After A Secret Marriage Agreement With A Rival Omega - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

◎ “Do you miss me?” ◎

【Jian! Ji! Xing!】

After sending that rhythmic, punctuated message, Sheng Ruxi still wasn’t satisfied and dialed her number. Her voice was muffled; it was clear she was still eating: “Who taught you to talk like that?”

Jian Jixing replied without missing a beat: “You did.”

“I did not!” From Sheng Ruxi’s voice, one could practically see her face turning red. “Jian Jixing, what on earth are you talking about…”

“If you didn’t know what I was talking about, you wouldn’t be asking me that.”

Sheng Ruxi hung up immediately.

However, the phone wouldn’t stop vibrating as a barrage of “cat condemnation” emojis flooded in. Jian Jixing found it amusing and sent back “head-patting” emojis to soothe her. Who knew a simple chat could be this lively?

…

From that day on, Jian Jixing and Lin Qie spent a full week polishing the script, leaving other matters to Qian Chunhe.

The altitude in Shanmi was high, and the temperature had begun to drop as early autumn arrived. Once the crew’s schedule was reorganized, Jian Jixing had Qian Chunhe send the revised script to Yi Yueyang’s manager.

Qian Chunhe reported: “After I sent it, Brother Zhong—who usually replies in seconds—took five minutes just to send back a ‘Received’.”

Gu Shengci exclaimed, “What are you playing at?! Sending a script and a schedule like that… is that even a permissible level of content?!”

Lately, hanging around Jian Jixing made Gu Shengci feel like a hawk being tamed by sleep deprivation. Having followed the team, she had seen the script. No wonder Xie Jinheng had acted like she held all the cards, telling Jian Jixing she could guarantee production and distribution. Without some serious backing, how could a movie like this even be broadcast?

The content was too bold; it truly lived up to the theme of “liberating desire.” Gu Shengci knew the script would be adjusted once the leads joined, but she hadn’t expected Jian Jixing to send the raw first draft directly to Yi Yueyang’s side.

Yi Yueyang’s previous collaboration with Jian Jixing was a literary film—pure, hazy, and restrained. This new style was the complete opposite. It was no wonder the manager couldn’t give an immediate answer.

Jian Jixing acted as if she hadn’t heard the concerns. That evening, she received a reply from Yi Yueyang’s manager. He tentatively suggested script changes and mentioned that if a “closed-set” commitment was required, Yi Yueyang couldn’t clear her schedule. She had pre-existing commercial deals; fully committing to this crew would mean nearly ten million in breach-of-contract penalties.

Jian Jixing simply replied: [The crew will not be making changes.]

“Director Jian, are you… being too impulsive?” In the voice message, Brother Zhong’s voice was filled with hesitation before he added, “Isn’t the crew already having trouble starting work? I can’t let my artist take such a risk with you.”

Only then did Gu Shengci realize Jian Jixing’s intention: “You planned this from the start, didn’t you? Yi Yueyang is at her commercial peak; she can’t commit to a closed set, and neither can Tang Hui.”

The two were currently trending due to their breakup announcement. Their company would never give up their money-making potential.

“Actually,” Qian Chunhe smiled and whispered, “I think Director Jian had a female lead in mind all along. She’s just clearing all obstacles so she can film only her.”

Gu Shengci murmured, “Madness. Pure madness. And I’m here being crazy with you… but is that person willing to be crazy with you?”

Even if the script were modified, there were bound to be several bold scenes.

Jian Jixing lit up her computer screen. Holding a fountain pen, she began sketching storyboards on blank paper. With a few scribbled strokes, the outlines became more and more familiar. She was so engrossed that she worked late. Her phone was silent. At 9:45 PM, a silent alarm popped up. She stretched and put down her pen.

The phone was so quiet. It was almost Sheng Ruxi’s beauty sleep time—why hadn’t she contacted her yet?

Lately, Jian Jixing and Sheng Ruxi didn’t talk much during the day. Fortunately, Jian Jixing had her little informant, Yan Huaixi, at home. Even if Sheng Ruxi was too annoyed to talk, Yan Huaixi diligently sent text reports.

Since staying at the Film City, Jian Jixing had been swamped. After showing her hand to Xie Jinheng, she had changed strategies, making things even busier. Now that she had returned to her “workaholic” mode, she knew the crew was gossiping about when Miss Sheng would arrive. Only when Miss Sheng came would Director Jian be generous enough to let everyone rest.

