MY - 9

Jiang Xi froze.

Lu Nandu didn’t walk in front of her, afraid of making her angry, choosing to stand behind her and to the side.

Jiang Xi didn’t take the medicine he offered.

Lu Nandu was a little at a loss, fearing she wouldn’t accept it: “I saw you had a cold, so I brought you some medicine.”

Jiang Xi still ignored him.

Lu Nandu’s eyes drooped, and he carefully asked her: “Jiejie, will you please say something to me?”

Jiang Xi’s fingers trembled slightly.

In the past, when Lu Nandu made her angry, he would also say these words to her. She used to respond, but not now.

Lu Nandu also knew he wouldn’t get a response. Without waiting for Jiang Xi to speak, he continued: “There are pills, cold remedies, and oral solutions in here.”

Jiang Xi coldly stated: “I don’t need them.”

Lu Nandu, however, seemed not to have heard her, being exceptionally thick-skinned: “Your cold hasn’t gotten better—”

He was interrupted before he finished: “Even if I have a cold, I won’t take your medicine.”

Lu Nandu stopped talking.

Jiang Xi looked straight ahead, sighed: “Lu Nandu, you were the one who played with emotions back then. Since you didn’t want it then, there’s no need to try and get it back now.”

Everyone had their own lives; there was no need to bother each other.

Behind her, Lu Nandu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. His lips parted and closed for a long moment, but he ultimately said nothing.

Jiang Xi truly didn’t want to get entangled. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again: “Didn’t you say last time that I could tell you how to keep your distance from me?”

She finally turned around, meeting Lu Nandu’s gaze: “I really want you to now.”

Lu Nandu’s eyes lacked their usual sharpness, appearing obedient and innocent. He seemed stunned by her words.

Jiang Xi looked away, turning to the roadside: “Stay away from me.”

After saying that, she didn’t look at Lu Nandu again, turned, and pulled her hand free from his.

Lu Nandu stood still, not daring to approach; she wouldn’t let him.

Jiang Xi didn’t look back, quickly disappearing from sight.

________________________________________

A few days passed, and Jiang Xi’s cold got better without taking any medicine.

It had already been a month since she started filming here. Since starting the shoot, Jiang Xi had basically not left this place, her daily life monotonous and boring.

That evening after finishing work, she picked up her phone and saw three missed calls and two text messages, all from Tong Yun.

Jiang Xi opened the text messages.

• The drama airing tomorrow has a promotional event in the capital.

• I’ve already coordinated the time with the crew leader. Your filming schedule will be suspended for tomorrow and the day after. Reply when you see this.

An address and important notes were attached afterwards.

Jiang Xi replied.

• Got it.

Today, work finished relatively early. Jiang Xi returned to the hotel early. It was a rare occasion to finish so early, so she showered and lay in bed all evening.

Tong Yun had already booked her flight for 7 AM tomorrow morning.

________________________________________

Leaving early the next morning, she ran into Cen Wanzhe at the airport, who was also catching a flight.

It was then that Jiang Xi remembered Cen Wanzhe also starred in the drama that was now airing. Cen Wanzhe asked her: “Are you also on the 7 AM flight?”

Jiang Xi nodded, smiling: “Yes.”

Cen Wanzhe: “Quite a coincidence.”

The two weren’t very familiar, so after that exchange, there wasn’t much to talk about. They waited silently to board. Neither was a talkative person, so the atmosphere wasn’t awkward.

Later, Cen Wanzhe’s manager finished the procedures and came to find him. Soon after, they boarded.

Five hours later, they arrived in the capital city, right at noon. Jiang Xi was about to call a car to the hotel. She had to return to the crew tomorrow, and her home wasn’t close to the event venue, so Jiang Xi simply decided to stay at a hotel.

Having been on two crews together, Cen Wanzhe’s manager also knew Jiang Xi. Knowing that Jiang Xi’s manager rarely accompanied her, he kindly asked her while they were waiting for luggage: “Do you want a ride with us since it’s on the way?”

