the words “pig’s brain,” then forced himself to look at Lu Gaoshi, his voice softening. “You like them.”

“Hmph.” Lu Gaoshi’s anger subsided slightly, her expression softening. “No need to add anything, I’ve already ordered. But… it’s good that you still remember what I like.” She slowly sat down.

With the height difference gone, the confrontational atmosphere eased. Jiang Dingyi breathed a sigh of relief. If Jiang Duo hadn’t specifically reminded him in a text message, he wouldn’t have remembered what she liked!

Jiang Dingyi hadn’t met Lu Gaoshi often in the past six months, always maintaining a distant demeanor. According to Jiang Duo, as long as he remained aloof towards Lu Gaoshi, occasionally showing a sliver of warmth, she would be overjoyed. What you couldn’t have was always the most desirable. With a few tricks, he could keep Lu Gaoshi hooked. It had proven quite effective. But in their previous meetings, Jiang Duo was always present to smooth things over, and Jiang Dingyi only needed to be cold and distant. But without Jiang Duo now, he had quickly angered Lu Gaoshi, and his usual tactic of constant rejection wasn’t working.

So, when Lu Gaoshi’s expression softened, Jiang Dingyi no longer maintained his aloofness. They chatted about the dishes they had ordered, easing the awkwardness.

The dishes arrived, and Jiang Dingyi poured Lu Gaoshi a drink. She blushed, her anger completely gone, replaced by affection. Jiang Dingyi finally relaxed. Although Lu Gaoshi’s lovestruck demeanor at her age was always a bit creepy, it was better than her suddenly turning into a tigress. Thinking this, he decided to give her some food later, even if it didn’t fit his aloof image, just to ensure that this meal ended peacefully. As for the slight damage to his image, it didn’t matter, Jiang Duo would be there next time.

Ji Junxin’s frown remained as she watched the two on the screen start eating harmoniously. But… why could she smell the food through the screen? Ji Junxin sniffed carefully. It smelled really good. Was she hallucinating from hunger?

The two on the screen were eating heartily. Even Ji Junxin, despite her lack of appetite, felt a pang of hunger. Looking at the untouched nuts on the table, she reached out.

“Why are you eating snacks instead of a proper meal?”

The sudden voice startled Ji Junxin, and the walnut she had just picked up slipped from her hand, rolling towards the edge of the table, where it was stopped by a hand.

Ji Junxin looked up and saw Qiao Rubai, surprised: “When did you get here?”

“Um… probably when he ordered pig’s brain.” Qiao Rubai pointed at the coffee table by the wall. “You were so engrossed, you didn’t even notice me. I didn’t order hot pot, I got us two meals, they just arrived, still warm, want some?”

There were two trays on the coffee table, with several covered bowls. Ji Junxin sat still and sniffed the air. “Is that curry?”

“When I came in, you were frowning so hard, I thought you had seen something upsetting. But it seems like you’re fine.” Qiao Rubai chuckled, walked to the coffee table, brought the trays over, and opened the lids of the bowls. “Braised beef with potatoes in curry sauce, braised pork with taro, steamed egg, fish ball soup, honey-glazed chicken wings, and rice. I had the Nan Tian staff get it from the Chinese restaurant next door. They said there’s usually a long queue during dinner time, and it’s only because they have connections that they could get it so quickly. I don’t know if it’s good, do you want to eat now?”

The moment the lids were opened, the rich aroma of curry filled the air. Was there anything more delicious than curry and rice? … Ji Junxin glanced at the fragrant rice sprinkled with sesame seeds, then at the braised pork with taro. The braised pork, with its glistening layers of fat and lean meat, looked tender and melt-in-your-mouth. And the small taro, slightly larger than her thumb, each one perfectly formed, coated in thick sauce, if mixed with rice, it would be so delicious she could swallow her own tongue! It was hard to choose which was the better pairing for rice! Ji Junxin gulped silently.

Ji Junxin’s conflicted expression was obvious. Qiao Rubai glanced at the screen, where the two were eating without any significant development, smiled, and set the table.

Seeing Ji Junxin shift from a melancholic state to a foodie one, Qiao Rubai was greatly relieved. Her intention was for Ji Junxin to see Lu Gaoshi’s true colors, not to make her unhappy. But she hadn’t expected this private investigator to be so efficient. She had been told that at most, they could only manage audio surveillance in Nan Tian, but they had installed cameras, and not just one. Dong Yuannan’s recommendation was excellent. She had to thank him properly next time.

She carefully divided the rice into two bowls, one for the curry and one for the braised pork. Ji Junxin’s eyes narrowed in delight as she ate: “Although it’s just simple home-style cooking, it’s really delicious, no wonder there’s such a long queue. I have to go there next time.”

Do you want to be swarmed for autographs? Qiao Rubai wiped her mouth, pretending not to notice the wall of rice separating the curry and the braised pork in Ji Junxin’s bowl. She was really particular about her food.

