After The Forced Marriage, I Ended Up With The Top Celebrity - Chapter 36

“Next week, I’m getting married to Wang Xu.”

The air instantly froze.

Qiao Jinyan’s body stiffened for a moment; her pupils contracted sharply, then slowly relaxed, as if she had misheard.

Before Qiao Jinyan could explode, Luo Nianshu quickly added, “But it’s a fake marriage. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Explain clearly.”

There could be no jokes on this matter.

Rarely did Qiao Jinyan restrain her impulse; she sat there, her shadow cast motionless on the wall, hard as iron.

Wax dripped onto the cream, congealing into a pale white, and the flame flickered a few times before burning out the last wick. The room plunged into complete darkness.

Without seeing Qiao Jinyan’s expression, Luo Nianshu’s heart grew anxious. She hurriedly stood up to turn on the light but accidentally kicked an iron chair. The chair scraped the tiled floor with a harsh sound, and a piercing pain shot through her toenail. She gasped, curling her toes but didn’t dare pause or delay.

The switch clicked, releasing silver-white light flooding the room. Luo Nianshu immediately turned to look at Qiao Jinyan.

Qiao Jinyan stood with arms crossed, her apricot-shaped eyes filled with an unexpected calm.

“I want to explain.”

Her voice was flat, utterly devoid of the stormy rage that one might expect.

This calmness in Qiao Jinyan made Luo Nianshu even more worried.

So much had happened between them so much that when facing difficulties again, they accepted it with a composed calmness.

Luo Nianshu’s heart sank she hurriedly moved a chair next to Qiao Jinyan, deliberately getting closer.

When Luo Nianshu wrapped her arms around Qiao Jinyan, she realized Qiao Jinyan’s entire body had stiffened. After a few more embraces, Qiao Jinyan’s body finally went limp like air escaping, collapsing softly into her arms.

Luo Nianshu lowered her head to kiss Qiao Jinyan’s hair and held her hand, startled by how cold it was.

“Did Zhang Weiyin come to see you today?”

Qiao Jinyan usually spoke quickly, like a chirping oriole. But now her voice was hoarse and rough, like an unpolished erhu string that struggled to make a sound.

Luo Nianshu nodded silently.

She hugged Qiao Jinyan tighter, as if trying to reach her bones and marrow yet it wasn’t enough, never enough. Even pressed so close, Luo Nianshu still felt a distance between them.

“Any news from Qing Jiuyan?”

Qiao Jinyan hesitated, shook her head. Her head nodded against Luo Nianshu’s chest, making Luo Nianshu’s heart sink further.

Then, she must agree to Zhang Weiyin’s terms. If Qing Jiuyan won’t help, and Qiao Jinyan’s agency won’t help either, there would be almost no room left for maneuver.

“But I still hold on to a sliver of hope,” Qiao Jinyan insisted.

Luo Nianshu smiled bitterly and didn’t contradict.

She couldn’t risk Qiao Jinyan’s safety just on that faint hope.

“Zhang Weiyin told me today that all our communication devices are restricted from sending messages. I tried it’s exactly as she said. But she said if I marry Wang Xu, she’d let you go.”

“Then I don’t want you to marry Wang Xu,” Qiao Jinyan lifted her head, her slender body curling around Luo Nianshu like a snake. Her eyes blurred with a thin veil of tears. “We will marry. No matter what happens, we marry. I don’t want you to marry anyone else, even if it’s fake.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Luo Nianshu said, unusually bold in scolding Qiao Jinyan.

She didn’t care about her own safety but she cared about Qiao Jinyan.

“There is still one way to send out a message. To cut us off completely, Zhang Weiyin plans to livestream our wedding nationwide, making me marry Wang Xu in front of everyone.”

Qiao Jinyan frowned, “You mean the wedding livestream is the channel for sending that message?”

“Very clever.”

She rewarded Qiao Jinyan with a kiss on the brow, trying to wipe away her worries. But the concern between Qiao Jinyan’s brows was like a stubborn shadow that no kiss could erase.

“The wedding date happens to be the day of your awards ceremony. I talked with Molly this afternoon. At the wedding, I’ll find a way to expose Zhang Weiyin’s scandal. After you finish the ceremony, follow Molly’s instructions to go abroad and hide for a while. Only return once Zhang Weiyin is truly brought to justice.”

“What about you? What will you do?”

“I will escape with Molly’s help after exposing the truth and reunite with you abroad.”

Luo Nianshu said lightly.

Qiao Jinyan’s eyes frosted over with ice: “Luo Nianshu, do you think I’m stupid? If Molly can save you from under Zhang Weiyin’s nose, why can’t she save both of us?”

This was just a cover story Luo Nianshu used to make her feel safe while she faced danger alone.

“It will be fine.”

Luo Nianshu reached to touch her hair, but Qiao Jinyan turned away.

Luo Nianshu smiled, dropping her hand to hold Qiao Jinyan’s, feeling the sharp edges of the diamond ring digging lightly into her palm.

She hated to let go.

“Jinyan, let me ask: does your agency want to help you?”

Qiao Jinyan pressed her lips tightly and shook her head lightly.

“Does Qing Jiuyan want to help you?”

Qiao Jinyan’s eyes flickered; her shake this time was nearly imperceptible.

