After A Secret Marriage Agreement With A Rival Omega - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

◎ She was wearing a robe with a tie, and the neckline was naturally open, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her skin. ◎

After drinking the porridge, Jian Jixing didn’t hesitate to call Sheng Ruxi.

It went through, but no one answered until the last ring.

Jian Jixing understood that this little princess was angry with her again. But it was also her own fault for not thinking straight.

Jian Jixing cleaned up all the trash on the table, put the dishes and chopsticks back in their places, and estimated the time, guessing that Sheng Ruxi was probably still in the car. She took a photo of the fresh flowers on the table with her camera and sent it to Sheng Ruxi.

[Image]

[Do you need me to help you change the water? Do these need to be taken care of?]

A minute later, she received an irritated reply from Sheng Ruxi.

Little Green Bean: [You can just search for such a simple question.]

Little Green Bean: [And I didn’t buy these flowers!! How could I possibly grow flowers!!!]

Although she was very angry, Jian Jixing’s lips curled up after seeing it. Sheng Ruxi was stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside. Even though Sheng Ruxi didn’t buy the flowers herself, it was true that she ordered them, wasn’t it?

Jian Jixing thought for a moment, put the clean empty bowl on the table, and took another picture with the flowers in the frame. She sent it over: [I hope they can bloom for a long time.]

The other side was silent for a while. Jian Jixing was about to leave when she received Sheng Ruxi’s reply.

[You can drive the Range Rover you used before to go home. The gifts for the moms are already in the trunk. Take them back with you.]

Jian Jixing was slightly surprised. She thought Sheng Ruxi didn’t know she was going home today.

She opened the trunk and saw it was full of things. The gifts were completely different from her style. Jian Jixing paid more attention to practicality when preparing gifts, but Sheng Ruxi liked luxury and beauty. So the style of the gifts in the car was distinctive, and it was obvious that Sheng Ruxi had prepared them herself.

Jian Jixing used to prepare the gifts herself. She didn’t expect Sheng Ruxi to be such a good student.

She had to take back what she had said before about Sheng Ruxi’s mind being empty.

Sheng Ruxi just wasn’t willing to put in the effort to learn. If she was willing to put in the effort, she could naturally do very well, like acting.

Jian Jixing’s eyes scanned the gifts with warmth. She sighed for some reason. She felt that the argument this morning was unnecessary. If she had backed down a little more, she might not have made Sheng Ruxi so angry that she left.

Sheng Ruxi was a proud person who usually responded to gentle words but not stubbornness. When she was angry, she wouldn’t respond to either.

She should be indulged and pampered. Her anger came quickly and went away just as quickly. Jian Jixing had a good temper since she was a child, but for some reason, she couldn’t hold out for two or three rounds in front of Sheng Ruxi.

Perhaps it started with the arguments in junior high school? Sheng Ruxi asked her to help deliver something to Chu Wu, and she teased Sheng Ruxi. At that time, Jian Jixing thought Sheng Ruxi would never talk to her again, but every day after that, Sheng Ruxi would appear in front of her.

No matter how big the fight was, no matter how fierce the argument, Jian Jixing would taunt her again. While arguing, they would make up. Unfortunately, Jian Jixing and Sheng Ruxi’s peaceful time together was never long.

While thinking, Jian Jixing looked down and saw her own smiling face reflected in the dark phone screen. What a strange expression. Jian Jixing shook her head, shaking the memories out of her mind.

When she drove home, she felt a subtle sense of nervousness for some reason, like being timid when approaching one’s hometown. This time, when she was away, she acted on a whim, not answering calls or replying to messages, which she had never done in her twenties.

In the end, it was just a small thing. When she thought of this, Jian Jixing seemed to hear Sheng Ruxi’s voice scolding her in her ear: “You’re just used to taking care of others, but you don’t take care of yourself… What ‘small thing’? Your own things are all big things. Don’t you know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease?”

Who didn’t know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Even if they hadn’t gotten the candy, they had seen the child who did.