While enjoying the meal, Ji Junxin didn’t forget the serious matter at hand: “Lu Gaoshi lost her temper earlier. Jiang Dingyi seemed quite cold towards her.”

“What, are you going to defend her?” Qiao Rubai, ever vigilant, wanted to prevent any sympathy Ji Junxin might have for Lu Gaoshi. “It takes two to tango. We can all see how much Lu Gaoshi likes him, can’t he see it? He’s willing to entertain her, he must have ulterior motives. Lu Gaoshi isn’t a teenage girl anymore, I think she knows what she’s doing.”

“But they don’t seem like they’re going to have a deep conversation.” Ji Junxin actually wanted to ask what Qiao Rubai was trying to show her. These were Lu Gaoshi’s private matters. Even if there was something inappropriate or unreasonable, it wasn’t their place to interfere.

“These chicken wings are good. Look, they have those glistening sugar strands, and the skin is crispy, sweet but not greasy, with a hint of spice, very flavorful.” Qiao Rubai gave Ji Junxin a chicken wing. “Don’t worry, they just started eating. You eat, wait, and watch.”

Qiao Rubai wasn’t sure if they would see anything conclusive tonight that would completely disillusion Ji Junxin about Lu Gaoshi. Her goal was simply to show Ji Junxin Lu Gaoshi’s other side, to shatter the illusion of her warmth and kindness. It was her own mistake. When she chose Lu Gaoshi as Ji Junxin’s manager, she had valued her age and experience, thinking she could take better care of Ji Junxin, even overlooking her mediocre work skills. But she hadn’t expected that over the years, Ji Junxin would come to see Lu Gaoshi as a mother figure, tolerating her increasingly inappropriate behavior. Thinking of Ji Junxin’s parents, who were so devoted to their teaching careers that they often forgot they had a daughter, Qiao Rubai understood what qualities in Lu Gaoshi appealed to Ji Junxin.

Actually, if Lu Gaoshi had been truly sincere towards Ji Junxin, Qiao Rubai wouldn’t have minded her arrogance and condescending attitude towards others. But Lu Gaoshi’s loyalty was given to someone else.

In her previous life, Lu Gaoshi was the one who connected Ji Junxin and Jiang Duo. Their later relationship probably had Lu Gaoshi’s hand in it. Ji Junxin, usually focused only on acting, started paying attention to resources outside of filming, and both she and Qiao Rubai, who disliked Jiang Duo but had to give Ji Junxin face, paved the way for her. Perhaps due to Jiang Duo’s limited abilities, despite all the resources, she became famous but never truly reached the top. It was the same with Zhang Zijing. As Ji Junxin’s publicly acknowledged boyfriend, his rise was swift, but he lacked staying power and later could only rely on his relationship with Ji Junxin to maintain his popularity. Perhaps they realized that they couldn’t go any further by leveraging Ji Junxin’s resources, so they gave up and pursued their true love. At the same time, Lu Gaoshi resigned as Ji Junxin’s manager and went to manage Jiang Duo.

So, it had to be said that in her previous life, Ji Junxin being manipulated by Jiang Duo, Lu Gaoshi had played a key role. And then, leaving with Jiang Duo, her clear preference for Jiang Duo over Ji Junxin, was like rubbing salt in the wound. With a second chance at life, Qiao Rubai couldn’t possibly allow such a person to stay by Ji Junxin’s side.

If it weren’t for the fact that Ji Junxin now considered Lu Gaoshi almost family, Qiao Rubai wouldn’t have taken such a gradual approach. From occasionally reminding Ji Junxin to pay attention to how Lu Gaoshi deliberately helped Jiang Duo, to investigating the relationship between Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo’s family and bringing Ji Junxin here to watch the show unfold, Qiao Rubai was trying, step by step, to reveal Lu Gaoshi’s other side, to make Ji Junxin think and be more wary. When Ji Junxin had enough information and enough disappointment, when she no longer considered Lu Gaoshi family, that would be the time for Qiao Rubai to get rid of her.

This wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight, and Qiao Rubai didn’t expect to completely succeed tonight. In any case, Ji Junxin hadn’t objected to this observation, which meant that she already had doubts about Lu Gaoshi.

This was a good sign. She hoped they would continue to talk and reveal more. Qiao Rubai glanced at the screen, where Lu Gaoshi was adding meatballs to the pot, narrowed her eyes, and picked up a fish ball. Hmm… fresh and not fishy, springy and not greasy, it was really good.

And Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi didn’t disappoint.