In fact, Jian Jixing had already asked Qian Chunhe to send a message to Zhou Mei, but there was no news yet. She only saw that Sheng Ruxi was incredibly busy, moving from one event to another as if making up for all the squeezed-out promotional tasks at once. Fans were happy with the high exposure, but it was hard on Jian Jixing—she couldn’t even find time for a video call with her wife.

…

At 9:50 PM, Yan Huaixi sent: [Sister, Sister-in-law is home!] Two minutes later: [Sister-in-law seems to be reading a new script!]

Jian Jixing’s heart skipped a beat with an indescribable anticipation. Could it be that Zhou Mei had given the script to Sheng Ruxi early?

She opened Sheng Ruxi’s chat and waited for her to say something. After five minutes of silence, Yan Huaixi sent another message.

[Wow, the script Sister-in-law is reading this time seems unusual. Sis, do you know Director Lu Mingye? I remember him! When I wanted to watch his movies before, Mom wouldn’t let me.]

Lu Mingye? Lu Mingye who likes to film erotic movies?

Jian Jixing frowned: [She’s reading Lu Mingye’s script?]

[Yeah, I saw the name on the cover! My sister-in-law said this script is really good; it was just delivered to her today.] Yan Huaixi, oblivious to Jian Jixing’s darkening expression, continued sharing intel excitedly, “Sister-in-law said it’s quite artistic. She wants to try transitioning into romance films, and her schedule is clearing up soon.”

What romance film?

The “romance” films Lu Mingye shot were essentially adult action films hidden under the guise of romance. His depictions of desire were explicit. Actors indeed became famous overnight, but they would be labeled forever.

She didn’t believe Sheng Ruxi would choose such a film, and her family wouldn’t allow it. The script was likely just for reading, but Jian Jixing was still unsettled. Unable to sit still, she dialed Sheng Ruxi directly.

The call was picked up after two rings. Sheng Ruxi’s sweet voice appeared: “How is your timing so perfect?”

What was perfect about it? Catching her reading someone else’s script? For a moment, Jian Jixing found her own behavior baffling. How could she be upset just because Sheng Ruxi was looking at another director’s script?

Sheng Ruxi casually flipped a page. Lu Mingye’s script certainly lived up to its reputation; the first paragraph of the first page started with a passionate scene. It was originally nothing, but getting a call from Jian Jixing at this moment caused some messy associations in her head.

Jian Jixing heard the pages turning. Knowing full well she was reading a script, she asked: “What are you doing?”

Sheng Ruxi stopped flipping. After a pause, she said: “Read… uh, reading a script.”

Jian Jixing thought for a moment, suddenly feeling her call was ill-timed. “Preparing for bed?”

“Planning to read for a bit longer.” Sheng Ruxi had actually already closed the script. Her fingertips felt faintly hot. After a moment of silence, she suppressed a smile and asked slowly: “Do you miss me?”

It was a rhetorical question, asked as a statement of fact.

“Hmm?”

Sheng Ruxi said: “Don’t you know? Between two people in love, asking ‘What are you doing?’ is equivalent to saying ‘I miss you’.”

Jian Jixing went silent on the other end, but Sheng Ruxi could feel her breathing—even and steady against her ear. Despite the screen between them, Sheng Ruxi’s ears couldn’t help but turn red.

Good grief, why did I just say that out loud? She hoped Jian Jixing wouldn’t think she was “highly experienced.” She really wasn’t!

When Jian Jixing didn’t speak, Sheng Ruxi felt an inexplicable tension and flipped open Lu Mingye’s script again. To her surprise, the two protagonists in the script were also on the phone, flirting. The opening line was:

“Do you miss me?”

It was utterly absurd. The script on her lap felt like a ball of fire, making her restless. She wanted to hang up quickly.

Jian Jixing suddenly spoke: “And you?”

“Wh-what?”

A moment later, a low voice came through the phone: “Then, do you miss me?”

Thud. The script slid off her lap. Sheng Ruxi could barely hold the phone; her breathing grew shallow and ragged. In an instant, her mind wasn’t thinking of an answer, but was filled with “yellow waste”—those explicit lines she had glimpsed in the script flooded her brain.