Jian Jixing felt annoyed. She realized that much of her resistance came from not wanting to see that “squeaky wheel.”

She was already so grown up. She couldn’t possibly start crying, could she? She was just a director, not an actress. It would be a little difficult to achieve that.

Fortunately, Sheng Ruxi wasn’t next to her today. Otherwise, she would have to hold her nose and laugh at her for being a coward.

Jian Jixing didn’t expect Yan Yaojin to be waiting for her at the door. Yue Ai and Yan Huaixi were not with her.

When she got home, she didn’t see them either.

Yan Yaojin asked the maid to bring the gifts in and said with a smile, “Why do you always bring things back every time you come home?” Jian Jixing replied vaguely.

Afterward, her expression was normal. She asked Jian Jixing instead, “Are you feeling better? I can only ask others about you because I’m afraid you won’t answer my calls again.”

Yan Yaojin had known when Jian Jixing was coming back for a long time and wanted to go to Dr. Tang’s place to pick her up. But she knew her daughter well and knew that it would easily make Jian Jixing annoyed, so she didn’t do it in the end.

Jian Jixing was her eldest daughter and had been sensible since she was a child. The most rebellious thing she had done was to change careers and become a director. After that, her delayed rebellious period seemed to have arrived.

Yan Yaojin didn’t have much experience dealing with this kind of situation. She used to believe that she had a good relationship with her children. Although Jian Jixing later wanted to make movies, she still supported her. Later, she had Yan Huaixi and needed more care, so her mind was focused on the family.

It wasn’t until this incident that Yan Yaojin realized that she didn’t know her daughter very well anymore. She didn’t know what she was thinking, that she had her own concerns, or that she was starting to become unhappy.

Jian Jixing had dinner with Yan Yaojin. Yan Yaojin noticed that Jian Jixing’s gaze was constantly wandering around and said, “Your Aunt Yue went back. Huaixi is in a short-term training camp this semester, so I let her live at the school with her classmates.”

After a pause, Yan Yaojin said, “Today, it’s just the two of us having a simple home-cooked meal.”

Yan Yaojin couldn’t cook, but she made a simple and quick cold dish. When she brought it up, Jian Jixing ate it slowly and didn’t speak for a while. She also realized that Yan Yaojin probably wanted to say something today.

After dinner, Jian Jixing didn’t go back to her room. She just sat on the sofa looking at some work arrangements until Yan Yaojin brought over a plate of fruit.

“Rongrong.” Yan Yaojin considered her words. “Does it still hurt? The family received the herbs you sent over yesterday. We don’t need that many. Take some back with you.”

Jian Jixing moved her laptop away and said, “I have enough too. It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s almost all healed.”

Yan Yaojin frowned, her eyes filled with concern. She looked at Jian Jixing for a moment before saying, “Your sister was being ignorant. I didn’t think it through and agreed to her nonsense. I should have known better—”

“Mom, I didn’t fall while picking lingzhi mushrooms.” Jian Jixing interrupted Yan Yaojin. She was not used to Yan Yaojin talking to her like this. “Besides, I couldn’t just stand by and not save someone who was about to fall.”

“But the result is that you got hurt.”

Jian Jixing was silent. This sentence sounded familiar. Jian Jixing suddenly had a guess in her heart, but she didn’t say it.

She didn’t eat much at dinner, and now she had no appetite for fruit either. Jian Jixing picked up a cup and poured herself a glass of water. She didn’t know if the lemon slices had been soaking for too long, but it tasted a little bitter.

Yan Yaojin: “Mom is sorry. It was my fault. Rongrong, I know what happened in junior high is still bothering you. Mom knows she was wrong… But I really don’t know what to do to make up for my mistake back then?”

“Mom, it wasn’t really a mistake. Maybe you’re the one who keeps dwelling on it, not me.” Jian Jixing drank the slightly bitter lemon water in one gulp. She pursed her lips, intending to stop the topic there, but her gaze swept across the table and saw the gifts Sheng Ruxi had bought.

