Chapter 45

Xitang directly pushed open the door and got out of the car.

Zhao Pingjin didn’t give her any chance to resist. He immediately reached out and grabbed her, forcefully pulling her back. Xitang suddenly fell into the seat. Zhao Pingjin supported her head with one hand, and with anger in his eyes, his cold lips quickly and aggressively seized hers.

Xitang felt dizzy as if the world was spinning. Zhao Pingjin’s cheek was slightly cool, sending a shiver through her body. He immediately sensed it and carefully held her. His hand on her back was steady and strong, while the kiss on her lips remained tender and lingering. He gently sucked on her lips, his kiss warm and wet, mingling with the taste of their breath. It took a moment for Xitang to regain her senses. She struggled to push him away, hitting his shoulder, but Zhao Pingjin didn’t budge. Instead, he intensified his embrace, wrapping himself around her even more fiercely. Xitang arched her body and kicked at him, but Zhao Pingjin easily lifted her up. She fell into his arms and angrily kicked at the car.

Zhao Pingjin quickly engaged the handbrake, saying, “Alright, stop making a scene.”

Breathing heavily, he held her tightly in his arms.

Xitang vented her frustration for a while, her hair now loose, and with no more energy left, she lay still in his embrace, like a lifeless wooden doll.

Zhao Pingjin took a deep breath, suppressing his desires, and calmly looked at the person in his arms.

Xitang’s eyes were wide open, but she remained motionless.

Zhao Pingjin reached out and gently stroked her hair, speaking to her with patience: “You think Lu Xiaojing is a good man? You think I’m a bastard, that I deserve to be tortured, right? Do you really think Lu Xiaojing is a good person?”

Zhao Pingjin’s voice was hoarse and deep, carrying an unspoken sorrow: “I’m openly bad, but he... there’s a lot you don’t know about him. Xitang, people like us... it’s best not to trust anyone too much.”

Xitang remained silent for a long time, finally saying, “I understand.”

Zhao Pingjin let go of her. “I’m not taking you there anymore. My grandparents are in Beijing. I have to go home.”

Xitang adjusted her clothes and fixed her hair. “The wedding date is approaching, right?”

Zhao Pingjin responded with a slight “Hmm.”

Xitang said, “Then I’ll head back.”

Zhao Pingjin said, “Yeah, don’t run, be careful of the slippery ground.”

The next day, Xitang received the investigation results from Lu Xiaojing.

Lu Xiaojing said over the phone, “Xitang, if I had known you were going to investigate this bank account, I shouldn’t have agreed to help you.”

Xitang sat on the bed in the hotel and flipped through the documents he had sent over: “Lu Xiaojing, thank you.”

Lu Xiaojing chatted with her for a few minutes, then subtly said, “About that day... you saw the situation, right? Zhou Zhou...”

Xitang skimmed through the thin papers, her expression calm and indifferent: “I know, he’s getting married.”

Lu Xiaojing softly said, “I’m worried about you. Be careful.”

Xitang looked out the window. From the tenth-floor hotel room, the view revealed a rare clear sky, with blue skies and white clouds. The temperature in Beijing was extremely low today, but the weather was clear. Holding the phone, she gently responded, “Mm, thank you. It’s fine. Everything... is almost over.”

The wrap-up party and media conference for The Last Princess was held at the Jinmao Hotel in Beijing.

Xitang followed Ni Kailun into the hotel and saw a huge Christmas tree in the lobby, its small bulbs flashing with colorful lights. It suddenly reminded her that Christmas was just around the corner.

The media conference was held in the banquet hall on the fifth floor.

This was the first official press conference for the entire production. Over a hundred media outlets from across the country had come, along with many fans of the stars. The scale of the event was quite large. After Ni Kailun had escorted Xitang to the resting room, he directed Xiao Ning and the PR team to handle everything. When Xitang sat down, she glanced around. Her fans were few, but they had secured a good spot, right behind the main interview area, next to Yin Nan’s massive fan club. When she appeared behind Yin Nan, their enthusiastic screams were particularly loud.

Even the reporters got excited, with cameras flashing and chasing her around.

This was how popularity was built.

Ni Kailun’s professionalism was, of course, top-notch.

After the host gave an enthusiastic introduction of the cast and crew, Xitang and Yin Nan, along with all the main cast, went on stage. They started with interviews with the director and lead actors, followed by the debut of the first theme song, with the singer performing two songs. The grand finale was the screening of the first trailer. After the official media event ended, Xitang had a solo interview.

After the media interviews, there was a private cocktail party with no reporters. The producers and executives from the distribution companies had arrived.

Ni Kailun led Xitang around to greet several investors and producers. It was important to make the right connections and maintain good relations.

When they reached the last table, Xitang saw Gao Jiyi sitting there. He looked at her with a smirk. No wonder all the executives were trying to curry favor with him—he was the one in charge of publicity. For many television and movie projects, his approval was a key step.

Xitang respectfully greeted him, “Director Gao,” and finished the drink in her hand.

By the time it was past 10 PM, Ni Kailun was taking her out of the party. As they entered the elevator, they happened to run into Gao Jiyi, who was with someone—a woman, the host from the media conference, Jiang Songxue from Xingkong TV’s drama channel.

