In the past few days, Wen Yang had been incessantly calling Jiang Xingxing, repeatedly apologizing and saying that his earlier remarks were not sincere. He hoped she could overlook his careless words and help him out, given their past relationship.
However, Jiang Xingxing only found Wen Yang increasingly unlikable.
Mingjin had been complaining that Wen Yang had long wanted to leave the theater but felt stuck in the entertainment industry due to his looks. Unable to secure the male lead role, and unwilling to endure the hardships of being an extra, he had been aimlessly hanging around.
The key issue was that he didn’t want to do theater, which was fine; the theater could do without him. But he had promised to star in “The Little Mermaid”, and now he was backing out at the last minute, missing rehearsals just before the performance, with tickets already on sale online. Where would they find a suitable actor to take over his role as the prince?
It was a troublesome situation.
Thus, Jiang Xingxing was resolute in her decision not to help him and even blocked him on WeChat.
Gradually, Wen Yang stopped trying to contact her.
Realizing that he couldn’t get through to her, he decided to go directly to the Shang Group’s headquarters.
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Mbl blyeiwyavlap oyp zsnyvle kd vbl qkdydnkyz nldvla, kd vbl vyzzlpv cwkzekdt xyel sq eyaj tayu tzypp, y zydexyaj sq vbl qkdydnkyz ekpvaknv vbyv rklanle vbl pju yxkepv y nzwpvla sq xselad yanbkvlnvwal.
Gp Eld Zydt yaakhle kd vbl qkdydnkyz nldvla, bl pyo vbyv lhlausdl yaswde bkx oyp ealpple kd qsaxyz yvvkal, bwaaukdt yzsdt okvb caklqnyplp sa sd vblka rbsdlp, tkhkdt sqq y pldpl sq vbl qypv-rynle zkql sq vbl nkvu.
Rd nsdvaypv, Eld Zydt, ealpple kd y czynj fynjlv yde nypwyz rydvp, pvsse kd qasdv sq vbl sqqknl cwkzekdt’p tzypp essa, rlljkdt kdpkel zkjl yd swvpkela obs eked’v iwkvl clzsdt, zssjkdt hlau swv sq rzynl.
“Ebs yal usw zssjkdt qsa?” y plnwakvu twyae nyxl shla vs ypj.
“Xb, R’x zssjkdt qsa uswa cspp, Fbydt Kkl,” Eld Zydt yefwpvle bkp nszzya, vaukdt vs yrrlya xsal ralpldvyczl. “Rp bl kd?”
Mbl plnwakvu twyae zssjle yv bkx pjlrvknyzzu. “Tl kp kd, cwv… Ya. Fbydt kpd’v psxlsdl usw nyd fwpv pll sd y obkx. Ps usw byhl yd yrrskdvxldv?”
“R jdso bkx; ds dlle qsa yd yrrskdvxldv. Kwpv vlzz bkx xu dyxl, yde bl’zz jdso,” Eld Zydt kdpkpvle.
“Gzaktbv, fwpv zlyhl. Ya. Fbydt kp cwpu yde eslpd’v byhl vkxl vs pll usw,” vbl twyae alrzkle.
“I really know him. I do.”
The guard looked at Wen Yang like he was a joke. “You know him? I know him too; the only difference is that he doesn’t know me.”
“Then can I schedule an appointment with him now?”
Seeing that Wen Yang was persistent, the guard reluctantly told him to go to the front desk to register an appointment.
Just then, Shang Jie entered through the front door with several board members. Upon seeing him, Wen Yang immediately shouted, “Shang Jie! It’s me, Wen Yang!”
The girls at the front desk and the security guard were stunned, quickly trying to intervene. “Sir, you can’t shout like that.”
“I know your boss; he’s my friend! We’re familiar with each other!”
Upon hearing this, the front desk staff hesitated to speak up. What if he really did know Mr. Shang? It would be inappropriate to stop him.
Shang Jie heard the commotion and glanced at Wen Yang with indifference, saying coldly, “I don’t know you. Get him out.”
Immediately, security came over and began to escort Wen Yang out.
“Hey, Shang Jie, it’s me, Wen Yang! Don’t you remember?” Wen Yang shouted eagerly. “I’m Jiang Xingxing’s friend! Jiang Xingxing, your woman!”
Shang Jie suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with a frosty glare.
Wen Yang couldn’t help but shiver; the man’s aura was too powerful, making him feel somewhat overwhelmed.
In an instant, Shang Jie’s expression softened slightly, and he sneered coldly, pretending to remember. “Oh, now I remember.”
Wen Yang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of triumph as he shouted to the surrounding security, “See? I told you I knew him!”