For Lu Gaoshi, the last time she had dinner alone with Jiang Dingyi was decades ago. Back then, they were both students, and Jiang Dingyi was her senior. He was smart, good-looking, and many girls in school had a crush on him, including Lu Gaoshi. She was young then, and although she admired him very much, she was too shy to confess. She had joined the same club just to be closer to him, but she only dared to interact with him as an ordinary junior. He was her teenage crush, a ray of sunshine in her heart. After graduation, they went their separate ways and lost contact. Lu Gaoshi got married, then divorced. Years passed, and it wasn’t until six months ago, when Jiang Dingyi found her through the alumni group, that she realized that the feelings she had secretly harbored, although bittersweet, hadn’t faded. But now, they met again, Jiang Dingyi was married with a daughter, and she was no longer the naive and innocent girl she once was.

Perhaps even Lu Gaoshi herself hadn’t expected that, nearing middle age, facing the same person again, her feelings would be even more intense than when she was young. Jiang Dingyi had come to connect her with Jiang Duo, but she wanted to use this opportunity to keep him forever. Perhaps, it was just wishful thinking…

Lu Gaoshi stared at the lamb slices in the pot, Jiang Dingyi’s favorite. After the lamb changed color, a few more seconds in the boiling broth, and it was perfectly cooked. She fished out the lamb and put it in Jiang Dingyi’s bowl, then glanced at him, who was busy with his phone, a wry smile appearing on her face. As a shy young girl, she had thought that her crush was a secret she kept hidden. Now, older and more experienced, she understood that those pure and intense feelings couldn’t be hidden. What secret crush? It was just self-deception. He must have known all along and just pretended not to. Just like now, he clearly knew, but he acted as if he didn’t…

Lu Gaoshi took out a thick manila envelope from her bag and handed it to Jiang Dingyi. “Here’s some money, use it for now.” For middle-aged people, money talked.

The envelope was bulging, seemingly containing over a hundred thousand yuan.

Jiang Dingyi’s usually calm face flushed slightly. “You already lent me a large sum last month, I can’t ask you for more.” Although he said that, he didn’t push the envelope away.

“Take it, having more cash flow will help your business. If it’s not enough, I have more.” Lu Gaoshi pushed the envelope closer to Jiang Dingyi.

Jiang Dingyi took the money, found a pen and paper, and said, “Including the money you transferred last month, I’ll write you an IOU. Don’t tell Jiang Duo about this.”

“Okay…” His wife had gambled away all the money Jiang Duo earned from acting, and then their retirement savings, and almost mortgaged their house last month. He really couldn’t let Jiang Duo know about this. Lu Gaoshi touched her slightly deflated bag. This trick of casually mentioning business difficulties during a phone call was really hard to fall for. But, being his creditor, when he couldn’t repay his debts, perhaps he would be hers.

Chapter 51: Nuts

Dividing a pear symbolized separation. What a fascinating new piece of knowledge, but why did she feel so unhappy?

Jiang Lingling resignedly turned to the burly man, who was gnawing on his empty teacup. “Send them a set of snacks and fruit tea, as a customer appreciation gesture, charge it to my account.” She paused and glanced at her half-empty glass. “Remember, no pears in the fruit tea!”

Emotionally unstable clients were scary… The burly man quickly texted his colleague to send the tea and snacks. After a while, he said weakly, “It’s done, Miss Jiang.”

Silence. The burly man felt a chill and shrank back, not daring to speak.

The silence didn’t last long. Figures appeared on the monitor.

Lu Gaoshi arrived first.

After testing the remote and confirming she could use it proficiently, Jiang Lingling subtly suggested that the burly man and her assistant find another room. After all, while enjoying the show, they also had to consider Mi Hongdou’s feelings for Ji Junxin. Having too many unrelated people watching wasn’t very considerate.

The assistant, pockets filled with nuts from Jiang Lingling, happily left. The burly man stood up, hesitated, shuffled his feet, and didn’t move. Jiang Lingling, seeing his conflicted expression, guessed that he was afraid they would secretly record after he left. How troublesome…

They had already agreed on the terms. Jiang Lingling didn’t want to make things difficult for him and pointed to a seat with its back to the monitor. The man, relieved, happily sat down and even thoughtfully put on earplugs. Whether the soundproofing was effective or not, his attitude was impeccable.

Jiang Lingling glanced at Mi Hongdou, who was frowning intently at the screen.

Lu Gaoshi, although officially Ji Junxin’s manager, acted as her assistant, so she was frequently seen on set. However, her appearance on the screen now was quite different from her usual image on set. Her clothes were more youthful, her makeup more elaborate, and her hair seemed professionally styled. She looked much younger. But for someone her age, lacking the composure of an older woman and exuding a youthful vibe was… quite jarring.

Lu Gaoshi was alone in the room, checking her phone, then taking out a mirror and makeup kit to touch up her makeup. Jiang Lingling zoomed in on her. Wasn’t her makeup already good? Jiang Lingling took a sip of tea. It seemed Lu Gaoshi was really serious about Jiang Duo’s father.

