MY - 1

Jiang Xi finished her last scene in the early hours of the morning and slept until the afternoon after her flight.

The hotel curtains were tightly drawn, blurring day and night. Her phone rang loudly on the carpet.

Jiang Xi pulled the blanket over her head, unmoved.

After more than ten seconds, the phone stopped ringing.

Half an hour passed before Jiang Xi opened her eyes. Darkness filled her vision, her consciousness hazy.

The phone screen on the floor lit up for a moment, casting a fleeting light across the room. The screen went dark again.

Jiang Xi didn’t move. It was a while before she stirred.

She threw off the covers and got out of bed, stepping over her phone on the floor and slowly walking towards the window. Her long legs were pale, well-proportioned, and straight.

Jiang Xi pulled open the curtains.

Outside the French windows, the sun was setting in the west, surrounded by towering buildings, and cars on the elevated bridge looked like ants.

The room finally brightened. On the coffee table by the window lay a pack of women’s cigarettes and a lighter.

Still not fully awake, Jiang Xi reached for the cigarettes on the table and pulled one out.

A slender cigarette was held between her fingers, looking pale and decadent.

After smoking half of it, she turned back to the bed to get her phone. The screen showed several missed calls and messages from her female agent, Tong Yun.

Jiang Xi tapped open the most recent message.

• Wrap-up party at the Viera Hotel, 4th floor ballroom, at 9 PM tonight. Don’t tell me you’re not going; you must go.

• The investors, producers, and several directors will be at the wrap-up party tonight. Be smart, I don’t need to teach you.

Jiang Xi showed no expression. After a moment, she turned off her phone and extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray.

She tossed her phone onto the bed and got up to enter the bathroom.

Jiang Xi had recently been filming an ancient drama, playing a role that wasn’t even considered a third female lead. Whether she attended the wrap-up party or not truly didn’t matter.

But those enthusiastic about the pursuit of fame and fortune wouldn’t miss such a gathering of influential figures, just like Jiang Xi’s agent, Tong Yun.

________________________________________

Night fell, and the capital city glowed with dazzling lights, luxurious and magnificent.

Traffic flowed endlessly on the roads. Jiang Xi stood by the roadside, hailing a cab.

She wore a mask, but even so, her figure attracted passersby who frequently turned their heads. Her chestnut-colored, wavy hair reached her waist, swayed by the night breeze.

Soon, a cab arrived. Halfway through the ride, her phone rang. It was Ji Yuanzhou, her high school friend.

“You came back to the capital last night? Why didn’t you tell me?” Ji Yuanzhou’s voice was a smoker’s rasp, low and husky.

“I landed in the early hours and went straight back to the hotel,” Jiang Xi said.

Ji Yuanzhou: “Early hours? So I guess I should be glad you didn’t call and disturb me?”

The implication was playfully ambiguous. Jiang Xi raised an eyebrow: “You’re very arrogant, Miss Ji.”

Ji Yuanzhou on the other end chuckled: “What are you doing?”

Jiang Xi’s gaze fell on the neon lights outside the car window: “About to go to a wrap-up party.”

As Jiang Xi’s long-time friend, Ji Yuanzhou knew Jiang Xi wasn’t very keen on such events, so it could only be arranged by her agent. She asked, “Going alone?”

“Mm.”

Ji Yuanzhou casually asked, “Has your company still not assigned you an assistant?”

Jiang Xi didn’t take it much to heart: “It’d be a waste for the company to assign me a dedicated assistant. I don’t make much money for the company.”

Small money, certainly, but not big money.

Ji Yuanzhou hadn’t seen anyone so self-deprecating, but she wasn’t good at comforting either, so she spoke frankly: “True.”

Their dynamic had always been like this. Jiang Xi was amused by her.

Indeed.

Jiang Xi wasn’t very ambitious; she was content with her lot. She never fought for work; everything was arranged by her agent. This was also why her agent, Tong Yun, disliked her.

Ji Yuanzhou said, “You should also consider climbing higher.”

Streetlights flashed across her eyes. Jiang Xi said lazily, “One step at a time, I guess.”

She pulled her gaze back from the window and asked Ji Yuanzhou, “When are you free?”

“That’s what I should be asking you. I’m free anytime; it depends on whether you have time.”

The hotel Jiang Xi was staying at wasn’t far from the wrap-up party venue; she had already arrived.

She said, “Let’s meet tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

“Gotta go, I’m here.”

________________________________________

Ballroom.

The chandeliers on the ceiling sparkled. Waiters were polite, holding trays of red wine and weaving through the crowd.

Laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the air.