Shang Jie turned to his assistant Lin Chuan and said, “Take him to the reception room.”
Lin Chuan, sharp-eyed, understood the unspoken meaning in Shang Jie’s eyes and approached Wen Yang lazily. “Please follow me.”
In front of the elevator, Shang Jie and several board members entered first. As Wen Yang was about to step in, Lin Chuan quickly stopped him. “Mr. Wen, you wait over here.”
Wen Yang shrugged, not caring about these details. He was here to ask for a favor, after all, and he needed to present himself as someone in need.
A few minutes later, Lin Chuan led Wen Yang to the reception room. It was spacious but empty, without even a chair.
“You can wait here for a moment. Mr. Shang will see you once he’s done with his business.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Wen Yang smiled at him, but only received a cold glare from Lin Chuan in return.
However, Wen Yang didn’t mind; he was willing to endure anything as long as he could gain something from this.
The reception room was large, with the windows wide open, letting in the icy wind of winter. Snowflakes occasionally drifted in, and the heating didn’t seem to have any effect.
After half an hour, Wen Yang began to feel his hands and feet growing cold. He wanted to go out for a walk, but he was worried that Shang Jie might call for him at any moment, so he could only grit his teeth and wait.
Unconsciously, an hour passed, then another. The room grew colder, and as he paced around to warm up his icy limbs, his nose and mouth turned red, with his breath coming out in frosty puffs, accompanied by a series of sneezes.
As night fell and many employees began to leave work, Lin Chuan finally came over and said, “Mr. Shang has finished. You can come with me.”
Wen Yang felt as if he had been granted a reprieve. He rubbed his hands, which felt like ice, and followed Lin Chuan to Shang Jie’s office.
The office was located on the top floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the city. Shang Jie stood by the window, tall and elegant, holding a lingering cigarette.
He seemed indifferent, as if he didn’t recognize Wen Yang at all.
Wen Yang looked at his disheveled reflection in the mirror; compared to Shang Jie’s aura, he felt like he was worlds apart. His confidence dwindled by half, leaving him feeling dispirited and lowering his posture even more.
“Um, Mr. Shang, you remember me, right?”
Shang Jie motioned for Lin Chuan to leave, saying casually, “I remember, Wen Yang. We met once at the theater when I was down on my luck.”
Wen Yang breathed a sigh of relief. “Back then, Mr. Shang was sick and staying at Jiang Xingxing’s home. You should remember; I took good care of you.”
Shang Jie didn’t want to dwell on the past and impatiently asked, “What do you want?”
Seeing his directness, Wen Yang also spoke candidly, “Um, I heard that the male lead for Director Liu Shan’s new film “The Forbidden City” is still undecided. If you could help me out, Mr. Shang, I would be very grateful.”
“Male lead?” Shang Jie chuckled lightly, glancing at Wen Yang’s slightly plump figure. “You?”
Under his mocking gaze, Wen Yang felt an overwhelming sense of shame, but he steeled himself and said, “Well, if someone like Jiang Xingxing can play the female lead, then I…”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Jie stubbed out the cigarette butt on a piece of white paper, leaving a circle of charred black marks.
“What about her? Clarify.”
Wen Yang immediately realized he had misspoken; this man was currently cherishing Jiang Xingxing, and he likely wouldn’t tolerate anyone saying anything negative about her.
So, he quickly forced a smile and said, “Mr. Shang, Jiang Xingxing and I have been friends for many years. We have a good relationship, so she wouldn’t mind my jokes. We often joke around like this.”
Shang Jie’s expression remained indifferent, showing no inclination to engage in banter. Wen Yang awkwardly forced a few laughs but quickly stopped.
“The Forbidden City” was a project being developed by the film and television company under the Shang Group. Shang Jie knew a bit about it; this drama was a serious production meant to be aired on the central channel, so the selection of actors was extremely strict. Liu Shan, known for his historical dramas, was particularly picky about casting.
Shang Jie tossed aside the film planning document and said expressionlessly, “If you want a role, I can give you two options: either a porter or a soldier. You choose one, and I can arrange it with a phone call.”
“A porter? A soldier?” Wen Yang was stunned. “Aren’t those just extras?”
“They’re extras, but they have lines, even if they’re few; you’ll still get to show your face.”
This was already the best offer Shang Jie could give him, completely considering Jiang Xingxing’s reputation. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even bothered to see him.
Wen Yang looked at Shang Jie in disbelief, raising his voice. “I’m a theater actor! How can I work as an extra? Isn’t that a bit demeaning?”