Among the gifts was a set of plates. It was still the high-end, luxurious style with vibrant colors. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them works of art. They had been unwrapped and placed in a prominent display cabinet where they could be seen at a glance.

Jian Jixing thought for a moment and said, “I was your first child. I know you poured your emotions into me and truly loved me.”

Yan Yaojin looked at Jian Jixing. At this moment, she understood her daughter even less.

Jian Jixing: “But when you have two children, the closeness of your love becomes more obvious. Only later did I slowly realize that you didn’t not love me; you just didn’t love me enough.” She smiled a little. “It’s hard to accept this over a long period of time, but fortunately, I don’t seem to be so conflicted anymore.”

At least saying it was the beginning of truly letting go. Jian Jixing had never talked about this with Yan Yaojin before. In fact, as long as Yan Yaojin didn’t bring it up, the family would never mention what happened back then when she differentiated.

In terms of material things and resources, her two mothers had given her the maximum. They got married at a young age in a family of equal social status. After they got married, their personalities didn’t match, but they still gave everything to their child.

After the divorce, they also took care of their child together and didn’t start a new family. It wasn’t until Yue Ai appeared that Jian Yanchuan had the idea of remarrying.

For a long time after that, Jian Yanchuan was in the process of rebuilding trust with Yan Yaojin.

Later, Yan Yaojin got pregnant. It wasn’t a big deal. At that time, Yan Yaojin and Jian Yanchuan had been separated for many years. But it just so happened that the time Yan Huaixi was born coincided with the time Jian Jixing differentiated.

Jian Jixing’s differentiation happened at the same time as Yan Yaojin was suddenly admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain. No one noticed that her high fever was not going down.

And after Yan Huaixi was born, she received all the attention.

Later, Jian Yanchuan also had a new family. Jian Jixing would occasionally have a strange feeling of detachment, not knowing where her home was.

Yan Yaojin looked at Jian Jixing, feeling ashamed that her daughter had spoken so bluntly. But at this point, if she wanted to refute Jian Jixing, Yan Yaojin didn’t know what she could say.

“Because you were already an adult, but your sister was still a child, so I paid more attention to her in some ways.”

“I was a child too,” Jian Jixing said with a light smile. “I’ve grown up, but I’m still a child at heart. I’m sorry.”

She couldn’t explain this emotion. Precisely because she was once a child and knew how much her mothers had loved her, this love later shifted, making her often feel a sense of weightlessness and tug-of-war.

For a while, she only blamed herself.

She just wanted to be rebellious this one time. What was wrong with crying and throwing a tantrum like Sheng Ruxi said?

“Rongrong…”

“I don’t blame anyone. I’m not saying this to be angry. It’s just to make myself feel better.”

Looking at Yan Yaojin, Jian Jixing suddenly asked, “When did Sheng Ruxi come here?”

Yan Yaojin was stunned and blurted out, “How do you know?”

“Because that’s her style. I recognized it.”

Jian Jixing could tell that Yue Ai and Yan Huaixi were not here because of Sheng Ruxi’s request.

In fact, there was no conflict between Yue Ai and Jian Jixing, and she had been very proper all these years. Jian Jixing just felt indifferent toward her.

She could tolerate it, but Sheng Ruxi couldn’t. She also felt that she couldn’t tolerate it, so she took it upon herself to inform them in advance. Jian Jixing couldn’t think of anyone else who would do this besides Sheng Ruxi.

Yan Yaojin saw that she couldn’t hide it and said, “She came back temporarily a little over a week ago.”

Yan Yaojin thought for a moment and decided not to mention that Sheng Ruxi had also scolded Yan Huaixi. At that time, Sheng Ruxi’s tone was very stern. She first made Jian Jixing’s injuries sound very serious, scaring Yan Huaixi into a snotty and tearful mess, apologizing profusely.

But Sheng Ruxi was still very polite to Yan Yaojin. It was just that from Sheng Ruxi’s words scolding Yan Huaixi, Yan Yaojin figured it out on her own.