“Is there anyone in the entertainment industry willing to stand with you and share the burden of evidence to topple Zhang Weiyin?”

This time Qiao Jinyan had no strength left to shake her head.

Though many held grudges against Zhang Weiyin, no one dared truly stand up against her.

Humans are self-preserving. Unless pushed to the brink of life and death, survival by any means is acceptable.

“Then now, besides this plan I mentioned, we have no other choice.”

Luo Nianshu reached again to stroke her long hair. This time, Qiao Jinyan didn’t avoid it.

She finally accepted a bit.

Luo Nianshu breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Her gaze toward Qiao Jinyan was soft, shimmering like a summer morning sea surface, but beneath the surface were surging waves hiding secrets.

“Next week, you will go to receive your award. This time you are Best Actress. Isn’t acting your dream all along? Your wish is about to come true. Be happy.”

She used two fingers to gently lift the corner of Qiao Jinyan’s mouth, trying to coax a smile.

Her facial muscles didn’t move, and Qiao Jinyan couldn’t smile. So the forced smile looked strained and fake.

“Luo Nianshu, you underestimate yourself too much,” Qiao Jinyan’s eyes darkened. “Do you think those piles of junk and false fame can compare to you?”

Those words made Luo Nianshu’s eyes redden. She choked, and Qiao Jinyan clearly saw her throat tighten, which made her heart ache even more.

Luo Nianshu glanced at the clock on the wall. Seeing Qiao Jinyan notice, she quickly lowered her head and coquettishly rubbed her head against Qiao Jinyan’s soft waist.

“Your goddess, you haven’t said you like me yet.”

Qiao Jinyan was stunned. Thinking carefully, it seemed she truly hadn’t.

She had always been proud, even joking that Luo Nianshu was just a bedmate. For two years, she dared do anything to find her, yet never found the courage to say “I like you.”

Her throat was dry and itchy; her lips trembled slightly.

It wasn’t unwillingness, but she had never spoken those words to anyone.

She had played confession scenes on stage, but that was acting without feeling.

After playing so many roles, she forgot how to say those four words in reality.

When feelings overflowed, her throat seemed to lose its voice.

Her neck and ears flushed with a pink blush.

“I”

Before she could finish, Luo Nianshu glanced anxiously at the clock, then quickly sealed her lips with a kiss.

There was no more time.

That was it.

Luo Nianshu’s kiss was gentle, light, like kissing a treasure.

“Your goddess, obey Molly this week. I will be fine.”

The clock’s second hand pointed to 12:10.

The appointed time had come.

Before Qiao Jinyan could even think over the sudden words’ meaning, the villa door was thrown open.

Molly rushed in with several bodyguards, grabbing Qiao Jinyan’s body without giving her a chance to react.

“What are you doing?”

Qiao Jinyan was furious. Turning, she saw the calm faces of Molly and Luo Nianshu and immediately understood.

“You two planned this together?!”

“Yan Yan, stay with me in the company this week. I will protect your safety. After the ceremony, the company will send you abroad. As for the assistant… I’ll find a way to bring her safely back from the wedding.”

Even Molly felt the last sentence sounded far fetched.

“Let go!”

Qiao Jinyan’s hair became messy from struggling. Although her resistance was futile against several bodyguards, she did not relent.

“Luo Nianshu! Listen to me I don’t need to trade your life for a shaky survival. Whatever difficulty, we face it together!”

Luo Nianshu’s eyes flickered. She stepped closer, brushing the hair from Qiao Jinyan’s face.

“But I can’t bear to lose you.”

Her voice was low.

“Do you think I can bear it?”

Qiao Jinyan was furious, scratching the muscular arms of a bodyguard, leaving scratch marks. The guard winced in pain but didn’t loosen the grip.

She stared straight into Luo Nianshu’s eyes.

Molly signaled the bodyguards to take Qiao Jinyan away.

They dragged her body as she struggled fiercely. Helpless, they lifted her off the ground and quickly headed to a black Porsche parked in the yard.

The car door locked just as they got in. Qiao Jinyan looked back through the chaotic crowd one last time, lips moving silently. Luo Nianshu faintly saw the word (“snatch” or “fight for”).

The car door locked, and the Porsche sped out of the yard.

Molly glanced at Luo Nianshu, pale-faced beside her, finally wiping away her earlier confidence and putting on a worried look.

“During the wedding next week, I’ll have someone hack into the livestream system. All the evidence will be displayed on the screen during the broadcast.”

Luo Nianshu nodded.

Zhang Weiyin was vigilant and must have secured the system well, so hacking success was still uncertain.

“In the next two days, I’ll buy marketing accounts and water armies to hype your and Wang Xu’s wedding. The bigger the buzz, the more people watch the livestream. If the plan works, our chances improve.”

“However,” Molly paused and looked at Luo Nianshu with some sympathy, “this week you’ll probably be harshly criticized online.”

“I don’t care,” Luo Nianshu answered quickly, her expression cold and different from usual laxity. “This week, please take care of the goddess. Zhang Weiyin will be at the ceremony, so ensure her safety.”

Thinking of that word Luo Nianshu felt uneasy and added, “Don’t let her do anything dangerous.”

“I will.”

Molly promised.