Jiang Xi was a meter or two away from him and hadn’t heard clearly, so she turned her head: “What?”

Cen Wanzhe’s manager, a man, said: “It’s raining outside. Want a ride?”

Jiang Xi waved her phone, smiled, and politely declined: “It’s fine, I’ve called a car. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The ride-hailing car hadn’t arrived yet, so Jiang Xi stood outside the airport waiting.

The weather in the capital was several degrees colder than the filming location. The cold wind blew, drying her face, and the drizzle felt cold on her skin. Having not been back for over a month, she felt a little unaccustomed to it.

Jiang Xi wore a thin chiffon blouse on top, a plaid hip-hugging skirt on the bottom, and a pair of ankle boots. Her legs were long and fair.

Despite her light clothing, she didn’t seem to feel cold in the wind; she just felt a bit impatient.

She disliked waiting.

The car arrived half an hour late, and the driver kept apologizing to her. Jiang Xi’s irritation instantly vanished; she even wondered why she had been impatient in the first place.

Sitting in the car, she received a message from Tong Yun.

• The event organizer says you haven’t arrived yet. Where are you?

A few raindrops had fallen on Jiang Xi’s ankle boots. She shifted her gaze from them and continued to reply to the text message.

After replying, she took out a tissue to wipe her shoes.

After putting her luggage in the hotel, Jiang Xi hurried to the event venue. When she arrived, most of the main cast were already backstage.

Many hadn’t seen each other since filming wrapped. After more than a year apart, they were now exchanging pleasantries.

In this lively environment, Jiang Xi seemed a little out of place. Her demeanor was calm, and she wasn’t very familiar with the crew members. She didn’t join the conversations, yet she appeared more composed than anyone else present.

The promotional event lasted over two hours, but there were significant delays backstage. By the time the entire event concluded, it was already 5 PM.

Tomorrow, there was another new drama event hosted by the media, which Tong Yun arranged for Jiang Xi to attend, so she couldn’t leave.

Jiang Xi took a taxi back to the hotel, leaning back in the rear seat and watching the scenery throughout the ride. There wasn’t much to see, really, just simple boredom.

Halfway there, she passed a Maybach and suddenly remembered that the Maybach owner hadn’t contacted her after the minor collision a while ago.

The owner hadn’t given her his number, only taken hers.

At the time, Jiang Xi hadn’t thought much of it. If someone scratched another person’s car, the owner would surely contact them proactively, but she hadn’t heard anything since.

Perhaps the saying “important people are forgetful” referred to people like that.

________________________________________

The next day, after the event, Jiang Xi took a taxi to the airport.

Filming had only been suspended yesterday and today; it would resume tomorrow.

The weather today was still misty, and the temperature wasn’t high. Jiang Xi wore a baseball cap and a mask.

When she arrived at the airport, there was still some time before her flight’s departure. She got out of the taxi and slowly pushed her suitcase.

As she passed a road, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

It sounded like Xu Yanran: “Wait for me.”

Jiang Xi froze, then looked back after stopping by the roadside.

On the opposite road, Xu Yanran was pushing her suitcase, chasing a tall, long-legged man in front of her.

The man seemed engrossed in business, slightly turning his head to talk on the phone, his brows furrowed in impatience.

Xu Yanran chased after him, calling out: “Brother Nandu, help me with my luggage!”

Lu Nandu, who was described by many as cold and unfeeling, surprisingly managed to grab Xu Yanran’s luggage from behind while still on the phone.

Xu Yanran quickly caught up, walking side-by-side with him.

Lu Nandu handed the luggage to his assistant beside him. The crowd on the road surged, blocking the people on the opposite side.

Jiang Xi’s gaze fell on the diverse faces of the passersby in front of her, some joyful, some indifferent, some just faces.

She didn’t know why she was standing there.

She didn’t look at the other side again, withdrew her gaze, and merged into the crowd, walking towards the airport.

