After A Secret Marriage Agreement With A Rival Omega - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

◎ Her heart skipped a beat as she met the eyes of the person in front of her. ◎

“I’ve never seen anyone like you. So, what happened next?” Gu Shengci urged on the phone. Jian Jixing’s voice was slow and nonchalant: “Nothing. She got angry.”

“…” Gu Shengci said “heh” strangely. “You said something so outrageous. If Sheng Ruxi still forgives you, she wouldn’t be herself.”

Jian Jixing didn’t understand: “What did I say wrong?”

Gu Shengci啧-ed twice again: “You’re underestimating Sheng Ruxi. Do you know that if she said that to someone else, countless people would lose sleep over it? But you slept soundly.”

After talking on the phone with Sheng Ruxi, Jian Jixing had the best sleep she’d had in a while, until Gu Shengci’s call woke her up the next day.

According to Gu Shengci’s understanding of Jian Jixing, this master of planning rarely slept in.

She kept asking until she found out what Jian Jixing and Sheng Ruxi talked about on the phone last night.

Gu Shengci said: “Actually, I think you two have been a mess for so many years. You know her personality. I think she’s serious about you, not just feeling a temporary sense of novelty.”

Jian Jixing had no comment on that. “I think I should start preparing for the new film soon.”

Gu Shengci pursued: “Come on, you don’t want to answer? I think you have a problem too. You’re so disdainful of Zou Xinjie’s attitude. Did you have a thing for Sheng Ruxi before?”

Jian Jixing said: “No.”

“Just be happy. Your wife is already likable. Now that she’s finally putting in the effort for you, you’re not immediately accepting it. Be careful, you might be the one to fall in love first, and then it’ll be too late,” Gu Shengci said half-jokingly.

After hanging up, Jian Jixing got ready to go to the company. The flowers on the table were still very vibrant. She looked it up and found that using a preservative could extend their life.

She took a picture and sent it to Sheng Ruxi as a routine: [The flowers are still blooming beautifully today.]

On the way, Jian Jixing received a reply from Sheng Ruxi: [This kind of flower looks the best in the middle of its life.]

After sending this message, Sheng Ruxi seemed to suddenly come back to her senses, like a little cannonball, and sent a series of exclamation marks: [I’m busy, why are you bothering me with these small things!!!!]

Jian Jixing wanted to laugh. Sheng Ruxi still said she didn’t arrange for the flowers to be bought. She didn’t expose her and replied: [Then work hard.]

Little Green Bean: [Don’t think that a few words of concern are enough. I’m still angry.]

After all, wasn’t Sheng Ruxi often angry with her? Even though she was angry, she was still having a back-and-forth conversation with her.

Sheng Ruxi was very proud. After Jian Jixing changed her answer last night, she didn’t say anything for a few seconds. After the blank period, she said, “If you had good taste, you should be madly in love with me right now.”

Jian Jixing: “?”

The reason for Sheng Ruxi’s anger was this, which was very unexpected, but it was also very reasonable for Sheng Ruxi. Jian Jixing had no choice but to accept this reason with humiliation.

She was indeed preparing for a new film. Today, she was going to the company to have a meeting with the creative team. She was a free-spirited person and rarely went to the company unless necessary.

When she was parking, Jian Jixing was almost at the end when she saw something. She slammed on the brakes. As she was pulled back into her seat by the seatbelt, she felt a dull pain in her arm.

She didn’t care about that and got out to check. She found a small roadblock that someone had put in her parking space.

Jian Jixing rubbed her shoulder and forearm, still feeling a little pain. In fact, her hand had been in pain occasionally since she came back from the pastoral area. If she hadn’t seen that Sheng Ruxi’s teeth marks on her shoulder were gone, she would have thought Sheng Ruxi had bitten her.

After moving her arm, Jian Jixing went upstairs and pushed open the door to the conference room. She saw Lin Qie writing a few topics on the whiteboard. There was a new face next to her, looking to be in her twenties, holding a stack of papers that had already been written on.