Mi Hongdou let Jiang Lingling adjust the camera angles, watching Lu Gaoshi from every possible perspective. She wondered what was happening in Ji Junxin’s room. Qiao Rubai should also be there, right? … Mi Hongdou unconsciously rolled a macadamia nut on the table. She wasn’t sure if she wanted Qiao Rubai to be there with Ji Junxin or not. It was a strange feeling.

“Hey, are you treating that macadamia nut like an orange? Rolling it before eating?” Jiang Lingling, having seen enough of Lu Gaoshi, turned to Mi Hongdou and saw her spacing out again.

Jiang Lingling’s voice snapped Mi Hongdou out of her thoughts. She looked at the macadamia nut in her hand. When did she even pick it up?

On the screen, Lu Gaoshi was still checking herself in the mirror, fixing her hair and clothes. Honestly, this girlish, expectant demeanor didn’t suit a middle-aged woman. Perhaps because Mi Hongdou already disliked her, she found Lu Gaoshi unappealing no matter how she looked. Jiang Dingyi hadn’t arrived yet… Mi Hongdou squeezed the macadamia nut and picked up a nutcracker.

The metal nutcracker was shaped like the top half of a clock spring, oval and thumb-sized, with a pointed tip. Logically, she just needed to insert the tip into the opening of the nut and pry it open. But Mi Hongdou tried twice without success. On the third attempt, she almost stabbed her hand.

Jiang Lingling watched for a while, then couldn’t take it anymore.

Just as Mi Hongdou was about to try again, she heard a series of cracks. She turned and saw Jiang Lingling pick up a macadamia nut, pinch it between her thumb and index finger, and crack, the thick shell broke, revealing the white kernel.

Mi Hongdou silently squeezed the nut in her hand. It was incredibly hard! So, there was no need to hide her superhuman strength anymore?

The burly man, hearing the sound, peeked from behind the monitor, quickly covered his eyes, pretending to see nothing, and retreated. As for asking for another glass of fruit tea, he wouldn’t even dream of it!

Jiang Lingling, focused, continued cracking the macadamia nuts, quickly finishing the plate, a small pile of white kernels accumulating in front of her. She clapped her hands and swapped her full dish with Mi Hongdou’s empty one.

“Thanks, let’s share…” Mi Hongdou pushed the dish towards the middle of the table, embarrassed.

“Okay.” Jiang Lingling calmly started cracking walnuts.

Silence.

After cracking another walnut, Jiang Lingling suddenly missed Ji Junxin. If she were here, she would definitely praise her strength. Thinking about it made her a little proud. It was a pity they couldn’t watch together. She wondered if Ji Junxin had any snacks. A slight disappointment washed over her. Ji Junxin, the object of Jiang Lingling’s thoughts, was currently in a room on another floor of Nan Tian. Qiao Rubai hadn’t arrived yet, and only Ji Junxin and a crew-cut man were in the room. Ji Junxin watched the monitor, slowly rolling two walnuts in her hand, as if the repetitive motion could calm her down.

At 6:05 PM, the nuts on Jiang Lingling and Mi Hongdou’s table had been transformed into piles of kernels.

At 6:05 PM, only Ji Junxin and the crew-cut man were in her room.

At 6:05 PM, a man appeared on the monitors in both rooms.

Jiang Dingyi had arrived.

Previously, Jiang Lingling had been focused on cracking nuts, and the monitor had been showing a full-screen view of Lu Gaoshi. Seeing that it was past six, Jiang Lingling was about to switch the view when Lu Gaoshi, like a startled bird, froze slightly, her gaze shifting to the door, filled with affection. Jiang Lingling shuddered and quickly switched from the full-screen view to the four-square grid. This kind of natural awkwardness wasn’t something ordinary people could handle.

After switching the view, she saw that Jiang Dingyi had entered. Although Lu Gaoshi’s sudden change in demeanor was now explained, it was still quite awkward.

The information from the detective agency included photos and videos of Jiang Dingyi. He had delicate features and a scholarly air. Among middle-aged men, he wasn’t exactly handsome, but he did have a refined aura. Both Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling had seen the information and had an impression of him. But seeing him live now, Jiang Dingyi seemed even more gentle and refined, with an air of righteousness, not at all like a man who would cheat on his wife and daughter.

Indeed, Jiang Dingyi’s behavior didn’t suggest that either.

Compared to the lovestruck Lu Gaoshi, Jiang Dingyi was much more reserved. The room Lu Gaoshi was in had a square table, which, according to the burly man, was specifically requested by Lu Gaoshi when she made the reservation. As soon as Jiang Dingyi entered, Lu Gaoshi stood up and pulled out the chair next to her. But Jiang Dingyi, with a gentle smile, seemingly ignoring her gesture, walked to the table and pulled out the chair opposite Lu Gaoshi, sitting down. Lu Gaoshi paused, her smile unchanged, and then sat down in the chair she had originally pulled out for Jiang Dingyi. So, they were sitting next to each other again.