Shang Jie raised an eyebrow. “If you want to make it in this industry, you have to follow the rules. Some people may become famous overnight, but most start as extras and work their way up step by step. With your looks, do you think you belong to the former or the latter?”
When he got sarcastic, he didn’t hold back, showing no mercy to anyone.
Shang Jie was not a philanthropist, and he looked down on people like Wen Yang who tried to use connections to get ahead. Even his own woman had spent a long time as an extra, gradually reaching her current position. What did Wen Yang think he was, that he could be choosy?
Seeing that Shang Jie was determined not to help him, Wen Yang decided to take a desperate gamble. He took out a stack of photos and handed them to Shang Jie.
“Mr. Shang, you might be interested in this.”
The girl in the photos had a youthful face and a ponytail, smiling happily at the camera. It seemed to be a picture of Jiang Xingxing from her university days. Upon seeing her, Shang Jie’s expression softened considerably.
The next photo was of Jiang Xingxing and Wen Yang together, sitting in a garden and taking a selfie, appearing quite intimate, with Wen Yang’s hand resting on her shoulder.
The following few photos included selfies of the two during performances and casual shots, suggesting they had a good relationship.
But gradually, Shang Jie’s expression turned colder.
Wen Yang spoke up, “With you as a strong backing, Jiang Xingxing is bound to become famous in the future. If I release these photos, I could create a buzz as her ex-boyfriend, telling the media that after she became successful, she kicked me to the curb. Do you think that would affect her idol image?”
Shang Jie tossed the photos aside, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs on the desk, sneering leisurely. “Are you threatening me?”
“Creating a buzz as an ex-boyfriend and trending on social media—aren’t you afraid I won’t get any roles? If you won’t help me, then I’ll have to help myself. But I can’t control what kind of impact this will have on your girlfriend.”
“Fine, as you wish.” Shang Jie pushed the stack of photos away and picked up the phone, dialing a number.
Wen Yang thought he had grasped Shang Jie’s weakness and eagerly watched him, excitedly believing this call could help him secure the lead role.
“Director Liu, there’s someone I need you to remember: his name is Wen Yang.”
Wen Yang felt as if his breath had stopped, and his heart raced as he imagined himself walking the red carpet, receiving an Oscar for Best Actor, floating in a dreamlike state.
“I don’t want to see this person’s name associated with any drama, movie, or variety show in the future, including trending topics. Completely blacklist him for me.”
The words “completely blacklist” were pronounced sharply and coldly by Shang Jie.
In the end, Wen Yang was dragged out of the office building by security. He arrived in an unremarkable manner but left in a more miserable state, shouting loudly like a hoodlum.
The office fell into silence. Shang Jie’s long fingers traced the edge of the photograph, where a youthful girl smiled innocently.
The man beside her was utterly detestable.
The tip of a cigarette touched a corner of the photo and ignited instantly.
His girl—no one would dare lay a finger on her.
~
That night, after taking a shower, Jiang Xingxing wrapped herself in a soft white bathrobe and stepped out, startled by what she saw.
This man had appeared at some point and was now waiting for her by the bathroom door.
Under the light, his skin was fair, and with the collar of his shirt unbuttoned, the white shirt outlined his tall, slender upper body.
Jiang Xingxing covered her chest, trying to calm her racing heart, and shot him a glare. “I shouldn’t have given you the keys. Were you planning to scare me to death and inherit my debt-laden credit cards?”
“I’ve paid off all your credit cards.”
“Is that true?”
Jiang Xingxing was skeptical but still replied, “I’ll be getting my acting fee soon, and I’ll pay you back then. I don’t want people to say I’m relying on a rich guy.”
Shang Jie wrapped an arm around her waist, his expression unchanged as he said, “I’ve blacklisted Wen Yang.”
Jiang Xingxing turned back, sensing something was off. “Did he come to see you?”
“Yeah, he even reminisced about your sweet past together and used your future to threaten me.”
Jiang Xingxing rubbed her forehead. That guy was such a fool. Shang Jie was not someone who would tolerate that kind of nonsense. How could he dare to threaten him? Was he looking for trouble?
“I didn’t have a sweet past with him!” she immediately defended herself. “We were just ordinary friends.”
“Hmm?”
“What kind of thing dares to flaunt its power in front of me?” Shang Jie inhaled the scent of her hair beside her ear, feeling a bit jealous. “Tonight, I want you to be my woman.”
Sansukini: Wahh.. Shang Jie is all talk. She’ll have her first time with the other Shang Jie. I did mention before that he’s the real ML. Well, both of them are and their personalities will start to combine later. Sorry for the spoiler. I just don’t want you guys to get aboard the wrong ship.
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