It was obvious that Lin Qie’s mind was working at high speed, and ideas were colliding. When she said which page she needed to see, the girl next to her could accurately pull out a piece of paper from a pile of papers and hand it to Lin Qie.

She was a talented person. Jian Jixing could tell at a glance. The two screenwriters on her team, Yang Chang and Lin Qie, were two different extremes. One liked to work step by step, using a strict framework to organize the story, just like a drama. That was Yang Chang. Lin Qie was full of wild ideas, sometimes even a little crazy, and liked to doodle. She would throw her inspiration papers around, but there were always brilliant flashes of inspiration.

They were Jian Jixing’s right and left hands. This girl standing next to Lin Qie could allow Lin Qie’s inspiration to be better utilized.

Jian Jixing watched quietly. Everyone in the conference room was already used to it and didn’t make a sound to interrupt Lin Qie.

In fact, the framework for her new film had already taken shape. Her inspiration started from a scene where the protagonist was standing in a ruined building in the rain.

But she couldn’t find a suitable actress for the role. Jian Jixing’s filmmaking was special. She needed to arrange the plot based on the various characteristics of the actors. So she had to cast the actors from the beginning, or she needed to consider with the team who would be the best fit for the plot and style.

Her movies were often praised for having a personal style and being tailor-made for the actors.

Gradually, Lin Qie filled the entire whiteboard, mumbling to herself. Jian Jixing couldn’t hear her clearly. When Lin Qie finished the last stroke and saw Jian Jixing, she was startled.

“Director Jian! Why didn’t you make a sound when you came in?”

“I came in a while ago.” Jian Jixing smiled and sat down. Her eyes swept over the girl next to Lin Qie. “Who is this?”

Lin Qie touched her head awkwardly. The girl smiled gracefully and said, “Hello, Director Jian. My name is Qian Chunhe. I submitted my resume not long ago, and today is my first day of my trial period.”

Lin Qie hurriedly said: “She’s my girlfriend, but I didn’t give her special treatment.”

“I can tell. We don’t object to colleagues dating here.” Jian Jixing also smiled at Qian Chunhe. “I’m sure you’ll do a good job. Have a seat. Lin Qie, have you come up with any good ideas?”

“Based on our film style, I’ve listed all the actresses we can choose to work with.” Lin Qie pointed to the illegible scribbles on the whiteboard. No one could understand them.

Only Qian Chunhe fluently said a few names that everyone was familiar with. When she got to the last one, her voice paused.

Jian Jixing noticed that Qian Chunhe’s eyes quickly darted toward her. She had a feeling that this person’s name was related to her.

Jian Jixing: “Who?”

Lin Qie: “…Sheng Ruxi.”

When this name was said, the conference room fell silent for a moment. Everyone looked at each other and finally focused all their attention on Jian Jixing.

Yang Chang was a little more composed and spoke: “Director Jian, if you think it’s not a good idea, we can contact the other actresses on the list. That’s not a problem…”

Jian Jixing sat in her seat, lost in thought, looking at the messy list Lin Qie had written. From a professional standpoint, Sheng Ruxi was, of course, the most suitable, but Sheng Ruxi had said that she would not work with her… At this moment, Jian Jixing realized that people shouldn’t speak in such definite terms.

The boomerang had finally hit her.

“Let’s refine the script first. There’s no rush. We can contact her manager, Zhou Mei, first to see what Sheng Ruxi’s recent schedule is like.” Jian Jixing took out a pen and tapped the table in front of her. The others saw that her expression was normal and breathed a sigh of relief. They all started to discuss.

During the meeting, Jian Jixing felt a faint pain in her arm. She would rub it from time to time. She thought it would be better after a good night’s sleep at home, but when she woke up the next day to get a cup, she lost her grip for a second and almost dropped it on the floor.

She frowned and moved her leg. It was completely fine. She felt that the injury to her arm should only be a minor one. At that time, her leg was injured much more seriously than her arm. Her arm only had some scrapes, which had clearly healed completely now.

She waited two more days, but it didn’t get any better. In fact, it was even difficult to hold the steering wheel of the car. That day, Lin Qie said she had a new idea and rushed over to find her, with Qian Chunhe naturally following behind.