Someone should learn from these subtle yet persistent moves, Jiang Lingling glanced at Mi Hongdou. The people being filmed were so unpredictable in their movements that the multiple cameras proved their worth. Jiang Lingling adjusted the angles with the remote and continued watching.

Just as he hadn’t seemed to notice Lu Gaoshi pulling out the chair, Jiang Dingyi also didn’t seem to notice her deliberately changing to a seat closer to him. They exchanged a few polite greetings, and Lu Gaoshi pushed the menu towards Jiang Dingyi. He took it and started ordering without any hesitation. Lu Gaoshi took the fruit plate from the table, peeled a tangerine, and offered it to Jiang Dingyi.

Jiang Dingyi glanced at the tangerine, didn’t take it, and said calmly, “Tangerines are heaty, not suitable for eating with hot pot.” He lowered his head and continued looking at the menu.

On the screen, they could clearly see that it took Lu Gaoshi two or three seconds to retract her hand after Jiang Dingyi spoke. Jiang Lingling thought she might be annoyed, but she wasn’t. Lu Gaoshi’s smile remained unchanged. “You’re right, I wasn’t thinking.”

Tsk tsk, it seemed that Lu Gaoshi was completely smitten with Jiang Dingyi. Jiang Lingling looked at Jiang Dingyi’s calm and aloof face on the small screen and sighed. Judging by their interaction, one was cold and distant, while the other couldn’t get close no matter how hard she tried. It seemed that this “catching them in the act” mission would be fruitless.

After Jiang Dingyi finished ordering, without even asking Lu Gaoshi what she wanted, and put the menu back on the table, then took out his phone and started typing, Jiang Lingling felt even more bored and her attention wandered. She glanced at Mi Hongdou, who was frowning intently at the screen.

Ji Junxin was also watching intently. She hadn’t missed a single second of their interaction. But the more she watched, the stranger it seemed.

Over the years, as Ji Junxin’s career flourished, Lu Gaoshi’s status as her manager also rose. Not only did the mid-level management at Qiong Yu have to give her face, but those outside who didn’t know that she was just a manager in name also flattered her. Year after year, the initially humble Lu Gaoshi had become increasingly arrogant. Not to mention her attitude towards others, even towards Ji Junxin, although her words were still polite, her actions were becoming more and more self-serving. Only Qiao Rubai could keep her in check. Ji Junxin was aware of this, but she sometimes… didn’t want to think about it too much.

Watching now, based on her understanding of Lu Gaoshi over the years, being repeatedly ignored and disregarded without showing any anger wasn’t like her at all. Could it be that love really changed everything? This could be a possible explanation, but Ji Junxin still couldn’t quite believe that Lu Gaoshi would put herself in such a subservient position.

On the screen, after Jiang Dingyi finished ordering and pushed the menu back to the center of the table, Lu Gaoshi paused for a few seconds before taking it, glancing through it, adding a few more dishes, and then calling for the waiter.

The waiter left with the menu, and the room fell silent again. Jiang Dingyi was busy with his phone, while Lu Gaoshi just sat quietly, her fingers gently tracing the spoon in her bowl, a constant smile on her face.

Jiang Lingling glanced at the screen a few times, feeling that the atmosphere wasn’t at all like a secret rendezvous, and her interest waned. She felt bored. Looking at the plates of nut kernels in front of her, she reached for the sunflower seeds.

Nan Tian’s service was always fast. Just as Jiang Lingling picked up a handful of sunflower seeds, she heard the waiter announcing the arrival of the dishes on the screen. How boring, Jiang Lingling didn’t look up and continued cracking seeds.

After a few seeds, she heard Jiang Dingyi’s voice: “Didn’t I order the small pot? Why did you bring the large one?”

“I’m sorry, the small pot option on the menu was checked, then crossed out. The final choice was the large pot. Here’s the order slip, please take a look.”

That should be the waiter’s voice, Jiang Lingling thought as she cracked seeds.

After a brief silence on the screen, Jiang Dingyi spoke again: “We want individual pots, bring two small pots.”

Such mundane chatter, how boring, the pile of sunflower seed kernels in front of Jiang Lingling grew.

This time, there was no pause. As soon as Jiang Dingyi finished speaking, there was a loud crash, as if something had shattered.

Jiang Lingling, who had been multitasking, mostly focused on cracking seeds, was startled and accidentally crushed the sunflower seed shells and kernels in her hand.

“What’s wrong? Did something break?” Jiang Lingling looked at the screen and saw all three people standing up. Lu Gaoshi’s lovestruck expression was gone.

Chapter 50: Fruit Tea

“Oh my, she’s not going back on her word already, is she?” The burly man’s heart lurched. He slowly turned, maintaining a broad smile as he approached Jiang Lingling. “Anything else, Miss Jiang?”