Even though the script was on the floor, its contents… In there, after that line, the person on the other end would guide the listener to explore their own body with their fingers, demanding that the louder the gasps, the more they missed her…

In the silence where only Sheng Ruxi’s heavy breathing could be heard, Jian Jixing spoke again: “Don’t miss me at all?”

If anyone who knew Jian Jixing were here, they would be stunned. Her deliberate tone and intentionally softened voice were full of enchantment and coaxing.

Sheng Ruxi’s face was burning. She finally snapped out of it. “I do. How could I not miss you… I’ve been thinking of you all week.”

Otherwise, why would she have scheduled so much high-intensity work for herself? If it wasn’t for the sake of being able to go to Jian Jixing’s crew without any distractions later, someone with Sheng Ruxi’s personality—who wanted to see the person they liked immediately—wouldn’t have lasted a day. She just hadn’t told Jian Jixing that she was quietly clearing her schedule; she was determined to get that female lead role.

After saying that, Sheng Ruxi realized how desperate she sounded. She couldn’t act cool anymore; she had confessed the moment Jian Jixing asked. But she still hadn’t heard Jian Jixing say she missed her.

“You miss me, so why… why didn’t you call or message me?” Jian Jixing began to interrogate her.

“You’re busy, I know.” Sheng Ruxi was still too shy to realize anything was wrong with Jian Jixing’s words. “I asked Xiao Qian and the others; they said you’ve been working non-stop these days.”

For the crew, for the script, and for the filming locations. She had heard Jian Jixing was even coordinating with their old school’s spring break schedule because she wanted to use the entire campus for filming. Their middle school.

“Then you didn’t send any pictures, or talk to me more at night.” Jian Jixing’s voice was persuasive. “Or, are you replacing bedtime stories with that… whatever script you’re reading?”

…

That “whatever script” was currently lying on the floor. Who would dare use Lu Mingye’s script as bedtime reading! Her wife wasn’t even by her side; reading that would only ensure she didn’t sleep well. She had just picked it up by chance today, thinking of reading it like a novel… Yan Huaixi was nearby and still a kid; she couldn’t tell her the truth, so she just said it was a romance film.

It was a romance film; it just had a lot of “action.”

“I’m not, don’t talk nonsense.” Sheng Ruxi pouted, annoyed at how she was blushing and heating up just from talking on the phone. It was so embarrassing. She decided to counter-attack. “You didn’t look for me either! Just ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ every day. You’re not my butler.”

Suddenly, Jian Jixing was at a loss. Sheng Ruxi was telling the truth, but she had only refrained because she didn’t want to disturb Sheng Ruxi’s rest.

“I saw all your event photos. I even watched the livestream of your building-visit.”

“So what? If you don’t tell me you watched, how would I know? Besides, watching those isn’t the same as missing me.” Sheng Ruxi finally scored a point. Feeling like she had caught Jian Jixing in a little mistake, she smiled confidently. “You call that missing me? If you really missed me, you wouldn’t be calling me right now.”

“You’d be standing right in front of me,” Sheng Ruxi said triumphantly, taking advantage of the fact that Jian Jixing wasn’t there and didn’t know what script she was reading. “Standing in front of me, reading tonight’s script with me, and…”

Sheng Ruxi swallowed. For some reason, the breathing in her ear seemed to grow heavier, making her instinctively sense a nearing danger. But she knew Jian Jixing didn’t have X-ray vision or surveillance cameras, so she continued boldly: “This script is actually quite interesting.”

Jian Jixing: “…”

Jian Jixing suddenly felt her mouth go dry. She didn’t speak. Her fingers moved with extreme agility, sending three words to Qian Chunhe: [Check the flights.]

The call wasn’t hung up. With a click, Jian Jixing capped the fountain pen she had used all day and dropped it on the desk. “You want me to come back? To read the script with you, or to give you some pointers?”

Her voice was flat: “I’m curious what kind of script you find ‘interesting’.”

Was it the erotic scenes or the romance? If she wanted to transition, wasn’t there a great opportunity right in front of her?

Sheng Ruxi’s breathing tightened. She felt like she was being teased by Jian Jixing, as if she hadn’t gained the upper hand at all. She tried to calm herself. “…Oh? And what do you want to point out to me?”