The center of the ballroom was where the important figures gathered.

Jiang Xi was seated at a table on the periphery. Her tablemates were mostly lesser-known artists. Throughout the evening, people constantly rose with their wine glasses, joining in the socializing.

In such a setting, Jiang Xi couldn’t avoid socializing. After exchanging pleasantries with a senior colleague, she returned to her table with her wine glass.

There were only a few people at the table, and the elaborate dishes remained untouched.

Jiang Xi sat down at the table. She hadn’t eaten since early morning, so she took a few bites to fill her stomach.

But after only a few bites, her appetite vanished. Jiang Xi put down her chopsticks.

The surrounding noise was cacophonous, some genuine, some feigned, some flattering.

Her head felt a little muddled from the noise. Jiang Xi got up, pushed open the door, and left the ballroom. The door closed, shutting out the lively atmosphere inside. The hallway seemed particularly quiet.

Jiang Xi felt like smoking but scanned the area for a smoking zone and found none.

She gave up and turned to go to the restroom.

The restroom was empty. Jiang Xi stood at the mirror washing her hands. In the mirror, the woman had fair skin, wearing a black slip dress, her waist slender, naturally possessing the bones of a beauty.

Her face was also exceptionally beautiful.

If her eyes held a bit more emotion, she would be enough to captivate many men. Unfortunately, the woman in the mirror had cool, indifferent eyes. Even so, this face still captured many.

Jiang Xi opened her handbag and pulled out a lipstick.

Her lips were stained red.

Outside the door, several footsteps, accompanied by serious conversation, passed by. Men’s leather shoes echoed on the tiles.

“President Lu, Director Chen Jian—”

Jiang Xi paid no mind. After putting away her lipstick, she bent down to wash her hands.

“Fire him,” a man’s voice interrupted.

Impatient, yet composed, cold and decisive.

Jiang Xi’s hands froze. Water splashed onto the mirror.

The voices in the hallway gradually faded. A few seconds later, Jiang Xi reacted. She showed no emotion on her face and resumed washing her hands.

There were thousands of similar voices in the world; it couldn’t be such a coincidence.

She turned off the faucet, grabbed a tissue to dry her hands, and left the restroom with her bag.

________________________________________

Inside the ballroom, the wrap-up party was in full swing. Jiang Xi returned to her seat.

The leaders gave speeches, and everyone at each table politely applauded. Jiang Xi also clapped a few times.

The wrap-up party didn’t end until midnight. Many busy celebrities present rushed to the airport as soon as the banquet concluded.

Jiang Xi wasn’t in a rush for anything. Unlike the others, she waited until everyone had left before getting up.

She had drunk a little, not enough to be drunk, but she felt a bit nauseous. Jiang Xi frowned, took out her mask, and hooked its loops onto her ears with slender fingers.

She stood waiting for the elevator. The hallway was very quiet, with only hotel staff entering and exiting the ballroom.

At one point, a private room door was pushed open with a considerable commotion. Jiang Xi paid no attention.

“Little Jiang.”

Jiang Xi didn’t react at first. It wasn’t until the person called a second time that she realized she was being called. She turned around. The person was not a stranger; it was a director she had met while filming last year.

The man, middle-aged and portly, smiled broadly: “I recognized you even with a mask on.”

Jiang Xi nodded politely: “Director Li.”

“Why are you here?”

“There’s a wrap-up party tonight.”

The man’s gaze shamelessly scrutinized her: “Is it over?”

Jiang Xi ignored his rudeness: “Mm.”

Before Director Li could say anything, she already spoke: “Excuse me, Director Li, I have to go.”

The elevator arrived just then.

But Director Li quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist: “What’s the rush? I’ll give you benefits. Are you free?”

The man had clearly been drinking; a strong smell of alcohol emanated from him. Jiang Xi frowned slightly, but her tone remained polite: “I’m sorry, I’m not free.”

“Not free?”

The elevator doors slowly opened.

The people outside and the group inside met face to face.

The hand gripping her wrist was repulsive. Jiang Xi’s brow remained furrowed, wanting to shake him off. But then she felt Director Li release her first, and her hand was free.

“President Lu,” Director Li’s voice had already shifted to a fawning smile.

Jiang Xi was a little surprised and looked up. What was initially just a casual glance froze when she saw the person inside.

The man was impeccably dressed in a suit, with heroic features and naturally handsome looks.

He lowered his eyes, appearing nonchalant, his long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them.

Hearing the sound, he lifted his gaze, his eyes dark and indifferent.

Jiang Xi didn’t have time to retract her gaze.

Their eyes suddenly met.

Long time no see.