“What kind of equipment did you give the other group investigating Lu Gaoshi?” Jiang Lingling used a slotted spoon to check the potatoes in the hot pot, pressing a thick slice against the side to create cracks. Perfect doneness.

When Jiang Lingling placed the order, a new intern had handled it. Seeing the target was already under investigation, the intern simply sent all the data to Jiang Lingling. The burly man was the intern’s supervisor. He hadn’t expected the intern, who got the job through connections, to create such a mess. Sending a complete file minutes after the order made it seem cheap, and the client would suspect a prior investigation.

His only consolation was that Jiang Lingling didn’t lower the price or inquire about the other client. But he hadn’t expected her to bring it up now. There were rules. Even at five times the price, he couldn’t reveal another client’s information. Five times the price… he could almost see the money flying away.

Thick-cut potatoes were essential for hot pot. Jiang Lingling coated the cooked potatoes in peanut sauce, glancing at the fidgeting, silent man. “What’s wrong? So hard to answer?”

Don’t force what’s not meant to be… The man mourned the money he might lose. “Miss Jiang, you know client information is strictly confidential.” Seeing her raised eyebrow, he added, “Really confidential, no amount of money can buy it!” Please don’t offer more, it hurt to think about money he couldn’t have.

The potatoes were delicious! Second best food in the world!

The best? KFC, of course.

Back in her village, when there was nothing to eat, she would dig up potatoes and roast them without seasoning. Fragrant, but not delicious. Bland potatoes, how could they be good after years of eating them? After being taken in by Dong Yuannan, she thought she would never want to see a potato again. But they were actually quite tasty. With seasoning, with flavor, with a stable life, potatoes could be a delicacy.

After two slices, Jiang Lingling wiped her mouth. “I know who investigated Lu Gaoshi. I’m just asking what equipment you gave them.”

She knew… The man was surprised, then pointed at the metal box. “The same as this.”

“Give them the same equipment we have. Explain the rules, I’m sure they’ll agree to just watch.” A favor for Mi Hongdou, since Ji Junxin was here.

The man hesitated. Was Jiang Lingling that close to them?

“There’s no need to let them know we’re also involved.” Jiang Lingling added a warning.

Clients were hard to understand. The man wasn’t truly interested in their relationship. His business was money. He rubbed his hands. “Miss Jiang, if we change their equipment, the payment…” If she paid the same for another setup, this would be a huge payday.

Jiang Lingling blinked. “Isn’t the money I paid enough to cover your potential losses?”

“Uh…” He choked. The extra money was for the risk of losing personnel.

“Go ahead then, it’s getting late.” She didn’t give him time to think. “Don’t try to charge them extra, I know them.”

The implication was clear. It was just changing a receiver. Having been paid five times the usual price, throwing in an extra service to gain favor with a wealthy client was a good investment. He agreed and went to install the cameras.

Mi Hongdou didn’t participate in the discussion. Private investigators, eavesdropping, cameras, surveillance, these were things she had only encountered in dramas. Seeing Jiang Lingling handle the man so efficiently, Mi Hongdou could imagine how she single-handedly saved the Dong family in her previous life.

After her rebirth, things were different, but more interesting… Mi Hongdou thought, eating more crab sliders.

The man returned around 5:30 PM, half an hour before Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi’s 6 PM meeting. Installing listening devices and cameras usually required more time. Jiang Lingling’s last-minute request was tight, but thankfully, the tech team was efficient. The man hurried in, holding a device and a monitor, panting.

The hot pot had been cleared, and the air was being ventilated. The table was now set with snacks and a pot of fruit tea. The man pulled out his water bottle, took a large gulp, and started assembling the equipment, ignoring the tempting fruit tea.

Fueled by water, not fruit tea, the man worked quickly, connecting the monitor and the device in minutes. He pressed a button, and the image of an empty room appeared on the screen. It looked similar to their room, probably the one where Lu Gaoshi would be taken.

The monitor faced the three of them, like a TV screen, showing an empty room.

“Miss Jiang, look.” The man took out a remote-like device and pressed a few buttons. The single image was replaced by a four-square grid, each showing a different view. Pressing again, it became a nine-square grid. He smiled proudly. “We installed nine cameras. You can choose any angle. And the lens can zoom in and out. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll adjust it for you.” He demonstrated the zoom function.

It seemed more reliable than she had imagined. Jiang Lingling, experiencing this “live surveillance” for the first time, was intrigued and learned how to use the remote.

Mi Hongdou stared at the time on the screen, lost in thought. Lu Gaoshi would be here soon, the show was about to begin. She wondered what they would say, and how Ji Junxin would react. And she couldn’t be by her side at this time… A heavy feeling of helplessness weighed on her heart.