________________________________________

After a few hours of flying, Jiang Xi landed in the evening. As she got off the plane, she received a call from Tong Yun: “Have you arrived?”

“Yes, I have.”

“I’ll pick you up. We can grab something to eat too.”

Jiang Xi was a little surprised: “Are you here?”

Tong Yun said one of her artists had a commercial event here, and she came along: “Might as well come and check on your work.”

Jiang Xi wasn’t surprised by Tong Yun’s words. Tong Yun managed many artists, and quite a few were famous. She often had to accompany them, while less known ones were basically left to their own devices. Jiang Xi was one of them; Tong Yun never accompanied her to film sets or events.

But Jiang Xi didn’t mind. This society was a dog-eat-dog world, and the weak couldn’t blame others for their weakness.

Tong Yun asked: “Have you come out yet?”

Jiang Xi was pushing her luggage out: “Yes, where are you?”

Tong Yun gave a location and license plate number.

Jiang Xi came out. Tong Yun’s car was parked by the road, and she waved at Jiang Xi: “Over here.”

After putting her suitcase in the trunk, Jiang Xi got into the car.

Tong Yun started the car, casually asking: “I never asked you, how’s it going with the crew?”

Jiang Xi buckled her seatbelt, leaning lazily into the seat: “It’s alright.”

“Film well,” Tong Yun said casually, “Put more effort into your acting.”

Jiang Xi closed her eyes to rest: “Okay.”

The car smoothly and swiftly drove onto the highway. Tong Yun asked her: “Have you watched the new drama?”

Jiang Xi: “Watched one or two episodes.”

Tong Yun glanced at her: “Not even paying attention to your own drama?”

“No,” Jiang Xi opened her eyes, “Busy with work.”

“That’s true, after all, you have more scenes now than in any previous role.”

Jiang Xi understood Tong Yun’s implication, but she ignored it.

Tong Yun was an old fox; she naturally knew what Jiang Xi was thinking.

Jiang Xi only put effort into her acting during the filming period. She didn’t care much about the subsequent broadcast; once it was filmed, it was filmed.

Tong Yun knew she was too lazy to watch.

As an artist, this had its advantages; it meant less exposure to online content. What was captured on camera was already a fixed fact, and watching it again was useless. It was better to put effort into contemplating the next drama.

In this regard, Jiang Xi reassured Tong Yun.

“It seems it was right to get you this current drama you’re filming a while ago,” Tong Yun suddenly said.

Jiang Xi was a little drowsy and confused, turning her head: “Huh?”

“In the drama currently airing, your two characters and their romantic storyline are likable, and you have quite a few fans,” Tong Yun said. “Now you have another drama with Cen Wanzhe as the official couple. Fans are waiting for it to air, so there will be buzz before it even broadcasts, especially since Cen Wanzhe’s popularity is not low right now.”

In the drama currently airing, besides Jiang Xi’s appearance being a hot topic, another major highlight was the CP (couple pairing) of Jiang Xi and Cen Wanzhe.

Jiang Xi naturally knew a little about this. She asked: “And then?”

Tong Yun slowly glanced at her: “You know yourself, interact more with Cen Wanzhe online.”

“Oh.”

Tong Yun ignored her passive response and started talking about other things: “I heard that Mr. Lu from Huahong Group is here discussing a project recently. Have you met him?”

Jiang Xi had guessed that Tong Yun would definitely ask about Lu Nandu this time.

She remained expressionless, lying without batting an eye: “No.”

Tong Yun chuckled, clearly not believing her.

Jiang Xi tilted her head slightly, looking out the window. The night was dark and vast, the streetlights blurry, and cars sped by continuously.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of the scene outside Beijing airport a few hours ago.

After so many years, it wasn’t strange for him to have a girlfriend. Moreover, Lu Nandu also knew Xu Yanran’s mother, Chen Meng. Perhaps it was an arranged marriage between their families.

Jiang Xi’s face was reflected in the car window, her expression indifferent.

After an unknown period, she spoke: “He already has someone, so you don’t need to worry about him.”