It was Lin Qie’s first time here. Jian Jixing came out to greet them. With a simple motion of opening the door, Qian Chunhe noticed that Jian Jixing’s arm was uncomfortable. Only then did Lin Qie notice that Jian Jixing’s face was a little pale.

She didn’t discuss the script anymore. Lin Qie pulled Jian Jixing and took her to the hospital. After taking an X-ray, they found out that her arm was fractured. If she had come any later, it would have healed in a deformed way, and she would have suffered for it in the future.

The doctor blamed her for coming so late and said that she could really endure it. The doctor then arranged for Jian Jixing to be hospitalized and observed for two days.

Jian Jixing didn’t think it would be so serious. The only thing she was worried about at that moment was if Sheng Ruxi found out—

But she had to comply.

Jian Jixing didn’t tell anyone, but Lin Qie and Qian Chunhe came to see her again the next day. However, Lin Qie was just writing in a notebook in the hospital room. Qian Chunhe was very thoughtful and bought her new toiletries.

Jian Jixing felt a little bad. Qian Chunhe smiled brightly: “It’s okay, Director. This is nothing. Didn’t Lin Qie ask me to get it? I told her she was ridiculous for not bringing food or drinks to a patient and only bringing a set of these things.”

Jian Jixing smiled. The two of them stayed for the whole morning. In the afternoon, Gu Shengci rushed in.

She saw Jian Jixing lying in bed with her arm in a sling and looked at her with a complicated expression: “You didn’t tell Sheng Ruxi?”

Jian Jixing was speechless: “How did you find out?”

Gu Shengci: “I went to your company to play and saw that Lin Qie wasn’t there. I called her, and she told me. You’re something else, you know? You should have gone to the hospital as soon as you got back from Renqing. It’s been so long. Can you please pay more attention to yourself?”

Jian Jixing was too lazy to argue with her. Her eyes fell on her right arm in the sling: “Don’t tell her.”

Gu Shengci looked at her strangely. She unscrewed the cap of a bottle and took a few sips of water before saying teasingly: “She’s your wife.”

Jian Jixing didn’t speak. Gu Shengci also brought a bottle of water to Jian Jixing’s hand and said, “Want some water?”

It was a new bottle, and the cap was not unscrewed. The doctor had told Jian Jixing to use her hand as little as possible.

“Oh, I forgot… I’m sorry. Don’t look at me like that.” Gu Shengci said, unscrewing another one. She suddenly had a realization: “Ah! No way, are you afraid that Sheng Ruxi will scold you, so you’re not telling her? Are you whipped?”

Jian Jixing closed her eyes. Gu Shengci’s words made her head buzz. She didn’t admit it and just said: “You’ve seen enough. Hurry up and leave.”

Gu Shengci said playfully: “You’re like this. Why would I leave? I’m staying here to take care of you tonight.”

Jian Jixing’s eyes rolled: “I haven’t lost the ability to take care of myself. If you take care of me, it’s worse than not being taken care of.”

Gu Shengci made a very exaggerated expression and said: “How can you say that to me? No matter how bad I am at taking care of people, I’m better than Sheng Ruxi. How about we call her over to see who is better at taking care of you?”

“…” Jian Jixing stopped talking. As long as Gu Shengci brought up the three words “Sheng Ruxi,” she had basically found her weakness.

At night, Gu Shengci lay down on the extra bed, turned over, and said to Jian Jixing: “You should take good care of your right hand. It’s very important in the future.”

In fact, the doctor just said to observe it. It wasn’t that her hand was useless. Jian Jixing knew what she was hinting at and said with a cold face: “It’s not appropriate for two alphas to talk about this in the hospital at night.”

Gu Shengci put down her phone and said: “You’re right. We just need to call an omega, and it will be…”

Before she could finish, Jian Jixing used her other hand to grab a pillow and throw it at her, manually muting Gu Shengci.

After being tormented by Gu Shengci, and with the good observation results from the day, Jian Jixing was determined to be discharged from the hospital on the third day.