This time—Jian Jixing thought for a moment and realized that this must have been during the second half of the filming when Cen Jing had taken over, but the filming wasn’t over yet.

She was completely unaware.

Jian Jixing had no intention of asking or saying more. After staying for a while longer, she got up to leave. Sitting in the car, she didn’t start the engine for a long time.

After a while, she looked up at her quiet phone.

She had never realized before that there would be a day when she would rely on her phone so much. It seemed that without a message, she had no instructions and didn’t know what to do next.

After going to Jian’s house, Jian Jixing only stayed for a moment, played with the younger generation for a while, and then drove back to the villa. It was already nighttime.

Sheng Ruxi didn’t come back. It was normal. She had to attend events and go to work. She might have already gone to another place.

For some reason, Jian Jixing suddenly wanted to call Sheng Ruxi, but she wasn’t sure if Sheng Ruxi would answer.

She had just taken out her phone when Gu Shengci’s call came in first: “Where are you?”

Gu Shengci’s side was very noisy. The sound of people and the roar of engines were mixed together. Jian Jixing guessed that she was probably out causing trouble again. Her tone was a little flat: “At home.”

“Want to come play for a bit? Today is the city charity performance race at Tianqiong. The boss said he sent you an invitation. Didn’t you notice?”

Jian Jixing really hadn’t noticed. After she came back from the pastoral area, her mind hadn’t been on this. When there were races before, she was always a guest of honor and would even go for a spin if she was in the mood.

Jian Jixing received many messages every day, so it was normal for her to miss some. Gu Shengci enthusiastically invited her to come, saying it would be good to have a drink in the VIP section and relax. She also said, “Some familiar people from the industry are here too. How about a change of scenery?”

Who said she needed a change of scenery? Jian Jixing hung up the phone and found that she really didn’t want to be alone. She picked a car from the garage and rode out.

She used to like to clear her mind with this feeling of speed. As long as the speed was fast, all her worries would be temporarily thrown to the back of her mind.

When she arrived at Tianqiong, someone naturally led her in. Jian Jixing casually held a wine glass and watched the few people racing on the track below.

Gu Shengci was number 5. She was behind from the start. Although it was just a performance race, the audience was still very excited, and screams rose and fell.

Among them, the most popular was number 2, a driver in a dark green racing suit who was in the lead from the start.

He drove fast but was unstable and didn’t seem to know the rules. He was so competitive in a performance race. Wasn’t he afraid of getting beaten up? Jian Jixing thought to herself. Not long after, she heard the referee’s whistle. As expected, number 1 won the race.

There was a burst of cheers, asking number 1 to take off his helmet. But the person ignored them and was about to leave until Gu Shengci pushed him on the back, leading him upstairs.

It seemed like they knew each other.

Jian Jixing didn’t move. She saw the other drivers on the track also following them. Gu Shengci brought the person up, and when he took off his helmet, Jian Jixing realized it was Zou Xinjie.

Zou Xinjie probably didn’t expect to see Jian Jixing here and was stunned for a moment. The people behind her then rushed over.

A short-haired woman with red hair unceremoniously pushed Zou Xinjie’s back: “Do you know the rules? Just because you’re a celebrity?”

Zou Xinjie frowned and turned around, annoyed at being pushed. The other person’s attitude was so bad. She just won a race. Were they that sore of a loser? When she turned around, the people behind the red-haired woman surrounded her.

Everyone was already angry. It was Zou Xinjie’s first time at this racetrack. Although she was a celebrity, she wasn’t treated any differently here. Seeing that Zou Xinjie was a trouble maker, someone came over and grabbed her by the collar.

Gu Shengci immediately raised her hands above her head, making it clear that she wouldn’t get involved. But she still said, “Zhuoxin, hey, she’s just a friend who came to play…”

Zou Xinjie scoffed: “What are you doing? You want to fight?”

As if she realized something, Gu Shengci’s expression changed, and she immediately whispered a warning to Zou Xinjie: “Don’t use your pheromones!”

It was already Zou Xinjie’s fault, and showing off her pheromones would be asking for a fight.