Jiang Lingling quickly mastered the remote, poured the man a glass of fruit tea, and told him to rest. She looked over and saw Mi Hongdou spacing out again.

“Hey…” Jiang Lingling nudged Mi Hongdou’s arm and pointed at the snack plates. “Have some snacks if you’re bored. They’ll be here soon. Don’t overthink it, you can’t help anyway. Should I send some snacks to them too?”

Mi Hongdou looked at the plates of buttered sunflower seeds, five-spice peanuts, crab roe broad beans, pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, paper-shell walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios… Thinking that Ji Junxin would soon lose Lu Gaoshi, having some snacks might offer some comfort. She nodded. “Sure…”

Nan Tian specialized in hot pot, but many people came for discussions and meetings before or after their meal, so they had a good selection of snacks.

Jiang Lingling, after receiving Mi Hongdou’s reply, nudged the burly man, who was carefully blowing on his fruit tea. “Send a set of snacks and fruit tea to the other room, on behalf of your agency.”

The man was stunned.

“Don’t put pears in their fruit tea.” Mi Hongdou added.

“Why?” Jiang Lingling didn’t understand. “Pears are good this season, they’re refreshing and good for the lungs…”

Mi Hongdou touched her cup and didn’t speak.

Jiang Lingling always wanted to understand things she didn’t. Seeing Mi Hongdou’s silence, she pressed, “Is someone allergic to pears? No way, such a strange allergy, how can they eat dessert together in the future…”

Jiang Lingling’s imagination was boundless. With such a wild imagination, why wasn’t she a screenwriter? Oh, right, she had been a screenwriter and actress in her previous life, and quite successful. Mi Hongdou couldn’t handle Jiang Lingling’s persistent questioning and, facepalming, replied in a low voice, “Pears… they have a bad connotation.”

“What’s bad about them…” Jiang Lingling was even more curious.

“Pear… it sounds like ‘lí,’ which means ‘to separate.’ Different people eating the same pear, it’s like dividing the pear, separating the pear, like separation.” Mi Hongdou’s voice was soft, and she coughed slightly, embarrassed. But to avoid further questions from Jiang Lingling, she continued, “I see only a few pear slices in our pot. If they put pears in their tea too, they might use the same pear.”

If the first half of Mi Hongdou’s explanation confused Jiang Lingling, then the last sentence was like a revelation.

Oh my god… Her curiosity had caused her another 10,000 points of CP damage! Jiang Lingling, the single dog, clutched her heart sadly. “Then have you considered that we’re also eating from the same pear?”

Mi Hongdou awkwardly touched her cup, looked away, and fixed her gaze on an empty spot.

The man’s hand trembled as he gulped down the hot fruit tea. He seemed to have heard something incredible, although he didn’t quite understand…

Chapter 49: Nan Tian p2

As soon as they entered, someone led them forward. There were corridors everywhere, intersecting with each other. After a few turns, Mi Hongdou felt that she wouldn’t be able to find the entrance even if she tried. The waiter led them quite a distance away from the entrance before stopping and asking if they had a reservation. Jiang Lingling had explained some things about Nan Tian while they were on the connecting bridge. Apparently, the place where the waiter stopped after bringing them in was also carefully chosen. It had to be far from the entrance and absolutely free from other guests passing by. Mi Hongdou looked around. They had walked for a while and hadn’t even seen a single private room door yet. So, she no longer worried about running into Qiao Rubai and Ji Junxin.

Jiang Lingling gave a name, speaking a bit quickly, and Mi Hongdou didn’t catch it. But the waiter understood and led them through more winding corridors, even taking an elevator, before finally arriving. Mi Hongdou looked up at the door frame. There was no room number… A room without a name or any markings, it was fortunate that someone led them there, otherwise, who could find it?

Opening the door, the room was simple, just a round table, a hot pot in the center, surrounded by stools, a few plants in the corner, a standard layout. After they entered, the waiter closed the door from outside.

Jiang Lingling typed on her phone, seemingly sending messages. But she soon stopped and pulled out several thick menus from under the table. “Are you hungry? Let’s order something to eat.”

Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi’s appointment was in the evening, and it was only a little past three, almost four o’clock now. They had plenty of time for hot pot. Perhaps because she knew Qiao Rubai would take action, Mi Hongdou was no longer as nervous as before and was now more interested in watching the show, like Jiang Lingling.

Hot pot wasn’t exactly a dish with many variations. It was just about modifying the broth, mixing and matching ingredients, creating new kinds of meatballs, dumplings, noodles, and sauces. It was afternoon, and they hadn’t eaten anything on the way, so they were all a bit hungry. They ordered some dishes, and soon, the aroma of hot pot filled the room.