Ni Kailun subtly pinched Xitang’s arm.

Xitang smiled and greeted, “Miss Jiang.”

Before coming to Beijing, Ni Kailun had briefed her on the various personalities, advising her to be cautious around some artists, and Jiang Songxue was one of them.

She had a sharp tongue, a deep background, and couldn’t be offended.

Jiang Songxue was an experienced host from Beijing. With high standards, she only gave a dismissive snort when she heard Xitang’s greeting.

Gao Jiyi laughed and said, “Songxue, don’t pull that face. This one’s no ordinary person, you’ll see in a moment.”

Jiang Songxue’s expression shifted slightly, but she pretended to be curious and asked, “Do you know Miss Huang?”

Gao Jiyi gave a smile that wasn’t quite a smile and said, “Not just know her, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

Jiang Songxue immediately smiled and said, “Xitang, I apologize.”

Such skillful adaptability and knowing how to go with the flow—truly the nature of the entertainment industry.

Xitang quickly smiled back, saying with utmost sincerity, “You’re too kind.”

Fortunately, just then the elevator door opened with a ding.

They all naturally headed in the same direction, to the club’s private room on the seventeenth floor of the hotel. Gao Jiyi, with the female host on his arm, entered the room, and Shen Min came out from inside.

Ni Kailun saw him and asked, “Where’s Zhao Pingjin?”

Shen Min replied, “He’s playing cards.”

Ni Kailun pushed Xitang forward. “She’s had a bit to drink. I’m afraid there might be trouble. She’s all yours now, take care of her.”

Her words were laced with underlying tension, but Shen Min didn’t show any sign of reaction. He gently took Xitang’s arm. “Can you walk?”

Xitang smiled and said, “I’m fine.”

She wasn’t drunk at all. Whenever she drank, she would go to the bathroom to induce vomiting, so she never really got drunk.

Xitang followed Shen Min into the room.

Inside, the room was lively, with singing and music. A group of people were gathered around the card table, and Zhao Pingjin was clearly sitting at the table. Xitang noticed that both Zhao Pingjin and Shen Min were in formal suits, likely having just finished a business meeting and moved on to play.

Zhao Pingjin glanced up at her.

Xitang was wearing a rose-red evening gown, her graceful figure fully displayed. Her skin was white as snow, smooth and radiant, her black hair pinned into an elegant bun, revealing a long, delicate neck. A fine diamond necklace rested on her neck, and her eyes shimmered like water—she looked stunning, like a captivating rose.

As she entered, the men in the room all looked up.

Zhao Pingjin cast a detached glance at her, noting that, on such a cold day, she was dressed so lightly. Ni Kailun had sent her over but hadn’t even given her a coat. He silently furrowed his brows.

Fang Langxi, sitting across from him, clapped his hands and praised, “Xitang, you look beautiful!”

Xitang gave him a polite smile.

Xitang sat down on the sofa. Most of the men were still at the card table. Qingqing didn’t seem to be there. Gao Jiyi and Jiang Songxue were on the sofa drinking and singing. Two girls were already seated on the sofa, and when they saw Xitang enter, they whispered and stared at her but didn’t come over to greet her.

The two girls were also dressed in glamorous outfits, wearing no hotel uniforms, so they must have been PR ladies or similar roles.

Since arriving in Beijing, Zhao Pingjin had never made her attend any social events. It seemed his work circles always had other people handling that.

Xitang sat on the sofa for a while. Nobody paid attention to her. She made a phone call, and a waiter brought in her assistant’s work bag. Xitang sat in the corner of the sofa, pulling out a small mirror to remove her fake eyelashes and touch up the heavy makeup that had been necessary for filming, then put on a fluffy jacket.

She had been staying up late recently. After working under the spotlight for half the night, she had spent the other half at the drinking table, smiling and chatting. She was utterly exhausted. Xitang kicked off her heels and quietly slid into the darker part of the sofa, already feeling drowsy. Shen Min came over with drinks and, passing by her, warned, “Xitang, don’t fall asleep. Be careful of catching a cold.”

Zhao Pingjin was at the card table. Upon hearing the sound, he glanced over from a distance and casually pushed his cards toward his assistant, Gong Qi, who was standing beside him and watching the game.

When the two girls on the sofa saw Zhao Pingjin walking over, they immediately stood up. “Mr. Zhao.”

Zhao Pingjin simply nodded and walked straight to Huang Xitang. He reached down and picked up the small figure on the sofa. Xitang, who had been dozing off, was lifted up, her soft body resting against his shoulder, still drowsy and disoriented.

Zhao Pingjin sat down on the sofa, pointing to the other end of the sofa where Gao Jiyi was sitting. Gao Jiyi reached out and pulled over Zhao Pingjin’s coat. Zhao Pingjin wrapped the coat around Xitang, letting her lean against him to sleep.

Xitang nestled into his embrace, feeling warm, like a little kangaroo.

The two female colleagues from the public relations department, who had just been socializing with clients, hadn’t noticed that they were here as well. Now, they were staring at him with a shocked expression. Zhao Pingjin was never the type to be close to subordinates. Frowning, he waved his hand and gestured for them to leave.