Xu Zhuoxin’s hand was about to slap Zou Xinjie. No one could stop her. Not many people at this racetrack dared to tell her what to do.

“Zhuoxin.”

Jian Jixing’s voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear her clearly.

With just those two words, Xu Zhuoxin’s hand stopped.

Jian Jixing looked over. Her eyes and the expression on her face were calm, but they inexplicably made people not dare to interrupt her.

“She just worked with me.” Jian Jixing got up, holding a wine glass with two fingers. The person who grabbed Zou Xinjie’s collar automatically moved away, making way.

Jian Jixing pushed the wine glass toward Zou Xinjie’s face: “It’s an apology drink. Go and apologize to yourself.”

Zou Xinjie was very defiant and didn’t expect Jian Jixing to stand up for her. Her movement was only half a second slow, and Jian Jixing’s eyes turned cold: “Do you want me to pour it down your throat?”

The words she used were very clever. Zou Xinjie instinctively backed down, took the glass, and drank it in one gulp.

Xu Zhuoxin then snorted in disdain: “I’m giving Jian Jixing a face. I don’t want to stoop to your level. You’re so loud and attention-seeking in a performance race. Have you never won a medal before?”

Jian Jixing said, “That’s enough.”

Xu Zhuoxin then told the others to disperse. She sat down and had a few drinks with Jian Jixing. She was very unhappy with Zou Xinjie, who was still standing nearby. She said to Jian Jixing, “I watched your livestream last time. Where’s Sheng Ruxi? Why didn’t you bring her?”

Jian Jixing clinked her glass with Xu Zhuoxin and said, “She’s busy.”

“Busy with what? Busy with people trying to get her attention? Oh.” Xu Zhuoxin glanced at Zou Xinjie. “Logically, when your family sees that your relationship has improved, shouldn’t they hurry up and arrange for you to get married? Send me an invitation when you do.”

Jian Jixing hadn’t spoken yet. Zou Xinjie couldn’t take it anymore: “Are you just spreading rumors?”

Xu Zhuoxin replied unceremoniously: “Did I hit a nerve, big star? No matter who our Miss Sheng chooses, what does it have to do with you? Why are you circling her? Are you so eager to be a third party?”

Zou Xinjie: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I’m not wrong. The one who isn’t loved is the mistress. At least our Jian Jixing has been arguing with her all these years. That’s called ‘to love is to fight,’ do you understand?”

Xu Zhuoxin’s words made Zou Xinjie speechless, and Jian Jixing almost choked on her drink. She signaled Xu Zhuoxin with her eyes to calm down.

Not long after, Xu Zhuoxin went down again. Jian Jixing had drunk enough and was about to leave, but Zou Xinjie followed her.

“Jian Jixing!”

Jian Jixing turned her head and said, “There’s no need to thank me. I can’t stand you either.”

“…” Zou Xinjie couldn’t stand it. She never knew that Jian Jixing’s words were so venomous. She smiled sarcastically, “If you want what’s best for Ruxi, then don’t get involved with her.”

“What gave you the wrong idea, and why are you using such a vulgar word as ‘get involved’?” Jian Jixing asked with a frown. “Do you know her well?”

Zou Xinjie: “I know her better than you do. You may be a big director, but is it okay to blatantly use your power on actresses in front of so many people? Since you have a strong background, you’re not afraid of being exposed?”

“You think she’s doing it for my leading role?”

Zou Xinjie took it as Jian Jixing admitting it: “She’s an actress with a bright future. What if it’s ruined here? Even without your leading role, she will have many more leading roles in the future and go to bigger stages.”

Jian Jixing didn’t say anything. She just looked at her, smiling playfully. Zou Xinjie was very uncomfortable. That look was as if she was directly calling her an idiot.

“You don’t know her at all.” Jian Jixing had no intention of talking to her anymore and turned to leave.

She completely understood why Zou Xinjie couldn’t win Sheng Ruxi’s heart. It was all a bunch of nonsense disguised as “for your own good.”