To Mi Hongdou’s surprise, the hot pot at Nan Tian was really good. Although not amazing, it was definitely among the best she had ever had. Especially the crab meat slider, the fresh crab roe and tender crab meat were delicious without any fishy smell. Mi Hongdou had one and thought that Ji Junxin would definitely like it. She wondered if Ji Junxin would order it today. They had eaten at so many restaurants in her previous life, they must have missed quite a few good places. She wondered if she would have the chance to try them all in this life. Mi Hongdou poked another meatball in her bowl, feeling a little sentimental.

Spacing out while eating, she must be thinking about Ji Junxin again… She couldn’t stand these people who acted like a minute apart was an eternity! Jiang Lingling snorted and, seeing Mi Hongdou looking at the table full of food with a seemingly regretful expression, scooped a piece of tofu skin into her bowl.

The deep-fried tofu skin, after a quick swirl in the hot pot, was taken out, soft and slightly crispy, the rich flavor of the broth complementing the fried aroma. A quick dip in peanut sauce, and it was delicious.

Hmm, Ji Junxin would probably like this too.

She couldn’t stand that foolish expression anymore… Jiang Lingling facepalmed, scooped a bunch of bok choy into her bowl of spicy beef sauce with brown sugar, and focused on eating, ignoring Mi Hongdou.

When they were almost full, a bell suddenly rang in the room, startling Mi Hongdou and almost making her drop the meatball from her chopsticks. She looked around and saw a small brass bell hanging by the door, still swaying.

A doorbell? Someone was coming? Mi Hongdou put the meatball back in her bowl. Although she could guess that it was probably someone Jiang Lingling had hired, she was still a little nervous. If Ji Junxin found out she had followed, it would be difficult to explain.

“Come in.” Jiang Lingling put her phone back in her pocket, clearly knowing who it was.

After more than ten seconds, the door opened, and the same waiter who had led them there earlier appeared, this time bringing in a burly man with a full beard, holding a large bag.

The man entered with a friendly smile but didn’t speak until the waiter left and the door was closed again. Then he said cheerfully, “Miss Jiang, I’ve brought you something.”

He cleared the tea set from the coffee table in the corner, took out a black, metal box from the bag, and placed it on the table.

Jiang Lingling put down her chopsticks, walked over to the box, circled it twice, and patted it. The box made a thudding sound, seeming very heavy.

“What the… you spent all this time and only got me this?” Jiang Lingling couldn’t believe it, her disdain for the box evident. “What can I even do with this? It’s too heavy even for cracking walnuts.”

The burly man had a good temper. Even after being mocked by Jiang Lingling, he maintained a cheerful smile. “Miss Jiang, didn’t you want to hear what those two would say? We just need to turn this on, and we can receive the conversations in their room. Don’t let its size fool you, the sound quality is excellent.”

“What’s the point of just listening? I want to watch, I want to see.” Jiang Lingling frowned. “You could film them before, why can we only listen now that we want to watch live?”

“Well… Miss Jiang, it’s like this. Nan Tian isn’t an ordinary place, you know, it prides itself on privacy and security. It’s not easy for our agency to plant someone inside, let alone arrange for them to enter a room with our listening devices. And our agency has rules, it’s too difficult to plant people in Nan Tian, we don’t want to lose them easily. So…” The man smiled apologetically and patted the black metal box on the coffee table. “We can only listen, not record. Watching live is too risky. If something goes wrong and the agency suffers a big loss, I won’t be able to explain it.”

They couldn’t even record… no wonder Qiao Rubai had summoned Ji Junxin in such a hurry. With such a high level of secrecy, the things Lu Gaoshi said would probably be interesting.

Jiang Lingling also understood Nan Tian’s unique nature. The people behind Nan Tian were definitely not ordinary businessmen. It wasn’t worth offending them just to watch a show. But it was really unsatisfying. It was a five-hour drive each way! Just listening to a conversation without even seeing them? …

“You can stay here and watch, we won’t record. My godfather has a long-standing cooperation with you, I won’t break your rules. We just want to watch, just watch.” Jiang Lingling tried to test the man’s bottom line.

“This…” The man hesitated, looking troubled.

Jiang Lingling recognized this familiar expression.

“Double the price?” If it could be solved with money, then it wasn’t a problem… Jiang Lingling felt confident.

“Planting someone in Nan Tian is really difficult, extremely difficult. Losing one is a big loss…” The man put on a pained expression.

“Triple.” Jiang Lingling sat back down and picked up a piece of potato.

“Well… this…” The man slowly moved towards the table.

“Five times, with video, high definition.” Jiang Lingling didn’t even look at him and picked up a piece of tofu.

“Deal! Right away! I’ll change it for you right now!” The man said excitedly and quickly walked towards the door, even forgetting to take the metal box. He had been about to agree at triple the price! Who knew that after just a two-second delay, she increased the offer herself, to five times the price! It seemed that he should speak more slowly in the future. Slow… ly…

“Wait, come back.” Jiang Lingling suddenly said.

The man froze mid-stride.