When Qian Chunhe showed Jian Jixing the schedule she got from Zhou Mei, Jian Jixing found out that Sheng Ruxi had been shooting a charity film these past few days and had pulled two all-nighters.

Jian Jixing went home and slept for a long time. When she went downstairs the next day, she found that the flowers on the table had withered.

She didn’t need to wear a splint, but she had to reduce the movement of her shoulder and arm.

Since she came back, Jian Jixing had started participating in events in the industry and often went to the company for her new film. Qian Chunhe was a very good assistant, and with her relationship with Lin Qie, Jian Jixing took her to a few events and quickly handed over many tasks to her.

That day, Jian Jixing was sitting in her office. A message popped up in the work group from Cen Jing: [The short film we shot earlier will be released soon!]

Jian Jixing knew the routine and waited for the time to repost it.

She didn’t expect that a charity short film co-created by the official and several directors would cause such a stir.

As soon as it went online, it became a hot topic that night. Jian Jixing had reposted Cen Jing’s post, but the netizens seemed to have been waiting for it. As soon as Jian Jixing finished reposting, the comments immediately jumped up by the thousands. She couldn’t keep up with them.

[Ahhh, I’ve been waiting for half a month and finally got to see the finished film. Who understands me watching the behind-the-scenes footage from the streamers in Taoxi Valley for half a month?]

[I’m fainting from Xixi’s horseback riding. Her previous dramas didn’t show her skills at all. Where did she learn this? Who’s her equestrian instructor? Can I learn from you?]

[Is the middle part filmed by Director Jian? Ahhhh, the screen is filled with CP moments. Who’s happy again? It’s been more than two years, and we’re getting an update! You two are really dating, right? You’re dating, right?!]

[I’m asking Director Jian, did you know they were dating? I bet they are. As long as Director Jian is directing the two of them, they’ll have a CP vibe both online and offline…]

[Didn’t you watch the behind-the-scenes footage from the later stages of the shoot? I’ll say this quietly, but when Sheng Ruxi and Director Jian stood together on set, I felt a chemical reaction, the kind that can’t be broken even when they’re arguing. What’s going on?]

[What else could be going on? Our Princess Xixi is a perfect match for any CP. Love me, love my dog. I will love all of Xixi’s husband’s CPs equally.]

Jian Jixing read the comments for a while and felt dizzy. She really didn’t understand why so many netizens shipped Sheng Ruxi and Zou Xinjie. Was this right? It was too presumptuous.

While thinking this, Jian Jixing gave a like to everyone in the creative team equally. But for the actors, she only liked Sheng Ruxi’s post.

For some reason, she didn’t contact Sheng Ruxi, and Sheng Ruxi didn’t contact her either. Jian Jixing had a vague feeling that she and Sheng Ruxi were in a silent battle, but she didn’t know why.

She thought the publicity would end there. To her surprise, two days later, Jian Jixing received a notification about a new event.

Because the short film was well-received, the official organized a meet-and-greet with the creative team in Xicheng and invited all the directors, including Jian Jixing, to have a discussion.

Jian Jixing brought Lin Qie and Qian Chunhe with her. When she entered the venue, Qian Chunhe was by her side.

On the first afternoon, Jian Jixing arrived at the airport and was arranged to go to a hotel by the event organizer. The service was very attentive. She didn’t see Sheng Ruxi at all during the whole process.

There was a room opposite hers. Jian Jixing specifically asked the manager who lived there. The manager said a name, and it wasn’t Sheng Ruxi.

Jian Jixing breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. She worked alone until the evening when there was a knock on the door.

She guessed it was room service coming to deliver her meal. She got up and opened the door. She was stunned for a moment when she saw the person, and her heart skipped a beat as she met the eyes of the person in front of her.

“It’s been so long, can’t you recognize me? Or are you disappointed?” Sheng Ruxi leaned against the door with a seemingly lazy look. Her eyes constantly glanced behind Jian Jixing. After not seeing anyone else, she looked back at Jian Jixing’s face and said, “You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”