Sheng Ruxi just didn’t want to think about things. She wasn’t an idiot, okay? When she thought about how Sheng Ruxi would probably roll her eyes without a care in the world if she heard this, Jian Jixing’s lips curled up.

As long as something was related to Sheng Ruxi, her smile would briefly return.

Even though Jian Jixing went out to have fun tonight, when she went back, she finally realized that something was wrong.

It was too quiet. There was only one person in the villa. Even with all the lights on, she still felt the quietness.

Jian Jixing rarely had moments when she wanted to talk to someone. When she looked at the vase of still-fresh flowers on the table, she realized who she was missing.

Sheng Ruxi.

Sheng Ruxi wasn’t in this house. No matter how much she went out and indulged in a life of luxury, she still felt uncomfortable when she came back here.

Jian Jixing didn’t want to admit her loneliness at this moment. Loneliness was a kind of vulnerability, and she had never learned how to show her vulnerability to others. She had only learned to hide and digest it.

Jian Jixing suddenly didn’t understand whether this sudden gush of emotion for Sheng Ruxi came from her own heart or because they were so compatible and had exchanged too many pheromones that night.

She wanted to make a call, but she had already called her this morning, and Sheng Ruxi had rejected it. Calling her again would be presumptuous.

It was already past ten when she got back. According to Sheng Ruxi’s habits, she should be asleep by now.

Jian Jixing laughed at herself for being so cowardly. Wasn’t it just bothering Sheng Ruxi? She sat on the sofa, took two deep breaths, and called Sheng Ruxi’s voice call.

After two rings, it was hung up.

Jian Jixing: “…” She knew it!

Whether she was woken up or did it on purpose, Sheng Ruxi just wouldn’t answer her call!

She held her phone, feeling tired. She didn’t know why she was being so difficult. She had originally planned to just wash up and go to bed. After tossing and turning on the pillow for a while, she made a video call.

The phone rang.

Just when Jian Jixing thought Sheng Ruxi wouldn’t answer this time either—

The call was answered a second before she was about to hang up.

The moment Sheng Ruxi’s face appeared on the screen, Jian Jixing was stunned.

On the other hand, Sheng Ruxi didn’t answer the phone in the dark. The lights were on. She was clearly in a hotel room. Sheng Ruxi had already taken off her makeup, but there was no sign of fatigue in her eyes.

But Sheng Ruxi didn’t speak. Instead, she had a subtle smile on her lips and looked straight down.

“…I thought you were still angry and wouldn’t answer my call,” Jian Jixing said, coming back to her senses.

“I’m still angry. Does that conflict with me answering your call?”

Jian Jixing’s heart was filled with complex emotions. Sheng Ruxi’s tone was even a little rude, but she found it pleasing to her ears. “You didn’t answer when I called you just now.”

Sheng Ruxi moved a little closer. Her beautiful eyes were filled with light: “I was waiting for you to learn how to dial a second time. Do you know? Some things require a little more persistence.”

Jian Jixing was always someone who wouldn’t call again after being hung up on once. In fact, she didn’t know that Sheng Ruxi would definitely answer the second time.

Jian Jixing had a feeling that Sheng Ruxi was hinting at something and that it wasn’t just about this one thing. She looked at the person on the screen, suppressed the bitterness that was welling up in her heart, and asked softly, “Did I wake you up? Or were you not asleep?”

“Neither. I finished work at seven today. I was waiting for your call.” The camera shook a little. Sheng Ruxi must have placed the camera somewhere. She then moved back a little and casually propped her chin up, looking at the camera.

She was wearing a robe with a tie, and the neckline was naturally open, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her skin. Jian Jixing could only quickly glance at it and immediately focused her gaze on Sheng Ruxi’s face.

Her restless heartbeat, at this moment, first became clear, and then slowly returned to its original rhythm, one beat after another, calming all of Jian Jixing’s frustration from the entire evening.

Sheng Ruxi tilted her chin and said to the person outside the camera, “Speak. What’s bothering you?”