“The romance scenes,” Jian Jixing whispered. “Perhaps you don’t know, but I have many ways to get an actor into character quickly. The most effective one is…”

Sheng Ruxi held her breath, waiting. But at the critical moment, Jian Jixing didn’t say another word. She said urgently, “Tell me!”

The other side laughed. “If you have the chance in the future, you’ll know.”

Sheng Ruxi felt Jian Jixing was just teasing her. She huffed: “You’re just taking advantage because I said I missed you first. Are you a bad person?”

Jian Jixing’s heart softened, but she didn’t want to say anything about Sheng Ruxi. “I miss you just as much.”

Sheng Ruxi curled her fingers secretly and whispered: “You definitely don’t miss me as much as I miss you.” In two days, she will finish her work here and go to Shanmi to find Jian Jixing. Only she and Zhou Mei knew this.

If it wasn’t for this, Sheng Ruxi—who usually hated such dense work schedules—wouldn’t have agreed. She didn’t lack money. Aside from necessary professional ethics and seriousness at work, she did everything based on her mood. Now, her mood was entirely tied to another person, so she was going to Jian Jixing’s side, regardless of how tired she was.

Jian Jixing said helplessly: “How could that be? Honestly, I thought for a long time before making this call today.”

Sheng Ruxi said: “Liar. If you really thought so, why didn’t you come? You’re so preoccupied with your work; work is about to become your wife.”

At this point, Qian Chunhe had already listed all the business class flights to the capital tonight and pointed out which ones would reach the villa faster, how to arrange a pickup, and how to keep it completely confidential along the way. The destination was the same.

Qian Chunhe even found Sheng Ruxi’s schedule for the next day and told Jian Jixing thoughtfully: [Director Jian, if you can get on the 12:00 PM flight tonight, you can spend about eleven hours with Miss Sheng. Time waits for no one. If you want to go, we’re ready anytime.]

Look, she hadn’t even said where she was going, but everyone around her knew who she was thinking of.

Sheng Ruxi didn’t hear a response for a few seconds. She was undoubtedly impatient. “Why aren’t you talking?”

“Reflecting on my mistakes.” Jian Jixing’s tone suddenly became calm, making it impossible for Sheng Ruxi to read her. Sheng Ruxi got up and went to the bathroom. Holding the phone to her ear, she asked jokingly, “You’re not going to appear at the door after you’re done reflecting, are you?”

Jian Jixing had actually already chosen the flight and was about to have Qian Chunhe book it. But Sheng Ruxi’s question made her typing stop.

“No,” Jian Jixing’s voice stabilized. “It’s hard to get away from here.”

Sheng Ruxi came out of the bathroom, picked up the script, and placed it face down on the table before lying down. Her voice was tinged with sleepiness: “Mm… I know. I was just joking. Goodnight.”

Joking.

At what point did it become a joke?

Questions popped up one after another in Jian Jixing’s mind with an uncontrollable vigor. Her brain, which had been working all day, was suddenly incredibly active after hitting Sheng Ruxi’s questions. She forced herself to suppress those thoughts and said goodnight to Sheng Ruxi.

Does being in love really turn people into this? She felt she was very different from before. She felt she was walking toward a kind of disorderly loss of control; every word and action would be influenced by another person. Even making a phone call, she would guess what the other person was thinking, doing, and looking at based on their breathing and the pauses in their sentences.

A knock on the door interrupted Jian Jixing’s thoughts.

When Qian Chunhe came in, she saw Jian Jixing’s frowning, pensive expression and was startled. She whispered: “Director Jian, I saw you were ‘typing’ for a long time. Is there a problem?”

Jian Jixing realized she had stayed on the chat screen for too long. “It’s nothing.”

Her computer screen had gone dark. Jian Jixing wanted to continue uncovering the densely written draft paper on the table, but a layer of inexplicable irritation colored her heart. Qian Chunhe took it upon herself to organize things. The time on the phone jumped to 10:00 PM.

“Does she have an event tomorrow?”

Qian Chunhe nodded quickly: “Yes.”

“It wasn’t on her previous schedule.”

“Miss Sheng suddenly added a lot of itineraries this week. They were all temporary adjustments, so we didn’t know before.” Qian Chunhe studied Jian Jixing’s expression and continued, “She has a promotional meet-and-greet tomorrow; it’s very rushed. The day after, too. I heard from Sister Mei that several directors heard her schedule is clearing up and sent new scripts over.”

“They’re certainly well-informed.” Fatigue appeared in Jian Jixing’s eyes. “It’s time we notified her on our end. Go and press Zhou Mei.”

Qian Chunhe couldn’t help but curl her lips. Knowing this was the main topic Director Jian wanted to discuss, she said subtly: “I heard Miss Sheng looks at a director’s sincerity. If it suits her, she’ll act even without a fee. If it doesn’t, she won’t care even for a ten-million-dollar paycheck.”

With the halo of a “Double Gold Movie Queen,” Sheng Ruxi indeed had the capital to pick and choose directors. Jian Jixing knew this better than anyone.

But Jian Jixing still asked: “Is that so?”

“It is.” Qian Chunhe neatly organized everything on the table. “Word about our crew has spread in the industry, and Miss Sheng has always been a top choice. She hasn’t replied; I think she’s waiting for you, Director Jian.”

“You mean I have more influence with her?”

Qian Chunhe: “Probably more than that. I think Director Jian is the person who suits Miss Sheng best, but she wants you to go and talk to her personally.”

Sheng Ruxi was very spoiled in this regard, and Jian Jixing understood that too. But what did it matter? In front of someone willing to indulge her, being spoiled was also a form of affection—lethally charming.

The fatigue in Jian Jixing’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a faint smile. “Then would it be more ‘sincere’ if I spoke to her like I did back then?”

Qian Chunhe smiled: “If you leave now, you can still make it. You’ll definitely get your wish.”

Jian Jixing immediately stood up and left without taking anything. A car was indeed waiting outside. Once she was in, it raced toward the airport.

Qian Chunhe kept her head down. Having worked beside Jian Jixing for so long, how could she not have some foresight? she immediately told Gu Shengci that Jian Jixing had gone back to find Sheng Ruxi.

Gu Shengci didn’t have time to curse; she immediately started making other arrangements. They’re like dry wood and a raging fire. How can the kid stay at home? Fortunately, the nightlife was just beginning. She had to find a friend to take Yan Huaixi out so she wouldn’t hear any “NSFW” noises at home.

…

It seemed the heavens were favoring Jian Jixing; the flight departed early, and she arrived in the capital forty minutes ahead of schedule. She hadn’t slept on the plane and felt strangely energetic. It was 1:30 AM when she reached the villa.

She hadn’t told Sheng Ruxi she was coming back. Before boarding the plane, she had received a message from Yan Huaixi saying she was out for the night.

The house was quiet and dark. She walked upstairs slowly, taking off her coat outside the room to avoid getting any “outside dust” on Sheng Ruxi. She reached out and gently turned the doorknob.

Inside the room, Sheng Ruxi was completely covered by the quilt. Using a soft, warm lamp, she was huddled up, reading something. She was very focused, her cheeks visibly flushed under the dim light. Sheng Ruxi couldn’t speed-read; after reading a line or two, she had to close her eyes to dispel the stray thoughts in her mind, muttering to herself: “I’m doing this for learning… for learning.”

She had no idea what Lu Mingye’s script was actually about; there were only explicit descriptions and actions. She had never encountered these before. She was reading with a red face, but a thought suddenly struck her in bed: Couldn’t I use this as a textbook and apply it to Jian Jixing later? She was going to find Jian Jixing soon; she had to do some “crash-course learning.”

The scene she was reading now was about the protagonist having some fantasies while huddled under the quilt late at night. She wanted to immerse herself in it. As she read, she imagined how Jian Jixing would beg for mercy when she did this to her later.

In the script, the character’s feelings were described in extreme detail. As she read word by word, she felt her mouth go dry, and the air under the thin quilt became thin, making it hard to breathe.

As the “knowledge” entered her mind, a thought suddenly popped up: If only Jian Jixing were here now, I could test out how effective this is—

Wait, should I try it on myself first?

Sheng Ruxi was startled by her own thoughts. Even though she knew she was alone, her face burned completely. Her attention was entirely on the book, highly concentrated. She was completely unaware that someone had approached quietly and stopped by the bed.

Click. The lights in the entire room flickered on.